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.

Lessons of Defeat

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Waking up here in Griffonstone was probably the worst wake up call you’ve had in your life. Turns out when the sun rises, just like roosters, the first griffons awake all screeching at once. Gilda was obviously used to it, as she snickered at you when you fell off the couch.

“Hey, button the beak, bird brain, or I’ll stick that thing on backwards,” you threatened, feeling your face turn red with embarrassment.

“Ah don’t be like that, they do this all the time every morning,” she said kneeling down to meet your gaze. With a snort, you got back onto your feet.

“Whatever... so what kind of jobs do you got here in this place?” you asked

“Whoa, whoa pipsqueak, first thing’s first,” she said as she poked your stomach a couple of times. “We need to get you some breakfast. Come with me,” she said tilting her head to the doorway. You rolled your eyes and followed her. Though, you gotta admit, you were a little famished and if you didn't eat enough of your vitamins and minerals today, your whole performance would be completely off balance.

Reaching the kitchen, you sat down waiting to find out what Gilda had to offer. You had a good feeling it would include meat, as griffons are clearly carnivores. You were right as in front of you, she gave you some slices of ham with bacon strips and sunny side up eggs and a glass of orange juice.

“Well don’t just sit there, eat up,” she encouraged. You quirk an eyebrow at why she's constantly acting friendly, but it can wait because right now, you were starving. You grab your fork and knife and dig into your plate of food. Not as efficient as the ones back home, but they did the job. Once you got done with your breakfast, it was time to head out and look for a position that fits your expertise.

“Alright, time to hit the road. I’m not gonna get anywhere in this place without a job. Gilda, what kind of jobs does Griffonstone have that can fit my skills?” you asked.

“Well, seeing how you did quite a number on those pervs yesterday, it’s obvious selling scones isn’t your thing...” Gilda said as she tapped her claws to her beak giving it some more thought. Her eyes went wide as she seemingly got an idea. “I got it! There’s a dojo here in Griffonstone that trains young griffons to one day...” she stopped before she spouted out whatever she was going to say.

You raised your eyebrow as she started blushing. “What? It trains them to one day do what exactly?” you asked.

“Nevermind that. Just follow me and I’ll show you where the dojo is. But I gotta warn you, the youngsters there are feisty. However, try not to turn them into mince meat, remember, it's a combat teacher's job to teach their students, not pulverize them,” Gilda explained.

“Okay, I get it. Just show me where this dojo is so I can apply,” you said, not at all nervous about what she said about the students. Gilda lead you outside afterwards and locked up the door to her hut.

The trip to this dojo turned out to be a nice 7 minute walk give or take. You could hear the sounds of the students and an older griffon grunting and what sounded like attacks being thrown and landed or blocked. You opened the sliding door, immediately stopping the two griffons’ sparring match.

“Who’s in charge here?” you asked and a griffon with the same color of fur and wings as Gilda, but his eyes were a sharp and shiny red color while his entire head was black. If you had to guess, he was somewhere in his late 30s and early 40s. No doubt this guy was probably the master of the dojo.

“You better have a good reason for interrupting today’s lesson, greenhorn,” he scowled roughly poking your chest. You made sure to keep your cool since working in a dojo matches your style.

“It’s simple really, I heard that this dojo was looking for an extra set of hands to teach these students. I figured I’d show up and whip these rookies into shape. Is that gonna be a problem, sir?” you asked, arms crossed.

The older griffon growled as he considered his choices. “If you think you're so confident with teaching my students, then prove it by beating my best pupil in a match!” he demanded

You were never one to back down from a challenge. And if he was sending out his best fighter, then that just means you have something to look forward to. You prepared yourself as a young griffon about the same height as you took on a fighting pose in the center of the dojo. You walk to the center and face him, arms crossed.

“I won’t hold back, so prepare yourself,” he warned with a straight face.

“Ready when you are,” as you also took a stance. You could tell that this griffon had a sense of honor unlike the jerks you met and asses you’ve kicked yesterday. If he’s as honorable as he appears, that means he’s not lying about holding back.

As he rushed forward, you barely had time to block the kick he delivered to your side. You gritted your teeth as you endured the pain. You returned fire by delivering an uppercut, but he backed up with a quick backstep.

Not bothering to say a single word you caught up to him and a swift exchange of punches and kicks began. He landed most of the blows on you, but you weren't a slouch either. As the fight progressed, you ended up covered in scratches and bruises while he had a few bruises on.

You paid no attention to the dojo master who was probably smirking from watching you struggle. However the struggle soon makes a huge turnaround as you started to wail on him until one last high jump kick sent him flying 3 feet off the ground and then slammed him down hard, knocked out. You stood there, still covered in bruises and scratches, breathing a little heavy.

“I gotta admit...” you breathed heavily “...you were definitely one of the best opponents I’ve ever fought... I don’t think I’ve come across someone with that much power... However... there are... a few problems... with your skills as a... fighter...”

You turned back to the frustrated dojo master, who was still having a hard time processing his top student’s defeat. To be honest, you don’t blame him, his star pupil probably hadn’t lost in years.

“Well, a deal’s a deal,” you said wiping your forehead. The dojo master grumbled as his pride made it harder to look you in the eye. “Before you even think of backing out on the agreement, you should consider what a bad example you’d be setting for your students,” you added.

“Oh alright!” he conceded after gazing around the watchful eyes of his apprentices. “But you better show up early at 5AM in the morning or I’ll throw you out of here, no questions asked, YOU GOT IT?!”

You nodded, not even bothered that he was yelling in your ear. With this job, Griffonstone was starting to feel more like home.

It’s been 3 weeks since you landed the job at the Griffonstone dojo. Taking your position very seriously, you gave the students a real tough workout with all those laps around Griffonstone, sparring matches and giving them tips on how to improve. After seeing how you took down their toughest classmate, they weren’t going to question your authority.

You still continued to live with Gilda and learned to tolerate her smug attitude. Sometimes, if the owner of the dojo has a bad day or if you had a bad day, the two of you would spar. Of the 13 matches you had with him, 4 of them were wins which means of course, you suffered 9 losses. He was definitely on a different level than any of his students, which makes sense since he trained them.

As you bonded with Gilda over the last few weeks, she introduced you to Greta and Gabby who were some very special friends. You learned quickly how energetic and cheerful Gabby was, quite rare for a griffon.

It was hard for you to believe that Gilda was just an acquaintance at first, now she you weren’t afraid to call her your friend. When you weren’t busy working at the dojo, you would kill time enjoying scones together, but even though you enjoyed it, it was hard show it considering you hardly ever smile at all. In fact, you can’t recall the last time you smiled, let alone smirked.

“So how’s the dojo treating ya, pipsqueak?” Gilda asked with her usual smirk.

“It’s fine, but that old bird is really starting to tick me off. I’ve been getting my ass kicked more times than I’ve been kicking ass. It’s like I’m doing something wrong,” you replied, looking down on the ground.

“He’s a seasoned veteran, squirt. You can’t expect to win every battle. It’s good that you’re accepting that you lost, but sooner or later, you’ll have to admit you’re weak. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and unless you accept that you’re just naturally weaker than him, you’re not going to improve,” she argued.

You slammed your fist on the table from hearing that, causing Gilda to jump a bit. “That’s a load of crap, there’s no way in hell that I’m this weak! I trained every day since I was a small child to make sure no one would ever cross me! Even kids twice my height thought twice before messing with me!”

“Well, tough guy, if you think you’re so strong, then how about facing off against me, or are you too afraid of getting your ass kicked by a girl?” Gilda challenged with her usual smirk.

“I’ll make you eat those words. I’ve had no trouble with raising my hands against a girl once before, this won’t be any different,” you said through your teeth.

“Oh I think it will. From what I can tell, the girl you beat was probably a pansy compared to what I can do. Now finish up your scone and follow me. I know of a place where we can duke it out.”

You rolled your eyes and allowed Gilda to lead you away from all these prying eyes. You cracked your knuckles, already fired up and wanting to take her down. Gilda, as usual, keeps her cool and doesn’t even give you a second glance. You on the other hand felt your rage slowly building up.

Watching as she continued to keep her cool, you made the first move rushing over to punch her in her calm face. Unfortunately, Gilda easily stepped to the side, causing you to lose your balance for a brief moment.

“Would you calm your shit, we’re almost there,” Gilda said, before smacking you in the face. You once again fell to the hard ground, almost too ashamed to get up. Once you did get up, your glare on Gilda intensifies, but she still remains unfazed.

After a few more minutes of walking, you and Gilda arrive at some battle arena and two other griffons were already duking it out. You realized that the two griffons fighting were actually two of the three perverts who tried to spy on Gilda. And it looked like they had just finished their battle in a double knockout. The other griffons laughed at the silly excuse for a fight, but all you did was scowl.

After the fight, the two knocked out griffons were carried off the arena. Then, Gilda flies over and lands on the now unoccupied arena and you followed her lead.

You just couldn’t find the capability of cooling yourself off, completely blinded by your rage and hubris. Gilda took her fighting stance while you took yours. Not wanting to give her the chance to attack, you ran up to her, preparing the first punch.

Gilda sees it coming, but doesn’t move. At the last minute as you threw it, before it reaches her face, she tilts her head to the side, grabs your arms and throws you over her shoulder. You slammed to the ground hard, but got back up quickly. You threw a roundhouse kick to her side, but she ducked and sweeped your legs, causing you to fall again.

She grabs you by the neck with her claws and holds you up in the air in a stranglehold. You countered by doing a backflip kick, causing Gilda to stagger and try to keep her balance.

You go to deliver an uppercut and it connects, but as was sent flying into the air, she flaps her wings and soars back down, landing behind you, barely touching your back. You turn to deliver a left hook, but she dodges by ducking and turns around, smirking at you.

“I thought you said you were strong,” she gloated, getting under your skin. You could hear your little audience begin chuckling as well making fun of you.

“Pah, come on, Gilda, finish him! He can’t even stand up right, let alone throw a good punch or kick,” one griffon said.

“Yeah, tear him apart, he's nothing but a giant cream puff,” another griffon called out.

“He's the one who beat up my boys? Now that’s embarrassing,” this older griffon said. Gilda frowned at the noisy spectators, but quickly returned her attention as you got back onto your feet still as frustrated as ever.

“You’re angry and unfocused,” Gilda sighed. “Your damaged pride is causing you to thrash about mindlessly like an unrestrained animal. Unless you calm down, the humiliation will only continue.”

You held your head as Gilda gave you another lecture and it only clouded you even more. Without thinking, you rushed in recklessly and threw so many punches and kicks, you couldn't keep track of them. Gilda expertly dodges and blocks all of them and then in one swift motion, she counters you with a sharp punch straight to your face, almost breaking your nose. The last punch you threw only grazed her cheek.

Your body felt heavy and your vision was growing blurry, not to mention your nose was bleeding from that last punch. Despite your condition, you could still hear the jeers and laughter from the three jerks as you fell to your knees again.

Defeated and humiliated, you didn’t protest as Gilda brought you back to your feet, wrapping your arm around her neck. It hurt you even more that you could still barely see and had to rely on the griffon to lead you back home.

You sat quietly on the couch, having finally managed to calm down. Gilda came in with a look of sympathy and brought you a warm bowl of soup.

“Here, eat. You’re gonna need it,” Gilda urged. You looked at the bowl and picked it up without a word. You took small sips from the bowl, not even bothering to pick up a spoon. Normally Gilda would’ve made a joke of such an action, but you were obviously upset.

“You have no one but yourself to blame for this defeat due to your half-assed hubris. Either accept it or you can just mope like the sore loser you are,” she said. You still didn’t respond and just silently ate your soup.

You could only imagine your predicament for tomorrow and you weren't looking forward to it one bit. No doubt those griffons were going to exploit your defeat to ruin your reputation at the dojo. You gripped the bowl tightly in your hands, still taking small sips.

Seeing how her words weren’t getting through to you, Gilda just left you and headed to her room, slamming the door shut. A few more minutes later, you finished the soup and took it back to the kitchen and into the sink before heading back to the couch and just laid there.

‘Damn it all... What happened to me? All of that training, all of that hard work... flushed down the drain by that single punch she got me with. It just doesn't make sense, I should have had her dominated from the start! I’ll get her next time. I swear on my grave I’m NOT going to lose to her again!’ you thought.

With all this frustration running through your mind, you couldn’t bring yourself to fall asleep as the hours went by. Soon, it was midnight and you were still wide awake.

You got up from the couch and and quietly made your way towards the front door. You open it up little by little, making sure you didn't wake up Gilda. Once it was open wide enough to slip out, you stepped out and closed the door slowly before running off into the pitched black streets.

Your eyes adjusted to the darkness just fine, so it was easy to navigate. You walked back to the same area where you suffered your loss to Gilda. Gripping you fists tightly, the voices of the other griffons filled your head. You became so angry, you slammed your fist onto a boulder, then grunted in pain.

You shook off the pain and hit the boulder again, this time with your other fist. It still hurts, but you continue to punch the boulder and added a few kicks into the mixture. You grunted and growled, feeling the sting from hitting the boulder.

“I thought I might find you here,” you heard the all too familiar voice say from behind you. You turned around and saw Gilda. You glared at her before turning around and clenched your bruised and bleeding fists.

“What the hell do you want now? Come to give me another lecture?” you asked. “Because if you are, go ahead, just get it over with so I can train more.” You prepared another punch, but then she grabs your arm.

“What good will it do if you damage your fists and legs? You think that’s gonna solve anything? No!”

You cringed as she touched your bleeding fist and then took you back to her hut. Although it felt more humiliating to be dragged back, you got a little too drowsy to even care anymore.

“I presume there won’t be any nighttime detours?” she asked as you arrived back at her hut. You didn’t say anything but just nodded before entering.

Gilda treated your hands, dabbing some disinfectant on the cuts and then wrapped them up in bandages. It stung a little, but you bared with the pain.

“Why do you do this to yourself?” she asked after she was done wrapping your hands.

“Why does it matter anymore? I’ve officially become the laughing stock of this damn town and to top it off, I’ve even lost faith in my own two fists and legs...” you replied quietly as you stood up. “Now I’m too ashamed to look at myself in the mirror. I don't even know who I am anymore.”

“Sounds like all you need to do right now is a little soul searching. You're doubting yourself, which kinda makes sense. Get some sleep, maybe you’ll find the right answers you're looking for.”

You were stumped, unsure how to respond and decided to just do what she said. You were actually tired this time. You didn’t bother putting up a fight with it, though you highly doubt your dreams would bring you any joy.

You fell asleep pretty quickly and began to dream, only this felt more like a nightmare. One by one, the hardships you’ve suffered throughout your life were coming back to you and hit you like a ton of bricks.

From all the times you were bullied and then the humiliation you suffered after Gilda creamed you in today’s match. The laughs were all flooding into your head, growing louder and louder until finally... you screamed.

“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LEAVE ME ALOOOONE!!!!!!” you shouted, silencing the laughs, but you still felt broken down and... sad. You dropped to your knees and slammed the ground with your fist.

You saw how you always solved such issues with your fists. “Why? What did I do to deserve this treatment? Why am I so weak?!”

Whether or not by coincidence, each memory was worse than the last. Tears began to flow out of your eyes and when one tear fell to the ground, a light shined brightly from right in front of you. You looked up and see a silhouette walking towards you.

“Because you're letting your frustration and your pride cloud your judgement. You lose your temper, you lose the fight,” the silhouette called out. You recognized that voice right off the bat and gasped.

“Coach, what the hell is going on here? How did you find me?” you asked.

“Your whining and screaming lead me,” he said deadpanned. You blushed in shame and embarrassment. “Now you listen good, son, because I only got a short amount of time before I have to leave to train the rest of the my students.”

You weren't sure what he had to say, but it was better than listening to all those voices laughing and making fun of you.

“Now, from what I can see, you lost. And you accepted it, that's a good thing. Defeat is a harsh life lesson to take in, but it makes you into a man. But if I do my homework right, which I always do, you can't accept the fact that you were weak. It's not the training that made you weaker, it was that damn pride and anger that probably stood in the way. I'm right, aren't I?”

You refused to answer that question, but he wasn't gonna tolerate your silence. “Answer me right the fuck now!”

“Alright already, you're right! But I don't want to be weak! How are people ever gonna take me seriously?” you asked.

“Well, maybe you'd have better chances if you didn't act like such a tough guy and treat other people with more respect, you wouldn't have this problem. There are other ways for a man to get his point across other than throwing punches at people! Do you even know what you’re turning into?”

“W-What?” you asked.

“A goddamn bully, that’s what. That ain’t the boy I took in and raised as my son! You need to get your priorities straight and the way to do that is to admit your own weakness. It's a hard truth to live with, but it’s the truth nonetheless. Believe me, I got my ass beat a few times too, but I embraced my weakness so that I could grow and learn! Now you have to embrace your weakness too,” he said.

“What weakness?”

“You’re insecure. You always worry about what others think about you, so you try to establish that you're the so-called head honcho, the top dog, the big boss. If you show even the slightest of weakness, you bottle up emotions and try to dominate the situation through pure violence,” he answered.

“How can I do that when I’m the laughing stock of the town? They won’t even listen to me anymore! Can’t I just beat the shit out of them for-” you said before getting cut off.

“Sure, but you’ll be nothing more than a thug who’ll be hated by everyone. Ask yourself this: what's more important, doing what's right for others, or making an even worse reputation?” he asked. “You ask yourself and do what you think is best. You fought your own battles before, you can do it again.” After he explained the situation to you, he walks up to you and gives you the biggest hug you’ve ever been given in so long. Even if it wasn’t real, it still felt nice nonetheless. “Now go make your coach proud, I’ve got faith in you just like I've always have been.”

You once again woke up the squawking from the early griffons and jumped up, panting heavily and then got dizzy before falling back down on the couch.

“Damn it, why do I get up so fast?” you asked yourself, grabbing your forehead.

“Feeling a bit calmer now?” Gilda asked.

“A little bit,” you replied. You sat yourself back up slowly and sighed. “Gilda... I need to get something off my back and I need you to listen good for me, okay?” Gilda sat on the couch next to you, patiently waiting for you to talk. You took a deep breath and swallowed your pride when you finally told her.

“You were right, I was weak. I still am. My pride and anger got in the way of everything I worked hard to become the sorry excuse for a combat specialist I am now. I guess the reason why I act so tough is because... I’m actually insecure and didn’t like being judged in the wrong way. Gilda... I’m really sorry,” you confessed, looking away.

Gilda was quite impressed at your confession, you never apologized to her before. In fact, there was never a time you apologized to anyone in your entire life.

“A-Apology accepted, pipsqueak.” Gilda said, still feeling surprised. “But I don’t think I’m the only one you need to apologize to.”

“I know and as much I hate the idea, I have to do what’s right. Those pervy griffons might have got what they had coming to them, but I suppose there were a few alternative routes I should have pursued,” you said rubbing your neck and closing your eyes tightly.

“Okay, did that punch of mine convince you or did something happen in your sleep?” Gilda asked, smirking and quirking an eyebrow. Another first for you is that you actually chuckled at the question.

“Long story short, my coach talked some sense into me in my dreams. Son of a gun even hugged me in the end. It was only a dream, but it felt so real,” you said, unaware that a tear had fallen from your eye. That was until Gilda wiped it away with a single talon.

Other than your changing personality, the morning continued on as usual with Gilda preparing breakfast. Of course part of you was nervous about the possible gossip you would have to deal with today at the dojo. But you were gonna swallow your pride and face it head-on like a man... for both you and your coach’s sake.

So far as you were walking to the dojo with Gilda, no one was laughing at you. But they still gave you cocky smiles, judging you like you were a weakling. You rolled your eyes and kept on walking until you reached the front of the dojo.

“This is it, no turning back now. Well, wish me luck, Gilda,” you said before going inside.

As you expected, the master was in the middle of teaching his students a few offensive tricks while having the others do either push-ups or sit-ups. You wondered if they were aware of your fight with Gilda yet. It would be a surprise to you if they didn’t know. Unfortunately, that turned out to be just wishful thinking as they finally took notice of you. But it was the master that gave you lip… or beak in this case.

“You've got some nerve showing your weak hide in my dojo! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t toss you out and deny you entry for the rest of your miserable life!” the master said.

“I’m not going to stop you, but I will make one thing clear. To you and to anyone I trained, and in some cases… pushed around,” you said, looking at the students. You took a deep breath, holding in your anger when facing their confident smirks that are mocking you.

“For those of you that I pushed around, I just want to say sorry. I admit, I was an asshole for tossing you all around like a bunch of rag dolls and I apologize for what happened at our first meeting a few weeks ago,” you said, turning to the three pervy griffons. “I probably should have handled it in a different way by maybe talking things out.”

“Hah, listen to this guy, he’s pathetic! Maybe that bimbo Gilda knocked a few of his screws loose during the fight,” one of the lecherous griffons gloated.

“Say what you want, but I’m sticking by what my coach suggested I should do,” you said remaining calm.

“That's MASTER to you, Mr. Skin and Bones and I don’t recall giving you any advice!” the master snarled.

“I was actually talking about my old coach from back home. I won't go into specific details but he told me to make a choice on what was more important to me.”

“Psh, I say you’re full of crap. Why even bother giving us that cheesy apology? We already know it’s just a facade to hide the fact that deep down, you’ll always be weak and you will never... be... one of us!” one of the other griffons said.

“SHUT UP!” shouted another griffon. This one was a female and you can tell that she was pissed at everyone right now. “If you guys can’t accept that he's trying to earn your trust and acceptance, then maybe you should get your high-tailed asses outta here now! I swear, you boys are worse than he was!”

You smiled at the griffon who had stood up for you and called out the others so boldly. But what she says next surprises you.

“Are you guys that scared of having your tails slammed by the master that you won’t even speak out your opinion?” she asked. Nobody else seemed to be wanting to speak. You were at a loss for words when you take a look at the master, who was ready to blow. But then, the three perverts spoke up.

“No! Not this time! It’s time for you to-”

“SILENCE!” Everyone all turned to the dojo master, absolutely livid. “You were stupid to show up to my dojo and confess about being a weakling, but you really screwed things up by turning my students against me! I won’t tolerate these actions any longer! Prepare yourself, weakling, you and I are going to have a little match!”

“...Challenge accepted.” Though you were determined to fight, something told you that this wasn't going to be an ordinary rookie vs master fight. It feels like you were going to be fighting... for higher stakes.

Hot-Blooded Love

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You didn’t dare avert your eyes from the dojo master, not even for a second. You can see the same look you once gave Gilda, the look of someone whose pride was damaged. The intense anger seemed to be coursing through his whole body. You on the other hand kept your cool, something you learned to do the hard way.

“Before we fight, let me just make one thing clear between us... I’m not the same self-centered brat I was yesterday. We don’t have to end this on a bad note and even we do, you’ll just end up hurting yourself,” you said, trying to reason with him.

“I don’t negotiate with weaklings, especially with a disgusting weakling who lost against one of my former students!” he hissed. This came as a bit of a shock to you, as Gilda never told you she was a student here.

“Alright then... whenever you’re ready,” you sighed.

“Not so fast! This fight isn’t just for revenge, so listen carefully. If you somehow beat me, which you won't, I will allow you to teach the students and grant you the deed to the dojo. However, if you lose, then you are to leave, not just the dojo, but Griffinstone as well and you are never EVER return,” he said firmly.

“...Understood,” you said, a bit shaken by the bad outcome.

“Wait, what the hell? Have you gone mad? You can’t agree to those stupid terms?” The female who defended you earlier protested, but you ignored her and prepared yourself.

“Dude don't do this! You might not know this, but he’s a dirty fighter when it comes to stakes like these! Listen to us, you gotta-” a male griffon said before he got cut off.

“Enough! No more beak outta you or I’ll throw all of you weaklings out!”

“You aren’t gonna do squat to them, they’ve done nothing but to deserve that. Now, let’s settle this man to griffon,” you said, assuming your fighting stance. The master took on his fighting pose and finally...

Both you and the dojo master step in quickly and launch your first attacks. You swung with a left roundhouse kick, but got knocked off balance by a flip kick and land on your back with a hard thud.

You quickly got back up in time to avoid the griffon’s fist, which managed to break a holo into the dojo floor. You threw a couple of punches, but those were obviously blocked and countered by an even harder counterpunch to your face.

With all this pain, it was almost enough to set off your temper. You tried to keep calm and composed as you dealt with the dojo master’s ruthless assault. You soon found yourself back on the floor. You quickly take advantage of your place on the floor to surprisingly knock him off balance with a sweep to his legs. You got up and backed away just before he nearly gets you with an upwards springing kick.

“This is the reality,” you said smiling. “As long as one stays calm, they can fight at their best. You lose your temper, you lose the fight.”

“Shut up you brat,” the middle aged griffon snarled as he got back on his paws. He lunges at you again but this time, you saw he unsheathed his toe claws and tries to claw at you, but you kept your eyes peeled on his every move. Unfortunately as he kept up his assault, there were a few times where you weren’t so lucky. Both your shoulder and your chest got slashed at and felt small blood droplets trickle down your body.

You take a deep breath and narrow your eyes onto the master and then moved at a faster pace, getting behind him and kick his lower back, sending him to his knees.

He grunted in pain, grabbing his back. You jump up in the air, perform a front flip and deliver the finishing blow with a double downwards kick to the head. He lets out a loud screech before he slumps down onto the floor, unconscious.

Panting heavily with blood dripping from your claw wounds, you looked down at the dojo master who laid defeated.

“And we have a WINNER!!!” Gilda shouted, lifting your arm up like a referee does at the end of a match. To your surprise, all the griffons cheered for you, even the three jerks who antagonized you since day one. You grew shocked since no one ever cheered for you for beating the snot out of anybody.

“Way to go, big guy!”

“Bravo! Bravo!”

You lost track of the compliments you got from the dojo attendees. It all just seemed so foreign to you. Looking down once again at the defeated master, you had a feeling there would be a few changes around here.

Just then, the commotion ended when everyone sees the dojo master get up, feeling a tad dizzy. You watch as he dusts himself off and looks at you with his mad expression. Although, he wasn’t as hostile as he was during the match.

“What are you waiting for? You obviously beat me, so why don't you just gloat already?” he asked, still frustrated. “If you're trying to show pity towards me, save it! I don’t need anyone else's pity, not even yours!”

“Because I'm not going back to being a bully or a thug who beats up people for the hell of it. Nothing good ever comes out of it,” you said. “I should know because I had to learn the hard way when I lost to Gilda. All I cared about was establishing dominance anytime I got in fights throughout my whole life.”

“Psh, it doesn't matter to me! I still lost and as a griffon, I must hold my end of the bargain,” he said before walking to the back of the dojo. You knew what was coming and you knew exactly what you were gonna say, but then Gilda places her hand on your shoulder, getting your attention.

“Let me handle this, you're still bleeding a bit aren't you?” she asked. You nodded and then sat yourself down with the rest of the students. At this point, you felt a bit dizzy after taking a thrashing earlier and losing a bit of your blood.

You groaned, placing your hand over your head, trying to stay awake. Gilda patted your shoulder with a smile.

“Easy pipsqueak, just take it easy. You're not doing yourself any favors if you keep trying to fight it. Just rest up and let your wounds heal. Ya got that?” she asked.

All you could do was nod and rest your head against the wall. Some of the students left to get some bandages and disinfectant, while one other left to grab some water. The dojo master hasn’t said anything else as he watched his students treat your wounds.

The dojo master comes back with a rolled up sheet of paper. He sighed in defeat and was about to give it to you.

“As promised, the deed is yours,” he said, but even though you did win, you shook your head and pushed the deed away from you.

“I can't accept ownership. At least with my current level of combat training. As much as I appreciate the offer, I think you should still be the owner of the dojo,” you said.

“What?! After what that bozo did to you? Have you lost your marbles?” one of the students asked in shock.

“You can’t just deny an opportunity like this, it might not ever come again,” another student added, trying to change your mind.

“You heard them, now take this stupid deed so I can pack my things and leave!” the former dojo master said.

“Well let me tell you something, “master,” I didn't come here to run you out of the dojo, all I really wanted was a chance to prove I could still work under you and that we could... set our differences aside,” you explained.

“Yeah, and wasn’t it you who built this place from the ground up and turned it into the, what was it you called it again, the “ultimate training dojo no griffon has ever seen?” Gilda asked. “This pipsqueak is right, you know. It’s never too late to set your differences aside.”

The dojo master went over to sit down on the floor, keeping his eyes on you and Gilda. Stroking his beard-like feathers, he gives it some thought on whether or not to accept the offer he's been given. He continued stroking his beard for another two minutes before he stood up. You all stayed quiet as you awaited his answer.

“Never in my almost 20 years as a teacher had any of my students had the chance to take my place. You may be rough around the edges, but I can see now that doesn't mean you can’t learn new things.” He reached out and offered you a handshake. “I’ll remain the owner under one condition: you resume your duties as my assistant.”

An offer like this was something that you can't pass up, so you reached out and shook his claw, sealing the agreement. It seemed to be good enough for the students once they started clapping and cheering.

“You’re hired.”

Over the last 5 months, you and the master have trained the students, turning them into promising young fighters. The said dojo master who used to dislike you to the point he refused to tell you his name, has become quite fond of you. He has formally introduced himself as GoldStrike.

Despite you two now getting along, there would be times when he comes to work all stressed out because of his nagging wife. Luckily, you were happy enough to spar with him to help relieve his stress. You still wonder how griffons get married in this town. Was the same as back home on earth or were the customs completely different?

And it wasn’t until after the third month passed that Gilda gave you your new nickname, Garuda. For some reason, all the residents of Griffonstone have names beginning with G. You were curious of why they all started with that particular letter and why she chose to give you that nickname before she explained that Garuda was the name of this legendary and fierce bird. In her opinion a suitable name for someone as strong as you.

Due to certain circumstances, GoldStrike isn’t always gonna be around to teach the students so you filled in in his absence. You weren't exactly sure why griffons had to buff themselves up, maybe it’s a custom for all young griffons to learn how to fight in order to take care of themselves.

One day, you were about to find out exactly why young griffons have to train to fight and the reason why they have to fight. It was the exact same thing that made Gilda so flustered that day she showed you the dojo.

Right now, it was nearly sunset and every one of the students had left for the night while you stayed behind and cleaned up the dojo. GoldStrike was struck with a cold, so he wasn’t to come back until a week had passed. As you were sweeping up the dojo, you heard the door slide open, but didn’t look to see who it was and thought it was one of the students.

“We're closing up for the night, so try and come back tomorrow,” you said still not turning around.

“Sorry, but I don’t think you're gonna keep me waiting any longer...” a quiet yet devious voice replied. Hearing who it was, your eyes slightly widened.

“Gilda?” you asked, turning around. Your guess was right, and she looked like she was ready to throw down. “What’s this all about?” you asked.

“I just thought that maybe it was time I gave you a rematch. You know, up on that arena where I laid the smackdown on you?” she asked while smirking. You saw that she was entirely serious about this rematch and conveniently, you weren’t ready to call it a night yet. Tossing the broom aside, you returned Gilda’s smirk.

“Alright, but remember, you asked for it. Don’t be surprised when I win,” you warned with confidence.

“Oh you are so getting beat tonight,” Gilda retorted.

Taking a deep breath, you waited for her to make the first move. After her smirk was replaced with a more serious expression, Gilda ran towards you before jumping into the air to deliver a kick. You blocked it, but slid a few inches as you withstood the impact.

Not taking long to recover, you counter her with an uppercut using your left hand and an overhand punch with your right. She barely had enough time to take off into the air to avoid the punch. Spinning gracefully in midair, she touched the ceiling and flew towards you again. Delivering another kick which moved downward this time, you moved to the side and witnessed as she smashed a hole into the floor.

It was a bummer since you just had that repaired, GoldStrike was likely to chew you out when he sees it. Gilda lifts her foot out of the hole and looked up at you as you held your stance. She charges at you again and a barrage of punches and kicks were exchanged. Gilda wasn’t making it easy on you tonight, not that you wanted her to.

You leaned back to avoid a roundhouse kick to your face and flipped backwards to get some distance. Of course, you weren’t going to just keep dodging Gilda’s attacks. The moment you landed back on your feet, you delivered a swift sweep kick to one of Gilda’s legs. You moved so quick that she didn’t have time to dodge and fell hard on her back.

“Impressive Garuda,” she chuckled as she sprang back up to her paws. “I see this time the once hotheaded pipsqueak is actually thinking clearly.”

“Too bad it’s going to cost you a victory,” you smirked.

“Don't get too cocky, small fry. You haven’t seen anything yet,” Gilda retorted. With that the fight resumed, and soon both you and Gilda showed signs of tiring out. You barely had enough for one more big attack so you knew you would have to make it count.

You decided to finish this and what you did was you made a wide swing with your punch, which made Gilda smirk duck and back up. You gauged the distance and pulled your punch back when it was midway and then twisted it. Gilda was about to use a wide right hook... just as you planned.

You moved half a step inside and threw a straight corkscrew punch to her chest, landing it dead on. Gilda was paralyzed, now was your chance to finish her. You then finish the job by knocking her down with a left hook.

Gilda fell to the ground hard with a loud and audible grunt. She didn’t say anything else nor was she able get up. You must have knocked her out cold. While normally you would’ve taken time to savor your victory, you couldn’t help get worried that Gilda was unconscious.

“Gilda? Hey, wake up! Come on, open up your eyes, Gilda!” you panicked, kneeling down and shaking her a little. But it was no use, she was completely knocked out. You sighed and facepalmed yourself. “Great, guess I gotta carry her back home. This is embarrassing,” you say to yourself.

Putting up with the awkwardness, you pulled Gilda up and lifted her onto your back. You were grateful that it was nighttime as it would indeed be embarrassing to be caught like this. Making sure she was secure, you carried her on you back in a piggyback position. You open the sliding door and walk out before closing it back up.

Like you thought, since it was late not a single griffon was in sight as you made your way down the dirt road. Gilda of course was still out like a light and you could feel her snuggle against you as she slept. It was ironic really, one moment she was full of energy, but as you turned to look at her as best you could, she now looked so peaceful.

‘It’ll be a drag explaining this in the morning...’ you thought with a sigh.

Arriving at Gilda’s hut, you struggled not to drop the sleeping griffon as you reached an arm out to open the door. It was hard but not impossible and with some persistence, you got the door unlocked and stepped inside.

Still holding Gilda, you carefully moved throughout the hut with the moon acting as your only light source. Before today, you never realized what a heavy sleeper Gilda could be as she always woke up before you. Guess the old saying “the early bird gets the worm” actually does have some meaning behind it. You were about to step into Gilda’s bedroom when she began to stir.

“Guess... I’m all yours...” she murmured in her sleep, bringing you a great deal of confusion.

‘Hers? What the hell is she dreaming about?’ you wondered before resuming the current task at hand. Memorizing the way to Gilda’s bed, you comically bend over and like you did when coming home, you strained to hold Gilda in one arm so you could use your free hand to pull back the covers.

Afterwards, you left Gilda so she could rest up, but before you even reach the door, you stub your toe on one of the bed legs and stumbles backwards and slammed against the wall head first. You couldn’t stop the scream that escaped your mouth, which made Gilda regain consciousness.

“Pipsqueak...?” she asked with a yawn. You mentally cursed yourself for your clumsiness, you would have to explain yourself now.

“Is that all it took to get you to wake up? If that’s the case, maybe I should stub my toe and smash against the wall more often,” you said, jokingly.

“Ha ha, very funny,” she said sarcastically. It was no mystery that she’s acting like this because she’s figured out she lost the match.

You left the room to go light a candle and use it to guide yourself back to Gilda’s room. Placing the candle on the nightstand beside her bed you sat down beside her preparing to explain what happened back at the dojo.

“Whoops, I guess I owe you an apology after I made that hole in the floor,” Gilda said sheepishly. You had a feeling if there was more light in the room, you’d be able to see her blush.

“You don’t say,” you said, this time it was your turn to be sarcastic. Gilda chuckled from the way you retorted at her, slightly irritating you, but then she stopped.

“Well, I guess there’s something else that needs some clearing up...” she said quietly. You were confused with what she had to say that seemed to be making her a bit... uneasy to say the least.

“I was a little embarrassed to tell you before but it’s a common practice for griffons to fight each other when they're going out to... seek out a suitable mate. And when a male griffon wins against a female griffon it means... well... we’re officially married now.”

“What... How... When...” you tried to say, but you couldn’t find the strength to finish any of these questions.

“What should also mention is that only the females can challenge the male they choose to be their mate. If the male loses, they can only be partners or friends, but if the male wins, well... we’re technically mates now,” she added.

This was all so much for you to process. You always thought that the griffons fought as a way to compete for who was the strongest, but no, it was all just training to become potential life mates and you just became Gilda’s new husband.

The pressure weighed down on you like a ton of bricks until you fell unconscious.

‘Coach... how the hell did I get myself into this mess?’ you thought.

‘Are you saying you’re not interested in starting a family?’ the coach’s voice echoed.

‘How the hell am I supposed to start a family if I wasn’t even ready to even get married? I mean Gilda’s a cool griffon and all but... I didn’t think she’d have feelings for me,’ you said, flustered.

‘Did you ever stop and talk to her about it? Besides, you can’t expect to keep on fighting for the rest of your life. Eventually, you’re gonna have to settle down start living for others so you can give your tired muscles some rest,’ he insisted wholeheartedly.

‘But why now of all times?’ you asked.

‘Why should that matter? Gilda likes you and I got a hunch you like her, too. Now grow some balls and show her that you're a real man. I ain't gonna be fighting all your battles for you.’

Even in your dreams, you could feel your face blushing. Honestly yes, there have been times when you’ve considered asking Gilda out. Even though she's not a human, she certainly is one dynamite gal. Besides, over the time you’ve spent together, she’s told you of how her friends back in Ponyville have human husbands as well.

You could feel yourself beginning to wake up, no doubt a bright future was in store for tomorrow morning.

This was the first time you weren’t woken up from the loud griffons who wake up first in the morning. Rather you were woken up by the griffon who unexpectedly became your wife yesterday as she rubbed your shoulder. For a tomboyish griffon who enjoyed fighting as much as you did, she had a surprisingly gentle touch.

Of course, the first thing you noticed after you woke up was that you were actually sleeping in the same bed as Gilda.

“Morning Garuda. How’s my pipsqueak of a husband feeling this morning?” she asked with her typical smirk.

“I feel more relaxed than usual, what about you, sleep well?” you asked with a yawn. “Gilda, can I ask you something?”

“You just did,” she said matter of factly. “Let me guess, you want to know why I sought you for a mate, right?”

“Yeah. I mean I admit there have been a couple of times where I thought of asking you out, but I never considered marriage. So tell me, what was it about me that made you want to become my wife out of all the griffons?”

“Because you remind me of myself when I didn't have any other friend besides Rainbow Dash back when I was a troubled griffon. I thought that I could keep the others away from Rainbow Dash by scaring them or using brute force so we could hang out more, but boy was I wrong,” she explained.

“What happened to you?” you asked.

“Dash and her friends pulled a prank on me by throwing a party for me. Back then I was still violent and hotheaded like most griffons. After everyone got a good laugh out of it, I exploded with anger and blamed it all on her friend, Pinkie Pie because I thought she did it,” Gilda explained.

“Why’d you think that?” you asked.

“The mare practically throws parties all the time, like it’s her bread and butter. Of course, even though I thought it was Pinkie, it was actually Rainbow Dash who did it. She told me so herself. Of course, things went downhill after that,” she sighed.

“So then what happened after that, did you ever try to sort things out?” you asked putting a hand on her shoulder.

“One day Dash and Pinkie came to over to Griffonstone to solve a friendship problem. Since me and Dash were still bitter to one another, I attempted to stay away from her. It wasn’t until Pinkie told me she was in danger back at the Abysmal Abyss that I decided to put my stubbornness aside and lend her a helping claw.”

You couldn’t stop yourself from taking ahold of one of Gilda’s claw as she prepared to finish up her story. Must be the instinct of becoming a husband.

“I completely changed after saving Dash and made sure to give both her and Pinkie a good apology for how I treated them. Initially we assumed the map summoned them to retrieve the Idol of Boreas, an ancient treasure that fell into the Abysmal Abyss centuries ago. However, Pinkie had her doubts and insisted that the mission was to show griffons how to make friends,” she said carrying the widest smile you’ve seen in a while.

It made you want to smile back at her. Only this time, it felt as though a huge stone had fallen off your heart.

“With their insistence, I shared some scones with Greta and she became the first griffon I ever befriended. But you know, as wonderful as friendship is... I don’t think it can compare to love...” she whispered with a purr. This didn’t surprise you since she was half lion.

“I... I couldn’t agree more,” you said. As a blush coated her feathery face, you knew what to do. With a gently hand grabbing the back of her head, you brought her down and kissed her for the first time.

It started as a calm and simple kiss however Gilda wordlessly asked for more as she held you by your shoulders. Still making out with her, you leaned backwards and laid down on the bed. The moment your lips separated, Gilda smirked and chuckled.

“So pipsqueak, you ever get laid before or were ya too chicken to find some pussy?” she asked, teasingly. Even when aroused, she still kept that sassy attitude of hers. Though you could play the game too.

“Nah, the chicks back home were too shallow for my taste. They couldn’t even pass for a one night stand. You should consider yourself lucky, Gilda. You'll be the first and only one to lay a hand... or claw on this bad boy,” you gestured to your crotch.

Gilda looked at your bulge with a blush, but wasn’t able to comment before you gave her breast a good squeeze. She gasped from the sudden grope, then moaned slightly. Despite the excitement of the moment, you retracted your hand so she could take off her tank top.

“Well... what do you think?” she asked growing bashful as you observed her bust. Her chest was a lovely F-cup size and you saw the nipples weren’t covered by her clean, white feathers. Moving downward, you weren’t surprised by the nice layer of muscular she developed from her years of hard work.

“I can see why those jerks were trying to spy on you the day we met. You’re beautiful,” you said chuckling at how flustered she was getting. She looked at you annoyed.

“You... You can be a bit of a jerk sometimes. I know you enjoy making me blush,” she growled, but you were still smiling.

“Can you blame me for it? Also, at least this ‘jerk’ isn’t gonna stab you in the back,” you retorted ruffling her feathery head. However, you didn’t feel her head deserved much attention. Looking at those large breasts now exposed in front of you, you grabbed them both and admire the pillowy yet feathery texture.

Gilda closed her eyes and instead of purring like you expected, her eagle side took over causing her to let out a loud chirp. You were amused by the adorable sound, but it was wasn’t enough to divert your attention away from her bosom. For some added playful pleasure, you licked her bountiful bosom. Looking at the erect nipples, you took one into your mouth and sucked on it hard.

“You... You look like a baby, pipsqueak...” she smirked. “Do my tits turn you on that much?”

To answer her question, you stopped sucking on the nipple and instead pinched it between your teeth. The other one you were pinching in the natural way between your thumb and finger. With all this unfamiliar attention for her breasts, Gilda began to chew on her talon in a desperate attempt to keep any more embarrassing sounds from leaking out.

Even though you knew no milk would come out, you enjoyed tasting and playing with Gilda’s teats. You noticed that her wings sprouted out and stiffened from all this excitement, making you wonder if it was wise to point it out. You decided against this and just went back to enjoying her nipples. Unfortunately, Gilda pulled your mouth off, much to your disappointment.

“There’s so much more to enjoy than a pair of breasts, dummy,” she teased seductively. Now that you stopped sucking her nipples, that smug side of your griffon lover has returned. And now, she was the one who took the initiative and kept you pinned to the bed. You felt her sharp talons lightly dig into you before she pulled away to grab... something else.

“I’m relieved that the one I chose as my mate has such a remarkable size,” she chuckled as she roughly yanked your pants off. With claws as sharp as hers, it was good fortune she hadn’t ruined the jeans, especially since these were your favorite.

Once your boxers were off as well, Gilda licked her lips hungrily as she observed your package. That long tongue of hers got her lips nice and wet before doing the same to your hardened member. She was just teasing you right now, licking you softly and slowly and enjoying the way it made you twitch.

“Mmm... I’m gonna enjoy this...” she said before opening her beak wide and taking your length inside. You groaned and threw your head back as Gilda took your member to the back of her mouth. She choked a few times from how long and thick it was.

“We griffons enjoy big meals. And with a huge cock like this, you can bet your fine ass I’m gonna get my fill,” she said seductively. Stroking your length a couple of times, she went back to sucking on it. Her long tongue swirled around your length as she was deep throating you.

“Oh t-this is heaven...!” you sighed looking up at the ceiling. Your pleasure was cut short however when you felt a sharp talon run down your leg. “Hey babe, if that was your idea of torture, chain me to the wall!” you let out a sultry growl.

“You’ll eat those words soon enough...” she retorted taking your shaft to the back of her throat in a single, fast slurp. You won’t admit it, but you were actually afraid her beak would cut you during the blowjob, but no such thing happened. Though you couldn’t say the same for your legs, as Gilda would occasionally give you playful scratches that were sometimes enough to draw blood. It didn’t bother you all that much since it felt more like pleasure.

You clenched the bed sheets as you felt unfamiliar pressure build up from Gilda’s merciless sucking. You started panting and couldn't wipe that smug look off your face. “I’m so gonna eat your pussy out after this, you sexy-ass birdie!”

You must have hit her sensitive side again since an adorable blush appeared on her cheeks. “Aww, did I strike a nerve, my wittle birdie-wirdie?” you teased, stroking her cheek. She slowly placed her claw on the hand you were petting her with and clenched it hard. She grinned at you as you retract your hand and sped up her pace, bobbing her head up and down on your shaft and sucking fiercely.

You could feel you were only seconds away from climaxing. Without warning Gilda, you grunt as loud as you can and shoot your load deep into her throat. Her cheeks inflated and gulped down some of your cum, but then backed away, coughing violently.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I guess I should’ve warned you beforehand... NOT! You should see your face right now!” you laughed. However you couldn’t laugh anymore even if you want to, as something feathery and soft had landed on your face. You placed your hands on whatever was on top of you to push it off, but to no avail.

“You said you wanted to eat me out, well now’s your chance pipsqueak!” she chuckled keeping her butt firmly pressed against you.

‘Ooh, dat ass!’ you thought tracing your hands all over her rear. ‘Let’s see how good I can be.’ With her opened slit right under your mouth, you gave it a slow lick. You used your hands to give her ass cheeks a soothing massage as an added bonus. You can hear Gilda moaning and feel her ass shaking all over your face.

“Oh yes Garuda... T-Take in the taste of my pussy...” she moaned. You gave her exactly what she wanted and double the pleasure by pulling her tail which had been moving like a snake because of this excitement. Gilda chirped and squealed as you tug at her tail, amusing you to no end.

Hearing her squirm and feeling her ass grind on your face. She had a well-balanced taste of sweet and sour, probably the best flavor you could ask for. You attacked at full force, diving your tongue deep inside her love tunnel. Gilda shivered at the feeling of your tongue invading her and clawed at the bed sheets.

Her inner walls begin to tighten around your tongue, which definitely meant that she was getting close to climaxing. You mentally smirked at how despite that you’re both virgins, it took less time for her to reach her limit. Soon, a torrent of cum sprayed all over your face and ran down your cheeks. Gilda let out a loud screech out of pleasure and stiffened her wings.

You gulped down her delicious juices in big gulps to avoid choking. Some of the juices leaked and ran down your cheeks, staining the sheets around you. Soon, her sweet and sour juices stopped leaking and then she fell off your face. However she refused to lay down for long.

“I... think it’s time Garuda...” she said getting on her knees and displaying her beautiful wet flower to you.

“Oh, I’m so gonna knock your fine-ass up!” you chuckled as you gripped her ass cheeks. You spanked her and then grabbed your rod and guided it inside her pussy.

“What are you waiting for? Come and claim it while you still can!” she encouraged as she began shaking her rear. You couldn’t take it anymore and placing your hands on her soft cheeks you hilted inside. She screeched from her insides being stretched by your massive length.

Leaning on her back to grab her breasts, you grunted due to her tight love tunnel squeezing your length. Though you still found the tight confines strangely enjoyable and began giving her neck some kisses before you start rutting your wife senseless.

Gilda starts to breathe heavily and moan with an added growl as you began your rhythm. The kisses on her neck soon turn into soft nibbles. She turns her head to give you the bedroom eyes to show you she loves it.

“P-Pipsqueak... y-you’re so... huge! I fucking love your cock so much!” she stutters a bit. You chuckled into her feathers because of her choice of language.

“I can’t believe I married such a griffon with such a dirty mouth,” you smirked as you pulled away from her neck. You also give her a particularly hard thrust as a playful way to punish her.

“Well... my mouth has better uses,” she purred before locking lips with you again. You swirl your tongue with Gilda’s and in response to the kiss, you felt the urge to speed up your rhythm. Due to how aroused you were, there was no way you’d ignore the temptation. And so, you still caressing her breasts, you began to move them in circles before pinching her nipples.

Once again, the familiar tingling sensation in your balls makes itself known to you and you couldn’t hold it in much longer. Like before, you didn’t warn Gilda about your climax. She didn’t have to warn you about her climax either, since you already picked up on it from her pussy tightening around your throbbing shaft.

You grunted and pounded her with so much ferocity until your cock exploded deep inside Gilda’s fertile womb. She screeched like an eagle and sprayed your crotch with her love juices like a river stream.

At that moment, Gilda’s mood unexpectedly changed and squawking loudly she kicked you off the bed. Since her toe claws have unsheathed during the excitement, you earned yourself a few new scratches on your chest.

“Ow! Did... Did I do something wrong?” you asked Gilda who was shivering from the feeling of you warm seed inside her.

“You kidding? This is probably the best sex I’ve ever had in my life! I just gave into my natural instincts for a moment that’s all,” she explained. She then lifted her leg up to her beak and began to groom herself. The behavior was so much like that of a cat.

“You know you could get pregnant, do you mind being a parent?” you asked as she started grooming her other leg.

“What are you stupid, pipsqueak? We’re already married, so I’m prepared to go all the way,” she assured before giving you a half-lidded look. “Why are you wasting time asking silly questions when there’s so much MORE we could be doing? Come and get it baby,” she urged laying down and patting her pussy.

Licking your lips, you got on top of her before guiding your member and slamming it back inside her entrance. She chirped and wrapped her arms and legs around you while she was being rutted senselessly for the second time.

As you drilled her without mercy, Gilda moved her head from side to side as the pleasure was almost too much to handle. Her eagle talons traced along your back, causing you to grit your teeth and growl like a ferocious predator.

“I knew... I h-had my eyes o-on the r-right mate...!” she stuttered leaning up to nuzzle your cheek. “I... l-love you... G-G-Garuda!”

“I... love you too, Gilda,” you whispered. With that she stopped nuzzling you and kissed you instead. You held the kiss and kept her in a warm embrace as you continue to punish her pussy without even once slowing down.

You then feel her wings wrap around you like a blanket and then felt her inner walls becoming more slippery from her juices. You rutted her quicker than before. Gilda couldn’t take it anymore and went limp right before she let loose her biggest climax of all. Her nectar squirted all over the bed sheets and somehow got all over the floor.

You paid no mind as your lover reached her limit and continued to thrust into her. You became so clouded by lust that you did the unusual by bringing her lion paw up to your face and licking it. Gilda got goosebumps from when you did that.

“W-What are you doing?” she asked giggling at the ticklish feeling.

“Just having some fun with you, cutie,” you teased with a cocky smirk. You went back to licking her tracing your tongue in between her toes without slowing your thrusts. Despite all this excitement you made sure not to cut your tongue as you tended to her feet.

Later on, the sensation in your sack made itself known and this climax felt like it was going to be the biggest one. You stopped licking her feet and put your hands on her sides as the pressure increased.

“Alright Gilda... here comes a big one...!” you warned her. This was going to be your biggest climax and it was only fair that you gave Gilda a warning.

“Let it out pipsqueak! LET IT OUT INSIDE ME!” she begged, screaming her lungs out. You went as deep as you could, thrusting and pounding her with all your might. You could feel the pressure swelling and swelling until relief had finally hit you like a ton of bricks. You exploded deep within her womb, roaring loudly while she gave a screech of ecstasy.

The spurts of your hot seed came in bigger ropes and then bulged out her stomach making her look 2 months pregnant.

“Woo! I’m spent,” you sighed as you rolled over to lay beside Gilda. Poor girl was shivering making you wonder if you went a little too far. “You okay Gilda?”

“Okay? I feel WONDERFUL pipsqueak!” she exclaimed wrapping her arms around your torso. “With this much of your seed, there’s no doubt I’ll get pregnant! You have no idea how long and bad I’ve wanted this. Every single griffon here was a disappointment before you showed up. But you... you're probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Have you forgotten about how much of a jackass I was when I first came into town?” you asked.

“Of course not, but why are you bringing that up now? I thought we’ve gotten over that silly incident already. Or do you still think about it from time to time?” she asked.

“Well... I still feel like I've been kind of a jerk after all the trouble I’ve caused. I didn't realize something until now that I thought I was establishing dominance over anyone that crossed my path. But that was only half right. The other reason was because... I was frustrated because of my parents dumping me without a second thought and it hurts. I never got the chance to experience a mother and father’s warm love. At least... until the coach came along. If anything, I should be thanking him for accepting me when I had no one else to turn to and I never got a chance to apologize to him for all of the wrongs that I've committed in my life.”

“I think he’d understand and forgive you if he were here and you know why?” she asked, which you shook your head. “It’s because he loves you. You're his son and he was your father figure. And since we’re gonna be parents now, you and I won’t make the same mistakes your parents made.”

It felt comforting to know that Gilda was gonna be right by your side, despite all the times you screwed up in your life. For once in your entire life, you felt secure and happy.