Applejack had just finished reading Big Mac's letter to her little sister Applebloom. Both were astonished at Skullcrusher's treatment of the recruits.

"Well at least he made a friend." Applebloom said. "That instructor guy sounds like a big dumb meanie head!". Rainbow Dash had been flying overhead and decided to stop by Applejack's to check up on her. She had come back after being denied by recruiters for the military, it wasn't a matter of prejudice but mares simply couldn't meet the physical requirements to serve. Although mares could not fight on the battlefield, they worked as nurses and intelligence officers on bases but Rainbow Dash wasn't exactly the kind of pony you would want operating on injured soldiers or having to memorize vital info. Rainbow felt otherwise being the tomboy she was.

"Hey Applejack you home?" Rainbow said as she knocked the door.

"Yep come right in." Applejack replied as Rainbow walked in.

"So how is Big Mac doin?" Rainbow asked her friend as she stretched out her wings from a long day of flying.

"He's alright, though he said training is really tough and he made a friend." Applejack said.

"Who's this friend?" Rainbow asked.

"His name is Redwood Oak" Applejack said.

"Redwood Oak huh? Sounds like a rough one." Rainbow said chuckling with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Rainbow?" Applejack said puzzled.

"I'm just messing with you, you know who I really like." Rainbow Dash said.

"Uh actually ah don't sugarcube." Applejack confessed a bit surprised Rainbow even had somepony she liked.

"Really? Oh well I'll tell you. Remember Soarin from the Wonderbolts?" The pegasus asked.

"Yep." Applejack responded.

"Well, after the war broke out he quit the Wonderbolts and joined the Pegasus Air Defense Force! That is so awesome! Even more awesome than me!!" Rainbow squeeled. Applejack had known Rainbow Dash had a crush Soarin for quite some time now. Most ponies didn't view Rainbow as the romantic type because of her brutish and tomboyish attitude but Applejack knew otherwise. Rarity and Sweetie Bells had just arrived at that moment.

"Afternoon Applejack and Rainbow Dash." Rarity said elegantly. Rarity had recently been featured in a motivational poster for the stallions on the front line. The picture was Rarity sitting in a sunny meadow with the message "Get those Griffons! xoxo Rarity" inscribed on top. Rarity was known for her beauty and many returning soldiers often whistled to her or blew her kisses.

"Hey Applebloom!" Sweetie Belle said as she went to greet her friend.

"Howdy Sweetie Belle, where is Scootaloo?" Applebloom asked. A orange pegasus suddenly crashed through the window and landed face first. The pegasus turned out to be Scootaloo who had yet to learn how to fly.

"W-w-where is Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked out of breath. She idolized Rainbow Dash and was always trying to hang out with her.

"Right here kiddo." Rainbow said as she flew down. "What's up?"

"Soarin is at Sugarcube corner recruiting, I though you might wanna see him." Scootaloo said.

"OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH!" Rainbow shouted as her face lit up, she gave Scootaloo a hug."I'LL BE BACK LATER!" She said as she flew to Sugarcube Corner to meet her foalhood and adulthood hero. Scootaloo than left with Sweetie Belle and Applebloom to try and find their cutie marks leaving Applejack and Rarity alone.

"I wish I could find myself a nice stallion." Rarity said.

"Sugarcube please! Every stallion in Ponville is head over hooves for you." Applejack pointed out. There was no lie in this say, Rarity was like a celebrity among the troops who all tried to go on a date with her.

"That is true I guess." Rarity said. "Speaking of which, how is Big Macintosh doing?"

"Oh I'm sure he's doing all right and is having a great time" Applejack said smiling.

Fort Hoovler Training Grounds

"Are you gonna die? huh? Are you gonna die little filly?" Skullcrusher yelled as Big Mac army crawled through a long mudpit. "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION WORTHLESS!"

"SIR NOPE SIR! THIS RECRUIT IS NOT ABOUT TO DIE!" Macintosh yelled as he spit mud from his mouth.

"THAN GET MOVING YOU LAZY BUM!" Skullcrusher screamed as he kicked Macintosh in the rear end. Big Mac had never been one for violence and he was about to strike back when he figured this crazy pony would kill him in a fight so he just kept moving. After Macintosh got out of the mud pit, he and the other ponies went to the obstacle course for more conditioning. The ponies were than assembled in the barracks.

"Listen up pukes!" Skullcrusher yelled. "Princess Luna is coming to observe your training today. I advise you not screw around ESPECIALLY you filly!" Skullcrusher yelled poking Macintosh in the neck. Macintosh ignored the poke however, he was more interested in Luna's visit. The stallion had remembered her visit at Nightmare Night last year before the war started and how he wanted to talk to her but never worked up the courage to do it.

"Alright here comes the princess! EXERCISE!" Skullcrusher yelled as a carriage being pulled by two pegasus royal guards approached.

"HA-OOH" The recruits replied as they began running the obstacle course. Luna got off the carriage and approached the obstacle course observing the recruits as they trained.

"Such hard working stallions." Luna said. "Excuse us sergeant?"

"Yes your majesty!" Skullcrusher replied.

"Is there a pony named Big Macintosh in your platoon?" Luna asked.

"Yes your highness. MACINTOSH! GET YOUR LAZY BUTT OVER HERE!" Skullcrusher yelled.

"YES SIR!" Macintosh replied as he ran to Luna and Skullcrusher.

"Please excuse us Skullcrusher but may Big Macintosh and I speak alone for a moment?" Luna asked.

"Of course your highness!" Skullcrusher said as he went to yell at slacking ponies.

"So you're Big Macintosh?" Luna asked. Macintosh could feel his heart rate going up, he was extremely nervous being in Luna's presence. He didn't know wether it was cause she was royalty or because he thought she looked very pretty.

"Yes your majesty." Big Mac replied nervously.

"We have heard of your willingness to serve our kingdom when you didn't have too, We would like to express our gratitude." Luna explained slipping into the old dialect again.

"I invite you to a dinner with my sister and I when you complete your training." Luna offered observing the stallion. He was not like the other ponies in Canterlot who were always clean and snobby.

"He is different, so powerful and yet so calm. I would love to talk to him more." Luna though to herself as Macintosh was still dumbstruck.

"Uh yes your highness!" Macintosh replied nervously.

"Until then Big Macintosh, good luck with your training." Luna said as she approached her carriage.

"Thanks, ah'm gonna need it." Macintosh said causing Luna to chuckle. After the princess left Skullcrusher went up to Big Mac.

"Private Macintosh, did the princess just ask you on a date?" Skullcrusher asked a little shocked that the princess of the night just asked Macintosh of all ponies to have dinner with her.

"SIR AH GUESS YOU COULD SAY THAT SIR!" Macintosh replied.

"Well we better get you in excellent shape than!" Skullcrusher said, Macintosh groaned at what he knew was coming. "30 EXTRA MINUTES OF P.T FROM NOW UNTIL YOU GRADUATE FILLY!". Macintosh was ready to kill somepony but accepted his unusual punishment without complaining.

Ponyville

Soarin sat outside Sugarcube Corner to try to recruit young colts. He knew they would be drafted anyway but figured they would be better motivated if they joined out of free will, something few ponies did. He was doing poorly as ponies only went up to him because he was a former Wonderbolt.

"Woah its Soarin!" A teenaged colt said to his friend.

"Hey there kiddo, interested in serving?" Soarin asked hopefully.

"Heck no! We just want your autograph" The colts said. Soarin was upset by this but didn't want to upset the colts so he gave them his autograph and then continued his job. Rainbow Dash was flying overhead and spotted him so she flew down to him. Rainbow was a little nervous but called him anyway.

"Uh hey Soarin" Rainbow said as the ex-wonderbolt turned his head.

"Hey I remember you, you're Rainbow Dash" Soarin said as Dash's face lit up.

"Yep that's me" She said confidently. "So what are you doing?" She asked even though she already knew.

"Just trying to recruit but noponies been interested at all!" Soarin answered with his head down. Rainbow saw this as her chance to impress him.

"Well don't worry i'm sure somepony will come along, my friends brother signed up on his own." Dash said putting her hoof on Soarin's back.

"Really?" Soarin said. "Than there is bound to another! Thanks Dash."

"No problem" Dash said smiling. Soarin saw her smile and was taken aback by it. He had met Rainbow Dash before but never really got a chance to talk to her or get a good look at her and he thought she was quite pretty, what got his attention was her mane, he had never seen many ponies with a natural rainbow mane before other than the princess.

"Hey Rainbow? I was wondering if you wanted to- you know." Soarin said. Rainbow felt her heart jump as she knew where this was going. "Go fly around sometime?"

"YES!" Dash shouted. "I mean uh yeah that's cool" She said quieter. She was quite excited at the thought of flying with a Wonderbolt.

"Good I'll be open tomorrow night." Soarin explained.

"Thats good, see ya Soarin." Rainbow said as she began to fly away.

"See ya Dash" Soarin said. Once Dash flew away far enough she squeeled like a school girl and began flying loop-de-loops around in the air until she realized how girly she looked and flew into a tree to hide hoping that nopony saw her. She couldn't wait for tomorrow.

"I need some more pie." Soarin said looking at the dozen empty pie tins at the corner of the desk as he went into Sugarcube Corner to get some more.

Fort Hoovler

All the recruits at Fort Hoovler had gone back to the barracks for light out. That is, all of them except for a certain red stallion.

"LET'S GO! WE DON'T HAVE ALL NIGHT!" Skullcrusher yelled as Macintosh ran his tenth and final mile. "YOU WANNA LOOK GOOD FOR THE PRINCESS DON'T YOU?"

"SIR YES SIR!" Macintosh said out of breath and dehydrated.

"You're done for tonight, get out my face and get to bed." Skullcrusher ordered.

"AYE AYE SIR!" Macintosh said as he ran into the barracks and saw Redwood Oak was already asleep. He decided to write a letter to his sisters before he went to bed.

Dear Applejack and Applebloom

Today was another tough day but ya'll never guess what happened! Princess Luna came to observe us and she asked me to have a dinner with her and Princess Celestia when ah'm done with training! The bad part is now ah have to do 30 minutes extra of conditioning cuz Skullcrusher says ah aint in good enough shape an ah have to look good for the princess. Ah love ya'll.

Love, Big Macintosh

Macintosh silently walked to the mail office where he dropped off his letter which would be delivered to his sisters in Ponyville. Macintosh than passed out exhausted on his bed.