Survival of the Fittest

ZEBRA TERRITORY

In the huge jungle of the zebra empire was a 50 man group of equestrian royal guard and 25 griffin mercenaries walking in three lines trying to find a way out of this jungle. A head of the guards and mercenaries was none other than Shining Armor himself with his right hand on the handled of this sword and looking around the jungle making sure that nothing happens to himself and his men. While the royal guard was here because they want to make their home safe again and the griffon mercenaries was here because of gold coins, Shining Armor himself was here because of a different reason... Revenge.
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2 YEARS AGO

It was the coronation of Equestria's newest princess, Twilight Sparkle, she was wearing a nice light blue sun dress which was made by Rarity herself. Over at the stage Princess Celestia was looking down at the huge crowd of ponies from all over Equestria just to see their new princess. Then the princess of the sun turned to her former student and said. "Twilight it's time."

"Coming Celestia." Twilight said and soon both of them was outside looking at the crowd.

Then Celestia stepped forward. "My little ponies I have called you all here for a one important reason. A few days ago my former student has past all the trials and became a alicorn like myself and that of my little sister Luna. Allow me to show you the new princess of Equestria Twilight Sparkle." That made Twilight to forward and all of the ponies started to cheer for her with all smiles. After a minute or two of the cheering there was a...

GAG

And a few seconds later there was nothing more than screams of shocked and terrible from the crowd when out of nowhere a arrow hit Twilight right on the front side of her neck and fell to the floor. Soon some royal guards came and made a shield wall around the two alicorns while Celestia was trying to help Twilight. "Twilight listen to me. It's going to be alright ok. Just try to keep your eyes open." But how Twilight can both of her hands were on arrow out of a force of habit. Soon the purple mare's eyes began to close and that made Celestia's eyes widen in fear. "No Twilight stay awake please." Then they were closed. "NO TWILIGHT." Celestia yelled just as a royal guard doctor got to Twilight's side. He put two of his right hand's fingers on Twilight's wist before he puts his left ear to her chest where the heart would be.

Then he brings his head up and look at Celestia with a sad face. "I am sorry your highness." He said. "But it's too late." That made Celestia's eyes tear up before she puts her hands to her face and cry quietly on the spot. Then after a minute of crying Celestia brings her head up to look at the arrow and wanted to have a better look at it. She carefully remove it from the no longing living alicorn with her magic and finds a note on it. The princess of the sun then unties the letter from the arrow, opens it, and was shocked to find inside the letter.

"War has come." With the zebra empire's royal seal on it.
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1 YEAR LATER

The zebra empire attack equestria one week after Twilight Sparkle's death and already took three major cities. After a year of fighting the first three alicorn princesses knows that they need a new way of fighting against the zebras. So they made a news report that if any mercenary groups would like to help in the war against the zebra empire they be paid with the giant crystals that was underneath Canterlot castle. Many mercenary groups came far and wide to help the ponies but they just did it because they want the crystals for themselves. One of these mercenary groups was the Golden Claws a griffon mercenary group with a history of never leaving any survivors when they are fighting on the battlefield or raiding a town. Soon after a year and a half of fighting the Golden Claws was going with Shining Armor's squad to take a fort in the jungle area of the zebra empire's back to attack the royal zebra castle and bring an end to this war.
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PRESENT

Shining Armor was close to having his revenge he can feel it after two and a half years of war he was going to make the finishing blow on the zebra empire after they took his only little sister from him and the rest of his family. All he has to do was cut through this jungle, take the fort, and march to the zebra's royal castle. The unicorn captain then look behind him to see the Golden Claws second in command walking behind him. The griffon's name was Talon, he was a griffon with both of his feathers and fur was pumpkin orange all the while he was wearing a full suit of steel but there was holes in the back that way he can still fly and he didn't wear a helmet because he doesn't like them.

Shining Armor turned back to the road a head to see anything strange. He didn't see anything around but he did hear a snap of a stick which made the unicorn stallion to bring his right fist up singling the guards and mercenaries behind him to stop and have their weapons ready. Talon came up to whispered to Shining Armor. "What is it. Zebras."

"I don't know." Shining Armor whispered back. "I did a snapping sound but I don't see anything." That made the griffon mercenary to reach behind his back and brings out a very big battle axe ready to cut any zebras that might be out there. After a few minutes of nothing but the sounds of the wind every stallion and griffon was beginning to think there was nothing out there... until.

BANG

Two royal guards and griffon mercenary was blow to ash which to Shining Armor it only means one thing. "AMBUSH." Soon there was bangs going around the three lines and the small army was getting cut to ribbons when zebra soldiers came out of the trees and was killing his men. But the unicorn stallion noticed something the zebras was using black powder weapons like muskets and flintlock pistols instead of using swords and arrows. All of the stallions and griffons was started to find a way out of their problem but any means of escape was impossible. The pegasus and griffons tried to fly out but the trees was too thick and ended up being shot down. The unicorns of the royal guard tried to used their magic to teleport away but somehow their magic wasn't working all they did was make their horns glow for a couple of seconds before the glow died down. Shining Armor was seeing how all of his men was being cut down like ragdolls in a shudder until finally he sees a small openly in the zebras left firing line which means a way out of this mess. "Everyone this way." He called out before running towards the openly with his long sword out. He as he running to the way out the unicorn captain can see how the zebras got the drop on them.

They were wearing wooden armor with dark green stripes painted on them making them look like their part of the trees. Then two troops see the unicorn stallion running at them before they fixed their bayonets and charged at the running unicorn. Soon Shining Armor can see the two zebras coming at out of the treeline and was running at him but he was ready. The first zebra tried to thrusted his bayonet into Shining's chest but Armor just blocked that attack with his long sword, punch the zebra stallion in the face, and brings his sword though his enemy's gut making the zebra to couch out some blood before falling to the ground dead. Shining Armor brings his sword out of the dead zebra to see the second zebra was fixing to take aim at him but good thing was ready for that too because he always have a throwing knife in his boot.

Shining Armor brings it out and with one quick twist with the wist the throwing knife was in the second zebra's right eye before falling on the ground. Now Shining Armor was doing nothing more than running, running, even more running he even didn't look back the battle all he did was trying to the hell out of there. After like ten minutes or more of running Shining Armor finally ran out of breath and stopped running. He put his hands on his knees to tried to catch his breath until he hears a bush shaking behind and that made him ready for a fight any second. Shining Armor ready his long sword and...

"Wait it's only me." Came Talon's voice and sure enough the griffon mercenary came out of the bush all sweaty.

That made Shining Armor breath in a sigh of relief until he notice something... Both he and Talon was the only ones out there alone. "Talon where is the rest of our men." The unicorn captain asked the griffon mercenary.

"Didn't make it." Talon replied. "The zebras was freaking everywhere. I only managed to get out of that hell storm because I saw you running over here and I tried catch up to you the best way I can." That made Shining Armor's heart dropped like a rock in a river. The whole plan was a complete bust and now he and the griffon mercenary was the only ones left of the 75 strong attack force. But the zebras know about the plan. The only ones that know the plan was himself and the princesses. "I believe that we should head back to Equestrian lines Armor."

That made Shining Armor to look at the griffon mercenary in disbelief. "What do mean head back." The unicorn stallion asked.

"Come on Armor even a military commander like you can see that there's no point of continuing going forward. I believe the only way for us to survive is to head back to friendly lines."

"But there's gonna be a other." Shining Armor snapped. "I came so close..."

"To your revenge." Talon said making Shining Armor look at him in shocked.

"H-how."

"Please Armor I know that look on your face back when those two zebras was gunning for you. And we griffons know this better than anyone." Then Talon came face to face with the unicorn stallion. "And I know how you want nothing more but to kill the zebra emperor with your bear hands. How you want to slowly gut him like a rat, how to make him suffer like you have suffer all because you couldn't save your only sis...."

SMACK

Talon was on the ground with some stars going in circles around his head before he shakes his head to stopped the stars and look at the unicorn captain. Shining Armor was breathing heavily with eyes narrow, his nose fairing, his teeth bear, and his right hand was in a fist. Talon only look at Shining with a smirk. "I see that I must have hit a nerve."

"You don't you what it's like." Shining Armor snapped once again. "To have the greatest little sister who fought and won so many villains. Who became princess in only almost four years. Who was fixing to replace both Celestia and Luna one day to become soul ruler of Equestria only to be taken away like if she was killed by the executioner's axe."

Then Talon got off the ground and brushed himself before looking back at Armor. "Oh come now." Talon said. "You are only fighting out of pure hatred. You think that you are fighting for justice but you aloud yourself to become a cold blooded killer with no mercy like that archer that shot Twilight." That was the last nerve. Shining Armor brings arm back left hook but Talon caught it and brings his right knee into Shining Armor's mid section forcing the unicorn stallion to bend over before the griffon mercenary brings his right elbow on his back making him fall down. Shining Armor was about to get back up to show this mercenary how to fight until he was being held down by Talon's knee on his back. "Look at yourself. You can't even fight the right way without letting your hatred getting the best of you and nothing not a thing you can do about it unless you let go of your hatred but I believe that not happening soon."

Then Talon got off of Shining Armor's back allowing the unicorn stallion to get up and look at the griffon mercenary with a hateful face. "If you have a sister of your own maybe you're understand why I have to fight for my kingdom, for Twilight's honor not like you that only fight for money and gems." Shining Armor whispered.

"I am will keep that in mind." Talon said smirking all the while. "Now come on let's go back to more friendlier lines." And soon the both begin the way back home but as they were doing Shining Armor tried to use his magic again only to died out like the last time.

"How is that happening." Shining Armor thought to himself unknowingly that got a other smirk from his new griffon partner.