The four stepped out through the main gate, walking into the light of the flaming alicorn. The heat washed over them almost instantly, wiping away the chill of the night. The ground was torn asunder from the bombs, leaving a few flat areas for them to stand.

“Remember, same as always,” Steelhorn said. “I'm the front line. Everypony else, take her down and try to avoid getting too hurt. Espirit, your job is to keep us going. Got it?”

The zebra nodded.

“Is this what faces me? The great heroes I have heard so much about?” Celestia asked, her voice filled with amusement as she looked down at them. For a moment, Espirit could almost see the kindness in the alicorn, the way it was said she used to be. Her eyes were filled with delight and adoration. Then they turned cold and condescending. “Such pathetic excuses. Do you wish to spare yourselves the pain and suffering of falling at my flame?”

“We'll defeat you and then your army, Celestia,” Steelhorn said before gripping her shield and stepping forward. “Ready?”

“Let's go!” Silverwing said before taking to the air, followed by Ganry. The changeling then charged forward and slammed her shield at Celestia. It hit the alicorn square in the chest, not even making the alicorn stumble.

“Such a pathetic insect. You and all your kind should be burned from this world,” the alicorn said before fire gathered at her horn. It then surged forward at the changeling. Steelhorn barely had time to bring up her shield, though she was sent tumbling back by the powerful flames. She charged back at the alicorn a moment later, the shield glowing white.

“Pathetic,” Celestia said. Silverwing was almost on her, wing blades out, when fire surged out from the alicorn in a circle. It sent both the changeling and negasi flying back, crashing into the ground and skidding along the dirt. Espirit eeked and raised her staff, healing her friends as quickly as she could. Burns had formed along their bodies, but were quickly washed away in the healing magic.

The ground under her turned red hot. It took her a moment to realize what was going on, but then she leaped to the right. The ground erupted under her, catching her back hoof in the rising inferno. She let out a scream as stone and ash rained down on her, her burnt hoof feeling as if it had been melted clean off. She gripped her staff and healed herself as best she could, though even when she could walk on the hoof again, the pain still didn't entirely fade. The damage didn't seem to be nearly as bad as it felt, though.

She looked back to the battle and realized things were only getting worse. Celestia looked barely fazed, while Ganry's wings were smoking and Silverwing had lost one of her wing blades, the metal a charred and melted mess. The negasi was on the ground now as well, no longer flying. Steelhorn was taking a pounding, forced to back away from the alicorn again and again as she pelted the changeling with small bursts of fire.

Then Celestia disappeared in a burst of flame. “Espirit, behind you!” Ganry yelled a moment later.

The zebra turned to see the alicorn behind her, surging forward wrapped in flames. She barely had time to tuck and roll away, her staff getting caught in the attack and burnt to cinders, the aether within popping and sparking. When the alicorn came to a stop, Steelhorn was there to meet her with another slam of her shield. This time Celestia took a step back from the blow, before sending out another stream of fire at the mare. This time, however, it didn't stop. Steelhorn stepped back, trying to protect herself with her shield as the metal grew red hot in her magic.

Then small pieces of metal began to melt away. The changeling dove to the right, barely escaping in time as the shield crumbled from the assault. Steelhorn gasped, looking up at the towering alicorn. “Good bye, little insect.” Her horn blazed with fire and she sent it forward at the changeling. Espirit's eyes widened and she stared in horror at the trail of flame sheering across the ground. She reached out a hoof, but then saw Steelhorn, slightly singed but out of the fire. She gripped stones with her magic, hurtling it at the alicorn.

The fires died a few moments later, revealing a black, charred lump on the ground. The air was filled with the scent of burning feathers. Espirit stared at it, unable to identify what it could be. Then she realized who the lump was. Ganry. The griffon was scorched completely black, unmoving.

Espirit couldn't move, all she could do was stare. She knew somepony was screaming, yelling at them to do something. But she couldn't hear it. All she could do was stare. Silverwing ran to the griffon, or what remained of him, trying to move him. There was an explosion to her left, though she couldn't see it. All she could see was Ganry. His corpse being dragged by the negasi. Then Steelhorn flew forward to help her, transforming into a griffon as well.

A pair of hooves wrapped around her and yanked her back. She looked back in confusion, seeing one of the soldiers from the main wall. There were more explosions and she was dragged back towards the wall. She wanted to help, but couldn't. All she could do was look back towards the charred, burning remains of her friend, then towards the inferno that was the alicorn.

They'd failed.