Demons from the Past

The sun crested over the many trees of Sweet Apple Acres, shining down like a golden aura of happiness. "Fuck you sun, I'm still sleeping." Aldric grumbled. Well, someone wasn't happy. The barn door swung open, revealing Applebloom.

"Come on, Mister Aldric! Breakfast is ready!" Growling slightly, he got up. Stretching, he yawned and cracked some of his bones. Walking over to the door, he answered her.

"I'm not hungry, okay Applebloom?" Applebloom answered with her normal, energetic, and happy tone.

"Okay then Mister Aldric." Cringing at hearing the word mister, he answered far harsher than he liked.

"Don't, call me mister." Applebloom shivered and nodded walking away. Aldric felt a pang of regret, he didn't mean to answer like that, it was just his normal reaction to...everything, really. Shaking his head, he walked outside, blocking out the sun with his eyes. Spotting Big Mac on the porch of the house, he walked over to him. Being closer, he spotted one of his forelegs wrapped in some bandages. Big Mac heard his footsteps and turned to look at him. "What happened?"

"Broke it while I was bucking some trees. Applejack's doin' all of the work today." Aldric nodded and leaned on a support beam for the porch, then asked another question.

"Can I go help?" Big Mac shook his head, chewing on a piece of straw that Aldric missed when he saw Big Mac.

"Applejack said she's going to do it all on her own today. I told her not to but she is as stubborn as a mule. No offence." A mule who was walking by shook his head, signalling that he didn't take any offence to the comment. Aldric stopped leaning on the beam and pointed to town.

"I'll go see what the others are doing." Big Mac nodded and went back to chewing the piece of straw.

He was just in the middle of town as a cat when the ground began to shake. "What the..." he said, looking around.

"STAMPEDE!" Somepony shouted above him, so he looked up to see Rainbow Dash, pointing towards the stampede. Turning to look at the stampede, he didn't see anything, so he jumped on Rainbow. "Ah! Hey," she started shaking, "get off cat!" Aldric finally got a look at the stampede, albeit, shakingly. Cows were charging at the town.

"Rainbow! Stop messing around, can't you see that there's a stampede coming?" Aldric looked down to see Twilight, who looked frazzled. Rainbow flipped over, leaving Aldric hanging by his claws.

"I'm not messing around, this stupid cat won't let go of me!" Twilight looked at the cat for a few seconds, then glared at it. Aldric saw the glare and let go of Rainbow, flipping over to land on his paws. Aldric started to lick his paw, ignoring the glare he was getting from Twilight. Aldric slowly stopped licking his paw and looked at Twilight

"What? Just a bit of harmless fun... well maybe just a bit of harm." Rainbow stared at the cat, amazed it could talk. Aldric looked up at Rainbow, who looked amazed. "Shut your mouth Rainbow, you'll catch bugs. Anyway," transforming back, he cracked his knuckles, making the ponies flinch, "I'm going to stop a stampede." Aldric vanished, leaving them behind. Aldric appeared in front of the stampede, holding out his hands. Waiting to see if the stampede would stop, but it never did, it continued at full speed. "You asked for it." His hands began swirling with magic, then all of the cows stopped stampeding and floated slightly off the ground. It seemed to snap the cows out of whatever state their minds were in. They started murmuring amongst each other, when they were set down. Aldric started walking away, when he heard cheering. Turning, he saw the ponies stomping their hooves and cheering. Raising his hand, he tied up everypony's mouths. "Don't you ever cheer for me, I'm not worthy of being cheered for." Vanishing, he appeared in front of what he could only assume was the bar of the town. Pushing the door open, he felt all eyes on him. Walking over to the counter, he heard rumbling of hooves and the door slamming shut. Glancing back at the now empty bar, he shrugged. "Strongest stuff you got."

2 Hours Later

"Come on Applejack, you need help." Applejack bucked another tree and almost fell over. Looking around, she saw no mores trees that needed to be bucked.

"No I don't! I just bucked every single one in the whole darn orchard!" Big Mac rolled up with his cart and spoke.

"What about those ones?" He pointed towards more trees. Applejack looked at he was pointing and saw more trees that needed to be bucked. She fell over, too exhausted.

"Twilight, help me please."

"Come on Applejack you need he-..... did you just say yes?" Applejack nodded and Twilight smiled. All of the trees were soon picked by Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie. Rarity looked around.

"Hey, where's Aldric?" Rarity questioned them. They all looked around to find him gone.

"I thought he was here Applejack?" Twilight asked her.

"He... was. Where did he go? In fact, I haven't seen him since the stampede." Applejack looked over to the town. "He's probably back in town, let's go." They all started walking towards the town.

When they arrived in town it was bustling. Everywhere except for the bar. It was being completely avoided. They walked into it to find only the bartender, Berry Punch and Aldric. Twilight was the first to question him.

"Aldric? You okay." He growled at the question. They went up to him to see five whole bottles gone, and a sixth one in his hands. "Woah! You have had too much to drink. Come on." Twilight grabbed his arm in her teeth and pulled. Instincts took over and Aldric grabbed a bottle and shattered it over her head. Flipping over, he ran out the door. Rarity gasped and ran to Twilight's side.

"Sweet Celestia! Twilight you okay?" She groaned and got up, holding a hoof to her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Twilight turned towards Berry. "Did he pay for all of this?" Berry shook her head.

"No, I was too afraid to ask him. He started saying bad memories were popping up and came here to drink. He never even got drunk and this stuff is the strongest I have." She pointed to the bottles. Twilight nodded and turned to the entrance of the bar.

"Come on girls, we have to-...where's Rainbow?"

'He thinks he can just hurt my friends? Not today!' Rainbow thought to herself. She was flying over Ponyville but Aldric was nowhere to be seen. She turned her head over to the Everfree. 'He has to be in their,' she thought, flying over.. She landed in front of the entrance and swallowed, then walked in.

She wasn't five minutes in the forest before she got lost. 'Come on,' she thought to herself, "where are you path? You have to be here some-'"AWOOOOOOOO". She froze up. Howls surrounded her, getting closer. Now growling. Gulping, she slowly turned around, spotting five pairs of yellow eyes. Backing away slowly, she thought of her options. The eyes moved forward, getting hit with patches of sunlight, exposing the timberwolves. 'This is all his fault.' Suddenly, one of the timberwolves jumped at her, jaw wide and aiming for her throat.. She closed her eyes... and nothing happened. Slowly, she opened one of eye and saw the timberwolf stuck in the air in a purple aura.

"Rainbow! Get out of their!" Somepony yelled, who she was happy to hear. She turned her head to see Twilight, her horn glowing. The eyes turned toward the new prey and and leapt at her. Rarity grabbed another one, straining to hold it. Applejack bucked one in the face, sending it flying. Pinkie fired her party cannon and cover another in party decorations. The last timberwolf attacked Fluttershy. Rainbow got up and charged at that one, slamming it in the side. The retreated, snarling at them.

"Oh thank goodness we got here when we did." Rarity said. More howls. They all bunched into a small circle. They were surrounded by twenty timberwolves. Rainbow spoke her mind.

"This is all his fault," she said, out loud. Fluttershy turned to look at Rainbow.

"Who?" Fluttershy asked, confused.

"Aldric." Rainbow hissed out.

"Well fuck you too Rainbow." Someone said. The timberwolves stopped approaching and looked around. One yelped, causing them all to turn towards the source. A blade was being pulled out of a timberwolf's head. Aldric, stood there, leaning on his sword.

"This just got a whole lot more interesting." Aldric said. All the timberwolves growled at him, forgetting their previous prey. Aldric kicked the dead timberwolf, which frenzied the other timberwolves. Aldric slashed at the air, a wave of fire coming off the sword, burning two of the wolves. One wolf leapt at him, so he kicked it, sending it flying towards the ponies. The wolf got up dazed before a powerful kick to the head by Applejack, destroyed it. Aldric stuck his sword into one of the wolves head, then flipped the wolf over, smashing it down on another. Feeling teeth sink into his leg, he slashed at the wolf, lopping of the head, which stuck on his leg. One wolf jumped on his back, knocking him off balance. It scratched his back once and its paw exploded into flames. Yelping, it jumped off him. Aldric got up, only for his sword to be knocked out of his hand, landing near the ponies. They jumped back, then saw Aldric get piled on by the wolves.

"No!" They all screamed, reaching out hooves.

RAAAAAAAAAAWR

Something roared, knocking everything back. Trees were lifted from their roots. Boulders, flung into the air. It echoed all across the forest. The timberwolves shattered by the sheer force of the roar. Twilight and the others backed into a corner. Twilight spoke.

"Fl-fluttershy, what was that?" Fluttershy was unable to talk, her teeth were shivering in fear so much it was impossible.

"Man," something spoke, "how could I forget that I could do that." Aldric appeared in front of them, clothes tattered, and covered in sap. Twilight used her magic to yank him down.

"Aldric hide, something big's coming!" Aldric shook his head, standing back up.

"You mean that roar? Yeah, I did that." Rainbow nervously laughed.

"Yeah right! That thing was huge! You expect us to believe that?" Aldric raised an eyebrow before shrugging.

"You asked for it." Rainbow flinched, her eyes shrinking to pinpricks.

"Don't! I believe you!" Aldric nodded and turn around.

"Good." He went over to his sword, grabbing it off the ground.

"Y-you just k-ki-killed all of those timberwolves." Fluttershy squeaked out. Wiping his sword of sap, he shook his head.

"Well actually I didn't, something is controlling them, which is why they don't really die unless you set them on fire, speaking of which," Aldric turned around, walking towards one of the corpses when Fluttershy flew in front of him, "...yes? You need something."

"I won't let you harm them, they're defenceless!" Aldric deadpanned, then looked at the others with a 'is she serious,' look. They just nodded, so he looked back at Fluttershy.

"Yeah, completely defenceless," his voice laced with sarcasm, "with their claws and teeth, yep, totally defenceless." Shoving Fluttershy out of the way, he walked to the nearest corpse. Putting a hand to its head, he blasted it with fire. The fire spread all over the body, burning it. Feeling the glares of the ponies on him, he sighed and got up. "You know, let's get you all out of here. They'll be more of them soon enough." They followed him, lagging behind slightly. They soon arrived at the entrance of the forest. "Okay, now leave." They all stopped, turning to look at him.

"Excuse me?" Rarity asked, confused. Aldric raised an eyebrow.

"I thought I asked the question loud enough, either that or you are slightly deaf." Aldric could hear Rarity grind her teeth. Twilight stepped forward.

"Why stay here in the forest, it isn't natural." Aldric looked over his shoulder, seeing glowing eyes stare at him before disappearing back into the trees.

"Maybe for you it isn't natural, but for me," he flicked his head over his shoulder, "it's completely natural. Slice of home away from home, if you will." They ponies looked at him horrified.

"Wait," Twilight continued, "are you saying that your world is basically a massive Everfree?" Scratching his chin, he thought on that before nodding. Rarity asked the next question.

"How do you live, if your entire world is like this dreaded place?" Aldric unsheathed his sword and looked at it, then he spoke.

"We get by...look, you can ask all your questions later, but I think that you should go." Aldric looked at Rainbow, who was glaring at him. "Yes?"

"Aren't you going to apologize?" They all turned to him.

"Um...I'm sorry? Apologize for...hitting Twilight with a bottle? That?" Rainbow nodded. "Oh...sorry Twilight."

"Still that doesn't explain why did it! Was it this Arya per-GAH!" Upon hearing her name, Aldric ran at Rainbow, grabbed her throat, and slammed her against a tree.

"I said to never say that name! Do you understand!" Rainbow choked out a yes and he dropped her, letting her breath. Aldric looked at the ponies, then walked back into the forest, leaving them behind.

'I still believe you are overreacting. They are just trying to be friendly.' Rationality said. "Fuck you okay? Just fuck you and your mother." Aldric replied. 'We're the same person, remember?' Rationality replied. Another voice spoke. 'You do realize we are being followed, right?' "Yes I do." Stopping, Aldric turned around, letting out another devastating roar, shattering the nearby timberwolves. 'Shouldn't we not be making enemies, since we will be trapped here forever?' Aldric chuckled. "You honestly expect me to stay here? No, at this Gala thing I will be steal every document as blackmail for a spell." The voices stopped and he returned to where he slept for his nap. Rationality spoke again. 'Still, what if their isn't a spell to return back?' Aldric laid down. "Then I will find any other means to return." He closed his eyes and fell asleep.