Chapter 1: Exile (V2)
Chapter 1: Exile
“The past is a ghost, the future a dream, and all we ever have is now.” - Bill Cosby
2 Miles east of Sudentor, Neue Gryphus
April 21st, 2349 hrs
Black Star nearly arrived at the city. His stomach growled furiously. He needed to get into the city and find himself a decent meal, hopefully unnoticed. Since he left the Kingdom, Black Star left all of his money back home. He had reduced himself into a petty thief stealing food just to stay alive for the last ten months.
Because of this, he had his fair share of close calls with the local authorities on each town he stopped by. One time he nearly got caught by the Equestrian guards in Stalliongrad.
Yep, good memories alright.
The sounds of thunder roared in the darkened skies above the city. Black Star could feel several water droplets hit his face. He needed to speed his flight up. The last thing he wanted to do was to fly through a storm and spend the entire night drying and preening his feathers.
Suddenly, his flight was interrupted when a hot air balloon flew on his flight path. Out of instinct or his military training, he evaded the balloon, but before he could recover, he saw a large blue griffon heading straight for him.
He couldn’t avoid it in time. A mid-air collision between the two griffons was inevitable.
Riddle found himself falling from the air after something hit him head on. He tried to regain stability, but his wings wouldn’t respond correctly. He saw the other griffon falling beside him, but wasn’t able to slow down in time. He was falling to his death.
In a last-ditch attempt; Riddle flared his wings to slow down his descent, but it was too late. The ground was already close when he tried to glide his way down. He soon found himself tumbling on the soil before stopping on the foot of a hill. The other griffon landed nearby and rushed to where he crashed.
“Hey!” he called out. “Are you alright?”
Riddle groaned as he picked himself up. His feathers were dirty again thanks to the fall. The other griffon arrived, and Riddle was finally able to take a good look at him.
The griffon's black feathers blended him well with the night, while his gold eyes stood out from the darkness. He seemed to be in his early-to-mid-twenties, and, by judging the hardened expression on his face, he was probably a soldier of some sort.
“Are you alright, sir?” the griffon repeated,
“I’m fine,” Riddle groaned as he stood up. He gives his limbs and wings a quick stretch before turning his attention to the young griffon in front of him.
“You should have payed more attention,” Riddle said.
“Terribly sorry about that,” the dark griffon apologized, though his expression remained the same. “It was my fault. I didn’t see that blimp until the last moment.”
“So did I, but we’re still, alive and that’s what matters,” Riddle said. “Where are you going anyway?”
“I’m heading to Sudentor,” the griffon replied. “How about you?”
“Same direction,” Riddle responded. The griffon just let out an “Oh” before an awkward silence fell before them. Moments later, Riddle realized something.
“Oh where are my manners?” Riddle chuckled sheepishly as he offered his talon for a handshake. “I’m Riddle, former member of the Neue Gryphus Defense Force. Current occupation, scientist.”
“Black Star,” the young griffon replied as he grabbed Riddle’s talon and shook back.
“Black Star?” Riddle repeated, his eyes narrowed a bit.
“Yes, and I’m sure you’ve heard of me,” Black Star said gravely, closing his eyes in shame.
“Yes. I’ve heard of you,” Riddle began. Black Star could feel a little bit of venom from his voice. “You along with that arrogant oaf, Red Cyclone assassinated Lightbeak and started a war that nearly burned Equestria to the ground. You and him are considered to be war criminals and a disgrace to the Griffin Kingdom.”
Black Star didn’t respond as the blue griffon glared at him. Riddle hated arrogant griffons that looked down on other species, especially ponies. Riddle himself didn’t have any problems with them.
To him, the ponies were a peaceful race, in contrast to the warlike griffons. He was amazed to how the Royal Princesses and the so-called Elements of Harmony managed to keep Equestria out of harm from various threats.
Especially the threat that nearly decimated the whole world.
Red Cyclone was nothing but an arrogant fool who wanted to challenge the Princesses’ rule. His death was caused by his own doing. Even if he did succeed in winning the war, Riddle seriously doubted that he and his blind followers would win against the alicorn sisters.
Riddle suddenly remembered something. He checked the direction from which he came from before turning back to face Black Star. He had a slight worry written on his face.
“Well, it’s been nice meeting you, but I have my own problems right now, and I won’t turn you into the authorities.”
"How can I trust you?" the dark griffon said.
"I give you my word," Riddle replied as he stretched his wings and turned away. "Farewell."
Riddle flapped his wings and took off into the air, but he froze when Black Star called out to him.
“Who are you running from?”
The blue griffon didn’t turn around.
“I can tell by your body language.”
Riddle sighed as he faced the Black Star again.
“That obvious, huh?” Riddle groaned, earning a rather shallow chuckle from Black Star.
“Nah, just a gut feeling,” he joked. “But seriously, you look dreadful.”
Riddle was close to his breaking point.
“Listen, I don’t have time to explain the situation right now,” he spoke. Black Star’s expression didn’t change. “But let’s just say you and I shouldn’t be here right now.”
“I see,” Black Star nodded. He flapped his wings and flew to Riddle’s current altitude. “Then you better explain it fast so we can get out of here.”
“And why should I tell you?” Riddle asked him.
Black Star just shrugged.
“I give you my word. Besides, I will gain no profit by betraying a word from a knight such as yourself.”
` “How’d you…” Riddle muttered after hearing that last sentence. Black Star smiled and said:
“Again, I can tell, sir. I’m smarter than I look,”
“Right,” Riddle thought. “Cold, calculating and cunning. He’s Black Star allright.”
Riddle wasn’t convinced by his words, he’s still doubted that Black Star could be trusted, but he still need to get out from the city. And he wasn’t getting anywhere with a curious griffon tailing him with all sorts of questions.
“Alright,” Riddle sighed, “long or short version?”
“Short,” Black Star answered.
“Alright. Some company wants something from me, and it involves some new weapon they’re trying to recreate.”
“And you refused to take part in it?” Black Star concluded.
“Correct,” Riddle sighed. “The weapon’s usage contradicts my views. Unfortunately they won’t take no for an answer.”
“That bad, huh?” The dark griffon sighed, earning a nod from Riddle. Both of them was about to say their goodbyes until something in the skies caught Black Star’s attention: a small red object that was heading for their location, diving towards them. As it draws near, Black Star pointed at the darkened skies.
“Watch out!” He yelled as he pushed Riddle out of the way. The attacker grazed him, causing him to lose balance and fell along with Riddle. He could feel the ground shake as the attacker landed with sheer brute force; throwing bits of dirt and pebbles from where the attacker landed.
The two griffons gazed at the newly formed crater in front of them. When the dust cleared, they could finally see who their attacker was.
It was a pegasus. It had a red coat, and it wore red armor, which somehow had a pulsating glow around its ridges. The two griffons swore that they could see the same glow emitting from the pegasus' bulging veins underneath its blood red coat.
The pegasus glared at the two griffons with its empty red eyes, sizing them up and analyzed the two half-eagle creatures. Black Star couldn’t help but to feel intimidated by the pegasus' gaze. The pegasus looked nearly equivalent to that ace Mobius during the war, and Riddle knew by judging the pegasus' appearance and behavior that this was not an ordinary pegasus.
The more he stared back at the pegasus, the more he felt disturbed by him. His gaze was empty and devoid of any life. Both griffons could see a blue liquid of some kind flowing slowly from the pegasus' left drooped ear, causing Riddle's eyes to widen in shock and horror.
"No. It can't be," Riddle thought as he tensed his muscles, ready for the impending strike from the brute in front of him. Black Star saw Riddle's reaction and also readied himself for battle.
An eternity seemed to pass before the pegasus stretched his wings and flew directly into Riddle. The griffon managed to evade the attack, allowing the red pegasus to hit the hillside. The impact sent soil and rocks flying everywhere. Before debris cleared, the pegasus charged at the blue griffon again. But this time, Riddle couldn’t evade in time.
He could only put his talons in front of him in a last-ditch effort to defend himself.
The pegasus punched Riddle head on, sending him flying to the next hillside. Black Star could only watch as Riddle disappeared from his view. He knew was impossible for a pony to send a griffon flying with a single punch. If he decided to intervene, he wasn’t even sure if he could stand a chance against this pegasus. But Riddle needed help, and he was the only one around who could help him.
Black Star stretched his wings and flew towards the red pegasus, the pegasus noticed him and ascends into the skies, evading his attack. Black Star flew upwards and locked his gaze into the pegasus. The two circled around for a moment before Black star makes his first move by bringing his talon straight into the pegasus’ face.
The pegasus dodged the claw swipe and retaliated with a punch to Black Star’s gut. The pain was unimaginable. Black Star gasped as he felt some of his guts being thrown back and the air inside his lungs being forced out. He cringed in pain as he slowly flapped down to the ground. This gave the red pegasus an opening for an attack. But before he could deliver it, Riddle tackled him from below and tossed him away.
“Try harder you mindless beast.” he growled.
The red pegasus stabilized and glared at the blue griffon. Without any delay, he charged again, but Riddle was ready for this. When the pegasus was close, Riddle flew upwards. When the pegasus was directly underneath him, he grabbed the pegasus' wings and tossed him down to the ground. The pegasus shrugged off the attack before flying up to face Riddle again. This time, Riddle wasted no time bringing his talons into the pegasus' head, but the pegasus evaded his attack and retaliated with single kick aimed at Riddle’s neck. The griffon evaded it, but to his surprise the pegasus launched another attack directed at the his right arm.
Riddle couldn’t evade it in time, and the hoof make contact with its target. Riddle growled in pain when he felt the bones on his arm cracked by the blow. Before he could recover, the pegasus lunged at him again, and Riddle didn’t have time to react. Both combatants were locked in a brawl as they fell down from the skies. Riddle noticed that he was in a very bad position for a landing. He grabbed the pegasus and placed him underneath, planning to use the pegasus’ body as a cushion.
The two struggled some more before landing hard into the ground, Black Star, who had just recovered from the punch, covered his eyes from the debris. When the dust cleared, Black Star saw Riddle crawling out from the newly made crater. Inside the crater, he saw the red pegasus lying face up, not moving.
Riddle coughed as he limped towards Black Star, who immediately ran to assist the wounded griffon.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“He busted my right arm...” Riddle croaked as he coughed again. Black Star sighed as he helped Riddle sit down. He didn’t know how bad Riddle’s injury was, and he felt that a few of his ribs were cracked where the pegasus had punched him. The only option left for him was to head for Sudentor and get medical help.
“Come on, we need to go to Sudentor,” Black Star spoke. Riddle thought about this for a minute before nodding in agreement.
As they prepared for the long journey ahead of them, both griffons heard something moving from behind. Black Star turned around and saw the red pegasus lunging directly at them. He threw Riddle aside and grabbed the pegasus' front hooves in time.
The two were now locked in combat.
Black Star tried to push the pegasus away, but the pegasus kept pushing him back inch by inch. With his talons locked on the pegasus' hooves; he could only depend on the his retractable claws for a solid grip on the ground. Riddle managed to recover and saw him struggling against the red pegasus.
“No!” he yelled as he tried to stand up. His right arm gave out immediately and he fell back down. “That pegasus is beyond your level. Don’t fight him! Run while you still can!”
Black Star already knew what Riddle meant. He was no match for this pegasus’ incredible power, but if he tried to run, there was no doubt that the pegasus would take Riddle away and drag him back to his own problems.
Thinking that his warning fell on deaf ears, Riddle groaned and picked up a small pebble and threw it at the pegasus' head. The pegasus growled like a Manticore as he turned around to face Riddle, his empty red eyes glaring at the blue griffon. This gave Black Star an opening he desperately needed. With a mighty heave, he pulled the pegasus towards him and punched his face with all his might.
He felt like he had just punched a brick wall, but the blow was effective. The red pegasus was thrown back about three feet from him. But soon he was back to his hooves, growling in anger as he started flapping his wings. Riddle noticed this and used every ounce of his remaining strength to fly straight for the red pegasus. The two beings were thrown back on the crater.
Riddle coughed in pain, but before the dust cleared, the red pegasus tackled him. pinned him down on the ground, and started choking him, completely unaware of Black Star, who was armed with a rock behind him. The dark griffon hit the pegasus' head with the rock, dazing him until Riddle gained enough strength to kick him off of him. The pegasus stood up again but, Black Star continued to pound him with the rock until the pegasus managed to block one of his attacks and retaliate with a single head-butt to Black Star’s chest. The griffon cringed as he felt more of his ribs crack from the blow.
Riddle was getting sick of this, but he knew that the pegasus was virtually unstoppable when he was wearing that armor, and taking the armor off would be hard in their current condition. He gazed around the crater, hoping to find something to stop that red juggernaut. Finally, he spotted a rock with a pointed tip, and a new plan popped up in his head.
“Kid, bring that pegasus here!” he yelled out.
“What’s..ugh…your plan!?” Black Star replied as he continued struggling against the red pegasus.
“Just bring him here and I’ll fill you in with the rest!”
“I need a distraction first,” Black Star replied back. Riddle quickly grabbed another pebble and threw it at the pegasus' head. Black Star took his chance and pushed the pegasus towards Riddle’s position. Once he was close, Riddle grabbed the pegasus' wings and moved him to a path straight for the rock.
“Now push him forward!” Riddle commanded, to which Black Star obliged. The two griffons were now pushing the red pegasus towards the pointed tip. The red pegasus struggled when he saw the pointed rock inching closer and closer towards his back, but the two griffons kept pushing him back until his coat and skin contacted the tip.
“PUSH!!”
The two griffons poured every last piece of their strength to impale the red pegasus with the rock. The tip went through the pegasus' back and resurfaced from his stomach; soon dark red blood came out from the hole. The pegasus neighed in pain; struggling in vain to free himself, but after a few seconds, he stopped moving, and his hooves fell limp. The pulsating glow on his veins and armor died out along with his life.
The two griffons can only stare at the corpse in silence before Black Star fell down and coughed in pain.
“Oh no.”
Black Star needed immediate treatment after all he’d been through, and he too, needed his right arm to be examined for any bone fractures. There was only one place that the two griffons could go.
“C’mon kid,” Riddle said as he placed Black Star’s right arm around his neck, “We’re going to get you some help.”
“B-But what about…” Black Star coughed before he was shushed by Riddle.
“Shut your beak, you’re in a bad state, and so am I. We don’t have any choice, but to go to Sudentor and get medical help.”
Black Star pondered. Sudentor was his destination before he met Riddle and that red pegasus. But if he was brought inside a hospital, there was no doubt that some ponies and or griffons would recognize him and report back to the Griffin Kingdom.
But he was in no condition to hide. He needed urgent medical help, or he would surely die from his injuries.
He really didn’t have any choice.
“Sudentor it is,” He thought before everything went black.
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Just to inform you, most of the ponies in this fic are racist towards the griffins since they're not under the princesses' rule.
if i see flied in this one as well, i will cry.
3000663
Flied?
3002351
unless i am mistaken the other story this is based off, Polish fell into one of Englishes irregularities and used flied instead of flew for all of the story.
3003229
Oh, thanks for noticing me.