"WAKE UP WAKE UP EVERFREE!"

"WAKE UP WAKE UP EVERFREE!"

"WE'VE BEEN UP SINCE HALF PAST THREE!"

"WE'VE BEEN UP SINCE HALF PAST THREE!"

"RUNNIN AND SWIMMIN ALL DAY LONG!"

"RUNNIN AND SWIMMIN ALL DAY LONG!"

"THATS WHAT MAKES A STALLION STRONG!"

"THATS WHAT MAKES A STALLION STRONG!". The cadence was no joke, the recruits at COLTS-01 in the Everfree Forest had been up since three in the morning, running and swimming.

"CLAWS VON GRIFFON IS A SON OF A BITCH!"

"CLAWS VON GRIFFON IS A SON OF A BITCH!"

"GOT THE BLUEBALL SCRATCH AND A SEVEN YEAR ITCH!"

"GOT THE BLUEBALL SCRATCH AND A SEVEN YEAR ITCH!" The recruits finished their morning PT and headed towards the close combat simulator where dummies of griffons with real armor waited to be destroyed by the recruits.

"LET'S GO GO GO GO!" A trainer yelled as the recruits assembled. "SOLAR BLITZ YOU'RE UP!".

"AYE AYE SIR!" Blitz yelled as he ran up to the dummy and bucked it in the head. A beep was heard simulating a broken skull.

"Excellent! Autumn you're next!" A trainer yelled as Autumn ran up and did the same move as Blitz and bucked it in the head.

"SHADOW! GO!". Silent Shadow ran and jumped in the air and delivered a kick to the dummy's neck.

"MACINTOSH!". Macintosh ran up and delivered all the power he had into one blow and broke the dummy off of it's stand leaving everypony impressed.

"GET IN THE LAKE NOW!" The trainer screamed as the recruits went into the cold waters of the Everfree River. They began to swim upstream against the current. It was difficult to say the least as the after they got out several ponies puked.

"LETS GO I DONT HAVE ALL DAY!" The trainer yelled. The ponies scrambled to get in formation, the scent of fresh vomit in the air caused nearly everypony to gag.

"Oh you don't like the smell of hard work huh?" A trainer said. "I guess I better help you appreciate it better! EVERYPONY BACK IN THE RIVER!" Big Mac nearly fainted but went along with the trainer's orders

XXXX

Skullcrusher lay passed out on Applejack's couch while Applejack was already up preparing breakfast. She thought about their little moment yesterday and blushed at the thought of it. She looked over him as he slept and noticed a a twinkling medal around his neck. She took a closer look and saw it was the Equestrian Cross- the highest decoration in the Equestrian military.

"He must have been a brave one if he got this, ah otta ask him bout it when he wakes up." Applejack thought to herself as she continued to admire the pony more and more. She wasn't gonna lie he was quite a handsome stallion with a strong build. He had a very 'badboy' look to him but really he was just a big sweetheart. She heard a yawn and saw his legs starting to move meaning he was waking up.

"A-a-applejack?" Skullcrusher said with a yawn. "What time is it?"

"Bout 9:30." Applejack said. At hearing this, Skullcrusher's eyes went wide.

"9:30? I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UP THREE AND A HALF HOURS AGO!" Skullcrusher yelled as he ran out the door.

"Hang on there partner, you don't have work do you?" Applejack asked.

"Actually I don't think I do today." Skullcrusher said as he rubbed his chin knowing there was something he had to today.

"You think you could stay a little longer?" Applejack asked.

"Don't see why I can't." Skullcrusher said as he went back inside.

"Ah made breakfast fer us." Applejack said as she put out two plates with toast and eggs.

"That looks delicious." Skullcrusher said as the two sat there and ate. After the two finished they cleaned their dishes and they sat together on the couch. Applejack decided it was time to ask him about his Equestrian Cross.

"Um Skullcrusher, how did you get that Equestrian Cross?" Applejack asked.

"This?" Skullcrusher said holding the highest military decoration to his face. "It was my last battle about a year ago."

One year ago- Las Pegasus

Corporal Skullcrusher was helping evac citizens from Las Pegasus which had come under attack from one of the largest griffon assault forces in the war. Most of the population had been evacuated but there was still a few more inhabitants. Most of the pegasi had been killed so the griffons were picking off ponies on the ground with ease. Skullcrusher had mastered the bow and arrow and was using it to shoot down incoming griffons.

"Corporal! We're falling back!" A Sgt shouted to him from a carriage being pulled by four pegasi.

"But there are still civilians here!" Skullcrusher objected.

"We're getting overrun! We don't have the numbers to fight back right now!" The Sgt said. He was right, there were nearly 70,000 griffons moving in on the city and reinforcements had yet to arrive.

"Negative sir, I'm holding till everypony makes it to safety!" Skullcrusher said as he shot down another griffon.

"Cpl! I'm giving you an order!" The Sgt yelled.

"Screw your orders!" Skullcrusher yelled as a catapult hit the carriage the Sgt and his stallions were on sending them crashing into the waves of incoming griffons.

"SIR!" Skullcrusher yelled as he selflessly ran out onto the battlefield under heavy fire from spears, arrows, and catapults. He pulled the four injured ponies off one by one to safety. After all the ponies were safe Skullcrusher pulled out his sword and faced the griffon army. A large griffon landed in front of him.

"Come here little pony!" The griffon yelled as he reached for Skullcrusher. Skullcrusher brought his sword down on the griffon's leg leaving a gash. The griffon picked up Skullcrusher and brought his claw down the ponies right eye leaving three gash marks.

"AHHH!" Skullcrusher screamed as the griffon threw him to the ground.

"Lieutenant Gore!" A griffon yelled. "Leave him, there is large force of ponies coming from the west and we need everyone to hold them back!"

"Fine!" Gore said. "We'll meet again pony!" Gore said as he took his spear and chucked into Skullcrusher's back hoof and than flew away.

Present Day.

"I was given the Cross for pulling all the injured ponies to safety under heavy fire. That scum grif ended my combat career though." Skullcrusher said angrily.

"That was mighty brave of you." Applejack commented.

"I was just doing my job, anypony else would have done the same thing." Skullcrusher said. Applejack moved closer to him as adrenaline began to pour through Skullcrusher's veins due to his nervousness.

"Those scars look so painful." Applejack said as she brushed Skullcrusher's mane out of the way before she started to sob.

"Applejack! What's wrong?" Skullcrusher said worried that he hurt her in some way.

"Ah miss mah brother! Ah don't want him to get hurt!" Applejack cried as she collapsed into Skullcrusher's hooves. Skullcrusher put his hoof around her and she dug her head into his chest.

"Listen, he'll be okay I promise." Skullcrusher said.

"H-how could you know that?" Applejack asked.

"Cause he isn't seeing any combat for six months right?" Skullcrusher said. "The war might be over by then."

"Really?" Applejack asked as she sniffled and stopped crying slightly. "He did say there won't be any battle he has to be in, he must be just alright."

"If only you knew where he was at and what he was going through right now." Skullcrusher thought, he was the only pony who was aware of where Macintosh actually was. He remembered being informed the Big Mac would be selected for the COLTS training at the the beginning of Marine Basic. He snapped back to reality as he noticed Applejack still hugging him.

"Uh, Applejack?" He asked.

"Sorry!" Applejack said as she backed off.

"It's fine." Skullcrusher said suddenly remembering what he had to do. "Applejack, I have to be at Fort Hoovler tommorow to train a platoon of recruits and I won't be back for three months."

"You mean, yer gonna be gone?" Applejack asked.

"I'm sorry but I have to go now, my train is waiting." Skullcrusher said.

"But mah brothers gone, ah don't want you to leave too!" Applejack cried.

"I'll be back in three months, and I promise we'll hang out more." Skullcrusher said as he walked out the door. Applejack ran after him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek which caused Skullcrusher to nearly faint.

"Goodbye Applejack, I'll see ya in three months!" Skullcrusher said.

"Goodbye, Skullcrusher." Applejack said as she waved goodbye.

"Why do ah feel like this? I've liked other stallions but why is he so different?" Applejack wondered as a tear rolled down her face.

Soarin awoke to find he was in the hospital. He took note of his hoof that was in a cast, the numerous tubes hooked up to his body, the stinging pain of smaller wounds, Rainbow Dash's head laying on his head. Wait! Rainbow Dash?. Soarin saw the mare's body move up and down as she took deep breaths. Her head was laying next to his left front hoof on his bed. She looked so peaceful when she slept. He smiled as he slowly lifted his hoof and brushed her mane gently. She must have stayed there the whole night. He thought back to when he first met her at the Best Young Fliers Competition and she saved him along with her friend and two other wonderbolts. Than at the Grand Galloping Gala when she saved his apple pie from falling, and finally at Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's wedding when he danced with her all night. He never really appreciated how much she actually cared for him. He than remembered the info he had to get ot high command. There was nopony he could ask to deliver the message except for Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, Rainbow." Soarin said quietly as he gently woke her up. Her eyes fluttered as she awoke. Soarin was taken aback by her bright pink eyes.

"SOARIN! Are you okay?" Rainbow asked as she hugged him.

"I'm fine but I need you to do something." Soarin said. "Can you deliver a message to General Silver Star for me?"

"I would but won't they not let me in cause I'm not in the military?" Dash asked.

"Shoot, I hadn't thought of that." Soarin said as he rubbed his head.

"I could have my friend Twilight send a message to the princess, she is her student." Dash said.

"You're a genius! Can you have her come over?" Soarin asked.

"Oh no! I forgot she's in canterlot visiting her brother!" Dash said not knowing Spike was still in Ponyville. Soarin was about to explode when he realized he would have to do it himself.

"I guess I'll just fly over myself." Soarin said as he removed the tubes attached to his body hoping they weren't the only things keeping him alive.

"NO! you're injured!" Dash protested but Soarin continued to get up.

"I have to get this to high command now or a lot of ponies are going to die!" Soarin said as he stretched his wings and flew towards Canterlot ignoring both Rainbow Dash and his pain. Rainbow could have gone after him but something in her heart told her not to interfere so she just sat there instead. Soarin made it to Canterlot in half hour. He couldn't run due to his broken hoof so he had to fly through the halls till he got to the war room.

"I'm thinking we should sen 4,000 troops here so w-" General Silver Star said as Soarin burst in.

"General! I have urgent news!" Soarin yelled.

"Commander? What the buck happened to you?" Silver Star asked. Soarin told him the whole story.

"These grifs, I don't know what they did but they were so strong! They wiped out my whole platoon!" Soarin yelled.

"You said that sick freak Gore was their leader?" Silver Star asked.

"Affirmative" Soarin said. "I don't know who the pony who saved me was but he killed the grif with ease."

"Commander do you know of the COLTS program?" Silver Star asked.

"They're just a myth sir." Soarin said.

"The pony who rescued you was Captain Deadeye Covert Ops and Lethal Takedown Squad Omega." Silver Star said.

"They're real?" Soarin asked a bit shocked.

"Yes and they are being trained as of now." Silver Star explained. "As for you, get those wounds healed up."

"Aye aye sir." Soarin said as he left still in shock about the COLTS. Silver Star turned to another general.

"Tell Striper to hurry up with those COLTS squadrons." Silver Star ordered.

"We're already on it." The other general said.