Chapters The Calm before the Swarm
It has been five days now since I have been stationed in Canterlot. I took notice of how the mood in both the city and our division changed over the past few days.
When we arrived 5 days ago, we were greeted with cheers. It wasn’t a parade, but when we made our way to the barracks, down the main road, it sure seemed like one. We were celebrated like war heroes, even though most of us had never seen combat.
The initial euphoria of our arrival died down soon afterwards however. The city, from one day to another, would turn from cheering crowds to dead silent. Empty streets dominated the city as ponies stayed in their homes. They began to realize why we were here, and they realized what was coming.
My unit had also become increasingly quiet. As their officer, I have always kept an eye on certain ponies who wish to mess around, whether that be messing things up or simply causing trouble. However, not a single one of them even dared to speak up. They too knew what they were to face, what was heading straight towards us. They were trying to comprehend what they thought would happen when the siege finally began. Would they die? Would they lose their best friends? Such things they thought about, and such things they tried not to share with others.
I too have thought about it myself. Contrary to the others in the unit however, I always come to the same conclusion: I don’t know. And I can’t think of or fear something that I am not certain of.
The days that passed felt like hours. I felt a chill creep up my back whilst I was looking at some maps in my room, in preparation for the siege. I’m not sure why but...for some reason the silence in both the city and my unit was disturbing me. It was out of the norm, unusual, in opposite to what I have faced in the past.
When I went out of the barracks into the city once, I heard a pony call for me. The call came out of a house that I had only just passed by, and I saw the pony leaning out of an open window when I looked back.
“What are we gonna do?” The pony asked me with fear, “Are we...gonna die?”
I thought about her question briefly before replying to her with: “We shall see.” I turned my back to the pony once more before turning around again, adding: “Stay safe. And be ready for anything.” I saw the pony nod at me with tearful eyes before I finally turned around, continuing down the road as I was.
~*~
Today’s roll call was different. The men were surprisingly nervous, whispering and chattering as I inspected them. Usually only very few of my soldiers interrupt the roll call like that, this time it was almost the entire unit. Those who did not dare to speak up looked even more nervous than those who did. They knew. They had heard the news.
The enemy had been spotted not far away. They would reach us in less than 5 hours.
The officers of the different units stationed within Canterlot for the coming defense were rounded up in Canterlot Castle. After only a few minutes Captain Shining Armour of the Royal Guard entered the room, saluting us as he did. As we saluted back to him, he advanced towards the map table that stood in the middle of the room. It was a map of Canterlot, though not a military, professional map. It was a normal map, one that marked famous and interestings sights all around the city. Nopony had ever even considered Canterlot would ever be attacked, so we never bothered creating a real military map of it. After all, Equestria had been mostly peaceful for over a thousand years.
“Alright, listen up everypony.” Shining Armour said, leaning over the map. “Our scouts report that the enemy is headed towards us from this direction.” He put his hoof on the southern part of the map which said ‘Ponyville’. “Considering this, we will focus our forces on the southern part of the walls. We mustn’t let a single changeling through or else we-”
“I doubt your strategy will work, Captain.” Said a voice somewhere within the room.
“Who said that!?” Shining Armour demanded angrily. Me and the other officers shrugged and looked around, unable to find the guilty person.
“Why me, of course.” Said a voice behind me.
I stepped aside and looked behind me, spotting who it really was. I and the others froze in shock as we saw that it wasn’t just a soldier or officer that had spoken up. It was Princess Celestia herself.
“P-Princess? What are you-? I thought you had evacuated the city long ago?” Shining Armour asked, his thoughts clearly scattered.
“I was advised to do so, yes.” The princess said, slowly stepping towards the table. “But as I was about to leave, I realised that if I did leave, if I, the ruler of Equestria itself, did not stand my ground today I would not only be remembered as a coward but I would lose the faith of our people forever.”
The room was quiet. Celestia and Shining Armour stared each other down as they stood at the table, the Captain still attempting to sort his thoughts.
“But...Princess, it’s too dangerous. If- I mean, you could...”
“I know, Shining Armour. I am fully aware of the danger I am exposing myself to. It’s the choice I have made, and it’s a choice I’ve made not only for myself, but for our people and our nation. We must hold Canterlot.” The Princess looked at the Captain with a serious look, seemingly melting Shining Armour’s previous authority to the ground.
“I...yes. Of course.” He said half-hearted. “ I only wish to know that you are safe and sound, Princess .”
“I know that, Shining, and I appreciate your worry for me, but this is not the time to stand back. We are at war, and it’s about time we finally halt the Changeling advance. Here and now.” The princess said with confidence.
As Shining Armour remained silent, the Officers behind and next to Celestia began to seem more confident, knowing that their ruler too was now by their side.
“So, as I was saying.” The princess said, breaking the silence. “I strongly doubt your strategy would work, Captain.”
“And why is that?” Shining Armour replied with a raised eyebrow.
“The Changelings are likely to be luring us into a trap, a false sense of security.” The Princess replied before pointing a hoof on a point on the map. “They will likely flank us from multiple angles.” The Princess sighed quietly. “Just like they’ve done time and again during other battles.”
We all eyed the Princess with big eyes. Never had I dared to imagine one of the royal sisters had such great tactical knowledge. Shining Armour, too was most surprised by this, hastily eyeing the map at the points around the castle.
“You...You’re right...” He concluded. “They could easily show up from behind the mountainside and attack from behind.” He gulped, looking up to the Princess on the other side of the table. “Princess, if I may ask...what gives you such a good knowledge of tactics and strategy?”
Celestia gave out a brief, quiet chuckle in response. “You too would remember every tiny bit of Canterlot and its surroundings if you had spent over two thousand years living here. It...grows on you, so to say.” The Princess paused, sighing deeply. “Besides. The changelings have laid countless traps and ambushes during this war. It’s what they most excell at: Surprise attacks. One does not have to visit a Military Academy to realize that we are likely to be flanked. Common sense, you could say, Captain.”
The Captain and the Princess eyed each other silently for a brief moment before the Princess bent over the table once more.
“Too many ponies were lead into Chrysalis’ fangs...” She said with a bitter taste in her mouth. “We were blind, unable to learn from our mistakes in time. They would keep using the same strategy over and over, and we would do the same, marching straight into their traps, going straight where they wanted us to be.”
The Princess looked up to Shining Armour who was still watching her. The Princess stepped back from the table, turning around to the small crowd of Officers that we were. We stared her in the eyes as she glanced over us all.
“We must not let this continue.” She stated confidently, “We must not fall one step back. We will stand here, and we shall fight here. And with heart and soul I say, we shall win here.”
Her strong, confident voice managed to raise the mood of many of us, rallying many as they began to raise their hooves, cheering for the cause.
“We will not give Chrysalis a single inch! We will not let them destroy our homes! And, truth be on my side, we shall hold fast today, so that all of Equestria may see the light of a new day!”
The Princess’ speech concluded with a choir of cheers from our crowd. As we threw our caps and helmets in the air and cheered, we knew we would fight until the bitter end. The Princess had the power to turn cowards into champions, and so she did that day.
~*~
As our troops were headed towards their defensive positions on and behind the walls, I made my way up to the walls by walking up one of the several staircases that lead up. Arriving on the walls, I calmly marched over to two stallions who were looking through their binoculars.
“Anything new, Lieutenant?” I asked one of them. He had a brown coat and a blonde mane and tail.
He lowered his binoculars, turning his head slowly towards me. “You could say that...” He said, handing me his binoculars.
I lost no time in using the item he gave me. Though as soon as I saw through it, I saw what he had meant. An enormous swarm of Changelings, not more than 3 kilometres away, was headed straight towards us. My mouth hung open in shock without me noticing as I slowly lowered the binoculars. With every passing second, the sky ahead became darker and darker as the swarm blocked out the sun.
“Get ready.” I told the Lieutenant, promptly returning the binoculars to him.
“Sir, what are we gonna do?” Asked the other soldiers next to him.
I sighed deeply, turning my head briefly to where the enemy was still closing in on us. “Hold this city, soldier.” I replied, turning back and heading back down the walls.
~*~
“Fire!” Echoed throughout the city as our catapults rained death upon the now dangerously close Changeling swarm. I had been inside my tent for the previous 5 minutes, once again attempting to find anything of use on the maps of Canterlot. With no luck, unfortunately. I heard our troops scramble as I looked around, dashing outside to then see huge, burning boulders fly through the air. Only a few seconds later, I could hear the impact within the changeling swarm from within the city. If they weren’t out to kill us before, they definitely were now.
I hastily sprinted down the main street, heading back towards the nearest staircase that lead up to the walls. When I arrived at the stairs I froze momentarily as yet another wave of flaming rocks flew past, followed by yet another, even louder screeching from the swarm of Changelings.
As quickly as I could, I made my way up the stairs. When I finally arrived upstairs, breathing heavily, I saw the Changelings were now no more than half a kilometre away from us.
I drew my sword out of its sheath, seeing my men preparing themselves for the impending fight. Spears were raised, swords were drawn.
“Not one step back, anypony! The fate of Equestria and our families lies on our shoulders!” I spoke, waving my sword in the air as I marched behind the men.
I stopped and froze in an instant as the Changeling swarm, in unison, began to screech once more. This time however, it was much more aggressive, more intimidating. And it was directed towards us.
“For Ponykind! For Equestria!” I shouted, my men repeating after me as the Changelings dove down upon us. The cheering turned into brute screaming in less than a second, and the stallions on the wall readied themselves for combat.
The Siege of Canterlot, the ‘Battle for Equestria’, had begun.
“Take cover!” Shouted someone to my left. A moment later, as I looked over, he charged and pushed me over to the ground. I heard ponies scream in pain and terror as a flaming rock hit the wall where I had stood only a moment ago.
I opened my eyes. I saw the strange pony that had saved me scream into my face. He looked frightened, not that I could blame him. I could not understand a single word he said as a ringing spread in my ears, getting louder and louder with every passing second. The stranger then stood back up, turning towards the crater in front of us. I was practically deaf, but you don’t need to have ears to hear the horrors of a battlefield. You don’t hear them, you feel them.
I attempted to scramble back onto my feet. As I did, The stranger jumped forward into the burning crater in front of him. I froze as his body disappeared in a bright orange flame.
’Why?’ I thought, ’Why would he save my life right before taking his own?’
I got back onto my feet, looking around myself. I felt my heart pounding in my chest. Around me the fighting still took place, though it was horribly one-sided. Wherever I looked, it was one or two ponies, backs to the wall, fighting off at least 10 of the changelings.
I looked down to see my sword lying on the ground, right in front of me. I kneeled and picked it up with one hoof, looking at the blade of the weapon. The previously clean and new-looking blade was now covered in dust, with several blood splatters on it as well. I turned my head to the left slightly to see the body of the Lieutenant from before. He was dead. I felt my heart skip a beat as I looked at his corpse, hearing a scream from behind me as a pony was struck down by the changeling swarm. I felt pain, horror, sorrow...I felt it all.
I had to get out of there.
I looked at the gigantic crater once more. It had caused a large fire, one big enough to block the entire path along that side of the wall. I turned and ran off to the other side, my target being the first stairs down the walls I would encounter.
The stairs were not far away, only about 400 meters, but the way there was also crawling with more and more changelings. I took a deep breath, tightened my grip around my sword and charged forward. I had no time to lose.
I dashed forward, towards a fellow pony that was fighting off two of the beasts. With my speed and the element of surprise, I managed to stab one of them in the neck, delivering a killing blow. As the other one screeched and turned to attack me, my comrade made his move, stabbing his spear into the left eye of the remaining Changeling. The Changeling stumbled, screeching in pain as he finally collapsed to the floor. As the spear was pulled out moments after, the Changeling laid silent, dead from the fatal blow.
“Thank Celestia...” Said the stallion, saluting me as he breathed heavily. I nodded at him before continuing down the wall. I could see the nearest staircase down the wall not far away, but the path there was filled with changelings. I noticed the stallion from before following close behind me, his long, bloody spear at the ready. The two of us were heading straight into a group of three changelings, who themselves began flapping their insect wings as they buzzed straight towards us. I threw my sword forward, successfully managing to penetrate one of the foe’s skulls, causing him to fall to the ground immediately. I threw myself to the ground, barely avoiding the two other changelings as they flew right over my head. I stood up as quickly as I could and pulled my sword out of the now dead enemy’s skull, hearing the screech from behind me as my unknown ally impaled one of the Changelings with his spear. The remaining Changeling, however, managed to strike him, knocking him to the ground. He tried to get back up as the Changeling stood on top of him. He screamed for help, held out a desperate hoof towards me as the Changeling dug his fangs into him.
I turned away, attempting to mute his screaming within my head. It was too late for me to help him.
I arrived at the staircase with facing little resistance after this encounter. I looked around, checking left and right, as well as the sky for Changeling attacks, but it all seemed clear. And so, I proceeded and sprinted downstairs. I was out of breath, but I had to get out, I had to get off those walls.
When I was halfway there, I stopped to briefly catch my breath. That was when I heard a familiar voice shout my name.
“Brass!” He shouted. “Brass, get the hay down there!”
I looked over into the city to see a white-coated stallion stand atop a hastily built barricade in the street. It was my old friend Cobalt. We two first met in Elementary School, where we would somehow always cause trouble in some way. When we grew up, me and Cobalt agreed to join the army together, and so we did. However, we were split up into different regiments after we finished our basic training. I had not heard much of him since. Already thought him dead, to a degree. For 6 years I had not seen him. Wish we’d have met again under... better circumstances.
“Cobalt?” I shouted back at him, resuming to sprint down the stairs as fast as I could. “Cobalt! Cobalt, thank Celestia, it’s you!” I said to him as I ran towards him and the barricade.
I was not as welcome as originally thought, though.
Multiple soldiers appeared from behind the turned over waggons that formed the barricade. They pointed their swords, spears and bows towards me, one of them shouting “Halt!”.
I did as he asked, and stopped right away. Cobalt still stood on the barricade as before, his spear in his right hoof, though not lowered and pointed towards me, like the others.
“Who are you?” Asked the same voice.
“I am the Commanding Officer of the 24th Royal Infantry Division.” I replied. “They call me Brass.”
“Is that so?” The voice said before a pony showed itself from behind the barricade. The stallion wore the armour of an officer, though I couldn’t see any insignia on it telling me his exact rank. “And what tells us you’re not just one of the changelings, huh? One of those beasts?” He pointed up to the wall where the fighting was still occuring.
“Why would any Changeling bother to disguise when arriving in such overwhelming numbers, and in a full-out attack?” I replied, stepping closer to the barricade. “Besides, how would I remember Cobalt’s name if I really were a Changeling?”
Cobalt and the other ponies on the barricade turned their heads towards the Stallion. We both stared each other down, and I could see him thinking, reconsidering his options.
“Fine. Get a move on.” He said, the soldiers on the wall lowering their arms in response.
I walked up to the barricade, climbing it with the help of both Cobalt and one of the soldiers who lended me a hoof. At last me and Cobalt stood face to face. I just wish the reunion would have lasted longer.
“How come you are here, Cobalt? I thought you were deployed in the east? I heard rumours that...that your unit had been cut off and...destroyed.”
Cobalt sighed in response. “That’s only partially true. We were indeed cut off by the Changelings. We, like many before us, walked into a trap. Although we managed to defend ourselves against the first ambush, we were still encircled. In the end, our Commander gave us the order to attempt a push through the Changelings, in order to escape the encirclement and retreat back to friendly territory.” He paused, turning his head towards the walls. I could see the horror in his eyes, the things he must have witnessed back then. “We took heavy casualties.” He said in a monotone voice, still looking towards the wall. “We managed to make it in the end but...only me and 4 others survived. The rest...” He paused again, sighing as he looked back at me. “Bless their souls.”
“I’m...sorry to hear all that, Cobalt.” , was all I said. I was not particularly good at showing compassion in times like these.
“It’s fine. We have other things to worry about now, anyway.” He replied, both of us turning towards the walls where the last remaining soldiers were being overwhelmed. It was a matter of minutes, perhaps mere seconds until the swarm would come crashing down on us.
“Everpony! Get ready!” Shouted the stallion from behind, still wearing the officer armour.
“No...” I mumbled to myself. “No...No.” I mumbled again, louder this time.
“What?” Asked Cobalt, turning towards me.
“This is suicide.” I said out loud. “Suicide! ”
The others froze and stared at me. I looked around. Some of them were scared, others angry.
“I’d prefer you shut your mouth and stay calm before you get us all killed.” Said the officer.
“Getting us killed? Me?” I asked as I approached him. “Have you not seen what happened up those walls? Have you not heard the screaming? Not seen the death and horror?” I asked, visibly intimidating him as I stood in front of him.
I turned around to speak to the others. “The Changelings are superior in numbers, and they will use that advantage against us, as they have on the walls!” I spoke to them. “If we want to survive, we need to get out of the street, out of the open, and defend ourselves in a confined space.”
The soldiers looked at each other with raised eyebrows and unsure looks. “And where do you think would be a good place to hold out then?” Asked one of the soldiers.
“Look around.” I replied. “We’re surrounded by buildings. I suggest we barricade ourselves in a building, 3 ponies each.” The soldiers nodded, more confident in my strategy by now. “If you see any ponies still hiding inside their homes, tell them to get a weapon and be ready to defend themselves.”
“Sir, yes, Sir.” Replied the soldiers.
“Let’s go then. Cobalt, you are with me. The others, spread out in groups of three and barricade yourselves as well as you can. Be quick, we don’t have much time left.”
“Your strategy is going to get me and all my men killed!” Shouted the officer behind my back. “Why didn’t you just leave us alone?”
A big, loud explosion suddenly erupted, as yet another rock hit the walls. Me, Cobalt and the officer all watched as the main gate to Canterlot crumbled and, eventually, came down. The walls had been breached, and the Changelings had officially penetrated our first line of defense.
“Well, if you don’t like the strategy then you are more than welcome to stay here and hold them off.”
Me and Cobalt turned tail and sprinted towards the nearest building in the street, just a few meters away. I opened the door, ringing a small bell as I did, and entered the room, Cobalt close behind me. We both inspected and looked around the room for a very brief moment. It was a Bakery.
It was then that we heard one more wave of screeching from the Changelings. Me and Cobalt hastily dashed back and forth, picking up chairs, tables, planks and anything else massive that we could use to barricade the door and the big store window. Just when I was about to turn back from the window to get another piece of wood, I froze at what I saw outside. It was the officer. He still stood outside, in the middle of the street.
“Come get me then, you monsters!” He shouted at the Changelings. “Come on!”
Cobalt walked up to the window as well, both of us silently watching the lonely officer out on the street.
“Get me, already! Come on then!” He shouted at the Changelings again. Through the door of the store we could hear the buzzing of Changelings become louder and louder, as the Changeling swarm came close.
The officer began to walk backwards slowly, horror scarring his face from one moment to the other.
“Dear...Celestia...” He said, dropping his weapon out of fear. “...Save me.”
I looked away from the window, knowing what was about to happen. The room went dark as the Changeling swarm outside covered up the sun. The terrified screaming of the officer was cut short as the Changelings made short work of him. Instead of his screaming, I could hear a large number of screeching and hissing.
I looked back to Cobalt who still stared out the window. His jaw had dropped in horror and shock. He slowly turned towards me, a terrified look scarring his face.
“What are we gonna do...?” He asked me, his voice quiet and weak.
I sighed quietly, thinking. What should we do? What could we do, anyway? We had lost the walls already, and most likely all of my unit along with it. Was there still hope? Still a chance of victory?
I lifted my head and looked over to Cobalt. “We’re gonna do what we do best: Fight.”
Cobalt and me turned our heads towards the barricaded door as the changelings began throwing themselves against it, trying to break it open.
“Don’t worry, they’re not gonna get through there anytime soon.” I said to Cobalt who looked worried and afraid.
I turned around and decided to take the opportunity and get some rest, sitting down on one of the many chairs in the room. Cobalt grabbed a chair and moved it in front of me, also sitting down. For a brief moment it was just us two and the dampened sound of changelings from the outside. Not sure how but... it calmed me, somehow.
“An officer, huh?” Asked Cobalt.
I raised an eyebrow at him, not sure what he meant. “I’m talking about you, pal. When and how did you become an officer?” He explained.
“Oh, well. To keep it short, I...” I paused, taking a deep, deep breath. “I saved a lot of ponies back when we were fighting around the Everfree.”
Cobalt lost his casual pose on the chair. “Oh...I’m...sorry to hear that.”
I sighed loudly. “No need, it isn’t your fault, after all.” I looked over towards the door where the changelings continued their effort to break through, with no success. “I just wish we wouldn’t have been so...cocky. So sure of victory.” I said with a bitter, quiet voice. “This war wasn’t lost due to some crazy vodoo magic by Chrysalis, nor any real advantage for her and the changelings. It was lost by us, directly. By us and our cursed mentality that we would always win. So sure of victory that we simply kept marching straight into the enemy.”
I slowly looked back over to Cobalt. “That is what’s truly saddening, in my eyes. The fact that the enemy itself didn’t win, but that we lost it ourselves.”
Cobalt nodded his head, remaining silent.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to go on about all this.”
“No, no, it’s fine.” Cobalt replied. “You’re right, anyway. Everything that you said...it’s what got most of my unit killed.”
We sat in silence for about five seconds after that, but those few seconds felt like hours gone by.
Suddenly, we heard a loud crack coming from the door, turning our heads in an instant. The first few planks of wood began to break through the repeating attacks of the changelings.
“Well, let’s make it so that our cockiness doesn’t make us lose this battle, shall we?” I said to Cobalt who nodded in response.
We once again scrambled and looked for more things we could use for a defense. The first things we used were the tables and chairs. We decided to stack them on top of each other on top and next to the counter. When we ran out of chairs, however, we had to look all around the shop for things to use. Cobalt was the first to find... ‘something’, though it wasn’t exactly what we expected to find.
Cobalt called for me from inside the storage room as I was looking around multiple cardboard boxes in the kitchen, unable to find anything but grain, eggs and other cooking ingredients however. I ran off towards the storage room, ready to pull my weapon if Cobalt was in trouble. As I entered however, I was both reliefed and surprised. What he found wasn’t an object, nor a Changeling, but two ponies. One mare and one small filly, which the mother held tightly in her arms.
Cobalt turned around towards me, seemingly as surprised as I was. “Found them behind these shelves.” He said, pointing at two shelves that were pulled aside. “I was looking for something inside some bags and boxes when I heard a sound from behind one of the shelves. So I pulled these two aside and...voilà.”
I slowly moved towards the two scared ponies, careful not to make them more afraid than they already were.
“It’s alright. We’re with you.” I said to them. “You don’t need to be scared.”
The filly looked up to me, still looking scared and afraid, and asked: “Are we going to be ok?”
My mouth hung open as I wanted to say something, to reply, but didn’t know just what I’d tell a small filly in a situation like this.
“Everything’s gonna be alright, sweetie.” Said the mother, gently caressing her daughter’s cheeks. She then looked up to me. “I’m sorry for disturbing and being in the way, Sir. It was...my husband, he...” The mare stopped for a moment before continuing. “My husband decided for us to stay here instead of evaccuating and leaving, like most others.”
“Where is he?” Asked Cobalt from behind me.
“He...” Was all she could say before breaking out into tears. I looked back to Cobalt with a worried look. I could see from his face that he felt deeply guilty for even asking that question.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am.” Cobalt said, walking up to and kneeling down next to the crying mare. “I’m deeply sorry.” He said, carefully pulling the pony into a friendly hug.
“He...He went out to check on a few friends of ours down the street...” The crying mare said quietly, “He didn’t come back...It’s been 15 minutes and he still hasn’t returned home!”
I patted her on the back, looking down to the filly that she still held tightly in her arms. “I’m sure he’s still out there, Ma’am.”
“Impossible!” The mare snapped at me. “You know there are thousands of changelings out on the streets! He is dead, my husband is dead!”
“Well...we’re still alive, too, aren’t we?” I replied before she could continue crying.
“Well, yes but-”
“Then I’m certain your husband is alive and well, too.” I interrupted her. Suddenly I heard the loud banging against the door again. And it didn’t sound like the door would hold much longer. “I think it’s best we come up with a plan real quick, everypony...” I said quietly. “Or else you will never get the opportunity to reunite with your husband.”
Cobalt and me then sprinted out of the storage room back behind the counter. The barricade we had built was high but...it didn’t exactly look stable. Not stable enough to hold off an entire Changeling Armada anyway.
Cracks were starting to appear on the door and the wooden planks nailed onto it, growing larger everytime the changelings thrusted against it. We were running out of time fast. Too fast.
As Cobalt and me made ready for what was to come, drawing our weapons, sword and spear, the two ponies appeared behind the counter as well, looking at us with big eyes as we held our weapons.
Me and Cobalt looked at each other for a brief moment before turning towards them again, sheating our weapons. “What are you two doing here? It’s too dangerous!” I told them.
“It’s our home, we have the right to go anywhere we want.” Replied the mare, continuing before I was able to reply. “I know a way out of here. I thought you might want to know.”
Cobalt and me both raised an eyebrow. “A way out of here?” I asked.
“Like a tunnel?” Cobalt asked as well.
“Yes, a tunnel. Our home doesn’t have a backyard nor backdoor, so my husband instead constructed a tunnel. It was intended to be a safe route out in case of a fire or something otherwise hazardous but...”
“I suppose this is a safety hazard, of sorts, isn’t it?” I said with a gentle smile.
“Yes, I suppose so.” She replied, returning a smile as well.
“You’re not gonna let the baddies get to us, right?” Asked the small filly.
I looked at her mother for a brief moment before stroking the child’s forehead. “I promise, little one. We’re in this together.” Both the filly and her mother smiled in return. For the first time since I was in Canterlot, I felt a warmth inside, in my heart.
“So, shall we go then?” I asked, looking back at the mother.
“That’s the problem, the tunnel is locked behind a door and I have no idea where my husband left the keys to it.”
“Damn...” I said quietly, stomping a hoof on the ground. “Do you think you can go and find it in time?”
“Let’s hope so.” She said, looking over to the door as the changelings thrusted against it once more. “For our sake...”
“Right, go ahead then. We’ll try to slow them down if they get in. We have to get out of here.” I told her. She nodded affirmatively before heading back into the storage room.
As they left, I turned back towards Cobalt who looked more worried than confident at this point. “You think they’re gonna make it in time?” He asked.
“Let’s hope so.” I looked back over to the door as yet another bang echoed through the room. “I don’t wanna die in a damn bakery, after all.” I added, smiling slightly.
After yet another thrust two planks of wood splintered, falling to the ground. “Let’s hope so...” I whispered again to myself, drawing my sword. Cobalt himself readied his spear. With every thrust the banging became louder, and our breathing became louder, more nervous. One after another the planks on the door broke, and the cracks in the door began to grow larger and larger. After only a minute or so, the door couldn’t take it anymore. It broke down.
Combined with the loud sound of the door being broke down, the changelings began to storm into the room, hissing furiously as they sprinted towards us and the barricaded counter. Cobalt, using a spear, was able to stab through the several holes in the barricade, killing one after another as they attempted to throw over, dismantle or climb the barricade. I, too attempted to stab and kill the enemy, it turned out my sword was too short however, and it couldn’t reach the enemy. And while our barricade managed to hold the changelings off for the moment, we knew it was doomed to be overcome in the next coming ten minutes or so, if not less. But we had to hold them, we had to buy time in order to find that damned key.
After about two minutes, Cobalt, still poking his spear through the barricade, stabbing another Changeling in his belly, yelled to me: “Brass, watch out!” Confused, I looked up to see that one of them had made it up on top of the wall of chairs and tables. It stood there hissing violently at us before unfolding its wings, preparing to dive down on us. My brain snapped in an instant, and I grabbed a coffee mug from the ground next to me, throwing it as hard as I could towards it. The sound of the mug hitting the hard skull of the Changeling was muted behind the hissing of the other changelings. I protected my head as some of the shards rained down, fortunately not hitting me or Cobalt. Only a moment later, as I was about to look back up, I was thrown to the ground.
“Brass!” Cobalt yelled at me again. It didn’t take me long to realize why he was yelling, however, seeing as how the Changeling from above now laid on top of me. Thankfully, however, it seemed to have been knocked unconscious by the unexpected hit.
I moved my right hoof over to where my sword was, grabbing it as fast as I could. I grabbed the sword in a tight grasp, moving it over to the changeling’s throat. I closed my eyes for a single second before striking it down.
The helpless creature gasped as I dug my sword into its throat. I laid still, my right hoof on the sword that was now dug deep inside the Changeling, as it began to cough blood on me. After only a few seconds, the Changeling went silent, its head rested on my own body.
I pulled my sword out of its throat, pushing the corpse off of me in order to get back up.
“Brass, there’s more!” Shouted Cobalt again as I had just gotten back onto my hooves.
I looked up to see three changelings looking down to me with an evil smirk.
“We found it! We found it!” Yelled the mare from the storage room in the back.
I quickly looked at Cobalt before looking back up as two of the changelings jumped down, diving down towards me. With a quick dash backwards I managed to avoid their attack, causing them to hit the hard ground instead of me.
“We gotta go, Cobalt!” I shouted, slicing open the throat of one of the changelings as they laid on the ground. “Now!”
“Go! I’ll hold them off for now!” Replied Cobalt, moving over and stabbing the remaining Changeling on the ground. He rested a hoof on my shoulder and looked into my eyes, breathing heavily. “Go, Brass. Leave this to me. It’s personal.”
My mouth opened but I only managed to give out a gasp as the third Changeling dove down onto Cobalt. A loud screech of pain echoed through the room as it was impaled by Cobalt’s spear mid-air.
“Go! ” Cobalt shouted at me, pushing me away from him.
“Quickly! Let’s go!” Shouted the mare from behind me, peeking her head into the room. I gulped, taking a last look at Cobalt before turning tail and running towards the storage room.
“Over here! It’s over here!” Said the mare, leading me towards a wooden door that had been hidden behind a shelf which was now moved aside.
She ran over to her child which carried the key inside her small hooves. Taking the key from her child, the mother then put the key inside the lock, turning it and finally unlocking the door.
She opened the door and once again picked up her daughter, carrying her on her arms. As they walked inside the dark tunnel behind the door, she turned around and asked: “Where is your friend?”
I stopped, turned around and looked towards the door that lead to the counter. I could hear screeching, could hear the barricade falling apart and, finally, I could hear a familiar voice in between the hisses. “I’ll avenge you, Captain! I’ll kill them all if I have to!”
I turned back around towards the mare and filly and answered: “He’s fighting his last battle.”
I quickly moved the shelf in front of the door again, so that the changelings would not spot the door and possibly pursue us any further. I then closed the door. Though just as I closed it, I could hear Cobalt’s last, final screams of terror and pain.
Then the door closed, and all was silent and dark.
Our march through the tunnel was silent. The tunnel was dark, only illuminated by a small candle that the mare carried. Through the silence I could hear small drops of water hit the ground.
I had time to think, at last. After all this mess, after all the murder and death, chaos and destruction: Finally some peace.
But what would I think about? Should I think about what happened back then on the walls? Remember all the ponies that gave their life? Should I think about Cobalt instead? My best friend, my buddy whom I had known since we were little colts? Maybe. Maybe others would do that. Perhaps most ponies would have taken a moment to remember their best friend who had just given his life so that they could survive.
But I am not most ponies. My head, my thoughts: They don’t work like that. He was gone now. Dead. Nothing I did could bring him back nor truly appreciate what he did. And even then...it was his own choice. He chose his fate himself, he chose to go down as his comrades did.
No, I didn’t mourn his death. I honoured it.
But what would I think about then? I couldn’t think about Cobalt, nor all the fighting. What was there to think about? Maybe I could think of a strategy? Maybe a way to turn this battle around?
No, impossible. I was trapped in a tunnel, fleeing from the very enemy I vowed to fight. I told my soldiers not to give them an inch and now...
...Now I was leaving them to die.
This entire time I thought of myself as a high horse, as somepony who was better than the rest. I believed I was smarter, more cunning, simply better than all other officers and even generals. I kept ranting on about how they made huge mistakes, how they made mistakes and refused to correct them, simply repeating it over and over, costing endless amounts of soldiers their lives.
...But was I really any better than them? How much truth did my words really hold? Perhaps I didn’t kill hundreds of ponies, and perhaps I didn’t refuse to correct my mistakes but did this make me any better than them? Did I not just leave my own men? I was the one that told them to hold the walls, wasn’t I? And I was the one that told them to not go one step back.
No. No I wasn’t like all the other officers and generals. But I was a coward. I ran away while those bravehearted stallions under my very command held their ground and fought to the bitter end.
I felt...something I had never felt before. It wasn’t pain, nor was it sadness. No, clearly it wasn’t. It was something different than those.
I felt ashamed.
“So...” Said the mare, still leading the way whilst holding the candle. The filly sat on her back, occasionally turning around towards me. “What’s your name, if I might ask?”
“Smalltalk? Really?” I replied, sounding more grumpy than I intended.
“We still have some time for ourselves, we might as well get to know each other a little bit, right?” She replied in a relatively cheerful, but also weak voice.
I remained silent for a moment. “Brass. My name is Brass.” I replied at last.
“Oh, what a unique name.” She replied with a smile. “I’m Cindy Pastry, and this is my daughter, Stephanie.” She said as the little filly waved at me at hearing her name. “I suppose our names are rather common, unlike yours.”
“Doesn’t make you any less special though, does it?” I replied.
“Oh no, of course not. But then again, unique and rare names have never been very popular in our family.”
“Hey, for my family Brass is a perfectly normal name. We have a long military tradition. That has both good and...negative effects.”
“Oh?” She said, slightly turning her head to the side so she could see me while still walking forward. “What would those be?”
“Well on the positive end...” I explained, “Your parents really watch out for your physical health. My dad always watched out I don’t lose track of my weight, so I don’t get out of form, and he also gave me lots of training lessons in my free time in things like sword fighting, archery and even sailing.”
Cindy nodded. “Well that sounds great. Not exactly my type of cake but, eh, families. What is the negative side of it all though?”
“Well. This.” I said simply.
“...Oh?”
“Due to our tradition, it’s pretty much predetermined that I have to sign into the armed forces if Equestria goes to war. That’s why I’m here.” I explained her. “Or, in short: War. The big negative of all this is having to go to War.”
Cindy remained silent for a couple seconds and gulped. “Well that...sounds...uh...”
“Horrible?” I interrupted.
“I was going to say ‘bad’ but I guess that works too.” She said, attempting to fake a smile. “Sorry to hear all that though, Brass. I’m sure this has all taken quite a toll on you, huh?” She asked, her fake smile fading.
“You could say that.” I told her simply.
“If you wanna talk about it then...”
“No.” I interrupted her again. “No. I wouldn’t want to tell anyone about the things I went through, the things I’ve seen and heard...”
“Don’t worry about it. If you don’t want to talk about it then-”
“Don’t worry about it!? ” I suddenly shouted at her. We both stopped, her turning around towards me, her face telling me just how unexpected my reaction was. “I...I’m sorry, Cindy.” I said to her. “I didn’t mean to freak out like that. Sometimes it just-”
“Ssshh...” She interrupted, putting a hoof on my mouth. “I told you it’s alright, didn’t I?” She said, a smile appearing on her face. Only this time, it was genuine, not faked.
“Thanks for understanding...I promise it won’t happen again.” I replied, a slight smile forming on my face.
“Hey, as long as you don’t hurt anyone or insult my cooking skills-” She said, turning back around, her tail softly hitting me in the face as she did, “-I’m fine with it.” Both Cindy and Stephanie giggled out loud, all three of us moving on through the tunnel.
“I’ll try to remember that then.” I said jokingly, also giving out a small laugh.
Although I knew this was all far from over, this entire battle, if not the war, I couldn’t help but lose track of it for the rest of the march through that tunnel. Something kept distracting me, occupying my mind.
I decided to shrug it off, attempted to get rid of those thoughts, and marched on.
“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.
’I did the right thing.’ I thought to myself as I left the main hall. I tried telling myself over and over that what I did was right, that it was for the best. But even though my head thought it was the best, my heart didn’t. With every step I took I felt a small, stinging pain in my chest. Had I made a mistake? Was it too late to turn back? Would Cindy even want to see me now?
Despite the pain I felt leaving Cindy and Stephanie behind, I did what I thought was best. I came here to fight, and if we will die here today then I shall die fighting like the soldier I am. And maybe, just maybe, if we fight hard enough...we will live to see the light of another day.
My short journey through the castle’s interior ended when I spotted the entrance to the throne room down a short hallway. The doors were large, secured by two guards on either side. The doors had already been opened, and I could hear voices coming from inside the room.
I began trotting towards the entrance, briefly looking around the hallway. Multiple windows covered the walls, their stained glass each telling a different story. The rays of the sun valiantly tried to enter the room, only to be transmuted by the prismatic, crystalline glass. And reborn as every colour of the rainbow.
As I approached the throne room, the guards’ eyes were seemingly locked onto me. I was a little unnerved by this, but not enough to slow down. As such, I trotted past the guards and into the throne room.
Inside the room stood a large wooden table in front of the throne. On that same throne sat the Princess of the Sun herself, while multiple ponies in various uniforms and armour stood around the table, talking to the princess and pointing or looking at a map that had been laid on the table.
I gulped, slowly putting one hoof in front of the other. My hooves made next to no noise on the marble floor, yet to me they were matched only by the beating of my heart in decibels. I tried my best not to attract attention and to listen to what the ponies were saying. Unfortunately they were all talking at the same time, trying to outscream each other, so I was unable to pick up anything of note.
Just when I arrived at the table, the princess spotted me. “Who might you be?” She asked me. The room turned silent from one moment to the other as all ponies present turned their heads towards me.
“I...” I said, giving out a fake cough. “I am Brass, Commanding Officer of the 24th Royal Infantry Division.” The ponies at the table turned their heads towards Celestia in expectation of a response.
Celestia herself nodded before letting her head drop, eyeing the table that stood in front of her throne once more. “So, where were we?” She asked.
“Oh.” A pony spoke up, “We were currently discussing our strategy for the defense of the castle’s interior, your highness.”
“Oh, yes. Right.” Celestia replied. “As I was saying before, your strategy is a good one but our forces are too depleted. We do not have enough ponies in order to make your strategy work, I’m afraid.”
“But what about our archers? Surely they could reinforce our troops’ positions.” Said another pony from the other side of the table.
“We only have two archer divisions at our disposal, and they are both largely depleted. Besides, their weapons would be best used on the towers of the castle, where they can fully use their range advantage, not in small, tight corridors.” The Princess countered.
I looked down onto the map, seeing that it was the same map we had used before the battle. There were lines, arrows and circles drawn onto the map, showing the troop movements and position. Not much to my surprise, all our troops had fallen back to the castle or the city center by now. And it didn’t look good for us. The enemy was still largely outnumbering us, and we were getting picked off in the open city.
“Say, Brass...” The Princess adressed me at which I looked up with a surprised look on my face. “...How strong is your unit?”
“I...I have not counted our numbers, your majesty.” I replied nervously.
“I see. Where exactly are your forces then?” She asked again, now eyeing the map.
“Uh...we...they...” I stuttered. “I lost contact to my unit shortly after the battle began.” I answered at last. “Our original orders were to hold the outer walls at all costs. I am...afraid that there is not much left of my unit, if anything at all.” I reported to them, my voice going quiet.
The room was silent as the princess looked back up to me. “Then their sacrifice will not be forgotten.” Celestia replied with a slight nod.
A sudden distant explosion, coupled with the screaming of terrified ponies echoed through the room. Once again, the ponies at the table turned their heads towards the princess.
The princess slowly rose from her throne, now standing at the table at her full height. “Gentlecolts, I would love to continue this meeting, but I think the time for words has passed. It is time we get ready for the coming storm.” I and the other ponies present bowed before the princess, which she acknowledged with a gentle nod. “We shall focus our efforts on defending the castle’s interiors. It might be our only chance to defeat Chrysalis and her army.” Some of the stallions nodded at the proposed strategy. “Try and evacuate the main hall, get the civilians and wounded to safety as quickly as you can. Bring them here, into the throne room. Try and save as many lives as you can.”
The princess took a deep breath before finally resuming. “May fate be on our side. May our hearts burn with passion as we fend off the invaders. May we win this battle to win the war.” I instinctively saluted the princess as she finished her speech, the other ponies following suit shortly after.
“For Equestria!” We shouted in unison.
“For our home.” The Princess replied confidently.
The next ten minutes or so were spent preparing defenses and moving the wounded and civilians to the throne room. I asked one of the officers from the meeting whether I could come with him and support him, considering I did not have an official fighting force anymore. He was all too happy to agree. Any help was needed, after all.
I stood next to him at the entrance to the Main hall as his troops ran back and forth, showing ponies where to go or even carrying some of the wounded that were unable to walk.
“Quick! We don’t have much time! Get them out of here!” The officer shouted at his troops, stomping a hoof on the ground.
I stood next to him, silently watching as ponies walked past.
“Hey, um...” He said, not looking at me. “Sorry about your unit and all that. Must be tough losing such tough ponies like that.” Despite his words, I could hear that he was not truly sorry.
“Don’t be sorry.” I replied. “It was my own leadership that got them killed.”
He slowly turned his head towards me, this time it was me that didn’t bother to look at him. “We all make mistakes. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
“Too hard on myself?” I asked, turning towards him. “Too hard on myself!? I’ve got my entire unit killed, for Celestia’s sake! My idiocy and failure has cost many brave ponies their lives and now you’re telling me that I am being too hard on myself?”
We both stared at each other for a few moments. I took the opportunity to take a deep breath and calm myself again.
“I...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”
“No. No, it’s fine. I should be sorry.” He interrupted me, turning back away from me.
A part of me wanted to continue the discussion, but I figured it was just a useless thing to discuss now anyway. So I didn’t.
For the next minute or two we both continued watching ponies march past us, towards the throne room in order to get to safety. At least we hoped they would be safe there. I tried keeping an eye out for Cindy and Stephanie during all this. But as pony after pony walked past, I was always disappointed. Cindy and Stephanie were nowhere to be seen.
“Sir!” Shouted a soldier that came running towards us. “Sir, the first wave of changelings is almost here!” He reported.
“Then it is time.” Replied the officer. “Gather our forces, defensive positions.”
“Sir, yes Sir!”
As the soldier ran off to gather the troops, I turned back towards the officer. “Didn’t the princess say we don’t have enough soldiers in order to successfully fend off the changelings?” I asked him.
“Yep.” He replied somewhat confidently. “But we’re here to fight, so that’s what I’m gonna do. We don’t really have an alternative anymore. We either hold this or it’s game over.”
“True...” I said with a nod. “So what now?” I asked.
“Now we wait for those bastards to crash the party. As always.”
“Are you sure we have enough troops?” I asked the officer, a loose formation of soldiers had formed in front of us.
He briefly turned towards me and said: “Yes. I am. I am unsure whether we have enough guts though.”
“Attention!” The soldiers all suddenly stood at attention as the officer spoke up in a loud, commanding voice. “Phalanx formation! March!”
The previously loose and unorganized array of soldiers turned into a thick, impenetrable spear phalanx from one moment to the other. The formation spread out from one wall to the other, and was five ranks deep. The first two rows aimed their spears forward, ready to impale any changeling that dared charge at them, while the other rows behind them held their spears slightly above their heads, protecting them from aerial changeling attacks. The good thing about being the defender is that you get to choose where to fight. But even though our formation seemed impenetrable and impossible to defeat, our troops were tired and depleted and the coming fight would be a long one. If we did not hold this position, the changelings would have a clear path to the throne room, and with it the wounded and civilians inside it. We could not let that happen.
“Incoming!” Shouted one of the soldiers at the front, pointing towards the entrance of the castle where the changelings began pouring into the main hall.
“Get ready! Steady! Let none pass!” Shouted the officer at his soldiers again.
I pulled my sword as the changelings were halfway through the main hall, the friendly officer not pulling any sort of weapon, but only continuing to watch from behind his soldiers. I was unsure whether he was feeling protected behind his men or whether he did not have a weapon to use himself.
I turned back towards the front as the screaming began once more. changelings screeched as they lunged towards us while our troops held firm, ready to hold them at whatever cost it may be. At this point, everypony knew that wavering was no option, for there was nowhere to run to any longer.
The first wave hit the spear wall with full force. This time, however, their immense speed and force with which they usually attacked us came to cost them their lives, as they deeply impaled by spears before even reaching us. With the first small wave of changelings either dead or retreating, the troops cheered. In front of them laid changelings, puddles of green blood forming next to their lifeless bodies.
“Quiet!” The officer demanded and the cheering ceased almost immediately.
All eyes forward, we awaited another attack, another, bigger wave of changelings to charge at us relentlessly. We waited for about a minute, and even still nothing happened. The changelings filled the main hall but did not attack. Something was wrong, and I feared to find out what it was.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t they attacking?” I asked, still eyeing the changelings.
“No clue. Perhaps they-” The officer went silent as we saw who had just entered the main hall along with her minions.
Queen Chrysalis, the devil herself had shown up. None of us had expected anything like this. We knew that Chrysalis was leading this attack but not that she would actually come and fight herself.
Unrest spread amongst our ranks as the Queen of changelings slowly made her way towards us. We had to hold, but what were our chances with Chrysalis herself showing up?
“Ponies of Equestria!” Chrysalis spoke up, stopping about 15 meters in front of us. “The battle is over, the city is ours and you have lost! I have come here to honour the sacrifices you have made this day.”
All was silent as she spoke, not a single whisper or cough, only her and a slight breeze passing by.
“Considering the circumstances: Will you agree to surrender?” Chrysalis asked. Her words were rotten and foul.
Chrysalis waited for a response for about 10 seconds, but we all kept quiet, holding our position as was our duty.
“We will never surrender to you, Chrysalis!” We turned our heads around and saw that Princess Celestia, covered in shining, golden armour, now stood amongst us. She stared at Chrysalis, and Chrysalis stared back: The two biggest rivals in Equestria had just met.
“Foolish...” Chrysalis mumbled. “Foolish! You ponies must realize that Canterlot is ours!”
“Canterlot is, and always will be, in Equestrian hooves!” The Princess replied confidently.
The Queen grumbled loudly at the words of her enemy. “You have lost!” She shouted at Celestia personally. “Don’t you ponies ever realize when it is time to throw down your arms and give up?”
“My ponies will fight with heart and soul until the very last, Chrysalis. If you want Canterlot, you will have to take it from us!”
“Then I will rip out your hearts one by one!” Chrysalis shouted with anger, unfolding and flapping her insect-like wings. “Charge!”
“For Equestria!” The Princess shouted as the changelings began charging towards us with all their force. We cheered one last time before they finally made contact with our formation.
The Princess herself then unfolded her big, white wings and catapulted herself into the air, hovering above our formation as she stared down onto Chrysalis, who then also lifted herself off the ground.
“You will pay for your arrogance, Princess! They will all pay for your arrogance!”
Chrysalis’ and Celestia’s horn began to glow in their respective colours as the two monarchs charged towards each other. Their charged horns clashed with great force, discharging and sending a shockwave across the room that caused both them and some of the changelings to be sent flying across the room. Thankfully, due to our already defensive stance, we managed to hold against the shockwave of the blast, unlike some of the changelings.
Still standing behind the actual frontline, me and the other officer watched the two rulers continue to fight as they shrugged off the first blast of energy and began charging towards each other again. This time the princess fired multiple bright yellow beams of energy at Chrysalis, unfortunately missing all of them, however. The Queen of the changelings then lunged herself at Celestia, hitting her with full force as she hit Celestia in her face with one of her hooves. The princess shook her head briefly, recovering from the hit just before Chrysalis launched yet another attack. Once again, Celestia fired off multiple beams of energy in an attempt to hit and and stop Chrysalis, but she failed once more. The princess flapped her wings as hard as she could, attempting to cause Chrysalis to miss her, but it was too late. Chrysalis took dug her crooked horn into Celestia’s left hindleg, causing her to scream out in pain.
The soldiers looked up at the princess as they heard the sudden scream. Due to this brief distraction, a few changelings managed to get past the row of spears, killing one of the ponies in the first row as it dug fangs into his neck. The changeling was killed immediately afterwards, but the changelings had penetrated our line once already. It was only a matter of time now...
Up in the air, the princess still attempted to keep her altitude, even though Chrysalis’ horn had burrowed itself through her leg and was now sticking out the other side. In a desperate attempt to loose Chrysalis, Celestia fired yet another beam at her, missing yet again and striking a group of changelings down on the ground.
“Your reign is over, Princess! Equestria shall be ruled by a new Queen!” Maniacal laughter completed Chrysalis’ speech. The changeling Queen slowly pulled her horn out of Celestia’s leg, causing the princess much pain as she once again screamed. Chrysalis held onto Celestia’s leg with a single hoof, and her horn began to light up and glow once again, this time much, much brighter than before, however.
The next thing I saw was a massive explosion. Yet another shockwave erupted, this time sending not only the changelings but also us ponies falling to the ground. And, as I laid on the ground, I saw the princess flying past me, a thick smoke trail following her as she hit the ground hard only a moment later. I stood up and ran towards her, noticing the hole in her hindleg that was beginning to cover her entire leg in blood and a large pool of blood on her belly. I bent over to her mouth, trying to check if she was still breathing. After about two seconds I finally heard her breath in and out again, shortly before her eyes opened.
“Princess? Princess, are you alright?” I asked her, still kneeling by her side.
“What h- argh!” The princess screamed as she attempted to move her legs. “What happened?”
“I don’t think we have time to explain.” I replied, hearing yet another explosion behind me.
I turned my head to where the frontline was and saw that over half of our force had vanished, completely eradicated by the explosion. Only a second later, another explosion hit the frontline, killing and completely destroying yet another six ponies. Up in the sky, Chrysalis laughed manically, her changelings now overrunning the few ponies left alive to stop them.
“Brass! We can’t hold them!” Shouted the officer. “We need to-” He was cut short as a two changelings jumped on top of him, knocking him to the ground. I watched with wide eyes as he struggled to keep the beasts from biting him.
“Run! Run! Save yourself!” Were his last words before the changelings finally overwhelmed him, digging their poisoned fangs into both his neck and chest.
Most of the soldiers that were still alive fled from the frontline, running past me and throwing down their spears in order to escape the changeling horde.
I watched as the changelings, having broken through our defenses, now stopped dead in their tracks. It was a more than spooky scenario: Me, resting next to Princess Celestia who was badly injured and only a few meters away from me was a raging horde of changelings.
“At long last...” Chrysalis’ voice echoed through the now silent hallway that me and Celestia rested in. “I, Queen Chrysalis, have achieved victory over the eternal enemy that is Equestria!” Chrysalis said out loud as she landed in front of the changelings, only about five meters away from me and Celestia.
“Victory...at last.” Chrysalis said quietly before beginning to laugh again, the changelings behind her joining in. I ears began to ring as this...this creepy choir of changeling laughs echoed through the hallway.
Suddenly, I felt Celestia pulling on my right foreleg. I turned my head towards her and bent towards her where Celestia slightly lifted her head and whispered: “Go. Save yourself. This...this is my battle, not yours.” Her voice was weak, her body defeated and her army broken. But even now, in such times, her will was standing strong.
I gulped and nodded before rising from my knees. I shot a quick glance at Chrysalis and the changelings who were still laughing and enjoying their victory, before I turned tail at last...and ran. I fled the battle to save my own life. This time not to betray my own unit, but to leave behind the Princess of the Sun herself. I ran as fast as I could, muting all sounds around me in order to not hear whatever was happening behind me, whatever happened to the Princess...
I quickly arrived at the doors of the throne room, but found them locked shut in front of me. I was too late.
I locked around and spotted a small wooden door not far from the throne room. I made my way towards it, relieved that it wasn’t locked. The door opened with a slight creak, revealing a small room filled with scrolls. At the end of the circular shaped room stood a chair and a table, together with a feather, a glass of ink and an empty scroll. Multiple candles shrouded the room in a dim light. A light that, for some reason, seemed to invite me, to demand my presence.
I stood in the order and noticed my ears flinch, hearing the distant sound of changelings approaching. I took a deep, calm breath and stepped inside the room, shutting the door and locking it with the key that was stuck inside the lock.
That is my story. That is the story of not just me, but all the brave and kind-hearted ponies that I had the honour to encounter in my life.
I now stand here, inside this room and wonder what I should do. I wonder what I could do. I stand in a room filled with scrolls, candles and...a single chair and table and I ask myself: Why am I here?
But that doesn’t matter at all. Not anymore.
I can now hear the changelings knocking against the door violently. It won’t be long until they are able to break through.
No, I know what I must do. I must write one last letter. A letter that will never be found, never be read.
A letter forever lost to time.
Dear Mum & Dad,
I want to thank you both for giving so much joy to my life. Although it’s true that our family was never wealthy, you two still managed to make me the happiest little colt there has ever been. Our family has survived many problems and come out stronger than ever before. But I’m afraid that this is a problem we can’t fix.
When the war began, I volunteered to join the army in order to defend not just Equestria but you, my family. I still remember how you started to tear up when I left. That last, final hug we had before I departed...I remember it now better than ever.
With this war coming to a close, and the changelings closing in, I write this letter today to tell you just how much I miss and love you. Even after all the bloodshed I have seen, even after losing everyone I knew: I always had you. You were always there for me to turn to and to talk to, even if it was just me writing letters. And for that I want to thank you. Thank you so much.
This is the last letter I will write to you. The changelings have broken through our defenses and our forces are scattered. I sit here today, writing this letter to you, not as a champion or some kind of a hero, but as a coward. For years you have trained me in the art of swordfighting, Dad. You were so...confident in me and my abilities when I left. But I’ve failed. I am a disgrace to the army, and a disappointment to you, for I have fled and left behind not only my fellow comrades, but even those that I held dear.
I will not run any longer. I am writing this letter today from inside Canterlot castle, where I have locked myself in a small room. The changelings will break down the door in less than two minutes, so I will have to finish this letter quickly.
I am sorry for disappointing you, Dad. I am sorry for not coming back home, Mum. But most of all, I am sorry that you will not receive this very last letter of mine. Canterlot has fallen, and with it Equestria will fall. It is all over. The war, Equestria, everything. I am sorry for not writing to you two earlier to send my last regards.
I am so truly sorry for everything I have done, Mother, Father. I do not expect or wish you to forgive me, but I only hope that your fate will be one better than mine.
Don’t forget me, whatever may happen, for I have always loved you. And, even though I disappointed you, I hope I am still worthy of your love in return.
Your ever loving Son,
Brass
