Chapter 29

The Southern Jungles, Zebrica

Major Shining Armor of the Equestrian Expeditionary Forces (EEF) stared at the flickering flames dancing within his camp’s fire pit. He had been stationed in Zebrica, along with his small task force for a little over a year now. Despite the familiarity with his post, nights in the jungle still made him wary. Maybe it was his instincts as a herbivore stuck in a jungle full of predators or it could have to do with the fact that he had been attacked on several different occasions…by creatures from the jungle. Regardless, he felt confident that his team had picked a secure location for the night.

Shining Armor’s task force consisted of four beings, which included himself. His second in command was Lt. Hailfire, who was a butter yellow pegasus with a two toned red and orange colored mane. Hailfire’s cuite mark was unusual to say the least. It was basically a representation of a giant explosion. He was the older brother of the well-known Captain of the Wonderbolts, Spitfire. But unlike his sister, he retained a thick Stalliongrad accent. His role in group was that of a demolition expert.

The next member of the team was an average sized female griffon by the name of Brünnhilde. Unlike most griffons, her fur was black colored, like that of a panther’s. Her feathers were mostly white but with a small patches of indigo near her chest and gold colored eyes. She had the rank of sergeant in the griffon army and was considered a military attaché of sorts. This was not to say that she didn’t contribute in combat. No, she was more than happy to kill whatever unfortunate creature came across their path. Her main purpose in the group was recon and scouting, due to her exceptional skill with flying in extreme conditions.

The final member of the team was a grizzled donkey by the name of Mortimer. Most of the time he was quiet and when he did talk it was often just to complain about how bad life in the jungle was. Despite his grumpy attitude, he was a skilled medic, potion maker, and cook. He wasn’t really a very good fighter, so he let the rest of the gang take care of the more violent aspects of their mission.

Everyone sat around the fire relaxing while they could because the jungle was a unpredictable place where danger could assail them at any moment. Shining continued to absentmindedly stare into the fire while Hilde and Mort looked like they were about to fall asleep. In the meantime, Hail pulled out a bottle of vodka he had stashed away and took a few generous swigs.

“Ahhh, there’s nothing like vodka to calm the nerves and sooth the spirit. But alas, it makes my heart yearn for the comforts of home.”

Mort rolled his eyes. “You and your damn Stalliongrad, I swear you talk about that city like it was your mother.”

“My dear friend, Stalliongrad is very much like my mother. She offers us the bounty of the land, much like a mare overs the milk from her teats to a newborn foal. We partake of her milk and grow healthy to raise strong foals of our own!”

“Fine…whatever you say.”

Hail’s eyes sparkled. “I’m simply bursting at the seams with patriotism; I feel a song coming on.”

“Oh please Celestia no, anything but that!”

“♫ United forever in friendship and labor, our mighty kingdom will ever endure! The great Equestrian Union will thrive through the ages, the dream of the ponies their future secure.♫”

Hail abruptly stopped singing when he saw a wounded zebra hobble into the camp. With a quick flap of his wings, the stallion rushed over to the zebra and helped carry him over to Shining Armor. Meanwhile, Mort grabbed some of his medical supplies. From what Shining could tell, the zebra was suffering from several lacerations running alongside his barrel. Once Mort treated the zebra, Shining began to ask him some questions.

“My name is Major Shining Armor and I’m part of the EEF. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you in any way we can.”

The zebra nodded slowly. “Thank goodness. I do not mean to be rude but my village is in dire need of help. A band of diamond dog slavers came out of nowhere and attacked. We tried to scramble as many warriors as we could, but the dogs outnumbered us.”

Hilde spat onto ground in disgust. “Those good for nothing mutts! They are too greedy and lazy to make an honest living, so they must capture innocent zebras to do their dirty work. I will skin the next hound I find and turn him into a floor rug!”

“Hilde, I know you’re upset but we need to remain calm. Charging into the village without a plan would only end in disaster.”

“R-right, I’m sorry sir. I got a bit carried away.”

“It’s alright; we’ll make them pay soon enough. Could I possibly get your name sir and the location of the village?”

“Ah yes, I must have forgotten to tell you my name. I am called Kimbo and I serve as one of the chieftain’s guards. The village is only about a half mile south of this camp. It should only take us fifteen minutes to arrive, if we hurry.”

It took the group a bit longer than expected since Shining Armor had to put Kimbo on a makeshift stretcher and drag him there. They had all seen combat but the sight that greeted them was still shocking none the less. The entire village was in chaos as zebras fled to avoid being captured. Some of the huts had been vandalized and two were even on fire. Several ruddy colored diamond dogs were dragging some zebras away in nets, while others still continued to fight. Shining waved his hoof to call for a strategy meeting.

“Ok guys, we need to figure out the best way to take out those dogs. Hail, whip up a few fire bombs and toss them at the large cluster of dogs guarding the prisoners near the outskirts of the village. Mort you follow him and tend to any wounded zebras. Hilde, you’re with me. I’ll blast as many of them as I can with my magic, then we stick to melee combat.”

Shining and Hilde slowly crept up on two dogs who were reading their nets. They weren’t really paying any attention to anything behind them, instead choosing to focus on a group of healthy young, zebra mares cowering in front of a hut. One of the dog’s ears perked up as he turned to his comrade.

“Hey Fido, I think I heard something. It might be a…”

Before the dog could finish, Hilde sliced his jugular with one of her talons. Shining took out the other dog in much the same manner but with a long knife instead. The zebras looked even more terrified as they watched the corpses of the diamond dogs convulse on the ground. Noticing their fear, Shining sheathed his combat knife back into his shoulder holster and raised his hooves to show that he wasn’t a threat.

“Easy ladies, we’re here to help. I know Hilde looks a bit intimidating but she won’t hurt any of you, I promise. Can any of you direct me to the chieftain’s hut?”

One of the mares raised her hoof. “Umm…y-yes I can show you the way. Just follow the middle path in-between those two rows of huts. It’s a large rectangular building with the red tiled roof. You can’t miss it.”

As Hilde and Shining made their way to the chieftain’s hut, they heard the primal screams of diamond dogs being burned alive. Sure enough, above them was Hailfire raining home-made firebombs upon the dogs with a manic grin upon his muzzle.

“Do svidaniya little puppies! HAHAHAHA!”

While Hilde didn’t seem particularly bothered, the stench of burning flesh made Shining feel like he could vomit on the spot. He grit his teeth while swallowing a heavy lump in his throat, hoping that the smell wouldn’t be as intense when they reached the hut. The two of them burst through the door, only to find utter chaos inside. A dead zebra stallion was lying on the floor, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. In the corner was an old zebra clad in fine jewelry, being protected by a younger zebra with a spear. Shining could only assume the older one was the chieftain. A bigger black coated diamond dog with a large scar over his eye pointed a machete towards the pair.

“Resistance is futile old one. My pack has surrounded your puny village. If you beg, I might consider sparing your life. You may be too old to be of any use in the mines…but I’m sure you’d be just perfect for scrubbing dirt off my paws.”

Shining had heard enough. His horn lit up with an intense violet glow as he loosened a massive bolt of kinetic energy straight at the diamond dog’s chest. The dog grunted in surprise as he was sent flying into the wall with a resounding crash. As the dust cleared, the dog lunged at Shining trying as hard he could to lob off the stallion’s head in a single head with his enormous machete.

Shining rolled to the side dodging the first strike and quickly whipped out his own combat knife The dog raised his machete overhand to try and cleave into Shining’s gut, but he managed to block it…barely. Unfortunately for Shining the blow was so heavy it knocked his knife away, sending the blade skittering across the floor. He was now on the floor, lying on his back without a weapon. The dog grinned savagely as he saw his prey in such a helpless position.

“Any last words before I feast upon your entrails?”

“Nope, I’ll just let my magic do the talking.”

The dog’s eyes widened with terror. “Magic? Oh shi…”

Shining enveloped the dog in his signature shield spell, except this time it wasn’t going to be used to protect anyone. Slowly, he decreased the shield bubble’s size until it began to crush the dog inside of it. The dog’s howls of agony couldn’t be heard because the bubble was soundproof but that didn’t mean anyone was spared the visual carnage. After a few tense minutes, Shining deactivated the spell, leaving only a rubbery mass of dog viscera on the floor. It was then, that he finally threw up. After Hilde and a few other zebras cleaned the room, the old zebra hobbled over to Shining and patted him on the back.

“My boy, you’ve saved the village. I’m not sure that I can thank you enough for what you’ve done.”

Shining wiped his mouth. “I was just doing my job sir.”

“And a fine job at that. I am Mchumba, the chief of this village. At the very least I am obligated to provide you with food and shelter for the evening. Can you accept at least that much?”

“Yeah…a nice, warm bed sounds great. I feel so tired.”

“Haha well you did fight like a demon, if I’ve ever seen one! Anyone would be tired after such an ordeal. If it is sleep you desire, then I shall have one of my warriors escort you to the guest room.”

Shining found his new room to be surprisingly well furnished. He had assumed that it was going to look more…primitive. Most of the furniture was made from luxurious dark wood, along with a medium sized vanity mirror. The bed was large enough to fit an alicorn and fitted with purple, silky sheets that felt like clouds to his exhausted body. He didn’t even bother taking off his fatigues, he was too tired to care. Seconds later, he was peacefully snoring.

The next morning he awoke to the smell of cooked grains, not quite bread but not oatmeal either. It smelled familiar but he couldn’t quite put his hoof on it. As Shining rubbed his eyes, he noticed that a zebra mare was sitting on the floor across from him. In her hooves was a tray of assorted fruits and what appeared to be some dark colored pancakes. She trotted over to his bed and set the tray on a nearby table and simply sat there with an expectant smile.

“Good morning sir. I hope breakfast is to your liking.”

Shining rubbed the back of his mane. “Oh well, yeah it looks pretty good to me. It sure beats army rations…that’s for sure. Thanks.”

“It was no trouble at all. Take your time enjoying the meal and rest as much as want. You are our guest today and as such, you’ll be treated with hospitality befitting a hero.”

While it’s true that Shining was still somewhat tired from last night’s events, he wasn’t nearly so hungry. He’d been living off of army rations for years now and his metabolism was much more efficient than a civilian pony’s. A few hoof-fulls of fruit and one pancake sated his hunger. But that still left quite a bit of food. He didn’t want to waste it, so he pushed the plate towards the mare.

“Hey do you want any of this, ‘cause I’m pretty full right now.”

The mare frowned. “It would be rude of me to eat your meal.”

“It’s not rude if I’m offering it to you. Go ahead and eat, I’d feel bad if all this wonderful food went to waste.”

With a slight nod, the zebra began to nibble on one of the pancakes. While she was busy eating, Shining decided to give her a look over. He wanted to at least try and familiarize himself with some of his zebra hosts, but it was difficult because they didn’t really have the distinctive colors that ponies did. She had a slightly muscular lithe build not unlike Dusk’s friend, Rainbow Dash. Her mane was mostly white and had two black streaks running down near the ears. It was straightened out and braided with colorful beads on the ends.

The most distinct feature she possessed was her rose colored eyes. From what little Shining understood about zebras, was that a majority of them had blue eyes and that red was an exceedingly rare color for them. He had to admit that she was very beautiful, in an exotic sort of way. His reverie was broken when he heard the zebra giggle.

“See anything you like?”

Shining blushed. “Umm…well I’m just not used to zebras. I-I didn’t mean to stare.”

“Ah but you were staring. Not to worry, I don’t mind.”

“Heh yeah I suppose I was. B-but only because I was trying to familiarize myself with what you guys look like, so I distinguish who’s who.”

“Hmm, that may very well be the case. However, you were familiarizing yourself with my flank far longer than is customary. Am I mistaken? Or…is that some part of Equestrian culture I’m unfamiliar with?”

“Ok fine I admit it! I was checking you out. But you have to understand that it’s been months since I’ve seen a pretty mare. I can’t help it…”

The mare lip’s curled into a mischievous grin. “So I am pleasing to your eye? I’m relieved to hear you say that.”

“Why is that?”

The mare sauntered over to the bed and nestled herself next to Shining. She then proceeded to unbutton the claps on his fatigues until his chest was exposed. After that she began to plant several, deliberately slow kisses down his neck. Shining was so surprised that he nearly smacked his cranium on the headboard of the bed.

The mare nibbled on his ear and whispered. “Because I am to be your reward and it wouldn’t do if you didn’t desire me, otherwise my father would have chosen another mare to take my place.”

“R-reward!? Hold on a second! What do you mean?”

She continued to draw a circle in his chest fur with her hoof. “In Zebrica it is our custom to give the village’s bravest warriors an attractive mare to wed. Since you saved us, it is only fitting that you receive the best. I am yours to command.”

“Wait, wait, wait! Don’t you have any say in this?”

“It is not my place to question tradition. My father said that you saved his life and this is how he is repaying the debt he owes you.”

Shining’s ears flattened. “Your father doesn’t owe me anything; I was just doing my job!”

“He would never see it that way. You are to be my husband and I have accepted that.”

“I-I’m not sure I can let you do this. It’s just so…wrong to force marriage on somepony.”

“You Equestrians have such romantic notions. Many of our marriages are arranged when we are but foals. Love is something that develops when we get to know our betrothed.”

“That’s so…backwards. How can you accept that?”

“I do not feel as if I am being forced into anything. I volunteered to be your wife because I wanted to, not because my father told me to. In fact, there were many mares that wished to be your wife. I simply beat them to it due to my status. Besides, you are quite attractive to me as well…so I wouldn’t mind at all if you bedded me.”

Shining fiddled with his hooves. “Well that’s a relief I guess. I already feel bad about all of this, let alone if you hadn’t found me desirable. I guess there isn’t any way to talk you out of this huh?”

“No there is not. You must also understand that I have wished to escape from this village for some time now. My spirit is restless, I wish to see the world and try new things! More than anything else, this is also an opportunity for me. There is no need for you to feel guilty on my behalf. Who knows? Perhaps we shall come to love one another in future.”

“Ok. I’ll give this-us a chance. I’m willing to do at least that much. But I want us to make a promise to one another. Right here, right now. If at any time you feel that you don’t want me to be your special somepony, then you’re free to pursue anypony you want.”

The mare kissed him on the cheek. “Your honesty is touching and it makes you all the more desirable as a husband. Many stallions would never have given me that choice. I will uphold our promise but I don’t believe I have any reason to want anyone else.”

Shining blushed. “Good, I just wanted to give you a choice…it makes me feel better at least. Umm, but there is one tiny little detail we haven’t gone over.”

“Oh and what would that be?”

“I don’t know your name.”

“Hahaha, ah right I almost forgot. How rude of me! My name is Alitash. Might I know yours as well?”

“Just call me Shining.”

Author's Notes:

I hope everyone likes my characterization of SA and the new story arc. Next week I will be focusing on Pinkie and Discord as well as a little bit of Molly and Dusk.