A new way to Survival

TWO DAYS LATER

For two whole days both Shining Armor and Tempest Shadow had been walking back to Equestria with the hope of any other of the royal guard or lunar guard made it out of the
zebra-griff surprised attack. Tempest was shocked that the stories of the zebra-griffs we're really real and not just some fake scary story for young foals. But for Shining Armor he was trying to figured out a way to fight back against the zebra-griffs and that was proofing hard to do because this new enemy can do dark magic with only the will of their minds. But both of the unicorns thoughts was stopped when they both hear something like wooden wheels on the ground. "Does that sound like wooden wheels to you Shining." Tempest asked the unicorn stallion.

"It kinda does doesn't." Shining Armor agree. "It sounds like it's coming that way." He pointed to the west. "Come on." Both Shining Armor and Tempest then headed to the and after five minutes of walking to the sound it was getting louder and louder until finally they both hide behind a bush, poke both their heads out, and both of their eyes widened in shock. It was a giant size force of both zebras and zebra-griffs marching and that sound was coming from the huge wagons that they were pulling with them. Each warrior of the enemy army was holding a different kind of weapon. There were muskets, flintlock pistols, swords, battle axes, spears, daggers, pole axes, and they were also pulling giant canons the likes that both Shining Armor and Tempest never have seen before. By the way this huge enemy force going was most likely straight towards Canterlot. After they seen enough both the unicorn ponies went back down the bush with Shinning Armor turning to Tempest. "This is bad. I never have seen a enemy force that huge before. What are we going to do."

"I wish I know." Tempest reply. "But clearly we can't go that way they are between us and home. I guess we have no choice but to take the path though the canyons."

That made Shining Armor's eyes widened in complete shock. "But that path takes more than a month to get though to the other side. Are you sure that there a other way."

"I wish there was. No even with our magic we be ended up over ran. They will most likely kill you with a firing squad and l will end up being enslaved." Then Tempest puts one of her hands on Shining Armor's right shoulder. "I don't want to see the stallion l ever loved before die before my eyes. Please Shining we have no choice."

Shining Armor look at his future herd wife's eyes and can tell that she doesn't want to truly see him die before her very eyes. So with a heavy heart the unicorn stallion said. "Alright Tempest let's go." So the both of the unicorn ponies began their long road ahead to the west with the hope that they will make to Canterlot before the zebras and zebra-griffs do.
_________________________________________________

ONE MOUTH LATER

Both the unicorn ponies was still walking after their long and rough road though the canyon roads of Equestria. It wasn't easy for them as they were both trying find the way though the canyons and not get spotted by zebra-griff patrols in the skies above. But they did had pretty of food thanks to Tempest. She had grabbed two full backpacks full of food before she ran away with Shinning Armor back during the zebra-griff surprised attack. But now that was behind they as the both unicorn ponies made it towards Canterlot and when they did both of their hearts skipped a beat.

Canterlot looked like nothing more than a huge pile of rocks with very little buildings left. The streets had a lot of rocks, pieces of bricks, broken wood, shattered glass, and trash all over the place. Shining Armor couldn't help but this was bringing back some memories of the last war like Ponyville being attacked, finding all of those dead ponies in the apple farm, and his fight with Talon. Soon he was snapped out of his memories when he feels a hand shaking him a little on his shoulder making him turned to Tempest and sees that she had a worry look on her face. "Shining are you alright." Tempest asked. "You didn't move for two minutes on the spot."

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Shining Armor answered. "It's just that well (sigh) it's long time since l have seen something like this."

"It's Ponyville isn't." Tempest asked as she remembers that Shining Armor told her about the whole thing about Ponyville as well the piles of dead ponies, the piles of clothes that belong to both mares and fillies, and finally Shining Armor's fight with the griffin mercenary Talon. "This is reminding of what happen over there during the last war yes."

Shining Armor nodded. "Yes l never thought l will see this kind of damage again."

"Well then let's us take it slow." Both of the unicorn ponies began to walk slowly into the broken down city. As they were walking down the empty street they can see that the buildings that was down to the ground had canon damage sighs on them with some scorch marks. Then Shining Armor noticed one more thing and that was no bodies anywhere which that made him stopped him in his tracks. "Shining what's wrong, what is it."

"No bodies." Shining Armor answered. "No bodies anywhere."

Tempest know what that meant to the unicorn stallion before she got in front of him with her hands on his shoulders. "Now Shining don't you getting any thoughts about what happened in the last war. That couldn't have happened again here in Canterlot."

"But l have to find out." Shining Armor said before he carefully puts Tempest's hands away from his shoulders and started running towards the royal castle with the unicorn mare behind him. After a few minutes of running they made it to the front gate of Canterlot castle and in front of the gate had several pony heads on spears sticky into the ground which made both the unicorn ponies to almost throw up at the sight of it. Then they both looked at each other, swallowing their fears, went past the heads, and past the gate.

Inside was worst as they find a huge pile of dead stallions in the courtyard and the most of them was that of the castle guards stripped-down of their armor and weapons. There was one face that got Shining Armor's eyes locked on too. It was Prince Blueblood with his throat cut at the middle and both of his eyeballs completely missing. Shining Armor's mind was bringing back 'all' of his memories of the last war straight to the core of his mind. But thankfully for him that he hears something hitting the ground making the unicorn stallion to turned to his left to see Tempest on her hands and knees throwing up her guts out. "Most likely she can't stand the smell." Shining Armor thought to himself as he went to Tempest and put his hand on her back. "Are you alright there Tempest." Shining Armor Asked just as Tempest got up to her knees.

"I'm... I'm fine." The unicorn mare reply before she got back up onto her feet. "I was just completely off guard with that awful smell."

"I see. Luckily l have been though this before back during the last war."

"Your lucky." Tempest muttered before she look back at the bodies. "But why they are doing this."

"Revenge." A voice answered Tempest's question making both of the unicorn ponies to look behind them to find a zebra mare wearing black pants and a black cloak on with the hood down that Shining Armor knows all to well.

"Zecora." Shining Armor said before he ran into the zebra mare's arms and kissed her on the libs making Tempest blush to see that. Then the unicorn stallion broke the kiss and look at his herd wife. "What are you doing here in Canterlot."

"After me and the rest of the girls heard about the surprised attack by creatures that look like hippogriffs with zebra stripes l know that mad Emperor Zaka had finally unleash the zebra-griffs for this war." Then Zecora noticed Tempest Shadow was standing making the zebra mare blush and got out of Shining Armor's arms.
"(clears throat) You must be Tempest Shadow my future sister for Shining Armor's herd." Zecora said while she walk over to the unicorn mare and shaking her hand.

"Yep that's me." Tempest said putting her hand away before she remembers something that Zecora said earlier. "What a minute what do you mean by 'revenge' from earlier."

That got Zecora to look at the bodies with a sad look on her face before she said. "(sign) Around five hundred years ago during the very first time that both the Zebra Empire and Equestria was at war the pony soldiers of that time were do raids on the villages with the stallions killed and the mares forced to pleasure the pony stallions lust. Princess Celestia didn't know at the time as she trying to stopped a other war with the buffalo tribes in the desert but after she learn about the raids after she made peace with the buffaloes the princess herself went to the zebra emperor of that time to make a peace treaty and emperor agree for peace but the damage was already done with thousands of zebras dead in the ground. Why do you think there's always been bad blood between Equestria and the Zebra Empire." Both Shining Armor and Tempest Shadow look shocked at Zecora's story about a past that both of them don't know.

"I didn't know." Shining Armor said. "And they still remember that though these centuries."

"The scars of those raids still are in the abandoned villages of the zebra empire territories. But unlike the rest of my kind l know how let the past be the past and look for a new beginning." Zecora said before she walked over back to the front gate. "I believe that we should get moving. There are still many zebra-griff patrols around and l don't want to be around when they see two ponies and one zebra friend to the ponies just standing around." She turned around to walk out of the courtyard only to stopped when a spear landed in front of her. That got all three of their eyes to widened in shock before they turned upwards to see three
zebra-griffs in the sky.

"Back to back." Shining Armor ordered the two mares therefore making all three of them be in one spot with backs touching each other. Shining Armor ready his long sword, Tempest ready both her flintlock pistol and short sword, and Zecora was spear from earlier with giving it a few spins with it to show that she is a spear fighter. Then the three zebra-griffs landed in front of each one of the small group. The zebra-griff in front of Shining Armor was holding a long sword of his own with some spikes on it making the sword looked more like a huge bone saw. The
zebra-griff in front of Tempest Shadow was holding a pair of curved twin daggers spinning in each clawed hand. And finally the zebra-griff in front of Zecora was holding a nasty looking battle axe with a pony skull on the end of the handle. Shining Armor can tell that there was no way out of this mess without teleporting away but he can't do a group teleportation like Twilight did with her friends so he knows a know plan of action.

"Kill the stallion. Take that mare and traitor as the new slaves for the camp we can have some fun with them later tonight." The zebra-griff in front Shining Armor said with all three of them chuckling afterwards. Soon all three zebra-griffs begin to slowly walked towards the group and as they were fixing to attack...

"GAG"

"GAG"

"GAG"

A wave of arrows in a complete circle killed the zebra-griffs before they fell down on the floor. Shining Armor, Tempest Shadow, and Zecora was confused at this until a certain pegasus mare landed on the ground along with the rest of her team. "Spitfire." Shining Armor said running to the worderbolt captain only to get hit right in the face from Spitfire and the unicorn stallion was on the ground.

"That was for scaring me Shining." Spitfire snapped before she pick him up. "Do you know how any idea l was worried all the time l was looking for you."

"Listen Spitfire l know you're mad but mmm." Shining Armor didn't finished his talking as the pegasus mare kissed him on the lips.

Then Spitfire broke the kiss. "Your in going to make up for it in the bedroom. You hear me mister." Then Spitfire noticed both Tempest and Zecora was a few feet a head of her. "Zecora didn't scared the rest of us like that after you ran off."

"Sorry Spitfire." Zecora said.

"Nevermind come everypony... And zebra we have a train still in the station that has all of our names on. Let's go." After Spitfire said that the whole group got to the station, fire up the train, and began the long trip straight towards the Crystal Empire.