Author's Note

I apologize in advance if this fic took too long and if the chapter's too short, but I do hope you enjoy it. My editor and I put a lot of work into this

Another Troublemaker in Griffonstone

A Tender Hearted Predator

Written by Israel Yabuki

Edited & co-written by NineTailBeastBall

You spent your entire life as a bit of a troublemaker, picking fights with people who always picked on you for being an orphan. Ever since you were a baby, you were raised by a man who was a retired martial artist. However despite his strict lessons to use your talent only when absolutely necessary, you often got yourself into trouble at school with those who annoyed you.

You continued getting yourself into fights as a teenager and got suspended during your sophomore year. There was never a time when you didn’t fight anyone when they found out about you being denied by your irresponsible parents. You’ve learned to take care of yourself from a young age. Some of the sympathetic people who know about this feel sorry for you because you had to be on your own for so long, but you didn’t want or need their pity.

Once your suspension had expired and you were accepted back into school, those who you’ve previously got into fights with steered clear of you. The beatings that they received also set an example for anyone else tempted with pestering you. Of course, due to your suspension, you got so far behind on your studies and had to stay after class for extra help to get caught up.

After graduating from high school, you moved on to college in order to get a degree in general education. Back when you were still in high school, even though bullies didn’t bother you anymore, you couldn’t take the risk of starting another fight and getting expelled. In order to relieve yourself of annoyance, you took your anger out on the punching bags in the gym. You continued this stress relief method after being accepted into college.

Unlike your school years, college was much more accepting. The students are more mature and less insulting than the ones from your childhood, if you even had one. For the first time, you had friends.

You continued to hone your fighting skills throughout college while at the same time kept your temper in check. Your coach was more impressed with how well you’ve improved yourself since applying at the university. There were only a few students who were able to perform better than you. But they didn’t rub it in your face like kids back in your previous school, more specifically the ones who you beat up.

You kept up the hard work for the next four years and graduated with a degree in general education. Your coach was there to watch you graduate with honor. He had on the biggest smile you’ve ever seen.

After getting your diploma, you eventually got a job working at a club as a security officer. Your job was to throw out anyone who caused trouble with the customers and/or the employees. Today, you had to toss out two drunken morons who were harassing the other guests. With all your training, it was an easy task.

“And stay out!” you snarled.

“Hey, it was- hic... just a little fun!” one of the drunks called out, his voice slurred. Not wanting to hear another word, you slammed the door on them.

This wasn’t the first time you’ve been forced to throw out a drunk and violent customer. To be honest the only reason you got this job is because you get to take your frustration out on the people who irritated you.

Of course when you were hired, you have received strict warnings that there were limits to handling troublemakers. First off, you couldn’t get physical indoors unless the customer is the one who starts the fight. Second, you couldn’t just throw them out without the employees’ permission.

You yawned as you looked at the moon which was full tonight and turned to look at your watch. Your shift would end in a few minutes and the whole club was pretty much empty by this point.

“Hey, you can go home now you know. You did a great job today,” the manager commented as he came out of his office. You didn’t return his smile and without a word you grabbed your stuff so you could go home.

You exited the building and walked out onto the snow-covered streets, then took the route back to your house. As you walked down the small bridge you always had to get home, you were halfway across when something caught your eye.

Someone was standing out in the middle of a frozen lake and it looked like they were trying to break the ice. Even though it was nighttime, you could still clearly see them using a baseball bat to break the ice thanks to the light of the street lamp.

Unable to help your curiosity you ran over to the lake without even thinking about the consequences you’ll suffer afterwards. You can see it was a young man, who just like you was probably in his early 20s. He sounded like he was crying, like he had completely given up all hope.

“What do you think you’re doing?” you asked, but he ignored you and continued hitting the ice with his bat. “You realize that if you kill yourself, your family is gonna mourn your loss. Do you really think suicide solves anything? Well, do you?”

“What do you care?” he finally asked and took a break from hitting the ice.

“Because unlike me, you’ve got a family who loves you, who look out for you, who act as your pillar of strength,” you answered grabbing the bat before he could take another swing. You could see that he was now left with shame at his attempt to kill himself.

“Get out of here,” you said keeping a good grip on the baseball bat in case he tried to take it back. All of a sudden, you saw the ice below you and the guy cracking more. Your only option was probably one that you would never regret. You grab the guy by the shirt and with one mighty swing, threw him off the crackling ice.

You watched him get back on his feet with the last bit of time you had left before the ice below you broke. You instantly sank into the freezing cold water and what was worse is that even though you were a strong swimmer, it was useless in freezing water. You desperately tried, but it was no use. The cold water was too much for you to handle now and eventually, you drowned.

Deep in the endless black void, everything around you felt cold, dark and… empty. And in this dark void, you felt a sense of loneliness. You always knew you were alone most of your life, but you never actually felt alone. At least not until now.

Even unconscious, you noticed that what once was cold temperature has changed into a warm one. You opened up your eyes, only to be blinded by a bright light. You had nothing to lose, so you went for it. The warmth of the light lasted for about a few seconds until you later felt something hard... and cold.

You opened your eyes up and one of the first things you noticed is that you were still wet, the other was that there were a bunch of strange looking huts. Some of these huts were built on large branches. However as you rubbed your eyes, you can see you are lying down next to one of the huts and then heard the sounds of a couple of guys coming in your general direction.

“Now what?” you thought. You quickly picked yourself up and got on your feet while wrapping your arms around your body, as you still felt cold. Whoever was heading your way, you weren’t afraid to face them if they were to cause you trouble.

“This is gonna be good,” you heard one of them say with a snicker.

“I know, right? I mean, she may act all tough, but deep down, she’s just another sucker just begging to get a real bang!” another voice said, cunningly.

“How big do you think they are? I can never guess because of that damn training bra,” you heard a third voice say.

You pieced it all together, these jerks were going to try and spy on a girl while she was changing. Now that you know what they were up to, you weren’t going to be generous enough to just stay hidden and let them do it.

Once the three perverts showed up, you see that it was a couple of bird-like creatures. However while they had the heads and wings of bird as you looked down, you saw they had tails and the paws of a feline. You didn’t really care what they were, you still weren’t going to tolerate their little game.

“Hey assholes,” you said, crossing your arms. You haven’t completely stopped shaking from the cold, but you didn’t care. “Just what the hell do you think you’re up to?” you asked rhetorically.

“No one invited-” you cut the bird off by punching him square in his face. That one punch was all it took to knock him unconscious.

Of course seeing their companion punched, the other two voyeurs growled and made a move to swipe at you with their talons. You easily anticipate their moves and take one step to the side before taking your jacket off. Swiftly throwing it at the opponent closest to you to blind him, you delivered a kick to his stomach before turning around just in time to avoid a punch from the other one.

While the jerk you just kicked down was struggling to get up, you grabbed his companion’s fist. Pulling him closer, you kneed him three times in his groin before flipping him over your shoulder. By this point, the three strange troublemakers have become a little bit scared of you.

“What is going on here?!” Your leg stopped inches away from delivering another kick to the delinquent you had previously kicked in the stomach. You turned to look at the window where you saw another of their kind, no doubt the one who they were planning to spy on. Taking advantage of your distracted state, he was about to get up and punch you but you returned your focus and finished your attack.

“Alright you got five seconds to get out of here, unless you want me to deliver you to the girl you were planning to spy on,” you snarled. Seeing the anger that was growing in the shocked lady’s face, the delinquents got up and limped away as fast as they could. You waited until they were completely out of sight before you turned to the one who’s dignity you had protected.

“Your welcome,” you said not waiting for a “thank you” as you made your move and then walk away.

“Leaving so soon?” she asked making you stop. She hopped through the open window and approached you. “You’re quite an impatient one, aren’t you?” she asked with a smirk. You’ve lost count of how many people have said that to you.

“That’s alright though, I suppose I should indeed thank you for getting rid of those perverts,” she said, remaining calm.

“Alright, but I have my own problems. First, what is this place?” you said looking at the sky where many more of these creatures came and went as they pleased.

“Rainbow Dash told me your kind would show up around here sooner or later. You’re in Griffonstone, the heart of the Griffon Kingdom,” she explained.

“Wait, wait, wait,” you said holding a hand out. “You mean there are more people who live in this place?” you asked.

“Well, not around Griffonstone, but they’re practically all over the place by now. Most of them live in Ponyville, there are a few in Canterlot and I heard from my friend, Rainbow Dash that one human lives on Mount Aris, married to the queen.”

This was a lot for you to take in and you slumped to the ground pinching your forehead. First you drowned in ice cold water, then you wake up in a weird place called Griffonstone. You wondered if you didn’t go crazy since you remember dying, yet here you are, walking, talking and breathing.

“A lot to handle, isn’t it shrimp?” she chuckled.

“Hey, watch who you’re calling a shrimp! I happen to be 5'11,” you warned, glaring at her. She simply smirked and tilted her head to the side.

“Right...” she said slightly. “Anyway I doubt any other griffon in town will give you a place to rest. Even though our city has improved, our kind still aren’t the friendliest of creatures. But since you saved my ass from those peeping toms, I’ll let you crash at my place.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” you asked.

“Because it’s either that, or you freeze to death out in the cold streets. Your call pipsqueak,” she smiled, making you glare at her again. The only time you ever hit a girl was when she tried to get physical with you after you turned her hotshot boyfriend into a punching bag. You might be a guy, but if anyone, man or woman, tries to mess with you, you’ll make them pay... except for kids. When it comes to children, the harshest you can do to them if they ever get under your skin is use the death glare on them.

Still, this griffon as she calls herself, is indeed the only one who could help you at the moment. If you took a swing at her, it would only start trouble. You sighed and stopped yourself from making that regretful decision.

“Fine, you win. Let’s hurry and get warmed up before I get frostbite,” you scowled. That smug expression on the bird’s face didn’t go away as she led you inside her hut.

As soon as you entered into the house, you immediately rushed over to the fireplace to warm up. The griffon girl walked over to one of the rooms still wearing that overbearing smirk as she watched you attempt to warm up.

“So what’s your story, did walk into a blizzard or something and wind up freezing your ass?” she asked you with a laugh, but you chose to ignore her. With a frown, she sat in front of you, her expression becoming serious.

“I believe haven’t been properly introduced, have we? My name is Gilda,” she said. Seeing how she was done with the jokes for now, you chose to respond this time and told her your own name.

“Not a bad name. Seriously though, why are you so cold?” she asked. “Your body is so cold, it even puts popsicles to shame.”

“Not that it matters anymore, but back in my world, I was stopping some idiot from committing suicide by drowning himself,” you began before rubbing your hands. “He was hitting a frozen river with a baseball bat when I found him and would have succeeded with his little stunt if I hadn’t made him think of how his family would feel.”

“Go on,” Gilda urged.

“I somehow got to him, but the damage was done as the ice below our feet was about to give in. I managed to throw the guy back on land but I wasn’t so fortunate. You can imagine what happened next,” you finished.

“Oh, so that’s why you’re a walking ice cube. Ordinarily I’m not one to get all sappy, but you sure as Tartarus showed some balls of steel,” she praised elbowing you in the arm.

“He’d better not try something like that again, or I’ll smack him in the face,” you said. To your confusion, Gilda started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” you asked.

“Uh, yeah, not gonna happen. You see, once a human passes away from the human world to this one, there’s no way back,” Gilda explained. “You should feel glad you even get a second chance at life. Especially since only the humans who have kind heart end up in this world.”

You thought about what she said, unsure how to respond. Gilda raised her eyebrow wondering what was going on your head as you stared back at the fire.

“Anyway squirt, feel free to crash on the couch, I’ll go and get a blanket and a pillow so you won't freeze during the night,” Gilda said before getting up.

“I don’t feel like sleeping just yet,” you said, making her stop.

“Maybe not, but it’s best for you to get some rest so you can have more energy tomorrow. Trust me, you’ll thank me later,” Gilda said patting your cheek. For some weird reason, it didn’t annoy you as much as it should.

Not stopping her this time, Gilda left to go fetch a blanket and pillow for you just like she said she would. Putting them on the couch, she patted your bed signaling for you to lay down.

“You’d better get some rest pipsqueak. You and I both know there’s no sense in arguing right now,” Gilda said. You sighed and got onto the couch like she told you. Despite the rough shape of Griffonstone’s huts, the couch was surprisingly comfortable.

Having thrown out some drunks from the club, never getting to say goodbye to your coach, drowned in a freezing lake and then taking on three delinquent griffons at once, you were obviously exhausted. Despite your protests of waiting to do so, it wasn’t long before you grew weak from fatigue and slumped down on the pillow.

“Sleep tight pipsqueak,” Gilda chuckled before leaving the room.