Next Chapter.

"What have I done?" Celestia asked herself. "What kind of ruler am I?". All the ponies felt sorrow for what had just transpired. Deep down, they all knew they deserved the scolding. Three hundred innocent ponies, all dead.
"Applejack? Does Big Mac hate us?" Applebloom sniffled.

"Of course he doesn't sugarcube he's just upset." Applejack said hugging her heartbroken sister. Applejack knew Big Mac's actions were completely justified due to the horrible things she had said to him.

"AJ." Skullcrusher said as he went to her. Applejack fell into his hooves and cried.

"You were right! Ah should've listened to you!" Applejack cried. "Ah just want mah brother back!"

"Ssh, it's okay sweetheart." Skullcrusher said. "I'll go talk to him.". Applejack smiled a little as Skullcrusher went to go find Macintosh. He wanted so bad to propose to her but now didn't seem like the right time. Rainbow Dash had been in the corner with Soarin the whole time.

"I should have known they weren't guilty! Some element of loyalty I am!" Rainbow said. It was rare for her to admit defeat.

"Hey a lot of ponies were tricked." Soarin said trying to comfort her.

"You and Skullcrusher weren't." Dash said.

"Well we have been saved my them numerous times so we just knew." Soarin said. Soarin and Skullcrusher weren't the only ponies who supported the COLTS. There was hundred of ponies across Equestria who believed the COLTS were innocent but it wasn't enough to counter the tens of millions angry ponies who wanted the COLTS dead. Skullcrusher eventually caught up to Macintosh and the other COLTS.

"Macintosh!" Skullcrusher called. Big Mac turned around. Skullcrusher was the only pony the COLTS trusted at this point along with Soarin.

"What do you want?" Big Mac asked.

"Listen, I know about your rampancy problem, I understand why you are all mad, I would be too. I know you didn't really mean all the thing you said in there." Skullcrusher said.

"My father is dead!" Deadeye said growling. "Of course I meant it!"

"You have my deepest sympathies captain." Skullcrusher said. "There is still a war to be won."

"They can fight it themselves!" Autumn huffed.

"Listen, are you going to let everypony in Equestria get enslaved because of the actions of others?" Skullcrusher asked.

"Everypony IN Equestria was responsible!" Blitz said.

"Not true! What about Soarin and I? We knew you were innocent! General Blue River believed you were innocent! Trust me there were hundreds more." Skullcrusher said.

"I didn't see any of them help us!" Autumn spat.

"I got shot in the bucking chest and was thrown in jail because I helped you escape, don't give me that BS!" Skullcrusher said. "Macintosh, don't you remember why you signed up for the Marines in the first place?"

"That was before ah was betrayed!" Big Mac said.

"Hey." Deadeye said. "Where they hay is Shadow at?"

XXXX

Fluttershy was walking through Canterlot extremely upset. Shadow had said such mean things to her but she knew she deserved it. She remembered all the good times she had with him and how he said he would never let anything happen to her.

"I'm so sorry Shadow, you're right, I don't deserve you." She said quietly. She heard deep wheezing, it sounded like a combination of a growl and hiss. She got extremely nervous.

"Um whose there?" She asked as she backed up. She was in the gardens which were mostly empty of any ponies. She backed up onto a tree and began hypervenilating. The sound appeared to be getting closer! She felt something drop on her head. She wiped it off and saw there was blood. She checked her head for any injuries but she didn't have any. More drops came as she slowly looked up into the tree.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs.

"CRAP!" Skullcrusher said as he heard Fluttershy's cry. "Aren't you coming with!"

"Fine!" Big Mac said. The rest of the COLTS refused to go. The mane six and many guards were heading towards Fluttershy as well.

"S-s-shadow?" She said quietly. Before her stood Silent Shadow, most of his mane had fallen out, his coat had turn a sickly green color, he was drooling blood, his pupils had become little slits, and he was making noises no normal pony should make. Fluttershy could have flown away but she was too petrified to think of using her wings. She slowly backed up as the crazed stallion got closer.

"RAHHHH!" He screamed as he tired to pounce on her. Something flew into Shadow but he barely acknowledged it.

"Get away from her!" Rainbow screamed as she frantically punched and kicked Shadow, he grabbed her by the mane and threw her into a tree. He moved into finish her off when Soarin flew in and took the blow. Shadow's punch knocked Soarin a good twenty feet away.

"PLEASE STOP!" Fluttershy said. Shadow turned around and glared at her. He made a snorting sound as he moved towards her.

"Shadow!" Big Mac screamed as he came out of the foliage. Big saw Shadow's appearance and knew that he had gone rampant.

"Big Mac help!" Fluttershy said. Something in Big Mac made him want to leave Fluttershy to her fate but his conscience still had control. Big Mac ran at Shadow and the two engaged in a deadly fight. Big Mac was stronger than Shadow but Shadow was so fast and agile Big Mac had a hard time hitting him. Big Mac eventually popped Shadow square in the jaw but Shadow's blind rage made him impervious to pain. He repeatedly assaulted Macintosh until he was knocked out.

"Shadow stop!" Fluttershy said. She decided she wasn't running any more.

"RAHH!" Shadow replied.

"Shadow I know you're mad at me for not believing in you and I'm so so so sorry!" Fluttershy said. Shadow ran at her and grabbed by the throat and threw her against the wall and began to choke her.

"S-shadow! Please! I-I LOVE YOU!" She said with tears in her eyes. Shadow suddenly hesitated as Fluttershy's words sank in. He remembered how she pulled him in when he fell out of the carriage during his first visit to Ponyville. He remembered going to Big Mac's return party with her, He remembered her offering a place for him to stay, he remembered that he promised her that he would always keep her safe.

"Fluttershy?" He said as his eyes temporarily went back to normal. Fluttershy saw the pain and sorrow in his eyes. Shadow dropped her as he began to fight against himself.

"Please run!" He called out to her. Fluttershy wasn't leaving though. His anger suddenly took over again as he screamed. He was soon knocked out by Deadeye who had decided to tag along after all.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Fluttershy asked.

"I don't know, this is your fault this happened to him." Deadeye said as he went to tend to Big Mac. Fluttershy stood their as she absorbed Deadeye's words which stung harder than a manticore.

"It is my fault!"

XXXX

Big Mac found himself laying a green field with many flowers and trees. He felt at peace as he took in the beautiful landscape.

"Did ah just die?" He asked himself.

"No, you are only dreaming." A voice said. Big Mac froze, he hadn't heard that voice in nearly a year and didn't think he ever would.

"R-redwood?" Big Mac said as his fallen friend appeared out from the treeline.

"Man you're huge now Mac!" Redwood said. "I knew you had it in you to be a COLT!"

"But ah thought you were-" Big Mac said.

"I am dead. It ain't so bad, I got my eye back." Redwood said as he pointed to the eye the arrow that killed him penetrated.

"Ah take it you know what's happenin." Big Mac said.

"I do, that's why I'm here." Redwood said. "I know you are going through a lot of crap right now but you cannot abandon your duty."

"Why should ah help them?" Big Mac said. "You saw what they said and did!"

"Because it's the right thing to do." Redwood said. "The other COLTS who were killed wanted Equestria to be safe, you mustn't let them down!"

"But-" Macintosh said.

"What about your family? What about Luna? I know you went through some tough times but you'll pull through. You always have." Redwood said.

"Well ah guess your right-" Big Mac said.

"You remember what Colonel Striper's last words to Deadeye were? 'Save Equestria'" Redwood said. "If you let the griffons win, where will you go? That is what Gore wants you to do."

"Yer right, yer RIGHT!" Big Mac said.

"That's the Macintosh I know!" Redwood said as he clanked hooves with his friend. "I have to go now bud."

"Wait don't leave!" Big Mac said.

"I never did leave! I am still here Mac, just in spirit along with all the other soldiers who came before me! Now go and save Equestria!" Redwood said as a blinding flash of light covered Macintosh's vision as he awoke.

"Macintosh!" Skullcrusher said as he ran over. "You okay."

"You were right Sgt! I still have a duty!" Big Mac said as he stood up. He saw Shadow's unconscious body was chained up. He figured that was smart in case he woke up and was still rampant. Although Big Mac felt a lot calmer now, he was still susceptible to rampancy and he had to be careful. He didn't see any other of his squadmates there except for Deadeye but he already figured out what happened to them.

"Though I lost you mac!" Deadeye said as they heard growling, They turned to see a rampant Solar Blitz coming towards them.

"Let's do this!" Big Mac said as he and Deadeye charged Blitz.

XXXX

"No, no, no, no, no, NOOO!" Gore screamed. "Of all the COLTS that could have survived it HAD to be the most elite ones!"

"Relax General, we are still winning," Von Griffon said.

"We are winning the war yes, but I lost my battle!" Gore said. "My war was with the COLTS!"

"You can have the COLTS but I want Celestia!" Chrysalis said.

"In due time, in due time." Von Griffon said.

There goes Shadow and now Blitz is next. R&R!

"Often Tested, Always Faithful, Brothers Forever." - USMC