Shadow Fire was walking home, he was half way home when a yellow and orange blur flew out of an allyway and slamed into his side. "Hey big bro, what are you doing here " said a filly a few years younger than Shadow Fire.
"I signed up for the armed forces" he looked at his little sister, "what are you doing here"?
"School let out early, so I was walking home" she smiled at him "did you tell mom and dad that your joining the military"
"No but I'm going to today... what is that" he asked as he saw a flash of his sisters flank.
"I got my cutie mark today, that's why they let out early" she beamed at Shadow Fire.
"Cinder finaly your 15 you should of had that thing for years now, but at least you have it now" Shadow Fire grined at his sister, "you know what that means don't you".
"Dad's making cake, just for me " Cinder practicly sung the statment.
Shadow Fire walked on a slight smile on his face, but his mind wield with thought on how he was going to tell his parents of his enlistment.
Cinder walked on with Shadow Fire squeeling with exitment every few minutes. As they arived home there mother Shadow Heart was home but there father Lightning Fire was not. Shadow Heart was a unicorn with a pitch black coat and a n orange main. She smiled warmly at her children when they walked through the door, "Shadow Fire your back", her voice was sweet, her cutie mark of a acting mask barily visible behing the apron she wore, "and Cinder what are you doing home, you still have three hours of school left", her voice grew stern as she spoke.
"They let out early because I got my cutie mark today" squeeled Cinder.
"Oh, baby, I'm so proud" said Shadow Fire and Shadow Heart at the same time, Shadow Fire doing a farily good impretion of his mother.
"Oh stop it mom , she wants to be left alone, I know from expirence" teased Shadow Fire he rubbed his hoove in Cinders main, "you know she's going to get the whole lecture from dad when he gets home so why start now" just as he finished his sentence Lightning Fire walked through the door.
"What's going on here" asked the large pegusus.
"I got my cutie mark " squeeked Cinder again.
"You know what that means don't you Cinder" Lightning Fire let the question hang for a moment before continuing, "cake" he yelled as he rushed Cinder and picked he up in his wings, "what flavor do you want" he asked his words rushing as exitment took hold of him.
"Yellow cake with chocolat creamcheese icing" said Cinder, naming her favorite kind of cake.
There father was a great baker , even though he worked full time as a weather pony he could still out bake with the best bakers in manehatten. There mother did all of the other cooking, she worked from home and had a small magic lab in the basement, but she could also cook better than most chefs in manehatten, even though her cutie mark is in acting Shadow heart never did do much acting, she didn't like the ponies she worked with.
But Shadow Fires thoughts where shatered when Cinder tapped him on the head, " hey big bro , you there, you've been standing there for 20 minutes now, dinners done, mom made spagettie", Cinder was looking worried. Shadow Fire shook his head and headed towords the table, where his mother was placing plates of spagettie besides loaves of home made garlic bread.
The food was eaten in relative quietness, the few attempts to make conversation were quickly abandoned when nopony would answer Cinders questions, other than , good , and boring . Soon after the food was done the oven beeped and Lightning Fire got the cake out and cooled it with a few flaps of his wings, and iced it with home made creamcheese frosting. "Do you want to share it or have it all for yourself " asked there father as he cut the cake.
Cinder looked embarrassedly to Shadow Fire and mummbled, "do you want a slice".
Shadow Fire shook his head and smiled, "no, I had all of my cake , you have yours". Cinder brightened up and had two large slices of cake and a glass of cold milk afterwords. As soon as she was done Shadow Fire coughed to get everyponies attention, "I've joined the military, I leave in a few months".
Shadow Fire looked at a knot in the wood of the table, waiting for the shouting and fury of his parents. It never came , he looked up and he father and mother where looking at him "aren't you angry", asked Shadow Fire.
His mother sighed, "well your 18 now, so we can't do enything about that, and your basicly an adult, so we won't stop you if you want to go through with this, all I ask is that you come back". Tears welted in her eyes as she fought them back, but she couldn't stop them from braking threw.
"Just know that we love you son, and that we will wright you" said his father.
As time went by signs of Shadow Fires departure were everywhere. The time flew by for everypony on the day he was leaving the sounds of Shadow Heart's and Cinder's crying were heartbreaking, " remember to wright" yelled Lightning Fire. Shadow Fire nodded, and went on the train to the Canterlot military base.
As soon as he arrived, he was singled out, "YOU ARE NOW NOTHING WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU WHERE IS NOW IRRELEVANT... YOU ARE TO BE BROKEN AND REBUILT BY MY HOOVE. IF YOU BRAKE TO FAST YOU WILL BE SENT HOME IN SHAME. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME CITY BOY" yelled the drill sergeant.
"SIR YES SIR" yelled Shadow Fire.
"GOOD NOW FORM UP... YOU", the drill sergeant pointed to Shadow Fire, "WHY DID YOU JOIN THE EQUESTRIAN ARMED FORCES".
"TO PROTECT AND SERVE MY CONTRY AND HER PEOPLE" yelled back Shadow Fire.
"WRONG YOU WANT GLORY AND VICTORY" yelled the drill sergeant.
Shadow Fires temper rised if the damed stallion didn't want his answer than why ask the question. The drill sergeant again yelled more questions, Shadow Fries temper rising with every insult and counter statment he made.
Just when Shadow Fire was about to snap the drill sergeant stopped, " you ponies need a platoon captain... who thinks the can lead this platoon"?
Shadow Fire stepped forward along with an earth pony and a pegusus. " well, then you three fight for it, rules of engagement, no wings, no magic, clear... begin".
Shadow Fire's mind was in overdrive, the earthpony had strength against him while the pegusus had speed in his favor. Shadow Fire's body was flung to the side as the earth pony tackled him. Thankfully the pegusus bucked him off for a moment befor he bucked Shadow Fire in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Against his bodies will he got up, the pegusus and earth pony where grapling, the earth pony was winning, his vision dimmed as he stood strait up and he kicked in the earth pony's knees, dropping him on the smaller pegusus. He then grabbed one of the pegususes wings and twistes, he placed a rear hoove on the earth ponies head pinning him down, both screamed in pain, Shadow Fire bellowing like a mad dragon in effort as is lungs filled with air.
"STOP", yelled the drill sergeant, " privet Shadow Fire will lead the platoon until AIT training". He turned and stalked away.
Training was hard, Shadow Fire was physicaly and mentaly tried, but he never broke, threw spell that burned your eyes and lungs to running up mountens with packs full of rocks. His body was changed he lost almost all of his body fat, his muscles grew hard and sinewy. His mind molded into that of a battle-hardened warriors mind. He well surpassed most of the other trainees.
When AIT came he was transfered to a special platoon, one for recrutes for SF training. Shadow Fire worked harder than ever growing faster, more effecent, he was the best in his new platoon, and for good reason, he tried harder than enypony else. He left there top of his platoon, and as he left he was stopped by caption Shining Armor, " you have 5 weeks leave, then you will report back to me, I have something special planned for you".
The day was warm, with a light breeze, there was a buzz of exitment in the city. Mainhattens main square was packed with recrutment tables and volunteers. Ponies swarming almost every table, one of the few tables without many ponies, that had only one pony at it, a black stallion with a firey main,with the recruter. "So your intrested in joining the armed forces of Equestria, well a large unicorn like yourself will be an exelent addition to this nations safety" the recruter pulled a piece of paper from a file, "we have lots of options, like the royal and palace guards, the standing army, the special forces". The list went on but but the stallion stopped listening after special forces.
"What do the special forces do" asked the stallion.
"Well" started the recruter, " they do things like treaking the everfree forest and the badlands" the recruter gave the slightest of smiles, " and when not on duty they have a special group in the royal guard"
"Where do I sign up at" the recruter placed a form on the table and a quill and ink beside it.
The recruter grabed the form when it was completed "Welcome to the armed forces of Equestria... Shadow Fire".