The Monster of Canterlot

by drnkntst


Chapter 49

Chapter 49

We floated over the mountainous countryside of the Griffon Kingdom on our way to Gryphe Nidum, the griffon capital, I absently watched the scenery drift by. Gurfon was next to me, trying to both keep me company and reassure me that everything would be okay. I couldn’t tell what he was saying though, all my thoughts were preoccupied by a certain, buttery pegasus.

How could Fate be so cruel? How could I be so stupid? What did I do to deserve to be taken so far away from the love that I had always wanted and finally found? It just wasn’t fair.

My self-pity was interrupted by a large eagle talon coming down on my shoulder. “You haven’t heard a single word I’ve said this while time have you?”

“No, Uncle, I haven’t. Sorry.”

“No, don’t worry about it. I imagine you must have a lot on your mind right now.” Grufon sat down next to me, though his size kept him near eye-level with my chin. “Look, I know that this situation is less than ideal, but I promise to do everything in my power to make this whole ordeal as painless as possible.”

“Thank you, Uncle.” I wrapped an arm around him in a quick hug. “I only wish this whole mess had never happened.”

“Tell me about what happened. I was told that this Gilda hen started to bully your friends, something that apparently has happened in the past, and then she assaulted Miss Rainbow Dash. Believe it or not, for us griffons, that much would be considered little more than troublesome, childish behavior. What made you react so extremely?” At first, I didn’t say anything, but then Gurfon turned me so I faced him directly. “What really happened to make you act so out of character?”

“You know, I’m not so sure it was out of my character. All my life, I’ve been sheltered and coddled and protected from the world because I was supposed to be in danger of ponies hurting me out of fear, but I’m beginning to think that was the wrong way around. Maybe I should be locked away to protect ponies from me.”

“What do you mean? Since I’ve known you, all you’ve ever done was try to help ponies. Why would they need protection from that?”

“Because I wanted to kill her.” Gurfon seemed shocked at what I had just told him. “It’s true. Before, whenever somepony would call me a monster, or a monkey, or something else like that, I’d either shrug it off or, if they pushed me too far, I’d slap them around a little. It wasn’t great, but no one was ever in any real danger. Now that I have so much power and strength, I can really hurt someone. What scares and angers me more than anything is that I wanted to.” I wiped a tear from my eye. “When I came close in the past, I would black out. Thankfully, nothing happened those times. This time though, I was aware of everything, and I was starting to enjoy it.”

“Christopher… I had no idea.”

“I mean, yeah, Gilda was being mean to my friends, and she definitely went too far with Rainbow Dash, but hair pulling and name calling are practically nothing, certainly not a good reason to hit her. Then she turned on me and Fluttershy and… when I saw Fluttershy crying… I wanted to make Gilda suffer. Everypony was saying it was my Alicorn Instinct, but I’m not so sure that was all it was.” I sniffled and wiped another tear away. “Uncle, I’m scared of what I’ve become and what I might do. I need help.”

The airship was nearing a large fortress made of granite and built into the side of a large cliff face overlooking a number buildings lining the valley below and across the roaring river at the bottom of the mountain. Gurfon watched griffon guards flying out to escort the ship the rest of the way in to its berth. He thought carefully about just what he was going to say next.

“You know, I seem to remember your mother telling me about some trouble she had with a certain baby dragon. If I recall correctly, the little guy had lost himself and nearly destroyed his home because he had received a few gifts for his birthday, triggering his hording instincts and a growth spurt of epic proportions. Do you remember how he was stopped and turned back to normal?” I remember the story from one of Twilight’s letters. I also remember Celestia sent out the Wonderbolts, though they were met with only failure. “His friends helped him remember who he was and why they all loved him. This brought him back to his senses and back to normal. Do you get what I’m saying?”

“I think so.”

“Well, as long as you think I meant that you can always turn to your friends for help, then you got it right.” Gurfon hugged me again. “For now though, let’s get you inside and start your punishment.”

*****

“…no way, Batman is way better,” I told the griffon chick before me. Gurfon had given me a brief tour of the castle, but he was far more excited to show me something more personal and precious than the ancestral fortification, his family. Said chick was his only grandchild, who had also just turned five and received a small stack of comic books from both his country and mine.

“Nuh-uh. Not even the Power Ponies could take on Magnus the Great and his sidekick, Eaglette. Especially if this ‘Batman’ guy doesn’t have any powers.”

I liked this kid, but no one disrespects Batman. “You don’t get it, Auila, having no powers is what makes him so great. He uses his skills, gadgets and intellect to outclass all kinds of bad guys. He can’t be beat.”

A deep laugh came from across the room. “Chris, if you’re done arguing with a child over make believe characters, then maybe we can get some dinner.”

“Fine, but Batman’s still better,” I replied as I stood from the floor. I scooped Aquila up off the floor and carried him into the dining hall where his mother and father were waiting with his aunt. As I stepped through the entryway, I got a very strong feeling that I had done something very wrong. “What’s going on?”

“Chris, put Aquila down, please. While I know ponies are fine with that type of behavior, but we’re not in Equestria right now,” Gurfon told me.

At first, I was a little shocked. This was a griffon who had insisted on hugs and had many times plucked me off the floor as a child, laughing the whole time. What was I missing?

Gurfon’s son, Fortis, filled me in when he saw how confused I was. “Father means no offense to you, Prince Christopher, it’s just that griffons have always been a… warrior class, if you will. It wasn’t until Great, Great Grandfather’s reign that things started to get, for lack of a better word, softer.”

“Dealing with ponies will make one soft,” Filia, Gurfon’s daughter, grumbled under her breath.

Gurfon cleared his throat loudly, and the princess quickly filled her offending beak with wine. “So some keep saying,” he growled, “but our land’s wealth and growth over the past century would suggest otherwise.”

Filia grumbled under her breath as she plucked a turkey leg off the table and began tearing it apart. “The king is right,” Regina, Fortis’s wife and Aquila’s mother said. “Before we started trade with Equestria, our country was rich in gold and iron, but poor in wealth.”

“My teacher said something like that years ago, but it never really made any sense,” I said while I loaded my own plate. “I don’t suppose you could explain it.”

“Ugh… the mountains are full of ore, which is great for mining but lousy for farming and industry. And since we wouldn’t trade with anyone, it all that metal just sat there being useless. Now, our ore is used for everything from bits to rails all around Equus,” Filia recited as if reading it from a text book. “This means that our mines pay for our yummy vegetables and oh so useful technology.” Her sarcastic tones weren’t lost on me.

“Right. Now I get to battle with your mother over resources in a conference room with a pen instead of on the battlefield with a sword.” Gurfon took a bite of his own meal. “Say, you didn’t happen to bring your own sword did you, Chris? I’d love to get some sparring in. Maybe show my grandson a thing or two.”

“Sorry, Uncle, but I left it at home. Didn’t want to send the wrong message during the Games and all.”

“Hmph, well no matter, we got a few laying around here somewhere I’m sure.” Gurfon laughed heartily as he gestured to the many examples decorating the walls in the hall.

“Yeah, just maybe,” I agreed.

After that, we all decided the food would taste better if we ate it while it was still warm. Then, since it was getting late and the day had been a long one, I had chosen to turn in for the night.

*****

And so it went. For the first week or so at least. Every day I would dine with the royal family, practice with Gurfon, and argue superheroes with the young prince. The latter ended when he cheated, he said the Element Bearers were the absolute best heroes on Equus. How can anyone argue that point?

As far as imprisonments go, it wasn’t bad in the least. Especially when Celestia dropped by for a visit. That visit was made even better when Fluttershy, who had joined her, and I made up for lost time.

For those who are wondering, Gilda, at my urging, had received a light sentence of only eight hours of community service. Although I found out that her sentence wouldn’t have been that severe anyway. Calling names and pulling hair is not much of a crime.

Sadly, their visit had to be cut short due to some official business. Before she left, though, Fluttershy gave me one of her feathers, just like Celestia and the others had, only on some twine instead of gold. Somehow, that made it more special. And since it had the same protection spell as the others, it always would be. I myself, instead of cheapening the feather gift with another one, gave Fluttershy my ring.

The reason I gave her my ring was two-fold. First, the Griffin Kingdom is not the magical hot spot that Equestria is, so it had been agreed that I should resist wasting any of my magic. Second, it showed Fluttershy that I trusted her with my life, or at least my equivalent of a unicorn’s horn.

Unfortunately, like all good things do, my visit with the two mares I love most in my life came to an end. Celestia had to return to the Crystal Empire for an emergency summit with the other princesses and duke and duchess of Maretonia. Fluttershy was going back with her so she could meet the rest of her friends there and then return to Ponyville with them.

It was probably for the best anyway. I was technically being held prisoner. Well, house arrest is more appropriate to the situation. Besides, this far away from Luna and the magic of Equestria, I haven’t been sleeping that well lately. And the two nights after Celestia and Fluttershy left was the worst of them all.

*****

“…I’m sorry to hear that, Prince Chris,” Regina Said at breakfast.

“Please, just Chris is fine. We’re all royalty here. Also, thank you for your concern. I’m hoping that they’ll stop when I go back home.”

“Well until then, do you want to tell us about it? It might help,” Gurfon offered as he rested is chin on his laced talons.

“Alright. The other nights were the old standards, in public without clothes, dangling over a snake pit, you know the ones. Last night though,” I shuddered, “Last night was the worst. It was some dark, foggy alley and I was watching this unicorn walking with a basket in his magic. Suddenly there was this weird, cloaked creature with a equine body and primate torso and head.”

“That is weird,” Aquila added from his seat next to his mother.

“That’s not the weird part though. This weird creature then… ate the unicorn’s magic.”

The other diners mumbled their agreement that that was indeed a strange and disturbing dream. Gurfon, however, seemed to be frozen in place. “You didn’t happen to get a name of this… creature, did you?”

“I think so. It was something like ‘Terrick’, or ‘Tar-ich’, or-”

“Tirek?” Gurfon was actually starting to sweat.

“Yeah, that was it. How did you know?”

Gurfon didn’t answer me. Instead, he stood from the table, excused himself, and left the dining hall without another word being said. The rest of us could only sit there and look at each other in mild shock.

*****

Gurfon sat as his desk started to pen a very important letter to Celestia. Luckily, he had a small stack of enchanted parchment that would instantly send itself to her when burned.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I wish this letter was merely to engage in small talk, but I fear I may have dire news. First off, I will say that young Christopher is in good health and misses you and his home dearly. What has me concerned is a dream he told me of this morning. If it is only a dream, then there is no issue, but if it is a premonition, it may very well mean Tirek has returned. Please advise on the situation.

Sincerely,
King Gurfon

He rolled the parchment up, sealed it with a ribbon and some wax, then tossed it into the small fireplace in his office. Then, he impatiently paced the floor, hoping for a quick reply.

Suddenly, a scrolled burned into existence before him and dropped to the floor. Gurfon picked it up quickly and nearly ripped it open. The letter was equally as brief but also very precise.

King Gurfon,

You must keep Chris in your custody in protect him at all costs. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what would happen to him if his magic was stolen. And please, take care of your family as well. I fear there are dark times ahead for my little ponies.

Princess Celestia

And so Gurfon decided to make my imprisonment a real thing.