The Siege of Canterlot

“Here, hold this for a second.” Said Cindy, standing at what seemed to be the end of the tunnel and holding out her candle towards me. The wax of the candle had melted over the course of our escape, and only a very small part of it remained, barely enough to keep it lit.

I walked over to her and grabbed the candle. Cindy turned back to the front again. I only then realized that the tunnel had ended not in a simple wall, but a door. A locked, wodden door.

Cindy pulled out the key from before and pushed it inside the lock. I could hear her give out a quiet sigh before turning the key. The door opened with a loud creak.

As Cindy and her child were just about to leave the tunnel, I pulled on her tail, tugging her back inside. “Wait!”

“Ouch! What was that for!?” Cindy shouted back at me.

“Sshh...” I moved a hoof over my mouth. “You could get us killed if you shout like that.” I said in a lowered voice. Cindy and Stephanie both looked at me, clearly angered and confused.

“Where the hay are we?” I asked her, trying to sound gentle.

“The City Center, not far away from the castle.” She replied in a monotone voice. “Could have asked before we were about to leave, you know...” She added with a light grumble.

I gently pushed her aside and poked my head out of the tunnel, looking around for possible changeling attacks. The last thing I wanted was to risk the lives of those two.

From my position I managed to make out that we were surrounded by rows of houses on either side. Up ahead was a wooden fence and before it stood an apple tree. ’Must be somepony’s backyard...’ I thought to myself, still looking for any changeling activity, fortunately not spotting any nearby.

“Right. It’s clear.” I said to both Cindy and Stephanie without turning around. “Come on!”

I dashed out of the tunnel exit, stopping at the corner of the nearest house. Cindy and Stephanie stopped next to me only a few seconds after.

“What exactly is your plan, if I might ask?” Cindy asked me in an unsure voice as I peeked around the corner of the house.

“We don’t have much time, I’m afraid. Maybe I’ll tell you later.” I told her, running out of cover towards the street up ahead.

I heard the two follow behind me as I ran and once again heard Cindy, talking in the same annoyed and unsure voice as before.

“I think I’d like to know now, actually” Cindy said, trying to grab hold of one of my hooves.

I didn’t listen to her, however. My eyes were locked on the building I saw down the street: Canterlot Castle.

Even though I had been in the castle a few times before the battle, it inspired completely new feelings within me now. It wasn't just an ordinary castle, it was a bastion of hope to me. If anypony was still willing to fight and stop the changelings in the city, they would be there.

“Brass, I want you to tell me w-” Cindy attempted to say before I ran off, leaving her in the dust. “Brass! Bra-Ugh! Come back!” Cindy shouted after me. I heard her breathing loudly, only briefly turning my head to spot her not far behind me.

“Brass! Stop! Answer me!” Cindy continued to shout as we closed in on the castle.

“Trust me, Cindy! Just trust me!” I shouted back, “We’ve got to make it to the castle!”

As we were about to pass the castle’s main gate, one of the guards at the castle spotted the three of us. “Stop!” The stallion shouted. Me and Cindy both came to a halt. I breathed heavily, unable to speak, while Cindy seemed like she was about to collapse to the ground at any second. The long sprint down the street truly came back to bite us.

“Identify yourselves!” Demanded the guard, with several other guards now reinforcing the entrance to the castle.

I lifted a hoof and opened my mouth, attempting to reply, but I was too exhausted.

“I said: Identify yourselves! Now!” The guard shouted once more.

“I...” I gave out in a weak voice, “I am...Brass.” I continued to breathe heavily, making it hard to say much of anything.

The guards looked at each other briefly before turning back towards us. “That doesn’t tell me much of anything, I’m afraid.”

“Give me...give me a moment...” I said, trying to regain my breath.

“I’m afraid we don’t have ‘a moment’, right now.” The guard replied. “Answer now!”

“I am Brass.” I said weakly. “I am the Commanding Officer of...” I took a few deep breaths again, “of the 24th Royal Infantry Division.”

The guards continued to look at me, some of them raising an eyebrow. “Here. My rank and unit insignia.” I added, pointing towards my helmet which showed my rank insignia, then pointing towards my flank which showed my unit’s insignia, a sword surrounded by flames.

“Very well then. You may enter the castle.” Said the guards, convinced by the proof I showed them. I smiled and took a first step forward before they interrupted me once more. “Wait! What about them?” Asked a different guard, talking about Cindy and Stephanie. “Who are you?”

Cindy and I glanced at each other before both turning to the guards again. “I...I am...” Cindy coughed quietly, trying to get a full sentence out. I noticed how she grew increasingly nervous. Not that I could particularly blame her, of course. “My name is Cindy. Cindy Pastry.” She said at last. “A-And this is my daughter, Stephanie.”

The guards looked at each other once again. They seemed...rather unconvinced, to say the least. “Miss Pastry, are you part of the armed forces?” Asked another guard.

Cindy raised an eyebrow at the odd question. “Uh...no. No, I am not. I worked at a Bakery.” Cindy replied more, having caught her breath for the most part.

“Then...I am afraid we cannot let you in.” Replied the same guard with a heavy-hearted voice.

“What!? Why?” Cindy and me both asked in unison.

“The castle is already overcrowded with fleeing citizens and wounded soldiers. Due to this, Captain Shining Armour has given all guards the order to...deny access to any civilians that attempt to enter.” Explained yet another guard. “We’re sorry, Miss Pastry...” He added.

I turned around towards Cindy at hearing all this. She stood there, frozen. “You can’t do this!” I shouted at the guards, seeing the first tears escape Cindy’s eyes.

“We’re sorry, Brass, Sir, but it is our order to-”

“She is my wife!”

Everyone went silent for a few brief moments. Cindy looked over to me in surprise and disbelief, while the guards either looked at me with a raised eyebrow or turned to each other, whispering.

“You have to let her in!” I shouted again.

The guards remained silent for a moment before turning to Cindy. “Miss Pastry, is this true?” Asked one of them. “Is this stallion your husband?”

Cindy glanced at me briefly before looking over towards the guards. She gulped before replying to their question: “Yes. Yes, that’s true.”

“Then...” Said the same guard, “I suppose you can come with your husband and enter.”

A gentle smile formed on Cindy’s face as she heard this. “Thank you.” She replied. “Thank you very much.” She said again, bowing slightly to emphasize her words.

As the guards moved aside to let us through, I walked over to Cindy. “Do me a favour and don’t mess this up.” I whispered in her right ear.

Together, side by side, Cindy and me walked through the gate. Stephanie watched the guards curiously from her perch on her mother's back as they watched us closely in turn. I could hear Cindy breathing nervously, and it felt like hours before we reached the main hall.

In the end we still made it, however. We had made it into the castle. And for a brief moment, just for a few seconds, I felt safe. I felt like this was all over.

As our group of three entered the main hall of the castle, we were shocked to see that the floor was filled with ponies. There were wounded, both soldiers and civilians, there were small children looking for their parents, ponies crying at the loss of their family members.

I looked away. I moved on. Cindy, however, did not.

I turned around to see her kneeling next to one of the injured soldiers. She spoke to him but...I couldn’t make out what she told him over all the other noise in the room. The guards were right, the castle was overfilled.

I reluctantly walked back over to Cindy, kneeling down on the other side of the soldier, who was slowly losing consciousness. I shot a glance over to Cindy who continued to aid the stallion. Or, so she tried.

“Could you lift your hoof for me? Just a little bit.” She asked the stallion. He gave out an inaudible chain of words in reply, slightly lifting his right rear hoof.

Cindy took a deep breath and tore off a small piece of cloth from her dress. I watched silently as she moved over to the lifted hoof, slowly and carefully wrapping the cloth around an open, bloody wound. The stallion began screaming in pain as soon as the cloth touched the wound, but Cindy continued her work. I continued to watch, kneeling down next to a soldier and I wondered, yes I wondered, just what I was doing and why I was doing it.

The screaming came to a sudden halt as Cindy finished her bandage. She looked up to see that the head of the stallion had dropped to the ground. Blood was flowing out of his mouth, quickly covering a large portion of his face in blood. Cindy panicked, looking around to see if there was anything she could use, anything she could do. But it was too late. Both Cindy and me watched as the soldier held up a hoof one last time. His hoof dropped onto his belly, and his eyes closed.

We all sat next to the now deceased pony for a short moment before Cindy dropped on top of the now dead pony’s body, beginning to cry and sob loudly as she did. Stephanie, tears in her eyes herself, patted her mother on the back, speaking calming words in an attempt to weaken her emotional pain.

I watched. I watched ever so silently, not making a move, not making a sound. All I did was think. I asked myself what I was doing, why I was kneeling next to a young mare that was crying over the death of a soldier. I thought to myself ’Why don’t you just move on? Why don’t you leave her alone? Why would you stay?’

Cindy looked up to me, her eyes filled with tears. I expected her to say something, to ask me something maybe. But no. Nothing. Instead, her sobbing became quiet, her crying coming almost to a complete stop as we both looked at each other. Silently.

“We’ve got to go.” I said, still staring at her.

Cindy shook her head in reply. “Go? Go where, Brass?” She asked me, tearing up again. “Where else do you want to go? Do you want to leave all these ponies to their deaths? Do you want to keep running forever?”

I remained silent. I closed my eyes and tried to think.

“I’ve lost almost everything already, Brass. I’ve lost my home, my husband...I won’t lose the very city I grew up in.” She paused for a moment. I heard her breathe as I still had my eyes closed. “I’ll stay, Brass. I’m not gonna leave these ponies.”

I opened my eyes again. Cindy looked at me, secretly hoping I would stay with her, that I wouldn’t leave her now.

I slowly rose back onto my four hooves again, Both Cindy and me staring at each other as I did.

“I’m sorry, Cindy. I’m sorry your husband had to give his life because I failed my duties. I’m sorry you lost your home because we could not hold them back, I am sorry that we even let them get as far as Canterlot.”

I took a deep breath. “I’ve failed. I’ve failed Equestria, I’ve failed the Princess and this city, I’ve failed myself and...” I gulped before adding in a quiet, weak voice: “...And I’ve failed you.”

I noticed Cindy extending a hoof at me as she began to sob. “Brass. Please.” She said. “Stay with me.”

I shut my eyes and turned my back to her. “Brass...please.” She added quietly. I showed no reaction, tried to ignore it.

“I’m sorry, Cindy. For everything.” I said to her one last time before taking my first step forward. I heard her call for me repeatedly as I distanced myself from her. I could hear her crying, her sobbing...I could hear her pain. And although something deep inside of me told me to turn back and stay with her, I could not bring myself to do it.

I was a soldier. I had betrayed brothers in arms once already, getting them all slaughtered by an enemy that was...unmerciful and brutal. I couldn’t stay. I had to go and fight. I couldn’t sit idle and wait for the enemy to come and kill us all. Even if it meant I had to die, I had to fight. If not to redeem myself for being a coward, then so that Cindy could live.

This was my war, not hers. And I would end this war today: One way or the other.