>you are applejack
>you’ve been sitting on the sidelines doing nothing for the past two weeks
>twilight luna and Celestia have been doing all of the work against king sombra while the soldiers hold off the slave army
>you often found yourself thinking about anon
>oh how you wish to see him again
>you can’t stand being away for so long but you have to stay
>the fate of equestria could be in your hands if celestia needs the elements of harmony
>and if equestria is in danger your family, friends and everyone you care about is in danger
>including anon…
>you’re just glad he’s at home safe and sound
>you can't imagine how scared he would be in a place like this
>seeing wounded ponies being carried to the medical tents
>other ponies enslaved to do king sombra’s bidding
>it was terrible
>but at least anon was far away from all of it
>someone like him would be too fragile for war
>he just wouldn’t be able to handle it
>ponies have gone to war for ages, if anon is any indication of his whole species then humans must have never gone through something like that
>hay, even telling him about it would give him nightmares
…
>as you lay in your quarters you continue your mind wandering
…
>what are you going to tell anon when you get home
>there’s no way you can tell him about all the gruesome details
>he would probably start tearing up just hearing it
…
>that delicate boy…
>gosh, you’re going to have to come up with a way to explain all this without scaring him…
…
>just as you start to think of an explanation for anon you hear a startling sound
>the battlefield went quiet except for one sound
>cries of agony from a single stallion
>a powerful voice, could it be?
>you rush out of the tent to see waves of purple flame disappear the moment you see them
>you witness a dark stallion fall
>and then the most shocking part happened
>the slave ponies freed themselves of their helmets and began to look around
>the equestrian army and the former slaves cheered as king sombra has finally been defeated
>you could finally go home…
>YOU COULD SEE ANON AGAIN!
>like an energetic filly you start running in circles
>all those days of waiting and doing nothing have finally caught up to you and culminated into your celebration
>just as soon as you started celebrating you began to hear murmurs
>murmurs which shifted to yelling
>and yells turned to screams
>you witness a dense black cloud fuming ahead of the equestrian army
>the three princesses flew back towards camp
>they shouted orders for retreat
>as soon as it was heard a full blown panic emerged
>desperate recruits began shuffling onto the train
>you think to gather your friends
>but as you look on they’ve gotten far closer to the train in the time it took you grasp the situation
>you bolt straight towards it
>crowds frantically file in
>as you continue to push yourself in along with the crowd you notice the thick cloud makings its way over the camp
>once inside, the overfilled train lifts off the brakes
>with carrying capacity beyond any reasonable safety measures you were off
>being stuck in the middle of the train cart you could barely get a look out the window
>supplies from the other train being thrown out in place of civillians and soldiers
>you see swarms of pegasi flying alongside the train
>before it was out of eye sight, you saw the camp become engulfed in the dark cloud
>many ponies coughing as they entered the supply train
>you know something bad will come out of this but you’re not sure what
>and you’re worried you will find out all too soon

>https://youtu.be/Rz8djwebUj8 (from the ashes)

>you are anon
>you awaken to the mellow light shining into the forest where you lay
>for a mere moment you feel as if you have gone to heaven or something
>you were sure you were dead
>before you could process it you took a deep breath
>your lungs were sore from all you have gone through
>you could still barely move
>as you exhale you coughed wildly
>you were sure you woud have died
>where could the smoke have gone?
>you sit yourself up against a tree
>still unable to properly walk but enough energy to reach into your bag
>you were starving
>at first you thought you were only asleep for a few hours
>you passed out somewhere in the afternoon
>and woke up near the end of the day
>and yet you feel fully rested
>after what you went through, you must have slept for at least a day straight
>your whole body still aches
>you have just enough strength to reach into your bag
>you were starving
>you grabbed anything edible you could get your hands on and mindlessly ate
…
>you thought to yourself about how you were going to get home
>your original plan was to take the train but after what went down that wasn’t an option
>you crawled through the opening in the woods to the spot you took the commander down at
>you turn your head towards the camp
>empty and lifeless…
>with the dark cloud chasing off all of the equestrian military there must have been an evacuation
>meaning your ticket home was gone…
…
>hell, you have plenty of time to plan
>with the condition you’re in right now planning and eating is all you’re good for
>as you go through your rations bag by bag you formulate a plan
>the crystal empire is far closer to you than ponyville
>if anyone can help you it’s them
>and knowing twilight would be a major advantage 
>just saying you are a friend of hers could get you some big favors
>at least you hope…
>your second and most risky option is to follow the train tracks back home
>with the time it took just to get here on train it could take upwards of a week on foot
>it was over 24 hours to get here by train 
>you can’t accurately guess how long it would take on foot but you know for certain it would take far too long with the supplies you have on you
>you refill your rifle despite how little extra oil it needs
>you push in a single steel ball as well
>Anonymous…
>your new engraving fits a lot better than your old one
…
>applejack…
>you can’t bring yourself to worry about that right now
>you know for certain that by the time you get home she will know everything about your plan
>no amount of money could keep applebloom shut for that long
>hell the whole plan was to keep her quiet while applejack wouldn’t be suspicious
>with at minimum 2 days of you not being home applebloom will surely tell her at some point
…
>they’re going to think you’re dead…
>god this is a bad situation…
>well, it’s not AS bad of a situation as it was before…
>at least there’s comfort in that…
…
>you know, you would have thought that your rifle wouldn’t have done much
>who would have thought it could go through magic of all things
>maybe the bullet was so fast he couldn’t react?
>or you just caught him by surprise?
>hell whatever it was, you SEVERLY underestimated what you could do
>of course that doesn’t matter now
>all you want to do is get home and give applejack a big hug
>and play with applebloom or listen to big mac again
>hell, you almost want to hear rainbow taunting you again 
>almost…
…
>after hours of eating and thinking you reach down into your bag for more
…
>nothing?
>you reach down again searching harder
>you’re sure you brought more than that
>you bring the bag up to your lap and look
…
>nothing…
>you look to your side and see an obscene amount of litter scattered across the forest
>you jokingly think how nice it would be to get arrested and taken to jail for that right about now
>would make things a lot easier for you
>without any food left you let yourself drift back to sleep in hopes of recovery

>by the next day you wake up feeling far better
>you could almost say you’re fully recovered
>but you know better than to push yourself to test this idea
>your unusually ravenous appetite likely played a role
>you settle on your plan to head to the crystal empire
>you decide make way there 
>it’s pretty small from where you are
>at least you know where you’re headed

>https://youtu.be/8dYZ99UWn4Q (Equestria’s forgotten hero)

>the path you took towards the crystal empire was through the middle of the battle grounds
>The stains in the snow were still there
>some stains were small but other were spread wildly
>through them you could almost imagine how the battles were played out
>certain areas must have been held for short periods while others held for days at a time
>it’s tragic really
>you hope applejack didn’t have to see any of it
>you can’t imagine how awful it would have been for her
>christ, twilight directly participated in the war…
…
>it hurts to think about
>you really don’t want things to change when you get home
>you’re hoping that when you get home you can throw this whole thing behind you and go on like nothing happened
>sure, you managed to get big mac out of this mess
>but twilight?
>she’s been here from the start
>and she’s played a huge role
>meaning she’s surely seen the worst of the war that even you haven’t seen
>it’s an awful thought to have
>but applejack and big mac are the least of your concerns now
>twilight went through something far worse
…
>is it possible to help her after it all?
>dammit man, thoughts for later…
>you need to push yourself to get home
>without you applejacks going to worry herself to tears

>the trip towards the crystal empire was quiet
>besides the sound of mild wind there was nothing
>the snow flew just barely above the ground
>the moonlight reflected off the open area
>it was very peaceful
>but staying too long could be fatal for you
>you’re not sure how long your going to last without any food
>you hope someone is still at the crystal empire
>considering the slave army that commander guy hadmust have come from the crystal empire there might not be many ponies left there
>if any at all…

>https://youtu.be/4EBm0Z9RI34 (Like an empty mall)

>the crystal empire was bright
>you can certainly see why it was called the crystal empire
>the buildings shined brightly 
>it felt like the city itself was alive…
>and yet it also felt dead
>there was no one around
>and if you were honest with yourself it scared you
>it was quiet
>too quiet for you 
>you were almost too nervous to call out for anyone
>but considering the position your in now you had no other choice
“Um, hello? HELLO? Uh ANYONE THERE?”
…
>nothing
>great, just great
“THE GUY THAT HAD THOSE PONIES IN HELMETS, HE’S GONE NOW”
…
>still nothing
>this isn’t good
>the city itself looked like it was putting on a facade 
>it was creepy 
>there wasn’t a way to explain it but it was off putting
>enough that you felt urged to go somewhere else
>maybe that castle had food
>your sure there’s got to be something left here
>there can’t be nothing 
>so you make your way into the castle

>https://youtu.be/J0DfhW9sqQU (into the dark)

>the outside made you uncomfortable
>but the inside the castle was worse
>it was dark, but you could still see relatively fine
>every step you took echoed no mater how quiet you tried to be
>even the slightest noise reverberates within the castle
>you slowly crept your way around the place in hopes of finding a kitchen
>with how luxurious this place was you hoped there would be a big kitchen…
>no amount of hopeful thinking could offset your worries as you made your way through the castle

>this place was a maze…
>as you made your way around you noticed a long winding staircase going far down into what seemed to be a basement
>or a dungeon…
>if worst comes to worst you can always go to a random house in hopes there’s food in there
>if you can even find your way out…

>as you went down it became darker and darker
>the eerieness of it all becomes clearer to you the further down you go
>by the time you make it to the bottom it’s pitch black
>you figure it’s a waste to be down here
>that is until you heard a noise from behind a door…
“I-I’M FRIENDS WITH TWILIGHT!”
“IF-IF YOU HURT ME SHE’S GOING TO COME FOR YOU!”
>you’re terrified
>you pray your baseless threat works as you can hardly even find the steps to make your way back up the stairs
>”you’re friends with twilight?”

>https://youtu.be/OPlK5HwFxcw (The Queen comes out of hiding)

>that voice
>it sounded soft
>you hear a door creak open as someone walks through
>her horn lights up illuminating the small room
>you were at a loss for words
>you finally found someone after days of seeing nobody
“Uh, yeah, i mean, i’ve borrowed a book from her once, but we know eachother”
“I live in ponyville after all” 
>she gives you a relieved look
>”there was a war going on, what happened?”
“Well, to put it simply equestria won, but as the leader of the slave army fell he released a dark cloud and all the ponies escaped for the trains”
>she looks at you inquisitively 
>”then, what are you doing here?”
“I got caught in the cloud and was left behind”
“I’m trying to find a way home, but, nobody knows I was gone”
“So there’s no one to come look for me and i have to find my way back somehow”
>”I am truly sorry to hear this, is there anything i can do to help?”
>you knew exactly what you needed
“Well, if it’s not a bother, i really need to get something to eat, ive run out of food and im not sure where else i could get any”
>she chuckles slightly
>”believe me, this can be arranged, iv’e been down here for the duration of the war”
>”shining armour said it would be for the best but it was very unpleasent”
>”if you have any other requests please tell me, it would at least be entertaining to do something after all this waiting”
>you can sympathize with her on that
>boredom is the worst
>”follow me, i’ll lead you to the kitchen”
>”let us hope there’s something left after what happened to the crystal empire”

>you are applejack
>the train made a stop at canterlot
>the crowd rushed out
>you step outside to find your friends huddled together
“RAINBOW, RARITY!”
>you shout as you rush towards them
>rainbow looks at you
>”AJ, DID YOU SEE THAT BIG CLOUD!”
>”IT WAS INSANE!!!”
>rarity interjects
>”what do you think it was?”
“I’m not sure but all i know is it can’t be good”
“I really need to get back to ponyville, you know when the next train is?”
>rainbow rolls her eyes
>”NEXT TRAIN? Are you kidding me? Those things are going to be busy for ages”
>”if we want to get back to ponyville we need a chariot”
“I don’t care what we go in, we need to go as soon as possible”
>rarity turns to you in concern
>”applejack, what’s got you so worked up?”
“ANON, he ain’t never been this long without someone there for him”
>before you can continue rainbow interrupts
>”oh my GOSH aj, he’ll be fiiiiine, quit worrying so much”
>rarity agrees
>”I have to agree with rainbow dash on this one AJ, he should be plenty fine on his own”
>something about hearing this infuriates you
>you can’t blame them, they don’t know anon like you do 
>but you’re only concern now is getting back to ponyville
“Look, i know yall don’t see eye to eye with me on this but i REALLY must be going”
“Im grabbing a chariot while i still can”
“If you wanna get back to ponyville any time soon i suggest you come with me, im sure chariots are runnin’ low as it is already with this here crowd”
>the two of look at each other 
>rarity speaks up
>”alright, but we have to get fluttershy and pinkie too”
>”i’m sure twilight has business in canterlot, besides, she could probably be given priority transport from celestia herself”
>rainbow adds to the plan further
>”okay, i’ll round up pinkie and fluttershy, you and applejack go find a chariot for us in the mean time okay?”
>both you and rarity nod in unison
>after nearly an hour you and rarity manage to secure a chariot 
>soon after rainbow returns with pinkie and fluttershy 
>the ride home was slow but far better than hoofing it back

>the second you touch down in ponyville you jump off and run home
>you burst through the door to greet everyone
>you hear running down the stairs
>applebloom turns to see you 
>”AJ OH MY GOSH YOUR HOME AHHHHHHHH!!!”
>she bolts towards you and gives you the biggest hug she could
“Oh applebloom it’s so nice to see you again”
>”AJ, I missed you so much”
>you let go of applebloom
“ANON, BIG MAC GET DOWN HERE I’M HOME!!!”
…
>nothing…
>you turn to applebloom to ask her where they are but something catches you off guard
>she’s shaking…
“Applebloom, you alright? What’s going on?”
>she starts full blown panicking
>hyperventilating and shivering
“Applebloom where is anon and big mac?”
>you start questioning her more worried than before
>what the hay is going on here
>why is she freaking out so much
>she doesn’t respond 
>she only pannicks and sniffles
>with the worry growing on you, you grow impatient
“Applebloom you need to tell me where they are!”
“C’mon just spit it out!”
>now she’s crying 
>really crying
>she’s starting to really scare you
“APPLEBLOOM THIS IS SERIOUS YOU NEED TO TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE THIS INSTANT!!!”
>applebloom is full blown sobbing
>maybe yelling at her was too much but your almost as panicked as she is at this point
“APPLEBLOOM-”
>”THEY'RE GONE!”
…
>oh dear celestia…
“WHERE? WHERE DID THEY GO?”
>she’s completely inconsolable at this point
>”BIG MAC GOT S-SENT TO THE-THE CRYSTAL EM-EMPIRE A-AND, AND, ANON SAID HE WAS GUH-GOING TO KEEP HIM SAFE AND-AND HE WENT ON THE TRAIN WITH HIM AND-”
>your fully freaking out at this point
>the more applebloom talks the worse it gets
>”AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HOME AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU BUT-BUT THEY’RE NOT AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY ARRRRRRREEEE!!!”
>applebloom starts uncontrollably sobbing
>your at your breaking point
>not only did big mac get sent off to war
>but anon went with…
>your certain big mac is in canterlot by now 
>everyone made it on to the trains one way or another
>but anon…
>dear celestia, anon’s in trouble
>REAL trouble
>he could be…
>no…
>no please don’t think that…
>you rush back to the chariots 
>you’ve got to get anon before he’s hurt
>that stupid boy…
>who knows how scared he is right now…

>https://youtu.be/6nzH0X6lSCI (food frenzy)

>you are anon
>THIS PLACE HAS EVERYTHING
>OATS FRUITS JELLY JAM
>YOU COULD EAT FOR AGES DOWN HERE
>running around the whole kitchen you gather everything you need to make the biggest bowl of oatmeal this empire has ever seen
>as you run around gathering the ingredients you notice something amazing
“YOU GUYS HAVE ZAP APPLE JAM?”
>before she has a chance to respond you grab the whole jar and run off to make your oats
>you turn on the stove and gather everything else
>bowl spoon pot all the utensils
>while you throw everything in to cook you pop open the jar of zap apple jam
>you’ve never had any before but you figured now was the best time to try it
…
>it was AMAZING
>it was somehow like every fruit imaginable but in the best way possible with a taste that you’re confident literally shocks your taste buds
>as the oatmeal was finishing you pour it all into the bowl and mix in your jam
>having little patience you throw in an ice cube to cool it all down
>with everything mixed in you down it like a rabid animal
>your first proper meal in days and it couldn’t have been better
>with it finished you figure it to be a good idea to make another
>and another…

>https://youtu.be/KcwaDLQ0j_g (A peaceful conversation)

>after finally having a decent meal you felt amazing
>”well, you certainly were hungry”
>”it’s about time you filled me in on what’s happened”
“Of course”
“Gosh where do i begin…”
>”well, i havent done much of anything for the past few weeks”
>”but i’m sure you’re anxious to get home”
>”so how about the short version”
>the short version
“Well, where should i start?”
>the two of you make your way to the opening in the castle
>it was still dark out but there was a sliver of blue on the horizon
>as you sat down, you asked her something
“Before i start, who are you exactly?”
>”I’m princess cadence, the princess of love”
“Well, I’m anonymous, uh, employee at sweet apple acres…”
“I just go by anon though”
>she giggles slightly
>”well, very nice to formally meet you anon”
>”now tell me, how did the war end?”
>the war
>considering you were the one to end the war, you explained your journey starting from when you got off the train
>the further you went on the more interested she looked
>”my, you had to do all that walking?”
>she would constantly interject full of interest in your story
>”but how is that possible?”
>”you broke his horn with, this thing you’re carrying?”
>you lift it up to show her
“Well, yeah”
>she inspects it for a moment
>”show me how it works”
>you pause for a second
>”this place already has a bit of damage, a tiny bit more won’t be a big deal”
>”why not aim at that building over there”
>you comply and take aim
>after firing cadence jumps a little
>immedietly after you can hear the bullet crack against the crystal building
“Yup, that’s all there is too it”
>”amazing, ive never seen anything like it”
“Honestly, im surprised it even did anything against sombra, i thought his magic would just, i don’t know, deflect it, or something”
>”well, it seems to move pretty fast and you can’t see it in the air, i would have been surprised if he could deflect something like that”
>you continued on with your story until you got to the point of where you are now
>”well, i’m just glad you’re alright after all that”
>”but I believe the crystal empire owes you a large debt”
>”please if there’s anything i can do just say it”
“As much as i wish you could help me im not sure you can”
“All i want is to get back to ponyville but with just you here im not sure that’s possible”
>she thinks to herself a moment
>”that’s not entirely true, i could take you as far as canterlot but ponyville would be a bit much for me”
>”especially with you on my back”
>you do a double take on that last part
“On your back?”
>”well, we don’t really have any other option, and i do owe you quite a bit”
>”as embarrassing as it is, it will have to do”
>”i’ll probably have to cast a spell to make you lighter”
>”but we could at least make it to canterlot by tomorow”
>as embarrassing as it was for you as well, you didn’t see any other good options
>besides, your desire to see applejack again far outweighs any worries of embarrassment 

>once cadence cast the spell, you felt incredibly light
>for a moment you jumped around ecstatic about the feeling of low gravity
>but even then, you were still too hung up on seeing applejack again that you couldn’t enjoy it for long
>you hopped onto cadences back and she spread her wings and you were off
>the breeze on your face was nice 
>being able to see the ground from a birds eye view was scary at first 
>you held on tightly to cadence for a while until you were used to it
>a part of you wishes it could have been applejack you held for safety
>that homesick feeling was growing quite large
>the only thing you want is to see applejack again
>it’s all you can think about really
>as time passed you grew more comfortable with the flying
>it became quiet once cadence maintained a steady pace
>”so, applejack was it, how did she react when you and her brother left for the war?”
>when you told her the story you neglected to mention where applejack was 
“Uh, the thing is, she wasn’t supposed to know i went on this whole thing…”
“But since it’s been so long since all the ponies went back home she’s bound to know now”
>”anon, why would you keep something like this a secret from her?”
“Applejack… she worries about me a lot, she has a tendency to, i wouldn’t say overreact”
“But she tends to think of me as, well, she called it ‘sensitive’”
“Sure, i guess she was kind of right, but when big mac got drafted there was no one else who could help him but me”
“I was hoping she wouldn’t have to find out i left at all, since she probably already knows by now, im sure she’s beyond distressed”
>cadence goes quiet
>”I think she really cares about you anon…”
>”i mean, i’m not trying to make assumptions or anything, but, i am the princess of love after all”
>”do you think it’s possible she could feel that kind of way about you?”
>deep down you desperately hope so
>you can’t imagine anyone more perfect than her
>she took such good care of you
>and it meant so much
>being cared for like that gave you the most serene feeling you’ve ever felt
>and you want to feel it everyday with her
“I hope so…”
…
>the rest of the ride was quiet
>maybe cadence could sense how you felt
>you really hope it didn’t make things awkward 
>but that quiet didn’t last

>https://youtu.be/YO3-_fdOSUs (Changeling invasion theme)

>a sudden swarm of, something, flew far too close for comfort to you two
>you’ve never seen ponies like this before
>hell, were they ponies?
>they were pitch black
>and the darkness of the night made them all barely blend in
>but the sudden breeze mixed with the dark swarm passing you was enough to tell it was something
>cadence panicked and dove to the ground
>she chose a spot by the railway you too to the crystal empire
>the second she hit the ground you jumped off and laid there
>the two of you were dead quiet as the swarm passed
>you’re not sure what’s going on but seeing cadence panicked like this meant something must be wrong
>by the time the swarm passed cadence spoke to you in an aggressive but hushed tone
>”CHANGLINGS, THEY’RE HEADED TO CANTERLOT”
“What the hell is a changeling?”
>”they invaded the crystal empire once, and now they’re coming to canterlot”
>invaded?
>dammit, you just want to go home
>you just want there to be peace
>you hate all this conflict, all this fighting
>it’s taken a heavy toll on you
>far more than you care to admit
>but for all you know big mac could still be in canterlot
>”those ponies, my people, THEY’RE ALL THERE”
>her whisper yelling was tense
>”they’re going to steal their love, we can’t let that happen!”
>how the fuck does a changeling ‘steal love’?
>all you know is that it’s important enough that cadence is freaking out
>”anon, i need you to trust me and trust me fully do you understand? Not a single objection to what i got it?”
>you were worried but you you nodded
>”get back on and shoot at them, do not stop shooting okay, pony lives are on the line do you understand?”
>”we need to do everything we can to stop them!”
>”i mean EVERYTHING anon, okay?”
>despite all of this being out of your depth, you comply
>you immediately hop back on and cadence leaps off into full speed
>she heads just slightly in front of the swarm
>you can barely see them but the swarm is big enough that no matter where you shot into them it would hit somewhere
>with your legs wrapped as tightly as you can to her you lay backwards and shoot upside down while cadence keeps the pace towards canterlot
>you never wanted to get into something like this 
>but a monarch begging you for your help means this is something terribly serious
>the swarm speeds up after noticing a few of them suddenly drop from the swarm
>they target the two of you
>never being able to fully catch up but desperate to catch you
>you empty everything you have into the swarm
>no matter how much you shoot into the swarm they never let up
>eventually your gun runs out of ammo
“CADENCE THEY’RE GETTING CLOSE LOSE EM WHILE I RELOAD”
>she likely didn’t understand what you meant fully
>but she sure as hell knew you needed her to buy you time and get them off your back a moment
>cadence flew wildly
>her wings were far bigger than theirs
>she would twist and turn to avoid their grasp
>the changelings were wildly determined to cath the two of you
>all the motion made you dizzy
>the only thing you were focused on was pushing the ammo back into the rifle
“WE’RE GOOD FLY STRAIGHT AGAIN!”
>with a few cycles of this the swarm noticeably got smaller
>it was still disgustingly large
>the dent you did to them was worth something that was certain
>but after a while ammo ran dry
>no matter the fuel efficiency you had, without ammo it was pointless to continue with the air assault
“CADENCE I'M COMPLETLY OUT!”
“WE NEED TO HEAD STRAIGHT TO CANTERLOT! NOW!!!”
>without hesitation she bolted straight to canterlot
>she was seemed incredibly winded
>between breaths she spoke
>”ANON, IT’S GOING TO BE A FAST LANDING WHEN WE GET THERE”
>she gasps for breath
>”I HAVE TO GATHER THE ARMY, WHEN I LAND JUMP OKAY?”
“GOT IT!”
>right as you near the center of canterlot you see everypony
>fucking hell… 
>there’s almost as many ponies just standing outside as there are in the swarm coming right for them
>for a split second the only people who knew how much trouble canterlot was in was you and cadence
>right as you two neared the ground she shouted
>”ANON JUMP!”
>you jumped off to one side and rolled
>you were incredibly dizzy again
>but by the time you orient yourself you could already hear the screams of all the ponies
>there were medical tents being gaurded by soldiers with fear written all over them
>undoubtebly they were not prepared for something like this
>this was bad
>you knew canterlot was completely unprepared for something like this
>especially with the refugees from the crystal empire, this place was wildly over crowded
>but what came next was far more horrifying

>https://youtu.be/75P0QGi3RO0 (Terror from where you stand)

>you were completely alone
>cadence ran off leaving you completely alone
> except for the screams of other ponies
>the swarm had landed 
>though not on the ground
>on every pony they could jump onto
>you rushed towards the first pony being bitten
>you screamed so loud your ears rang silencing out the screams from all over canterlot
>your bayonet pushed straight into the first changeling
>as you kept rushing past the bitten pony you tossed the changeling off the end of your rifle
>there was something horrific about killing up close
>you could have sworn you heard it scream before it died
>you endlessly charged every changeling in sight
>your screams were the only thing keeping you sane
>the ringing in your ears kept out the horrible sounds 
>the swarm was unforgiving
>a changeling bit your arm 
>in the urgency of it all you fell to the ground and bit down on the changelings muzzle like an animal
>without your deafening screams you could hear the cries of the changeling
>your teeth dug violently in
>the second the unlatched you sank your blade into the changeling in the side while it was on the ground
>it made you feel physically sick
>every pony you saw being attacked you would rush to help
>the streets seemed to empty themselves of ponies but the swarm in canterlot got larger and larger no matter how many you killed
>there weren’t any ponies left to save
>the swarm began to intentionally target you
>with every changeling you dug your bayonet into another would bite
>their teeth were thin and their bite force was just enough to dig into you
>your screams became cries 
>to the changelings they were fierce war cries
>but to yourself they were out of horrible distress
>it was far too much for you to handle 
>but there was no one who was coming to save you
>you were entirely on your own with this
>the blood was disgusting
>it was all over the ground
>it would pool in the grooves on the stone streets
>within time some soldiers began to appear
>they helped take care of some changelings but would mostly stay in their small areas
>maybe they were there the whole time
>but your laser focus on your next targets prevented you from noticing
>you were viciously fighting for your life
>your throat hurt from all of the cries
>even breathing felt painful as the air grazed the tender parts of your throat
>without anything to drown the noise you heard every little detail
>their horrible cries for mercy as your blade sank into their chests
>there was no stopping it, your momentum would be too much by the time they beg
>the first time you heard it you tried to forget it, you thought it was delusion
>but it would happen again and again
>their cries sounded so young
>your very last attempt was the most horrific
>you chased a changeling but instead of attacking back it ran and cried in fear
>you couldn’t bring yourself to continue
>you fell to your knees with such a large drop in energy
>with your hands on the ground all you could see was the thin layer of liquid on the stone
>without the rush of adrenaline you could process it all
>they were screaming…
>oh god they were screaming
>you started gagging like you were going to throw up but you had nothing in you
>they were so violent
>but they, fuck, they were screaming for you to stop
>you look up to see there was no one around
>only those changelings left over from what transpired
>you think back to your ringing ears
>how many changelings begged for you to stop and you didn’t listen
>you could hear fighting still going on further away
>but from where you are there’s nobody left
>just you, your deep regrets and the sound of fighting in other parts of canterlot
>you wouldn’t dare pick up that rifle again
>what you did was horribly wrong
>you silently cry in frustration while the pressure behind your eyes continues to build
>you couldn’t process it all
>you knew they were attacking ponies
>hell you saw them sink their teeth into one
>but the fact they could be so afraid
>the fact they begged you not to kill them and you didn’t listen
>it made everything so tragically confusing
>you couldn’t think straight
>you just wish none of it would have happened
>you get up and stumbled down the road leaving your rifle behind
>you never want to see it again
>you sniffle as you make your way down the road with labored breathing
>you were done
>you couldn’t take it anymore
>and you just want applejack to make this all better again…