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// Intermedio: Santa Teresa 
// Story: Cuatro 
// by Dirty Bit 
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Intermedio


Santa Teresa


It was a bright afternoon in the land of Griffhala, in the griffon empire. Much like the ponies seen around Equestria, the griffons socialized peacefully, save for certain groups that chose to roughhouse in and outdoors. One of the residents that chose not to do either sat in her home by herself.

Gilda the griffon, who used to be Rainbow Dash's old friend, sat in boredom at her kitchen table while looking as if somepony sapped the joy right out of her heart. She heaved a sigh "I can't believe I'm back here again...I already forgot how much it sucks to be in this place!" She looked out the window at a pair of griffons, one red and one blue, sparring with each other with a small audience cheering and huffed "Then again, it beats being around those lame-o ponies. It's been so long since I've talked to Dash, that flip-flop...Choosing her dumb friends over me? What was she thinking!?" She went back over at her table and brooded "I need more excitement in my life, or a better friend at least..."
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In a forest outside of Griffhala, something breezed through the trees at a fast rate, slicing some of the arbor during flight. It then stopped in a brush of bushes as it gave deep breaths, as if craving for sustenance. Two snake-like eyes with dark grey pupils shifted side-to-side from inside the brush, and they, along with the breathing, stopped and widened when their gaze laid on the nearby town of Griffhala. The eyes squinted as a sadistic laugh was heard, followed by the sound of booming static as the presence in the brush disappeared.
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The two griffons that fought each other traded blows while their slowly growing audience cheered and jeered at their display of combat. The red growled as he made an attempt to claw at his opponent's chest, while the blue one narrowly dodged and laid a good hook across the other's face. They did not let up in their struggle, and the red one recovered as he prepped both of his claws for a flurry of jabs to his opponent's face. After landing a fierce uppercut, the blue one was knocked into the air before landing on his back. The audience cheered as the red griffon took in the fame with a smug smile while raising his balled claws in the air "Yeah!! I'm the strongest of them all!! No other griffon's got what it takes to take me down!! Who wants to try their claw at taking me on, huh!? Who's next!? Who!?"

At his request, the sound of booming static was heard, and the red griffon was suddenly covered by a shadow. The audience gasped and gawked at the sight behind the victor while he was frozen in place as a voice hissed with bloodlust.

"Yo..."
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Gilda munched on a rabbit's leg while she listened to some of her favorite rock music, even singing along slightly as she enjoyed her meal "...dig through the ditches and burn through the witches and slam at the back of my..." Sounds of hits being laid and screams of agony were heard outside, interrupting her from her singing "What the...?" She went to go look outside, but she sprung back into the air and hovered when a severely bruised red griffon bursted through her window, shards of glass embedded on parts of his head and chest. Gilda was instantly infuriated as she landed next to him and lifted him by his chest "You better be paying for that window, you jerk!!" She snapped as she made a fist with her free claw, ready to add more pain to the unfortunate soul that broke into her home.

The red griffon hacked in pain and weakly pointed outside "New guy..." He uttered in labored breaths "The new guy..."

Gilda perked up, her rage on the unwanted visitor forgotten "New guy, huh?" She grinned, remembering how fun it is to pick on visitors of Griffhala, or those that are the newest residents of town. She usually made it an effort to stop whatever she was doing in order to draw first blood if the news ever reached her "Looks like I got my wish for excitement! If the new meat could make quick work of you, he'll be excellent game for me!" She then dropped the griffon in her grasp and went to stroll out her door. When she opened it, she looked back at the injured houseguest apathetically "Oh yeah, you should clear outta here when you have the strength. I'm not in the mood for company today..." She spoke nonchalantly as she made her way out.

When she walked outside, she was instantly surprised when she saw several mangled griffons lay on the ground with different sets of wounds "Whoa..." She uttered.

"What is wrong with you assholes!?"

Gilda looked ahead and noticed a rather tall and lanky griffon with a white coat of fur and a large plume of black feathers with his back turned and two injured griffons in both of his claws "I came here thinking you would entertain me ever since I woke up here! All of you are boring the crap out of me!!" He slammed the two griffons together before tossing them onto the ground. He then growled as he bashed a balled claw at a nearby building, causing it to be easily destroyed "If this supposed to be hell, then I'm not happy about it at all!! None of you could even sate my appetite for battle!!" He yelled, though he did not show his face.

Gilda huffed, but smiled respectfully 'Get a load of this guy...I guess it wouldn't hurt giving him what he wants since a good fight's what he came here for...' She then got on her hindlegs and called out "Hey! Beanpole! Got a problem!?"

The tall griffon perked up and instantly turned around to show his face. He held a huge smile under his beak containing his upper teeth and two snake-like eyes as they squinted at the female griffon "What have we here? The first girl I've seen in this place and you're asking if I got a problem!? How sweet..." He hissed his last sentence as he looked on his new prey.

Gilda laughed as she cracked her claws "You got a lot of nerve thinking I'm some kind of wimp! You're looking for a good fight, right? Well, let's see what you got! By the way, the name's Gilda...what's yours, beanpole?" She asked with genuine curiousity while she prepped herself for battle.

The tall griffon chuckled "The name's Nnoitora...Nnoitora Jilga! And I'm gonna be the strongest in this world!! You better not disappoint me, girl!!" He pointed at Gilda "I mean it! Don't you hold back, even for an instant!! I wanna see all of your strength, no matter how little it may be!!"

Gilda was now angered at Nnoitora's insults and flared her wings as she readied her fists "I'll make you eat those words, you tall punk!!" She then flew at Nnoitora, and when she closed the distance, Gilda took the first shot and struck the tall griffon in the chest with her fist. Nnoitora only bent down slightly while his eyes and grin widened. Gilda held her position for a moment before she grunted in pain "Gah!! Crap! " She drew back her claw and tended to it "What do you eat!?" The griffon never thought she would have to punch something so hard. It was as if her opponent was wearing armor underneath his fur.

Nnoitora responded by clenching Gilda's neck with his claw and brought her up as he leered at her with a grin that leaked with bloodlust "I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast!!" Nnoitora then proceeded to slam his new opponent into the ground once before bringing her back up and laying a fist to her face that connected with a sickening crunch.

Gilda was sent flying into her home, crashing through one wall and soaring out of the other as she laid on the ground. She was able to recover slightly while she looked at her home. The griffon growled "Great...as if my house WASN'T trashed enough..." Suddenly, Nnoitora appeared in front of Gilda, startling her as she gasped "H-How did you-"

She was cut off when Nnoitora lifted Gilda by her neck again, the grin on his face refusing to leave "Doesn't matter how! I think you've already set your marker as another weakling waiting to die!!" He flared his wings and went to fly.

"Hold it!!"

Nnoitora frowned for the first time and hummed in question when he looked to see a group of four armored griffons approach him. The leader of the group pointed "You there!! You're under arrest for excessive violence and destruction of property! Drop that lady right now!!" He snapped authoritavely.

Gilda groaned in pain and annoyance while she watched the soldiers flaunt their status 'Whoopee, the friggin' boy scouts come in to save the day...' She thought bitterly while being held by Nnoitora.

Nnoitora snapped back at the group of soldiers indignantly "Wait your turn, shitheads!! Unless you wanna step on in, I'm busy at the moment!!"

While he was distracted, Gilda figured she would take the opportunity to land another hit as she gathered her stamina and raised a balled claw to lay a good jab to Nnoitora's face. She was instantly shocked when he did not react or flinch when her hit connected 'No freaking way...'

Nnoitora shifted his eyes towards Gilda, and they squinted as he grinned once more "That's more like it! You really are on a different league from the rest of these weaklings to land another hit on me!!" He took the arm that was on his face with his free claw, and with the proper motion, broke it, eliciting a pained shout from Gilda.

The soldiers saw this and found a reason to fight as they swooped in and went to tackle Nnoitora. The tall griffon growled as he dropped Gilda and braced himself to fight the other soldiers.

Gilda laid on her back, caressing her broken arm as she hissed in pain 'Can't believe I actually bit off more than I can chew with this thing...That psycho's stacked with strength to match his height!' She looked over to see the soldiers fighting a losing battle as one of them was easily slammed into the ground while another was thrown into Gilda's house, causing the griffon to scowl despite her pain 'Not to mention he's a complete asshole...'

Nnoitora stomped a third one into the ground with the other while constantly punching at the leader's face as he was locked in his grip. His smile vanished as he growled at the writhing griffon "You and your teammates didn't even put up a fight!! I'm not in the mood for any of your stupid crap, so just die already!!" With both his claws, he pierced into the soldier's armor at his chest region and dug into his flesh. He then spread his claws out as they dug out from where they pierced into and flung blood from both sides. The leader gave a pained groan before he laid dead on the ground on his back, blood leaking profusely from his wound and spreading around his armor.

Gilda watched the scene in horror 'Oh, screw this! I gotta get help before things get worse!!' She gathered her strength and managed to fly off while Nnoitora wasn't looking.

The tall griffon stared at the corpse 'How did I even get reborn into a shitty place like this? If anything, none of these shitstains aren't even worth the effort! Unless I can find myself another worthy opponent, I'll just wreck the place!!' He then grinned 'Speaking of opponents...' Nnoitora turned back "Now, where were we-" His grin left him when he noticed the patch of grass where Gilda once laid. He clenched his fists "Figures that bitch had to run away..." He then opened his claws as he grinned once more "Looks like I'll have to find her and make her submit!! First her, then the rest of this place!!" He cackled as he flared his wings and took to the air, scouting for Gilda so he could take her out along with any other living being he saw fit.

Gilda was flying through the air, grunting in pain as she mentally cursed at her arm not healing quickly. She stared at it while her glare maintained a slight hint of wistfulness "I can't believe I'm actually saying this...But I'm starting to miss those ponies, even if they are lame..."


To be continued...?