Gallus' Tragedy

It was becoming more and more clear to Twilight, Rainbow Dash and their students of how damaged Gallus' personal lives was. Seeing Gallus' father murder his mother and then kill himself was just as painful as hearing him tell the story of what happened.

"Gallus," Twilight stammered, walking over towards her student and throwing a hoof around his shoulder. "I'm…I'm so sorry this had to happen to you."

"Well now you know why I did what I did, Headmare Twilight," Gallus snapped, pushing her away and facing the group that was in front of him. "My father was supposed to be my mentor, the griffon I would turn to whenever I had problems. And what does he do? He takes the easy way out and takes my mother with him!"

A few tears flowed from Gallus' eyes as he spoke. The pain in his voice was evident, there was no denying that this dark episode of his life was haunting him.

"He just got…he just got so caught up in trying to make griffons like each other after the civil war that he was just too far gone to be reasoned with," Gallus cried. "It seemed like he was trying…to create his own world that he wanted every griffon to be a part of."

"No creature can't force another to live according to their way of life," sighed Luna, remembering how it felt when she was Nightmare Moon. "I was in your shoes once, Gallus and when I tried to make everypony live their lives according to my vision, I ended being banished for a thousand years."

"You're lucky then, Princess Luna," remarked Gallus loudly, bitterly looking at her. "You got a second chance to live your life but my mom and dad will never get a second chance because they are dead, don't you get it? Dead!"

The pains and cries of the blue griffon continued to grow and grow. At that moment, Twilight realized that there was only one way for Gallus to ease his pain.

"Look Gallus," Twilight suggested. "You may not like what I have to say, but…"

"But what?"

Realizing what needed to be said, Twilight sighed deeply.

"Sooner or later, you are going to have to learn to forgive your father. A wise pony once said that it's better to destroy your enemies by making them your friends."

Gallus was aghast by what he had just heard.

"Make my father my friend?" he cried. "Why should I forgive him for what he did?"

"Because that's what I have already done," Twilight replied, nodding to Rainbow Dash who nodded back. "Do you remember how I met Counselor Starlight? Do any of you remember?"

"Yeah, Yona remember Counselor Pony was mean pony before."

"Because she was afraid of friends being taken away from her and I had to talk her talk out of changing the future according to her will," Twilight said. "There have been plenty of others that I have given a second chance to, Discord among them, for Fluttershy's sake."

"Yes, for her sake, Headmare Twilight," Gallus remarked. "But my dad isn't Discord and he isn't like Counselor Starlight. If I was in your shoes, Twilight. The only reason I would bring my dad back from the dead…is so I can send him back myself!"

Clutching a fist in one of his claws, Gallus punched the wall of his house with a loud thud that caused everyone to flinch.

"Violence is never the answer, Gallus," added Rainbow Dash. "Even though Griffons don't like each other, what your kind did was not the answer."

"You were friends with one, Professor Dash. You were friends with Gilda."

"Yes, that's true. But I didn't just take her out and beat her after she was such a jerk to my friends. It took time for me to reconcile with her and now we are on good terms, even though she can still sometimes be a jerk."

"Well, good for you, Professor Dash!" Gallus cried again. "You're lucky to have made amends with Gilda! What happened to you doesn't mean it will happen to me!"

It was becoming very evident to Twilight that the more Gallus resisted, the more the damage Gallus was inflicting upon himself.

"Look Gallus," she sighed. "I know what I mean when I said that the guilty party would need extra friendship lessons as punishment for ruining the hearth's warming tree during the break."

"So, you are finally going to give me extra friendship lessons after all?" Gallus retorted. "Go ahead! I don't care! Anything's better than being back in Griffonstone!"

"Gallus," said Twilight, firmly. "We are going to go back to Griffonstone and you need to make peace with your father."

Gallus couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was being told to face his past by his own headmare.

"But, Headmare Twilight," suggested Ocellus. "Didn't you say that we…?"

"I did, Ocellus," interrupted Twilight. "But it seems clear to me that if we are going to get past this, Gallus needs to find common ground with his father. Gallus, we're going to the cemetery in Griffonstone and visiting the graves of your parents."

Exhausted, Gallus could no longer protest the denial that he was under. Twilight's mind was made up and he wasn't going to do anything to change her mind.

"And don't worry," she added. "We're all going with you, all of us."

Silverstream stepped forward and hugged the blue griffon tightly in support. Then Ocellus followed suit, then Yona, then Smolder and finally Sandbar. Twilight and Rainbow Dash watched them all embrace one another as Luna transported them out of the dream and back into reality.

"Wh…what happened?" murmured Silverstream as she woke up. "Are we…?"

"We're back, Silverstream," answered Twilight. "And we know what we need to do for Gallus. We are going on a field trip to Griffonstone and we are going to support Gallus as he makes peace with his past."

…

Just then, the door to Twilight's office opened and in stepped Gallus with a look of acceptance on his face.

"I'm ready, Headmare Twilight," he answered in a tired voice. "I'm ready to confront my past. When do we leave?"

It didn't take long for Twilight to give her answer.

"At daybreak tomorrow," Twilight said. "We'll take the first train to Griffonstone."

…