Marked Thief of Rome

—Official warning

**Italy Hospodines: Marked Thief of Rome** by Jan Henryk Dąbrowski is the first Luna the Miracle Boy fictitious chapter of the Italy Hospodines Adventure Collection. In this chapter, Empress Constantine is called upon to save the Principality of Rome from a massive volcano eruption.

## Summary

### Prologue

The story opens near the mouth of a still volcano. A Greek emperor with a maliciously scarred cutie mark makes preparations to cast an elaborate magic spell. He talks to himself, referring to himself as Emperor Belisarius, and mentally notes that he will destroy the very principality state he once swore to protect.

### The Rise of Rome

After spending days as a stowaway on the RMS Bluestar, Constantine begins to run low on rations. She had been searching far and wide for a magical artifact called the Crystal Sphere of Rimini, said to have the power to heal any ailment. While hiding, Constantine overhears a conversation between two of the ship's crew members; one mentions a soldier named "Mo" and that he "turned". Before long, the ship finally docks at a port, and Constantine sneaks away before ever being discovered.

Upon returning to her cottage in the woods, Constantine sees a gold-coated stallion with a ruler cutie mark pacing in front of it. The stallion calls out to Constantine and begs her to save the people of the Principality of Rome. Before leaving, he leaves a book on Constantine's porch to "help [her] study"—much to Constantine's delight, the book is Volume A-B of the Petrovburg Encyclopedia completing her collection.

Constantine looks through the book and finds a bookmarked page about the Benevento Relics: three artifacts that magically protect the Principality of Rome from the volcanic eruptions of Mount of San Marino. Alternatively, the Relics are a key part of a ritual called the San Marino that allows the caster to undo any magically inflicted injury. According to Volume S-T of the Petrovburg Encyclopedia, Mount San Marino is due to erupt very soon. Realizing that the Benevento Relics and the villages of Rome are in danger, Constantine sets out to help.

### Entering the Papal state

About halfway to the Principality of Rome, Constantine checks in at the Get On Inn, a small barn-and-breakfast that she'd stayed at during a previous adventure. The owner Mrs. Gianluigi tells Constantine that business has been slow due to recent robberies in the state's area. She also tells Constantine that a stallion passed through a few hours earlier—with some monetary coercion, Constantine learns it was the same stallion she saw in front of her cottage.

In the messy room that the stallion stayed in, Constantine finds a jar of Oilum ointment and a written-on piece of parchment. The next morning, she uses the ointment to soothe her muscles and sets out again. When she reaches the general area of the Principality of Rome, Constantine removes her hat and puts on a silver robe in order to blend in with the people of Rome. She enters the principality state (stumbling into it from a steep cliff) and is greeted by the villagers, who joyously refer to her as the "Formidable Empress".

### The Wisdom of Colts and Scholars

Constantine is treated by the villagers with reverence, believing her to be Rome's savior. A gentleman named Giorgio explains to Constantine that, of the three Benevento Relics, the Staff of Petrovpeii and the Sword of Lusitano have been stolen; only the Arrow of Rome remains. In addition, the protector of the relics, as well as the Prince of Rome – Marcello Zenz, has disappeared. Giorgio implores Constantine to take Marcello's place, and Constantine introducing herself as "Constantia Flavia", begrudgingly accepts.

Later, Constantine uses her new role as a princess to try and decipher the riddle of the San Marino Hex. She receives assistance from a young colt named Teodor. Together they learn that Emperor Belisarius, who originally brought the Benevento Relics to the Principality of Rome, seeks to use the relics to cast the San Marino Hex and requires Marcello and a captive audience as witnesses to the ritual. Daring deduces that Marcello was the stallion she saw at her cottage the day before.

"*Half past stars marks the hour, masked by darkness of the night. Human once noble now turned sour, will try to bring the fire and light.*"
— A passage in Prophesies of the Principality of Rome
Constantine and Teodor's research is interrupted by a commotion in the principality state. Several principality pets have gone missing; Constantine reasons that the animals are Belisarius' captive audience and that he would act later that night. As Giorgio advises the villagers to stay in their homes, Constantine and Teodor get back to work. The piece of parchment Constantine found in Marcello's room at the Get On Inn turns out to be a missing page from an old book. The missing page forms an illustration of how to open a hidden door in a cave. With every puzzle piece now in place, Constantine prepares for Belisarius' arrival.

### The Belly of the Beast

A half hour after sundown ("half past stars"), Constantine waits in hiding in the Papal square. Before long, Belisarius appears to seize the Arrow of Rome from the stone statue, and Constantine notices his mutilated cutie mark. In the distance, smoke rises from the soon-to-erupt Mount San Marino. Belisarius takes the Arrow and notices Constantine attempting to sneak up on him. During the struggle, Belisarius takes Teodor hostage and vanishes.

Constantine pursues Belisarius through the forest and into a dead-end cave. Remembering the illustration from the torn page, she taps on the wall to reveal a door. After a run-in with some blood-eyed howler monkeys, Constantine ends up in a small underground tunnel where she discovers the missing pets from Rome — all hypnotized by Belisarius. Constantine appeals to the pets, freeing them from Belisarius' control, and comes up with a plan to save them.

Pretending to be the animals' prisoner, Constantine is taken to Belisarius' lair deep inside the volcano, where Teodor and Marcello are caged. As Constantine is caged with them, Belisarius prepares the San Marino Hex. However, Belisarius believes that one of the requirements for the Hex, as falsely informed by Marcello, is a gold-coated prince with a volcano cutie mark. When Constantine's cloak is removed, both she and Belisarius are shocked to discover that Constantine's cutie mark is gone!

### Escape from Mt. San Marino

Mount San Marino begins to erupt. Undeterred, Belisarius attempts to cast the San Marino Hex anyway. Marcello explains to Constantine that her cutie mark is still there, but the Oilum ointment she used made it temporarily invisible. As Marcello and Teodor lead the animals out, Constantine faces off against Belisarius.

In the confrontation, Constantine learns that Ahuizotl is the one who scarred Belisarius' cutie mark. Once one of Ahuizotl's henchmen, Belisarius wanted to quit and go back to the Italy Royal Navy, so that Ahuizotl scarred him in anger. Constantine appeals to Belisarius' better nature, saying he doesn't have to hurt anyone else. In a moment of remorse, Belisarius relinquishes the Benevento Relics to Constantine and tells her to leave him behind. Constantine does just that and escapes the rumbling volcano.

With only minutes before San Marino erupts, Constantine returns the Benevento Relics to their respective principality statues. During this, Captain Antoine and his crew of the RMS Bluestar arrive to evacuate the villagers. As soon as Constantine returns the Arrow of Rome to its statue, the three Benevento Relics' magic activates, and a force field shields the villages from the raining lava.

Soon after, Constantine returns to Belisarius in his lair. She convinces him to rejoin Captain Antoine's crew and return the animals to their rightful owners. In return, she vows to heal his cutie mark when she finds the Crystal Sphere of Rimini.

### Off to the Next Adventure

After a victory celebration, Prince Marcello and Teodor see Constantine off as she leaves Rome. As a token of appreciation, Marcello gives her a one-of-a-kind book: "Indigenous Magical Plants of the North and South, Volume 5: Flowers. Constantine bids goodbye to the two and heads out".

Just before Constantine is out of earshot, Marcello calls out and mentions something of particular interest in the fictitious story: "Italy's Eternal Flower".

## Quotes

**Italy Royal general**: Hey! Did you hear about old Mo? He turned...
**Italy Royal sergeant**: That so? Darn shame... Always had it in 'im, though. Poor chap had been through a lot with his flank situation and all. Nasty thing.
**Prince Marcello**: Princess Constantine! If you are anywhere in the vicinity—and I hope you are—it would do you well to visit the Principality of Rome. Before it's too late!
**Empress Constantine**: Filly-ho!
**Prince Giorgio**: People of Rome, we have prayed to the great guardians, and they have answered us. Let us be grateful that we have nothing left to fear. For it is prophesied that a foreign pony of vast knowledge will arrive in our hour of need. It has happened! This golden-winged angel shall protect us!
**Teodor**: Oh, and I know that your name isn't Miss Flavia. It's Constantine, huh?
**Empress Constantine**: What happened to you, Belisarius?
**Emperor Belisarius**: The Emperor of the Byzantine Empire! What a joke I must be now. I never deserved a monument. It's so much more fitting that I am the great and powerful Belisarius! Now, a man who sees what he wants and takes it for himself! May this statue be a good warning to those who ever think of crossing me again!
**Teodor**: I'm n-n-not a-a-afraid of you! In fact I'm h-h-having fun!
**Emperor Belisarius**: Excellent! I always do enjoy a willing victim!
**Empress Constantine**: You won't get away with this, Belisarius!
**Emperor Belisarius**: Yes, I will. Because it appears I get everything I want.
**Prince Giorgio**: The relic has connected with its brothers! Princess Constantine! You did it! We're protected from the fiery beast!
**Emperor Belisarius**: But why? why would you do this for me?
**Empress Constantine**: Because everypony deserves their cutie mark. And I really hate Ahuizotl.
**Prince Marcello**: It's a thank-you gift. For everything.
**Empress Constantine**: I don't know if you caught this, but I'm not really a sentimental type... except when it comes to books!
## References

1. **Main course**
	* https://mlp.fandom.com/wiki/Daring\_Do\_and\_the\_Marked\_Thief\_of\_Marapore