Chapters "Sagittarii, fire at will!" Centurion Arceus Gaius Imperium ordered, his voice echoing across the area. One of them, a young man of twenty-five, three years younger than Arceus, nodded, signalling his men to fire. Their strings pulled back, they launched a volley of arrows that whistled through the air as they impacted with the charging Gaul horde, felling many. One, a fierce looking woman, an ox skull serving as a helmet, yanked an arrow out of her arm, growling.
Unsheathing her curved blades, she pointed one at Arceus, "Roman filth! Today is the day you die! For Cocidius!" She roared, rushing at the Centuion, who blocked her wild swipes with his scutum, grunting as he was pushed back, until she stopped, smirking. "Today is your lucky day Roman, you have the honor of being felled by Aideen the Fearless, slaughterer of the Ninth Legion!" She chuckled, swinging her blades, as Arceus parried them with his gladius and shield, before her left sword rammed into the scutum, and the blade was stuck halfway in. Arceus bashed her with the shield, dazing her for a moment, as he tossed the nigh useless tool aside.
"Now then, you said it was my day to die?" He grinned, thrusting the blade into her abdomen, and twisting slightly, "You were wrong, Aideen, it was yours." The woman sputtered, spitting in his face, as Arceus retracted his blade, and she collapsed to the ground, quavered, then fell silent, her blood pooling around her.
"We'll have these barbarians rounded up by supper!" Arceus chuckled, wiping the blood of his sword. And he was almost correct, the Gaul were rounded up, but it was around lunch when they were herded and imprisoned. He stood infront of his men, his fellow Centurions, aswell as Legatus Marius Petros Dexani, standing next to him. "Alright men, now that those Gaulish savages have been dealt with, you may take whatever spoils, and I mean whatever," The men cheered, "spoils you find. Now, shall we?" He turned his head slightly, as the others marched towards the keep the Gauls had taken. The troops began ransacking homes which had been built in the walls, as the screams of women and men who, for one reason or another, could not fight, echoed around the stone walls.
Arceus entered one of the buildings, made of wood fastened with a heavy rope, the smell of herbs and spices seeped from within. Kicking open the door, he found an older looking woman, dressed in a hooded robe made of wolf furs, stirring a cauldron. "Ah, a Roman comes knocking at my door. What a pleasant surprise." She smiled.
Arceus raised an eyebrow, "Y-you speak Latin?" He asked, puzzled, the old crone chuckled shrilly.
"Oh, you think that just because I am a Gaul, that means that I can't learn your tongue." She clicked her tongue, "I am Aela, the village shaman. And, do not worry, young one, I will not resist, I am an old woman, what could I do?" She fixed her sleeves, sitting down in a chair, "Oh, and you might want to look behind you. It seems my son has come home."
Before the Centurion could process what he was told, he felt a sudden jolt of pain. Groaning, he looked down, an iron sword jutted out of his gut, the blade retracted, as he collapsed to the floor. A man, in his mid-thirties, stood over, the blade slick with Arceus' blood. Blackness enveloped his vision, as he passed into the Underworld.
Arceuss' eyes fluttered open, as he lay on the floor, groaning., and looked around, he was standing in pure darkness, no discernible floor, sky, just darkness. Then he saw the echo of a light behind him, and he slowly his body turning around, he found a woman, or rather, what appeared to be her ghost. She was beautiful, her lower body billowed in an absent wind, her silver hair flowing, her pupils were stormy gray, like those of Minerva. "Rise, Gaius, son of Rome."
Arceus did so, grunting as his joints cracked back into place, "I should be dead? Why am I not before the three judges of Pluto? And, for that matter, who are you?" The spectre chuckled, placing a hand to her lips, a thin smile graced her face.
"You may call me, Lucretia, as for why you are still clinging to life, is because I have sensed in your heart, a desire for peace, to live quietly in your villa, start a family, have children. I can send you to a place where that, minus the children unless you choose to adopt, can happen." Lucretia said, hovering closer to the stupefied Centurion.
Arceus gaped, "Where is this place?" He asked, his mind reeling. Lucretia smiled and wave her hand, as a blue portal appeared, a peaceful looking meadow could be seen in the center.
"In another realm, young one. A land where magic is real, and creatures from myth roam. In fact, the species that rule this world, or atleast the country you shall live, are sentient Pegasi, Unicorns, and normal ponies, aswell as ruled by dual demigod sisters, who raise the sun and the moon. I have already sent several humanoid and noble champions there in the past, they visit often, and there is already another arrived, a human from your Earth, from the year 2014, so, will you accept my offer, Centurion?" she asked.
Arceus thought this over, absorbing all the new information he had gained, before exhaling and looking up at Lucretia. "Yes, I shall, what must I do?" He asked, gazing at the portal in awe, could it really allow him to find peace?
"You need only to step through the portal, though, be warned, you will be quite fatigued when you get there, and may pass out." Lucretia said, nodding her head.
The Roman slowly stepped through, as the darkness faded and was replaced by lush trees and grass. He felt the air rush out of his lungs as he stepped through, he fought to stay upright, but his knees buckled and he felt to the ground, his armor clanking. He heard hoofbeats in the distance, one of the natives? he thought, panting. The last thing he saw was a butter yellow Pegasus with a pink mane, her eyes concerned, followed by several other mares, for one, they lacked a stallionhood, and two, they looked more sleek than the stallions that he owned, and a young boy, maybe sixteen at best. The mare looked up, "What's your name?" She asked, in a language that Arceus had never heard, but could understand perfectly, it sounded like the language of the Bretons.
Arceus groaned, "Arceus Gaius Imperium, Centurion to the Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus." He muttered, before darkness clouded his vision and he fell unconcious, the concerned voices of the mares ringing in his ear.
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(Christian's (Me) POV)
"Right away Fluttershy, though I'm not really comfortable with getting another dude's clothes off." I said, leaning over the unconscious Roman, to think, a Centurion from one of my favorite ancient civilizations, and I met him, awesome. As I started fiddling with his locrica segmentata, I realized, having never worn a Roman costume, I had no idea how to get the dang thing off. "Screw it!" I said, throwing my hands off as I tugged the metal over his shirt, placing it on Fluttershy's table, followed by his manticae, and caligi, wiping my hands on my shirt. "Its alright Fluttershy, I think he was just winded, though there is a scar." I ran my hand across a large vertical in the center of a chest, "Looks like someone skewered him like a barbecue." I chuckled, "Still, I'm no doctor, but it could have broken a few bones in his arms and one of his legs." I stated, feeling something shift as I prodded them. I placed some plastic boards along his arms and his left leg, as Fluttershy held them fast with gauze. We all collapsed into our chair, panting.
"Now, we wait, you all get some rest." Fluttershy said, as the rest of us fell asleep, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Applejack snoring like the lovechild of a jet turbine motorcycle, with Twilight sucking her thumb and cradling Mrs. Smarty Pants in her right foreleg. I sighed, as I close my eyes and slept, Fluttershy tending to Arceus.
Author's Note
Yes, this is a crossover with Wandering Equestria, aswell as a partial crossover with a few other stories, like Past Sins
Arceus' awoke with a groan, placing a hand to his head, "By Jupiter's balls, where am I?" He asked, looking around. "Is this the world Lucretia mentioned?" He asked himself. He turned and found a yellow Pegasus, reading some sort of scroll, though it was bound in leather of some kinda. "Excuse me, Mrs. are you the one who brought me to this cottage?" He asked, coughing.
Fluttershy's ear perked up, as she set her novel, A Tail of Two Fillies , down and looked up. Arceus had been dressed in a simple khaki tunic and pants, his armor and gladius lay on the table. "Oh, you're awake Mr. Arceus!" She smiled, "And, it was my friends who carried you in here, I only tended to your wounds. How are you feeling by the way?" She asked, her wings fluttering in relief as she trotted over.
"Like I've been trampled by Hannibal's war elephants." The Centurion chuckled dryly, running a hand through his short ebony hair, sitting up. "Are you one of the native...ponies of this world?" He asked, rubbing his eyes, "May I ask for your name?"
"I-its Fluttershy, and yes, I am a pony. But we aren't the only the inhabitants of Equis. There are the Changeling Kingdoms in the south, an area known as the Badlands, the Crystal Ponies and Windigoes to the far north, to the direct north of here is Griffonhala, home of, well, the Griffons, To the east are the Minotaurs, in Minotarus, as well as their other cities and provinces, like Mhina. This world if ripe with so many species. So, according to Christian, you're part of a an empire, the Romans. Funny, we had a similar society in the past, Ancient Roam, perhaps ours is a counterpart of yours."
Arceus' smiled, "Perhaps, so am I well enough? If I am to live in, what is the name of this country?" He asked, before noticing another book on a shelf, he squinted. "Ah, Equestria. If I am to live in Equestria, I must find work to earn denarii and to find someplace to live. Is there a town nearby?" He asked, scratching his chin, where a few wisps of hair had started growing.
"Denarii? Are they like bits?" Fluttershy asked, confused, "Here, let me show you." She pulled three bits from her purse, the gold coins clinking on the table. One side had a picture of Celestia's and Luna's heads, back to back,with the inscription In the Sisters we Trust , carved on the rim, on the back of the coin was an image of Canterlot. "And yes, Ponyville, I was just going there now."
The Centurion picked up one of the bits, turning it around in his fingers, "It is very similar to the denarii my people use, so," He placed the coin back onto the table, which Fluttershy scooped up. "Do any of your friends have a business I could apprentice at?" He asked, deftly putting on his lorica segmentata, caligi, manticae, and galea, his sword clipped to his belt.
"Hmm, Applejack needs help with her farm, chopping dead tress for wood and knocking down apples." Fluttershy rubbed her chin with a hoof, "Would that be fine with you? She pays well, fifty bits per tree." She said, smiling.
Arceus thought it over, weighing the pros and cons. On one hand, he could get exercise and currency, on the other, he had no idea if this Applejack would even accept him as a worker. "Very well Fluttershy, I shall look up work, would you know where she may be?" He asked, getting off the couch, his armor clanking with every movement.
Fluttershy nodded, opening the door, as the smell of morning dew wafted into the home, "She should be at her market stall, working with her older brother, Big Macintosh." She explained, as she trotted out, Arceus beside her.
The townsfolk nodded at the Roman, a number of human vendors and shoppers waved silently, pitching their wares, pots, soups, the works. "They seem quite lively, though I am surprised that humans are commonplace in Equestria." He noted, saluting a young woman, in her late teens, sweeping the front of a store, who nodded back, smiling slightly.
"Well, they weren't originally. Then portals from all across the multiverse started appearing, and races from all over immigrated, even alternate versions of many Equissians." Fluttershy replied, haggling for some steak with a a lanky minogriffon (Half Minotaur-Half Griffon), that was dressed in a green smock.
"Hmm, so, might I ask, who rules this land?" Arceus asked, stretching his arms, groaning as the joints popped back into their rightful places.
"Oh, silly me, I forgot. Equestria is ruled by a Diarchy. Celestia and Luna are both Alicorns, daughters of the great heroine Laurel Faustis, Champion of The Maker. They are demigoddesses who replaced the Alicorns that originally controlled the sun and moon, Solaris and Artemis, after they went rouge. They're quite nice." Fluttershy explained, humming as she went about the town, "How bout your society?"
Arceus absorbed this in, coughing into his hand to clear his throat. "I am a Centurion under the Emperor, or Caesar (Kai-Sahr) as the title is now called, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, son of the great general Germanicus Julius Caesar, and nephew of the former Emperor Tiberius Caesar Divi Augusti filius Augustus. Each of our Emperors is descended in one way or another from the gods." He replied, smiling proudly, "Emperor Caligula, while a bit odd, is a hero to the people, and a genius." He reached into his knapsack, pulling out a scroll, "Ah, here, this scroll contains the history of the Empire from its beginning. Keep it, it is but a copy." He smiled, as Fluttershy put it in her saddlebag, thanking him with a nuzzle.
The two wove their way through passerby and stalls, stopping occasionaly to purchase something. "Oh, there's Applejack!" Fluttershy pointed to the orange mare at her booth, Big Mac being gone. "Hello Applejack, um, where's Big Mac, shouldn't he be helping you tend the stall?" She looked around, finding neither hide nor hair of the large red stallion.
Applejack smirked, "Oh, dontcha worry 'bout him. He left with Cherilee a while ago, he's, hehe, frolicking in her fields right now." She winked, using the old springtime innuendo, chuckiling, "So, what can ah do for you two?" She asked, polishing the stand with a cloth.and some wood polish.
"Well, Arceus here was looking for some work.Do you still need a hoof, or hand in this case, at the farm." Fluttershy asked, gesturing to the armored man standing next to her, smiling.
Applejack chuckled, "Sure, an extra pair o' limbs is always welcomed at Sweet Apple Acres." She grinned, before noticing Big Mac emerge out of a building, the sound of Cherilee giggiling coming from within. His mane and tail were messed up, and he had a dopey looking smirk on his face. "Huh, took them long enough. Hey Big Macintosh, can yah watch the stand while ah show Arceus around the farm?" She asked.
"Sure sis." Big Macintosh said, fixing his mane, "Don't work him too hard yah here?" He laughed, as Arcues, Fluttershy, and Applejack headed to Sweet Apple Acres. He pulled out a spare strand of wheat, and stuck it in his mouth.
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In the depths of the Everfree Forest....
"So, you have chosen another champion?" A dark humanoid figure asked to no one, gazing into a scrying pool, where green mist enshrouded the surrounding area, an image of Arceus flickering. "We shall see if this Centurion passes my trials...." A dark, almost-demonic laugh sounded from the clearing.
"Here we are!" Applejack grinned, stopping in front of the gate of her home/farm, she turned to the two, "Arceus, welcome to Sweet Apple Acres! We deliver apples to Ponyville, Canterlot, and a few otha areas of Equestria, alongside the rest of mah family." She smiled proudly, before cocking her head, a confused look on her face, "Uh, do you know how to work a farm?" She asked.
Arceus chuckled, "Back in Rome, I owned a modest villa, and had a small garden. I helped out on my cousin Julius' farm once or twice, though that was more cattle, but, I think I can manage. You needed someone to chop wood?" He ran a calloused hand through his hair, the manticae around his wrists clanking which each movement of his arm.
Applejack nodded, fixing her Stetson, "Of course. Dead trees ain't gonna do us any good, and we need firewood for the hearth." She turned around, and trotted over to a modest looking shed. The door slid open with a creak, "Darn, need tah oil the hinges." She muttered, flicking the light switch, as a single bulb lit up, illuminating the room. The shelves were covered in tools, plows, hoes, spades, and the like. Applejack bent over, heaving as she pulled out a woodcutter's axe. The handle was made of solid oak, newly polished, the blade was crafted out of sharpened steel. "Here yah go, Oh, we also marked out the dead trees." Gaius took the axe and map, nodding as he headed out, whistling.
Heading into the acres, he searched for the first stump, finding it a few minutes after wandering. It had toppled over, a a messy cut separated the trunk from the stump. Hefting the axe, he ran a hand over the rough wood, feeling the course bark poke at his palm. Eyeballing the trunk, he hefted the axe, and brought it down, leaving a wedge in the first part he was to cut. He had barely begun to sweat, having been used to gathering firewood when he was an auxiliary.
"Hmph, child's play." Arceus smirked, as he brought the axe back upwards. Just as he was about to swing it downwards, the bushes to his left rustled. Swiftly sinking the axe blade into a higher portion of the log, as he drew his gladius. "Show yourself!" He yelled, turning around.
He smirked when he heard multiple growls emanate from the bushes. "Ah, so a beast comes to do battle eh?" The Centurion took a fighting stance, "Come and face me then!" He taunted. Arceus' eyes widened when he saw wolves composed of wood and leaves, four of them, saunter out of their hiding spot. "Hmm, strange. Ligneum rapaces, I could use some practice." He sliced the air twice, "Face Roman steel!" He challenged, as the first wolf lunged. The Timberwolf wrapped his jaws around Arceus' right arm, but the manticae protected his wrist, as he smacked the fiend away with the pommel of his blade, knocking it out.
The second jumped on his chest, sending the Centurion onto the ground, as his foe pressed into his torso. The Timberwolf roared, though fell silent as Arceus' lopped of its head, as he was sprayed with tree sap. Grunting, he pushed the "corpse", off his, dusted himself off, and stood, sword at the ready. The two stragglers hesitated, one tucking it's tail in between it's legs.
While one Timberwolf ran off back into the woods, whimpering, its fellow charged at Arceus, leaving small cuts on his arms, and a few on his legs, while scratching his armor. "Fell beast!" He yelled, kicking it away, sending the animal into a tree, where it slowly got up, holding its side, where tree sap was leaking from its chest, it growled. The Centurion slowly walked over, his caliga padded softly on the earthen ground, as he raised his blade over his defeated foe. "Requiescant in pace" He said, as he plunged the Gladius into the skull of the Timberwolf with a sickening CRUNCH, wood chips flew from the impact area, while tree sap splashed onto his lorica, and cascaded down its face, soaking the ground,and the light faded from its eyes. Grunting, Arceus pried his sword free, wiped it off, and sheathed it.
Panting, he wiped the sweat from his brow, resting against an old oak tree. "That, was too easy." he chuckled, catching his breath. Resting for a few minutes, he chopped the remainder of the log into firewood, and began his journey back to the farmhouse, fixing his armor.
Arceus finally arrived back at the farmhouse, where he found Applejack at a grindstone, sharpening a kitchen knife. She turned when he heard him approach, as she put the knife down. "Oh, hey Arceus. Don't mind me, just sharpening a knife o' two for Granny, Just set that fiahwood down there." She pointed to a cabinet filled with logs, Arceus did so. "Hey, what happened to yah?" she asked, noticing the scratch marks on his body, concern evident in her voice.
Arceus looked himself over, coughing into his hand. "It is nothing Applejack, I was just accosted by several wolves of wood. They proved no challenge to me." he smiled warmly, "What does your kind call them?" he asked, stretching his arms with a crack, groaning.
Applejack rubbed her chin with a hoof, "Hmm, wolves made of wood." A look of realization came to her, "Oh! Yah mean Timberwolves, they live in the Everfree Forest." She shuddered, "They rarely hurt ponies, or people in your case, unless they're mighty hungry." She smiled, "Now, come on, I bet yer hungry after all that excitement." She nudged him..
Arceus' stomach grumbled, "A warm meal would be nice." Applejack chuckled, leading him into her home, smiling. "Thank you Applejack." He smiled, as the door shut behind them.
A dark mist retreated from the farmstead, into the heart of the Everfree.
4. Occurrentes lunae principis
Arceus gulped his stew down with gusto, famished, as three empty bowls were stacked to his side. Granny Smith smiled proudly, chuckling, "Always nice to see a stallion who enjoys mah cooking. Yah remind me a lot of mah husband Arceus, he was a soldier too, Maker rest his soul, and loved to eat.well"
Arceus wiped his mouth, placing the bowl into the sink, "Thank you for the compliment, Granny Smith." He cracked his neck, as he looked out the window. "It's getting late, we should head to bed." He muttered, as he got up, and started heading to the guest bedroom assigned to him, his armor clanking as he climbed up the stairs, his galea held underneath his bandaged arm, and a bundle in the other. Rarity, with her keen eye for detail, had been able to make his some clothes, one was an alabaster white tunic with gold trim, and the other was a type of clothing he had never seen before. He laid them out, and took his armor off, alongside his gladius, keeping them within arms reacb.
"She called these pants." The Centurion muttered to himself, "Leather, hmm." He rubbed his chin, as he pulled them on, they fit perfectly, "I read that there is a Griffon kingdom to the north, and man-bulls, what did the Hellenes call them, ah, minotaurs to the east, they must import it." He said, as he laid down on the bed, "It's good to be in a real bed again." He groaned, as his back cracked. It took him a few minutes, but he was able to turn off the light. Exhaling, he turned over, and fell asleep.
Arceus' eyes slowly opened, as he stood up, he was back in his villa in Rome, but there was no one. "Alexia? Adrian? Viera? Where are you?" He called for his family, though there was no response. "Strange." He muttered, as he began walking around.
"Hello Roman." A female voice called out, causing Arceus to turn, finding a midnight blue mare sitting behind him. "Strange, your own culture reminds us of the Roamans, which, might be our version of your Rome. Perhaps we inspired you to make this." A small smile appeared on her lips.
"Who are you?" Arceus asked, running a hand through his hair, as he sat down across from the Alicorn. "By your regalia, you seem like royalty." He observed.
"I am Princess Luna, my sister is Celestia. I control the moon, the night, and I am a guardian of dreams." Luna said, her ethereal mane flowing in a non-existent breeze. "Do you miss your home, your family?"
Arceus sighed, "Yes, I do. But, since, as of now, I cannot return, and apparently I have some....destiny in your land, then the Fates have tied my hands." He looked up, "So, what exactly are you and your sister? What of Twilight and Cadence?" He asked.
Luna rubbed her chin, "In this universe, we are, what you would consider demigods. Our mother and father, Solaris and Laurel Faustis, are in control of the city of Aetherius, in another plane of existence. The Maker created Alicorns in order to keep the balance, among other species, like the Draconqui. The original Alicorns who controlled the sun and moon, a marechild who had a similar name to my sister, Celesto, and his sister, Selene, went rouge, as did many of the nature Alicorns, which is why plants can grow wildly, they can grow by themselves in the settled lands, but they still need a helping hoof, they all left for elsewhere. Our mother and father, after giving their lives defending a multi-racial settlement known as New Hope, they were given nigh-immortality, and we were picked to take control of the sun and moon." She smiled, "Is there anything else you wish to know of our realm? For I have questions of my own"
Arceus nodded, running a hand through his thin beard. Through the rest of the night, the Centurion, and the Lunar Ruler, asked, and in return, answered questions about their respective lives, families, and cultures.
Watching them was a dark armored figure, who vanished in a puff of black smoke, a smirk on its face. Luna's ear twitched, and she raised her head skyward.
"What is it, Principem Luna?" Arecus asked, as he willed a cup of wine to appear, which it did in a swirl of green light. Carefully, he gulped down the liquid, "This is good." He muttered.
"It is nothing, Centurion." Luna said, shaking her head, "I thought I had sense a malevolent presence nearby, but it seems it was only mine imagination." She smiled, as she poured a glass of Prench brandy for herself, taking a sip, "In the Dreamscape, food and drink, even though they are not filling, can be as delicious as marshmallows, or as bitter unsweetened chocolate." She shuddered.
Arceus had already learned of marshmallows and chocolate from that pink baker, What was her name again? Pink Pie? No, it was Pinkie Pie, strange name. Arceus thought to himself, running a hand through his black hair, "Your realm seems very much like a utopia, though, I wonder about the Guards, they remind me very much of my nation's Legionnaires, Caesar's Praetorians or those weak Greek Hoplites," He downed another cup, as the memories flooded back, "Though those Spartan warriors gave us some trouble." He chuckled.
"They act not just for show, Arceus. Thhe Royal and Night Guards do not protect just the Royal Family, they are also used for high risk operations when the local police force cannot handle the situation, or for militaristic purposes." Luna said, smiling. "And thank you, while Equestria may seem like a veritable utopia, a number of the outlying countries, Griffonhala for one, are on rocky ground with Equestria. While they are cooperating, many of the old, militaristic noble families would rather see us either destroyed, or enslaved. The only reason they haven't tried is that, if they wrere to behead my sister or I, then the heavenly bodies we control would either collide with Equiss, the planet would fall into the sun, crash into the moon, or both the sun and moon would fly off into the darkness of outer space." Luna chuckled darkly, before hearing the sound of a cock crow.
"AH, it seems dawn is breaking, I hope I shall see you in the physical world. Nunc Vale." Arceus smiled, as the Dreamscape started breaking apart, fading into whiteness, as he awoke.
Groaning, he got up, stretching his limbs, and stared out the window. There was a light overcast, but the sun shone dimly from behind the cumulonimbus clouds that hung lazily in the sky. Pegasi were flitting about, shaping the clouds in unison.
That was when Rainbow Dash crashed through the window, and plowed into the Centurion, and sent them into the wall opposite the shattered glass.
