Prologue-The Howling Shrieker
Many great years ago..
In the Griffon lands, there was a warrior. His name is not known, but he was renowned as the most powerful in all the Griffon lands. He was strong...fast...brave.
Yet one day, during a ferocious storm, a stranger came to his home and did homage to him, offering him greater power if he made a deal with him. Intrigued, the warrior took the Griffon's claw, but that was when the warrior was overcome with dark energy. The warrior could only scream as he was changed into a colossal, horrifying monster, with spines of black and three eyes of purest green. His wings grew skeletal and cloaked in black smoke, and his tail became a bladed spine, with his claws growing like sword blades. He threw himself back in agony, and eventually, he became known as the Shrieker. The stranger revealed himself as the evil Sorcerer Grezin, and the warrior was consumed by dark magic. He became a terror of the night, bound to the sorcerer's will.
Yet one day, the Sorcerer made a deal he could not keep, and was cast into the depths of the Abysmal Abyss, never to return.
The Shrieker was free, but he did not return to his former body. He fled to the south, to a forest, and there he remains, punishing and hunting those who encounter his wrath. And with his power came an immortal life, and in this forest, he rests, his mind tormented by the pain he undergoes every day.
And to this day, no one has heard him howl, but he still remains…
Watching…
Waiting to be set free.
Twilight Sparkle closed the book and sighed. Gabby the Griffon had sent her a volume of Griffon folktales as a present, and though many were interesting, the one at the end, the Tale of the Night Shrieker, was the one that she couldn't understand in the slightest.
"Whoever wrote this was a total moron." She groaned. "There is no way a Griffon can harness magic, let alone dark magic, and a three-eyed monster Griffon? That's totally unbelievable!"
Twilight sighed and looked at the clock on her desk.
"Dear Celestia, it's late." She said, seeing the time was around 10:30 PM. "I should get some sleep and write Gabby a thank-you in the morning."
As she headed upstairs, she failed to notice a sheet of fog come through town. It swirled and twisted, and in the middle of it, three piercing green eyes opened and a dull growl became audible. Then, an ethereal, ear-piercing howl sounded. IT was howl of pain, anger, and rage. As windows came on in several houses and a few foals cried for their parents, the three green eyes faded away.
====
Twilight sipped her morning coffee at Sugarcube Corner, with Spike filling out the morning crossword.
"Hey, Twi? What's a three-letter word for haranguing someone?" He asked.
"Rag, I believe." She said in reply. Spike nodded and filled it in, smiling. At that moment, Rarity walked in with Rainbow Dash and Applejack. All were deep in conversation.
"You too?" Rarity asked Applejack. "You heard that unpleasant sound?"
"You bet." She replied. "Scared Applebloom so much, she had to sleep with me."
"Scootaloo heard it too." Rainbow said. "She nearly wet the bed, she was so frightened."
"What's going on?" Twilight asked.
"You didn't hear it?" Applejack asked. "Last night, half the town woke up to a real nasty howl. Sounded like...something out of a nightmare."
Like some creature in the dark was screaming bloody murder." Rainbow added.
"I didn't hear anything." Twilight replied. "I think that's due to the natural soundproofing of the crystal, but do we know what caused it?"
"Nope." Rarity replied. "Sweetie Belle also saw something...unusual."
"What?" Twilight asked.
"Three green orbs in the middle of a fog bank." She said. "Said if she didn't know any better, she would've said it was a ghost."
Twilight paused. She flashed back to the tale mentioning a three-eyed griffon with green eyes.
"That's something." Twilight said. "Anything else?"
"Something clawed up my trees on the southern orchard." Applejack said. "Real big cuts. Like a sword."
Twilight raised her chin thoughtfully, again thinking of the tale.
"Well, Timberwolves can't come that far out of the Everfree." She said. "When did you notice them?"
"This morning." Applejack replied. "And Big Mac won't admit it, but he's scared. Granny Smith's already mighty worried we won't have a reunion this year due to everything that's going on."
"I'll look into it." Twilight said. "I'll write Celestia, and maybe she can give me some advice."
As the four of them shifted to a more pleasant conversation, at the Ponyville Schoolhouse, in the bushes near the Everfree, a shadow watched the foals play. Three piercing green eyes watched the Cutie Mark Crusaders play around, almost with amusement. The eyes slowly moved back into the darkness, leaving no trace behind.
======
Deep in the Everfree, at the base of the Mountain, lay a den going underground. At the deepest point of the den, lay a beast. It was as large as Celestia, with sword-blade sized claws, smoking black wings, and thick, spined fur. It's tail was sharp and thick, and on its head lay three green eyes, one large on it's forehead. The Shrieker slowly shook itself awake and strode up a slope to a vantage point. As it took in the sunlight, it's dark gray and black dappled fur evident, it surveyed its territory. It raised its muzzle, almost proudly, before it retreated into the cave to sleep once more. It would need its strength to survive, like it had done for thousands of years.
That night, Twilight heard it through an open window. As more lights came on, Twilight hastily scanned the area. She then locked her eyes on three glowing orbs in the middle of a bank of fog. Before she could even gasp or scream, they were gone. She summoned her courage and went back to sleep, though sleep was a long time coming.
Author's Note
A new story, yeah!
Like the concept?
It had been three days since Twilight saw the three green orbs in the fog bank, and suffice to say, she wasn't getting enough sleep. Along with half of Ponyville. Though nopony would admit it, they were scared out of their wits.
And Twilight wasn't. Along with a thank-you note, Twilight had written Gabby a letter explaining the situation, and she had sent back everything on the Shrieker she could get her claws on. Which included three different tomes that included the legend. Now, as she sat in her Castle Library, reading and cross-referencing them, the dark shadows under her eyes grew by the minute.
"And that's a contradiction of...oh, I see." Twilight groaned. "It's been three days! Why can't I find a SINGLE way to locate or stop this nonsense!"
"Twilight?" Spike said, walking in. "Applejack saw it."
"The orbs again?" Twilight groaned.
"No, she saw IT." Spike clarified. "The Shrieker."
Spike then found himself right in Twilight's face.
"TELL. ME. EVERYTHING." she said slowly and clearly.
"Well, she was in the Everfree to get some fertilizer from Zecora, and she saw this giant monster on a hilltop. She said it looked like a Griffon that had a bad date in Tartarus. And she could see it's three green eyes." Spike said.
Twilight gasped and leaned back in her chair.
"That explains EVERYTHING!" she yelped. "The three green orbs aren't a ghost, it's the Shrieker visiting Ponyville every so often! Where'd she find that hilltop!?"
"Near Zecora's…" Spike said.
"Get the girls." Twilight said, now fully awake. "We're finding and putting an end to this infernal shrieking business."
=====
Twilight and the Elements hurried into the Everfree, and upon arriving at the hilltop, Rarity gasped.
"Look at all this fur!" she cried. "It's shining like onyx!'
Twilight found a swatch of fur, and found Rarity was right. The fur that was thrown all around and about had an unnatural sheen to it, like it was made of ebony crystal. Twilight ran her hoof through it, and it was surprisingly soft, yet it felt as sturdy and hard as a sheet of iron.
"And I've got tracks!" Rainbow cried. "They're leading right to that cave over there!"
The girls followed Rainbow's lead into the cave, and after many twists and turns, plus finding more fur, they arrived in a large grove. And sleeping in the middle of the grove was the Shrieker, exactly how Applejack described it. Twilight slowly started to back away, only for it to stir and look at them with three green, piercing eyes. It slowly stood up, and walked over, its long and tangled fur rustling with its movement. Twilight closed her eyes and waited, only for the monster to speak.
"Hmm." it growled. "I would suppose my howls would've kept anyone away...what surprise to find they brought six ponies to my home…"
"You're the Shrieker?" Twilight asked.
"Indeed." It replied.
"Why are you howling so dreadfully loud?" Rarity asked. "Surely you can leave and go wherever you choose where nopony is around…"
"I have been across the whole of Equestria." The Shrieker replied. "And everywhere I go, I am hated or feared, sometimes both. When you have lived for a thousand years, there is no place that is safe or unpopulated."
Rarity gave an "eep!" and apologized.
"You are forgiven." The Shrieker said. "I suppose since I have guests, I must entertain you. Forgive me, it has been quite some time since I had company."
"I didn't know you were so civilized." Twilight said, surprised.
"Was." the Shrieker spat. "I was once…"
"A Griffon." Twilight interrupted. "Sorry, I read your legend."
"A legend?" Shrieker asked.
"A folktale, more like." Twilight said. "They said you were once a Griffon warrior, until a sorcerer cursed you with dark magic."
"And left me to a doomed fate worse than death." Shrieker finished. "I am immortal as a result of Greizen's treachery, and I howl to remember my old life. The life of a warrior who would die in glory rather than live an accursed existence."
"That's sad and all that…" Rainbow said. "But have you ever heard of a bath? You stink!"
"RAINBOW!" Twilight screeched. "What's with you?"
"It's true." Shrieker said. "I have not had the luxury of hygiene since I was cursed. Forgive my state of filthiness."
"It's okay…" Twilight said. "How about this. If you come to Ponyville with us, we'll get you cleaned up, and maybe a haircut to go with it? It seems...shaggy."
"Quite so, I suppose." Shrieker said, taking a look in the pool that served as his source of water. "Fine. I shall come with you."
"But…" Twilight said suddenly. "I am still a Princess of Equestria, and you did disturb the peace with all your shrieking, so you'll have to apologize. Is that fair?"
"Fair." Shrieker said. "Let's go."
Twilight and her friends were swept onto the Shrieker's back, and he flew through an opening in the roof of the cavern towards Ponyville.
====
As soon as the Shrieker landed, everypony in town dropped what they were doing and stared.
"It's okay." Twilight said. "He's with us. He's actually a griffon that got cursed, and he's sorry for all the shrieking, right?"
"Correct." Shrieker said. "My apologies to those I disturbed. I have my reasons, but know my intent was not to harm anyone."
The ponies slowly went back to their business, but a few whispered or continued to stare as Twilight booked a Spa Room for them, along with quite a few razors, three buckets of soapy water, and a roll of yard bags.
====
About an hour later, Twilight and her friends, who were now significantly more exhausted, and a significantly more hygenic Shrieker reentered Ponyville Plaza. Twilight had trimmed his long claws to a more manageable size with her magic, and they had all power-scrubbed and bathed him to the point where his coat was no longer long and tangled, but short and sleek. His tail now looked like it was simply braided, and though his green eyes remained, his mane was now significantly shorter.
"I must thank you, Twilight." Shrieker said. "I feel quite a bit better."
"You're welcome." She replied. "Though, I'm not sure what I can do with the trimmings left over from your claws."
"Seeing as they can cut through stone…" Shrieker mused. "Why not fashion them into a sword or a similar armament?"
"Hey, not bad." Applejack said. "If so, can I get a new lumber axe? We got some dead trees we haven't been able to get down on our own."
"I need a new pair of scissors." Rarity said. "Though the label says "industrial-strength", they didn't last a month. Industrial-strength my flank."
"And I need a new cooking knife set!" Pinkie chimed in.
"Okay girls, let's not get too excited. Remember, I had to use my magic to cut them." Twilight said. "Let's wait for a bit until I can find a way to soften them enough for proper forging."
"Sure thing." the girls said. As the Elements went their separate ways, Twilight brought Shrieker to her Castle.
"Well, it's not much, but make yourself at home." she said. Upon opening the door, she frowned at a rudimentary fort that Spike had built.
"Spike!" she cried.
"Yeah?" was the muffled reply.
"You're good to come out!" Twilight sighed. "The Shrieker's here, and he's really nice."
Spike took one look at him and he dove back into his fort of couches and blankets. Shrieker looked at Twilight with a raised eyebrow, and she sighed.
"He'll warm up to you."
"I don't doubt that." he sighed. "Though…"
"I don't think I've had a good meal in quite some time."
"I'll see if there's anything Griffon-friendly." Twilight smiled. She headed for the kitchen, and Shrieker sat down at the Cutie Map table, sighing.
"Maybe...it won't be so bad here." he murmured. Then, there was a knock at the door.
"Princess Twilight?" said a haughty voice. "Are you home?"
Twilight walked out of the kitchen with a scowl, handing Shrieker a platter of eggs and fish.
"Here. I'll handle this." she scowled, heading into the family room. Shrieker looked on awkwardly through the entryway as a white unicorn stallion wearing a suit walked in.
"Ah, Princess, I do apologize for my sudden arrival."
Twilight rolled her eyes in a subtle mood, and sighed.
"Well, Prince Blueblood, what can I do for you?"
"As you know, there's been reports coming from Ponyville of a monster with three green eyes." he said. "I took it upon myself to investigate and slay such a monster to put these reports to rest."
Twilight nearly spat out her tea. Shrieker growled and nearly smashed the platter in anger.
"Prince Blueblood, though you probably don't want to hear it, It's been taken care of."
"And I already procured a sword...wait, what?" he sputtered. "How so?"
"I and the Element Bearers located his den and convinced him to stop."
"Him?" Blueblood asked. "How are you sure this monster is a "him"?"
"Because I am here and well within earshot, you imbecile." Shrieker said angrily, storming into the room. "Not only do you describe me as a monster, you talk of killing me when I sleep? How comedic."
"Comedic?" Blueblood stammered. Shrieker inspected his claws before continuing.
"I was cursed with dark magic one thousand years ago." he growled. "No spell or blade can harm me. Your sword might have given me a light tickle, at best."
Blueblood dropped his teacup with a crash. Shrieker chuckled before continuing.
"Though as I much as I hate to say it, I am no monster. I am civilized in the ways of society, and though I have been called much worse than monster...what offended me most was the fact you had the audacity to claim you could kill me. Many ponies who find me simply try to drive me away, or when that doesn't work, parade me like a sideshow attraction through the towns until I escape." he growled. "I have endured much over my life, but you...you are the final straw. Get out."
Blueblood slowly got out of his chair.
"Get. Out." Shrieker said angrily.
Blueblood moved to the door.
"GET. OUT!" Shrieker roared with the ferocity of a manticore. Blueblood scurried out the door in a flash, and he was gone. Shrieker sighed and sat down.
"He'll be back. I'm sure of it." he growled.
"Shrieker…" Twilight said. "It's not your fault. I'll write to Princess Celestia, and explain everything. For now, go calm down upstairs, alright?"
"Fine." he snorted as he headed up the stairs to a vacant room. He settled down on the floor, and he was soon asleep.
Author's Note
So sorry this took so long. I got a groove going, and I'm proud of this chapter. Do you like it?
