//------------------------------// // 2: Rome's lost legion, Equestria's new problem // Story: The Ponies and the Ninth // by Comrade_Derpy //------------------------------// "Fire!" Roared the General over the sound of Arrow and bolt. His slashed, shredded and bloodied red cloak whipped around him as he stood on a rocky outcrop overlooking the rolling glen. Down below stood the legion, five thousand of the most well trained, best equipped and battle hardened men the known world had ever Witnessed. At the front stood the first cohort. Eight hundred of the legions best. Varius led these men and the Eagle, the status signal of Roma, never to be lost or taken in battle. It was the first cohorts duty to protect it to the last man. Following the stream down the glen to a crested summit stood proudly the Picts, united in loss and angered by these new invaders, these naked, blue painted warriors stood screaming and wailing in their native language, cursing the men who wore red and silver in the valley below as they themselves were struck down by the Roman arrows, or impaled by the large bolts fired by the Balistae artillery pieces. Varius stood in the valley, to his right the grizzled but rather simple minded Rufus Sextus, behind, covered in a lion skinned helmet cover, was Marius. Lastly, Publius who carried the eagle proudly. It was Varius' job... no, duty to himself and the gods above that these men be safe under his command. In battle formation he knew this would be not only his but each Legionary's job. To protect one another in the face of overwhelming odds. It was then that the "Blue painted barbarians" decided to charge. Disorganised and wild, they ran down over the boggy glen, closing ranks with the First cohort and Varius. He glanced around to see unsure faces. They had faced barbarians before yes, but nothing like what these wild men were. "Steady lads. Pilum ready and greet them with Roman steel" he said, in an attempt to bring the moral up before zero hour. "'Til the whites of the eyes men, Steady....Now!" at that eight hundred heavy javelins flew forward and impacted into the disorganised ranks of men, pinning many down and into the ground and killing many more. Varius turned one more time "Shields up and remember-" For emphasis he drew his Gladius from his decorated scabbard, stabbing the air. "We fight for Rome!" He finely roared, the sound of metal being drawn soon after gave him the briefest of smirks, then the picts connected. Shield met shield as a horrid sound of sliding metal hit the ranks. The Romans held though, and from behind their thick large Scutum shields they thrusted their Gladius's into the exposed chests of the Caledonian men, cutting them down with no hint of remorse. Varius stood at the right of a Brown haired man, who screamed at him, thrusting with a spear. Varius parried and brought his shield up, the boss of it crunching into the man's skull. Bringing the shield right he blocked another blow from a large Pictish Sword and thrusted his sword at at the warrior weilding it. Another quickly ran at him, bringing a club down. With no time to react the blow landed on Varius's Segmented armour, throwing him to the ground and smashing said armour open. A rather surprised, terrified and quite frankly, impressed, Varius looked up at the man. He showed the exact same absence of remorse his own men showed, but he was far younger then any legionary. Eighteen perhaps, almost a child. He stood over Varius with his club raised for the finishing blow. The Centurion sighed closing, his eyes, and waited for the blow. Equestria, Canterlot Several Hours later Shining was awake again, looking out of a balcony with shock and awe to the sight many miles away. Blinking his eyes, he looked on as the weather pony's retreated to Canterlot's mighty white walls. The storm he saw before heading to bed has grown massively, darkness and lighting spewing from it. Rain poured from it, covering what shining could only guess as miles of land underneath it. By this point several guards had abandoned their posts to stand on the walls looking at the storm. It was at this point that Cadence had arrived at his side looking on with him "Are you looking at the storm Shining?" He nodded. "Yes. I've never seen anything like it." He paused looking over at her. The light pink Alicorn smiled back "Worried are we?" She asked, She was replied with a snort and a shake of his head "A little rain and lighting cant hurt no-pony, If they tread with care" He turned back glancing at it. "You know they say demons sometimes conjure storms like that." she said grinning "Am I to believe that, or are you preparing a bed time story for me?" He said nuzzling into her "It will pass like most things.? She nodded again "Perhaps... but not all things come to pass, Shining dear. Shall we retire to bed?", He turned around yawning at the question as he closed the doors to the balcony smiling "Sure thing let me just sort this. Then I'll be right over." "If you say so then." She yawned with him, before blowing a candle out, plunging the room into darkness Caledonia, Scotland Near Modern day Inverness Eyes closed, Varius felt the dripping of rain and the sound of thunder rumble across over the sound of battle. He relaxed, ignoring all the sounds around him. Focusing on the water and thunder. He smiled as it reminded him of home. His family. His son. Rufus, the young red haired scoundrel. "Varius! Get up, Lets go!" Varius suddenly felt his arm being gripped and body being forced up. Opening his eyes he glanced at the young solder in front of him. Wet and bloody stood Sextus, his Helmet off and shield missing. His lorica segmented armour was broken and bent and his eyes were covered by his brindled hair. "S-Sextus?" He gasped, holding the young man's arm. "Where's Rufus. W-where is he?". He looked around himself watching the battle change direction. His mighty cohort began to buckle under the stress of the Caledonian men Sextus tilted his head slightly "W... What?. Your son, he's in Coria, you know that" Sextus held him still "He's safe, behind the wall, but you're not Centurio, we have to go. Now!" Varius nodded, picking his shield up from the boggy ground and glancing at a small puddle that formed. He saw himself in it, Bleeding and dirty. "Sextus...rally the cohort. Where's Publius? We need the Eagle." "I saw him near the Sixth Cohort on that outcrop. Marius was with him. The Third and and Ninth Cohort's are routing the barbarians brought cavalry." Sextus sighed, pushing Varius toward the direction of the sixth. Varius nodded, heading through the slaughter fields towards the outcrop. Losing his footing in the mud, he made slow progress. Looking up he saw Rufus and Publias back to back, the Eagle standard between them. They both jeered and taunted the enemies, and cried out inspiring words to what remained of the ninth legion. That's when the sound of hooves clattered behind him. He turned just in time to see the spear point, and then blackness. Italia, Roma Palatium imperatoris (The Emperor's palace) The sound of footsteps echoed and bounced off the marble floors. Nervously speeding up, Cassius reached into his small pack bag, the note was still there "Thank the gods." He thought to himself. Crossing a massive courtyard he had time to admire the sights. Women, statues, and a rather unneeded but large pond where small children were playing with sail boats. He smiled, heading through and into the palaces chamber rooms. He was met by several heavy armed men clad in bronze, steel and purple. The infamous Praetoriani. The empires most elite, but corrupted men. "What do you want Baceolus" one cussed. He had called him a fool. A fool!? He just bloody travelled from Londinium to Roma in days! Cassius sighed. "I have a message for the emperor, if you don't mind moving you bone headed boy." The guard clearly took offence drawing his sword "Say that again little man and I-" he was cut off by the cooler of the two "Calm down," While the two guards began to slowly argue Cassius slipped through. "The things i do for denarii" He coughed. His echoed footsteps soon arrived in front of the emperor. The emperor was a middle aged man, in his prime with curled brown hair. His purple and white toga covered him from neck to toe. "I come bringing word from the six legion on the wall." Cassius panted. "Ah good good. Tell me, what does edge of empire hold for me then?" "Sir, the Ninth legion have Vanished during their campaign into Caledonia.." Cassius Braced for a rage, and then his head on the end of a spear. He would make sure to make a good facial gesture for it. However, nothing came. Just a heavy sigh. "I see...all five thousand?" Cassius nodded. "Yes. Auxiliary and Cavalry support as well" "And the Eagle young man? What of the Eagle?" Cassius stood for a moment before sighing . "The Eagle is lost my emperor... the Eagle has been lost."