Survival of the Fittest

CANTERLOT CASTLE 9:00 PM

The entire capital of Equestria was on high alert after hearing the fall of Ponyville three days ago. Every way into the city was being guarded by two or three guards and at the southwest gate Flash Sentry along with a red unicorn stallion and a light blue bat pony mare was with him. While the red unicorn stallion was looking out in the night air, Flash Sentry can feel that the bat pony mare was looking at the pegasus stallion with a hunger in her eyes which everything she does that it makes Flash's true red a little. "Damn, why that mare makes me want to be with her in a large bed." The orange pegasus thought to himself before the red unicorn bought out his spear and get into a fighting stand. "What is it." Sentry asked as he brings out his twin daggers and the bat pony mare readies her bow and arrows.

"Someone is coming in." The unicorn stallion said as all three of them is getting ready for a fight to the death a shadow of a stallion appears. As the shadow was getting closer and closer they can hear grunts and very hard breathing from the shadow. Until finally after a minute the shadow came into the light and all three ponies gasped to see who it was the shadow.

"Captain Armor." Flash Sentry said as he puts away his weapons and went to help his captain with the other two ponies behind him. The pegasus stallion took away the makeshift walking stick and puts Shining Armor's left arm around his neck. "What happen to you. We all thought you were dead after we didn't hear from you after a week and a half."

"Believe when l say this, it's a long story." Shining Armor reply as Flash Sentry was taking him inside while the other two ponies stayed at the gate to continued guarding it. "Why is the whole city is on high alert." Armor asked as he notice the city walls was armed to the teeth with both soldiers and their weapons.

"After the fall of Ponyville Celestia ordered to be prepared for the worst. So everypony started to get ready for a attack any day now." Flash said as they was getting closer to the castle. "But there is a rumor going around the ranks that the princesses will surrendered to the zebras in return for the territorial we lost."

That got Shining Armor's eyes to be part of a confused face of his as both the unicorn and pegasus stallions got inside the castle. After many lefts and many rights Flash Sentry got Shining Armor to the doctor's room of the castle. Flash Sentry got his captain in one of the empty beds before he called for the doctor. A yellow unicorn stallion came and started to look over Shining Armor's leg before the unicorn stallion asked Flash Sentry. "Flash can you get me the princesses over here on the double."

"No problem sir." Flash Sentry reply as he begins to run down the hallway to the throne room. As Shining Armor was waiting he notice that the bed to his right had someone in it.

His eyes widened in shocked to see that it was Zecora the only the zebra the princesses trust was covered from head to toe with slash and burn marks. Zecora was asleep of course but she looks like she had a fight with a dragon and lost the fight. "What happen to her." Shining Armor asked the doctor.

"She was tortured." The doctor answered. "A special opps group of unicorn stallions and diamond dog mercenaries got the drop on a zebra camp two nights ago and found her in one of the tents with her begging for death. My best guess is that because she lives here with us that got the other zebras to feel hatred for that and tortured her for it."

That got Shining to look at Zecora again as just noticed the cloth wraps around most of her body. "Will she survived."

"Most likely but she will bear the scars the rest of her life." Shining Armor just couldn't that the zebras would be willing to tortured one of their own for living in Equestria with the ponies and made him wondered if they are that right now to any zebras who wants to help the ponies out.

Soon the door opened and all three princesses came in wearing wonderful sun dresses. The doctor saw them as he finished looking over Shining's leg then he made a bow and left to look over a other pony three beds away. The first princess that said something was Cadence as she wraps her arms around her husband's neck and hugged him. "Oh Shining l thought you were lost forever."

"Don't worry Cadence I'm right here." The unicorn captain said.

"I have to say Shining Armor you are one very lucky stallion." Luna said.

"I agree with my sister." Celestia said. "How did you manage to survived a whole week and a half out there." That's when Shining Armor tell all three alicorn mares about the ambush, the equestrian lines, the week with Talon, the ruins of Ponyville, Sweet Apple Acres, and avenging his sister's death after he killed Talon. All three princesses was shocked to hear that both the zebras killed all of the stallions and it was Talon who killed Twilight Sparkle. "How did the zebras got their hands on black powder weapons. They only exist in the donkey and mule union territories."

"I wish I know." Shining Armor said. "But after I saw the zebras cut down my men and the griffon mercenaries like nothing but air they have become more stronger than ever."

"Then my sister we have no choice." Luna said to her big sister. "Our magic can only hold the zebras a little longer but with black powder weapons they will overpowered us."

"What are you talking about." Shining Armor asked with one of his eyebrows rised.

It was Celestia who answered his question. "The zebras sented a messager to us one day after the fell of Ponyville. The massage said that if we surrendered to them they would give back all of our lost territories and in return they would keep all of the mares, fillies, and colts they have capture and taken back to zebra territories."

That got the unicorn captain's eyes to look at Celestia in disbelief. "You are letting the zebras win the war." Shining Armor snapped at the alicorn sisters.

"The war is already loss Captain Armor." Luna snapped back. "Sure own magic is strong but how long do you think that will last against muskets, flintlocks, bombs, and canons. Those black powder weapons is something that gives magic a run for it's money. We have no choice."

"But there is something else too." Celestia stepped in. "They have killed all the stallions of fighting age, capture all of the mares of fighting age, and have taken hundreds fillies and colts to be rise to be more zebra than pony. Have don't have the man power to fight the war anymore even with the mercenary groups help." Shining Armor can understand now why Celestia and Luna wants to surrounded but...

"Cadence what about you." The unicorn stallion asked his wife.

Cadence just looked away and said. "Even if we bring in the armies of the crystal empire they were be ended up be killed like the soldiers out there now. The crystal ponies don't know about black powder weapons and they just be shot during battle."

That was it Shining Armor was outvoted and that made him to rest his head in defeat. "I always that we will win this good for nothing war." He whispered. "I thought that I could make Twilight's death was to be avenged by wining this war."

"I am sorry Shining." Celestia said. "But if we continue this war it will be the end of Equestria." Then she and her sister made they're leave to sent a messager of their own leaving the alicorn princess of love and the unicorn captain along with their own thoughts."
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TWO DAYS LATER

In the throne room of Canterlot castle Celestia along with Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor was waiting for the zebra emperor himself to come walking through those doors any minute now. While the three alicorn princesses was sitting in their thrones Shining Armor himself was standing up next to his wife. The unicorn captain's leg was completely healed thanks to Celestia's magic making him walk the right way again all the while he drinking a green potion, that somehow taste like watermelon, to help have his own magic come back.

During his time here in Canterlot Shining Armor was happy to hear that Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash was here safe and sound after they escape the attack on Ponyville. But he was also sad that he heard that Pinkie Pie was killed during the canon shelling when the attack begun. Shining Armor made a note to himself to show the others Applejack's hat sometime after this war ends. But he also heard that his friend Big Macintosh made it out too but no sign for the little earth pony filly Applebloom anywhere which for Shining Armor that she must have been captured too along with her big sister. But no pony had since Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle like their friend so they were both capture like their best friend or was out there alone but safe from the zebras no pony can tell which one.

Soon the giant double doors opened making Shining Armor to stopped thinking about the others and at the few zebras coming into the throne room. A head of the group was the zebra emperor himself, Emperor Zaka the first, leader of the zebra empire but to Shining Armor it was the bastard who ordered his sister's death. Sure it was Talon who killed Twilight but it was this very zebra who plan her death. Emperor Zaka was wearing a very dark green loincloth, a black wooden chest armor with blood red stripes on it, and a scar over his left eye making it gray while his other eye is a light blue. "Princesses of Equestria I have come." Zaka said giving a short bow. "Your message says that all three of you have agreed to my terms yes."

"Yes Emperor Zaka." Celestia said as she gets up from her throne and walked over to the zebra emperor. "If we surrendered to you will give back our lost territories and in return you can keep all of the mares, fillies, and colts in your empire."

"As my honor of being a zebra to heart l will." The zebra emperor said as one of his troops came up with a small table and place it down between his emperor and the alicorn princess of the sun. Then a other zebra troop came up and places a scroll on the table along with some pens. "This treaty here will be the peace between our two nations and bring a end to this war." Then Emperor Zaka puts up one of the pens and sighed the treaty. After he places his name on the scroll Celestia puts up a other pen and sighs it too followed by her little sister Luna. Then Cadence sighs the treaty and the war was finally over. "May be your lives be happy and well." The zebra emperor said before he makes one more bow and he along with his troops made their leave though the double doors.

As soon the doors was completely closed with a loud thud Shining Armor couldn't help be say. "This is not the way to end a war."

"I know how you feel Shining Armor l really do." Luna said. "If the zebras don't had their muskets and canons I would personally lead a all out attack on Zaka's castle myself."

"It's too late for that sister." Celestia said to her fellow alicorns and the unicorn captain. "But now the peace treaty is sighed and we have a lot of work and recovery to do though out of Equestria."

"Then where do we begin." Cadence asked making the other two alicorns to think for a minute until Shining Armor came up a idea.

"Ponyville. That is where we should begin."

"Why Ponyville." Luna asked.

"Because once you see it for yourselves then you know why we need to start there." By Shining Armor's words the three alicorn princesses feel like that should be a good enough reason to start at the small town.

But as for Shining Armor he will always feels like this surrendered will be cost of Equestria's newest princess and his little sister's live because the zebras... Forever.