Next chapter: Silent Shadow is an OC who was created by Eddie201 who let me use him in this story.
Through the ruins of his old hometown of Appleloosa, a gray earth pony stallion with a black mane runs without making a sound towards a nearby sentry. The griffon hears absolutely nothing until his fate is sealed when the stallion sneaks up behind him and slits his throat. The griffon falls down dead as the silent assassin sneaks away as if nothing happened. Appleloosa was the farthest city from Canterlot and the closest to Griffon territory. Because of those two factors, the city was abandoned to the griffons who tore most of it down. There were no ponies in the town except for the silent assassin who moved quieter than a shadow. Hence the ponies name, Silent Shadow.
"I will get you scum out of my town, just as my father and brother did" Shadow said to himself. Appleloosa was the first city to be attacked by the griffons and his brother and father were killed while defending it. Shadow decided to stay and kill all remaining griffons in the town. He headed towards his hideout which was hidden under the rubble of the former town saloon. He opened the secret door and went into his sanctuary. He took of his bandana mask which revealed a young face nearly untouched by war due to his supreme stealth. He had a picture of his family, all of which were dead save for his youngest brother who escaped to Manehattan during the assault. Outside Shadow's hideout, Captain Deadeye overlooked the devastation and silently cursed the griffons for all the devastation they caused. He normally would not have come all this way but he heard stories about numerous small griffon patrols disappearing without a trace and decided he should check it out. He slid down undetected and moved through town avoiding all the griffon sentries who were very alert due to the silent killer who lurked the ruins.
"What was that?" Shadow said as he heard hoofsteps above his hideout. He took out his knife and slowly and silently opened the door which led outside. He looked around and saw a white earth pony in black armor sneaking around. Shadow quietly crawled behind the pony. Deadeye's senses had increased greatly from COLTS training but even he did not know of Shadow's presence behind him. Shadow wasn't paying attention and he stepped on a twig which snapped alerting Deadeye. Instinct took over Deadeye as he swung around and knocked the knife out of Shadow's hoof and pinned the pony to the ground.
"HEY!" Shadow said.
"My apologies, I mistook you for the enemy" Deadeye said as he helped the pony up. "Unbelievable! He was able to sneak up that close even on me! This one has talent" Deadeye thought to himself. Nothing had ever lived long enough to sneak up on Deadeye before.
"What's your name?" Deadeye asked.
"Private Silent Shadow" Shadow said quietly.
"You got somethin stuck in your throat? Speak up!" Deadeye ordered.
"Private Silent Shadow" Shadow said a little louder this time.
"Well private, I suppose you're the one who has been making all the grifs disappear" Deadeye said.
"Yes sir" Shadow said quietly again.
"Not much of a talker are you?" Deadeye asked.
"No sir" Shadow replied.
"Private have you heard of COLTS before?" Deadeye asked.
"Somepony said somethin about it a long time ago but other than that no" Shadow replied. "I don't think COLTS are real though"
"I am Captain Deadeye, Covert Operations and Lethal Takedown Squad Omega" Deadeye proclaimed.
"You mean they're real?" Shadow asked.
"Yes and I'm here to recruit you" Deadeye asked.
"I'm sorry sir but I'm not leaving my post here" Shadow said.
"Private your post has been wasted!" Deadeye said. "There's nothing here to protect!"
"Negative sir, I am not leaving" Shadow said. "I'm not a coward! I am a Marine!". Now Deadeye was getting mad.
"Private, I have killed everything from a bunny to an Ursa Minor and you are really starting to piss me off! I'm not asking you to join, I'm ordering you! It would be unwise to disobey" Deadeye growled
"What sort of things would we do?" Shadow asked.
"We're the guys who get to kill Von Griffon when we find him" Deadeye said.
"Alright I'll go" Shadow said.
"Good, meet me at Ponyville in two days" Deadeye said and with that, the COLT disappeared into the distance. Deadeye was fast due to his training, his running speed rivaled that of the flight speed of the wonderbolts. He still remembered how painful those biological alterations were to his body which increased his physical abilities during the end of his training. He had covered quite a distance but was still in what was considered hostile territory. He stopped when he heard muffling coming from behind a brush.
"That the best you can do? My granny can hit harder than you!" A voice called out. Deadeye went to investigate. He saw two griffons whipping a blue earth pony who had a yellow mane with hints of red in it.
"Hey did I just get whipped? Or did a parasprite land on me?" The pony said again which enraged the griffons and the pony was brutally whipped. Despite all this, the pony managed to keep a stupid looking smile on his face.
"Woah calm down there cupcake" The pony said again to the enraged griffon.
"Does this guy feel any pain? Well guess I better rescue him" Deadeye said as he snuck up behind the two griffons and killed them.
"Whew I thought they were gonna whip me to bone! What's your name? My names Lance Corporal Solar Blitz! I haven't seen that uniform anywhere before-" The pony began to say.
"I should waited for him to get knocked out before I rescued him" Deadeye thought extremely annoyed by this pony. "Shut up!"
"Okay" Solar Blitz responded with that stupid grin still on his face.
"Corporal, why are you grinning at me?" Deadeye asked. "You think I'm cute or somethin?"
"No, I just grin a lot" Blitz said. Deadeye took notice of the deep gash marks in Blitz's back, even to Deadeye they looked pretty painful.
"Corporal don't those hurt? They look painful" Deadeye said.
"Huh these?" Blitz said. "They hurt but I just don't think about the pain". Deadeye went over and headbutted Blitz who stood back up still smiling, much to Deadeyes shock
"Do you feel any pain at all!" Deadeye asked.
"Guess not!" Blitz said smiling.
"This guy takes nothing seriously! How in Celestia's name did he make it past basic? He is also really buckin annoying! It was probably more torture for the griffons interrogating him having to listen to him! But he is able to suck up all those injuries and never succumb to anything, guess he's a lot tougher than he looks" Deadeye thought.
"Hey you there?" Blitz asked as he waved his hoof in front of Deadeye.
"Yes. Have you heard of COLTS?" Deadeye asked.
"Covert Operations and Lethal Takedown Squads, Commissioned by Princess Luna, based in the middle of the Everfree Forest" Blitz said.
"How the buck did you know tha- Nevermind! My name is Captain Deadeye, captain of COLTS Omega. You think you got what it takes to be one of Equestria's elite?"
"Are you asking me if I wanna be a COLT?" Blitz asked.
"No, I'm actually ordering you to be one" Deadeye said. "Meet me at Ponyville in two days"
"Okay won't argue with ya" Blitz said as he took off. Deadeye merely looked with a clueless look on his face.
"Well that was fairly, interesting" Deadeye said as he made his way towards Ponyville. It was about half a day's trip even at his speed so he wasted no time in heading towards the town.
Big Mac was trying to spend as much time as he could with his family since he wouldn't see them again for six months. He was still trying to think of what he would tell his sisters as his excuse for leaving. He also wondered how Luna was doing. He hoped he would be able to see her before he left. A few miles away at Canterlot, a princess was thinking about Macintosh.
"Lu, I never got to ask you how your night was with Big Mac" Celestia said as she approached her sister.
"Oh it was wonderful! He was very funny and polite and he even said he wasn't scared of me on Nightmare Night two years ago" Luna exclaimed. Celestia chuckled at her sister's schoolfilly like behavior.
"Seems like a weddings on the way" Celestia said jokingly.
"Tia!" Luna said playfully pushing her sister away. Although deep down, Luna knew she felt something special for Macintosh.
"Your highness! I have urgent news!" A guard said running in.
"Yes?" Celestia asked.
"Captain Shining Armor is alive!" The guard said shocking the two regal sisters.
"Alive? He was KIA over ten weeks ago!" Luna said.
"Someponies rescued him from a POW camp" The guard said.
"Who were they?" Celestia asked.
"We don't know, they just said they were his 'rescuers'" The guard said. Luna than suddenly realized who the mystery ponies were.
"It was the COLTS" Luna said.
"Your highness I thought the COLTS didn't exist" The guard said.
"They do and I am sure they are the ones who rescued him, no other pony could have possibly done that" Luna explained. "I myself as the one who commissoned the program"
"Should we release it to the public?" The guard asked.
"No, atleast not yet. I have seen what they are capable of, they can do amazing things no other pony could do without magic" Luna said "They would absolutely slaughter all the griffons mercilessly and I want to keep bloodshed on both sides at a minimum during this war"
"Wow, they can do all that? What do they do at training?" The guard asked.
"Nopony knows, not even us." Celestia said. "The training instructor said that if we knew what happened in COLTS training, my sister and I would shut it down immediately"
"That bad huh?" The guard said.
"I didn't like hearing that either but what choice do we have? The COLTS could be the key to winning this war and we have just seen their effectiveness in combat but I hate the thought of one our subjects suffering so" Celestia continued.
"So what do you want me to do than?" The guard asked.
"Send a letter to my student Twilight Sparkle. I am sure she will be overjoyed to hear her brother is alive" Celestia said.
"Right away your majesty!" The guard said as he left. Celestia looked at her sister.
"Luna what did you mean when you said you have seen what the COLTS are capable of?" Celestia asked.
"I saw one kill two manticores with his bare hoofs by himself!" Luna said.
"When did you see this?" Celestia asked.
"I went to go see how it was progressing and when I arrived some COLTS had completed training and they wanted to show me what they could do" Luna explained. "I don't know what they did to these poor ponies but they are so poweful! And they kill like it's a game, it's like they don't know right from wrong"
"I don't like hearing that, I am so close to shutting it down but we need them" Celestia said.
"If one can kill two manticore I am afraid to imagine what they would do to griffons" Luna said shuddering a little at the thought.
"Well I never did hear how the rest of the night went with Big Mac" Celestia said trying to change the depressing subject. Luna's face lit up at the mention of Macintosh's name.
"He said he wanted to do it again!" Luna said. "He certainly is a unique pony"
"You are right Luna he is unique, I have met him before and he has the body and mind of a stallion but the heart of an innocent little colt" Celestia said.
"I think I have a crush on him but would if he dies?" Luna said sadly. Celestia went and hugged her sister.
"Luna I am sure there are thousands of mares out there in the same situation" Celestia said. "We can only hope this war ends soon"
"I have to see him again!" Luna said before realizing night was approaching. "Guess I'll have to wait till tommorow" Luna said as she began to raise the moon and Celestia set the sun.
Twilight was finishing up a book on Equestrian Military History when she heard a loud belch from upstairs. She used her magic to close the book and trotted upstairs.
"Spike?" Twilight asked. She found the dragon holding a scroll in his hand. Twilight used her magic again to open up the scroll.
"What's it say?" Spike asked.
Dear Twilight Sparkle
It is with great joy and relief that i write this to you. Your brother Captain Shining Armor was presumed KIA ten weeks ago. Yesterday he was rescued from a POW camp by three unknown ponies. He is alive and at Canterlot hospital undergoing treatment as I write this letter.
General Silver Star, Department of the Army.
Twilight dropped the letter as she began to take in what she just read. Shining Armor, her BBBBF was alive.
"Twilight?" Spike asked as he took the letter and read it. "HOLY COW! YOUR BROTHERS ALIVE!"
"He's alive" Twilight said quietly as tears of joy began to form. "HES ALIVE" Twilight yelled as she picked up Spike and spun him around in the air. Twilight could not contain her joy, she was so happy her brother was alive.
"If I ever meet the pony who rescued him I am going to give him the best kiss ever!" Twilight yelled. She began to pack a bag with traveling items.
"Twilight what are you doing?" Spike asked a little dizzy from being spun around.
"We're going to Canterlot! I have to see my brother" Twilight said. "Aren't you coming?"
"I don't think I should go I mean, this is your family and it's none of my buisness interfering in it" Spike said. Twilight was impressed with the young dragons maturity level.
"I understand Spike. Watch the library and tell the others where I went" Twilight said as she headed towards the train station for the next ride to Canterlot. She couldn't wait to see her brother again!
"WHAT?" Captain Gore screamed at the top of his lungs. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S GONE?"
"He's gone sir!" A petrified young griffon soldier answered.
"You worthless scum!" Gore screamed as he knocked over his desk. "How did he just disappear?"
"We found the three guards in his room dead sir with the wall broken open! The wall lead to sewage pipes which led to the cliff underneath the facility!" The soldier explained.
"No military regular ponies could have been that stealthy! They must have some sort of special forces they sent in!" Gore yelled.
"What do we tell Lord Von Griffon sir?" The griffon asked.
"Leave him to me. In the meantime I think its time we field tested the Steel Talons, don't you agree?" Gore said.
"Right away sir!" The griffon said as he left the room.
"I don't know who you are pony special forces but make no mistake you are no match for me and my Steel Talons platoon!" Gore said as he overlooked a field full of abnormally large griffons clad in armor and weapons.