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.