The distant hum of buzzing increased every second, as Celestia continued to push every bit of her remaining strength into the protection spell she had cast over the entire perimeter of Canterlot. This was it. Equestria's final stand against evil. Each separate guard stood valiant, prepared to defend their matriarch at any cost.
The swarm arrived at the border of where the spell ended, the main front soldiers landing while the rest remained airborne. Celestia immediately caught sight of Viro, stepping forward, along with Chrysalis at his side. He curiously tapped at the same protective spell used to protect Canterlot from his accomplice a few years prior, smiling as he did.
Chrysalis merely growled under her breath at the sight, remembering the culmination of events that led to her first humiliating defeat. Viro lowered his hoof, continuing to hold a sinister expression on his face.
"It will take some time to break it apart, but it shouldn't affect our plans too harshly," Chrysalis stated, knowing just how powerful the spell was from previous experience.
Viro only followed with a chuckle, not looking phased by Chrysalis's statement one bit.
"Dear Chrysalis, the last time you were in this situation, you didn't have me," Viro stated in a calm and sinister tone. "Why do you think I infected Celestia in the first place, aside from killing her?"
"I figured it was just your way of getting a potential threat out of the way," Chrysalis replied with a hint of confusion.
"That is true," Viro responded. "However, there's another reason why."
Chrysalis was still a little confused, but became aware of what Viro meant, watching as he hit the dome hard with his hoof. The strike immediately struck Celestia hard, causing her to stumble and lose focus on the spell for a moment. The spell dimmed just enough to leave an opening for the swarm, which Viro quickly took advantage of.
"Go!" he commanded, mobilizing the swarm.
Celestia grunted in pain, quickly regaining herself.
"No!" she yelled in retort, reinforcing the spell back to full strength.
The Changeling soldiers were immediately flung back upon impact with the spell, including Viro and Chrysalis, both rising back to their hooves slowly. The action had caused Viro to become irritated, not used to being outwitted by others. As a way to express his anger, he once again struck the dome. This time, with a much more vulgar strength.
The action once again struck Celestia with a massive and devastating impact, nearly knocking her out and leaving her breathless. Her focus was lost temporarily again, allowing Viro to mobilize his swarm once more. Celestia didn't know how, but she somehow managed to rebound her focus, not allowing Viro to break her down easily.
"I...can't...let...him...win," Celestia muttered through the unbearable pain.
Celestia's second rebound had resulted in some Changeling soldiers being killed by decapitation, unable to fall back behind the barrier in time.
"That...was...for...Luna!" Celestia exclaimed proudly, giving her sister some form of justice.
Green blood splurted from corpses of fallen Changeling soldiers, as Viro, once again knocked down by the impact, growled in anger. He stood back up and stomped back to the barrier, hitting it harder and harder. But the barrier remained unaffected by the blows, as he stood baffled.
"What is going on!?" Chrysalis barked.
"It would appear that I may have underestimated Celestia's strength," Viro said, mild anger audible in his voice. "No matter. Her stubbornness will have dire consequences!"
Chrysalis stood baffled. Never before had she seen Viro so infuriated by any creature. This was the first time she had actually ever seen Viro defeated, even if it was only a temporary one. She wanted to laugh or express some form of mockery towards Viro, but she kept herself composed, knowing that her actions would have consequences she didn't intend to experience.
"What do we do now, seeing your original plan to disrupt the barrier failed?" Chrysalis questioned.
"We wait for the virus to finish her off," Viro responded arrogantly. "It won't be much longer. I can feel her heart depleting slowly. Patience is all we can suffice for the time being."
Planting her rear on the ground, Chrysalis followed Viro's words, not letting her reckless actions corrupt her mindset again.
"Then wait we shall," Chrysalis finalized, noticing a smile creep across Viro's face, along with a smirk of satisfaction that made Chrysalis smile in return.
From the castle balcony, Celestia saw the sequence of events unfold, as she took in a deep breath, relieved that the battle was at a seizefire for awhile. She knew she was the only thing standing in their way, and she planned to hold out as long as she possibly could. The plan was working. She just hoped her will to live was strong enough to allow Applejack and the others to resolve their part of the plan.
"Please... hurry, my... friends. Time... is running out... for both...myself...and Equestria."
The plan had worked. Everypony had made it through. All except for the five that had lead their fellow ponyfolk through the mirror with persuasion and promise of safety on the other side. All five stood in triumph at their accomplishment, until they suddenly felt a familiar sense of guilt engulf them; one pony was still out there.
Emotions began to compile, knowing that their dear friend and leader, Twilight Sparkle was still out there, alone and helpless. The impact and shock of the sudden realization had hit harder than they could've imagined, and now, they had to actually perform the action. They had to leave their beloved friend and homeland in defeat.
Each exchanged words in that moment, standing before the mirror in unsure manners.
"In all my time, I never thought that it would end like this," Applejack started. "Yet, here we are. Being forced out."
Rarity put a hoof on Applejack's shoulder as a way of comfort, following her own statement.
"We'll be back, darling." Rarity paused briefly. "Someday. Someday, we will all return to take back Equestria."
"Yeah!" added Rainbow Dash. "This isn't over! When we return, Viro and his buddies are going to be the ones running away!"
"That big meanie won't stand a chance!" Pinkie added.
"He'll pay for all he's done!" Fluttershy added, her voice aggressive and strict.
Applejack smiled, turning to the mirror with the others.
"Y'all ready to do this?" Applejack stated, releasing a long breath.
The other four nodded their heads, and with as much valor as they could express, took steps toward the mirror. Just as they were about to pass through the portal though, a voice suddenly stopped all of them instantly.
"Well, well. This is quite the discovery!" spoke a rather high and enthusiastic voice. The tone gave away exactly what was speaking to them however.
All five turned to face four lone Changeling soldiers, staring at all of them with hunger and malevolence. The smiles and valor disappeared from all five, as they realized that they were going to have no choice but to fight. They would not escape.
"Let me guess, y'all are spies of Viro's?" Applejack said, not making any drastic movements yet.
"Very good, pony," the same soldier replied. "We've been following you five ever since Viro took down your poor friend. You never had a chance to outsmart us!"
Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth at the four Changelings and made an attempt to charge, until she was stopped by Applejack.
"Hold it!" Applejack yelled.
Rainbow did as Applejack said, and backed off, noticing that the four soldiers had taken defensive poses.
"What do you want?" Applejack asked. "You could've stopped us at anytime, so it's clear you held off for a reason."
The Changeling soldier smiled, reassembling his stance.
"A smart one you are," the soldier said. "All we want is for you to surrender. Shall you obey, Lord Viro has agreed to spare you. You will make fine decorative pieces for our lord's throne, after your world falls to ashes."
"And if we should not?"
"I believe that answer is obvious, pony. So, what shall it be?"
Applejack paused for a second. Within that time, a series of disagreements from the other four were exchanged, but she payed them no attention. She finally responded after only twenty seconds of thought.
"I believe that answer is obvious, Changeling scum!" Applejack exclaimed in a righteous fury. "We will never surrender to you! We will fight for our home and our families! Even if it costs us our lives!"
The Changeling responded with a laugh at first, but quickly followed up with his own remark.
"Then you know how this ends."
"Yes. Yes we do!" exclaimed Applejack, as she kicked back at the mirror's outer frame and broke it in two, closing the portal for good.
The mirror reverted back to its original state as just a regular glass mirror, which quickly fell back, being unsupported by the outer beams, and shattered to millions of pieces.
"Now you can't harm the others," Applejack started. "Looks like we did manage to outsmart you after all."
The Changeling soldier growled in retort, as he and his sidekicks got into stances, ready to pounce. All five followed suit, as the Changeling soldier muttered one last thing before pouncing.
"Your deaths will be ruthless."
Both sides pounced, and all Tartarus erupted within the Castle of Friendship. Life or death on the line.
It had come. Celestia had tried so hard, but her magic resources had run dry, just as much as her strength. She could feel her heart depleting to a shallow rhythm, her breaths growing weaker, and the color of her skin fading. The infection had at long last taken full control, and Celestia's protection spell had begun to flicker away.
Viro and Chrysalis gazed upon their only obstacle, reassembling their stances. The time had come at long last. The fall of Equestria. Viro and Chrysalis snickered, smiling at the symbolism that their only remaining threat had at long last met their fate. Silence only emanated in that moment of tragedy for harmony, and an almighty triumph for disharmony.
While she tried so hard to keep herself alive, Celestia had come to a realization that her time was up. There was no use in fighting it anymore. She collapsed to the ground, somehow still holding the spell, and in her final moments, spoke in her mind, hearing her heartbeat deplete slowly.
Never would I have thought it would end this way. Defeated so easily. I only hope and pray to my own embodiment that every one of my subjects are safe elsewhere. Equestria has fallen, but harmony will always remain, even in the darkest of times. That's one thing Viro will never truly defeat. I'm just sorry I couldn't have done better than this.
Dear Luna, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I just hope you can forgive me when I reunite with you very soon. May Equestria be taken back in many years to come! Evil will never prevail in the presence of harmony!
Now, I bid this world farewell with only one wish. Whoever shall fight for Equestria's freedom, never give up hope. Only if we truly surrender, is when harmony will truly be defeated.
With those last statements, Celestia's golden aura flickered away, her vision fell to an endless black void, her heart grew silent, and the matriarch's last breath was exhaled, sounding more like a whisper amongst the calamity. The great goddess of the sun was no more, and all that remained, was a cold and empty shell of what used to be Princess Celestia.
With the protection spell no longer in the way of Viro's army, the siege resumed, and all Tartarus erupted upon the once glorious city of Canterlot.
Magic beams of many colors blasted in all directions imaginable, both on the ground and in the air. A minor number of Changeling soldiers fell, while the Royal Guard soldiers fell in defeat like flies. Viro trotted onward, easily ridding any obstacles with both blasts from his coronican and blows from his front legs, infecting any who were struck by the blows.
One by one, the Royal Guard was eradicated, while the unicorns and earth pony soldiers fought with all their might to protect the castle. Spears flew through the air, along with arrows, taking out some Changeling soldiers. Arrows were shot at Chrysalis and Viro, but were protected by the endless soldiers that swore to protect their queen, even if it meant being killed in the process.
Being more effective, spears were replaced by the arrows, making more haste toward the intended targets. Despite Changeling soldiers guarding Chrysalis and Viro, the spears managed to get through the hordes, causing Viro and Chrysalis to halt.
Viro had grown tired of all these petty obstacles, so using his unlimited power, he gripped the entire balcony where the Royal Guard stood in defense with his coronican, and in a sudden burst of magic, the entire balcony began to crumble to rubble. The force was similar to the force of an earthquake, as he and Chrysalis watched the ponies fall, being impaled by the sharp debris below.
Some had retreated back into the castle, but the majority were eliminated, making the remainder of the siege all the more easier. Breaking open the castle door with his magic, Viro and Chrysalis continued further onward, while the majority of the army remained outside to eliminate any other potential threats.
Along the trek to the throne room, Viro and Chrysalis had come across the other Royal Guard soldiers that had retreated back into the castle, before they could fall to their deaths. Try as they might, they were easily defeated with a deflection of their weapons and a snap to the neck, leaving no further issues for Viro or Chrysalis.
Both easily trekked through the castle, until they came to the throne room. Blasting open the doors, the sight of the thrones of the once princesses of the celestial bodies befell their visions, along with the pale and lifeless corpse of Celestia on the floor.
Neither of them paid the corpse any attention, walking forward and at long last, seating themselves on the throne. A feeling of triumph and majesty engulfed Chrysalis as she looked outward upon the long and wide throne room. A sight fit for only that of a matriarch. Viro didn't express any emotion and just sat in silence. Chrysalis still was unsure if what was happening was actually real, as she continued to look outward upon the throne room.
"Am I really here?" Chrysalis questioned, her eyes wide. "Am I really seated upon the throne of the celestial bodies?"
"Yes," Viro replied. "However, we are not yet the true leaders of Equestria."
Chrysalis grew confused, looking at Viro with slight irritation in her gaze.
"How are we not!?" Chrysalis barked. "We've taken the throne! All the princesses are dead! How can we not be the rulers of Equestria now?!"
"Calm yourself, Chrysalis!" Viro retorted. "Not all of them are dead, nor are all ponies eradicated. This is merely the setup for the true finale to the fall of Equestria. There's still one more task yet to accomplish, and I plan on making it a truly remarkable event in history. An event that will truly mark the beginning of the Age of the Changelings."
"I don't understand," Chrysalis stated.
Viro chuckled, looking away from Chrysalis.
"Trust me. It'll be a show worth waiting for, Chrysalis."