Big Mac got out of the shower stall and proceeded to dry himself off. His coat now a dazzling bright red and his mane a clear orange. He brushed his teeth giving him a brilliant smile. He put on his uniform and aligned it as best he could. He admired how he looked and walked out into the room.

"Ah'll say big brother, you look mighty handsome." Applejack said to her brother as a knock came from the door. Fluttershy went to answer and saw two pegasi royal guards waiting there.

"We are here to pick up Private Macintosh." One of the pegasi said.

"Right here sir!" Macintosh said as he gave a salute to the higher rank soldiers.

"At ease private, now lets go." The royal guard said as Big Mac kissed his two sisters goodbye.

"Remember everything I told you Big Mac!" Rarity cried out.

"Ah will Miss Rarity!" Macintosh said as the guards took Macintosh too his long anticipated dinner with the royal sisters.

XXXX

"Are the Steel Talons ready yet?" Von Griffon asked.

"They are still in training my lord, but they will become the perfect killing machines." A griffon by the name of Captain Gore who had a reputation for his slaughtering of one thousand unicorn soldiers at the battle of Trottingham. He was a ruthless and cruel soldier. He had been known to kill foals if he came across them.

"Good, very good." Von Griffon said. "The ponies have no soldier that can possibly match the training and brutality of our new Steel Talons platoon." Von Griffon said darkly while many miles away in the Everfree forest, a white earth pony stallion with a silver and black mane was trying to lead an enraged Ursa Major into a cluster of trees.

"Come on you overgrown freak!" The pony said fearlessly, his red eyes showing no fear. The large bear entered the opening as it tried to claw at the pony in an attempt to kill it. The Ursa Minor's paw got stuck in the cluster of trees and the stallion ran up the beasts arm and bucked in the eyes causing it to lose it's sight. The pony than went a bucked a tree which cause the tree to fall over on top of the Ursa Major killing it.

"Excellent work recruit, thats the fastest I've ever seen somepony take down an Ursa Minor without magic or weapons!" A pony clad in silver armor named General Blue River who had been watching the whole thing from a carriage in the air said as he clapped his hoofs in approval. "I didn't think you were going to make it for a moment."

"Nothing can stop a COLT operative!" A nearby pony by the name of Colonel Striper said. Striper was in charge of the COLTS program and had designed the training regimen and the armor for the super soldiers.

"Your skills are unrivaled, what is your name son?" Blue River asked.

"Deadeye" The pony said.

"Well Deadeye, you are certainly no amateur." The pony in silver armor complimented. "COLONEL!"

"Yes general?" The Colonel Striper replied.

"Promote Deadeye to captain, his skills are unmatched by anypony I have ever seen"!

"Yes sir!" The Striper said. Deadeye didn't officially graduate training until tomorrow but his whole family was dead so it's not like he had anypony waiting for him. Besides, COLTS was supposed to be top secret so even if he had family still alive they would not know he was a COLT.

"Sir, what is my first mission?" Deadeye asked.

"We need more recruits, I want you to search the Marines and the Army for some possible candidates."

"It will be done sir." Deadeye responded.

"DEADEYE!" A training instructor called.

"Yes sir!" Deadeye responded.

"Here's your battle uniform." The instructor said as he handed Deadeye a black suit with golden stripes which covered his whole body and part of his face, it resembled the wonderbolts uniforms but it was made of dragon scales and diamonds so it was nearly impenetrable.

"Nice fit" Deadeye said he put it on and moved around in it. "I wont return till I have possible candidates sir!"

"Thats the spirit Captain, you will make a fine COLT" The general said as Deadeye walked out of the Everfree Forest and began scouting for COLTS candidates. He could hear the roars of another Ursa Major as his two teammates, Captain Recoil and Captain Earthshock took their final test. Deadeye, Recoil, and Earthshock were the only three ponies out of two thousand who had successfully completed COLTS training.

XXXXXX

Big Mac soon landed at Canterlot and was escorted to the dining room by two unicorn guards. Macintosh looked at the scenery and was quite impressed, he had never been to Canterlot before but his sister had told him all about it. Soon Macintosh was outside the dining room where Celestia and Luna waited for him.

"How do ah look sir?" Macintosh asked one of the guards.

"Like a million bucks private." The guard said as Macintosh walked into the dining room. He could smell the delicious food being cooked and his mouth began to water. He often had simple meals cooked at home and had never had fancy royal food before.

"Are you Big Macintosh?" A chef asked.

"Yes ah am." Macintosh replied.

"Good, sit here and her highness will be with you in an instant." The chef said. Macintosh was extremely nervous now. The opposite door opened and in walked the solar ruler of Equestria. Celestia was wearing a golden sun dress which nearly blinded Macintosh with it's pure brightness. The stallion knelt down before her as she walked out.

"Good evening Big Macintosh." Celestia said in a regal tone. Macintosh had never personally met Celestia before but he knew she was kind and caring. "My sister will be with us in a moment."

"Eeyup." Macintosh said as he took a seat and talked with Celestia while they waited for Luna. Celestia listened to Macintosh's stories about his home and why he joined the Marines. The sun goddess could see why her sister liked him so much, he was very polite and humble. The door suddenly opened again as another alicorn walked in.

"I see my younger sister has arrived" Celestia said as Luna walked in. Macintosh went wide-eyed at how gorgeous she looked. Her mane was sparkling dark blue and she was wearing an elegant dark blue and purple dress that Rarity would be jealous of. Luna saw the expression on Macintosh's face and found it to be extremely cute.

"Good evening Big Macintosh." Luna said.

"G-g-good evening yer highness." Macintosh nervously mumbled. He couldn't get over how perfect she looked.

"Oh darn I just remembered I have to meet with General Silver Star, I'm afraid I have to go." Celestia said giving her little sister a wink as she began to walk away. Luna went up to her immediately

"Celestia! What are you doing?" Luna whispered into her ear.

"Just giving you two some alone time" Celestia said as he left the room quickly. Her sister had quite a temper and she did not want to get on her bad side. She left leaving the Marine and moon princess alone. The two ponies were nervous to talk to each other until Luna finally broke the ice.

"So how was the ride here?" Luna asked shyly. The only ponies Luna had spoken a word to other than Celestia and royal officials was Twilight Sparkle. Luna was not very good at talking to commoners.

"It was alright, umm, how was rising the moon?" Macintosh asked before realizing how dumb his question was. He made a mental note to have Applejack buck him in the face when he got back home.

"It was pleasant." Luna replied while thinking what to ask him next, suddenly an idea popped in into her head. "How was training?"

"It was pretty tough, Skullcrusher was one tough instructor. Ah remember the very first day at trainin he threatened to rip off ma mane and use it fer a moustache!" Macintosh said before giving out a hearty chuckle at the memory. Luna let out a laugh at Big Mac's story. As the two talked more, the more comfortable they got with each other. Big Mac told stories of his job at Sweet Apple Acres and Luna told stories of her and Celestia's childhood.

"Um Big Mac, do you remember last years Nightmare Night?" Luna asked.

"Eeyup" Macintosh replied.

"Were you-um, scared of me like everypony else was?" Luna asked. Big Mac thought back to that night last year before the war started, he remembered how everypony had been scared by Luna because she had just come back from being Nightmare Moon.

"Well princess um." Macintosh began to say.

"Um do you think you could call me Luna?" Luna requested politely.

"Of course Luna, As ah was sayin, on Nightmare Night ah was givin all the lil ones a ride on a cart. Ah wasn't there when you first showed up but ah remember seein you pull Pipsqueak out of the barrel of water." Big Mac explained.

"You didn't think I was trying to harm him did you?" Luna asked.

"Of course not! I knew you were trying to help him and it actually made me pretty made that all the ponies ran away from you after you helped him." Big Mac continued.

"Really?" Luna asked rather surprised.

"Eeyup!" Macintosh said as a chef came out and put out two trays.

"Dinner is served." The chef said in a french accent. Luna used her magic to pick up her food so she could eat it while Macintosh bent his head and ate. He remembered what Rarity had told him and was careful not to spill food all over the place. It was times like this that he cursed not being born a unicorn, if he could use magic then he would not have to worry about spilling his food. It was a very fine dinner indeed but it was time for Macintosh to go.

"Ah'm sorry princess but ah have to go back to Ponyville." Macintosh said sadly. He would have like to have spent more time with Luna.

"I understand Big Mac, I was wondering if you would like to do this again sometime?" Luna asked.

"Ah'd love to!" Big Mac responded happily.

"Good night Big Mac." Luna said smiling.

"Good night yer highness" Big Mac said blushing as he walked out of the castle and to a carriage which would take him back to Ponyville. He thought over his night numerous times on the way home. He kept thinking about Luna, he had had crushes on other mares before but this one felt so different. He didn't know what it was but he decided he would think about it later, what he needed now was some sleep. He returned to Ponyville to find his sisters along with everypony else were already asleep, it must have been very late. The stallion made his way to his bedroom where he laid down on his bed and sleep overtook him.