Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 10: Spartan Shield vs. Princess Luna (I of III)

“NO NO NO NO NO-oooo----!” Nightmare Moon’s voice faded with distance as she was blasted, upon a prismatic beam of light, to the moon. The celestial body flashed radiantly, and the silhouette of a weeping mare’s head appeared on it.

Celestia landed hard on the lip of Sore Saddle canyon, looking down at the chaos below. Lunar Stallions were rushing down the ever-widening corridor like an army of black ants. Even the pegasi had landed to join in the triumphant march to victory. They didn’t know their mistress was long gone. The day was theirs, they’d won! Leaning quickly the other way, the sun Princess spied the Spartan Stallions. They were all dead, splayed out on the battlefield like a glorious tapestry of twisted bodies and crimson cape-scarfs. Weapons, arrows and spears stuck out of flesh and earth in all directions. She saw a broken banner here and there. None of them moved. Turning with a very real flinch of anger, Celestia knew what had to be done. The bulk of Nightmare Moon’s army was in Sore Saddle canyon, the stragglers little more than foot soldiers and servants. No was as good of a time as any.

The white alicorn pumped her wings hard, hovering high above the canyon itself. She ignited her horn into a milky white shine, lifting her arms with a mighty thrust. She tilted her head back and gritted her teeth. She hadn’t done anything so big since the foundations of Equestria had been molded under her hooves. The ground began to shake. Shake harder. Shake harder. The earth, she moaned ‘neath the hooves of those that tread upon it and even Canterlot herself took notice. The golden aura of bottomless wells of power surrounded Celestia. Then, with a quick and terrible thrust of her hooves, she brought down Sore Saddle Canyon upon the lunar army.

Massive chunks of rock and debris pitched themselves off of the edges. The edges cracked and broke off as if bombs had exploded them. Trees, boulders and waves of earth pressed hard down upon the black mass of evil. She could hear them. The screams of the dying as they were crushed outright during the onslaught. Celestia arched her back, trying to hang onto the writhing spell. Geo-mana did NOT like to be trifled with, especially on such a large scale—the goddess knew this, and as soon as she could she let the laylines go so they could flow properly again. Massive upshots of dust and earth were flung into the atmosphere, blotting out the moon and stars. If not for the bright golden aura of Celestia, Canterlot would’ve thought that the world was ending.

Celestia had not seen that she’d buried Spartan Shield with the rest of the dead, as well as the Lunar Stallions. It was hard to spot grey on grey, after all. There he would remain for hundreds of years, sleeping a dreamless slumber of stony undeath. As the dust around her settled and the Yoke of Harmony exploded into six separate pieces, she fell to her knees in exhaustion. Then she fell to one side, just trying to breath and rest. Equestria was saved from nighttime eternal. Celestia wept.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1,002 Years Later…
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Twilight Sparkle and Spartan Shield were grocery shopping in the Ponyville farmer’s market. It was good for him, Twilight had insisted, because he needed more modern social interaction to see how ponies acted these days. For the past week or so, the mighty stallion had been studious indeed. Under Twilight’s supervision, he’d rather embarrassedly helped Granny Smith cross the street. Nothing terrible happened in the process, and he was rewarded with a beaming purple mare and a bobbing head. She could tell he felt awkward still, but it would take time for him to get used to things.
While they grocery-shopped, however, Spartan quickly learned that his money was no good anywhere. Nopony would take it, for they thought it was fake. “Spartan, is that the money you were carrying before you were turned to stone?” Twilight asked curiously as he put his bits bag away with a grump.

“Yes, why?”

“That money is over a thousand years old!”

“So am I, but here I stand.” He said a little acidly, thinking her insulting him.

“No no, I mean it could be super valuable!” Twilight said, smiling excitedly. “You could take it to a bank, or even a museum! They might pay thousands of bits for those!” He stared at her like she was crazy. “Think about it. They don’t make these anymore, and the ones that you have look brand new. Why, with a letter of authentication from Princess Celestia, you could turn those into a fortune!” The muscled stallion listened carefully, taking out his purse and pulling out a couple of coins.

“Thousands?” he said, unsure he believed her.

“Just look.” Twilight got a bit of her own out, giving it to him. “In Pinchy we trust, on ours. And on yours are the two Princesses. Its old, old money that nopony even has anymore.”

“Ohhh-- relics, then!” He brightened as he began to make the connection. “Somepony may want these paltry coins for a collection, and other ponies to come see them?” She nodded enthusiastically. “It would be better to trade my coins for coins that ponies will take for their goods.” He frowned mildly around himself, as though accusing the entire marketplace of being mean to him for not taking his coin. “Very well.” He nodded. “When we’re done we can go and ask her Shining Immortal Majesty for a… what did you call it?” he paused.

“Authentication papers. Confirming that you really are a thousand years old, as is all your stuff.” Twilight smiled. “I know you’re not thinking about a job yet, but it might help you to have a bit of coin while you settle in to this new life.”

“I have a profession!” he said, frowning indignantly at her. “I am a Spartan Stallion!”

Twilight opened her mouth to argue with him, but soon chose not to. It was like arguing with a brick wall. She’d known him for only a fortnight and already knew this. Rolling her eyes, she finished her shopping with one more purchase of cold celery. When they arrived back at the library, the unicorn went to find Spike. “Spike, take a letter!” she said officially.

“Oh?” Spike said, his eyes lighting up. He loved writing correspondence directly to Princess Celestia. It made him feel super-important. Whipping out quill and parchment, he flicked his eyes at Twilight in confirmation that he was ready.

“Dear Princess Celestia.” Twilight recited. The baby dragon scribbled obediently.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=

“Hmm, interesting idea!” Celestia smiled as her eyes raced back and forth across the page. “I’m sure a museum would love to have any articles Spartan Shield has to offer them for their Greek and Roman era exhibits. Twilight wants me to write an authentication letter for him.” The alicorn mused, not for the first time, at the power of her signature and royal seal. She could tell ponies day was night and it would be written as such. Not that she’d ever abused that power before. Well there was that ONE time… but that was beside the point! Clearing her throat a little, the sun Princess rolled up her faithful student’s letter and got out fresh paper and quill for herself. Smiling idly, she began to write said authentication letter. Her writing was tall, slanted, and loopy.

Suddenly, Luna poked her head into Celestia’s office. “Sister!” she smiled broadly, startling both of Celestia’s guards. “We come to visit thou and alleviate thy governing stress!” She sauntered into the room for sisterly nuzzles, which she gave. The sun princess chuckled happily, happy for the distraction. Luna was up rather early, dusk had not yet fallen. Surprise visits like this were always welcome.

The solar guards eyed the twin lunar stallions that came into the room with her, her two private guards Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide. Those bat wings, those serpentine eyes, they creeped most ponies right the buck out. They were unsettling. The pairs solar and lunar regarded each other with mild disapproval but did not vocalize it. Both sides thought themselves superior, but the rivalry was relatively friendly.

The sisters chatted for a little bit about small things, until the topic of Twilight Sparkle came around. “Twilight is coming to Canterlot soon, to pick up a missive from me.” Celestia told Luna, gesturing to the letter she was in the process of writing.

“Can’st thou not just send it in the normal way?” Luna tilted her head.

“I would, but I’m going to put my royal seal on it.” Celestia said, gesturing . On her desk was a brick of golden wax and a seal. It was only used for the most serious and royal of decrees, ones that ponies across Equestria dared not ignore. Stamping a letter with such a thing was to invoke Celestia’s royal authority upon the commands therein. Such things had to be delivered from writer to recipient. It was protocol.

“Oooh.” Luna said, impressed. “It must be quite important!”

Celestia’s eyes slowly lidded. The flick of wickedness sparkled there for just a moment. The itch of alicorn desire for mischief welled up inside her. Even the sun Princess was not immune to such things. Her lips curled up in a rather creepy way, but Luna didn’t see since she was busy staring at the golden seal sitting on the desk. “In fact, sister, I was thinking perhaps we could invite Twilight Sparkle to a dinner with us. Just casual, mind you. You know, to catch up?”

“Oh, that would be grand we think!” Luna said enthusiastically. “Thy student has helped us many times, we should show hospitality. Perhaps she may stay the night in her old apartments, instead of getting right back on the train after dinner?” Celestia let Luna run with the idea. Yes, yes sister. It’s all your idea. The white alicorn giggled inwardly. There were ways to make dinners more interesting. Inviting her most faithful student and a muscled war pony was certainly one of them. This was going to be good.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=

Spike couldn’t sleep. He liked it being super-dark when he went to sleep. Maybe it was draconic instinct to live deep in a lair where sunlight wouldn’t bother a slumbering dragon. Maybe it was because the late June weather was making him agitated and not want his blankets—he usually used those to block out any moonlight. And tonight it felt like a full moon. He loved Princess Luna as much as any other Equestrian citizen, but she could overdue it with all the shimmering and sparkling and moonbeams sometimes. Sighing in irritation, Spike mumbled to himself and turned over. There wasn’t enough room under Twilight’s bed for him to hide in his bed-basket under there. Sighing and sitting up, he looked around for other options.

Ah! The closet! That would be a great place. It had no windows, it was still part of Twilight’s bedroom and he wouldn’t have to drag his sleeping basket very far. Going over to it, he opened the door and turned around to go get his blankets and such. He walked by Spartan twice, who slept curled up with a mean scowl on his face. He still wasn’t quite sure what to make of the stallion. Twilight said he was a thousand years old, turned to stone or something, and only recently revived. He wasn’t sure he believed it, to be honest. He looked like every other pony, just bigger and muscle…y… er. If that was a word. He’d ask Twilight later. Musclier? Hm. Rolling his eyes and deciding it was too late in the night to be thinking about vocabulary words, the baby dragon towed his pillow and blankets into the dark closet to get away from the wretched moonlight. Darker was better for sleeping. Pushing the armload of blankets into the confined space, he started to make a little nest with all of them.

Blue hooves.

He stared at them, half-awake, for a few moments. He tilted his head back slowly, looking up to see Rainbow Dash. “AHHH!” Spike yelled out and the closet door slammed itself shut, pulling Spike into the darkness and trying to silence him. She was unsuccessful, for the baby dragon could squirm like an oiled eel.

Twilight Sparkle sat up instantly, groggy. “Whazzat?!” she said. Spartan stirred, turning over and perking his ears. There was some sort of violent wrestling going on in the closet. Twilight and Spartan looked at each other, and Spartan instantly reached over the edge of his bed for his spear. Squinting and suspicious, he poked the door with its tip. “Hello?” Twilight called. She looked down to get Spike up too, but found him missing. “Spike is that you?!”

“Halp!” Spike said. “Rainbow Dash is--!” he said, before he was violently muffled.

“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight Sparkle said, cocking her head in confusion. “Rainbow, what’re you doing in the closet?” she leaned and stuck her eye up to the keyhole. Only darkness beyond. She tried to magic it open, but the door help firm. Rainbow must’ve been holding it from the other side, and Spike along with it. “Answer me!” she said a little angrily.

“D-uh… uhm… nothing!” Rainbow called helpfully from the other side of the door. She sounded embarrassed, caught red-hoofed at… whatever it was she was doing in there. Spying? Napping? Who knew.

“Come out of there!” Twilight said angrily. “What’re you doing in my house? Come out of the closet!” She pulled violently at the doorknob with her magic, but the iron pony was very strong and it was held closed. “Come! Out! GUH!” she grunted then let go, panting with effort.

Spartan Shield scowled, remembering Rainbow Dash from before. “The athlete, yes?” he pressed his ear to the door. “Don’t make me come in there to get you.” He threatened.

“Pfft, you can’t fit in Twilight’s closet, you’re too big!” snorted Rainbow Dash.

“I can fit myself into anything of Twilight’s!” Spartan Shield jabbed the door again with his spear, jarring it. “This is your final warning, strange mare! Come out of the closet!” he snapped, growling angrily. Twilight saw his brow lowering into a battle-scowl, and watched his back legs coil. That was his thrusting-spear stance. He was about to break the door down!

“Let me go!” said Spike, wrestling about. There were more shuffling and bumping sounds in the tiny storage space. Spartan Shield lost his patience then. There would be no hostage situations under this roof. Twilight would be displeased if her servant came to harm. Coiling his arm, ignoring Twilight’s shout and reaching hooves, he LANCED the long spear deep into Twilight’s closet door! There was a splintering of wood and both mare and baby dragon screamed in terror. By some miracle he’d missed them both. Or, more than likely, he’d not been trying to hit them. Only to scare the hiding pony out with her hostage. “Why meeee?!” Spike wailed, having no idea what was going on and squirming about in a panic.

“Don’t SPEAR my closet!” Twilight shouted. But no, he wasn’t listening. The angry Spartan Stallion pulled his spear out, then thrust it in again around the doorknob. This caused the whole thing to shudder violently-- then fall off. He grabbed the entire door, wrenching it open loud groan of forced wood. The purple mare shrieked, dodging out of the way when he threw the whole thing over his shoulder.

Spartan Shield grimaced angrily and reached into shadow, yanking the cyan mare and baby dragon out by the scruffs of their necks. He decided which one was Spike and dropped the baby dragon to the floor. He skittered away, looking frightened. Turning towards Rainbow Dash, his eyes widened in shock. She was wearing his helm on her head. His. Eyes. Narrowed. So that’s why she’d been hiding. “Do the fillies and mares of this place have nothing better to do than to steal my armaments?” he whispered angrily.

“Uhh… hehe…” Rainbow slowly took it off, hoofing it to him slowly. He wrenched it violently from her grasp. Her ears wilted and she looked down. “I couldn’t resist, it just looked so cool on you. I wanted to try it on.”

“You could’ve just asked.” Twilight said with a furrowed brow. “Instead of sneaking into my home in the dead of night.”

“He would’ve said no!” Rainbow argued.

“You don’t know that.” Twilight cocked her head.

“She’s right, I would have said no.” Spartan said, setting the helm on the end table.

“See?!” Rainbow demanded, pointing at him.

“Get your own helm, strange blue strumpet!” roared the warrior, grabbing Rainbow and dragging her towards the window.

“Don’t hurt her!” Twilight said, watching him go. “Easy now!” she lit her horn, but she didn’t know why. To stop him from throwing Rainbow out the window? Well, she could fly. And really she would have liked to have done that herself. It was all she deserved for breaking and entering.

“Out! Thou! GOES!” He pressed the window open with Rainbow’s body and then tossed her outside.

Rainbow Dash yelped, flapping wildly before righting herself. “Okay okay! Sheesh! I’m sorry!” she backed up so he wouldn’t swat at her. “I just wanted to try it out!” She saw windows lighting up, Twilight’s neighbors. A few sleepy faces were coming to press up against window glass. What was going on out there? “I wasn’t gonna steal it, honest!”

“If I have to force thou out of the closet again, blue pegasus, it shall be your last!” he threatened, then slammed the window behind him. Rainbow huffed in frustration. Fine. Keep your stupid helmet all to yourself, jerkface. She didn’t wanna wear it anymore anyway. It was too big for her. It only fit his big stupid head.

Twilight sighed when he slammed the window, checking under the bed for Spike. She pulled him out and coddled him a bit. “We’re fine now.” She said soothingly before returning her gaze to the stallion. “Spartan, did you really have to be so rough?”

“She broke into your home and stole my things.” He huffed, inflating his massive chest a bit. “She’s lucky I did not fetch a whip.” Twilight knew he’d not find a whip in all of Ponyville, but didn’t voice it. “You say your times are peaceful and utopian, Twilight Sparkle, but it seems to have a lot of thieves from my point of view.” He gestured to the closet.

“You owe me a new closet door.” Twilight grumbled at him.

Spartan Shield leaned the broken door back into its opening. It sagged, but didn’t fall down. “I’ll get thou a new one when we turn in my old monies for new.” He nodded, setting his spear down on the floor and clambering back into bed. He flopped down with a stressful sigh. It was doubtful he would find sleep again.

“You gotta be nicer, Spartan.” Twilight said softly in a tired voice, putting Spike to bed in her own bed. He curled up with her gratefully, for the purple mare cast enough shadow to blot out the pesky moon. The baby dragon settled and curled up in a ball, pressed to her belly. She stroked him soothingly, glad he was over his panic attack.

“No mage! Nice stops at midnight!” he grunted. Twilight sighed softly, and it was a long time before she could settle to sleep again.

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Princess Luna sat across a small table from her twin guards Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide. There was a quiet and homely heaviness to the air around them. The hearth crackled quietly, and little lamps lit the room, but nothing else. The night was young, the moon still edging into the sky. Luna always had tea with her two stallions before emerging for a proper breakfast. Well, it was Luna’s breakfast but everypony else’s dinner. Since her schedule was inverted to most others’, she’d grown a stronger stomach from the palace kitchen’s menus.

Sipping idly on a small bowl of strong, sugared tea, Luna pressed her lips over the edges of the bowl in a slow and sleepy way. When she’d had a mouthful or two, she placed it ceremonially in the middle of the table. Aegis Shield reached first, turning the bowl slowly. When he’d found the spot Luna’s lips had touched, he drank from the same spot on the bowl. Gingerly, he pushed it over to Stalwart Hide, who did the same. All was done in silence. Luna let her head bob just once, and they bent forward to bow to her. She did enjoy her bonding rituals. There were so few Lunar Stallions in this era. The Princess of the night was always extra careful to be sure she was close with those that worked closely with her.

The three of them continued to pass the tea bowl back and forth until there was a firm knock at the door that turned their heads. “Enter!” Luna called.

A maid stuck her head in the door, bowing deeply. “Your Majesty. Princess Celestia wishes to summon you for your dinner with Twilight Sparkle and her companion. The kitchen is almost ready to deliver this evening’s meal.”

“Ah yes, thank you.” Luna said, rising to her full height even as the door closed. “Aegis Shield, Stalwart Hide, I must dress. Away with you for the moment.” She dismissed them to wait in the hall while she donned her silvery horseshoes, crown and regalia. Luna ran a brush through her ethereal mane a few times, inspecting herself in the mirror. Satisfied, she was away. She was closing her door and starting down the hall with her twin guards when she stopped a moment. “Twilight Sparkle has a companion?” she furrowed her brow. Companion, in her archaic dialect, meant something closer to ‘fiancée’ or ‘husband.’ She was sure this wasn’t the case, but the word was too specific. “Since when?” The dark alicorn had known the purple mare to be friendly, but very innocent in all the times she’d met her. Had she selected a worthy stallion or mare recently, and Tia had not told her of this? “This dinner shalt be interesting, my stallions!” she told the two lunar guards, genuinely grinning. They smiled at her, happy she was happy. “We cannot wait to see what sort of pony has caught Twilight Sparkle’s eye!”

“Should be good.” Stalwart Hide put in, his deep voice chuckling.

Then suddenly she felt it. Luna stopped a moment, frowning and perking her ears forward. She sensed something. Both stallions halted as her head cocked like she was listening to a very high-pitched noise. “Do you sense that…?” she asked mildly. They shook their heads, and she mentally chastised herself. Both of her guards were pegasi. “There is something in the palace.” She said quietly, looking at the high vaulted ceiling and buttresses. Her eyes narrowed in fascinated concentration, trying to find the source. “Its old… very old… my sister’s solar magic.” She mumbled, turning about and looking the other way down the hall. The stallions looked too, but saw nothing. “Bleeding magic, from a very old spell.” Bleeding was a rather dark word to use, but it was the closest one. There was a source of magic in the palace that was so old, the spell itself was coming apart at the seams and bleeding its energies all over the place. Only alicorns and verrrrry sensitive unicorns would be able to sense such a thing, but it was there just the same. “Very old indeed…” she said quietly, a little troubled. “I shall have to investigate after dinner.” She coughed a little, turning and pushing her dark thoughts aside. “Twilight and her companion await at our dinner table!” Her grand smile returned as she spoke, and she cantered merrily down the corridor.

End of Part 10