> Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
>  by Aegis Shield
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Awakened from Stone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 1: Awakened from Stone

The Spartan Stallions were an elite group of— shh-shhh, don’t get ahead of me—an elite group of 337 ponies. A special unit. The best. The most hardened and powerful and elite. They were garbed in impressive bronze armor with orange and red banners of fiery design. Descendant from Artax Fantasia himself, they were taught that the most glorious death could only be achieved on the battleground. They were taught never to quit, never to surrender… and that a beautiful life was founded on the backs of those that lived to see many victories. Spartans Stallions. Times were turbulent , though, for the night was slated to last forever. The Battle of Moon's Apex was their final stand against Nightmare Moon and her Lunar Stallions. That is where our story begins…



“STAL-YUHHHNS!” A powerful voice roared, turning the ears of everypony present. “The enemy approaches! PREPARE FOR GLORY!” Spartan Shield stood gallantly atop a rock, his spear in one hoof and his banner in the other. Princess Celestia, armored in her full battle regalia, mounted the rock next to him, looking out over the small group that remained. She nodded to them for confirmation. “That blot of night comes with her slathering beasts! Sharpen thy spears! Stoke thy fires!” he roared back and forth, directing ponies who thundered back and forth like the perfect soldiers they were.

“Our sister is among them!” Celestia belted out over all the rabble. “None shall challenge her but us! We leave all of thee to disperse the Lunar Stallions and keep them busy!” She lifted a commanding hoof that was gilded in solar steel.

There was a roar of confirmation, and every stallion bent his head to don his helmet. Spears and banners rose from the ranks while the campfires were stoked higher and higher. They threw straw upon the flames, lit special spears with wicks on them, and dipped their weapons briefly to make them hot. Spartan Shield thrust his spear high to inspire his troops. His oiled, rippling body of pure muscle would bring any normal pony to his knees. His eyes were like fire. His shout like a lion’s roar. Rearing up and flailing his hooves like the war horse he was, he shouted again. The Spartan Stallions echoed his battle cry, rushing forward from their alcove in the cliff face to form ranks. Soon, they were a long line of shields and spears, drawn arrows and set jaws.

“Launch the lighting arrows!” Spartan Shield shouted. Within seconds, a set of flaming arrows whizzed by and up into the starry night sky. They arced high, paused, fell, and lit the field that had been lightly covered with straw. There, on the opposite side of the field, was the enemy.

Lunar Stallions.

Golden-eyed, metal-fanged, slathering beasts. Nightmare Moon’s magic made them powerful, mindless monsters that could never return to pony society. She’d stolen their minds and made them into weapons of war. As the Spartan Stallions stood there waiting, they could see the frenzy of activity before them. The Lunar Stallions were climbing all over each other, rearing to go to battle like a bizarre mass of giant black ants. Pressed in so tight they probably couldn’t even breathe properly. Their dark armor screeched and groaned against each other’s sides, and they whinnied ferally at the little golden mass of solar ponies across the way.

“Steady, Spartan Stallions! Steady!” snapped Spartan Shield. Not one stallion had flinched at the sight of the beasts in the dark, but he shouted it anyway. His powerful, lion-like voice shook the heavens and reminded them all of who was in charge. Celestia regarded him with a neutral frown, then looked to the teeming mass across the way. The straw on the field was rapidly igniting, and soon the arena of battle was nicely lit.

The moon shifted in the sky, turning from a half-moon to a full moon. It gave them more light to see by, but it was Nightmare Moon’s doing. Then suddenly there she was. The Princess of the Night, possessed by darkness and loving it. She parted the minions she’d dominated into submission with the pure force of her magical aura so none of the filthy little beasts could touch her. They looked to her like runners staring at the flagpony at a race, rearing to go, aching to tear into their enemies with their sharpened fangs. They roared and slobbered all over themselves, fangs viciously flashing in the moonlight and bat-like wings flapping back and forth. Luna lifted a hoof slowly, then thrust it forward.

The Battle of Moon’s Apex was on.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1,002 Years Later...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Twilight Sparkle walked with wonder in her big shiny eyes, through the museum. She’d heard they had a massive exhibit with foreign articles from the Greek and Roman era of Equesria on display, so of course she’d hopped on the train and come straight to Canterlot to see it. Ancient pillars, tablets, statues and architecture from that era of Equestrian history were just amazing to her. Egyptian items were high on her list too, but Equestrian Greek and Roman things especially were just amazing. Those eras of civilizations had helped to work out advanced building techniques, artwork, and many other things ponies took for granted today.

The purple mare walked slowly from exhibit to exhibit, taking pamphlets from every single kiosk and any other swag she could get her knowledge-greedy hooves on. She read all the plaques and squinted at all the tablets. She stood in front of a particularly nice tablet for almost half an hour, soft in the eyes at its pure cultural beauty. Foals and little school groups wandered by, not old enough to really appreciate the pure majesty that was around them, in Twilight's opinion. This was hundreds of years of pure genius of the ancient world! How could they not see the beauty of it all?!

The Greek and Roman periods of Equestria were times of indulgence, military might, slowly rising equality for mares and so much more. (Why equality for mares, with two female rulers? Well, it had taken time to unite ponies under one banner to begin with, much less make them embrace gender equality...) It had ended roughly sometime after the Battle of Moon’s Apex, in which Nightmare Moon was defeated by Celestia and locked in the moon in chains. But that didn’t make it any less breath-taking. Twilight Sparkle went to a long tablet display, grinning super-wide with stars in her eyes as she pressed her muzzle to the glass. Powerful-looking stallions were running a race in front of a huge crowd. Maybe that was one of the first Olympics---es? Olympicsi? Something like that. She could practically hear their hooves thundering along the Circus Maximus. Beautiful, muscle-y, powerful stallions and their slathering spittle and their rough outlines rushing past the cheering crowds of citizens, oohhh it was amazing! Giggling and dancing about on her hooves like she might have to pee, the purple mare’s eyes got even wider at the next thing, and the next thing after that. The exhibit was quite large, and she knew that she would be in there for hours. Good thing she’d packed a lunch, she didn’t want to miss a moment of this!

Dear. Sweet. Celestia. There was a perfectly preserved tablet of a wedding blessing! Twilight Sparkle practically whacked her face on the display glass, pressing her muzzle hard against it to get a better look. In the picture, an ancient carving of Luna and Celestia were standing over a mare and stallion who wanted to get married. The archaic scaling was just beautiful! Luna would bless the mare with fertility, and Celestia would bless the stallion with strength. A yin and yang needed for a household to stand strong in that era and propagate. What a high honor that must’ve been. Twilight would have to ask the Princess about it in her next letter. How romantic! 

She found another relief carving of a pair of stallions pulling a chariot while a third rode in it, wielding a spear and fighting lions. His posing was just amazing, and the lions were strewn about the ground in glorious battle. Ohhh he must’ve been super important. Turning and nerding right the buck out, Twilight ran over to a series of pedestals that hosted a collection of ancient pottery. Just look at the detail! A pony with hooves as steady as the sun and moon must’ve carved these things. The curls of patterning, flowers, and figures stirred Twilight’s innermost fantasies and curiosity. What an amazing era that must’ve been to live in, all those centuries ago. She smiled despite herself, stepping backward a bit to admire the set of pottery all at once. She bumped into somepony, and heard something hit the floor.

“Oh, sorry.” Twilight said, turning about and looking up at the shadow that loomed over her. “Uh oh…” she said with a frown. She’d just scuffed an ancient statuary display. It was of a Spartan Stallion war leader, according to the plaque. The purple mare looked up at the figure. It was of a powerful looking, muscled stallion. Grimacing in battle-born rage, he was crouched behind his shield as though waiting for an oncoming projectile. In his other hoof he held a long spear, mid-throw, and around his neck bannered a cape-scarf. He was pretty impressive! ... if not for the missing hoof she’d just broken off. She looked around, panicking. She’d broken off a piece of an ancient, priceless statue! She would be in so, so much trouble if she didn’t fix this before somepony saw! Looking back and forth at the ponies milling about the room, she gulped and squatted behind a decorative plant by the statue. She picked up the piece that had broken off. Lighting her horn quietly, she pressed the piece to where it had broken off. “Just a quick spell.” Twilight Sparkle’s tongue rose upward from her lips in adorkable concentration. The piece reattached itself to the shaped hoof, and the restoration spell washed over the entire stature to rejoin the piece and erase the cracks she’d made.

“---AWRRRURGHHHH!” The grayscale stallion suddenly roared and chucked his spear across the room ahead of himself. The projectile flew, blasting apart a priceless tablet and sending marble in all directions. Rearing up and flailing his hooves like a warhorse, he came down from the display with a crash of titanic hooves. “What sorcery is this?!” he shouted. Ponies around the room fell to a hush, instantly stopping to stare. “Where am I?!” he snapped, rushing to retrieve his weapon and brandishing it back and forth. While Twilight watched, the grey colors of stone brightened into a sandy coat. His armor burst into a shining bronze, and his cape-scarf blushed into the most beautiful scarlet she'd ever seen. Foals hid under their mothers undercarriages, whimpering at his loud and mean voice. Twilight went pale. Had… had she done that?! Had she just brought a statue to life? No, no of course not! She’d specifically used a restoration spell. “You there!” he wheeled about since Twilight was the closest pony. “Naked harlot! Speak! Where are we?!”

“Naked harlot?” Twilight blinked at him in shock. Ponies began to make for the exit, intimidated by the massive stallion and wanting to make sure the foals and mares got out safely. “What’s that?”

“Mare of the night! Jest not lest thy disease of lies consume thou like the burning itching of thy loins!” he pressed his spear point into her face, almost up her nose.

“Hey now!” Twilight said, red-faced, igniting her horn and pushing him bodily back. “Watch it, pal!” His muscles coiled and the purple mare was shocked to find him rather resistant to her force-push spells.

“I am not this ‘pal’ of which thou speakest! I am Spartan Shield! Commander of Her Shining Immortal Majesty Princess Celestia’s Spartan Stallions!” He roared at Twilight, making her mane banner wildly from the pure force of his voice. As he spoke his tail and mane turned to a deep red, almost maroon. 

“Hold it right there, buddy!” A pair of museum guards appeared in the archway. “You’re disturbing the peace! Put down the spear and shield!” They weren’t solar guards. More like rent-a-guards, really. An extra set of eyes to mind all of the priceless artifacts so foals didn’t run around touching them. They brandished batons, growling threateningly.

“Fools! Dost thou think to stop a Spartan Stallion with such toothpicks at thy disposal?!” shoving past Twilight with a massive shoulder, the stranger bucked the first one in the teeth and slashed at the other with his spear. The first went flying with a belting cry, bouncing across the floor like a skipping stone. He knocked a display case over, launching a pot into the air, which landed right on his head as he passed out. The other went down hard, barrel-rolling over his own hooves and smacking his head into the column of the archway. “Huh…” the muscled stallion looked a genuinely surprised. “I expected them to dodge at least ONE of my assaults…” he trailed off, mildly disappointed at such an easy victory. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he turned around to face Twilight once more. “Whore! Come! I desire exit from this strange place!” he gestured about. "Guide me!"

Twilight’s temper had had quite enough of being called a prostitute. Her horn ignited angrily and she blasted him with a bolt of pure energy! He took it in the chest with a cry, flopping back over himself. His hooves bicycled into the air for a moment, and it took him a few seconds to right himself. “I am not a prostitute, you thick-headed--- THING!” she couldn’t come up with a harsh enough insult on the spot, so thing would have to do.

“A mage! A mare and a mage! What a strange thing!” he was back on his hooves like she hadn't just blasted the buh-jeezus out of him. “Hrm, perhaps your nudity makes you more powerful…” he leaned and squinted at her for a few long moments. Twilight leaned backward at his aggressive eyeballing. “Ah!” he stomped a hoof in realization. “Thy magic is solar-powered, I would wager upon thee! A solar pony!” he suddenly flashed a dazzling smile. “Art thou under the banner of her Shining Immortal Majesty, Princess Celestia?!” he sounded like he was yelling at her, but his smile at least hinted he was happier.

“Er… yes?” Twilight puzzled out some of what he’d said.

“Ah! Thank the ancestors! An ally in this strange place!” he set his spear on his shoulder. “Forgive me, mage, I thought thou an alleyway tail-lifter. Thy nudity is clearly a conductor for thy spells, drawing in the sun’s energies by pure surface area.” He bowed with very sudden formality, and Twilight felt warmth touch her cheeks. “I shalt not look upon thee with a feral stallion’s hunger, then. Thy purity is surely a condition of thy might.” He promised, then straightened.

Twilight Sparkle frowned. What was 'nudity'? She didn’t know the word. “You were a statue.” She told him, pointing to the raised dais where he’d been minutes ago. She eyed him some. The sculpted body, the handsome face, the body-covering armor. He was certainly a strange and archaic sight. “You’re a warrior of some kind?”

“I am a Spartan Stallion!” he repeated with an impatient roll of his eyes. “Of course I am a warrior! Now! Lead me from this place, I must report back to her Shining Immortal Majesty and find out the results of our battle with Nightmare Moon.”

“Nightmare Moon?” Twilight cocked her eyebrow. “Battle? But there hasn’t been a war in Equestria for almost a thousand years!”

The muscled stallion stared at her like she was an invalid. “Perhaps I would be better off alone…” he mumbled, stroking his chin at her. “Clearly, thou art confused…” with that he turned and strode away from her like she wasn’t there anymore. Twilight’s mouth fell open. She’d never been more insulted in all her life! She scampered after him, only to find he’d jolted to a stop just outside the Greek and Roman exhibit.

“Halt!” There was a quartet of Solar Stallion guards staring him down in the lobby of the museum. “Place your spear and shield on the ground, stranger!” The leader of the four demanded.

He fell into a practiced, low-center-of-gravity stance, lifting his spear. “Come and take it from me!” he challenged. The four stallions pulled their own spears. They were shorter, more metallic, and their armor was much thicker than his. Rearing up, he made to charge into battle.

“Wa-aaait!” Twilight Sparkle rushed between both groups. Deciding station was the only thing to be flaunted in front of this stranger, the purple mare spoke loudly for all to hear. “As Princess Celestia’s protégé I demand you all stop!” The four solar guards blinked at her in confusion. The strange Spartan pony skidded to a halt, almost falling over himself so he wouldn’t impale her on his weapon. All sides stared at each other in a long and very awkward silence. “What did you say your name was? Spartan Shield?” she asked. He nodded briefly, and the guards bristled at him. “You need to see Princess Celestia, why don’t we let them take us to her?” the purple mare offered. She turned around to the four guards. “Sirs? As the sun’s favored foal, I can vouch for him.” Twilight never, ever threw her weight around like that when she was a filly. The guards looked at each other. She hoped that they would buy it. In all actuality she had exactly zero influence or power in Canterlot. But, maybe her close ties with the Princess would help?

“What… did thou say thy name was?” asked Spartan Shield, slowly relaxing and standing upright again.

“Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight said with a coy smile. He cocked his head and frowned at her. The four Solar guards bowed their heads respectfully, agreeing that a national hero like the Element of Magic could certainly vouch for a strange pony like him. To Princess Celestia it was, then. The Princess’ protégé would be able to sort all this out… and they could go back to lazily guarding the front of the museum.

“Twilight Sparkle?” Spartan Shield asked, furrowing his brow as he tasted the name on his lips. She cocked her head at him, as though he’d asked a question. “Thine is a stupid name!” he suddenly declared, snorting.

“You're a stupid name!” Twilight squawked angrily, stomping towards the exit. The guards herded him along after her. They looked at each other, unsure about the whole situation. “I can’t believe how rude you are!”

“Mares should have names as strong as their stallions!” he threw his massive, muscled chest out to demonstrate. “Such as Comet Strike, or Crashing Tree, or Corona Blaze! Something of the sort!”

“You’re impossible!” Twilight face-hoof’d violently as they went.

End of Part 1


> Meeting the Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 2: Meeting the Princess

The phalanx of Spartan Stallions lined up in perfect unison. Their shields raised and then slammed down into the ground to serve as extra support. Each armored stallion covered the fellow to his left from hoof to neck. Pressed in so closely together with their spears poking forward between the shields, they looked like a golden wall. They waited while the slathering, gnashing, beastly Lunar Stallions charged across the field towards them.

“STAL-YUHHHNS! NOT ONE INCH FOR THEM! NOT ONE!” Spartan Shield roared over the coming din and confusion of the enemy. Like so many battling, screeching, tittering ants they swept over the battlefield. “This is where we fight!” Spartan Shield raised the banner of Canterlot, the united symbols of earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi. “This is where they die!” He slammed the banner through into the ground, symbolizing the stand they were making. Chips of stone scattered from the forceful thrust. Behind them, beyond the canyon they were wedged in? Canterlot herself. All of their wives, their leaders and their loved ones. It was up to them to give the last breath to stop the oncoming evil. If not them, it would be nopony standing between the Lunar Army and the massacre they would herald.

Spartan Shield could smell them already. The stink of the ungroomed stallion sweat. The slathering spittle of the wild. The chalky, nasty cracks in their over-sized hooves. Mutated monsters of the dark, every single one of them. The Lunar Stallions came ever closer while they watched, howling and whinnying and pitching themselves over small rocks to keep pace. Spartan Shield slammed his helm over his head, stepping down from the boulder where he’d planted their banner. “Your Majesty!” he shouted over the din of the stampede headed their way. “Your path is open! We will hold the tide here, for Canterlot!”

Celestia looked down at her Spartan Stallion leader. Her thick, armored regalia glittered in the firelight. She nodded solemnly. As her vast, gilded wings slowly opened, she struck her massive hoof lightly against his round shield. “Come back with your shield, stallion. If not, come back on it.” She bade him. It was the Spartan Stallion way to come back from battle victorious, or to not come back at all. Victory, or death. He bowed his head low, and the alicorn launched herself into the sky. Shoving his way roughly to the front line, not a leader to stand behind his troops, Spartan Shield put out his shield to join the phalanx wall. He set his spear on the tiny notch between shields, lowering his scowl into a teeth-clenching grimace. A Spartan Stallion showed no fear, had no regrets. Never quit. Never surrendered. He looked to his left and right, smirking at his fellow soldiers. Never would it be said that Spartan Shield did not fight with his ponies. He was right there on the front line, in the thick of it all.

The Lunar Stallions were coming. The phalanx waited, a shining wall of gold in the darkness.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1,002 Years Later….
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Spartan Shield stepped out of the museum, then jolted to a stop and peered around. “I hath emerged at the time of the Olympics!” he said, astounded. “Everypony is naked, showing off their bodies!” he pointed wildly as the street traffic went back and forth. In ancient times, athletes were known to do such to inform the public of their prowess. But, just about everypony on the street was nude, astounding! Spartan Shield peered around to check out the competition as they walked down the sidewalk. “A paltry few seem ready for such strain, though.” he winced when he passed a rather dumpy mare who was helping herself to a banana split under an umbrella at a picnic table. “Most of them would be decimated in any arena of physical activity!”

Twilight Sparkle had had time to calm down since they’d exited the exhibit and worked their way down the street. She’d have to be patient if he really was what he said he was. If Spartan Shield was from the Greek and Roman era of Equestria, he was in for some serious culture shocks. 	“Are you okay?” Twilight said over her shoulder.

“What Olympics is this? What number?” he asked her, gesturing around to all the naked ponies. Suddenly a gaggle of foals ran by, laughing and frolicking with a large ball between them. “And since when did foals participate?!” he pointed accusingly at them as they went by. His muscles rippled at the harsh gesture, and the quartet of guards halted for a few moments to make sure he wasn’t’ about to attack anypony.

“The Olympics?” Twilight wondered. “That’s not until this November. It’s June right now, Spartan Shield.” He stared at her in disbelief. She stared back, blinking in confusion. He turned forward after a few long moments of silence, turning sharply up a street that led to a dead end. “It’s this way.” Twilight walked past him.

“I must have been gone for a long time.” Spartan scowled at the setup of buildings he did not recognize. “Canterlot, she has aged into a mare I know not.” He gestured to a theatre that stood in the middle of where a street was supposed to be, in his mind’s eye. “I only pray Her Shining Immortal Majesty is not sore with me upon my arrival.” His eyes lidded with mild fear. Princess Celestia had always been very rough with the Spartan Stallions. They loved her for it, and she knew they could take it, but she was also harsher with her punishments. “I know not the outcome of the battle I was in…” he trailed off, looking troubled.

“Could you describe it?” Twilight asked, hoping perhaps her love of history and ancient culture might help.

He looked at her for a moment, but then remembered she was a powerful Solar Pony and trusted his discontent to her. “We were pressed between the Sore Saddle Canyon’s gates, just outside of Canterlot. Three hundred and thirty-seven Spartan Stallions, against an army of Lunar Stallions and Nightmare Moon. Her Majesty Princess Celestia was with us, as well.” Her articulated all the details he could remember.

“Sore Saddle Canyon? I’ve never heard of it.” Twilight frowned thoughtfully. “There aren't canyons outside of Canterlot, either. It’s a green, lush valley. I live down there, too, that’s where Ponyville is.”

“Pony-ville?” Spartan Shield tasted the word. “Another weak name. Thy ancestors must’ve scorned their descendants, naming their town, thus. How about squirrel-town? Or Rabbitton?” he chuckled at his own joke, and she shoved his shoulder to keep him moving quickly.

“Shut up.” She said lamely, ears turning back in embarrassment. It was a really silly name, when she thought about it. Other towns and cities had interesting names like Las Pegasus, Manehatten, and Appleoosia. Who named their town after the species that lived there? She sighed, knowing him right. The name was kinda weak. “We’re almost there.” Her face brightened when she saw the gigantic palace entrance she knew so well. She’d grown up in and around the place, so she knew it well.

Spartan Shield cocked his head all the way back. “Sweet Celestia’s TEATS!” he swore aloud, turning quite a few heads at the colorful language. “What is this monstrosity!?” he shouted, pointing up at the palace. “All of those towers would take but a single catapult shot to bring down! It doth be balanced like a house of cards!”

“That would be the royal palace, Spartan.” Twilight said, already annoyed with him again. Her cheeks pinkened at his referral to Celestia’s... bits, but she chose to ignore it. He wouldn’t react properly if she got upset. “Princess Celestia lives there.”

“I know that!” Spartan Shield said angrily, looking over at her. “But it hast changed so much! Where are the thick walls?! The columns?! The carved victories of battle and festival tablets?!” he gestured back and forth, ranting and raving as they entered the grand hall. They kept onward while the muscled stallion gestured back and forth. Servants stopped to stare at him while he went, for his voice carried on like an echo in the high-ceiling’d passages. He stopped to look at a nicely-carved flower pot that sat on a little end table. It hosted water and some pretty pink flowers. A young mare was standing there with them, arranging the flowers to look just right for display. Spartan Shield wandered up next to her, then snapped his hoof up at the pot. “That’s wrong too!” he roared, making her mane flap backward like a wild banner. She looked at him in shock, then at her flower arrangement, then her pupils got big and soft. She whimpered, and her ears turned back as he wandered away.

Twilight stopped to comfort her. “H-he’s not from around here, don’t pay him any attention. Please.” She patted the poor upset mare’s withers. She whimpered a little, but nodded, striding quickly away so nopony could see her cry. Twilight quickly rushed to catch up with her strange charge, “You really upset that mare, you know! You should apologize to her!”

“Neigh.” He said nonchalantly. “I’ve almost come to the throne room, Her Immortal Shining Majesty is far more important than some servant girl!” with a triumphant shove, he threw open a pair of great double doors. Twilight saw the muscles in his back and shoulder blades coil. Normally it took two ponies to open doors so big at that speed. Impressive. “Your Majesty! I hath returned!” he shouted… to an empty dining room. There was a long and awkward silence. “Twilight Sparkle.” He scowled, waving her over while still staring straight ahead.

“Yeah?” she stood shoulder to shoulder with him, admiring the long table.

“Why is the throne room a dining room?”

“Be… cause… it’s not a throne room?” It came out like a question, but Twilight couldn’t help but giggle a little. Princess Celestia tended to rearrange the palace a bit every time there were renovations done. It kept things interesting, lasted for months, and gave many ponies decorating jobs. That and… well… if you were nearly immortal, would you want your home to look the same forever? It was good to change it up every few decades or so.

“Lead me there.” Spartan Shield finally said, growling in an ego-bruised sort of way. Twilight nodded with a genuine smile, turning right and leading him down a few more hallways. He peered about silently, frowning at all of the new things. Paintings on the walls he didn’t recognize. Columns much thinner than they once were, more decorated and less cigar-like that he recalled. Naked ponies everywhere too, he just couldn’t get over that. Everything looked bright and clean and well-lit… this was not the palace he knew. The Spartan Stallion scowled without thinking about it, eliciting nervous looks from anypony that looked at him as he passed. 

“This is it.” Twilight said at last. When they turned the corner, they found the double doors of the throne room all the way open on both sides. A pair of guards saw the Spartan Stallion coming and closed ranks to block the way. “Don’t worry boys, he’s with me.” Twilight said just a little bit snobbishly. The guards looked at her, then parted the way. Spartan Shield was impressed to say the least. Who was this mare, if stallions moved from her path upon mere words? She must’ve had some seriously high station if the palace guards that guarded the throne room itself were so eager to do her bidding. The muscled pony made note to show a smidgen more respect to the purple mare. “Princess Celestia!” Twilight called aloud as they approached.

Princess Celestia sat on her royal haunches, high on the shining dais of her throne. The billowing banners of her office waved on either side of her, pushed by the wind that had come through the open windows. Summer had been a little bit harsher this year, so she kept her high officials cooler by allowing the wind to pass through the hallowed hall. “Ah Twilight Sparkle! My most Faithful student!” she looked up from her scrolls of work, over her half-moon glasses. She whipped off the glasses and vanished the scrolls to one side, standing and smiling genuinely. "What a pleasant surprise!"

“Shining Immortal Majesty!” Spartan Shield cast off his shield, which BLONNNNG’d onto the carpeted floor. Coming to his knees he set his spear lengthways in front of himself and pressed his forehead to the ground.

Twilight scampered forward like a filly, up the dais and extending her neck up for nuzzles. Celestia’s chest pressed up against her side, and giggling nuzzles she did give. The purple mare jittered animatedly, so happy to see her mentor. “Princess. It’s so good to see you! Sorry to barge in on you like this.” She said, bowing onto her belly for a few moments before rising. 

Spartan Shield looked up and stared at them in horror. Even the Princess was nude! And-- and nuzzling with a grown mare like she was a filly! Had ponies gone completely mad?! Where was everyponies’ clothes?! “Your Majesty! You’re in the nude!” he roared, thrusting out an accusing hoof.

Celestia’s ears perked, turning forward. She studied the shouter at last, blinking a couple of times. The servants and staff looked at each other. What was ‘nude?’ They looked at Princess Celestia. She seemed normal. Huh. The hush over the hall was long and awkward. Twilight Sparkle backed up, smiling in an embarrassed way for her new… friend. The Princess, however, pressed her back knees together with a mild nickering sound. Nude. There was a word she’d not heard in hundreds of years.

“Er, Princess, this is Spartan Shield. I met him just today.” Twilight Sparkle explained, trying to smooth over the strange conversation. 

“Spartan Shield?” Celestia looked at him closely. “I know that name...” she said softly. Her purple eyes took him in. The sheer muscle, the muted sandy color, the strange helmet and primitive spear. Her eyes fell on the round shield next to him and she gasped, raising a hoof to her mouth. “Oh my!” She said, eyes wide. She walked quickly past Twilight. Spartan Shield threw himself on his belly again to bow to her. “Rise, my little pony! You've come at last!” Celestia said with great energy. Her eyes glittered in grand acknowledgement of the pony before her. She remembered him. Ohh, did she remember him. That had been so long ago. "A thousand years later, no less!” she prodded his firm chest a few times, as though to make sure he was real. She smiled, the grand amusement of alicorn mischief in her eyes. She knew something, but she wasn't telling.

“A thousand years?!” Spartan Shield gaped at her, his pupils shrinking into dots.

“I found him as a statue in the Greek and Roman period exhibit.” Twilight explained, gesturing to him. “I accidentally broke his hoof off, and when I went to fix him, my restoration spell recovered him to flesh and bone, like he is now.” Celestia nodded her understanding, a slow smile working its way over her face.

“A thousand years?!” Spartan Shield said again, looking around wildly. No wonder everything looked so different. Centuries had gone by! “Shining Immortal Majesty! Please tell me! What happened after the battle?!” he begged Celestia at her hooves, looking up into her face. “What became of the Spartan Stallions?!”

Celestia’s face fell. “The battle was… a draw.” She said carefully, looking to one side. “I was able to stop Nightmare Moon and imprison her within the moon. The Lunar Stallions never made it to Canterlot.” She was relieved when he seemed satisfied with that answer, for he sagged forward in grand happiness before jumping back to his hooves.

“Well then! I have returned, your Majesty! I am ready to continue serving under you and bring destruction to thine enemies!” Spartan Shield snapped his salute. “Merely point me to the current Spartan Stallion barracks and I shall retire there for the day.”

Celestia smiled kindly, though there was a certain pity in her eyes. She glanced around at all the staring ponies. They had no concept of what war was, much less a veteran warrior like Spartan Shield. She kept guards, police, and firefighters, yes but—nothing like the Spartans had been. Hardened, powerful stallions and killing machines to boot. They were war ponies, and such a thing had not been needed since Nightmare Moon’s defeat. “I’m afraid there is no such barracks anymore, my little pony.” She said gently, looking down into his face. 

His expression withered, and the slow realization came upon him. “I’m… the only one left.” He said quietly. “The only Spartan Stallion left.” Celestia nodded gravely. Twilight Sparkle looked at him with a softened expression.

“There hasn’t been a war, or even a battle, in Equestria since the defeat of Nightmare Moon.” Celestia said. “We live in an era of peace and prosperity now. There are no wars, no famines, and no need for such widespread violence anymore.” The stallion’s expression wilted into one of confusion and sudden self-loathing. There were no more battles to fight? What was he to do, then? A Spartan Stallion’s honor and glory was on the battlefield! “Equestria has been tamed into a utopia, Spartan Shield.” Celestia smiled gently, reaching and cupping his cheek so he would look at her. “The peace you fought so hard for has lasted for over a thousand years and continues to this day.” She tried to cheer him up, but she knew better. He was a warrior at heart. And a warrior with no battles to fight felt useless and depressed. She would need to think quickly. She glanced at Twilight Sparkle. “I know just the thing.” She said.

He looked up at her. Perhaps an assassination to be done? A criminal mastermind to hunt down and slay? Something, anything to make use of his skills! “Yes, your majesty?” he said eagerly.

“You should go to Ponyville with Twilight Sparkle, and learn about the modern era.” Celestia said, nodding cheerfully. Twilight Sparkle was a split, thinly-split second from screaming in her Princess’ face. He couldn’t go with her! He was a wild pony! Armed, no less! He would turn Ponyville on its head and… and who knew what! “It will be fun, I promise.” She told Spartan Shield. “When you have had plenty of time to rest and adjust to this time of peace, you’ll be able to settle down and make a new life for yourself.”

“But your Majesty!” Spartan Shield said, raising up his metallic shield to show her the sunburst on it. “I am a warrior! I belong with you, on the battlefield!” he protested.

“That is an order, soldier.” Celestia said with a measure of sternness. Twilight Sparkle shuddered back a step, leaning backward and lifting a hoof. The Princess’ face turned back to its normal calm and happy demeanor. “You will like Ponyville. It is a nice place to live.”

“Y… yes, your Majesty.” Spartan Shield stood there with a glazed expression, visibly stunned by all that he’d been told. A thousand years in the future. The only Spartan Stallion left. No more battles to fight. No more enemies to slay. Everypony ran around naked like it was nothing, not just the athletes. He looked over at Twilight Sparkle. “I don’t have to run about naked too, do I?” he asked the purple mare, gesturing to her lack of garments. 

“Does it make you that uncomfortable?” Twilight furrowed her brow.

“Nudity was a big deal back then, Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia smiled a little, embarrassed. “It was only after we’d seized control of the seasons and the weather that ponydom made a slow transition to being without clothes most of the time.” Twilight and Spartan looked up at her with two different expressions of interest. “Before, only athletes ran around in just their fur. Now everypony does it. It’s an ancient sign of security and good health in Equestria.”

“No wonder you called me a whore.” Twilight accused with a frown. Celestia threw her head back in a grand laugh, but quickly halted herself when she saw Twilight’s look. Someone had called Twilight a whore… it was just a little bit funny, one had to admit. “Everypony wore clothes all the time in your era.” Twilight continued with a frown. Spartan Shield nodded. “Well it’ll be interesting to ease you into not wearing anything, then.” She chuckled aloud, giving his shoulder a pat. Spartan’s face pinkened, but his scowl only deepened at her.

After Twilight and Spartan had left to head for Ponyville, Celestia returned to her throne to sit and think. What a development this was. He was finally here. She’d not thought of the Battle of Moon’s Apex in ages. What a horrible night that had been. Yet, here was a relic of the past, back to haunt her. Twilight would have her hooves full… but Celestia knew she could handle it. She would’ve pulled him into the current royal guard, but he was a different breed of soldier. He would either kill somepony, or they would throw him out. A shot at a peaceful life was what he needed, she assured herself.


End of Part 2

> The Oil and Scraper
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 3: Oil and Scraper

The howling, shrieking, screaming wave of ash-grey stallions slammed into the golden wall of Spartan Stallions. Their muscles coiled as the Lunar Stallions beat and clawed and gnashed their metallic teeth, trying desperately to get over the shield wall and to the soldiers beyond. The waiting phalanx held strong, for every stallion pressed against his fellows only supported the wall with his own weight. “STAL-YUHHNNNS!” Spartan Shield roared, grunting in pain with a stray set of teeth found its way between shields and sank into his shoulder. He head-butted the offending beast mercilessly, then caved his skull in with a single stomp of a mighty hoof. “PUSH!”

As one, the waiting group of Spartan Stallion rushed their shoulders against their shields. Their impossible strength sent a shockwave through their defenses to the enemies beyond. The recoil pushed the monsters back a foot or two, and suddenly the shields parted! Before anypony could do anything else, a hailstorm of thrusting spears slammed out of the phalanx, killing a long row of Lunar Stallions. The monsters screee-ed like dying cockroaches, bits of their armor blasting off in tiny bloody shards. Spartan Shield was reminded of a colony of ants, not for the first time. So thin was their armor before the might of their thrusting spears! As the beasts pitched over dead, a new wave of blackness ran over their comrades to kill the shining wall of Canterlot’s last hope. Clang! The long row of shields reappeared, and the phalanx closed again. Screaming, thrashing, gnashing their teeth the Lunar Stallions threw themselves at the golden wall like the tide over rock. Standing atop their dead comrades, they tried to overtake them, biting and flailing their hooves wildly.

“PUSH!” Spartan Shield roared again. Bash! The motion was repeated, and another long line of Lunar Stallions fell, gutted by the long and bloodied spears of the Spartan Stallions. Screee! Trampled beneath their guilded, golden hooves, many a lunar pony met his end to the perfect formation of their solar counterparts. There was a long parting between the forces as they pushed outward from the narrow corridor of the canyon. “Stand together!” roared their leader, setting his spear on the notch of his shield as more of the enemy came. 

It was as though time were slowing. He could see every detail, every flapping mane, every drop of spittle and dirt and blood flying through the air. It would speed back up for the glorious thrust of his spear, or the bone-shattering thrust of his back hooves. The wild and terrible dance of death boiled out into the little courtyard at the canyon’s mouth, and the Spartan Stallions mowed over their crazed enemies like lancers. Quick and practiced, they regrouped shoulder to shoulder and backed into the canyon’s entrance as more Lunar Stallions rushed forward to get at them. A pair of the good soldiers had fallen in the first four waves. They would be remembered as brave warriors by all.

High above in the sky, Spartan Shield saw the clouds parting and reforming wildly. Concussions of impact were playing out like cracks of thunder. He could see two figures, one gold and one black, smashing into each other over and over in a grand display of aerial combat. The Princess and the Beast were fighting on the wing while their armies fought on the ground, and it was glorious. Their silhouettes passed over the moon, revealing their rippling muscles and grimacing faces. They locked shoulders with their front hooves, horns alight in a freakish sort of horn-fencing. Bolts of raw magic arced back and forth. Kicking their back hooves and spattering each other’s soft underbellies with blows they parted, only to crash into each other again with another explosion of thunderous impact. 

Spartan Shield couldn’t watch them for long, for more Lunar Stallions were rushing towards them. Their seemingly endless numbers were eager to break themselves upon the phalanx. He grinned wryly. Let them come. He set his spear and adjusted his shield, roaring like a glorious lion. His fellows joined him, and the battle for Equestria continued on the ground while the Royal Sisters clashed in the night sky.


================
1,002 Years Later….
================


Spartan Shield looked down over the countryside as he and Twilight rode in the flying chariot bound for Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle had been right. There was no longer a canyon outside of Canterlot, but green and beautiful rolling hills. Ponds dotted the countryside, filled with ducks and surrounded by bountiful fruit trees. Gone was the flat, featureless, rocky terrain he’d known. Before, that was how Canterlot was defended. They would see you coming a mile away, fill the canyon and cliffs with soldiers, and then dig in while you crashed against them in the narrow corridor. Only flying enemies ever had a chance, and there were archers and ballistae to deal with that. But no, now Canterlot was looking out over the greenest, most lush land Spartan Shield had ever seen. “How is Canterlot defended with such poorly molded terrain, Twilight Sparkle?” he asked her gruffly, pointing to a family of deer that were wandering in an open field. “Even a group of shock troops could wander right up to the city walls before they were stopped! So much forest and cover, the city could be taken.”

“Defend Canterlot from what?” Twilight asked him with a small smile. “Equestria doesn’t have any enemies.”

“No enemies?” he scoffed. “Every nation has enemies!”

“Not Equestria. Not for the past thousand years.” Twilight said stubbornly. He scowled at her, but continued to study the landscape with interest. He’d never seen so many fruit bearing trees and other luxury resources in his life. Clearly the reshaping of the countryside had shifted for a larger population. With denser farm land like what he was seeing, surely this ‘Ponyville’ was a vast metropolis.

“There it is!” Twilight pointed happily. “Ponyville!”

Spartan Shield reared up in the chariot so he could look down. Why, it was just a normal-looking village! Straw-roof houses, a marketplace, several streets lined up in a grid-like fashion. Ah good, at least there was somepony sensible enough to build towns using grids, as in his time. He winced at the thought of ‘his time’, remembering how far removed from it he was. “Her Shining Immortal Majesty wishes me to study your strange culture, mage. What will we do first?” he wanted to know.

“Well first I think you need a bath.” Twilight smirked at him. “I don’t know if you noticed, but your fur is matted and you smell like stallion sweat.” She waved her hoof a little, and he scowled at her.

“As opposed to smelling like flowers and fresh cut grass?” he growled from inside his helm. Twilight shrugged, smiling as the chariot made its descent into a wide street. They landed smoothly, and the purple mare thanked the two white and armored pegasi. Reaching into her purse, she gave them a nice tip for their speedy travel, and they soon took off again to head back to Canterlot. Finally, the gruff stallion relented. “Very well then. A bathhouse it is. The Princess bade me to experience New Equestrian culture, so I shall!” Walking with his spear in one hoof and his shield on his back, he started down the street. Twilight followed quickly after him, trying to keep up. He was so… forward! Were all military stallions like this? She’d have to ask Shining Armor sometime. Surely not.

Ponies made way for the strange Spartan Shield. He wore strange, periodic armor that might be mistaken for a Nightmare Night costume, except it was scuffed and dented with use. And his spear definitely looked real, too. His head snapped back and forth, reminding Twilight Sparkle very much of an eagle or other predatory bird. His powerful eyes took things in. “Ponyville’s been here for about eighty years or so.” Twilight said conversationally. “It was started by the Apple Family. They own a farm off the edge of town, that way. It’s an orchard.” She said. They passed a few landmarks. She pointed out town hall, the post office, Sugar Cube Corner, the park, and so on. “So what do you think?” she asked happily, prancing along.

“Wood with straw roofs. This could burn down very easily.” He gave his honest opinion. "One madpony with a torch could destroy the entire town." The Spartan Stallion gestured nonchalantly. Twilight face-hoofed with a moan.

“Oooooh, Twilight who’s your friend here?” Pinkie Pie had appeared from nowhere, pressing her face rudely up against Spartan Shield’s faceplate. He recoiled, startled. She eyed him up and down, admiring his armor. “He’s shiny! Shiny Stallion!”

“Pinkie, ehh,” Twilight winced when Spartan waved Pinkie Pie off roughly. “Pinkie Pie, this is my new friend Spartan Shield. He’s new around here and--!”

Pinkie Pie had vanished, then reappeared with her head sticking out of Spartan Shield’s breastplate. “He’s huuuu-uge! Just look'it all these muscles Twilight!” The warrior panicked. How had she gotten into his armor?! Rather comically he flopped hard onto his belly, trying to crush her. Pinkie’s head sucked back into his chest plate and he hit the ground with a grunt. Suddenly she popped out from behind his crimson cape-scarf, examining it with curious hooves. “Oooh, what’s this? It’s late summer, you don’t need a scarf silly!” Spartan Shield roared defiantly and flipped about, barrel-rolling and trying to tackle her. Pinkie zoomed out of sight, then popped out atop of his head, wearing his helm.

Twilight startled a little, for his face was rugged and virile. It just then occurred to her that she hadn’t seen his face up until that moment. He wasn’t bad looking, aside from the thin line of a scar over one of his eyes. But that just gave his face personality, really. It was handsome. She cocked her head curiously.

“Away to me, demonic harlequin!” Spartan Shield flailed wildly, all his militaristic stoicism completely gone. "Curse me not with your antics!” He made another grab for the pink mare, but she leaped gracefully away and he was struck with his own helm. Clank! Shaking his head blearily, he restored his vision and slammed his helm back onto his head. Wresting his spear and shield into his hooves, he turned around and around in circles like a puppy chasing its own tail. Pinkie Pie was gone.

“He’s pretty tense, Twilight. Maybe take him to the spa hot springs, to calm down?” Pinkie Pie was standing nonchalantly next to the purple mare now. They watched the warrior turn this way and that, trying to locate his missing tormentor. Twilight startled, lifting a hoof and leaning away from her. How did she always manage to do that?

Suddenly Spartan Shield spotted the crazy pink pony and launched his spear as hard as he could. Pinkie Pie ducked just in time, for the spear clipped off a few locks of her frizzy mane--- then went through a window into a flower shop. There was a terrified scream inside, and a crash. Twilight panicked, rushing and pushing the door open. The shop owner was pressed up against the wall, the spear just above her head and a crate of seeds shattered all over the floor. “Are you okay?!” Twilight rushed in. “I’m so sorry! He doesn’t know any better!” She magicked the seeds back into their packages, fixed the window as best she could and retrieved the spear. When she was certain the shop owner was okay, she rushed back outside to find Spartan Shield peering around angrily. “You could’ve killed somepony!” she shrieked.

Spartan Shield was on the ground on his belly, panting and sweating, looking around feverishly. A little line of spittle escaped him. The ‘pink demon’ had worked him into a wild frenzy, then disappeared. “Did you see where she went?! I think she can teleport!” Spartan Shield cried, turning his round shield back and forth to block any oncoming bubblegum-pink mares. Twilight growled and whacked him on the head with his own spear before dropping it at his hooves.

“That’s Pinkie Pie! She does that to every new pony that comes to town!” Twilight shouted, trying to get his full attention. The warrior stopped to stare at her, his helm ringing. “If you would calm down we could get where we’re going without hurting anypony!”

There was a long, awkward silence. Pinkie Pie really was gone this time. He heaved a few long breaths, turning this way and that. When he was sure she had gone away, he relaxed and replaced his shield on his back. Twilight tried not to blush at all the staring ponies up and down the sidewalk as he bent to reclaim his spear. “Let’s go, before the demon returns, Solar Mage Twilight.” He said in all seriousness, peering around.

“Ugh, yes, let’s.” Twilight face-hoofed again. This was going to be harder than she thought it was going to be. Finally, the pair of them arrived at the Ponyville spa. Though it was frequented by mares 99% of the time, the occasional stallion kept the staff on their hooves about serving both genders. Surely a nice hot bath would help soothe the warrior’s tension, like Pinkie had said? Maybe if she could get him to calm down, he wouldn’t wig the buck out every time he saw something new. Taking deep breaths and silently counting for a bit, Twilight forced up a new smile.

“These must be the baths.” Spartan Shield sauntered in like he owned the place, his eyes flicking up when the opening door rang a little bell. “Hrmph.” He said, squaring his shoulders. Twilight came in behind him, peering about a little shyly. “You there, servant!” he pointed to a young mare behind the front counter. She yelped and jumped back when he slammed his shield and spear onto the desk. “I shall require a hot bath, oil, and scrapers.” He told her. She stared at the weapons that had just crushed her rollidex and ledger, gulping.

“Uh-h-h, s-sure?” she asked softly. Spartan Shield peered up at the sign hanging from the ceiling. Counting out the proper number of coins, he set a stack atop his shield. She took them, and made to put them in the cash register, but stopped. What were these? She peered at them. There was a bust of Celestia on one side, wearing leafy laurels… and Luna on the other side, holding an abacus and crescent moon in her hooves. This wasn’t money… bits had the economic genius Penny Pincher on one side, and the Canterlot Palace on the other. In Pinchy we trust, and such. The mare opened her mouth to protest, but Twilight Sparkle rushed forward.

“Uh-huhm, let me, Spartan, I’ll take care of it all.” Twilight conjured her bits purse, paying the proper amount for two. “Do you guys have… uh… what did you say a moment ago? Bath and…?”

“Oil and scraper.” Spartan Shield said again, peering down at himself with a cocked eyebrow. “I have been in battle recently, I shall need plenty.” The mare behind the counter didn’t know what to make of him for a long, blinking moment. “What?” he asked her harshly, leaning forward with a coil of his muscles. She shrank back.

“Leeeet's find a bath first. You'll do better when you look and feel your best.” Twilight said with a nervous laugh. She only prayed she wouldn’t have to introduce the stallion to soap. Surely that had soap a thousand years ago? 

“Very well.” Spartan Shield followed Twilight, leaving the poor mare behind the counter with a deadly spear and a dented shield on her desk.

“Hey! Hey! What am I supposed to do with these!?” she said, watching them go. Twilight pretended not to hear for her sanity’s sake, and Spartan Shield ignored her entirely. The small gathering of ponies in the waiting room stared at her, and when she looked at them they quickly rushed their faces behind their old magazines again. Looking helplessly back and forth, she took the spear and put it behind the desk. The shield was another story. She heaved at it, “Oh! Grygh?! Guh! Wh?! WHAHHH!” she fell backward with a resounding clang. She yipped, seeing stars and little birdies before she wrestled it off of herself. Yes. The floor was just fine. Right there was fine. As long as it wasn’t on her desk. She returned to her seat looking winded, trying to ignore the little giggles from her waiting customers.

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

Spartan Shield emerged, nude, into the bathing area. He'd left an exotic pile of armor pieces in the locker room. His sand-colored fur was matted, his dark red mane a mess and the cutie mark of a… well, shield, that was on his flank looked a little dull. He peered around with a hawk’s gaze. Nopony around. Well, it was the middle of the day after all. Most ponies tended to bathe at the end of the day after their work was complete. Since he was on a mission of cultural significance, Twilight Sparkle was correct, he needed to look and feel his best if he was to make progress.

Going off to one side he took the spackle scraper, bucket and foal oil the spa staff had rummaged up for him out of a closet somewhere. He screwed the top off of the oil after some struggling, and took a sniff. It smelled fairly neutral. Not too strong or flowery. Shrugging, he turned it upside down and let the oil glug over himself. Seating himself on his haunches, he scrubbed.  Oil was the best way to wash oneself. It sank into the fur, snagged debris, and left an excellent shine. Scrub-scrub-scrub. When he was oiled down he set the container aside and pulled the bucket-with-scraper close. Scraaaaaaape. Fling. He tossed the blob of oil into the bucket, dirtied from whatever had ingrained itself in his fur. Scraaaaaaaape. Fling. Working slowly and diligently, he made sure to apply plenty of pressure and get as much as he could. Before long his legs were done, along with his chest and belly. He couldn’t quite get all the way down his back, though, and struggled for a moment.

“Need some help?” Twilight piped from nearby, where she’d been watching with interest.

“Hwah!?” he turned and lanced the scraper at her like like a throwing dart! Twilight yelped as it bounced off of her face, and she held herself with a hoof. “Twilight! How dare thou come into the stallion’s bath?!” he said, flushed red and backing up. “Away with thou, lest you be molested by the next who arrives!” he made an angry 'shoo-shoo' motion at her.

Twilight moaned a little, rubbing at the little red mark that had appeared on her forehead. “The baths here are for both genders, Spartan.” She said painfully, walking indignantly past him with her soap and towel on her back. 

“They are? But you would see one anoth…” he trailed off. Oh wait. Modern pony society had no concept of nudity. He scowled at nothing, seemingly at her, and she frowned back. “I shall wait until you are done, then.” He said, settling down and facing the wall with a frown.

“Get in, you silly thing.” Twilight splashed him animatedly. “The baths are huge. It’s not like it’s a tub and we’d be pressed together.” She winced and reddened in the face as soon as the words left her mouth. She sidled to the far side of the springs, pressed up against the far wall. “A-Anyway, we’re both adults here. Just get in and wash.” She told him.

Spartan Shield looked over his shoulder at her. Wellll…. She was already in the water, on the far side, and it wasn’t like he could see anything. In his time the baths were social, but separate. Greek and Roman Equestrian baths would be as big as pools. A hot one, a cold one, and a swimming one. All three were exclusive to gender, however. Setting his jaw and promising her Shining Immortal Majesty Celestia again to get with the times, he gave the bath an angry expression and clambered in. Sighing audibly, he sank in up to his neck to soak. This was not so bad. He stole a glance at Twilight while she scrubbed her mane, however, and quickly faced away. This was awkward, was what it was. Very awkward.

Twilight looked over at him, cocking her head. He must’ve felt pretty out of place, with all of these new cultural things going on for him. She took her shampoo bottle, floating it across the way to him. It poked him in the back, and he turned to see it. “Wash your mane with that, it’ll be fine.” She promised. He studied the bottle and, working with it for a bit, managed to flick it open. It smelled vaguely of mint leaves, but not too powerful. He’d been suspecting something flowery sweet, but neither time had it happened. Good. The mare smirked encouragingly at him as the stallion self-consciously turned about to wash himself while facing away from her. He was gruff and powerful, no doubt, but put him in a bath and he turned as shy as a teenaged, schoolyard colt. Heh!

End of Part 3
> Spartan Shield vs. Big Macintosh
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 4: Spartan Shield vs. Big Macintosh

Wave after wave of Lunar Stallions, curiously none of them pegasi, smashed against Spartan Stallion Shields. Again and again, they were impaled upon their spears. The sheer numbers meant nothing in such a narrows space, thanks to the narrow corridor that was Soresaddle canyon. It wasn’t as though Canterlot could be attacked from any other direction, after all. The place was surrounded by mountains, land-locked, and the port of Mareurotas was miles away. There was no siege on the capital of Equestria without braving Soresaddle canyon, and that meant getting past the Spartan Stallions. Not that anyone ever did. The phalanx was impenetrable by any normal means.

The lull in the attacks, however, did make for a twinge of nervousness. Spartan Shield leapt up upon a rock, spear and shield in hoof. A powerful breeze bannered his crimson cape-scarf as he squinted into the distance. He could see many, many more Lunar Stallions in the distance, just on the other side of the field. Why were they not attacking? “They are testing our mettle, sir!” one stallion turned to look up at him, as though to read his mind. “They know they cannot get past us!”

“Ha’ooh!” Spartan Shield thrust his spear skyward.

“HA’OOH!” The entire force echoed, belting cries of military pride. Soresaddle canyon megaphoned their raised voices, sending the shout towards the enemy like a roll of thunder. The result was an interesting frenzy of activity on the other end. Spartan Shield watched as the frenzy of wild beasts that opposed them made way for something else. He squinted, trying to see better, but the night and the fires nearby made it impossible. They were definitely Lunar Stallions, but— not. Smaller, fancier armor, silvery and bright in the moonlight.

“Whassat…?” a few of the Spartan Stallions murmured to each other. They could see what was coming, but could not make it out. There was a wide, singular line of ponies coming at them. Their hooves thundered across the field, but the number was embarrassingly small. Why, one line of stallions lengthwise could not be more than fifty ponies! What were they up to?

“Maintain position!” Spartan Shield roared, leaping down from his boulder to join them. “Close the phalanx!” In one sure motion, everypony present crouched and planted his hooves, raising his shield and setting his spear.

Suddenly, the oncoming rush of Lunar Stallions skidded to a halt, planted their hooves--- ignited their horns! “UNICORRRRNS!” One stallion shouted, just as the fireworks started. Concussive blasts of fire, arcs of electricity, and flying boulders of stone rushed over the Spartan Stallions like an apocalyptic hailstorm! Spartan saw more than a couple of his soldiers seize up and die, trying to deflect lightning with metal shields. 

Kneeling and spinning about to use his momentum, Spartan Shield threw his shield like a heavy discus, across the way and caving in the face of one Lunar Stallion. “TAKE IT TO E-----HM!” He roared like a brilliant bronze lion, rearing up and flailing his hooves like a war horse. The phalanx opened, and the golden wall of the solar guard rushed forward with a shout of viril fury! Spinning shields and spears filled the air as the Lunar unicorns blasted back and forth. Sparkles of frost grew over limbs, arcs of fire scorched hide, and raw electricity jumped from one stallion to the next. Magic. Such a powerful, unpredictable tool. Too bad they were just as mortal as their normal Lunar counterparts. For, when fifty soldiers clash with a little over three hundred, the results are always the same. Annihilation.

By the time silence had fallen over the battlefield once more, there were a little under three hundred Spartan Stallions remaining, and perhaps fifty dead Lunar unicorns. “Recover!” shouted one of the captains. “Shake it off!” They scrambled about, recovering their shields and spears from the dead bodies, shoving aside and stabbing those that weren’t quite dead yet. Spartan Shield’s chest heaved with adrenaline, and he glared across the way. Grinning wide, all of his military prowess standing aside for a bit, he nodded to one of his other captains. “Present—flanks!” he roared with laughter. Instantly every Spartan Stallion broke into laughter. Every single one turned his back on the battlefield, spread his back legs, lifted his tail, and shook his ass at the enemy across the way. The Lunar Stallions got an eyeful of Spartan Stallion ball sacks. The uproarious laughter in Soresaddle canyon carried for miles as they retreated back into the narrow corridor to prepare for the next wave. They would need to try harder than that!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1,002 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Spartan Shield walked idly in the marketplace, side-by-side with Twilight Sparkle. “Well at least the markets do not look very different.” He mumbled, looking around. Twilight had convinced him to leave his helm off so he didn’t look so intimidating. When he’d argued that he liked to look intimidating, she’d glared him into submission and reminded him that ‘her Shining Immortal Majesty’ had ordered him to study their culture. That meant blending in. Nopony except the solar guards on some of the corners wore helms over their faces, and they were the police force of Ponyville. He’d begrudgingly agreed, tying his helm to his side with leather string. It bounced against his flank a little, but his head and face were now in full few. Twilight would have to work on the armor and other bits later. The helm was a good start. “Maybe we can find some food?” he asked, looking over and down at her.

“I know just the pony to talk to.” Twilight said, smiling broadly. They walked quickly and with purpose, which Spartan Shield liked, across the market and to an apple stand. Behind it was a bored-looking, barrel-chested red stallion that was actually big enough to look at Spartan Shield eye to eye. “Big Macintosh, hey!”

Big Mac smiled mutely, bobbing his head before spotting Spartan Shield. Well then, wasn’t he a bigg’un? He blinked a few times, and the two stallions stared at each other for a long time. “Finally!” Spartan Shield roared, pushing back at his spear a little and leaning across the counter at him. “I thought perhaps this town was all mares. I had not seen a finer specimen since I emerged in Canterlot!” he thrust a powerful arm around Twilight Sparkle. “Clearly the agoge is still alive if this tiny town produces fine stallions like this one!” Big Mac didn’t know whether to be insulted for Ponyville, or flattered for himself. Maybe both? He felt himself getting poked in the chest by a hoof that matched the size of his own. “Finely-chested, muscled, and upright. Excellent posture!” Well, wasn’t he friendly? The draft horse continued to stare at him for awhile while he walked quick circles around him, carting Twilight along for the ride until she thrust away from him with a nervous giggle.

“W-well yes, h-he's very impressive." She smiled apologetically at the apple stallion. "This is Big Macintosh, like I said.” Twilight coughed a little, having stopped in front of the stand. “Big Mac, can we get some apples? I’m showing my friend around town.” She gestured.

“Eeyu-!”

“Sure thing, Twi-ligh’!” Applebloom POPPED out from behind the counter like a jack-in-the-box. Twilight startled a little, but then smiled. Of course she was there. It was the weekend, so no school. Big Mac would want to take her to market to continue teaching her about the apple family way of life. “How many you need?” she said, bringing up a small basket of red delicious, golden delicious, and a single zap-apple preserved in a sealed jar.

Spartan Shield finally stopped yammering about how impressive Big Macintosh was, and stopped to peer at the merchandise as well. “Twilight Sparkle.” He said, jabbing a hoof at the jar. “This apple is all colors. Why?”

“It’s a zap apple, mister!” Applebloom piped, smiling and pushing the jar his way. “This one is preserved in the jar, air tight! It’s even got a spell on it so it don’t rot like normal! Just as good as the day it was picked.”

“Hush child, the adults are talking.” He shoved her rather rudely off the counter and back behind the stand. She yelped, hitting the ground with a bump. A deep and gurgling growl emerged from Big Macintosh’s chest and he scowled angrily.

“Hey now!” Twilight said, frowning at him. “Don’t push foals around!”

“How will she grow strong if not treated roughly?” he said dismissively, leaning over the golden delicious basket. “She is a filly, not headed for an agoge. She must be taught to deal with those more powerful than her somehow!” There was that word again. Agoge. Twilight didn’t know what it meant. It seemed that his archaic vocabulary was intruding on their lives again. Probably another long-forgotten concept that had no place in modern Equestria.

“Y’didn’t hafta shove me like that!” Applebloom said, hopping bravely up onto the stand to glare at the mean stallion directly. He eyed her with a scowl, leaning closer until their muzzles almost touched. “Dun make me sic mah big brother on you!” she danced about on her four hooves like she was getting ready for a boxing match.

“You’ve a lot of bravery, foal,” his massive hoof came up and SHOVED her again off of the stand. She cart-wheeled backward with a cry, off the stand, hitting the ground again. “And a lot of mouth.” He leaned forward to see if she would get up just as quickly as last time. Sure enough, she sprang back up on her hooves like she was made of rubber. He grinned despite himself. A healthy foal in this modern era. A good sign compared to all the laziness and oddities he’d seen in Canter—

SUCKERHOOF’D!

Spartan Shield roared as he fell back over himself and hit the ground squarely on his back, holding his face. Twilight Sparkle yelped, jittering aside. Recovering quickly, he looked up to see the massive red stallion emerging from behind his apple stand, glaring up a storm. Hot air snorted out of his muzzle and he started forward with angry purpose. Rising to the rather blatant challenge, the war pony charged at him with a shout!

“Wait! No!” Twilight shrieked as they met with an audible thud of muscle on muscle. Both stallions reared up, flailing their hooves wildly. Ponies stopped to stare, making a big circle to see the spectacle. Tumbling, wrestling, biting, roaring, they disappeared into a cloud of violence that swept across the market place! Ponies shrieked and galloped out of the way, not wanting to be caught up in the violence. “Give it to ‘em! Give it to ‘em! Give it to ‘em, Big Mac!” Applebloom shouted, bouncing like a yapping Chihuahua on the apple stand. “Show ‘im what fer!” Twilight snatched the filly up, backing off a bit to make way for the shitstorm.

Carrot Top let out a cry when her carrot stand was crushed in the flurry of violence as Big Mac was pitched over it. His sheer weight smashed the stand like cardboard, and the ripple of muscle as he got up again sent shards of wood in all directions. “My carrots!”

Spartan Shield crashed hard into an egg stand, rushing to his hooves with two yolks over his eyes. He shook them out just in time to get rammed in the chest by the crown of Big Mac’s head, and grunted in the recoil. Grabbing the crimson stallion by the shoulders he hauled him down with him, and they knocked over a streetlight in the process. It fell with an explosion of glass, sending panicking ponies every which way as the titans clashed. So focused on each other, they didn’t hear the gold-armored police force rushing to stop them.

Splat-SPLAT!

Big Macintosh stopped his power struggle of locked hooves with Spartan Shield, looking over his shoulder at his flank. There was a pie on his cutie mark, the underside of the tin marked with a solar guard’s insignia. Spartan Shield looked at his ribs, where he too had been hit with a confection. What silliness was th… wait… he felt… funny… w’uhhh…  Big Mac felt the weaponized sugar take hold, and his eyes began to roll into his head. The crimson stallion fell across the chest of the Spartan one, who wiggled weakly before going still himself. The titanic draft horses fell into sugar comas with a simultaneous pair of moans, knocked out.

“Yeah, you boys just take a nice long nap now. Gooo-d.” said the leader of the gathering of five solar guards.  “I think you’ve done enough for the day.” He turned his head a little. “Don’t worry citizens, it’s over. Return to your business.” He said reassuringly. He ordered his comrades to arrest the pair of them and take them to jail.

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

Spartan Shield moaned, rubbing his eyes. The world swam. Where was he? He saw lines… neigh, bars. He was in a jail cell. He flopped over, upright, then instantly regretted it and fell on his side. “Oh good, you’re awake. It’s almost dark, I was about to leave.” Twilight Sparkle was sitting outside the jail cell with a book in front of her. He looked around, then found his shield and spear gone. “Of course they took your weapons. You’re in jail.” She reminded him, gesturing around. “Brawling in the street tends to do that.” She scolded. “I even had to take Applebloom home and explain why her brother was in jail for brawling, today.”

“Er…” he said, turning his ears back. Well, when she put it that way… but, his Spartan pride was on the line, it wasn’t as though he was going to let that fruit vendor just wail on him, right? He tried to justify it in his mind, but in the end he knew Twilight Sparkle correct. It really was just brawling in the street. How dishonorable… he looked to his right and saw the scowling form of Big Macintosh, lying on his belly in his own separate cell.

“Listen, now that I know you’re both okay I’m going home for the night. It’s your own fault, but it looks like you’re both spending the night here.” Twilight told them, marking her place in her book and stuffing it in her saddle. “Think about what you did, huh? Fighting like a pair of schoolyard colts!” her words wounded them more than the tranquilizer pies had, and the stallions looked at each other. The purple mare stormed out, making sure to slam the door nice and hard. They heard the iron key turn, and they were plunged into silence.

There was a long, hour-long silence between the two. They were the only ones in the cell block, and they had a perfect view of each other. No privacy. The only sound was of one or the other of them chewing on the hay that doubled as bedding for them. Spartan Shield felt the bruises he’d received from his fellow in the other cell, and could see more than a couple of dark marks under his crimson fur as well.

A wry smile began to go across Spartan Shield’s muzzle. “Huh. Huh-huh.” He began to chuckle a little, and Big Macintosh looked over at him. “Hahaha!” he threw his head back suddenly, going to the bars and pressing his face at Big Mac. “We must’ve smashed half a dozen food stands!” The red draft horse looked at him like he’d gone mad. “You’re very strong, Big Macintosh! I like that! Thy muscle is reassuring after all the strangeness that I’ve seen thus far! There are still powerful stallions in Equestria! We shalt wrestle again soon, I hope!” 

Big Mac blinked at him mutely. Well, it HAD been a long time since he’d had a good scuffle with anypony. His sheer size kept most from wanting to fight with him, and the muscle of the other grown members of his family tended to aid him like an additional blanket. But he, the biggest stallion of Ponyville, now seemed to have someone roughly his size! Not only that, but they’d both gotten a serious workout beating the buh-jeezus out of each other. There was a sort of twisted male bonding to be had in a hoof-fight… er… brawl… er… whatever Twilight wanted to call it. It had been forever since his hooves had struck anything but rocks out in the fields. A small, rather wry smile rose on Big Mac’s face. With all the anger out of his system, and Applebloom’s honor defended, there wasn’t much bad blood between them no more, right? His chest began to work itself in a quiet, deep chuckling sound.

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

That night Twilight bent over a thick book titled The Wonders of Ancient Equestria. She’d been doing research on Spartan Stallions all day, ever since the brawl between he and Big Mac. What was that word he’d used again… ah! Agoge! She’d found it. Licking her lips and furrowing her brow, she read aloud. “Agoge… a word that means 'abduction', 'seizure', 'training'... and 'guiding'. In the Spartan Stallion way of upbringing, it implies the snatching of a seven year-old colt. Dear Celestia!” Twilight gasped, her hoof rushing to her mouth. Quickly, she leaned and read on, “The snatching of a seven year-old colt, and throwing him with a group of others his age into the wilderness to fend for themselves until age fifteen. Upon his return, if he should survive, the agoge would continue with military training and education until age twenty-one… at which point the Spartan would be considered a full citizen of the nation and a grown stallion. This gave them the right to vote, own land, and perform any other actions that required Equestrian citizenship.” She slumped back in her chair, completely stunned. “What did I just read?!” she clutched at her head a little. “Who could raise a colt that way?! It would turn him into a monster!” Or a self-sufficient, handsome and powerful warrior, said a little voice in her head. She slammed the book closed, casting the thought quickly from her head and trying to ignore the heat in her face.

End of Part 4

> At the Treehouse
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 5: At the Tree House

They called him Cinderblock the Immovable. He was an earth pony, and a Lunar Stallion. He wore thick moonsteel armor about himself and his skin was hard like stone. Ponies often said it was impossible to injure him, and that drinking his blood could make a stallion out of even the most pathetic foal. Too bad he never bled. When Celestia herself goes to bed, they say, she checks under her bed for Cinderblock the Immovable. When he did push-ups at military training, they say, he didn’t push himself up—he pushed Equestria down. When he walked, the earth shook and his armor shuddered at his majesty.

Cinderblock was one of the only Lunar Stallions to retain his mind after being flesh-shaped into a monster by Nightmare Moon. His will was like steel, and not even her Majesty’s twisting magic could conquer him. It did however give him sharper teeth and even bigger muscles. When referring to him in military documents, he was only ever called ‘Titan,’ for there were none bigger than he and all stallions had to crane their necks to look up at him. They treated him like a secret weapon, and rumor had it he was the only pony whose stature might match Nightmare Moon’s in the bedroom. Though, that was surely just rumor.

When Cinderblock emerged onto the battlefield with his fellows, it drew up the eyebrows of the Spartan Stallions. They’d never seen anything like him. Spartan Shield stood high on his lookout boulder, squinting through the slits in his helm. With spear in one hoof and shield in the other, he observed the oncoming wave and the titan that followed with them. Snorting hot air, he ordered the phalanx wall closed. Many shields, side by side, made themselves into a long barrier. Then, he leapt over the front line and stood out in the open! “Spartan Shield! Get back into the phalanx! You are exposed!” his captain shouted, lifting his head over the shield wall. “What are you doing?!”

Spartan Shield dropped his round shield to one side, cocking his spear-arm back. He waited. The thundering of hooves drew ever-closer. He would only get one shot. The titanic earth pony drew ever-closer, easily two heads taller than his fellows. The armor would make it even harder to hit him. He could see the crazed battle lust in his enemy’s eyes. The lesser Lunar Stallions saw Spartan Shield, closing ranks together as they ran. They intended to trample the solar stallion leader where he stood, then mow down his allies. Spartan Shield waited, stoic. Not until he could see the whites… of… his…

He threw his spear. It spun in the air like the perfect projectile it had always been. Cinderblock saw it coming and, in midstride, turned to deflect it with the side of his face! No way was something as large as a spear getting through the eye holes of his helm. Spartan Shield smiled murderously and leapt upon the massive stallion. He pulled him into a headlock mid-leap, held his muzzle, and his sheer weight SNAPPED the monsters neck like a great branch! He didn’t even cry out, only grunted and fell forward onto his chest. The monster went skidding along the ground like a sled made of flesh and muscle. Spartan Shield rode on his wide back, pressing him down into the dirt as they went to make sure he was dead.

The Lunar Stallion soldiers were so distracted by this impossibility, so thoroughly terrified that they ran straight into the phalanx with their heads turned, straight into Spartan Stallion spears. Another failed wave of assault. While the silence fell and the dust began to settle, Spartan Shield’s fellows looked upon their glorious leader as he pressed a hoof firmly upon the head of the titan he’d just slain. “Nightmare Moon sends us monsters!” he shouted, grinning like only a victorious warrior can. “Clumsy things!” there was a congratulatory stomping of hooves and banging against shields. Impressive! He hopped gracefully down and went to reclaim his spear and shield. He sighed in mild disappointment, for he’d broken the spearhead on Cinderblock’s the Immovable’s faceplate. When he looked over at his comrades, showing them the broken spear point, there was instant wild cackling that rushed through the ranks. He joined them, throwing his head back uproariously. 

“He broke it on his FACE! Ahhh-hahaha!”

“Sweet Celestia! Somepony do a painting of this!”

“My sides! Ohh, my sides! I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!”

Soresaddle Canyon echoed their laughter so well that even Celestia could hear it while she fought he sister in the sky. It gave her hope, and drew Nightmare Moon’s eye. It gave the sun princess a free buck to her little sister’s face, sending her careening across the sky with an angry roar.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1,002 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Twilight Sparkle moaned softly as Spike shook her away gently. There were books strewn all around her covering the subject of Greek and Roman culture. “You fell asleep studying again, Twilight.” He said with concern. “How was your trip to Canterlot? Did you like the exhibit?” he waved some strong tea under her muzzle to help revive her.

“It was more than I imagined, Spike.” She croaked in her just waking voice. He smiled at her patiently while she took a deep drink of her tea. “Hhh, that’s good.” She murmured, standing with a rather painful crackle of bones. “I need to stop sleeping on my desk.” She mumbled, tilting her head until her neck crackled too. Spike winced. “We have a guest coming, today.” She said to her assistant.

“A guest? Who?” Spike said. “Do I need to lay out the guest bed?” The baby dragon cocked his head, ever-eager to help.

“Well, he’s a… he’s a…” Twilight tried to think of a gentle way to put it, but she just couldn’t. It was too early in the morning for subtlety. “He’s a one thousand year old war leader from the Nightmare Moon era, brought back to life from stone by a restoration spell. He got into a fight with Big Macintosh and he spent the night in jail last night, but I intend to keep him here for everypony’s safety until he adjusts to modern life.”

Spike stared at her for a long time while she sorely sipped at her tea. He frowned, trying to take all that in. “So you… brought home a statue? From the Canterlot exhibit?” he said slowly.

“He was a statue, I brought him back to life.”

“So you made a golem, then? A stone pony?” Spike asked, furrowing his brow.

“No no, he was turned to stone a thousand years ago. I revived him on accident.” Twilight said.

“How did you know he wasn’t just a statue?”

“I broke his hoof off.” said Twilight a little guiltily. When she saw Spike’s look, she quickly added, “When he was a statue, that is! Not when he was alive! When I went to fix him while nopony was looking, the restoration spell must’ve taken off the turn-to-stone spell by accident.” She tried to explain as best she could.

“Huh. Yeah.” Spike clearly did not believe that his mistress had brought a one thousand year old warrior home from an Ancient Equestrian museum exhibit. Much less that he was here in Ponyville, had fought with Big Macintosh and lived to tell the tale. The stallion was huge! Nopony could take him on!

“Just prepare the guest bed.” Twilight huffed. “I need to go fetch him from jail, before they let him out and he wanders away on his own. No good would come of it, let me tell you.” The purple mare shuddered at the idea of what would happen if the Spartan Stallion were given the chance to wander around town on his own. Violence and trouble seemed to follow him everywhere he went anyway. 

Twilight finished her tea and the hay toast Spike had set out for her while he crunched on a few gems nearby. The purple dragon noticed the theme of the books around her with a ‘hmm’, not daring to go near them while he was eating. Twilight would have kittens if he got gem dust or slobber on her precious books. After he was done he went to go do as he was asked. If he wanted his allowance this week he couldn’t afford to laze around the library and do nothing.

Twilight got her saddlebags from their hook on the wall, throwing them on and stepping outside onto her stoop. Turning about, she inhaled the crisp morning air. Lifting her hoof, she stopped. Big Macintosh and Spartan Shield stood before her. “Oh there you are!” She smiled. “I was just about to come get you!” she giggled a little. “Thanks for bringing him to me, Big Macintosh.”

“Eeyup!” The red stallion beamed. Twilight looked back and forth between them. Well, they certainly seemed friendlier than they’d been yesterday. Perhaps sitting in a pair of cages had given them plenty of time to talk?
“We shalt brawl again together soon, Big Macintosh.” Spartan Shield shattered Twilight’s peaceful thoughts with a single sentence. She stared at him in open-mouthed horror. “Eh, perhaps in a more open space next time.” He amended, seeing Twilight’s look.

“Eeyup.” said Big Mac, chuckling and waving farewell before he turned to leave.

“So you beat the stuffing out of each other and now you’re friends?” said Twilight incredulously. He nodded, as though it were not a big deal. “Ugh, stallions…” she rubbed her forehead for a few moments. “Er… anyway, this is my home. The Ponyville library.” She smiled.

“You live in a tree?” Spartan Shield asked, cocking his head back and coming closer. Standing on the stoop with her, he pawed at the bark a little as though to see if it were real or not. “Interesting. Dost it grow extra rooms as time goes on?”
Twilight giggled a little at the idea. “It grows like a normal tree. But that would be interesting if it did!” she marveled at the thought of another room just appearing in her home one day because the tree willed it so. Wouldn’t that be grand?
Suddenly the door slammed open, pan-caking Spartan Shield’s face and pushing him back against the tree itself! He grunted aloud, flailing a little. “TWILIII… oh you haven’t left yet.” Spike smiled, stopping mid-yell. “You forgot your bits purse! Here you go!” he stuffed it in her saddlebags before going back inside and shutting the door. Twilight winced as the Spartan Stallion shook his head to recover himself. WHAP, the door came open a second time, slamming him into the tree again. “Oh hey, you said our guest was going to be a stallion, do I need to break out the manila comforters? Some guys don’t like sleeping under flower designs, y’know.” He raised a very good point.

“Er, yes, that’s fine, but--!” Twilight watched her ever-eager assistant shut the door again and vanish into the library to do her bidding. She looked down at the swirly-eyed Spartan, who held his face for a few seconds before recovering himself. “Are you oka-!” 

WHA-PAMPH! The door jumped open again, knocking the Spartan Stallion over onto his back. “Oh hey Twilight, do we need--!”

“I will END you, purple hellspawn!” Spartan Shield , bleeding from the nose, thrust himself around the door and grabbed the baby dragon by the neck with both hooves. Lifting him bodily he began to violently wring his neck! Spike gagged and flailed about, his face turning a deeper shade of purple.

“Stop! Stop it!” Twilight rammed herself into him, igniting her horn and tazing him with a jolt of magical energy. Spartan Shield’s joints locked up and he fell, smoking. Spike splayed out on the ground, gasping for air. There was a long, gasping fit of heaving lungs for both of them. Twilight stood over them, looking back and forth as they took the time to calm down. “Er, Spike? This is Spartan Shield. He’s going to be staying with us.” The baby dragon looked over at the panting, smoking stallion rather fearfully. He glared back, pointing at him with a threatening hoof. “Spartan Shield, this is Spike. He’s my assistant. He helps me run the library.”

Spartan Shield heaved himself upright, trying to retain some shred of his dignity after being bested by a door. “Oh, your servant then. I understand. Being her Shining Immortal Majesty’s protégé makes you a scholar. Of course.” He peered into the library from the doorway. “And you’ve been given a servant to help you. Reasonable.” He poked his head in, looking around.

“He’s my assistant.” Twilight insisted before Spike opened his mouth to yell. “He lives here with me and he gets paid for all his work. He’s my friend, like a little brother to me.”

“…Oh.” It was plain that Spartan Shield didn’t understand, but was trying to. Twilight knew the situation was rather unique, keeping a baby dragon in her home. Well, at least he wasn’t trying to choke the poor thing anymore. She noticed, however, that the stallion was leaning on the threshold but not going inside. “Where is your household matron?” he asked, peering about.

“My what?” Twilight frowned, peering in like she might see it somewhere.

“Your household matron. The mare in charge of the house.” He gestured vaguely. “Surely that is not you. We established your virginity when we first met. You have no foals and no husband.” Twilight flushed hot and noticed Spike looking up at her curiously.

“Twilight, what’s virginity?”

“Nothing-you-need-to-worry-about-now-go-fix-the-guest-bed!” Twilight said the sentence rapid-fire, rather rudely SHOVING Spike inside and towards the stairs. “Go on now!” she coaxed, sending him scampering a little more harshly than she meant. When they were alone, she rounded on him just a little bit angrily. “Listen now. I live alone here. Mares are allowed to live alone and be in charge of their own lives in this era.” She eyed him, but he was listening carefully. “I’ve been reading up on the way that Spartan Stallions and their wives lived.” She invited him into the library with a sweeping gesture of her hoof. “They were in charge of the household and decided who came in and who didn’t.” the purple mare said. “I don’t have a husband or foals or anything, but you could say I’m in charge of this place. Okay?”

“Okay…” Spartan Shield said mildly, looking around. “Suppose somepony wants to marry you, though? Who would repel unwanted suitors?” he frowned around the room until he saw the desk covered with books. Feeling safe now that he'd been invited in, he entered. Going over to it and leaning with interest, he saw what she’d been studying. Greek and Roman Era Equestria, the articles said. She’d been researching his time.

“Well, me I guess.” Twilight blushed and ignited her horn, quickly shutting all the books he was leaning over. “Things aren’t nearly so gender-oriented anymore.” She spent a long time trying to describe gender equality to the ancient era stallion, who sat staring at her in open shock. He’d come from a culture in which the women were revered, it was true. They had the right to vote, own land, and were counted as full citizens for many purpose. Hay, they were even considered better at handling money and businesses (thusly were elder mares also the heads of their households). But complete gender equality? That was just silly.

“So you tell me if a mare wants to be a soldier, she can? And if a stallion wishes to prance about and arrange flowers all day for a living, he may?” Spartan Shield said after a long time, staring at her in disbelief.

“Pretty much.” Said Twilight. 

He started furiously pacing. Oh this was wrong. This was so very, very wrong. This would not do at all. This was not how society was supposed to be. The stallions had their place, and the mares had their place too. It had been fine the way it was! It wasn’t as though anypony was looked down upon! Unless they were servants of course. Or didn’t own land. Or weren’t full citizens. There was a right of passage to be had! You had to earn it! That was fine the way it was! 

Twilight watched him huff and mutter and growl to himself as he went back and forth. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Do you need to sit down?”

“I need to… I need to…” he just didn’t know what to make of this madness. He felt the furious male urge to smash something. Anything at all to assure himself of his virility, that hope was not lost for his gender. He glanced out the window and saw a woodpile and stump. “I need to chop wood!” He decided loudly, not letting there be any more conversation after that. 

Twilight went to the window, peering out at him. It was late June, it wasn’t like she needed wood for anything… but she saw the sand-colored stallion rush out and grab the axe from its resting place. Working the clasps of his breastplate he thrust it aside to expose his positively glorious chest and torso. Twilight’s mouth made a little o-shape, and her tail tucked. Getting the first piece of wood, he set it on the stump and took the axe in his hooves. Coiling his muscles he swung. Spck-clatter. The twin pieces fell to either side. He took the bigger one and set it up again. Spck-clatter. He made smaller pieces, ones that would easily fit in any wood stove or fireplace. She watched him through the window, rather mesmerized.

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

Rainbow Dash zipped along the sky, carting a storm cloud with her. Being on the weather team was a tough job, but somepony had to do it. Tonight was supposed to be heavy rain with some hard winds, and that meant plenty of clouds to cover Ponyville. She was running a little behind schedule, but hey, she’d needed that nap earlier today. It was no good heading to work without being at the top of her game!

Leaving a little rainbow streak behind herself, she went over the locations she was supposed to cover with clouds. Town Hall, check. Couches and Quills, check. The library… not check! The checkerboard fashion of the storm’s creation was supposed to emulate a natural storm, but there were certain places that always needed rain. The magical tree-house was one of them. If it died, Twilight’s home would come apart. Nodding dutifully, she steered her cloud that way. The library swam into view and she stopped above it, searching for the perfect spot to leave it for the night’s storm. The cyan Pegasus frowned, however, at the noise that was going on below. She peered down, and saw a massive muscled stallion furiously chopping wood in Twilight Sparkle’s side yard. She arched her eyebrow, leaving the cloud to drift.

Landing shortly, she almost ran right into Applejack. “Hey Applejack, whossat?” Rainbow Dash gestured.

“Ah can’t rightly say, Rainbow.” Applejack said. “But unless ah miss mah guess, that’s the reason Big Mac was in jail last night for brawlin’.”

“Brawling?” Rainbow gasped, turning and looking at Spartan Shield again. “Wow. Didn’t think anypony was tough enough to really fight with Big Macintosh.” She peered at him, but soon found her statement false. He did look pretty big. And the coiling, shining working of his shoulder muscles and back was pretty cool to watch. And the beads of stallion sweat going down his flanks and cutie mark too. And the… Pommph, Rainbow’s wings sprang open into a glorious display of carnal feminine interest. “S-so…” Rainbow Dash looked over at Applejack, gulping a little. “How long have you been here?”

“Ah don’t rightly know.” Mumbled Applejack, staring at the stallion meat in front of them working. “But I uh… uh… can’t bring mahself to halt a hard-workin’ pony in the middle of his work. S’rude, y’know?” she didn’t take her eyes off of Spartan Shield while he was chopping wood.

“Yeah. Yeah you’re right.” Rainbow Dash said mildly, eyeballing his backside. She could watch that backside all day. Her wings ached.

Suddenly Spartan Shield looked over his shoulder, “Huhm?” he hefted the axe down. “What?” he asked them both a little aggressively. They leaned back a bit. 

Twilight Sparkle suddenly appeared, coming quickly outside. “Hey girls!” she said animatedly. “Glad you dropped by! This is Spartan Shield!” she introduced him quickly. “He’ll be staying with me for awhile. Say hello?” she coached him.

“Hello.” He set his axe on his broad shoulder, eyeing the farming mare and Pegasus weather pony. “Good to meet you.” He said very carefully. Twilight could tell he was trying, for his face was set in an odd jaw-clenching sort of way.

“Is he your new coltfriend?” Rainbow Dash blurted before Applejack could stop her. The farming pony face-hoofed.

“N-no!” Twilight said quickly, blushing. “H-he’s just staying with me.” She gulped a little, looking back and forth as both mares inspected him. He stared back with his usual hawkish, frowning stare.

“Well boy howdy, welcome to Ponyville then, Spartan Shield!” Applejack stepped up to end the awkwardness quickly, seizing his hoof and shaking it firmly. “Names Applejack! I’m Big Macintosh’s big sister, from Sweet Apple Acres!” she smiled broadly, letting go of him and watching his hoof continue to flail up and down. She loved doing that.

“I am Spartan Shield.” He threw out his chest impressively. All eyes flicked to that gorgeous barrel chest, just for a few moments. “Leader of her Shining Immortal Majesty’s Spartan Stallions.” They all stared at him a little blankly.

“Beg’r’pardon?” Applejack tilted her head a little to end the awkward silence.

“It’s a long story.” Twilight said painfully, smiling in an apologetic way.

“Name’s Rainbow Dash!” she took his hoof also, pumping it up and down. “Ponyville’s coolest, most athletic pony! Winner of the young flyer’s competition, and the iron pony race!” she puffed herself up before him with all her greatest titles and accomplishments.

Spartan Shield looked over at Twilight Sparkle for answers. “It’s like a… small Olympics.” She tried to explain.

“In my era only stallions could participate in the Olympics.” He said with a mild frown, eyeing Rainbow Dash up and down. “You must be formidable indeed to beat out so many other athletes.” There was a flicker of respect in his eyes, though it didn’t stay long.

“Why, thank you!” Rainbow Dash planted her butt and shined her hoof on her chest for a moment. “I am pretty awesome, you know.”

“What’s he mean, his era, Twiligh’?” Applejack asked.

A long line of ducks suddenly walked across Spartan Shield’s front hooves, making him look down. A momma duck, a daddy duck, and a long line of baby ducks. Behind them strode a butter-colored Pegasus. She had her head down, nosing the one at the end of the line along. “Go on now, you can do it.” She murmured soothingly.

“Celestia’s teats, a druid!” Spartan Shield pointed to the line of ducks, then to her, obviously impressed. “Hail oracle!” he strode enthusiastically away from Rainbow Dash (who looked completely crestfallen) and over to Fluttershy. “What news from the future have you divined that brings you into town from the wood?” He leaned at her with interest. “Harvest? A coming plague? An eclipse?” he seemed genuinely excited for whatever the duck herder had to say.

Fluttershy startled back and the gaggle of ducks went every which way, quacking wildly. “Oh-h-h my!” she looked up at Spartan Shield with tiny pupils. What an imposing stallion, he was huge! “H-hello there.” Twilight quickly stepped forward to do the introductions.

“Spartan Shield, this is Fluttershy.” Twilight said. “She’s our local animal enthusiast. Sort of like a vet.” 
Fluttershy let out a little squeak of confirmation. “Oh-hh, come back little ducks!” she called meekly. “We still have to make it to the pond together…” her voice was whispery and shy, but the animals responded.

“You mean she cannot divine the future?” Spartan Shield asked, looking disappointed. He wilted a little, but nodded none the less. “Well, the animals listen to her words.” He gestured as the ducks milled about, but began moving in Fluttershy’s general direction for protection. He watched the gaggle gather under her undercarriage like a group of foals. He looked over at Twilight Sparkle, “You have strange and powerful friends, mage.” He chuckled in delight at the quacking ducks. Fluttershy went scarlet at being called ‘powerful’. Applejack snickered at her expression. Maybe this Spartan Shield guy wasn’t so bad after all.

End of Part 5

> Pinkie Pie's Symposium
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 6: Pinkie Pie’s Symposium

“Still with us, Captain Slate?” Spartan Shield leaned in front of the resting stallion. The lull in the waves of attacks gave a brief time for rest and recovery. The Spartan Stallions were winded after so many successive waves of foes. Perhaps fifty of their number had died thus far, all of them glorious bloody deaths. 

Captain Slate looked up at his leader with a pained grin. The left side of his face was painted red with his own blood, pouring neatly out of the eye that was no longer there. The cauterizing had taken six Spartan Stallions to hold him down, but he was still alive and that’s what counted. His fellow was tying a strip of dirty cloth around his head when he spoke. “Never fear, Spartan Shield, it’s just an eye. Luckily, Faust saw fit to bless me with two.” He chuckled a little blackly. Spartan Shield reached out and took a smear of his blood, pressing it across his cheeks in two fine lines. Sharing blood like that was an affectionate gesture, and he thumped the injured stallion’s back a few times.

The sand-colored stallion walked slowly amongst his troops, watching them scarf food, show off wounds and bruises, and trim their spearheads. The morale was okay for the moment, but their numbers were being wittled down. He knew not how many more Lunar Stallions would come, but with perhaps two hundred and fifty Spartan ones remaining, they would hold the line as long as they could. He case his eyes skyward, unable to grasp how the alicorns could still fight so hard for so long. They’d not let up in over four hours, and were still going strong. So this was what it was like to be on the battlefield of the gods. He smiled despite himself, his great chest inflating with pride.

Celestia banked on the wing as a cascade of stars streaked past her, leaving dome-shaped explosions on the fields of Equestria herself. Gathering magic to her cause, she laced the sky with a beam of pure solar magic. Nightmare Moon conjured a sphere of protection about herself, turning and deflecting it skyward with a shout. Such enormous magicks, no pony on the ground could comprehend their efforts! Spartan Shield watched the royal sisters spiral, duck and dodge through the sky. They were beautiful, both of them. When Nightmare Moon was slain, he knew, it would be the most beautiful death imaginable. He grinned wryly, hoping it was something interesting like her jaw getting ripped off, or her crashing into the earth because of a wing injury. Or maybe Celestia would be more direct and impale her sister on her horn. That would be a sight! He could only imagine the curative properties of freshly spilled alicorn blood, hmm!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1,002 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

“Y… you do?” Twilight Sparkle was flushed and surprised. She turned her ears turn in embarrassment, lifting a hoof and leaning back. Her eyes darted around. “W-with me?” she said softly. “Really?” she looked up at Spartan Shield, who nodded firmly.

“It is the only way we shall learn about each other.” Spartan set his shield, helm, and spear down to one side. Darkness had fallen over the land, and ponies were going home for the evening. That left Spartan, Twilight, and Spike in the library. Spike had long gone to bed, and the fidgeting Spartan Shield had long tired of chopping wood and needed something else to do. That had led him back to Twilight, of course.

The purple mare looked one way, then the other, then back at him with a rather coy expression. “I mean, I’ve never had any… company, like that.” She said cautiously, her cheeks rosing. He stepped up close to her, looking her in the eye with a stern gaze. She jittered back a little, laughing nervously. “Alright, alright!” she said quickly before he started to make a fuss. He smiled genuinely as she turned herself about and bent forward some—getting a series of books of the shelf. By magic, she floated them to a wide table, where they sat side by side. “I’ve just never had a study buddy before, I’m sure it’ll work out.” She smiled, pressing paper and quill his way.

“Running into everything that is new is not very efficient.” Spartan Shield scowled. “A learned military stallion like myself must study the enem—er, study the modern era if I am to do well and adjust.”

“You’re gonna use allll these books?” Twilight said with big soft eyes, showing him the stack. “This is thirty years of general Equestrian history and modern technology!”

“I am almost thirty years old… er, physically anyway.” He amended after a moment of thought. “If I learn things that have happened within the last thirty years, I may slip into the proper time frame and adapt.” With a firm hoof, he turned and flipped open the first book with a snap of the hardbound cover. Twilight flinched. He was so rough with them! Leaning, the Spartan frowned over the opening pages of the text. It spoke of modern economics. He leaned, taking out his coin purse and comparing his own money to the money in the picture. “Hrm.” He said with interest, making notes and already drawing a set of pictures for himself.

Twilight caught herself staring at the studying stallion, and then jerked as though somepony had pulled her tail. Gulping, she moved over to her fancy mathematics book. Applejack claimed it always ‘muddled the issue’, so the unicorn wanted to see what that was all about. Of course, it had taken her awhile to find a book with the title ‘Fancy Mathematics’, but it seemed legitimate. Licking her lips a little and levitating a quill with ink well over to herself, she scribbled now and then. 
Z1=Z^2+C, and Z2=Z1^2+C… and Z3=Z2^2+C. That meant, of course, that Z4=Z3^2+C. If the series of Z’s always stayed constant, they would always stay close to Z and never trend away from Z, then the point would be in the Maredlebrot Set, and the stream would remain constant too. Twilight Sparkle furrowed her brow, leaning over her numbers… before her eyes slid over to look at him after a time. She saw he was learning about replaceable parts, simple machinery and the industrial era. Steam power seemed to interest him as well. His mouth moved quietly over the words, never speaking them, but she could hear the quiet whisp of his breath.

She gulped a little, looking back to her fancy mathematics. If Maredlebrot was making a set of numbers that would stay close to Z and never trend away, clearly the purpose was for a two-dimensional fractal meant to be portrayed on a simple length-and-width style chart that was… was… she glanced over at Spartan Shield again, who by then was staring at a detailed drawing of a steam boat and marveling over the turning paddle mechanisms. He pressed his muzzle into the book, turning the page roughly with a little snort. Myeep! Twilight jerked her face back into her own book, trying to focus. Two hours passed in silence. She managed to get through a set of ten problems on a grid board, feeling rather proud of herself. She turned the pages of her notebook, one after the other, admiring the shifting of the Maredlebrot fractal and its morphing shape. Soon, she saw the amazing correspondence between the set and bifurcation diagram of the logistics map she’d done some nights ago. She arched her brow at it, slowly smiling. Fwip. The rough page turning stole her eye over to the warrior stallion next to her. Eyes racing back and forth nervously, she sidled just a little bit closer to him while he scribbled. She flicked her eyes over his notes.

Steam power. Pressurized superheated water to move metal parts to produce propulsion. Pressurized salt acid booby trap in tombs of Egypt comparable. Possibility of constant effect pondered and achieved, unknown source.
He found steam boats interesting, then? Well, out of thirty years of history and a thousand years of improved technology… at least he hadn’t gone to military technology or weapon-smithing or some such thing. Perhaps he was more than just a big mouth and a long spear, then! She found herself smiling, and then jolted when he saw her looking at him. “Er.” She said, her cheeks heating up.

“What have you got there, Twilight?” he asked, reaching for her. She made to jitter back from his rough touch, blushing, but he’d already grasped something in her mane and pulled it out. She yelped a little, afraid that he’d ripped out a portion of her beautiful hair. He instead produced a bubblegum pink envelope and turned it over. “What is Sugar Cube Corner?” he frowned at the heading in the top left corner.

“Pinkie Pie.” Twilight Sparkle gasped, snatching the letter and ripping it open. She completely overlooked the fact that there was mail arriving in her mane. It was Pinkie Pie, after all, why bother trying to figure it out?



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
You are hereby invited to a Symposium
Host: Sugar Cube Corner Bakery and Sweet Shoppe
Guest of Honor: Spartan Shield, new town resident
When: Tomorrow afternoon, running through dusk.
Entertainment, games and music will be provided, bring a partner.
*BYOBS!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



*Bring your own bedsheets, silly!

It was made in short, blocky letters on light grey paper. Spartan Shield leaned, mooshed up against Twilight’s shoulder, so he could read too. “A symposium? For me?” he said, looking a little flattered.

“What’s that?” Twilight was afraid to ask, knowing Pinkie Pie was involved.

“A drinking party.” The warrior said, inflating his chest impressively. “Music, games of chance, and stories to be told.” He explained briefly. Ahh, a party, of course. Of course Pinkie Pie would learn about the new pony in town and lure him out with something only he would find so specifically appealing. Twilight marveled at the rather mute invitation card. Usually her invitations were covered with glitter and shine and stickers and hearts and love and… stuff. This one looked almost like a folded business card. The purple mare had the sneaking suspicion that Pinkie Pie was catering to her guest of honor’s tastes.

“Hrhm. ‘Pinkie Pie’ was the demon harlequin that attacked me when we arrived.” Spartan Shield said thoughtfully.

“For the last time, she’s not a demon! She’s just… Pinkie Pie.” Twilight said a little helplessly. “She just takes some getting used to, is all. Kind’a like you.” She smiled wryly.

“Like me?” he cocked his head, and instantly Twilight regretted her words. “Am I unpleasant to you, mage?” he leaned forward a little aggressively. “Pardon if I do not originate from a utopian time of plenty, like thou.” He scowled at her, his brow lowering in anger.

“No no, I didn’t mean it like that!” Twilight shook her head quickly, and put a hoof on his shoulder. “I just meant you’re… you’re different than other ponies! It’s a good thing!” she smiled nervously while he considered her words. A slow nod. She sighed in relief. “Anyway, if Pinkie Pie is throwing you a… what was it again?”

“Symposium.”

“Yes, that.” Twilight smiled gently. “If she’s throwing you a symposium, it’s only because she wants to welcome you to Ponyville and make you feel more at home.” she nodded towards the card on the table. “Besides, it says you need to bring a partner--”

“I shall bring thou, then.” He said quickly. “You shalt protect me from what my spear cannot.” He rubbed a little nervously at his chest plate. He was clearly haunted by the pink mare popping out of his armor by some impossibility of physics. “Thou art my only ally, Twilight Sparkle.” He stood quite close to her, looking down with a neutral and serious expression. She looked up at him, her tail tucking a bit.

“N-no problem, Spartan.” She said in a mildly quivering voice. 

He noticed the shift in her tone, and looked to one side. “It is getting late. If we are to be out drinking tomorrow, we shalt need rest beforehoof.” He turned to the table and snapped his book shut, setting it on the stack. “May I leave these here?” he said, gesturing to the pile of books. She nodded slowly, and he thanked her with a smile. “Now then.” He huffed a bit. “Where should I go to sleep?” he peered about for a couch or bedroll of some sort.

“I had Spike prepare the guest bed. You can stay here with us.” Twilight said, turning and putting out the lamps with a yawn. “Normally I stay up much later to study but you… ohhh-*yawn*-hhh… you are just exhausting.” She accused with a little giggle.

“Shall I take that as a compliment, mage?” He waggled his eyebrows at her exactly once, before his gruff and neutral expression returned. Twilight’s face went a lovely shade of scarlet and she scampered up the stairs. 

“The-guest-bed-is-across-from-mine-I-need’a-use-the-bathroom-goodnight!” She vanished into the restroom with a shut of the door. He cocked his head, then shook it with a wry smile. Peering about and up the spiraling staircase, he walked up it.

Twilight’s room was small and quaint, stacked with books that couldn’t fit on the shelves downstairs. There was a little lamp, a bedside table, a pair of beds, and a tiny little balcony. The quiet snoozing sounds told him the basket at the foot of one of the beds was occupied. Spartan Shield knew that such a servant would no doubt sleep at the foot of his master’s bed, and wisely chose the other. The thick, neutral manila blankets were comfortable. Looking about for a bit, he discarded his breastplate, gauntlets, leather cords, ties, helm, shoulder bits, scarf-cape, and wrappings. Getting into bed, he pulled the blankets to his chin. He always slept with a troubled expression, never entirely at ease. Before too long, Twilight Sparkle emerged into the bedroom wearing a quartet of long, purple woolen socks.

Oh? Oh, she went around all day naked but wore socks to bed? Spartan Shield contained his snorting sound, turning on his side and curling up a little. “Goodnight, Spartan.” Twilight whispered as not to wake Spike.

“Goodnight, Twilight.” He murmured, stuffing his head under the blanket to blot out the moonlight and let him rest in darkness.

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

Twilight Sparkle had no idea why she was bringing bed sheets to a party, but the invitation had said so, so she’d reached into her linen closet to get a fresh set for herself and for Spartan. They arrived at Sugar Cube Corner in the late afternoon to find that the windows were all covered and it was strangely quiet. Spartan had chosen to leave behind his spear and shield after much coaxing from Twilight, but his armor was out of the question. Leaning, Spartan pushed the door open and stepped inside first. What he found there astonished him.

Twilight had described Sugar Cube corner as a brightly colored bakery with plenty of happy ponies and a fun atmosphere. What he found there was half-lit stone, sweeping (fake) columns and not much furniture at all. Around the walls that did not share a door were a series of high-sitting couches, maybe twelve in all. All of them had little bowls on them made of bronze, and plates that were currently empty. An oven lay open, sporting a wood fire that pouring black smoke into the chimney and helped to light the room. “Wow.” He said, peering around with interest. “It looks like home!” he smiled, rather impressed.

“SURPRISE!” Pinkie Pie appeared, upside down, from the ceiling, spraying him with confetti and streamers. Spartan reared up, startling back with a shout. “Sorry sorry sorry!” Pinkie Pie appeared upright after that. “I keep forgetting this is a Greek Symposium theme party! No confetti, right right right…” she was either talking to herself, or the entire room, it was hard to tell. She dusted him off. “Lyra Heartstrings should be here soon for music, why don’t you two find a couch!” she said, grinning widely.

Spartan Shield stared at the strange pink harlequin pony. “You did all this?” he said, gesturing about the room. “But it looks like… what I’m used to.” He said, frowning rather fondly around the room. 

“Does it?” Twilight smiled just a little. “Is this how Spartan Stallions partied?”

“Yup, it’s true!” Pinkie Pie bounced along like her legs were made of rubber, making little springing sounds as she went. “Symposiums in the Greek and Roman era were gatherings of stallions, maybe thirty of them-- they would get together on couches around a party room and drink, tell stories, boast about their stuff, all sorts of neat things!” She showed Spartan to a couch and he clambered onto it. Truth be told the couch was quite high, almost up to waist level. But that was the point, so everypony could see his fellows and all around the room. He stretched out comfortably, nodding his approval. “They’d have musicians, and servants that could do tumbling, entertainers, and sexy mares to serve them food and drink!”

“You sure know a lot about the Greek and Roman era, Pinkie Pie…” said Twilight with a furrowed brow. Who knew Pinkie Pie could be so knowledgeable?

“Well duh, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie’s eyes briefly went in different directions before locking onto her again. “I wouldn’t have earned my major in partyology if I didn’t know about get-togethers in every era of Equestria!”

“You went to college?” Twilight was shocked. She wasn’t going to argue that ‘partyology’ was not an ‘ology’ that ever existed, because well… Pinkie Pie.

“Yup! I have three degrees!” Pinkie giggled.

“Three?!” Twilight gasped in shock. “In what?!”

“Sociology, Partyology, and Culinary Arts!” Pinkie Pie was suddenly fishing in Twilight’s saddlebags. She got the bed sheets that she’d brought and shook them out. Working with them behind her back for a few moments, she suddenly produced a beautiful white toga. Pushing it over Twilight’s head, she clipped it at her shoulder with a broach made of iron. “There! Now you look Greek!” she said, pushing a pink flower into Twilight’s hair as she spoke.

“She’s right, you know.” Spartan said helpfully from where he lay stretched out and relaxed on the couch. “This is… rather nice.” He admitted. “Will you have watered wine, Pinkie Pie?” he said, eyeing Twilight’s toga with genuine approval. 

“Of course, silly! Only drunks drink wine straight from the cask!” Pinkie Pie was already showing off her knowledge of symposiums again. “You water it down to make sure the party lasts longer and nopony keels over from drunkenness!” She turned and helped Twilight find a couch to get up onto. “There! Nice and cozy! Tee-hee-hee!” she squeaked, then bounced away as suddenly more ponies had come to the door. Twilight wondered who all had been invited.

It turned out to be a random smattering of ponies from all over town, none of which Twilight Sparkle knew very well. But there were certainly a nice variety by the time the couches had filled around the room. The interest seemed to be cultural, for everypony that had come had been very interested in going to a Greek-themed toga party. No foals had been allowed since drinking would be involved, but it was certainly a merry atmosphere. Lyra Heartstrings, as promised, eventually appeared and sat upon a little bench in the middle of the room to play for them.

Twilight glanced over at Spartan Shield, who was peering around the room with a rather merry smile. He caught her looking and chuckled mildly. “Perhaps your friend is not a demon after all, Twilight.” He said mildly, turning about on the couch and laying on his belly. “She went through all this just to make me feel welcome.”

“Pinkie’s a strange one, yeah, but she means well no matter what.” Twilight nodded with affection.

“You know, normally this would be only stallions.” He teased her a little. “But, since there seems to be a serious shortage of them here in Ponyville, we can make the exception.” He smirked at her, and Twilight blushed. “Besides, you would not be here to guide me if that were so.”

“No, I guess not.” Twilight said a little bashfully, carefully looking at Lyra and not him. The music was soothing, and the general murmur of the socializing ponies was comforting.

When all the couches were filled and the party was in full swing, Pinkie Pie went around the room to make sure every pony had a bronze bowl on their couch. Nodding when she saw everypony was situated, she came back over to Spartan and smiled wide. “Spartan Shield, you wanna be our symposiarch? I can’t do it, I don’t drink often enough to be able to do it right.” She scuffed her hoof on the ground a little, embarrassed.

“Oh?” Spartan’s ears perked up. “Very well, I can do that. Bring out your wine.” He nodded politely to Twilight Sparkle, getting off the couch and to his hooves. Pinkie went to fetch a large wine jar, easily two and a half feet tall. It was pretty impressive-looking, dark brown with pretty designs all over it. The ponies around the room oooh’d while Pinkie Pie set up little serving pitchers as well. Next, she brought out an equally large barrel of water and popped it open with a crowbar she pulled from nowhere at all. Spartan Shield approached, looking around at the ponies present. None of them, to be honest, looked like they could hold their wine very well. These times were peaceful and innocent. Reaching down, he dipped a pitcher five times, pouring the water ceremonially into the massive wine jar. Pinkie leaned and stirred it with a long rod. Only drunkards drank wine straight, and a social event called for watered wine, Spartan Shield know. When he nodded his approval, Pinkie dashed around the room and poured just a little bit into everypony’s bronze bowls.

“Wanna get us started, Spartie?” Pinkie grinned, holding her bowl on the end of one hoof.

Spartan felt all their eyes on him. Over two dozen ponies looked at him expectantly as he dipped the pitcher and poured himself some wine. He looked over at Twilight Sparkle. “Ahem. In my time,” he began, speaking to the crowd of gathered ponies. “There are three main drinks to be had at a symposium. Since I don’t think anypony here can hold their wine,” he paused for the laughter, grinning a bit, “Let us make it three swallows, shall we?” He showed them his bowl, and everypony got theirs ready too. “I am glad to have landed among such friendly ponies, despite the strangeness of your culture and my being out of place.” Well, wasn’t he the friendly host? He gestured again to his bowl of wine. “One for good health, two for love and pleasure, and the third for sleep afterward. As my fellows— your ancestors— would have done.” He raised his bowl, seemingly directly at Twilight, then swept it about the room in a wide arc. The purple mare smiled coyly, and everypony drank their three big gulps. 

The party began in earnest after that. There was chattering, laughter, dice games, plenty of wine going around, and Lyra was ever vigilant on her Lyre. The warm feeling that came over Spartan Shield brought him to smile a bit more. It was really comforting to know that despite everything that had happened, he was actually very welcome in Ponyville. He returned to his couch to watch the revelry and chat with Twilight Sparkle and all who approached him. He told stories about the old world. About training with his bachelor herd in the wilds of the woods as colts. He told them about old Canterlot and its scholars (much to Twilight’s delight), about how charged and different times were back then. They, in turn, told him all about things like the Summer Sun Celebration, Hearth’s Warming Eve, and Hearts and Hooves Day. He was very interested in all the new holidays, the happy-go-lucky celebrations, and the general sense of peace that had fallen over Ponyville. The more wine that made its way into everypony, the more merriment and laughter seemed to go through the room. Hours of partying, socializing, and drinking went by. There was boasting over the upcoming harvest, recent pregnancies, and Spartan Shield was even treated to ‘He’s a Jolly Good Stallion’ more than once.

The fourth and fifth drinks, Spartan Shield knew, were supposed to be for bad behavior and shouting. But hey, it was a party. There was supposed to be horseplay and loud talking. He could not admonish his new friends for their revelry, even if they could not hold their wine especially well. Near the end of the night, he found Twilight had made it to her tenth drink. The drink of unconsciousness. Rolling his eyes and huffing, he nosed her in the side a few times with his muzzle. She moaned a little, curling up. Poor thing, he smiled gently.

“I must away, friends.” He told Pinkie Pie and a couple of others. “Twilight Sparkle is worse for the wear, and I doth grow weary.” He glanced outside at the moon and stars. “I make for the library.”

“Okie dokie, Spartie-chokie!” Pinkie Pie said, hiccupping red wine bubbles. “You be careful with Twilight! She bruises easy, don’t drop her!” she broke into a giggle-fit, leaning up against Berry Punch, who laughed too. Both mares were red-faced and wine-touched.

Spartan Shield rolled his eyes good-naturedly. This had certainly been an excellent pick-me-up. Moreso than the baths and such the day before. Pinkie Pie was certainly a party expert. Going to Twilight Sparkle’s couch, he shoved his head under her side and got her up onto his back. She draped over him like a sack of potatoes and moaned a little. He left the gathering at Sugar Cube corner and, after reading a few road signs, made it back to the library.

The crisp summer night air revived Twilight Sparkle while he was fiddling with the doorknob in his mouth. “Ooohh…” she said a little drunkenly. He smiled over his shoulder at her, going inside. “Are we back?” she asked softly while looking around, red in the cheeks.

“Yes. Tiz your library.” He told her.

“Guhhh, Spike will kill me. It’s so laaaate.” She said, flopping down over his back a little.

“Your revelry be enthusiastic, Twilight Sparkle. That is all anypony can ask by this hour.” He told her walking inside and quietly shutting the door behind him. He saw her to her bed, and even found her quartet of socks in a drawer. Suddenly as playful as a foal she wiggled about and giggled at him deviously when he tried to put them on her. The back legs went just fine, but her front hooves were pawing at him and wiggling around.

“You are so… rugged.” She informed him, feeling his face and chin with eager hooves and a playful giggle. He chuckled a little. “Mmph! And big. So big! How big are you?” she said. “Just look’it you.” she eyed him up.

“The wine doth loosen thy lips, I think.” He snickered a little, shaking his head. “Sleep, before thy pride is shattered upon the morn.” He patted her face a little. Finally, he struggled her other two socks onto her hooves and she curled to one side, smiling broadly. He was about to say something else, but she’d already fallen asleep clutching her pillow. His face returned to its usual neutral scowl after that. In a brief moment of indulgence, he pressed his lips to her temple. “And mine lips too.” He murmured, going to put himself to bed after stripping his armor. He felt delightfully light-headed, and found sleep much easier.

End of Part 6

> CMC Warriors, Yeah! (I of III)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 7: CMC Warriors, Yeah! (I of III)

THRUM-thrum-thrum-thrum.
THRUM-thrum-thrum-thrum.
THRUM-thrum-thrum-thrum.

The Spartan Stallions craned their necks, Spartan Shield among them. Something was rhythmically shaking the ground ‘neath their hooves. This was not the chaotic rumblings of a charging attack wave. This was something different. They strained to see through the slowly falling dark. The hay they’d laid out to keep the battlefield lit was all gone, only a body or two still burning. The moonlight, accursed though it was for being from Nightmare Moon, was all they had to see by. Scowling at the blackness, they waited with lidded eyes. 

The Royal Sisters fought ever onward in the sky, a titanic battle that nopony present could hope to help with. Whichever sister won, would win the war entirely. It mattered not if the Lunar Stallions prevailed, or if the Spartan Stallions still stood when the alicorn battle was over. But, until that fight was decided, the solar guards would have to defend Canterlot from the endless hordes.

THRUM-thrum-thrum-thrum.
THRUM-thrum-thrum-thrum.
THRUM-thrum-thrum-thrum.

Somepony gave a shout when he saw them. It was a battalion, a large group, of Lunar Stallions. Their armor looked sleek and thin, perhaps black leather or chain. Their helms were aerodynamic. Ah. At last. Nightmare Moon’s best. The Lunar Stallion pegasi. 

The Lunar Stallion pegasi had served Princess Luna slash Nightmare Moon since the dawn of Ponydom. She had always insisted that her best guardian force be flight capable, to rain death from the skies with the fewest causalities. The taming of magic and the invention of the bow and arrow had ended such invincibility, but the legacy remained. They were the oldest standing army in the world, the elite and most feared fighting force ever assembled. Some called them immortal, for the silvery masks they were always hid their faces and made them look like demons. Who knew what they really looked like. All that could be seen were their serpentine golden eyes, and their gnashing, piranha-like jaws. The rest was covered with black cloth, armor, and other vestments meant to keep their entire bodies protected and under wraps. Even the Spartan Stallions, in all of their massive egos, saw them as a great threat.

THRUM-thrum-thrum-thrum.
THRUM-thrum-thrum-thrum.
THRUM-thrum-thrum-thrum.

They marched like a true army, not a chaotic charge like the other forces the Spartan Stallions had seen thus far. The phalanx closed, shields forward and spears at the ready. Spartan Shield clenched his teeth, looking to his left and right. He knew among the Spartans that he was only as strong as the pony next to him, or the phalanx would come apart. He checked his fellows. They were marked up, a few cuts and bruises and a bit of dried blood. But, for the most part, they seemed okay if not tired. Three hundred and thirty seven would not last forever against such sheer numbers. Thank Faust for Soresaddle Canyon. And, thank Faust for Princess Celestia, who fought for them every step of the way. Spartan Shield hoped she could defeat her sister soon, for he and his stallions were all the that stood between Canterlot and annihilation.

The thrumming sound stopped. The battalion came to a halt as one. Their leader stepped forth, exactly identical in garb to all the rest. He drew out a long wing-sword in his teeth. As one, all of the others followed. They crouched, waiting… charged! “Earn these shields, boys!” Captain Slate roared, pressing his shoulder up into his.

“HA’OOH!” roared the Spartan Stallions. They stood close, side by side, for a stallion's strength was only as good as the pony next to him. Twas the entire logic of the Spartan way.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1,002 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

“You sure this is a good idea, Applebloom?” said Scootaloo as the Cutie Mark Crusaders made a little ramp with a long piece of wood they’d carried from Sweet Apple Acres. “Don’t seem right to just go into somepony’s house like this.” The three fillies had stealthily gathered outside the Ponyville public library, and were pressing themselves down and out of sight when anypony wandered by. It was early morning, but there was still risk. 

“It’s a public lie-bary! Don’t worry about it!” Applebloom grinned as her friends steadied the ramp for her. Travelling quickly up it when she was sure nopony was looking, she gave the window a push. Sure enough, it wasn’t locked. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “’Sides, I just know this’ll be the best, most uh-riginal way ever to get our cutie marks!” she peered into the great room of the library, squinting in the morning light. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodded enthusiastically. “Y’all wait out here for me, okay?” she said. “I’ll sneak in, grab ‘em and come back out again.”

“What if he misses ‘em?” Sweetie Belle wanted to know, looking around in concern.

“Aww, I’m sure he doesn’t wear ‘em all the time! “Sides, if we put ‘em right back where we found ‘em, he’ll never know the difference!” Applebloom shook her head before turning and daintily hopping into the window. She looked around quickly, ever the diligent little ninja. The bow on her head flopped back and forth as she took in the dark library. Looking up the stairs, she moved quickly and quietly… minutes later she was gone, and the CMC were off into the Everfree Forest for their latest adventure.

Twilight awoke with a soft and miserable moan. She had a head-pounding headache, and the light coming in through her bedroom curtains was like a focused laser on her eyeballs. Turning over she buried her head under her pillow with a grunt. There was a silence, then she sat up. She didn’t remember coming home last night. Her eyes widened in horror. Had she done anything embarrassing?! Had she said anything wrong, done anything wrong?! She didn’t know! She peered blearily across the room at Spartan Shield, who was splayed out on his back like a sun-worshiping dog. His blankets were kicked off, and with his armor gone he looked like a relatively normal pony despite his size. Holding her temple a little, she righted herself and got out of bed. She studied him a little, not for the first time admiring his barrel chest and large hooves. Crossing the room, she peered about for signs of any funny business. She remembered the party… she must’ve drank too much. Well, she didn’t wake up with a lampshade on her head in a back alley or anything, so… “He must’ve brought me home.” she mumbled, then looked down at her legs. She was wearing her purple socks. She blushed a little. Turning, she briefly checked that Spike was still asleep, then went over to Spartan Shield’s side. “Spartan.” She said softly, leaning over him. “Spartan, it’s time to get up.” She nudged him a little.

Spartan Shield’s eyes snapped open. He looked over at her blearily, then quickly tugged the sheet over his front. She averted her eyes with a mild smirk. He was splayed out on his back, but it wasn’t like she was looking at anything she shouldn’t. (Well maybe just a little, but that wasn't the point) “Twilight.” He croaked, taking a deep breath of waking. “Are you well?” he turned on his side and heaved himself upright onto his hooves.

“A… little hung over.” Twilight admitted. “I don’t drink. Like, ever.” She smiled a little bashfully as he began to get dressed. His chest plate clanked into place and he struggled only briefly with the clasps. He worked his wrappings around his belly and withers. He tied his helm with a strap to his side so he wouldn’t lose it, and threw his crimson scarf-cape around his neck. “Nothing… bad happened, on the way home, right?” she fished for what she didn’t remember.

He smirked just a little, pausing. “Well, I had to carry thou home upon my back. But you weigh so little, Twilight, it was no burden.” He offered a slightly more genuine smile when her cheeks colored. She went quickly to her vanity to brush her mane rather animatedly. He walked over to stand behind her, cocking his head. “There is a reason the traditional drink number is three and not ten, mage.” He said a little playfully. Twilight looked away, embarrassed. “But I would not hold it against you. It was your first symposium, clearly.” He offered, then turned to go find his legplates. Where were they? He peered around three sides of the bed, then under the bed, then checked the chest of drawers… where had he put them down? He was very careful with his armor pieces, he only took them off for sleep inside.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked when she saw him rummaging around. 

“My legplates are g--” he paused, for he’d found one under Twilight’s bed. How had it made its way over there? His eyes strayed around the room a little more carefully. The door was ajar. He remembered closing it the night before, for greater quiet and security. He stomped over to it and threw it open with a growl, peering outside into the great room.

“What is it?” Twilight asked, craning her neck to see.

“I closed this door last night.” He growled angrily. “Somepony has been in here.”

“Oh don’t be silly!” Twilight smiled a little nervously. “Somepony didn’t come into the library, pass up all the valuable books downstairs and then come up to steal three of your leg plates!”

“I didn’t misplace them.” He pointed at her angrily. “Spartan Stallions treat their armor like a second skin, like our shields and spears, extensions of our legs.” He gestured to where both leaned against the wall at the head of the guest bed. He rustled around the room, opening drawers and peering behind furniture. He even lifted up Spike’s basket, Spike still asleep in it, to peer underneath.  But, it was no use, three of his four leg plates were gone. He scowled a bit angrily. It was too early for such problems. Leaning, he strapped the one he’d found onto his front-right leg and shined it with his front-left leg. 

“I wonder what happened to them…” Twilight mumbled, brushing her mane more. Her memory of the night before was very fuzzy after a certain hour. She set her jaw, trying to concentrate. “Hmm.” She said in mild frustration. “Oh, by the way, I’m supposed to have tea with Rarity today. Would you like to go?”

“What’s a Rarity?” Spartan Shield asked, thrusting up his mattress to check for his leg plates.

“She’s a unicorn.” Twilight chuckled.

“Oh. Er… sure.” He looked down at his one leg-plate. He couldn’t go out wearing just one, he would look ridiculous and shabby. Leaning down, he took off the one he had and put it into one of his pillowcases. “I just wish I knew what sort of thief would take three of something and not the fourth.” He shook his head. “Are there any three-legged ponies in Ponyville?”

“Not that I know of, no.” Twilight shook her head. “The only thing three-oriented would be,” she stopped to give a little snort of laughter. “The Cutie Mark Crusaders! But they wouldn’t--” she gave pause, looking over at him with a sudden icy feeling going down her withers. Spartan Shield had been rough with Applebloom recently. What if she’d taken something of his to get even? Did the little foal have the capacity for such a thing? Going over to the pillowcase and taking out the leg plate, she turned it over and over in midair. How would a little filly… oh. She face-hoof’d a little. “I think I know who has your leg plates.” She mumbled into her hoof. “You were right. We’ve probably had visitors.”
Spartan Shield eagerly leaned forward. “Who?”	

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

“Cutie Mark Crusaders warriors! Yeah!” The fillies did a three-way high-hoof. They’d journeyed into the Everfree Forest, Spartan Shield’s leg plates in tow. Well, they certainly couldn’t wear the massive things on their legs, but… they made excellent back armor! The long, bowed shape of the massive stallion’s armor bits fit snugly over their backs and jutted out to press over the root of their tails. With the strap going under their bellies, it fit just like a single piece of perfect armor! Why, combine that with a sharpened stick, and they looked just like Spartan Shield did! Well, they didn’t have chest plates, but it still counted. They looked pretty dang impressive! The trio stopped in front of a river to look at themselves in the water’s reflection.

“Well, we do look pretty cool.” Sweetie Belle admitted, turning sideways so she could admire the shiny golden armor strapped to her back. She lifted her stick like a spear, “Hwah! Hwah-hah!” she danced about with it, showing her friends a sure-looking thrust. They bobbed their heads, smiling in approval.

“Yeah! We’re sure to get our cutie marks if we go on an adventure with this stuff on!” Scootaloo adjusted herself back and forth to try and free her wings, but they were too small and the plate on her back too heavy. Ah well. She couldn’t fly yet, so she didn’t really need them out in the open. Her armor might protect her from thorns getting in her feathers or something, anyway.

“So whut should we do for an adventure?” Applebloom looked skyward for inspiration. They planted their butts at the shore of the river, thinking hard and rubbing their chins. “Oh! Ah know! Let’s go all the way to Zecora’s and back! That’s a good distance, might-could count for an adventure!”

“Walkin’ around will makes us warriors?” Scootaloo pondered.

“Granny Smith says that the royal guards in Ponyville do lotsa walkin’ around. S’called patrollin’!” Applebloom nodded in confirmation. “That way if they see somethin’ bad happenin’, they can go help, ‘stead-ah sittin’ in one spot all day.”

“All the way to Zecora’s hut, though? Isn’t that a long way?” Sweetie Belle whined.

“And we aren’t supposed to go all the way out there with no grown-ups around.” said Scootaloo, looking unsure. “We could get in trouble and stuff.”

“We ain’t supposed to be in the Everfree Forest, neither.” said Applebloom with a conspiratory grin. “But here we are, right?” she looked to her two friends, and they nodded slowly. “Just to Zecora’s and back. We can say hi to her, stay a minute, then head back!” she said convincingly. It DID sound tempting. None of them but Applebloom had seen the mysterious Zecora outside of Nightmare Night, and that had been ages ago. Why, if they showed up with no grown-ups she was bound to be impressed with how adventurous they were. They could earn their cutie marks for trail-blazin’! Or for bravery in general! What a ‘brave’ cutie mark might look like, none of them could decide, but Operation: Trek to Zecora’s sounded more and more like a good plan as time went on.  Brandishing their sharp sticks like Applebloom had seen Spartan Shield do with his spear, they started down the path and into the underbrush. It only got more exciting when Ponyville went out of view and they had to focus to stay on the path.

They walked for hours, sticking to the path as best they could, doing a few loops in the foliage. They stopped to pick berries to eat, frolicked in the shallower parts of a creek, and even stopped to catch frogs for a bit. They were just foals after all. It was easy to get distracted from their big mission. A shiny piece of quartz they found in the creek was a subject of grand interest for over half an hour, and they spent a long time searching for more. They didn’t find any, but decided to keep the crystal for their stash of fun treasures back at the clubhouse. Over time they made a meandering line for where they thought Zecora’s hut was supposed to be. They ended up emerging at a cliff face and a clearing.

“Well this don’t look right.” mumbled Applebloom, looking around with a frown.

“Are we lost?!” Sweetie Belle was the first to panic.

“No no, we jus’ got turned ‘round somewhere. We can go righ’ back the way we came till we find the path again.” Applebloom shook her head quickly, tapping the butt of her spear-stick on the ground. This seemed to bolster her two friends, who smiled and nodded. They turned about to go find the path again, and jolted to a stop.

Timberwolves.

Eight sets of glowing green eyes peered at them from the darker areas of foliage and shade, where not even the noonday sun could get to them. They must’ve walked right past them and into the clearing. The fillies gaped, open-mouthed, and started walking slowly backward. There was shuffling movement as the elemental dogs stirred, bearing their oaken fangs. They looked like broken piles of limbs, wooden debris and moss when they lay still. The monsters were only revealed when they rose and started walking around on four legs, snarling. The Cutie Mark Crusaders shook and trembled, backing up against the face of the sheer cliff behind them. The pack of timberwolves slowly emerged from the underbrush, snarling and slathering sap from their open maws.

“Th-this isn’t what I thought we’d be doing!”

“W-we’re cutie mark crusader warriors! We gotta do somethin’!” Applebloom gulped, then bravely stepped forward and threw her sharpened stick like a spear! It whistled through the air gallantly— only about halfway across the distance to the nearest Timberwolf. The projectile simply didn’t weigh enough to fly very far or do any damage. “Uh oh…” she mumbled, wilting and stepping backward. “Okay uhhh… new plan?” she asked her friends.

“Ruuuuuun!” Sweetie Belle bolted, dropping her stick.

“Ruuuuuun!” Scootaloo bolted the other way, dropping her stick too.

Applebloom stood rooted to the spot with fear, shaking and whimpering as the timberwolves closed in around her in a semi circle. Her butt pressed against the cliff’s face behind her, and she looked around fearfully. 

They licked their slathering sharp fangs. Their eyes were alight with hungry intent. They didn’t need to chase down all three ponies. Just one would do. This one was apparently too stupid to run. Fine by them. They watched her quake and whimper and pee herself as she tried to look for a way out, the stench of urine stinging their noses. But no, she was surrounded and had her back to the cliff. They didn’t care. She was fresh meat. Dead meat. Edible meat. The alpha of the pack started forward, jowls lifting aggressively and a loud, barking growl issuing forth. 

Applebloom watched him lean back—

Coil his legs—

LEAP upon her!

Applebloom was knocked onto her back by the savage predator’s charge, squealing in terror. All four of her hooves were in the air and her soft underbelly was exposed. Her little golden armor did no good if she was flat on her back! Birds for miles around cawed and startled out of tree branches as the little filly’s bloodcurdling screams echoed over the forest. The timberwolves rushed in around her, barking and snarling, eager to feast. The spray of blood would make even a hardened Spartan Stallion wince in pity.

End of Part 7

> CMC Warriors, Yeah! (II of III)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 8: CMC Warriors, Yeah! (II of III)

None of the Spartan Stallions expected to see her Shining Immortal Majesty hit the ground so hard. Her cry was doggish and she tumbled across the ground like a skipping stone. She smashed hard into the ranks of the Lunar Stallion pegasi mid-battle and was buried in a cliff face. Rubble came down over the milky white alicorn and she was buried. The chaos of battle ended in a very sudden dead silence. Everypony waited for her to emerge, for a long time. Nothing happened. They all looked at each other. A single line of silvery blood emerged from the wreckage, and there was great quiet. The two sides separated themselves from each other, hastily looking back and forth for--!

She landed hard with an authoritative stomp of four hooves. Nightmare Moon. She was battered on her chest and sides with bruises, and a portion of her helm was simply missing, blasted off by some assault Celestia had managed to land on her head. The Lunar Stallion pegasi jittered back, and after a few chaotic moments, formed a hasty set of ranks. Ever the perfect army. “WHO SPEAKS FOR THIS RABBLE?!” The Royal Canterlot Voice rolled across the field like a crack of thunder. Nopony spoke. “THIS BATTLE IS OVER! WE DEMAND THY LEADER STEP FORTH!” she concussed the night with her shouting.

Spartan Shield stepped forth, leaving his shield behind with his fellows. A few of them tried to stop him, but he shoved past and started across the field. Spear in hoof, he cantered slowly across the way. Both armies stared at each other, unsure, as their leaders were both out of earshot. The black, armored alicorn stood above him on a boulder, asserting their hierarchic scaling all the more. She looked down upon him. “I am Spartan Shield. I lead these stallions.” He said, resting his spear on his shoulder.

“Come, Spartan Shield, let us reason together.” Nightmare Moon stepped down from the boulder when he’d at last arrived. She made a mild and rather diplomatic gesture with her hoof. It was stained silver with Princess Celestia’s blood. “We know of thine herd’s ways, how thou values discipline and high education.” She eyed him sideways. “Thy breed produces many a desirable warrior stallion. We would hate to simply annihilate you all and waste an entire generation of good horsepower.”

“What keeps thou from doing so?” he asked, gesturing over his shoulder to his waiting soldiers. They were leaning back and forth, craning their necks and trying to hear. “It should not be hard for an alicorn to simply blow our heads apart with a thought.” He jabbed at her. Slowly, they circled each other. It was a nervous sort of pacing, as the conversation continues. Both armies that watched were reminded of circling timberwolves, snapping and snarling at each other for dominance.

“Tiz true.” She reached and wrested him off of his hooves by magic, briefly, then set him down again. “But there is much we may share together, and even our Lunar Stallions may learn something of military might from your subculture.”

“Oh yes! I happen to notice we’ve been sharing our culture with them all night.” Spartan Shield smirked in such a way that Nightmare Moon’s eyes narrow angrily.

“Thou art a strange one, Spartan Shield.” The night alicorn chuckled after she got over the jab to her ego. “Even in the face of annihilation, thou art defiant.” He turned from her to check on his soldiers as she spoke, and she slowly approached him from behind. His eyes turned, but his head did not, to look back at her. Her long and black wing extended over him to block out the moonlight. “Thou fights for Equestria? She is mine now.” She said gently. “If you and yours would but march under my banner, I would allow you to live. All would fear the Spartan Stallions as one of the most elite forces of the nighttime eternal, second only to my Lunar pegasi.” She gestured to the battalion to their far right. The Lunar Stallions bristled, awaiting even the slightest gesture to resume the battle.

“Second?” Spartan Shield whispered, looking over at his Spartan Stallions. He slowly sat on his haunches, as though considering.

“We art kind, Spartan Stallion.” Nightmare Moon made a show of sitting behind him, pressed up against him like a bigger spoon to a smaller spoon. Her greater stature made him feel briefly like they were mother and foal. “Celestia asked thou and a handful of stallions to stand against our endless hordes.” She stroked his back slowly, tenderly as her wings came to flank him on either side. It was a rather erotic display, in all actuality. “To go into battle where there could be no victory. Into a horseflesh grinder.”

On the far side of the field, the Spartan Stallions shifted nervously. What was Spartan Shield doing over there?! “Steady boys…” said Captain Slate a little nervously. “Steady. Let ‘em talk if they wanna talk. Somethin’ may actually come of it.”
“All we ask,” said Nightmare Moon softly into his ear, “Is for thou to lay down thy arms to allow my armies into Canterlot. Think of the lives that could be saved by such a selfless act.” She coaxed him, still stroking the gorgeous muscles on his withers. He continued to stare at the cliff face were Celestia had been buried. “We would not ask though to stand against such oblivion…” she leaned to whisper more closely. A long, forked tongue came out and grazed his cheek. His eyes flicked at her again, and he saw the serpentine glow of her dragon-like pupils. “All we ask,” she closed her wings quietly around him, like a lover. “Is that thou kneel before us and our banner.” She whisped. Her hooves slowly massaged his tired shoulders.

“Kneel…” he mumbled slowly, as though entranced by her words.

“But one token of your submission, and the Spartan Stallions shall be rewarded beyond thy wildest dreams.” Nightmare Moon smiled with her fangs out, dripping neon green goo upon his crimson cape-scarf. “You and yours have repelled my entire army for more than twelve hours. An impressive feat that will surely give thou rank in our new empire.” She offered with a smirk and a silver tongue. “You will find, we think, that I am kind…” she squeezed his shoulders firmly, easing his burden of aches with a flick of healing lunar magicks

“Kind…” Spartan Shield whispered. He slowly came forward a few steps, out of her wing-hug and away from her soothing hooves. “Thou art generous as thou art… tall.” He said with a lopsided smile. “Why, only a madpony would refuse such gifts.” Nightmare Moon smiled, rising to her full height. “But,” he turned back to her with a mad warrior’s smile. “Having been, well, slaughtering all of your forces thus far has cramped my legs, you see, so kneeling…” he made a wavering gesture with his hooves. “That’s going to be a problem.”

Nightmare Moon’s eyes lidded and the tips of her wings shook before she folded them violently. The flap of feathers was audible. “There is no glory in thy coming defeat.” She spat upon the ground, over his hooves. “When my stallions are done with thee, I shalt erase all of your family lines from the Canterlot Archives!” she threatened, leaning forward. Slime dripped from her angry fangs, hissing like acid upon the ground. “When this is over, Equestria will never even know thou existed!”

“Equestria will know that few,” he gestured behind himself. The Spartan Stallions shifted on their hooves, pressed together in the golden wall of the phalanx. “Stood against many.” He nodded to her and hers. “And by the time this is over, Equestria will know that even Nightmare Moon can bleed.” He grinned at her defiantly from under his eyebrows.

“THE SUN HAS SET ON THIS ERA!” Nightmare Moon roared, prodded easily into anger by his words.  All could hear her shouting in the Royal Canterlot Voice. “NIGHT TIME ETERNAL AWAITS! THY BATTLE IS OVER!” she turned to return to her forces. “AND WE SHALT ENJOY WATCHING THOU DIE FROM ON HIGH, INSECT!” she opened her wings to take off.

The rubble where Celestia lay shifted, giving everypony present pause. Suddenly, Celestia’s head emerged and she thrust a dented golden helm off of herself. Coughing, she spat silvery blood to one side before wrenching free from the wreckage. Spartan Shield and Nightmare Moon stared, open-mouthed. “The sun doesn’t set until I TELL it to, sister.” said Princess Celestia, flaring her wings open aggressively. The Yoke of Harmony was around her  neck, its six gems glittering in the moonlight.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1.002 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

“We’ll probably find at least one of the cutie mark crusader’s at Rarity’s house.” Twilight said conversationally. Spartan Shield had insisted on bringing his shield and spear for the trek, probably to scare the buck out of the fillies that had stolen his things. He was rather angry, and hadn’t said anything since they’d left. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find them.” She coaxed him with a light shove of his shoulder. He looked at her, but relaxed just a little. “Here we are.”

Boutique Magnifique was the strangest building Spartan Shield had ever seen. It was wood and glass and gaudily-decorated to such a shine that it really stood out in the town. It was a business, so that was probably intentional, but still. It looked strange. Leaning, he peered into one of the windows. “A seamstress.” He said slowly. Twilight nodded in confirmation before pushing the door open to go inside.

“Ah, Twilight! I’ve been expecting you darling!” Rarity already had a table set up. “Just turn the sign as you come in so we won’t be interrupted.” The pale unicorn was moving a tea tray from the kitchen to the great room so that they could sit and gossip together. Well no, gossip was a crude word. More like talk about other ponies and hear about what they were up to around town. It was only right for a lady to know what was going on around her, right? Of course. “Pull up a chair, darling, I’ve got our tea right… here…?” she trailed off when she saw Spartan Shield. “Oh, I’m sorry sir, I’m closed now.” She said gently. “And if you need a dress, you shall need to make a measuring appointment, you’re a little outside my normal cliental.” She giggled playfully at her own joke.

Spartan Shield took it as an insult and fired back, “If there were anything that seemed worthy of purchase here, I might consider.” Twilight winced at his harshness. “Thus far, unimpressed.” He scowled, putting her in her place so fast, so hard, that Rarity flushed angrily.

“Why, the nerve!” she said, setting the tray down hard on the table. “You can turn right around and leave, you ruffian! How dare you insult my craft?!” she sauntered across the room, past Twilight and put her face right in his.

“I speak the truth.” He snapped, he pressed his face angrily into hers. His chest inflated, the muscles coiling. “That aside, thy complete disregard for the opposite gender strangles thy income. If thou had half a brain there would be stallion-wear here as well.”

“I specialize in what I please, thank you very much!” she leaned harder into him, the pressure of her pressing horn rubbing sorely on his face. Twilight looked helplessly back and forth between them. The seamstress and the warrior, a match made in hell. She shuddered a little. “Twilight who is this ruffian?! Is he with you?!” she broke the contact for a moment and they stepped back briefly.

“This is Spartan Shield.” Twilight said a little meekly, getting twin glares from both of them. “Er, we think maybe Sweetie Belle and her friends may have taken something of his. Do you know where she is so we can ask her?”

“Sweetie Belle? She left early this morning to go play with her little friends!” Rarity said indignantly with a toss of her magnificent mane. “There’s no way she would have anything to do with common theiv--!”

The door burst open, flinging the bell off of its hanging chain. Sweetie Belle ran in, panting and gagging. She was covered with mud and leaves and twigs, looking exhausted and frightened. “Big sister!” she ran like the dogs of hell were on her hooves and hid under her undercarriage to shake like a leaf. The flash of gold on her back caught Spartan and Twilight’s eyes.

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity said. “You look terrible, what’s happened to you?! You’re filthy!” Rarity backed up to survey the frightened little thing, but couldn’t. She was being clung to and the foal refused to do much more than hold onto her big sister and shake. Her face was pressed to Rarity’s thighs, almost to her teats, where instinct bade her was safest in the elder female. Her whimpering was audible.

“There, on her back.” Spartan Shield said, pointing.

Rarity glared at him briefly, before lowering herself. “Sweetie Belle…?” she said more gently, for clearly her sister’s wits had been frightened out of her. “What’s happened to you?” she began to ease the straps of the strange metal plate she was wearing off of her back. When it was loose, she tossed it aside. Twilight lifted it by magic, returning it to Spartan, who stuffed it in his saddlebag.

“I-Its Applebloom! A-and running! Patrollin’! In the woods and timberwolves and!” she was hiccupping, shaking, crying so hard she could barely talk.

“Timberwolves?” Spartan Shield wondered aloud.

“I think Applebloom is dead! I think they ate her up!” the filly wailed and hid her face to bawl like the child she was. “Ate her uh-huh-hup!”  Rarity hunched to hold her with both front hooves, stroking and crooning over her gingerly.

“Applebloom?” Spartan Shield asked.

“The filly you shoved the other day.” Twilight reminded him. Realization went over his face and he nodded seriously. “Is she still out in the woods?” she asked Sweetie Belle. The little filly nodded.

“Did you see her get killed?” suddenly Spartan Shield was all business, leaning down and onto his belly. He shoved his head into Rarity’s undercarriage so he could be eye to eye with her little sister. Rarity startled back a little, red-faced, but tried to coax her little sister to answer.

“N-no…” Sweetie Belle managed through her sniffling.

“If you did not see her die, then she is not dead yet.” He said, frowning at her seriously. “Until you see something with your own eyes, it is not real. Understand?” he said firmly. She nodded fearfully, pressing up against her sister. Emerging slowly from under Rarity, he looked over at Twilight Sparkle. “The healthy foal is lost.” He told her officially. “We must go and retrieve her.”

Twilight nodded officially, a determined frown coming to her face. “I’ll go get Big Macintosh and Applejack. They’ll want to come too.” Spartan Shield nodded briefly, and Twilight took off.

After a short silence, Spartan Shield looked down at the distressed sisters. Rarity looked at him with a mix of fear, contempt, and gratefulness. Reaching, he took off his scarf cape and draped it around them. “I’ll need a new scarf-cape, seamstress.” He told her. “Eight feet, blood red.” He tied a loose knot to tie the sisters together, so they could be closer and not part until they really needed to. Turning, clad in only his breastplate and wrappings, Spartan Shield left the shop. 

Wanting attention and comfort, Sweetie Belle broke into new sobs and pressed into her sister’s bosom. “Oh Sweetie Belle…” Rarity crooned gently, her eyes soft for the little filly’s trauma. “Shhhh-sh-shhh…”  It would take hours of tenderness to coax her back to calmness. She used the end of the red scarf around them to start dabbing at her face and tears. “There there, now…”

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

Applebloom was bleeding, bad. It was the first time she’d ever bled like that before. She’d fallen and scrapped her knees a fair number’a times, and sure, workin’ on a farm gave its share of little bumps and cuts—but this was a timberwolf bite.

As the timberwolf alpha had leapt upon her to tear her heart out, he completely misjudged her weight. She was much lighter than she looked. The little filly was hit so hard by the pounce that she’d literally bounced backward before she could be grabbed and had been flung into a crevice in the cliff’s face. Now, alone and hurting, she was in an impossible situation. She was pressed into a little crack that she barely fit into, and an entire pack of Timberwolves were pacing and waiting for her to come out. The alpha had his face pressed into the crevice, bitting and snapping, flailing at her to try and get its fangs into her tender hide. But no, she was just out of range, pressed to the back of her sanctuary and crying quietly. “J-just go ‘way!” she waved her hoof at it. “Go ‘way and leave me alone!” she whimpered impotently. “You can’t fit in here, just go ‘way!” she watched the monster continue to gnash its teeth and glare at her with burning green eyes. She was JUST out of reach, she could feel the wind of its claws and the stink of its breath. It scratched at the sides of the crevice, howwwwling and barking in frustration. The whole forest must’ve known where they were and what was happening. Howwwwwl! Applebloom looked down, for one of the cutie mark crusader spear-sticks had been shoved into the crack with her. When trying to get at her, the timberwolf must’ve kicked it in with her by accident. Caught by its shoulders, it just couldn’t quite reach her.

Applebloom untied her hair ribbon, trying to use it like a whip for a moment. It did little more than flutter over the Timberwolf’s nose, so instead she tried to get the stick. Maybe she could whack it on the nose and make it go away. She tried and tried, but it was a slow process. Her mind wandered to a Daring Do book she’d once read for school. She could just do it in one go, whip something and bring it to herself. What would Daring Do do? Hehe, doodoo. She was so scared even the dumbest of jokes made her giggle nervously. She kept at it, trying to snag the stick. Meanwhile the pack paced back and forth, ever patient for their leader to pull their prey out into the open. She was there for hours, growing hungry and tired and more scared as the day wore on. But she wasn’t gonna give up. She was safe as long as she didn’t go anywhere… right?

End of Part 8

> CMC Warriors, Yeah! (III of III)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 9: CMC Warriors, Yeah! (III of III)

There were simply too many. Too many wings and teeth and shouting monstrous stallions to control. The Spartan Stallions were earth ponies, all of them. Though they could repel forces of unicorns with enough forethought and even combat pegasi in manageable numbers… this was an army. Pegasi could simply leap over their phalanx and rain death from above. Or worse. Surround them.  A phalanx was usually meant to be a wall. Protection in one direction. To be surrounded was to break it, and the Lunar Pegasi knew it.

The air was filled with flying spears and arrows going every which way. Lunar Stallions tackled Spartan ones to the ground, tearing out their throats with their metallic teeth even as they themselves were impaled on long spears. A stray shield grounded three pegasi, concussing them to the ground before the shield’s owner leapt upon the first to stab him to death.

Spartan Shield fought wildly, having lost his spear killing the first Lunar pegasi that came close enough. Drawing his xiphos (a shortsword of nineteen inches) in his teeth, he snarled and filled the air with blood. Captain Slate fought at his back, sending body parts flying and spraying blood across his glorious chest and upon the ground Even only two Spartan Stallions pressed together were formidable indeed. Roaring in pain when a Lunar Stallion’s teeth found his shoulder, Spartan Shield thrust his sword up through its neck and jerked hard, sending the twitching body to the floor and detaching the head. Whirling about with a gallant bannering of his cape-scarf, he and Captain Slate switched directions long enough to de-wing a pair of enemies before they were set upon again. Spartan Shield thrust his bronze shield forth, CLANGING one pegasi out of the air before stabbing him in the chest, flailing about to buck enough out of the air who was dive-bombing to get him from behind. Captain Slate stabbed it through the eye and sent it screeching to its doom.

The phalanx had broken. Spartan Stallions rushed back and forth in twos and threes, slicing off wings and muzzles and gilded hooves as they were set upon by the ‘immortal’ Lunar pegasi. One stallion let out a cry when his shield knocked off one of the Lunar pegasi’s silvery masks. The face beneath was withered, furless, and covered with scars. Its golden eyes were feral and snakelike—horrific! It leapt upon its foe, furious for being exposed, and ripped his throat out before replacing its pristine mask.

More Spartan Stallions fell at a steady rate, and they pressed in together until they were a clump of furiously fighting survivors. Better trained and more deadly with such tactics, they slayed many foes, but it was becoming clear as more and more Lunar pegasi set themselves upon the Spartans. They were losing. Three hundred and thirty-seven was too few, so very few to sacrifice for dear Canterlot. But they fought on, swift as eagles and stronger than lions. If they were to die, they would crush as many Lunar Stallions as they could beforehand.

Suddenly to make matters worse, Lunar unicorns started to appear on the scene again, carried by pairs of pegasi. Their horns ignited, they rained the elements down upon the Spartans. Flying shields and launched spears knocked a few out of the air to their deaths, but throwing one’s last weapon was a death sentence on the battlefield and any who did paid for it dearly.

Spartan Shield and Captain Slate dashed back and forth, running over the injured enemies with hooves the size of dinner plates, stabbing and slashing like wild madponies. Their foes shrank at their ferocity, forming a small circle around them and just out of view. The Spartan’s were so few. They couldn’t hold Soresaddle Canyon anymore. Less than fifty still stood, fighting their hearts out. As long as even one of them stood, the battle would never end.

Deflecting a new set of teeth bound for his neck with his shield, Spartan Shield bashed the brave Lunar Stallion onto his back and impaled him on his xiphos. He grunted when a stray arrow struck his shoulder, going down hard into a kneeling position. Propped up by his shortsword he wrested the missile from himself, standing in time to parry a spear and behead another foe. Blood and sweat poured from his body. He could feel the terrible strain mounting upon him as the endless, endless numbers of the enemy kept coming.

Captain Slate went down with a cry when no less than three Lunar Stallions stabbed him through the chest and out the back with a trio of spears. He let out his last guttural roar, squirming and then slashing wildly to kill two of the three before he fell. Blood gacked out of his mouth and upon Spartan Shield’s hooves while he turned to kill the third who had slain his second in command. He was alone on the battlefield now. So few. So few left to defend dear Canterlot.

He fought his way back to the mouth of the canyon in time to see the last hoof-full of his soldiers be brutally defeated and tossed upon the ground like corpses. He whirled about, setting his hooves. The enemy was boiling forward, too many to count. Too many for just one pony to slay. 

Throwing his xiphos wildly into the fray and downing yet another Lunar Stallion, he picked up a bloody spear from the ground and set his shield upon his shoulder. He was better with spears anyway, even standing alone. Standing alone against nighttime eternal.  Spartan Shield. Last of the Spartan Stallions. His roar of battle was spectacular as the wave of darkness set itself upon him.

A flying pegasi bearing a unicorn with his partner was pointing, screeching something in feral that only a Lunar Stallion could understand. The unicorn’s horn ignited with terrible magicks, and a bolt of arcane might lanced across the field. The effect was instantaneous. Mid-spear-throw, mouth open in a shout of fury, cape-scarf bannering in the wind, Spartan Shield turned to stone. The entire lunar army ran past him, pointing and laughing and spitting on him. Canterlot awaited, ripe for conquering!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1,002 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The clearing wasn’t hard to find. With so many howling, yapping wolves the forest had gone quiet and they were easy to zero in on. Spartan Shield, Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle emerged onto the clearing with their faces set in looks of grim determination.

Twilight squinted, cocking her head. “Look there. That one has his head stuck into a crevice.”

“Ah bet that’s where she is!” Applejack said. “Applebloom!” she shouted across the clearing. Instantly, every timberwolf turned with perked ears. Spartan Shield and Big Macintosh glared over at her with identical angry looks. “Whups…” she said, ears turning back apologetically.

“We'll take them to the left, Big Macintosh.” Spartan Shield thrust his helm over his head, sensing the battle to come. “You two, fetch the healthy foal and get her away from the battlefield.” he told Twilight and Applejack.

“We can help!” Twilight argued, against the plan out of the starting gate.

“Battle is no place for mares, Twilight. Applebloom matters more.” He turned to glare at her sharply from the slits of his helm. “Or do you disagree?” There was ironclad, Spartan logic for them. Twilight could not argue with that. “Big Macintosh and I will distract them. Hurry.” Big Macintosh bobbed his head, reaching and removing his yoke. CRASH, it went, when it struck the ground. Both mares looked over. How much did that thing weigh?! The crimson stallion popped the bones in his neck back and forth and started pawing at the ground. The boys nodded at each other and the two stallions charged onward and to one side. The pack followed, barking and gnashing their teeth hungrily. Applejack raced forward, Twilight at her side. “Let’s go, then!” The warpony rather nonchalantly hoof-stomped the first timberwolf head-first into the ground.

“Eeyup!” Big Macintosh smashed into another, sending it skipping upon the ground as it tumbled. He reared up, flailing his hooves like a warhorse and battering another while the pack circled back and forth. Not one, but TWO massive meals of pony meat to be had! It had to be their lucky day! Working themselves up with pure frenzied desire to feast, the monsters charged upon them with claws and fangs outstretched.

Time seemed to slow for Spartan Shield. He could see every fleck of bark on the timberwolves’ skin. He could note every droplet of sweat and spittle coming off of Big Macintosh. In the background, he could count the pattering of Twilight and Applejack’s hooves like they were walking forward slowly. His mane bannering in the wind like a near-silent flag, he started forward with his spear and shield.

SMASH-he-bitch-slapped-one-of-them-to-one-side-thrusting-his-spear-forth-in-an-explosion-of-blood-and-gore.

Turned…

Slowly…

Saw… 

Fangs…

CRUSH! Sent-a-timber-wolf-upon-its-back-with-a-titanic-shield-bash-before-slashing-its-neck! Big-Macintosh-roared-in-a-fury-caught-in-the-shoulder-and-rolling-atop-his-attacker-to-crush-the-beast! Spartan Shield-turned-a-wide-arc-to-take-off-a-timberwolf’s-muzzle!

Blood…

Floating…

Two…

Leapt high…

CRUNCH! Spartan-Shield-thrust-himself-forward-with-a-shoulder-bashing-both-wolves-backward-leaping-upon-them-with-massive-hooves! He-cried-out-when-one-of-them-tagged his-shoulder-with-its-claws, CLANK!

Shield…

Sent…

It…

Pinwheeling… 

In the air…

Yelping sounds…

Big-Mac-sent-cracks-across-the-ground-with-his furious-hoof-stomps-crushing-a-timberwolf-into-splinters-in-a-glorious-display! Turning-he-bucked-wildly-with-enoug-force-to-knock-down-an-apple-tree-CRUNCH! He-grunted with-effort-as-he-exploded-one-of-the-monsters-upon-a-much-larger-tree-SPSHHH! 

A fountain…

Blood …

and…

Sap…

One of the beasts was going straight for the charging mares, approaching them from behind with slathering fangs. Spartan Shield cocked his arm and threw his spear with all his might. The beast yelped, pitching over with a doggish cry and impaled upon the ground.

Twilight looked over her shoulder in horror, but soon she and Applejack found themselves at the crevice. Applejack leapt upon the timberwolf that had its head and shoulders shoved into the crevice, eager to beat the daylights out of it for harming her little sister--! It gave no resistance. Brow furrowing, she finally gave a heave of her farm-pony strength and pulled it from the hole. There was a thin, sharp stick sticking out of its mouth and out the back of its head. The beast was dead. Very very dead. The green stains around its mouth said it had been killed instantly and bled everywhere long after it had died. Tossing the body aside, Applejack thrust her head into the crevice. “Applebloom! Applebloom, you in there?!” What she saw sent chills down her spine.

Applebloom was there, pressed back into the furthest corner. She was smattered with tree sap and green blood, curled up and crying quietly. Her hair ribbon, Twilight suddenly saw, was wrapped around the stick pressed down the dead monster’s throat. When the foal turned a little to look at them, they saw the shine of golden armor strapped to her back, and a quartet of claw marks on her side. The armor had kept her from being gored entirely, but she looked beaten and hurt. “B… Big sister?” she said in a small voice, looking up with tear-streaked cheeks.

“We’re here Applebloom! Come outta there!” Relief washed over Applejack’s features as Applebloom slowly emerged from her sanctuary and into her arms. “Ohhhhh there I gotcha now. Big sis is here, I gotcha…” Applejack sat on her haunches to sooth the foal, who started quietly crying. She was hungry, and dirty, and tired, and covered with blood and sap. She had never been more miserable, or more relieved, in her life.

Twilight turned, suddenly remembering the boys. Turning and gasping, she saw them surrounded. The pack was much bigger than they’d originally thought, and all the noise of battle had brought more of them out of the woods to see what was going on. Spartan Shield and Big Mac were surrounded, fighting valiantly back and forth. Now and then a timberwolf would be launched over the treetops by Big Macintosh’s bucking, or pitch onto its side after a hard shield bash from Spartan Shield. The purple mare saw he no longer had his spear, and was fighting with just hoof and shield. Turning, she ran to aid them. Rushing past the impaled wolf, she wrested Spartan Shield’s spear from its carcass with her magic. Heaving a great breath, Twilight ran forth like a cavalry horse, screaming wildly with the spear out in front of her!

The Timberwolves saw her coming a mile away and parted to let her through. She skidded on her hooves and thrust the spear back into Spartan Shield’s hoof. “Thanks, but now you’re in the middle of it too!” he smirked grimly, waving his weapon back and forth to ward off the approaching fangs. Big Mac nodded his mute agreement, stomping his hooves threateningly at the circling monsters. “I told you this is no place for m-!” A red circle painted itself on the ground around the three of them, glowed red, then exploded into flame! Twilight’s horn glowed as she concentrated on the spell, beads of sweat going down her temples as she made it hotter and hotter, swirling the fire about in a display of pure arcane might!

The timberwolves caught sight of fire. Ears turned back. Being made of wood themselves, they knew better than to leap into flame after prey. Twilight stomped her front hoof with effort, pressing the fire one way then another threateningly. The beasts yelped in fear and took off running into the woods. 

Panting, Twilight let the fires die. “You were… *pant*… saying?” she smiled grimly at Spartan Shield. The warrior was in awe, looking from her, to the scorched ground, to the fleeing enemies. “Even Timberwolves are smart enough not to walk through fire for a meal. They’re made of wood.” The purple mare giggled, throwing her chest out in victory.

“Eyuup.” Big Mac offered, nodding and turning quickly to go see if Applebloom was okay.

Spartan Shield was also eager to see the foal. Twilight walked quickly alongside him, and they all gathered around to have a look at her. Applejack had taken the leg plate off of the little thing’s back, setting it aside so she could be examined more thoroughly. Twilight Sparkle levitated it into Spartan Shield’s saddlebag. “The healthy foal, we meet again.” Spartan Shield said gravely.

Meekly, Applebloom looked up at him from her sister’s protective embrace. “A-Ahm sorry, mister Spartan Shield sir.” She said wiltingly. “Ah wuz jus’ tryin’ to get mah cutie mark. I wuz gonna give ‘em back, I promise I wuz.” She looked up at him, guilty as charged for borrowing without asking.

“In my time, you would be whipped for stealing, little foal.” Spartan Shield said gravely. She wilted down a little further, but he continued. “But, during the time of agoge, the training of foals your age, stealing showed initiative. It was an acceptable method of resupplying, back then.” He turned about and pulled the leg plate from his saddlebag, showing her the nicks and dents on it. He rapped his hoof on it a few times, clank-clank. She stared at it like it was made of solid gold. “I encourage thou not to steal, but to show initiative like this, in the future.” Leaning, he pressed it into her hooves like a gift. Twilight Sparkle was genuinely shocked at this. He was just giving it to her?! “You’ve suffered enough, I don’t think thy siblings will punish you for this.” He looked up at Applejack and Big Macintosh as he spoke.

Applebloom looked up at her older siblings with big, soft, sorry eyes. They both nodded in assent. “We’re just glad yer still with us, Applebloom.” Applejack sighed in relief, gently hugging her sister again. The little filly began to whimper helplessly, then turned and hugged her sister tight.

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

Having let the Apple siblings take their own route home after getting back to the edge of town, Twilight and Spartan made their way home to the library. The sun was setting fast, but they made it to the front door and stoop just as it was touching the horizon. Sighing in relief, Twilight and Spartan both reached for the door at the same time. In the process, she saw the bite marks and blood on his shoulder. She stopped, turning to look at him. “You’re hurt.” She said quietly, gesturing. He looked, smiling a little haggardly. She could see he was a little worn down from running all over Everfree, fighting monsters, lecturing foals and then going all the way back while injured. Even Spartan Stallions had their limits. She knew making a big deal out of it would do little more than spawn an argument, so she cast her eyes up into his for a moment before speaking. “I… thought you were very brave today.” Screwing up her courage, the purple mare leaned up and pecked him on the cheek. “Thank you.” She turned to rush away into the library, red-faced. His massive hoof came up and slammed the door before she could open it all the way, though. She jerked back, startled.

“A Spartan Stallion’s strength comes from the pony next to him, Twilight Sparkle.” He said with all seriousness, holding the door closed. “Big Macintosh, and… you.” He leaned without warning, cupping her face with a powerful hoof and kissing her firmly on the lips. Twilight squeaked, her heart thundering and her tail tucking behind her. He was powerful, aggressive, and to the point in all things it seemed. When the kiss broke her chest was heaving for breath and she stood there with a rather glazed expression. “Come.” He said. “I need to get this washed and cleaned out.” Spartan Shield turned and went inside like he HADN’T just kissed the buh-jeezus out of her. Twilight shivered a little, then followed him inside and shut the door quickly.

“…Hot.” said a bushy tree nearby, in Rainbow Dash’s voice.

And so, everypony made it home safe. The Apple siblings, Twilight Sparkle, and Spartan Shield. But as they all lay in their respective beds that night, they could only try to shake the very real feeling that they’d forgotten something. Something… important.

Miles away in the Everfree Forest, well after dark, Scootaloo sat across from Zecora in her little hut. They were having tea and talking animatedly about the little foal’s new campfire-shaped cutie mark. Wilderness survival was her special talent! Yay!


End of Part 9

> Spartan Shield vs. Princess Luna (I of III)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

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

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

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

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

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



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1,002 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



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

“Yes, why?”

“That money is over a thousand years old!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blue hooves.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

End of Part 10
> Spartan Shield vs. Princess Luna (II of III)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 11: Spartan Shield vs. Princess Luna (II of III)

Spartan Shield cleared his throat a little, looking around awkwardly. He wasn’t used to such finery and grandeur. The royal dining hall, aptly named ‘The White Room,’ was a delicate mix of marble, filigree, crimson curtains and a balcony that overlooked Canterlot.  There was a long table fit for easily thirty ponies, but for the moment there were only three present. Spartan Shield, clad in a simple bedsheet toga (mane slicked nicely with anointed oil, thank you very much), Twilight Sparkle, and Princess Celestia. A singular solar guard stood dutifully in the corner, and the room was relatively quiet. The high ceiling made it all a little intimidating, to be honest. The warrior didn’t know what to say around her Shining Immortal Majesty, so he sort of fiddled with his front hooves for a bit.

Princess Celestia finally broke the silence, quite used to star-struck subjects, “So Twilight, how has Spartan Shield been faring in Ponyville? Is he adjusting well?” she stretched her wings regally, before closing them again for comfort.

Twilight winced, but quickly wiped the expression from her face. “Well he’s uhm… he’s been…” she fished for a way to put a good spin on a street brawl, a timberwolf battle, erotic kisses and throwing ponies out of windows. She couldn’t find one. “He’s been a hoof full, that’s for sure.” Twilight smiled painfully at her bad response.

“I didn’t expect he would adjust too quickly. Twas a hard life to live in his era.” Celestia smiled bemusedly at Spartan Shield, who offered a meager grin of confirmation. “But, when you’ve marched into battle with a pony, you feel like you know them quite well. Have you been getting into trouble, stallion?” her eyes lidded in grand, motherly amusement.

“Er, none I could not get myself out of, your Majesty.” He bowed a little stiffly, scratching at his toga a little. He missed his armor. He felt too light and exposed. But, Twilight Sparkle had insisted he wear no such thing at a royal dinner engagement. As she was his cultural advisor and friend, he did as she asked. At least she hadn’t made him come naked. He didn’t think he could handle the ulcer that would result if he had to come to such a dinner naked. Even Princess Celestia had a slight, silvery-gold cape on this evening. She sat regally at the head of the table, smiling at them both.

“Has he been an okay house guest, at least?” Celestia tinkled with laughter. Twilight’s ears turned back as she flashed back to him assaulting her closet and throwing Rainbow Dash out the window. The purple mare squirmed visibly, rubbing her hooves back and forth under the table.

“W-we’ve been studying together, a little.” Twilight offered, avoiding the question entirely. “Spartan’s been very interested in boating and combustion engines.”

“Oh has he?” Celestia nodded with interest. “Canterlot is land-locked, but back in his time there was a grand harbor not too far south of here. Perhaps you remember, Spartan?” she smiled. He nodded dumbly, more and more feeling like this dinner had been a bad idea. Clearly her Shining Immortal Majesty wanted to hear about his progress and judge him for it. Even a Spartan Stallion could shiver under the discerning gaze of his goddess.

While Twilight Sparkle and the Princess of the day conversed, Spartan Shield looked awkwardly around. He had five forks, five knives, and three spoons in front of him, all solid silver. His plate was circular and shone with a spotless shine. The glass in front of him was no doubt crystal. Such finery! Spartans Stallions like himself were used to more raw things, used to roughing it and even stealing the food they needed sometimes. It was almost overwhelming. He’d not had the time to read and study the modernization of everything that had happened in Equestria, but if precious metals and such could be used for tableware… he was lost again, staring at his reflection in the silvery plate. He looked troubled, his face said. He missed his shield. At the very least, Twilight should’ve let him wear his shield on his back. That would’ve been comforting in all the bizarreness that had gone on. Don’t even get him started on the train. That fast-moving nightmare had made him sick all the way from Ponyville to Canterlot.

He found his gaze settling on the stallion in the corner, the solar guard. His armor was golden, his gaze blue and the expression on his face blank. He looked like something… less than Spartan, but not a pushover either. He had nice muscled legs and a proper barrel chest too, hmm. Perhaps the soldiers of the day were still something to be complimented. 

“Spartan!” Twilight said loudly, snapping him out of his thoughts. She’d clearly spoken his name several times.

“Er!” he said loudly, jerking his gaze back to her. “Yes?” Celestia and Twilight blinked at him a little curiously.

“I said do you have your coins with you? We should show the Princess!” The purple unicorn said gently. He nodded, shifting and pawing at the leather string wrapped around his withers a bit. He produced his meager bag of ancient monies. Celestia’s golden magic took it gently from his hoof, floating it to her and opening it.

“Oh goodness, I remember these.” Celestia chuckled. “This was an era, Twilight, when it was tradition to have your rulers on your money.” She took out a few of them and inspected both sides. “Luna, and me.” She turned one over and over.

“Why did they have you on their money?” Twilight asked curiously, ever eager to learn something new from her immortal mentor. Celestia levitated a coin over to her student and smiled.

“Well, so they would know what we looked like.” Celestia said simply. “Traveling great distances wasn’t nearly as easy back then as it is today. We have trains and balloons and such.” She gestured mildly before collecting all the coins back in Spartan’s purse again and pulling the string tight. “So, Luna’s face and mine were put on Equestrian money so that they could see us no matter where they were, and recognize our reign.” She levitated the purse back to Spartan, who took it gingerly and put the loop back around his neck. He nodded, smiling.

The dining room doors open gracefully.	Spartan Shield turned his head, his smile slowly falling as a pair of nightmares came in. Lunar Stallions. He stood slowly, an icy chill going down his mane and the back of his head. His ears turned forward as their glittering golden eyes locked on him for a moment, sizing him up. But then a third shadow fell upon the doorway that made Spartan Shield’s eyes widen in both horror and shock.

Princess Luna.

“Good evening, everypony.” said the night princess pleasantly. “Forgive our tardiness, we--!” CLANG! A saucepan had frisbee’d across the room and slammed into her face like a gong! She yelped, her wings opening and failing to steady her. She crumpled to the marble floor in a mess of long legs, silvery blood splashed on her nose.

“My d’oose!” Luna mewled like a kicked kitten, holding her muzzle with a tender hoof. Tears appeared in her eyes, but it wasn’t over yet. Spartan Shield LEAPT upon the table, grabbing the hoof full of knives that had been at his placement and started to gallop forward!

Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide snarled like savage beasts, rushing forward and tackling him in midair as he leaped off the table. The three stallions wrestled furiously. Spartan Shield grabbed Aegis Shield around the middle, flipped his body about and slammed him headfirst into the ground with a glorious suplex. His helm crunched. The floor shuddered and the Lunar Stallion went limp, his eyes in swirls.

“Spartan! No!” Twilight leapt up from her place, galloping down the table and into the fray. She arrived just in time to see Stalwart Hide sink his metallic teeth into Spartan’s muscled arm. He roared in pain, hoofing him in the face and throwing himself forward to crush the armored pony with his sheer weight.

“’Ister whu’d iz de’h meaning of di’s!?” Luna shouted, nursing her bloody nose and pressing herself against the wall for support. Celestia stared, rather shocked at all the violence that had erupted. Luna’s horn lit itself, but her bloody nose was too distracting. She couldn’t concentrate.

Stalwart Hide could take a lot of punishment, thusly his namesake. He did shout in pain, however, when Spartan jabbed him viciously with tableware. The stallions strangled each other back and forth, little eating knives going this way and that. Suddenly the one solar guard joined the fray, a titanic pony that leapt upon Spartan’s back with a shout. They drove him to the floor with a serious of furious bucking sounds. Strange to see solar and lunar working together.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll KILL YOU!” Spartan Shield roared, wrestling furiously to rise again. Luna looked at him in horror, sticky silver blood  dripping from her muzzle. “I’ll bucking KILL YOU!” He gave another shout of agony when  Stalwart Hide sank his fangs into his shoulder and neck, at the tender areas where the two joined. Mercy? No such thing to defend her Majesty Princess Luna! The Princess recoiled back, frightened, while the Spartan Stallion roared and fought furiously. But no, the two guards atop him were more than enough to match his great-

HOOF-TO-THE-BALLS! 

Stalwart Hide fell with a shriek, eyes crossed, holding himself. His bat-like wings snapped open, rigid in his agony and he curled up like a foal, coughing heavily. Celestia’s solar guard thrust himself upon the Spartan Stallion, straddle-punching wildly. “Spartan! Stop it!” Twilight shouted again, desperately. Luna looked back and forth in terror, having no idea at all what was going on. Who was this madpony?! “Stop it!” The purple mare shouted again, panicked.

Spartan Shield locked all four of his legs around the solar guard, pulling his face down with a roar and started head-butting him wildly. His helm protected him, but not all the way. The jarred, crushing force of the hard-headed stallion stunned the golden-armored pony, and when Spartan got a hoof free he punched him right across the face. The concussive force was enough to make him black out. The soldier fell with a grunt, limpening. Rising victorious, bleeding and bruised in several spots, the Spartan Stallion made for Luna! His roar was like that of a lion, and the dark alicorn cried out in fear.

SWAT-BASH! Spartan Shield never saw what hit him. An invisible, magical force had flung him to one side and into a wall, crushing him to it and then flinging him upon the floor. His world spun, all white spots and dizziness. Twilight Sparkle stood over him, panting in distress. He saw the purple light from her horn slowly fade. How DARE sh—he blacked out, his eyes rolling slowly into his head.

“Princess Luna!” Twilight rushed to the frightened, bloodied alicorn. “I’m so, so sorry!” She reared up, grabbing a napkin off of the table to press it to her muzzle. Luna sniffled as she was dabbed at, her nostrils burning in pain. She sat down hard, looking at the scene and the four fallen stallions.

Celestia slowly stood from her chair, having been still and silent for the whole ordeal. “It seems he failed.” She said somberly, walking slowly around the table to the pile of stallions on the floor. Her horn lit itself with golden magicks, and she waved it gingerly back and forth across Aegis Shield, Stalwart Hide, and the solar guard Granite Might. All three boys moaned, turning over and limping gingerly to their feet.

“Failed?” Twilight said, looking over her shoulder at Celestia.

“Failed to adjust.” Celestia said gently. “We’ve told Spartan Shield over and over that these are peace times, that Equestria has no enemies, and look at him.” She nodded to him, not bothering with a healing spell for the Spartan Stallion.

“H-he’s better than this.” Twilight said meekly. “He is!”

Luna scoffed angrily, “He bloodied our nose! Who is he?!”

“The pony that stood between you and victory, a thousand years ago.” Celestia smiled at the irony. “Seems he’s still angry that your army killed all of his comrades.”

“Who? What?” Luna said slowly, holding the napkin over her nose. She leaned, studying the toga he was wearing. He did look a little like the fashion of that era. And he was certainly large enough, stallions back then had been huge things.

“This is Spartan Shield.” Twilight gestured, sighing quietly. She was ashamed of her ‘student’, for he’d not learned a thing about peacetime in their weeks together if he was brawling in the royal dinner hall, out for Luna’s blood. “He led the Spartan Stallions at the Battle of Moon’s Apex a thousand years ago. He stood between Nightmare Moon’s army and Canterlot with three hundred and thirty-seven Spartan Stallions--”

“—and killed ten thousand Lunar Stallions.” Luna finished as she dropped the napkin in shock, a fresh bead of silvery blood dripping out of her nose. Her mouth was a little agape. She did recognize him. The leader. The foolish leader she’d tried to seduce away from the mouth of Sore Saddle canyon. It had been her last night on earth before being banished to the moon. She would never forget his face.

“I see you’ve been doing your research, my faithful student.” Princess Celestia mused.

“My history books also said that you defeated the rest of the lunar army on your own that night, Princess.” Twilight turned all the way around to face her mentor. “And— and Spartan Shield says that Canterlot used to have a canyon in front of it.” The implication of what had happened hung in the air, and Celestia turned her head a little guiltily.

“That was war, Twilight Sparkle. A very long time ago.” Celestia said quietly.

“That wasn’t fair, what you did. He doesn’t know any better.” Twilight gestured. “He was raised a warrior in one of the darkest times in Equestria’s history! He couldn’t just leave that behind in two weeks and shake hooves with his sworn enemy!” She turned and knelt gingerly, leaning over Spartan to see that he was okay. He was unconscious, but seemed to be breathing okay. The three guard ponies bristled angrily, their egos more than a little bruised that just one stallion had bested all three of them.

Celestia was silent a long time, then sighed deeply, “You are right, Twilight Sparkle. I was too hasty to think he could handle seeing Luna face-to-face so soon.” She turned to her sister. “I’m sorry, Luna.” She said genuinely. “I had hoped perhaps the two of you could make reparations now that the conflict is so far behind us.” 

“He hit me in the face with a serving pan!” Luna shrieked angrily. “Sister, you set me up as bait!”

“I know.” Celestia wilted a little. “I overestimated the power of this utopian era, forgive me.” She did seem genuinely sorry, for her wings wilted down and almost touched the floor. “It will take more time for a Spartan Stallion to settle down and become peaceful like everypony else.”

“I should hit THEE with a serving pan! See how THOU likes it!” Luna grumped, grabbing her napkin and pressing it back to her nose gingerly. Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide were at her side again, fussing over her. She sat on her haunches, tilting her head back so they could see and examine her properly.

“Please don’t punish him, Princess Luna.” Twilight said. “I-I’m supposed to be responsible for him. It’s my fault.” The purple mare stepped forth to soothe the angry Princess of the night.

“Tiz a lie, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna said airily while Aegis Shield went to fetch another napkin for the blood from the table. “Thou didst not instruct him to assault me. Tiz not thy fault if thy lessons on peace time did not seep into his head.”

“The Battle of Moon’s Apex was just a few weeks ago to him, Princess!” Twilight said desperately. “I know if he were given more time he could be kind and gentle! He’s been very gentle with me at lea--!” Twilight’s mouth clamped shut as soon as the words left her mouth and her face went scarlet. Celestia’s brow rose, her lips making a perfect o-shape. Oh-ho-HOH? There was a short, very awkward silence. Luna stared at her, grumpy and in pain still.  “I-It’s not what it sounds like!” she shrieked embarrassedly.

“Can we throw him in a dungeon, PLEASE?” said Stalwart Hide interrupted loudly, growling over the still unconscious warrior. “Before he wakes up and causes more havoc?!”

“Yes!” said Luna.

“No!” said Twilight.

“Yes.” Said Celestia.

Obeying his Princesses, Stalwart Hide stepped forth to collect Spartan Shield’s body. The other two guards helped. He was heavy, such a muscle-y thing! They struggled with him out into the hall, and away.

“Princess!” Protested Twilight, looking up at her fearfully. “You can’t throw him in prison! You baited him! Showed him Luna with no warning!”

“Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia said, putting on her authoritative scolding voice. Twilight’s ears turned back and she wilted down to her belly on instinct, like a scolded foal. “I understand what I’ve done, I assure you. I gave him a test without enough time to study. As a teacher, that is my fault.” She admitted. “However, I shan’t keep him imprisoned for long.” She turned her head, towards Luna. “Just long enough for he and Luna to have a meaningful conversation without violence breaking out.”

“Thou art serious about these reparation talks?!” Luna said. “He HIT us! With a SERVING pan!” she complained for the third time, showing Celestia the blood.

“All I ask is a talk, sister.” Celestia said gently. “After that, Twilight will take him back to Ponyville and he may continue his studies of peace and harmony.”

“We wish to punish him! He cannot get away clean after assaulting a Princess!” Luna’s temper was stoking higher and higher. 

There was a short silence, then Celestia nodded. “Very well. Punish him if it will make you feel better. But remember, he goes home with Twilight at dusk tomorrow.” The day Princess said it firmly, and there was no argument. Luna turned from the dining room, heading away to have her muzzle seen to. Twilight had never been so stressed out, sitting down hard on her haunches. She took deep breathes for awhile. When she looked up, she saw Princess Celestia was looking at her closely. “So.” said the white alicorn. “He’s gentle with you, huhm?” she smiled wryly on one side of her mouth.

“It’s not what it sounds like…” Twilight said weakly, in a very small voice. The sentence was a glass shield and she knew it. Her ears turned back, hot with embarrassment. 

End of Part 11

> Spartan Shield vs. Princess Luna (III of III)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 12: Spartan Shield vs. Princess Luna (III of III)

Spartan Shield awoke with a throbbing headache. He became aware of eyes on him, and jerked his head to look up. There she was, mistress of the night, Princess Luna. Shaking his head quickly, he set himself on his hooves and charged wildly--- into a set of bars. His yelp was haggard and he fell with a grunt, stunned.

“Not very bright, is he?” said a Lunar Stallion from a dark corner.

“Silence yourself, Stalwart Hide.” Luna snapped, looking over her shoulder until his wings wilted apologetically. The dark alicorn waited patiently for the Spartan Stallion to right himself. “Are you alright?” she asked, lifting a hoof.

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t pull your head off.” Spartan Shield pressed his face to the bars, his hooves reaching through and trying to grasp her. He glared at her with all the heat of a thousand angry suns.

“Because even thou cannot get through moonsteel bars.” Luna said simply, letting him struggle as he pleased. Even with his great strength, he was not getting through to her. “We shall wait until thou art ready for a summit.” She planted her royal hiney on the ground, folding her wings. She closed her eyes in silent meditation while he paced back and forth like a caged lion, wishing for nothing more than for her mane to blow a certain way so he could grab it and drag her in. Time passed, he didn’t know how long. 

Aegis Shield brought the Princess a tiny folding table, tea and a little tray. Spartan watched her work with quiet grace, preparing the tea from powder, hot water, a strainer and cup—just so. Each movement was deliberate and practiced. When she was done brewing, her eyes flicking at him, she poured the tea into four tiny ceramic cups. It looked green and sickly. Was it poison? Neigh, she would not poison herself and her two guards… “Aegis Shield, give our guest one.” Luna said gently, gesturing.

Aegis… Shield?

The Lunar Stallion emerged from shadow, walking slowly and taking one of the tiny cups from the table. Coming close with an air of caution, he set it on the ground and pushed it within hoof’s reach. Spartan Shield stared at him, trying to discern if… no. No that would be way too convenient. The cosmos were not so cruel. They could not be. Aegis Shield paused to see if he would take it. They studied each other cautiously. Luna cocked her head. They seemed far more interested in each other than tea, all of a sudden. Slowly, a dawning expression passed over Aegis Shield’s face. No. No that couldn’t be. It was impossible! The Lunar Stallion backed up in abject horror, slipping quickly into the shadow of a column until he hit his butt on it. His golden eyes glowed in the dark, betraying his fear and confusion. 

Visibly shaken, Spartan Shield sat on his haunches after pulling the small cup unto his cell with him. He held it gingerly, for it felt old. Princess Luna looked back and forth between the two of them, frowning. “Speak. I’m not going anywhere, monster.” The Spartan Stallion said, at last returning his attention to the dark alicorn.

“Monster no longer, stallion.” Luna frowned at him, lifting her tea with both hooves to take a serene sip. He studied her with a hawk’s gaze, looking for the slightest shudder or mis-step. There were none. “Much has happened since our battle in Sore Saddle Canyon.”

“Thou. Killed. All of my comrades.” Spartan Shield fought the very real urge to throw his cup at her. But no, perhaps she would come closer later in the conversation. Then he could get his hooves around her neck. He would be patient.

“And thou slaughtered ten THOUSAND of our Lunar Stallions.” Luna fired back, though still in a patient tone. “And assaulted us in our own dining hall.”

“I assumed thou conquered by her Immortal Shining Majesty.” Spartan furrowed, taking a sip of his tea without even realizing it. Though there were moon steel bars between them and he couldn’t choke-a-mare yet, perhaps he could learn a few interesting details in the meantime… he cocked his head. “No. No, she called it a draw. Why?” he looked at Luna with a furrowed brow.

“We were banished to the moon for a thousand years, Spartan.” Luna said a little wistfully, looking to one side. Stalwart Hide came forth, extending a bat-like wing over her with quiet and comforting affection. She smiled at him gingerly. “All our armies gone, all our powers put in chains, living in a true tartarus for centuries.”

“As you rightly deserved!” he spat. “'Nighttime Eternal', p’ah! How would we have grown crops, or tamed the tides of the sea?!”  The stallion set his tea cup down with both hooves, getting up to pace angrily again. It amazed Luna how much he reminded her of a lion with his coloring and angry growling.

Luna gritted her teeth a little, then steadied herself. She was trying to extend the olive branch here. Celestia’s poor planning had done all this. Twilight was right, he did not know any better. Showing him his worst enemy after what he perceived of two week’s peace? Cruel! Unthinkable! Serving tray! To the face! “The Battle at Moon’s Apex was a thousand years ago, stallion. Equestria had but one Princess for an entire era. Have we not paid our debt to society?” she asked a little gingerly, looking at him.

“Why don’t you ask my dead brothers?” Spartan said stubbornly, putting his hooves on the bars. “Oh yes, thou can’t! They’re dead!” she once more waited, letting him vent and growl as he pleased. Only a huge burst of anger would allow for any healing.

“Thy defiance is just as radiant now as it was then.” Luna said a little acidly, growing weary. “Can we offer no terms of peace between us?”

“Resurrect three hundred and thirty-six stallions!” he said, clanging his hoof on the bars animatedly. Stalwart Hide bristled angrily, but knew there was little he could do to a caged stallion. “Turn back time and give me my life back, Nightmare Moon!” he shouted, pulling and yanking at the bars with all his might. Even his glorious muscles were no match. He kicked his tea cup at last, spilling it over her hooves.

“We can do none of those things, and we art not Nightmare Moon anymore.” Luna said, leaning forward with a frown. “Never call us that.”

“I’ll call thou what I please!” he said savagely. “Mistress of dark! Tail-lifting whore! Most unclean one!” he spat a long list of archaic swearing at her, jerking at the bars over and over again. Luna saw the conversation was spiraling out of control. There was no peace talk to be had here. The wounds were still fresh to him, and he was not one to sit in civil conversation.

“We could have thou locked away, for a long time.” Luna said, turning her head away. “But thou art a patient warrior, it would only allow thy rage to fester.” She sighed, long and loud, resigned. “We wished to repay thee for bloodying mine nose,” She paused for a moment, “But violence and imprisonment would only encourage you. We shall give something suitable for this peaceful era.” The Spartan Stallion glared fires at her, but the dark alicorn refused to burst into flame at the sight of him. Darn. “Instead, thou shalt be given community service.”

“Community… service?” Spartan strung the words together, but they had no context to him.

“Thou shalt raise twenty-five hundred bits for a worthy cause, not gained from thy money being equated into bits.” She raised a hoof before he could put that detail in. “We have heard our sister’s plan to give thy archaic coins to a museum. That shalt be withheld until thy labor is complete, as punishment.”

Spartan Shield had no idea how much a ‘bit’ was worth, but a twenty-five hundred of anything sounded like a lot to him. “And if I refuse?” he said, narrowing his eyes rebelliously.

“Then thy fortunes will find their ways into causes of my choosing, and your backside back to this very cell.” Luna frowned. “I seek no vengeance for our wartime rivalry, however-- think not that thou may assault a princess and get away free.” She lifted a hoof to point at him.

He’d be damned if his monies were given to ANYTHING of Princess Luna’s choosing. He stood on his four hooves. “Very well.” He said at last. “Release me.” He rolled his shoulders a bit, sore from being bitten.

Luna threw her head back and laughed. Both Lunar Stallions rolled their eyes. “Think me not foolish, Spartan Stallion! After you trounced three guards on thy lonesome, think thee that we would just open the cell door for you? Right now?”

“Yes?” he tried, feeling his chance to wring her neck slipping away.

Luna laughed at the ceiling again, holding her face. “Neigh! Neigh, we think not!” the dark alicorn stood, and Stalwart Hide collected her folding table and tea sets. Folding them into their container and nodding, he motioned that he was ready to do. “One of our guards shall release thou.” Luna promised, nodding and starting away. She stopped, though, at the foot of the stairs that led out of the dungeon. There was a few moments of silent thinking. How best to word it. “By the by…” she mumbled somberly, looking over her shoulder at the prisoner.

“What?” Spartan Shield grumped, sitting on his haunches.

“Thou should ask Twilight Sparkle what happened to Nightmare Moon.” Princess Luna said cryptically. They stared at each other for a time, then she was away. 

Aegis Shield silently counted five minutes, then came and unlocked the cell door with caution. The two stallions regarded each other, and Spartan Shield looked Aegis Shield up and down. There was silence. Neither had the courage or desire to voice what hung between them. After sizing one another up for a short time, they walked side-by-side up the stairs and out of the dungeon. Spartan was bigger than he, and the resemblance ghostly-faint… but it was certainly there. It bothered him deeply.

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

Twilight smiled faintly when Spartan Shield emerged onto the train platform, cantering over to greet him. She did so cautiously, waiting for him to blow up in her face about knocking him out. He was silent for a time, the nodded his head at her approach, “Are we homeward bound, mage?” he asked.

She nodded, but added. “You don’t hafta keep calling me that. Just Twilight is okay. Or… just Twi.” She turned her ears back a bit. “I’m sorry.” She said suddenly, looking to one side.

“What for?” 

“For… for swatting you down like that.” Twilight said a little meekly. “I couldn’t let you harm Princess Luna.” She couldn’t meet his gaze, and waited for the angry explosion to happen.

His huge hoof found her chin and brought her face up. “If I had assassinated her, I would be in prison forever. Or on a chopping block.” Was that his way of giving forgiveness? “Perhaps thou saved me in a way, Twilight Sparkle.” His hawkish eyes flicked up and down her for a moment. “Ever my closest ally.” He smiled just a little, and her ears perked up.

“So… you’re not mad at me?” she said.

“No.” he shook his head.

“Whew…” she said, leaning her cheek into his hoof for a moment. Spartan leaned in to kiss her on the face. Her heart revved up, heat touching her (face) in a more profound way than before. But, she honked his nose with a hoof. “No. No kisses for you.” He deflated at her denial. “You’re still in trouble. What punishment did the Princesses give you?”

Spartan Shield growled a little, backing up so he could speak. “Nightmare M--!” he stopped, trying to think of better, for Twilight’s sake. Sure enough, she was glaring at him. He cleared his throat to amend himself. “Princess LUNA,” he ground the word out like it tasted bad. “Bade me to raise twenty-five hundred bits for a worthy cause. Only then may I have my own monies back.”

“Community service?” Twilight furrowed her brow, then saw the train was getting ready to leave. Flashing her golden ticket to the conductor, she got on and pulled Spartan along with her. They seated themselves in a private booth meant for four. “Any idea what you might do?”

“No.” he said, shaking his head with a frown. “I am a Spartan Stallion, I know little in the ways of modern era jobs and services.” He rubbed his chin with a hoof, thinking. “Perhaps I could chop down trees to clear land to sell. Or, find something worthy of my strength in Ponyville.” He didn’t like the idea of getting a job. It was beneath him. Spartan Stallions were warriors by trade and birth, not farmers and potters and the like. It was unbecoming of him to seek employment doing something else! But… it wasn’t as though he had any other choice. He’d attempted to assassinate an Equestrian Princess. He was lucky he hadn’t been whipped two hundred times and then left in a jail cell to rot for the rest of his miserable existence. Clearly there were greater powers at work here, he just couldn’t see them. 

“Maybe it’s just fate.” Twilight said with a sigh, leaning comfortably back in her cushioned seat. “Hahhh, something needed to kick your butt into integrating into pony society, I guess.”

“What do you mean?” Spartan asked, holding onto his seat when the trained lurched forward with a hiss of steam. “Fate?”

“Well, I’ve kind of been sheltering you.” Twilight said guiltily. “I didn’t even tell you about Princess Luna’s return, or make you go out and get a job. I just kind of wanted a study buddy.” She blushed, looking to one side. “But I can’t do that, I guess. Look what happened.” She gestured vaguely to Canterlot.

“If I embarrassed you in front of her Shining Immortal Majesty--”

“No no, Princess Celestia just… overestimated me.” Twilight wilted a bit further at the thought. Celestia had thought that she could tame a Spartan Stallion in two weeks, and had wanted to see his progress. Had she failed her mentor?

“Perhaps not.” He said, sidling over to sit beside her. “Spartan Stallions are very stubborn, I assure thou. We art not prone to changing anything quickly. Repetition breeds tranquility.” He said rather sagely. 

Repetition breeds tranquility? What a beautiful phrase… perhaps he was not the big dumb muscle-head he seemed to be sometimes. Twilight cleared her throat a little, stemming the steady warmth in her cheeks. “Well, I’ll just have to try harder. And you will too.” She nodded firmly, smiling over at him with confidence. “When we get back we’ll study even harder, search for a job so you can pay your community service, and start getting you seriously settled into Ponyville!” she smiled broadly. He nodded, smiling back.

Both fell silent after a time, watching the landscape go by as the train chugged along its track. Spartan Shield had never had a job before. Well, not beyond being a soldier. But that was more of a way of life than anything. Yes he was paid and given lodging and such, but it wasn’t the same as being a flower arranger or a chef. He sighed a bit. Maybe it was fate.

Fate.

He blinked a bit, staring at his reflection in the window glass. Of course! It was so obvious! Whenever a pony, serf or Princess, had an unsolvable problem concerning their future they did just one thing. Consult an oracle. “I’ve got it.” He said after a time, grinning. “I know what I’m going to do.”

“What?” Twilight tilted her head a little, curious.

“Twilight, wouldst thou lend me some bits, a spade, and a satchel?” he asked, rather specific.

“Uhhh, sure?” it came out like a question. The purple mare was happy he seemed to have sparked an idea already, even if she had no idea what it was. “Want to tell me what you have in mind?”

“I must seek out a wise pony and learn from there.” Spartan said, nodding officially.

“Oh? Well, Ponyville has plenty of those!” Twilight smiled enthusiastically. “There’s Granny Smith, and Madam Mayor, and Cheerilee too! She’s plenty wise, she’s a teacher, and--!” Spartan Shield let her name off all the wise ponies she could think of, but he already had a specific one in mind. She would know what to do, and be able to guide him on the proper path.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Three days later… 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



Fluttershy heard banging on her door at the crack of dawn. “Druid! Emerge! I come seeking thy wisdom!” a powerful male voice bellowed. Angel Bunny was NOT amused at the racket. She peeked out the window, blink-blinking with interest. There was a massive armored stallion on her stoop. Wasn't that Twilight's friend, Spartan Shield?

End of Part 12

> The Druid's Prophecy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 13: The Druid’s Prophecy

Scrape. Scrape scrap scrape. Scraaaape. Scrape-scr-scrape. “Hey, I think I found something.” The honey-colored mare said, adjusting her hat. “Come have a look’it this!” Pulling at her manila-colored vest to let some of the heat out, she switched from a shovel to a dusting brush. Sweeping back and forth with careful grace, she slowly revealed a… face?

“What is it, Daring?” A stallion leaned around her to see.

“I think it’s a statue! Or at least part of one.” Daring Do backed up so they could see it in better light. Spartan Shield’s face stared up at them, frozen in a silent shout of battle fury.

“I think we just hit the honeypot.” Grinned her assistant True Facts. Scratching the green check mark on his flank, he leaned and blew on the face a little. Dust particles rushed away, revealing a bit more. They turned and looked at each other, grinning. “If this is a full body statue,” he smiled broadly. “We might finally have something for the museum in Canterlot!” Daring was framing his face with her hooves already. He puckered his lips, expecting kisses, but wilted when he got none. Instead, she drew her hooves away like she’d been measuring him, and brought them to the face in the dirt.

“He’s life size. Or pretty close to it.” Daring said, scratching her chin. “Go get our brush set and spades. We’ll do this one ourselves.” She smiled. True Facts nodded, perking up again and dashing away to do her bidding. “Hm, wonder who you were supposed to be?” Daring said, smiling with interest.

Daring Do and her excavation crews had finally, after months and months, been allowed to dig at the site of what had once been the legendary Sore Saddle canyon. The place were the Battle of Moon’s Apex had taken place. They’d been finding a treasure trove of bones, ancient weapons, bits of armor, and even things like teeth and necklaces. (It seemed the Lunar Stallions all those centuries ago had had piranha-like teeth. Scary!) They’d been carefully cataloguing everything they’d found, but thus far hadn’t found anything particularly impressive. If the museum at the capital of Equestria was going to take stuff from this dig for display, they needed a dramatic centerpiece. If that was true, then this statue would be just the thing. With such a real face, complimentary of the late Greek and Roman eras of Equestria, he could serve as a way of telling exactly what ponies back then looked like. Early Greek era stuff was all wrong. The ponies of that time thought that only perfectly sculpted bodies were worth carving, so most of their statues looked about the same. THIS fellow though, oh-hoh-hoh, he even had an angry face! Daring Do had never known a statue with such an angry expression before. He was going to be the centerpiece for the greatest Greek and Roman era exhibit to ever grace the Canterlot Museum. The high of promised glory filled her eyes and she chuckled to herself.

“I’m back. Here we go.” True Facts returned with their leather-bound tool sets, unrolling one for her. Getting a series of stakes and neon-yellow tape, he marked a wide area around the statue so no pony would step on it willy-nilly. It would take a long time to dig up a life size pony statue without damaging it, so security was all the more important.

Daring Do leaned over the face she’d uncovered, smiling happily. “I can’t wait to get you out of there, and all cleaned up.” She said, chuckling. “I hear Greek and Roman stallions were pretty handsome guys.” True Facts rolled his eyes, smiling a little. Daring always talked to the relics she found when she was excited about them, like they might answer back. Leaning, the honey-colored mare dusted the statue’s intense eyes. They looked so real. Whoever had carved this must’ve been a stone-carving genius.

“I bet he was put here at the entrance of Sore Saddle Canyon to warn away intruders. Kind’a like the old city states did with statues of lions and llamasu’s.” said True Facts. “Maybe he’s supposed to look like a leader or something? Somepony in particular?” he rubbed his chin, scribbling in his notebook already. “If we get lucky and find a maker’s mark, we might even learn his identity.” He grinned in delight, writing things down as they came to him.

“Yeah…” said Daring Do vaguely, running the brush carefully back and forth. She smiled, imagining the glory to come when she showed up with an army’s worth of weapons and armor, along with this gorgeous statue. She’d become the greatest archeologist the recent world had ever known. She could just see it now! After a long silence she leaned over, favoring True Facts with a kiss on the cheek. He smiled coyly, pinkening. Then, both of them leaned over Spartan Shield and began to carefully excavate him.



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
12 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



Luna frowned upon her sister as she let herself into the night princess’ office. “I’ve come to apologize.” Celestia said, casting her gaze at the guards that stood on either side of the door. “I’ve used you.” She was forward and rather blunt about it.

“Leave us.” she dismissed Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide from the room so the conversation would be private. “Pray tell, sister, why didst thou unleash a killing machine unto us in our own dining hall?” she said, rather angry.

“I’m playing a rather long plan, I’m afraid.” Celestia didn’t dare use the words ‘long game’ after her sister’s nose had been bloodied in the process. “Spartan Shield needed to get a good look at you in this era, to see that you were no longer Nightmare Moon.”

“So thou DID’ST set me up for pain!” Luna accused, standing angrily with a flare of her wings and pointing at her sister. “Thou art terrible!”

Celestia wilted, looking at the floor. “It was cruel, I’m sorry. But, if his war wounds are to heal, they must be ripped open first to let the infection drain out.” Her words were rather sickening, but Luna considered them. “He was raised to be a killing machine, yes, but in this era there is no place for him. I had to expose him to you early in his healing so that he would understand there is no more war, no more enemies, for him to worry about. Even his greatest foe,” Celestia said, gesturing to her. “Has come back from darkness and made amends with Equestria.” Luna’s tea set tray slipped out from under the kettle and cups, raced-across-the-room-CLANK! Celestia yelped like a kicked puppy, holding her nose. “Lulu d’at ‘urt!” she said, mewling at the pain.

“Next time thou shalt include me in your plans, yes? Especially when they involve pacifying one of the most fierce warrior stallions in Equestrian history?” Luna said acidly. Celestia nodded, checking her nostrils for blood. There was none, but it still hurt a little.

“Forgive me?” Celestia said softly, coming close to nuzzle her. Luna accepted said nuzzles. “I’ve grown used to ruling alone and not sharing my greater plans with anypony. I won’t do it again with you, promise.” The dark alicorn smiled, nodding her approval. “The next time we meet Spartan Shield, it shall be on your terms. Does that sound good?” Luna took the olive branch and nodded, forgiving Celestia at last. The solar alicorn sighed. Finally all was right with the world.

“Perhaps when he is done with his community service we shalt go visit he and Twilight Sparkle in Ponyville.” Luna said thoughtfully. “Deliver his monies, even. That would show that we mean well, and he would be less likely to try and trounce us.” Celestia chuckled a little painfully, nodding.

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

Angel Bunny was not happy. Not. Happy. It was the crack of dawn and there was a massive armored stallion on the stoop of his home, banging on the door and shouting about druids. He rubbed his temples and sighed inwardly. He knew this day would come at some point.

Fluttershy gulped, going to the door and slitting it open a little so she could peer out and greet her guest with one eye. “O-oh, hello there Spartan Shield. Nice morning?” it came out like a question.

“Ah! There thou art!” he beamed at her. “I come seeking thy wisdom, wilt thou have an audience with me?” he adjusted his breastplate a little, throwing out his chest to look as impressive and upright as possible.

Taking a few moments to screw up her courage, Fluttershy slowly opened the door. He stepped back as she stepped outside. The crisp dawn air was chilly, despite it being early July. It would not warm up for several hours. “Uhm-m, I usually don’t get guests so early.” She said softly, her mane hanging out over half her face.

Spartan’s face fell, and he shouldered his satchel a little. “Should I return another time?” he asked. “When?”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t want you to run back and forth to see me.” Fluttershy said a little fretfully. She did so hate to inconvenience others. It just wasn’t right. “You said you… wanted to ask me something?” her voice was whispery and meek, but it sounded wise and sagely to Spartan. Like a mare that never shouted because she just didn’t need to. Ponies surely stopped whatever they were doing when she spoke, to hear her vast wisdom.

“Yes.” Spartan came to his front knees, a bowing motion.

Hold it right there.

There was written signpost in his face, held by Angel Bunny. He scowled up at the stallion, who blinked down at him. They leaned briefly into each other’s faces, studying each other. “Oh, Angel Bunny. This is Spartan Shield.” Fluttershy said softly. “Twilight says he comes from a long time ago.” She said it rather vaguely, for Fluttershy didn’t know all the details. Something about being turned to stone and sitting in a museum…? She’d not been assertive enough to ask for more.

Angel Bunny nodded slowly. Of course he was from a long time ago. Just look at the way he was dressed. That armor. Those wrappings. That sheer muscle. He wasn’t from anywhere around here, and he wasn’t from anywhen around here either. Still wearing the same stoic frown, then rabbit turned his sign over and scribbled on it with a marker. 

She knows not her powers. What do you offer to awaken them?

“Ephor…” Spartan Shield said, backing off a bit. So, the druid’s animal companion was her guardian. Well for course, that made sense. Her affinity for animals would of course spawn a guardian for her as such. An Ephor was an oracle’s guardian and keeper, in his time. “Forgive my intrusion. I’ve brought worthy trinkets.” Leaning and shifting his weight, Spartan Shield heaved his heavy satchel from his still bandaged shoulder. It made a sound of shifting metal. Angel Bunny tapped his big foot a few times. Fluttershy looked from one to the other, confused. Soon the massive ringing of metal filled her ears when Spartan threw down his bag. It burst open when it hit the ground, streaming bits and colored gems into view.

“Oh my.” said Fluttershy, gasping. There had to be at least forty gems there, all of them odd shades that one didn’t normally see. Blood red. Sky Blue. Forest Green. These were finds, not just anything you could dig up wherever you like. “Pretty…” said the butter-colored pegasus, smiling a little nervously. “Are those for me? How come?”

“I have come to have the future foretold to me.” Spartan Shield said, speaking to both of them but looking at Angel. “Shall I wait outside?” he asked.

“Oh, I'm sorry Spartan Shield. I can’t tell the future. I’m just a vet.” Said Fluttershy shyly, hiding behind her mane a bit more and looking to one side. She watched Angel Bunny gather up the gems and bits back into the bag, tie it, then haul it inside. “Angel, what are you going to do with that? Uhm… if you don’t mind telling me?” she said, looking over her shoulder. She looked back at Spartan Shield, who remained on his front knees in a pony bow. What was going on here?

Angel Bunny 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. Spartan Shield, still bowing, retreated a few steps as though to be out of range of something. “I thank thee for thy time and patience.” 

Angel scribbled on a new sign. What do you ask of the oracle?

Spartan Shield looked up at Fluttershy, who was watching the whole scene with rather frightened curiosity. “I wish to know my future, and let me be guided through its upcoming hardships. Please tell me of my oncoming trials.” It was tradition to be vague, because the oracles were always vague. But they were never, ever wrong.

Angel Bunny struck a match, pulling the lid off the first bowl. He dropped it in, and white smokes began to slowly snake out like cigar smoke. Dashing to the other side of the stoop, he did the same. A hazy, light blue smoke poured from that bowl. The twin smoke stacks intertwined slowly, back and forth like living things.

A thousand years, the Bunny family had done these rituals; each generation teaching the next as they carefully followed the bloodlines of the oracles. But, Equestria had long since forgotten about them. T he station of Ephor was little more than reason to play the part of a pet these days. He never thought he would actually pull out the relics his father had given him to do this, but… times had been strange since his little Fluttershy had become the Element of Kindness. The overlap in station had been fine since her powers were dormant, but now somepony had come asking directly. He could not turn him away after such a bountiful offering. It was protocol.

The white and light blue snakes of smoke wormed slowly this way and that. Spartan Shield sank to his belly before Fluttershy, bowing his head. The frightened Pegasus looked back and forth, unsure. 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. She gave a shriek, writhing about and pitching herself onto her back. She lost a few feathers and whinnied helplessly, gagging a bit and then curling up into a ball to shake. 

Spartan Shield watched silently, his face stone-like. It was strange, the little nuggets of the old world that had never faded. He was thankful this was one of them. Rabbit aside, of course. There should have been half a dozen stallions watching over this poor burdened mare. But, to see such a rare mix between druid and oracle must’ve made the rare exception that animals watched over her. He watched her writh about, shrieking as though in potent heat, mane bannering back and forth as she did so.

Fluttershy stomped again and again with her front hooves as her mind unraveled from the real world and went sky high, into something she couldn’t have imagined. Some sort of higher plain. She could see. She could SEE! She babbled and drooled, then 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 prophecy. He spoke the words aloud, for every phrase had a pause between it and the next:

“Violence begets violence…”

“A weeping mare loves…”

“Fear not a blue box...”

“Plant a tree with love...”

“Honor the gods...”

“Honor your love…”

“Forsake thy anger...”

“Embrace in the night…”

Spartan Shield listened attentively, committing every single word to memory. Prophecies tended to be vague, he could not afford to mix up any words or phrases. Not even the order they came in. He would’ve written it down, but that would’ve been blasphemous. Closing his eyes and nodding slowly, he took a deep breath before standing. Angel Bunny hopped about, covering the two silvery bowls to stifle the smoke coming out of them. After he’d put them away, he made a shooing motion at the massive stallion. He bobbed his head, and turned to go.

Fluttershy gave a quiet moan, and Angel Bunny cocked an eyebrow. Hopping quickly to Spartan, he pointed with effort. “Oh? Of course.” He bowed reverently and went back to the stoop. Nosing the door open, he gathered Fluttershy upon his back and took her inside. Depositing her on a couch gently, he pulled a quilt over her. Angel Bunny nodded, scowling his approval. “Farewell, Ephor.” He said as he pulled the door closed behind him. 

Angel nodded just once, before turning to check on his mistress. She would wake with a splitting headache, and probably be viciously hungry. Making doubly sure that the silvery bowls were well-hidden under the floorboards, he went to the kitchen to toss a salad. Fluttershy was always firmly under his foot, but in seeing to his hidden sacred duties it was his job to take care of her. Until she felt better. Then it was back to business as usual. Oracles never remembered their trances, and it was still early after dawn. Fluttershy wouldn't even remember she had a visitor if he was lucky.

End of Part 13

> The Cape-Scarf
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 14: The Cape-Scarf

Spartan Shield the statue was up to his whithers in earth and rubble, being oh-so-carefully excavated by Daring Do and her assistant True Facts. When they’d discovered that the statue was not only life-sized but intact, she had thrown a party for every pony at the excavation sight. This would be the archeological find of the decade! There was music, dancing and much revelry, spotlights left on Spartan Shield during the night so that they could enjoy his handsome good looks and cocked spear arm late into the night. Statues that had metal spears or other implements were almost always missing them. 99% of the time, they would’ve been taken out of the statue and melted down for other things like weapons, in times of war or poverty. The fact that the war pony was still clutching his spear and shield made him ten times more valuable, it was incredible! The six  or eight ton piece of carved magnificence had everypony partying.

Daring Do and True Facts had shared a quiet, rather scandalous night in her tent that evening after the party. They were a little wine-touched, but they were already a couple so it felt right anyway. (What? Uncovering a priceless life-sized statue that would no doubt make their careers was inspiring stuff! Of course there was excited tension to work off!) Laying on her belly in a delightful musky sweat Daring looked over at True Facts, who was resting on his side. “You know, if we get our names in the history books for doing this, we might actually be funded for some of the other projects we wanted to do.”

“Oh yeah?” said True Facts in a post-coitus purr, eyes lidded lovingly. 

The mare chuckled at him. “Yeah!” Daring said, rubbing his withers animatedly. “We get this stallion out of the ground, along with all the weapons and armor bits we’ve been finding? The grand display it’ll make in the Canterlot museum will last for years and years. Everypony will know our names.” She smiled.

“It’s all about the glory, huh?” True Facts chuckled at his lover.

“True. Facts.” Daring reached over and rather scandalously traced the green check mark on his flank. He laughed a little, sidling over to press against her lovingly. She slung an arm around him, hooking her hoof around his neck. “We could go to Zafrica and look for hidden temples. Or Prance to excavate their old battle sites. Or even--!” she trailed down a list of equally fascinating places that needed star archeologists like they were going to be. True Facts smiled and nodded along with each one.

“Sounds like you’ve got our whole career together already planned out.” True Facts chuckled, turning to lay on his belly. She smiled, blushing a little while she nodded. “I think it sounds great.” He smiled broadly. This was a triumph for both of them, but especially for Daring. She was the more adventurous sort anyway. He may have been her scribe, note-taker and fellow archeologist, but was perfectly content to follow her anywhere. He loved her very much.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
12 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


“And this is you, here?” Spartan Shield leaned over the book with interest, pointing to the picture. He’d finally gotten around to asking Twilight Sparkle about what had happened to Nightmare Moon. Twilight’s response was to pull out a foal’s picture book. Apparently the story was such common knowledge that they taught it in schools and had children’s books of it.

The picture on the page was like a mosaic, one of Nightmare Moon being blasted by the six Elements of Harmony. “That’s right.” said Twilight a little sheepishly. Spartan didn’t seem entirely convinced that the mare had conquered the incarnation of Night Time Eternal. He leaned over the picture, looking at the other ponies depicted. 

“Ah?!” he said, spotting Pinkie Pie in the picture. “The harlequin!”  he pointed. Twilight chuckled a little, nodding. “And the farmer… the athlete… the seamstress… the druid… and you there.” He mumbled through each one. “You and your friends did what armies could not?” he whispered, tracing his hoof over the picture of Twilight. She blushed a little, as though he were stroking her in real life.

“That’s not all.” She went on, turning the page a few times to the next picture. Upon it was a depiction of the weakened Princess Luna, with blue hair and a mortal pony’s size. She was embracing a much larger, shining version of Princess Celestia. “When the Elements of Harmony took away her dark powers, they shifted her back to good.” She smiled at him. “They cast Nightmare Moon out forever.”

“And this was the good that was left in her?” he frowned down at the picture of the embracing Royal Sisters. Her Shining Immortal Majesty even had a tear going down her cheek, hugging the mortal-sized pony. “This was not the creature I saw at that dinner.” He said, poking the picture a few times. “I saw the Princess of the Night, the shape she took before the Nightmare.” He made to pull out one of his ancient coins, but then remembered he didn’t have them anymore. Luna did. He scowled a little, cursing her for robbing him of his monies.

Seeing his look, Twilight quickly continued. “Er-well, I think it was a bit like being reborn. Or being freed of a burden.” She said, gesturing. “Luna shed the darkness, and was left in a weakened state after getting hit with the Elements. Over time, she slowly gained her powers back so she could look normal again.”

“Hm.” Spartan Shield said, leaning mistrustfully over the picture. Twilight turned the page again, showing him the caption and picture of Princess Luna when she’d regained her starry mane and alicorn stature. “I’m not sure I like it, Twilight Sparkle.” He said, inflating his chest with a loud sigh. “She turned against country and citizen for her own ambitions--”

“And was sealed in the moon for a thousand years for her crimes.” said Twilight gently. Over time, the purple mare had learned to keep her tone pleasant with him. Anger or frustration only made the warrior’s pride raise a shield against reason. Maybe it was her lack of masculine contact on the day-to-day, but she’d learned that the male ego needed to be coddled now and then. If it got him to learn, so be it. 

“Twas only weeks ago to me.” He murmured, slowly closing the book. Twilight could see the troubled expression in his eyes. “Surely I have right to be angry with her? Every other pony that ever hated her is either dead and gone, or has received reperations.”

“What would you want her to give you?” Twilight frowned at him.

Spartan only shrugged a bit. “It’s hard to even wonder what the deaths of all your comrades is worth.” He looked at her. “What would you ask of the pony that slaughtered all your friends, mage? Bits, perhaps? Silk? His weight in gold?” The unicorn knew that Spartan had every right to bear an enormous grudge against the Princess of the night. She really did. But, she was trying her best to help him see past it.

“You two are a lot alike, when you think about it.” Twilight mumbled quietly, stroking the book’s cover. She regretted her words almost instantly.

Spartan Shield’s mouth went agape, and an icy silence descended on the library. She looked over at him when she saw that he’d gone still. She had not just said that. She had NOT just said that! The anger rose in his eyes, and his chest inflated as a great and furious bellow rose up in his chest. “How DARE y-!”

Her hoof quickly came up to cover his mouth. “Hear me out, Spartan. Please?” she gave her softest, most feminine eyes. One of his eyes twitched a little, and he quivered at her with bristling anger. “She’s a thousand years out of her element, socially. She doesn’t understand everything that is going on around her.” Twilight laid the book down on the table, stepping closer to balm his seething anger. Screwing up her courage, she leaned into the furious stallion, chest to chest and resting her head on his muscled withers. “Awkward…” she whispered a little breathily. She felt him relaxing just a little. “Angry… powerful…” she lifted and lowered her muzzle a few times through his mane. He shuddered quietly, his outrage slowly deflating. His great head lowered to press its chin against her mane. They shared a quiet moment, and he considered just nuzzling with her for a bit. Their study books would not get up and trot away after all. 

“Tiz more to me than just killing things that oppose me, mage…” he said quietly, enjoying the quiet scent of lavender that was touching his nose. Twilight smiled quietly, though they could not see each other’s faces. The silence of the library blanketed them, promising not to breathe a word of their quiet flirting. “I am… upright.” He whispered. “Forward with what I want…” he trailed off, cupping the side of her face with his massive hoof. She kind of liked that. Just a little bit. He knew what he wanted and went for it, in all things. It was a good quality to have… yeah… mhh…

“Thick-headed… passionate…” she whispered, shivering a little as she leaned up and into him. Their lips barely grazed each other, the quiet and heady anticipation of the kiss hanging in the air between them. Twilight was reminded of the Ode to a Grecian Urn, just that little set of moments… right before… yes-sss…

The library door came open quite suddenly and they jumped apart, looking awkwardly at the visitors. It was Rarity and the Cutie Mark Crusaders! “H’oh my!” Rarity said with a rather devilish smile. “Are we interrupting anything, Twilight?”

The purple mare blushed furiously, shaking her head. “H-hey Rarity.” Twilight said, gulping a little and trying to hide the heat on her face.

“Heya Twilight! Hey Spartan!” the Crusaders said in one giggly voice, scampering past them to the children’s section in the stacks.

“The healthy foal and her friends, hello.” Said Spartan idly, lifting a hoof in greeting for a moment. “And the seamstress as well.” He bobbed his head with a small smile.

“I thought I would stop by and deliver Spartan Shield’s new cape-scarf!” Rarity smiled back, igniting her horn to open her saddlebag and levitating a blue box with ribbon on it. “It’s no charge dear, after what you did to help the Crusaders there.” She nodded towards the three fillies who were already fighting over the newest Daring Do novella. 

Spartan Shield stiffened. Fear not the blue box. The oracle had foretold of a blue box. Taking it gingerly from where it levitated, he slowly opened it. A rather normal new cape-scarf tumbled out into his hooves. He let out a held breath, and immediately started working it around himself. “Thank you.” He smiled more genuinely, setting the box on the table so he could admire his new garment.

“It looks good!” Twilight put in, grinning.

“It’s just a little something-something, you did come and ask for it specifically!” Rarity said with a haughty chuckle. “It’s not often I’m requested for something other than a dress, you know. It was a good change of pace.” Spartan Shield nodded at her thankfully. Wearing it with his wrappings and chest plate made him feel safer. Twilight had managed to help him retire his helm and remaining leg plates, as well as his spear and shield. They all lay in her closet upstairs. While the stallion still insisted on covering up much of his chest, neck, and midriff—even Rarity had to admit there was a normal stallion slowly emerging from his shell, if he was wearing less and less. Eventually he might have the confidence to walk about in just his fur like the rest of them. The pale unicorn wondered if perhaps the poor thing was sensitive and self-conscious of his looks under all that muscle and studly, gruff exterior. Oh-hoh my, such thoughts! Unsuited for a lady!

“I like it.” He nodded to Rarity, throwing one leg of it over his shoulder so it wouldn’t drag the floor.

“Well then my work here is done. Sorry I can’t stay long, I’m chaperoning a little backyard campout for the fillies today.” Rarity nodded towards the trio. “Come along, you three! We’ve a few more stops to make before we stop at Lickity Split’s!” she called. At the mention of the ice cream parlor, the Crusaders stampeded along, talking and laughing together. It seemed that one of them getting their cutie mark had, at the end of the day, not driven them apart—thank goodness. Rarity stopped halfway out the door, completely unable to help herself. She looked over her shoulder at Twilight, mouthing the words ‘as you were.’ The purple mare’s face went scarlet. Then Rarity and the three foals were gone, the pale unicorn chuckling scandalously as she went.

Spartan felt much better with his cape-scarf back on, and had already picked up the next book in their stack with interest. He was right back to it. “So, after the Elements of Harmony struck down Nightmare Moon the second time it shattered her from existence and left what was good of Princess Luna behind.” He recited.

“Y-yes.” said Twilight a little breathily, going back to her lesson. Spartan Shield had to admit, there was far more to the purple solar mage than met the eye. She’d bested timberwolves. She’d bested HIM—though he’d been distracted at the time, his ego said—and she’d also had a hoof in the destruction of Nightmare Moon? He wasn’t sure he believed it at first, but, seeing one history book and after another, and plenty of foal-friendly versions with pictures—he knew they couldn’t all be wrong. Twilight Sparkle and her strange gaggle of friends had laid low a GODDESS in the prophetic hour of her return, at the height of her powers. Impressive!

The Next Day…

It was late afternoon as Spartan Shield wandered around Ponyville, seemingly at random. The market was busy, the shops were all open, and many residents were milling around doing their daily routines.  The hot summer day wasn’t too cruel, so he felt no urges to shed his breast plate or scarf-cape. He was tailed for a bit by a pair of guards, but when they saw he was calmly window-shopping and not brawling in the streets they let him alone. Which was probably best for them, Spartan thought with his male ego. Now that he knew how they fought he could probably down one or two of them. That would teach them for flinging perfectly good pies at ponies.

The oracle’s prophecy also weighed heavy on his mind. Some of the phrases were obvious and needed little thought. Other parts of it seemed very vague and unassuming. The horrible thing about prophecies is that understanding them made them void. Any pony, even in this strange new era, probably knew that to know the future was to change it entirely. That was why oracles spoke in riddles. If you figured out one or two chunks of your prophecy before it happened, you could change the course of your life for the better. Now, Spartan just needed to figure out what the druid Fluttershy had meant in her fume-induced visions.

Violence begets violence. Well, yes of course it did. If you punch a pony in the snout, he’s going to get angry and hit you back. There was no questioning such a thing. 

A weeping mare loves. He didn’t know any weepy mares here in Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle was too powerful for such things, he could not imagine her crying. Perhaps he was supposed to be on the lookout for such a thing, and help said crying mare? That would probably endear him to at least one or two ponies. And considering he was known in Ponyville only for his street brawl with Big Macintosh, any slight upturn in his reputation couldn’t hurt. Hmm. 

Fear not a blue box. That was a tough one. He’d already received one blue box today, but that had been nothing of life-changing consequence. How did one fear a box, much less be warned against said fearing? He didn’t know. That was one of the more mysterious phrases. He peered about as he walked by shops. Why, there were blue boxes everywhere! On street signs, in display windows, on the backs of ponies that carried them. Blue was a common color. Why could it not have been gold, or blood-red? Something a little more rare and easy to spot?

Plant a tree with love. That part Spartan Shield also had no idea about. Was that the druid herself speaking to him in her prophecy? 'I have told you your future, now go make yourself useful and plant a tree, because I'm a druid and I like trees?' Well, he could go do that, sure, but it was a meaningless task. He was nopony’s servant or nursery keeper. He was a soldier. Snorting and rolling his eyes, he stopped and peered in at a series of cakes in the window of Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie Pie, who was behind the counter inside, waved at him energetically. Startled, he quickly moved away before she decided to come outside and plague him with her madness and defiance of the laws of physics.

Honor the Gods. Well that one was plain enough at least. He would probably be expected to apologize to Nightmare M… Princess Luna, at some point. He felt no sorrow for having bloodied her nose, but he had a feeling Twilight Sparkle and others would plague him for it if he did not at least make a show of making amends. This peaceful era apparently held no patience for grudges. Peacefulness and harmony was practically required. Bleh…

Honor your love. His love of what? He loved good wine, good food, and good company like any other red-blooded stallion. There had to be more to it than that. Would he be honoring his love FOR something? Or honoring his love, as in the idea of love? Was love so literal? The subject escaped the soldier rather fluidly, so he moved on and shook his head. Coming to a small park bench after having gone over a bending bridge, he settled there to think. Across the way was a school where prancing foals were having physical activity outside.

Forsake thy anger. Anger of what? He was a prideful stallion, sure, but that came with being an elite warrior in an era that apparently no longer needed him. Was he to be discarded in all his glorious talent? He scowled resentfully. He’d cast his anger and frustration aside when he figured out his future and had a plan for his life. Until then, he could be as angry as he bucking pleased thank you very much.

Embrace in the night. Embrace who? When? Why? His head began to hurt a little. It wasn’t referring to the nighttime Princess, was it? He was hardly ready to forgive her pompus face, much less embrace her. Perhaps the disgraceful Lunar Stallion that shared his last name? THAT was a completely different set of problems, given that he’d sired no foals and had no wife to speak of. If he had, they would be a thousand years dead. His very existence puzzled him. The thought depressed him a bit. There would be no 'proper' Equestrian mares for him to think about for a bit. 

Why, Twilight Sparkle was the only mare that seemed to fit the bill of mares he knew. The seamstress was talented, but haughty and gossipy. The farmer was… well, a farmer, beneath him. The harlequin desperately needed to be exorcized of whatever demons inhabited her. The athlete looked upon him with hungry eyes and open wings, which he did not find comforting. The oracle was not for a stallion to be touching-- ever. Twilight was, among all of them, at least approachable and available. "Hmm." he considered. She was impressive, yes, but he wasn’t sure she was the sort to do any ‘nighttime embracing’ with, if one knew what one meant. Besides, he could not rob her of her powers to slake his own feral lusting. He'd promised her that the day they'd met, when he'd mistaken her for an alleyway tail-lifter. He respected her too much for that. When a solar mage lay with her lover or husband, her extraordinary powers were gone forever and she would be expected to live the rest of her life in a peaceful matron’s existence. Not that she would lose her magic entirely, just her ability to soak up extra mana from the sun. He could not bring himself to think of doing such a thing to Twilight Sparkle. It was shameful. (That, and he imagined her Shining Immortal Majesty would brutalize him for deflowering her protégé. Her horn was quite long, after all.)

Sighing and rolling his eyes at all his foolish philosophizing, he finally saw what was in front of him again. “Children! Time to come in!” There was a group-sized moaning when the recess of school ended. Spartan eyed the purple mare herding the foals inside. He liked that such robust physical activity was still a part of schooling, but he was a little surprised that there appeared to be no wrestling, no spear-throwing, no combat training. Apparently the peaceful era forgave foals for their lack of agoge by letting them frolic with proper supervision. Hmm.

He hadn’t yet put much thought into his community service yet, either. He shifted on the bench a little, crossing the yard of the park and standing on the sidewalk. Surely this was where the healthy foal, Applebloom, and her friends went for their education. If he were to raise twenty-five hundred bits for the schoolhouse, surely that would pay his debt for bloodying the Princess’ nose? He chuckled darkly at the imagine of her mewling face, shaking his head with a wry smile. Trying to focus, he looked around. What would a school need? Well surely excellent physical activity equipment. He peered over at the playground they’d been frolicking on minutes ago. Swings. Sea-saws. Slides. Things to climb and stand on. Narrow pathways to practice balance on. He liked it, but it could have been so much more. He could make it so much more, he decided. He would gather up the bits demanded of him, then present them to the school so that they might build a better playground. Nodding to make it official, he turned on his hoof and started into town again. Now all he had to do was figure out how to acquire twenty-five hundred bits. Hmm.

End of Part 14

> A Hot Bath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 15: A Hot Bath

Daring Do was leaning back and forth, her face as white as a sheet with worry. “Careful now! Careful! Another rope on that end! Nice and steady!” She scampered back and forth to supervise it all. Spartan Shield the statue had been completely excavated, and by estimations weighed between eight and nine thousand pounds. Solid marble was heavy like that. The entire excavation crew was working with thick ropes, simple cranes and a sturdily-built cart. A dozen powerful stallions had been employed to drag the heavy thing to the university warehouse in Canterlot, and they looked raring to go. “Slow! Slow now! He’s a thousand years old, be careful!” Daring was pacing back and forth with worry. The slightest bump, the slightest fracture could shatter him into a million little pieces!

True Facts stood nearby, calculating on his clipboard and mumbling to himself as time went on. “Put four more stallions on the carting crew, and add two ponies to the back-ups.” He said to a passing assistant, who nodded and scampered to do his bidding. This was their prize and crown jewel, and everypony present knew it. The weight of the statue slowly situated itself on the cart. It groannnned, the wheels pressing into the dirt. “I want a trio of road-sweepers!” He shouted over the milling crews. “If there’s a pebble on the road between us and Canterlot I want it swept away!” he made a harsh gesture to the hired help. They all moved quickly and efficiently, seizing brooms and making way for the massive cart.

“Are those ropes secure? How about the cushioning? I don’t want his hooves damaged, secure that end there!” Daring Do was shouting orders back and forth. Transport was the most dangerous part of any archeological dig. Once you found something, getting it home without damaging it was paramount. Adjusting her hat and vest, she took a deep breath. Squaring her shoulders, she gave the signal. “Alright, let ‘er rip, boys!” she shouted to the team. The group of stallions pulling the cart started forward. At first it was really hard to move the four or five ton pony statue, but once they got some momentum going it wasn’t as bad. The road sweepers worked furiously to get any debris out of the way, and they were off. It was going to be a long day, making the trip up to Canterlot. But, it was their victory road and everypony was excited. “C’mon everypony! With this statue and everything else we’ve secured, it’ll make our careers!” Daring launched into the air, wings flapping animatedly. A great cheer rose up from the group. True Facts grinned. She was really beautiful when she got all excited like that, haha.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
12 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Spartan Shield was studying a community bulletin board, in front of town hall. Dressed in his breastplate, wrappings and scarf, he did stand out a little bit. With his face fixed in a semi-permanent scowling expression, he scanned the articles. Kittens for sale.  Yard Sale. Necklace Found. Have You Seen Me, with a picture of a child’s toy. Fence Painter wanted. Caterer Wanted. Young Flyers Competition in Three Months. The warrior stallion was pushing five weeks at living in the new Equestria now, but he had yet to truly decide what his community service project was going to do. He could not simply go door to door and ask for money (could he? In this peaceful Equestria…?). It was dishonorable to beg and grab at money without working for it. Twenty-five hundred bits seemed to be a more and more impossible goal. Even if he got a normal job, to use all of his earnings for the project would take months. If only there were something he could do to gather the money all in one fell swoop…

Big Macintosh went by in his peripheral vision. Spartan Shield turned, studying the red pony for a long time. The draft horse was as big and burly as he in every way. He liked that. He liked a big, powerful stallion in place of all the strangeness and even feminine ponies in Ponyville. It gave him hope for this strange new future. Though the world had become a candy-colored virginal version of itself, it still had its tougher ponies. Excellent. The curious warrior watched Big Mac set up his apple stand on his usual spot in the market, setting up open barrels. There were red, golden, and green apples respectively. The strange preserved rainbow apple made a reappearance as well, ever frozen in time in its glass jar. When Big Mac had set a brightly-colored pennant on the counter to attract attention, he bobbed his head in satisfaction. Open fer business.

Spartan Shield approached, a wild idea slowly forming in his mind. This was too perfect, how could he pass it up? Big Mac saw him coming and smiled. “Ho, Big Macintosh.” He greeted, raising a hoof. Big Mac did the same, bobbing his head mutely. “Good stand you’ve got here.” Spartan Shield gestured vaguely. 

“Eeyup.” Said the draft horse. Spartan Shield wasn’t overly fond of the farming community. Soldiers like himself thought it below them to fraternize with such commonfolk. But, the Apple Family had proven themselves to him on many occasions already. The healthy foal, Applebloom, had survived a mini-agoge against Timberwolves. Applejack, the older sister, had apparently had a hoof in toppling a GODDESS. And then there was Big Macintosh. The only stallion in Ponyville that seemed as mighty as he. There was a certain flair for life in that barrel-chested thing, and Spartan Shield respected it.

“How much are you selling for?” Spartan Shield asked. He had no money, but was trying to make conversation to lead up into his idea. Big Mac nodded upwards, towards the sign. Three bits for one apple, any color. Twenty bits for the time-frozen zap apple (he would NEVER sell that silly thing, but there was always the off-chance some crazy pony would lay down the bits for it.). “Ah, I see.” Spartan Shield stroked his chin a little bit, admiring his wares. “You have a prolific business, no doubt, Big Macintosh… however.” He smirked, looking at him sideways. “I wonder if I may interest you in a sweeter pot of honey?”

“Nnope.” Big Mac said politely, shaking his head. He was an Apple. He wasn’t about to go switchin’ careers just for the money. He liked bein’ a farm pony and that was that. Spartan Shield cocked his head a little, as though working out what he was about to say. He worked his lips a little. Big Mac took the time to admire the strange pony’s breastplate. Not just anypony wandered around wearing armor. Applejack had told him that Twilight Sparkle had… had… what was it again? Reversed a curse that made him a rock? How had she known which rock was him? The world was full’a rocks. Hm. Twilight was a clever one, though. If there was anypony that could spot somepony trapped in a rock under a curse, it would be her. Or maybe he was missin’ something obvious and it was the rocks in his head.

“No?” Spartan Shield asked, cocking his head at last and smiling in a friendly way. “Suppose, friend, that I told you that the two of us could make more than twenty-five hundred bits in a single evening?” This statement shot Big Macintosh’s eyebrows into his mane. There, they remained lost in shock. See his look the Spartan Stallion smiled, bobbing his head. “I kid you not, for my plan requires at least that amount.” He explained. “Suppose, after the first twenty-five hundred, you keep all the rest, no questions asked?” he offered.

Big Mac sensed something big. It was a hunch, or an instinct, he wasn’t sure what. Something about Spartan Shield’s look made him want to know more. If his friend expected, so easily, to make twenty-five hundred bits… why share it with him? Furrowing his brow, he leaned forward silently, to learn the secret.

“A contest, Big Macintosh, between the two of us.” Spartan Shield leaned to whisper with him. “Ponyville’s mightiest stallions. Ponies in this innocent, virginal land would pay, I think, to see a true test of mettle between powerful stallions like ourselves.” He said with a smirk. Big Mac blinked a few times, still curious but unsure about what he meant. “I shan’t explain here in public.” Spartan Shield said, backing off a bit. “Meet me in the baths at the spa, and we shall talk in private.” He said. The big stallion nodded mutely, very interested.

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

Princess Luna slowly leaned over her viewing mirror. It was like a scrying pool, but augmented with water and lunar magicks. “We wonder how he is doing, is all, sister.” Luna defended when she saw Celestia’s disapproving look.

“It is called snooping, Luna.” The white alicorn was standing next to her.

“We also want you to take a closer look at him, by the by.” Luna looked over at her while the scrying spell revved up. “When he was here at the palace I sensed something… off, about him. I wasn’t sure it was him at first, but the feeling vanished when he left with Twilight Sparkle for Ponyville.”

“What feeling?” Celestia leaned over the scrying mirror just as the images began to swim into view. Ponyville came into focus, an animated day at the marketplace, it seemed. Spartan Shield was chatting animatedly with a big red stallion, who agreed with something, and then he was off. “He seems to be getting along alright.” She smiled warmly.

“He is bleeding solar magic all over the place, Tia.” Luna murmured softly. Celestia flinched visibly, looking at her in shock. “Tiz true. Something about Spartan Shield positively reeks of your signature of magic.”

“Are you sure? I didn’t sense anything when he was here…” Celestia was already leaning close over the image. Reaching out with her thoughts and willpower, she ran a sweeping scan over Spartan Shield’s body. Suddenly he stopped and sneezed. Scowling furiously he looked skyward, back and forth.

“Does he know we look upon him?!” Luna suddenly recoiled in horror.

“It was a trend in his era.” Celestia chuckled a little. “Suddenly sneezing or feeling hot behind the ears meant somepony was talking about you.”

“And this is true?” Luna said skeptically.

“Oh no, it was a fable. But, I may have tweaked him a bit when I touched him to look for solar magicks…” Celestia trailed off when Spartan Shield sneezed again, harder, ducking between buildings to rub his snout and look around furiously. “Yes.” The sun Princess suddenly said, her eyes widening. “There is something on him, and it is definitely mine…” she squinted a little, as though trying to see better. “I can’t tell, though.” The goddess said with a slight frown. “Something about the magic surrounding him is… is…”

“Old? Very, very old?” Luna said helpfully. Celestia nodded slowly.

“Why did I not sense it when he was before me?” Celestia mumbled.

“Thou art constantly surrounded by thine own magicks, sister. It would be like a needle in a haystack to sense just one more source of your own magic nearby.” Luna said, shaking her head at her sister’s frustration. “I only sensed it because it felt… older. And it was moving.” She finally said. “If he’d been standing still I may not have sensed him in the palace at all.” The Royal Sisters watched Spartan Shield for a bit. He talked with the red stallion for a long time, then wandered seemingly aimlessly around town for a bit.

“What does he do all day, if he has no battles to fight and no other profession?” Luna mused aloud, almost cruelly. “Has he become a lay-about?” The two of them watched the armored stallion go to the park and wander among some bushes. “What is he doing now?”

“I think perhaps you have too much fun spying on him, sister.” Celestia teased her just a little. Luna blushed and stuck her tongue out just a little, un-princess-like. “He’s trying to find himself, no doubt. A warrior from such a violent era, introduced into such a peaceful…” she leaned forward with interest too, for now he was doing something else. They watched the Spartan Stallion poke about in a flower bed or two, plucking up a series of purple flowers in his teeth and shoving them in his saddlebag.

Luna snorted. “Or perhaps he’s become a thief.” 

Celestia sighed a little, cocking her head. “He probably doesn’t know any better.” she mumbled, watching Spartan Shield steal all the purple flowers he could find from the displays in the park. With nopony watching him in particular, nopony stopped him. It didn’t take long for his purpose to be revealed, though, for next he made a bee-line for Twilight Sparkle’s home.

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

Twilight Sparkle blushed coyly when Spartan Shield THRUST a hoof full of purple flowers practically into her face. “For you.” He said with a very serious expression. The purple mare was delighted, and leaned forward to bite into the closest one. Lavender suckles, they tasted like sugar and honey!

“Oh thank you, Spartan! They’re tasty!” Twilight took them as he came into the library.

Spartan nodded pleasantly to himself. Truth be told he didn’t understand the significance of bringing a mare flowers in this era. Would they not like something better like a laurel of twine, a bundle of candles, or a jug of scented oil? No no no, times had changed so he had to adapt to them. He’d seen another stallion present his mare with flowers and she had seemed very pleased, so he thought to copy such an interesting cultural gesture for himself. Mission accomplished. Another new Equestrian custom observed. Twilight seemed very pleased indeed.

Twilight Sparkle fought the urge to eat the whole bouquet on the spot, they were so lovely. But no, she should enjoy them for a bit first. Getting a vase from a little cabinet in the kitchen, she put them into water and put them on her writing desk. Spartan Shield felt a twinge of delight. Twilight only placed very important things directly on her writing desk. Everything else was piled around the room when she got into one of her long study sessions—or perhaps on another table. Perhaps she would snack on them as time went by? She did forget to eat sometimes, perhaps something brightly colored would draw her eye and remind her to consume something now and then other than daisy sandwiches. (Then again she was a slender thing, so it was how she kept her figure—in his opinion)

“Now then, I must tell you something. I shan’t be home this evening.” He told Twilight somewhat officially.  She cocked her head at him, giving pause. “I shall be away with Big Macintosh for a bit.”

Her face brightened. “Ah! A stallion’s night out, huh? I’m glad you two have become such good friends!” Twilight smiled enthusiastically. This was an excellent sign for Spartan. He was going out on his own, making his own friends and interacting with ponies without Twilight being there to chaperone him. This was going so well!

“Yes! I intend to perform my community service with his help.” Spartan Shield said. “Giving him anything beyond the sum I need, of course.” He chuckled.

“Oh? That’s good! I’m sure he’ll like that. Applejack’s always telling me how tight the money is on the farm sometimes.” Twilight said, gesturing vaguely in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. “What are the two of you planning?”

“The planning will be tonight, at the baths.” Spartan Shield said. Twilight got the sudden very real image of a pair of handsome, burly stallions philosophizing while lathering themselves in the spa, but SQUASHED the thought before it colored her face scarlet. “Tiz a social place, is it not?” he said conversationally, going up the stairs. “I must change for the evening, I trust you’ll be fine?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Y-yeah, sure.” She said. Twilight looked at the vase of flowers, smiling slowly. Pushing her mane behind her ears she gave a slow and quiet sound. She didn’t know what sort of sound it was, but it sounded like a happy one. They’d been flirting with the idea of… well, flirting—for weeks now. A few scant kisses didn’t make them marefriend and coltfriend, those were all in the heat of the moment… right? “Oh Celestia!” Twilight suddenly buckled in her back legs, rushing over to the relationships sections of the stacks, then to the Greek and Roman era stacks, then to her tool chest. She had a LOT of cross-referencing to do! Notebooks and quills and inks and all sorts of other things started flying back and forth. “SPIKE!” she shouted over the hailstorm, sending her little assistant running.

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

Big Macintosh emerged into the spa’s hot baths. He’d shed his yoke, scrubbed himself down, rinsed, then gotten his towel and soaps. Peering about, he found only Spartan Shield was present in the pool-like structure. The lazy curl of steam and salts wafted under his nose. Looking about and checking for others, he cantered slowly forward until he reached the edge. Dropping his towel and such to one side, he clambered in as gracefully as he could. He wasn’t used to these fancy-smancy places, but he was curious about Spartan Shield’s proposition.

“Glad you came.” Spartan Shield sat up from his lazing position, nodding to Big Mac briefly. The two of them sat on a sitting rock, shoulder to shoulder, and the stallion told Big Macintosh his plans. At first, there was doubt in his features. The warrior pony was forward, brunt and almost sarcastic with his ways. Then, the red stallion shifted to slowly growing curiosity. Was that the way things could be done, then? Huh. Then, a smile began to work its way across his face when Spartan Shield thunked his chest a few times with a massive hoof, confirming Big Macintosh’s toughness. The farm pony was nodding enthusiastically by the time it was over. This was a great idea! He loved it! He was ready to be a part of it! “So, what dost thou think? Want to do it?” he said, reaching with a hoof.

“Eeyup!” Big Macintosh said, taking his hoof and shaking it firmly. They shook for a long time, and the Apple stallion noticed the slowly increasing grip Spartan Shield had on him. He flicked his gaze to his face. “Uh?” he said, trying to pull away. There was a grand and mischievous smile working its way across the Spartan’s muzzle. He pulled a little harder, but he wouldn’t release him. Harder. Harder! Gripped thus, Big Mac gave him an angry shove.

Spartan Shield shifted his weight and THRUST Big Mac off of their sitting rock, splashing him into the hot water over his head. The barrel-chested farm pony slowly emerged, huffing water out his nose. His mane was in tangles all over his eyes, and the steam of the bath’s heat rose from his shoulders. They HAD promised to wrestle again someday soon, but… but… this, with no warning? This. Meant. War. Big Macintosh splashed forward with all his might, splish-sploshh-splish-sploshhh—hooves outstretched to do battle with the laughing Spartan Shield. He kicked up foam as he went. They locked shoulders with both hooves, muscles coiling as water dripped from them, glistening in the evening light of the lamps posted around the hot baths. “Uh-HAH?!” Spartan was lifted bodily and tossed head-first into the water. He emerged, sputtering, as Big Mac pressed his assault. The stallions laughed and wrestled wildly as only competitive male friends can, sending waves through the pool. Their laughter could be heard even in the locker rooms. By the time they emerged they were both clean and exhausted and happy. “Until then!” Spartan said cryptically after they’d both emerged, dried and ready to head home for the evening.

“Eeyup!” Big Macintosh said, enthused with everything that was happening.

“I knew I could count on thee, Big Mac.” Spartan said with some affection, chuckling and turning to head back to the tree library. Big Mac bobbed his head a bit, then went his own way back to Sweet Apple Acres. Spartan felt better than he had in days. His community service project was going to be simply unforgettable, he just knew it.

Now? He needed an artist, and he needed to visit the athlete Rainbow Dash. Then all would be ready. Those foals would have an excellent exercising ground before they knew it. Princess Luna would fork over his monies. Then, he could start out in his life as a more, eh… ‘normal’ pony. The thought gave him pause. What was normal in this era? He wasn’t sure.

He knew what wasn’t normal. The Harlequin, Pinkie Pie. Spartan Shield scrubbed his chin a little, frowning at the thought. She claimed to be very educated. Perhaps he would do well to pay her a visit soon also. With the proper protection of course-- Twilight Sparkle. Protection... Suddenly, Spartan let out a gasp and looked down at himself. He was naked! Turning around back the way he came he RUSHED back to the spa to get his breast plate, wrappings and cape-scarf. How embarrassing!

End of Part 15

> A Naked Spartan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 16: The Naked Spartan

Daring Do yawned widely, squeezing her eyes shut and rubbing at the bridge of her nose a little. She was exhausted, but didn’t want to stop working. The Spartan Stallion had arrived in a magnificent open warehouse and had been surrounded by spotlights, instruments, and excellent work ponies that did everything she said. 

True Facts had been adamant about having only the best around them for their discovery. The piles and piles of armor bits, weapons, shields, and even pony remains had been taken elsewhere for examination. But this, this wonderful crown jewel—ohhh Daring was going to clean him herself. She and True Facts had started with the tiniest of brushes, getting the dirt and age out of his teeth and eyes. The face was the most important bit, really. It wasn’t a standard face, for some reason. In that era, most statues had the same ‘perfect’ face, and it was the posing and garb the statue had that was more important. But no, this statue had a rugged looking face, handsome features, a barrel chest… he had to be somepony in particular. “Lookit this, Daring. Maredusa’s.” he gestures with his tiny brush.

“Huh?”

“Here on the breastplate.” True Facts pointed with his tool to the breast plate. Carved into the fronts, around the armpits, were a pair of snake-mane’d heads with terrifying toothy expressions. “Didn’t they carve stuff like this to frighten their enemies?” he asked her.

Daring Do nodded, taking off her hat and setting it aside so that she could get closer. Turning about, she got under the statue like a car mechanic might, studying the clasps and straps of the armor. “It’s so detailed.” She whispered with a heady smile. “It’s like it was real and this was just a casting.” She chuckled a little. “Can you imagine? Us finding a dead pony inside of this? Perfectly preserved?”

“I don’t think he’d weigh four tons if it was hollow.” True Facts said a little snootily.

Daring rolled her eyes, shaking her head and lifting a brush to one of the stone clasps. Touching it lightly and with the greatest of care, she stroked dirt and grime out of the little rivulets. “This must’ve taken years to make…” she whispered reverently. “The detail… it’s like it was real fabric.” The mare looked back and forth to check the wrappings and their pattern. 

“Maybe they used a real model, and made the stallion stand still for days on end?” True Facts smirked, getting a pair of tiny tweezers to remove a stubborn grain of sand. He held his breath while doing so, careful not to even breathe hard on the ancient stone work of art. Daring Do chuckled a little at the idea.

“Makes me wanna know who he was all the more!” the sand-colored mare laughed, pushing her grey bangs out of the way so she could squint at the stallion’s undercarriage and continue her painstaking work. Spartan Shield the statue was certainly going to be magnificent once he was all cleaned up and set up for display!


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
12 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Twilight Sparkle was frowning in adorkable concentration over a semi-circle of books. Her quill was dancing animatedly as she mumbled what it was supposed to be writing. The light glow of purple magic enveloped it, and the paper it was writing on dashed back and forth as she scampered from open book to open book. She flipped a few pages, mouthing the words as she went. Ignoring the mild oncoming headache and pressing her muzzle briefly to a page to turn it, she studied that too.

Spartan mares had enjoyed the widest array of rights in the ancient world. Despite having two female rulers, Equestria was a stallion-dominated world for a long time. Spartan Stallions had been the progressive group to raise their mares to an elevated position. Much of the ancient world looked on with curious confusion as Spartan mares were allowed to own land, vote, divorce their husbands, wear short skirts (there were many angry mentions that Spartan mares often showed off their strong thighs), and many other things. Twilight scratched her chin. There was nothing about relationships, marriage, or anything of the sort. 

There were breeding protocols, though, which struck her as interesting. If a mare was known for producing strong offspring, or a stallion unable to impregnate his wife, best friends might be called upon to help with this. Sometimes other mares might be called in, if somepony’s wife were barren. They were very careful with their breeding procedures, wanting very much to produce the best and strongest ponies they could.

Also, the Spartan herd was very, very picky with their foals. If they thought a newborn foal misshapen, sickly, or too small they would simply discard them on a hillside to die. Twilight thought that horrific for a time, but then remembered; The ancient world had been a harsh place full of monsters, wars, famine, and an only slowly-rising civilized Equestria. Having too many mouths to feed was a constant worry. If a foal was defective at birth… they could not keep a cripple in the herd. Infanticide was not uncommon in any culture in that era, but the Spartans had been especially harsh. Twilight could only imagine what that must’ve been like for birthmothers. As soon as they’d given birth, their infants snatched up and set upon by scrutinizing eyes… the purple mare shivered, going to another book and scanning down the same entry again. 

“There’s nothing here about dating…” she mumbled.

“Uh, Twilight that’s a history book on Ancient Equestria. Not dating.” Spike was suddenly next to her and she shrieked. Where had he come from?! “Oop, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiled apologetically. Twilight fought down the urge to scold him when he lifted a plate into her view. Hay bacon, chips, bun and sauce. “I know you like putting chips on your sandwiches lately…” he smiled a little sheepishly. “So I just left them on the plate so you could put ‘em on how you liked.”

“Thanks Spike.” Twilight said affectionately, taking the plate and setting it on a small corner of the desk. She leaned down and pecked his forehead. The baby dragon’s cheeks darkened a little, and he smiled bashfully. Turning, Twilight levitated the sandwich apart into all its different parts, putting it all together how she wanted.

“I made Spartan Shield lunch too, but he’s been locked in the bathroom for over an hour.” Spike said, pausing to jab a thumb at the upstairs bathroom. “Think maybe he fell in?” the assistant thought himself clever, slapping a paw on his knee with laughter.

Twilight cocked her head, looking curiously up the stairs. Setting down her quill, paper, and sandwich she put a hoof on the bottom stair. “Spartan?” she called aloud. There was no reply. “Are you sure he’s up there?” she asked Spike.

“Yeah, I would’a heard him leave.” Spike nodded. “The guy stomps like a herd of rhinos everywhere he goes.” He smirked at Twilight’s hot glare of scolding, shrugging a bit. “What? He does.” He and Spartan had come to the silent understanding the Spike was not a servant, and Spartan was not a crazy pony. Spike was an assistant, and Spartan was a thousand years out of his element (like Princess Luna, he’d thought silently). There was not much friendship between them, but a cautious sort of tolerance. Both liked and took care of Twilight Sparkle in his own way, so they had her between them to preserve the rather tense peace. Good enough for them.

Twilight Sparkle mounted the stairs, going up and into the bedroom. Going to the adjoined bathroom door, she listened briefly. There was a little sound of movement, but nothing else. “Spartan?” she called. “Are you sick in there? Do you need help?” she was trying to be helpful. “I have medicines if you have a belly ache or something!” she said through the wooden door.

“Ah, Twilight.” Spartan’s voice was strong, even through the bathroom door. “You’re just in time.” There was a heavy metallic CLANK inside, and Twilight wondered if he’d somehow mare-handled a pipe out of the wall or something.

“Are you okay in there?!” she said more loudly, cocking her head and pressing her ear to the door. Spike appeared next to her, frowning curiously. There was some shuffling inside. “I don’t wanna burst in if you’re having toilet troubles, but-” CLANK! “What are you doing, ripping my sink out?!” she demanded, knocking firmly on the door.

“No.” Spartan Shield said shortly from the other side. “I am coming out, one moment.” CLANK-SPATTER, what was he doing in there, crafting a new set of armor?! Twilight backed up, wondering if perhaps he were going to buck the door down or something. Spike backed up with her, holding her front-right leg and hiding behind it a little. Twilight leaned back, lifting a hoof in case she would need to shield her face… the door opened. The steam from a hot shower poured out, the silhouette of a stallion emerging. “How… do I look?” he said with just a grain of uncertainty about himself.

Twilight gasped, but it was Spike that spoke first. “You’re naked!” he blurted, jabbing a claw at the sand-colored stallion. “Wow! I’ve never seen you with all your armor and stuff off! Cool!”

Spartan Shield turned to one side, throwing his chest out impressively and tilting his muzzle back. Sure enough, his chest plate and wrappings lay on the bathroom tile behind him. He’d showered, groomed fiercely, and slicked his mane and much of his fur with lightly-scented anointing oils. He looked positively god-like in his natural glory. Lifting one powerful hoof, he stood poised for a few moments so they could take in his impressive form. “W… wow…” Was all Twilight could say, eyeing his strange cutie mark and… well, the rest of him too. Her tail tucked just a little, and she gulped. He was certainly a handsome, rugged thing. Living with him for five weeks and now seeing him in just his fur was just… just… wow! “Why the sudden change? You hate being naked.” Twilight cocked her head after oogling him for a moment.

“I am participating in an athletic event in a few days.” He said officially, walking forward in a regal manner. “If ponies are to understand I am to be victor, they must see all of me and understand my strength for themselves.” He said it like he was lecturing somepony. Twilight remembered the tablet from the museum. The running stallions in the picture had been naked, unusual for the era. Those participating in athletic events were expected to be naked so that the crowds could enjoy watching the athletes to their fullest.

“I thought you were a soldier.” Spike scratched his head curiously. “What sort of event is it?”

“I intend to wrestle with Big Macintosh for my community service charity drive.” Spartan Shield said, smiling grandly. 
Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Wrestling? Why? How will that raise money for your fine?” the purple mare didn’t understand, but the stallion had it all planned out.

“Well, Big Macintosh is the biggest stallion in Ponyville, respected for his strength and stoic ways.” He gushed briefly about how impressive the farming pony was. Twilight rolled her eyes a little, wondering briefly if Spartan had a crush on the poor almost-mute farmer. “And also, there was the day that we brawled in the street. Many ponies saw us.” he made a sweeping gesture out the window to the street below. “If we were to advertise a rematch, under the cause of charity, I think many would come to see us do battle.” He was grinning so wide all his teeth were showing by this point.

“Spartan that’s really violent!” Twilight said crossly, frowning at him. “You’re supposed to be learning about PEACEFUL Equestria and you’re going to start a violent sporting event to pay for violence you did before?” she groaned at him in frustration when he nodded. Rarely did he smile so grandly, clearly he was already invested in this plan of his. “Violence begets violence you know!” she scolded. “What if one of you gets hurt doing this?”

Violence begets violence.

Spartan’s smile vanished. The oracle’s words rang in his head. The first line of the prophecy. “What?” he said, really studying her now. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not trying to stop you or anything…” Twilight said, sighing in frustration and looking away. “I just think it kinda defeats the purpose. You got in trouble for hurting somepony, so you’re going to pay for it by hurting somepony until he gives up in a ring? Even for a sporting event, that’s kinda dumb!” she said, tossing her mane and trying to make herself clear.

Spartan scowled at her a little indignantly. “It is what I am good at. I’m born and bred to be a soldier. Wrestling is something I can do well.” He said, turning his nose up at her a little. “Besides, that playground of theirs is pathetic. It needs more if those foals are to be healthy.”

“Playground?” Twilight’s eyes lidded in frowny confusion.

“The playground at the school. I intend to donate the monies this event makes to build a newer, nicer one.” The Spartan Stallion explained. “That will please Princess Luna, and I will be free of her after that. Hopefully.” He scowled at the wall when he spoke her name aloud.

“You want to build a new playground?” Twilight said in a smaller voice. Of all the causes he could choose, that was actually very sweet of him. His strange affection towards Applebloom and the other crusaders marked his love for foals (violent as it was sometimes), so of course he would want to build something nice for them at the school house. “And you mean a real playground, not an obstacle course with swinging axes and piranha pools and stuff, right?”
Spartan Shield cocked his head. “What’s a piranha?”

Spike face-palmed a little, but giggled. It was always fun to see the big burly stallion come across something else that he didn’t quite know what it was. “Nevermind.” Twilight said with a pained smile. “You mean you’re going to give them the money and let the school build it, right? That’s what I meant.”

“Oh? Yes, of course.” Spartan said. “This era clearly has no need for agoge, the elders at the school will know what the foals need for their physical health and practice.” He waved a hoof dismissively. “Princess Luna bade me to donate monies, not to build structures with it.”

“Oh good.” Twilight sighed with relief. “But… wrestling, huh? You and Big Mac?” she was still cross about it, but she may as well try to learn more.

“Yes. I am commissioning an artist to make posters, and employing your friend Rainbow Dash to put them around town.” He snickered a little despite himself.

“How? You don’t have any money.” Twilight said with a confused frown.

“I am going to lend my breast plate to the artist so she can make a rubbing of it.” Spartan Shield smirked. “After all, it is a one thousand year old priceless artifact with the etchings of an ancient dead culture on it, is it not?” he leaned close to the scholar with a bemused smile. She cocked a wary eyebrow. He was right. Blast it he was absolutely right. Artists would give their right hooves to make a rubbing of such a thing to study it up close. 

“What about Rainbow Dash? She might still be mad at you, after all.” Twilight said suspiciously. “How will you pay her, huh?”

“I’ll let her play with my helm for a few days. She seems to like it a lot.” Spartan said smartly.

Spike laughed, “He’s got ya there!”

Twiight was, needless to say, impressed. “…Huh.” She said, nodding her understanding after a few long moments of careful thought. “Well, that’s one way to do things, yeah.” She said. She had to admit, Spartan was really thinking outside the box on this one. He was coming to realize that his belongings were valuable, and he was in unique position to lend and exploit them as he saw fit. When one didn’t have money, it was important to strategize to make money.

“But you see, there’s one more thing missing.” Spartan said importantly. “I shall need a coach.”

“A coach?” Spike said.

“Yes.” Spartan nodded in confirmation. “Somepony to make sure that I am sober, upright, and ready for the competition when it begins. Also, to take me home if I go home on a stretcher.” He said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

“Do you need me to do that?” Twilight said flatly. She still didn’t approve of all this wrestling business. It was violent, and against the teachings she was trying to impart on him. One step forward two steps back it felt like with him sometimes.

“Oh no, Twilight!” Spartan laughed. “Only a stallion may be an athlete’s coach! Both of us have to be naked on the field--” he trailed off suddenly. “Oh. Right.” He eyed her for a moment. “Er, well. It really is a males-only position.” Twilight’s scowl deepened and her annoyance grew.

“What about me?” Spike said, pointing at himself. “I could do it!”

Spartan looked down at the little dragon. “You?” he said. Twilight looked at Spike quizzically, cocking an eyebrow. The stallion looked from him to Twilight. The purple mare didn’t seem pleased in the slightest. Perhaps it would balm her anger to have her assistant assist him? “Well…” he trailed off and Spike grinned with all his fangs, bouncing up and down a bit. “Twilight?” he asked her instead.

There was a short silence. “Er… alright.” Twilight agreed a little warily. “It’s better than getting a stranger, I guess.”

“Yeah-heah!” Spike jumped into the air, pumping a fist.

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

That next afternoon, Spartan Shield wandered around town with his head tilted up towards the sky, peering about for any sign of Rainbow Dash. She shouldn’t have been so difficult to find, given her mane and loud voice. 

Ponies on the street stopped to stare a bit at the burly stallion. They knew him well enough by sight, and that he never wandered about without his armor or cape-scarf on. Huh. Must’ve been a special occasion or something. Mares (and a couple of stallions) just had to admire him. There weren’t many like him in town, that was for sure, and it was certainly a nice sight to behold. That trimmed tail, that sculpted jawline. Those intense light-chocolate eyes. That nicely groomed fur and mmhhhh-hm-hm-hm-- *slurp*, one mare had to wipe her mouth just a little, for she’d caught herself drooling at him. Just a little bit!

Suddenly Spartan spotted his target and smirked. She was curled up on a cloud, napping. He noticed it was the only cloud in the sky right then. She must’ve saved it for her personal use. Walking and standing at a proper angle, he called up to her in a big voice, “Rainbow Dash!”

One bellow from the mighty warrior was enough to jerk the cyan mare awake. “Huh-wha?!” she said, jolting to her hooves. “Yessir! I cleared the sky this morning and there’s no… no…” she trailed off, looking around blearily. She looked down to see Spartan looking up at her and scowled just a little. “Oh hey, it’s you. Throw anypony out of a window lately?”
Spartan Shield winced. She was still a little sore with him. “Come down! I would speak with thee!” he said, waving at her. She cocked an eyebrow, but glided to the ground none the less. It took her all of two seconds to see he was naked and finely groomed.

“What’cha so gussied up for, huh?” she said, her eyes traveling him rather greedily despite the frown on her face. “Going to a funeral?”

“Quite the opposite, I would say.” Spartan Shield turned briefly into his saddlebag and pulled out a rolled up poster. He unrolled it for her and she took it.

Rainbow Dash’s ‘reading aloud’ voice was drawl and flat, much like when she’d read Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone. “Big Macintosh versus Spartan Shield in the ultimate wrestling throw down… two days from now in Ponyville Square?” it came out like a question, her wings blimping open in interest. “You and Big Mac are gonna wrestle?” she said, her pupils contracting just a little. He nodded, smiling grandly. She returned to the poster’s words, “Town wide charity event to build a new playground at Ponyville Elementary, ticket prices are merely your donation monies… huh! That sounds interesting!” Rainbow Dash smirked a little. “But what’s to keep me from hangin’ out on a cloud and not paying a single bit?” her mischief rose up to challenge him.

“Well actually, I wanted to ask thou a favor.” He opened his saddlebag to show her it was full of rolled up posters. The Pegasus leaned, brow furrowing. “I need a fast-flying pony to distribute these where they may be seen.” He explained.
“I’m nopony’s mailmare.” Said Rainbow Dash indignantly, turning her head to one side in a frown while she tilted her muzzle up. “That’s Derpy Hooves’ job.”

“Perhaps.” Spartan Shield had never met this ‘Derpy Hooves’, but he didn’t have time to go hunt him or her down. “But, it needs to be done quickly so that many ponies can see them. Whom better than thou, who is the Iron Pony? Winner of the young flyer’s competition? And the only one capable of a Sonic Rainboom?” he drizzled her accomplishments over her like sweet, sweet melted chocolate. If there was anything he had learned of Rainbow Dash over the past five weeks, it was to pander to her ego to make her do anything at all.

Rainbow’s slowly growing ego inflated in her chest as he spoke. “Welllll, I am pretty awesome, yeah. And fast. But what’s in it for me, huh?” she thrust a hoof at him suspiciously. “I don’t work for free, y’know, putting up posters.”
Spartan Shield turned and opened his other saddlebag. Pulling out his helm, he offered it to her. “You can have it. For three days.” He said with a straight face. Rainbow Dash’s mouth fell open just a little. He was just gonna hoof it over to her? Let her do whatever she wanted with it? For three days? She studied it, and rudely SHOVED her ego aside, reaching out to take it. “Deal?” he pulled it briefly out of her reach. She nodded quickly, snatching it from his hooves and putting it on her head. So! Awesome! Eee!

“Alright! You got a deal!” Rainbow grinned, taking the saddlebag of rolled up posters as he offered it out to her. She adjusted the rather-big-for-her helm on her head so it wouldn’t fall off, then rocketed skyward towards the Ponyville Plaza. Spartan nodded his satisfaction. It was just a helmet, after all. He had no idea why so many ponies had obsessed over his armaments—to the point of sneaking into Twilight’s home to steal them—but if he could use the pieces as bargaining chips, why not? The artist he’d seen about the posters had fallen all over herself to get a rubbing of his chest plate decorations, and had gladly made and copied the posters they were using now.

Clearing his throat a little, Spartan Shield made his way towards the market to have a chat with Big Macintosh and enjoy the rest of his afternoon. He did enjoy the stallion’s company more than most. His and Twilight Sparkle’s. 

Over the course of the rest of the day, posters with a picture of Big Mac and Spartan angrily butting heads began appearing all over town. Ponies were studying it and gossiping about the street brawl that had happened some time ago. Those two big stallions were gonna have a rematch? For charity, no less? Well, that was bound to be interesting! Yeah, they could break into their bits jars and spare a few if it was for a new playground at the elementary school. Foals began to get excited too. A new playground?! Wow, awesome!

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

Luna frowned over her scrying pool, stroking her chin. “It’s left him.” She said to nopony in particular. “Whatever it was, it’s gone now.” She looked over her shoulder at her twin Lunar Stallions. “Fetch my sister, it is important. Tell her it is about Spartan Shield.”

“Yes your Majesty.” One stallion bowed and was away to get the Princess of the Sun for her.

Luna brooded over the scrying pool, stroking her chin a bit. Spartan Shield had been animatedly bleeding solar magic, for a long time, now he just suddenly quit? How odd… why, actually, was the better question. Sure, wounds would clot and stop bleeding on their own—but magic like this was no bound to simply stop on its own. The Royal Sisters had promised not to bother Spartan Shield until they figured out just what was happening to him. A stallion did not simply bleed goddess-level solar magic for no reason. Celestia swore she’d never put any spells on him, at least none that she could remember. A thousand years ago was a long time, but still—he was an Earth Pony at the end of the day, it wasn’t as though he could retain magic in his body like a unicorn or a mana battery. It would seep out of him like syrup and then be gone. A thousand years or not, it would’ve been long gone in the five weeks he was in Ponyville. It was like poking a hole in a water balloon. The night time Princess frowned deeper, brooding more until Celestia arrived.

“Sister, I’m here.” Celestia said gently as the guards closed the door behind her. “Do you have news of Spartan Shield’s… condition?” she asked in a mild voice, ever the soothing balm in the room. 

Luna nodded, turning about. “Yes. He has stopped bleeding out solar magic.”

“He has?” Celestia came to the scrying pool and leaned over it. Spartan Shield was conversing animatedly with a large red stallion, devoid of his armor and wrappings. “Well!” Celestia smiled. “He’s finally down to just his fur. Twilight must be helping him adjust quite well.” She smiled with pride for her most faithful student’s handiwork. If she could get a Spartan Stallion to wander around in the nude, she could do just about anything, Celestia knew. It made her snicker a little bit, seeing the big burly stallion look about and check himself now and then. He probably felt like the whole world was looking at him. At least he’d groomed and cleaned up, he did look nice with those oils in his fur, making him look so shiny and handsome.

“What dost thou think happened, Tia?” Luna lowered her voice a little, gesturing at the rippling image of the Spartan Stallion. “One does not bleed solar magic for no reason, then just stop for no reason once more.”

Celestia frowned, deep in thought. “Sister,” she sidled a little closer so the conversation could be private. Even from their own guards. “Do you remember the solar pony herds? Back in the ancient, feral eras of our kingdom?” Luna stared at her, blinking a little. “Well, there were four herds of ponies that, when they walked about in just their fur, could soak up all the energy of the sun and use it like mana for their magic.”

“Dost thou think Spartan Shield can use magic?!” Luna gasped, wide-eyed. “Earth Ponies can wield no such thing!”
“Not directly, no.” Princess Celestia stroked her chin. “But then again, Pegasi do not fly on their wing power alone. And, earth ponies are not so naturally strong or good at tilling the earth by themselves.” Luna nodded at her sisters words. She knew this, but didn’t understand the connection. 

“Perhaps he is descendant from one of those ancient herds?” Luna asked. “What does that have to do with his bleeding solar magic all over the place? Much less stopping?”

“I’m not sure.” Celestia said. “Perhaps, wandering about always covered by his armor was letting him bleed out his augmented strength…” she paused for a long time, frowning thoughtfully. “And now that he is uncovered, the sun is soaking into him again.”

“Like a mana battery.” She mumbled. “But what does an earth pony do with magic in his own body? He cannot wield it like a unicorn.”

“Channel it into his own abilities, I would imagine... if he knew he had it in him.” Celestia said after a time. “Earth ponies are strong, sturdy, and good at growing things. Perhaps if he planted a seed it would sprout more quickly?” she hypothesized. “It’s been thousands of years, even before his time, since the Solar Ponies walked the earth. I can’t recall all the details.” She sighed in mild frustration.

“What should we do in the meantime, sister?” Luna wanted to know.

“Well, if it isn’t hurting him or anypony else, I suppose we do nothing.” Celestia gave a slight shrug of her shoulders, seating herself on her haunches. “Why worry if it means nothing at the end of the day?”

“…are the Solar Ponies related to you, sister? Some secret, distant lovechild’s descendants?” Luna blurted suddenly. The four guards in the room perked with interest at this.

Celestia blushed hotly. “Luna!” she folded her wings and turned her head. “I’ve never had children, you know that!” Oh-hoh! Luna had really gotten under her skin with that!

Luna smiled apologetically. “Forgive us, we were only curious.” Celestia pouted a little, but her sister put a wing briefly around her for comfort. They smiled gently at each other, until Luna turned the scrying pool off. Spartan Shield seemed to be getting on just fine, why disturb the peace by meddling in his affairs?

End of Part 16

> The Match
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 17: The Match

Daring Do turned the lights of the working area on. There were dozens of tools strung about the room, but really she just wanted to come look at him again. Spartan Shield’s clean-up had come along fantastically, and he was all done and ready for display. “You know, I’m really lucky to have found you.” She told the statue, cantering over and grinning grandly. She sighed at the sleek shine he’d been polished to, studied each tooth in his roaring mouth, and even touched the tip of his raised metal spear. “Mhh!” she said, chuckling and walking around him in a quick circle. “This is gonna make my career. And True Facts’s too.” She snickered. “Can’t forget True Facts!” she looked around conspiratorially, then sidled up to the statue. “What’s that, Spartan Stallion? Run away with you?” she leaned on him a bit, covering her mouth with a haughty giggle. “Why, what would my lover say?!” she put her forearm over her forehead and giggled, falling under him like a car mechanic to examine his underside once more (everything had to be perfect for the museum curators that were coming in the morning… though it was already 1:30am so it was technically already morning.) Snickering to herself, too excited to sleep, Daring Do adjusted herself length-ways and opened her wings at the statue. “Oh, Spartan!” she said, turning her head to one side and laughing scandalously. “Don’t ravish me! Just think of my virtue!”

“You haven’t had any virtue in three years, Daring. I’d know, I took it from you.”

“EEP!” Daring sat up too quickly and struck her head on Spartan Shield’s stone chest. She yelped, fell down again on her back and rubbed her head. “Whossat?” she demanded, clenching her teeth and hissing in pain.

“Oh just me, your real lover.” True Facts snorted, leaning over her and into her view. He nuzzled her sore head. “Come back to bed, baby…” he whispered intimately. “You’re gonna look like hell if you’re up all night flirting with this thing. What would the curators think?” There was shared giggling between them and Daring turned upright and onto her hooves. Red stained her cheeks and she smiled bashfully, standing up at last.

“Sorry, I just couldn’t stop thinking about him.” Daring Do turned and looked up at the statue, a great smile plastered across her face. “Tomorrow, you and me are gonna make history!”

“—And finally be able to pay all of our diggers.” True Facts added. “—And be able to pay for all of the everything we’ve been borrowing for the past few years. I just hope there’s anything left over at all at the end of all this.” He seemed glum at the thought.

“True Facts, that’s not the point!” She cupped his cheek affectionately with her hoof. “We’ve had great adventures tracking down artifacts and stuff together. This time we just happened to hit the jackpot. It’s the journey, not the prize at the end!” True Facts smiled at her lovingly. Now and then, Daring Do said something really wise and sage-like. He really did need to get started on those books he’d been thinking about. Sure, he wouldn’t make a very interesting character, but Daring sure would!

“Come back to bed.” He insisted again, pushing the giggly mare along with his nose. She relented at last, heading for the exit, all smiles. “Stay away from my marefriend, you!” He threatened the statue, which made Daring break into louder giggling. He would spend the next hour or so doing other things to exhaust her and make her go the buck to sleep. The coming morning was going to be important. Spartan Shield stood ever stoic in the darkness, frozen in his poise of epic battle.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
12 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ponyville Square had a massive tent set up in it, and it was packed to the gills with ponies in bleachers. There were standing ponies, and ponies trying to lean over their fellows to get a better look at the middle of the place. It looked like a boxing ring, or a wrestling ring, but for now it was empty.

“Apple pies here! Gets yer fritters and pie slices here!” Applejack had set up a little snack stand at one of the entrances. “Be sure to donate to the charity!” she jabbed a hoof at a huge glass jar by the main entrance. 

The jar was piled with golden bits, and every now and then a pony would toss in a few more to add to the pot. The sign next to it read ‘Charity – New Playground for Ponyville Elementary!’ There wasn’t a pony alive that could argue with such a good and pure cause. How to express it? By going to a big violent wrestling match of course! Who didn’t wanna see two great big stallions beat the stuffing out of each other for charity? …what? It’s a legitimate sport!

Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Spartan Shield approached on foot. Spike was wearing bright red track shorts, had a whistle around his neck, and a clipboard in his hands. The purple mare did not look happy, but looked rather resigned. She had her nose in a book about first aid as she walked alongside Spartan Shield. 

The Spartan Stallion was something to behold, as well. He wore laurels, a crown of leaves, on his head and wore a very regal expression as he approached his battleground.  Having spent the past couple of days naked, the sun seemed to make him look more and more radiant each day. By the time the big match had arrived, he almost seemed to be glowing a supernatural bronze-y look. But that was probably the anointing oils in his fur, right?

“Just remember to stay focused, Spartan! You can win!” Spike was doing his best to be a coach. He’d made sure Spartan had done no drinking or fighting the past few days, and made sure he went to bed extra early the night before. Other than that, all he could do was offer encouragement for the big lug.

“Hey thar Twilight! Hey Spike! Spartan too, howdy!” Applejack waved from behind her stand after she’d finished selling a pie slice to somepony. “Wanna buy a snack?” she offered.

“No thanks,” Twilight said a little glumly. It was easy to see by the look on her face that she did NOT approve of any of this. But, it wasn’t like she could stay home and concentrate on her studies. 

Applejack tilted her head a little, seeing the look. “Aww, don’t be a party-pooper, Twiligh’! It’s just some wrastlin’!” the farm pony chuckled, nodding thanks as another few bits went in the giant donation jar. “For charity, too! You can’t beat that with a stick!”

“How are our funds turning out?” Spartan Shield asked, leaning at the jar that was as tall as his chest. “Hmm!” he smiled with approval. The jar was over half-full already. Thanks to Twilight, he’d calculated that the twenty-five hundred bits mark was somewhere around the two-thirds mark in the jar. They were either close, or had already reached their goal—and ponies were still coming! “Excellent.” He smiled. “Thank you for watching over the donation jar for us.” he told Applejack, bobbing his head once.

“Aww, t’ain’t nuthin’, Spartan Shield!” Applejack waved him off with a smile. “’Sides! It’s gonna be fun watchin’ you get yer sorry flank kicked by mah big brother!” she teased.

“We shall see if his wrestling prowess matches his handsome midriff, then.” Spartan stuck his tongue out in a playful gesture he’d learned perhaps a week ago. He knew it had worked when Applejack giggled back at him, shaking her head. See? See? He could get just a few local customs and expressions in now and then.

“Hey Spartannnnn!” Rainbow Dash descended from on high, wearing his helmet on her head. This made her top-heavy and she almost crashed face first. Ponies scattered to make way as she made a rough landing, laughing nervously like she’d meant to do it the whole time. “Hey! Hey! I’m totally rooting for you, dude!” she grinned her biggest grin and showed the world her biggest wingspan she possibly could. “Ponyville’s two biggest, strongest stallions going at it? This is gonna be! So! Awesome!” she squeed, pressing her cheeks together into a squee-face with her hooves. “I gotta find a good seat! Good luck!” she raced inside to do just that.

“Thank you!” Spartan called after her, but she was already gone. Twilight rolled her eyes a little, learning about how ice helped if muscles were badly torn in sporting events from her health book. The large stallion turned, looking at Twilight silently for a long time. “Er.” He said to catch her gaze. “Will thou wish me good luck too, Twilight?” he asked with just a grain of sheepishness. Applejack quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. Was he being flirty?

“Just try not to get hurt. Or hurt Big Mac.” Twilight said a little bit coldly. “You and me are gonna study twice as hard when this is all over, I tell you that.” She closed her book and floated it into her saddlebag. “Glorifying violence in a sporting event isn’t what Princess Celestia asked us to do.” Spartan wilted just a little at her words, and she sighed at him. “I know it’s what you do best, but after this no more, okay? We’re gonna find you something non-violent to do with your time and…” she gestured to his impressive muscled physique. “All this.” She said. He smiled just a little, turning his ears back at her.

“Art thou that angry with me?” he said in a quieter voice.

“I know this is the best way you can raise this much money.” Twilight said with a sense of finality. “Good luck.” With that, she turned and headed inside to find her own seat in the gathering tent.

Spartan Shield sighed, and Applejack winced a little from behind her stand. “Aww, don’t get down, big guy!” she waved him over and pushed a sample apple slice into his mouth. “Twiligh’s not the wrastlin’ type.  She just wants to help you adjust to not answerin’ all yer problems with violence, is all.”

Spartan nodded his understanding, smacking his lips a few times after he’d finished chewing the apple slice. “After this, I shalt find some way to make it up to her.” He said, bobbing his head to make it official. “She seemed to like it when I brought her flowers a few days ago,” he paused to screw up his face in a serious thoughtful expression. Applejack’s face was a surprised one. Him? Flowers? Twilight? Five weeks had shown they SORT OF had a thing going, but none of it was official (beyond Rarity’s gossiping)—but Applejack had a hard time picturing the burly stallion giving Twilight a bouquet. “Perhaps I could find a field of flowers for her next time.” He said with a growly murmur of dedicated concentration. “She deserves an afternoon to frolic, away from her studies.” Applejack GIGGLE-SNORTED, her cheeks pinkening. Spartan Shield could not have possibly known it, but ‘frollicking in the flowers’ was a springtime sexual innuendo in small towns like Ponyville. “What?” he looked over at the orange mare.

“Nothin’! Nothin’!” Applejack’s cheeks bulged out and she looked skyward, to the right. Spartan briefly wondered if the poor thing was constipated, such an awkward face she was making. “Good luck then, you’ll need it against Big Mac!” the orange mare shoo’d him away quickly, smirking as she bent to get another apple pie from her stash.

Spartan shifted a little, but then headed around to a side entrance with his coach in tow. “Is there anything else thou can tell me about Big Macintosh, Spike?” he asked, looking down at the baby dragon.

Spike flipped a few pages in his clipboard. Being Twilight’s assistant had rubbed off on him a little bit, for he’d gathered notes for just such a question. “Ehhh, let’s see.” Spike said, briefly cocking an eyebrow at his own writing.

“I’ve fought with him once, I know his strength.” Spartan said thoughtfully. “And we fought together against the timberwolves. Other than those two times, I know not what he’s capable of.”

“He’s pretty strong, you know that much.” Spike said, turning another page. “He can endure quite a bit, too. He spends all day working on that farm.” He gestured vaguely to Sweet Apple Acres. “It’s not gonna be easy, I tell ya. You guys are pretty evenly matched.”

“Wrestling matches at the Olympics have never ended in a draw. At least, not in my era. I don’t know about yours.” There was a note of teasing in his tone, and Spike rolled his eyes a little. “Has he any weaknesses?”

“Ehh, not that I know of. He’s a big guy. I’ve never spent much time around him, to be honest.” Spike shrugged a little. Spartan sighed and wondered what exactly Spike had written for pages and pages if he had no information on the stallion he was about to face. “This one time, on Hearts and Hooves Day, he drug a house down a street.” Spike told him.

“Thou lies!” Spartan said, gasping. “No stallion is so strong!”

“It’s true!” Spike said. “Lots of ponies saw it! Er, then again,” he paused. “He was under a love spell at the time, that prolly had something to do with it.”

“A love spell? Huh.” Spartan Shield shrugged. “We had no such things in my time. I suppose that’s all I can learn, then.” He squared his shoulders. “Come, it is almost time.” He squatted and let Spike climb on his back so they could go into a smaller preparation tent.

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

“L-----adies and gentlecolts!” Pinkie Pie popped up from behind the announcing stand. “You’ve seen ‘em brawl in the streets! You’ve seen ‘em do amazing feats of strength! It’s time for the rematch between Ponyville’s strongest stallions!” The tent erupted into cheers and thunderous hoof-stomping. There were signs declaring allegiance to one stallion or the other dotting the crowd. Some of them had massive hearts, others with crude drawings of their favorite combatant, others still wanting to bear the foals of one or the other. It was an energetic crowd, ready for the fight! A pair of cloaked stallions approached the ring, clambering up and between the ropes. Cameras flashed back and forth, and one of the two startled a bit. The cheering got louder and louder as both pulled their hoods back and went to opposite ends of the ring. “In this corner over here!” Pinkie Pie gestured, “We’ve got the apple annihilator, the crimson crusher, the studly stallion—BIG! MACINTOSH!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac threw off his cloak, rearing up and flailing his hooves. The crowd roared its approval and he stomped his front hooves, shaking the ring they stood in. Ponies jittered back, wide-eyed and laughing nervously. Working himself back and forth like he’d been told to do, the red draft horse started doing warm ups with all four legs.

“And in this corner!” Pinkie Pie gestured the other way, enjoying her microphone way too much for her own good. “We’ve got the millennial masher, the sand-colored smasher, the mare-melting—SPARTAN! SHIELD!” 

“Wh-hah!” Spartan Shield flourished his cloak off with a shout, his laurels glittering in the spotlights that had been set on the ring. He seemed to glow with fantastic athletic energy, smiling grandly. He reared up, shaking the ring with a mighty stomp of his front hooves. The ripple of muscle and the crack of thunder under his pounding was glorious.

The crowd exploded with fervor, popcorn flying everywhere and mares squee-ing in excitement. Sweet Celestia they were both so… so--- MHHHH! So much studly, steaming, stallion-y POWER could not be contained in just one event tent! One of the two of them would have to leave soon or things were gonna get crazy! 

“Big Mac! Have my foals! Please! I want you to have my foals!”

“Spartan! Knock ‘em dead! WOO!”

“Rabble-Rabble-Rabble! Rabble-Rabble!”

Twilight Sparkle sighed from her place in the crowd, picking popcorn out of her mane and watching with disinterest. If they got out of this with no permanent damage, she would be happy. Until then, she would have to endure.

Pinkie Pie popped into the ring, suddenly dressed in a referee’s black and white stripes. She waved both combatants forward. Both stallions came forward, setting their faces in competitive, under-the-eyebrows smiles. “Alright you two, I want a good clean fight!” she coached them both. “No poking in the eyes or hitting each other in the boy parts! TEE-heeheehee! I said boy parts!” she giggled, hooves over her mouth. “Uh! Anyway! No pulling on the lips or ears! No biting! The match ends when one of you gives up, or gets knocked out of the ring!” she looked back and forth between them. “Understand?”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac nodded.

“Eeyup.” Spartan Shield teased, grin widening.

“Okie dokie lokie! To your corners until the bell rings, then come out bucking!” Pinkie said. She retreated to one side of the ring, letting the crowd build up its anticipation and shouting back and forth. The energy was palpable! Pinkie was a little jealous, to tell the truth. She hadn’t been to many parties with this kind of furious excitement.

“You can do it, big brother!” Squealed Applebloom, who stood perched on Applejack’s withers.

“Show ‘im what fer, Big Mac!” Applejack shouted over the din.

“Go Spartan! WOO!” Rainbow Dash was still clad in Spartan’s helm as she shouted and cheered for him. Twilight was the only silent pony in the crowd, staring down at the ring with concern from her high seat on the bleachers.

“Yeah Macintosh, woo-hoo!” A wall-eyed grey mare cupped her hooves over her mouth to shout, then fell backward and off of the bleachers. There was a crash and a splintering of wood, for she’d crushed a snack stand with her butt. “My ba-aaad!” she chirped in mild pain from where she lay in a heap on the ground.

BING-BING!

Both stallions started forward with audible harrumphing sounds. Rearing up, they locked arms impressively, clutching each other by the shoulders. Muscles quivered and they butted heads as sweat began to go down their sides. Packing a event tent full of crazy shouting ponies had super-heated the place, so they began to shine with effort immediately. The two of them stood locked for over ten agonizing, muscle-quivering, mind-splitting seconds of powerful agony. The crowd shouted and frothed at the mouth, screaming as the two gauged each other. Big Macintosh began to use his superior height for leverage and torque, ever-so-slowly forcing Spartan Shield back. With a RUSH of strength, he shoved the sand-colored pony back into a corner. Spartan bounced a little, quickly righting himself and tossing his laurels to the crowd. The initial test of strength had been settled! Big Mac was stronger! Sweet CELESTIA!

Rushing forward and using superior momentum Spartan rushed forward into Big Macintosh, colliding with him and forcing the red stallion back into his own corner. It was pay back! The farming pony stood quickly with a grunt, shaking out his mane.  The stallions charged at each other again, locking hooves and mashing their chests together with audible whinnies of power. They head-butted each other two, three, four times, skulls cracking together stubbornly.

They pushed apart and Big Mac bounced off of the ropes, rushing forward and leaping onto Spartan! They fell in a mess of tangled hooves, rolling about and beating at each other’s undercarriages with their hooves. Bruises were going to form later, but for now it was all adrenaline. Spartan shifted their weight, tumbling atop his opponent and head-butting him again. Big Mac pushed him off and they quickly parted, panting a little, clutching at their respective ropes.

The crowd was going bananas, throwing popcorn and shouting and cheering wildly. “I don’t believe it folks!” Pinkie Pie screeched into her microphone. “The strength! The muscle! Can you believe it!?” Applebloom stood perched on Applejack’s neck and head now, wearing the way-too-big for her hat. This was exciting! Who knew her big brother could be so fierce when he wanted to be? He was a big ol’ softy all the time, but wow-wee, this was amazing!

“So! Awesome!” Rainbow Dash squee’d, bouncing in her seat as she waited for them to go at it again. She adjusted Spartan Shield’s helm quickly so she could see better. “I can’t believe how awesome it is! It’s gotta be like--- like--- almost as awesome as me! EEE!” she squealed with a few other fan-mares in the crowd.

Twilight sat there silently, trying to puzzle it all out. What was so exciting about it all? She studied the scene. Was it because it was like a circus, under a big tent? Was it because the two combatants were so popular in Ponyville? Maybe because they were both big and ponies just had to know who would win in a fight? “Hmm…” she grumbled, her face scrunching into an adorkable pout. Maybe it was some sort of primal instinct to like to see strong stallions go at it? A feral herd mentality to decide the alpha? The mares certainly seemed to like them both, couldn’t they just like both and let them NOT fight? Twilight didn’t know. She scratched her head, still confused by what the big deal was.

Both stallions turned at the same time, rushing and crashing into each other again! The crowd ooooh’d as they flailed their hooves wildly. Suddenly Big Mac got a hold around Spartan’s middle and picked him up bodily. The sand-colored stallion gave a shout as he was picked up, turned upside down and dropped like a barrel of apples. The impact had to be bone-shattering! But no! No! He was getting up again! Big Mac pressed his advantage and made a charging thrust to push him out of the ring. Spartan laid flat and the stallion ran over him and into the opposite ropes. The apple farmer tangled himself with a shout, wriggling furiously while Spartan staggered away to recover himself for a moment.

Shaking his head quickly, Spartan Shield coiled his hooves and kicked Big Mac in the chest repeatedly. K’buck! K’buck! K’buck! The draft horse grunted in pain with each strike. Hoof-shaped marks dotted his chest, but soon he’d untangled himself and moved away. Both stallions glared at each other, slathering with frothy drool and gasping for air. Suddenly, with more speed than Spartan gave him credit for, Big Mac swerved about and coiled his legs. K-BUCK! The Spartan Stallion flew through the air and into the farthest corner of the ring, striking it so hard the post cracked. “Ohhhhh!” went the crowd.

“Wow! You could break down an apple tree with that bucking!” Pinkie Pie shouted, standing and leaning on her commentary table. “Can Spartan Shield even get up from that?!”

Spartan staggered to his hooves, holding his chest. Two jet-black hoof-shapes were on his chest, dark enough to be seen through his fur with ease. The strike had penetrated deeply. He’d never seen such dark bruises. His back legs quivered a bit and he shuddered a little, coughing. The crowd jittered. Was he going to fall over? Sweat beading down his flanks, chest, and powerful legs, he started forward with a shout. Shining brightly under all the sweat and powerful spotlights, the Spartan Stallion shoulder-rushed into Big Mac, crushing him into a corner. They traded blows back and forth, drawing blood from a nostril here and there. It was slowly turning into a more savage fight, and neither stallion would yield. With Big Mac pressed into a corner, upright, it made for an easy grab. Spartan seized the stallion around the middle and pulled into a backward roll—CRASH, a Germane suplex smashed Big Mac’s head into the battle mat! 

“Ohhhhhh!” went the crowd again.

Big Mac was slower to rise, his vision spinning a little. He snuffle-snorted, shaking his head a few times. Staggered a bit. Spartan saw his opportunity and rushed forward while he was disoriented. Coiling his back legs with all he had, he thrust his back hooves into the air and under Big Mac’s chin. His head flew back in a glorious spray of flying sweat and gorgeous stallion muscle.

Snap.

Big Mac crumpled with barely a shout, onto his back and then rolling onto his side. There he stayed, Spartan gasping and panting, waiting for his opponent to get up again. The crowd was shouting and cheering. What a fight! “This is just fantabulous, everypony! I’ve never seen two stallions go at it like this! And all for charity too, don’t forget to donate on the way out!”

Referee Pinkie Pie popped out again. “One! Two! Three! Four!” she started counting. 

Spartan Shield rushed forward angrily. “He isn’t done yet! Stop thy infantile counting!”  he shoved her away, nursing his chest again as he paced in a quick circle around the heap that was the apple stallion. “Get up, Big Macintosh! We shalt fight more!” Spartan was still gasping, but the thrill of battle carried him on. More! There had to be more! “Get up!” he coaxed again. Big Mac didn’t even wiggle. His face looked horror-stricken, though, and his mouth was moving rapidly. Oh? The nearly-mute stallion had something to say? Right now, of all times? Spartan knelt down to hear him over the screaming crowd.  “What?!” he shouted. “Speak up! I cannot hear thou over the crowd! Speak up!”

"Sp-Spartan! Ah cain't feel mah legs. Ah cain't feel mah LEGS!"



End of Part 17

> Kissing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 18: Kissing

Daring Do sat across from True Facts, a great big smile plastered across her face. They stood in the museum in Canterlot, in the Greek and Roman era exhibit. Ponies were busily working to set up displays under glass, make sure plaques were straight, and hanging spotlights to be sure that the lighting was excellent. Meanwhile, the two archeologists kicked back and watched them all work. They’d long since paid all the diggers (rather handsomely, mind you, there was plenty of love to give after a discovery like this), and the crews had gone home. The meeting with the curators had been all of half an hour long. After they’d seen the Spartan Stallion statue, all the weapons and armor bits, they were falling all over themselves to write the big checks. The number of zeroes had made True Facts feel faint. Now? They could just sit and watch it all come together.

A mare wandered by with a sign on her back which read ‘Lead Diggers: Daring Do and True Facts; Chief Archeologists.’ Daring smiled and gestured. True Facts leaned, “Allow me.” He said flirtatiously, reaching across the table to pour the wine. One glass, then the other was filled with the dark red stuff. Daring almost didn’t hear the clink of something metal hit her glass before the wine did.

“What’s that?” she squinted at the object, lifting her glass as the bubbles settled.

“I dunno.” True’s eyes were cast upward and to one side. That was his lying face. He was so terrible at it, so hopelessly Celestia-awful at it Daring Do was immediately suspicious of him. Taking a pencil off the table they sat at, she fished around in her wine until she hooked whatever it was and drew it out.

An engagement ring.

It sparkled, dripping scarlet wine. Daring dropped the pencil in shock, and the little ring spun like a coin until it settled. She looked past her wine glass, slowly sitting upright. The stallion across from her smiled sheepishly, his cheeks twinging a lovely pink. “True Facts…” she said softly, her eyes getting big and soft.

“Daring Do.” He nickered, smiling wider and leaning across the table at her. They looked into each other’s eyes as she leaned forward as well. As their lips touched, he slipped the ring onto her, oh-so-gently. She purred quietly, then nuzzled him with the beginnings of happy tears in her eyes. He slipped his hat off and played with it between his hooves when the kiss broke. He looked at her sideways, smiling still shyly. “Will you?” he said, cheeks reddening.

“Only if we can have our honeymoon in darkest Africa, and visit the Zembroozi temple ruins.” She grinned, leaning on her elbow and smiling suggestively. The stallion giggled. Both of them knew that temple was meant for a fertility god in a long-extinct tribe of wild zebra. He chuckled, hesitating a bit. “What do you think, Spartan?” she turned her head to ask the statue across the room, rather loudly. “Think he has the stones to have his way with me in a five thousand year old temple?”

“DARING!” True Facts squawked when more than a head or two turned their way with interest. Now he was red-faced, neigh, crimson. “Don’t say stuff like that so loud.”

“Ohhh uh-uh, you’re mine now buster.” Daring Do chuckled, shaking her head. “I get to embarrass you allll I want.” She gestured to the ring around her hoof and ankle. He snickered just a little. It wasn’t like they couldn’t afford to travel the world or have a big fancy wedding. They’d both just become filthy, unbecomingly rich. They could go anywhere, do anything they wanted for a long time to come and money would be of no consequence. Just think of all the adventures they could have! She caught him staring at the Spartan Stallion statue, staring off into space, and she cupped his cheek romantically. “I love you.” She said in a lower voice. He smiled, eyes lidding a bit. They kissed again while the plaque bearing their names was being installed at the front of the exhibit.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
12 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


It took six ponies to lift the lame Big Macintosh from the ring and onto a stretcher. They held his head firmly so his neck would suffer no more damage as they got him into a cart. He was fading in and out of consciousness and was as limp as a noodle. It was all Pinkie Pie could do to keep the crowd from tearing the place apart in horror and rage. Spartan Shield had fled, probably to hide himself from the angry mob. Applejack and Applebloom followed and leapt onto the cart with their brother.

“I knew this would happen. I knew something bad would happen.” Twilight bitterly chanted, looking over at Spike. The baby dragon shrugged wordlessly, taking off his bicycle shorts and whistle. So much for being a good coach. He didn’t think he’d hafta tell Spartan to NOT cripple his opponent! “C’mon Spike, let’s get outta here.” She scooped him up onto her back, making quickly for the exit. She made to snatch the donation jar, but found it was already gone. Had Spartan taken it already?

Twilight rushed home, where she knew she would find him. Sure enough, the door was standing open and the light was on upstairs. “Spartan!” Spike called, hopping off of Twilight. There was a lot of movement upstairs, heavy hooves said that it was definitely him.

“Spartan!” Twilight said angrily, stomping up the stairs to confront him. “Come out of there!” she banged on her own bedroom door when she found it locked. Leaning down with frustration, she lit her horn to force the lock open. When she threw the door open she wasn’t prepared for what she saw. Spartan, fully dressed again, his face streaked with tears. Wracking sobs erupted from his throat as he leaned forward over the bed, on all four knees. “Spartan?” Twilight said, leaning forward and lifting a hoof. Her anger evaporated, seeing him in his sorry state.

“What hath I done, Twilight Sparkle!?” Spartan yowled. “I have maimed that beautiful creature, for life!” he buried his face in his arms, wetting the sheets with his tears. “Faust curses me! Curses Big Macintosh! M-my heart, it hurts!” Twilight stared at Spike, and he back at her. Beautiful creature? Big Macintosh was many things, but 'beautiful creature' was not among the words Twilight or Spike would have chosen to describe him. The purple mare stepped into the room, leaving Spike at the doorway. So this was it. This was the chink in the deadly war pony’s armor and powerful personality. A stallion as strong as himself. She swallowed aloud, trying not to jump to conclusions. The day he’d first seen Big Mac, he’d rambled on about how impressive he was. He’d made friends with him sitting in a jail cell. He often visited him in the market, and they’d gone to the spa together once or twice. Was Spartan Shield… gay? What about her? Did she mean nothing to him? Was he trying to have both?

Twilight felt a sudden flood of harsh, powerful guilt. She shouldn’t be thinking about that right now. There was a pony in the hospital, paralyzed maybe for life! She glanced over, and saw the donation jar on its side next to him. It was tumped over on its side, the lid off and a hoof full of bits scattered on the floor. It looked like he’d opened it, then pitched it over in disgust. Igniting her horn, she righted it and put all the bits back in by magic.

She sat on her haunches next to him. Twilight Sparkle had known Spartan Shield for over a month, and she’d never seen him so emotional. The mild feeling of jealousy ate at her, though. She couldn’t help it. Though Big Macintosh lay in a hospital bed unable to move, she found herself angry at him. Spartan had kissed her, nuzzled her, put socks on her and shared her home. Was she not good enough for him? He needed something so similar to himself to be happy? She looked to one side, flushed and upset. “So… you and Big Macintosh, huh?” she found herself croaking softly.

Apparently when a Spartan cried he REALLY cried, for when the name left her lips he let out another great and wracking sob. He clutched at the sheets, pulling them about himself and just trying to hide his face in them while he wept bitterly. Spike stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of what to do. He’d never seen a stallion cry at all, much less one like Spartan Shield. “I doth be the misery of this era! Hurting everypony in my path!” he shouted woefully into the stitches. “Misery unto me! ME! Not Big Macintosh! UUUUAhhhh-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAHHHHHH!” A stallion that was used to shouting anyway could bring the house down with such sobs. “I should throw myself upon mine spear!”

“Oh hey now, hey, none of that.” Twilight sidled up next to him, quickly putting an arm around him. Spartan’s spear was in the closet, if he tried for it she wasn’t sure she could stop him. Spike either. “If you’d snapped his neck he’d be dead. Dead is worse than paralyzed.” She winced when she said it, for it wasn’t MUCH better. She’d not examined Big Macintosh personally, but she’d seen his upset face and moving lips when he’d been laying in the ring. Her meager knowledge of all things medical told her that the draft pony would be simply dead of the spinal cord had snapped entirely. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be paralyzed for life, though. What was Applejack going to do, or any of the Apples, without the one stallion of the household? Twilight sighed softly, keeping her arm around his broad and muscled shoulder while he wracked himself with sobbing.

“An invalid for all his days! I am a plague upon him and upon thee, Twilight Sparkle!” he turned and looked at her miserably. She eyed the tears and dribbling snot, getting a tissue and dabbing at him a little. He refused it with a blustering sound. Getting up and shouldering past her, he fled miserably from the room and down the stairs. Spike barely had time to leap out of the way and not get trampled. By the time Twilight had jittered to her hooves and gone downstairs to the great room, the front door had slammed and Spartan Shield was gone.

“Spartan!” she threw the door open and rushed outside, looking back and forth. The sound of thundering hooves seemed to come from several directions, and the night concealed his exit. “Spartan!” Twilight shouted again, turning in a quick circle. Which way had he gone? She teleported up onto her balcony for a higher view, but it was no luck. She simply couldn’t see far enough to tell if anypony was out there. With clouds hiding the moon, it was a truly dark night. Her ears turned down miserably.

“Wow, he can really move when he wants to…” marveled Spike. Twilight glared at him bitterly, then rushed away into the night. Spike heard her shouting the Spartan Stallion’s name, a twang in her voice that threatened crying.

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

Applejack leaned over the gently slumbering Applebloom. The hospital room was white, sterile and miserably clean. T’wasn’t like Sweet Apple Acres at all. She nuzzled the little filly, just once. The poor thing had fallen asleep and curled up in a chair in all the excitement.

Big Macintosh had been rushed to the emergency room as soon as he’d arrived at the hospital, then rushed to surgery for testing. He wasn’t dead, and his spinal cord hadn’t been snapped. However, the impact of Spartan Shield’s kick had struck him so hard that his nervous system had recoiled and shut down for the moment. It wasn’t dead or broken, but the Doctors knew that it would take time for his body to ‘restart’. The hairline fractures in his neck would need a neck-bracer as well, probably for a few months. He was going to be okay.

Applejack sighed, eyeing the clock. It was past midnight. Turning, she leaned over her brother. The big lug was sleeping, though stiffly with the neck-bracer on. The rest of him was patched and wrapped up here and there. He and Spartan Shield had really done a number on each other. Well, that big stupid muscle-head deserved every bruise he got, dang-near killin’ her brother like that. She fumed silently, not wanting to wake either of her siblings. Why, the moment she could get her hooves on that Spartan Shield she was gunna ring his neck so hard he’d hear bells in his fool head! Vowing angry vengeance on the stallion for harming her brother so much at a mere wrastlin’ match, she paced back and forth until Applebloom suddenly stirred. The farm pony stopped when the innocent little one lifted her head and looked blearily around. “Applejack…?” she asked in a tiny, darling voice. “S’Big Mac okay?”

“W-well…” Applejack tried to word it right. “He’s gonna be okay. That’s what’s important.” She leaned down and nuzzled her little sister, who whined and flailed weakly. “Now, y’all go back to sleep,” she pushed her nose under Applebloom’s side and hefted her gently onto her back.

“But m’not t’ahrd.” Her accent was thicker than anything by then, and her little eyelids got heavier and heavier. Applejack took her hat off and put it on the fillies head. It served like a lampshade, making it even harder to stay awake. Finally, the exhausted little filly went limp and her breathing got deeper again.

“Are so.” said Applejack softly. She turned to look at the unconscious Big Macintosh, “Ah gotta take Applebloom home, Big Mac. Ah’ll be back in the mornin’, don’t worry.” She smiled tiredly, then turned and left. 

Big Mac didn’t stir, but when she was gone he slitted an eye open. The room was quiet. Too quiet. His farmer’s instincts told him that a lack of any noise meant tension was in the air. Or a predator was nearby. Usually both. “Yup?” he asked the seemingly empty room with a quiet croak.

Spartan Shield leaned out from behind a curtain, looking uncharacteristically sheepish. He’d come to visit the paralyzed stallion in the dead of night, only to almost run smack into his sister. With no way out, he’d hidden himself in the room—stood perfectly still—for over three hours. Exhausted, he came to the bedside and came reverently to his knees with a sigh of relief. “Big Macintosh,” he whispered, ears turning down.

“...Yup?” the red stallion said cautiously, moving his eyes but not able to turn his head.

“I bring thee the funds I promised and more.” He gingerly pushed the charity jar up onto the bedside table. “I know it is not even a fraction to make up for what’s happened.” He said miserably, biting his lip and not daring to look Big Macintosh in the face. “I hath maimed you, beautiful Macintosh.” He whispered, putting his chin on the big stallion’s lower chest. Big Mac winced when he saw the two black hoof prints peeking out from under Spartan’s breast plate. Apparently they’d both done a serious number on each other.

“Eeyup.” said Big Mac, looking down at the sighing pony’s miserable face. There was a certain warmth in the stallion’s face. Spartan Shield sure did like to compliment him a lot. Sure, he was an uprigh’ kind’a stallion. And he could wrestle real good, too. But dang if they hadn’t overdone it this time. AJ was gonna kill the poor pony if she got to him before he was better. He was--! Big Mac’s train of thought came to a halt when Spartan nosed his way under the blanket and pushed it back to apologetically kiss the red stallion’s bruised chest.

“I am a plague upon thee.” Spartan whispered softly, resting his chin on the velvety red fur for a moment. “Twilight Sparkle and the oracle-druid were right. Violence only begets more violence. What doth Equestria need with a warrior when there is no more call for one? I am a useless, violent relic and what I’ve done to thou is unforgivable.” He sighed depressedly. Big Mac studied him carefully, blink-blinking. “I shalt disappear and plague you no more, Big Mac.” Disappear? He wasn’t dyin’, for Celestia’s sake! He was such a dramatic thing when something actually managed to upset him, pfft. Big Mac would’ve shifted uncomfortably if he could control any of his limbs. But no, he just had to lay there. The armored war pony leaned over him, stroking his mane real friendly-like. Suddenly Big Mac made the connection and the rather slow gears in his head caught up with the entire situation. The constant touching, compliments, baths and affectionate words… he was--! Big Mac looked up as the Spartan Stallion began to lean down with a tender expression, stroking his mane a few times and parting his lips. 

Big Macintosh’s eyebrows LAUNCHED into his bangs.

“Nope! Nooooooooo-ooope! NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE!!!!” he couldn’t move or stop him, though. The rather homophobic farming pony got his first tender kiss from another stallion. Sweat worked down his forehead both ways and a deep scarlet filled his face. “Mrrrgh! Mrrr-hrrrrgh!” he said miserably to Spartan’s lips. By the time the Spartan Stallion, flushed in the cheeks, pulled from him Big Mac’s eyes were in comical swirls and his tongue was lolling out to one side in tasteless misery. One of his ears twitched a few times as Spartan Shield pulled the blanket back up to his chin.

“Goodbye, Big Mac.” He said with affection. Spartan turned slowly and, after checking the hall, slipped away into the night. Big Mac could only lay there, utterly stunned and cursing Faust for his horrendous luck. Bleh! Stallion germs! Blehhh! His gaze flicked over at the jar of bits on the bedside table. Well, at least he’d have something to pay the hospital bill with. He sighed, working his tongue back and forth to try and get the electric, musky taste off of his lips. Flick-a-flick, went his tongue, flick-a-flick.

Just then a nurse wandered in and saw him doing this, looking startled. What had all the shouting been about? His face lit up. He was so glad to see her he could just spit! She looked offended at all his tongue antics, however, and turned with a, “Perverted thing! Hmph!” 

His face fell. “Nope! NOPE!” he called after her apologetically, but she didn’t return. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. “Nope…” he stared miserably at the ceiling. This was the worst. Night. Ever.

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

Twilight Sparkle had long since given up searching for Spartan Shield. It had been four hours and she was exhausted. She’d roused Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy from bed to look for him—but no luck. Even a massive armored stallion like him could make himself scarce when he wanted to. 

The very, very few ponies in Ponyville that were awake at that hour were either guards or riff-raff. Pinkie Pie, who had a picture that had been snapped during the fight from the crowd, showed everypony Spartan’s face. Most of them recognized him, but hadn’t seen him all night. Twilight doubted he’d gone to a doctor or anything, he didn’t seem the sort to be seen to properly. Speaking of, Big Macintosh was in Pony Medical as well. They all hoped he was doing okay.
“Spartan picked a heck of a time to disappear!” Rainbow Dash complained, yawning and landing with a clop of her hooves. “Why can’t he run off during the… *yawn*… the daytime, like a regular pony?” she shook her head quickly.

“We’ve looked everywhere.” Twilight said miserably. “I guess he doesn’t wanna be found.” She hung her head with a sigh. “I… I think I’m done looking for now.”

“What?!” said the other four mares in surprise.

“We’re all exhausted.” She took the picture from Pinkie Pie and pushed it into her saddlebags for safe-keeping. “We can look more tomorrow after everypony’s had a rest.” She smiled weakly. The other four looked dubiously at her, but knew she was right. It was pushing three in the morning, and there was no sign of the Spartan Stallion anywhere in Ponyville. They doubted he would run off into Ever Free, or take off down the road, but… a town was a big place when you were looking for just one pony. They sighed collectively, and Twilight turned to go.

“Night, Twilight!” Pinkie called helpfully, sproinging into the air with what little energy she still had in her. Twilight nodded mutely, walking slowly towards the park and leaving her friends behind. Pinkie’s smile fell, and she watched the purple mare go. “She seems so sad.” She mumbled.

“I thought Twilight would be angry at Spartan, uhm, for hurting Big Mac.” Fluttershy said, scuffing her hoof on the ground. “I mean, h’uhm…” she trailed off for a moment.

“She’s been trying to teach him not to be so fierce, and what does he do? Breaks somepony’s neck!” Rarity said a little angrily. “Now look at the poor dear, worried sick despite herself!” The pale unicorn wasn’t sure if her face should be angry at Spartan Shield, or worried for Twilight Sparkle. The result was a duck-ish pouty face.

“We should make sure she gets home okay.” Rainbow Dash sighed, serious for once. “If she’s gonna go through the park, that’s the long way around.” She started forward, and there was silent agreement. They would follow Twilight Sparkle form a distance. Just to make sure that she was okay, and made it home safely. The last thing they needed was for their leader and friend to get jumped by some robber pony or other shadow. Falling into a clustered herd, the mares followed quietly.

Meanwhile… 

Twilight Sparkle wandered along the cobblestone path in the park. She passed a few statues, a fountain, a lake, some nice shrubberies and so on. She looked skyward at the rolling clouds. It sure was dark. Oh well. Not like she needed to see much anyways. The rolling of the tiny waves of the lake drew her attention. She fought an oncoming headache, and sat on a bench at the shore. Sighing, she rested her chin on its cold hard surface and stared unseeing at the lake. 
What sort of horrible luck did she have, that the universe scorned her like this? A interesting, smart, handsome, ancient-era stallion had literally dropped into her hooves—and he had fallen in love with another stallion. It was cruel! Had their kisses meant nothing to him? Were Spartan Stallions closer to their male counterparts, and only used mares for breeding purposes? Why hadn't her books said so? Were her cute socks not cute enough to draw his eye? She’d been trying her very best to tame him, to show him the wonderful world that Equestria had become in his thousand-year slumber. But no, he was all violence and muscle and military thinking. She felt like she’d failed Princess Celestia too. She’d been charged to help him adjust, and not only had she failed but she apparently didn’t know him that well either. If his preferences had been a complete mystery to her the whole time, what else didn’t she know? She was an international hero, the element of magic, Princess Celestia’s protégé, and a damn-smart scholar—didn’t she deserve a nice handsome stallion like everymare else? Was it too much to ask that the studliest thing she'd ever seen was straight? She sighed, her heart heavy with selfish desires, guilt and worry. Who knew where he was now, she thought miserably. Prolly fawning over Big Macintosh (new wave of guilt for thinking badly of him), reciting some ancient Greek love poem under his hospital window. She was such a fool.

Twilight Sparkle sat on her haunches, pulling the picture from the wrestling bout out of her saddlebag. She studied it with a slowly growing frown, sighing and hanging her head. She threw it distastefully over her shoulder and into the bushes behind her.

“If there’s a prize for rotten judgement,
I guess I’ve already won that.
No stallion’s worth the aggravation!
He’s from ancient history! Been there! Done that!”

Pinkie Pie and the others POPPED out of the bushes, parting them with encouraging smiles. The photo was clutched in the pink mare’s hoof and she showed the others with a broad grin. They exchanged quick smiles. Twilight startled, but it was too late. She’d already burst into song and her friends were there to play back-ups!

“Who’d’ya think you’re kiddin’?
He’s the earth and heaven to ya!
Try to keep it hidden,
Honey we can see right through you!”

Twilight turned her head, brow furrowing with a hurt ego to match. How dare they ensinuate! Didn’t they see what was happening? That Spartan obviously wasn’t that into her, and was spending all his spare time with Big Mac? “Oh Noo-h’ohhh!” she turned her nose up, setting the note for the four of them to sing atop of. She skipped off the end of the bench and along the path.

“Mare you can’t conceal it,
We know how ya feel and,
Who you’re thi-i-i-inkin’ of!”

“Oh no-‘h’ohh!” Twilight turned away from them all, crossing a bowed bridge as they followed, a giggling girly gaggle of friends. They just wanted to cheer her up but she was having none of it. She did NOT like Spartan Stallion anymore, and if she had to prove it in song she would!

“No chance! No way! I won’t say it, no no!”
“You’ve swooned, you’ve sighed, why deny it—uh oh!”
“It’s too cliché! I won’t say I’m in love!”

The formation of four mares followed the upset purple one along the park path and under a tree. She scampered behind it while they clouds slowly parted. The silver beams of moonlight illuminated the night, casting an ever-expanding spotlight on Twilight Sparkle. She thrust herself from behind the tree, thrusting out her chest to belt out higher notes.

“I thought my heart could teach him lessons!
It felt so good when we started out!
My heart is screamin’ get a grip, mare,
Unless you’re dying to cry your heart out!”

Twilight leapt upon the lip of a new fountain as her friends followed, their la-la-la’s chorusing after her as she danced across it. She gave her mane an energetic toss, haughty in her confidence that she SO didn’t need a stallion to validate herself. She was just fine the way she was, thank you very much. She didn’t need him or anypony else to cuddle with. Or kiss. Or tell her she was his only ally. Or press her against her own front door and kiss her like that. She stutter-stepped, and the group noticed with loud, girlish giggles.

“You keep on denyin’!
Who you are and how you’re feelin’!
Baby we’re not buyin’!
We-eeee all saw you hit the ceiling!
Face it like a grown-up,
When you gonna own up--
That you got, got ,got it bad!”

The group fanned out around Twilight, leaning up and onto her. She was pinned to the fountain by all of her loving friends, pressed into a big group hug as they tried to make her see reason. You couldn’t have a coltfriend without hating his big stupid face now and then, everypony knew that! Males were not gonna please 100% of the time, they were bound to screw up and needed to be forgiven for the things they did wrong. Twilight disagreed, refusing their accusations but the slowly growing smile on her muzzle was giving her away.

“No chance! No way! I won’t say it no, no!”
“Give up! Give in, check the grin you’re in love!”
“This scene won’t play! I won’t say I’m in love!”
“You’re doin’ flips, read our lips, you’re in love!”
“You’re way off base, I won’t say it!
Get off my case I won’t say it!”
“Mare don’t be proud, it’s okay you’re in love!”

They released her from the group hug and let her trot away and leap up upon a new bench that overlooked the lake. They followed her, hopping daintily in circles to keep her penned in. They almost had her, her droopy mood was turning up and they could see it on her face. Pinkie Pie slipped the picture onto the stone bench next to Twilight when she wasn’t looking, face up.

“Oh’hh… at least out loud,” Twilight Sparkle hummed melodically. She flopped onto her butt, looking over and seeing the picture. “I won’t say I’m in--” she picked it up and held it close, looking at the handsome stallion in it. “Love…” Her friends vanished into the night when the musical number was over, knowing the purple mare would be okay.

...Alright. 

So he swung both ways. 

Twilight could work with that. She just needed to be more appealing.

Whenever she found him, that is.




End of Part 18

> Across the Ages
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 19: Across the Ages

Wracked with guilt, Spartan Shield was hiding in the weeping willow tree in the park at the edge of a lake. He’d bid farewell to Big Macintosh, and hadn’t the courage to face Twilight Sparkle (or anypony else). The oracle has been right, violence begat violence and he had done something terrible. Rubbing his foreleg over his snotty muzzle, he peered at himself over the lip of the lake. He looked like a sorry beast, frazzled and showing peeking bruises from his bout with Big Mac. 

Sighing and turning his ears down, Spartan Shield pulled away from his image and flopped down onto his back. The grass tickled his bare head, and he missed his helm a bit. Rainbow Dash still had it. Stroking his chest painfully, he stared up at the intertwining branches. “I don’t belong here.” He whispered mournfully. The moon peeked at him from between the branches. “Is there no mercy for a stallion whom gave his life to be a weapon?” he lamented quietly, covering his face with both hooves and curling onto his side. He fought down a sob, not wanting to give away his hiding place.

Boo-wuhhh-gh.
Boo-wuhhh-gh.
Boo-wuhhh-gh.
Fwesssh-shh-shhh!

He got up quickly, for a strange light and a lot of noise had jarred him. Backing up fearfully at the strange shape morphing into existence, his mouth hung open when it finally revealed itself. It was a tall, blue box, covered with windows and writing, with a light on top. “What is this sorcery…?” he scowled, looking it up and down while walking in quick circles around it. He frowned, poking it a few times to make sure it was real.

Fear not a blue box.

Spartan Shield jolted to a stop, perking his ears. The oracle had foretold of a blue box in his future. This had to be it! Setting his jaw in a very not-afraid sort of way, he glared at it in silence for a long time. It merely sat there. Well, he wasn’t expecting it to start dancing for him, but… something was supposed to happen, right? He studied it. The top portion read ‘Police Box’ and the sign on the side read: 


Police Telephone
FREE
For use of public
Advice and assistance
Obtainable immediately
Officer and cars
Respond to all calls
PULL TO OPEN



Spartan had no idea what half of that meant. He continued to walk in a slow, suspicious circle around it. He darted out from behind it, as though perhaps the far side was doing something suspicious while he was inspecting the other. “Fear not a blue box…” he mumbled, furrowing his brow at it. He leaned and touched it. It was cool and wooden. The windows were glass and the sign plastic. He studied the sign again, reading carefully. “Advice and assistance available immediately… pull to open.” He found the proper side and there was a door handle. Reaching, he pulled it open and stepped inside. “Wh… what?!” he gaped.

The inside was enormous! It was covered with strange whimsical machinery, hallways leading off into other rooms and there were cables and pipes strung everywhere! He peered around in wonder, shutting the door behind him and cocking his head. Ascending some stairs onto a platform, he leaned over a control console. It looked like some insane pony had taken every mechanical device in his house and slapped it onto one machine. There were turning whisks, buttons that flashed wildly, knobs labeled cold-medium-hot, and dozens of other little items. The Spartan Stallion scratched his head. This didn’t look like the sort of assistance he could figure out. Reaching out with foal-like curiosity, he flipped a switch—steam ERUPTED from a nearby pipe, making him shriek and put it back the way it was. Steadying his frayed nerves, he made a quick round about the room, peering under the raised platform and at all the monitors and strange things. He just couldn’t grasp it. How could all of this space be in the tiny blue box? It had barely looked big enough to hold a stallion standing on his hind legs, much less all this!

“—and so I’ve popped us down in your era at Ponyville so we can enjoy a proper luncheon for once.” A strange brown stallion with an hourglass on his flank rounded the corner, a picnic basket perched on his back. “Very important, lunches, even if you have them at four in the morning. It’s four in the morning outside, by the way, assistant.” He chuckled, coming down some metallic stairs.

“S’no problem, Doctor!” said the grey mare with bubbles on her rump who was following him. “I like t’ eat when I’m hungry, not when the clock says so!” she giggled a bit. Spartan didn’t take long to notice her eyes were pointed in different directions—nor did it take long for her to spot him with her wide range of vision. “Hey! Whossat?!”

Spartan Shield startled at being spotted, leaning back and lifting a hoof. “Ohhh dear!” said the Doctor, cantering the rest of the way down the stairs and coming over to him. “Stowaway it seems! When are you from, chap? We’ll take you home, quick as a flash!”

“Home?” Spartan Shield said mildly. “I don’t really have a home right now, I hath maimed a stallion and refused to learn Equestria’s new peaceful ways.” He confessed, wilting.

“Oh hey! It’s Spartan Shield, yah, I know this stallion!” she smiled broadly. “I was at your wrestlin’ match! I’m Derpy Hooves!” she seized his hoof and shook it animatedly. He winced at her a little, unable to take his eyes off hers.

Spartan Shield jittered back when a bright green light was waved over him. Br-r-r-r-r-r-r-click! The Doctor was studying the device he’d just waved at the Spartan Stallion, furrowing his brow. “My my, yes! You’re a thousand years out of your element! Look’it his carbon-dating, Derpy!” he flashed the wand (or Spartan thought it was a wand) briefly at Derpy, before clicking it closed again. “Well we can’t have that! S’not right to be a thousand years away from home!” he turned towards the console, playing with the whisk for a moment. “Hold on now, we’re taking you home.”

“Home?” Spartan’s ears perked. “What do you mean?”

“Well look’it you! An armored war pony!” The Doctor gestured at him up and down. “You don’t deserve to live a thousand years away from your people do you? The Tardis will have us back there in a jiffy!” he was flipping all the blue switches on the console, then turned the cold-medium-hot dial over to hot. “Wibbly-wobbly…” he mumbled, jamming his hooves over an ancient-looking typewriter.

“Y-You can take me back to the past?!” Spartan’s eyes were as big as saucers. “But how?!” he demanded. “Such far-reaching magic is impossible, I even asked Twilight Sparkle!”

“It’s not magic.” The Doctor grinned like a mad-mare, poising his hoof over a big pull-me sort of double-headed lever. “It’s a TARDIS!” he YANKED it all the way down, and the whole room began to shake. Spartan gave a shout, nearly thrown off his hooves. Derpy gave a whoop, laughing and holding on to the nearest guard rail. Yeah, adventure! Wuh-hoo! “Don’t worry, now!” The Doctor shouted over the whining, moaning time machine. “We’ll have him back home, and still make it to our picnic without starving, Derpy!”

“You’re the best, Doctor!” Derpy laughed, clinging on for dear life.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1,002 Years Ago…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Boo-wuhhh-gh.
Boo-wuhhh-gh.
Boo-wuhhh-gh.
Fwesssh-shh-shhh!

A blue box appeared out of nowhere outside of Canterlot. A brown stallion poked his head out, checking briefly around to see that nopony was watching. He opened the door all the way and peered about. “This looks about right. Assistant! What does the chronometer say?!” he called over his shoulder at Derpy.

The wall-eyed mare closed one eye and tilted her head to get some good depth perception to read the monitor. “It sayyyyys…” she paused for a moment to steady herself. “0001PNMM!” She read it for him. The first year of the post Nightmare Moon Era. The ponies that had lived back then hadn’t called it that, but that was what history had come to eventually call it.

Spartan Shield staggered outside, a little green in the face. He didn’t like rooms that jarred and moved. Falling onto his belly with a grunt to clutch at the grass, he peered about when he could see straight again. “Is… is that Canterlot?” he asked in an awed voice. Slowly, he stood up to behold it.

Thick, solid stone in every building. There were high walls and thick gates covered with spikes. Walls had patrolling stallions walking on them, peering out into the darkness for enemies. There were torches everywhere, and woks of burning incense on every street corner. Spartan Shield’s face was slowly lighting up. Everypony that he could see wore clothes, chatted animatedly in powerful voices. The stallions were enormous, and the mares just plain gorgeous. His eyes even flicked past the shadow of an alleyway tail-lifter, coaxing a drunken stallion into shadow to work her craft.

“This is Canterlot, one month after the Battle of Moon’s Apex.” The Doctor told him with a smile. He watched Spartan Shield wander forward a few steps, his face bright and shining at the sight of home—of familiar, stone-walled home. This was the era when Canterlot had been a powerful city state, slowly reaching out to grasp other cities to pull under its banner. It was heavily fortified, hosted many flapping banners and the buildings were as thick and sturdy as stone could conjure. The columns were thick like cigars, squat and sectional for dozens of stallions moving the massive stone pieces. “Is this about right?”

Spartan nodded dumbly. “It’s just how I remember it.” He whispered in awe. He turned slowly, looking back at the Doctor. “Thank you, strange… pony.” He said slowly.

“I’m not just strange,” He smiled as his eyes glittered with mischief, nodding happily that Spartan was back home. “I’m the Doctor!” he backed up, into his blue box. “Come along Derpy! We’ve a picnic to have. Very important, picnics!” his voice was muffled when he shut the door of his blue box, locking it behind him. With a series of moaning sounds, the box soon faded from existence.

Spartan Shield stood there, alone in the dark, staring around. Was he really home? Really really? Swallowing, he made his way towards the great gate of Canterlot. The walls rose and rose high above him as he drew near, easily sixty feet high and five ponies thick. Not even the most powerful catapult could hope to fell such a sturdy defense. It was night, so the gate was closed. “H’oh there! Who doth intrude to her Shining Immortal Majesty’s city at this un-Faust-ly hour?!” A guard spotted him as he came into the torchlight.

“It is I! Spartan Shield!” he shouted back up at him. “Open the gate and let me pass!”

“Neigh!” said the guard. “I know of Spartan Shield! He died a moon-turn ago in yonder rubble!” the armored pony gestured with a long spear. Spartan Shield turned. Soresaddle Canyon! It was gone! The sand-colored stallion leaned with morbid interest, for the massive crag was filled to the brim with rubble and debris. He could see trees sticking out, thousands and thousands of boulders and rocks thrust into it. “Unless you mean to tell me thou crawled from THAT, I deny thee entrance and bid thee away!” the guard shouted down at him.

“Truth is stranger than fiction, friend!” Spartan tried again, turning sideways and baring his flank. The cutie mark, a Spartan’s circular shield, glimmered in the half-light of the torch. “Pray tell! Whom but a Spartan Stallion could bear such a mark?!” he shouted up the wall at him. The guard leaned and squinted, then looked startled.

“O-open the gate!” he shouted. “A warrior returning alive! Open the gate!” he ran across the embattlement and rang a bell animatedly. The ringing sounded down the high wall and into the primitive mechanisms that moved the gate. A quartet of burly stallions sat up from bed with a series of loud grumblings. Rubbing their eyes, they moved lethargically to the turn-table and held it in their massive, powerful hooves. Leaning with all their weight and strength, they began to walk their slow circle. Wooden mechanisms slowly turned, and the massive, thick gate began to slowly move. “Open the gate! A warrior returns! Open the gaaaaate!” chanted the guardspony. Spartan Shield stood there, watching with a big grin, as the bosom of Canterlot herself welcomed him home.

“At last…” he murmured, walking slowly forward. After a time, the gate began to grind closed again, ever so slowly. It was a massive, thick thing like the wall it was a part of. Opening it for just one pony was a big deal. He felt honored.
The guard that had denied him entry earlier rushed down a series of criss-cross stairs and stopped in front of him to salute. “Spartan Stallion! Forgive my negligence!” he said, “The battle was weeks ago, and nopony returned after so long! We assumed thou dead!”

“I am not.” Spartan Shield said firmly, his grin affixed to his face. “I am not dead. I am home.”

“Where art thy helm? And spear? And shield?” The guard looked him up and down. “Buried in the rubble, mayhap?”

“Neigh. I… I lost them.” Spartan Shield remembered that he’d given Rainbow Dash his helm. His Spear and Shield were in Twilight Sparkle’s closet. One of his leg plates was on the back of the healthy foal, Applebloom. But what did they matter? They were a thousand years away! They could have them! He was home again!

“Come, I shalt have thee escorted home. The night brings shadier types to the streets, sometimes.” He turned and whistled, calling down a pegasus from the wall. The strapping young lad saluted with a bright smile, his eyes full of awe and respect. “Escort this Spartan home. He doth return from battle and need not be leapt upon before getting his deserved rest.”

“Yessir!”  said the Pegasus enthusiastically. “I’ll shalt have him home in ten ticks, no problems!” Spartan cocked his head. He’d heard that phrase before… but where? Huh. Ah well, it was probably nothing. “Come, Spartan, away with us.” he smiled, landing and folding his wings. He was a powder yellow thing with a lime green mane that was streaked with off-colors. Like his mane was trying to be more than one color but hadn’t quite done it yet.

Spartan Shield nodded. “I live at the Spartan Stallion’s barracks, on the upper tier, by the palace.” He said. They started away from the lower gate of Canterlot, waved away by impressed guardsponies. How had he stayed alive under all that rubble and come home a month after the battle? Amazing! Maybe he survived eating roots and sucking the blood out of the bodies of his dead foes. Ohhh-hoh, that was the stuff of legends! Rumors were starting up even before they’d turned the corner.

“So tell me, didst thou survive the cataclysm that became of Sore Saddle canyon?” the young stallion asked eagerly as soon as they were out of earshot. “I was told Her Shining Immortal Majesty collapsed it to keep the lunar armies from reaching Canterlot’s gates!”

“Thou wouldst not believe me if I told thou.” said Spartan Shield wryly, smiling. “But I am home at last.” He smiled as they passed a wok of burning incense on a street-corner, turning and taking some stairs to head to the higher tiers. Since Canterlot was built on the side of a mountain, it was built UP instead of OUT, so the neighborhoods and other areas were separated by purpose and class most of the time. Being among the most elite warriors in the city, the Spartan Stallions lived on the upper tier next to the palace. Everywhere he looked it was thick white stone, marvelous statuary, golden filigree and bronze. Torches lit the streets, beautiful tablets decorated the sides of buildings, and massive decorative pots held greenery. He sighed happily.

When they arrived on the upper tier of Canterlot, Spartan Shield grinned up at the palace. It was a squat fortress covered with thick columns, bannered flags, and plenty of hanging plants with colored flowers. The outer gardens gad groomed ponds and plants, and the set of guards outside were properly-sized stallions with foul expressions. This was definitely home. “You’ll probably want to report to Her Shining Immortal Majesty in the morning, huh? I could send a squire for thee, if thou likes?” offered his guide.

Spartan nodded. “It seems only right that I announce my return.” He cocked his head, looking over his shoulder. He thought he’d heard something. Oh well. “But I shan’t wake the Princess, neigh.” He agreed. “I need to rest and relax, anyway.” He confided.

“Home sweet home.” The Pegasus stallion grinned when they arrived at the barracks. It was a tall, impressive building with fancy columns and endless tablets depicting battle scenes on the walls. “I bid thee good night, Spartan?” it came out like a question. Did he need anything else?

Spartan furrowed his brow. “Er,” he hesitated. “Thou says the battle was a month ago, and all the Spartan Stallions were slain, yes?” he gestured vaguely towards where Sore Saddle canyon used to be. “Why doth this building still stand, thus?” he gestured. “If nopony lives within, surely it would be converted for something else, yes?”

“Well,” said his companion a little sheepishly. “Her Shining Immortal Majesty forbade anypony from entering or inhabiting it. It has stood empty while she licks her wounds and mourns her sister, as well as her soldiers.” He said it rather gently, but Spartan understood. In the grand scheme of things, this building was not important. Rebuilding Canterlot’s trust in its rulers was. Princess Celestia had not thought of anything appropriate to do with it yet. He thanked Faust he still had a home, in the meantime.

“I see. Thank thee, er…?” he let the sentence hang to learn the stallion’s name.

“Private Dash, Spartan.” He saluted eagerly, his eyes bright and energetic. “Prism Dash!” with that, he opened his wings and took off into the night sky to return to his post. When he was gone, Spartan face-hoof’d with a groan. Of course. He and his lot were the ancestors of those he’d just spent the past five weeks or so with. Living so close to the capital, a few names and bloodlines were bound to pop up. He sighed, putting it behind him. Pressing open the great doors with a coil of muscle, ignoring his fading bruises, the Spartan Stallion went inside.

The Spartan Stallion barracks was a simple place, filled with rooms (four stallions to each) for sleeping, a small courtyard for combat practice, a grand armory, and of course an extra room or two for symposium. It didn’t take him long to notice that the servants were gone and the place was as silent as the grave. “I’m the last.” He sighed. It would take many years to rebuild the Spartan Stallions from just one. Going to a column in the courtyard, he leaned and peered at it. Pictures of warring stallions roared out at him in brilliant reds and blues and bronzes. The white marble and stone was simply beautiful. He sighed, rearing up and embracing the sweeping stone. It was cool to the touch, and he pressed his cheek affectionately to it. Home. Home at last.

Sinking down and laying on his belly by the column, he looked up at the crisp clear moon. The strange and ghostly shape of a weeping mare lay on its face. Nightmare Moon no doubt thrusted against her chains in her prison even now. It was a good thing she would return as the strong and virginal ruler once more, there was hope for the future. He stopped his line of thought for a moment, frowning. Pfft. No, he hated that wretch. She’d slaughtered all his fellows, Nightmare Moon or not. Unable to stay made at a pony a thousand years away, he sighed and shrugged a bit. For now, it was peaceful. 

Spartan Shield dipped his hoof in the shallow decorative little pool in the middle of the courtyard. It soothed his poor tired hooves. He’d been to battle, to a strange land, fought timber wolves and powerful stallions, failed to be tamed out of being a soldier-- he was exhausted, both mentally and physically. He sagged forward a little, his head dipping down to drink from the cool waters. Rubbing his nose a little when he was done, he studied himself in the water for a long and quiet time.

A stirring in the shadows made Spartan turn quickly. He opened his mouth to shout, but he saw it was a mare’s outline that stalked him. On her shoulder was a round bottle of what was no doubt undiluted wine. She was a unicorn, and if her outline meant anything at all she was a gorgeous one at that. Just the way her mane was fixed at her bare flank brushed, he could not help but oogle her just a bit. In fact, it looked a little to much… like… “Twilight Sparkle!” he shouted, rising up onto his four hooves. Rushing at her joyfully, he ran into shadow and embraced her in his hooves, nuzzling animatedly. She giggled, pressing on his chest a bit (painful to his bruises but he didn’t care). “How didst thou come to find me a thousand years in the past?!” he demanded, pulling her into a fierce and happy kiss. She squirmed, chirping happily in his affection. He pulled her into the moonlight so he could see her beautiful f—

Ack! Not Twilight Sparkle!

“Why, Spartan Stallion! So eager for me thou canst spare coin from thy purse before mounting?” she giggled, fluttering her long eyelashes at him. She turned about and leaned on a column, rather nonchalantly lifting her tail to flash her sex at him. His eyes flicked down out of instinct, but then tried to stay on her face. She was a pale white thing with a red mane and a moon with stars on her flank. He knew her. He scowled.

“Torment me not, Moon Dancer.” He said, deflating. She was not Twilight Sparkle at all, but a symposium prostitute (thusly her nudity and round wine bottle). “I am in no mood for thy tempting.”

“Apparently thou art, stallion, for thy embrace was red hot with need!” she smiled slyly at him. “And what’s this, a mare’s name upon thy lips?” the strumpet turned, lowering her tail and leaning the other way so that she could see him properly. “Hast thou found a proper companion, then?”

“I… er…” Spartan Shield’s ears wilted back. “I did. But she is gone now. Of no consequence.”

Moon Dancer snorted at him, tossing her mane and sitting on her haunches. This gave him a clear view of her perky teats and inner thighs. He tried very, very hard to keep his eyes on hers, but she was working her craft. Judging by the glitter of her horn, she was working her craft rather hard. “Thy enthusiasm to shriek her name says otherwise. And the fire on thy lips.”

“Tempt me NOT!” he shouted, turning from her with a growl. “Thy glamour does not work on me if I do not look upon thee.” He looked into the courtyard pool instead.

“Lie to thyself all thou pleases, but this Twilight Sparkle doth clench your heart ‘tween her hooves.” Moon Dancer smirked at him. He glared at her angrily, but got a face full of hot glamour magic for his trouble. Groaning quietly, he hunched a bit and stared into the waters again. “Lie not to a harlot, Spartan.” She said, coming to run her hooves on his muscular back over and over. “We know the ways of love and lust far better than anypony.” He shuddered at her touch.

“One of those is right.” He grumbled at her.

“Worry not, I shan’t seduce thee. I was merely jesting.” She sat next to him. “Thy comrades are dead and thou have only just returned to an empty home.” Moon Dancer gestured around them a bit. His heart sank in mild depression. “That aside, I’ve missed my moon flow for three months now, so I need to look for different work soon.” She smirked at his shocked expression. “What? Prostitutes are ponies too, we can become pregnant.”

“You were always careful with your foal-staying herbs when hired to symposiums.” He said, arching an eyebrow at her in mild disappointment. “What stallion could’ve possibly impregnated thee?”

“There were many.” She snorted, pushing his shoulder hard like a best friend would. “Including thee, if you recall.” She got under his skin so easily. It made her giggle. Spartan Shield was a happy stallion just like any other at drunken symposiums. He’d lain with his fair share of mares (and stallions, on occasion) while partying the night away after returning from battle, a hunt, or training. It was just what Spartan Stallions did to celebrate. 

He rolled his eyes at her. “As though my seed would take in a night time mare’s womb.” He dismissed the thought. “Thou hast my sympathies for the foal, but I’ve my own life to put back together too.” He gestured around himself a little.
She sighed at him, uncorking her round wine bottle and taking a swig. “Welcome home, Spartan Shield.” She said, passing him the bottle. He took it, staring at it for awhile, then took a long drink for himself. It wasn’t diluted at all, and he coughed heavily. Ponyville hadn’t had anything so strong, perhaps he’d lost his edge. Meh, Ponyville. Who cared about quiet, brilliantly-colored, virginal…. 

Fun… 

Peaceful… 

Happy…

--Ponyville, anyway? He turned and kissed Moon Dancer, very suddenly feeling lonely. He would never see any of those other ponies again, why did he still think anything of them or their silly wooden town? Moon Dancer wrapped her hooves around him, and he pressed her down upon the stone of the courtyard. “Welcome home indeed…” she sighed breathily into his needy kisses. They didn’t bother making for a bed. He was quiet and gentle with her, unusual for a warrior like himself. Spartan Stallions were known for their roughness and stamina in bed, but he was nothing of the sort. He did not even mount her, but only ended up nuzzling into her for warmth and comfort. She did not smell of flowers like Twilight did. The next morning, Moon Dancer had made off with a rather expensive-looking decorative pot, but he didn’t feel angry with her. 

Spartan felt lonely. He felt cheap and guilty for clinging to a whore. There was only one thing to do.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A Few Days Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


“Presenting to Her Shining Immortal Majesty, Spartan Shield! Survivor of the Spartan Stallions!” A squire announced his coming, and Celestia gaped rather openly. She’d thought all the Spartan Stallions dead! As the double doors of the throne room opened, light poured in and a weary-looking soldier stepped inside. He wore all the trappings of the elite group of soldiers, bearing a new shield and spear on his back. They did seem to weigh on him a bit, though, for he stutter-stepped just once as he made his way to the base of the dais.

Spartan Shield looked up at Princess Celestia. She was wearing a snowy-white toga with golden clasps at the shoulder, her hair done up into one massive braid going down her back. Golden clips rested in her tail, taming the silly thing from blowing about in random solar winds and distracting every pony. She liked to look calm and contained in every way she could. Closing her eyes and tilting her head upward until she heard him stop, she looked down the dais steps at him. Smiling. Why was he smiling like that? She watched the Spartan Stallion lift a hoof briefly to his mouth, and she could see his eyes travelling. It was like he was seeing her nude, the scandalous thing! “Speak, warrior!” she spoke aloud, the vibration of her voice startling a few ponies in the room. “I thought thee perished, thy return is most… irregular, a month after the fact!” when she’d heard a Spartan Stallion was returning from battle, the white alicorn had been suspicious. That made him either a fake or a deserter. She’d looked upon the battlefield herself that night. None of her stallions had survived. “Speak thy story upon mine court, so that we may hear and solve the mystery of thy appearance.” She draped herself slowly upon her throne-pillow. A servant leaned over, draping grapes at her while another fanned her with a long pole-fan. She shook her head once at the offered snack, but nodded to the fanning pony. He remained, to keep her cool.

“Mine story doth span the ages, your Shining Immortal Majesty!” The stallion’s voice boomed up the stairs at her, and for all to hear. “A thousand years, in fact!”

“Do not be coy or playful, stallion.” Celestia said impatiently. She was in no mood, after losing her sister and all of her armies and barely holding Canterlot together politically. She was the beautiful and tame Princess of the day—but she was in NO mood for games these days. “Speak plainly!”

Spartan Shield took off his new helm, setting it beside himself. He took off his shield and spear, setting them to one side and sinking into a low bow. “I pray thee only allow me to finish, for what I speak is truth and nothing more.”

“Speak.” Celestia said again, staring down at him with interest.

“I was turned to stone for a thousand years, lived for five weeks in a utopia, and then came backward a thousand years in a strange blue box so that I might see home again.” He blurted it all out with all the subtly of a minotaur in a china shop. The Noon Day court went silent. Some of the guards looked at each other. A squire, brave little colt that he was, started giggling.

“…What?” Celestia said, blinking at him twice. Spartan told her everything. About how he’d been turned to stone, and awoken in a museum a thousand years later. He told her all about Twilight Sparkle and Ponyville. The strange pink harlequin. The athlete and the healthy foal Applebloom. He told her all about beautiful Big Macintosh, about the seamstress and her little sister. He told her Shining Immortal Majesty that in the future everypony was naked and Princess Luna walked the earth at her si—“Stop.” Celestia said with an edge. “Speak not your madness with my sister’s name on thy lips.” She was shaking a little, the wound still very raw from the battle a month ago. “I thought myself to be patient and hear thy story, but neigh! Thou insults me with lies and—and—what art thou doing?”

Spartan Shield was coming up the dais and stood before her. Before the guards decided to charge up the stairs and take his head off, he sank down and bowed to her. “Please, Princess.” He whispered. “Thou must believe me. A thousand years from now thy sister will walk among ponies again, cured of her darkness and making friends with thy protégé.” There was a softness in Celestia’s eyes. She didn’t want to believe it. It hurt too much that he might be a madpony spouting lies.

“Wh-why?” Celestia asked softly.

“The Elements of Harmony took thy sister away.” Spartan looked up into her face, pushing his mane out of his eyes. “They will cure her as well, when she returns.” He didn’t know how much of the future it would be a good idea to tell the Princess, but buck it, she needed the emotional pick-me-up.

“How do I know it’s true?” The white alicorn pressed, her voice falling to a hope-filled whisper.

Reaching boldly, he did the unthinkable. He took her hooves in his, and raised them to his temples. “Read my mind, Princess.” He whispered.

Celestia’s face stained pink.” What makes thou think I can?” she said a little indignantly. The guards all around the room bristled at the scene. You didn’t just go TOUCHING the Princess like that! Unbelievable! The started up the stairs to grab Spartan Shield, but her gaze stopped them.

“Thou art an alicorn, you can do anything!” he said. His blind conviction at her powers made her blush. “Read my mind and see thy sister! Thy lavender-smelling protégé! And the utopian Equestria thou art destined to lead!” he begged her to delve into his thoughts and verify his claims.

Slowly, Celestia raised her hooves to his temples, her horn lighting. Her entire body shivered, and they stared into each other’s eyes. If she dove into his mind all of his privacy would be gone and anything he’d ever said, done or thought about would be laid out for her to see. She’d only done it a few times, mostly to criminals who had prisoners hidden somewhere--- or needed to be proven innocent before being sent to the gallows. He looked up at her expectantly, while she massaged the crown of his head. “Thou… thou sayest the future is bright, Spartan?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, yes very!” he said, enthusiastic. “I swear it!”

“To know the future is to change it, warrior.” Her hooves slowly, tenderly dropped from his head. He looked up at her, confused. “If thou really did journey across the centuries and see a prosperous Equestria… mine heart does rise to joy.” She smiled rather sadly at him. “I would love to see my sister in thy mind’s eye, but… to wait will make seeing her again all the more joyful.” She paused a moment, then leaned and kissed the top of his head. He shivered just a little.

“Shining Immortal Majesty,” he said reverently. “I’ve made a terrible mistake.” He confessed when she’d tilted her head at him. “I shamed myself, and then ran away.”

“What art thou going to do about it?” Celestia said bemusedly. “Get in thy blue box and go back to the future, Spartan Shield?” She adjusted herself and sat upright before him.

Spartan shook his head. “No, it was not my blue box. It is gone now. There is only one thing I can do, to get back to the future again and face what I have done…” he trailed off for a moment when she leaned to look at him with a stern mother’s eye. His face stained pink, “And… to see Twilight Sparkle again.” He mumbled. Her closest servants giggled. A stallion in love, Spartan or not, was always adorable to watch.

“What is that, pray tell me?” Celestia said, though her eyes betrayed she already knew.

Spartan Shield turned away, going slowly down the stairs. He knelt and donned his helm. Then, he put his shield on one arm and his spear hooked in the other. “I must be turned to stone again, for a thousand years!” he announced. Ponies all around the throne room gasped, except Celestia. She didn’t know why she believed him. She hadn’t dared to hope until he spoke such a thing aloud. A stallion that would beg to be turned to stone to see his lost love again? It was all Celestia could do to respect such strength. Surely she could wait a thousand years to see her precious, beautiful sister Luna again.

The white alicorn stood slowly. “Pose for me, Spartan Stallion. Thou wilt make an impressive statue in my garden.” She smirked a little humorously. Ponies backed away from Spartan Shield. Smiling and chuckling deep down in his barrel chest, Spartan Shield threw out his chest. He made his best battle scowl and poised himself in the phalanx position, shield forward and spear pointing forward as well.

ZOT!

Spartan Shield was turned to stone for the second time. A thousand and one (not a thousand and two, but a thousand and ONE) years in the future, Discord would comment at Celestia about turning ponies to stone. How sad that the spirit of chaos could never know she had done it so that he might find his love again, and repent for what he’d done to another stallion.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1,002 Years Later…
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Twilight Sparkle leaned depressedly over her tea, looking pathetically up at her mentor. She had come to Canterlot to turn herself in to her teacher after having lost Spartan Shield. The warrior had vanished entirely, and nopony in or around Ponyville had seen him. He’d left his spear and shield behind, as well as the helm that Rainbow Dash still had… and he’d simply gone. She’d tried a find-it spell, a recall spell, and every other locating spell she could but it had been no use. He was too far away by now, Twilight’s powers could only reach so far to find him.

“I’m not going to throw you in a dungeon, Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia chuckled a little playfully. “Nor banish you, nor anything of the sort.”

“You won’t send me to magic kindergarten either?” said the purple mare in a small mewling voice. “I-I failed you! And I lost Spartan entirely! He could be anywhere!”

“He might be closer than you think, Twilight.” Celestia said bemusedly, sipping her tea. Twilight sighed, looking down into her teacup again. How could her mentor be so very calm and stoic all the time. There was an upset SPARTAN STALLION on the loose! What if he decided to hurt somepony else? Or got caught up in a fight with a monster? Or threw himself on his spear like he’d promised to do before? Twilight’s heart sank and her lower lip quivered some, eyes growing big and soft.

Celestia reached out with her thoughts, sipping her tea again. Was it just about time? Almost. She could feel the spell beginning to come apart at the seams. How mad he’d seemed at the time, all those centuries ago. She smirked, just a little, raising her eyebrow when the screaming started.

Getting cured of being turned to stone isn’t bad. But letting the spell wear off is a gradual, sometimes painful thing. “RAWUUUUWGWGH!” rang out over the gardens as a statue started to move and grind against itself. Twilight dropped her teacup, shattering it upon the cobblestone where the picnic table sat. Another great and belting cry sounded off. 

“What is that?!” Twilight saw guards rushing to the source of the screaming, and started cantering forward. “Stay right here Princess, I’ll investigate!” she charged forward to go see what was going on. The purple unicorn rounded the corner and jolted to a stop, for the gathering of solar guards was gathered around a writhing, vine-covered statue. It roared and thrashed about, the whine of stone rubbing on stone making her ears shriek.

She fought her way through the solar guards, trying to elbow her way past as they closed ranks to stop whatever the threat was. But they just wouldn’t let her through. She shrieked with frustration, trying to see through them all. They pointed their spears at the statue up on the pedestal, poking at it now and then. It thrashed back and forth, gagging out grey dust and ripping vines off of itself with wild teeth and hooves. “Is… is that…?” Twilight’s mouth went agape as color exploded across its grey surface and it fell from the pedestal as a living, breathing pony.

Bits of stone were falling off of his body in a dusky rain of pebbles and plaster.“Twilight! Twilight! Twi---LIIIIIGHT--!” Slathering, flying hot spittle erupted from his mouth as the flesh-to-stone spell wore off completely. He thrust his helmet off himself, falling to his belly and clutching at the ground with his front hooves. His chest, his beautiful muscled chest, heaved for breath and he spat gravel for a few long moments.

“Spartan?” Twilight called over the crowd of armored ponies gathered around him.

Celestia emerged serenely around the corner of the hedges just in time to see what was quite possibly the funniest thing she’d ever seen in centuries. Spartan Shield rose, then charged through a dozen solar guards with the sound of a bowling alley strike! She watched as, in seemingly epic slow motion, pieces of golden armor and white-furred ponies flew in all directions with surprised shouts (in slow motion it was a group-sized, “Wuhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrghhhhh?!”, of course). The white alicorn grinned as he bowled Twilight Sparkle over with his own weight, bent her backward over a stone bench and kissed her. Really, REALLY kissed her. Rubbed at her face and murred her name and kissed her like a BEAST.

Twilight Sparkle shrieked, pinned by his great strength but throwing her arms around him none the less. Her face was painted a lovely shade of pink and a few erotic sparks shot from her horn, sprinkling the nearby grass with her joy.

“Ahem!” Celestia stepped in before the warrior decided to just keep going with it. “Spartan Shield, I trust you’re well?” she said, chuckling.

Twilight quickly pushed him away, flushed hot from being so overtaken in front of the Princess. He released the flustered mare, bowing to his Princess. “You’re naked again.” Spartan told her. Celestia threw her head back and laughed full-throatedly, leaning forward so she wouldn’t fall over. A thousand years and THAT’S what he had to say to her!? HAH!

The dozen or so solar guards lay strewn around the lawn, having no idea what hit them. Their eyes were in swirls and they would never be able to tell their comrades that just one stallion had mowed them all down in pursuit of love. They would never live it down!




End of Part 19

> Tea With Luna
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 20: Tea with Luna

“Your Majesty!” Spartan came to his knees before Princess Celestia, when they’d had a moment to breathe. “I desire thy protégé for my own!” he told her. “Name thy price for her hoof!” he begged her, thrusting his helmet off of himself and pressing the crown of his head against the grass.

“Wh-what?!” Twilight blushed hot. “Is he trying to buy me?!”

“There’s no such thing as dowries anymore, Spartan.” Celestia said gently, smiling in a kind way. He looked up at her, a little pink in the cheeks and unsure of what to say about that. How did one aquire a companion, if not through payment to her master, mentor, or father? This was something else Twilight had not yet taught him about. “You don’t need my permission, I assure you.” She chuckled.

“But she is a Solar Pony! A mage! Her deflowering will strip away her powers, surely that comes with some sort of price!” Spartan was dubious, gesturing at Twilight like she were a statue made of the finest gold.

“My defl-l-l-l-!” Twilight felt woozy, her face was so red and starting to get sweaty. How could he talk about such things so plainly?! And in front of the Princess?! 

Celestia saw her look out of the corner of her eye, the glitter of mischief rising up in her gaze. She cleared her throat a little, and rubbed her chin with her hoof. “Hmm, there is that to consider.” She said aloud. Twilight gaped at her, unable to believe she was going along with this. “My protégé’s virtue is certainly nothing to be trifled with, Spartan.”  Twilight wanted to die. She wanted her head to explode or to simply drop dead to spare herself the embarrassment and hot-faced suffering.

“I shalt perform labors for you then, like Hoofekles!” Spartan Shield offered right away. “Name thy desire and I shall fetch it for you, Shining Immortal Majesty!” it was a bizarre thing to see a brutal warrior in love, but he meant every word. “Anything to carry Twilight through my doorway!” Twilight felt like she was watching the worst tennis match she could possibly imagine, for words failed her and all she could do was look back and forth as each one spoke.

“Carrying a mare through the archway of your home doesn’t make you married anymore, Spartan.” Celestia chided just a little. “It’s a little more complicated than that.”  His face fell, so she quickly amended, “But, if you are so keen for my permission to woo my most faithful student--”

“Yes?” Spartan said, leaning forward eagerly.

“And you spanned the ages, again, just to be with her--” Celestia said thoughtfully.

“Yes?!” Spartan’s eyes were bulging out of his head.

“And you did just mow down a dozen of my guards with the power of love--” she was stroking her chin and looking skyward with a sagely frown on her face, one of deep thought.

“Yes? YES? YES?!” Spartan said, taking one of her massive hooves in his own. “Command me, Princess! Yon beauty is worth any labor thou bequeaths!” Twilight turned a deeper shade of scarlet as he spoke. Wasn’t he laying it on just a liiiiittle thick?

“You will have tea with Luna.” Celestia smiled.

Spartan Shield’s eyebrows LAUNCHED into his mane, vanishing from sight. He dropped the royal hoof, his jaw hanging open. There was silence so deep the breeze could be heard. Twilight chuckled nervously, coming up beside him and patting him a little. “Well, that’s not too hard, huh Spartan?” she smiled encouragingly. “I’ve had tea with Princess Luna before, it’s not bad! She’s very good at brewing her own.” She swallowed a little as she watches his eyes face back and forth. He was deep in terrified, half-angry thought. He was seriously considering, and he looked unsure. “Hey.” She said slowly, poking him a bit in the shoulder. “It’s just tea. You can sit and drink tea, right?”

Spartan Shield looked over at her slowly. He eyed her up and down, then swallowed just once. “She killed… all my brothers in arms.” He said slowly. Twilight’s face fell. Celestia’s ears turned back, something that rarely happened. “But,” he said, slowly coming up and to his hooves. “If it means having Her Shining Immortal Majesty’s blessing,” he leaned into her and nuzzled her mane a bit. “I will go and drink tea. For you.” It was a solemn, though silly, proclamation. Twilight giggled a little, looking up at the Princess with a helpless expression. She smiled in a motherly way.
Celestia smiled. He’d just taken a big step. The Spartan Shield that had clobbered Luna with a serving tray would’ve turned his muzzle up at her and said no. Perhaps Twilight’s lessons on peace and compromise in utopian Equestria had not fallen on deaf ears after all. “I’m proud of you, Spartan Shield.” The Princess praised. He smiled at her painfully. Saying he would do it was the easy part. Actually doing it, on the other hoof, was going to be something else entirely…

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

Spartan had spent most of the afternoon and evening entertaining Twilight Sparkle with the story of his journey into the past. She pressed and pressed to know about Derpy and her companion ‘The Doctor’, but he simply didn’t have a modern way of describing it all that made sense to her so she eventually gave up. She wanted to hear all about old Canterlot, about what the old palace had looked like. 

Twilight balked at him angrily when he truthfully told her about his little run-in with Moon Dancer, and had stayed mad for a few hours. She was most certainly the jealous type. But, she soon reminded herself that he hadn’t had his epiphany to go back to the future yet, and had been lonely. He was only pony, after all. Spartan Shield theorized that, through Moon Dancer, and down a convoluted bloodline of who-knew-what, his genes had ended up in Aegis Shield (one of Luna’s private guards). It made sense to Twilight, though she was still angry with him. Then he reminded her that he’d probably impregnated her at a symposium, far before he’d met his current love interest. How had she fared? What had she named the foal, and what was its life like? They may never find out, both of them knew. They doubted history would remember a lowly prostitute and her little foal.

Next he told her all about meeting Celestia and how he’d convinced her to turn him to stone again, so he could come back to Twilight. That seemed to brighten the purple mare’s mood. “I’ve never seen the Princess wearing clothes…” Twilight mumbled, cocking her head and looking at the ceiling. “She was naked at the Grand Galloping Gala as well. Huh.” She wondered why Celestia would attend the event of the decade without a dress or any clothes at all. Prolly had something to do with her being the unchanging symbol of light in Equestria, or some other something like that. It was hard to imagine her with a braided tail and mane though, that must’ve been amazing!

A bell tower chimed not far away, startling them both out of their catching up. Spartan rose slowly, donning his helm with a certain stiffness. “Wait for me until I return.” He bade Twilight. She rose with a ginger smile. This really was a big deal to him, wasn’t it? She couldn’t imagine having tea with a pony that had killed everyone she’d every known, but clearly Princess Celestia wanted him to at least try to make nice. The first attempt hadn’t gone well, maybe this one would be injury-free? It was a little cruel to shove Luna in his face again, but the Princess knew best, right? Right?

“Don’t hurt anypony.” Twilight said gingerly, looking into his face with a painful smile. “And no suplexing any guards. Or throwing tableware. Or--” she stopped when he cupped her cheek with a large and firm hoof, her face coloring.

“With thou as my end goal, I will even try to smile at the beast.” He said lovingly. His words were a little much, but she understood his meaning. She pecked his cheek, and sent him away. Settling on a couch, Twilight pulled a random book from a shelf and tried to concentrate on it.

A few minutes later, a feminine voice touched her ears. “Twilight Sparkle? May I come in?” It was Princess Celestia on the other side of the door. Twilight VAULTED off the couch and went to open the door by magic. “Sorry to intrude, but I must speak with you while Spartan Shield is distracted.” She smiled in that same motherly way. “Just us mares.” She said over her shoulder. Her two guards backed off, and she shut the door behind her. “Twilight, about you and Spartan…” Celestia was looking at the ceiling, trying to find good words for it.

“Y… you’re not about to give me the sex talk are you, Princess?” Twilight’s ears turned back in embarrassment. “I’m a grown mare, I know all about that stuff.” She turned hot in the face as soon as the words left her mouth. “N-NOT that I’ve ever done anything like that before! Spartan is the first. N-NOT that we’ve ever done anything like that either! He’s my first coltfriend, I mean, and--- uhm—oh Faust!” she kept digging her hole deeper and deeper until Celestia rather gracefully shushed her.

“Twilight, stop helping.” Celestia smiled bemusedly, hoof pressed over her protégé’s mouth. Twilight looked to one side in embarrassment, then backed off. Celestia cleared her throat just a little. “What I must speak about is actually about Spartan Shield, not you.” The white alicorn followed Twilight Sparkle to the series of couches near the windows.
“Is something wrong?” Twilight feared the worst as usual.

“You know how he always calls you a mage, a Solar Pony, and rants a bit about your virginity?”

“Yes…” Twilight said uncomfortably, looking to one side.

“In the past, the far past, my student, there was a herd of ponies called Solar Ponies.” Celestia explained. “They sometimes sent their mares to worship me in the ancient times. I granted them powers, and in exchange demanded that they remain pure.” She looked a little sheepish as she spoke, for Twilight Sparkle had absolutely no poker face. Had her mentor really accepted worshippers? Wasn’t that a little egotistical? “Remember, Twilight, this was eons ago. Ponykind was looking for a guiding force, and it was considered an honor for a young mare to come and be near me in that era.” She laid on the couch on her belly, trying to stay on topic. “I couldn’t turn them down. It gave them hope to please their goddess and give me what they thought would make me happy.”

“Isn’t that a little silly? They came to you just to bow and love and be around you?” Twilight said.

“Well, in Spartan’s Era they wanted to give me stallions instead.” Celestia confessed. Twilight BURST into giggles before quickly silencing herself. “I had a harem a thousand years ago thanks to that tradition, tiz true.” She snickered a little. “A-Anyway.” Celestia quickly pressed on. “When Spartan Shield looks at you, a powerful unicorn that he can’t comprehend in levels of magic—he sees a legendary solar pony.”

“When we first met, he thought I was a whore because I wasn’t wearing clothes. Then he decided I was a solar pony, so I could…” Twilight trailed off for a bit, remembering the details. “Absorb the power of the sun through my skin?” it came out like a question.

“That’s pretty close to the legend, yes.” Celestia said. “A pony from the Solar Herd could lay in the sun and absorb its rays to grow stronger, more magically potent, or any number of other things.”

“Am I the descendant of a Solar Pony?” Twilight said with big eyes and a great big smile. “Is Spartan right?”

“I’m sorry, no.” Celestia said gently. Twilight wilted. “Truth be told, my faithful student, Spartan Shield is a Solar Pony, not you.” The purple mare stared at her mentor, mouth agape. There was a long silence while the Princess let this sink in. What was this supposed to mean? Spartan was no virgin, were his extra solar powers already gone? He’d been very vocal that… ‘deflowering’, a solar mare meant she would lose her powers. What did it mean to a stallion, much less an earth pony stallion? Celestia seemed to have read Twilight’s mind when she spoke, “Spartan is not a pure-blood Solar Pony, obviously. The herd was long gone before his great-great-grandfather was a foal. But now and then, a little glimmer of the bloodline shows up.”

“How do you know he is one? I mean, he’s… uhm…” Twilight looked to one side, red in the cheeks. “He’s had… mares… before…”

“Luna and I have been watching him in Ponyville, now and then.” Celestia said, gesturing. “At first, we thought it was his armor, bleeding solar magic all over the place from some unknown enchantment. Some sort of sloppy spell, you know? Then, when it stopped while he was without his armor, I knew. With his body completely exposed he began to take in solar energy again.”

“Like a mana battery?” Twilight asked helpfully. 

Celestia nodded. “Exactly. And when he reached capacity--”

“He got stronger and broke Big Mac’s neck!” Twilight was on her hooves, eyes huge. “It all makes sense now! He was wandering around with no clothes on for days before the match! He said it was some sort of ancient tradition for an athlete to show off his body before competing!” Celestia smiled as her protégé put all the facts together. “But he was absorbing sunlight the whole time, wow!” Twilight sat down hard. “I wonder if he knows…” she said thoughtfully.

“No, I think not.” Celestia said, smiling and coming to sit by Twilight Sparkle.

“But wait, you said that you traded extra magic to the Solar Herd for the mares that were virgins. Spartan’s not a virgin, or a mare.” Twilight complained, balking at the flaw in logic.

“Perhaps Spartan’s diluted blood has gone around that drawback, or evolved away from it. Remember, Twilight, we’re talking about thousands of years and hundreds of generations. Evolution is a slow thing, but it does happen.” Celestia reminded her. “The story of needing to stay pure remained, but the actual rule must’ve vanished.” The white alicorn marveled at the mortal pony genes. “Not to mention, he’s a stallion. Maybe the rule doesn’t apply to stallions.”

“But… but… that’s stupid.” Twilight said foalishly, wilting and looking at the tiles. “And sexist.”

Celestia fought down a laugh and surrendered a light chuckle. “W-well, Twilight, it was only meant for mares originally. After the Solar Herd vanished, the fact that it popped up again in a stallion may have just been irony.” The Princess smiled as Twilight scowled over the sexist laws of shapeless virginity-oriented solar-powered magic. This was so complicated and convoluted not even her scholar’s mind could wrap around it.

“So… he’s a walking mana battery that gets stronger when he stays in the sunshine.” Twilight said. “Up to a point, at least.”

“Yes, every pony has their mortal limits.”

“Are YOU a solar pony? Is he related to you?!” Twilight blurted wildly.

“No no!” Celestia chuckled a little. “I’ve never had children, Twilight. Not even back then. Solar Ponies merely got an imprint of what my magic can do. It’s why I’m so powerful.” She lowered her voice, telling her the great secret. “My capacity for storing sunshine is infinite, and I have thousands of years of it stored away.” She whispered. Twilight gasped in appreciation for such power. “But back to Spartan.” She lifted herself regally again, eyeing Twilight.

“Are you going to tell him? About his lineage?” Twilight asked curiously.

“I’m… not sure yet.” Celestia admitted. “Perhaps someday, when the time is right.” She gave a motherly smile that gently told Twilight to drop that particular line of questioning.

“What should I do in the meantime?” Twilight asked. Celestia gave her a rather broad smile. She said aaaaaabsolutely nothing, just stood there and smiled with all of her teeth showing. “PRINCESS!” Twilight shouted, turning scarlet.

“I didn’t say a thing, my most faithful student.” Celestia rolled her eyes playfully. “What you do with this knowledge is entirely up to you.”

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

Spartan Shield sat awkwardly on the floor across from Princess Luna. They had nice little pillows to lay or sit on, and a very short table between them. To his left and right were Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide, her two personal guards. All around them? Every single Lunar Stallion that was working the night shift in the palace. They had ALL crammed into the white room to provide security for her Majesty. Fifty would’ve been a reasonable guess. Word had travelled like wildfire that Spartan Shield had trounced four guards by himself, and then played body bowling with a dozen more recently. Needless to say, the room was very tense. Whenever the Spartan Stallion made a quick movement, coughed, or spoke, at least one Lunar Stallion would flinch or bristle anxiously.

“Ahem,” Spartan said, sitting on his haunches. Very, very awkward indeed. Princess Luna had had hours to prepare for a simple session of tea and chatting, and her response was to conjure up all the guards she could possibly find and cram them into a single room? Well… ehhhh, that was sort of his fault anyway. Spartan sat as regally as he could, knowing all eyes were on him.

Princess Luna eyed him a bit, reaching with her magic. Tea powder levitated, and a filter placed itself in a kettle. She made slow, deliberate motions as she poured the hot water, set down the little scoop, and closed her eyes when she bowed forward to inhale the scent. Thinking it part of some ritual, Spartan bent forward too. Their foreheads clocked together a little painfully. Spears JUMPED out of holsters and wing swords sprouted out of their sheaths! The Princess of the Night glared at her forces, rubbing her forehead a little. They relaxed back, panting a little. Spartan swallowed a little, rubbing his forehead and heaving a great sigh. “Er,” Luna said awkwardly, pouring his cup of tea, then his. Why had her sister insisted on this? It was obvious they didn’t like each other, and being near one another was not a good idea either. Why, the poor stallion had a shiver of tension to him that even made her nervous. It was like… well… was he trying to smile? The dark alicorn thought the warrior looked constipated, to be honest, as strangely as his face was set into a position that showed his teeth. Sort-of-maybe-smiling was a weird expression. The two cups of tea steamed gingerly between them, touching the air with a sickly, herbal scent. Luna could see his nostrils flexing idly, and studied his face. Perhaps there was ground to be made here. “Hm?” she said with one syllable, conjuring a little sugar bowl for him.

“Err…” he leaned to peer at it curiously, then nodded. She heaped sugar into his tea to make it more bearable for him. She got a more genuine smile from him while she stirred.

Aegis Shield and Stalwart Hide, Luna’s main two guards, wanted to moan loudly. This was just painful to watch. Usually only THEY were allowed to participate in Princess Luna’s tea ceremonies. An air of jealousy was touching both of them, but even they could see the rather awkward olive branches that were being extended before them. 

Everypony flinched eagerly when Spartan Shield spoke. “Twilight Sparkle doth say thy teas are exemplary.” It was a careful, neutral sentence.

“That is kind of her.” Luna said in a mild whisper. The formality of the situation had stifled both of their powerful voices. Spartan was there to be tested, Luna there to face the survivor of her past sins. It was not fun. Not at all. But, they could get through this one way or another. Surely being in the same room together for a little bit wouldn’t kill them both. The room felt like a museum, so quiet and cold and filled with an air of supremacy. Spartan gently took his teacup, studying it. The green liquid within stirred with the sugar that had been thrown in. At least it wouldn’t taste like it smelled, perhaps. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he tried it. The sugar punched him in the head and he winced, but said nothing. Luna took a careful sip, not wanting to take her eyes off him for more than few moments. “We are sorry.” The Princess said to him at last. The sentence hung between them. There was a long and terrible silence as the two ponies stared at each other with rather haunted expressions. Many Lunar Stallions perked their ears, looking back and forth between the two intimidating figures.

“… I know.” Is what the Spartan Stallion decided to say after much careful thought. The normal response would’ve been ‘it’s okay’, but it wasn’t okay. It would never be okay. But… twas better to be at an uneasy peace with five ponies than it was to be at war with just one. He didn’t offer forgiveness, but acceptance that he knew she knew she’d done wrong. It was something, at least. Something to at least bridge the gap between them. He pushed his mane awkwardly behind his ear, trying to think of something of substance to say. “Er,” was all that penetrated the silence for awhile, then, “How is thy nose?” his ears turned sideways into a rather sheepish expression.

Luna chuckled just a little, touching her face like a foal might to say ‘here is my nose!’. “Fine, thank thee.” She said quietly. The dozens of guards in the room relaxed by a few hairs. There was another long silence, five minutes or so, as they sat there awkwardly sipping at their cups. Luna went through identical motions to prepare another pot of the stuff. The pot was tiny, Spartan saw. It really was for ceremony and important meetings, not symposium or regular social gatherings. Spartan supposed the tea set was pretty. A good color.

End of Part 20

> Spartan's Errands
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 21: Spartan’s Errands

(Three Days after the Tea Party with Luna)

Big Mac was home, but was still in a neck cast. Though he could move his body now he’d been ordered to strict bedrest for the next few weeks or so. So severe had his injury been, he’d been taken home on a cart and put in his room with cartloads of books, knick knacks and little things to do. This of course had made the poor workhorse half-mad with boredom. 

He’d spent ages begging Applejack to give him the farm’s ledgers so he could work with them. His sister had agreed, if only to keep him still and in bed. The result had been a brand new, neat and tidy version of the past fifteen years of anything monetary that had happened on the farm. He’d even hoof-drawn the charts and studiously re-weighed the budget for the next three months. All in all, he’d saved quite a bundle for them and had predictions for the coming fall weeks.

As soon as he thought of fall, however, his heart sank. Big Mac knew that fall was the main harvesting season, and here he was bed-ridden. The feeling of guilt was crushing. Laid up like this he was exactly zero help to his family and community, and that just wasn’t right to him. It wasn’t from lack of trying, mind you. He’d been caught by Applejack a few days ago trying to build a birdhouse. She’d given him such a verbal lashing, he didn’t get supper that night.
Now? He was trying to figure out something else useful to do. His stint with fancy mathematics had lasted him only five days with the farm’s ledgers, and now he was bored again. The stallion’s ears suddenly perked, for someone was knocking firmly on the door. A visitor? He righted himself off the bed, labored carefully down the stairs and finally made it to the door. Working gingerly and careful with his neck, he opened the door. It was Spartan Shield, clad in nothing but his wrappings, accompanied by four or five more stallions he didn’t know. Big Mac would’ve tilted his head, but that involved using his neck so he merely blinked.

“Big Macintosh!” Spartan boomed. “It is true then! I have not maimed thee permanently!” he made to leap forward and embrace the stallion, but quickly remembered himself. “Sorry, forgive me, sorry.” He coughed a little, scratching his head. “Look! I come bearing gifts!” he gestured to the ponies he’d brought with him. “Hoof-picked from the marketplace!” he stopped to introduce each one, all the while Big Mac had no idea what was going on. “When I heard thee not crippled for life, I remembered thou worked a farm as a plow and harvest pony.” Spartan explained. “If you remember, I gave thou all the monies from our wrestling bout,” he paused, turning a little. “But in doing so I paid a debt to society as well. Princess Luna herself declared my labors complete, and gave me my… er…” he struggled for a good word. “Inheritance?”  it came out like a question. “She gave it to me as I was leaving Canterlot, so I decided to hire yon muscle.” He gestured again to the ponies that accompanied him. “They shall work the farm in thy place, so that thou may rest and recover free of guilt.” He said, a great smile plastered across his face. Big Mac was silent, sizing up each hired stallion with a critical eye. They did seem big and strong, maybe they could be a good help around the fields? Applejack would work herself to death on her own… “What dost thou think?” Spartan Shield smiled, showing off the group to him again. “May I set them loose upon thy farm?”

“…Eeyup.” Big Mac finally said, smiling.

“Thou heard him, get to work!” Spartan gestured. “Whatever it is that farming entails, go do it!” he was a soldier himself and had zero idea what they would be doing, but they were going to do a lot of it whatever it was. He turned back to Big Mac, smiling and reaching into his fat saddlebag. “Here.” He said, lowering his voice a bit. He drew out a bulging bits purse that jingled at the slightest movement. He set it at Big Mac’s hooves with a rather sheepish look. “I am… sorry.” It took some effort to say, but if Princess Luna could do it so could he. “I got carried away, and thou suffered for it. Then I was a horse’s ass and ran away from my troubles.” He gestured at the purse. “This will pay for the wages of yon muscle.” He nodded towards the gaggle of stallions that were already investigating the barn for tools. “There’s a bit of extra, for thy comfort.”

“Y’all already paid for mah hospital bills, and there was extra left over there too.” Big Mac spoke a rare full sentence, looking down at the bag. “How much is in there?”

“A couple of thousand bits.” Spartan said. “Is that a lot?”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac was a little pale at this. Where could Spartan have possibly gotten so much money? Little did he know that Spartan Shield’s original ancient coins had passed into the hooves of a museum, and a rather fantastic amount of modern money had been given to him in return. What he’d given to Big Mac was just a small fraction.

“Well, I shan’t tarry. Thy eccentric sister may try to maim me if I linger.” He smiled a little warily, looking around for Applejack. Big Mac chuckled a bit, nodding. Spartan Shield turned and was away, cantering down the path back to Ponyville. When he was gone Big Mac struggled to move the great sack of bits without bending his neck to grab it with his teeth. He ended up having to kick it along inside like a hoofball. It jangled loudly, and he was shocked by how heavy it was. When it was in a secure location, the red stallion went back outside to supervise the new help. Finally, something to do that was outside, farm-oriented, and wouldn’t make Applejack swoop down on him and yell. Whew. 

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

Rarity flinched HARD and her sewing needle lodged itself in the ceiling when a titanic stallion THRUST her boutique’s door open. It was Twilight’s coltfriend, Spartan Shield. “SEAMSTRESS!” he belted across the room, slamming the door enthusiastically behind him. “I desire thee!” Rarity gaped at him in shock and horror, until he added. “I require thy talents with string and fabric for something special.” He was rapidly crossing the room and peering curiously around. “Still only making dresses…” he tsked with a scowl. “Have you nothing for a stallion?” he looked at her with a cocked eyebrow.

“Wh--- well I never!” She began to go on the defensive, ears turning back and face turning red.

Spartan saw this and shifted gears. “Thy skilled hooves would surely make an equal masterpiece for a stallion as any mare!” he gestured to a silky white dress with golden trim. “Something like this, but masculine.” He pointed, walking in fast, interested circles around the display. Rarity watched him with mild interest. Wasn’t he just full of energy today?

“What did you need, darling?” Rarity said a little warily. She didn’t have the know-how to measure a stallion’s in-seam, exactly. She’d never made any vests or tuxedos for a stallion.

“Socks.” Spartan said firmly. Rarity’s brow rose a little. “Socks, with which to charm Twilight Sparkle.” He wasn’t even looking at her at the moment, having shoved his head under a dress’ skirts to see the colors on the in seams. The white unicorn watched him prance about, a very flitting and unsure customer indeed.

“You want socks to show off to Twilight?” Rarity said, sensing there was far more to this than he said. Her inner gossip factory was itching to be put to good use. “What for?”

“I have received Her Immortal Shining Majesty’s blessing to woo Twilight Sparkle.” Spartan Shield told her matter-of-factly, staring at a bizarre black dress with flecks of silvery stars on it. His face said he hated that one and he quickly moved on, moving from display to display. Ever the moving-forward soldier, he’d made a circuit around the shop and was starting a second when he spoke again. “Twilight Sparkle wears silken socks to bed every night.” He finally admitted to the pale unicorn.

“Does she?” Rarity said with a wry smile.

“Therefore, I shalt do the same to be endearing.” He nodded at her like it was an obvious and very good plan. “Then, I shalt secure mine place in her heart and Princess Celestia shalt not break my spine.”

“What was that last bit?” Rarity had been half-listening to the stallion’s bizarre plans, worried about their implications. But that last part was gossip gold. “Did the Princess say that to you?”

“Yes, of course. It was before we boarded the train to return from Canterlot, she whispered it to me when Twilight was not looking.” Spartan said, stopping in front of the white-with-gold-trim dress again. “Her protégé is precious to her. She said that if I broke her heart, she would break my spine.” He nodded, leaning back and staring at the dress more closely. “I like this style.” He pointed to the simple, tight-fitting dress. “Make this dress into socks, Seamstress.” He bade her. “Name thy price.”

“Er.” Rarity was a little overwhelmed by all the new information and stories and what the implications held for Twilight Sparkle. “I uhm… yes, of course darling.” She said, feeling frazzled by the stallion tromping around in her shop talking in such a forward manner. She gave him a fair price and he counted it out of a bits purse. “Come back this evening and I’ll have them ready for you. I don’t have any other orders waiting right now.” She confided, chuckling a little.

“Thou should make things for stallions.” He tut-tutted at her, turning his nose up with a haughty chuckle. “Twice the customers, at least! Perhaps more socks?” With that he was gone, thrusting the door open and making the bell ring. When the door shut behind him, Rarity let out a long held breath. She wondered if the Spartan Stallion would ever understand that he’d come in and basically demanded lingerie for himself… and why exactly Twilight Sparkle wore lingerie to bed every night, even before they were dating. Rarity scratched her head, trying not to think about it too hard.

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

Spartan Shield peeked into Sugar Cube corner. It was late afternoon. Past lunch time. The crowd of the mid-afternoon lunch rush was gone. Peering around very, very warily, he approached the counter. Mr. Cake was behind the counter. “Well hey there! Can’t say I’ve seen you in here very much!” he greeted merrily. “You must be that Spartan fellow, huh? Pinkie Pie talks about that party she threw for you sometimes!” he smiled.

Spartan panicked at the mere sound of the party pony’s name. “SHHH! Bring not the Harlequin down upon mine head!” he VAULTED over the counter without warning, putting a powerful arm around Mr. Cake’s neck and shoving a giant hoof in his mouth. “She could be anywhere!” he whispered, peering around. The room seemed safe enough. The strange, reality-bending pink pony seemed nowhere in sight. “Whew…” he said after a time. “I require something tasty.” He told the stallion in confidence.

“Er, well sure thing big fella.” Mr. Cake slid out of his one-armed hug and guided him back around to see the display case. “We have cakes, cupcakes, banana bread, cookies, normal bread loaves--” He went down quite a long list, until Spartan began to get a frustrated look on his face. He didn’t know what half of that stuff was. It was all brilliantly colored with powdered sugar, frostings, and other obnoxious things. He was not shopping for a mindless foal! He growled a little, leaning until he nose pressed against the glass. He looked one way, squeaaaak, went his nose on the display. Then, he looked the other way, squeaaaaak, it went again. “Have you anything meant for seduction?” he asked aloud. 
Mr. Cake cocked on eyebrow. “Er, shopping for a marefriend?” he asked good-naturedly, chuckling a little. “That’s something else entirely. Come over here.” He motioned Spartan over to a separate display case. The warrior leaned down with his usual discerning scowl. He saw a bunch of brown squares with white lines of something dribbled a across them. “These here are called Mare’s Delight.”

“What are they?” Spartan asked, suspicious of the strangely-named confection.

“They’re thick fudge, thinly coated with melted milk chocolate, lined with white chocolate, and frozen overnight.” Mr. Cake said expertly. “Since they’re frozen, you can suck on them, rather than just wolf them down in one bite.” Reaching and using a toothpick, the yellow stallion speared one and pulled it out of the display for Spartan to taste. The warrior lifted it to his lips and did so. It was very cold, like an ice cube. But the chocolaty taste enthralled him.

“I shall take a box!” he belted, making Mr. Cake’s mane wave in the wild breeze that was his voice. 

“Uh—you got it, big guy!” Mr. Cake thought Spartan Shield talked very oddly, but he wasn’t about to bad-mouth a customer. Mare’s Delight was for a stallion on a mission, and he wasn’t about to make fun of that. Working rapidly, he wrapped up a box of the chilled confections and put them in a little cooler for him to take home. “Just keep them sealed until you’re ready to eat them.” He said, smiling as Spartan paid for them. They were rather expensive, but the occasion was worth it. The warrior put them in his saddlebags, nodded and turned to go.

“Hi Spartan.” He walked past Pinkie Pie as she spoke.

“Hail, Harlequinn.” He said, smiling and his nose up in a regal way as he was on his way out.. Spartan Shield was halfway out the door before he JOLTED and clutched at his chest, nearly having a heart attack. “Plague me NOT, pink one!” he barked at Pinkie Pie, panicking. The pink mare tilted her head at him curiously, smiling in a friendly way. She opened her mouth to speak. “Neigh!” he barked pointing at her. “Neigh, speak not even words!” he backed away slowly like Pinkie Pie might pounce and try to eat him or something. Then he found the door and RAN out, slamming it behind him. He galloped wildly down the street.

“I really did traumatize him on his first day here.” Pinkie Pie said, her brow bunching into an apologetic smile. “Oh well!” she shrugged, going back to sweeping the floor as she had been earlier. How hadn’t Spartan seen her on the way in? Because Pinkie Pie, that’s why.

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

Twilight Sparkle was coming home from a series of errands she’d been running that day with Rainbow Dash. Why the blue mare seemed so keen on keeping her occupied all day was a brief mystery, for she’d seen the glint of armor pieces (so! Awesome!) in Rainbow’s saddlebag. Spartan had paid her off to keep her away from the library for some reason. But, after dusk began to settle Rainbow Dash suddenly had very important plans elsewhere and rather unceremoniously ditched Twilight.

When she approached her home she saw flickering lights inside. That only meant that the fireplace was in use. Yes, fireplace. Winters in Ponyville could be cold, so Twilight had one installed with special enchantments on it to have all the comforts of flame without any of the whole my-house-is-a-tree-oh-crap items to worry about. She tilted her head, hearing shuffling inside when she came close to the door. Frowning and cocking her eyebrow a little, she reached and pushed the door open with magic. It was dark inside. Well… neigh, it was half-lit inside because of the fireplace. “Spike?” she called.

“Shh, he’s in bed.” Spartan’s voice floated at her from the blackness. “Dusk is quite late at night in the late summer and autumn. Baby dragons need their rest.” Twilight peered around, shutting the door behind her. She noticed it was quite a bit warmer than normal in the tree house. What she saw, however, made her drop both saddlebags and stop to stare.

Spartan Shield, clad in socks and nothing else, was splayed out in front of the fireplace, very much on display. To one hoof, he had a waiting picnic box with Sugar Cube Corner’s logo on it. To his other, a little desk set that looked brand new and un-opened. There were quills and ink pots and a bunch of other little things inside. Twilight leaned forward with pink-faced interest. Strewn all around the floor, very deliberately, were books. Books everywhere, all around the handsome stallion. He smiled at her, waggling his eyebrows a few times.

“Th… those need to be shelved…” she mumbled vaguely, tail tucking as she wandered forward just a couple of steps. She felt… melty. Her tail tucked hard and she shuddered. “I mean… uhm…” she shut her mouth quickly when she felt a line of drool forming.

“Twilight Sparkle, some of thy history books are vague and missing bits.” He told her, gesturing to the thick tome leaning up against his flank in a rather erotic way. “Come, let us correct them. I can help. I was there, for some of these.” Twilight saw that he’d carefully picked books from his own era, things he would’ve known and seen in his lifetime. She swallowed. Dear sweet Celestia, those books. He had made books sexy. She wandered forward a few more paces, like a frightened and untrusting woodland creature. He stuck a leg out in an exaggerated stretching pose, showing off his white-with-gold-trim socks. Her eyes followed, much to his delight. Those were some pretty sexy socks... oooh... “Come.” He coaxed again, his voice a thick and comforting purr. “I even brought snacks.” He popped the box of fudge open. They steamed from the chill they held into the warm air.

A yes-yes-yes-yes dance boiled up inside Twilight, but she only shuddered and contained herself. It took all of her willpower not to squee with joy. She eagerly scuttled forward to be with him, then tripped and rather unceremoniously WHUMPED into a face-plant. Sweet Celestia her FACE! Augh! He nearly rose, looking shocked. “Twilight?!” he said, hoping her not hurt.

Twilight scrambled back to her hooves. “I’m okay!” she squeaked, coughing loudly. He quickly returned to his sensual come-hither look when she’d righted herself, clearing his throat a little. She smiled nervously at him. 

‘Don’t drop thy efforts. It’s okay, just let her come to thee,’ he thought to himself. The purple mare didn’t trip over anymore books before she settled next to him. He popped the seal on the desk set as Twilight selected the first book for them to go through together. He expertly split a chocolate in half and gave her the bigger half. 

They studied history together that night-- and it was very, very sexy.


End of Part 21

> Spartan Shield vs. Shining Armor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Part 22: Spartan Shield vs. Shining Armor

The wooing of Twilight Sparkle took several months, but Spartan was dedicated. The first snow had fallen on Ponyville by the time we catch up to our pair again. Over the weeks, Twilight and Spartan had composed a book together, ‘Greek and Roman Era Canterlot-- A History.’

Twilight was smudged with bits of ink here and there as she examined the book back and forth. Was her hoof-writing perfect? Was the index correct? Did all of the drawings match the footnotes and match the subheadings to the chapters? Was the maroon color maroon enough? She fretted over the master copy they’d spent ages putting together. Spartan’s knowledge of old Canterlot had conjured maps, facts, figures, and even drawings of landmarks. It was a simply beautiful little tome, full of knowledge to share with anypony that looked upon it. “Spartan, I think…” she trailed off, squinting at a page. She was unsure.

“Yes, it is done now, beloved.” He told her firmly, closing the book with a firm hoof. “We may send it to her Shining Immortal Majesty for any corrections on her part,” he paused with a bemused smile. “Then off to the publisher’s with her blessing.” Twilight giggled when he nuzzled her cheek with the roughness of his unshaven cheek. He was a grizzled thing when he forgot to shave. The purple mare nodded, heaving a great sigh and turning about. “Spike!” Spartan Shield called.

“Yeah?” Spike turned from his place on a high ladder where he’d been shelving books. 

“We need to send this to Princess Celestia.” He said rather politely, though his voice was still big. “Dost thou mind?” he gestured to it with his hoof.

“A whole book?” Spike flushed just a little, happy at their faith in his skills for sending objects by dragon fire. “Sure thing!” he clambered down and came over, taking it into his claws. Stepping back a little, he heaved a great big breath. Fwoosh! The book burst into ash and then vanished into nothing in a flash of green flame. The cloud of sparkling magic rushed out the window and towards Canterlot. “There y’go!” he said. Spartan nodded his thanks, smiling. Twilight leaned and pecked the top of the baby dragon’s head appreciatively. Spike looked up at Spartan, hoping for praise.

“Thou shalt get no kisses from me.” Spartan said quite seriously. “Twilight hath sworn me to monogamy.” The quick up-turn of his lips said he was joking, but Twilight gave his shoulder a shove.

“What’s monogomy, Twilight?” Spike asked Twilight curiously, looking over at her.

“N-nothing you need to worry about, Spike!” Twilight said quickly, smiling in a nervous way. Spike shrugged, going back to his piles of re-shelving that he had to do. “Oh hey, they should be here soon, I’m going to go get cleaned up.” The unicorn turned and started up the stairs to the bathroom to scrub. 

Spartan Shield watched her go, smiling, then turned with a frown to face the front door. They were coming indeed. He did not like it. He did not especially want them here, either. If there were any ponies to challenge his conquest of Twilight Sparkle’s heart, it would be they. He did not like it one bit. Squaring his shoulders and reporting to the bedroom, he donned his chest plate, cape-scarf, and wrappings. Slinging his shield upon his back—he left the spear in the closet. Surely a token gesture was due, since they were coming to be guests. A shield was a less obvious weapon anyway. Not that it comforted him at all, given who was coming. He went back downstairs, nodding to Spike and resting in front of the fireplace. Intense study and polishing the now-complete book had really taken it out of him, mentally. Now this new challenge was coming to his doorstep.

Some ten or fifteen minutes later, there were approaching voices and a knock at the door. Spartan perked his ears, slowly standing. Spike made to climb down his ladder and fetch the door, but the Spartan Stallion stopped him, “Allow me, Spike. I’ll get it.” He said in a serious way. Spike shrugged, returning to his works by gently pushing a thin book into its perfect place. The big-chested stallion stood before the door, glowering at it. Putting on the most neutral and care-free expression he could, he opened the door at last.

“Oh wow, this must be him! Hello there!” Princess Cadence, Shining Armor at her side, stood on the stoop. They were dressed in thick winter wear, huffing steam in the icy cold. “Can we come in? It’s freezing!”

“Er, yes.” He said a little uncomfortably, standing aside. “Welcome.” Spartan shut the door after both ponies had come in. His eyes jumped straight to Shining Armor as they started pulling their coats off, sizing him up. He was decently muscled. A military pony and Captain of the Royal Guard, according to Twilight. Spartan had the very real sense that he was looking at the modern day equivalent of himself. Which, technically, he was. Spartan had been the leader of the Spartan Stallions, who defended Canterlot to the last in his era. Shining Armor was the Captain of the Royal Guard, the leader of the current defense force for the same city. He was white, a shield on his flank, and had a dark streaked-blue mane. His face was pleasant, but broad and virile. As far as looks went, Spartan approved.

“You must be Spartan Shield. Twilight’s told me so much about you in her letters!” Shining Armor said, helping his wife out of the last layer of her winter wear.

“Yes, I am.” The stallion said, turning to the mare now. “Tiz true then. Thou really art a third alicorn.” He’d taken immediately to looking at Princess Cadence now. He leaned very, uncomfortably close and studied her wings. “Are they real, though…?” he mumbled his thoughts, scratching his chin.

Smiling and prepared (thanks to Twilight’s detailed letters) for inspection, Cadance flapped her wings a few times. She lifted off the ground, much to his open-mouthed awe, then landed again. As though to answer his future question, she magicked her scarf from her husband’s hooves to a waiting peg on the wall. There was silence. The husband and wife gave Spartan time to process this. Twilight had sent them some very long, detailed letters telling of how… enthusiastic, Spartan could be when he ran into something that shocked or surprised him. She’d done her best to prepare him for Cadance, but meeting her in person would be a trial for him. There had only ever been two alicorns in all the world in his era. The fact that a third one had popped up so recently was yet another culture shock.

“Twilight Sparkle says thou art a Princess of love?” Spartan said, guiding them to the hearth to warm themselves. Cadance nodded politely. This was going better than she thought. “And thy husband, Twilight’s brother, is thy thrall?” he gestured mildly to the stallion.

Cadance’s face flushed dark, “No! No of course not!”

“What’s a thrall?” Spike asked, coming down to greet their visitors.

“A love zombie. It’s what happens when you force somepony to love you.” Shining Armor said a little angrily. “And no, I’m not a thrall. We’re in love for real.” His eyes narrowed at Spartan Shield a little, lidding in great disapproval at his brazen insult to his lover.

Spartan’s mouth made a little o-shape. “Oh, I see.” He really did want to understand. Twilight had described Cadance’s powers as ‘helping ponies fall in love’, and he’d equivocated it to her creating thralls to do her bidding and warm her bed. He wasn’t sure how Twilight was so calm about her brother being a ‘love zombie’, but he hadn’t questioned it. Perhaps it was something modern, to give one’s brother away as tribute? He’d decided to wait and find out for himself. “Forgive my assumptions.” He said genuinely, cocking his head and clambering up onto a couch. It wasn’t quite symposium, but they would make do and visit.

Cadance and Shining armor sat on a cushy love seat. They looked at each other, coaching one another for patience and cultural understanding. “Er… so you and Twily, huh?” Shining Armor asked, getting right to the point. 

“Yes.” Spartan braced a little as he spoke. He knew this part would be coming. Of course big brother would appear to size up the stallion his sister had chosen. Or rather, the one that had chosen her. In Spartan tradition, the father or brother could end a courting pair they did not approve of. He had to impress Shining Armor if he was to continue wooing Twilight Sparkle. He swallowed once, scowling in concentration. “I received Her Shining Immor… Princess Celestia’s blessing to woo her. Perhaps I will receive yours too?” he asked.

Shining Armor was genuinely surprised by this. Cadance looked between the armored stallion and her husband. “Erm, I’m going to go find Twilight. I think I hear her upstairs.” The alicorn rose daintily, smiling politely as she folded her wings and made for the library stairs. “Twili-iiight!” she made a show of calling as she did so. She glanced nervously over her shoulder. The boys clearly needed time to check each other out and sniff each other’s proverbial butts, so she would give it to them. It was only healthy. Shining Armor was very protective of his little sister.

When Cadance was gone, finally there could be stallion-talk. Both of them were military stallions it was easy to see, so Shining Armor could get right to the point. “So what’re your intentions with my little Twily, huh?” he said, dead-serious.

“Intentions?" Spartan blinked a few times. "I intend to woo her, marry her, then have her bear our foals if she wants them.” Spartan was so blunt and forward with his answer that Shining Armor briefly lost track of his eyebrows. The two stallions stared at each other for a long time in silence. Spartan clearly expected more questions, and was blinking at him a little curiously.

“Ugh, I, erm…” Shining Armor face-hoof’d a little, trying not to think about being an uncle just yet. “I mean, erm, how will you support her, huh? You’re not a soldier anymore, right?” he moved quickly to the next big topic. He wouldn’t let Twilight get swept away by some jobless nopony, either.

“I have amassed a fortune in bits, selling off my spare armor, coins, and wrappings to the Canterlot Museum.” Spartan said easily. “And when that money runs out, we have the book that Twilight and I created about ancient Canterlot.” He paused for a moment, then added, “And when that money also runs out, I have a job at Sweet Apple Acres right now to support our house.”

“Doing what?” Shining wanted to know.

“Breaking down dead trees and planting new ones.” Spartan Shield said. (The irony struck him later that he planted trees with love, as the oracle had foretold to him ages ago.)

“Ah.” Shining Armor nodded, rubbing his chin. So, he was financially okay for Twilight at least. That was a healthy sign, if he really was that adaptive and was already working anyway. He didn’t want his sister to end up supporting some lazy retiree, from the distant past era or not.

“Come, let us reason together.” Spartan said, standing and putting another log in the fireplace. He turned, gesturing with a hoof. “Thy worries are justified, but what doth really be on thy mind?”

“I just wanna make sure you’re right for my little Twily.” Shining Armor said very seriously.

“If I understand things correctly, thou and I are roughly the same pony. Just a thousand years apart.” Spartan Shield gestured, then explained about the Spartan Stallions and the current Royal Guard. Shining listened carefully, nodding slowly as he spoke. Both of them, in different eras, held roughly the same station. “Therefore,” Spartan finished. “Thou and I art interchangeable when it comes to providing or protecting dearest Twilight.” He nodded vaguely to the bedroom door, which was cracked open only slightly. “Dost thou agree?”

“I guess so…” Shining Armor said, a little taken aback by the excellent logic. He wasn’t sure if he liked Spartan Shield or not. He seemed a little too prepared to be grilled like this. It unsettled him just a bit. There was a long silence. “So… what kind of name is Spartan Shield, huh?” he said just a little bit playfully.

“A better name than thine.” The stallion stuck his tongue out rather foalishly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Shining Armor snorted, cocking an eyebrow.

“Armor only shines when it’s not been used at all. Battle virgin.” Spartan Shield shifted the conversation to a playful banter of insults Ohh, it was so on.

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

By the time Twilight and Cadance emerged from the upstairs and Spike from the kitchen with cocoa for everypony, Shining Armor and Spartan Shield had each other in a furious headlock. “Give up! I’l just choke you out!” Shining said with a brotherly smirk.

“No, thou!” Spartan said. They weren’t wrestling, exactly, he’d learned not to do that, but—it was a friendly sort of love/hate exchange of strength. Their conversation had turned more and more enthusiastic, until Spartan had hit his nose on a pink bubble of Shining’s shield spell. Then, it was on. After the shield came down, they’d hoof-wrestled, called each other terrible names, compared Cadance and Twilight to various beautiful things, and then tried to choke each other out. Why? Stallion bonding. It transcended time and culture.

“No you!”

“No, thou!”

“No you!”

“No, thou!”

“What’re they doing?” Spike groaned, setting the tray down.

“Bonding.” Twilight said with a pained smile. This had turned out better than she’d hoped. Spartan hadn’t tackled Shining Armor into the fireplace, like scenario 13. Also, Shining hadn’t encased Spartan in one of his shield spheres until he blew his stack, like scenario 19. It turned out to be scenario 7 in Twilight’s predictions of what would happen when the two of them met. Brotherly violence and friendship, excellent bonding rituals.

“Shining,” Cadance said gently, pulling her husband along by the shoulder. She steered him back to the couch, and everypony enjoyed some of Spike’s hot cocoa with marshmallows in it. Both stallions were panting a bit from their efforts, but both seemed in high spirits. Spartan knew his mission was accomplished.

They visited for several hours until dusk was beginning to set in around four in the evening. Spartan was cross-examined a bit more by Shining, but nothing too serious. Twilight could see what he was doing, but she and Cadance knew that was just what stallions did. They both cared about her very much, so they let the two of them converse deeply about this and that. 

In the end, though, it was time for the guests to depart.“Welp, we better go. It’s gonna be dark by the time we get home, hun.” Shining Armor smiled affectionately at his wife. “And we can’t stay here all night, I don’t think.” He chuckled. Spartan Shield smiled, nodding a bit and rising to see them to the door.

“Thanks for coming by to visit, big brother.” Twilight reared up so she could hug the tall stallion properly. They nuzzled as loving siblings sometimes do, smiling broadly. 

Princess Cadance and Spartan stared at each other a little awkwardly, but eventually he bent into a cautious and shallow bow. “Princess.” He said in his low bronze bell voice.  She smiled genuinely, nodding her head and tapping his with her horn. Alicorn magic flowed into him, blessing him with love magic. He shuddered pleasantly. Good luck would follow him around for the next few days, thanks to her.

“Bye for now!” Cadance said, giggling as she turned to go. Shining followed her out when he’d donne his woolen hat to keep his ears warm.

“Worry not, Shining Armor!” Spartan Shield shouted from the doorway. “I shalt take good care of thy sister Twilight Sparkle!” he waved as they were away into the dusky winter night. A carriage with two solar guards was waiting for them. Shining looked over his shoulder and smiled a little.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Twilight said, elbowing him a little.

“We shalt call you with our wedding plans when they arise!” Spartan was still waving as Cadance disappeared into the carriage with a smile. Shining flinched a little, but smiled rather forcefully at the Spartan Stallion. “And worry not for any future foals!” Spartan was belting at the top of his lungs by now.

“Spartan!” Twilight yelped in embarrassment, roughly putting a hoof over his mouth. “Don’t shout stuff like that!” The purple mare was flushed into a lovely shade of scarlet. Shining Armor chuckled a little embarrassedly for his sister.

“SHE HAS EXCELLENT FOAL-BEARING HIPS! I KNOW THIS! I HAVE FELT THEM!” Spartan was announcing this to all of Ponyville now, for Shining Armor had retreated into the carriage before he burst into embarrassed laughter.

“Shut up!” Twilight had him in a headlock now, eyes bugging wildly out of her head.

“PERHAPS VISIT FOR THE BIRTHING!” Spartan roared, already laughing merrily in his mischief. He’d already riled Twilight up, and he loved to prod at her like this when she hit that embarrassed angry sort of mood. It was adorable.

“By Celestia’s TEATS, shut the buck uuuup!” Twilight was dragging the sand-colored stallion, who was roaring with laughter, back into the library. She slammed the door and Spartan hugged her, shaking with uproarious laughter. “I will choke you so hard, Spartan!” she threatened, red-faced as she was tackling the laughing stallion. She was laughing too by the time they hit the floor, though.




THE END

> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: The following epilogue is optional, and contains a wedding night clop scene. It adds NOTHING to the story and is only for the perverted enjoyment of myself and any readers who might enjoy such things. (This is the first time I’ve ever written explicit clop, so feel free to comment afterward if you would.)





Twilight and the Spartan Stallion
Epilogue

The door of the library was thrust open by Spartan Shield’s massive hoof and he stepped inside. Twilight was sprawled out on his back, exactly as he’d asked. Bearing a Spartan Mare through the doorway of one’s home counted as getting married, in his eyes. They’d had a traditional ceremony, of course, but he’d very much looked forward to that moment. He smiled over his shoulder at her and she nickered a little, pecking his cheek. She closed the door by magic, locking it, and slowly slid off of his back onto her hooves. “Feel better?” she asked playfully.

“Tiz quieter here, I think the harlequin was having more fun than even we.” Spartan admitted with tired eyes. “You’re sure Spike will be okay for the evening?” he inquired, going and sticking his head into the fireplace. Blowing on some of the old ashes, he stuck a bit of paper in and tosses on three logs. A winter wedding was an unusual thing, it had been pretty cold coming out of the temple and heading over to the after-party—then from there to home. Spartan liked keeping their home nice and toasty (they had a verifiable ton of chopped wood and kindling, thanks to him).

“Yes. He’s staying over with the Apple family until tomorrow afternoon.” Twilight nodded a bit, taking the green, flowery laurels off of her head and setting them in the center table of the library. She’d gotten out of her wedding dress earlier, but she really liked the head piece so she’d kept it on all day. “He and the Cutie Mark Crusaders get along just fine.”

“Tiz could, I would hate to see you have to muffle your heated shrieks ‘neath me tonight.” Spartan said flirtatiously. 
Twilight flushed, jumping when he gave her tail a playful tug. “Spartan!” she shrieked, but she was grinning a little wryly. Reaching out with her magic, she pushed him back just a bit and then started closing shutters all over the library. Spartan watched her go back and forth a little fretfully. Even on her wedding night, his little purple scholar had to have everything just so. Was that desk messy? She had to tidy it. Was the kitchen clean? She peered back and forth to make sure. Wait, that book was out of place! The sand-colored stallion rolled his eyes bemusedly, going briefly to the bedroom to remove his armor and wrappings. He’d had them buffed and shined for the wedding, and had worn them all night. He knew he’d gone native when, during the after-party, he’d actually complained to somepony that it felt a little constraining when he’d gone to dance with his new bride. While Twilight was fretting back and forth, pink in the cheeks and not sure how exactly she’d wanted the night to go, he went and put her laurels on his own head. Smiling when Twilight reared up to put a tome in its proper place, he rushed up behind her and invaded her personal space. “MYEEP?!” Twilight shrieked a little as he reared up behind her, pressing her lightly against the bookshelves.

“Will thou not pay thy husband some attention on your own wedding night, beloved?” He whispered heatedly in her ear. The warmth of his breath and the steadily increasing heat from the fireplace made her blush and shudder. “Or shall Starswirl the Bearded and the other philosophers bear witness to the loss of thy innocence?” he whispered erotically. Twilight let out a little gasping noise when he kissed her neck firmly, nuzzling the tenderest parts. The purple mare looked desperately at the display of books on the shelf, swallowing and shivering again. She pushed back against him so he wouldn’t try to mount her pressed up against the bookshelf. Giggling a little, she turned to nuzzle him up and down. The barrel-chested stallion purred like a kitten, deep down in his throat.

“I’m just nervous…” Twilight whispered with a giggling blush.

“Think thou I would merely pounce upon thee, roar like a lion and then fall asleep on our wedding night?” he said, cocking his head.

“…a little?” Twilight confessed, blushing. Of course there were no books on what Spartan Stallions were like in… such things. Their courting rituals were plain enough, but wedding nights… well… that was something else. She was just a little bit fearful of being on the receiving end of all his strength. She stole a glance at him and saw him smiling. “What?” she asked a little reproachfully.

“Come.” He whispered. “Over here, by the fire.” Pulling quilts off of the nearby couch, he folded it into a little nest and sat on it to wait for her. Twilight joined him, smiling and sitting too. The fire had grown nicely, and was the only light in the library. Purring softly, Spartan leaned and nuzzled her mane, leaving phantom kisses that made her shiver happily. Putting a slow arm around her and pulling her into romantic embrace. She looked up at him, giggling a little. “Upon thy back.” He whispered softly. She obeyed, slinking down to lay on her side in the thick nest of blankets. He lay next to her, and set in for less innocent kisses.

The velvet of his handsome, chisled muzzle pressed to her lips and she happily hooked her hooves around his neck. He drew slow, erotic circles on her chest and she let out a quiet moan. She’d much-expected him to just pounce on her during their wedding Ni-ahhh! He’d put his head and lips between her front legs, nuzzling his cheek and face against her. She held his head to herself, flushed and slowly growing aroused. Twilight’s hooves played with his scarlet mane, and she gave a soft giggle while he lorded himself over her with bedroom eyes. Nuzzling up, then down in slow, erotic movements he found himself at the pink of her belly, giving more kisses. She gave a few ticklish little shrieks, squirming a bit. She shuddered again, and he looked up at her. “S-Spartan…” she whispered, panting a little as she looked guiltily into his eyes. She’d never been treated like this, never so intimatel—YEEP! He’d started nibbling on her belly, just the softest parts of her, nodding up and down as he did so. “Oh Spartan…” she tilted her head back and looked over at the fire, just drinking in the warmth and the tingling feelings. She felt very… melty. Her tail tucked shyly to hide he sex, but he was working his way lower and lower as he savored her perky little body. Massive hooves travelling where they would, he nosed heavily at her teats with interest. She gave a flushed cry, just a little one.

“So sensitive, beloved…” he murmured into her belly, looking up at her with a heady expression. Hormones growing stronger and stronger, her caressed her most intimate places with his muzzle, playfully fighting with her tail for a bit. Sure enough, though, it was firmly tucked to hide her sex from him. Travelling back up so that they were eye to eye, he wanted more kisses. She giggled, wrapping herself up in him again. He’d found her ticklish places and more sensitive spots, ohhh…!

“Spartannn…” Twilight murred softly, her eyes soft and innocent. He kissed her once more, gracefully tasting her tongue and lips as gently as a whisp of wheat on a golden field. Her eyebrows bunched together as quiet, feminine desire began to well up in her. Her horn hummed quietly, flickering with an inner light. Little crackles of magic went up and down its length, which he didn’t notice at all. He was too busy with her face and lips.

“Turn over,” he whispered huskily, flushed with want. “Lift thy tail for me.” He lifted himself a bit so she could squirm and lay on her belly. Giving her mane a slight toss so she could see behind her, Twilight pulled an armload of blankets under her chest. Bashfully, her hips rose a bit as Spartan slowly slid across her into the dominant position.

Twilight felt herself clenching at nothing, the natural urge for male accompaniment gripping her sharp mind. It muddled her down into basic needs, feral desires. Her stallion. Hers. Strong and handsome and virile and allllll hers. She felt the heat in her face rising, and she looked meekly over her shoulder at him. He smiled coyly at her, stroking her hips with both of his giant hooves. She could already feel a certain something rising to the occasion and pressing mildly against her rump like a hot dog on a bun. “B… be gentle with me?” Twilight said in a very small, meek voice. She cast her eyes to one side, embarrassedly wondering if a Spartan Stallion had the capacity to be gentle in such things. She loved her husband very much, but wasn’t the first time supposed to hurt?

“H’ohh, Twilight…” he whispered softly, his eyes kind and warm. Much to Twilight’s surprise, the massive stallion did not pounce on her with all his fury. Instead he melted over her with all his warm, velvety weight like a heavy blanket. She was much smaller than he, and felt enveloped. She clung to the blankets beneath her, expecting to be crushed, but no—no there was a certain happy pressing between them to be had. She let out an unexpected but happy feminine sigh. He was so warm… his fur had been brushed too, ohhh it was nice and soft…  she could feel his powerful muscles rippling gingerly over her as he found a nice way to spoon atop her. She laid her head down happily as he molded atop her like living putty.

Spartan Shield took his sweet, loving time with his new wife. She was such a slender, healthy thing. He’d learned her body in caresses, in kisses, in bashful nights that she’d invited him to spoon with her—but now they were married, and there were a few more things to learn. He was no virgin, but Twilight was no symposium mare. He loved her very much. “I shalt care for you, Twilight.” He whispered, gingerly grinding forward from his perch atop her. She let out a quiet little moan. “I know thou art giving up thy magicks to be with me, but I shall care for thee for all thy days, I swear it.” He pressed his lips into her mane. “My little solar mage.” He chuckled, looking at her with quiet bedroom eyes.

“Spartannn…” Twilight moan-giggled, turning her head to look at him with a flushed expression. “For the last time, I’m not a solar mage. I’m just a unicorn.” She snickered a little at his surprised face. “Me being naked has nothing to do wi—YEEEP!?” Her back arched like a bow and her eyes bugged out of her head, for he’d mounted her while she was speaking. “H’oh Spartan!” she cried out, squirming under him. She felt her innocence rip, and the stain of blood touched the quilt nest they lay on. The coppery scent touched the stallion’s nose, but he ignored it. Arching his back and holding her firmly, he hilted himself while she squirmed and whimpered.

“I was teasing, beloved.” He whispered heatedly in her ear. She gave a grumpy sort of pouty face, but gasped when he rushed forward again to hilt himself within her. She stuffed a hoof-full of blanket in her mouth to keep from crying out into the night, whimpering loudly. He gave pause while she got used to his size. She was slick with desire and heady love for her stallion, and he bowed his neck to nuzzle her lovingly. When at last her legs steadied themselves, her rear rose up a little more firmly against him. Smiling, he began to move within her.

The room, cast in orange and blacks because of the fireplace, was the only thing to bear witness to their lovemaking. They threw long, erotic shadows on the wall: A burly stallion who grunted with effort for each forward motion, and an open-mouthed mare who could only barely hold herself rigid to his powerful virility. Even her bangs flopped forward, over and over, with each solid motion. Stray wild magic arc’d back and forth down the length of her horn as something powerful began to well up inside her.

Spartan lay down upon her completely at last, resting his head on her withers and grunting audibly. Twilight whimpered happily, pressed into the blankets and gasping for air. The air grew heavy with heat, hormones, and luscious moaning as they shared one another. Twilight helplessly bit her lower lip, gasping now and then. Snorting hot air into her mane, Spartan went a bit faster, starting to ache with the feral need to spread his seed. “Twilight… *hah*… *hah*…” he was sweating a glorious, shiny sweat. The fire was too close, too hot for such things, but it kept their bodies slick and rubbing together in a glorious, erotic display.

“D-don’t stop,” Twilight could only lay ‘neath his powerful body and love him for it.

“T-turn over!” Spartan demanded suddenly, SHOVING her with his nose. 

Twilight yelped when he pulled out of her and flung her upon her back. She looked up at him, flushed and embarrassed. Face-to-face?! They were going to be face-to-face!? Spartan knelt and pressed into her again, and suddenly she didn’t care which way he went anymore. She bounced against the sheets as he gave her all his strength and girth, wrapping her legs firmly around him. There would be no more shifting around, he had a sacred duty to fulfill, and that was filling her! Gritting her teeth and furrowing her brow in growing sexual distress, Twilight moaned long and loud. The slap-slap-slap of his sack to her rump promised her foals, promised her a family and a very happy happily ever after. The sort every mare dreamed off—a home and a husband and foals and OHGODSYESSSS! 

Twilight’s horn suddenly arc’d magic across the room and the table exploded into shards of wood. Her eyes went a sterile sort of white, but Spartan saw the new wave of magick coming and held her down with all his strength. The next blast of magic went out the window, blowing it out and turning the sapling outside into a flamingo lawn decoration. A silvery, glittering sort of stickiness sprayed out across the floor before evaporating into nothing. The erotic display caught Spartan’s gaze, but only briefly before he returned to his wife. Twilight whimpered in embarrassment, burying herself in his great, warm barrel chest. She’d never magiculated before, not even as a self-serving sort of--- she felt Spartan shudder, and she quickly came back to his attention. She clung to him, and instinct told her his time was close.

Spartan cried out, arching his back into her and burying himself more deeply than ever before. Twilight clung to him as he was pushed over the edge and gave a great shout of sexual release! His whole beautiful, muscled frame shivered as his seed flowed forth. The purple mare clung to him, shyly smiling with a flushed expression. She’d read books, so many books that described this sort of feeling. Nopony had ever come close to it. Riding his sexual high for a few long, precious moments, the stallion shivered and looked down at her tiredly.

Doing her best to guide him so she wouldn’t be crushed, Twilight brought her husband down to lay beside her. He rushed her into his embrace, purring loudly in satiation. They embraced, lavishing eachother with slow, deep, messy kisses-- the kind only lovers can share post-coitous. Panting and resting with one another’s bodies for comfort, they were quiet for a long time. “Oh Spartannn…” Twilight mewled softly, feeling sticky and content in a way she’d never been before. He petted her lovingly, smiling in a quiet and tired way. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart. 

“I love thee, Twilight Sparkle.” Spartan whispered, pulling the blankets up to cover them both. Twilight coo’d softly, saying the same of him. They made love twice more before exhaustion claimed them, and the fire never died for all of their years together.

"Oh... Spartan Shield..."




THE END