//------------------------------//
// The Waning Resistance 
// Story: Battle of Canterlot 
// by Thranx 
//------------------------------//

As the Changeling Army had suffered immense casualties at Canterlot. General Pharynx was not happy nor he was impressed, he had filed a request for Queen Chrysalis to allow him to use brutal methods, chemical and biological weapons on the defenders at Canterlot. The queen unsurprisingly agreed. Various chemical weapons such as chlorine and mustard gasses were developed in masses in factories around Soryth. They had also developed a modified version of Anthrax and got their hooves on the Purple Plague, both imported from another dimension and Griffonia respectively. They also began using prisoners-of-war as meat shields to cover their advance and their air raids now included the incessant use of phosphorus bombs and napalm bombs to clear out the city.

The ERFC was outmatched with the appearance of the latest changeling aircraft models which were more agile, faster and could carry more bombs to jettison. As time progresses, the ERFC was slowly losing its momentum in dogfights and interception missions. Eventually, the ERFC could no longer keep the skies above Canterlot clear and could no longer give air support to the Equestrians on the ground. The changelings started a new offensive. This time with the use of new methods, tactics and technologies, the Canterlot Garrison began to lose ground and eventually break.

The changelings had finally cleared out Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns and Restaurant Row with the help of the ever-increasing use of flamethrowers, chlorine gasses and flame tanks, burning and suffocating everypony that stood in their way. The changelings had also cleared out the Noble Residents, the now-abandoned home of the Canterlot upper-class ponies with relative ease the Noble Residents was also the final defence line before the Royal Palace. Most of the city had fallen under changeling control except for the Royal Palace. It was a matter of time until it happens.

*******

I had recovered from my wounds and returned to the front a month after the changelings had adopted the heinous tactics, I had a new gun but it was an old Lilia Rifle that was equipped with a scope. after months of putting bullets in changelings' heads, I was assigned with the other abled ponies that can aim a gun to the rearguard under the command of Princess Luna though she will not personally participate. Princess Celestia and the medic was helping the wounded ponies evacuating Canterlot through the secret passage through Mount Canter that was enlarged in the past week so that manoeuvrability will be easier. The passage leads to the Foal Mountains where it was still under Equestrian control. All of us can see her dispirited demeanour before she turned away and headed for the passage. Some said that she was angry at the changeling atrocities towards her subjects, some said that she was devastated by the sheer destruction that had befallen her capital. Some said that it was both. However, before the princess left, she announced her apology to the garrison for her inaction in the years leading up to the war and promised to take more extreme yet practical measures for Equestria to gain the upper hoof in the war.

The rearguard consisted of any abled ponies and the Royal Guards, all of us were spent after months of brutal fighting. We were equipped with old Lilia Rifles and magical prototype rifles as the latest weapons were all used up. Ammunition was getting more and more scarce. Food was no exception either, the rations were getting lesser by the day. It had been 7 months since I have eaten a normal military ration, The ration was only 10% of what it was seven months ago. Many of us doubt that we could hold on for much longer if the changelings attack. Some said we would only last 5 minutes if the changelings attack. Almost the entire rearguard had been in the state of "the glass is half empty" but from that point on the soldiers grew more vengeful. I was not exempted. There were some points that I wanted to end my life there and then but I was only stopped by my comrades. They reminded me of the consequences that would befall my parents had I take my own life.

My brother's letter reminded me that I still have a family and I was not willing to let it go just yet. Almost all of my comrades in my platoon had been killed or succumbed to the changeling biological weapons. That was then my hatred towards changelings grew. It generated a renewed vigour inside me and a revelation that I must kill to survive this ordeal. It would be either me or the changeling that would make it out alive of Canterlot. This time I was a sniper taking cover in one of the Palace's keeps, picking off any exposed changeling that was behind their lines. The keep had given me the perfect vantage point, I could see the whole city from the keep. Sometimes I shot a captain or a lieutenant but usually, I only kill low-ranked Jägers and soldiers due to their numbers being so numerous that it was hard to not spot one. But, I left the keep that I had occupied for the past three months to be on the ground to support the rearguard as the keep was no longer safe from changeling air attacks after the princesses cancelled their protection spell from the palace.

*******

After the changeling artillery barrage had receded, we waited for the arrival of the final changeling attack. The ground started to tremble. The cacophonous noise of tank engines and whirring propeller of changeling aircraft were getting louder by the second. Everypony knew that this will be the final battle and the changelings fully-equipped, well-fed and confident were not willing to let the ponies retreat just yet. They were in this for the kill.

Then rounds after rounds of poisonous gas fell near our position releasing the deadly gas on the defenders. However, this time we had our gas masks but our sight were severely limited to no more than a few meters. Then the changelings emerged as they charged in the gas cloud. Changelings do not suffocate if they breathe poisonous gas which meant that a changeling sight was not limited by the gas mask as they didn't need one. Regardless, we opened fire at every changeling insight. We continued shooting at the changelings until they stopped attacking. That was the first wave.

The second wave arrived five minutes after the first wave had concluded, this time they were accompanied by the new King Tiger tanks. The new panzers blasted all the Equestrian tanks without much effort. But armed with the new anti-tank guns we managed to knock out some of the tanks with several lucky shots. However, the attack was still going strong, although the changeling tanks had pulled back the infantry did not. It kept pushing relentlessly. I kept shooting them but they kept coming. It was almost endless. As I continued shooting any changeling I spot, my rifle ran out of ammo. So, I quickly reached for my handgun and continued to offer resistance. I looked to my left and right and saw that more and more ponies had begun using handguns, some had even resorted to using bayonets and hooves as the changelings finally reached our line. 

Then my handgun also ran out. I grabbed my out-of-ammo rifle and fixed my bayonet and I used it like a spear. I stabbed every changeling that got up the barriers effectively killing most of them. As more changelings scaled the barriers we charged with bayonets and shovels at the changelings who were unprepared for melee combat. Then brutal melee combat ensued. Everypony and ling killed each other without mercy. I snuck behind a changeling who was preparing to stab a knocked down pony. Before he could do it I grabbed his neck and slit throat thus saving the pony from killed. I helped him up and we continued fighting as we slowly retreated. The melee fight got bloodier and deadlier as more ponies and changelings joined in. Most of the changelings did not expect to be charged by the vengeful Equestrians at close range. Therefore, many were killed until the changelings managed to form a line and began firing at the charging Equestrians.

Many ponies were shot dead in their attempt to reach the changeling line. It was then Princess Luna came to our rescue and launched rays of blue magic on the changeling attackers and shouted at us in her Royal Canterlot Voice. " My gallant soldiers, you had done your part. Now retreat to the passage! I shall hold them off until all of you had evacuated,". We then rushed to the passage and boarded military trucks that were waiting at the entrance of the tunnel. Then the trucks started moving, going deeper into the mountain. As we were moving deeper into the mountains Princess Luna entered the passage and blew up the entrance with her magic, effectively blocking the entrance for the chasing changelings.

The battle had been a catastrophic defeat for Equestria, although the changelings suffered heavy casualties the Equestrians fared worse. One out of ten of the garrison made it out alive. The loss of the Equestrian capital had made some of the defenders sobbed. It was truly a heartbreaking moment to see the once majestic marble dominated structures of Canterlot were reduced to heaps of rubble and littered with dead bodies, ponies and changelings alike along with the destroyed tanks and planes from both sides. The many white buildings were now charred black after the effects of napalm bombing and the increasing flamethrower activities. Some would say that even the backwater city of Griffonstone had more lustre than the current Equestrian capital.

Even though I was devastated by the loss of the capital and I felt the growing need of going home, I did not feel returning to my family just yet. I will return home once the changeling menace had been crushed once and for all. The changelings had done crimes that cannot be left unpaid and I will support any policy the princesses would pass to bring the changelings to their knees. Their species do not deserve to live after the atrocities they had committed on the Equestrians. The Purple Plague and the modified Anthrax they brought from Griffonia and the other dimension had killed more than 20% of our garrison in two months. Nearly all of my comrades succumbed to these diseases.

If anything this war has taught me, it is that the changelings will use any method they can get their hooves on to squash our ponies. They needed to be defeated.