The Nowhere King

Sandbar woke to an empty bed. He touched Gallus’ side of the bed with a hoof to find it cold. “Gallus?” he said, looking around the room. There was no blue griffon in sight in the small room. The earth pony frowned. It was unusual that Gallus woke before him, especially early enough that his part of the bed would be cold. Maybe he had gone to an early breakfast? Sandbar tossed the covers off and stood, stretching his limbs. He tried to put any worry aside—Gallus often told him he worried too much, anyway. Still, the pony found himself rushing through his morning shower.

Gallus wasn’t at breakfast, wasn’t back in their room when Sandbar went to retrieve his saddlebag, and wasn’t in class by the time Professor Pinkie Pie began her presentation on pre- and post-party pyrotechnics.

In between sets of explosions, Sandbar was able to ask Silverstream if she had seen Gallus. She hadn’t. Neither had Ocellus or Smolder or Sweet Maple.

The earth pony left Pinkie’s class with ringing ears and an ever-deepening worry for his boyfriend’s whereabouts. He rounded a building corner on the quad and bumped into something large and hairy. “Oof!” he said as he fell to his flank. “Sorry, Yona, didn’t hear you coming!”

The yak offered a hoof and pulled the pony up effortlessly. “WHY PONY YELLING?” she bellowed.

Sandbar flinched. “Sorry!” he said. Yelled. His ears were still a mess. “Sorry,” he repeated at a more acceptable volume, “I’m coming from Professor Pinkie’s class.”

“Ah!” the yak said, nodding solemnly. “Make perfect sense.” She gestured with her head and began walking down the path. Sandbar stepped along beside her as they headed to Professor Applejack’s barn.

“Hey,” the pony asked, “have you seen Gallus this morning?”

The yak gave him a skeptical look. “This pony game or joke?”

Sandbar shook his head. “No, I’m serious. I haven’t seen him this morning.” He sighed. “He wasn’t in bed this morning when I woke, and I’m starting to get worried.”

Yona stopped walking and laid a friendly, heavy hoof on her friend, who sagged slightly under the weight. “Maybe griffon have important errand to run and forget to tell you?”

Sandbar shrugged, or tried to, under the burden of the heavy hoof on his shoulder. “Maybe.”

The hoof moved and tapped the pony lightly on the side. “Yona sure everything okay. Gallus is good creature and able to take care of self.”

The earth pony nodded. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.” He smiled up at the yak and tapped her shoulder with one hoof. “Thanks, Yona. You’re a good friend.”

She eyed him smugly. “Yona know.”

Lunchtime rolled around, and Sandbar’s worry spoiled his appetite. He walked past the cafeteria and headed for the Headmare’s office. As he neared the door, he heard a griffon screech of protest from inside. The pony’s fur stood on end. He kicked open the door and barged ahead, ready to rescue Gallus from whatever dark force had invaded the Headmare’s office. Two very angry creatures turned to face him: an apoplectic Grandpa Gruff and an equally furious and exasperated Twilight Sparkle.

“Sandbar!” the Princess snapped. “What in blazes are you doing?”

“What is the meaning of this interruption?” the old griffon shrieked. “Base lawlessness! No respect for a griffon’s rights! This is exactly what I’m here about!” he yelled.

“Grandpa Gruff, please,” Twilight coaxed. “I’ll address your concerns in a moment. Sandbar!” the alicorn said, addressing the earth pony with a fierce look. “The hall! Now!”

Sandbar’s face burned with embarrassment and he turned to leave.

The old griffon gave a start and suddenly flapped his wings. He flew over in front of the earth pony, staring at his chest with his one good eye. “What is that?” he demanded. He reached a knobby claw toward the pony’s necklace. Sandbar snatched the feather back away from his grasp. The griffon landed, blocking Sandbar’s exit. His face turned a violent shade of purple. He turned his glare on Twilight Sparkle. “What is the meaning of this?” he shrieked. “Why is this pony wearing a griffon feather around his neck like a trophy?!”

“It’s mine,” Sandbar said defiantly, proudly. He clutched the feather against his chest. “It’s a symbol of Gallus’ love for me.”

Grandpa Gruff spluttered. “Disgusting!” he finally spat.

“That’s quite enough!” Twilight said, floating over beside Sandbar.

“I’ll say!” the griffon screamed. “First I’m attacked by a pony in my dreams then you lot reveal this vile, outrageous scandal. I’ve had quite enough of your pony ‘friendship’ for a lifetime! Now where is my student? I’ve come to retrieve him.”

“He’s not your ward,” Sandbar said defensively. “You’re not taking him anywhere!”

“Sandbar, please” hissed Headmare Twilight, “let me handle this.”

Grandpa Gruff sneered. “Bless my bits that that degenerate isn’t my offspring. But you’re wrong if you think I can’t pull him from this school, little pony. He still needs the blessing of Griffonstone to attend, and I’ve come to rescind that privilege.”

“Grandpa Gruff, please,” Twilight said pleadingly, “let’s just talk this over for a moment.”

“Talk what over?” a new voice interrupted. Sandbar’s heart leapt in recognition. The blue griffon floated into the open doorway behind the older griffon. “I thought I saw you fly in, Gramps.”

“Gallus!” Sandbar cried out. The griffon gave him a withering look. Sandbar flinched, feeling like he had been struck in the muzzle.

“You, boy,” the older griffon said, whirling around to face Gallus, “are going home!”

Gallus shook his head. “Nah. We’ve done this dance before. It looks good to have a griffon here, and besides, me and my friends are heroes now. Griffonstone would lose too much face if you pulled me out.”

Grandpa Griff growled. “Enough chatter.” He reached out one claw, trying to grab Gallus’ shoulder. Gallus twisted free.

“Leave him alone!” Sandbar shouted. He made to charge the older griffon, but his limbs felt like they were caught in apple molasses. A pink glow surrounded him.

“Please please please don’t start an international incident,” Headmare Twilight begged, the magic from her lit horn holding Sandbar stationary.

Gallus took wing, zipping out of the room. The older griffon took flight, chasing after him.

Princess Twilight groaned. She flapped her wings and sped after the griffons. As she left the room, the magic holding Sandbar vanished. He galloped ahead.

He raced out in time to see Gallus slip through a high window in the atrium. The older griffon followed him, and Twilight vanished in a burst of pink magic. The earth pony raced ahead, looking for the nearest exterior door. The few students on free time in the halls gaped in amazement.

Sandbar found a door and slammed through, smashing the wood against his shoulder. “Gallus!” he cried, scanning the skies for his boyfriend. He spotted the two griffons zipping over the roof of the dorms. The pony galloped in that direction.

Sandbar noticed Twilight Sparkle flying in quick approach. The Headmare called out to the griffons disturbing the school’s airspace. “Please! Let’s all just go inside and talk like civilized creatures!” Gallus landed for a moment and Grandpa Gruff flew past, his claws outstretched. The elder griffon’s talons snagged Gallus’ necklace, pulling the attached griffon from his perch.

“Let go of me!” Gallus shouted. The blue griffon crossed his wings in front of his body, shielding himself.

Then Gallus was gone, vanished completely in a heartbeat, with Grandpa Gruff left grasping at empty air. A small jade turtle tumbled toward the ground.

“GALLUS!” Sandbar screamed in a panic.

Gallus landed hard on one wing. He rubbed the injured wing gingerly with one claw. Sprained, not broken, he decided. That was good news. About the best he’d had all day. He looked around, surprised that the old coot hadn’t landed on him yet. Grandpa Gruff was nowhere to be seen. Nor was anyone else.

Gallus swallowed nervously. He was having a really terrible day.

“What did you do?” Grandpa Gruff screamed. “I’ll have your hide you s-“ the griffon cut off mid-word, his entire being frozen in pink magic.

“Enough!” Twilight Sparkle shouted, trying her hardest to put the weight of her crown in her voice. “I will deal with you later.” She seethed, fear and anger and frustration making her blood boil. “I will NOT take any additional imposition of my time lightly. Do I make myself clear?” The gnarled old griffon inclined his head as much as her spell allowed, his eyes wide. She teleported him to the fourth-nicest guest room in her castle.

Sandbar picked something up off the grass. “Gallus? GALLUS!” he yelled frantically.

Twilight bit her lip.

The earth pony rounded on her. “Headmare Twilight, please, please! What happened to him? Where is he? Is he okay?”

The alicorn took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “I hope so. Did you see what happened?”

The pony nodded. Tears were falling from his eyes and streaking his cheeks. “He was falling and he twisted his wings and then he was…” he heaved a small, hiccupping sob, “he was gone!”

Twilight nodded. That description matched her own recollection of events. She lit her horn and applied a comprehensive scanning spell to the air where Gallus had been moments before. No trace ether lines suggesting teleportation or invisibility. No shifted particles that would mean a shrinking spell. No scattered neutrinos that might suggest disintegration, thank Celestia.

“What is it?” the earth pony asked anxiously. “What happened?”

Twilight shifted her wings in unease. “Nothing,” she admitted. “Nothing happened as far as I can tell.”

Her student fell to his knees in the grass.

This was bad. This was very, very bad.

Gallus drew a slow, shaky breath, afraid even to think. He was in the Umbral Realm, somehow. And not while he was asleep. Luna had said it was exceptionally dangerous to be here in physical form.

He just needed to stay still and try to discover how to get out.

What a shitty day. First he discovered his boyfriend dreaming romantically about someone else.

A bubble shimmered into being in front of him. In it, a blue griffon stood staring into a secondary bubble that contained a dancing pony and yak.

Gallus couldn’t decide if it was worse that Sandbar had been dreaming about a girl or about a yak. Then decided it was worse that he had dreamed that way about a friend. Gallus had spent the rest of the night on the school roof, only to be woken at dawn by one of Fluttershy’s stupid roosters screaming over in her animal sanctuary.

The vision in the bubble shifted, and Gallus watched himself startle awake beneath the bell in the tower, the early morning sun just peeking over the horizon.

Then he had seen Sandbar and Yona touching each other fondly in the quad, while he was perched on the roof.

In the dream bubble, the pony and yak walked hoof-in-hoof towards class. Rain began to pour upon them, making their fur hang wetly at their sides. They found a dry space under an awning, and laughing, their faces drew closer and closer, until-

Gallus waved a claw angrily, and the bubble winked out of existence. That had been an exaggeration of events, maybe, but it felt like a truth at that moment.

Then he’d had to flee from senile Grandpa Gruff.

Now he was here. Where a simple misstep into the wrong dream might kill him, like it probably had that ancient Dream Strider Luna told him about.

He swallowed nervously.

Just stay still, he thought.

“Maybe it has something to do with his dream talent?” Sandbar suggested.

Headmare Twilight tilted her head to the side. “His what now?”

“He’s a Dream Strider. He met with Princess Luna and she apparently told him all about it.”

“Wait, what?” She pressed a hoof to the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. “Okay, new rule, students must keep the Headmare apprised of all contacts with other princesses.” She sighed. “Be still,” she commanded.

A flash of pink light surrounded Sandbar. He screamed as the pink light vanished and he and Twilight were suddenly in the cafeteria. Students near them gasped.

“Spike! Come along! I need to get a letter to Luna stat.”

The dragon looked up from his small bowel of gems. “Luna again? Wow, she’s getting popular.”

The pink light flashed again and Sandbar found himself in the Headmare’s office. He was proud that he managed not to scream again.

“Wait,” Twilight said. “What do you mean ‘Luna again?’”

Spike shrugged. “Gallus had me send her a letter last night.”

“SERIOUSLY. NEW RULE!” Twilight yelled.

Being still was never one of the griffon’s strengths. His tail twitched and his talons itched. His whole body itched, for that matter. He scratched at his chest and gasped when he realized his necklace was missing. A quick glance revealed that it wasn’t on the ground near him. He cursed. “That old geezer must have ripped it off.”

He placed a claw where the turtle usually hung. A few breaths later, the necklace was back around his neck.

Did it even belong there, though? His boyfriend was out there dreaming about dancing with a yak. Of kissing her. Maybe more than kissing. The griffon made a ‘tsk’ sound in aggravation and the jade turtle dissolved back into nothing. He hated that it hurt so badly to take even a fake version of the necklace off.

Maybe Gruff was right. Maybe he should go home after all.

Light and sound warped around the griffon.