Next Chapter.

Applejack awoke the next morning to find Big Mac still hadn't come home yet. He had been gone for two days and she was starting to get worried about her brother. The only thing that stopped her from going out and looking for him was Skullcrusher's assurance that he was alright.

"But how could you possibly know?" Applejack asked Skullcrusher.

"Just trust me." Skullcrusher said. Skullcrusher was the only pony outside of the COLTS program who knew Macintosh was one of the super soldiers and knew there was practically nothing that could harm Macintosh. Skullcrusher hugged Applejack as a knock was heard at the door. Applejack answered and saw Fluttershy looking rather sad.

"Fluttershy? What's wrong?" Applejack asked.

"Silent Shadow is gone." She said sadly.

"Come again?" Applejack asked.

"I woke up this morning and he wasn't there! He didn't leave a note or anything and I've been looking all day for him" Fluttershy cried. "Did I say something that offended him?"

"Of course not sugar." Applejack said. She knew how sensitive Fluttershy was and knew something like this would be hard for her to handle. On the other side of Ponyville, another mare was having the same problem.

"Oh where did he go?" Rarity asked herself. Autumn had been gone for a full day now and she had no clue where he was. Little to their knowledge, the ponies they searched for were deep behind enemy lines currently taking a quick break.

"Uh!" Deadeye grunted as he poured water into his wounded eye so it would clean out and not get infected. He also had to have Silent Shadow pull out slivers of wood out of the injury. They still carried the bodies of Duststorm and Waverunner because they wanted the fallen ponies to be buried in the soil they died to protect.

"This is weird bro, it's like the grifs knew we were coming." Autumn said to Macintosh.

"Ah know, not only that they had those automatic crossbows." Macintosh said. Deadeye overheard the conversation and began to think.

"Acquiring the magical augmentation spells, infiltrating Ponyville twice, knowing we were coming, and acquiring these new crossbows. There is no longer any doubt, there must be a traitor in our ranks somewhere." Deadeye thought. His thoughts were interrupted by an angry Recoil.

"What's wrong?" Deadeye asked as he wrapped a bandage over his wounded eye.

"I can't take it anymore! You can have him." Recoil said.

"Who?" Deadeye asked.

"Black Soul! He is driving me crazy! He rarely follows orders, he is disrespectful, obsessed with killing, and is a complete bucking jerk!" Recoil explained.

"So why in Equestria would I want him?" Deadeye asked.

"Please, I'm begging you! I'm this close to blowing my brains out!" Recoil said holding his hooves close together to emphasize his point.

"Fine I'll take him in one condition." Deadeye said.

"Anything!" Recoil said.

"Next time my rear-end needs saving, get there faster." Deadeye said.

"So when you boys paying up?" Solar Blitz asked Autumn and Shadow.

"Pay up fer what?" Big Mac asked confused.

"Remember when you said you were seeing the princess and we didn't believe you? Well I bet Autumn and Shadow fifty bits it was true and now they owe me." Blitz said.

"Oh sure Blitz I always keep fifty bits on me when I'm on a combat mission, here let me pull them out of my flank." Autumn asked sarcastically.

"I'll pay you when we get back to Ponyville." Shadow said.

"COLTS, we're moving out! Autumn and Blitz it's your turn to carry the KIA's!" Deadeye ordered as the ponies did as they were told. They began to sprint back towards home territory but still had miles to go. They were interrupted when they ran into a fifty griffon convoy. The ponies quickly took cover. Most of the crossbows were out of ammo save a few. Big Mac hoped the griffons would simply continue on but they stopped to make a camp.

"Perfect, just bucking perfect!" Earthshock said annoyed.

"Can we sneak around them?" Recoil asked.

"I don't think so, not unless we want to get delayed another day." Deadeye said. He was right, to the left and right there was a large mountain that would take days to navigate leaving them no choice but to engage. Shadow, Autumn, Recoil, and Blitz stayed on the cliff to provide support while the rest snuck into the camp. Deadeye gave the order to fire and the ponies with the crossbows open fired killing atleast twenty griffons. The ponies on the ground than sprung into action and began killing the remaining griffons. Black Soul was trailing one griffon who had stabbed the pony numerous times.

"W-what are you?!" The griffon asked.

"Your worst NIGHTMARE!" Black Soul said as he grabbed the griffon and tore his head from his body. By now all the griffons were killed except for one that Big Mac was headed for, he bucked the griffon in the head and killed it instantly. The ponies than hid the dead bodies so no passing patrols would know of their presence. They than continues their long trek towards friendly territory.

XXXX

Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were headed for their clubhouse when they heard noise behind a bush.

"Left! Left! Left Right Left!" They heard the voice say. The voice was masculine but sounded very young.

"Come on let's check it out." Scootaloo said as the CMC approached the source of the noise. They pushed past a bush and saw a baby dragon and four young colts.

"Spike?" Applebloom said as she saw Spike in the group.

"What're they doing?" Sweetie Belle asked as Spike and four colts Snips, Snails, Pipsqueak, and Featherweight all marched in formation.

"Everypony drop down and give me twenty!" Spike said as he and the ponies got on their front hooves and pushed themselves off the ground.

"Spike." Applebloom said as she came out of the bush.

"WOAH!" Spike yelled as he spun around. "Oh it's just you Applebloom, you scared me."

"Hey Applebloom!" The four colts said. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came out from the bush as well.

"Hey Sweetie Belle, hey Scootaloo!" The four colts said again. Despite their young age, they all liked the CMC.

"What're you guys doing?" Scootaloo asked puzzled.

"We're training to become COLTS!" Snips proclaimed. "We are called the Young COLTS!"

"But aren't you all already colts?" Sweetie Belle asked not knowing what Snips meant.

"No we're talking about the super soldiers the COLTS! With capital letters." Featherweight corrected.

"You know, the guys who saved Ponyville last week?" Spike said.

"Oh those guys!" Sweetie Belle said as she made the connection.

"The ones who kicked some griffon butt? Those guys were almost as awesome as Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo proclaimed. "I wanna be one too!"

"Me too!" Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said.

"Sorry but only boy earth ponies can be COLTS." Pipsqueak said. He probably should have worded that differently because the CMC took it the wrong way.

"Oh yeah? Says who?" Scootaloo demanded.

"Just cause we're girls we can't play too?" Sweetie Belle asked angrily.

"What about Spike? He isn't even a pony and you're letting him play!" Applebloom pointed out.

"Yeah Snips and Snails are both unicorns and Featherweight is a pegasus! The only earth pony is Pipsqueak!" Scootaloo growled.

"We're not trying to be mean, it's the truth!" Spike said defensively.

"Let's get out of here, we don't have time to hang out with the dummies anyway!" Scootaloo said as the CMC walked away puffing with anger.

"Did we say something?" Snails asked. Spike just slapped his face.

XXXX

Princess Celestia sat on her balcony overlooking the Equestrian National Cemetery. She gazed over the thousands of gravestones of soldiers who had gotten killed and this was just one of dozens of such cemeteries. She did not know why the griffons hated the ponies so much. Celestia had never been one for violence but she swore to herself Claws Von Griffon would pay for all this. She did not notice her niece Cadence walk in with her two foals who were now six months old. They were both alicorns named Terra and Milos.

"Hi aunt Celestia." Cadence said.

"Cadence!" Celestia said as she gave her niece a hug and kissed her grand-niece and grand-nephew on their foreheads. "How are you I haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been good, a little worried about my husband but other than that everythings fine." Cadence said. Luna had also walked in.

"Hi aunt Luna!" Cadence said as she hugged her aunt.

"Good to see you too Cadence, how are my grand-niece and grand-nephew?" Luna asked.

"See for yourself." Cadence said as she showed Terra and Milos to Luna who kissed them on their foreheads.

"Aunt Luna, aunt Celestia, I was actually wondering about these 'COLTS' everypony is talking about." Cadence asked.

"Dear, we do not know much about the COLTS, their identities are a secret to everypony except those involved with the program." Celestia answered. This was true with the exception of Luna who knew the Big Mac was a COLT.

"I overheard that they might kill them." Cadence said grimly. "Why would they do that?"

"The COLTS were modified to become the perfect killing machines, they have short tempers and are quick to violence. If they ever came under to much stress they could snap and kill us all." Celestia said grimly.

"That's terrible!" Cadence said as she covered her mouth. "You wouldn't let them kill the COLTS would you?"

"They have done so much for us and they are eternally in our gratitude but I cannot allow my subjects to be put in anymore danger than they are already in, I'm afraid I would have no choice.". Luna screamed in her head, that meant Big Mac would die if he ever went insane.

"I wish to change the subject away from this rather grim mood." Celestia said. "Luna, where did you go two nights ago?".

"Oh well I went to see Big Mac..." Luna said blushing.

"Really? I'd like to hear all about it!" Celestia said.

"Aunt Luna has a special somepony?" Cadence asked happily. Terra and Milos suddenly started crying as Cadence realized it was past their bedtime.

"Sorry but I have to get the young ones home, goodbye!" Cadence said as she left.

"Bye!" Celestia and Luna called out. Celestia that turned back to Luna.

"What exactly happened?" Celestia asked.

"Well, he watched me raise the moon and said my nights were beautiful, he than took me ice skating on a frozen lake where he stopped me from falling numerous times. I fell into freezing water and he pulled me out and kept me warm. Than we-uumm." Luna said as she practically burned red.

"Yes? and?" Celestia said smiling.

"WE KISSED!" Luna blurted out before hiding her face in her mane. She expected her sister to laugh at her but instead Celestia smiled.

"Luna it's okay, It's only natural for things like this to happen." Celestia said.

"That's not all." Luna said.

"Really now?" Celestia said hoping the two of them didn't go any further than kissing. Luna told her sister how the two confessed their feelings for each other.

"We love him." Luna said accidently slipping into her old dialect.

"I'm so happy for you Luna!" Celestia said giving her sister a hug. Celestia noticed her sister was still looking sad however.

"There is one last thing though." Luna said not sure if she did the right thing in saying it. "Big Mac is a COLT.". Celestia froze, sure she wanted her sister to be happy with a stallion she loved but Big Mac could potentially harm her if he ever snapped.

"Luna, how do you know for sure?" Celestia asked.

"He was gone for six months, the same amount of time COLTS training lasts, not only that he is unnaturally large and has super strength and speed, he also even admitted it to me." Luna explained.

"Luna you know how much I want you to be happy but he is potentially dangerous." Celestia said.

"That's not true! He is kind and he would never-" Luna objected.

"I know, I have met Big Macintosh before and I know he is kind and would never lay a finger on anypony but you heard what Colonel Striper said if he ever got too angry." Celestia said. "I think it's best if you two stopped seeing each other for a while."

"NO! You're just jealous cause I have somepony special in my life!" Luna blurted out without thinking. This hit Celestia hard as she remembered what happened with Black Soul. She wanted to hit Luna at first but than realized that would only result in more violence so she had to act more mature so she restrained herself.

"Where would you get an idea like that? I want you two to be together but now isn't the best time!" Celestia said. Celestia simply wanted Luna away from him until the war was over or they found a way to reverse the alterations. Celestia was also getting nervous. It was this same behavior and emotion that turned Luna into Nightmare Moon one thousand years ago and Faust knows she did not want a repeat of that incident.

"YOU JUST WANT HIM FOR YOURSELF!" Luna screamed with anger not even realizing what she was saying anymore.

"PRINCESS LUNA!" Celestia screamed so loud the castle itself shook as she hovered into the air and released a blinding aura. Luna looked up to see Celestia using the old Royal Canterlot Voice on her. 'I AM NOT TRYING TO HARM YOU!". Celestia calmed down and her old voice returned. "I'm trying to help you.". Luna began to cry and fell into her older sister's chest.

"We are so sorry sister, We don't know what came over us." Luna said as she hugged her sister and cried.

"It's okay Luna, two lovers should never be kept apart and I know he would never hurt you but there is that chance and after having you gone for 1000 years I can't lose you again." Celestia said.

"W-w-we know but we love him so much we just can't not see him." Luna cried.

"Your highness!" Shining Armor screamed as he ran inside with a garrison of twenty royal guards. "We heard screaming is everything alright?"

"Yes captain, you may return to your posts." Celestia said.

"Yes your majesty." Armor said as he and the guards left to go back to their posts. Back at Ponyville, the Young COLTS were feeling guilty about what happened earlier.

"Pip why did you say that to them?" Featherweight asked.

"I never said they couldn't play with us! I was just stating a fact!" Pipsqueak said sulking.

"We better go apologize, for some reason girls are harder when it comes to forgiveness." Spike said. The Young COLTS spent most of the day looking for the CMC but couldn't find them. It was finally time to go home so the Young COLTS said their goodbyes and left for home. Spike sulked all the way back to the library.

"SPIKE! There you are!" Twilight said. "I was worried sick."

"I'm sorry Twilight but it just wasn't a good day." Spike said as he sat down.

"What happened?" Twilight asked. Spike explained to her the whole incident.

"Spike why would you exclude them because they were fillies? You know better than that!" Twilight scolded.

"No! It's not like that! We never said the couldn't join us we were just stating a fact and they took it the wrong way! At this rate I'm never gonna get married!" Spike said sulking.

"Spike why were you pretending to be a COLT anyway?" Twilight asked.

"Cause I was gonna sign up to be one!" Spike said proudly.

"Absolutely not!" Twilight said.

"Why not? Big Mac signed up to be a Marine!" Spike said.

"Big Mac is also an adult stallion, you are still only a baby." Twilight said.

"Well in dragon years I'm eighteen!" Spike said.

"Spike, dragons age slower than ponies, you're only two years old in dragon years!" Twilight said.

"Oh fine! But I'm still gonna train for them!" Spike said as he passed out and fell asleep. Twilight felt a chuckle escape as she levitated him to his bed.

"Now Spike wants to join? UH! This war better end before he gets any ideas!" Twilight said as she went to her bed and fell asleep. Near the border of the Everfree Forest, eight ponies who had been running for a day straight at speeds rivaling the wonderbolts entered the forest.

"How much longer?" Black Soul demanded.

"If you open your mouth one more time before we get there I'll rip your throat out!" Recoil yelled. Black Soul muttered something back but Recoil was too annoyed to notice. After two more hours of running, they finally made it to COLTS 0-1. Striper saw the COLTS returning and ran out, he also saw the bandage around Deadeye's eye.

"My son!" Striper whispered as he ran to the ponies. "What the hay happened?!"

"We're ambushed at the camp, damn grifs knew we coming, we lost Waverunner and Duststorm." Earthshock said angrily.

"What!?" Striper yelled as he saw the two dead bodies of the COLT operatives.

"Not only that." Deadeye said. "The grifs got the automatic crossbows too, took out my eye." Deadeye said. Striper went over to the deceased COLTS and bowed his head in reverence, he thought of all the COLTS as his sons.

"Write a letter to Waverunner and Duststorms family, they were both KIA on the battlefield." Striper said as two ponies got to work writing the letters.

"You said they had the crossbows too?" Striper asked. The COLTS nodded their heads.

"Sir there must be a traitor somewhere in our ranks, the freakin grifs knew we there like they had our address." Deadeye said. "And how else could they have gotten ahold of our weapons?"

"I'm not sure but for now you take care of that eye, an injury like that could take a long time before you can see again." Striper said. A memorial service was held for Waverunner and Duststorm who both received purple hearts and the Unknown Valor award for their actions as COLTS. Their names were inscribed on a memorial wall where the COLTS who died during the alteration names were also inscribed.

"Colonel!" Recoil said.

"Yes Recoil?" Striper responded.

"I want Black Soul out of my unit, Deadeye said he would take him."

"Are you sure? Black Soul is quite the killer." Striper said.

"Don't get me wrong, he is a good soldier when it comes to skill and killing but he is a total jack-ass and I can't stand him and Deadeye has better patience than me." Recoil said.

"Fine, BLACK SOUL!" Striper yelled.

"Sir yes sir!" Black Soul said.

"You are being transfered to COLTS Omega under Captain Deadeye. You will be stationed in Ponyville with the rest of his team do you understand?" Striper asked.

"Sir yes sir!" Black Soul said as he walked away. Striper looked in the sky where two fallen heroes known as Waverunner and Duststorm now stood guard at the gates of eternity with their fallen comrades.