The Castle at the End of Time

by Cinnarowe

W.M.F

Skyhold Fortress is home to the WMF, The Wonderbolts Military Faction, an elite military force outside of the regular royal guard regiment. Only consisting of pegasi, these ponies are state-of-the-art killing machines whose purpose is hooves-on warfare. Whenever a threat is beyond magic, these ponies are the last resort.

Since the situation with the Gryphon Empire became unstable in recent years, this force was developed as a measure of last resort should the gryphons decide to invade. They are talented fighters whose armies are far more formidable than the ponies could ever dream of. So, as a precaution, this military facility delivers training specifically for dealing with gryphons.

The fortress sat on an extensive system of clouds, similar to Cloudsdale. Unlike Cloudsdale, however, this facility was always in the same position and did not move around in the breeze. Instead, it was suspended by several powerful enchantments. The entire facility was a marvel to behold. There were barracks, training grounds, and a medical wing, as well as an armory and several large towers that held several different branches of the military. The facility itself hosted over five hundred soldiers, all trained to be efficient killers.

The WMF is a military organization that works closely with Equestria's military sections: the Wonderbolts and the Royal Guards. They recruit their troops based on unique recommendations from both sections and put them through vigorous tests and challenges to see if they are up to the task.

It's no walk in the park.

Celestia explained this to Twilight as soldiers escorted them through the headquarters. They had been allowed a night of sleep before they would wake up very early in the morning, as Lieutenant Holt had instructed them to meet with the commander of the WMF. Twilight barely slept, and she hadn't heard from Rainbow or any of her friends since they parted the night prior.

As she and Celestia walked, the halls were mostly deserted, and Twilight could sense an atmosphere of strict discipline. It was different from Canterlot. All the soldiers here had a different vibe from the ones she was used to seeing.

They arrived at a door that was guarded by several pegasi. Upon their arrival, they stood straight and saluted. They opened the door and were let in.

The room they entered was vast and open, with several windows overlooking the training grounds. Two guards were stationed inside, standing in each corner, and they saluted when Celestia and Twilight entered.

Twilight first saw a large desk with many pieces of parchment stacked on it, with a single quill sitting atop it. Next to the desk were shelves lined with books and a fireplace crackling beside the wall. The second thing Twilight saw was the figure sitting on the other side of the desk. This pony had their ruby-red front legs up on the table, and were looking out the window when they stepped inside.

This pony looked very different from the guards. They had a very thick coat and a muscular body build, and a dark mane that draped in front of their eyes slightly.

Twilight noticed the golden epaulets on the pony's shoulders and realized that this must be the commander.

"Commander! Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight have arrived!" One of the guards shouted.

The pony raised an eyebrow and grunted in a scratchy voice. "Yeah, I can see that."

The pony's head turned, and Twilight got a good look at their face. They had a strong jawline and a deep-set frown. Their eyes were piercing and intimidating, and they were deep blue. "So, the princesses have come to visit. Welcome. It's been a long time, Princess Celestia."

Celestia nodded, and she approached the desk. "Commander Rell. Please, I'm not your princess anymore. Just Celestia is fine."

The commander nodded, and gave a half-smile. "You know I could never do that. It would be against my honor."

"Your honor, eh? It seems some things don't change." Celestia chuckled, and Commander Rell nodded.

"No, they do not."

The commander looked over to Twilight and gave her a nod. "Princess Twilight."

"Hello," Twilight said, and she gave a small smile. "Thank you for accommodating us here."

"Oh, the pleasure is mine. Though I wish the circumstances were different. Your guards have informed me on most accounts, but I would like to hear the story from you. Please."

Celestia looked over to Twilight, and she nodded. "Go ahead, Twilight. Tell the commander everything you can."

Twilight looked up at the commander and took a deep breath. She started talking about everything that had happened only a few hours ago with incredible difficulty. Every second that passed was like a punch to her gut. Tears started building up as she finished her story, and she wiped them away.

The commander frowned, and sat back. "I see. That is quite the ordeal. You have my condolences."

Twilight gave Rell a nod, and she tried to compose herself. It wasn't easy to hear those words. "Thank you, Commander. But, I think I'd rather not talk about it right now."

"Of course. I understand." The commander said.

There was silence for a few seconds before Twilight spoke again. "Commander. Can you tell us what you know?"

The commander sighed. "There isn't much we do know. As you said, any ponies attempting to reach the floating castle have been immobilized. There has been no movement or activity from the castle whatsoever."

Twilight bit her lip. "Do you have any idea what could be causing this?"

"I have no clue." The commander said. "but we have our connections, and if anyone discovers anything, I'll be the first to know. For now, the only thing we can do is wait. My scouts are monitoring the city and surrounding area for any sign of the other creatures. Once they're located, we will send soldiers to take it out or, at the very least, get an understanding of the creatures. We do know that these things don't like fire; we can only assume any other physical attack is equally as effective."

"But the creature is a lot stronger than any pony," Twilight said.

"It is, which is why we aren't sending a single pony to deal with this threat. It would be suicide," the commander said. "No, we will deal with this threat using an elite force—one that I have hoof picked, not to mention a large selection of my soldiers."

Celestia shook her head. "If we can even locate the creatures, that is."

"We will find them." The commander said. "Until then, I want to point our attention to this dragon who intervened in the attack."

"Yes, Torgand. I have a lot of questions about him myself," Celestia said. "It's a most peculiar case. At first glance, I could tell this dragon was quite a significant one, yet I had never seen him before or heard of him through my connections with the dragons. Thus, I have summoned Dragon Lord Ember here to help identify him."

During her talk with Luna on the way to the fortress, they agreed to send word for Ember. The dragon lands currently had their yearly Lava Dance festival, and Spike was there with them. He would have to know of the current events in the most horrible of ways.

The commander nodded. "How can you tell a dragon's age by looking at them?"

Celestia raised her head slightly and lit up her horn. "The way our magic reacts around them. Dragons are quite weak to magic, so we react to their presence. And his is quite significant."

"I see. Is he dangerous?"

"Not from what I could tell. I don't believe Torgand is a direct threat to us. He helped us, after all."

The commander shook his head and pulled out some documents from a drawer behind the desk. "That doesn't necessarily mean he isn't dangerous. Since I first got the report of an unidentified dragon showing up in the capital, my attention was immediately drawn to a single conclusion."

Rell slid the closed documents across the table for the two alicorns to see. Celestia looked at it curiously and then opened it with her magic. She frowned at the title of the document on the front page. "The gryphons? What would they have to do with this?"

The commander blinked. "Read further down."

She looked down at the document and read the information on the page. On the side were a few attached photographs, pinned down with paper clips. Whoever had taken the photos, had been doing it in secret, as they showed dragons in prison cells from around a corner.

Twilight gasped. "The gryphons, using captive dragons to infiltrate Equestria? What sort of roundabout way of gathering intel is this? And how could they be controlling them?"

Commander Rell sighed. "Unfortunately, from the information we have received from our contacts in the kingdom, the gryphons have been capturing visiting dragons in the kingdom. Since ponies and dragons have become allies, they believe they can get the upper hand this way. It's a fairly new method, one that they still haven't made use of due to it still being in the experimental phase. However, this event leads me to conclude that it is now set into motion."

"But how can they even capture a dragon" Twilight asked.

"They have their ways. Once they have a dragon, they will use whatever mental warfare they can to get an upper hand on them. Thus, they will locate the nearest family member of their prisoner, and blackmail them into doing what they say." Rell said with disgust.

"What in Equestria... You think Torgand is one of these hostages?" Celestia asked.

The commander shrugged. "He certainly fits the bill. If they managed to get ahold of a dragon with this firepower, the possibilities would be endless."

Twilight frowned. "But, the way he acted... He seemed genuine. Would the gryphons attempt something this close to the castle?"

The commander stood up from a seated position. "Celestia, you said you do not trust this dragon. Does this feeling change, knowing what you do now?"

Celestia bit her lip. "I... I am not sure. Something feels off; I feel convinced that he is involved in this somehow, but If your statement is true, then perhaps his motives are more complicated."

Twilight looked up at her teacher. "What do we do?"

"Well, we won't know until Ember gets here. I don't expect her to know every member of the dragon community, but a dragon of his age has been around for... I don't even know." Celestia answered.

The door knocked, and in stepped a soldier who saluted and then went to report to the commander. "Commander, Your Majesty, one of the other creatures has been spotted. It appears to be a large manticore, with the same composition as the other creature. Colossal, covered in a black liquid, and rampaging. It is currently wreaking havoc in the woods outside of Oakwood."

Twilight and Celestia looked startled. "A manticore?"

The commander nodded and walked out from behind the desk. "We can discuss this later. Right now, ponies might have already been slaughtered by these things, and the other two beasts are still out there somewhere. I am dispatching my soldiers to deal with this, and since we might as well take advantage of this situation, we will send our new dragon friend with them."

Celestia nodded and walked over to him. "Agreed."

Commander Rell started for the door. "Come, I'll introduce you to my squad."

---

In the training grounds of Skyhold, several ponies were gathered around to observe the daily "exercise." Ponies were charging targets with great speed and deadly force. The targets were clouds; only they were enhanced to move around like a gryphon. It would have the same flying pattern, and there would be a new challenge around every corner. A flash of green appeared frequently, and the ponies would gain a boost in speed so fast one could barely see it.

The pegasi currently flying were equipped with state-of-the-art pegasi armor. Around their chest was a metal plate, snugly fit to dampen heavy attacks. It was fastened around their bodies with straps, which also held together the other contraptions they were required to carry.

On their forehooves were small enhanced firearms that were lined up with their hooves, which could be used to shoot small projectiles at their enemies with lethal force. The projectiles themselves had to be refilled manually, so it was a one-time use in an emergency. However, the use of these hoof cannons would be educated with creat care and accuracy.

Attached to a pegasi's wings were their most lethal weapons. Large blades ran along the base of their wings, deadly but thin to not weigh the wings during flight. These wing blades could extend if needed, but only at the compromise of becoming more flimsy. However, the final part of the armor prevented this downside.

They wore thin boots fastened tightly on their hindlegs. They were produced by unicorns and would act as a speed boost for attacks, which helps to propel a pegasus forward with incredible speed, but only for a second. It required a great amount of focus and training to pull off such a maneuver, which is why they would be required to train with them every day. Activating them was difficult, but experienced soldiers wore them with pride and skill.

Overseeing the training of the ponies trying to take out the gryphon targets was a group of four soldiers standing in a line off to the side, looking out over the training grounds.

The first of these ponies was a pegasus mare by the name of Emera Nightswarm. She had a dark blue coat and a silver mane, with a pair of hazel eyes that watched the field intently. When she first applied for a position many years ago, her kind and calculative nature helped her to gain her position within the top ranks of the elite soldiers in the WMFs.

Next to her was a pegasus stallion. His coat was a sandy brown, and his eyes were a piercing emerald. Scuddy Lippe, the newest addition to the WMF's elite squad, was a young rookie with a track record of being reckless. Despite this, his accuracy is immaculate when getting a job done, which earned him a spot in the top ranks.

"These rookies are getting better every day," Emera said as she watched them fly.

Scuddy grunted. "Yeah, but it still isn't good enough. If this was a real gryphon, they'd be dead in a second."

"As if you started out any different." Came a voice next to Scuddy.

Scuddy growled. "Shut it, Ritter."

The pegasus mare in question; is Omeritta 'Ritter' Lightwing. Her cold and controlled demeanor makes her a perfect soldier, being able to block out her emotional sides at all times. However, she is highly intelligent and an excellent planner, which made her climb the ranks quickly. Emera took her under her wing, and they have been attached like glue ever since.

"You know, I heard that on your first day among the trainees, you tumbled into your fellow soldiers, causing a domino effect," Ritter smirked, and Scuddy glared at her.

"That's a load of shit," Scuddy grunted.

"Oh, yeah? Why are you so defensive, then?" Ritter asked.

"Team, remember why we're here. We're supposed to overlook the trainees." Said the fourth and final pony in the small squad.

Feather Wind, the most dedicated soldier in the elite force. Normally, Lieutenant Argon Holt has command over their squad, but when he isn't around, Feather Wind would take over. She is without a doubt the best fighter in the team, which has her ranked as the second-best fighter in the entire force. However, since starting her career as a soldier, her single goal has been to reach the top. To beat the one pony who beats her on every mark.

Commander Rell.

As a member of the WMF's elite team, each of the ponies in this particular squad was considered some of the best fighters in all of the military. Each of them was strong, quick-thinking, and determined. Together, they made an excellent team and had proven their worth in the last two years they'd worked together.

"They aren't bad, but they still need to work on their coordination," Emera commented. "We should start doing group exercises instead of individual training. That will help them improve."

Feather shook her head. "We don't have time. What happened in the capital yesterday was nothing less than an absolute catastrophe. We need to whip these ponies into shape as fast as we can, even if some of them are left in the dust in the process."

As they spoke, they saw Lieutenant Holt walking into the training field, followed by the element of loyalty, Rainbow Dash herself. Rainbow Dash had dark bags under her eyes, but she seemed deadly serious as she marched in pace with the Lieutenant. They walked right up to the group of ponies.

"Good morning, Sir," Emera said as the lieutenant approached.

The lieutenant nodded, and he gave the others a nod. "Good morning."

Rainbow Dash had a look of dedication plastered on her face, hiding her fatigued expression underneath. It was only yesterday that she lost a close friend, and the thought still sent a wave of sorrow through her. However she saluted the group in front of her.

"I see you've gotten the rookies working. That's good." Lieutenant Holt said. "I've got one more for you."

The squad looked over at the cyan pegasus, and Ritter raised a brow. "Sir?"

"This is Rainbow Dash. She'll be training with your rookies and learning to fight like a soldier." The lieutenant said.

"Sir, you know we don't train civilians," Feather said.

"Normally, no, but this is a different situation. You see, normally we would have to get letters of recommendations from top officers from either the Wonderbolts of the Royal Guards, but the thing is, we all know Rainbow Dash is widely known as the fastest flyer our country has ever seen. And, I'm sure if we asked the Wonderbolt officers, they would write her up for approval anyway." The lieutenant explained.

Yesterday, after a long talk with Rainbow Dash, she expressed great interest in joining the WMF's ranks after she heard what they were all about. Argon didn't like that this recruitment was solely based on her lust for revenge or justice, but he saw an opportunity. He enjoyed the idea of letting her prove her worth as a soldier, especially since she had been one of the saviors of their country more than once before.

Especially, he couldn't say no to her after the look she gave him when he asked if she was sure about it.

"So, you think you can help us whip this recruit into shape?" Argon asked.

Scuddy smirked. "Oh, yeah. This should be fun. Welcome to the fun, Miss Dash."

Rainbow saluted sharply. "Thank you, sir!"

Scuddy chuckled, but Ritter and Emera rolled their eyes at him.

"You should start right away. As I said, we don't have any time to waste." The lieutenant said. He wouldn't expect the newest trainees to be ready for actual combat within the month, but they had to do their best. Normally, training a soldier took almost up to a year before they could be ready for an actual mission.

"Of course." Emera nodded. "Dash, you will be paired up with the rookies on the field."

Rainbow nodded and Emera spent the next few minutes teaching her how their armor worked. How to apply the wing blades, how to operate the hoof cannons, and how to use the enhanced boots. Rainbow spent a great deal of time flexing her wings to get the blades to extent, but even that was a challenge. Her wings were strong, so was her will, but this was completely new to her.

Never the less, she joined the ranks of the trainees. They didn't seem to mind a new recruit joining them out of the blue, in fact they seemed motivated by her presence. None of them were amazing with the equipment yet, and very few of them had figured out the trick with the speed boots.

Hoof cannon practice would take place completely separate from their flying training in the beginning. It was only later that they would pair up both excersises to increase difficulty and accuracy.

Then, all the ponies present noticed Commander Rell stepping into the field, followed closely by the former princess Celestia and the current ruler, Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Everyone around stopped what they were doing and saluted to the trio. Rainbow Dash included, although Twilight didn't like that she looked ready for battle, all geared up in armor. She had not been informed of her friend's decision to join the soldiers.

"At ease." Commander Rell said loudly.

They walked up to the elite squad overseeing the trainees. "No beating around the bush, team. We have a mission. One of the monsters was spotted in the forest near Oakwood, going berserk. Reports say it's a giant manticore. I'm dispatching my best soldiers to go out there and get an analysis on it, preferably to take the beast down. We don't know if we can harm it with our gear yet."

Feather Wind nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Not you, Wind. You will stay here and train the rookies. We need you to be the one overseeing them." The commander said.

"...Yes, sir," Feather said, her expression dropping slightly.

"Emera, Ritter, and Argon. I'm sending you three and a large selection of fighters to deal with this thing." He said.

"Understood, sir." Emera nodded.

"Commander?" Asked Twilight.

"Yes?" Rell turned to her.

Twilight looked at her friend, who stood in full gear. "Why is Rainbow Dash here?"

Lieutenant Argon stepped in. "Your majesty, she expressed a desire to join our ranks, so I gave her the chance to prove her worth as a soldier."

"What?" Twilight asked in shock. She ran up to her friend who stood stiff as a board in a line of other trainees. "Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?"

Rainbow dropped her pose, and looked at her friend. "Don't worry, Twi," Rainbow said. "I'm going to be okay. I'm not gonna get hurt."

"This isn't a game, Rainbow Dash. These creatures are dangerous." Twilight said. "You should know that just as well as I do."

"Exactly, and that's why I have to. I want to make sure nopony else has to feel the way I feel right now." Rainbow said.

"Rainbow..." Twilight whispered.

"Your Majesty, Miss Dash is very determined to see this through. I trust her." Lieutenant Argon said behind her.

Twilight lowered her head in defeat. It made sense to her that Rainbow Dash would try to fight, she never stands down in the face of loyalty. She, of course knew she had the power as a princess to tell Rainbow Dash to stand down and stop this, but as her friend, she couldn't take this opportunity away from her.

"Twilight?" Celestia asked as she walked up to them.

"It's fine. She's in good hooves." Twilight said with her head down. She felt Rainbow's hoof on her shoulders, and she gave her a quick hug before going back into her position.

Commander Rell adressed his squad, continuing without the princess and Celestia. "Lippe, you're coming with me. You and I are going somewhere else while everyone intercepts this monster."

"Sir?" Scuddy asked.

Rell continued, looking at Emera, Ritter, and Argon again. "Additionally, you three will be taking with you someone else. A dragon."

"A dragon?" Emera asked in surprise.

"Yes, he is here in the headquarters. He will be joining your squad on this mission." Commander Rell said.

"Who is he?" Ritter asked.

"That's what me and Lippe are going to go find out," Rell said.

Argon stepped up. "What do you mean, Commander?"

Rell stepped in close to the soldiers and lowered his voice so only they could hear. "To be very honest, I do not trust this dragon. He appeared out of nowhere when everything went to Tartarus in the capital, and nobody knew where he came from. He says he was in the area, but I'm not so sure. So, me and Lippe are going to the Gryphon Kingdom to find out if this guy is a puppet mastered by the gryphons."

"Is this about the documents you briefed us on a few weeks ago, about the hostages?" Emera asked.

"Yes, and I've already informed the princesses. We're going to go to our contact in the kingdom and get some answers. After that, we will be confronting this dragon, Torgand, and get some real answers." Rell said.

"When will you be leaving, sir?" Ritter asked.

"Right away, as soon as possible," Rell said, and stepped away from them. "I leave this mission in your hooves, team."

"Yes, sir." They all responded and saluted.

"Very good," Rell said. "Now go."

---

All over the place, ponies went in separate directions. Emera, Ritter, and Argon went to the barracks to brief a large platoon of soldiers on the upcoming mission while the commander and Scuddy prepared for their mission to the Gryphon Kingdom. The creature was on the move and near a settlement, so they would need to act fast.

The training of the recruits continued as normal. It would last most of the day, without any rest. Feather Wind knew how much was at stake, and while she wanted to fight, she knew the commander had trusted her to train them due to her rank in terms of combat. She wasted no time whipping everyone around, including a fatigued Rainbow Dash.

Twilight and Celestia had gone back to Rell's office to talk about current events. Luna joined them after a short time, informing them that she and the rest of Twilight's friends had been allowed to stay at a guest house near the east side of the facility. They had all been given a medical check, though mostly for their mental health. Now that they were safe, reality had been eating away at their psyche quite significantly.

Discord had arrived shortly after Luna. Word had not reached him of what had happened until he had snapped into existance outside of Canterlot Castle, as he had been occupied in his dimension at the time of the attack. He had been called to the WMF's headquarters by the princesses and when he found out what had happened to Pinkie Pie, he was shocked to his core. He couldn't believe it, and he didn't want to. It was too hard to accept.

The manticore they were tracking had killed a close friend of Twilight's, and he owed it to her to help. However, he was told to not interact with the creatures if he could avoid it, due to them being as powerful as they were. They didn't want a repeat of what happened to him during Tirek's rampage, or worse. When asked about it, Discord could discern where the creatures were currently located, due to his ability to sense anything magical to an incredible margin.

"Really? Where are they?!" Twilight asked once she heard him explain this.

"I can sense their energy from here, and they are moving. How do you think I know where to teleport myself every time I'm looking for a specific pony?" Discord asked.

"You're really that accurate?" Twilight asked.

"As you know, I am the spirit of chaos. My senses are more sensitive than ponies and their magic." Discord said. "Right now, I can sense this manticore thing moving around in the forest northeast of the capital."

Twilight gaped at him. "And what about the other two creatures?"

Discord frowned as he squinted his eyes to focus. "There is one creature moving around underground, although I can't be sure where. Things that are underground are pretty hard to get a read on, even when I really try to." He trailed off.

"I am certain this is the large serpent that attacked the capital yesterday. I would say it's quite far away from us right now. As for the third one..." Discord frowned. "I can't get a grasp on what it is. There seems to be a large collection of the energy it gives off around the Everfree Forest, but it's so spread out I don't know what to make of it."

"Are you saying there's more than one creature in the forest?" Twilight asked. On the field outside, a large platoon of soldiers were now taking off north.

"No, no. I think it's only one creature, but it's spread out. As if it's everywhere in the forest and nowhere at the same time." Discord said.

"Well, what could it be?" Celestia asked. "None of the ponies that witnessed this saw the last creature that well."

"I have no idea," Discord said. "But I have a feeling we will find out soon enough."

Comments

[obamabarack]

great chapter!