“For many centuries, Equestria has lived in peace and harmony. But when terrorism stroke the land during the event of the Canterlot Wedding, the Equestrian populace started to question their safety.
Far after these events, Princess Celestia and her younger sister Princess Luna sat around the table, discussing Equestria's safety and how to improve it. The leaders of the Royal Guard where confident in their strategy by patrolling the borders. But Celestia wasn't confident in such a simple defense strategy. She started to become worried by the time and eventually gathered Equestria's highest security advisors from all around Equestria.
Equestria was very vulnerable, not to mention, at risk of becoming victim of a war, a war currently fought beyond her borders. Celestia was frighten, not to mention her younger sister. Frighten of innocent ponies being killed. As she looked into her list of potential enemies, she also figured that her Equestrian Guard (Equestria's primary defense force) was no match in perspective of technology.
Celestia had no choice. Keeping a status of neutrality in this new era isn't going to help anything nor anypony. She decided to turn to an old emergency back-up plan. A plan written by her parents thousands of years ago in case if Equestria had no option than go to war.
Celestia didn't had to change allot to the plan, only in matters of technology it was outdated. The plan was simple: Reformed the current defense force into a armed force considered of four branches.
An Army. A primary armed force component to protect all the homeland.
A Navy. An armed force component operating from sea, responsible of protecting the Equestrian seaboard.
An Air Force. An armed force component operating from both land and air, accountable for support and defense from the skies.
And at last, a Corps of Marine Infantry, simply called a Marine Corps. An infantry-element deploy-able from sea.
When the message of a war, threatening to destroy Equestria's way of life came through the populace; Many young and brave ponies across the land joined the growing military , with only one goal in mind. 'To protect their loved ones and to protect Equestria's way of life.'
A 170,000 pony wide military replaced the 3,500 pony wide Royal Guard. The new Equestrian Armed Forces also replaced every sword and shield with the newest technology in weaponry. Spears were traded in for rifles. and the newest innovation in armor, called ballistic vests replaced the standard golden armor. Several new weapons where adopted or build. Assault rifles, sniper rifles, light machine guns, shotguns and many more firearms were introduced. But the military's biggest investment was in fighter jets, tanks, battleships and aircraft carriers.
The Equestrian Armed Forces was born. The newest and up-to-date defense force was ready, ready for whatever was coming. Only one more element was added to the Royal Equestrian Military before it went into service. A special unified combatant command was added to the original plan. A special -and offensive warfare element, spreading over all military branches. This element is responsible for deploying small and special trained groups of ponies, operating beyond limits where regular soldiers would die or otherwise would stop or retreat.
A small ten thousand ponies formed the Equestrian Special Operations Force. A command founding five elite units.
The Royal Knight Commandos. A unit conducting all conceivable missions from the full spectrum of special operations.
The 1st Elite Combat Flying Squadron. A special combatant group of pegasi commonly known as 'Wonderbolts'.
And the Royal Marines Special Operations Regiment. A light-commando marine-infantry regiment, responsible for special reconnaissance.
But nothing could compare the way of approach the Royal Equestrian Navy took, establishing two units under one roof, the Royal Maritime Special Warfare Command.
A set-up of three Special Boat Detachments also known as Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crew-ponies but... In times of crisis. When Equestria requires a unit ready for anything in any kind of imaginable situation, the Royal Navy sends in one of it's eight so called Sea, Air and Land teams, commonly known as SEAL Teams.
Small groups of ponies mastered in all three environmental elements. Using unprecedented form of deception, stealth and combat so fearsome, it could only be described as supernatural (in terms of military strategy). Their wide expertise makes them very unpredictable to their enemies and makes them the most elite unit of the entire military.
The Equestrian Government calls these ponies simply 'warriors', but on the background..., a revolutionizing name for all these ponies has integrated with the Equestrian populace.
They call them... 'Warfighters'."
It was a peacefull night above Unicorn Range. Ice-cold wind streaming passed Wingstream's face as he flew through the cloudless night. At 15.000 hooves it was an astonishing view down to the sleeping Equestrian mainland. With Cloudsdale and Ponyville on the horizon, it's been years since Wingstream returned back home. three years ago he left for the Equestrian Navy, never knowing he would end up one of Equestria's most elite military unit. A great career, but comes with a high toll. He had to leave all his friend and his social life to become what he became today.
Two days ago, Maritime Special Warfare Command decided to station two team's including Wingstream's at a newly build Naval Station near Smoky Mountain were also the world's most brutal training program would take place from now on. The Navy's Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training. It's the same training program which Wingstream had to pass when he became a SEAL-pony. Six monthes of intense physical and mental training which breaks off more than half of candidate classes.
The navy blue stallion had come a long way in his military career, kicking it up to Petty Officer First Class, and a promotion to Chief Petty Officer on the horizon. But now for the first time in several years, he returns back to his hometown where he has been raised. Ponyville.
It was 05:30 in the morning, the illumination of the sun slightly lighted up the dark blue sky on the horizon. It's been a long flight for Wingstream and exhaustion was painted on his face. He choose to fly a straight six hours from Haywaii to Yanhoover at high speed and altitude and another two hours from Yanhoover to Cloudsdale.
It didn't take long before Wingstream finally realized hes becoming too exhausted for any further flight at this speed. 'I should just glide down to Cloudsdale. If I'm lucky I might even make Ponyville.' Wingstream's thoughts floated away as he regained realization. He held his wings stationary on a gliding position. His altitude decreasing by the minute and his speed slowing down to a regular glide slope.
After gliding for thirty minutes, passing Cloudsdale and Sweet Apple Acres, he landed in town square Ponyville. Wingstream's body cooled down quickly. He looked around for a hostel. Many things have changed in Ponyville. One of them was a large castle which was the Headquarters to the Elements of Harmony not to mention the home of the Princess of Friendship.
Wingsteam wandered around when his ears catched music from a local bar a few hundred hoofsteps away. As he came nearby, three elevated stallions where kicked out by the local bar's bouncer. "YOU HAVE ALOT OF BUCKING BALLS TO KICK US OUT YOU FLANKHOLE!" one of them aggressively shouted at the bouncer. Wingstream raised and eyebrow. 'The hay... It's five thirty in the morning.' he thought. "Go home, you have been messing around long enough." The bouncer said with his heavy voice. The pony was definitely a big guy, raising atleast an inches or two above the stallions.
Wingstream decided to to pay any more attention to the three stallions but before he was about to ignore them, one of the stallions noticed him looking. "What are you looking at tough guy?" His voice definitely asking for trouble. Wingstream looked the other way in order to ignore him. But the stallion didn't liked to be ignore. After the navy blue stallion tried to pass him, the brown elevated stallion placed his hoof on his shoulder. Stopping Wingstream from walking passed him. "HEY, I'm talking to you!"
Wingstream turned his head slightly towards the stallion. His body tighten, preparing for close hoof-to-hoof combat.
"You should let go of me." Wingstream warned the brown stallion holding his shoulder. The brown stallion internally laughed. "And what are you going to do about it, pal." he said. Meanwhile his buddies circled around him, the bouncer raising an interesting eyebrow.
Wingstream wasn't in the mood for this and decided to take care of the situation the quick way. In matter of a split second, Wingstream grabbed the holding hoof and twisted it into the stallions neck. A cry of pain was heard when he followed his defensive action by two punches in the chest and throat of the brown stallion. The stallion fell to the ground gasping for air. The two other stallions looked at each other in shock but decided to attack the navy blue stallion together. The white stallion withdrew a knife while the other used his hooves. The white stallion attacked first. Wingstream opened his wings and flew straight up, followed by a dive to the white stallion. When he landed he got hold of the hoof with the knife and served three punches with his free hoof while holding the hoof with the knife far from his body. The stallion got whacked in a second and let go of the knife as soon as Wingstream served the last punch to his chest area.
The last remaining stallion couldn't believe what just happen to his buddies. As soon as Wingstream looked him in the eyes. "Beat it." the navy blue stallion giving a clean opportunity to run away. The remaining stallion took the opportunity with both hooves and ran away. Wingstream swiped some sweat from his head and relaxed, still concentrating on his surroundings. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, walking up to the bouncer. "Give a shout when they start wake up and misbehave again." he said when he stood beside him.
"You got it, boss." The bouncer replied.
When Wingstream entered, it seemed like party-hour has already passed. Many of the seats where already flipped on the tables. Only a few ponies where at the bar. Wingstream walked up to the bar. "One coffee to go sweetheart." He asked the barmaid while he threw some bits on the bar. "Had a long night, stranger?" she asked while cleaning a cup with a piece of cloth.
The navy blue stallion sat down. "Yea." Meanwhile the barmaid placed a cup of water before him. "Wait, I..."
"One coffee to go..." She interupted. "I know, but it seems like you have been taking care of business outside." She said while smiling at the stallion.
Wingstream smiled. He took a few swigs from his water swiping the sweat of his head. Exhaustion really started to show on his face now. "There's a hostel nearby, they should have a room available for you." the barmaid broke the silence. Wingstream smiled "Thanks, but I have a stable nearby."
The barmaid placed the coffee on the bar before the stallion. Wingstream took the coffee and was about to leave. "Nice to meet you..."
"Silver..." She interupted.
Wingstream smiled. "Good night, Silver." He said giving her wink afterwards making the lime green mare blush for a second. Wingstream turned around and left the bar, heading for his old house nearby.
Wingstream opened the door. Old memories clicked when he turned on the lights inside. Wingstream's father died when he was just a colt and his mother just passed away a few weeks ago. He looked around at the furniture and the walls. Everything was the same as three years ago. The cloudhouse has been perfectly maintained the last two weeks. It was quiet, a peaceful feeling comforted the navy blue stallion when he closed his eye's, thinking about old memories with his parents. Wingstream closed the door and dropped his saddlebag.
"Home, Sweet Home"
