A mysterious, floating, castle appears over Canterlot Castle. It brings with it horrors that Equestria is not prepared for.
Heading into uncertainty and a brand new start, Princess Twilight Sparkle now faces something far more severe than any of her previous endeavors. She must confide in herself and her friends to get through the tough times ahead.
Being thrust into a new scenery and new responsibilities takes a heavy toll on her, meanwhile unknown threats loom over the ponies of Equestria. It will be Twilight's job as the new leader to step up and do what is right for herself and her country.
A story that takes place right after the events of the ending of MLP: FIM.
Twilight Sparkle had just accepted her new role as ruler of Equestria. A big title for a very small pony, but one of great importance. One title was determined to fill. She looked teary-eyed at her predecessors as she thanked them for all they had done for her over the years.
Twilight's friends were all standing behind her, the ponies that had helped her through thick and thin, the ponies that had helped her realize what friendship was all about, and the very same ponies that had fought beside her when the evil of the world would come to bring about another catastrophic event.
Everypony present were overwhelmed with emotions. After a week of planning and coming to terms with a significant life change, it was a relief to have a moment to reflect on everything that had happened. Not only in the past years but in recent events as well. Twilight felt like the retirement of the two alicorns who had been in power for over a thousand years symbolized the passing of their title and a final farewell between them. Feeling overcome with this emotion of finality, she jumped into Celstia's hooves and hugged her tightly, and her friends joined them shortly after.
The day of the celebration was over sooner than she would have liked, and Twilight had to see her friends off at the train station much sooner than she wanted to. It was as if they were already on a different path, and she still hadn't fully adjusted to that fact. Before she knew it, she and Spike were introduced to their new rooms at the palace. Spike mentioned that he didn't care much for having separate rooms, he wanted to sleep near Twilight like they were used to. He felt safer that way.
Twilight didn't mind that at all.
In the following weeks, after Twilight and Spike had gotten to know their surroundings a bit more, she had to legitimize her new title as princess of the country. Nopony had replaced the rulers for thousands of years, so a lot of documents needed to be updated to modern criteria. Celestia, Luna, and other government officials would assist with that.
She was told she had to wait a few months before all that would be dealt with so she could start signing papers. So, until then, she would spend her time adjusting to calling Canterlot Castle her new home. Spike and Twilight had been placed in Celestia's old chambers. Some changes had to be added to the interior decor around the palace to suit the new theme. Having Celstia's colors and characteristics everywhere didn't feel right to her; she needed to make it her own.
Living in a castle in Ponyville definitely had prepared her for living in Canterlot Castle. She wasn't intimidated by the size of the castle, so she didn't mind living there. It was just that she couldn't have as much free time as she used to, and that was the only real negative thing about it.
It was hard having to say goodbye to her friends, but it wasn't goodbye forever. They knew it would be this way and were all prepared for it. Twilight was ready to lead as a good and kind princess, and the others fully supported her in her new goal.
It helped her more than they could ever know.
The elements of harmony had decided to create a monthly gathering called 'The Counsel of Friendship,' aptly named by Pinkie. The first meeting happened during Twilight's first week of ruling after the crowning ceremony, and it was mostly spent laughing about how silly the ceremony had been.
Without having officially been given the title of princess yet, despite the coronation, Twilight couldn't hold day court, nor would she be able to host any important events anywhere in the country. Those were the most ordinary duties for the princesses, and it would be a big part of her life from now on. As far as she knew, anyway. At least, she had Spike by her side, which helped her keep her mind in check.
Twilight's friends in Ponyville promised to meet whenever they could outside of her duties and their monthly counsel, but other than that, Twilight wouldn't see them as much as she would have liked. She would mostly read through previous court cases that Celestia and Luna had been through and get tutors for etiquette and whatnot. Things that were needed for diplomacy, addressing subjects properly, and everything in between.
Twilight had her own ideas about how to address her own subjects. Still, even Celestia had told her to avoid getting too familiar with the elites, as they would likely try to take advantage of Twilight for their own benefit, especially now that she was ruling alone.
Twilight had a faint idea of what she was heading into. She had read the princess' diaries several times over, and she was getting lessons from them directly lately. They both had come by personally several times in the first few weeks to see how Twilight was adjusting, which was a big help to her. Just seeing the two gave her a sense of familiarity.
The previous princesses had undergone a few changes just weeks after they resigned. They still had magic, but they gave me a large amount of what magic they possessed in order for Twilight to lower and raise the moon every day.
During the third week of Twilight's rule, she, Celestia, and Luna were all chatting outside in the castle courtyard, making their way towards the main gates of the castle grounds.
"Oh yeah, the girls should be arriving soon, and we plan to go to Donut Joe's to get some donuts for our stargazing date later. Do you two want to join us?" Twilight asked.
The two sisters looked at each other amusedly, and Celestia spoke up. "Oh? Skipping duties, are we?"
"Nope! I did everything for today just so I could do something nice for a change." She grinned as she gestured for them to follow me. "Come on, they're probably just arriving at the cas-"
Before she could complete her sentence, a massive explosion made them cover their ears on instinct from how violent it was. It was accompanied by a shockwave not even a second later.
"What in Equestria just happened?!" Luna exclaimed as she removed her hooves from her ears.
"Take cover!" Was the last thing Twilight heard before she was teleported to a different part of the courtyard. Something slammed down forcefully in the courtyard moments after.
Completely confused, she turned around and looked behind her, to where she heard whatever it was slamming into the ground. There was a creature of some sort. It looked like a massive, black serpent, covered in a flowing liquid that seemed to have a mind of its own as it moved around rapidly over the scales of the snake. The serpent was massive, a little longer than the courtyard in width, and at least five ponies thick.
"What..?" Twilight whispered when she saw some legs and armor sticking out at odd angles from underneath the serpent. Blood was pooling underneath. From her position, she saw at least three ponies that had met their fate under this creature.
Celestia and Luna were next to her, ready to attack. Guards were scattered, and any ponies that had been nearby were either engaging or fleeing.
There was no time to react; whoever this new enemy was, it was attacking. It had killed.
And it was now moving.
The serpent hissed so low that it almost sounded like a growl. It raised its head and hissed at the fleeing ponies. It looked like it wanted to give chase, but the alicorns had other ideas.
Twilight, Celestia, and Luna all channeled very powerful magic into their horns to send a large amount of it directly into the head of the snake, and it hissed as its head was thrown back by the amount of power that connected with it.
However, it didn't do nearly as much damage to the serpent as they intended.
Twilight noticed her friends, the elements of harmony, were now running into the courtyard behind the serpent with a large selection of guards.
The serpent started to slither its way around to face them more directly, and when it did, it dragged around the dead ponies under it and left some of them behind as they were squeezed out from its weight. It made Twilight sick to her stomach, and she wanted to barf up everything she had in her just from seeing the bodies of ponies being tossed around like that.
Celestia and Luna were right there with her, and they had their horns ready to fight. Twilight could feel their anger grow as they eyed the snake, fully intending to disable it for good.
"This thing is strong. My blast barely did anything," Celestia warned. The serpent hissed again, now getting ready to strike at them.
"We have to distract it before it has a chance to gain any leverage," Luna added, at which both Celestia and Twilight nodded. Without a word, she vanished with a flash of her magic.
The snake was fast. Before they had time to blast it with magic, it charged at them with a speed they weren't expecting. The only thing that stopped it from devouring them was Twilight's teleportation reflex. She snatched Celestia with her in the spell and vanished into thin air just as Luna had a moment earlier, and when they reappeared, they were on the other side of the large creature, together with the rest of the elements.
Luna was flying around the serpent, zapping it with her magic to draw its attention away from the ponies unable to fly away from its vicinity.
The serpent screeched at Luna and whipped its enormous tail at her with surprising speed, which caused her to conjure up a shield on instinct. What followed was Luna being sent flying from the force of the tail connecting with her shield.
Having already made quick work of the distraction, it turned its attention towards the ponies trying to surround it somehow. Desperately, guards and other military units who were nearby had mobilized around the serpent, preparing for a counter-offensive. Twilight and Celestia were barking out orders for everypony present.
"Surround it! We need to do all we can to keep it away from civilians!" Celestia yelled around her.
"Girls! We need to-" Twilight instructed to the other elements of harmony, just as the sserpent suddenly lunged forward to snatch her. She teleported herself and everypony near her away from there.
Once they reappeared, she saw the snake had crashed it's head into the cobbled ground, trying to rip it's large fangs out of the ground.
"Twi! Pinkie's still over there!" yelled Applejack, one of her closest friends. The serpent was close to one of the walls surrounding the area, and Pinkie looked to be trapped between the wall and the monster.
She was outside of my reach... Twilight thought in panic.
"Pinkie! Hold on!" She shouted as she took off into the air towards where Pinkie was now backing away as the serpent finally managed to get its fangs out of the ground.
"Twilight!"
Rainbow Dash, another one of Twilight's nearest friends, had joined her. They both flew to get Pinkie Pie before the serpent could get to her. "Dash, you get Pinkie! I will lead it away from her!"
It was only a split second that happened, but the creature had decided to snap its large head in the direction of Twilight and Rainbow Dash. So, as the only solution, Twilight needed to strain her already distressed state to perform another teleportation charm.
"Twilight... Pinkie Pie..." muttered Rainbow Dash as she watched in frozen horror at the scene unfolding in front of them.
Guards that had been trying to grab the snake's attention had perished at the tail whipping around wildly, others were still firing off magic at it, to absolutely no effect. Luna was nowhere to be seen, Celestia was teleporting ponies away, Rainbow Dash was frozen in fear, and Pinkie...
The snake's attack was sudden and left no time to prepare. Twilight watched in horror as its large head struck the ground where Pinkie Pie was, her back against the wall moments before. Rainbow was visibly shaken, pointing at the snake's head, now hidden from view.
It lifted its head, now with something in its mouth. A pony's upper body hung limp from the mouth of the snake.
A pink pony by the name of Pinkie Pie.
Twilight didn't think; she blasted the snake at its throat, and head, some shots missing entirely and flying into the skies. Her vision was bubbling over as she desperately tried to stop this thing from...
The snake barely felt the blows even as Luna, Celestia, and the guards joined in with their magical barrage. It felt like hours passed by as they tried to disable the unaffected monster before-
CRUNCH
Amidst the sounds of magic, a disturbing noise echoed. The sound of a pony's body breaking, followed by a swallow. Time stood still as everything stopped, and Twilight's senses heightened, capturing every detail of the heart-wrenching moment she would never forget; the moment she lost her dear friend forever.
She could see particles of dust dance before her as memories with her friend flashed before her eyes once she realized what had just happened. That moment in the courtyard felt like it lasted for an entire lifetime.
But, that moment ended when the world was blinded by a burst of fire from above, which enveloped the beast in a sea of flames.
After making one last screech, the serpent threw its head to the ground and disappeared, and the flames stopped. The air where the snake had been moments ago was wavering and warping due to the heat that had been there just moments earlier. The serpent had dug itself into a large pit on the ground and had vanished into it.
It was Celestia's voice calling, "Guards! Secure the pit!" as the ponies started to pick themselves up. As the guards rushed to the large hole in the ground, their horns charged and ready, Twilight barely noticed them. Having her entire world shattered, she was too occupied replaying what had just happened in her mind over and over again to give much thought to anything else.
She didn't know how to begin processing what she had just experienced. The entire ordeal couldn't have lasted more than a few minutes from start to finish.
She could hear sniffing and hitching from her side. She suddenly remembered that Rainbow Dash had been with her, and she looked over with an empty gaze at her, only to see her staring blankly ahead. She was crying.
Her raspy, shaky voice attempted to speak with Twilight. "Did... Pinkie just...?"
Twilight blinked, which caused the build-up of tears in her eyes to start streaming down her cheeks. She didn't answer. She turned her eyes back to the commotion happening over at the pit. Quite a lot of guards had gathered there, and some had taken off to fly up towards the castle floating up above to investigate.
Some guards were standing over the pit, looking down into it and seeming ready to fight off whatever might emerge from it. Others were trying to rescue wounded ponies from rubble. In the distance, she could see Celestia and a whole squadron of guards talking to a figure on the other side of the giant hole. It looked like a mature dragon, a charcoal-colored one.
Twilight's thoughts were interrupted when she heard Rainbow Dash again. Her voice sounded hoarse.
"This isn't happening." Her voice cracked, and she slumped to the ground, no longer able to keep her legs from buckling. The other elements of harmony came running towards them.
"Twilight! Rainbow! You're safe!" Cried Fluttershy, tears in her eyes as she crashed into Dash and cried with her. From the look they were giving them, they had not missed what had happened with Pinkie.
Twilight's eyes wandered over to the pit, and she was about to say something when Applejack spoke up. "Is she...?"
Rainbow Dash cried harder at this but answered in between hics. "She's gone. Just like that. We couldn't... we couldn't save her."
Applejack looked over to the pit, tears in her eyes, where ponies were still scattering back and forth. "What in tarnation was that?" She asked no one in particular. "What was that thing? Where did it come from?"
Everypony tilted their heads up at that, remembering exactly where it had come from. What met them was a sight of a floating piece of earth, looming above the castle. On top of the piece of earth, they could faintly make out a very distorted-looking castle, with pieces of debris floating around it as if orbiting it. They could see an assortment of pegasi slowly making their way up to the castle.
Twilight felt a chill go up her spine at the sight. It was the strangest and most surreal thing she had ever laid her eyes on. It seemed so out of place. She felt like the entire world had flipped on its side and had suddenly decided that her reality wasn't the right one anymore. And it wasn't.
However, she decided she needed to focus on the matter at hand. Fill her thoughts with the situation going on, and take time to mourn later. They didn't know what had happened to Luna, so that was still something she could hold on to if anything.
The young princess could hear Celestia calling her from where she was standing, beckoning her to come over and join them. She, dozens of guards, and the adult dragon were all looking their way. She felt her mind go numb and her legs starting to move without her telling them to. Everything else around her faded, and the only thing she could focus on was Celestia. Focus on something else, she thought to herself.
"Twilight," Celestia called once she was close enough. "Are you hurt?"
"N-no," she managed to say.
"Good." Celestia's face turned dark, and the alicorn of the sun looked at the dragon next to her. "Twilight, this is Torgand. He is the one who saved us all just moments ago. We were just discussing how lucky we all were that he was nearby when this attack happened."
When she introduced the dragon, Torgand, he looked bashful and quite nervous about being the center of attention, despite looking like a fairly sage and well-matured dragon.
However, Twilight could tell that there was something different about Torgand, but she couldn't quite figure out just what it was. What she didn't notice, was that Celestia constantly kept the dragon within her sight.
She was watching him, closely. The other guards were on edge by his presence as well.
"Oh, erm... thank you," Twilight said weakly as she nodded to the dragon. She couldn't muster the energy to say anything else, so she kept her mouth shut.
Torgand clasped his jaw shut and tightened his fists as he responded sadly. "I'm... sorry I couldn't save your friend."
Twilight winced at the mention of it. It was too fresh.
Celestia spoke up once more. "There was nothing you could have done. If you had not shown up when you did, none of us would be here now. We were very clearly outmatched." She said grimly, as she tilted her head up to look at the floating castle.
"Yeah," Torgand muttered. He looked quite disturbed, stressed, and uncomfortable.
Screams could suddenly be heard from above. Everypony looked up to see Pegasi guards falling out of the sky and clutching their heads in pain. Twilight was able to push her invasive thoughts aside once more.
"What's going on?" she shouted in alarm as she looked up at the pegasi, clutching their heads and crying out in pain. As they got closer to the ground, they could hear the distressed guards yelling out for help.
"Make it stop! Please make it stop!" was the most common plea among their cries. Grounded pegasi flew up to catch their distressed companions and prevent them from hitting the ground. Even after putting them back down on the ground, the affected guards still clutched their heads and whimpered, unable to function properly.
"What's happening, Sargeant?!" asked one of the guards. The sergeant in question clutched his head in pain and looked as if he wanted to smash his head into the ground to stop whatever was happening to him, but he slowly calmed down.
"I... The closer we got to the castle... everything started to hurt..." He whimpered after a third round of questioning.
"What's going on here?" Came a voice from behind Twilight, and she saw a grey pegasus stallion landing next to Celestia. Celestia perked up at the sight of him.
"Lieutenant, I'm so glad to see you." She said as he saluted her.
"Pri- er, Miss Celestia, what happened here?" Said the stout stallion, gesturing to the horrific scene around them. There were dead ponies in a pool of their own blood, some of them completely crushed into the ground by the force of the serpent. Crying could also be heard from outside the ground, where guards had been sent to assure civilians that the immediate danger was over.
Celestia had taken control of the situation, given her many years of service in moments of crisis. She had been put to the test before, where she was forced to remain calm despite horrific things happening. However, this time was different, and she did not judge Twilight for having the reaction she was having.
Several other military ponies landed on the ground and started to assist the guard ponies with treating the wounded and guarding the pit. Some were stationed very near the dragon.
Celestia replied to the stallion. "A massive serpent attacked us out of nowhere, and we were forced to defend ourselves. What you see around you is the result." She paused to think before she picked up again "We were powerless to stop it. Our magic did nothing to this creature, if anything, it seemed to absorb any attack we delivered."
"I see. And that?" He asked, pointing to the hole where the charcoal dragon stood surrounded by guards. The dragon was very watchful of the pit, making sure to be ready if the monster emerged from it. Some unicorn guards had their horns lits in a spell over the hole.
Celestia looked at the dragon, Torgand, and then back to the stallion. "To be very frank with you, we don't know anything about him. He showed up out of nowhere, at the same time as all of this happened. In addition, I have received reports that the snake was not the only thing that came flying from that." She said, pointing upwards, gesturing to the floating castle.
It was true. Several soldiers had mentioned seeing the floating castle appearing from a little distance away from the Canterlot Castle. According to several eye-witnesses, there had not only been a snake but two other creatures had been sent flying in separate directions. Unlike the snake, these creatures fell down the mountain the castle stood upon.
The stallion frowned, as more military units landed on the grounds. "Well then, from the sounds of it, we might have to involve the WMFs in this, ma'am."
Celestia sighed and looked over to Twilight. "Yes... and it seems I have a lot of teaching to do, once more. I have yet to relieve my duties as your general to the new princess."
The lieutenant nodded. "I understand. It would be wise to assign her as quickly as possible. She technically already has command over us, ma'am."
Twilight was now occupying herself to treat wounded ponies with her magic. She was no healer, but her magic was strong, so it got the job done better than most. In total, there were about thirteen wounded guards in critical condition, and seventeen were dead. Bodies that had been retrieved had been covered up.
Princess Luna was found in a residential house near the castle, she had passed out from the force of crashing through the wall, but she was mostly unharmed. Medics were carrying her on a stretcher a little ways away from all the commotion, and Twilight had checked her just in case.
Her friends were comforting a completely broken Rainbow Dash, who was crying loudly. Moans of pain were frequent through the courtyard. It was a complete mess. Yet, Twilight needed to fight the stabbing pain that was tearing up her chest, to stop thinking about her friend, just for the moment. She was the ruler now, and whether she liked it or not, she needed to keep a level head and lead the country through times like this.
Rainbow suddenly ripped herself away from the embrace of her friends and shakily took off towards the hole in the ground. She was stopped when Twilight took notice of this and ran over to hold her back with a hoof. "Rainbow... what are you doing?"
The cyan pony turned around and gave her a wicked look, her pupils were dilated. "I'm following it. I'm going to destroy that thing!"
Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy had caught up to them, and they gave her a worried look. Twilight was about to respond, but the stallion from earlier walked up to them. "You should all stay back. We're going to take care of the situation." He said firmly.
"That monster ate Pinkie! That's not something that can just be 'taken care of!'" Rainbow screamed, and Twilight noticed her hooves shaking.
"Dashie, I understand you're upset. We're all upset, but-" Fluttershy said, trying to calm her down, but she was interrupted.
"I'm not going to sit around while that thing roams around and kills ponies!" She said and ripped herself out of Twilight's grasp and flew over the hole in the ground. Twilight could feel herself panic, and she didn't want Rainbow to do anything stupid, so she did the only thing she could think of, which was teleporting over there and grabbing her.
Rainbow let out a startled yelp as they appeared next to the stallion, and the pegasus guards flocked around her. "Hey! What are you doing?! Let me go!"
Twilight looked at her sadly. "I can't. Not after losing Pinkie like this. I can't risk losing you too. Please, don't."
"But that thing ate her, Twi. It ate her." Rainbow's face scrunched up in anger as she put emphasis on something Twilight wanted to bury into her mind, and tears started streaming down her face. "She's gone... that thing killed her!"
The stallion interjected. "Your Majesty. Me and Miss Celestia would like for you to accompany us to a safe location, at least until we can track down the location of the creature and assess the situation better. Your friends will be joining us."
Twilight looked between Celestia and the stallion with a worried look. "Where are we going?"
Celestia gave her a very stern, but sad look. She had never seen her student like this. She looked empty. Like she was barely hanging on.
"We will explain everything on the way. Please, come with us."
"We're leaving?" Rainbow asked and shook her head. "No. I'm not leaving this place until that thing is dealt with!"
The stallion went up to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. "You might find good in coming with us. We will do everything we can to get this thing and serve it some fair justice, but for now, please collect yourself."
Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to protest again, but the look of confidence the stallion gave her made her rethink. After considering it, she felt tears building up again. "F-fine."
In the next fifteen minutes, time flew by. From all directions, pegasi carrying carriages flew in, loading ponies and sending them off in different directions. There was a large one that landed with Twilight and her friends. Celestia stepped into the carriage, followed by the lieutenant shortly after. Luna was finally awake, and she had been quickly caught up on everything by Celestia, seeing as she missed the latter parts of what happened.
"I see. This is a big deal, sister." Luna said somberly, and she looked at the floating castle. "I'm not even sure how we can begin to address this."
"Me neither. The first step is locating the serpent. More importantly, we need to figure out what in Equestria is going on with that floating castle. If it conceals whoever is behind all of this, we need to get up there as soon as possible. However, it seems our enemy has a contingency for that, too." Celestia said, referring to the guards being cursed on the way up to the castle.
Luna looked up at the castle, now illuminated by an orange hue as the sun had started to lower. Twilight had started lowering the sun too early again. "And what about this Torgand? What is known about him?"
Celestia sighed. "I don't know. He seems genuine and helpful to us, but I have no idea what he could have been doing here. His explanation does not make any sense to me. My gut is telling me there is some sort of connection between all of this. He is... different."
"Different how?" Luna asked.
Celestia pondered on it for a bit before sighing again. "I will explain later. Now, I believe we have some work to do." Celestia said, and she looked over to Twilight, who had just gotten onto the carriage with her friends.
Twilight felt like she had been hit by a train. There were so many thoughts in her head, and none of them were pleasant. She wanted to know what was happening. Where were they going? Who was this dragon that showed up out of nowhere? What is with the castle in the sky?
Celestia and Luna gave her an encouraging smile. "We're taking you all somewhere safe. It won't be permanent, but until we can figure out what our next move is, it's the best option."
Rainbow Dash was staring outside as the carriage started to take off, leaving the horrible scene behind. Her eyes were unfocused, and her breathing was heavy. Her cheeks were matted with tears, she was taking the loss of her friend harder than most. She was staring at the hole where the serpent had vanished into with rage in her eyes as they slowly moved away.
Applejack was sitting next to her and looking at it with her. "I can't believe she's gone." She whispered, and Rarity placed a hoof on her shoulder from behind.
"There wasn't anything we could have done."
"I know, but..." Applejack shook her head in frustration and pushed her hat down over her eyes. She watched as the scenery below them shifted, and the landscape started to change. They were heading further up in altitude and slowly went over the first layer of clouds. After a few minutes, they were informed by the pegasi pulling the carriage that they would be arriving shortly.
"Where are we?" asked Fluttershy, as the carriage moved higher up, and turned a corner to reveal a shocking sight.
"You'll see," Celestia said.
They were met with the sight of a large cloud fortress in the distance. The sky had turned a reddish hue as it illuminated not only a fortress but barracks and training grounds in what looked like a very large base.
"What is this place?" asked Fluttershy as she marveled at the size of the fort.
"This is Skyhold. Headquarters of the WMF." Celestia said as she walked past them, heading to the entrance where military ponies were now lining up to greet them. Fluttershy looked puzzled, and the look the other elements of harmony gave her indicated that they had no clue what 'WMF' meant either.
Twilight stepped off the carriage with her friends and followed Celestia. "You told me about all of this a while ago, but I never imagined it was so... big." She breathed as she looked around.
Celestia gave her a somber look. "Unfortunately it seems the most appropriate for the situation. In the next few days, possibly weeks, you need to get much more familiar with this place, as it will be your duty to rule these ponies. Do you understand, Twilight?"
Twilight's eyes sank. She looked tired. Like she was ready to drop at any moment. Yet, she nodded firmly. "I do."
Many more guards arrived in carriages of their own, along with the Torgand the dragon. He was asked to come along by Celestia to get some peace of mind, although she told him they wanted him just in case. That wasn't exactly a lie.
After some deliberation, it was assessed that the creature was immune against magical attacks, yet weak to fire. Otherwise, it would not flee the way it did.
While Celestia was grateful to Torgand, she couldn't shake off a feeling of uncertainty about him. She looked back to Twilight. "Right now, there are several things we need to sort out. I want you to say goodbye to your friends for the moment, and then come with me. They will be here at the headquarters until further notice, so don't worry."
Twilight looked around at her friends. The looks they gave her were filled with concern and sadness. She could tell that they didn't want to be separated, not after something like this. Not after losing a friend. Celestia knew this well.
Twilight turned around and went up to them, wrapping her hooves around each of them, and she pulled them in a close hug. "I'll see you all soon. We'll make it through this." She reassured them.
After some encouraging words her way, she pulled away and walked off with Celestia. However, Rainbow Dash was not far behind. "I'm coming with you."
Twilight and Celestia shared a look. "Rainbow..." Twilight started.
"No. I want to help." Rainbow said and looked at the two. She had an enraged expression on her face, laced with several other emotions. "I want to fight."
The lieutenant from earlier walked up to Rainbow Dash. "Miss Dash? I am Lieutenant Argon Holt. Would you please come with me, and we can talk about this in a more private setting?"
"What's there to talk about?" Rainbow said, giving him a challenging look.
Argon resisted. "There is a lot to talk about. Please."
As Rainbow reluctantly lowered her head, she glanced at Twilight one last time. Twilight could see she was angry, but she was also trying to direct her anger in the right direction. Watching her friend in this state was heartbreaking. Rainbow Dash followed Argon, who set off toward the west barracks.
Twilight and Celestia watched her leave before Twilight looked over at Celestia. "So... what now?"
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."
