Twilight and the Spartan Stallion 2

by Aegis Shield

Chapters

Prologue

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion 2

Part 1: Prologue

Spartan huffed the last of the cool air from his nostrils. The sun was retreating from the sky and beyond the horizon, the late autumn chill was setting in. Setting his wood axe down beside the door, he wiped his hooves accordingly and stepped into the Golden Oaks library. “I am home!” the sandy-coated stallion called in his powerful bronze bell voice. The library was silent. He frowned, checking and stoking the fire in the hearth. Winter was coming soon, he wasn’t going to have a cold house when he had reams and reams of fresh firewood. Taking off his crimson cape-scarf and hanging it on a little peg, he called again. “Twilight! I am home!” Usually his wife would come and poke her head from whatever library corner she was in. He leaned his head into the basement doorway, shouting down to her lab. No answer. His brow furrowed into a battle-worn scowl. “Twilight?” he called up the stairs. The bedroom door was ajar, with only darkness beyond. He cantered slowly upwards to find her.

Twilight Sparkle lay spread out on their big bed, fiddling with something between her hooves. She looked troubled. Her mane was disheveled, and she had the look of a mare that had been worrying all day. Spartan knew that look. His companion only ever got it when something had made her have one of her little episodes. “Oh, welcome home Spartan.” She saw him push the door open, half-smiling in an uncertain way.

The handsome, barrel chested stallion was not amused at this. “What has my wife laying in cold moonlight when there is a fire in yon living room?” he said. With an unhappy male gurgle he clambered up onto the bed with her and lay on his belly. His body was warm, musky with the scent of a working stallion. His body heat comforted Twilight. She leaned and shoved her head up under his strong chin. He nuzzled her intimately with a frown. “Well?” he pressed a bit.

“W-well, you see…” Twilight fiddled with her hooves a bit, then passed a tiny plastic object over to him. He peered at it, and she looked at him expectantly. There was a long silence. He blinked a few times, studying it. It was long and white. The end was tipped with something yellow, and the very top of the tip had stained itself blue. There was a little window with two plus-signs in it. The object didn’t register to Spartan in the slightest, much less its meaning.

“You… ran out of ice cream bars?” he took the stick in his mouth as though to taste it and she SNATCHED it away with a nervous giggle. Her poor anachronistic husband… he ran into things every day still that he had no concept of. This was certainly not something that you put in your mouth.

“W-well, it’s uhm… it’s uhm…” Twilight’s ears turned back, and her face reddened so deeply that Spartan could still see it in the silvery beams of moonlight in the room. He cocked his head at her with concern. “I mean, we… and then I… and we didn’t use a…” she gulped aloud, unable to say it.

The ex-soldier had had quite enough of this. He cleared his throat with a loud harrumphing sound. Sidling over until they were pressed together, he threw a powerful arm around her. She was half-tucked under him. Twilight made a little mewling sound, pressing up against him for comfort. “Twilight,” he said soothingly. His deep, masculine voice tickled her ears and she gave a pleasant shudder. “What is the matter?” he purr-gurgled at her in his lion-ish way, rubbing his velvety muzzle up and down her mane. “Tell me. Please.”

“I-I’m… pregnant.” Twilight finally got it out. She looked up at him with soft eyes, gauging his reaction. He stared at her for a long time, blink-blinking. “Oh Spartan, I mean-!” She wilted further. She knew it! She knew it was too soon! She wasn’t ready, he wasn’t ready and… and…!

“YES!” he boomed, thrusting a hoof skyward. Twilight oof’d when he crushed her to himself. “Wonderful! That did not take long at all!” The purple mare flushed, mumbling something shyly. Didn’t take long?! Was that really his— “Wonderful news, beloved!” he boomed again, wuzzling her up and down rapidly.

“Y’-you’re happy about it?” she said, ever the worrying mare.

“Of course I am!” Spartan scoffed, rolling his eyes and embracing her again. “I did not mount thee so often right after our wedding for FUN you know!” she gave him a look and the warrior coughed a little, looking to one side. She smirked at the slight red on his cheeks. “W-well… maybe a little for fun. Some fun.” He amended. She found herself giggling at him. A great weight lifted from Twilight’s shoulders. She’d been alone when she’d found out. She’d suspected, but the ‘Find Out’ stick from the pharmacy had confirmed it. She’d spent all day and all evening wondering how Spartan would react. Were they already ready to start a family. “Mine bloodline and thine shall mingle beautifully!” he kissed her. Really, really kissed her. She whimpered happily as he turned her on her back and laid on her, stroking her mane while he kissed her. Twilight melted in his embrace while the powerful stallion loved on her and stroked her and praised her for her fertility. “Ohh! Just wait! Her Shining Immortal Majesty shalt be proud! And thy friends! Even the harliquinn!” he paused at the mention of Pinkie. “Hrm, I shalt barricade our lower windows so she does not break in to throw one of her maddening parties.” He rubbed his chin with a slight growl, looking at the ceiling like Pinkie might be there right then.

Twilight giggled softly, her eyes moist and relieved. She had the look of a young mare that knew she was going to be a mother. The look of a mare that had a wonderful husband, whom she knew would always be there to support her. The pregnancy had frightened her, but… but Spartan was there. They would be fine, right? Of course. They were both responsible adults, and they had nice jobs and a home and… and well, a foal soon. She smiled, looking down and touching her abdomen in wonder. Turning her head coyly, she kissed away his growly thinking. “I think we’ll have to let Pinkie throw me a foal shower, at least. Something small. Just close friends.” She stroked his virile mane over and over comfortingly. He smiled down at her.

“Our son shalt have all of my strength, and all of thine beauty.” He decided it would be a colt right then, as some fathers tended to do. “All the mares will want him.” He nodded in a sagely way. How could his sex appeal and Twilight’s sex appeal NOT combine to make something ungodly sexy? His son would be quite the stud! Grinning in satisfaction at the thought, Spartan went about sidling down and nuzzling her still-flat belly. Twilight chuckled, shaking her head. “Dost thou hear thy sire, foal? Thy father is a warrior from a forgotten elite herd, and thy mother one of the most powerful mages in Equestria. Thou shalt be a killing machine!” he chuckled, grinning from ear to ear.

“Spartan!” said Twilight crossly, scowling. As thou she would let their foal just run around killing things! This was not the dark ages! “Don’t say such things!”

“I jest, beloved.” Spartan amended, leaning down and quietly kissing her belly. Twilight squirmed a little, relaxing back. “But just think,” he returned his attention to the foal that was still forming. “Thou will certainly have some strange and powerful blood. I can only imagine what sort of pony thou shalt be. An earth pony with my chest? A unicorn with thy mother’s mind? Hmm!” he wuzzle-wuzzle-wuzzled the purple mare’s belly and she laughed aloud, squirming and tugging on his ears.

“It’ll be eleven months, just like any other mare, Spartan.” Twilight said. “I confirmed it only today.” She turned on her side as he flopped over next to her. She watched him tug on the sheets until they were both covered. “Everypony is gonna be happy for us, right?”

“If they are not, they are not worth keeping around ourselves.” Spartan snorted. Twilight rolled her eyes. Gruff, rough thing. She loved him. He started to snuggle up against her for sleep, but she honked his nose with a firm hoof. “H’ut?” he honked a little, cocking his head.

“Shower. You stink from working all day.” She told him.

“I am already in bed. I feel not like moving!” He argued, sticking his tongue out playfully. He suddenly glowed purple and tumbled out of the bed by his wife’s will, crashing to the floor. “Oomph!?”

“Shower.” She said tartly, smirking and fluffing her pillow some. “Your pregnant wife says so.” She giggled, lying on her back. He opened his mouth to argue, then closed it and scowled at the floor. Then he opened his mouth again, but closed it once more. There… there wasn’t an argument to counter that! ‘My pregnant wife says so’ just… just… it was ironclad!

“Ph-f-f-ft.” he shuffled his lips with a horse-like snort, turning about to go shower and groom. Flicking his tail at her as he went, he cast her a loving smile before disappearing into the bathroom.

Twilight waited until she heard the water come on, then lay her head down with a content sigh. She curled up with a pillow, already holding her still-flat belly. A foal. A little one, just her and Spartan Shield. Was she ready for it? Was anypony’s parent ever ready for it? Probably not. She would have so much research to do, to get ready for parenthood—rearing a foal— schooling— medical needs— proper food and nutrition. So much to do and worry about. She was going to make such a long list it was not even funny. Well, a little funny. Twilight found herself smiling fondly, flicking her eyes at the cracked bathroom door. She watched the steam pour out, listening to the shower run. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to be a mother yet, but she and her husband would have time to prepare. They would do okay, the purple mare knew. She sighed again. So much sighing. It felt good to sigh, in an aching sort of way.

But, Twilight didn’t feel the glowing blue eyes watching her from the darkness outside her balcony window. Whatever it was flew away with a quiet buzzing. The shower drown out the sound of its flight, and the armored creature retreated southward to report to its queen. The desired event had begun, now was the time to set things in motion.

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

11 Months Later…

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

Spartan Shield paced nervously back and forth, grumbling and kicking at the tile a bit. It cracked. The little gaggle of ponies in the waiting room watched him. The mane six (Twilight aside), and Big Macintosh were all present and eagerly awaiting the news of the foal’s birth. “Thou art certain I cannot be there?” he turned and demanded of Applejack again.

“Now Spartan, y’all dun need’a be in that delivery room fer all the screamin’ and blood and mess.” Applejack said less than delicately. The farmer had helped birth many farm animals, this was just another to her in a way. It was Twilight, yes, but birthing was birthing. It was only natural, and it wasn’t a huge deal to her. They were all looking forward to meeting the little one, no doubt, but the birthing itself had rules to follow. That meant no stallions around. “That there’s mare’s work, and ain’t no pony who calls himself a him got any business in there. S’mare’s business, givin’ birth.” That didn’t make the stallion feel any better, and he resumed his scowly-faced pacing. “Besides, Princess Celestia is in there with her, holdin’ her hoof and watchin’ over the wholllllle thing.”

“I should be in there, holding her hoof and watching over her hole-thing!” he made a lewd gesture to Applejack’s… bits, showing how he’d completely misunderstood what she’d just said. “Tiz my hole-thing to worry over and something is coming out of it today!” Applejack face-hoofed with a groan. Rainbow Dash BURST into wild laughter, leaning on a blushing Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie was strangely silent, sitting quietly in her chair.

“Darling,” Rarity snickered rather scandalously behind her hoof, containing herself. “As soon as the foal is born, I’m sure you’ll be the first pony in there, don’t worry!” she tried to comfort him as well.

Spartan heaved a deep, nervous-looking breath. “My son shalt be healthy, and nicely sized.” He told himself. They tilted their heads at him. “He shan’t be sickly, or misshapen, or anything of the sort.” He scrubbed at his mane a bit. Spartan Stallions, as history told, were very picky about their foals. It was not beneath them to discard misshapen, sickly, or too-small foals on a hillside to die. That tradition lived on in him, and it was making him very nervous. He didn’t want to think of such things, but the idea haunted him. Big Macintosh rose and halted Spartan’s pacing, fixing him with a silent smile. Spartan eyed the stoic pony with a frowning, distressed look. “Things will be fine? My son will be fine?” it came out like a question.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said, nodding twice. Spartan sighed, long and loud, resting his forehead on Big Mac’s massive red chest. He felt at ease there, with the only stallion he knew he could count on. The two of them knew Spartan was attracted. In the old eras, Spartan Stallions were open in their ways of love for both wife AND fellow male warriors… though Big Mac did not feel the same way. But, it didn’t keep the red stallion from being supportive on the big day of the foal’s birth. He tousled Spartan’s mane, then perked his ears when the floor shook a bit.

Everypony looked around, alarmed. There was a mild vibration again, and a crack worked its way across the ceiling. A trio of nurses and a technition burst into the waiting room. “Yeah there it is.” Said the techinition, lighting his horn to mend the crack. “She’s more powerful than any I’ve seen!”

“What’s happening?!” Spartan demanded.

“Er, there’s a mare giving birth down the hall. Her magick is runnin’ a little wild, we’re makin’ sure nothing bad happens to the building—there!” he pointed and mended a stair-step crack when the hospital vibrated again. The two nurses scampered out into the hall with him, and flashes of magic kept going off. Everypony looked at each other. The building shuddered a third time, and a wailing cry carried down the hall.

“She is in pain still! It’s been hours!” Spartan roared, turning and galloping to the birthing room. The others in the waiting room dashed after him, shouting for him to stop. The broad-chested warrior turned several corners, weaving this way and that to follow Twilight’s birthing cries. The hospital of Canterlot was massive. When he came to a four-way intersection, the screaming suddenly stopped. He screeched to a halt, and everypony caught up with him.

“Spartan! Y’all can’t go just runnin’ off like that! There’s sick ponies here!” Applejack scolded him. He wasn’t listening though. His ears perked back and forth as he tried to find his wife by sound. There was a little, feminine shriek and he turned left. “Oh, applesauce!” the farmer mare groaned, rushing after him with the others.

Suddenly, Spartan screeched to a halt. Everypony behind him crashed into a comical pile of hooves and groaning. He could hear it. Somewhere nearby, a foal was crying. A new foal. A tiny, tiny foal. “Twilight?!” he called aloud.

Celestia’s great head poked out into the hallway, her smile pleasant but tired. “Shhhh, Spartan. Come.” She gestured. The stallion rushed, galloping as everypony else tried to untangle themselves.

“I shalt teach him to hunt! And to fight! And to show the mares just enough of his backside to--!”

“It is a filly.” Celestia chuckled.

“A filly?!” Spartan blanched. “Wh… why that’s not much use at all!” he said. Celestia affixed him with an immortal frown. “Er.” He said, cocking his head embarassedly. He kept forgetting gender roles really didn’t exist in this era. He’d really, really wanted a son. Perhaps he and Twilight could try again? It was not hard to have more foals. A filly, though? Hrm. “I shall need to teach her to un-stallion any unwanted males…” he scratched his chin, scowling at the floor thoughtfully. “Perhaps sickle training… throwing knives? No no, too small…”

“Spartan.” Celestia nudged him rather scoldingly.

“Right!” he barreled into the room. Twilight lay exhausted and sweaty on a hospital bed. There was a little bundle perched in her arms, squealing and squirming about. Spindly little legs were flailing this way and that, and she was smiling tiredly. “Twilight.” He said, approaching quickly to nuzzle her. She coo’ed softly at the newcomer, and she tilted the bundle to show him.

She was beautiful. A sandy-colored little unicorn with bright purple eyes and a pink-streaked mane. “She looks like you, Spartan.” Twilight husked softly, exhausted. “Isn’t she wonderful?”

“The eyes are yours, beloved. Beautiful eyes.” Spartan whispered, kissing her face. Leaning, he pressed his broad muzzle up to the filly. The child fretted, not knowing what the massive object was. She whimpered, wrapping her tiny, tiny arms around it and burbling in distress. Spartan nuzzled lightly, breathing warm breath onto her. The foal squealed a little, squirming and burbling more. The big thing was friendly! She liked it. He took the bundle gingerly, unwrapping it. He inspected the filly, up and down. He checked her eyes and her tail and felt the firmness of her horn with his nose. The infant squealed a bit, and Twilight waited as patiently as she could. "She's... perfect." he smiled warmly, kissing the foal's belly and wrapping her again. Twilight rolled her eyes a little, taking her back with a relieved sound. Turning, Spartan darted out to the hallway. “Everypony! Come! Come meet my daughter!” he said, joy written on his face.

The herd filed in to meet the new filly. There was talking, laughter, congratulations passed around. Twilight held her daughter the whole time, nuzzling and laying kisses. The newborn fretted, smecking and suckling at her mother’s nose. She was hungry. Turning on her side quietly, Twilight lowered the bundle so the filly could untangle herself. Before everyone’s eyes, the foal tottered about on long legs and fell on her face on the bed. “D’awww!” said the group when she bleated in frustration. Spartan used his nose to push her along. Twilight cocked her legs back so her daughter could nurse. She nosed back and forth, trying to find mother’s teat. When she did, she was inseparable, feeding herself eagerly. Twilight blushed, pulling the sheet hallway over the foal so she could have some privacy.

“She’s pretty cute, Twi. What’s she called?” Rainbow Dash wanted to know.

“Did you pick out a cute name?” Fluttershy wanted to know too.

“My wife would not allow for Spartan Sparkle, despite it having a great ring to it.” Spartan shield chuckled, kneeling by the bed to mind the foal. Twilight shook her head with a tired smile. “Nor for Twilight Shield. She said it was too obvious.” The tired mare nodded again. Her husband was not especially creative despite all his battle knowledge, leadership skills, and strength. “So, we decided not to name her until she was born.”

“Well?” Celestia asked, smiling kindly.

“Well, she was just born, give us time to think!” Spartan snapped. The foal flinched a little, and he leaned to purr over it. The deep vibration of his soothing voice calmed the child and she went back to nursing. “I shall need to be quieter, perhaps…” the stallion mumbled mostly to himself. Rarity snickered a little, and Pinkie nodded silently.

“We’ll name her before we take her home. We’ll think of something.” Twilight whispered, her voice dry. Spartan leaned to the bedside table, getting her a drink. Twilight drained the glass, leaning back and relaxing on the many pillows. “Ahhh…” she sighed out. “I-If you guys don’t mind…?” she said softly, looking about at all of them.

“Right. C’mon ev’r’pony. Let’s get some lunch or something so Twilight can rest.” Applejack said. “C’mon Spartan.” She said, touching his shoulder. Spartan wheeled about to shout something at her. How DARE she try to pull him from his wife and new foal?! “Ahem, hint-hint?” Applejack nodded to the new mother. Spartan turned about. Twilight had fallen asleep where she lay, weak from birthing exhaustion. The foal was feeding herself still, not wanting to go anywhere. The purple mare instinctively curled, making a little pony nest and holding her daughter. Spartan debated for a moment, biting his lip.

“I’ll stay. I’m good with foals.” Pinkie said rather calmly, seeing Spartan’s hesitance. “I foalsit all the time, and this hospital is full of nurses and stuff.” It was a strangely placid tone, but it seemed even Pinkie Pie could be humbled by the miracle of life. It was refreshing to see her NOT bouncing off the walls for once, but he would not be swayed so easily. Spartan Shield opened his mouth to deny her. “Shhh.” She lifted a hoof, pointing. The filly was done feeding herself, and had curled up. Living outside her mother was exhausting! She’d hidden her tiny nosie under one of Twilight’s back legs, sleeping quietly. Pressed up against her mother’s undercarriage, she felt safest.

“I think you could use some air anyway, Spartan.” Celestia smiled gently. “You were so stressed out in the waiting room. Perhaps just a quick lunch, and we’ll come right back? You can even bring Twilight something. I don’t think she’s eaten all day.”

Spartan’s ears perked a bit. Ah, of course. His mate did need something to sustain after something as wracking as the pain of giving birth. “True. A quick luncheon then.” He turned about, scowling at Pinkie Pie. “Harlequin! Guard my wife and child. If anypony disturbs them, smite them with… whatever it is you smite with.” He couldn’t really describe Pinkie’s defiance of the laws of physics but he knew she was very, very dangerous. Though she unsettled him greatly, she was Ponyville’s premiere foalsitter. If anything went wrong she was there, and the hospital staff was there. That made him feel a little better.

Everypony filed out, murmuring happily about the new little one. As their hoofsteps faded, Pinkie Pie went and sat on a nearby chair, watching Twilight and the foal. Now and then a nurse would wander by, and after fifteen minutes or so they were left completely alone. The purple mare would need a few hours rest before she would be ready to move and leave the hospital to take the foal home.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes flickered green, and she grinned from under her eyebrows. The others would not find the real Pinkie Pie, tied up and unconscious in the hospital bathroom, for hours. (Even physics-defying pink mares could be smote by a quick jab to the base of the skull, after all.) By then, the fake would be gone with both Twilight and the foal, leaving nothing behind but an empty hospital bed and an open third-story window.

End of Part 1

Bargaining Chips

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion 2

Part 2: Bargaining Chips

Twilight Sparkle awoke with a quiet moaning sound. Her foal was sitting nearby on her haunches, looking around curiously with big innocent eyes. The purple mare jolted, snatching the baby up and pulling her to herself. The infant fussed, squirming a bit. This was NOT the hospital. This was… this was… where was here? She looked around in wonder.

She was in some sort of smooth, dry cave. A quick glance at the walls said it was not carved, but worn away by water or acid. Glowing white Ghost Mushrooms clung to the walls in odd patterns, lighting the place with their eerie luminance. Hanging roots high, high above her head told her she was deep underground. They were too big to not be something simply enormous. “What is this pla-ahhH!” she shrieked when the filly shoved her head rudely up into her teat, suckling hungrily. Nodding back and forth until she found the nipple, she fed herself eagerly. Twilight tried to relax, for her foal’s sake. She stroked her back slowly, taking deep breaths. She wasn’t used to all this yet, and being in a strange place didn’t help. “Okay think, Twi. Last I knew I was…” she furrowed her brow, remembering Spartan Shield and everypony else gathered around her in the hospital. Had she fallen asleep? She must have. “We didn’t even get to name you, poor thing…” she stood still while her foal fed herself, as best she could.

Lighting her horn with some effort— she suddenly wished she hadn’t. They were everywhere. All around her. On the walls, in the dark crevices, on the ceiling and in the tunnel thresholds. Their shiny black carapaces and giant blue eyes glittered at her. They peered at her curiously, buzzing their wings in an ever-present, quiet hum. Twilight’s mouth fell open and her pupils shrank into dot. “Skreeee!” One volunteered to say, making the poor mare flinch. The nameless foal whimpered fearfully at the loud sound, hiding under Twilight’s undercarriage. Her little body shook, and she clung to one of Twilight’s legs. Changelings!

“Enough. I’ll not have her harassed for no reason.” A voice that was two-toned said. It sounded both male and female, and carried the hum of the hive with it. Twilight clenched her eyes shut, hunching instinctively over her young. She couldn’t look. She didn’t wanna look. She had to look. A tall, slender form not unlike an alicorn stood in a lit entryway. “Twi. Light. Sparkle.” She grinned with all her cobra-like fangs, gossimar wings spread to their full span.

“Queen Chrysalis.” Twilight spat the word like it tasted bad. “What’s happening?! Where have you taken me?! What do you want?!” she went right into a string of questions. Her foal began to cry at the mean-sounding words. The mare hunched. “Oh no no, don’t cry…” she whispered, nuzzling and trying to soothe the filly. “I wasn’t talking to you its okay. Mommy loves you, ohh…” The foal stared up at her mother, whimpering and hiccupping some.

Chrysalis grinned a lopsided, rather diabolical grin. “I think you mean ‘Where have you taken us?’” she snickered a little. “Honestly Twilight, you call yourself a mother?”

The insult struck home, for Twilight blushed angrily. “More mother than you!” she wrapped her filly up in her arms, holding her close and coddling the fretting infant. The sandy-colored little pony wuzzled against her, burbling at her mother’s attention.

The buzz of the hive suddenly got louder. WAY louder. There was anger and chittering and mean, violent gestures from the hundreds of gathered changelings. Twilight looked around fearfully as they menaced her from every wall, every stalactite and crack and hole. It was palpable. The purple mare clung to her daughter, ready to defend her if one of them sprung at her. Suddenly, Chrysalis threw her head back in uproarious laughter. It shook the cave, quieting the droning of the hive, and she stomped a hoof a few times. “You don’t know much about changelings, do you?” The queen sneered with a wretched smile. “I am a queen changeling! I have millions of children!” she made a grand, sweeping gesture to everypony present.

Twilight gaped. “How is that possible?! Your body wouldn’t be able to withstand it so many times!” She stroked her foal’s withers over and over to help soothe her.

“Changeling, Twilight. Change. Ling.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes a bit. “We have one fertile female, a progenitor, and the rest of the hive.” She smirked. “Whiiiiich brings us to why you’re here.”

“Why am I here?” Twilight scowled. “I just gave birth! My husband will be worried sick! What’s to keep me from just teleporting away?! I can go almost a mile now, you know!” she lit her horn, ready to vanish with her foal and flee.

“Teleport where, Twilight Sparkle?” Chrysalis grinned with all her fangs. “Up? Down? How far underground are you? Do you know? What’s to keep you from popping up inside a wall and killing yourself or your foal instantly?” she smiled nastily at the image of instant gore that would happen. Twilight went a little pale, looking down at her child. The glow on her horn fizzled out. “And even if you made it to the surface?” she fluttered her wings to hover over to the mare and seat herself regally. “I would love to see you teleport ten thousand miles across the barren wasteland. At almost a mile per teleport spell, that’s… what? A month or so of travel?” she watched Twilight’s expression carefully. “If you didn’t stop to eat or drink or sleep, and left the foal behind of course.”

“Ten thousand miles?!” Twilight gaped. “There’s no land mass that big! There’s no such continent, much less attached to Equestria!”

“Really?” Chrysalis smirked at her not-so-scholarly argument. “How big is the Everfree Forest? Do you know?” she waited in silence, because of course Twilight didn’t know. Nopony knew. “How about the Misty Mountains? How many miles of tunnels are there?” Again, that was something nopony knew. Not really. “No? Don’t know?” she smirked. “Well then, I wouldn’t underestimate the southern badlands either. Ponies don’t have maps of it for a reason, you know.” There was a trill in the hum of the hive. “Though we do have lots and lots of partial maps… drawn by brave pony explorers, of course.” She let the nasty implications sink in.

There was a long silence between them. Chrysalis waited patiently for her next outburst. Twilight sat across from her, quietly cuddling her foal for a time. The little bundle of joy and hooves tittered, bleating happily and trying to hold her mother’s face in her tiny hooves. The big, soft eyes cut at Twilight’s heart. She was in a bad, bad position. Her poor filly, what could she do? She couldn’t run, not without risking her daughter’s safety. She let out a quiet, feminine huff of distress, pulling the foal to her chest and looking up at Chrysalis rather submissively. Until she had a plan, she couldn’t do anything. Not yet. She needed more information first, so she and her infant could make their escape. “What… do you want?” Twilight said softly.

Chrysalis was pleased that Twilight seemed to finally understand her position. She leaned down into the purple mare’s face. “My last husband died of old age a couple of years ago. I need a new companion to keep my race alive.” She paused for a time to let her blunt words process in Twilight’s mind. “I want Shining Armor.” She whispered.

Twilight’s mouth fell open in shock. “Shining Armor?! You can’t have him! He’s not going to come here to… to…” she covered her daughter’s ears and lowered her voice to an angry whisper. “To breed you! That’s sick!” she said, red-faced.

“That is our way.” Chrysalis snorted. “You, Twilight Sparkle and… foal, are my bargaining chips.” The Queen rose up and turned about. “I’ve already sent a message, demanding the trade-off.” She folded her insectoid wings. “If they refuse, well,” she looked over her shoulder to smirk at Twilight. “At least we’ll have each other for company while my hive dies out.” Her jowls lifted to silently threaten with her fangs. Twilight shuddered, and the foal whimpered.

“You won’t get away with this.” Twilight mumbled lamely, embracing her little one. “They’ll come for me. They will. And you’ll be sorry.”

“I hope they send everything they’ve got. Shining Armor can march the entire Equestrian guard down here.” Chrysalis chuckled, flicking her tail a bit. “And when the battle is over I’ll pluck him from the wreckage, browbeat his free will into nothing, and… well… ensure the survival of my species.” She winked lewdly.

“Eww!” Twilight shrieked, face-hoofing. “That’s gross!”

“Thinking of your brother doing that?” The Queen was having too much fun with this conversation, it was easy to see. The hundreds of changelings present were looking left, then right, then left again as though it were a fascinating tennis match.

“Can’t you just get somepony else? Maybe find a matchmaker or--!”

“Don’t insult me!” Chrysalis snapped angrily. “Shining Armor is by far the most powerful stallion alive right now. The finest horseflesh for royalty’s sake!” Twilight stared at her, and a wry smile found her face. Clearly, she’d not studied her husband too closely. Chrysalis did look a little leery of the purple mare’s smirk, but continued anyway. “Ahem! Come! I’ll show you to your room. I’ll not be written in the history books of my hive for having been cruel to a new mother and foal. You’re my bargaining chips, but you’re no good to me starved or injured.”

“What if I refuse?” Twilight said hotly, scowling.

The tall changeling rounded on her, startling the mare. “You want to starve, down here in the dark? Or, perhaps let mother’s milk to run out?” Chrysalis threatened easily. Twilight hung her head miserably. The foal burbled with disinterest. “Good. Then follow me.” Perching her daughter on her back, clinging to her withers, Twilight obeyed and they walked into the darkness of the endless maze of changeling tunnels.

The foal looked around in wonder, at all the changelings clinging to the walls and watching them with hungry eyes. Growing fearful, the nameless filly bleated. A few sparks of infantile magic flicker-buzzed on her stubby little horn. A hiss of dust and earth fell from the ceiling, getting right into the eyes of a changeling clinging to the wall. It screeched, falling comically on its head with a crash. Neither Twilight nor Chrysalis saw what happened to make it fall.

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

“—And if you ever wish to see Twilight Sparkle and the foal again, you will deliver Shining Armor to me before the new year begins. Signed, Queen Chrysalis of the Changeling Empire.” Celestia finished reading aloud, curling the scroll and setting it aside with a quiet sigh. “She’s been taken.”

“We must act quickly, Shining Immortal Majesty! Let me lead the charge, I am a warrior still!” Spartan Shield practically knocked Shining Armor aside to have his say first. “I do not know what ‘changelings’ are but I am sure they can be killed as easily as anypony else!” he stomped a violent hoof, startling a nearby squire. Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

“Spartan, we can’t send an army down into the changeling hive. They’d be slaughtered!” Shining Armor argued. Holding his helm under one shoulder, the white unicorn stepped forward with a soldier’s frown. “Princess Celestia! Let me lead a small strike force into the badlands. We can find Twilight and bring her home without alerting the entire changeling empire that we’re there.” Celestia made to speak again, but didn’t quite get there.

“Bold and nothingness, battle virgin!” Spartan snapped at Shining Armor. “Shining Immortal Majesty! Release my armor from the museum, I will go alone if need be! We cannot leave Twilight to such a fate!” his great chest coiled with muscled fury, and he reared like the warpony he was. Celestia tried to speak a third time.

“Well tarnation, Spartan, whut about us, huh?” Applejack wanted to know. “We can’t just sit here all nice and smiley while somepony else goes into the Badlands for Twilight!” She adjusted her Stetson down into its serious-face mode, just above her eyebrows where it was tight on her head. The white alicorn just could not get a word in while her subjects shouted and conversed back and forth.

“We should all go!” Rainbow Dash said, snapping her front hooves together. “We’ll show those changelings for stealing our friend and her kid!” It was straight to violence for the cyan mare as well.

“What about Pinkie Pie? The poor thing is still unconscious in the hospital! Whatever ruffian caught her off guard must’ve really hurt the poor dear!” Rarity worried aloud. “Shouldn’t she be kept in the loop?”

The conversation diminished into lots and lots of ponies arguing back and forth about the best course of action. Celestia held her temple, feeling a migraine coming on. Spartan boomed, Shining roared, the remaining mane six shouted— the double doors of the throne room suddenly burst open with all the violence of a goddess. “THAT!” a crack of thunder carrying a single word rolled across the room. The Royal Canterlot Voice! “IS! ENOUGH!” Spartan turned with a deep and angry frown. Princess Luna, flanked by two Lunar Stallions, stood in the doorway. “In all the eons we have not heard such rabble during the open courts of the Sun’s reign!” She strode quickly and authoritatively into the room, parting the crowd. Everypony other than Spartan and Celestia went submissively to their knees, shivering a bit. Luna and Spartan briefly locked eyes, the unsteady truce between them crackling like a hoof-full of bending straw. She was not HIS Princess, he would not bow. He only inclined his head slightly. That was all the respect she would get out of him. Given that he had no large tableware to throw at her at the moment.

“Luna.” Celestia said, sounding somewhat relieved. “Word has reached you, I take it?”

“Tiz hard not to. Word of Twilight Sparkle’s abduction spread like wildfire from the hospital alone!” Luna mounted the dais and sat on her throne next to her sister with some authority. The dark and angry goddess looked at the rabble below. “Find thy senses and be silent!” she commanded them, taking the volume down a notch at last. “We shalt have no madness in our own courts.” When everypony looked sufficiently sorry (other than Spartan), Luna cleared her throat and spoke normally. “What will we do, sister?”

Celestia bowed her head, quietly calculating for a time. She could not give Shining Armor to Chrysalis. He would be a part of a terrible servitude. The Royal Wedding had been her first shot at him, thankfully that had failed. Celestia could not send an army, that would be too much bloodshed even to retrieve the Sun’s Favored Foal and her young. She could not send a strike force either. If they were discovered in the hive, they would be massacred. She looked at the ponies gathered around the base of the dais. They looked to her for wisdom. For leadership and courage. They wanted to know what the plan was, the plan to rescue Twilight Sparkle and the unnamed foal. She… she couldn’t think of anything. All plans involved going into the badlands, and any sizeable force would simple be brunted, captured, and more than likely killed. So much horseflesh had been thrown into the cavernous deep that was the hive in the eons past. Nothing ever came out again. Not since the drawing of the borders of the world had any army uprooted the changeling empire. Nothing that went in ever came out again, not even cartographers and curious explorers. Celestia did not even send diplomats or ambassadors there anymore, they never returned. There was no viable option of rescue. The white alicorn suddenly drooped, her wings limpening around her.

Princess Luna watched her sister think, and saw it a split second before Celestia made to speak. “You don’t mean to say--?” the dark princess gaped at her.

“I cannot commit an army to rescue Twilight Sparkle and her foal.” Celestia said stonily, looking down at her hooves. “Nor a strike force.” She amended. “Nor a singular stallion, with his heart in the right place.” She looked to both Shining Armor and Spartan at the same time, then back a down again. “She is lost. As is the foal.”

“What?!” They chorused as one.

“I will not send a group of ponies to their doom to rescue just two.” Celestia said quietly, her eyes lidding with sorry. Her heart was breaking, her sister saw. Her protégé was like a daughter to her. But… but she was the ruler of Equestria first. She would not send a single citizen to their certain doom to rescue two ponies.

“You jest!” Spartan shouted in disbelief. “She is my wife!”

“You can’t just write her off!” Shining shouted as well, eyes wide. “She’s my sister!”

The rest of the mane six herd stood, staring in utter silence. They couldn’t believe it. Celestia was just… just giving up on Twilight?! “You must understand, my little ponies.” Celestia’s voice was soft and sorry. “The Changeling empire is vast and subterranean. To give them a powerful new progenitor like Shining Armor would be to multiply their population ten times over. They would spill into Equestia, the Gripphonian Mountains, and the Sea Pony Straits. Sheer numbers would overtake us all.” It was a terrible thing, showing them the chessboard of the gods and how very dark it could be to see several moves ahead if something went wrong.

“P-Princess! Please reconsider! I could-!” Shining tried.

“Shining Armor.” Celestia suddenly affixed the stallion with her gaze, her eyes flicking to a milky white for a few moments. “You of all ponies would not be going even if I would send anypony there. It is you she wants. Therefore,” she paused and looked to one side. “Captain Grey, place Shining Armor under home arrest.”

“What?!” Shining Armor gaped.

“You’re the prize she wants, and if she already has spies here again, Chrysalis will stop at nothing to get her hooves on you.” Celestia said somberly. “Therefore, you will not leave the palace grounds, until we can figure out an alternative.”

“But-!”

“That is an order, Captian.” Celestia said far less gently. “Or shall I place you in a cell?” It was a very, very cruel thing to say. What would his wife think?! What would anypony think, the captain of the royal guard suddenly in chains? The white stallion hung his head submissively, nodding his assent. It was better than being put in jail. Captain Grey tried to smile at his fellow Captain, but his heart just wasn’t in it. Shining Armor would have at least two guards with him at all times from then on. How depressing.

“Yer… yer not gonna do anything?” Applejack said softly, taking off her hat to look up at her sun goddess in disbelief. Celestia could not bear to look at her, and hung her head. The farming mare looked around at her friends, all with equally mournful and disbelieving looks on their faces. “Nuthin’ at all?” she tried again. Celestia said nothing, and the silvery touch of tears went down her muzzle as she gazed at the floor. “C… c’mon ev’r’pony… let’s get outta here.” She turned and began to herd the others away.

Shining Armor turned away as well, heading to the owlry to write a letter to his wife. He would need to explain why he wasn’t coming home for dinner, and that he would need a suitecase to stay in the royal apartments… for how long? He didn’t know. He looked over his shoulder, up at Celestia. He had never seen his goddess weep. He turned and left with the others.

Spartan Shield was the only pony to remain. Luna watched him carefully, in case he decided to dash up the dais and attack. He did not. He only stood at the bottom stair of the dais, looking up at Celestia with his bad, sad eyes. It was an alien expression, one that made Luna’s heart sink. “Look at me.” He whispered to Celestia. The milky alicorn had to gather her strength to look him in the face. “Truly?” he whispered, as though he needed to hear it again and again. “Truly, you will do nothing?” he cocked his head at her.

Celestia heaved a quiet sigh, “One…” she shuddered, and hung her head again. “One mare and one foal are not worth the lives of entire nations, Spartan.” She whispered, holding up the glass shield of logic. “The surge of the changeling population would shift the face of the entire world. It’s not worth it.”

“IT IS TO ME!” Spartan roared, ripping his throat raw with one belting shout. “She is to me! How can you be so cruel?! To abandon her?!” guards started forward when the Spartan started shouting and swearing at her Majesty. His savage streaking of insults was a blue-streak that made even the hardest soldier’s blush. “You’ve abandoned her! My wife! You’ve abandoned her-rrr!” they dragged him away, kicking and screaming. It took over half a dozen guards to do so. The double doors of the throne room slammed noisily closed. Celestia broke down just then, and wept. Luna waved a mild hoof to end the Noonday Court for the day, guiding her sister to more private chambers to mourn.

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

After gathering Pinkie Pie onto a cart and hitching Big Macintosh to it, the entire herd made its way home. They took the pink mare to the Ponyville Hospital, where she could be monitored closely. Other than the powerful blow to the base of her skull, she seemed okay. It appeared to be some sort of shallow coma, for her eyes moved like she was dreaming.

The others gathered at Golden Oaks Library, desperately thankful Spike was away visiting draconic relatives for a few months in the northern lands. Spartan sat stony-faced, not knowing what to do with himself. Did they need have a funeral? When would Pinkie Pie awaken? They’d never even named the foal! All was sadness and misery.

Spartan eventually took a little stained glass decoration with a sun pattern on it out of the window and threw it angrily upon the floor. It shattered. Everypony flinched, and they watched him sit on his haunches and sag miserably. The setting sun threw his shadow, long and dark, upon the floor. He was a new father, a providing husband, a loving companion… no more. They could see his mighty muscles, good for nothing, quivering with barely held-in sobs. Big Macintosh rose from the table everypony was sitting around. He sat shoulder-to-shoulder with him, putting a powerful arm around the stallion. Spartan leaned wordlessly against him, burying his face in his hooves. Applejack went to sit on his other side. Then Rarity, then Fluttershy, then Rainbow Dash. The mighty warrior wept, pressed in from all sides by his herd. They cried with him, and he was not ashamed.

The library felt so big, so dark and intimidating without her. It would never be the same. Truly, Twilight had been the lynchpin of the entire group. The alpha mare. The mare in charge that everypony looked to for guidance and wisdom. Now she was gone. Gone so far into darkness not even Celestia’s light would try reach her. Let us not linger here, dear reader, tiz rude to stare at the misery of mourners.

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

Several Days Later...

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

Mr. Cake startled a little when Spartan Shield came into Sugar Cube Corner. He was always so rough with the door, the bell almost broke everytime he came in. “Heya, Spartan.” The knobby-kneed yellow stallion said politely. Word had spread around Ponyville about Twilight’s fate, so he tried to be as friendly as possible. “Anything I can get’cha?”

“Just coffee, Carrot. It’s getting cold out.” Spartan said, seating himself. Mr. Cake was among the stallions that came to Spartan’s weekly symposiums (stallions only!), and they’d become close friends over poker and drinks and odd jobs together. “Colder than ever before.” The stallion added miserably.

“I… heard about what happened.” Mr. Cake mumbled softly, getting the coffee pot and pouring a steaming mug. “On the house, buddy. You need it.” He said, pushing Spartan’s bits back toward him. The broken warrior didn’t argue. With no one else in the shop, he was free to sit across from his friend in case he needed to talk.

“Twas thou that helped me woo Twilight in the first place, with your odd chocolates.” Spartan smiled lovingly at his friend. “If not for thee, she may not have married me.” His words were quiet, but genuine.

“Well! I’m sure you would’ve found a way.” Carrot smiled, turning his ears back bashfully.

“She ate a few of them off my belly.” Spartan smirked a little wider, his eyes seeing the past. “We were correcting history books, you see, but soon she became more interested in me and the chocolates.” He managed a quavering little chuckle, remembering the intimate caress of Twilight’s lips on the softest parts of his undercarriage. Mr. Cake smiled, nodding along with the story. “What of thee and the ah… missus?” he tried to use a modern term, but both stallions knew what he was talking about.

Earth Pony and Earth Pony did not make a unicorn and a pegasus together. The dominant genes just would not allow it. The twins couldn’t be his. Mr. Cake had been in denial for ages but… it was genetics. He never spoke to Mrs. Cake about it, and had made up a story about great-great grandfathers and second-cousins-twice-removed to cover up her infidelity. They’d never talked about it, never brought it up. But, privately, the poor yellow stallion did hurt for it. Spartan looked him in the face while he tried to find words. “Eh… n-not yet.” Murmured the baker, looking to one side. Spartan frowned with disapproval, but said nothing about it. Everypony had his own marital problems these days. Even Shining Armor was being held against his will from his beloved. (Then again she could come visit whenever she wanted…)

“Then, let us be together in our female-based misery.” Spartan sighed, drinking deeply from his coffee. Mr. Cake got his own mug and joined him for a much longer chat, steering the conversation away from wives for both their sakes.

End of Part 2

The Oracle Speaks

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion 2

Part 3: The Oracle Speaks

Spartan Shield awoke in a cool, dark bedroom. He turned over, looking at where Twilight Sparkle should’ve been laying. It had been nearly a week, and he was no better off than the moment he’d found his wife taken from him. He heaved a soft, heart-broken sigh and rose. Passing his haggard-looking image in the mirror, he went about his morning routine, then stopped and looked again. “What am I doing, huhm?” he asked himself huskily. “A foreigner doth take my wife, and I sit about doing nothing?” Celestia’s denial to do anything kept replaying over and over in his head. It troubled him deeply, but a small voice deep beneath his pride quietly understood. That didn’t mean he had to like it, though! “I need not an army to retake what is mine. I am a Spartan Stallion!” he slammed the closet door closed with ghusto, and threw his cape scarf around his neck. Grabbing his saddlebags and stuffing them with whatever food he could get his hooves on, he made for Canterlot on the train.

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

Sound Wave was a pegasus, proud of his job as a guard at the Equestrian National History Museum. Sure, he was more of a rent-a-guard than anything, but he took his work very seriously. He scolded foals that tried to put their grubby mitts on ancient artifacts. He memorized plaques here and there in case somepony asked him a question. His guardspony shirt and belt were always pressed and clean. (How did one press a belt? Shut up, that’s how.) All the light blue pegasus pony needed was a quiet evening to hone his sensitive ears for any sign of trouble in the museum at night. Sure, he didn’t get the fancy armor that the royal guards did, but he had a night stick and a mean buck, so he was sure he was ready for anything.

What he did not expect was for a Spartan Stallion to burst from the shadows and punch him in the head.

Poor Sound Wave went down hard, his eyes in swirls and his tongue hanging out. Spartan knelt, taking the jingling ring of keys from his belt. “What was that?” Somepony called. The warrior stallion turned, seeing another museum guard turn the corner with a flashlight in his mouth. Spartan was caught in its light until whack! Down went the second guard.

Panting a bit, Spartan waited for a time. “Forgive me. I’ve come for my things.” He patted their heads twice, leaving them where they lay. He turned, crossing the lawn and working the key in the lock of the massive double doors. Slipping inside, he relocked it and turned about. The museum was massive, had high ceilings and helpful signs that pointed to just about anything a pony could want to see: Art, plants, minerals, historic documents, artifacts from era’s long past… the list went on. The sandy-coated stallion squinted in the dark, reading the signs. Walking on carpet when he could to soften his steps, Spartan moved quickly and quietly down the hallowed halls.

“So then I says to him, I says,” He came across a pair of guards. “Bah! If Celestia thinks he’s coming for his armor, just leave a few guards around. He’ll bugger off like a good boy!” Spartan pressed himself against a column to listen in. So, her Majesty had already predicted his course of action? So be it. Squaring his shoulders, he snuck up behind them as best he could. But, being a massive muscled stallion made it very hard to sneak and he was detected. “Hwuh?” both guards, who happened to be pegasi, whirled around. He grabbed them both by the head and SLAMMED their skulls together. They both crumpled in a mass of feathers. “Truly, her majesty calls thee her finest to guard priceless artifacts and treasures of the nation?” Spartan grumbled when one of them moaned. Making sure they were both knocked out

Then Spartan saw something that took him off guard. A guard easily half his size. It was a young stallion, very fresh and green-looking. The way his eager eyes darted about with his flashlight made him look innocent and unsuspecting. Growling softly, Spartan perched behind a column and waited there. He coughed twice. “Whossat?!” The young guard whirled about, his light shining this way and that. The beam of his flashlight settled on a statue of Platoof, the philosopher. “I’m watchin’ you, statue. Don’t make any sudden moves!” the young stallion said, laughing nervously. Spartan loomed behind him, casting a shadow. “Meep?!” he turned and swung his flashlight like a baton without looking. Spartan grunted, caught over the cheek and seeing white stars for a moment. “Whuh-HAH?! A thief on my first night! Take this! And this!” The youngster shouted, beating Spartan over the head with his flashlight. Spartan cocked a hoof and slammed him so hard over the face his head snapped back and he tumbled backward like he’d been hit with a gale wind. Spartan let out a breath… then startled when he rose. “C-c’mere you!” He was rattled and running at the intruder in zig-zags. Spartan blanched when he started whomping him on his muscled chest instead. “I gotcha now, take that!“ he said enthusiastically. Spartan whacked him again, harder this time. The guard tumbled with a mare-ish yelp, black eye forming.

“Tough as rubber…” the Spartan stallion murmured when the guard rattled onto his hooves again. “Please stay down?” he tried politeness instead. But no, the pony leaned into him, panting a bit. “You’ve done enough son, just lay down.” He grumbled.

“Mmmmm-buh.” The guard said, whapping him a little lighter on the forehead with his flashlight. Spartan sighed, feeling rather sorry for him before giving his most brutal headbutt. The newbie went down hard, moaning. “Stop in the… in the name of the… muhgnrrm…” he said. Spartan smiled at little, proud at the more worthy opponent. Turning around, the warrior started away. His back left hoof caught on something, and he turned quickly. “Gruhhhrm…” said the guard, clinging to him.

“Really?” Spartan mumbled, shaking his hoof up and down a few times. The guard fell at last, at the end of his strength. “Let none say thou art not without valor.” He strode away… and straight into a group of five armored guards. “Oh.” Spartan said, eyebrows going up. All the noise had drawn them to the fight.

“Looks like Shorty nabbed one!” one of the five said, pointing to their fallen comrade. “Let’s get ‘im!” They charged as a group, tackling the roaring Spartan Shield to the ground.

HOOF TO THE BALLS!

Somepony went down hard, shrieking in agony. The biting, flailing, shouting, wrestling Spartan was far more brutal than any normal museum thief. They grabbed him at last, holding him down and beating him with their batons. He yapped in pain when blood sprouted from his nose. He spat to one side, coiled himself, and LUNGED into a savage headbutt, sending his assaulter reeling. Bicycling his hooves, he barrel-rolled over somepony to right himself. Turning and sinking his teeth into somepony, he used the recoil and tumbled over another. The confusion of mass and body parts gave him the advantage and he jostled his way free of the pile. Turning and jumping on top of the whole lot, the sand-colored stallion hoof-to-the-head’ed each of them in turn! Soon there was a pile of dazed guards, their normally keen eyes replaced with swirls. The group-sized moaning made Spartan sigh. Panting, wiping his nose of the blood and feeling a few bruises up and down his chest, he limped on. Dragging his victims until they were one pile of knocked out ponies, he stared at them all. “Truly I was expected this night, with all of yon muscle waiting.” Pausing for a long time, he suddenly winced. “Twilight shall be very cross with me when she hears about this…” sighing and shaking his head, he went on.

Equestian Greek Era, the sign read when Spartan approached it. He peered at the entryway, and the high arch. It was made to look like architecture from his own era. He smiled a little. It wasn’t quite right, but it was certainly very close. Cocking his head and checking around for more guards, he got the key ring out and unlocked the safety doors so he wouldn’t have to burst through the glass. Murmuring to himself, he dared to flip on a single light. Electricty still astounded him, but he needed light if he was to find his armor and trappings. Swallowing, he travelled about the place. It really brought back memories. Wedding blessing tablets, an Olympics mural, pottery, shards of this and scrolls of that… it was all amazing. There was a long platform with a dummy pony on it, behind glass—there they were. Spartan Shield smiled fondly. His armor dressed the featureless mannequin, but it had been cleaned to a pristine shine by the best of experts. Shining, flawless bronze, a large round shield and a spear… he smiled wider. He’d missed it very much, but there was no reason to wander around in armor in this peaceful era. Now he had a reason, and in a way it made him happy.

He made a quick circuit around the glass, trying to decide the best way to procure his things. Spartan stroked his chin. “Mine wife would know of more subtle ways, but—!” he reared up to smash the glass—! He stopped to gape. The mannequin, armor and weapons suddenly popped out of existence! They were there, and then were gone in a puff of dark blue smoke! “No!” he rushed and pressed himself to the glass. “I’ve been robbed!” he squished his bloody nose up against the cold glass and grunted in pain. Droplets were left behind as he turned back and forth. “What sorcery is this?!” he demanded.

“Mine.” A quiet, feminine voice whispered. Spartan whirled, stopping short, then lowering his brow into the deepest of angry scowls. None other than Princess Luna stood in the archway of the exhibit, flanked by her two royal guards. Next to her, hovering in the air, was the dummy with all of his gear on it.

“Give that back!” Spartan snapped angrily, pointing an authoritative hoof at her. “This does not concern thee, monster!”

“I should throw thee in prison for the assault of so many innocent guards.” Luna set the dummy down next to herself. Spartan clenched his teeth at her. “What are you thinking, Spartan?” she said with a frown. “Armor up, march south, and rescue Twilight Sparkle all by thy lonesome? Against the entire Changeling Empire?” the dark alicorn was not happy, not happy at all. They affixed each other with long, angry scowls.

“I held our uneasy truce for Twilight’s sake, don’t get in my way.” Spartan said, jabbing an angry hoof at her. “Thou slaughtered all my friends, made me the last of my kind and now thou stands in the way of my goals again?”

“Thou marches to thy death!” snapped Luna. “Suicide would not please thy companion Twilight Sparkle. You would just as well throw yourself on your own spear. I’ve read everything the Canterlot library has about your herd, Spartan, you never go anywhere alone for battle!”

“I would go with ten thousand stallions if Her Shining Immortal Majesty would commit them!” Spartan argued angrily, stepping close. The Lunar Stallions to Luna’s left and right bristled. They weren’t used to anypony getting in the Princess’ face. “But if I must march to war alone, I shall.” he growled. “Twas thee and thy sister, not I, that leave Twilight to her fate. Hand over my armaments!” Spartan demanded, swiping at the mannequin

“Neigh.” Luna said calmly, as though scolding a foal that was having a tantrum. His eyebrows drew together in rage. “You are forgetting protocol, Spartan Stallion.” A rather wry smile worked its way across her muzzle. He stared at her with an unsure frown. “Anytime the Spartan herd went to war, they always had to do one thing. Do you remember?”

The stallion was startled. She really had done her homework. He frowned all the more deeply, because he knew she was right. No Spartan ever went to war without following the protocol she spoke of. Every stallion that called himself Spartan was brought to a knee by the tradition. The oldest of traditions. “I must consult the oracle.” He murmured through clenched teeth.

“Without her permission, there can be no war. Not even for one Spartan.” Luna trapped him within the confines of his own dead culture. My my, wasn’t the dark-furred bitch clever?! Growling angrily, Spartan turned on his heel and made for the exit. “I could still have thee arrested! Go home and stay home!” she bade him. Smirking, Luna poofed the armor back into its display case where it belonged. Sighing in relief of having that particular battle well in hoof, she allowed herself a small smile. As though Spartan had any oracle to even consult! That breed died out eons ago!

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

“Druid! Druid, come hence!” Spartan was bashing on Fluttershy’s door at the crack of dawn. He was haggard and unshaven, shouting to draw her from her dwelling. “I seek thy judgement and wisdom! Come forth!” he banged on her door some more. He would’ve broken the door down to get at her sooner, but he could not enter a mare’s home without explicit permission. It was the Spartan way. Breaking the door down would do little but cause the poor creature distress.

Fluttershy poked her head out from behind a curtain at the window, blink-blinking at the loud pony outside. “Oh my…” she mumbled fearfully, pushing her mane out of her eyes. “Maybe if I don’t answer the door he’ll go away…” she hid herself, letting the curtain fall back into place.

“I know thee in there, druid!” Spartan cried. “I can hear thee moving about!” he cocked his ears and sure enough heard a squeaky little ‘meep!’ from within. Fluttershy turned about, and soon summoned up the courage to open the door. “Ah! Salutations!” he exploded, scaring her back into the house. “Wait! Come back!” He quickly backed off of the stoop so that she might feel safer emerging. The poor creature was so timid, she was like a little snowshoe rabbit. Fluttershy poked her nose out again, looking at him through the sliver in her open door. The butter-colored mare had not seen Spartan smile since Twilight had been taken. Something was up, and she knew it. “I come seeking thy council.” Spartan settled into a normal tone at last.

“Oh-h?” Fluttershy said. “It’s awfully early, is something wrong?”

“I march to war with the changeling empire.” Spartan said simply, nodding. “For my wife Twilight. I come seeking thy blessing.” He peered at her hopefully. “No Spartan may go to war without the word of the oracle allowing such. Please.” The stallion turned, dropping a heavy saddlebag when he heard someone else coming. Angel Bunny emerged authoritatively onto the stoop, scowling at Spartan Shield. “Ah, there you are, Ephor.” The stallion bowed deeply, gesturing to his saddlebags. “I bring a great offering for thee, to hear the oracle’s prophecy.” The white rabbit cocked his head as Spartan undid the ties, pouring a mound of carrots onto the porch. Now that he knew what the oracles guardian was, he could bribe it properly!

Angel Bunny picked his way through the pile of carrots, standing at the top of the heap. He inspected them closely, ears perking back and forth. Spartan waited with bated breath. Hopping up, the rabbit BITCHSLAPPED Spartan right in his broad face, sending him staggering back. The warrior gave a startled yelp, holding his face as the rabbit came down and thumped his foot rapidly. Turning, he held up a sign which read ‘Bribe me not with food, warrior. A proper offering is strictly defined!’

Spartan blushed, humbled. “Erhm, forgive me.” He bowed until his muzzle almost touched the ground. “I should not have doubted thy fortitude for the old ways.” All the while Fluttershy was watching, confused and worried. What was going on between her pet and Twilight’s husband? Why did they talk like they were conducting some sort of business trade? “I come with precious metals, of course.” Truthfully, Spartan had dipped into Twilight Sparkle’s jewelry box for a circle of platinum. It was supposed to rest around one’s ankle and be very eye-catching. He poured that, and several mounds of golden bits out on the stoop. A few gems dotted it, sparkling in the early morning sunrise.

Fluttershy gasped. “What is all that for, Spartan?” she was promptly ignored, for the stallion was watching Angel’s reaction. “Hullo?” she asked them both. “I-I-I’m still here, you know…” she whimpered, ears turning back with lack of self-esteem. “I mean I… I…”

‘Better.’ The next sign held by the rabbit said, nodding his approval to the stallion.

“I wish to make war with the changeling empire.” Spartan said eagerly. “I must have the oracle’s blessing!” the Ephor rabbit gestured, and the warrior lay on his belly obediently to wait. Angel dashed into the house, to his secret hiding spot. He returned shortly after with a box of matches and a silvery, covered bowl. Fluttershy leaned curiously over it as he placed it on one side of her stoop, went inside, and came out with another one to place on the other side. They were mounded with some sort of strange, white powder. Spartan Shield, still submissive, retreated a few steps as though to be out of range of something and resettled on his belly.

Angel lit the two silvery bowls of… whatever it was, and stepped back covering his muzzle. The white and light blue snakes of smoke wormed slowly this way and that. Spartan Shield sank lower, properly respecting the seer before him. Fluttershy froze like a deer in headlights, unsure of what to do with the bowing warrior. The frightened Pegasus looked back and forth, fretful as the snakes of smoke twisted seemingly of their own will. Then, the smoke flew up her nose like it was alive! She gasped, rearing up and flaring her wings open. Angel retreated to one side, keeping watch.

Fluttershy’s back arched and her mouth gaped open while her pupils contracted. Then, she flung herself forward onto her belly as her mane covered her. Scraaaaping her hooves back, she gave an audible moan as the fumes took hold of her, removed her inhibitions, and awoke long dormant powers brought down by her family’s bloodline. Her wings blimped open as her feathers took on a supernatural sheen of yellowy-green. She was lifted into the air by powers unseen, her wings staying stone still. She looked like some sort of metallic angel as the sheen worked its way across her body. Her mind unraveled from the real world and went sky high, into something she couldn’t have imagined. Some sort of higher plane. She could see. She could SEE! She babbled and drooled rapid-fire, her frightened eyes turning calm as they rolled into her head. She went limp, hovering in midair.

Spartan Shield lowered himself until his chin touched the ground. He looked up at her reverently as she hovered in place like a pony made of living bronze. The power of the oracle was different every time it was witnessed, and this was certainly no exception. He was spellbound by her fury, her sight and the milky eternity that was in her eyes. A long and terrifying silence followed as she stared into the heavens. Then, she flopped onto her back with a glazed expression. Angel Bunny gestured Spartan to come forward. The stallion did so eagerly, very careful not to touch her as he leaned his ear over her mouth. Fluttershy whispered to him, her eyes seeing nothing at all as her lips moved. The druid spoke her judgment on Spartan’s desire for battle. He repeated her words aloud so he could commit them to memory:

“Pray to the winds…”

“Trust not in mares…”

“Whisper to thy allies…”

“Hold the stars in your hooves…”

“Trust not in thine eyes…”

“Honor the gods…”

“Spear will clash with horn…”

“Salt with flesh…”

“Flame with armor…”

“Hooves with steel…”

“Spartan… will fall...”

“…and the crown will change hooves.”

Spartan Shield recoiled in horror. “Doom upon me!” he said, his hooves rushing up into his mane to scratch his nervousness away. “Doom and falling nations!” his pupils contracted into dots at the horrific words of the oracle before him. Fluttershy’s head turned to one side as exhaustion took her. The ethereal plain released her fragile mind and she gave a quiet moan. He gaped down at her, his eyes lidding fearfully. Angel Bunny rushed about, waving the blue smoke away and covering the silvery bowls to help it all disappate. Turning quickly, the stallion fled for his life.

Spartan ran. He ran and he ran all the way back to Ponyville proper. His crimson mane was disheveled and his cape scarf had torn a little. Flecks of snow went by in the early dawning day, catching on the side of his muzzle. Spartan will fall. Spartan will fall. The words rang in his earts, hot and plain as day. If he descended into darkness after Twilight, he would not return. He gritted his teeth, leaning miserably on a streetlight. He looked towards Canterlot, the brightly colored dot in the distance on the mountain.

So. Another beast had come for him. But not Nightmare Moon. Not an army of slathering monsters that called themselves Lunar Stallions. Not some tangible thing that could be smote with a spear or crushed by a hoof. Neigh, neigh. This monster was called fate. The oracle had spoken, and damned him. But, he would not abandon his wife. “I come for thee, beloved.” He whispered, watching the ghost of his breath hiss out into the chilled air. The stallion ran for the Golden Oaks library with all speed. Twilight Sparkle had encountered these ‘changelings’ before. She’d told him stories about them attacking the royal wedding. Knowing his companion and her OCD habits, she had no doubt left a detailed account of everything she knew about them somewhere. He merely needed to find it.

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

The nameless foal toddled around, chasing her own tail and then using her mother as a climbing toy. She’d quickly learned to walk over the past couple of days, and had since learned to run around. Full of energy and whinnying wildly, she’d soon explored and turned the room upside down with her insatiable curiosity. Twilight Sparkle smiled, trying to stay focused on her daughter. The foal picked glowing mushrooms to wave them around and watch the sparkles. She hid under the blankets of the bed that had been fashioned for them from moss and ratty blankets. She ran around the walls of the room, falling on her face all too often. She got ahead of herself and her little legs couldn’t keep up with the weight of her head. Twilight winced every time, but the foal would only pick herself up and keep going.

A changeling drone poked its head in. It was hard to tell if it was male or female, for its pony-insectoid body seemed to be a bit of both. It was slender, but it had a broad forehead. It had a short horn, but broad wings resting on its back. Were all changelings gender-neutral? Twilight rose, lighting her horn threateningly when it came into the room. The foal spotted it and ran, frightened, to stand under her mother’s undercarriage. The changeling pulled back a bit, wary of Twilight’s magic. Chittering, it set a little tray down. Stale-looking bread and greens were mounded on it, along with a pitcher of water. “Oh… thank you.” Twilight said tiredly. She was so on edge she was hurting, but she couldn’t bring herself to hate a simple servant. The Queen was the brains behind it all.

Speak of the devil, and she shall appear. Chrysalis herself emerged into the room. “Ah, good to see they’re keeping you fed. I told the hive that trading you to Equestria will be our shining hope.” She smirked, pushing the tray towards Twilight.

The purple mare ate rudely, attacking her tray and making sure her foal stayed put. She was in no mood for manners, no mood for chitchat either. She was a prisoner, and she knew it. Quiet room or not, there were massive drones outside guarding her. Nice lighting or not, the powders of the mushroom could be poisonous. High, roomy ceiling or not it was covered with stalactites that might fall any moment. Twilight had had more than enough time to notice all the dangers to herself and her daughter. “What do you want?” she said finally, stale grass sticking out of her mouth and bulging one cheek. She looked like a wild pony, if not for the scowl on her face.

“Just checking up on my… guests.” The Queen tittered with a laugh. “You’re no good to me starved or hurt.” She craned her head to have a look at the little one, who was sitting under Twilight and absently sucking on one hoof. “My my, and she’s how old now? Just a week?” she said with interest. Twilight turned sideways to block her from view, angry and protective. “Oh poo, don’t want to be social? Fair enough.” She smirked, turning away. “Just remember, if you need anything just ask it.”

“You could let me go, I need my freedom.” Twilight said smartly.

“I meant more like food, activity or more blankets.” Chrysalis smirked. “If your foal piddles on a sheet, let a guard know.” She gestured. “Behemoth!” she barked. A massive changeling stuck his head into the room. His shoulders were too broad to allow him into the little chamber, he was simply too large. “This is what awaits you if you try to make a run for it.” The Queen sneered. Twilight gaped at the huge creature.

The foal eyed it for a few moments, and then her eyes turned big and soft. Big bug thing was scaryyyy! She whimpered, whined, got moist in the eyes, and then began to shriek loudly. Suddenly the door was enveloped in light-brown magic and it SLAMMED into the face of the intruding monster. It grunted in pain, knocked bodily out into the hallway. It landed on its back, dozens of legs flailing about wildly. Chrysalis stared. Twilight stared. The foal giggled, clapping her tiny hooves.

The Queen quickly magicked the door open to check on her soldier, then rounded on the purple mare. “One more of those and I’ll stick you both in a pod! Do you have any idea how rare true behemoths are?!” The foal began to cry loudly at all the shouting. Twilight backed up against the wall, taking her foal with her. A sphere of purple magic conjured itself defensively around them, as though the Changeling Queen might try to spring on them. Chrysalis scowled, tossed a rucksack on the floor from precisely nowhere, and stormed out. The door slammed and the distressed foal flinched.

“Ohhhh sh-sh-shhhh-sh…” Twilight sat on her haunches while her daughter pressed up against her belly for safety. “It’s okay… we’re… we’re gonna be okay.” Her eyes lidded with worry. They’d been there for almost a week, and there’d been no sign of rescue. Maybe they really were ten thousand miles away from the Equestrian border. “D-Daddy will come for us, I promise.” She whispered, nuzzling the foal quietly. “Maybe I can have a name for you by then? I bet he’d like that.” She tried to smile, but the little one only shook like a leaf. Nudging her to breast feed, the mare sighed in distress. Running her muzzle over her tiny withers over and over, she spent a long time soothing the child. “Sh-sh-shhhh… Mommy’s here… Mommy’s here…” she wrapped the tiny thing in her arms, hunching and laying kisses where she could. Sometimes foals just wanted to cry. It made Twilight want to cry. They stayed like that for almost an hour, mother worrying over foal.

After a time, there was a rumbling outside. Twilight’s ears perked and she startled from her slumping. The foal turned her head with a very Spartan, grumpy-faced frown. The door eeeeeased itself open. A changeling poked its head in, a fresh red blanket draped over its back. The behemoth leaned in from the hall as well, curious. “Chitter-murr?” The changeling wanted to know, cocking its head at them with a hard-to-read expression.

SLAM-SLAM-SLAM-SLAM!

The magic-possessed door spring-boarded back and forth eight times before both of them fell backward, crying out in surprise and pain. Twilight stared down at her daughter as her tiny little horn sparked out and went back to normal. The foal giggled, clapping her hooves in delight. Twilight sighed, scowling. “Spartan will be thrilled.” She said crossly, pulling the Queen’s saddlebag to herself and finding it full of moth-eaten books. The little one burbled, blowing bubbles with her spit.

End of Part 3

Gathering Allies

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion 2

Part 4: Gathering Allies

It had been two weeks since Twilight’s announcement of her pregnancy. The world did, of course, keep turning, but it was a very exciting time for the Sparkle household. And by exciting, one means freak-out stressful. The purple mare had been a ball of nerves every few hours since the day she’d told her husband they were going to have a foal, and he’d been playing damage control all the while. “Spartan, what am I gonna do when I get fat?” Twilight sulked as she went back and forth with stacks of books.

The sandy-colored stallion slowly lowered his history book for a long stare at his love. He arched an eyebrow at her and fixed her with a silent frown. After careful thought, the warrior entertained the answer, “Marvel at the miracle of new life and praise Her Shining Immortal Majesty for our fertility?” He grinned at her lopsidedly.

Twilight rolled her eyes, ignoring that answer. “I mean, I’ll have to worry all about how the foal is doing, and I won’t get to run around as much, and I’ll certainly need to watch what I eat and the cravings will hit me and morning sickness and—” she paused for breath as she heaved a few volumes onto the proper shelf and nudged them into place with her horn. “But I’ll get round and slow and my magic might give out a little. Some unicorns lose their magic altogether while they’re pregnant! Can you imagine what I would do all day if I had no magic?!” she fretted and shuffled about, worrying and whining as she re-shelved things.

Spartan rolled his eyes a little. He imagined his wife would read, read, read and fret unnecessarily while their foal grew inside her. Deciding he’d had quite enough of her worrisome squawking, he set his book aside and stretched as he stood. She pushed the returned-books cart back and forth between shelves, setting things up in a busy-bee sort of manner. All the while, she kept looking at her sides, peering under herself—as though she were expecting to gain fifty pounds and a big belly on the spot. She’d known she was pregnant for all of two weeks, and she was already a mound of stress. Spartan Shield sauntered up behind her, and with all the subtlety of a baton to the face, grabbed her tail in his teeth. “Come.” He said, dragging her along.

“Hey! HEY!” Twilight fought and bucked a little, but he tugged her over to a full length mirror.

“What dost thou see, Twilight?” he asked her, nodding at their reflections.

“Us?” Twilight said.

He turned and looked at her with quite the serious gaze. “I see Celestia’s finest student, and Celestia’s finest warrior. Making a foal. Together.” He turned and kissed her cheek as her face turned a lovely shade of red. She… she hadn’t really thought of it that way. That did sort of make the foal kind of… kind of epic, in a way. Not that she was into breeding and genes and all that sort of thing like some Canterlot nobles were, but the combination did sound grand when you thought about it like that. She allowed herself a coy smile. “Now finish thy shelving and come to bed. Thy stress needs relieving in more ways than one.” He told her with a firm nuzzle. A very male smirk crossed his face before he turned away.

“It’s two in the afternoon!” Twilight said, aghast. “What are we, animals?!”

Spartan paused on the stairs that led up to the bedroom. “Since when has the time of day dictated when I may or may not kiss you in naughty places?” he flicked his crimson tail at her in an indignant way, then started up. His hooves were heavy and authoritative. There was to be no argument there. Twilight blushed more deeply, but found herself grinning coyly. He was so cute when he was like that. He might appear gruff and uncaring to some ponies, but those that paid close attention could see his golden, caring heart. She giggled, going back to the book cart to finish her work. She wasn’t worried about getting rounder, really, that wasn’t it. She just wanted to be ready for when the big day arrived. She would have to avoid alcohol, and caffeine, and all SORTS of things!

When she was done, Twilight turned and cautiously went up the stairs. Turning into the bedroom and making sure Spike was not around to see anything he shouldn’t, she poked her head into the bedroom. Spartan lay on his side on the bed, patting it comfortingly. Beams of sunlight covered him, making him glow in an otherworldly way as he smiled at her. When Twilight lay next to him, powerful arms wrapped around her and pulled her to him. She giggled, feeling safe and protected. Turning, she nuzzled into his muscled chest and undercarriage. They stayed like that for a long time as his big hooves massaged the stress away from her shoulders and ribs. Easing her onto her back, he did kiss her in naughty places. She felt at ease, some of the stress slipping from her mind. She and her husband were a team. They would be alright. Even if she got as round as a beach ball for awhile.

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

11 Months Later…

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

Twilight Sparkle was sitting hunched over the books she’d been given, absently stroking the napping and nameless foal. The changeling hive hummed quietly around her chamber, but she’d learned to tune out the sound. Most of what she was given was rather old, and had printing press marks on them that she didn’t recognize. They were from Canterlot, yes, but the markings were from companies that probably didn’t exist anymore. Titles such as ‘The Long Road Home’, ‘Mixed Unit Tactics’, and ‘Night’s Favoured Child’ were among them. None of them did Twilight recognize, and despite their age and current location they were of pony origin. There was a knock at the door, which startled the mare. “Come in?” it came out like a question.

There was a short silence, and it was pushed open by a changeling with a red blanket draped over his back. He had a tray of food in his jaws, and peered at her with a mix of curiosity and respectful fear. When he saw the foal was asleep, he seemed to deflate in relief, setting the tray down. “Sorry for barging in earlier.” he said with a northern accent, startling the purple mare. The foal stirred, but curled up tighter and pressed against her mother’s belly.

“You can talk?!” Twilight gaped at him.

“Well of course I can. All changelings can.” He cocked his head at her, nosing the tray closer so the door wouldn’t hit it on his way out. She stared at him. All she’d heard so far was skree-skree-skree, in some feral tongue she couldn’t decipher. “Well, I’m using a spell on myself so you can understand me. See?” he gestured to the base of his horn. Twilight saw a tarnished silver ringlet there, clamped onto him by a small hinge. “This lets me speak in a way you can understand. I call it a babble ring.”

“Who are you?” Twilight Sparkle wanted to know.

“I am Ambassador Doppleganger, at your service.” He gave a little bow.

“At my service? Will you be the one letting me go, then?” Twilight said sourly. They regarded each other rather closely, and she finally saw that the red blanket draped over his back was not a blanket but a cape of some sort. He was a changeling of status, then.

“Actually, I’d be the one to lead you to neutral ground to be traded if things go according to plan.” Doppleganger said, looking to one side in an unsure way. Twilight scowled at him. “Is there anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable? You are a prisoner, but only politically. It’s not as though we’re oiling up the rack to stretch you on.” He grinned at her with all his terrifying fangs, and the humor was entirely lost on the poor mare. She lit her horn threateningly. There was another long silence of her staring at him in mild fear, but she soon covered it up with anger. His eyes flicked down to the foal, and she hunched angrily to half-hide her.

“They’re not going to give you my brother.” Twilight growled. “They’re going to rescue us, and you’re gonna be sorry. Really sorry.” She turned sideways and laid on her belly on the little nest of blankets. The foal whined, stirred, and settled against her again. Mommy was warm, but she kept moving around.

The changeling cocked his head to one side, then the other, as though weighing her words. “…is it really so much to ask?” said the Ambassador after a time. “One pony, a fine stallion, to ensure the survival of an entire species?” He watched her face, which flickered into uncertainty for a short time. Then it re-hardened and she heaved an angry sigh.

“It’s kidnapping, mind control, rape, and slave trading.” Twilight said stiffly, turning her head. “It’s wrong. I don’t care what the circumstances are, your nation has already attacked mine before. At a wedding, no less!”

“True.” said the Ambassador with a light nod. He looked over his shoulder with perked ears for a moment, as though he were hearing a high-pitched noise. Twilight couldn’t hear anything. “Say, would you like to take a tour? The hive isn’t just a dank hole in the ground, you know.” He offered another changeling smile, but it only unsettled Twilight so he dropped it. “I really do want you to be comfortable here.” He said earnestly, scuffing a hoof on the ground. “I know the circumstances aren’t best, but it is my job as an ambassador to--!”

Twilight interrupted with an icy whisper. “I was taken from my hospital bed minutes after giving birth to my daughter. I’m being held ransom so that my brother can be traded for myself to breed the next generation of a group of monsters that want nothing more than to suck the love and life out of anypony they can get their hooves on.” She leaned at him threateningly, her horn igniting again. He wilted back submissively, not wanting to fight her. It occurred to Twilight that every changeling was more than likely under orders not to harm her or the foal. They were valuable bargaining chips. Her husband’s influence welled up inside her, and she wanted very much to slam him into the ceiling with her powerful telekinesis. She gave a light, warning sort of push at his body with her magic.

The ambassador wilted a little, backing off as quickly as he could. He pulled at his cape a little in case he tripped over it. “W-well, if you change your mind—”

“I need more blankets. My foal gets cold at night sometimes.” Twilight said, turning and gathering her young in her mouth by the scruff of her neck. The tiny little body hung limp, eyes closed in a fretful little sleep. She crossed the room, getting into the strange moss-with-blankets bed that had been provided. It was odd to have both a nest and a bed, but she’d been using both.

“Oh, of course.” Doppleganger turned and un-clipped his cape from his own back, drawing near. Twilight hunched like a mountain cat, ready to pounce. But, he steeled himself and came near, throwing it over her and the foal. Her horn glowed brightly and he backed off before she decided to strike him down. Protective mothers could be very potent in hurting others. Making himself seem smaller and less threatening, he slowly backed away with his head bowed. Twilight never took her eyes off of him. Her accusing, angry eyes. “Please, I uhm…” for an Ambassador, Doppleganger sure seemed to stumble over his words a bit. “I know you’re angry, but if you need anything please let us know?” he asked her with sad eyes. The purple mare said nothing, for she was inspecting the cape-blanket draped over her and her young. From underneath, she heard the foal let out a long and whining yawn before burrowing harder against her warm body. Her expression softened a little, and she watched him back away when he decided to check on the food tray again. “Twilight Sparkle, may I ask you something?” he said softly.

“What?” Twilight said, nosing at her sleepy foal a few times before turning to look at him again.

“Who is… this? The scouts that brought you said he was probably important to you.” There was an audible FWOOSH of magic. His chest inflated as a wave of neon green glowing rushed over him. He grew in stature, bigger and bigger until a sandy-colored stallion stood in front of him and scowled at her.

Twilight frowned crossly. Before her stood a green-eyed version of Spartan Shield. His mere image made her heart ache, but she covered her homesickness with more anger. “My husband.” She said crossly. “Don’t do that. Don’t look like him.” She pulled the blanket up a little to make sure her foal wouldn’t see if she woke.

Ambassador Doppleganger dropped the illusion with a curious frown. “Is it true that pony households all have their own progenitors? That all your females are fertile and all your males love each female? Is that what ‘husband’ is?” he cocked his head at her.

Twilight was a little caught off guard. Then she remembered: hive mentality. They had one important (fertile) female, one important male, and then the rest of the hive. It made sense that so many changelings looked gender-neutral. They might actually BE gender-neutral, though Doppleganger’s voice was decidedly male. The culture clash was just a little bit endearing, to be honest. Changelings didn’t have a concept of ‘husband’? “My husband loves me.” Twilight said softly, nodding at his questions. She laid her head on the lip of the nest. “Not just for breeding. He takes care of me, and I take care of him.” Her eyes lidded with a tired, unhappy expression.

Ambassador Doppleganger leaned on the doorframe with a quiet and rather jealous look. “Wow.” he breathed softly, trying to imagine such a thing. “I suppose changelings only have one husband for all of us, then. You ponies have one for every dwelling. That must be amazing.” He whispered, looking at the ceiling in wonder. He just couldn’t wrap his head around it, it seemed. It occurred to Twilight that a ‘changeling ambassador’ may have never actually been out on a political journey, since the changeling nation was hermit-like in nature. Maybe he was just a changeling that was brave enough to come in and talk to her?

“It is.” Twilight said, staring at nothing. Her head lifted when her foal stirred, and she nuzzled her back into dreamland. The Ambassador bowed a little, turning to leave them alone. She saw him pull off the little ring on his horn as he got out into the hallway. He spoke some undecipherable skree-skree-skree to the behemoth standing watch, then went on. The massive changeling turned and, with two giant claws, gingerly shut the door. The purple mare sighed, resting her chin on her foal’s back and withers.

Ambassador Doppleganger trekked down the winding tunnels, passed the grand ziggurat and woves his way beyond the ancient singing holes of the breezeways. The hive was well ventilated in the summer, and well-insulated in the winter. Since it was late autumn, there was a bit of both depending on the time of day. Cocking his head, he spread his wings and buzzed along through the air until he got to the throne room of the hive. Coming to his knees, he bowed before his Queen.

“Well?” asked Chrysalis.

“Our cultures are very different, You Majesty.” Doppleganger hum-buzzed, lowering his wings in a submissive way when a nearby behemoth growled at him. “But… if I may… must we pursue Shining Armor in particular? Can we not snatch a traveler of the wastes and use him instead?”

Chrysalis stood from her laying pillows and Ambassador Doppleganger sank onto his belly, even lower than before. She eyed him with a cool, balming gaze. The twin behemoths on either side of her throne roared and snarled, drumming their many legs on the ground. Heaving against their chains ferally, they only made the poor changeling shiver harder. When the Queen came close he bowed his head and didn’t dare look at her. She offered a hoof with a mild gesture and he kissed it quickly, already seeing his mistake. Questioning the crown was not a good way to live one’s life… or enjoy the way one’s carapace was currently arranged… or enjoy the number of wings on one’s back. The Changeling Queen cupped his chin lightly, lifting his gaze to hers. It was icy and terrible, but her tone was even. “The changeling race takes on the characteristics of its last progenitor. If we want to be strong, we must find a strong stallion to help me lay the millions of eggs we need to survive as a species.” She told him. He nodded, trying not to tremble in her grasp. She could explode his head with a thought, but no, she had a better use for him still. He was sympathetic in the eyes of Twilight Sparkle, still. “Do you doubt my will for providing the best for the hive, Ambassador Doppleganger?” she asked musically, clutching down at his windpipe.

“N’ugh m’ahgh k’een!” He gagged, until she lessened her crushing, magical grip. “N-no my Queen! You know what is best for the hive, my Queen! P-please forgive me, my Queen!” he put his head under her massive hoof, submissive and offering his life as any good servant did for displeasing her.

Chrysalis gave his head a test-squeeze with her hoof and he whimpered loudly, shaking like a leaf. She could end him and no-ling would question it. She was the Hive Queen, their lives were hers to do with as she pleased. She considered it for a long, icy moment, but did not. She leaned down instead, pecking the top of his head in a motherly way. “Worry not, my little hiveling.” She whispered to him. He looked up at her with soft, terrified eyes. “Shining Armor is the ultimate prize for our hive, and with his help we will grow more powerful than ever before. Powerful Stallion means a powerful hive.” She favored him with a fanged smile, which he quickly returned. “Celestia will fold and give anything to retrieve her most faithful student, I am sure of it. There is no pony more majestic and powerful than Shining Armor.”

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

“Hrmmm…” Spartan Shield, Big Macintosh, and Mr. Cake all leaned over the same little notebook. It was Twilight’s immaculate hoofwriting, for sure. After a few hours of wandering randomly around the library looking for information on changelings, he’d found nothing. So, he’d brought in his two closest stallion friends, Big Mac and Mr. Cake. The trio had narrowed it down nicely, then found the slim volume pressed between some other reference books. Twilight’s notes on the changelings were detailed, had drawings, and plenty of theories on how they functioned as a society.

“They’re scary-lookin’, huh?” Mr. Cake said as they pressed together to look over the little book. “Black and full of holes… horns AND wings, all of them?” he gasped, pointing to a drawing. While Twilight was not an artist, she’d gotten the basic body structure correct.

“Apoptosis.” Spartan read aloud with a frown. “The condition in which a pony may have a medical deficiency or sickness that develops holes in their bodies. Subjects are more prone to sickness, malnutritious habits, and loss of fur.” The three stallions hrmmm’ed over a drawing of a changeling foot soldier, noting his legs and the holes it had. “Is the entire race sickly, then?” the sandy stallion wondered aloud.

“No telling.” Mr. Cake shook his head. “They’re so different from us…”

“Eyuup.” Murmured Big Mac sagely, nodding.

“I must know all I can if I am to find them.” Spartan Shield stroked his chin a bit. Then he looked over, for both his best friends were staring at him. “Didst thou think this was for fun, friends?” he said seriously.

“I-I thought you said the Princess wasn’t sending anypony after Twilight?!” Mr. Cake said. “You can’t go to the Badlands! It’s like a desert full of gorges and sharp rocks and a thousand little changeling hive holes! You’d be eaten in a day!”

“They are not carnivorous.” Spartan shook his head, prodding a hoof at Twilight’s notes. “They survive by absorbing the love from any creature with the ability to love… or they may bite you and suck it out by force.” He hrrrm’ed over the explanations and bullet points his wife had carefully arranged. “That is sort of like eating, I suppose. They do have fangs.” He admitted.

Big Macintosh’s hoof came and rested on the book, blocking it from view. Spartan looked over at him. “Nope…” he said slowly, in a low voice. His eyes portrayed worry and pity.

Spartan found the pity offensive. “This is something I must do, beautiful Macintosh.” He shoved the hoof aside so he could keep reading, a worrisome frown on his face. “Celestia’s abandonment will break her dear heart, but I will not leave Twilight to her fate.” He swallowed a little. “Even if I must cross a desert and… fall into darkness.” The oracle’s words hung heavy in his mind. If he was destined to die trying to get Twilight back… no. No he would not think that way. ‘Spartan will fall’ could mean a lot of things. It could be literal! Perhaps he woud chance upon a changeling hive hole and fall right in…! …and break his neck. He sighed loudly, turning the page and leaning over his love’s notes.

“Nnnope.” Big Macintosh tried again, putting his hoof on Spartan’s shoulder. The stallion hunched a little, trying not to look at him. The barrel-chested farmer worried for his friend, it was plain enough.

Mr. Cake looked at the two of them. It wasn’t really… brotherly affection, but something else he could sense between them. Eh, it was probably his imagination. Though, he still couldn’t wrap his head about why Spartan called him ‘beautiful Macintosh.’ Big Mac seemed to roll his eyes a lot when the name was used, but there was a certain sort of… sort of… Mr. Cake couldn’t put his finger on it. Ah well. “So… so you’re just gonna go by yourself, to save Twilight?”

Spartan looked over at his friends. “Well, no.” he shook his head. “No Spartan goes to war alone. That is against our way. A Spartan’s greatest strength is the pony next to him!” He snorted, laughing a bit. “The two of thee shalt come with me, to retrieve my wife and foal!”

“WHUT?!”

“WHAT?!

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

Spartan Shield stood, aching and bloodied on the field of battle. All around him Lunar Stallions and Spartan Stallions warred with each other. The ground was carpeted with the dead, their broken weapons, and the stink of blood and war. Their shouts were silent, though, and Spartan didn’t understand why. He rushed this way and that, slaying any who stood in his path with lunar armor. He bobbed and weaved out of the way of arrows that were travelling far too slowly to be real arrows. Something was very wrong.

“My, even in thy dreams thou art at war with me.” A voice behind him pierced the dead silence and the stallion whirled. Princess Luna sat regally among the fighting ponies. They staggered past her, lost limbs next to her, shot arrows through her mane, but none seemed to actually touch her. Was she a specter?

Spartan narrowed his eyes with a frown. He looked up. Celestia and Nightmare Moon fought in the sky. He looked back down at her. The dark blue alicorn let him piece things together. “I’ll not mount thee, away from my sexing fantasies!” he snapped angrily.

Luna choked on her own spit and prat-fell over herself. She quickly righted herself, red-faced and furious. “Spartan Shield! Thy manners are worse than thy dreams!” she gestured to the violence and gore lashing out around them both. Spartan blinked when a spray of gore raced over his chest, but he ignored it.

“Perhaps Twilight is around. Or the athlete. Or beautiful Macintosh. He is not a bad lay to dream of.” A dreamy smile crossed the stallion’s face, and Luna almost gagged. “Away to me, phantasm.” He dismissed her, “I’ve better things to enjoy.” He wildly head-butted a passing Lunar stallion, ripped off one of his wings and beat him over the head with it. The alicorn gaped in horror, watching him walk through the battle and towards Canterlot.

“Vicious animal…” she grumbled, teleporting across the dreamscape to meet him while… ughh… The dark goddess found Spartan sprawled out on his back, a great content smile on his face. It was a symposium hall, but he was the only visiting stallion present. To his left was Big Macintosh, clad in Spartan armor and feeding him green grapes. ‘Tween his lounging legs was a phantom Twilight Sparkle, her head lovingly bobbing up and down. To his right was a pale, blue-green mare playing a lyre. Chained to the wall was none other than Pinkie Pie, a silvery strip of duct tape over her big mouth. In one’s dreams, life was absolute bliss. Spartan murred, leaning his head back and smiling in utter contentment.

“STALLION!” Luna exploded in a fury. Rearing up, she stomped her hooves upon the ground. The dreamscape shuddered and every-dream-pony present burst into ash. “THY PERVERSION WILL WAIT!” she roared, her hooves sending wild cracks across the floor.

Spartan startled angrily, getting up off the massive pillow. The change in scenery had made him forget entirely that he was dreaming… and now here was the object of his hatred. Pulling a spear and shield from exactly nowhere, he started forward to do battle with her. Nightmares could be fought, after all. Night… nightmares? He paused, blinking stupidly. He stared up at her, then his face flushed. “If thou speak-eth a word of this to my wife…” he gestured threateningly, then at the scene that wasn’t there anymore. “My dreams are my own, not a mirror of my waking actions!”

“Neigh, I will not divulge.” Luna said acidly. “Only for your listening ears, for but a moment.” The Princess turned sideways and frowned. “Think not you’ll be sneaking south unnoticed, Spartan.” She told him, turning her nose up. “I spied upon you with my scrying pool after you went home from the museum. You are planning on seeking out Twilight Sparkle against my sister’s wishes and mine.”

“My life is my own. The oracle has given her prophecy.” Spartan snapped angrily. “You cannot jail me as you did Shining Armor.”

“Shining Armor sits bored in a royal apartment.” Luna said with disinterest. “However, we… wish you to know we do not entirely agree with Celestia’s choice.” She looked at the ground a bit.

Spartan’s expression softened. “You don’t? I seem to recall thee keeping my armor from me.” he said cautiously.

“I’ve had time to think on things. While I agree sending an army would not be wise, I do not believe it right to leave Twilight to her fate, either. Not even a token party sent to fetch her? My sister insults her most faithful student.” Luna said, anger flitting across her features for a moment. “I do not know if she is playing some sort of long game, or what it doing through her mind. However, I cannot stand idly by while she who freed me from darkness is sitting in it herself.” The Princess looked at Spartan Shield a little forlornly. “I… I know thou hates me beyond all measure, but Twilight Sparkle doth matter more, surely?”

“If you’re asking to join me on the journey south—!” Spartan began, backing up with a scowl.

“Neigh, neigh I do not.” She smiled a little bitterly. “Going to war was always a stallion’s job in your era, was it not?” Luna paused for a moment, considering her words. “I am going to send your armor, along with one of my stars, to you. Consider them a gift of good faith, that thou shalt retrieve poor Twilight.”

“My armor?! Truly?!” Spartan perked.

“Yes, and this as well.” Luna lifted a hoof. A little ball of sparkling light appeared, hovering over her hoof. “This is Polaris, one of my earliest and most powerful stars.”

“The… northern star, Polaris?” Spartan frowned at it. “THE northern star? That’s it, there?”

“Yes.” Luna nodded with a sigh. “I’ll put a replacement in its spot in the sky, nopony will know the difference. But you will carry this one when it arrives to you with your things.”

“Why would thou give me such a thing?” he wasn’t following.

“You will descend into the deepest dark, Spartan.” Luna tossed the star back into the sky, coming close. She sat before him, ears wilted. “The very deepest. Polaris will light your way for you, and it will never go out no matter what.”

“A torch then!” Spartan brightened. “A flameless torch would be most valuable!”

Luna opened her mouth to explain it more, but closed it again. Him accepting her gift was victory enough, he would figure it out on his own. There was a long silence between them, and they stared at each other. The Princess lifted a hoof of peace to him. He stared at it, then up at her. Could there not be peace between them?

“What will her Shining Immortal Majesty think, my defying her?” he quickly turned to one side. Her hoof quickly came down and she coughed. “Will she not punish me for such things?”

“My sister has yet to learn, over all the eons, the difference between what she wants and what she needs.” Luna smiled bemusedly. “Sometimes she needs somepony to stand up and tell her no.” she folded her wings in a regal way, and smiled at him. “Usually it’s me defying her, but we are equals so it does not mean as much.”

“She abandons Twilight to the darkness of the hive. I… I do not know how to feel about Her Majesty.” He admitted in a troubled way.

Luna heaved a quiet, troubled sigh. While truly this was one of the longest dialogues they’d ever shared that had not devolved into a shouting match, it was sad to see the warrior waver in such a way. His goddess had done the unthinkable, what was he supposed to do about it in the end? Wash his hooves of her, perhaps? No… no. She didn’t know.

Spartan harrumphed to get her attention again, and she snapped out of her thoughts. The sandy colored stallion looked at her sideways, and mumbled something to himself before speaking. “Thank… you.” He said it slowly, as though tasting the words. “Thou helps me when Celestia does not. If I retrieve my wife, I will be in thy debt.”

“Spartan…” Luna said in an uncomfortable way, looking to one way with a slight blush. Something in the dreamscape shifted, and she knew it was time for him to go. “Spartan. Spartan. Spartan. Spartan…!” He stared at her repeating herself.

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

“Spartan! Spartan Shield! Hewwooo!?” A wall-eyed mare was right in front of his face, nosing him a little. The stallion startled awake, ripped from his dream. “Hey sleepy head! You’re getting to be like Twilight if you fall asleep studying like that!” she giggled. Derpy had not been told of Twilight’s predicament, so she just thought the purple mare was out somewhere.

“The mailmare.” Spartan grumbled, rubbing his eyes a bit. “What… *yawn*… what an odd dream.” He grumbled. “What is it?”

“I’ve got mail for you of course!” Her eyes derped a little wider than normal in her elation, and she got a clipboard out for him to sign. Spartan wiggled his signature down with a quill, and she turned about to leave the library. “Come on! It’s too big to get in the door!”

Spartan Shield followed her outside, stopping to gape. There was a wooden crate in the front yard, marked with the royal seal of Canterlot. Sitting on top of it was a small cardboard box that was sending tiny lines of light out of its edges. Whatever was inside there, it was glowing like a searchlight.

Derpy wheeled about with a crowbar in her mouth, sticking it into the little slot and prying hard. Moaning with effort, she cracked the wood and sent the sides of the crate flying. The box fell as well, and when the dust cleared Spartan grinned.

Spartan Shield’s armor, still on the mannequin from the museum, gleamed as though it had been polished only moments ago. “How I’ve missed thee…” he whispered reverently. He found his spear and shield laying on the ground as well, pressed into the packing straw.

“Cooool!” Derpy added helpfully, staring at all the shiny armor.

The stallion reached for the helm, lifting it quietly from the fabric head of the statue pony. He held it high, letting it gleam gloriously in the same. He stared at it. He saw the little nicks and marks in it here and there, and he knew where each one came from. A glanced arrow here, an almost-lucky wing sword there… it was a relic, but it was still his. Lowering his head slowly, he slipped it on and closed his eyes. Ancient battles rang in his ears. He took a deep breath and held it, savoring the sweet moment of—

“Where’s my muffin?” Derpy wanted to know.

“Uh?” Spartan looked over.

“Twilight always gave me a muffin when I delivered something heavy to the library. Where’s my muffin?” she crinkled her muzzle in a rather adorable cross expression. Spartan Stared at her blankly. “Well?” she said insistently.

“I have no muffins for thee.” He said, shaking his head.

CLONK! His head rang like a bell, for he’d completely misjudged the mare’s speed when she clanged the side of his helm with her crowbar. “I’m telling Twilight on you when she gets home!” Derpy said, snapping her mailmare’s hat on. “I helped you open it and everything. Meanie!” Derpy took off, mortally offended, into the sky.

“I’m not a meanie…” Spartan mumbled, trying to regain his sense of balance. It only then occurred to him to wonder what had happened to Big Macintosh and Mr…. He saw them round the bend just then, and smiled as he struggled into his armor. Big Mac had bulging saddlebags on either side of him, weighed down for a long way’s travel. He looked majestic and strong. Mr. Cake had a bullet belt of cooking spices and colored sugars on his little chest. He looked utterly terrified. “Thank you both.” He offered when they came near.

“Eyuup.” Big Mac offered, smiling broadly.

“Why am I coming?!” Mr. Cake babbled, his knobbly knees shaking. “H-how did you convince me?! I don’t even remember!”

Spartan slung an arm around the shaking pony, crushing him to his side with ghusto. “Adventure waits for nopony, Carrot. When thou returns home, thou shalt be a virile and powerful stallion indeed. Facing down the Changeling Empire and returning alive shall ensure thy foal’s concieving for sure!”

“R-Right.” Mr. Cake smiled in a coy, unsure way. Foals of his own. Foals with his wife, Mrs. Cake. That’s what he wanted. Not that he didn’t love the twins, but everypony wanted to see their own flesh and blood be passed on to the next generation. Maybe a splash of adventure was just what he needed. Hanging around Big Macintosh and Spartan Shield was a sure way to ramp up his testosterone and virility, right? Right! The baker smiled embarrassedly, giving a little nod. If he came back home a big tough guy, there was no way he couldn’t pull it off this time!

Spartan looked up at Big Mac, as though expecting a similar question. The stallion stared at him stoically, a small smile on his face. He smiled back, and the red pony offered an, “Eyuup” of encouragement. Turning, Mr. Cake in tow, they made for the southern exit of town.

“What DID thou tell thy wife you were doing?” Spartan wondered at Mr. Cake as they neared the street corner.

“Uhhh… a long camping trip.” Mr. Cake smiled guiltily. All three stallions laughed, shaking their heads.

“Well now I CAN’T let thee die when we get there, can I?” Spartan rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Mr. Cake went a little pale, still trying to smile just the same.

End of Part 4

Opening the Border

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion 2

Part 5: Opening the Border

“Commander Lion Heart! Commander Lion Heart!” A pegasus with grey fur and a black mane landed hard, bearing the flag of a messenger on his back. “Where can I find Commander Lion Heart?!”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa there, son.” A stallion grabbed the flustered, gasping pony by his saddlestrap before he plowed into a nearby wall. “Easy now, you’ve got a message for us?” The soldier tried to steady the fretting, dancing-on-his-hoofie-tips colt. He was barely old enough to be wearing his uniform, and had all the tell-tale signs of a pony that had probably just been sent on his first mission.

“For Commander Lion Heart and his second in command!” The messenger said, huffing and haulking and panting wildly. The poor kid was about to keel over when his destination pony emerged from his command tent.

“What’s all this rabble?” He wanted to know, scowling. “What’s yer name, son?”

“I’m Steel Wing, sir!” He slapped his own helmet, ringing it like a gong with his hoof. A few of the nearby vets smirked. “I have a message from her Majesty Princess Celestia!” he said, wrenching open his saddlebag and removing a canister. It was silvery, gilded with gold and scorched on one end to melt the gold seal on.

Commander Lion Heart’s eyes widened. He’d only ever seen such a thing in his training manuals. “Feed and water him.” He said shortly, snatching the canister and rushing to his tent again. “Captain, with me!” A stocky-looking mare followed in after him as he set it on the table. “Do you know what this is, Captain Terra?” he said with a smooth, low voice.

“I do, sir.” She reached to her wing sword, turning the handle this way and that until it snapped off. A little scroll popped out and she unrolled it. On it was a complex series of letters and numbers. She nodded at him.

Lion Heart took his spear from where it leaned in the corner of his command tent, snapping the head off on the ground. In the hollow shaft of his weapon was another little scroll. He pulled it out and unfurled it. “Pull in our witnesses.” He nodded. Captain Terra waved in a pair of guards. This was serious business, and two witnesses were required by protocol. The two stallions stood there, stock and stiff while the canister was forced open. Inside the silvery canister was a smaller, golden canister with a long strip of numbers etched into it. Commander Lion Heart snatched it up before anypony could see them. “Read!” He snapped to his second-in-command.

Captain Terra quickly looked down at the scroll that had come from the inside of her wing sword’s handle. “Reading, sir! Nightmare-Nightmare-Echo-Five-Five-Six-Muffin-Two-Poppy-Poppy-Marshmallow-Two-Two-Two-Nine-Discord-Harmony-Harmony-Flank-Sugar-Seven! Do you concur?!” She said aggressively.

“I concur!” The commander snapped back. The scroll and the golden canister matched serial numbers. He passed it quickly to her, and she unscrewed it, taking off the golden layer and revealing a black, colored glass layer. “Blimey…” she mumbled in awe.

“Protocol!” snapped her commander, making both witnesses jump.

“Ahem!” Captain Terra turned the glass container over and over until she found the tiny printed numbers on it. “Read!” she said officially to her leader.

Commander Lion Heart puffed up a long breath to read his own scroll loudly, “Equestria-Harmony-Two-Two-Three-Six-Flank-Flank-Sugar-Nightmare-Muffin-Muffin-Two-Four-One-Discord-Sugar-Ivory-Three-Three-Nine-Twilight! Do you concur?!” he barked the last bit at her. The two witnesses looked back and forth, gulping. This was scary.

“I concur!” The captain set the glass canister on the table, her face set in a scowl of intent. So, it was genuine. Princess Celestia had sent them a message so secret that it had been flown by pegasus, sealed in layers and layers of magic, and required their most complex military protocol to access. It must’ve been dire indeed. Raising a hoof, she smashed it on the table, sending shards in all directions. A golden scroll lay on the table. An emergency message from her royal majesty. A real life emergency message. The four ponies in the tent stared at it. The paper was of finely spun gold, the seal was bright red with a ruby set in the middle and the ribbon jet black.

Lion Heart Snatched up the letter in his hoof, touching the seal with his other. “I am Commander Lion Heart of her Majesty’s Equestrian-south-central Badland’s border outpost. This message is meant for me.” He told the seal. The ruby glowed brightly and he held his breath until the ribbon burst into ash and the gem tinked to the table. He let out the breath. There were stories that those who tried to force the seal on such messages were blown to smithereens by its protective spells. Swallowing, he unfurled the message to read it.

Abandon your post. Return to Canterlot. Leave all doors and gates open.

No royal seal, no signature, no nothing. Just three short little sentences. There was a long, tense silence. “What is it?” Captain Terra asked, flapping her wings in impatience. Leave it to a Pegasus to break a ten-ton empty silence.

“Pack your things Captain.” said the Commander in a soft voice, his hooves shaking a little. His eyes betrayed confusion and mild fear before he crumpled the letter and destroyed it with a zap of unicorn magic. “Tell the boys we’re… going home.” It almost came out like a question.

“Yessir!” All three guards turned and left the stallion alone in his tent. He stared at the rest of the canister pieces, and vanished them as well. He’d followed protocol, but he didn’t understand the message. Had his platoon done something wrong? No. No if that were the case her majesty would’ve sent troops to replace his own. The border of the Badlands was always watched by the Equestrian military so that a sudden Changeling invasion could not be brought upon them. But to abandon the fort entirely? Lion Heart saw a glimpse of a chess board in his mind’s eye, and his particular rook was being sacrificed. He’d lived at this fort for almost three years, other than the usual days of personal leave. He’d be sad to see it go. Whatever move her Majesty was making, he didn’t have to understand. He knew he had to obey, though. He threw open his chest and started hastily packing.

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

Chrysalis sat upon her throne, favoring one of her behemoths with head rubs. The other jittered jealously on his dozens of legs. He wanted head rubs too! Why did only the other get head rubs?! While the Changeling Queen pored over a tablet of matters of state, she frowned a bit. She’d expected some sort of response from Celestia by now. Even a denial or rebuttal for negotiations. None of her scouts or spies had reported any sort of Equestrian military movement to her… yet. She didn’t trust the ivory bitch not to try and make a swipe for Twilight Sparkle. Some token rescue would be sent, no doubt, she was not stupid. Turning one of the resonance crystals up to favor the room with lighter music, she scanned down the latest ledgers of facts and figures. The population was, of course, on a steady decline and—!

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty!”

Two changelings crashed into each other in front of the throne, drawing her eye up from her work. She cocked an eyebrow. Ambassador Doppleganger and High Warlord Mandible. They glared at each other as polar opposites tended to do. She did enjoy their little tiffs.

“News from the north!”

“News from the north!”

“Stop copying me!”

“Stop copying me!”

“Shut up!”

“Shut up!”

Chrysalis pushed the head of her petting behemoth away, setting the tablet down as well. “Silence.” She raised a hoof as she rose to her feet. Both hivelings obeyed, bowing low. Tossing her sickly green mane a bit. “One after the other, speak. Warlord, you first. I do enjoy hearing bad news first, as you always seem to be full of it.”

“My Queen, military movement to the north! Equestria has abandoned a fort in the central northern border of the badlands!” Mandible said, briefly pulling a map to show her. There was a big red circle on its location, a drawing of a pony, an x, and a number zero next to it. How astute. She would have to praise her scouts for their artistic skills. “I think those wretched Princesses are trying to coax a move out of us. Lul us into a false sense of security!” he said sourly.

“You know for certain it was completely abandoned?” Chrysalis said with a mild frown.

“Yes. I sent a single drone in to sniff about the premises. He came back with three command sabers and a sack full of pony food!” he said incredulously. “They just dropped everything and left!”

“Hrm.” Chrysalis said, scratching under her chin a moment. “Distribute the sabers, take the food to my prisoner quarters, to Twilight Sparkle.” She stopped a moment. “Neigh, give it to Ambassador Doppleganger. She’s seen him before, and I doubt you would make a good impression on her.” Much to the Warlord’s credit he smiled with all his fangs, but said nothing about that comment.

“Yes, my Queen.” He bowed. “And what of the fort?”

“That’s actually what my bit is about, your majesty.” Ambassador Dopplganger pulled a scroll with a white seal on it to show her. “From a scout who ran into a messanger on the edges of the wastes. It’s from Princess Celestia.”

“Give me that!” Chrysalis snatched it eagerly, popping it open and unfurling it:

To Queen Chrysalis of the Changeling Empire,

In regards to your demand for the presence of Shining Armor in the Changeling Empire, I’m afraid I must decline. He is being held against his will in Canterlot and I dare not lift a hoof against a fellow alicorn that wishes to keep him safe. Cadance is quite protective, after the last time you met.

Please return Twilight Sparkle and her foal to the closest Equestrian fort or border patrol. Many ponies are upset about her kidnapping and I cannot be held responsible for what happens if this request is ignored. I will give to you Fort Petalbrow, which sits on my southern border, to sweeten the deal. Our cultures are quite different and I am perfectly willing to forgive and forget if you will but return my faithful student to me.

Regards,

Celestia Cosmos Corona Solaris Equiness, Princess of Equestria

“Dripping with sugary idiocy as usual, you great white bitch.” Chrysalis balled up the letter with a frown. She thought for a few moments. “'Cannot be held responsible', pffft! Warlord Mandible!” she turned to the waiting battle leader. “Converge all your scouts and spies in the immediate area on Fort Petalbrow. Raid it for any valuables, then burn it to the ground. Do not leave until no stone stands atop another.”

“On my honor, my Queen.” He bowed, donned his helmet and strode away with a happy fire in his eyes.

“What should I do, my Queen?” Ambassador Doppleganger asked softly, looking up at her.

“You have orders to feed Twilight Sparkle.” Queen Chrysalis said, looking at him sideways. “Did you not hear me?”

“O-of course my Queen!” he bowed low, ever the submissive servant, and turned to leave.

Chrysalis returned to her throne, sitting hard and pondering over Celestia’s letter with narrowed eyes. Would not be held responsible? What, was Princess Luna going to do something about it, then? She doubted it. Twilight Sparkle was Celestia’s student, but she would not send an army down into the hive itself for the rescue of one mare and her foal. It would be suicide. Not with ten thousand ponies could she uproot the hive. She sat on her haunches, bridging her hooves and resting her chin on them. Someone else was coming, she deduced. Someone Celestia did not control, someone she obviously thought could do some damage. But whom? This was no longer the era of Starswirl the Bearded. No pony could simply waltz across the border and into the badlands, go down into the hive and challenge them without dying first. “Hrm.” She said in a slightly troubled way. She reached over, rubbing the head of one of her behemoths. The other jittered, grumble-whining angrily. He NEVER got head rubs! Why?! Why did he never get any head rubs?!

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

“Twilight Sparkle, I—!” Ambassador Doppleganger pushed the door open and it SMASHED into his face when the mare squawked in embarrassment. He saw what spots for a few moments, then saw the purple aura fading from the wood from where he lay on the ground.

“I’m nursing! Keep out!” Twilight shouted, red-faced. She’d been spending the past few hours learning to nurse while standing. It wasn’t so bad, really, but she didn’t need anypony… or changeling, watching her do it.

“What? Nursing?” he wanted to know, pressing an ear to the door. Not being a mammal himself, he had no idea what she was talking about. “Oh! Is your foal hurt?!” he pressed the door open. “Quickly, let’s take her to the medical—!” SLAM! He got face-smashed again, this time his curved horn was caught in the wood. “Hyynnn!? Hrrrgh?!” He tried to pull himself off of it, but he was stuck there. The twin behemoths guarding the door rumbled with close-lipped laughter, watching him struggle. “Don’t just stand there!” he barked at them, “Help me!” he flailed about until one of them kindly leaned over and unstuck him. She lifted him up, kissed his head, sat him down, and patted his head like he was a lost wormling. He sighed loudly, flailing to fix his mane from the cow-lick he’d gotten from the kiss.

“Keep out!” Twilight said again, angrily. There was some squealing from inside the room. “Oh no no no sweetie its okay!” now she was fussing over her foal. “Not you, you’re okay. You’re okay, sh-sh-shhhh…” The purple mare sat, stroking her young lovingly and holding her in her front hooves. The foal fretted, looking up at her with big soft innocent eyes. Momma had been shouting, she sounded so mean! Her eyes watered, and she began to wail again. “Ohhh sh-sh-shhh…” Twilight coddled, standing up and over her. “It’s okay, it’s okay look!” she… well… waggled herself a little at her daughter. The foal caught the idea and shoved her head up under Twilight’s undercarriage again, quieting. “Whew…” Twilight’s head sank tiredly as she tried to stay still. The nameless foal fed herself eagerly, suddenly detatching herself and letting out a proper belch--- before keeling over to sleep. “More and more like your father…” Twilight murmured, fussing over her tiny mane. She took the scruff of her neck in her teeth, lowering her into the nest and covering her with lots and lots of little blankets.

Ambassador Doppleganger was still regaining his senses when Twilight opened the door and stuck her head out. “There you are!” he said, trying to stand upright and not look like he’s just been bested by behemoth kisses and wooden doors.

“It’s you again.” Twilight said suspiciously. “Ambassador something-or-another.”

“Doppleganger.” He said, wilting that she’d not remembered his name. “I’ve got a nice surprise for you. Some food, from a pony fort to the north.” He showed her a bulging sack with Equestrian writing on it that he couldn’t read.

“That says ‘laundry’ on it, Ambassador.” Twilight said, blanching a bit. He stared at her. Then at the writing. He pulled the bag open, revealing what looked to be a mixture of little boxes with food pictures on them. “Let me see.” Twilight rolled her eyes, magicking one to herself. She didn’t leave the doorway, but held one up to herself. The box was four inches squared, and the picture was of a half-corn on the cob. It was the smallest possible box one could get to fit one of those in… a military efficiency box. She flipped it open. Sure enough, inside was a dried corn on the cob. “Huh.” She said with interest.

“You like them? Take it! It’s yours!” Doppleganger said cheerily, giving her the bag.

“You said these came from a fort? How did you get them?” Twilight wanted to know, picking up another little box that had an apple on it. The next one had a hoof full of beans on it. The next had cherries. They were military rations, but adding water and heat would make it real food again.

“Apparently Princess Celestia just gave us a fort, right there on the border.” The Ambassador smirked. “She usually keeps it so well-guarded too, I can’t imagine why.” He suddenly slapped a hoof over his mouth. “You didn’t hear me say that! You’re not supposed to know about that.”

“I won’t tell…?” Twilight said softly, cocking her head. While he fretted and looked around for other witnesses (the behemoths, of course), the purple mare was looking through all the food. “Thank you, Ambassador. This is very kind of you.” She turned to return to her sleeping foal and quarters. “I’ll try to make sure they don’t hurt you too much when they come to rescue me.” There were a few chips of ice in her tone, but the smile was genuine.

When the door closed behind her, Doppleganger shuddered a little. For all too brief of a moment, he could almost see his Queen in Twilight Sparkle. Only she said such mean things and still smile about it. He chuckled a little. He quite liked this little pony. “Hm.” He said shortly, turning and walking away.

Twilight returned to the nest where her foal lay, smiling quietly. If she knew anything about her mentor, it was that she played a grand game of chess that most ponies could never understand. Much less changeling diplomats. It was against the law in Equestria to venture into the badlands. Nopony ever came back alive. If they weren’t killed or captured by the changelings, the badlands themselves would kill you. But if the Princess was gifting a fort to the changeling empire, it wasn’t out of the kindness of her heart. ‘Remember Twilight,’ Celestia in her mind’s eye said, ‘If you ever get forced into conflict, it’s always important to know where your enemy’s eyes are. If you can control their gaze, you have a great advantage.’

Twilight furrowed her brow, scuffing a little bowl she’d been given from a tray of food before. Pouring some water from a pitcher, she heated it with magic and dropped in some corn on the cobs from the little boxes. This was much better than the ratty food she’d been getting lately. Though she craved butter, salt, and sugar very much, a nice cooked vegetable was certainly high on the list too. Plus, her foal would get the nutrients through her milk. She checked over her shoulder for the sixth time, watching the little napping bundle. While she watched the corn cook, she sat on her haunches and stared at the wall, trying to piece together her Princess’ plan.

She’d just put a lot of Changeling eyes on that fort, wherever along the border it was. If she’d given it to them, every changeling within a hundred miles would probably flock to raid the place and get everything they could out of it for the hive. Monsters or not, the Changeling Empire was not wasteful for anything they found. They might not take the building, as above-ground structures were not their way, but anything that wasn’t nailed down would probably get taken. It would take days, no doubt, to grab all that cargo and take it back home… Twilight’s eyes lidded. Right there on the border. Where all the guards were. No guards, nopony keeping anypony from simply crossing into the badlands… her face suddenly blanched. Celestia wasn’t sending an army to come fetch her, no that was too obvious. But with the changelings swarming all over that fort, they wouldn’t be watching the border either, and a few ponies could sneak into the Badlands when they weren’t looking.

Twilight went and leaned over her foal, nuzzling her. She shifted onto her back, blinking blearily at the big warm thing. Was it the big warm thing from before, the one that had breathed on her and let her hold it with both hooves? Oh, no it was Momma. “Wuh-lahhhhh….” She yawned, curling up to sleep again.

“Daddy’s coming, my little filly.” Twilight giggled a little, speaking in a hushed voice. She wuzzled the tiny little warm body, settling next to her while her simple dinner cooked. “Daddy is coming for us, and Princess Celestia just opened the way for him.” The nameless foal turned, pressing up against her for warmth with a quiet burbling sound. “I really should name you.” She mumbled, smiling tenderly. She stroked the foal’s withers a few times, pondering down a list of some nice names for her.

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

“Why are you doing all this in secret, sister?” Luna whispered fiercely. Celestia had just finished telling her about the fort that she’d sent word to be abandoned. The Royal Sisters were alone in Luna’s chambers, and several wards of sound-proofing had been placed around the room itself.

“Plausible deniability, Lulu.” Celestia smiled rather sagely. “If we publically do nothing, Chrysalis will foresee no attack. Her spies cannot report anything I have not actually said outside this protected room.”

“You could’ve at least told her friends! They are suffering because of your callousness!” Luna protested. “And I! I went behind your back to equip Spartan and send him south!”

“As I knew you would. If not, Spartan would have probably stolen his armor none the less.” Celestia nodded apologetically. “I do not mean to use you, sister, but acting skills were never your forte. Much that of Twilight’s friends. They must believe that they have lost Twilight for good. Chrysalis’ spies will report they are staying at home, and by the time Spartan arrives, well…” she trailed off.

“It will be too late.” Luna said, smiling warily. She touched her nose. She could still feel where the saucepan had hit her in the face over a year ago, if she wiggled her nostrils just so. “What sort of casualties to you expect.”

“I’m not sure.” said Celestia with a frown. “But, knowing Twilight and Spartan as I do, I expect they will make it back safely. Have faith, sister.” She brought up a nice smile at last. Only Luna was old enough to see the ancient cruelty there, in the slight twinkle of that ageless gaze. Her sister hoped there would be suffering. A lot of suffering. But that innocent smile? Nopony ever expected the rage boiling within the sun goddess. Her most beloved subject had been stolen, so she’d opened the borders for a one-stallion wrecking crew to pass through and wreak havoc. The most powerful thing she could send other than herself. It was almost cruel, in a way. The changelings would not understand what Spartan was when they saw him, and by then it would be far too late to stop him.

“Spartan will no doubt reach the border soon.” Luna said conversationally, going over to the scrying pool. “Let’s have a look and see what he’s doing.” She ignited her horn to warm up the birdbath-shaped artifact. “Hopefully he’s not galloping full-tilt all the way there, he would drop dead.” She mumbled, concentrating as the magic took hold. Celestia nodded, coming over as the shapes in the water began to swirl into focus.

Spartan Shield was laying curled up in a heap with two other stallions next to a crackling campfire. “Huhm. Not what I was expecting.” Celestia admitted with a scandalous, trollish smile. “But, Spartan Stallions did share love with both genders, so—!”

“SISTER!” Luna squawked. “He would not!” she peered more intently over the image, letting the scenery around them unfold in the waters. “Oh look! They’re already in the badlands!” she said, pointing quickly. “It is a desert, Tia, they are no doubt curled together for warmth, look how thin the blankets are!”

“Defending him, Luna?” Celestia cocked her head in surprise.

“W-well,” Luna said, looking to one side. “He is not a bad pony, sister. I do not think he would be… unloyal, to Twilight with another stallion.” Her cheeks colored a little. “He is not the careless death machine he once was…”

‘Spartan, I know we’re pressed together for warmth and stuff— but I hope that’s your hoof I’m feelin’ there.’ said the skinny stallion of the group in the image. Celestia threw her head back and laughed while Luna gave a royal facehoof. Spartan gave a black chuckle, murmuring an apology as the pile of stallions shifted. The big red stallion grumbled, but didn’t protest. It was this or the icy chill of the Badlands at night.

End of Part 5

Head Rubs