The Nowhere King

Sandbar settled into bed, uncomfortably aware of Gallus’ absence. After a few moments the pony shifted his body over to other side of the bed and breathed in deeply, pulling the scent of griffon into his nose, making it part of himself.

Princess Luna had said Gallus would be fine. That she was going to reach out to him tonight just to make sure. Sandbar knew he should relax, but he kept thinking about the way Gallus had glared at him—first in the headmare’s office and then when he was inside Luna’s magic. It hurt. He didn’t know why Gallus was so upset, and that made it worse. He found himself wondering what he could have possibly done to deserve such looks.

Gallus felt himself drifting off, the gentle rolling motion of the sky chariot lulling him to sleep. Princess Luna had sent two of her guard to find him, and now the bat ponies were ferrying him back to Ponyville like some valued prince. He smiled at that thought, wishing for a moment he would have asked them to detour to Griffonstone, so he could show everygriff how far he had risen in life. He yawned and he shook his head, fighting sleep. He had been flying the better part of the day, heading back towards Equestria. He couldn’t risk falling asleep again, though. What if he wound up back in the Umbral Realm with that Midnight pony? He shivered. It was cold this high up, this late at night. He just had to stay awake. Easy enough, he figured. He curled his body more tightly into the front of the chariot, away from the blowing wind. Once he was settled, he was comfortable enough.

He was not going to sleep, though.

He might, he considered, just close his eyes for a few minutes. Just to relax.

Gallus swore loudly as he opened his eyes to find himself in the Umbral Realm.

At least he was in his dorm room instead of in Griffonstone. The world began to shift and Gallus stomped a foot into the ground.

“No!” he said to the world. “I’m staying here, thank you!” The shifting stopped and Gallus nodded.

On second thought, the griffon considered, he was definitely not staying there. He needed to wake up.

The air in front of Gallus shivered, causing the griffon to jump. A dream bubble, he realized. It was dark and stormy within.

A dream bubble. In his dorm room. “Sandbar,” he whispered. Saying the pony’s name filled him with love and sadness and hurt. But also hope.

He peered inside, reluctantly.

“Sandbar!” Gallus yelled. “Help!”

Sandbar’s heart raced. His boyfriend needed help. He was in his dorm room. The voice had come from the hallway. The earth pony leapt off the bed ran into the hall. He heard the griffon’s voice again. “Help!” Around him, the halls seemed to stretch on to infinity in either direction. The griffon’s voice had come from the south. Sandbar galloped ahead. Behind him, the earth pony heard a low, deep laugh. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. “Gallus!” he yelled, ignoring whatever lay behind him, “I’m coming!”

He ran, galloping as fast as his legs would carry him, but he got no closer to the end of the hall. Behind him, a monstrous screech tore through the air. Sandbar looked back over his shoulder in worry. An enormous blue and cream griffon flew through the hall, his red eyes glaring down at the pony. “You know what you did!” The monstrous griffon screeched.

“I need you!” Gallus’ voice cried from the other end of the hall.

Sandbar rushed ahead, trying to reach his boyfriend. He ran and ran but still the giant griffon chased him, never more than a few hoofsteps behind. The voices from both ends of the hall called to Sandbar—one scared, one angry. He was sweating, running as hard as he could, but no matter what he tried, he never got closer to the desperate voice of his boyfriend.

Until suddenly, a new screech pierced the air. Gallus winged his way in from Sandbar’s side and wrapped the pony in a hug. The chasing monstrosity and the voice from the far end of the hallway vanished, leaving the two creatures in a tight embrace in the dorm hall, which slowly shrank back to normal proportions.

As they hugged, Sandbar’s mind began to clear. He squeezed Gallus even tighter. “Is it really you? You’re really okay?” He released the hug and pulled back, looking into his boyfriend’s face. “I know Luna said you were fine, but I was just so worried.”

Gallus put a claw under the pony’s chin. “It’s me.”

Sandbar smiled slightly. “So you can take care of nightmares, huh?”

The griffon nodded slowly. “Seems so.”

Sandbar bit his lip. “So what is it? If you’re really safe, what’s still wrong?”

The griffon shifted his head to the side, pulling his eyes away from the pony. He opened the door to their dorm room led the pony out of the hallway and onto their bed. The griffon sat his backside down, and Sandbar did the same. The pony looked at him expectantly.

“I saw your dream last night.”

Sandbar paused, reflecting. He scratched his head with a hoof. “I don’t even remember having a dream last night,” he said honestly.

“You don’t remember dancing with Yona?”

Sandbar shook his head. “Like at a party? I don’t get why you’re upset, though.”

The griffon clacked his beak open and shut. “You don’t remember dreaming about kissing her?”

Sandbar felt the blood drain from his face. “Ooooh. No?” he said, starting to see the problem. “I mean, I have weird dreams all the time, right? Don’t you?”

***** ***** *****

“Good,” the griffon said slowly. “So it was just some random dream.”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re not attracted to her at all.”

The pony blushed. “I didn’t say that.”

Gallus frowned.

Sandbar gave a huff of annoyance. “You know I like girls, too. Heck, I’d never been with a guy before you.”

Gallus nodded, reluctantly acknowledging his pony’s tastes. “Okay, I guess that’s true. But… Yona?”

“What?” Sandbar said defensively. “Why not Yona?”

“She’s all…” he waved a claw in the air. “Yak-y.”

The earth pony frowned and crossed his hooves over his chest. “She’s honest and sweet and sturdy.”

Gallus found his jealousy growing with each word. “Yeah? And you’re attracted to that?”

Sandbar’s cheeks turned a dusty shade of pink.

Gallus huffed. “Just don’t tell me you’re lusting after any of our other friends, too.”

Sandbar’s blush intensified and he looked away.

“Oh, great!” the griffon crowed, throwing his claws up in the air. “More revelations! Who else?”

“Look,” Sandbar said firmly, “it doesn’t matter. Because I’m not going to act on any of those feelings.” He closed the small gap between them and pulled Gallus into a tight hug. “Because I love you. I want to be with you.”

Gallus felt his throat tighten.

“And I’m not a Dream Strider or anything, and I don’t think I can help what I might dream about sometimes.” He kissed the griffon on the side of his beak. “But I promise that whoever I dream about, it’ll always be you I’m with when I’m awake.” Sandbar pulled back, and Gallus saw tears sitting in the pony’s eyes. “I’m sorry that I hurt you. I didn’t mean to.”

Gallus pulled his pony back into a tight hug. He squeezed tightly. “I’m sorry too,” he said. He was not going to cry. “I probably overreacted.”

“I love you,” Sandbar whispered.

Gallus felt tears in his eyes. Blast it. “I love you too,” he cried.

They held each other tight, their tears flowing freely. Gallus felt like all the worry and sadness and stress of the last, very long day was pouring out of him.

“Okay,” Gallus said, once they had calmed down. “I have to ask. Just so I’m not surprised when it happens.”

“Ask what?” his boyfriend said, lounging in the comfortable bedding Gallus had summoned, one green hoof idly playing with the blue feathers of one wing.

“Who else you think you might have… those kinds of dreams about.”

Sandbar blushed fiercely. “You really want to know?”

Gallus sighed. “No. But yes. I’m probably going to see it anyway, right?”

Sandbar swallowed roughly. “Silverstream.”

Gallus pushed down the massive surge of jealousy. He counted to ten. “Okay. Silverstream.”

Sandbar nodded and then chuckled slowly. “You know she’s had a crush on you from week one, right?”

“What?” the griffon chirped in surprise.

“Oh come on. You seriously never noticed? All the hugs and looks she gives you?”

“She’s just really friendly,” Gallus protested.

“She is,” the pony agreed, “buuuuut, she also told me after you and I started being public that she had been thinking of asking you out.”

Gallus laughed. “That would have been awkward,”

Sandbar echoed the laugh. “No, ‘awkward’ was her not-so-subtly asking questions about our sex life and what you were like in bed.”

The griffon felt his face warm. “She didn’t.”

“Don’t worry,” the earth pony said, gathering Gallus back into a warm embrace. “I didn’t tell her anything.”

“Good,” the griffon harrumphed.

“Other than confirming that I’m bigger than you,” Sandbar mumbled.

Gallus gaped. “You what?” He poked his pony in the ribs with a talon, which made him wriggle. Sandbar started laughing nervously.

“Sorry! She totally wouldn’t leave me alone about it!” He pitched his voice into an imitation of Silverstream. “Who’s bigger, you or him? Is he big down there? Never mind, I don’t want to know. I want to know! No, I’m sorry, that’s rude. But how big? Sandbar, why are you walking away? Please I need to know the truuuuth!”

Gallus covered his eyes with one claw and sighed.

“I hope you’re not too angry?”

Gallus was jealous, yes, but he was feeling more and more confident about the depth of Sandbar’s emotions for him. He removed the claw from his eyes and glared playfully at Sandbar. “Only that you lied.” The pony leaned back in surprise. “I’m totally thicker than you, with my knot. Volume-wise I bet I’m just as big.”

Sandbar snorted. “That’s not what creatures usually mean when they ask about that.”

Gallus feigned shock. “You’re an expert on creatures asking about dick size?”

“Can we stop talking about dicks?” the pony asked. Gallus felt something poke against his leg. “Unless maybe we’re doing something with them?”

Gallus sent a claw down eagerly to test the disturbance. Sandbar shuddered. “I’d really like that,” Gallus purred. He kissed the pony on the side of his muzzle. “I’m really sorry I got all bent out of shape over a dream.”

Sandbar nodded sadly. “I’m sorry, too. I can’t help my feelings, but I promise it’s you I love.”

Gallus kissed him again, feeling the pony’s heartbeat through the flesh he held in one claw. “I want to marry you,” he said, a sudden impulse seizing him. “I thought I had lost you. Lost this… and it was the worst thing in the world.”

Sandbar smiled widely. “I want to marry you, too,” he said. The griffon’s heart filled with light and love, and his insides felt like they would burst from him in joy. “But it’s your turn to ask. The earth pony way.”

Gallus nodded. He would do anything to keep Sandbar as his pony forever. “Yeah? How do I do that, then?”

The earth pony stuck a tongue out. “Go figure it out. That’s what I did about griffon ways.”

Gallus groaned. “Ugggh, you mean books?”

Sandbar thrust his half-hard staff against the griffon’s body teasingly.

Gallus squeezed the flesh, reveling in the feel when it surged with blood in response. “Okay, okay. Another book report. At least this’ll be more interesting than the last one Headmare Twilight assigned.”

Sandbar chuckled. “I thought you said no talking about mares when we’re having sex.”

“Point taken,” Gallus said with a small laugh. “Hmm,” he rumbled, “speaking of taking points…” He leaned forward, taking the head of the pony’s shaft into his beak.

Gallus felt a hoof shake his shoulder. “Sir? We’re here,” a rough female voice said. Gallus looked back over his shoulder but saw no one. He heard a gruff laugh. “Must be a good dream he’s having, huh?” “Ew, don’t be a perv,” a second, lower-pitched voice chimed in.

Gallus blushed deeply, realizing it was the lunar guards, back in the physical realm. “Uhh, Sandy?” he said to his boyfriend, “I think I gotta go.”

“Aww,” the pony whined.

Gallus woke and immediately shifted a claw down to cover his throbbing erection. He cleared his throat. “Uh, evening. Thanks for the ride.”

The female guard eyed the area covered by the claw appreciatively. “Anytime you want a different kind of ride, you just come find me.” Her gaze slowly shifted up his body. “I ain’t never had a griffon before.”

Gallus blushed fiercely.

“Sweet Moonlight, Brightstar, lay off him.” The male bat pony pulled his compatriot backward. “You’re gonna get fired for harassment.” He turned his attention to Gallus. “Sorry about her. You’re back in Ponyville, as Princess Luna commanded. May we be of further assistance?”

Gallus shook his head. “No, but thank you. Really.”

The male bat pony bowed low. “Our pleasure.” The female guard winked lewdly at him. The bat ponies re-harnessed themselves to the chariot and took flight. As they departed, Gallus took wing, heading quickly for the dorms.

Sandbar was shaken awake. “Wha? Huh?” he mumbled. A familiar beak nuzzled the side of his muzzle. “Oh Light, Gallus!” he whimpered, dragging the griffon into a tight hug. And a kiss—a desperate, longing, kiss. It felt like they had been apart weeks instead of just two evenings. Having his griffon in his arms finally quenched the fiery dread in his stomach. It also provided a different kind of heat to other parts of him.

Gallus pulled back, his breathing ragged. “Now where was I before we were so rudely interrupted?”

Sandbar shifted his hips upward, giving the griffon a physical reminder.

“Oh yeah,” Gallus chuckled. The griffon spun away, pulling the sheets off the pony. The chill of the evening air was a shock, but the warmth was quickly replaced. Tongue and mouth slid down his shaft, making Sandbar moan. The griffon wasted no time, sliding down quickly, swallowing head and flesh, down past the medial ring until Sandbar felt the stiff points of a beak push into his groin.

“Oh fuck,” the pony whimpered. He wasn’t about to let the griffon have all the fun. As Gallus pulled back to gulp in air, Sandbar grabbed the griffon’s sides and twisted him down to the bed, until they were each laying on their sides. Gallus gave a startled squawk at the indignity. The tone of the griffon’s reaction changed as Sandbar located his target and darted forward. He lapped at the bright red length poking from the griffon’s underside. The usual warm, rich, musky smell was overlaid and somewhat soured by the acrid tang of unwashed sweat, but Sandbar swallowed the griffon’s length down eagerly. It tasted like Gallus. And Gallus was excitement and laughter and titillation and everything the pony loved about life.

Gallus went back to work on Sandbar, and the pony moaned around the ridged cock in his mouth. The earth pony shifted a seafoam-green hoof over to massage Gallus’ furry balls, making the griffon rumble in delight. Sandbar delighted in the small touches, the ways their bodies shifted and rubbed against each other. He swirled his tongue around the shaft, letting it play across the varied surface. He felt the fullness of Gallus in his mouth. He breathed deep the richness of his musk.

Gallus grunted and groaned and Sandbar felt himself echo the sounds automatically. The movements of the griffon’s head and mouth and throat were already getting the pony close to the edge. The base of Gallus’ shaft began to expand quickly. The griffon was close, too.

“Oh, Sandy,” Gallus crooned as he pulled back for a moment. “You’re so wet.”

Sandbar licked and swallowed the wetness from the end of the griffon’s tip. “Hmm,” he replied, feeling drunk with lust, “you too.”

Sandbar felt Gallus move a claw down below his leg. The pony shivered, knowing what was about to happen. A talon lightly teased around the sensitive skin of his ass.

Sandbar whimpered and went back to sucking his griffon. Wetness flowed down his tongue and he dove deep, burying his face in the griffon’s lap.

The talon pushed in gently. Sandbar felt his staff lurch in excitement. Gallus shifted his hips, bucking his knotted length into the pony’s muzzle.

Gallus’ length mashed against Sandbar’s tongue, rolled up against his upper palette, nearly to his throat, before sliding back down. Gallus thrust again. Again.

Sandbar felt his griffon swallow him down past his ring.

Oh Light Oh Light Oh Fuck. Sandbar shivered, feeling his orgasm rising.

He sucked desperately on the shifting griffon shaft in his mouth, tasting the wetness that streaked across his tongue on every pass.

The talon inside him shifted and wriggled and pushed and. OH. OH.

Sandbar felt his flare form. Gallus thrust in and Sandbar put his teeth on the griffon’s knot, none too gently, holding the staff in place pushed against the back of his throat, nearly gagging himself.

Sandbar’s orgasm ripped through his loins, rushing out of him and into Gallus’ eager beak. He felt the clenching bursts throughout his body, overcoming nearly all that he was. He kept working his tongue, though, lapping at the ridged underside of his griffon’s cock. And suddenly his mouth was full, too, awash with griffon semen. He heard Gallus whine and moan and the two of them unloaded into the other. Sandar felt each burst of his own orgasm only a heartbeat before a fresh wave of griffon seed would fill his throat.

Sandbar swallowed as much as he could and pulled back, letting the griffon’s spent shaft fall free. He felt the chill as Gallus did the same. The pony wriggled slightly, suddenly uncomfortable with having a griffon’s talon in his backside. Gallus drew his claw back, and the two of them lay there on their sides, panting heavily for several long moments.

“You know,” Sandbar said, hearing his voice come out soft and breathy. He cleared his throat of the remaining griffon seed. “This relationship isn’t just about sex.”

“I know,” he heard Gallus answer lazily. “I love you more than I ever thought possible.”

“I feel the same.” Sandbar smiled blissfully. “But hot damn I love having sex with you, too.”

The griffon shifted his body around and Sandbar found himself smothered in a fierce griffon hug.

“YOU HAVE INFORMATION?” the roaring voice thundered through the air, shaking Midnight to his very core.

The pegasus spread his wings and bowed low. “I encountered the blue griffon. The one who walks the dreams as we can.”

“YET YOU ARE ALONE.”

“He is strong. Startlingly so,” Midnight said smoothly. “He will be a valuable recruit to your most worthy cause, once we collect him.”

The air rumbled and shook, but the Nowhere King remained silent.

“FIND HIM,” the Great Nightmare commanded.

“I know exactly where to look,” the pegasus lied. He had a lead, at least: the name the griffon had cried in response to the strange, repeated light in the Umbra. Off to one side of the throne, a dream appeared. Inside, a large ochre dragon lay atop a glittering hoard of gemstones. The enormous white eyes of the Nowhere King widened with pleasure and anticipation. Midnight shivered in empathy with his King, reveling in the moment before a dream turned to nightmare.

“GO,” the Nowhere King commanded. “BRING ME THE GRIFFON.” The haunting presence shifted, one terrible claw touching the dream, and then Midnight was alone. Darkness fell inside the dream.

Midnight licked his lips and considered staying to watch the show. He had an order, though. Reluctantly, he stepped away. He expected this “Sandbar,” whoever he or she was, would lead him directly to the griffon.

The pegasus smiled darkly. He did so love his work.