Author's Note
This Fic is for the Equestria at War Writing Contest.
The link to the contest folder is in the description of the story.
Please enjoy :D
Besieged
Besieged
Canterlot. The Hanging City. The Royal Palace. Argued to be the Heart of Equestria.
It was being reduced to rubble and ashes.
As Celestia stood atop of a Balcony in the Royal Palace, she stared down at the once Grand and Regal city. The castle she lived in was in pieces - ruined but still standing in defiance. Sounds of warfare were heard all around her: screaming, explosions, engines roaring, guns firing, Ponies fighting and dying. This wasn’t the first time she had seen this sight, though. A Battle just like this happened days ago. This was merely just another attempt of a tall order.
It was the summer of 1013 ALB. It was Mid-June. Celestia’s afternoon sun was shining its glorious light through the breaks of a few holes in the Overcast sky, upon a devastated landscape. Tanks roared to life, as the Changelings and Ponies fought in the ruined streets of the hanging city. Aircraft buzzed outside of the Pink Barrier that enveloped the city. The changelings have returned to canterlot after their Infamous first failed invasion during the Royal Wedding of 1002 ALB. When they attacked the second time, they failed again. But instead of hiding away like last time, Chrysalis ordered her armies to besiege Canterlot. Not a single pony was to get in or out. She launched “Operation: Hunger”, which was an all out offensive to Canterlot.
What Celestia is now witnessing was the third attempt of capturing the city.
Luna was not found near Celestia. She was busy leading the fight in the streets, using her magic and flight to fight against the Changelings. Cadence was there as well, Calming the Ponies in the Castle as they hid away. Twilight was focusing her magic - along with Celestia’s - to keep the Barrier around Canterlot stabilized. Celestia offered, borderline demanded, to assist Luna in the streets. She refused. She states that if she were to fall, Celestia would be the next line of defence for the country.
Her words scared and hurt Celestia, fearing for the worst.
Celestia still refused to sit idly by. She assisted in the battle when it was first initiated. She became wounded soon after by Jaeger Changelings, who prioritized to target the Princesses above anypony else. She barely escaped with her life. Luna remained on the frontline, fighting alongside the Ponies.
Now, Celestia was covered in stained bandages and scrapes as she focused her magic in maintaining the Barrier. She stared down at the columns of smoke that billowed out of the many ruined shops and homes that once was. A string of sadness tugged her heart, yet she remained stoic. The Royal Guards stayed by her side, garrisoning the castle where most of the civilians are.
“Your Majesty, Cadence calls for your aid. She requests assistance.” one of the guards spoke to Celestia.
Celestia gazed at the guard behind her. “How are the other princesses doing?” she asks.
“Cadence has the civilians somewhat stable, though if the fighting doesn’t go well… I don’t think that’ll last.”
Celestia stared at the battlefield in front of her, quietly.
“Let us hope that is not the case.” she remarks, as she turned around to head inside.
_ _ _
The siege began in Late-May, with a vicious Artillery Barrage. It was combined with a coordinated air assault from CAS Planes. It was initiated at early morning, when the sky was dark and the lights were bright in the city. They attacked with deadly precision. 20 minutes after the barrage began, the Princesses raised the magical Barrier that enveloped the city. The artillery still hammered the Barrier, as it distorted with each explosive impact of the artillery shells.
If it were just one princess maintaining the Barrier, the barrage would’ve broken it easily. Thankfully though, all four Princesses anticipated the attack before it arrived. They were all there.
When dawn arrived that day, Equestrian Aircraft took off from the airstrips and engaged the Changelings head on in the sky. Simultaneously, the Changeling Army advanced toward the Capital. Fierce frontline combat was conducted just to the north of Ponyville, 20 Miles away in the Canterlot Outskirts. 10 Miles away from them stood the hanging city itself. Each hour that passed by, more and more Ponies and Changelings died in the onslaught.
Bloody combat ensued for 11 days. The changelings gained a few hundred meters per day. By day 12, they were 2 miles away from Canterlot. The captain of the Royal Guard - Shining Armor - failed to initiate the Evacuation Order for Canterlot, thinking he had more time than he did.
When the Changelings came, he and the Princesses Improvised. They ordered that most of the civilians were to file into the castle, and the underground tunnels. They wanted to minimize the casualties as much as possible. The Changelings did not hesitate to kill civilians who stood in their way. Celestia wanted to save as many of her little ponies as she could.
By day 14 - after two weeks of nonstop bombardment - the changelings were at the gates. Using Tanks and Aircraft, they focused all of their firepower on breaking the Barrier. The infantry assumed defensive positions as they waited for the signal to storm the city.
Day 16 - A part of the Barrier had collapsed.
Thousands upon thousands of soldiers from both sides met on the streets of canterlot and engaged in brutal close-quarters combat. Aircraft still buzzed overhead, as neither side had gained air superiority. All available aircraft that could be assigned to this strategic location was flying overhead. The Battle for Canterlot was the most critical battle of the war thus far. Everywhere else on the Western front was quiet because of this.
A few hours after the Barrier collapsed, the four Princesses banded together to reconstruct the Barrier to increase durability. By the time the Barrier had healed the wound near the gates, it was already too late. The Changelings were inside and raising hell.
Bloody combat ensued inside the city of Canterlot, as both Ponies and Changelings were trapped in the city for 2 days. By the end of the second day, the Changelings were beaten. They fell victim of an easy flank conducted by Captain Shining Armor, as he led a Company of Ponies to assault a forward HQ constructed near the gates. They succeeded, but not without heavy losses. The Changelings were greatly outnumbered and unprepared for such an attack. Another day passes, and the first invading changeling forces surrendered.
Over 7,800 Changelings were left alive in the first attack. All of them were POWs. A few of them were executed. Whomever poor Pony happens to be still in the city limits during the attack easily fell victim to numerous War Crimes. Usually Harvesting, or plain Murder.
Around 12,000 Ponies - civilian and military - died during the battle.
Chrysalis (in the midst of her intense ire when she received the news of what happened) ordered her army to surround the city and besiege it. Artillery and CAS Planes worked around the clock to keep hammering the Barrier for another Attack. This time though, Chrysalis was Cautious. She wanted her attack to be successful as swiftly as she could, to avoid wasting more time. She also ordered her Panzers to head southeast, and capture Ponyville that was near canterlot as well, to ensure her flank was secured. And she would not fall victim to another trick again. Not for the third time!
Day 20 - The Barrier broke again.
Chrysalis launched her attack from all directions, ordering her changelings to fly in and land close together as they could. They also ordered more Armies to storm the gates as the Air Assault continued. More brutal combat ensued shortly after, and the city was now in tatters. The once splendid architecture of Canterlot was now ruined by the Machines of War. The streets were painted red and green - Ponish and Changeling blood. The walls were charred and mangled. Some of the buildings were either collapsed, or on the verge of.
It was at this point, that the war for Equestria took a turn. For better or for worse, only time would tell.
_ _ _
Dew
Dew Leaves was a Teal colored Earth Pony Stallion, flying his signature Spitfire aircraft - Lucky Pony - high above the skies of Canterlot. There were many many other planes flying alongside him. And about half of them wanted to kill him. The sky was littered with flak clouds, trails of charcoal smoke, and burning aircraft. Bullets were flying everywhere, and at him as well.
He was currently rolling his plane as he avoided incoming fire from a Changeling Aircraft behind him. As he continued to roll, his stomach twisted in knots upon seeing his world nauseatingly spin around him. He resisted the urge to throw up. He then did an invert, then pulled back on the stick to perform an Illuminum Maneuver. His aircraft faced downward as he attempted to do a loop afterward. The Changeling behind him still gave chase.
“Shit!” He muttered to himself as he gazed at the cockpit mirror, the Changeling giving pursuit. He then turned to face in front of him and found another Changeling plane heading straight toward him, about to collide. In instinct, he pushed the stick forward, his aircraft diving its nose downward toward its belly. His vision swam with red at the intense Negative G-Force he was sustaining.
He heard the sound of collision and screeching metal above and behind him as he still dove downward. Unbeknownst to Dew Leaves, the two aircraft that were in front and behind him crashed into each other. Neither pilot survived.
Dew pulled back up on the stick after the temporary dive, the Equestrian Countryside plain in view as well as the pink sphere that surrounded Canterlot. there was so much to look at once, it was impossible to interpret what was happening at first glance. As he pulled up and leveled his aircraft, Dew gazed the mirror again. The Changeling was nowhere to be found. He then flicked a switch he to his right, sitting atop of a Control Panel. Instantly, voices were flooding the comms channels in Dew’s ears.
“-king their sweet ass time!” A mare’s voice was the first thing he heard. “Where the hell is 64?!”
“They’re 10 klicks out still, they’re on their way! We just need to hold out for as long as we can!”
“We can’t keep doing this! We don’t do something about those Stukas, the City will fall in no time!”
“43rd, you’re on Interception Duty! Take out those CAS Planes before they reach the city!”
“Roger, going in!”
Dew made no effort to speak into the comms channel. It was pointless. His voice would only get lost among the indistinct chatter. His squadron was not heard among the many voices that filled the channel. He didn’t attempt to call out to them. Instead, he focused on what was going on around him.
He saw another Spitfire being chased by an Sv-109 as it maneuvered wildly to evade it. Dew gave chase, sending golden tracers to the Changeling aircraft. A few of the bullets stroke the hull, but made no serious damage. The Changeling waved off, now being chased.
Dew elevated, rolled, inverted, fired toward the Changeling aircraft, achieving minimal results. Then, as he fired another burst, the bullets struck the fuel tank. Instantaneously, the aircraft exploded into unrecognizable shards. A lucky break.
“Enemy reinforcements spotted, bearing 313 and coming in fast.”
“Ugh, they just keep coming!”
“Don’t let up, give it everything we got! We can’t afford to lose Canterlot.”
Dew let out a shaky breath as beads of sweat littered his face. His nerves were tingling with adrenaline, which he tried to ignore but couldn’t. He never stopped shaking the entire flight.
Suddenly, a deafening sound of impacting projectiles was heard around Dew. Green tracers struck his wings and holes littered it. Another 109 was diving down on Dew as he looked up. He rolled to the right and pulled the stick back, as the 109 zoomed past him. He then inverted and gave chase to it.
The 109 immediately saw Dew pursuing, and elevated upward. He sharply out-turned Dew and was soon back on his tail. He had performed a loop successfully. Dew then bobbed and weaved as he attempted to avoid the incoming fire. More stracers struck his craft, yet he miraculously stayed airborne.
Dew pulled back on the throttle and dove downward, gazing at the mirror. The second he saw the 109 pull into view, he then quickly shifted the throttle forward again and elevated at an upward angle. The 109 still gave pursuit, but Dew was now much faster than he was.
“Come on Lucky, don’t fail me now!” Dew spoke to himself, or rather to his aircraft.
The 109 desperately sprayed his bullets at Dew, almost all of them missing. As Dew was losing speed rapidly, the 109 was already stalling. Before Dew began to stall, he then quickly turned his craft downward. When Dew’s crosshairs were lined up on the 109, it was too late for the Changeling. Dew opened fire, and the 109’s wings were torn off from the 20 Mil’ cannons.
“That’s for Acornage, you fucking Bug!” Dew yelled aloud.
“All planes, this is the 64th. We’re in the combat airspace. Will arrive in 5 minutes!” the radio sounded. Dew breathed a sigh.
“Understood, get here ASAP! It’s every Pony for themselves at this point!”
Dew dove downward toward Canterlot, as he gazed at the scene around him. Flak clouds were seen everywhere. Fires were seen on the ground around and in Canterlot, its black smoke billowing upward to the atmosphere. Aircraft were either flying, falling in pieces, or falling in flames. Dew managed to look at Canterlot just in time to see another 109 carelessly crash into the Barrier, exploding instantly.
He shook his head. He needed to focus, lives were at stake! He dove back down into the chaos.
_ _ _
Pharynx
A Red-Finned, Lavender-Eyed Changeling named Pharynx is huddling his gun and himself as he took cover behind a row of sandbags. Machine Gun fire was being hurled toward him, bullets whizzing above him or striking the sandbag that he was hiding his back behind. He made no effort to move, and instead cowered as bullets flew by.
Beside him was a Changeling that Pharynx Recognized. No - not just Recognized - He knew him. He was his Battle Partner, as he was explicitly told during training. But Pharynx felt it was something else than that. Maybe a… friend? Was that even a thing, nowadays?
“We’re pinned down! Pharynx, you still with me?” Zeroth asked, speaking in his native tongue - New Changeling. Every Changeling in Military service was required to know this newly created language. It sounded loud, hoarse, and intimidating. Not to mention loud.
“Uh-Huh!” Pharynx replied with a whimper.
“We need to move! Back away from the bags, and keep your head down!”
“Where’s my fucking Fire Support!?” A Changeling Officer yelled on the other side of the street, to the right of Pharynx. The officer turned his head back to the numerous rows of occupied Sandbag walls and yelled, “Lay down Smoke and SHOOT BACK YOU PUSSIES!”
Pharynx Cringed, as he laid on his belly and began to crawl. Bullets were shizzing by him, as Changelings all around him - on the rooftops, in the windows, in the middle of the streets, in the sky; everywhere, fought back. He made a yelp, as a stray bullet landed just inches from his head on the concrete beside him.
“Give me that! - Xylon, we need that Panzer Support NOW! We’re taking Heavy Fire and we can’t stay for long! GET YOUR ASSES OVER HERE!” The same Officer yelled into the - unfortunately assigned - Changeling’s Radio Pack. As he slammed the telephone into the receiver slot, the force of the slam shoved the Changeling further to the ground. The Irate Officer then took notice of what was happening among his troops, and yelled even louder, “Don’t just shoot: AIM!”
Pharynx continued to move swiftly on the ground, using his wings to propel himself forward a few more feet. He stopped at the corner of a building, to which he hurled himself around. Zeroth sat on his haunches further down against the wall, as Pharynx momentarily struggled to do the same. He was worn out, and slightly shaky. Nothing prepared him for what was happening all around him.
With a Poof and a Hiss, white vapor was seen filling the streets, a little ahead of where Pharynx was just at. Zeroth grabbed Pharynx by the shoulder and dragged him back before he could peek around the corner.
“Hang on! Wait for the others to push forward, then we follow behind.” Zeroth explained to Pharynx, as Golden Tracers were wildly being fired through the smoke. Changelings were staying low and moving about to different firing positions. They were at a position where the gun wouldn’t be able to reach them either because they are hidden, or in deep cover. When the smoke was blinding the whole width of the street, a whistle was heard blowing from the Changeling Officer!
“FOR THE HIVES, FOR THE QUEEN, CHAAARGE!!” he gave a mighty bellow, and the other Changelings were now yelling and charging around the smoke. Some chose to charge through the smoke while keeping their heads down. Some of the unfortunate few were struck by the neverending hail of bullets, inflicting more casualties.
“Let's go, follow me!” Zeroth yelled as he took off running to the other side of the building they were hiding behind. Pharynx followed, Zeroth taking a Detour down an alleyway to avoid the MG fire. He found himself in a small side street the width of a Wagon Cart, stretching further down toward the Heart of the City. The streets were all connected to a single Plaza in the middle of Canterlot, where the Downtown area was. In that single Plaza, there was supposed to be a monument. But in the weeks of Warfare that the city had sustained, the monument was gone. Destroyed. Nobody remembered what it was used for anymore.
Zeroth and Pharynx found several other Changelings moving forward, as they had heard the whistle to advance forward. They eyed the single story buildings all around them, wary of anyone who might’ve been inside - ready to ambush. They didn’t stop moving, as they sprinted closer to their goal: The Castle.
They came around the corner, and found themselves back on the Main Street, at a four-way Intersection. There were rows of Trenches that littered the main junction of the Intersection, blocking access from all directions. Zeroth ushered Pharynx and several others back around the corner they came. Some of them didn’t hear him in time, as they were mowed down by MG fire.
“Shit!” Zeroth muttered. “They have that area locked down. We really need those Panzers!”
“I’m out of smokes. Any Ideas?” Pharynx then asked, not sure what to do.
Zoreth was pondering for a short while, as he was staring at the fallen Changelings in the middle of Main Street. He noticed one of them carried a bulkier gun. He immediately recognized the shape and could tell exactly what it is.
It was an MG42. Zeroth grinned.
“I got an idea!”
_ _ _
Harvest
Harvest Yield was just an ordinary Earth Pony Farmer, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Four weeks ago, he had left Whinnyapolis on a trading mission to Canterlot. He was given a heavy bag of Bits - about 200 for the trip and 200 more for his planned Purchase. He was wanting to buy a fresh new supply of Soy and Fertilizer for his farm back home.
He was tasked to buy as much as he could with the amount of money he had at his disposal, which wasn’t much. He and his family: A beautiful Mare to call his wife, with a colt and a filly, were planning on selling the family farm to move their home further east - away from the war. As the frontline was getting ever closer, their worries grew. They had heard rumors and stories from others about what happens to Ponies who are captured by Changelings. Stories of Forced Labor, Love Extraction, or even just Execution.
Harvest had traveled the Equestrian Countryside, just 80 klicks away from the frontline. He knew they were close, be he assumed he had more than enough time to handle his business before they arrived. But as Fate would prove: That was not the case.
Just 4 hours after he had arrived at Canterlot, Harvest was ready to leave the castle and return back home to Whinnyapolis. He planned to stay at a Hotel that resided in Canterlot, to bed for the night. Just then, he heard explosions go off all around him. Buildings were spontaneously exploding all across Canterlot. Harvest didn’t know at the time, but the Changelings had begun their siege with the initial Artillery Bombardment.
Harvest, not knowing what to do, hid in a random building he found. The owners of the building were not found, and the door was locked. In desperation, Harvest repeatedly bucked the door until the frame was detached completely. He galloped inside and barricaded the door with whatever he could find: a Sofa, a larger-than-normal Dresser, a Coffee Table; anything he saw heavy enough, he used. Thanks to his natural Earth Pony strength, he moved each of these objects with relative ease. He barricaded himself inside of a little Cottage.
He inspected the home he was in. it was cozy, with perpendicular furniture filling the large space in the center of the home. There was the main room, the kitchen, the dining room, and the master bedroom. Upon looking around in the master bedroom, he had noticed signs of packing in the chests and closets of the home. Most of everything was gone, except for the food in the fridge. There wasn’t much left though.
When he continued to search the home, the lights above him flickered. The city’s power station cannot handle the pressure of a siege. It flickered again numerous times until it gave one last flicker. Then the light was turned off entirely. All of them. Harvest flicked the switch on the wall, but it achieved nothing. Exhaustion eventually took hold of him, and he went to find the bedroom to sleep the night off. He shuffled into the sheets, trying his best to ignore the sounds of Artillery going off. he figured the owners wouldn't be too harsh on him if they understood the circumstances.
The next morning, he was feeling absolutely parched. He trotted straight toward the sink and found small plastic containers. After he was finished filling the containers with water, he found a small portrait standing in a window sill above the kitchen sink. It had a roguish Teal colored Earth Pony Stallion, with a lovely young Earth Pony Mare cuddling beside him. The mare had a pinkish-red coat, with a maroon mane that had a dark violet strip down the middle. There was cursive writing on the photo.
To my lovely mare, Ophelia.
After searching the home, Harvest waited. And waited. And waited. He waited for anything to happen, as long as it wasn’t an artillery shell slamming through the roof. He heard numerous explosions, each of them just as mighty as the last. Some of them sounded closer than others. One of them exploded seemingly right next door. The foundation of the home shook and groaned.
Unknowingly to Harvest, the magical barrier was now surrounding Canterlot and had been fully manifested. Harvest hadn’t realized it until he saw the pink sphere that enveloped the whole city. There were many explosions that litter the exterior of the sphere many times, trying to break it open. It was at this moment that Harvest breathed a sigh of relief. But now he was presented with a new problem:
He was trapped.
For the first week and a half, Harvest stayed inside the small house. He lived off of what was left in the pantry to survive. There wasn't much. Just your standard veggies, with an overabundance of Hay. It was better than nothing though. He began to think about the situation he found himself in.
No doubt that his family would be worried sick for him. But there was no method of communication with the outside world at that moment. It was pointless to try anyway. The siege could last for weeks - maybe months. Harvest had to find a way out of the city, and fast.
For a few days, after the beginning of the initial bombardment, there were several times Harvest heard voices outside of the home. They were calling out names he didn’t recognize. Some of the voices were banging on the makeshift barricade that Harvest made as if they were trying to break in. Harvest - overcome with fear and anxiety - remained silent. And after a few days, the voices stopped coming back.
By day 13, Harvest was already starting to ration his food. It wasn’t too difficult. It was not the first time he would go hungry, and it was not the first time he was forced to ration his food either. He had gotten good at it with his time back on the farm. He did the math and estimated he had at least 6 days worth of food left at most.
Another problem he faced was water. The city’s plumbing and sewage were knocked out and could not be repaired during the initial bombardment. No water was feeding through the pipes. Harvest knew it would happen though, and was one step ahead. He found numerous Plasticware bins and small cups that he used to fill up as much water as he could.
He had about 10 days worth of water since day 1. By the time the water ran out, the food was already low.
Harvest had stayed indoors and listened to the siege take place all around him. The constant booms of Artillery shells as they pummel the Barrier nonstop were starting to drive Harvest mad. He had never heard sounds of warfare. Now that he had a taste of it, he wanted to get away from it as fast as he could. But after he ran out of the water, he knew that he couldn’t stay there and do nothing. He either had to find a way to escape Canterlot or to outlast the siege. However long that would take.
Harvest weighed his options. At the time, there seemed to be no way out of the city. And with each passing day, the Changelings were getting closer and closer to breaking the Barrier. He figured he had a little more time but had no idea whether or not he was right. He couldn’t just sit idly by and do nothing though. He left at day and at night in brief sporadic periods to search and scavenge for supplies. The results varied. In some occasions, he found nothing of value. Other times, he would be greeted by a paranoid neighbor who would almost shoot him thinking he was a disguised Changeling. He came back with a little bit of food each time, but no water.
During the entirety of the siege, Harvest thought he knew what war was. By day 20, however - during another scavenge run - he was about to find out what war really was.
_ _ _
Dew
“Fucking - get off me!” Dew yelled aloud as he continued to shift his joystick left and right, up and down, in an effort to avoid the oncoming fire that was behind him. He found himself being chased yet again by another determined Changeling. Dew attempted to radio for help. But with the chaos that was happening all around him - and with all of the troubles on trying to figure out what to say in the heat of the moment - it just didn’t work out.
So he was alone. Nopony to help him, nopony to save him. He had to save himself. And that was what he was going to do.
Dew exhausted every maneuver he knew in his head in an effort to lose him, but Changeling was persistent. And also skilled. He had accuracy and finesse. If Dew couldn’t lose him soon, it would be all over for him. He had to do something, fast!
In an act of pure instinct and assumption, he shifted his throttle all the way backward. The propeller was seemingly slower now afterward, and his airspeed gauge was dropping rapidly. He looked in the mirror and saw the bug flying straight behind him.
In one lightning fast motion, Dew inverted his plane and dove downward, gaining back some of the speed he had lost from the throttle. The Changeling pursuit. Then Dew elevated upward again, pushing the throttle forward as much as he could as he attempted to fly at an upward angle. He spun and turned flatly while doing all of this to avoid incoming fire and to waste his adversary’s energy.
He noticed that - as he flew - the Changeling was getting closer to him. He found himself locked in a turnfight that was resulting in a barrel rolling contest between the two pilots. They both crossed each other’s path on numerous occasions, almost colliding with one another. But as Dew’s plane elevated at certain angles, he kept shifting the throttle back and forth. He would maintain his craft’s energy and speed through this endeavor, while simultaneously forcing the other Changeling to overshoot him. But the Changeling was intelligent. He knew what Dew was trying to do, and was having none of it.
Unfortunately for him though, Dew knew that the Changeling knew what he was trying to do. So he adapted. When he was about to perform a flat turn to the left, he waited until the Changeling committed his turn to follow him. When he did, he quickly elevated upward at a straight incline, rolled his craft, and turned back toward the ground again. The Changeling attempted to follow but saw Dew flew straight down past him as he was climbing up. Dew then flew beneath the Bug’s blind side - under his craft, and elevated upward again.
Now, Dew was chasing the Changeling instead. With a few bursts, Dew set the Changeling’s craft afire. He saw the bug bailout, his craft spinning wildly to the ground. He gave a wicked grin.
“Who’s next!?”
_ _ _
Pharynx
“You ready?” Zeroth asked with a hushed tone, as he gripped the new acquired MG42 in his hooves. He and Pharynx were laying atop a semi-collapsed roof of a storefront near the main street. They were aiming at the center of the intersection, which was littered with crudely made trenches and sandbags. A lot of gunfire was exchanged between the Ponies and the Changelings. The Changelings managed to gain ground due to the smoke screen but were steadily taking losses.
Pharynx gazed back toward the street, seeing his comrades lying dead in the middle of the road. The ones who were still alive were huddling behind whatever object they could find: ruined automobiles, overturned wagons, piles of debris and rubble. They wouldn’t last long without help.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Pharynx replied as he held a stick shaped object in his hoof. Located at the tip of that object was a cylinder filled with explosives and gunpowder. It was a standard issue grenade, manufactured and designed by one of the many industries that existed back in the Hivelands. Pharynx held the stick in his hooves, but his magic was tugging on a small piece of rope attached to the bottom of the grenade.
“Go!” Zeroth called out, as he fired numerous quick bursts from his MG. Most of the rounds were striking the enemy with rapid succession, as Pharynx tugged the rope on the grenade. When he did, he felt some kind of mechanism being triggered at the tug of the rope; the fuse was lit.
With a grunt, Pharynx tossed the grenade over the roof, as it landed inside a trench line. The Ponies inside saw the object land as they were taking casualties, and began to panic. Pharynx overheard one of them cry out.
“SHIT, GRENA-” the voice was cut off by a sudden explosion, as pieces of shrapnel were repulsing out of the blast radius at rapid speed. Zeroth felt some pieces of shrapnel painfully embed itself into his body, making his shots miss wildly for a short while.
Pharynx fired upon the Ponies below him with his K98 as Zeroth sprayed away until they both saw the Ponies sprint back towards the north - heading further into the city. They ran up a small ridge line that the road was constructed behind, and kept running. The Changelings did not stop shooting the entire time.
When the firefight was over, there were just as many Ponies in the streets as there were Changelings. “I think we’re clear.” Zeroth announced loudly, for his comrades to hear. Pharynx saw the others that were pinned down on the ground move further along the street, moving from cover to cover. “Let’s get down and help clear out the foxholes.” Zeroth suggested as he glided down to the street with his wings, leaving the MG on the roof. The barrel of the gun was still smoking as Pharynx dropped down as well.
“Spread out and secure the area, make sure there aren’t any others left to jump on us.” an Officer ordered his soldiers, as they did what they were told. Pharynx accompanied Zeroth to clear the trenches, as they approached warily.
When Pharynx hopped inside one of the sandbags, he was greeted with how brutally successful his grenade was. Pony bits were everywhere, as anyone who had been inside there had been mutilated. Legs and entrails were seen detached from the bodies, painting the walls and the street with crimson. Intestines were stretched over the wall like party streamers. And the smell… It proved to be too much for Pharynx, as he vomited right then and there.
When he finished, he leaped out of the crevice and heard a new sound behind him as he did. He turned back, to find a single hoof reaching out toward him from the pile of corpses. He saw a brown coated Mare - her face mangled and burned from the explosion, as her left eye was hanging out of the socket. There were incisions all over her body, and her left Hind Leg was missing. She appeared to be in excruciating pain.
“Hel - Guk... Please…” she barely cried out. Zeroth heard the faint voice and immediately rushed over. As he saw what he heard, his expression was morphed into what looked like terror and empathy.
“Please… end… end it…” she whispered, tears freely flowing from her one good eye. “End me… End the pain…”
“What is she asking?’ Zeroth asked, still speaking in his native tongue.
“Dunno… I think she wants help.” Pharynx answered, half tempted to do… something, to the poor mare.
“We can’t. And even if we could, what can we do?” Zeroth spoke coldly, yet also softly.
“Please! Just kill me! I’m begging you!” the Mare cried out again, as she crawled toward another Pony Corpse. She gingerly held the body in her hooves, as she sobbed violently. Her body was riddled with spasms and shaking, as well as blood and cuts.
Pharynx was at a lost on what to do. He couldn’t understand what the mare was asking, and he couldn’t just help her either. She appeared to be in agony. Zeroth then stepped forward, eyeing the mare with confusion.
The Mare’s cries were beginning to get softer and quieter, as she bled profusely. She continued to hold the corpse of her fallen comrade, whispering a name that neither Pharynx or Zeroth couldn’t interpret. She kept saying the name, over and over, until she stopped moving. When Zeroth poked her body a few times with his weapon, she didn’t respond. She was dead.
Pharynx felt a pang of sorrow well up in his heart as his throat tightened, but he couldn’t imagine why. He felt sad for the Mare, even if he knew he shouldn’t. Yet he couldn’t help it. He felt Empathy for the Ponies, even if they were his enemy.
Suddenly, Pharynx felt the ground shake beneath him. A mighty rumbling sound was heard behind him as well. He turned to look and found several Panzer IVs rolling through the street where they just were. More Changeling soldiers were following behind them as well. It was the reinforcements, and they had arrived.
“Area is secured, excellent work Schutze! Keep pushing forward to the next objective.” the same officer called out, as he leads his soldiers forward. Pharynx didn’t move for a little while, still shocked at the scene in front of him with the Pony corpses. Zeroth turned to find Pharynx still standing there. He gave Pharynx a pat on the whither.
“We need to go. Come on.” he ushered softly, trying not to upset him. Pharynx gave a long sigh, as he turned to follow the Panzers treading up the ridgeline. The battle raged on.
_ _ _
Harvest
Harvest - mane frizzy, coat dirty, and legs wobbly - carefully trotted through the city of Canterlot in broad daylight. Strategically, it was not a smart decision. He could easily be picked off by a changeling soldier if he were caught, meaning he would have to be stealthy. But he was desperate. He had run out of food yesterday, and he had no water for longer than that. He needed to find supplies if he had any hope of outlasting the siege.
He checked new spots each time, labeling a crudely drawn map he had made during his spare time. He had several areas of the city marked with an ‘X’ to indicate that it was either not safe, or already looted. The sounds of warfare made it easy enough to distinguish which area was safe, or hot.
He made his way to the eastern side of the city, towards the mountain face. He had no real memorization of how the city was laid out, for he never lived in Canterlot in his life. He had always wanted to come here, but not like this. But he never once saw a Grocer or Marketplace during his stay, and there had to be one somewhere. He had never been to the east side before, so that was his best bet.
He moved in between buildings and streets - some of them still intact, others ruined and decayed. He didn’t stop unless he thought he was being watched or if he thought he saw a Changeling. So far, he had seen none on the eastern side yet. But he had no idea how long that would last, as the sounds of warfare seemed to be getting closer.
When he emerged from the front door frame of another collapsed building, he hit the jackpot. A Soup Kitchen that had been abandoned since the siege had begun. He attempted to open the door but found that it was locked. The windows were locked shut too. He tried knocking first, seeing if anyone was home. He heard no reply and tried again. “Helloooo?” he called out loudly. No answer.
He then turned his body around and got to a low stance. Just like bucking trees, he thought to himself. He steadied his position and raised his Hind Legs slowly upward. Then in a lightning-fast motion, he slammed his hooves against the door with all his strength. The door was badly damaged and was partially detached from the frame, but it still stood. He bucked it again, and it came crashing down on the other side of the frame.
He wandered inside, sack slung over his shoulders, as he scavenged the building. Several bowls and spoons, with cans of soups and other herbal remedies. He also found a can opener to boot, which made him let out a “whoop” as he didn’t have one before. He couldn’t believe his luck. With the liquid inside the soup, it should be both filling and hydrating.
Harvest was starting to feel more content with his situation, despite the circumstances. He had bought himself more time. He didn’t even need to continue looting: he had about a week of supplies left to him, not counting the rationing. He pulled out the map from his pack and marked the location he was at with a circle (which implemented that it wasn’t fully looted) and began to pack up.
Then a mighty explosion was heard going off near Harvest, about 50 yards towards the west back where he had come from originally. A lot of gunfire was heard afterward. Harvest knew it was time to go with those sounds going off so close by. He grabbed his gear and galloped back outside.
He then took a detour in the direction he came from, to avoid the firefight that was close by. He dipped through and out of several alleyways, streets, buildings, and sidewalks to make it back to his safehouse. When he emerged from a random street, he came face to face with a Changeling… and he was not alone.
Behind that Changeling were several tanks rolling behind them, as well as a bunch of other Changelings - each of them armed with a weapon. They shouted and aimed at Harvest, speaking in a language he didn’t recognize nor understood. But the general message was clear: he was to surrender, which he did. He stood on his Hind Legs and raised his Forelegs in the air. The Changelings talked among one another, as Harvest weighed his options.
He heard rumors and stories about what Changelings do to Ponies if they were captured, and he was not eager to find out if they were true. He looked to his left: an open alleyway, with a door hanging off of a building off to the side, wide open. He looked ahead again, finding several Changelings aiming at him without pause. Harvest overheard a conversation between a regular soldier, and what looked like a more high ranking official. He could not decipher what they were saying.
Harvest never felt so terrified in his life. He was at a lost on what to do. He certainly did not wish to die, but he could not afford to get captured as well. He was thinking about what to do. There were only three of them aiming at Harvest, the others were aiming in other directions to cover their flanks. One of the Changelings were within Harvest’s reach, but the other two were lagging behind him. Harvest guesstimated that the conversation between the officer and the soldier would last for at least a minute.
He did the math in his head. He had a plan, but it required flawless execution. He bided his time. His heart was beating like a jackhammer, but his face remained even. There was then another explosion from one of the Tanks, as it opened fire. The Changelings simultaneously turned their heads to look. Harvest sprung to action.
He used his right Foreleg to bat the rifle away from the Changeling’s grasp, causing him to lose balance. When the other bugs realized what was happening, they turned to aim and fire at the pony. Harvest used his unique Earth Pony strength to grab the Changeling closest to him, and shielded himself from the oncoming fire. He reacted just in the nick of time, as several shots were fired. They all missed Harvest but struck the Changeling dead on. One bullet over-penetrated, and grazed Harvest’s side.
The Changelings attempted to reload their next shot, as Harvest dropped the now dead Changeling and sprinted toward the alleyway. As he made it in the pathway, more shots were fired toward the wall beside him - missing him entirely. Harvest ran inside the wide-open door and shut it behind him, proceeding to gallop toward the back entrance of the building. He found none. He was trapped.
In instinct, he ran upstairs as the Changelings outside were trying to break into the front and side door. Harvest heard shots go off outside through the doors as he continued to run. He found a window leading to through the back of the building, toward another open street on the other side. He opened the double hung window and peeked outside. There were changelings below him, trying to get inside. There were five in total. All of them armed. They didn’t notice him peeking through the window.
Harvest ran out of ideas, not knowing what to do. He contemplated jumping out of the window and making a break for it, but had nowhere to run. They would shoot him on sight. The banging on the doors stopped abruptly, as the bugs shouted at each other outside. Harvest stayed upstairs, looking around to see if he could find anything remotely useful. A weapon, a diversion, a way out; anything to help him. He found nothing but clothing and more old portraits.
Then there was a crashing sound behind him. He turned to look, finding that one of the window panes shattered. One of the changelings shot the window open. Then a stick shaped object landed inside the building, rolling on its side toward Harvest. Harvest didn’t know what the object was and took a step toward it. He was about 4 feet away from it.
There was a mighty boom, a blinding flash of light followed after. Harvest’s world erupted in a flash of light. Then nothing.
Just as quickly as it happened, it ended.
_ _ _
Dew
Dew was now chasing another 109, as the 109 was chasing another Spitfire. Dew unleashed a barrage of bullets toward the 109, but no hits. He was pretty elusive. The Spitfire in front of the 109 would not last long. Dew continued to pursue the 109, firing short barrages as he was running low on ammo. He had 120 cannon rounds left.
Just as luck would have it though, one of the bursts penetrated the engine in the plane. Doing so caused it to catch fire. The plan was now rapidly descending downward. Dew watched as the pilot bailed out, and flew away.
“Got him!” Dew called out to himself, talking to nopony in particular. The other Spitfire was definitely grateful for the assistance. They both flew away from one another, trying to find another target,
Dew caught his eye upon a small formation of Stukas flying over him, heading toward Canterlot. They were too high for him to intercept immediately. Instead, he followed close underneath them, watching them to ensure they don’t get away.
As Dew watched the Stukas fly in an elegant formation, they began to dip their noses downward. Dew pulled the joystick back toward him, lifting his plane upward at a positive incline. He was closing in on them rapidly. When he was about less than a klick away, he lined his crosshairs on the leading plane and opened fire. He fired in a short burst but achieved only minimal results.
“Enemy Stukas heading toward Canterlot, they’re up high and diving!” Dew finally spoke into his rebreather, which also had a transmitter in it for long-range communication. He fired another burst, which did more damage than last time. Soon, one of the Stukas was now descending in a random direction, heading towards the ground rather than Canterlot. Dew didn’t see him bail out. A bullet killed the pilot.
“Keep up the pressure. Hold out as long as you can!” another voice answered back. More voices followed.
“64 is taking casualties. We can’t take much more of this!”
Lead them away from the sphere. Have the 43rd and the 51st focus on the CAS planes. Everypony else, buy more time. Delay as much as you can!”
Dew could not fire rapidly like how he could before. He now had 84 rounds left. He fired another short burst, causing one of the Stukas to lose their right wing. As they spun wildly, the gunner and pilot managed to bail in time before the plane crashed into the Magical Barrier. The remains of the plane exploded instantaneously.
But Dew could only do so much by himself. He watched helplessly as each Stuka dropped their payload onto Canterlot… but something was off about the way they released their ordnance. They waved off quickly, as each bomb was heading toward one specific spot. To the top of the sphere.
The bombs exploded plentifully, creating a large cloud of fire and smoke. Those weren’t ordinary bombs: they were 1000 pounders, bombs that were designed to destroy a Fortress. The Barrier actually cracked at the combined power of the explosions, focused onto one specific location to maximize the damage. Soon, the cracks began to manifest rapidly all along the Barrier. Dew watched in horror as the Barrier was breaking apart in front of him.
Then, over the deafening roar of the engine, Dew watched and heard the Barrier collapse entirely. It shattered piece by piece until there was nothing left of it.
“The shield is down, the shield is down!” a Stallion yelled in the comms channel.
“Prioritize on all CAS planes. Prevent as much damage as possible.” a Mare ordered, as Spitfires all around the sky were flying toward the Hanging City. Artillery began hammering the city with deadly precision.
Dew’s craft violently shook and broke apart suddenly, as he turned to look behind him. Another 109 was firing on him, as Dew didn’t even see him coming. He attempted to evade, but his craft was not moving as he tilted the stick. Soon, more shots were fired at him. The engine suddenly caught on fire. Dew’s craft was going down, heading toward Canterlot.
Dew realized that there was no hope, and attempted to bail for his life. He pulled back on the handle that was supposed to open the cockpit, but it was jammed. He pulled harder, and nothing happened. A bottomless pit formed in Dew’s chest, as he watched Canterlot approaching him.
He was going down. He couldn’t eject, and he couldn’t control his craft. He was going to die.
And yet… Dew somewhat felt at peace with this. He knew it would be instant. He didn’t feel fear. He accepted his fate.
As a stone tower was coming closer into view, he whispered.
“I’m coming home, Ophelia.” He then crashed into the tower.
And everything turned black.
_ _ _
Pharynx
Pharynx was standing on the roof of a grocer when it happened. The shield had collapsed. More artillery began to rain down on the northern side of the city, oppressing anything in its wake. He then watched as a Spitfire, who was caught on fire, flew in toward the city. It crashed into a tall stone tower, exploding instantly. The tower collapsed on its foundation, as the wreckage of the plane was falling past the destruction it had caused. It crashed in the middle of a street, far on the other side of the city.
“The Barrier is down! I repeat: The Barrier is down!” Pharynx heard a voice call from the radio pack that another Changeling had slung over his back. The Officer beside him grabbed the telephone and relayed orders.
“We can see that, continue your efforts. The enemy will break eventually." He turned to look at his subordinates. Move, keep moving!” the Officer ordered his troops, as he followed behind another Panzer. The Panzers found themselves in an armor fight, as a Celestia Mk. II was blocking the street with its rectangular shaped chassis. Its 75 Millimeter turret took out two Panzer IVs already and was lining his shot up to fire the third one.
Pharynx was huddling behind the Panzer. When the Panzer fired, he felt the heat and the shockwave of the blast wash over his body. The shell flew through the air and penetrated the upper level of the chassis on the Equestrian Tank. a Geyser of fire emerged from the hatch of the tank shortly afterward. A confirmed kill.
The Panzer’s treads moved forward, as Pharynx and Zeroth followed behind. Gunfire was whizzing past the two of them, as they both huddled in the mass of Changelings they followed the tank. They advanced along the street, the Panzer shooting anything in its way.
There was a Thwoomp sound that Pharynx heard in front of him. Before he could think what that sound was, there was an explosion that shook the front of the Panzer. A Thunderbolt round was fired upon the tank. A fire was burning atop the hatch of the turret, but not like a geyser as was demonstrated on the Celestia Tank. the turret attempted to turn on its axis, but it groaned in resistance. The hatch popped open, as burning Changelings were climbing out of it screaming for help.
Pharynx felt his stomach twist in knots at the sight and smell of burning flesh. Then the tank exploded, sending him flying backward.
Pharynx saw his whole world flash in a blinding white light, as he felt his body tumble and painfully slide backward. He felt the bones in his left Foreleg break and snap into pieces. When he could see again, he found a large pile of dead Changelings near the base of the now burning Panzer IV. He felt burn marks and incisions all over his body.
He shakily patted himself down, slowly to avoid the pain. No detached limbs, no major wounds, no burning skin. He was alive.
Pharynx heard coughing and gagging noises emit to his right. He then saw Zeroth laying on the ground away from him, one of his legs missing.
“ZEROTH!” Pharynx cried out, as he painfully limped toward his comrade. Gunfire was heard all around him, but it turned into a dull roar. He had somewhat lost his hearing. As Pharynx arrived at Zeroth’s body, his throat tightened to the diameter of a straw. He gently cradled Zeroth’s body, as he saw his breathing slow.
Zeroth didn’t open his eyes. Or more accurately, he couldn’t. Shrapnel and jagged metal were embedded in his eyes. He was bleeding from his eye sockets. Zeroth felt something touch him, making him cry out in pain.
“Zeroth, talk to me! Are you there!” Pharynx quickly asked, panic clearly heard in his voice. “SOMEONE, HELP ME!” he screamed out to anyone who could hear. Nobody replied… why should they? He was just another drone in a hive. He was expendable.
To Pharynx though, he was more than that.
“D...Did…” Zeroth quietly mumbled, barely audible for Pharynx over his loss of hearing. “Did… did we… win…?”
Pharynx felt something in his chest. It felt like pain, but not physical. He didn’t know what it was. Could this be… Grief? Sadness? He didn’t know. Couldn’t know. Those words were alien to his kind.
“Zeroth, we…” Pharynx blubbered, as he struggled to figure out what to say. “Yeah, we… we won, Zeroth.” Pharynx lied, as he stared at the burning wreck of the Panzer. Changelings all around him were fighting beyond the wrecked tank, as he held Zeroth in his hooves.
“We won… that’s nice. That feels… nice.” Zeroth muttered. something was wrong with his neck, he couldn't think straight. He was paralyzed from the head down, so there was no pain. His eyes were burning, but due to the sensory overload, it was like a First Degree Burn: Painful, but Bearable.
“Are we… are we… the winners?” Zeroth asked again. Pharynx was sobbing quietly, as he continued to answer.
“Yeah, we are. We… we captured the castle… we made it, Zeroth. We both made it.” he lied.
Zeroth’s snout formed a small smile, as his breathing slowed even further.
“That’s… that’s nice.” Zeroth spoke again. Pharynx felt numb as he stared at his former comrade-
... No, not Comrade… friend. He was his friend. His only friend. And now he was gone.
Zeroth drew his final breath as Pharynx held him in his hooves. When he didn’t move again, Pharynx hugged his corpse tightly. He didn't care what was happening around him. He didn’t know why he was here anyway. He didn’t know why he was at war.
As he held Zeroth’s corpse, he wondered what he was truly fighting for anymore. He stared up at the sky, which was blue with white clouds. It was also tainted with charcoal colored smoke that filled that atmosphere, climbing ever higher.
_ _ _
The Siege for Canterlot lasted for 3 weeks before the Ponies surrendered. When the Barrier fully collapsed, the Princesses managed to perform a mass teleportation spell to evacuate the civilians holed up in the castle. Hours after that, Shining announced their surrender.
On June 23rd, 1013 ALB - for the first time in Equestrian History, Canterlot had fallen into enemy hooves.
The casualties were staggering. Over 35,000 Ponies within a 50-kilometer radius died for the defense of their homeland. More than 50,000 Changelings shared the same fate. It was the bloodiest siege in Pony History - perhaps in the History of the World. But the war still rages on. It wouldn’t be the first time a battle in Canterlot would concur.
And it will not be that last.
