Survive

SURVIVE - LAST STAND

Canterlot never stood a chance. The Changeling shocktroops had swept through the streets like wildfire once the barrier was broken, rapidly killing any opposition and cocooning civilians. By the time anypony had realized what had happened, it was far, far too late. The Queen of the Changelings, who would soon become to be known as the Queen of Equestria, had planned for years in advance. It didn't matter who or what stood in her way, her Changelings would feed on the swollen corpse of Equestria for years.

Few survived the initial thirty minutes, and the hour after was mere cleanup. The horde's frontliners had done all the work, and the untrained force of drones was merely there to clean up any messes left behind the front line advance. The last bastion was the Canterlot Castle, but even that fell from the inside as the Elements of Harmony and both Princesses were easily cocooned and guarded by the Changeling Queen.

But some still lived, a mere few civilians and a single guardspony. In that vaunted hall where ivory columns stood, holding up the roof, the stallion galloped, his four swords sheathed at his side. He had not yet tasted combat, despite the two hour invasion. Along side him ran two other ponies.

"Guard, where are we going?" Asked a white mare, who the guardspony was too busy keeping track of where they were going to recognize.

"Ma'am, we're headed to the air ship docks. There should be a ship left we can use to escape," The young pony said, panting a bit as he galloped through the halls. They were getting closer, though, he could tell. He looked to the other pony, who was white with blue hair, wearing a monocle, which flailed behind him a bit as they were running.

The young pony knew that there was little time left before they would be found and eradicated, but he was hopeful as they hurried through the halls, which soon opened up into a large, ornate room hanging off the side of the mountain, where there were several great skydocks. At the very end of the room was the last airship, which they could see was loaded with civilians.

His heart swelled with joy as he knew he was almost home free, but then the sound of buzzing filled the air, and he turned his head as he galloped with the two along side him. Behind him, not thirty hooves away and gaining, was a wall of wriggling, black bug-things that were a disgusting facsimile of a pony. He called out to the ponies on either side of him, "Run ahead, and don't wait up," He said darkly.

Before they ran ahead, the mare asked, "What's your name?" The pony called out to her as she gained, saying his name, "Sunrise Storm, ma'am!" He then slid to a stop, turning to face the threat as the other two ponies thundered towards the last ship in dock.

He faintly heard a, "Celestia bless you!" being called back towards him, but the sound of his swords unsheathing and floating around him as the chitinous mass approached drowned out whatever words they could've called to comfort him as he made his sacrifice.

They were on Sunrise in seconds, surrounding him in a wall of bodies, hooves lashing toward him in droves. But he was trained, far more than these secondary troops meant to mop up after the main force. His swords lashed out, a broadsword swiping through the air and drawing green blood as a lunging Changeling was cut to ribbons, the sword passing through it's neck and then slashing back through it's chest.

A hoof slammed into his side, causing him to gasp as he lashed out at the attackers surrounding him, slashing and bucking and dodging each strike. Limbs flew as he wielded his arsenal of blades easily using his magic. Exhaustion was creeping up on the guard, though, as the wall of bodies thinned out, leaving him starved for oxygen as twitching, dying bugs laid around him.

He watched as the last airship left the dock, leaving him alone to die in this Tartarus that was once Canterlot. Sunrise now knew he was alone, and the only thing he could do was take as many of them with him as possible. He took a moment to think about his mom, his dad too. They'd be saddened to know he'd died, but the soldier would not let that stop him. There was no going back now.

Sunrise looked to the chitinous corpses with nothing but contempt, as he cast a refresh spell, which instantly returned strength to his body as he gazed over the droves of dead Changelings, his bruises aching from the various strikes which had managed to slip through his guard, some even managed to dent his armor. Sloppy, sluggish hits they were, but they still hurt. He looked over to see one that was still living, pressing a hoof to his chest wound which was leaking bright green fluid.

The pony walked over, placing a blade to the Changeling's throat. "Where is your Queen, you filthy bucking bug?" The Changeling's blue orbs looked to him, and then he had to quickly move a sword to block the spit the bug had launched at him. He quickly used his other sword to nearly decapitate the Changeling. "Fine, I'll do this the hard way."

He figured the place where he'd need to reach was the grand hall. Which, was about two and a half klicks back through the winding halls, meaning he'd either have to fight or sneak his way through possibly a battalion of well fed Changelings.

The soldier, who thanks to his helmet's enchantment looked like any other Royal Guard, looked at that hall he'd just run through, and stepped forward, his swords to either side of him as he trotted solemnly through the hall.

Sunrise had not gone more than twenty minutes before he encountered the next attack squad. Thirty Changelings lunged towards him, teeth and hooves bared. Some even had actual weapons held in their magical grip, scavenged from dead or captured Royal Guardsponies.

Sunrise's rage swelled as he saw the ornamental swords of the Guard being wielded by these scum. His swords flashed forth, bringing death to one that had jumped too far forward and tried to strike at him, hoof raised. The sword struck through the abdomen as he stepped to the side, his swords being sent forth again.

One, the guardspony counted, his blades slicing up two more that foolishly tried to leap at him, while the remaining twenty seven surrounded him. Three, one that was armed and two more that weren't leaped at him from differing sides, his swords flashed forth as he bucked up in the air, shattering the skull of the armed Changeling with brutal force. The two others were quickly cut to ribbons as he turned and bucked again, catching one charging him square in the chest.

Seven. His count raised yet more, as his swords continued cutting them to ribbons. But he was unable to stop one that knocked into him, horn first. The jagged blade stabbed into his armor plate, sticking a few inches into flesh. He quickly turned, snapping the horn off like wood as his powerful magic lanced forth, incinerating the Changeling.

He screamed in rage as he stopped holding back and conserving his magic, incinerating blasts lancing forth as his swords turned the air deadly as the remaining Changelings were cut down by his strikes. His swords had dulled, so he quickly switched out two of them for the ones the Changelings had been wielding, which were freshly sharpened.

Sunrise looked at the corpse-filled hall, and then without a word continued galloping. He dared not remove the Changeling horn from his side lest he bleed to death.

His side burned heavily as he wheezed, racing through the halls. Sunrise turned the corner, gazing upon the massive door that lead into the grand hall, a place typically used for celebrations or banquets. But now, on this day, it was being used for the wedding of his former Captain and the Princess Cadence. The lone guardspony, alone and enraged, pushed open the doors with his hooves, and gazed upon what lay in the room.

There were at least thirty cocoons hanging from the room's ceiling, with Changelings walking along the walls and ceiling. They seemed to stare at him as he entered, but did nothing but watch as he slowly entered. In the cocoons, there were several civilians. Up front, there was a black, sitting shape that was looking out from the balcony. Green, mossy hair and a tall horn were visible from the distance, and behind the shape, hanging from the two columns above the altar, were the cocoons of the two Princesses of Equestria.

Beneath the altar were the cocoons that contained the Elements of Harmony, and Shining Armor. The guardspony's grip on his swords increased as he trotted forward, ready to fight the dozens of Changelings in the room. But they simply slunk into the shadows, away from him as he walked deeper into the room, and finally he stood at the altar, looking over it towards the balcony, where he could now see the shape of the Changeling commander-in-chief.

The shape stood, turning to look at him elegantly, and striding forwards. "What a beautiful day, don't you agree, my little pony?" She said with a seductive tone as she stepped closer to the guardspony. "Don't you think spoiling it with such bloodshed is unnecessary? There doesn't need to be any further death, because you can lay down your weapons, and be mine." The changeling's horn glowed, but the unicorn was quick to react.

He launched his helmet off his head, straight into her face, which revealed his actual body colors. The yellow stallion jumped away, his swords coming up to his side as he snarled, "Foul bucking witch! You stand against the Princesses, so prepare to meet your death!" He exclaimed in rage, rushing forward, letting loose with his swords on the Changeling Queen, who was otherwise not stunned by the attack.

As the soldier swung his blades, the Queen simply dodged each attack easily, with a bored face. Each swing resulted in nothing but more exhaustion for the soldier, and eventually his telekinesis flickered, his swords almost being dropped from his grip as he panted in both magical and physical exertion.

Sunrise Storm stood still for a minute, panting, trying to catch his breath and raise his swords from the floor. He then felt a mind-shattering pain in his side as the Changeling horn that had been snapped off in him was punched a few full inches deeper, burying it almost fully inside him. He fell to the floor in agony as the horn was ripped from his stomach harshly, shredding his insides fatally.

He looked up to the Changeling Queen, standing over him. As he tried to summon his telekinesis to bring his swords to bear, she delivered a blow to his face with her hooves, sending him into an ivory pillar across the room. His ribs almost shattered from the force, his spine rattling as the pillar cracked. Sunrise slumped to the floor, looking at the Changeling Queen with baleful hate as he died, bleeding and impaled by his own bones.

As she walked, he slowly summoned his telekinesis, and she looked at the dying soldier. "You just don't give up, do you Sunrise Storm? All your friends are dead, your nation shattered, and the Princesses in my grasp, but you don't just lay down and die. Perhaps in the history books you'll get mentioned as an honorable defender of Canterlot, when I control the hearts and minds of Equestria." The Queen monologued as he gripped one of his swords telekinetically, then sent it flying towards her skull. Meanwhile, he quickly gripped the Changeling horn as well and sent that flying into her skull too.

The Changeling Queen easily caught the large sword, "Truly a foolish move, don't you thi-" She was interrupted as his aim was true, and the horn buried itself deep in her throat. The soldier looked up, as he slowly died, watching the Queen gurgle and choke as her lifeblood rapidly drained, and he quickened that process by ripping the horn out of her neck, letting the blood spray out of the wound like a hose.

The Changelings watched in horror as their ruler was killed before their eyes, a being they considered goddesslike, unkillable, and immortal. They then began fleeing as their goddess fell to the floor before their eyes, dead.

The soldier meanwhile, could feel his death coming soon. He weakly turned his gaze to the cocoons in which his diarchs were contained, and used his very last ounces of energy and magic to send a sword slicing through the air, slicing open the cocoon of one of them.

It was then that his vision started darkening, his head lowering until it fell still on the ground and the warm, red liquid stained his face as he finally laid still, his stand made, and his country saved. Nearby, his helmet lay, the blood reaching it within minutes from where it had bounced off the Queen. His last thoughts as he died were of home, and a childhood memory.

It was almost dark out, the young stallion looking over a field covered in fireflies. His father sat to his left, with his mother to his right. As he slowly closed his eyes, tired from a day out, he passed out in the hooves of the two he would leave behind today, protecting the nation of Equestria.

The invasion was over. The enemy was routed, his stand was made, his country saved, and his life given for those who needed it.

Guardspony Sunrise Storm died cold, alone, and unknowing if his country would be saved or if he had doomed it to oppression by the Changelings. But he would have it no other way, because he had still taken his revenge, no matter the cost.

A mere month later, in Canterlot, the wedding was held again. The actual Princess Cadenza was married, with Twilight and friends present. A military parade was held in honor of the fallen during the invasion, and the body of Sunrise Storm was carried by the Captain and several Royal Guard officers to the Canterlot Garden, where he was buried with full military honors, and posthumously awarded medals for going above and beyond the call of duty.

But the dead don't know or care for these honors, only what must be done.