A new way to Survival

Shining Armor, Zecora, Spitfire, Tempest Shadow, and the rest of the wonderbolts was still on the train heading straight for the Crystal Empire and while they were doing that Spitfire was talking to Zecora about leaving. "I mean seriously Zecora you had us worry to death after you ran off like that."

"I am Spitfire really." Zecora said. "But after l heard about the zebra-griffs l just try to help anypony in Canterlot before the attack. But as you already know it was too late."

Spitfire just signed before she brings the sad zebra mare's head to her chest. "(sign) I know, l know. Just tell us that you were going to do that the next time you want to run away to help ponies okay."

Zecora brings her head back up before saying. "Okay." Then the pegasus mare and zebra mare begin to share a kiss with each other. Down the train cart Shining Armor just smile to see his two herd wifes was burying the past before he makes his way to the train engine. As he was doing so the unicorn stallion noticed that some of the wonderbolts was pretty mess up with battle scars, dark magic burn marks, broken arms, broken legs, some of their feathers missing, and many other things.

"This new enemy must be strong like Tempest's story in order to do all of this." Shining Armor thought to himself. "How are we going to fight them if we can't hold ourselves together with the injuries we keep getting." Then he got to the train cart door, opened it, stepped outside, closed the door behind him, and begins to walk over the coal. The unicorn stallion can tell that they were getting closer and closer to the Crystal Empire with all the snow in the air and now the ground. Shining Armor should be feeling the cold air but after living in the Crystal Empire for some time now that he gotta used to the cold air like if it was a part of him. Shining Armor then made it to the train engine where Tempest and a black pegasus stallion was working gears and pipes of the engine. "How's it going." Shining Armor asked.

"We are almost there." Tempest answered Shining Armor's question. "At this rate we'll be in the Crystal Empire in no time."

"Good the sooner the better we get to the empire, the sooner we can think new plans for a counterattack to the enemy forces." Then Shining Armor noticed that the black pegasus stallion had a uneasy look on his face. "Is there something wrong about that wonderbolt." The unicorn captain asked.

"Sir l... Just that... Um." The black pegasus stallion said before he signs. "(sign) With all due respect sir but l heard a different story back in the thorne room of the crystal castle."

"What kind of 'different story' you have heard." Tempest Shadow asked the black pegasus stallion.

"I was guarding the outside of the thorne room, with the doors open of course, until l heard Princess Celestia's voice saying that the war is once again lost and she with the other princesses were sending a messager to the Zebra Empire for our surrender before Spitfire dragged me off to find you." Both Shining Armor and Tempest Shadow can only stand there in shock after hearing what the wonderbolt just said.

But as for the unicorn captain it was like the last war all over again with the lost of so many ponies for the territories to get back from the zebras. He was about to say something to the black pegasus wonderbolt until his eyes saw the Crystal Empire no more than a mile away and soon he will get his answers.
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1 HOUR LATER

As soon the train stopped at the station Shining Armor got off and runs over to the crystal castle like a madman with his herd wifes trying to catch up. The unicorn stallion was about to go through the main gate until he sees a wagon with a few zebra guards around it. After Shining Armor saw that he resume his running and made it to the thorne room where Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadence was sitting on the right side of a huge rectangle shaped table with Emperor Zaka sitting on the left side of the table.

Then Cadence noticed Shining Armor before she jumped up from her seat and hugged him. "Oh Shining you have no idea how l missed you so much." The princess of love cried.

"Don't worry Cadence that won't happen again." Shining Armor said before he broke the hug and looking over the other two alicorn mares and zebra stallion. "Now what in the name of Tartarus is going on here."

"It's very simple Prince Armor." The zebra emperor said. "You kind has once again lost a other war and now it's time to pay the dept of losing."

"I wasn't talking to you stripe bastard." Shining Armor snapped making the zebra guards behind their emperor to draw their swords but they were stopped with the wave of Emperor Zaka's right hand making them to put their swords away.

"Please Emperor Zaka let me." Princess Celestia said before turning to the angry unicorn captain. "Shining Armor please try to understand that we had once again have no choice but to try to save what we have left."

"But how many mares, fillies, and colts it will cost for this peace."

"To you the truth Prince Armor." Emperor Zaka stepped in. "This time l am willing to give back all of the ponies l have capture in 'this' war in return all of Equestria's territories." That got Shining Armor's eyes to widened in disbelief after what the zebra stallion just said. If this deal goes he, Cadence, Celestia, Luna and every single pony will have no choice but to live in the territories of the Crystal Empire. "And l believe that is better what could happen like the last time."

"But... But... But you can't do that." Shining Armor said in a shaky voice.

"It's already to late Shining." Princess Luna said. "We have already made this new treaty for this peace that we will keep this time."

"Then l will be leaving now." Emperor Zaka said while getting up from his chair. "I will go and get all of the ponies in the prison camps and also thank you for the new territories." Then the zebra stallion with his guards begin to walk out of the room and the same time walking pass a stunned Shining Armor.

After the zebras lifted the room Spitfire, Zecora, and Tempest Shadow got inside the thorne room with Spitfire asking. "What was that about."

Celestia was the one who answered the pegasus mare's question. "The end to the war."
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1 WEEK LATER

Ponies was still coming into the Crystal Empire after a week of the new peace treaty. They were coming from cities like New Ponyville, Vanhoover, Las Pegasus and more. Shining Armor was helping with a earth pony family getting a new house in the Crystal Empire. During his time in the empire Shining Armor find out that Spike was able to make it to the Crystal Empire after the zebra-griffs was pushing though Equestria and Spike also brought his herd wifes Rarity, Fluttershy, Cream Heart, and Roseluck with him. Shining Armor also heard that Big Mac got out in time as well with his herd wifes Sugar Belle, Cheerilee, Marble Pie, Limestone Pie, and Maud Pie. How Big Mac got the three pie sisters Shining Armor will never know but at least his little brother and best friend is still alive.

After helping the earth pony family Shining Armor deiced to head back to the crystal castle and as he was doing so the unicorn stallion saw a family of zebras getting in their new house. It was Zecora's family after they managed to sneak into the Crystal Empire with some help from Princess Cadence. Shining Armor can still remember how nervous he was meeting Zecora's family for the first time especially when Zecora's father heard about his daughter being one of the unicorn stallion's herd wifes without his permission. But thanks to Zecora the zebra stallion let his daughter to be with the pony stallion she loves.

He was about three blocks away from the crystal castle until he sees both his mother, Twilight Velvet, and his father, Night Light, going inside their new home. Shining Armor was relief when he heard that both of his parents managed to make it out of Canterlot during the zebra and zebra-griff attack on the city. Shining Armor then goes through the main gate and straight into the crystal castle. As he was walking down the hallways the unicorn stallion can see that normal ponies was guarding the hallways in Crystal Empire armor. Shining Armor along with all three princesses thought it was best to draft some
non-crystal ponies into the Crystal Empire's army for some extra protection after the fall of Canterlot. But now Shining Armor just wants to lay down and get some rest from all the work.

The unicorn captain made it to the door of his room and open it. Inside was a desk on the right side of the room, a balcony was also on the right side of the room over looking the whole Crystal Empire, in the middle of the bedroom was a huge bed that is three times bigger than a king size bed for him and his herd wifes to share, on the left side of the room was a closet that look small on the outside but it was big on the inside thanks Luna's magic to hold all of the clothes they need, also to the left side of the room was bathroom that just the normal size for any other family, and there was a baby size bed right next to the main bed with a small alicorn filly sleeping in. Inside the bedroom was his herd wifes with Cadence rocking their daughter, Flurry Heart, in the baby size bed, Zecora was now the main bed reading a book from the Crystal Empire library, Fleur Dis Lee was in the closet looking herself in a mirror with a short blue dress she was holding in front of her, Luna was on the desk writing out some orders for the bat pony guards to guard their new home at night, Spitfire was also on the main bed but she was looking over a map of the Crystal Empire to find a place to train herself and the wonderbolts for shows, and finally Tempest Shadow was sharping her short sword with a rock while sitting down on a chair.

When Shining Armor open the door all of the mares look at the door to see their husband walking inside. "Shining your back." Fleur said as she puts her short dress down on the bed and walked over to the unicorn stallion to give him quick kiss on his lips. "How is everything going with the new home program."

"Going fine but slow." Shining Armor reply before he goes over to the main bed to sit down. "All of the ponies that are still coming in looking for a new home but we have to do one family at a time ever with the huge group of helpers trying to keep everypony to slow down."

"Didn't worry Shining l'm sure everything is working fine." Luna said.

"I know but..." Shining Armor couldn't finished his sentence as his mind started to go back to his little sister.

Cadence sees her husband's face and knows what exactly he is thinking before she stepped in. "Shining don't start thinking about Twilight. You know that what happens in the past cannot be undone." Then she comes up to his right side to sit down. "I miss her too Shining."

"I know but Flurry will never know her like we did while she was alive."

"But Flurry will know her Shining." Tempest said. "Twilight may not be alive but she will be still in your heart." Then the unicorn mare puts her hand on his chest. "Right here."

Then Zecora puts up the sleeping Flurry Heart and sits down on Shining Armor's left side. "And you could tell her how great her aunt Twilight was. How she was a hero to many ponies and how she bested ever villain she face with her friends and sent ever single one of them away." Then the zebra mare give Flurry Heart to Shining Armor and the unicorn stallion thought of something he never thought before. True Twilight is no longer alive but she still is in his heart and from that day on he will keep Twilight's memory alive no matter what for his daughter... Forever.