Demons from the Past

Aldric awoke to howls in the distance. Looking out, he saw ten pairs of eyes around his camp. Groaning, he got up. This was the third time he saw this pack, which would always be around when he woke up.

"What! Just attack already you dumb wolves," he yelled at them, causing them to scatter, "I swear, this forest is more annoying than scary." Walked around the forest a bit more, he spotted a spring and walked over to it. It had a waterfall falling down into and had streams leading into other parts of the forest. Stripping off his clothes, he dived in. The water was refreshing, since he hasn't took a shower or bath in about a week. Swimming over to the waterfall, he saw a small cave behind it. Pulling himself up, he stood up in the cave, forgetting he didn't have his sword.

"This could be a good home, it's secluded, so it has that going for it," he said aloud, "I wonder if it has any inhabitants." If like on cue, a loud roar happened behind him. Turning around, he saw a massive crocodile, which looked like it was made out of rocks. "Oh, so this is your home, is it? Well, looks like it's time for a eviction." He reached for his sword, which wasn't there. The crocodile charged him, maw opened. "Hard way it is then." Charging the crocodile, he punched it in the face, causing it to fly out the cave and into the spring. Aldric took a breath and dived into the cave.

Aldric swam at the beast with surprising speed, making the crocodile rethink its plan. It was too late, for Aldric punched it in the chin, sending it flying into the air. Aldric used the water to rocket himself into the air, headbutting it in the stomach. It crashed into the cliff wall, a rock spire spearing it in the throat. It squirmed for a bit, before it finally succumbed to its fate. Aldric landed on the ground and walked over to his clothes. "Why does this forest have predators made out of nature? What's next, sand lions?" Aldric chuckled at the joke and dried himself off and put his clothes on. He walked back to the exit of the forest to see Fluttershy tending to some animals. Walking over to her, the animals scattered.

"Oh dear, why did you run away?" Fluttershy asked them. Angel Bunny tugged her hoof and pointed to Aldric. "Oh, why hello Aldric, what brings you here?"

"Nothing, just came back from a bath in one of the springs in the Everfree." He didn't dare tell her about the battle with the crocodile, for she would probably freak out. "I see that your animals still don't like me." Not that he minded, a lot of things were scared of him. "Still though, Angel stays here, why is that?" He crouched to the rabbit looking him in the eyes. The rabbit just looked back at him, standing his ground. Aldric held his hand out and Angel jumped onto it. "So, Fluttershy, what you doing today?" He asked her, not looking away from Angel.

"Oh! I was going to move a mother duck and her ducklings to another pond. Why, did you want to join?" Fluttershy replied. She was fascinated at what was happening with Angel and Aldric. They were in some kind of staring contest.

"Sure why not, here have a carrot Angel." Pulling out a carrot from somewhere, he handed it to Angel. Angel grabbed it and Aldric lowered him to the ground. He transformed into the dog and followed Fluttershy.

They were in the middle of Ponyville when Aldric spotted Pinkie at a table. Aldric poked Fluttershy with his nose and pointed to Pinkie. "I am going over to her, okay?" Fluttershy nodded and continued leading the ducks across Ponyville. He ran over to Pinkie and sat down next to her. "Hello Pinkie, what are you doing?" Aldric barked quietly at her.

"Hi Aldric, I'm just spying on Gilda," she replied, and then added, "oh right, you don't know who Gilda is, well she is Rainbow's friend from flight school. She's a gryphon who has been really mean to me and she has scared Granny Smith and stole an apple. Twilight said I'm just overreacting though so she might apologize."

Aldric scanned the town and saw Gilda. She was walking straight towards Fluttershy, then bumped into her.

"Hey! Watch where you're going dweeb! I'm walking here." Gilda yelled at Fluttershy. Fluttershy said something that didn't reach Aldric but Gilda began to make fun of her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You should watch where you are going!" She then began inhaled and puffed out her chest. She then roared at Fluttershy, making her cry and run away.

"Did you see that, Aldric?" Pinkie asked, turning to where Aldric once was. "Huh? Where did he go?" She looked back at Gilda to see Aldric in front of her. "Oh no...."

"Hey! Get out my way dumb dog." Gilda yelled at him. Aldric just growled at her. "You asked for it." She slashed at him only for the dog to grab her arm. "What the..."

"You should really pick on someone your own size." Aldric said transforming back. Gilda looked scared for a second and then she puffed out her chest. "Oh? Trying to look tough are you?" She roared straight in his face, making his hood fall back. His silver hair glinted. "Not a bad roar, my turn."

"EVERYPONY COVER YOUR EARS!" Pinkie screamed, covering her own ears. They all dropped and covered their ears. The resounding roar blew Gilda off the ground into the sky. Windows shattered and the ground shook. He stopped roaring and coughed. Ponies slowly uncovered their ears slowly.

"OH YOU ARE GETTING IT DWEEB!" Gilda roared out, charging him. She grabbed him and lifted him up into the air. Down below, Twilight and the others had gathered and were trying to figure out what was happening. They found Pinkie and walked over to her.

"I told you! She is bad, she yelled at Fluttershy and now she is going to drop Aldric." Pinkie said to Twilight. "Rainbow?" Rainbow turned her head to Pinkie. "Stop her!" Rainbow nodded and flew up.

"Gilda! Stop this, this isn't the friend I remember!" Rainbow yelled at her. Gilda ignored her and began to spin around. "NO!" She let go, launching Aldric into air. "NO! GILDA YOU MOTHERBUCKER!" Rainbow swore at her friend and flew after Aldric. Below everypony gasped, swearing wasn't really ponies did. "Come on wings!" She was so close to him now. Something black flew past her and grabbed Aldric and swooped down in the White Tailed Woods. Aldric opened his eye.

"Where am I? I remember Gilda, throwing me across the air. Who saved me?" He turned his head, his jaw dropping as he did.

In Front of him was a fully black male gryphon with blood red feather tips. A scar was across his beak. "Blackwing... YOU'RE ALIVE?!?" He tackled the gryphon to the ground, hugging him. Blackwing squawked in his ear, making him let go. "Sorry, I just thought you were dead. You got shot by a crossbow bolt." He turned around, showing him a chunk missing from his side. "Oh....."

"Aldric! Where are you?" One of the ponies shouted. Some bushes rattled and revealed Fluttershy, looking straight at Blackwing. "Eeep!" She dove back into bushes. Blackwing turned and looked at him, head cocked.

"Yeah, she's pretty shy." Blackwing nodded and looked back into the brush. Some of them rattled to their left, revealing Rainbow. She saw Aldric and flew at him. Blackwing unfurled his wings and stood in front of Aldric.

"Woah! Hey, move out of the way gryphon. My frie-.... friend's friend is behind you! Wait... are you going to hurt? Huh? If you are, I could take you on." She began to hit the air.

"Let her through." Aldric spoke, making Blackwing turn his head to look at him. He turned back and closed his wings, stepping over. "Blackwing, meet Rainbow Dash." The gryphon proceeded to make a cawing sound, most likely laughing at the name. "I know right, weird name, anyway, Rainbow, meet Blackwing, my gryphon." Blackwing stood triumphantly. "Oh stop it you cocky gryphon." Blackwing punched him in the shoulder. He punched back. Blackwing punched, harder. "Oh? You want to start?" Blackwing nodded, tackling Aldric. They began to wrestle. Soon Blackwing was on top of him. Aldric flipped him off and stood back up. Aldric then remember Rainbow was watching. "Anyway, where are the others?" Trying to draw attention away.

Rainbow shook her head. "Girls! Over here!" Soon they all were in the clearing, in front of Blackwing. Fluttershy hid behind the others. "So, Blackwing," he stopped preening his feathers and looked at Rainbow. "Thank you saving Aldric." Blackwing nodded and went back to preening.

"Why isn't he talking?" Blackwing stopped and looked at her then to Aldric. He was obviously confused.

"Gryphons here can talk apparently. Actually... can you talk now?" Blackwing looked stunned and tried to speak, but nothing came out. Blackwing shrugged and went back to preening. "Here, let me help." Aldric sat down and felt around for any loose feathers. He pulled out four of them, making Blackwing relax. "Blackwing, how exactly did you escape?"

"Escape? From what?" Blackwing showed them the missing chunk of flesh.

"Blackwing! How did you escape?" Blackwing wrapped his wing around Aldric and pulled him close. "What?" Blackwing put his head against Aldric's forehead. "Oh, mind bond, right." He began to concentrate. He was yanked into Blackwing's mind.

"Come on, Blackwing, we got to go!" Aldric leapt onto Blackwing.

"There! Get them!" Blackwing lifted up into the, avoiding the crossbow bolts.

"That was close. We almost got-BANK!" Blackwing banked to the left, avoiding a ballista bolt. They began to get shot from every angle. "How did they find us!" Blackwing didn't listen, he was too busy avoiding bolts. He dived into an alleyway, grabbing a soldier who was in it. He launched it at a ballista, destroying it. They were right outside the city when Blackwing got hit. They crashed into a small glade.

"Blackwing! Don't worry, I got it!" He tugged the bolt, only for his partner to roar out in pain. "Fuck! Don't worry, I'll get us out of this." Blackwing looked up at him and tossed his head. "What?... no. NO! I won't leave you here!" Blackwing pleaded him with his eyes. "Fine! I'll go, but what about you?" He looked around the glade and shrugged. "Okay, be safe." Aldric got up and ran away from the city.

He yanked himself out of the mind bond. "Yes, I remember that, but what happened next?" Blackwing put his forehead against Aldric's again.

Blackwing began to look around, spotting a small cave. He limped over to it and tried to get in, but the bolt was blocking him from entering. "This way! They crashed over here!" The guards were closer now, so he had no other option. He grabbed the bolt and yanked, hard. It came out, making him roar again. "Here!" He squeezed into the cave and waited. Boots stopped in front of him. "Over here! Tracks!" They followed the prints away from Blackwing. He got up and went over to a small stream. He sat in it, washing away the dirt and dried blood from his wound. He walked around the glade and saw a deer. He licked his beak and pounced. The deer jumped and turned around. It wasn't a deer, it was a dryad. He immediately bowed, for she was a guardian of nature.

"Rise, gryphon." He stood up. "I have seen what you have done, and while I don't find it acceptable, I will clean your wounds for you and give you food."

It ended their, for Aldric could figure the rest out. "So, a dryad took care of you? Still, how did you get here? You weren't banished by Frederick, were you?" Blackwing shook his head and tossed his head over to the ponies. "Oh right, sorry girls. Blackwing was just showing me what happened to him." They were clearly confused.

"I thought he couldn't talk?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, he can't we were just doing something every gryphon and his rider can do. I saw his memories." They all nodded and went back to town. "Still, how did you get here?" Blackwing just shook his head. "Fine, don't tell me. Come on, I know a place where we can sleep." He got on Blackwing. "Blackwing, I... missed you." Blackwing looked back and nodded, feeling the same.

They landed near the spring where Aldric took his bath. "Okay, there's a small cave behind the waterfall, cliché I know, that we can sleep in. Don't worry, it isn't wet and is pretty smooth. There was a inhabitant living there, but I took care of it." He pointed to the crocodile from this morning. Blackwing laughed and followed him into the cave. Blackwing laid down and Aldric rested his back against him. "Goodnight, friend." Aldric said to him, Blackwing cawing in response.