Praying for failure, is asking for Murphy to slap you. Praying for success though, pray with enthusiasm and passion; if not: nothing will happen, simple as that. - JamesC

At Canterlot castle, Celestia waited expectantly for Sun Tzu’s failure in completing his task and hope to Faust he wasn’t getting a seat of power in her hierarchy. Ruling for over a thousand years, and not one needing a military advisor can definitely change the course of Equestria forever.

A puff of green smoke appears before Celestia and a scroll takes it’s place. She smiles happily thinking over and over again ‘He failed, he failed, he failed...’. Celestia takes a deep breath and opens the scroll, reading out loud for all to hear in her vicinity.

Dear Princess Celestia

I’m happy to inform you that Sun Tzu has passed! He even showed me and Spike a new board game that increases our perception and attention! Unlike chess, the goal of the game is to capture as much territory with as little pebbles, in the board, as possible.

Now, this may sound strange. Instead of figures, they are pebbles making anypony in the world poor, moderate, rich can play this board game, and maybe as well make one for themselves! It’s called Go, strange, but a fitting name for it! Because if it’s named Go, then you have to go capture and take control over your opponent, quickly and efficiently.

I hope you let Sun Tzu become your new commander, he is far beyond kind and understanding, even rivaling yours. When I got back from gathering the rest of the elements, he was teaching Spike Go and was showing him every single step; Spike understood every single one of those steps. He taught us how to use a sword, how to dodge, how to strike. He taught us everything an officer and warrior must know, he is a great teacher!

Sincerely,
Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Celestia froze, laughing maniacally inside. ‘He passed... he passed.’ those two words brought Celestia to her hooves, letting go of the scroll. ‘He is a machine...’ with those words in mind she walked towards her throne, waiting to announce Equestria’s new military leader.

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As Sun Tzu’s chariot strikes down the balconies pavement, he walks down and thanks the two colts for giving him a pleasant ride. To a naked civilian eyes, the guards looked pretty much the same. But to a perceptive pair of eyes, they looked buffed up and had a sort of glint in their eyes.

Sun Tzu was, more or less, happy that he was able to teach the ponies his ways of war: being a bipedal and all. A purple armored guard catches his eyes, he was approaching him and looked beat up.

“Are you Sun Tzu?” he asked.

Sun Tzu doesn’t like not knowing at least a bit of anyone, or anypony in this case. He looked past his muzzle, and looks at his Cutie Mark: a violet shield with a purple star in the middle and three little light blue stars at the top.

‘A Sparkle.’ he smiled.

“Yes I am Sun Tzu, and who might you be, sir?”

The guard nodded, and trotted into the hall. Sun Tzu followed.

“I’m Shining Armor, captain of the guard.” he said.

“Oh? Well, captain, I’ll soon become your superior officer and a military advisor to princess Celestia.” Sun Tzu informed happily.

Shining Armor doesn’t share his optimism, being the captain of the guard; he is supposed to be the higher authority in the Royal Guard: not this ape.

Their conversion was ended abruptly when they reached the throne room. The guards standing at the immense door opens it with their horns. The door was enveloped in a sort of mixed hues, one being brown the other yellow.

Sun Tzu and Shining Armor entered and bowed accordingly, the former not as deep. Sun Tzu was waiting patiently, while Shining Armor was trying to rush the formalities and find out if he was going to lose his job.

Celestia was contemplating, if not more. She was trying to figure out a way to make Sun Tzu fail any and all attempts to be her advisor, or even a commander. But, every single plan failed.

Celestia sighed, she didn’t want the fates to pick this human, she wanted a being that could stop a war with diplomacy not to prolong it. But, if the gods above chose this human then what choice does she have to decline the offer.

“Sun Tzu, I am officially going to give you all rights and commands to become my military advisor and commander. Shining Armor, would you please lead Sun Tzu to the barracks to train the stallions into better warriors?” Celestia said, un-enthusiastically.

Shining Armor was shocked but his polar opposite was not. Sun Tzu expected to be given the task, he never failed. Sun Tzu knew his weaknesses and strengths, and used them to achieve any and all tasks.

Shining escorted Sun Tzu to the guard’s training ground were a division of guards awaiting for their new commander.

*disk scratch*

Now, let me just cut out your confusion with the plot hole kind of jazz.

~~Shining Armor had~~... no wait

Celestia had sent a runner before hand
hoof to get the guards ready for their new commander.

Now back to the show.

*disk scratch*

The guards weren’t expecting the ape to arrive with their captain. Sun Tzu dropped his luggage and inspected the platoon. The mares and stallions weren’t nervous, but a few of them that had seen the creature before.

“Sky Bolt and Tempest step forward.” shouted Sun Tzu.

Sky Bolt and Tempest were the two stallions that escorted Sun Tzu to Ponyville, and were both very well versed in Sun Tzu’s strategies and learning. Both of them, are ready officers that were hiding amongst the ranks of militia colts.

“With the help of Sky Bolt and Tempest, I will create two platoons; that will also allow me to create a few squads.”

Sun Tzu started to split the division into two, creating the two platoons the commander needed.

“Sky Bolt you will take the left platoon as your own and Tempest take the right, and you know what to do.” the two officers nodded, and began to march towards their respective platoons.

Sun Tzu started to pace back and forth while watching the two officers beginning the intensive training for improving their beloved Royal Guards.

Shining Armor was watching attentively, the same can be said for Celestia secretly watching at
one of the balconies.

=====================================================================

Sky Bolt and Tempest both attempt to train their respective platoons. But were failing miserably.

“I want you all to follow my lead, make sure to make some space for your neighbors.”

They all nodded and tried to copy his every move.

They all failed.

Sun Tzu was expecting this, and used that expectations to make the already shocked guards, and spying princess, to see that their guards, militia and make believe army; were nothing but citizens in uniform.

He predicted this, and told the two officers if this happened they were to take extreme measures.

“Get up you sorry excuses of guards! Look at all of you, failing and falling and crying, you bunch of foals can’t even handle a simple sword stab, for Guan Yu’s sake!” shouted Tempest.

“You all are failures! Do you expect to protect the princesses or even Equestria from harm, if you are all foaling out then raise your hooves if you want to bail out!” shouted Sky Bolt.

A few stallions raised their hooves, and were escorted out by Sun Tzu to have a word with.

Meanwhile at the balcony, Celestia was watching her ponies cry, fall and fail which brought tears to her face. She saw that Sun Tzu can train eight ponies in one morning and one night, if Sky Bolt and Tempest weren’t proof enough or Twilight’s letter.

She expected her guards to be strong and able to withstand this type of beating, and to see already a few guards leaving the premise, she wouldn’t know what would happen if she denied Sun Tzu.

While progress was taking a slow turn, Sun Tzu was trying to change the minds of the ponies that left the training; and was winning their hearts to continue on.

“What happened in their?” Sun Tzu asked soothingly.

The stallion he was talking too, was crying softly. “I don’t know...”

“Well, do you have a family?” Sun Tzu asked, suddenly.

“*sniff* ... yes.... I do.”

“Well, what would you do if your family was endanger? Would you rather call the guards, which you are in, or fight and protect you family from those that would harm your kind?”

The guards that left were listening attentively, no longer having the fear that pulled them out of the grounds. Instead, giving them a fire to continue, to die for Equestria.

The all stormed out, leaving only Sun Tzu smiling.

‘Family is the key element to protect. They don’t want to protect Equestria, they want to protect their homes and childrens’ future.’

=====================================================================

As Celestia was beginning to lose hope, the group of stallions that dropped out were running back towards their respective platoons. She watched shell shocked at her ponies galloping back towards their training, the same ponies that didn’t want to continue just suddenly went back at their unscheduled training.

“You cowards, what are you all doing back here?” shouted both Tempest and Sky Bolt.

“Sir, we are back to protect our families!” shouted a stallion in the left platoon.

“I like that answer! Okay everypony, gear up and start training!”

And their eyes and build never changed....

=====================================================================

Sun Tzu was beside Shining Armor who was watching the training steadily reaching a fast and boiling point.

“Mister Armor, where is the armory?” asked the chinese strategist.

“Why do you need to see the armory?” said the white stallion.

“Mister Armor, if I intend to help this Equestria, then I need to know what this Equestria’s guards are using to protect itself; or do you not have one and are using magic and hooves to fight?”

The captain, clearly insulted with his comment, showed Sun Tzu the way to the armory, where countless weapons and artifacts used in the past generations are kept.

As they entered the room of weapons and ceremonial sticks, Sun Tzu asked for the weapons they used on a daily basis. Shining Armor was grinning smugly and showed him the rack of weapons, all ceremonial in Sun Tzu’s eyes.

Sun Tzu picked up a sword, and sliced his own arm.

Shining Armor was shocked and concerned for his new superior, thinking that he was mentally insane and needs to be hospitalized. But instead, what he didn’t expect from him was total anger.

“Do you use this in every battle and every training?” he asked in controlled anger, his face changing red quickly.

“Yes, and I am quite proud of it; if I do say so myself!” he was smugly holding a hoof to his chest, not knowing the consequences of saying that.

He showed him his arm, which was unharmed by the blade, and Gordon Ramsay has manifested himself in the land of Equestria.

“It is dull! Not to mention unbalanced and unwieldy for any pony in this world! The blade is like grass, extremely fragile!” he showed him, by smashing the blade on a nearby pillar; shattering it.

“A kitchen knife, which I’ve used with my time in Ponyville, is sharper and stronger! A wooden stave is more than exceeding this nonsense! This is maddening in every level!”

He picked up a spear, which felt good in his hands, since the wood itself is built like a walking stick for the old and handicapped. Sun Tzu then poked the tip of the spear, and was again fueled with more rage.

“The tip of this spear is paper!” he shouted again, ramming the spear in the same pillar the dulled sword was shattered on. The tip of the spear exploded, falling harmlessly on nearby antique swords.

He picked up a crossbow, and looked at it attentively. “This crossbow is raw!” he found a nearby trashcan and slammed the crossbow. “It’s unseasoned to be harden for extensive use from bolts with fire and lacking care with oil! The string is old and flimsy! The launching mechanism is useless!” he spat at Shining Armor who was visibly shaking from the angered Sun Tzu. ‘He is mad!’ was Shining’s single thought.

He reached for the an old antique sword from the three tribes era. Shining Armor was trying to tell Sun Tzu that the sword is the only remaining sword from that era. But Sun Tzu wasn’t listening.

What Shining Armor didn’t see was Sun Tzu smiling at the sword. “This is a real sword, mister Armor.This sword can last for a thousand more years if the era you told me was correct.”

“How is that a real sword? Our sword is more modern, efficient and more intimidating!”

Sun Tzu glared at Shining Armor’s ignorance. “Your so called ‘modern’ designs weren’t even able to wound me, mister Armor. Your design lack any thing except for being flashy! Intimidation is only served as to deceive your enemy, and serves no use in conventional means in battle.”

Sun Tzu tosses the relic to Shining Armor, clearly disappointed and angered at him. “Get your best smiths to recreate that. If I return and I am not satisfied with the results, I will be having a harsh word with both you and Celestia, now get back to work.”

As Sun Tzu left the now ransacked armory, a whimpering and shivering Shining Armor is left in the dark.

Author's Note

I had fun writing this chapter! Hopefully I didn't have as much grammar issues as the last ones.