//------------------------------//
// Stuff Thy Belly 
// Story: Luna's Story: Rise of the Lunar Stallions 
// by Aegis Shield 
//------------------------------//

Luna’s Story: Rise of the Lunar Stallions
Part 5: Stuff Thy Belly

It was a scene of terror at the Hook and Barrel tavern. Aegis Shield was seated at a table near the middle of the dining room. Across the table from him, Apple Fritter and a couple of other friendly solar guards were gathered. The lunar stallion was polishing off a plate of hay rice and soy sauce mixed with vegetables like corn and carrots. Reaching mid-bite, he poured more salt into his bowl. Then he devoured the rest of it and set the bowl on the stack. “Bah’kee’! *gulp* Barkeep! Another bowl!” he called over his shoulder. The stallion behind the bar nodded slowly, looking shocked at the sheer consumption. He warily leaned into the kitchen, calling out to his cooking staff.  Aegis Shield saw Apple Fritter staring at him. His eyes trailed down her front to her half-eaten cheese nachos. “Are you gonna eat that?” he said hungrily, staring at her plate. Mouth still agape, the only thing that moved was her hoof to push the nacho plate his way.

The three ponies stared in horror as he vanished the nachos as well. He was like a machine! “Are—  are you okay, Aegis? You’re eating like a teenager.” Apple Fritter gestured to the pile of four bowls and two plates next to him. “More than that. How are you not sick from eating all this?” she said worriedly.

“I dunno.” Aegis Shield said between bites, eager to find more to stuff in his mouth. “Just woke up starving.” He shoved his face into the last nacho and the poor thing vanished in an instant, down into his hungry belly. “Been hungry all—!” he heard the chiming of the great clock of Canterlot, quickly standing. “Make that to go!” he called aloud to the bartender. His medallion bounced on his chest as he reached across the bar to get his sealed to-go bowl. “Thanks!” he dropped a few more bits. The bowl was unsealed instantly, and during the slow walk towards the door he murdered that food as well. Apple Fritter and company watched him go, then looked at the table.

“There is something wrong with that stallion.” Apple Fritter mumbled, poking at the leaning tower of empty bowls she’d stacked up.

“What do you expect? He’s a lunar stallion now.” Said one of the guards. “He’s different than you and me.” The mare gave him a dirty look, but he didn’t waver. “What? Even my wife didn’t eat like that when she was pregnant with our son, and she was ravenous.”

“I thought you were—? Like all the other solar stallions?”

“Hey we were smart. We conceived before I joined the guard.” The stallion said snappishly.

“Oh…”

=-=-=-=

Luna emerged from her room fresh as a night-flower and ready to greet the evening. Her regalia shone. Her crown glittered. Her personal guard was eating a potted plant. She— wait. “What art thou doing?” she stared at him, stopping half-emerged from her room. Aegis was nibbling hungrily on an unfortunate flowery sapling that was sitting in the corner of the corridor. 

“Urf?!” He turned, snapping to attention. “Princess! Good night!” he saluted her with a clop of his hoof. She eyed him up and down. He wasn’t in his armor. “I… couldn’t figure out how to make the armor work again.” He said, turning his ears back embarassedly. “I know it has something to do with the amulet, but I couldn’t make it work.”

Princess Luna herded him back into her bedroom when she was sure the coast was clear. Shutting the door, she spoke. “Thou must merely recite thy oath. We thought that part was obvious.” She cocked her head, eyeing at him up and down. He looked down at his amulet, pawing at it a little. “Well?” she asked after a long silence.

“H-how did it go again?” he smiled embarassedly.

“Thou disappoints us, merely reading the oath and not memorizing it!” She leaned forward, scolding him with a shout. He hunched a little, like a dog that knew it had pooped on the rug. She sighed a little, then her expression softened. “Well, we did not command it of thou, and being the first in so long, we can forgive for now.” She offered a small smile. “Listen, and we shalt teach thou our oath again.”

“Yes.” Aegis Shield knelt on all four knees. He didn’t know why, it just seemed like the proper thing to do when giving an oath to one’s princess. He bowed his head, studying her hooves intently.

“In the dark, we tear and rend.”

“In the dark, I tear and rend.” He repeated after her. The necklace stirred.

“To end all evils, with spines to bend.”

“To end all evils, with spines to bend.” The eye of the medallion snapped open, golden.

“Lust and power, hunger and might.”

“Lust and power, hunger and might.” The stallion’s eyes were flickering with an inner glow.

“By—!”

“By Luna’s will, and dark of night!” His deep lunar voice exploded from his throat in a joyous rush of the thrill of power. The necklace ignited with a golden glow, and plates of armor rushed over his body. He arched his back, crying out as his teeth sharpened into fangs and his coat faded to an ashen grey. Dust on the floor rushed away from him in a ring. His eyes turned golden, the pupils into slits. His wings folded into themselves and then exploded with length, membrane’d like a bat’s wings. A lunar stallion!

Princess Luna smiled with approval, touching his shoulder while he panted at the rush. Leaning, she kissed the warmth of his forehead, blessing him silently. “Very good, my stallion, very good. Now remember thy oath.” He’d already taken steps forward, growling quietly and rubbing his cheek on her chest. He was like a massive dog that had taken a liking to a foal, rubbing up against her like that. His lifted jowls showed off rows of fangs, such a terrifying smile. “Give it a momennnnt...” Luna smiled bemusedly, until his brain rewired and Aegis Shield snapped back to himself again. He threw himself back, flushed and heady.

“F-forgive me.” He said, flexing back and forth in the armor to make sure it was all okay again.

“Thy frenzied state should become shorter and shorter as time goes on.” Princess Luna consoled the stallion’s deep embarrassment. “Before long thou wilt not lose thy mind from the transformation at all. Eventually only great stress will activate it, and that will be the armor protecting thou.” She smiled encouragingly. 

Aegis Shield nodded, still looking a little rattled. “I… I didn’t mean to—!”

“Oh, thou did.” Luna chuckled, turning and opening the double doors of her room. “Just as thou meant to kiss me during the dawn.” She said over her shoulder without looking at him. Aegis Shield went crimson, and he stuttered until she spoke again. “Thy armor will augment everything about you, stallion. That includes desire. It is even in thy oath. Now come along, we’ve much to do this night.” Feeling completely out of his league, the lunar stallion followed his princess obediently. While they walked, she turned her head only slightly to ask him again. “Why were thou eating one of the palace potted plants?”

Aegis blushed a little, “I’ve been starving all day, your majesty.” He said. “I killed half a dozen dishes at a local tavern, and a to-go bowl, and I’m still hungry.”

“Oh.” Luna said, sounding relieved. “That is, again, thy armor talking. It takes a lot of energy to augment your strength, speed, and body as it does. Where dost thou think the energy comes from?” she smirked over her shoulder at him.

“Me?” he asked. The princess nodded. The stallion wasn’t sure he liked the idea that the magic armor he was wearing was sucking energy out of him like a sponge to power itself. It sounded dangerous. But, if it only happened when he was upset or in a dangerous situation, he supposed that was okay. Only when it really counted, right?

After a quiet dinner/breakfast, Luna reported directly to the Night Court and sat upon her throne. “Let anypony with intent to speak with us forth.” She called down from the dais. The guards posted at the double doors thrust them open, but there was no one there. The antechamber for appointments was empty, as usual. The solar stallions looked at her apologetically, as though it were their fault nopony had come in the middle of the night. The alicorn sighed quietly, then reached between the cushions of her seat for a tome to read. A quill and protractor with inkwell hovered about her. Aegis Shield silently wondered what she was doing for over an hour. When she started flipping pages of her notebook back and forth, he caught glimpses of her scratching. Fancy mathematics, angular drawings, and tiny-lettered notes. Occasionally, the princess of the night would crane her neck to look behind herself. The open air of the balcony at her back gave an excellent view of the starry night. There were few clouds obstructing the view tonight, a crisp summer evening.

Aegis Shield was the first to notice a foal enter the throne room and he straightened, looking down at him with a curious gaze. The solar stallions peered down curiously, but did not stop him. He was a raggity, curious-looking thing. Blank-flanked and butter-yellow, his bright green eyes darted around animatedly. The little colt stopped and gaped up at Princess Luna, awestruck by her majesty. “What’s your name, son?” Aegis Shield leaned down into his face, very careful to keep his lips down. He didn’t want his shark-teeth to frighten the poor lad away.

“I’m Mint Leaf.” He said meekly, shrinking away from the strange grey monster.

“Your majesty!” Aegis Shield straightened, raising his voice to draw the princess’ attention. “A citizen to see you! The colt, Mint Leaf!” Luna’s head snapped up and a genuine smile leapt to her features. The lunar stallion stood aside and the little colt skittered forward on his little legs. The princess of the night blink-blinked, seeing the foal approach her and then stop at the foot of her dais. Aegis took his place again so the pony could speak.

There was a bit of silence, the colt staring up at the princess with a starstruck expression. “Speak, little one!” Luna trumpeted. “Should thou not be in thy bed, or nestled ‘tween thy parents at this hour?” The little one shook his head dumbly, still unable to take his eyes off of her. “Then what is thy issue to bring to thy princess?”

“My little sister is sick!” he piped, his voice still high with youth. “I came to ask for help!”

Luna cocked her head a little. He was so small himself, yet insisted he was the elder sibling. “We are not a doctor, little one.” Her face fell into a frown. “Nor could we directly aid thee if we were. Royalty may not show favor amongst our citizens’ wishes individually.”

“But you’re a princess!” he whined at her, soft-eyed. “You can do anything you want!”

“Tiz the law, we are afraid.”

“You should change the law!” the colt insisted, tearing up.

Stubborn in her cause but unable to stand a crying child, Luna sighed. “If we were to offer thou money for medical treatment, others would flood in for the same hoof-out. My coffers would empty in weeks.” She tried to explain to the little one. He stuck out a pouting lip, adjusting the adorable bandanna around his neck as he tried to strengthen his resolve.

“I don’t want money!” the little colt insisted. “I came to get help for my little sissie!”

“Child, explain thyself!” Luna was growing impatient now.

“I promised sissie that if she was good and went through with her surgery, that she would see shooting stars when she woke up.” Mint Leaf told her. “She made me do it. Made me promise.” He looked at her desperately. Luna’s expression softened. Such a big heart, for such a tiny thing. Waltzing right into the palace in the dead of night to ask the princess of the dark for something like that. There was a long silence between them. “Please!” he finally shrieked in a child’s almost-crying broken voice. He threw himself on his belly to bow before her. Luna rose from her throne, setting aside her notes and scrolls. Everypony watched her glide serenely down the stairs and lower herself down so she could be closer to his height. Mint Leaf thrust out a pair of rusty bits as his final begging trump card. “I have two whole bits! Is that enough to get a shooting star tomorrow night? For sissie?” he had no idea what he was asking or doing, only that he must do it because he’d promised his little sister.

Luna reached slowly and pushed the bits back to the tiny colt. Her wings opened slowly, coming forward to rest on either side of him. “Child, a shooting star is well within our power.” She said quietly. Solar guards and the singular lunar stallion had to strain their ears to hear. “And we would not be one to make a liar out of thou. If you will keep your trip here secret, you shalt have your shooting star on the morrow.” She smiled gently. Aegis Shield smiled, deeply touched. Leaning, the princess kissed the brave little colt on the forehead. “Now scurry home, lest thy… sissie, miss thee.” She stood and shoo’d the child away.

Mint Leaf ran as fast as his little hooves could carry him. There were no other visitors that night in the Night Court, but the morale was certainly high. Even Luna could not miss the beaming looks from the staff and guards posted about the throne room. Aegis Shield smiled easily for the rest of that night as well.

=-=-=-=

“I had no idea you were so good with foals, your majesty.” Aegis complimented when they were alone in one of the long hallways. “That was very touching.” He said, smiling his piranha smile at her.

Luna’s lips rose into a lopsided smile. “Tiz children who ask for the simplest things, sometimes. They have the blind conviction that things will happen because they want them to.” She folded her wings down for comfort, looking down at Aegis Shield. “Though we must admit, it was brave of the child to come all the way to the palace on his own. Night only knows where he was from or where he lives.” The lunar stallion nodded in agreement, chuckling way down in his barrel chest. “Now then, to feed you, my dear guard.”

“Uh?” Aegis said, almost stutter-stepping as they walked.

“Thy belly growled for the entire Night Court. Do not think we did not notice.” She chuckled, hiding her grin behind a hoof. “We shalt invade the kitchens.”

“Uhrf, won’t they panic if a member of the royal family just comes waltzing in unannounced?” the lunar stallion asked, cocking his head. Luna thought this over for a moment, then nodded glumly that it was true. “But er, maybe I can get something in the kitchen and we could meet somewhere?”

“My dear charge art thou asking me on a dinner date?” Luna chirped, smiling wickedly at him.

“Mayhap.” He said, catching her subtle sense of humor after having spent so much time with her. “If it means the two of us eating in the same place at the same time, I suppose so.” He turned his nose up at her, making a show of how much of a gentlecolt he could be when occasion called. So uptight and formal! She snorted.

“The lunar barracks, then.” Luna turned sharply down a different hall, peeling away from him. Aegis went onward towards the palace kitchens. The dark alicorn walked quickly and discreetly towards the guard barracks. She was bowed to, spoke when spoken to, but otherwise made a bee-line for the hidden doors. Looking about, she saw that nopony seemed to see her anymore. She smiled. Putting that ‘unnoticeable’ spell on these doors had been a marvelous idea. In the olden times it was to keep the solar and lunar guards apart, they tended to scuffle in that era over the silliest things. But now it was certainly nice too. She descended into darkness, the torches exploding into light as she went.
Emerging into the antechamber, she went down the long hall and found herself in the great room. The vault was closed as she’d left it, but the ancient furniture was moved around. She blink-blinked. The sheets were gone, and the hearth scrubbed. Had somepony been cleaning? She frowned a little, sticking her head into the fireplace. Not a speck of ash. Looking at the nearest sofa, she inspected its plush cushions and new-looking stitches. Had Aegis been down here tidying the place? She’d told him he didn’t have to do that. She could certainly assemble a team of palace cleaning staff to see to this place! Wondering what else he’d been up to, she wandered to the different passages. There were hoof prints in the dust in each one. 

Finally she came to the housing hall. Dozens of empty rooms in a singular, long hallway, each with a thick door and a number to separate their same-ness. One had been forced open. She peered inside. “Oh this shall not do.” She scowled. Inside was a ratty sleeping roll, a stack of books, some candles, and a few other personal effects on the floor. The lamps lay in carefully laid out pieces, parts of them scrubbed clean and oiled, other parts still awaiting treatment. “We truly have forgotten how much help this place needs to reawaken to its former glory.” She mumbled, shaking her head. Leaning, she pawed through Aegis Shield’s books. Ancient Equestrian for Beginners. The Sun and Stars: Guide to Celestial Bodies. Mixed Unit Tactics. Sewing Without Magic. The Mare’s Tickle. She cocked her head at the odd spread of subjects. Language, Science, Military, Practical, and… what was the last one? She picked it up with her magic, flipping it open to a random page. What's this? A haiku?

Teats are very nice
Creamy mounds beneath her dress.
Smile, it’s cold today.

Princess Luna slammed the book closed, eyebrows high. Bawdy poetry. She tried to put it back exactly as she’d found it, and backed out of the room again. Carefully leaving the door cracked as it had been, she cocked her head. Well, he was only pony. One couldn’t be the dark and shining example of law and militaristic strength all the time. Now and then something foalish or dirty was bound to pop up. Even her sister’s favorite student, Twilight Sparkle, had a few rather hot novels in her library history file. She chuckled to herself, returning to the great room.  She fiddled about for awhile until finally Aegis Shield emerged into the barracks, a covered basket in his mouth. “Ah, finally.” Luna said, smiling at him.

He lowered the basket to the ground. “Sorry, it took a moment to convince them I wasn’t going to eat them.” The stallion looked a little hurt at the fact. “They were eager to give me anything I asked for, though.” He grinned sabers at her. Luna smirked a little. She knew what it was like to be accused of cannibalism. Why, during the last Nightmare Night— eh, that was a different story. Instead, she leaned and focused on the basket of delights he’d brought to share. The stallion looked around awkwardly for a table, “Er, sorry your majesty, there doesn’t seem to be— uh…” he trailed off with a frown.
Luna alleviated the situation by flopping, very un-princess-like, onto the nearest couch. “This isn’t the royal table, Aegis. Let us at least feign casual dining!” she chirped good-naturedly. He smiled, nodding and getting the hoop of the basket back in his teeth. Taking the steaming thing with him, he clambered up onto the couch with her. Setting it between them, he flung the little towel off of it. Fresh hot cornbread greeted them, along with a little bowl of butter. There were also blobs of mashed potatoes, three corns on the cob, beans, rice, spiced chowder, crackers, a cheese wedge, and then a little cider bottle. Cramped into the corner were a salt and pepper shaker.

“Looks good!” Aegis shoved his whole head into the basket to grab something, which made Luna shriek with laughter for some reason. He looked up at her, confused, a corn cob sticking out of his muzzle like a giant comical cigar. “Oh shorry, wradies firsh.” He said, leaning and putting the corn cob back like it hadn’t just been shoved in his mouth. Luna only laughed harder, shaking her head.

“H’oh no! Help thyself!” she giggled, ushering him to take the corn cob back. “Thy company is what matters most to us.” Her face colored as soon as she said it. He looked up at her, blink-blinking. Forgetting her magic for a moment, she dipped downward to snatch a piece of cornbread with her teeth. Coughing slightly, she sliced it up by magic and slathered it with butter. Eating daintily, she offered him a kind smile.

There on the couch, they shared the meal. The crackers made excellent mini-plates for mashed potatoes, cheese, and other things. The corn cobs were the first thing to go, both ponies liked laying the butter on thickly. The husks were put back in the basket, but not much else made it out safely. The stallion was insatiable for the longest time, recharging his calories, internal batteries, whatever one wanted to call them. He was slowing down, though, by the time the last blob of mashed potatoes was being licked up. That left only a small wedge of cornbread and a bit of butter left. Aegis leaned down to get it, and Luna did too. Their heads clonked together, both of them pulling back with a hiss of pain. “Sorry, sorry. Go ahead.”

“No-no, tiz thy bread.” They both leaned again, bashing their heads once more. “H’oh blast it!” Luna said, his helm not very kind to her forehead at all. He held his face in embarrassment more than pain. They both leaned a THIRD time, cracking skulls again. The alicorn yipped in pain, gritting her teeth. “Oh for goodness sake!” Luna’s massive hoof came up and held Aegis Shield back, her magic levitating the cornbread up out of the basket. “There!” she said, rubbing at her forehead a little.

Both of them leaned greedily over the final morsel, their teeth connecting with it less than an inch apart. They stared at each other, blink-blinking. “Rrrr.” said Aegis Shield, giving a slight tug. The princess cocked her eyebrow at him. Dare he fight her for mere bread? So be it! Blimping her wings out playfully, they mouth-wrestled over the cornbread. Lips not quite touching, they mouthed wordless threats at each other, quietly clambering back and forth to find a dominant position to take it. Pulling too hard would break it into pieces, mayhap not in the aggressor’s favor. Not pulling hard enough would surrender it to the other pony. Aegis peeled back his lips to threaten her with his piranha teeth. “Rrr?” he warned.

“Rrr.” She said back to him, their heads tilting one way, then the other.

“Rrrr—” He warned with narrowed golden eyes.

“Rrrrrr!” She interjected, not letting him finish his threat.

“Rrrrwgle!” The lunar stallion demanded dominantly.

“RRRRR!” The princess was snappish.

“RRRRR!” her charge lowered his brow in a determined way. They leannnned one way, then the other, knocking the basket aside trying for the corn bread morsal. Rearing up a little and using his weight, Aegis soon had her on her back. They suddenly both oomph’d together by a shift of weight, and the cornbread fell to the floor. It broke into pieces, mixing with the dust and grime. Inedible. Both ponies wilted, their playful contest over. Then they looked at each other.

Luna lay on her back on the couch, wings spread to either side of her and her ethereal mane spilling over the arm of the couch. Splayed out thus, her front hooves were pressed to his chest and her back ones quite spread apart. Aegis Shield was atop her, one hoof under both her wings and the other two stretched out behind him. The pair stared at each other. There were questions in both of their eyes. The princess slid her hoof across his chest plate, poking the moving eye. With the sound of drawing swords the armor collapsed into itself. The medallion hung between them after a moment, the eye pressed closed. The stallion was brown again, his blonde mane hanging down over her.

The transformation had winded him, and he fell down upon her. Her arms slowly came to wrap around him, and he pressed his muzzle into her mane to catch his breath. After a long time, he dared to look at her face. She was smiling quietly. Nickering something in ancient Equestrian, she flicked out half of the torches lighting the room. They were cast into eerie blue shadows. “Princess—”

“When we art alone, thus,” she interrupted him with a harsh whisper. “Thou should call us… Luna.” Her hooves wrapped around his neck, pulling him slowly down upon her. “Understand? Call us Luna.”

“Oh Luna…” Aegis said breathily, hovering over her face. His armor may have been deactivated, but the ancestors certainly sang their joy for him. Brown and midnight fur mixed fiercely, and her legs locked around his middle. Her crown tumbled off and across the floor as his teeth made off with it. Kissing her furiously, hungrily, the stallion pressed himself down to dominate. A more feral mental coding was taking over, and he whinnied despite himself. Luna welcomed him, drinking him in like a parched pony. Their kisses turned deep, sloppy, steaming. The great room grew warmer and warmer with their frolicking.

Luna moaned audibly. She wanted him. She didn’t care, she had to have him. She was a forbidden fruit amongst stallions, finally there was one strong enough to put his lips to hers! Yes! YES! “H’ohhh, Aegis!” she called out, one of her ceremonial shoes flying right off of her hoof and across the room. It tinkled to the ground somewhere, shimmering in the dark. Her stallion nibbled at her furiously, almost biting. Hungry. Lusty. Powerful. She wanted it. All of it. Forcing the hungry beast back for a moment, she finally turned herself over onto her belly. Her massive wings flared wide open, pulsing with desire. Finally, the hormones and kissing made her lose her head entirely. Un-princess-like, unashamed, she thrust her hips up at him and flicked her ethereal tail aside. “Take us! Ravage us, thy beast!” she cried, flushed and aching for the stallion to mount her.

Aegis Shield clambered atop her, pushing her shoulders down. He reveled in her heady shrieking as he got into the dominant position. He just— needed to— oh. The stallion looked down at himself. “I… I can’t.” he mumbled, suddenly ashamed. His ears turned back. How on Equestria could he have forgotten?

“Yes thou can! Mount us!” Luna whinnied like a mare in season, pressing her rump against him eagerly. A thousand years or more of nothing at all, she would have him this night! “Mount us!”

“I’m gelding.” He said miserably. A long, icy silence passed over the pair. The mood was suddenly quite gone. Both fell to awkward, crimson-faced breathing. Luna lowered her tail, then the rest of herself. He collapsed atop her. They lay there quietly, unsure what to make of each other. It was the stallion who spoke first. “Oh Luna, I’m so sor—”

“We think it needless to say,” Luna sniffed, interrupting him suddenly. “We shalt never look at buttered cornbread the same way ever, ever again.” There was another silence. The mood, for some reason, began to lift. It was so stupid, so awkward and so embarrassing it went full-circle back to funny. She started giggling. He joined her, face-hoofing before he threw his head back for a full-throated laugh. He fell upon her again after she’d turned over, embracing her with the laughter. Whoops! Forgot my stallionhood! Sorry! It was a terrible thing to laugh about, but they both found it too Faust-damn hilarious not to.

End of Part 5