Minus One

by TCC56

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Young Six, Drama
Length: 6897

As their time at the School of Friendship ends, six newly graduated students prepare to settle into their adult lives. Five in Ponyville - and one far away.

The School of Friendship has graduated its first class and six young students have their diplomas.

Six, stepping out into their adult lives and taking their place in the world.

Five in Ponyville. One... not.

And that's the problem.

An expansion of my entry for Flashfic 150 - November 2020 with the prompt 'A Song I Remember', and winner of that month's competition!

Featured 1/7/2021-1/9/2021!

Also featured by Seattle's Angels, issue #185!

Published 2021-01-07 19:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-01-07 19:30:01 UTC

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Six diplomas lay on the table and the six former students sat around them in painful silence.

Graduation was supposed to be a joyous occasion. But while all the others in their class partied, the six could only think of loss.

It had started simply enough two days before - with Yona's cheerful, floor-shaking celebration.

"Yona get apprenticeship!" She danced with joy, frolicking as much as a yak could frolic without causing structural damage to multiple townships.

They all crowded around eagerly, waiting on metaphorical pins and needles to find out where Yona would be plying her literal pins and needles. She presented the letter, and words were unnecessary - the deep violet curl of Rarity's writing spoke all that was needed.

Silverstream squealed with joy. "That's so cool! I had no idea you wanted to do that, Yona!"

The grinning yak waved the letter around like a mace. "Professor Rarity impressed by traditional yak designs! Ponies only wear clothes sometimes - yaks wear all the time!" She paused, the tiny bit of learned humility slipping in. "Yona does need improvement with stitching, though."

With a smile, Sandbar slung his foreleg across Yona's shoulders. "Aw, c'mon! That's just small stuff. You'll get it! The important thing is that you've got your hoof in the door and you're gonna learn from the best teacher in Equestria!"

"And," Yona added happily, "get to stay in Ponyville."

The lovebirds leaned in to share a nuzzle at that.

Silverstream piped up, shoving back into the conversation with her usual aplomb. "I know just what you mean! I was super excited when Guidance Councilor Trixie agreed to let me be her assistant. And not just for the councilor stuff!" Reaching a claw over, she pulled a bit out from behind Sandbar's ear.

The others applauded, but Silverstream stared quizzically at the golden coin. "Wait... that was supposed to be a string of colored handkerchiefs. Where did the bit come from?"

"Better not be from my wallet," Smolder quipped. She lazily leaned against Ocellus, who managed to only bend a little under the dragon's weight. "'Cuz Ocellus and I got ourselves jobs working at the school, but we don't get paid until classes start back up again."

Despite holding up Smolder, Ocellus still managed to sound chipper and cheerful. "The bits are nice, but I'm just glad I can stay here with all my friends! I love the hive and all the other changelings, but Ponyville really feels like home now. I can't imagine leaving it," she gushed.

Smolder responded by giving her a playful noogie.

"And you know I'm still gonna be here," Sandbar noted.

Smolder scoffed loudly. "Well, duh. Your family lives here, Sandbar."

He blushed. "Yeah, but... anyway. Professor Fluttershy said she'd take me on to help around the sanctuary. Discord does a lot, but she said he's kind of unpredictable."

Helpfully, Ocellus chirruped. "He's more whimsical than unpredictable. You can usually figure out what he's going to do by how entertained he is by something."

Sandbar dropped to a low mutter. "Still doesn't make reversing the leopard's spots funny."

"I dunno," Smolder dryly observed, "Sounds pretty funny to me."

Sensing an argument brewing, Ocellus twisted around to the last member of their group. "What about you, Gallus? Any--"

And the changeling blinked in confusion as Gallus - rather than respond - hurriedly turned around and flapped away as fast as his wings could carry him.

The others - their conversation abruptly discarded as their friend fled - stared as Gallus sped away. Silverstream voiced what they all were thinking. "What just happened?"

Two days passed and none of them saw Gallus. He never returned to his room with Sandbar and he managed to avoid appearing at any meals. The remaining five kept the days quietly - trying to remain excited for their impeding futures, but none of their hearts were in it. Not with a part of them missing.

Graduation itself was brighter - how could it not be? And to their relief, Gallus was there. He slipped in at the last minute, sliding wordlessly in with the other black-robed students.

The blue griffon tried to silently get his diploma and sneak away again, but Headmare Starlight and Princess Twilight blindly trampled all over his attempt as they pulled all six of them out from the other students and gave a rousing speech encapsulating their adventures.

A speech Gallus spent shifting uneasily and trying not to meet the eyes of his friends.

His attempt to get away afterwards was foiled as they wrapped him in a close hug as the graduation caps fluttered through the air. Gallus tried to pull free - and stopped as one of his primary feathers yanked threateningly. In his ear, Smolder hissed a warning. "Don't think so, birdbrain." He didn't try again.

While the milling mass of students, parents, teachers and dignitaries celebrated, the six snuck into the library. Six diplomas dropped onto the table - one they'd spent uncounted hours studying at. They all stared at Gallus, who continued to not look back.

Yona was the one who said it. "Talk." The simplest of commands, and her tone brooked no argument.

He didn't comply. Not with words. Instead, he answered them with actions. A tri-folded letter dropped onto the table beside his diploma. The others craned their necks to read, but Ocellus didn't need to. She recognized the seal stamped in gold at the page's bottom instantly.

"The Royal Guard?" Her pupil-less eyes rotated to him.

The response was a slight nod, and Gallus finally spoke. "Officer's Academy. Princess Twilight personally fast-tracked it, with recommendations from Prince Shining and Commander Tempest."

A few heartbeats of silence.

Sandbar broke it. "So that means you're--"

"I leave in three days."

Their collective hearts stopped.

"Leaving," repeated Silverstream, barely able to give it more than a whisper.

Smolder found him first. It was appropriate - she and Gallus shared a lot from their upbringing. They'd grown up alone, scrappy and self-sufficient. She knew where to find him even though Gallus didn't want to be found. She just had to find his stash.

Gallus was no dragon, but he had a hoard - a hidden cache of stuff in case of emergency. He'd admitted to it once during a game of Truth Or Dare, but he'd never revealed the location.

Smolder didn't need him to. She could smell a hoard.

As it turned out, Gallus had picked a good place - somewhere no creature would expect him to hide it. After all, who would look for money and emergency supplies inside of one of Pinkie Pie's party cannons? He'd probably asked Professor Pie's permission - she was exactly the sort of pony to think it was funny.

But the downside was that to get at it, he had to stick his body into the cannon and leave his back half hanging out.

He never saw it coming when Smolder grabbed him by the hind legs, yanked him free and tossed him across the room into a pile of whoopie cushions. The cacophony of sound they made was the perfect match for his dazed expression - and it was plenty enough to make Smolder laugh.

Gallus disagreed with her, voice thick with familiar sarcasm. "Ha. Ha. Ha."

Sitting astride the cannon, Smolder smirked right back. "What, thought you were just gonna grab your stuff and sneak out? You'll have to try harder than this if that's your plan."

Brushing himself off, Gallus shot the dragoness an irate glare. "I'm not going to leave my stuff here, if that's what you're asking."

She snorted a thin curl of smoke. "Any dragon worth their gems keeps a small hoard anyplace they're gonna come back to."

Silence.

Awkward silence.

"You... are coming back, right?" Smolder's voice dropped - quieter, now that her brash bluster had evaporated.

Gallus shrugged. "Dunno yet. If I do, it might not be for a long time."

Smolder considered that, one claw tapping against her chin. A solid minute passed before she stated her simple counterpoint: "Nah."

A feathery blue eyebrow rose. "'Nah'?"

"Nah," repeated the dragoness. "You'll be back. Maybe not quick, but sooner or later you will." Smolder waved vaguely at the school around them. "This is home, right? It's where your friends are. It's the closest thing you've got to family and I know you want that, Gallus."

"Never said I wanted family," Gallus mumbled.

Smolder didn't believe it for a second, rolling her eyes. "I'm not stupid. You might be used to going it alone but it's not what you want."

Defensively, Gallus puffed out his chest. "Well I'm not gonna be alone!"

Hopping down off the cannon, Smolder stalked over to the griffon. "Yeah? Well you're not alone now, either!" She jabbed him in the chest with her claw. "You made it, birdbrain. You've got everything you wanted here, don't you? A place to sleep, steady meals--"

"Well maybe I want more!" Gallus' beak snapped angrily, driving Smolder to silence. "Did you ever think about that?"

For a long moment, the only sound in the room was Gallus' angry panting.

Then, quietly, Smolder asked a question. "Are we not good enough?"

The griffon winced as the words slapped him in the face. "...I never said that."

"You basically did," came the murmured counter.

Gently - uncharacteristically so - Gallus put a claw on Smolder's shoulder. "I would never say that, because it isn't true. But this isn't about us. It's about..." He frowned, face creasing like Grandpa Gruff's. "Before I met all of you, I was nothing. I had always been nothing and I was never going to be anything. Then I had five amazing friends show me that I was worth something, that I deserved good things and that I could do something with my life. You gave me strength, and now I want to do something with that."

"By leaving?" Smolder's sharp response slashed at Gallus.

He didn't flinch this time. "By trying to see what I can really do. I... I love you guys, but you've given me the chance to figure out who I am. I gotta take that."

Smolder hung her head, unable to meet Gallus eye to eye. "...You'll come back," she softly insisted. "Eventually. You have to."

Gallus didn't contradict her again - instead, he responded with a silent hug.

Sandbar was waiting for him in their room. More specifically, sitting in the middle of Gallus' bed, forelegs crossed and glaring at the door.

The griffon took one look at his roommate and groaned in frustration. "Really? We're gonna do this now?"

"Yeah. Now," snarled Sandbar.

Gallus waved at the dark window. "Can't it wait until morning? It's been a long day and I'm exhausted."

"Exhausted from all the hiding you've been doing?"

A pause. And then Gallus let out a long, tired sigh. "I guess we're doing this, then." Straightening up, he locked eyes with Sandbar. "Look, alright, yeah maybe I could have handled things a bit better."

The normally chill pony blew his top instantly. "A bit better?! Gallus, you've been hiding this from us for weeks! Fast-tracked by the Princess or not, there's no way you haven't known this was happening for at least a moon!" Sandbar hopped off the bed, all four hooves slamming into the floor. "And you never said a word!"

"I could have handled things better," Gallus repeated through his clenched beak.

"A lot better." Sandbar jabbed Gallus with his hoof, shoving the griffon back. "What were you thinking?! We're your friends, Gallus! Didn't Professor Applejack teach you anything about lying to your friends?!"

Another shove came in - this time, Gallus brushed it away. "It's not like that! Sandbar, will you let me at least try to explain?"

A hesitation. Then a grumpy and grudging nod. Sandbar stepped back, glaring eyes still trying to flense Gallus clean.

"It was fear." Gallus admitted to it without hesitation - readily enough to make Sandbar flinch. "A lot of it. I kept rereading that letter and trying to decide if I was going to chicken out and tell them no. I'm still not sure which I'm more afraid of, either - being a coward and running away from the chance or accepting it and risking losing everything."

The world paused for a beat before Sandbar bitterly added a clarification. "Losing everypony."

Nodding, Gallus didn't quite meet his friend's eyes. "Yeah. All of you. I want to say we're strong enough to survive me not being here every day, but can you blame me for worrying about it?"

"So don't go!" Sandbar stomped his hoof again, making the room jump in a way that would have made Yona proud. "You could find a job here, you know that! You could deliver mail or buck apples or... or anything so we don't lose you!" The earth pony's bubble of anger popped - and then dropped to a sullen simmer again. "I don't want to lose you."

With a sigh, Gallus closed the gap and put a gentle claw on the pony's shoulder. "You don't think I'm afraid of that, too? But..." He smirked a little. "Of the two things I'm afraid of here? There's a big difference. If I run away from the chance to spread my wings and find who I am, I'm afraid that I'll never get the chance again. And I might not. Opportunity doesn't come around once in a Blue Moon Festival, after all. It's a long shot that a nogriff like me even has this chance in the first place." The smirk slowly morphed into a smile. "But while I'm afraid of losing all of you, I've got a lot more faith that I won't. What we've got is strong, right?"

Sandbar pinched his eyes closed and nodded. "Yeah. Strong." His forelegs wrapped around the griffon. "We're not gonna give up on you, and you better not give up on us."

"Never," came the quiet agreement.

The only one of Gallus' friends he sought out was Ocellus - and then only because she'd requested he come to her. Their confrontation was in a place of power for Ocellus and one where Gallus was notably weak: the library. And while it could have been innocuous, something tickled the back of the griffon's mind that it was a purposeful flex.

It was also working. Gallus could feel years of essays and homework crushing down on him as he wound his way through the stacks to reach one of the rear-most tables. Out of sight - and often out of mind - it was isolated and quiet even during the school year. Now, with classes out? It was positively abandoned.

Except, of course, for the changeling.

Ocellus was prepared for what was to come, unlike Gallus. She had the table set up with chairs for both of them and two stacks of paper - the thicker on her right, the other on her left far thinner.

Taking his cue, Gallus sat down in the seat prepared for him, arms crossing over his chest. "So."

"Thank you for coming," Ocellus coolly offered.

"Thanks for actually asking instead of ambushing me," came the counter.

Reaching out, Ocellus nudged the larger stack of papers forward. "I've done a bit of work that I want to present to you. This is an itemized list of reasons why you shouldn't leave."

Sighing heavily, Gallus dropped his face into his claws. "Ocellus..."

"Hear me out!" The changeling's wings buzzed as she half-stood. Her attempts to play it cool evaporated at the slightest resistance, replaced by her more normal excitable demeanor and a thick slice of desperation. "I think if you read this you'll see that there's a well-reasoned and convincing argument that removing you from the Ponyville area is an overall detriment to the world and that the only sensible thing to do is remain here to--"

"Ocellus, no."

Her wings buzzed again. "No! Gallus, for once you have to listen to me! This is important!" Ocellus stomped, driving both of them to silence as that single impact echoed through the empty library. She waited, making sure Gallus was giving her the room to speak. And when it was clear he was? "This isn't just about us, Gallus. This is about all of Equestria. About Griffonstone and the Hive and everything else. I know what I'm asking you to give up, and I wouldn't do that if it wasn't so important. Every creature everywhere needs you to be with us, Gallus, just like the Bearers were together before us."

"...But they're not," Gallus pointed out, voice soft as Ocellus' normally would be. "Princess Twilight went away, but that didn't change who they were or how important they are."

"After they passed care of the Elements to us." Ocellus' words swung wildly at Gallus. "I'm not saying you can't leave ever. But you have to stay, at least for now. At least until we serve our role for Harmony."

The griffon snorted, rife with derision. "Harmony. You know, before I came here? I wouldn't have cared. I just wanted to get away from Griffonstone."

Reaching out, Ocellus grabbed Gallus's claws. "But you do now. You're not that you anymore."

"No," Gallus agreed grudgingly. "No, I'm not."

"Then you're staying?" The changeling's smile burst to glowing life.

"No," repeated Gallus with a different meaning.

Her face fell. "But why?"

Turning his claws over and reversing the grip, Gallus took hold of Ocellus' hooves. "Because it's my life. If I make every choice based on what's good for others even if it hurts me, it's not mine any more. It isn't that I want to hurt any of you, but there's always going to be a reason for me to stay. Trust me," he chuckled, "I've been thinking of a lot of them the last few days. Ten, twenty, thirty years from now? We'll still be finding reasons that I have to stay here for a little while more."

"Is that really so bad?" Ocellus tried - and failed - to not whine.

"No. But would you really settle for a life of not bad?" Gallus knew he'd struck home when she flinched.

Reluctantly, Ocellus pulled away from him. "Then... then... I'm sorry, Gallus, but I have to." She pushed the smaller stack of papers forward. "This is everything about you. Every secret, every embarrassing moment, every fear and every mistake you've made over the last four years." The changeling took a shuddering breath before locking eyes with the griffon. "If you try to leave, I'll make sure every creature between here and Mount Aris knows them all."

Credit where it was due - that actually made Gallus freeze up. And there was hesitation in his voice when he responded. "Would you--" No. That was the wrong question, he realized. "Do you really want to do that, Ocellus?"

There was hesitation on the other end as well. Ocellus blinked first. "...No," she gloomily admitted.

Gallus nodded as her resistance drained away. "I didn't think you did." He tried not to sound too relieved.

It was two in the morning and Gallus couldn't sleep. He knew having a good night's rest was essential - every story he'd been told said it would be his last one until basic training was over. But insomnia didn't care what common sense wanted, so he was awake.

One of the other pieces of advice he'd been given was not to expect a good meal until after basic, either. Guard chow was intended for nutrition, not taste. So since he was awake anyway, Gallus went to the place that made sense: raiding the cafeteria kitchens.

Walking on his hind legs, Gallus snuck in using one of his greatest advantages: cat paws were nearly silent on the floor as opposed to loud pony hooves. Under cover of darkness, he stealthily infiltrated the kitchen, crept past Yona and dug into the cabinet that held the stocks of salt cod and the--

Gallus leaned back out of the cabinet, half of a strip of salmon jerky sticking out of his beak and several more fish in his claws. A second look confirmed that first glance, and there really was the back half of a yak jutting out of the freezer. "Uuuuuh..."

Obviously, Yona had thought she was alone - that first sound made her yelp, spinning around with terror-wide eyes and the gory remains of a carton of rocky road splattered across her face.

There was a long, tense moment as her eyes adjusted from the bright light inside the freezer to the darkness of the kitchen. When they did and finally saw who had spoken? Yona's expression collapsed from fright to depression. "Oh. Is you." She turned back to the freezer.

"Yeah, me." Gallus snorted. "Was this an ambush or just bad luck?"

She didn't respond. That got his attention more than anything else she could have done.

Moving close and craning his neck over her shoulder, Gallus tried to meet Yona's eyes. "Uh. Hey? Yona?"

"Go away."

The sarcasm welled up before Gallus even thought about it. "And here I thought that was the problem."

Yona went rigid and voiceless.

"...Yona?" Gallus took hold of the yak's shoulders, trying to turn her to face him. Unsurprisingly he couldn't budge her.

With a heavy sigh, Gallus sat down beside her with his back against the cabinets and a chunk of cod ready for his next bite. "Look, just tell me what's going on. It's easier that way, Yona. I'm not going to just ditch my friends when they need me."

Her head whipped around, eyes aflame with fury and wet with tears. "That exactly what problem is, stupid bird!"

Gallus flinched. He felt no shame in that - an angry Yona was terrifying, and she was only inches from his beak.

Just as quickly, it was gone. Yona shoved her head back into the freezer. While Gallus couldn't see her face, he easily could hear her licking up globs of ice cream from her latest victim.

"Uh. Soooo..." Shifting, Gallus looked down to see a bit of ice cream had splattered on his wing when Yona had turned. Lifting it, he started to give it a quick preen and get the mess out before it set. "Ice cream, huh."

For a moment he was worried there'd be no response. But Yona did rumble something back. "Professor Rarity say best way to deal with sadness is drown it. Ice cream make it better."

Gallus paused between feathers. "Has it?"

"No." The gloom in Yona's voice would have made Stygian feel at home. "This Yona's third carton. Stomach ache probably happen first." Her head raised slightly. "Maybe Yona eating wrong brand?"

He laughed. He couldn't help it.

After a moment, she did too. Just a slight chuckle, but it was there.

"Look, Yona..." Gallus hesitated, covering his momentary uncertainty by inspecting his primaries for any remaining traces of ice cream. "Yona, I'm not gonna be gone forever. Even if I get stationed far away, I'll visit! I promise I'll come back."

"Gallus no listen enough to Professor Applejack and make promises he not able to keep."

Derision and sarcasm were Gallus' first reaction, as usual. He snorted. "Of course I can keep that, it's just a train--" The chill that ran through him wasn't from the freezer as his mind made the leap of logic to what Yona really meant. "...oh."

Unlike what Gallus would have done, Yona didn't rub it in. "It part of job," she sullenly pointed out. "Ponies not do war, but that not always enough. Gallus not able to promise that."

That drove him to silence. She was right, after all. Gallus couldn't dispute it. Equestria was at peace, but there were never guarantees. And part of the Guard's oath he would be taking the next day was to defend Equestria - with his life, if need be.

In the silence of the kitchen, 'if' was a lot heavier to carry than he'd thought it would be.

If.

"...It's always 'if'," Gallus half-muttered. Then having spoken aloud, he rallied to it. "The future's always an if. If we didn't grab the artifacts to stop Cozy Glow. If all of you hadn't spent Hearth's Warming with me. If you didn't choose to come to a pony school. It's all if, Yona."

Yona didn't respond - verbally. Her head turned, horns barely clearing the freezer as she met Gallus' eyes again. She'd switched to the mint chocolate chip, judging by the new color smeared on her face. (Gallus wisely said nothing about it.)

"I can't just... if, Yona." He sighed. "Yeah, you're right. There's the chance I won't be able to keep that promise. But there's also the chance that tomorrow Princess Twilight turns evil and weaponizes friendship. I can't let if stop me."

"So you still going." It wasn't a question.

Still, Gallus hesitated. "...Yeah. I am."

There was a wet splat as Yona face-dove back into the mint chocolate chip.

Gallus banged the back of his head against the cabinet behind him as he cast his eyes upwards. "Sorry Yona, but I'm going." A little chuckle snuck out. "Any other time, this is probably when you'd give all of us some classic yak wisdom that confuses us but makes sense at the same time."

Pulling her face out of the carton, Yona considered. And then spoke. "Snow can fall soft or blow hard. Yaks endure because spring always come after. Even when winter come again later, it not change how good other seasons feel."

Reflexively, Gallus laughed. "Yakyakistan has other seasons?"

"Is best month of year," Yona sourly defended.

They both laughed before lapsing back into silence.

Half the cod disappeared down Gallus' gullet before he broke through the quiet again. "That old saying make you feel any better, Yona?"

"No." Her gloom still hung heavy within the freezer. "Just because there is spring not mean winter night less cold."

He thought about that. And in spite of himself, it made Gallus smile. "Yeah." A pause. "Thanks, Yona. I think this is one bit of yak wisdom I'm not confused by."

It was strange, packing up. Gallus had heard a number of fellow students over the years lament the bittersweet feeling of seeing their lives reduced to a handful of boxes and how little there seemed to be when you looked at the pile. Having started from almost nothing, actually having three entire bags was a reminder of just how far his life had come and how much more full it was than those lonely nights in Griffonstone.

Sure, griffons had an attachment to material wealth and possessions surpassed only by dragons - but these were also a reminder. A scarf Sandbar had given him for Hearth's Warming. A bit pouch with the word HOARD stitched into it he'd made alongside Smolder. Small wooden boxes of (apparently illegal) cocoa mix from Yona. One of Ocellus' books that... technically she hadn't given him and he really should return. Once he was done reading it. Eventually.

"Oh hey, I remember this!"

And a necklace of sea shells, given by Princess Skystar and passed along through Silverstream. Which was now in Silverstream's claws.

For a brief futile moment, Gallus attempted to figure out when Silverstream had entered his room. He hadn't heard the door and she wasn't there the moment before. Then he remembered that Pinkie Pie existed, shared elements with Silverstream and he wisely opted not to question it any further.

"Wrap it in newspaper and put it in the bag over there, okay? That's where all the breakable stuff goes." Gallus motioned vaguely at his second bag. "I was kinda wondering where you were. Let me guess, it's your turn and now you're gonna try to talk me out of this?"

Silverstream peeled several sheets of the Foal Free Press off the stack to wrap the necklace. "Nope!"

He hesitated. "...It's not your turn or you're not going to try?"

"Not going to try," clarified the hippogriff as she put the wrapped necklace in the bag. "I'm just here to help you! I thought maybe you could use a hand carrying your stuff to the train."

Gallus nodded and stayed silent. For about thirty seconds. "No, really." Another pause, then her non-response drove him to defend himself. "Because every time I've seen one of you in the last three days it's been to talk me out of it."

"Really! Just helping," she chirruped.

And then she kept talking. Gallus zoned out a little, ears listening but not listening in that way that anyone who was friends with Silverstream needed to be able to do - once she got going, there was no off switch. After the third time of learning everything there was to know about yo-yos, they had all learned to tune her out and only half-listen. It was a survival trait.

Plus he didn't trust her.

It felt bad to think, but why would she be the only one who didn't try to change his mind? Why would Silverstream of all creatures be content to let him go?

Of course, the tiny voice that told Gallus she was glad to see him leave terrified him more than he had words for.

So they had no words. She talked, he half-listened, and nothing passed between them. His life was packed up into three heavy bags - and they left.

The trip from school to train was short and was shorter when you flew. Gallus left heading the wrong way. Instead of to the train, he lifted off and glided over Ponyville, catching the breeze that always came off the pond surrounding the school. Silverstream flew beside him, her larger wings flapping in a languid rhythm. The Boutique to their left; Sugarcube Corner on the right. Over the schoolhouse, downdraft by the bowling alley before rising again near Town Hall.

When they finally took a wide turn at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres to head back around, Gallus spoke up. "You know," he ventured, "It might be a while before I'm able to get back."

"I know."

"Months," he half-threatened.

"I know."

"Even when I do, it won't be for more than a few days." Gallus took a shivering breath as the tiny voice roared. "And they could have me stationed far away, too."

"I know."

A gentle cloud drifted between their flight paths, briefly separating them and their conversation. When they came back, Gallus could barely manage the words. "...Don't you care?"

"More than I could ever say."

The quiet statement washed over Gallus' wings like a soft thermal. He missed a beat, floundering in the air for a moment.

Silverstream continued on as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

A few flaps later, Gallus caught up. "Hey, wait! What was that about?!"

"I'm going to miss you so much, Gallus." Silverstream's mournful tone stabbed into his heart. "Every day that you're gone. We all are."

Gallus folded his wings and dove, landing solidly in some pony's backyard between their vegetable garden and their hanging laundry. Silverstream came down far more gently, transitioning her touching down into a hug. "We all are," she repeated.

Gallus self-consciously pushed her off. "What the heck, Silverstream? If you're gonna miss me so much, why are you the only one who's not trying to stop me?"

Her head tilted like a curious bird. "Because it's your life."

He gawked, thrown by someone finally getting it - and that at the same time, he didn't.

With a sigh, Silverstream stepped behind a tablecloth hanging on the line. She was unseen behind it, only visible with how her shadow was cast. Instantly Gallus remembered one of their first adventures, down below the library where the Tree had tested them. The rocks that had formed shadows of the Storm King had left their impression on Silverstream - in the years since she had learned how to perform shadow plays and use that trick to entertain. Now, behind her makeshift curtain, she used the sun's morning rays to perform and Gallus' imagination lifted him away from reality to let her implied shapes and motions become far more real.

"A long time ago," she began, "The hippogriffs were driven from our home." Silverstream's broad wings wrapped inwards to form the shape of Mount Aris. Her form disappeared, melding into the shadow as individual feathers became the Storm King's ships as they descended. "We fled, taking to the sea in new forms. At least... most of us did." A flight of small figures fleeing the mountain split - most diving into the mimed waters beside while a tiny number turned and placed themselves between the ships and the sea. There was no need to portray just what was in store for the ones that turned back.

The sheet flapped on the line, a small breeze making it roll like a gentle tide. Below the waves, a multitude of seaponies swam among elegant buildings and sweeping reefs. "Under the sea, even as we rebuilt? We never forgot the city and the life we had left behind. Parents told children about what had been - until the day it was again." A school of seaponies swam upwards, heading towards the surface. But once more they split - half rocketed out of the water to soar as hippogriffs once again, while half stayed swimming below. "But even that was a bittersweet moment."

Silverstream swept the sheet up, stepping out from behind it and dispelling the illusion of the shadow. "Does that make sense, Gallus?"

Her question rattled through Gallus, pulling him back to the real world again. "Uh, I--" He shook his head, banishing the shadows and regaining his bearings. "So you're saying you're okay with me leaving because... uh... Actually, I have no idea what your point is."

"We're used to loss." Silverstream - peppy, upbeat Silverstream - smiled sadly. "Everygriff has lost something. Maybe it was to the Storm King, or maybe somegriff that was left behind in the sea or who went to the sky. Growing up, there were..." She trailed away for a moment to a single chuckle. "Every story, every song was about how amazing the sky was. You could hear in every older seapony's voice how much they missed it." Her whole gangly body slumped. "It's one of the things my parents always disagreed on, too. If it was worth it to retake the sky of the past, or if they should let it go and look ahead to the future's currents."

Closing the gap, Gallus wrapped her up in a hug. "You know, Councilor Trixie would probably say something dumb but insightful about trauma if you told her this."

A little sparkle glimmered in Silverstream's eye. "Who says she hasn't?"

They laughed together - and then the back door of the house burst open. Lyra Heartstrings came tumbling out, broom waving in her golden magic. "Hey! Get away from my laundry! Go on, shoo! Out of my yard! You're worse than the pigeons!"

Both took off immediately, leaving the shouting unicorn behind them.

In the sky once more, the pair turned finally towards the train station.

"What I'm saying," Silverstream restarted, "Is that we... I understand. I don't like that you're leaving, Gallus. But part of having wings is spreading them, right? I'll miss you, but stopping you would just make sure you weren't, well. You. You've got to choose the sea or the sky, and if we truly care about you? We should love you the same no matter which you pick."

He didn't respond immediately - it took about two blocks passing under them. "When we land, I'm giving you another hug," he finally decided on.

Reaching the station took barely five minutes more - and true to his word, Gallus hugged Silverstream the moment they landed. He held her close, and in turn her wide wings enveloped him.

Somewhere outside the warm feathers, Gallus heard Smolder smarmily pipe up. "You gonna hog that all to yourself?"

Gallus sighed, pulling free of the hippogriff. "You gonna be a--" He blinked as he saw all of his friends gathered before him. "Uh. Hi?"

"Hey." Sandbar waved a hoof. "What, you didn't think we were going to see you off?"

He glared back at Sandbar with half-lidded eyes. "Last time we talked, you were yelling at me."

The pony shrugged. "That was before. And it doesn't mean we're not still friends. Professor Dash says that even if you fight with your friends--"

Gallus held up a claw. "Okay, stop. We graduated."

"But we never stop learning!" Ocellus couldn't help but cheerfully add her piece.

Beside her, Yona had on her bravest false smile. They all knew the one - after four years, it was hard to miss when she was distraught and lost but her yak pride wouldn't let her admit it.

They had Gallus surrounded. Five friends, closing him in on all sides. None of them wanted to be there - they'd all made clear how much they didn't want him to leave. But because they were true friends? They were anyway.

The dragon, so long-lived that a friend vanishing for a year was barely a blink. For whom 'eventually' was the rest of them called a lifetime and could wait it out.

The pony who had lived a blessed life. Who had never needed to confront loss and had no idea how to handle it.

The changeling to whom every issue in life was a puzzle - it was just a matter of finding the right solution. There was no problem that couldn't be solved with a bit of study and a logical argument.

The yak who's confidence and enthusiasm conquered all, right up until the moment it didn't.

The hippogriff who's cheerful demeanor buoyed her over a culture and a life built around how impermanent everything was and could be lost in a moment.

And himself, Gallus realized. The griffon who's life had started with blow after blow, leaving him jaded enough to not see before how his friends were hurting. He hung his head as the real message of what his friends had been saying became clear.

"Look," he started slowly, "I know this sucks. The last four years have changed all of our lives and none of us want it to end. None of us want to lose what we've found." Gallus turned his head slowly, meeting each of the others with his gaze in slow sequence. "I don't think we will. But I forgot in all of this that everything I feel about missing each of you? You're all feeling about missing me. And I should have done more about that instead of pushing you back with vague promises and arguments."

Sandbar set a hoof on Gallus' shoulder. "Buddy, nothing you could have said was going to make us less sad. Even if you are coming back, it's not going to be the same."

"It never was, though." Gallus smiled sadly. "Even if I was still here, our lives are changing. Me going away's just... it's the loud part instead of all your quiet parts. But like I said - I could have handled it better. Worried more for all of you instead of just thinking about justifying myself."

Smolder shrugged. "Eh. We could've been more supportive." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, you could've been better about caring how we felt and we could've been better about what you were trying to do. Your train still leaves in a couple of minutes."

A glance at the station clock proved her right. Gallus cringed - he'd wasted time flying around town to avoid a confrontation here, and now he was regretting wasting these last few minutes with his friends. "No matter what," he promised, "We meet again. The professors still meet every moon, right? I won't be able to get back here as much during training, but after that?"

"Three moons." Ocellus did the math in seconds. "That should be enough, based on Equestrian military training schedules." They didn't question why she knew that.

The others nodded. "I'll be back in three moons," Gallus promised.

Yona stomped her hooves. "Or Yona come looking," she threatened with a smirk.

The train's whistle blew, signaling the last call. The six hugged each other. Gallus boarded and they passed his bags up to him.

Through the window, Gallus raised up his talons in a final wave as the Friendship Express loudly blasted the whistle before starting off.

On the platform, the five friends waved in return, watching as the train slowly gained steam and trundled away. They watched as it left Ponyville proper - and until it turned the corner around a hill and disappeared from sight.

"Two moons, twenty-nine days, twenty-three hours and fifty-one minutes to go," Ocellus pronounced with a sigh.

Author's Note

Originally, this was supposed to be a quick somber short that ended with the students around that table with their diplomas.

Instead it turned into a character study about how the six deal with loss in their own ways.

I'm pretty okay with that shift.