An immense army raged forwards at the behest of the young creatures that had stubbornly gathered them together. They had all faltered from their path, but they had all already offered their contrition towards such an act. They had sworn they would never do so again.
The army of creatures galloped, flew, and stampeded on with unmatched determination. They were almost there, their objective just out of reach. They were sure they would make it. Things always worked out in Equestria.
“No matter what, we face it together!”
Dread gripped the army like a vice at hearing the distant voice. They were so close, yet still too far for the shield to reach. But it had to work! They couldn't fail...
Seven friends huddled together as they stared death in the face. They would not falter. They were together, and that was all that mattered.
Years of memories assaulted them as a single, yet brief, psychological blaze. Years of eternal moments, positive and negative alike, blasted them as their final moments. Yet they could not complain—they had lived their lives to the fullest, and ensured Equestria would be in good hooves once they had passed. They could pass on without worry.
The blast was blinding. It stung with the fury of infernal vengeance, rapidly draining the life out of the seven friends. Still, they had each other. They would see this through, together until the end.
The army’s shield erected as they finally came within range. But it was for naught. Dread turned to sorrow as the army caught sight of seven limp forms within their erected barrier. They had failed. But they couldn’t leave it at this.
The army of creatures advanced, righteous fury burning within thousands of bodies, ready to snuff out its infernal nemesis. Unicorns erected their barrier around the front line as they charged onward to confront Equestria’s greatest threat. Unicorn's supported, buffalo stampeded, yaks stomped, changelings deceived, pegasi and earth ponies charged, dragons roared, griffons and hippogriffs screeched. Nine creatures became one as every creature present melded together into a flare of retribution. The villains would not see the morrow. Not while a single one of them still stood.
Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow were powerful. They had defeated the greatest heroes Equestria had ever known, heroes even the pillars had failed to rival. They were certain nothing could stop them. Nothing would wrench victory from their grasp this time.
Yet, these creatures had them on their toes, unrelenting and unwilling to give them any ground. They were not harmful, but their teamwork was flawless. More so than any group’s teamwork had a right to be. How could mere unicorns stop their attacks so easily? The more they thought about it, the less sense it made. Yet, their very own eyes deceived their thoughts, more so than any changeling ever could.
The battle raged on, neither side willing to yield to the other. But as they grew closer to exhaustion, a mystical source presented itself. Twelve creatures found themselves at the epicenter of this power. It radiated outwards, growing into a pulse, and finally, a crushing wave. Equestria’s greatest villains silently screamed as they were struck by a multi-colored beam, brought low by the force they had always failed to truly understand. Their powers were stripped from them as easily as they had been granted.
The bell was retrieved with haste as the villains gasped and struggled to recover. Every creature present refusing to extend another leg of opportunity to the three before them. Many clangs of reprisal were heard as power was rightfully returned to its owners.
The three stood, intent on voicing their determination to never surrender. But the faces of wrath that greeted them immediately drained their confidence. There were no words to describe the malice that was plastered on the faces of the three before them. They hadn’t thought ponies were capable of looks of vengeance even half as powerful.
Tears streamed down Celestia, Luna, and Discord’s eyes as they wordlessly stepped forward. They hadn’t communicated, but one thing was certain. They all knew no punishment would ever be good enough for the villains before them.
They gathered together, their horns, paw and claw combining together for one last spell. They would still not allow such criminals to go free.
Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy stared in horror as their bodies hardened. It couldn’t end like this! They wouldn’t spend the rest of their lives as unaware statues! But they would wish they did. Panic gripped them like no other as they realized how much worse their consequence really was. They weren’t being turned into unaware statues. In fact, they were already stone. Very aware stone, forced to look upon all those they had wronged in the most uncomfortable positions imaginable. Together for all eternity.
Tartarus had paled in comparison.
***
Equestria wept for its fallen heroes. But no creature took it harder than their closest friends and family. Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor, and six particular students bawled a raging river, until the greatest of droughts were all that remained.
Celestia laid with her sister. They sat in silence, hiccuping as their tears had run dry.
“She was so close to her destiny sister,” Celestia sobbed to the younger. “She didn’t deserve this. None of them did!” she broke down into dry tears once again.
Luna wrapped a wing sadly around her sibling. “I know sister. To think, the seven friends that had saved me from myself. I never thought it would end this way.”
They continued for an eternity, doing what they could to comfort each other. But the grief could never be stemmed.
So, they sat and wept.
***
Cadence and her husband sat quietly with their foal. It had seemed even her usual chipper mood had been stoppered by her parents’ tears.
They couldn’t cry anymore. There was nothing left to give. Just a hollow feeling that dominated their souls at the thought of their sister's fate.
So, they sat in silence.
***
Discord doesn’t feel emotion. At least, not on the same level as others. He simply lacks the empathy on the fundamental level as the more orderly beings.
However, this day was different. His first and closest friend had been lost to him, and for the first time, he felt true emotion. Not even his usual fun and antics could stem the tide of his first real tears. Tears of both sadness at his loss, and anger at those that had caused it, as well as himself for allowing it.
Her face dominated his thoughts, only to be constantly swapped with the three villains swallowing the image for themselves. He scowled at himself. It was all his fault. If he hadn’t been so stupid, this never would have happened in the first place. Discord was powerful, but even he couldn’t bring back the dead. Sombra’s second defeat was a grievous reminder of that, and he would never forgive himself
So, he sat conflicted.
***
Six young students sat together, pondering their loss. They had learned so much from their teachers—their friends—and now they were gone. The bearers had been correct—they hadn’t learned all their was to learn about friendship. But the best teachers were no more. No more lessons from the best experts on the topic.
They had taken it all for granted when in school. Twilight’s lectures, Rainbow Dash’s stories, Fluttershy’s animal caring lessons, Applejack’s sternness and focus on the importance of honesty, Rarity’s fashion sense, even something as simple as Pinkie’s delicious cupcakes now haunted them. True, they had saved Equestria twice, but they still felt empty inside. Like they didn’t deserve the teachers they had been given.
So, they sat and pondered.
***
The apple family had gathered on the shortest notice they had ever received. This was not a reunion. This was a gathering to grieve at the loss of one of their own. The fact it was not a traditional loss made it all the worse.
Apple bloom sat with her brother and grandmother. She had never known loss in the sense that she did now. She was old enough now to understand it; the feelings that came with it. She swore to herself she wouldn’t let Equestria be divided again.
So, she sat and learned.
***
Sweetie Belle and her parents sat together, staring at nothing but the thoughts in their head. They had all been there for the event, despite Sweetie’s parents and family friends insisting otherwise to her. She would not be deterred though, and thus she arrived at the scene with every creature else, intent on saving her sister. Only to stare on with despair at her limp form on the ground below.
No child should ever have to go through that.
Yet, Sweetie did. She was changed because of it. For better, or for worse, that remained to be seen.
So, she sat and evaluated.
***
Scootaloo sat alone in her aunts’ home. She couldn’t cope with all that had happened—it was driving her insane. Unlike Sweetie, she had stayed behind with the back line at the insistence of the adults. She had not witnessed her idol and sister be lost to them. Now, she was regretting it. Seeing such a scene could be traumatizing for any creature, let alone a foal. But not seeing it felt so much worse to her.
So, she sat with regret.
***
Starlight Glimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, and Sunburst sat together in the school of friendship. It felt so wrong of them to be in the place that had meant so much to the bearers. Yet, they had been insistent they take it over once they were gone. They still wanted to help others learn the importance of friendship, but they had no teachers of their own to look to for advice anymore.
Starlight in particular felt true sorrow. She had never repaid them for all they had done for her. Not really, after the evil she had initially caused. Now she would never get the chance.
So, they sat with remorse.
***
There was no celebration of the villains' defeat. Nor was there a celebration of any other event. All other events, from family to empire-wide, had been cancelled to commemorate the loss every creature was grieving for. All had gathered to remember the heroes that had saved them countless times over the years, only to finally fall at the very end of it all. There would be others that they had taught to take their place. But that didn’t make the experience any less painful.
Up on the castle balcony, four ponies sat in silence. It had taken some convincing on their part, but they had all agreed it was right to have the next generation, and the bearers' closest family and friends, present with them.
The six best students of the school of friendship sat behind them. They were more confident in themselves after a conversation with Equestria’s rulers, but the conversation didn’t help their hollow feelings. They had saved Equestria, but the feeling of failing those that had meant most to them burned even stronger.
Three sisters and tutors sat with them. Apple Bloom continued to weep. Scootaloo still sat with regret. Sweetie had become unreadable, a blank expression plastered on her muzzle.
The guardians, friends, and family to these fillies, as well as those they had lost, sat watching over them. They felt the same feelings as every creature else. But they had to be strong. If not for themselves, then for the three foals before them when they needed them most.
A sad melody sounded as every creature turned to look upon the balcony. Every waiting creature looked on in remorse as each friend and family member to those lost stepped forward to look down upon them.
Celestia took a moment to gather the attention of each patient attendee before initiating the awaited speech, "We are gathered here today, to remember those who have protected this kingdom for many, many years, fallen in battle as they protected us one final time. Their strength and commitment to Equestria was pure, love for each other undeniable. But we stand here today in their remembrance, lest we forget their commitment to us all."
For the first time in her long life, Celestia showed emotion to her subjects. This situation warranted it, and she could not hide her mourning either way.
Luna began her own portion of the speech with a choking sorrow worse than even Celestia's, one she didn't know she was capable of. These seven had been everything to her, and now they had been wrenched from her grasp. "I cannot express the sadness within me right now," she started. "These seven had shown me the error of my ways, something nopony else had been capable of doing." She looked to her elder sadly. "But we will not forget them. They are gone physically, but they will always live on in our hearts, and through those whom they have passed the torch."
The younger creatures next to her fidgeted nervously once again. They would not speak, lest they ruin the moment. The princesses had honored those hopes at the least.
Cadence spoke up with her own anguish. "I have loved Twilight ever since she was a filly. Her and her friends have always meant so much to me, the way they had rescued us all at my Husband and I's wedding. She was the best sister-in-law one could ever ask for."
Cadence stepped back at that moment. She could no longer contain the emotional flood streaming from her.
Shining Armor had declined to speak. He had just lost his only sister. Someone that could never be replaced.
Twilight Velvet and Night Light stepped forward. They were taking it in much the same way of the princesses, as their connection was much the same. "When Twilight was just a filly, the idea of her attending Princess Celestia's school of magic seemed like the best possible thing that could've happened at the time," Night light started. "Yet, we continued to grow more and more proud of her as she continued to grow, even becoming a princess in her own right."
Twilight velvet spoke with a remorse only a parent failing to protect their own child could have shown, "We cannot deny the regret we are feeling, having let today's fate befall our daughter. But we also couldn't be more proud of her than we are now."
With that Celestia, stepped up once again. Her voice was regal, if still filled with emotion, "Today is not a celebration, that much is clear to all of us. But we cannot forget the sacrifice these seven heroes made for our empire. As such, this day shall hence forth be known as, ‘The remembrance of the seven heroes!’”
No creature cheered at her declaration. The declaration was appropriate, though no happiness remained that day. Equestria had lost its greatest citizens, and though others would take their place, nothing could ever truly replace them.
So, Equestria grieved.
Author's Note
My first attempt at any kind of one shot, as well as a sad/tragedy fic. Feedback and criticism are welcome as usual, be it positive, negative or neutral. The story has been proofread, but please let me know of any grammar or spelling errors so I can fix them ASAP. I really hope I made this enjoyable enough. 
