One Last Chance

Chapters

30 Years of Service
Trouble in Canterlot
A New Purpose
The Line of Duty
Glory

30 Years of Service

Chapter 1: 30 Years of Service

Equestria, land of the ponies ruled over by the gracious Princess Celestia and her little sister Luna, has always seen long periods of peace and tranquility. So much so it's docile inhabitants know almost nothing of the aspects of murder and death by the hooves of another. There was violence. No chaos. No war.

No war, that is, except the one that happened thirty years prior to the Battle of Canterlot, where the human-turned-pony Dan, or Ace, utterly destroyed Discord, the Equestrian God of Chaos forever using the power of the 7th Element of Harmony harbored away inside of him.

During this war, it became clear the Princesses were in peril of being assassinated by the enemy, and the Royal Guard Pegasai would not be enough to maintain security.

Thus, a secret service was formed, in which young Pegasus colts, plain blank-flanks, were taken in by the Princess and given special training in combat and protection. As the young colts trained, their cutie marks would all be the same; a Red Hoof.

Celestia took advantage of this to come up with a name for her new force of elite warriors: The Red Hooves of Celestia.

These brave warriors swore allegiance to Celestia and Equestria as they protected it's leader and battled it's foes. One such warrior, Blue Arrow, despite being young and fresh out of training, fought with such valor and vigor that he became a war hero.

Eventually, the war came to and end and peace once again reigned in Equestria. Celestia dispatched the Red Hooves to different divisions in each major city in Equestria with the intent that every city should have a division standing by, ready to protect Equestria's citizens.

Blue Arrow and the Red Hooves remained icons of freedom and peace for awhile after the war, but sadly, this was short lived.

As the reign of peace continued on, the majority of Equestria forgot about the Red Hooves and their service. A new generation had risen up, and the Red Hooves became the blunt of casual jokes around the dinner-table or brought up by little foals who were playing Cowponies and Buffaloes as buffalo-fodder. Essentially, they became an old pony's tale.

Despite all the joking, laughing, and loss of importance in the eye of the Equestrian public, Celestia did not disband them. Rather, she continued to train them. She knew that her Red Hooves would remain loyal for the rest of their days, wherever they were. She knew that they would be needed for the battle ahead, for the day she transported the hero Dan to Ponyville, she knew that Dan could not do it alone. He needed a force on his side that could be reckoned with. He needed heroes to flank the enemy and bite them where it hurt most.

He needed the Red Hooves.

"Ach!" Blue Arrow spit out the cider in his mouth upon tasting it. "What are you trying ta' do, ya' bloody looney? Get me killed? That cider was worthless!" He threw his mug on the ground as he stared down the two unicorn brothers who had stopped into town earlier.

Blue Arrow was a stallion Pegasus, and middle-aged. He had a blue hide, red hooves, and a red and white mane and tail. His long dreads nearly covered his eyes. He droned on in a loveable Scottish accent. But his most defining trait was the Red Hoof cutie mark on his flank.

"We assure you, Mr. Arrow, that Flimm Flamm brothers cider is the best there is!" The brother without the mustache smiled awkwardly. "There must have been something wrong with that cup... Here!" he levitated another mug over. "Have another, on the house."

"I don't think so, you cheap-skate..." another stallion Pegasai slapped the mug out of the air as he walked up, throwing his mug on the ground too. This one was a yellow stallion with a green mane and tail. He was most definitely older than Blue Arrow, a stray wrinkle showing here and there. In addition to bearing a Red Hoof cutie mark like Blue Arrow, he wore a pair of glasses on his muzzle. "In all my years, I've never tasted a glass of cider so ridiculously bland as this... Did you even separate the good apples from the bad ones?"

"You tell 'um, Sunstar." Yet another Pegasai from behind Blue Arrow said, also staring down the Flimm Flamm brothers. This one was significantly younger than Blue Arrow and Flying Sunstar; probably in his 20's. A red stallion with a brown mane and tail, his Red Hoof cutie mark was more of a mahogany red to better show on his red coat. "Sweet Apple Acres cider beats the hay out of yours, you liars!" he pointed at their machine. "What even is that? The Apples make it all by themselves!"

"Please, Papyrus..." a brown stallion Pegasus with a neat blue mane and tail and dark green eyes rolled his eyes. He also bore the Red Hoof cutie mark, and he spoke in a smooth British accent. "We all know you just like watching Applejack bucking trees and running on that apple-crushing device..."

The young Red Hoof, Papyrus, blushed and shook his head, "So what, Dynamo? You takin' their side?" Papyrus angrily pointed a hoof at the Flimm Flamm brothers, who were now looking scared.

"He better not beh..." Blue Arrow snarled. "Or he'll be gettin' a dishonorable discharge as my second in command..."

The British pony Dynamo merely scoffed. "I never said such a thing, Blue Arrow. I am merely making a point."

"P-please, Red Hooves..." the mustachioed brother spoke up. "Perhaps we can work out some kind of arrangement?"

"Of course we can..." the old pony called Sunstar said, drawing a sword that was sheathed at his side and flying up to them. "We see you and your filthy cider around here again, I'll carve out your intestines with the steel of my blade, you got that?"

The Flimm Flamm brothers gasped and hugged each other, teeth chattering. "Y-y-yes! We'll go! We w-won't come back ever!" The non-mustachioed one chattered.

"That's what I like to hear..." Sunstar said, sheathing his sword and landing back on the ground. As the Flimm Flamm brothers drove off faster than they had ever driven before, Blue Arrow turned and bopped the old timer on top of the head.

"Ow!" The old pony looked taken aback as Blue Arrow shook his head at him. "What was that for, commander?"

"There is such a thing as unnecessary force, corporal." Blue Arrow said, kicking one of the mugs and turning back onto the path back to town. "Watch yourself next time. If anyone had seen that, they'd get the wrong idea..."

"Busted..." Papyrus chuckled as they started to follow their commander. Dynamo merely rolled his eyes and again and started trotting after them.

"I'm sorry commander... You know how I love the sensation of holding my sword..." Sunstar apologized.

Blue Arrow nodded, "It's alright, corporal... Just remember, that was at least a little appropriate... Surely I don't have to remind you about the fruit stand incident?"

"Or the Ponyville Retirement Center scare?" Papyrus snickered.

Sunstar turned and shot the rookie a dirty look at they walked. "No, you don't have to remind me about either of those..."

"I would advise discretion in the future, Corporal." Dynamo advised from behind them. "See that group of civilians?" He pointed his hoof toward some stallions. "They would've seen the whole thing, and we would be reported to Celestia for misconduct."

"Bah!" Blue Arrow scoffed. "Don't be such a bonnie worry wort, lad! The last thing Celestia will do is fire us. She needs us here in Ponyville."

"Hey look, guys, it's the Red Hooves!" The leader of the stallion Earth ponies they were passing pointed and laughed. "Stop any wars lately?"

"Haha yeah! Nice job running Flimm and Flamm outta town by the way." Another snickered. "Boy that musta taken some effort!"

The group of stallions laughed as they walked away. Blue Arrow was gritting his teeth and muttering something to himself. "Inner peace, Blue Arrow...inner peace..."

"See, now that would've been a good time to use the sword, Sunstar." Papyrus scowled as he turned his head to glare at the stallions. "They deserved it."

"No they did not..." Dynamo sighed. "Threatening harm upon the very citizens we are sworn as Red Hooves to protect is not our way, Papyrus. Learn that."

"See what we've become, lad?" Blue Arrow said suddenly as they entered town. "We are a laughing stock now... You joined the Red Hooves in the worst of times, boy..."

"Ah, commander, don't talk like that..." Sunstar said, walking up beside Blue Arrow. "Sure, the war was over 30 years ago, but that doesn't mean we won't be needed again..."

"How can you be so sure, mate?" Blue Arrow stopped and turned to face his unit. "Nothing has gone wrong in the past thirty years, save for the escape of Nightmare Moon and the short chaotic reign of Discord. The 6 Elements of Harmony took care of those problems right quick, didn't they?"

"Commander..." Papyrus said, pawing the ground. "We're here to protect and serve discreetly..."

"And what happens when one doesn't have anything to protect the citizens from, lad?" Blue Arrow sighed. "I apologize, stallions. That cider must've gotten to me stomach in a foul way."

This earned Blue arrow a chuckle from the group. "Tell me about it..." Papyrus said. "How about we go over to the Dance Club and grab salt-licks, on me?"

"No thanks, lad. I'd rather go back to the compound and rest up. It's been a long day." Blue Arrow said.

"Thanks, but I think I'd get stared at...a pony of my age..." Sunstar grunted as he followed Blue Arrow.

"Dynamo?" Papyrus looked up hopefully.

Dynamo looked down at the rookie, shook his head, and followed the two senior officers to their compound.

Papyrus sighed. "Guess I'm on my own..."

He sighed as he stepped in line to get into the club, wondering when they would finally be called into duty. When they would be able to use their training for the greater good again.

Little did the rookie know opportunity was just around the corner for Red Hooves all over Equestria.

Trouble in Canterlot

Chapter 2: Trouble in Canterlot

The Red Hoof compound in Ponyville was an old Pegasai base that was used as a front during the war. It was old and run-down when Blue Arrow and his unit found it, but with a little work and determination, the place was turned into a Red Hooves compound, complete with barracks with beds to sleep on, a mess hall, where the Cakes would deliver food to them every month, free of charge. The Cakes were among the few ponies who were supportive of the Red Hooves, as they were foals during the war.

Also included in the compound was a training room, an armory, and a rec room with a pool table, book shelf, and television and other assorted entertainment services.

It was the rec room where Blue Arrow would spend his time in the morning, watching the Equestria News Channel and chomping on breakfast. The privates of his Red Hoof battalion would come and go out of the rec room as he sat. They always greeted him with a quick salute and a "Sir".

Blue Arrow merely nodded in their direction as he watched a developing story about a fight that happened at the Ponyville Dance Club the night before.

"The fighting got so crazy, that club owner, DJ PON-3, has closed the club for the weekend for clean-up and repairs..." The anchor pony on screen said. "The cause of the fight was local weather patrol captain, Rainbow Dash, who inadvertently attacked PON-3 when she saw her 'singing' with her coltfriend, the new DJ... "

"Eh...bloody Papyrus..." Blue Arrow laughed. "Got 'imself caught up in the bonny craziness he did..."

"I sure did, commander..." Papyrus said behind him as he walked in with Dynamo. Blue Arrow angled his head to see Papyrus's mane all messed up and his eyes a little bloodshot.

Blue Arrow stifled a chuckled, "Good Celestia above, lad... Did ya' get caught in te' middle of that brawl, then?"

"No sir..." Dynamo smiled slightly. "I think he's just had a little bit too much salt to lick..."

"Shut it, Dynamo..." Papyrus shoved him. "But yeah, Rainbow Dash kinda did go crazy on the DJ for some reason. I think she has a crush on Ace..."

"Who the bloody hay is Ace?" Blue Arrow turned his attention back to his food.

"The new DJ slash singer at the Club. PON-3 hired him after that rave that shut down the club for a day a few days ago, remember?" Papyrus cocked his head at his commander.

"You know the commander doesn't keep track of such things..." Dynamo sighed heavily. "You still have a lot to learn, colt..."

"I er...sigh...yessir..." Papyrus looked down.

"COMMANDER!" Flying Sunstar crashed through the doors into the rec-room, shoved two privates aside, and galloped up to Blue Arrow. "Commander...change the channel to channel 2..."

"Why?" Blue Arrow raised an eye at his corporal as he removed his food tray from his lap. "What's wrong with Equestria News?"

"Well, channel 2's got it..." Sunstar coughed through his pants. "Wait, wait... Look! EN's got it now!"

The anchor pony leaned back in his chair and put a hoof up to his ear. "What's that?" He listened for a second as the editor pony off-screen related something to the reporter through his ear mic. The reporter ponies eyes widened as he turned to look at the camera.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, it seems we have some...breaking news..." he coughed slightly before continuing. "It seems that all communication with Canterlot High Security has been lost and a steady stream of smoke is rising out of the prison as we speak... We now go live to our reporter in the field, Cammy, with the story..." he gulped. "Cammy?"

Blue Arrow was struck dumb as the sight of Canterlot and a small stream of smoke rising from where the prison was. Alarms blared in the background as the field reporter mare, Cammy, was standing on the outskirts of Canterlot in front of the wall. "Thanks, Chuck. We bring you live to scene where an explosion shook the streets of Canterlot a few minutes ago and, as you can all see, a steady stream of smoke is rising from the prison. The Royal Guard Pegasai and the Canterlot Division of the Red Hooves of Celestia have been dispatched to the prison in case of a break-out. More on this as it develops."

At this point, several Red Hooves started gathering around the flat-screen television, staring or gasping in worry at the sight of the smoke. The camera went back to the anchor pony, Chuck.

"Thanks, Cammy. Officials have declined any details as to the amount of threat the explosion will have to Canterlot, but they have assured the public that they have the situation under control. Now, a word from our sponsors..."

As a commercial for the Wonderbolts air-show derby came on, the Red Hooves started talking worriedly all around the distraught commander and his superior officers. Blue Arrow slowly stood and turned around.

"Everypony, please! Please, calm down!" Blue Arrow held up his two front hooves and silenced the room. He put his hooves down and sighed. "No pony has any need to worry, alright? The Canterlot division has this covered..."

"What if they can't? What if the need reinforcements?" A private asked.

"They won't bonny need reinforcements!" Blue Arrow barked. "They're not even needed... The Royal Guards will have it contained by now, whatever it is..."

"You heard the commander..." Dynamo said. "Everypony back to your business please."

With grunts and muttering, the Red Hooves al left or went back to what they were doing.

Sunstar came up and muttered to Blue Arrow, "What is this is worse than the Royal Guards make it sound like? What if this is something big? We should be prepared..."

"Then by all mean, old timer, prepare the troops!" Blue Arrow barked sarcastically. "We won't be needed. I'm sure they have everything covered over in the capital, savvy?"

Sunstar frowned, his glasses sliding down his muzzle. "Eh...yessir..." he stood aside and let Blue Arrow pass through the doorway.

Papyrus walked up and watched Blue Arrow disappear out the doors that led outside. "Wow...will he be okay?"

"Eh...the commander is okay..." Sunstar shrugged, pushing his glasses back into place. "He's just on one of those moods where he thinks we're a pointless organization now..."

"The commander means well..." Dynamo said as he walked by. "It's just he needs to be left alone sometimes..."

Papyrus sighed as Sunstar and Dynamo left. "Clearly..."

"Bloody rookies..." Blue Arrow said as he walked down the street. He stopped and kicked a rock and sighed. "Celestia would be disappointed in my division...I mean, look what we've become... The laughing stock of the town... Only called upon to deal with domestic disturbances..."

Blue Arrow eventually reached the square, where he then stopped and gazed at the pillar of smoke rising in the direction of Canterlot. "I thought it would be out by now..."

He squinted and then gasped. "What a bloody second..." His eyes widened as he noticed two more pillars of smoke rise also in the direction of Canterlot.

"Oh no..." Blue Arrow muttered as ponies in the square started gasping and pointing hooves in the direction of the smoke.

As Blue Arrow looked, he noticed a small figure flying through the sky from Canterlot. Blue Arrow squinted and gasped. "A Royal Guard Pegasus!" He shouted out loud.

Before anypony could ask him what he was talking about, the war-hero was off faster than a speeding blast of magic.

Upon reaching the Pegasus, he saw that his wings were about to fail him. Why? A large set of cuts, three directly in a row, were carved gruesomely into his right wing.

Blue Arrow recognized him at once. "Captain Sixer, sir!"

The captain looked up from trying to stay aloft and gasped, "Blue Arrow! ARGH!"

The guard Captain's wing finally failed him and he tumbled down towards the ground.

"Hang on, lad!" Blue Arrow shouted before bolting down after the falling guard.

Blue Arrow caught the captain in his hooves and flew down towards the square. He gently laid the injured guard Captain on his back on a park bench. Ponies gathered around screaming and gasping at the guard's injuries.

"Blue Arrow...grrrr..." The captain grunted as Blue Arrow laid him in a fashion so his right wing would be up. "Glad to...rrr...see you..."

"I'm not glad to see you, mate!" Blue Arrow barked. He turned and yelled, "Somepony get a medic, dammit!"

"I'm a doctor!" A yellow stallion with a red mane and tail ran up from a wagon he was pulling. "Dr. Blaze Carousel. What happened here?"

The Doctor bent down and examined the wing. "D...grrr...dragon..."

"Say what now!?" The Doctor gasped while pulling out some bandages. "Are you sure you're not hallucinating?"

"Aye, lad." Blue Arrow scoffed. "What really happened?"

"No, Commander Arrow!" Sixer cried out in pain as Carousel wrapped his wing. "A dragon...attacked Canterlot...and...and Discord escaped...gaaah!"

He gasped in pain as the doctor tightened the bandages. Blue Arrow leaned down toward the injured captain, a look of pure shock on his face. "Discord? Discord was the cause of the prison break?"

The captain nodded and growled as Blaze applied some salve to firm the bandages. "He...errr...he escaped and killed almost everypony standing guard at the prison...he...ARGH...he came to the castle and...and took the princesses captive..."

Shoved Dr. Carousel aside and grabbed the Pegasus Captain by the shoulder. "What did ya' just say, lad?"

"He...he captured the Princesses... and killed...killed all her guards..."

Blue Arrow got even more up in his face. "The Red Hooves! What of the Red Hooves in Canterlot, mate?"

Captain Sixer stopped grunting in pain and blinked back a single tear as he looked up at Blue Arrow. "D...dead...all of them..."

Blue Arrow let go, a look of shock on his face. He slowly turned and looked at the numerous pillars of smoke rising from Canterlot.

"They...they stood no chance..." the captain sniffed sadly. "I'm...I'm sorry, Commander..."

Blue Arrow stared into the distance for a moment more, before bolting off in the direction of the compound.

"Commander wait! Don't do anything stupid!" Captain Sixer tried to get up and follow him, but a sharp tear of pain from his wing kept him down. Dr. Carousel pushed him back down and said, "Now so fast, soldier. Take this remedy and wait for a couple minutes..."

The captain accepted the red bottle the doctor had given him and drank the medicine.

The mayor of Ponyville galloped out of town hall and stopped next to the captain. "Soldier! What's going on?"

"Madam mayor..." Sixer sat up on the bench and frowned. "You might want to call a town meeting..."

OC:

Blaze Carousel (c) Le Critical Writer

A New Purpose

Chapter 3: A New Purpose

"I just can't believe it..." Blue Arrow said, pacing his office in the compound, with Dynamo and Flying Sunstar standing at attention in front of his desk. "Canterlot... Under attack by Discord, and all the Red Hooves there, the elite of the elite, Celestia's own bloody protectors!" He slammed a hoof down on his table and shook his head, "Dead..."

Dynamo and Sunstar exchanged looked before Dynamo gulped and said, "Perhaps the guard was exaggerating sir. Maybe his injury is giving him some kind of hallucination."

"I know Sixer, Dynamo." Blue Arrow growled, turning and looking out his window at the smoke rising from Canterlot. "He's not lyin'. He's an honest pony through and through."

"Then...then what do we do, sir?" Sunstar asked, stepping forward slightly.

Blue Arrow turned and was about to speak when suddenly, the rookie Papyrus burst through the door. "Commander!"

Blue Arrow gasped and leaned on the table, putting a hoof on his chest. "Bloody hay, mate! You almost gave me a bonny heart attack, rookie!"

Papyrus squeezed through Dynamo and Sunstar before saluting and saying, "Sorry sir, but I have news! The Elements of Harmony and Sixer have gathered together a small volunteer army of soldiers from the 2nd Ponyville Division and civilian volunteers of all three kinds of pony to stage a rescue slash take-back mission at Canterlot!"

Blue Arrow was silent. He slowly turned towards his window and again and said quietly, "Civilians?"

Papyrus nodded furiously, "Yessir!"

All three Red Hooves watched their commander silently staring out the window for what seemed like an eternity, before the commander turned around, a stern, even more serious look on his face.

"Dynamo. Sunstar." He said.

"Yessir?" Both stallions responded.

"Call the Hooves to the assembly hall. Now."

"Yessir!"

After a short number of minutes, the Ponyville Division of Red Hooves were all assembled in the compound's spacious briefing room. In the briefing room was a map of the known Equestria on the wall, and a podium in which Blue Arrow was standing on his hind legs at. Flanking him were Flying Sunstar and Dynamo. Papyrus was down with the raffle, being a rookie and all.

"Genlecolts." Blue Arrow spoke to the crowd of Red Hoof soldiers. "I know that life has been very slow around here, but that does not change our task. To protect the citizens of Equestria, no matter what."

He took a moment to gaze around the room. He saw rookies screwing around here and there, having their own conversations, but mostly they were paying attention, as Blue Arrow hadn't called an assembly for some time.

"Canterlot has fallen, lads." he said sternly. "And the Red Hooves there are dead."

Then there was silence. The colts who were screwing around now gave their attention to their commander.

"No doubt other Red Hoof divisions across Equestria are rushing to Canterlot in response to Discord." Blue Arrow continued over the gasps of shock that it was Discord that broke out of prison. "So, now we must go as well and prove to Equestria that we still remain defenders of their fair nation."

"Against Discord?" A private near the back yelled. "We'll be torn apart!"

"Literally!" Another one agreed.

This sparked off much talking and arguing amongst the Red Hooves. Blue Arrow sighed and shook his head, while Dynamo stepped forward and tried to restore order.

"ORDER!" He barked. "ORDER, RED HOOVES!"

The Red Hooves silent again, shocked at the usual quiet pony's new loud disposition.

"Thank ye', Dynamo." Blue Arrow nodded at the 2nd in Command.

Dynamo nodded and stepped back, and Sunstar smiled and shook his head, in disbelief himself.

"True, we may get torn apart..." Blue Arrow said. "We may get swallowed by dragons! We may even get blown to pieces, but isn't that what all you of you lads signed on for?"

He pointed out at all the colts in the room. "Every one of you stallions signed on to protect Equestria. To protect her citizens. Not to lazy around some bloody compound in scenic Ponyville!"

He stepped out from behind the podium and stood in front of it, a determined look on his face. "True, our main task was done 30 years ago, but have ye' ever wondered why Celestia didn't just bloody disband us?"

There was a murmur of agreement from the troops.

He rose a hoof in the air. "We stayed banded together, Celestia kept training new Red Hooves, and we are still here because of situations like the one in Canterlot!" He paused and roared, raising his hoof even higher into the air. "BY CELESTIA'S WILL, WE WILL NEVER SURRENDER! NO MATTER WHAT THE ODDS!"

A loud cheer of approval erupted from the Red Hooves in the room as Blue Arrow shouted his words of confidence. Papyrus in the back was one of the ponies to jump and hoof-pump the hardest.

"The Elements are on their way to Canterlot as we speak!" Blue Arrow shouted. "And we will be there to help! We will be there to flank the enemy and hit 'um right in the bonny kisser! We are the Red Hooves!"

"WE ARE THE RED HOOVES!" The soldiers roared and cheered in response.

Behind Blue Arrow, Dynamo and Sunstar exchanged happy looks as Blue Arrow issued orders to each group of soldiers and where to go.

"Whatdya think, Dynamo?" The veteren Red Hoof asked.

Dynamo gazed out at the crowd of ponies and smiled. "I think we're back, old friend." he turned his head to look at Sunstar. "Back for good."

Next thing everypony in Ponyville knew, Red Hooves were swarming the skies in all different directions, clad in their customary light-leather armor and bearing all kind of weapons from swords to daggers to maces to battle-axes. They set off in all different kinds of directions towards major cities such as Fillydelphia, Trottingham, and Manehatten to see if the Red Hooves there were mobilizing or even aware of the Canterlot threat.

It was Blue Arrow, Dynamo, and Flying Sunstar that led the group flying towards Manehatten. Their mission was to go rally the Red Hooves there and then regroup with the other groups at Canterlot. Papyrus was in their group too, again towards the back, being just a rookie.

"Sir!" Dynamo flew up beside Blue Arrow as they soared through the air above the Everfree Forest. "The Fillydelphia dispatch reports that the Red Hooves there have already set off for Canterlot."

"The same from Trottingham, sir." Sunstar flew up on the other side.

"Blast..." Blue Arrow looked down off to the side, "I wish they would've bloody waited. It seems attacking in a large group would work better than in our separate divisions."

"Well, commander..." Dynamo swerved around a tree. "Maybe the Manehatten lot haven't left yet and we can group up with them."

"I hope your right, Dynamo." Blue Arrow said, squinting up ahead as the metropolis known as Manehatten came into view.

"Wait a bloody minute..." Blue Arrow squinted a little more as he saw several dots rise from the city and fly up into the sky. Slowly, the dots got bigger and more defined. Eventually, they looked like Pegasai.

"HOOVES!" Blue Arrow roared suddenly so that everypony could hear. "COMPANY HALT!"

The whole detachment of Hooves under Blue Arrow stopped flying and hovered in the air behind Blue Arrow and his senior officers.

"What sir?" Dynamo asked.

"The Manehatten division..." Blue Arrow pointed a hoof ahead towards the rapidly approaching group of Pegasai that was significantly larger than Blue Arrow's Ponyville division.

Sure enough, a similarly clad, larger group of Red Hoof Pegasai were rocketing through the air towards them.

"Cool it, hooves!" A rough and tumble Brooklyn accent barked from the front of the group as they stopped in front of Blue Arrow and his group.

"That voice..." Blue Arrow's eyes widened. "It...it can't be..."

"What are you talking about, Arrow?" Sunstar cocked an eye, looking at him strangely.

"Well, well, well...look at what the ol' cat dragged in..." A black Pegasai with a red tail and mane from the front of the group flew forward, a scowl on his face. "Blue Arrow..."

"Shadow..." Blue Arrow straightened up. "It's been far too long, mate..."

"Don't you call me mate, now!" The black Pegasus shouted. "What are you doing out here, Arrow? This is my town!"

"We're not here to stage a bloody invasion, mate!" Blue Arrow shouted back, scowling. "We were coming to check up on your bonny division, which I had no idea you were now leading..." he leaned over to the side to see Shadow's troops. Their faces were stone-cold with no emotion showing, though Blue Arrow could see the fear in their eyes as they knew about Canterlot and what was happening.

"To go to Canterlot?" Shadow floated forward slightly. "You know?"

Blue Arrow nodded, "Sixer came gravely wounded to Ponyville and warned us... You remember Sixer, don't ya'?"

"Of course I do..." Shadow scowled again. "He's the royal Guard Pegasus who was our supervisor. The same one that declared you the superior soldier to me!"

Papyrus, near the back, winced. "Oh...that's why he's pissed..."

"Ya' think?" Another private scoffed near him.

"That's in the bloody past, Shadow!" Blue Arrow rushed up to the black pony suddenly. "What's important is not the past, but the here and now! And what's happening here and now is threatening Equestria's very existence!"

Shadow pushed the veteran away roughly, a hoof straying to his sword hilt. "Back off, old man."

"Old man?" Blue Arrow scoffed. "Please, you're 2 years younger than me!"

"I swear, I'll cut you open!" Shadow drew his sword.

"Shadow..." Blue Arrow backed away slowly, holding up his hooves. "Put the bonny thing away...and let's join up, and take on Discord together..."

Shadow's eye twitched. "Why? So you can outshine me again?" he shook his head. "I don't think so, man!"

"Shadow..." Blue Arrow frowned. "It's out job as Red Hooves to protect the princess, Equestria, and it's citizens..." he floated forward again. "Have you already forgotten that?"

"I...I..." Shadow sniffed awkwardly, looking around as if trying to find an excuse for his behavior.

"Shadow..." Blue Arrow extended a hoof. "Let's leave our petty rivalry behind, and go save the bloody world."

Blue Arrow's and Shadow's eyes met as Shadow slowly looked up. Shadow gasped. He saw a glint in Blue Arrow's aged eyes that showed that he was sincere. Shadow gulped, and shook his head, exhaling and laughing at the same time. He sheathed his sword and placed his hoof in Blue Arrow's and shook it.

Looking Blue Arrow in the eye, he said, "Truce..."

They released their grips and Shadow turned back towards his troops while saying, "But don't think I like the idea..."

"That'ds what I like to hear, lad!" Blue Arrow laughed victoriously and then turned to face his division of Hooves.

"HOOVES!" Blue Arrow roared. "FALL IN WITH THE MANEHATTEN LOT! WE SET A COURSE FOR CANTERLOT!"

"AND TO VICTORY!" Shadow added in, flying up beside Blue Arrow.

All the Hooves of both divisions cheered, lined up accordingly, and before everypony knew it, the combined group of Hooves was soaring through the sky towards the smoke billowing from Equestria's capital.

"I hope the don't stab each other in the back..." Flying Sunstar muttered.

Dynamo agreed solemnly with a curt nod and a grunt as they flew off.

The Line of Duty

Chapter 4: The Line of Duty

"Celestia above..." Dynamo muttered as he landed next to Blue Arrow, whose head was hung low in despair.

More gasps and exclamations followed Dynamo's as the Hooves from Ponyville and Manehatten landed on the outskirts of Canterlot. Half of them couldn't believe the shape Canterlot was in, let alone the damage that had been done. What surprised them the most is the civilians lining up in the fields to their right in front of the main gate, drawing out the enemy and engaging them in combat.

"Bloody hell..." Blue Arrow whispered. "Celestia help us all..." He gazed up at the pillars of smoke rising from the Equestrian capital.

"We should assist, commander!" Sunstar said, extending his wings.

"No, wait!" Dynamo stopped Sunstar from flying up. "They already have their aerial support!"

"He's right." Shadow said, walking forward and pointing a hoof up at the sky. A group of Pegasai, made of up Royal Guards, civilian volunteers, and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were flying overhead at an incredibly fast rate. Leading the charge was a blue civilian Pegasai with a brown mane and tail with a bass clef as a cutie mark.

"Why the hay is a bloody civilian leading the charge?" Blue Arrow thought out loud.

"I don't know sir." Sunstar said, watching as the stallion engaged a group of small dragons in a fight and actually prevailing against one. "But he's good."

"I know who he is, sir!" The rookie Papyrus pushed forward through the Hoof units. "That's Ace, the new DJ! He played at the club that night!"

"That's Ace?" Blue Arrow looked up, watching Ace kick a dragon in the jaw and send it spiraling down. "What an amateur... Look at the way he fights."

"I'm given to understand he's leading the charge as well..." Dynamo curtly nodded, observing the Pegasai.

There started to be murmurings within the Hoof crowd, most of them about Ace and if he, a musician, was really fit to lead a rescue mission of their capital.

"Regardless of who he is, Blue Arrow..." Shadow walked up beside him. "We need to act now. While the singer and his units keeps the aerial enemies distracted, we can flank them by sneaking into the city..."

"Good plan, Shadow..." Blue Arrow nodded, not looking at his rival. "We can meet up with any fighters in the city and lend a hoof wherever we can."

"Sir!" A Red Hoof officer ran up from behind them. "Oh! My apologies! Sirs." He gave a quick salute before continuing. "My platoon and I did some scouting around and we've assesed the situation."

"Carry on, officer." Shadow said, earning a glare from Blue Arrow.

"The captain that came to Ponyville after this attack is coordinating the ground forces and a unicorn unit that entered the city with the ground-based elements of harmony in stealth mode. There is a very good chance that these ponies could be caught, sir." The officer said.

"We need to assist them!" Shadow turned to Blue Arrow, who nodded.

"Aye, lad!" Blue Arrow barked, looking towards the city. "Let's you and I go into the city and find them, then send for the rest of the Hooves."

Shadow cocked an eye, surprised that Blue Arrow had made such an offer of teamwork.

"Sir!" Dynamo ran forward and up to his commander. "Are you that's a good idea? I mean, that dragon..." He gestured up at the resting dragon on top of the castle. "Could attack at any moment."

"I hope it does..." Blue Arrow smirked. "There's a lot of honor in fighting a dragon, let alone killing it."

Shadow frowned slightly. "Not before I take it, old man."

Blue Arrow quickly glanced angrily at his rival, who sneered. "Are we really going back to this, lad?"

Shadow exhaled and relaxed, turning and gazing out at the town. "You're right, Arrow... But I agree with Dynamo now. We all need to go in, but we'll spread out. Blue Arrow and I will take the main street and scout it out. Dynamo, take my Hooves and flank left. Sunstar, take your Hooves and flank right."

"Good idea, Shadow." Blue Arrow agreed just as Blue Arrow's senior officers were about to protest about somepony else giving them orders. "YOU HEARD HIM, LADS! HOP TO IT!"

"SIR, YES SIR!" All the Hooves roared back in fashion before the large group of Hooves started moving, low, along the ground, towards the city, as to not draw unnecessary attention.

Blue Arrow and Shadow were alone in the cobblestoned main street of Canterlot, the enemies all drawn out to the Earth ponies or the flying Pegasai led by Ace. Their hoof clops echoed around the eerily empty streets as the trotted along, frowning in sadness whenever they came across a burned out house or a dead aristocrat.

"Never even made it out..." Shadow shook his head before putting a hoof down and closing the eyes of an impaled stallion. "It pains me to see this..."

"Aye..." Blue Arrow said, pushing aside some charred rubble and looking inside a house. "Such is the sacrifice of war..."

"Being?" Shadow looked over at his rival.

"The one point you've been missing all these bonny years ye've been holdin' this grudge, lad..." Blue Arrow narrowed his eyes. "Ye' can't save them all..."

Shadow was shocked. He had never heard this kind of wisdom from his rival before. "Guess you're right, old man..." He continued down the street as Blue Arrow caught up.

"Ye're damn right I am..." The grizzled commander said to Shadow. "Never forget that..."

Suddenly, there sounded a roar from their right flank. Sunstar was heard shouting out in surprise and yelling an order to attack. There was the screaming a Red Hoof private and a sickening crunch.

"Buck..." Shadow drew his sword. Blue Arrow followed suit and galloped over to the source of the noise.

What they behold made Shadow grit his teeth in disgust.

"RETREAT!" Sunstar roared, flying overhead his troops. "RETREAT!" They were being routed by a moderately sized dragon, about half the size of the big one on top of the castle, down the street. In his mouth was the body of a dead Red Hoof, the one who screamed. He flung the crippled body into the ruins of a house, causing the whole thing to come crashing down. The dragon followed up with a mighty, earth-shattering roar.

"We'll cover ye', Sunstar!" Blue Arrow yelled, charging towards the dragon. "Join up with the left flank and we'll meet ye' there!"

"Yessir!" Sunstar said, routing the troops away from the dragon.

Shadow charged closely behind Blue Arrow. They both let out their battle cries as the dragon lumbered down the street towards the unlikely duo.

"Flank left Shadow!" Blue Arrow barked as he flanked right.

Shadow nodded and did as told.

However, the dragon swiped at Shadow as he tried to flank. Shadow cleared the claw of the dragon and landed on the dragon's back, plunging his sword into the dragon's back.

The dragon roared in pain and tried to fling Shadow off, but Shadow held on to the hilt of the sword, being swung around fiercely.

"Hang on, lad!" Blue Arrow sliced at one of the feet of the dragon, after avoiding a stomp from it.

"Not! Funny! Whoa!" Shadow growled as he was flung around.

"Not a joke, lad!" Blue Arrow took to the air and sliced at the wing of the dragon, making it so it couldn't take off. "Though I'll admit, it was funny!"

"I'm serious, old ma-WHOA!" Shadow was finally flung off along with his sword. He hit the ground hard, and a crack was heard. Shadow screamed in pain and looked over at his wing while Blue Arrow landed in front of him, sword at the ready.

"Broken wing, lad?" Blue Arrow growled.

"No cud!" Shadow swore through gritted teeth, recovering his sword and standing at the ready.

"Don't use that language at me, lad!" Blue Arrow snarled. "Here he comes!"

Both stallions readied themselves as the dragon charged towards them again, this time unleashing a torrent of flames from it's mouth. Blue Arrow took off and avoided the attack, but Shadow didn't have that luxury. He dove behind a piece of rubble that had broken off from a house and covered his head and closing his eyes as the flames rushed around him.

"Hang on!" Blue Arrow shouted through the flames, swooping down and grabbing the cripple stallion in with his front two hooves.

They landed just outside the radius of the flames, and, once on the ground, both stallion whirled around and charged together.

Blue Arrow grunted as the dragon swatted him aside as he leaped up to attack, slamming him into some rubble.

Shadow, on the other hand, used this opportunity to slide underneath the dragon and slice his sword along the underbelly of the dragon, causing some of it's armored protective scales to fall off, leaving it's underbelly exposed.

"Yes!" Shadow barked as he slid out from the under the dragon from the rear.

However, this time he wasn't so lucky.

The dragon knew he was there after he had exposed the dragon's weak point and, knowing Shadow was coming out from under him from behind, slammed his spiked tail down on top of the Manehattenite commander.

"NOOOOOO!" Blue Arrow roared as he scrambled to his hooves.

His tail rose up, and Shadow was still alive, but barely, screaming in pain from the spikes impaling him.

Before Blue Arrow could fly to Shadow's rescue, the dragon added insult to injury, so to speak, using his tail once again to swat the already crippled Shadow away in Blue Arrow's direction.

The critically injured Hoof skidded to a halt right in front of Blue Arrow, blood drizzling from his mouth, ears, and nostrils, indicating extreme internal bleeding.

"Shadow!" Blue Arrow dropped his sword and knelt down on his hind legs, lifting up Shadow's head. "Shadow, lad! Can ye' move?"

"N-no..." He grumbled painfully. "I th-think m-most of...of my bones...were shattered...when that...damn...tail came...d-down..."

"Ye'll live, lad!" Blue Arrow looked up at the dragon, who seemed to be smirking at the grizzled commander. The dragon roared and readied for another attack, as if taunting the still standing Hoof. "I'll finish this, mate! Don't you dare die on me, ye' hear?"

"Not making...any...p-promises..." Blue Arrow dragged Shadow over to a piece of rubble and leaned his up against it. "Listen...to-to me, Arrow..." Shadow coughed before continuing. "I-I exposed his underbelly...finish him there..." Blue Arrow nodded, then stood up.

Blue Arrow then picked up Shadow's sword in one hoof and drew his own with another. He feigned a fighting stance as he took off and levitated above the ground.

"Let's dance, ye' bloody overgrown lizard!"

The dragon roared in response and the two combatants charged at each other. As Blue Arrow bolted through the air, time seemed to go by in slow motion. His fell on the exposed underbelly of the dragon, and then he looked up and saw a torrent of flame rushing at him.

Thinking quickly, he flanked to the right, narrowly dodging the barrage of firey death, only tpo be met by a claw from the dragon. Blue Arrow quickly slammed the hilt of his sword into the claw to slam it to the side, allowing him to get up close and personal to the dragon. Roaring, he hurled his sword at the dragon's eye.

The dragon roared in pain as the sword went in, the beast lifting up a claw at his face to try and pull it out. Blue Arrow used this time to dive down towards the ground, land, and using his velocity from flying, to slide underneath the dragon just as Shadow had done.

Roaring, Blue Arrow stuck Shadow's sword upwards, cutting deep into the dragon's underbelly as he slid. Blood exploded around the cut as Blue Arrow slid underneath the dragon. The dragon roared, stopped struggling to remove the sword, and then began to collapse. Blue Arrow came out of the slide and bolted out from underneath the dying dragon as it fell.

He barely made it.

The dragon toppled to the ground behind him, dead in a pool of it's own blood.

Blue Arrow sighed in relief and spit on the dragon's corpse as he pulled his sword out of the dead dragon's eye socket. "That's for Shadow and Celestia, cud for brains..." He ran over to Shadow, who did not look good at all.

"Shadow, lad..." He sheathed his sword and dropped Shadow's, kneeling down again, holding up Shadow's head. Shadow's gritted his teeth in pain as he struggled to get a view of the dead beast.

"Good...cough...good job, commander..." Shadow managed through his dying breaths. "Glad...I could see you take that...motherbucker down..."

"You'll live to see more, lad!" Blue Arrow leaned down and tried to pick him up, and Shadow just growled and arched his broken back in pain. "Celestia above, mate! Didja break everything?"

"I..." Shadow looked down at his bottom right leg, that had a bone sticking out of it. "I think so..."

The two sat in silence for a moment, a pool of blood slowly forming around Shadow as he sat there, dying.

Blue Arrow sighed and finally said, "I'm sorry, lad." He sniffed. "That's there's nothing I can do fer' ye'."

"And I'm sorry, Blue Arrow..." Shadow managed agin through his coughing. "For...for thinking of myself first...and our stupid rivalry we had..." He paused and coughed some more, leaning back. "And not of Equestria..." He looked up at the sun as it slowly started to get covered by storm clouds. "I...I can die knowing I did...did the right thing..."

Blue Arrow blinked away a single tear and smiled. "Celestia would be proud, Shadow. In fact, she'll know when we rescue her."

Shadow looked up at Blue Arrow with a doubtful look on his face.

Blue Arrow crossed a hoof over his chest guard and nodded. "I swear it. Hooves honor."

Shadow smiled slightly and leaned his head back against the piece of rubble. "Glad we knew each other...old...man..."

Shadow's head tilted off to the side. He was dead.

Blue Arrow wiped away a second tear that had fallen out of his left eye. "Aye...lad." He reached over and used his hooves to close both of Shadow's eyes before lifting his corpse up on his back. "And ye' as well..."

Back at the back entrance to the city, the routed Red Hoof troops rallied outside the wall. Sunstar and Dynamo watched intently down the street, as if looking for some sign that Blue Arrow and Shadow were still kicking.

"They could be dead..." Sunstar said sadly. "That dragon was one of the biggest I've ever seen..."

"What about..." Dynamo dryly pointed a hoof up at the castle roof. "That one?"

"Shut the buck up, Dynamo." Sunstar rolled his eyes. "Sometimes your know-it-all attitude can get on my nerves."

"So it would seem..." Dynamo scoffed as he turned his attention back to the city.

"I SEE THEM!" Papyrus, who was ontop of the wall, pointed outwards.

Everypony looked, and a lone figure flying low over the rooftops could be seen advancing towards them.

"It's Commander Arrow!" Dynamo gasped.

"Where's Shadow?" A Manehattenite Hoof questioned.

"I have a feeling you won't like the answer, kid..." Flying Sunstar muttered as Blue Arrow landed.

A wave of silence washed over the Hoof ranks as Blue Arrow looked around at all the assembled Hooves. He gently let Shadow's corpse slide off of his back and onto the ground.

"He died..." Blue Arrow said, loud enough for everypony to hear. "Fighting that dragon you all ran from!"

Still silence, out of respect for the fallen and fear of Blue Arrow's command.

"He died so that I could live another day..." Blue Arrow gestured at himself. "He died saving you, he died saving the city, he died saving the Princesses, and he died for EQUESTRIA!"

Silence still.

"Like a true Red Hoof would..." Blue Arrow gulped, his heart still heavy with emotion. "And now, we're not gonna let his sacrifice...or that private that got torn to shreds back there...be in vain!"

No silence this time. Cheers erupted from the Hoof ranks as Blue Arrow rose his hoof in the air. "Who are we?" He shouted.

"THE RED HOOVES!"

"WHO ARE WE!?"

"THE RED HOOVES!"

The unicorns and the ground-based Elements moved silently through the abandoned streets of Canterlot, cloaked by Skully's and the others' magic.

DJ Skully held up a hoof and the group stopped. A lone blue Pegasus with red hooves and a red and white mane and tail was walking down the street. He had on some cruddy looking leather armor. His cutie mark was a Red Hoof.

"Celestia above..." a unicorn Guard muttered. "It's Blue Arrow..."

"Blue Arrow!" Pinkie Pie bounced. "Oh oh! The war hero?"

AJ grabbed her hoof and pulled her down and hissed, "SHHH!"

"That's him alright..." DJ Skully muttered through his mask. "Good he survived...wait...what?"

More Pegasai joined him in the street, emerging from alleyways and burned out ruins as he walked towards the group. Blue Arrow, flanked by a yellow one, a brown one, and a younger looking red one, stopped in front of the group and blew part of his mane out of his eyes. "Get the elements up to the castle, lads. Allow the Red Hooves of Celestia to assist in this fight..."

With a furious roar, the whole battalion of Red-cutie marked stallions took off and rocketed out to the battlefield.

As Blue Arrow and the elite fighters of Celestia flanked the enemy and gave Dan and his forces the edge they needed, it began to rain, lightning flashing through the air.

On a hill outside the back walls of Canterlot, there was crude burial mound of dirt and rocks that to this day has since been turned into a memorial. A statue of the Red Hoof commander Shadow now stands proudly outside Canterlot for all citizens and visitors to see. As a reminder to everypony who Equestria's true defenders are and still are today. As a reminder to everypony that the Red Hooves were there to help defeat Discord and drive back his armies.

As a reminder that the Red Hooves will always be there to answer the call of duty.

Glory

Chapter 5: Glory

A few weeks later, at Pinkie Pie's party for Ace...

"Let's hear it for Blue Arrow and the Red Hooves of Celestia, everypony!" Mic Bluez roared into a mic on the stage of the fairgrounds outside of the Ponyville Hospital.

The crowd cheered and stamped their hooves as Blue Arrow, dressed in his formal military attire that consisted of a red officer's jacket and golden rope around his right shoulder. He carried the Red Hoof sword at his side, landed on the stage, followed by his second in command, Dynamo, who was similarly dressed, but with a silver rope, and Papyrus, who just wore a plain off-duty Hoof red jacket.

A few more from Blue Arrow's unit flew overhead as they stood on stage and looked around at the cheering crowd. Dynamo just kept a stone-face as he gazed around, but Papyrus was smiling and waving as he walked up to a stunned Blue Arrow.

"How's this for a Hoof welcome, sir?"

Blue Arrow sniffed. "I...I never thought I'd see the day, lad..." He blinked away a tear and smiled. "That we, the Hooves, would be respected again..."

"No more mocking, sir." Papyrus said. "At least, for awhile."

Dynamo stepped forward, his head still held high, and stated, "I believe we're back, sir."

"What else would ye' think, mate?" Blue Arrow slowly rose a hoof into the air and waved, drawing more cheering from the crowd.

"Yessir..." Dynamo's head faltered a little. "It's just too bad Flying Sunstar couldn't be here to see this..."

"Aye..."

Some mares on the front row of the crowd were stretching out their hooves towards Blue Arrow and screaming at him.

"Blue Arrow, I love you!"

"Blue Arrow! I love your mane today!"

"Write to me, Blue Arrow!"

"Argh..." Blue Arrow cocked an eye and smiled awkwardly at them, hissing out of the side of his mouth to Papyrus, "Is this normal, lad?"

The young rookie chuckled, "Well, you did single-handedly slay a good-sized dragon, not to mention take on Discord and live...so it's natural they'd be attracted..." He chuckled. "You know, even if he did backhand you."

"He got you too, lad!" Blue Arrow shoved the rookie aside. "Don't forget that!"

The three Red Hooves shared a laugh before continuing to wave at the crowd from their spot on-stage.

An hour later, the party being well underway...

Blue Arrow was roaming around the giant party, holding a drink of cider as he went. He often stopped and mingled with important officials that had been invited, including the mayor, and discussed upgrades to the Hooves arsenal and access to official records for Hoof use.

Blue Arrow, to everypony's surprise, actually started participating in some of the fun activities as well. He demonstrated his skill at throwing darts, and this earned him a mare stalker for a good half an hour before losing her in a crowd of ponies going to talk to Dan near the food pavilion.

"Whew..." He turned an, upon seeing the mare had gone, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "That was a bonny close one... I'll never get used ta' that..."

He returned to the juice bar at the outdoor bar and ordered another glass of cider. He leaned on the counter, waiting for his order, when he noticed the rookie, Papyrus, sitting alone at a table, looking out into the crowd of ponies across the way at the food pavilion.

"Here you go, Mr. Arrow..." The barkeep said, handing the commander his cider.

"Ah..." He grabbed it and tossed the bits onto the table. "Thank ye', mate..."

He approached Papyrus's table and said, "Thinking about the answer to the bloody universe, lad?"

The rookie jumped a little at the sound of his CO's voice, and turned around. "Oh... Hello, sir."

"Can I join ye', lad?" Arrow smiled and gestured at the seat.

"Of course, sir..." Papyrus nodded, and turned his attention back to the crowd.

Blue Arrow heaved a sigh as he sat down and took a sip of his cider. "Today, you can call me by my real name, mate."

"Ok, si-" Papyrus chuckled. "Blue Arrow."

"By the way, 42." Arrow chuckled, taking a sip.

"W-what?" Papyrus turned, confused.

"The answer to the bloody universe!" Blue Arrow leaned forward. "42?"

Papyrus shook his head and sighed, "Your sense of humor is so bad, Blue Arrow. When are you going to realize that?"

"When I'm dead because of one my jokes, mate..."

Papyrus chuckled, "Ok, that was funny..."

The two sat in silence for a moment before Papyrus turned to his CO and said, "What will happen now?"

"What?" Blue Arrow cocked an eye, putting his drink down. "Ye'll have to be more specific, lad."

"What will happen to us?" Papyrus gestured to himself. "To the Hooves? Now that Discord is gone for good..." He sighed. "There's no danger to Equestria or the Princesses."

Blue Arrow looked down and off to the side as Papyrus continued.

"We'll become obsolete all over again!" Papyrus rose his voice with concern. "We'll again be considered Buffalo fodder to little foals! The subject of ridicule!"

"Ok, first off..." Blue Arrow leaned forward and eyed the rookie. "Who are ye' and what have ye' done with Papyrus?"

"Sir, I'm serious!"

"So am I, lad!" Blue Arrow leaned back again and took another swig of his cider. "What happened to the carefree pony that landed on that stage an hour ago?"

Papyrus sighed, "Sorry, sir. I guess I just got to thinking was all..."

"I see..." Blue Arrow leaned forward again, twidling his drink in his hooves. "There comes a time in every soldier's life when he or she has to confront not only an enemy on the battlefield, but his or her true purpose..." He turned towards the rookie, who was looking at Blue Arrow respectively. "Both of us are Hooves. And we always will be, lad. No matter what happens, never forget that."

A slow smile appeared on Papyrus's face. "Thank you, Blue Arrow."

"And besides..." Blue Arrow smirked and took another drink. "There'll always be some crazy loon looking to take over..." He looked over at Papyrus. "And we'll be ready, right, lad?"

"Yessir." Papyrus gave a quick salute before laughing with Blue Arrow. "Um, sir? Can I ask you why you came to see me?"

"What?" Blue Arrow chuckled. "A grizzled Commander can't come and mingle with his troops during a bonny party?"

"Well, I suppose you could but..." Papyrus smiled evilly. "Who are you and what have you done with Blue Arrow?"

"Ah, shut up, lad!" Blue Arrow laughed and shook his head. "Ye're a smart lad. There is indeed a reason I sat down with you aside from formal chit-chat..." He shifted in his seat before continuing. "As you know, Flying Sunstar..." He paused and watched Papyrus's face fall from happiness to solemnity. "Was killed by Discord. Torn in half, he was."

"I miss him, sir." Papyrus sniffed.

"We all do, lad." Blue Arrow nodded in remembrance. "However, he can't keep being my corporal being cut in half, can he?"

Papyrus perked up, "What are you saying, sir?"

Blue Arrow leaned forward and put a hoof on the rookie's shoulder. "Ye' handled yourself like a true warrior at Canterlot. I've put in for a commendation for ye' with Celestia, lad." He winked. "If ye' keep up the good work, ye'll be promoted to Corporal next time we go to battle, Private Papyrus."

"O-oh wow..." Papyrus fell back into his chair and looked up at the sky. "I-I don't know what t-to say..."

"Say yes, lad." Blue Arrow chuckled. "That would suffice."

"Yes!" Papyrus leaped up and did an aerial flip before landing standing up and shaking Blue Arrow's hoof. "Thank you so much, sir! When will the promotion be?"

"Like I said, mate!" Blue Arrow chuckled warmly again. "When next we go to battle!"

"Yessir!"

"That doesn't mean ye' can slack of until then!" Blue Arrow pointed at him sternly. "Keep workin' as hard as ye' were before, and ye'll get it."

"Oh don't you worry, sir!" The rookie excitedly sat down. "I won't let you down!"

"Good stallion..." Blue Arrow smiled again before taking another sip from his drink.

They continued talking for a few moments before Papyrus turned his attention back to the food pavilion, where he appeared to be watching something, or somepony, intently.

"Watcha gawking at now, lad?" Blue Arrow leaned to the side to see if he could get a better view of what the rookie was looking at.

Papyrus didn't respond. Blue Arrow watched as the Element of Honesty trotted by; Applejack, he thought her name was. Papyrus's tail started wagging slightly as he watched her walk out of the crowd and trot to the bar for some cider.

"S-sorry sir..." Papyrus turned around, blushing. "I've uh..." He scratched his head nervously. "I've always had a thing for...the strong, blonde type..."

"Pffff...ahahaha!" Blue Arrow slapped his knee and rocked back and forth in his chair. "Aw, lad! That's adorable! Applejack? Really?"

"Yes, really!" Papyrus looked flustered. "I've had my eye on her for awhile now..."

"Ye' don't stand a chance gettin' a bloody Element of Harmony!" Blue Arrow chugged what little remained of his drink. "She's way outta yer' league, lad!"

"So are you saying Rainbow Dash, an Element as well, was out of Ace's league?" Papyrus retorted.

Blue Arrow paused for a moment, then nodded slowly. "True enough...tell ye' what, lad..." He leaned on the table with one hoof. "I bet ye' 50 bits that ye' can't pick her up in two years."

Papyrus scoffed and shook Blue Arrow's hoof. "Deal, old man! I'll show you!"

"Go get 'er, lad!" Blue Arrow called after him as he got up and walked after Applejack. "Don't stare at her too long, yer tail will wag! And I'm 38!"

Papyrus waved a hoof in Blue Arrow's direction before disappearing into the crowd after AJ. "Thank you for being an epic leader sir!"

Blue Arrow laughed, "Eh, rookies... I love screwin' with um..." He picked up his empty glass and started spinning the ice cubes around in the cup as he gazed at the horizon.

Finally having a moment to himself, he started to ponder the events that led up to this point in time. He began to think about his earliest memories of joining the Hooves, the first battle he fought alongside Shadow..."

"Shadow..." He said the name out loud as he continued to ponder. "I'll never forget ye're sacrifice, mate..." He thought, looking out at all the partygoers. "And neither will they... I'll put a bloody monument on yer' grave if I have to..." He smiled. "Thank ye', Celestia..." He returned to thought. "For givin' me the opportunity to serve..." "And thank you, Shadow...for helping me become who I am..."

"Blue Arrow, sir..." A baritone voice sounded from behind the war vet. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Blue Arrow turned and beheld the stallion of honor, Ace, with a small smile on his face.

"Ah, Ace..." The Hoof CO nodded. "Of course ye' can. Have a seat..."

"Ace!" Rainbow Dash yelled from behind Ace. "C'mon! Let's go play bumper carts with Pinkie Pie!"

"Gimme a sec, Dashie!" Ace called while sitting down next to Blue Arrow.

"What can I do for ye', lad?" Blue Arrow said. "Let me say what an honor it has been to fight for ye'-"

"Let me stop you there, Arrow..." Ace held up a hoof and closed his eyes. "I'm not here looking to get more praise... Trust me, I've gotten more than my fair share today..."

"You and me both, lad..." Blue Arrow sighed.

Dan chuckled, "For real." Ace returned to seriousness. "Commander, I came to thank you."

"What?" Blue Arrow looked taken aback. "Why?"

"Why else?" Ace shrugged. "Without you and your help, my plan would've failed and..." Dan sighed and shook his head. "I'd probably be dead in a ditch in Canterlot...and so would everypony else..."

Blue Arrow was speechless. "Ace, I-"

"Without your support, none of this..." Ace gestured around. "Would be happening..." Ace looked down solemnly. "I came to thank you profusely and...to offer my condolences..." Ace looked Blue Arrow in his grizzled eyes. "I understand you lost some good stallions that day..."

"Aye, lad." Blue Arrow sighed. "My corporal, Flying Sunstar, and my long-time...friend...Shadow, from Manehatten..."

"Blue Arrow..." Ace put a hoof on Blue Arrow's shoulder. Blue Arrow turned towards Ace, who nodded. "From the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry for the losses you suffered that day...I'm sure Celestia will be proud of them..."

"Aye..." Blue Arrow responded simply.

Ace wiped away a tear, sniffed, and stood up from his chair and saluted him. "Thanks again, sir."

As Ace began to walk away, Blue Arrow jumped up and ran up to Ace. "Hey, Ace!"

Ace turned, "Yeah?"

Blue Arrow saluted him. "The Hooves will always be ready, Sir Blue Bass. All you need to do is give us the call!"

Ace laughed, walked up, and grasped hooves with Blue Arrow. "Glad to hear it commander."

"Aye lad..." Blue Arrow smiled. "I swear it..."

FIN

OC:

Mic Bluez (c) Don'tDriveAnrgy7