When Gilda checked on Sandbar and found him sitting at the station in tears, she quickly went back to Greta and told her to keep an eye on the cart, while she accompanied the pony back to Equestria.

"I don't care that Gruff is the last surviving member of Guto's honor guard. I'm going to do everything I can to remove him from Griffonstone's ambassadorship. His behavior is inexcusable." She said the next morning in Starlight's office, when she had come into the school for a Sunday meeting.

"I should have listened to him. He tried to warn me multiple times how Griffonstone was."

"Sandbar, based on the months that I've known Gallus, I think I can safely assume that he's more angry at Griffonstone for proving him right, than he is at you for your curiosity." Starlight assured Sandbar, who was still a little worried about the griffon.

"He didn't take the train back, are you sure he can make it across the Celestial Sea?" Sandbar asked.

"That's a journey Gabby makes weekly, I'm sure he's fine." Gilda replied.

"Just give him the time he needs, and use that time to figure out what you want to say, and how you want to say it." Starlight told him.

"Sandbar, the magic of friendship is real, but in the case of Griffonstone, it's going to take more time than we'd like. Greta and I are putting up with the likes of Gruff, and are setting a good example for the younger generations, but that doesn't mean that every griffon has to. I've heard that Gallus wants to emigrate over here, and you should fully support him, now that you've seen what Griffonstone is like."

"I do fully support him. I just wish his circumstances were better."

When Gilda and Sandbar left to have lunch downtown, Starlight ran into Rainbow Dash on her way out of the school.

"Hey, you told me to keep an eye out for Gallus? Found him in the gymnasium this morning. He was doing quite a number on the bucking bag." The pegasus told the school counselor.

"Yeah, it might be best that he gets it out now before he and Sandbar talk to each other." Starlight said.

"Want me to tell them where to find each other?" Rainbow asked.

Starlight shook her head.

"They share the same dorm room, I have a feeling they know where to find each other. Give them enough time alone to figure out what to do next; they've got good heads, I think it'll be the right things."

Rainbow answered with a shrug.

"Alright, you're the counselor, you probably know better than I do. I just hope I don't have to replace one of the school's bucking bags."

That evening, Gallus made his way down the main hall of the student dorms. He came to the room he shared with Sandbar and hesitated before opening the door. He was pretty sure he had gotten all of his frustrations out, and now hoped that he was hoping that Sandbar wasn't mad at him for leaving him alone on the mountainside near Griffonstone Station. Taking one more deep breath, he put his right claw around the doorknob and slowly opened it, stepping inside.

Sandbar was sitting on his bed.

"Hey." Gallus greeted.

"Hi." Sandbar replied. He had a small gift bag next to him.

"Listen, Gallus, I'm sorry I—" Sandbar paused mid-sentence as Gallus held up a claw.

"Before you apologize for whatever it is you think you need to apologize for, what I did was worse, so let me go first. I'm... I'm so sorry, Sandbar. I-I... I was so scared of going back to Griffonstone, and it played out pretty much exactly how I was afraid it would. But that doesn't make you wrong. Some things you just can't get from a secondhand account. I shouldn't have screamed at you the way that I did. More and more often I feel that they sent me here as just lip service, but it's also the best thing that's ever happened to me, because I met you. I love you more than anything, Sandbar."

"And I love you, Gallus. I should have proven that by listening to you when you tried to convince me that visiting Griffonstone wouldn't be worth the trip. I hope your hometown gets noticeably better in our lifetime, and I'm flattered that you want to spend the rest of your life here in Equestria, hopefully together with me. To show you how sorry I am, I got you something to show you how happy I am to have you here." Sandbar said, offering the griffon the small gift bag, with a sealed scroll taped to the front.

Smiling, Gallus accepted the bag and gently pulled the scroll from the bag before unfurling it, and began to read it.

To the Equestrian Department of Immigration and Citizenship,

After seeing how committed Gallus is to his education, his skill development, and his personal relationships, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle of Ponyville, am happily and proudly sponsoring him for Equestrian citizenship, along with the following witnesses.

- Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship
- Grubber, Head Chef of the Castle of Friendship
- Beachcomber, Sandbar's father and legal guardian
- High Tide, Sandbar's mother and legal guardian

Gallus' throat tightened as he opened the gift bag and looked inside, tears spilling over as he reached inside and came out with a small, crocheted doll of himself.

A Hearth's Warming doll.

"Mom and dad made that for you." Sandbar told him.

He gently set the doll on the bed next to him before jumping up and tackling Sandbar in a hug on his bed.

"Th-thank you... So much..."

Sandbar smiled and returned the hug, nuzzling the griffon.

"How can I show you how much this means to me?" He asked, and he didn't really need a verbal answer as he saw the sultry look in the pony's eyes.

"Sooner or later I'm gonna learn to stop asking that." Gallus said, getting a smirk out of him, feeling Sandbar's growing stallionhood start to poke at his stomach. Just as he was about to go about preening Sandbar's mane, he noticed the pony's ears twitch.

"Hold that thought for just a moment, hun." Sandbar whispered, before he quietly got up, and walked as silently as he could to the door. He stood there for a moment before grabbing hold of the handle and quickly opening the door.

Ocellus, Silverstream, Smolder, and Yona fell over each other into the doorway.

"I told you your breathing was too loud, Yona." Smolder said, sandwiched between the ground and Silverstream.

"Yak breathing perfectly quiet!" Yona protested.

"Guys," Sandbar began, looking down at the student heap at his hooves. "Counselor Starlight has warned you all about this twice now."

"Well, not so fast, Sandbar," He heard Gallus say back on the bed. "Our professors have told us how we should spread friendship far and wide. This is just Advanced Friendship. So, feel like some Show and Tell?"

Author's Note

Apologies for the cutoff point; I've always been a relentless tease.

If I ever get motivated enough, perhaps you guys could look forward to Gallus and Sandbar's show and tell.

For now though, on to new stories. Thanks for reading!