Luna’s Story: Rise of the Lunar Stallions
Part 6: Crush Thy Foes
Aegis Shield was leaning over a tome by moonlight, studying the contents. The night-vision that the armor granted him would’ve helped, but he wasn’t on duty so he didn’t think it right to wear it. He was lying on his belly in a little grove on the edge of Canterlot. Though the city was bright, the park was kept dark for all the little woodland creatures to enjoy. And young lovers smooching under some of the trees. And stargazing ponies like himself, of course. Finding a place with no animals or smooching ponies had taken a little work, but finally he’d found some peace.
On his night off, it only seemed right to study something having to do with his vocation. To better himself as a lunar stallion was to better himself as a tool for the crown, after all. The Sun and Stars: Guide to Celestial Bodies lay open in front of him. He pawed through it, back and forth, trying to find something of interest. Shrugging a little, he opened his saddlebag and produced a telescope. Setting it on a little tripod, he used the mounted compass to find north and set it up properly. “Due… north. There we are.” He lined up the legs just so and made sure it wasn’t tilted in any particular way. Turning the tuning dial a little, he looked for a random star. Finding one, he stared at it for awhile until he could see it clearly. It… looked like a speck to him. Frowning, he looked harder. Maybe his telescope just wasn’t very good. He zoomed out a bit until his lens encompassed a group of stars instead. That was prettier to look at. Leaning to one side he checked the direction, angle, and time of year to a chart in the back of his book. “The spreading star.” He read aloud. “A cluster made up of nine stars forming a starburst pattern, with one star serving as the focal point. Huh.” He leaned to peer through his telescope again, and drew imaginary lines in the sky so he could see the pattern. “Neat.” He smirked after a moment. He did this with a few more clusters. It seemed a good thing to do, getting used to the positions and constellations of the sky. Luna’s Horn. Ursa Major. Ursa Minor. The Gryphon’s Claw. And more. And more. Aegis Shield was a little surprised there weren’t any constellations in homage to Celestia, princess of the day.
Flipping through the tome he checked the index. Celestia, see the sun. He flipped to the middle of the thick book, and found the section on the sun. Apparently, the sun was a star itself. Huh! Odd! The reason it was so much bigger and brighter was its nearness to Equestria. Aegis suddenly understood how Celestia could produce the day and the night while Luna had been banished. All the points of light in the sky, even the sun, were stars. The sun princess was merely moving the closest one. Wait, didn’t that by implication mean that Luna was far more powerful than her sister? Moving one star, versus manipulating thousands into intricate patterns and weavings? It boggled his poor mortal mind.
He shut his book with a snap, not sure he wanted to compare the princesses in terms of power. As though they would ever fight each other. Well, there was that one time a thousand years ago, Celestia had needed to don the Elements of Harmony to stop her sister since she couldn’t do it alo— No no no. No thoughts like that. He was loyal to both princesses. Just… devoted to the princess of the night. There was nothing wrong with that. Rrrf.
Stuffing the book in his bag and deciding he’d had quite enough stargazing for one night, Aegis Shield rose and dismantled his telescope. Weaving his way down the moonlit path, he made for the lunar barracks. He didn’t make it far, though, for there was trouble afoot in the park.
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Peppermint flushed, pressed idly against the tree behind her. Her wonderful stallion was nose-nuzzling with her romantically. Giggling softly, she hooked a leg around his neck to pull him closer. He was such a handsome thing, his cinnamon scent always so lovely to her nose. She extended her neck and he nuzzled up and down it lovingly. They’d been dating for a few weeks now, maybe she could work up her courage and get him to kiss h—!
SPLAT! Apple pie to the back of the head. The stallion looked shocked, his mouth a little agape. Time seemed to stop and sound seemed to end. Then—Splat-splat! One to the side and flank. He slowly fell to all four knees then onto his side, down. His face was frozen in a terrible look of fear. Peppermint screamed shortly, for a shadowy figure had emerged from the darkness to shove his hoof in her mouth. She squirmed back and forth but he pressed hard with a snarl. It was another stallion. Two of his friends quickly emerged, pies in hoof, peering back and forth. “We got him, hurry up let’s go!” one whispered in a reedy voice.
“Dun rush meh.” The other spoke with a deep southern accent, keeping the squirming mare quiet. “You’ll be quiet iff’n you know what’s good for you, missy.” They made a grab for her purse, ripping it open and snatching her bits bag. There had to be a good sixty bits or so in there! “That’s a good girl.” He snickered darkly while his partners threw the purse down to one side next to the fallen stallion. She whimpered loudly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked down at her love. “Now how’s about a kiss and we’ll be on our way?” He said huskily, his lips rising into a black smirk. She shook her head, whimpering loudly and pressing herself back against the tree. Both of the smaller stallions snickered, gathering around.
“No, please-! Please!” she whimpered as the shadows pressed in around her.
“Hey.” A new voice called out to them, making all three stallions snap their heads around to glare. The mare squirmed hard, craning her neck. Silhouetted at the apex of a small hill was a brown stallion with a golden mane. “Hooves off.” His eyes flicked down over the thrice-pie’d stallion, and his brow rose. “Oh, that’s how it is then.”
“You buzz off!” said the largest of the three, thrusting the trembling Peppermint into the hooves of his comrades. “You don’t want none’a this!” reaching into his saddlebag, he drew out a steaming apple pie. Tossing it up and down on his hoof a few times, he leaned forward threateningly.
The mysterious brown stallion didn’t move, only frowned at the scene and cocked his head. “Don’t make me make you, you’ll lose.” He said testily. “This is my night off, but I can certainly kick all three of your flanks into the royal Canterlot jailhouse under the palace. They’re extra mean to prisoners there, especially if you get brought in by a royal guard.” He lifted a hoof, leaning forward threateningly.
“Pffft, royal guards are white and armored. You ain’t nothin’.” The big stallion certainly liked to talk. “Nyah!” he threw not one but two apple pies! In mid-stride he’d drawn another from his saddlebag. The stallion bobbed, but then weaved the wrong way and took a pie to his back left leg. He whinnied in pain, thrown off guard and limping to right himself. The weaponized sugar started to sink into his skin, numbing him. “See?! He ain’t nothin’!” he trumpeted back to his two friends who were holding Peppermint hostage.
Righting himself finally, the brown stallion scowled with a deep hatred for the evil before him. “Fine then. I warned you.” Cocking his head, he tapped his medallion with his hoof. Raising his voice he spoke quickly and officially. “In the dark we tear and rend, to end all evils, with spines to bend! Lust and power, hunger and might! By Luna’s will! And dark of night!” The eye of the medallion sprang open, a demonic serpentine eye. The ancestors raised their deep voices in song, joining their new brethren once again. The armor exploded across his body, deep purples and blacks. His wings disintegrated, bat-like ones replacing the old and much bigger than before. His eyes glowed golden, pupils turning to slits as his teeth exploded with jagged edges. His fur twinged down to ashen grey as he embraced the night. Lunar stallion!
Peppermint, the poor mare, fainted at the sight of him.
One of the two smaller stallions responded by soiling himself and fleeing.
The other henchpony stood stock still, frozen in fear.
The larger stallion, leader of the bandits, could almost feel his pupils shrinking in fear.
Aegis Shield charged into battle with a whinny of exhilaration, bat wings wide!
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Luna frowned suddenly, looking down at her tea. It tasted like pain and fear. Such a saturation, too. She cocked her head. She’d been trying to relax before she took her leave to begin the Midnight Court. The sudden surge of negative emotion had struck her drink on an ethereal level. “Hrmm…” she said with a slight groan. If it was strong enough to illicit such a reaction that she could taste it, it warranted investigation. Sighing, she spread he wings and used magic to make herself invisible.
The glided over the city of Canterlot, silent as the ever-present moon. Flicking her eyes back and forth, she saw little beyond the usual night time ponies going about their business. Where was it coming from? She could almost smell it. She followed her instincts until she found herself gliding in circles over the park. Then below her she spotted it. Her brow rose in surprise. Aegis Shield, in full regalia, beating the stuffing out of somepony! She landed hard, at a distance, trying very hard not to jump to conclusions.
The lunar stallion was straddle-punching a stallion far larger than himself, one hoof after the other. To one side lay another stallion struck down by pies, a motionless mare, a pile of poo, and another stallion with a pie tin crushed dangerously over his face. The princess gaped in awed silence. There had to be a story here. Whap. Stomp. Whap. Stomp. The larger stallion was still receiving his punishment in spades. What had illicited Aegis to don his armor? She peered around, not really minding the beating sounds in the background. Still invisible, she leaned over the fallen trio still present.
The mare seemed unharmed. Perhaps she’d been knocked out? Or fainted? The pie-slain stallion was frozen in horror, perhaps burned by the sweet flakey goodness of what had hit him. That would be a nasty sugar coma, at the very least. Aegis Shield did not carry such messy, primitive weapons. She flicked her eyes over the poo. That was definitely poo. Yep. The other stallion was whimpering softly, a pie tin crushed over his face. His legs were weakly bicycling. His mouth was furiously working itself, trying to eat his way to air, but he wasn’t going to make it. Having mercy on the poor fool, Luna magicked the metal tin off of his face. He lay there just trying to breathe, comatose.
Aegis Shield finally rose from the big stallion’s chest, unpinning him and panting. The bandit lay there, bruised in the eye and bleeding from the muzzle. The lunar stallion’s hooves were stained red. The ancestor’s sang for him: a thousand deep and haunting voices, raised in the song of battle and victory. The thrill! The adrenaline! The power! It felt great! Moaning audibly the lunar stallion streeetched his back and wings, shaking from side to side like a dog shedding water.
A black shadow approached him from behind. Luna looked over from her silent investigation. Eyes widening, she dropped her invisibility spell. “Behind you!” she roared, pointing. Her stallion stared at her in shock, where had she come from? Jerking around, he was just in time to get blasted off his hooves by a flying pie to the face. He fell with a grunt, a mess of hooves and gooey pie filling. “Aegis!” Luna shrieked. Furious, boiling anger rose up inside the princess. Reaching with a mighty hoof she snatched the assassin from the darkness (the third stallion who’d soiled himself and fled had returned for a sneak attack.) with her magic. He flew through the air with a cry, tumbling flank-over-teakettle at her roughness. He stopped inches from Luna’s muzzle, where she glared into his face with all the fury of a thousand icy moons. Merciless in her anger, she broke his mind in half with a flick of a night goddess’ magic. He went glassy-eyed, then limpened. She dropped him like a rag-doll, panting feverishly. Her breast heaving, she surveyed the scene. So many injured ponies, for what?! What had happened here?!
Thunderclouds gathered in a swirling vortex of rage, blotting out all but the moon. Icy vapors rushed back and forth. She planted her royal backside and thrust a hoof into the air as the Royal Canterlot Voice concussed the night. “TO— ME’HHHHH!” Dust and twigs rushed away from her in a ring while lightning split the sky in a fantastic display of raw power. Every guardspony for blocks and blocks would come rushing at the sound of the summons.
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Aegis Shield slowly opened his eyes. He was warm and clean, his armor gone. He was lying in a bed somewhere. He turned his head slowly and moaned. His neck was bruised at the base of his skull. Princess Luna herself sat opposite to him, five books levitating around her while she scribbled with a quill and parchment. She looked up, looking startled. “Aegis! Art thou alright?” she demanded, books flying in all directions. He finally put together that he was in the sick bay of the solar barracks. The sterile environment and solar sigils over the door told him so.
“Princess.” He rasped. “What’re you doing here?”
“We had desk work to do. It is a small task to do it without the actual desk present.” The alicorn said dismissively. Rising to her hooves, she went to him and leaned forward to inspect him. “The doctors did well, removing the pie from thy face and mane. We feared thou would enter a sugar coma.” She said worriedly. “Thou should not be so reckless to charge into battle alone.” The stallion blushed a little.
“They were mugging that couple. Maybe worse.” He protested weakly, turning on his side so he could look at her more closely. She knelt down on all four knees to be near his face. “The stallion was already down when I arrived.” He whispered seriously. She nodded her understanding.
“Thy magic armor dost not make thou invincible.” The princess of the night said softly, putting a massive hoof on his chest. He held it between two of his. “Just be more careful. Thou art one of a kind, my lunar stallion.” She soothed quietly. He smiled shyly, and she leaned down to nuzzle him. Cocking her head to one side, she turned it into a kiss instead. He murred quietly, still holding her hoof at his breast.
The doorknob turned and they ended the kiss quickly. The doctor entered, all smiles at the chart that he had hovering in front of him. By the time he looked up at his patient Luna was on her hooves again, staring at him. He flinched involuntarily, then bowed deeply before her. “Your majesty.” He said, before straightening. “Looks like you got Aegis Shield and the others here just in time. Those pies had extra sugar in them, they could’ve been comatose for months. Whoever thought to weaponize pies all those years ago was a real sick-o, I tell you.” He said with a shudder. “The other stallion you brought in took three pies, he’ll be out for a week or so. We’ve got him on a feeding tube until the sugar coma wears off. The mare was fine, she told us everything that happened.”
“And Aegis Shield?” the princess raised a brow, more interested in her private guard.
“He’ll be fine. I’m surprised he woke up as fast as he did.” The doctor said with a wary chuckle. “As much pie filling as we scraped off of him, I’m surprised he wasn’t out for a few days or so. You’ve got a serious healing factor there, son.” He turned the chart over to show him, but Aegis couldn’t make heads or tails of it so he smiled politely instead. “You can leave whenever you feel strong enough to walk out on your own hooves.” He signed his name on the clipboard with a flourish to make it official, nodding and smiling.
“Thank you, doctor.” Aegis rasped from his bed. The medical pony nodded, putting the chart on the hook on the door and excusing himself. “Whew.” He began to sit up, then suddenly felt dizzy. “Oomph.” He fell again.
“Thou shalt be resting for a bit, we think.” Princess Luna said acidly. “Surely thou art tired from crushing thy enemies?” she smirked playfully. “The armor is working to knit your wounds.”
“It does that too?” Aegis moaned, face-hoofing a little, looking down at the amulet around his neck. When he squinted, he saw that it was giving off a soft purple glow. So soft was the glow one wouldn’t notice without really looking for it. “Is there anything it can’t do?” it sounded like a complaint, and Luna wrinkled her nose at him. “Sorry. It’s just… a little overwhelming. I’m basically wearing the most magical thing I’ve ever heard of, and it’s so in-tune with my body that it’s starting to creep me out a little.” He looked up at her tiredly. “Tell me how it works?” the stallion asked.
Luna sighed a little, but would not deny her injured soldier. “Much like solar armor works, actually.” She saw his look and went on. “Well you see, guard armor works much like uh… hrm…” she thought for a long time, trying to come up with a good explanation. She looked over and saw the water jug on the end table. “Suppose this water here was all the magical power my sister ever ordained to her guards.” She peeled a couple of paper cups from the waiting stack by magic, levitating the jug and pouring a little water into each. “They each get an equal amount. You were once a solar stallion. The power turned your fur white and your eyes blue. It made you a little bit stronger, atop your guard training.” She paused to make sure he was following. He nodded once. “And there are hundreds and hundreds of solar guards, are there not?” she gestured vaguely to the window. He nodded again. She showed him the jug of water again and swept the cups aside. “Suppose this was all the power that we ever allotted to the lunar stallions.” She pulled a new cup and set it on the end table. “And this is you.” She poured water out of the jug. And poured. And poured. The water spilled over the sides of the cup, onto the end table and then to the floor in a growing puddle. She held his eyes as it slowly dawned on him.
“I’m the only one. I don’t have to share the water. I’m the only cup.” He whispered. She nodded with a rather cruel smile. “It’s not just the armor. It’s you, isn’t it?” Aegis Shield asked softly. She nodded again. “Wow…” he turned to lay on his back again, not sure how to feel. Flattered? Overwhelmed? Powerful?
“Thou art the only lunar stallion, so thou share-est a thicker bond with us.” Luna said, setting the jug aside at last. “If there were more, they would share the bond with us also.”
“Will there be more?” he asked.
“That remains to be seen.” Princess Luna shook her head. “For now, we are content with thee.” She smiled, poking his chest with a hoof. He smiled, flattered at her. Making sure the door was closed, she leaned and kissed his forehead. “Rest for now, we shalt expect thee at tomorrow night’s Midnight Court.” She told him. After sharing a smile with him, she made her way to the door to leave. “Oh, and Aegis?” she said, turning.
“Yes, your majesty?” he asked, settling back to relax at last.
“If thou art to study my stars, at least use a telescope not meant for foals.” She levitated his bag to him as his face turned red. The telescope floated out. Turning the long tube over she showed him the seal on the underside, near the tripod’s base connector. It had come from a toy store. Aegis Shield squirmed miserably. No wonder he hadn’t been able to see the stars very well. He’d bought it used at a pawn shop, not wondering about its origins. Now he felt like he’d insulted his princess, viewing her work with a cheap toy.
“Yes, your majesty.” He said meekly, pulling the sheets up to his nose. She chuckled merrily, putting the telescope away and leaving his saddlebag by the bed. Only after Luna was gone did he dare reach into it to pluck out The Sun and Stars: Guide to Celestial Bodies. Pawing through it, he began to read the section on how telescopes worked and what sort was best to view the stars with.
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Luna sat on her balcony, overlooking Canterlot. Her thoughts were of Aegis Shield. Not in the professional guard-princess way, either. Cocking her head, she frowned as she sipped her tea. She stared at the stars, deep in thought. Thinking of the moment she first saw him in the cell until the present, she suddenly scowled at herself. "Art we in love with him? Or in lust with him?" Princess Luna asked her sky very suddenly. The stars silently twinkled back.
They'd practically jumped on each other several times since all of this had started. The armor influenced him, even as a medallion around his neck (though far less). The virile ancestors sang their praises when he flew into battle just as loudly as when he put his lips to hers, no doubt. They were the paragon of the male fighting spirit, egging him on to be at 120% at all times in all things. A flick of anger became a battle. A spark of lust became a mounting.
Princess Luna looked at herself on the other hoof. Was she overwhelming him with her own want? Why had she not stopped to learn the stallion, before the lunar armor was donned? Was she that excited to have a lunar stallion, that anypony would do? She felt herself flush in a humiliated way, tucking her wings and tail embarrassedly. "Tiz true, then. Tiz possibly lust." She cradled her temple in one hoof, flushed and angry at herself. "We must test the theory." she summoned ink, quill, and parchment to herself, mouthing the words as she wrote. "We shalt create another."
End of Part 6