Dual Discoveryby Jonny ManzChaptersGlum GallusSaudade SilverstreamWhere There's a Will, There's a WayEpilogue - Dual DiscoveryGlum Gallus“I- I’m… I’m sor…” This wasn’t like Gallus - he knew what he had to do! Why was it so much trouble? “I’m sorry, Silverstream, but… it’s over.” He felt a vise constrict around his heart when he saw the emotions flash across the aforementioned hippogriff’s face. “W-what?” she meekly mustered, in a tone very unlike her normally bubbly speech. “Well, um… it’s just that, y’know, my duties in the guard, with training and all that, and you taking that position to be a teacher at the school… It’s just that…” he trailed off, as he could feel his confidence start to waver. “It’s just that, our lives have been pulled in opposite directions more and more lately, and we don’t have time for each other anymore… not-not really. I spend so much of my time in Canterlot, while you have to be here, in Ponyville.” “Oh, uh, I guess that makes sense…” Silverstream said, plastering a half-hearted smile across her face. “Yeah, I suppose what with how busy we are… But still…” she continued as she grasped her forearm, teeth chewing on her bottom beak. “Hey, c’mon, don’t worry, Silv, we can still be friends. We don’t have to hate each other’s guts! Remember? We learned about that when Headmare Starlight brought in Princess Cadance to guest-lecture that class about love!” Gallus finished, feeling on firmer footing. “Y-yeah, I guess so,” Silverstream replied, not as waveringly as before. “And I’m sure we’ll find other creatures to be our special someones – and we can look back at this fondly without missing it!” “Exactly!” Gallus exclaimed. “I dunno why Cadance made it sound like break-ups were such a big deal.” Gallus shot awake, that last bit of his dream sticking in his mind. The irony was not lost on him. Was it just him, or had he been having that dream a lot lately? He looked at the calendar. It was Hearth’s Warming Eve. Duty tonight – the night shift. Gallus groaned. The night shift was always boring – except on those rare occasions when there was a heist to foil or something like that. He secretly kind of hoped for something like that tonight, then mentally scolded himself. He checked the clock. 8 PM. Looks like he was right on schedule. It seemed some of Princess Twilight’s habits were rubbing off on him. Gallus looked around his apartment. Nothing fancy, but nice. It held all the essentials – a bed, a fully stocked kitchen, a bathroom. Plus, it was nice and clean. Cleaner than anything in Griffonstone, anyway. Satisfying, in a way. Gallus gave an approving nod. It was time to make “breakfast”. The bell in the clocktower sounded 9 times. Gallus knew that meant it was time to report for duty. He flew into the guard locker room. Opened up his locker. Inside was his guard armor. Looking over it, the way the gold glinted in the light, he couldn’t help but be reminded of the reactions of his friends, let alone the griffons back in Griffonstone, when he announced that he was joining the Equestrian Royal Guard. He remembered how Yona declared how “Yak very proud of griffon!”, and how Smolder lightly ribbed him, trying to play the thing off as a joke, even though he could tell she was proud of him. Then, there was Ocellus, who gave him a big, literal bear hug – he would have thought he would have been crushed by Yona – and Sandbar, who seemed as excited for him as he could be, considering his easygoing style. And Silverstream… well, Gallus thought Ocellus’s hug had been crushing. He also never forgot that kiss she gave him – it might have been his favorite kiss, now that he thought about it. If only they knew what was to come… Gallus shook his head to dispel those thoughts. No, he wouldn’t be going down that path, not tonight. The past was the past for a reason. He started remembering the griffon reactions. Gabby had given him a tight hug – almost as tight was Ocellus’s and Silverstream’s – what was it with the females in his life crushing him in hugs? He instinctively rubbed his ears as well – that screech of joy she gave was something he would never forget. Gilda’s fist-bump was satisfying, but not as satisfying as what she said – along the lines of the fact that she had figured he would make something of himself, and she was proud of him. It was by far the nicest thing he ever remembered her saying to him, even if she ended it by calling him a “total dork”. Gallus chuckled as he remembered how Grampa Gruff had made a big fuss about how he was glad that he wouldn’t have to worry about providing anything for Gallus ever again, and how he was glad that Gallus was Equestria’s problem now. He could tell that deep down, though, he was as proud as could be. Gallus put on his armor. As long as he could keep his mind on thoughts like that, and off of that day, or his dream from the previous night, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. And yet… …And yet, that was easier said than done. After relieving the prior guard of his post – he still felt a little spark of giddiness in his heart whenever he saw them salute him, and address him with a “Yes sir, Guard Captain sir!” – it seemed like it had been an eternity since anything had happened. Anything other than the clock tower ringing 10 times, and then 11 times after that, anyway. Gallus remembered that time, about 4 or so years ago, when there had been a burglary ring that had struck all over Canterlot, and they just so happened to target Canterlot Carousel. He was making one of his routine patrols, flying over the city, when he saw them break a window. He focused his wing flaps and made it so that his armor was not clacking against itself, so he then drew in close. A smile grew across his beak as he remembered that – Princess Twilight always did praise him for his stealth ability, saying how he was perhaps the stealthiest guard she’d ever seen. Anyway, as soon as he got in range, he put his bird parts to good use, letting out a screech loud enough to put the fear of Twilight into the group. He was certain one of them jumped so high, they nearly literally hit their head on the ceiling – but that one might have been a Pegasus anyway – and another one dropped the multiple reams of fabric that they were trying to carry off. He subdued two of the three, and just when it seemed like the third might escape, backup arrived, having heard his screech. He vividly recalled the chase that occurred – the wind whistling through his fur and feathers as he rapidly closed the gap, the scent of righteous fear heavy on the air. These were the times that made him truly happy to be a guard – when it felt like he was making a difference in the world. But nothing like that was happening tonight. Oh well, he had bragged about it so much to his friends when he saw them after that – they all seemed so impressed by it all. Even Smolder couldn’t hide her awe! And Silverstream… He shook his head, tried to focus on his other friends. It occurred to him that he had not seen them in a long time – he remembered the last time he visited being at least a year ago, maybe a year and a half. Had it really been that long? How time flies, he noted. The whole gang was there, including… Silverstream. Gallus sighed, conceding defeat. Obviously, his mind was going to continue to torture him until he confronted those thoughts head-on, so better sooner rather than later. Might as well take a sojourn down to the realms of repressed memory. (Wait, “sojourn down to the realms of repressed memory”? Sheesh, Princess Twilight had been rubbing off on him even more than he thought.) He winced as the first memory his mind brought to the fore was the ending of the dream he’d had the previous few days – specifically, the line he remembered Silverstream saying, about how they’d find new special someones, and all that. If only it had been as easy as they made it sound. He had tried dating for a little while after that – but to no avail. The relationships never seemed to last longer than a week or two at the most. The longest lasted for a month. Eventually, the whole thing started to seem more and more like just a chore. When they got to being only one disastrous date after another, he decided to swear off the whole relationship thing, and redouble his focus on his Royal Guard duties. To be fair, that was probably what allowed him to advance to the rank of Guard Captain so quickly, but still. Every time he thought of his achievements, there was a part of him, that just felt so empty. He knew he had friends – they were almost like family to him - and a great boss in Princess Twilight, but there was that part of him, always gnawing away at the edge of his consciousness, that was… lonely. It was a specific kind of loneliness, as it was nowhere near as severe as the loneliness he felt throughout his early years, but it ate away at his heart all the same. He tried to push it out of his mind, to tamp it down in some dark recess, but it always seemed to find a way to come to the fore. Gallus had a good idea as to what, exactly, this loneliness was about, as it always seemed to flare up the strongest when he thought about… Silverstream. He silently cursed to himself – he was such a coward! He could never manage to look directly at it – he was always scared that a direct inspection of all that nibbling would reveal that he had lost that part of him forever. And he seemed to be ever more aware of it with each passing day… Great, now he was thinking about exactly what he hadn’t wanted to. Well, hopefully she had found some creature to settle down with, someone deserving of her. The gnawing increased in intensity. Great, so he was a scumbag too now? The bell chimed 12 times, mercifully derailing Gallus’s train of thought. Only 6 hours left in the shift. He sighed. Suddenly, to his right, he heard a familiar sound. The clack of guard armor – but why? He turned to look. Landing right there was a Pegasus guard. Glistening Splendor, if memory served. “Alright, Captain, go ahead and clock out. I’ll be handling the rest of the shift,” Splendor said. “Hold on, I’m on shift for another 6 hours. This is always my shift, every Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Gallus replied, the confusion evident in his voice. “The night shift, until the Princess raises the sun.” “Orders for a shift change – directly from Her Majesty herself,” Splendor responded. “Copy that, soldier,” Gallus said, no less confused than at the beginning. He flew off to change out of his armor. Back home, Gallus turned the knob on his door. Odd, he didn’t remember leaving the lights on when he left. And he definitely didn’t remember that Hearth’s Warming tree and giant present. He decided to approach with extreme caution. It could always be a trap, he reasoned. He lifted the lid, his feline curiosity getting the better of him. Suddenly, he heard a perky voice exclaim, “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Gallus!” He barely had time to muster a shocked, “Silverstream?!” before his beak locked up with hers, and he found himself pulled into the box. Author's Note Thank you, once again, to TheAnonymator, for sharing your animation Gallus's Gift with all of us - it provided just the spark of inspiration I needed to write this story. Saudade Silverstream“Gallus, I-just… I can’t be a distraction to you anymore. I don’t think this is going to work out,” Silverstream somehow managed to get out, biting her bottom beak. “Hu-huh?” Gallus replied, his pupils shrinking to little pins. “Well, I mean, it’s just that, you’re up-and-coming in the guard, and I’ve got my new teaching responsibilities at the School… Maybe we just need to focus on that, is all I’m saying…” Silverstream trailed off, grasping at her forearm. “Oh, uh, okay, I guess that makes sense…” a clearly defeated Gallus replied. He started to raise his right hand, but pulled back at the last second. “But wait… no, no, you’re right…” Silverstream felt her resolve start to waver. No, no this had to be done. “Hey, c’mon, you’ll find someone else – someone a lot better than me!” Gallus chuckled wryly. “I doubt that, but I doubt you’ll have much trouble finding someone better than me.” Silverstream smiled. “Nah.” An idea then occurred to her. “Hey, let’s remain friends, like Princess Cadance talked about when Headmare Starlight brought her in to guest lecture about the different forms of love!” “Yeah… yeah! I think I’d like that,” Gallus replied, a not-quite-full-but-close smile upon his face. “Alright, friends it is then!” If only it were that easy. “Um… Professor Silverstream? You there?” Silverstream snapped out of her daydream. “Whu-huh?” She looked around – that’s right, she was teaching the class on the history of friendship and its effect on laughter in the School of Friendship! “Sorry about that, class, where was I?” The creature that had piped up previously – a brown kirin with a shrub-green mane; that’s right, Earth Gleam! She was one of Silverstream’s favorites – informed her, “Well, you were talking about how you were among the first group at the School, and you were also the first hippogriff. I think you also mentioned you made friends with the other 4 non-ponies in that initial group, as well as a pony? You were about to tell us about them when you trailed off like that.” “Oh, that’s right! Thank you, Earth Gleam!” Silverstream exclaimed, feeling an upsurge at the smile that grew across the kirin’s face. “Yes, me and my five friends helped to demonstrate that friendship wasn’t something exclusive to ponies – and even save the world!” The class leaned in intently. “I’ll tell you all about that next time.” They groaned. Silverstream had to suppress a chuckle. Smolder was right, sometimes a bit of friendly teasing could be fun! “Anyway, you should already be familiar with 2 of my friends – of course I mean Professors Smolder and Ocellus!” There were general murmurs of acknowledgment amongst the students, so she continued. “Then, there’s Yona, the yak –“ Silverstream paused so the yak student she had in class, Ingrid, could shout out “Yona best friend!” as she knew she would. “-who lives in Yakyakistan, and oversees former Professor Rarity’s fashion branch up there, Carousel Yakyakistan. She was down here, not that long ago, watching over Carousel Boutique while Rarity was up there working on it, in fact. Then there’s Sandbar, the Earth pony, and also Yona’s husband.” She waited for a reaction, and when none came, she continued. “Oh good, not that long ago, there would have been at least a little gasp at that – you might not believe it, but a mere 12 years ago, when they tied the knot, it was somewhat controversial – interspecies marriage was something still a bit taboo!” A reddish orange griffon – Silverstream finally remembered her name was Gerline – piped up out of turn, as Silverstream remembered she often did. “Wait, really?” “Yes, indeed! But the times keep on changing, and soon enough, it wasn’t that big a deal anymore! Sure, it’s not accepted everywhere, but then, what is?” Silverstream chuckled, ignoring the breach of decorum. Earth Glow raised a hoof. “Um, Professor Silverstream? Who’s your 6th friend?” Silverstream snapped back to reality. “Oh, right. The 6th one is actually now the Guard Captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard! He’s actually the first non-pony to even be admitted into the Guard, let alone make it that far! His name is… Gallus…” She began to trail off again. “Uh, Professor Silverstream?” “Oh, right, right! On with the lesson!” She really didn’t want to, but she was sure she was gonna have to talk to Smolder and Ocellus about this for sure. “It’s been a while since all 6 of us got together, huh?” Ocellus observed, cup of tea in hoof. “Yeah, it’s been kinda boring with just you two around here,” Smolder quipped, earning her an eyeroll and chuckle from Ocellus. “How long has it been since we saw the other 3?” Silverstream pondered aloud. “I mean, wasn’t it just a couple of months ago that Yona and Sandbar were down from Yakyakistan while Rarity traveled there?” “Yeah, that seems about right,” Ocellus replied. “What about Gallus?” Smolder asked, nearly causing Silverstream to spit out the sip of tea she had just taken. It was an action that did not go unnoticed. “Silverstream, you all right?” “What? Yeah, tea! I mean, uh, never better!” Silverstream exclaimed awkwardly. “Is there something you want to talk about?” Ocellus asked. “Wh-I, no!” Silverstream protested, but she soon realized it would be pointless. “Alright, yeah, it has to do with Gallus.” “That’s right, he hasn’t been down here to see us in quite a while,” Smolder responded. “I wonder if it has to with how you guys called off your relationship-“ This lack of tact earned Smolder a swift elbow to the gut from Ocellus. “What? I’m just kidding, alright? Can’t a dragon snark?” “No, it’s alright, I had been meaning to talk about this with you guys – I keep drifting off whenever I think of him now. It happened on and off before, but it's gotten way worse of late. I mean, I was in the middle of class, telling them about all of you, and when I got to him, I just… I couldn’t help but think back to when I broke it off with him,” Silverstream admitted. “Really?” Smolder couldn’t help but interject. “Yeah, I guess, ever since Yona and Sandbar visited that last time, I couldn’t help but think of what me and Gallus had. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for them, but – oh, I know this’ll sound terrible, but… I was also kind of jealous. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret taking this teaching job for a second, and I really hope Gallus doesn’t regret his position in the guard, but I do wish it could have worked out for us. It was... it was just too much of a strain, being apart so much of the time.” “So, you’re having some regrets? Have you tried dating anyone else?” Ocellus asked. “Yeah, but… it never really got past the first date in any of those cases. I dunno, it just never quite worked out – and working as a teacher here, with all the prep, it gave me a distraction to pour my attention into,” Silverstream replied. “It really convinced me that it was hopeless, trying to find any creature else. I wonder if he feels the same way? Part of me really hopes he found someone, but another part of me…” “Yeah, come on, Ocellus, she’s clearly got it bad for him!” Smolder interjected, an obvious teasing tone to her voice. Silverstream ignored the teasing and continued, “Yeah, as the years went on, I felt more and more sure that he was the one for me. I mean, teaching is great and satisfying, don’t get me wrong! And having the two of you always around is great, but… it just feels like there’s something missing.” Smolder raised an eyebrow. “Gee, thanks.” “Actually… I know Smolder was teasing you, but I think she was right. My senses might not be as strong as they once were, but I know how to read them with the best of them. I can tell how deeply you still care about him, Silverstream,” Ocellus said. “Wait, really?” both Smolder and Silverstream responded, the latter equally as credulous as the latter was skeptical. Ocellus nodded. “And I think you’ll need some closure to move on – either that, or you’ll manage to get back together. Either way, staying in limbo like this will just continue to eat away at you.” “Well, alright – you know what? That sounds like a great idea! And it’s perfect! With the school letting out for Hearth’s Warming next week, I think I’ll plan a surprise for him then!” “So, what exactly do you have in mind?” Ocellus asked. “Oh, I’m starting to get a pretty good idea,” Silverstream chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Oh no, you’ve unleashed a monster,” Smolder deadpanned. Ocellus rolled her eyes. It hadn’t been easy, but it was finally Hearth’s Warming Eve! Silverstream was flying to Canterlot now, to put her plan into action. Hopefully that note she’d had Spike – who she had fortunately managed to bump into, and without who she would have never known that Gallus had the night shift every Hearth’s Warming – would cause the Princess to expect her. As she approached the castle and landed, a guard greeted her. “Ah, Silverstream. We were informed by Her Majesty that you might be stopping by. Come, right this way.” She was always impressed by the hallway to the throne room – it was always nice seeing the stained-glass window she and her friends earned for stopping that rogue sun beetle. But now was not the time to be distracted by that. “Silverstream! Good to see you!” Twilight embraced her former student. “I got your note. What kind of surprise are you planning?” “Well, um, I guess I should’ve checked this earlier, but, um, Gallus isn’t seeing any creature at the moment, is he?” Silverstream asked with trepadation, her claw once again grasping around her other forearm. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked, before her face lit up. “Oh, oh, like that! Oh, no, no, he’s doesn’t have any creature like that – and hasn’t in quite a while, I might add.” “Really?” Silverstream asked, hope sloshing off her voice in waves. “Yeah, I pay attention and notice more than the guards give me credit for! For instance, how Glinting Sword always manages to refile Super Naturals just one place off in the Royal Canterlot Library whenever he's on duty,” Twilight said, clearing her throat, “But, I don’t think that’s helpful right now. Suffice to say, I’m 100% positive he’s not seeing any creature like that.” “Oh good! Then could I have copies of the keys to his apartment?” “Hm… what exactly does your surprise entail?” Twilight inquired. “Well…” Silverstream whispered the plan to Twilight. “Hmm… I dunno…” Twilight seemed to look Silverstream up and down, making eye contact for an extended period, before finally continuing, “Yeah, I think that just might work. Alright, just let me know when you’re done setting up so I can give the order for the shift change.” It took all Silverstream’s control to not burst into tears upon seeing the state of Gallus’s apartment. It was so… so sterile, so impersonal! There was just a bed, an unexceptional kitchen, and a boring bathroom! There were no pesonalizations that she could see aside from the landscapes calendar and a clock with an image of Princess Twilight and her friends on it! This might take longer than she thought. At last, she had managed to pick out the perfect Hearth’s Warming tree, as well as the box to go underneath it. Princess Twilight said she would give the order for Gallus to shift out at midnight, right on the dot. She checked the clock. 5 minutes ‘til midnight. Perfect. She crawled into the box, and began mentally preparing herself to try and get Gallus back, or go down swinging! After what seemed like no time at all, she heard the doorknob turn. It was go time. She heard the steps approach the box. Soon, a sliver of light crossed her eyes. She sprung to attention. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Gallus!” He could only manage to spit out, “Silverstream?!” before she pulled him into a beaklock, down into the box with her. Author's Note For whatever reason, this chapter was a real pain to get out - and not because I was just winging it, making it up as I went along. No, I had an outline, but it just resisted being put to writing, or something. Oh well, I ended up happy with the result, so it's fine in the end. Also, the Saudade in the title is supposed to be italicized, I believe, since it's a loanword from Portuguese, but that formatting isn't supported there. Where There's a Will, There's a WayGallus felt the fuzziness in his head start to recede. Where was he? Wherever he was, it was rather dark – were it not for his excellent night sight, he doubted he would have been able to see anything at all. He slowly turned his head, only to realize there was another figure lying next to him. A very familiar figure. Silverstream?, he wondered to himself. As he began to regain more of his faculties, he felt a familiar feeling, right in-between his hindlegs. They hadn’t! Then, he caught a whiff of the overwhelming scent of the area – musk, no doubt about it. They had. “Silverstream, what’s going on here?” Silverstream rubbed a claw behind her head. “Uh, Happy Hearth’s Warming, Gallus! I had wanted to surprise you with just a kiss, but, uh, I guess I missed you more than I thought, and one thing led to another… I’m so sorry!” She clapped her claws together in front of her face, closing her eyes. “No, don’t be, it’s not like I didn’t go along with it. Just wasn’t expecting it, is all. It had been a while…” Gallus trailed off, clearing his throat. “So you wanted to give me a Hearth’s Warming surprise? Why?” “I just wanted to surprise you, see how you’re doing and all – it’s been a while, y’know.” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “Really, you went through all this trouble, surprising me like this, just to find out how I am?” Silverstream looked away before sighing. “Alright, you got me, that’s not the real reason. But I really think we should break the ice first, before I get into the true reason.” Gallus wanted to protest – he raised a talon as if to make a point. However, his feline instincts started screaming at him to take Silverstream up on her offer of small talk, for now. “Alright, well, I’ve been doing well. Making sure the new recruits are whipped into shape, ensuring peace and justice across Canterlot, and the rest of Equestria, same old, same old. How about you? How are things at the School?” “Oh, the classes are great. The kids today are so much more accepting – things that were so taboo, like, well… like interspecies relationships, back when we first came to Equestria, now don’t even get a rise out of them,” Silverstream replied, the familiar bubbliness in her tone out in full force. “Well, that’s good to hear! How are Smolder and Ocellus doing?” “Well, they’re fine. I think their feelings for each other go deeper than mere friendship, though,” Silverstream replied mischievously. “They’re just in denial.” “Oh really?” “Yeah, at least, I think so. The other teachers think so, too.” Gallus chuffed in amazement. “So, anyway, I remember you talking about that crime ring you stopped when they broke into Canterlot Carousel. Anything exciting like that happen of late?” “Nah, nothing too special, just watching over the Princess, and her personal protégé, Luster Dawn. I don’t think you’ve met her yet,” Gallus replied. “Ah, okay. Hey, that reminds me, I don’t think you’ve met any of my current students! I’d love to introduce you to them.” “Yeah, that would be cool,” Gallus ruminated. An awkward silence descended upon the inside of the box until Gallus thought of something. “Wait, how did you get into my apartment? I know I locked it before I left – I always lock it before I leave,” Gallus said, scratching the underside of his beak. Silverstream rubbed the back of her head. “Oh, yeah, that. I asked Princess Twilight for some help in setting up this surprise.” Pieces started to click together in Gallus’s mind. “Ah, I see. That would also explain the sudden shift change.” “Yeah, she also told me you weren’t seeing any creature right now – that’s why I planned this surprise. If you had been, I would’ve thought of something more subdued.” Gallus chuckled – leave it to the Princess of Equestria to have noticed something like that. Suddenly Silverstream’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute, I just remembered something! Weren’t you claustrophobic, Gallus? How come you’re not freaking out about being in this box.” Gallus shifted his wings a bit, continuing to rub at the underside of his beak. “I guess it’s my guard training – I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m still not exactly comfortable, but this doesn’t scare me like it once did.” “Oh, that’s great news!” Silverstream exclaimed, clapping her claws together. “I’m so happy for you!” “Yeah, yeah…” Gallus’s patience was wearing thin by this point. “So, anyway, you got Princess Twilight involved in this surprise – more importantly, she went along with this. So I figure, it’s gotta be important. What’s the real reason for this surprise?” Silverstream chuckled wryly. “Fair enough, I guess it's now or never. Well, the reason is… I wanted to find closure, either with you or without you.” The reasoning clicked into place in Gallus’s head, and his eyes lit up. However, he decided to proceed with a little caution – just to be sure. “Come again?” Silverstream sighed, her posture slumping noticeably. “I… came here, to either get you back, or so that I could finally move on with my life.” Gallus recoiled at hearing it stated so bluntly. “W-what do you mean?” “Well, it’s just that, whenever I think of you lately, I can’t help but think about that day, when you- when I- when we, ended. I just stall out, and it’s tougher and tougher to snap out of. Ocellus used her changeling senses, and she could tell just how important it was that I do this.” The sudden mention of their changeling friend caused Gallus to ask what he would later admit was a dumb question. “Wait, so did she think up this plan, or like, put you up to this, or anything like that?” Silverstream shook her head. “No no no, nothing like that. No, I came up with this plan on my own – she was just the one who inspired me to come up with it in the first place. The only one who helped me out was Princess Twilight – and I guess Ambassador Spike, too, since he sent the letter to the Princess for me so she would know I was coming.” “Alright, well, I guess you’ll have to move on without me, because I’ve put that part of myself behind me now. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I never regretted what we had, not for a second, but that’s in the past now – I don’t have a need for a relationship like that,” Gallus said, trying to not let the full extent of the memories flood back. “So that’s why you’re not seeing any creature? You’re saying you’ve sworn off relationships entirely?” Silverstream asked, obviously trying to keep her emotions in check as well. “Yeah, basically. I mean, at the end there, they were only lasting for, like, one or two dates. So, I figured that I could just focus all my time on my guard work. Heck, that’s probably what made me get up to Captain so quickly,” Gallus replied, the words sounding more hollow than he intended. Silverstream was not about to give up so easily, it seemed. “But, remember the time we first kissed?” “Hm, when was that? Oh yeah, wasn’t it at that after party dance for the Princess’s coronation?” Silverstream perked up. “Exactly! That slow number had begun, and you pulled me in close. The gleam in your eyes, the way the lights were shining off your head feathers, your natural flighty scent… oh, it was just so romantic! And then when we drew in closer, and our beaks met – I remember the electricity that ran up and down my spine, left me tingling all across my body afterward! You remember that too, right?” That all sounded familiar, so Gallus responded in the affirmative. Silverstream continued, getting more worked up. “And-and then, you remember our first date outside of the School of Friendship, right? You took me flying all over Equestria! There wasn’t a plan, right?” Gallus chuckled. “Nope, I figured we’d just go wherever the currents took us, see what there was to see. That time we spent, just riding wherever that cloud took us… It’s always so lovely seeing the ground from so high up,” he finished, in a semi-flippant manner. Silverstream, clearly not happy with the progress, soldiered on, the emotion now starting to strangle her words. “And then… do… do you remember the first time we… we made love?” Gallus winced. As much warmth as that particular memory provided, it also caused the old knife wound in his heart to flare up again. “Yeah, I remember, it was our graduation day from the School.” Silverstream picked up the slack. “We were all getting ready for the ceremony – in fact, I think all the other students in the seniors dorm had gone off to be fitted for their gowns.” “Yeah, we had hung back – I remember your heat was particularly bad that year.” Silverstream blushed. “That it was.” “I remember you asking for my help with something, practically dragging me over to your room. The begging tone you took, as you pleaded for me to take you, the flush across your face, how your body glistened with sweat, your intoxicating musk… there was nothing about you in that moment that I didn’t find absolutely attractive,” Gallus said, the warmth growing, and its light revealing the blade still sticking in. “And do you remember after that?” Silverstream insisted. Gallus sighed. “Of course I do – I remember two-becoming-one, the scratches our talons left on each other and the bed, and the loud screeches both of us were making.” He paused to chuckle. “Y'know, it was lucky that every other senior was already on the other side of campus – otherwise we would’ve been busted for sure.” Silverstream chuckled. “Yeah, probably.” “Thank Grover we had to wear those gowns – those scratches might have been awkward to explain away.” “Although I’m pretty sure Headmare Starlight figured out what we had been up to when she came looking for us. Since we fell asleep together and all,” Silverstream finished with a giggle. “That’s right, I remember – I fell asleep listening to your heartbeat, because it… always… made me so comfortable…” Gallus trailed off, the warmth turning to a heat and the blade starting to twist around. “Right…” Silverstream murmured. “I’m sorry, but that was then and this is now. I… I should be going,” Gallus said, making to climb out of the box. Silverstream grabbed his arm. “Wait, please! Don’t go! Don’t… go…” Any pretense at checking her emotions was lost now, as the tears started to stream down her face and out of her voice. “I truly did love you Gallus. Do you remember the first time we told each other ‘I love you’?” Gallus grimaced, the pain starting to become too much to bear. If this continued for much longer, he was going to lose it as well. “Yeah, I do.” He made for the lid once again. “Gallus… I… you’re the only one for me! Every day, I feel that loneliness, that emptiness, because you’re not in my life! I thought I could distract myself with throwing myself headlong into teaching, but it only worked for so long! Damn it, Gallus, I… I… I still love you!” And just like that, the knife twisted free, reopening all the ossified scars. “You think I didn’t feel the same way?!” Gallus replied in a low tone, absolutely seething. “For so long, I felt so lonely! I didn’t want to get into a new relationship after ending it with you – but eventually the loneliness got too large to bear!” Gallus started huffing, the heat rising to his cheeks. “After you, I met this griffon. Her name was Glinda! At first, I thought I was going to move on, that she would turn out to be the one! That relationship lasted for a month. I can still remember her parting words to me – ‘Gallus, you know I care for you, and you care for me. I might even love you. I’m sorry, but I don’t think you can love me. I think you’re hung up about something in your past – and it makes you so distant. I do wish I could help you move past it. By now, though, I’ve figured out that it’s futile. So, I think it’s only fair for the both of us if we end this here. I really hope you can manage to move past it someday.’” Silverstream winced, the tears rolling at full speed down her face, forming a waterfall. Gallus continued, just short of shouting. “That was the last time I ever saw her!” He chuckled wryly. “For all I know, she’s married and has a couple kids now. And from there, it was all down hill! I don’t think I had a single relationship last more than a couple weeks! Eventually, it got to be where they would only last a date or two before calling it off!” A spark ran across Silverstream’s watery eyes – she had to place her claw over her beak just to keep from sobbing. “From that point on, I focused exclusively on taking care of my guard duties, and, and…” At this point, the dam within Gallus broke and the tears started streaming down his face. “And whenever I was doing something, stopping crime, protecting the citizenry, learning more about what it meant to protect, racking up accolades, I could ignore the biting loneliness, gnawing away at me. But… but whenever I was alone, with my thoughts, I… that part of me would torture me, at the edge of my consciousness, because… because I was always too afraid to look at it, afraid of what I would find!” “W…what were you afraid of?” Silverstream whimpered. Gallus wanted to shout, but he was out of energy by this point. “I… I was afraid that I would find that I was broken, beyond repair – or worse, that that part of me would be completely gone, and I could never get it back.” Silverstream scooted closer to Gallus, seemingly instinctually. “And then, out of the blue, you show up with this surprise, and I was forced to confront those things I buried a long time ago! I regretted it every day after I broke up with you! I thought those relationships, and then guard duties, would help me to get over it, but it always lingered! Because I did love you, Silverstream!” Gallus stopped, panting furiously. It was this pause that allowed him to realize that, suddenly, the pain didn’t feel so bad anymore. Instead, the warmth had spread from his beak to his paws, enveloping him in a warm hug. He gasped – this feeling was familiar! “Because… because I do love you, Silverstream!” The two broke down into full sobbing, desperately embracing one another, their bodies pressing so closely together that not even Ocellus would be able to transform into something small enough to pass between. Gallus stuck his head into Silverstream’s shoulder, greedily inhaling her familiar, comforting scent of lilacs and sea salt. He could feel her do the same to him. After the two had worn themselves out, as the tears were beginning to abate, Gallus felt that he was struck with a bolt of lightning. “Wait… I-I love you. I love you, Silverstream!” He began to chuckle, which evolved into laughter, which evolved into full on joyous guffawing. Silverstream looked at him, confusion evident in her eyes. “Wait, why are you-” “Because, I just realized, I can love again! You helped me to re-discover the part of me that I thought was gone, broken! I was so scared I could never love again, but you’re the key!” Gallus responded, cutting Silverstream off. “The key?” “To unlock all the love inside my heart! You came back for me, and saved me from myself. I love you so much, Silverstream,” Gallus said, part of him trying not to roll its eyes over the sappiness. Silverstream chuckled. “I guess, in that way, we’re finally even.” Now confusion danced across Gallus’s face. “How so?” “Well, remember way back when, the first time I started feeling what I feel about you? In the cavern underneath the School?” Realization flashed across Gallus’s face. “Right, when I helped you conquer your fear of being trapped by the Storm King.” Gallus chuckled, a smug grin crossing his face. “I remember that hug you gave me. To be fair, that’s when I started feeling the way I do about you,” he finished nonchalantly. A comfortable silence descended upon the pair, until Silverstream started. “Wait, you said that you broke up with me?” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, because that’s what happened. And then, no matter how much I wanted to get back, I didn’t want to feel like I was crawling back to you, so I felt like I couldn’t go back.” “Wait… but I remember breaking up with you…” Silverstream trailed off, breaking out into laughter. “You mean… you mean…” “Wait, so we couldn’t get back together because of how immature we were back then?” Gallus queried, breaking out into laughter as well. “All that emotional pain – and for nothing!” Silverstream guffawed. “This shouldn't be so funny, but I just can’t help it,” Gallus laughed. After the laughter died down, Gallus and Silverstream stared deeply into each other’s eyes. “Let’s not make the same mistake again,” Silverstream said. “Yeah, we earned our second chance, let’s not waste it,” Gallus agreed. “But, wait… you still live in Canterlot, and I still live in Ponyville. Wasn’t that what made the relationship so difficult in the first place?” “It will work this time, trust me. Not only are we older and more experienced now, but we know what will happen without it. Trust me, I really feel like it’s gonna work this time.” “Yeah… yeah.” Silverstream sighed contentedly. Gallus fidgeted his index talons. “Hey, uh, Silv?” Silverstream grunted in acknowledgment. “Would you mind if I listened to your heartbeat again?” Silverstream beamed. “I would love that.” The two of them fell asleep, Gallus listening to that comforting metronome the whole way. He felt a contentedness - like that painful loneliness was now a distant memory, never to haunt his idle thoughts again. END MAIN STORY Gallus awoke with a jolt and looked around. “Hey, uh, Silv?” “Yeah, Gally?” “You think we should go ahead and get out of this box?” Silverstream sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. “Oh, yeah.” Author's Note So, yeah, I realize that you probably already read it before reading this, but I figured I'd say, I put that "END MAIN STORY" there so that you're expecting it, as I did the same thing in the epilogue. Here, I feel that, while the scene is a bit of a mood change, it's not that sudden. The after "END" scene in the epilogue, however, might give some of you mood whiplash. Feel free to skip that if you want. Or not. Far be it for me to tell you how to enjoy something. Anyway, as tough as it was getting chapter 2 written out, this one was every bit as easy (if not more so) - not to mention really, really gratifying. Epilogue - Dual Discovery“Thank you, for everything you’ve done.” Twilight tilted her head downward. “Hm? Whatever do you mean, Gallus?” “Helping me and Silverstream re-discover what we had thought was lost, what you came up with to allow us to be together much more often. Y’know, nothing big,” Gallus replied, slipping back into his old snark for a split-second. “Oh, she did the heavy lifting there, I can’t really take credit for that. As for the second part, I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Twilight said, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Sure, Princess, sure.” At that point, Luster Dawn walked up to the two. “This is a really nice proceeding, Princess, and Guard Captain. I’m also really glad you’ll be accompanying me to Ponyville, Guard Captain – the School of Friendship seems like it’ll be really fun! Plus, I have so much to learn.” Gallus raised an eyebrow at Twilight, smirking the whole time. “What? Can’t a princess assign the best possible protective duty to her personal protégé?” Gallus chuckled to himself. “Oh wait! I just thought of something! Won’t you have to give up your position if you come with me, Guard Captain?” Luster Dawn exclaimed. “No, he won’t, Luster Dawn. He will officially remain captain, and whenever he is in Canterlot on official business, he will resume his duties. For the rest of the time, I will name an acting captain to take over the duties. This arrangement will last for a year or so, to evaluate its effectiveness.” “Oh, okay, that makes sense.” In the background, bells started ringing. “It looks like the ceremony is about to begin. Luster Dawn, you’d better go ahead and take your seat,” Twilight said. “Alright, I’ll meet up with you after the ceremony, Guard Captain.” The ringing reached a crescendo, as the trumpeters began to play. “Ready to see your bride, Guard Captain Gallus?” Gallus gulped, tugging at the collar of his tuxedo. “I kinda want to say ‘no’, but I know I should’ve done this a long time ago. So yes, absolutely.” The doors opened, and in walked Silverstream, wearing a gown of flowing lace that accentuated her figure perfectly. It was easy to believe that Rarity had had a hoof in the making of it – harder to believe was that Yona, Smolder, and Ocellus had also assisted in the design. Gallus’s heart started thumping faster in his chest – it didn’t truly feel real before now. The entire walk up to the dais only took a moment but to the both of them, it felt like an eternity. Silverstream stopped, pivoted, and looked Gallus in the eyes, a gaze he returned. Twilight smiled, looking at the two of them. “Fillies and gentlecolts, every creature, we are gathered here to celebrate these two creatures being joined in holy mare-trimony, the Guard Captain Gallus the griffon, and his bride, Silverstream the hippogriff.” The rest of the ceremony flew by like a blur – the vows, the “I do’s” – though it was all they could do to keep their composure. Finally, the part of the ceremony they had been waiting for happened when Twilight said, “You may now kiss the bride!” Gallus swept Silverstream off her claws. Their beaks met and then parted, their tongues dancing an electric waltz of unremitting joy. Both would later admit that it surpassed even their first kiss. “Alright, so you’ll be on your honeymoon for about a month, and then you’ll meet up with Luster Dawn at the School of Friendship.” “Thank you so much for this, Your Majesty,” Gallus said, embracing Twilight. “Yeah, thank you thank you thank you!” Silverstream exclaimed, joining in the embrace. “Alright, go have fun, you two lovebirds!” Twilight said with a wink. Gallus and Silverstream looked at each other and grinned, getting in the carriage labeled “Just Married”. Twilight was watching, waiting for the carriage to take up, when a figure flew in next to her. “Oh, hey Spike!” “Hey, Twilight. That was some wedding, huh? They sure do make a good couple.” “They sure do.” Spike scratched his chin. “Hey, Twilight?” Twilight grunted, “Hm?” “Gallus mentioned to me that he had been having a recurring dream, of the time that he and Silverstream broke up. Considering that Luna transferred that part of her powers over to you, did you have anything to do with it?” “Hm, you know how, way back when, those stars just happened to break Nightmare Moon free from her 1,000-year moon imprisonment?” Twilight responded. “Yeah, but what does that have to do-“ Twilight cut him off. “Well, remember how, at that point, the whole sky – the sun, moon, and stars, were under the control of one Princess Celestia?” Spike’s eyes widened. “Wait, are you saying-“ “It was something Princess Celestia told me. One of her powers was foresight – the ability to read situations, see how they will play out in the future. Well, see how they’re supposed to play out. That came right away – what she developed later was a sense for when things could be trusted to play out on their own, and when they needed a little nudge in the right direction,” Twilight finished with a wink. “When I looked into Silverstream’s eyes, that was when I knew for sure that the time was right.” “You know, you’re becoming more and more like her every day.” Twilight just smiled from ear to ear. With that, the carriage with Gallus and Silverstream took off, the cans clinking behind them. It would take them to their honeymoon, and then on to the rest of their lives. Lives that would be contented – because they would be spending them with each other. THE END “Geeze, what is it with Equestrian Royal Guard Captains marrying royalty?” Spike suddenly spoke up. When Twilight looked at him quizzically, he continued, “Well, I mean, Silverstream is Queen Novo’s niece, so that makes her, like, a duchess, right? And then of course there was your brother and Princess Cadance, of course.” “Oh, that reminds me,” Twilight said, a candle being lit above her head. “I do believe I won our little bet, as they got married less than 6 months after Hearth’s Warming.” Spike sighed. “Fine, fine, I’ll supervise the castle for a day, so you can personally oversee the reshelving of the Royal Canterlot Library.” Twilight squeed. Author's Note The scene before "THE END" with Spike and Twilight, I felt was necessary to explain some things. The one after was just for fun.
Glum Gallus“I- I’m… I’m sor…” This wasn’t like Gallus - he knew what he had to do! Why was it so much trouble? “I’m sorry, Silverstream, but… it’s over.” He felt a vise constrict around his heart when he saw the emotions flash across the aforementioned hippogriff’s face. “W-what?” she meekly mustered, in a tone very unlike her normally bubbly speech. “Well, um… it’s just that, y’know, my duties in the guard, with training and all that, and you taking that position to be a teacher at the school… It’s just that…” he trailed off, as he could feel his confidence start to waver. “It’s just that, our lives have been pulled in opposite directions more and more lately, and we don’t have time for each other anymore… not-not really. I spend so much of my time in Canterlot, while you have to be here, in Ponyville.” “Oh, uh, I guess that makes sense…” Silverstream said, plastering a half-hearted smile across her face. “Yeah, I suppose what with how busy we are… But still…” she continued as she grasped her forearm, teeth chewing on her bottom beak. “Hey, c’mon, don’t worry, Silv, we can still be friends. We don’t have to hate each other’s guts! Remember? We learned about that when Headmare Starlight brought in Princess Cadance to guest-lecture that class about love!” Gallus finished, feeling on firmer footing. “Y-yeah, I guess so,” Silverstream replied, not as waveringly as before. “And I’m sure we’ll find other creatures to be our special someones – and we can look back at this fondly without missing it!” “Exactly!” Gallus exclaimed. “I dunno why Cadance made it sound like break-ups were such a big deal.” Gallus shot awake, that last bit of his dream sticking in his mind. The irony was not lost on him. Was it just him, or had he been having that dream a lot lately? He looked at the calendar. It was Hearth’s Warming Eve. Duty tonight – the night shift. Gallus groaned. The night shift was always boring – except on those rare occasions when there was a heist to foil or something like that. He secretly kind of hoped for something like that tonight, then mentally scolded himself. He checked the clock. 8 PM. Looks like he was right on schedule. It seemed some of Princess Twilight’s habits were rubbing off on him. Gallus looked around his apartment. Nothing fancy, but nice. It held all the essentials – a bed, a fully stocked kitchen, a bathroom. Plus, it was nice and clean. Cleaner than anything in Griffonstone, anyway. Satisfying, in a way. Gallus gave an approving nod. It was time to make “breakfast”. The bell in the clocktower sounded 9 times. Gallus knew that meant it was time to report for duty. He flew into the guard locker room. Opened up his locker. Inside was his guard armor. Looking over it, the way the gold glinted in the light, he couldn’t help but be reminded of the reactions of his friends, let alone the griffons back in Griffonstone, when he announced that he was joining the Equestrian Royal Guard. He remembered how Yona declared how “Yak very proud of griffon!”, and how Smolder lightly ribbed him, trying to play the thing off as a joke, even though he could tell she was proud of him. Then, there was Ocellus, who gave him a big, literal bear hug – he would have thought he would have been crushed by Yona – and Sandbar, who seemed as excited for him as he could be, considering his easygoing style. And Silverstream… well, Gallus thought Ocellus’s hug had been crushing. He also never forgot that kiss she gave him – it might have been his favorite kiss, now that he thought about it. If only they knew what was to come… Gallus shook his head to dispel those thoughts. No, he wouldn’t be going down that path, not tonight. The past was the past for a reason. He started remembering the griffon reactions. Gabby had given him a tight hug – almost as tight was Ocellus’s and Silverstream’s – what was it with the females in his life crushing him in hugs? He instinctively rubbed his ears as well – that screech of joy she gave was something he would never forget. Gilda’s fist-bump was satisfying, but not as satisfying as what she said – along the lines of the fact that she had figured he would make something of himself, and she was proud of him. It was by far the nicest thing he ever remembered her saying to him, even if she ended it by calling him a “total dork”. Gallus chuckled as he remembered how Grampa Gruff had made a big fuss about how he was glad that he wouldn’t have to worry about providing anything for Gallus ever again, and how he was glad that Gallus was Equestria’s problem now. He could tell that deep down, though, he was as proud as could be. Gallus put on his armor. As long as he could keep his mind on thoughts like that, and off of that day, or his dream from the previous night, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. And yet… …And yet, that was easier said than done. After relieving the prior guard of his post – he still felt a little spark of giddiness in his heart whenever he saw them salute him, and address him with a “Yes sir, Guard Captain sir!” – it seemed like it had been an eternity since anything had happened. Anything other than the clock tower ringing 10 times, and then 11 times after that, anyway. Gallus remembered that time, about 4 or so years ago, when there had been a burglary ring that had struck all over Canterlot, and they just so happened to target Canterlot Carousel. He was making one of his routine patrols, flying over the city, when he saw them break a window. He focused his wing flaps and made it so that his armor was not clacking against itself, so he then drew in close. A smile grew across his beak as he remembered that – Princess Twilight always did praise him for his stealth ability, saying how he was perhaps the stealthiest guard she’d ever seen. Anyway, as soon as he got in range, he put his bird parts to good use, letting out a screech loud enough to put the fear of Twilight into the group. He was certain one of them jumped so high, they nearly literally hit their head on the ceiling – but that one might have been a Pegasus anyway – and another one dropped the multiple reams of fabric that they were trying to carry off. He subdued two of the three, and just when it seemed like the third might escape, backup arrived, having heard his screech. He vividly recalled the chase that occurred – the wind whistling through his fur and feathers as he rapidly closed the gap, the scent of righteous fear heavy on the air. These were the times that made him truly happy to be a guard – when it felt like he was making a difference in the world. But nothing like that was happening tonight. Oh well, he had bragged about it so much to his friends when he saw them after that – they all seemed so impressed by it all. Even Smolder couldn’t hide her awe! And Silverstream… He shook his head, tried to focus on his other friends. It occurred to him that he had not seen them in a long time – he remembered the last time he visited being at least a year ago, maybe a year and a half. Had it really been that long? How time flies, he noted. The whole gang was there, including… Silverstream. Gallus sighed, conceding defeat. Obviously, his mind was going to continue to torture him until he confronted those thoughts head-on, so better sooner rather than later. Might as well take a sojourn down to the realms of repressed memory. (Wait, “sojourn down to the realms of repressed memory”? Sheesh, Princess Twilight had been rubbing off on him even more than he thought.) He winced as the first memory his mind brought to the fore was the ending of the dream he’d had the previous few days – specifically, the line he remembered Silverstream saying, about how they’d find new special someones, and all that. If only it had been as easy as they made it sound. He had tried dating for a little while after that – but to no avail. The relationships never seemed to last longer than a week or two at the most. The longest lasted for a month. Eventually, the whole thing started to seem more and more like just a chore. When they got to being only one disastrous date after another, he decided to swear off the whole relationship thing, and redouble his focus on his Royal Guard duties. To be fair, that was probably what allowed him to advance to the rank of Guard Captain so quickly, but still. Every time he thought of his achievements, there was a part of him, that just felt so empty. He knew he had friends – they were almost like family to him - and a great boss in Princess Twilight, but there was that part of him, always gnawing away at the edge of his consciousness, that was… lonely. It was a specific kind of loneliness, as it was nowhere near as severe as the loneliness he felt throughout his early years, but it ate away at his heart all the same. He tried to push it out of his mind, to tamp it down in some dark recess, but it always seemed to find a way to come to the fore. Gallus had a good idea as to what, exactly, this loneliness was about, as it always seemed to flare up the strongest when he thought about… Silverstream. He silently cursed to himself – he was such a coward! He could never manage to look directly at it – he was always scared that a direct inspection of all that nibbling would reveal that he had lost that part of him forever. And he seemed to be ever more aware of it with each passing day… Great, now he was thinking about exactly what he hadn’t wanted to. Well, hopefully she had found some creature to settle down with, someone deserving of her. The gnawing increased in intensity. Great, so he was a scumbag too now? The bell chimed 12 times, mercifully derailing Gallus’s train of thought. Only 6 hours left in the shift. He sighed. Suddenly, to his right, he heard a familiar sound. The clack of guard armor – but why? He turned to look. Landing right there was a Pegasus guard. Glistening Splendor, if memory served. “Alright, Captain, go ahead and clock out. I’ll be handling the rest of the shift,” Splendor said. “Hold on, I’m on shift for another 6 hours. This is always my shift, every Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Gallus replied, the confusion evident in his voice. “The night shift, until the Princess raises the sun.” “Orders for a shift change – directly from Her Majesty herself,” Splendor responded. “Copy that, soldier,” Gallus said, no less confused than at the beginning. He flew off to change out of his armor. Back home, Gallus turned the knob on his door. Odd, he didn’t remember leaving the lights on when he left. And he definitely didn’t remember that Hearth’s Warming tree and giant present. He decided to approach with extreme caution. It could always be a trap, he reasoned. He lifted the lid, his feline curiosity getting the better of him. Suddenly, he heard a perky voice exclaim, “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Gallus!” He barely had time to muster a shocked, “Silverstream?!” before his beak locked up with hers, and he found himself pulled into the box. Author's Note Thank you, once again, to TheAnonymator, for sharing your animation Gallus's Gift with all of us - it provided just the spark of inspiration I needed to write this story.
Saudade Silverstream“Gallus, I-just… I can’t be a distraction to you anymore. I don’t think this is going to work out,” Silverstream somehow managed to get out, biting her bottom beak. “Hu-huh?” Gallus replied, his pupils shrinking to little pins. “Well, I mean, it’s just that, you’re up-and-coming in the guard, and I’ve got my new teaching responsibilities at the School… Maybe we just need to focus on that, is all I’m saying…” Silverstream trailed off, grasping at her forearm. “Oh, uh, okay, I guess that makes sense…” a clearly defeated Gallus replied. He started to raise his right hand, but pulled back at the last second. “But wait… no, no, you’re right…” Silverstream felt her resolve start to waver. No, no this had to be done. “Hey, c’mon, you’ll find someone else – someone a lot better than me!” Gallus chuckled wryly. “I doubt that, but I doubt you’ll have much trouble finding someone better than me.” Silverstream smiled. “Nah.” An idea then occurred to her. “Hey, let’s remain friends, like Princess Cadance talked about when Headmare Starlight brought her in to guest lecture about the different forms of love!” “Yeah… yeah! I think I’d like that,” Gallus replied, a not-quite-full-but-close smile upon his face. “Alright, friends it is then!” If only it were that easy. “Um… Professor Silverstream? You there?” Silverstream snapped out of her daydream. “Whu-huh?” She looked around – that’s right, she was teaching the class on the history of friendship and its effect on laughter in the School of Friendship! “Sorry about that, class, where was I?” The creature that had piped up previously – a brown kirin with a shrub-green mane; that’s right, Earth Gleam! She was one of Silverstream’s favorites – informed her, “Well, you were talking about how you were among the first group at the School, and you were also the first hippogriff. I think you also mentioned you made friends with the other 4 non-ponies in that initial group, as well as a pony? You were about to tell us about them when you trailed off like that.” “Oh, that’s right! Thank you, Earth Gleam!” Silverstream exclaimed, feeling an upsurge at the smile that grew across the kirin’s face. “Yes, me and my five friends helped to demonstrate that friendship wasn’t something exclusive to ponies – and even save the world!” The class leaned in intently. “I’ll tell you all about that next time.” They groaned. Silverstream had to suppress a chuckle. Smolder was right, sometimes a bit of friendly teasing could be fun! “Anyway, you should already be familiar with 2 of my friends – of course I mean Professors Smolder and Ocellus!” There were general murmurs of acknowledgment amongst the students, so she continued. “Then, there’s Yona, the yak –“ Silverstream paused so the yak student she had in class, Ingrid, could shout out “Yona best friend!” as she knew she would. “-who lives in Yakyakistan, and oversees former Professor Rarity’s fashion branch up there, Carousel Yakyakistan. She was down here, not that long ago, watching over Carousel Boutique while Rarity was up there working on it, in fact. Then there’s Sandbar, the Earth pony, and also Yona’s husband.” She waited for a reaction, and when none came, she continued. “Oh good, not that long ago, there would have been at least a little gasp at that – you might not believe it, but a mere 12 years ago, when they tied the knot, it was somewhat controversial – interspecies marriage was something still a bit taboo!” A reddish orange griffon – Silverstream finally remembered her name was Gerline – piped up out of turn, as Silverstream remembered she often did. “Wait, really?” “Yes, indeed! But the times keep on changing, and soon enough, it wasn’t that big a deal anymore! Sure, it’s not accepted everywhere, but then, what is?” Silverstream chuckled, ignoring the breach of decorum. Earth Glow raised a hoof. “Um, Professor Silverstream? Who’s your 6th friend?” Silverstream snapped back to reality. “Oh, right. The 6th one is actually now the Guard Captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard! He’s actually the first non-pony to even be admitted into the Guard, let alone make it that far! His name is… Gallus…” She began to trail off again. “Uh, Professor Silverstream?” “Oh, right, right! On with the lesson!” She really didn’t want to, but she was sure she was gonna have to talk to Smolder and Ocellus about this for sure. “It’s been a while since all 6 of us got together, huh?” Ocellus observed, cup of tea in hoof. “Yeah, it’s been kinda boring with just you two around here,” Smolder quipped, earning her an eyeroll and chuckle from Ocellus. “How long has it been since we saw the other 3?” Silverstream pondered aloud. “I mean, wasn’t it just a couple of months ago that Yona and Sandbar were down from Yakyakistan while Rarity traveled there?” “Yeah, that seems about right,” Ocellus replied. “What about Gallus?” Smolder asked, nearly causing Silverstream to spit out the sip of tea she had just taken. It was an action that did not go unnoticed. “Silverstream, you all right?” “What? Yeah, tea! I mean, uh, never better!” Silverstream exclaimed awkwardly. “Is there something you want to talk about?” Ocellus asked. “Wh-I, no!” Silverstream protested, but she soon realized it would be pointless. “Alright, yeah, it has to do with Gallus.” “That’s right, he hasn’t been down here to see us in quite a while,” Smolder responded. “I wonder if it has to with how you guys called off your relationship-“ This lack of tact earned Smolder a swift elbow to the gut from Ocellus. “What? I’m just kidding, alright? Can’t a dragon snark?” “No, it’s alright, I had been meaning to talk about this with you guys – I keep drifting off whenever I think of him now. It happened on and off before, but it's gotten way worse of late. I mean, I was in the middle of class, telling them about all of you, and when I got to him, I just… I couldn’t help but think back to when I broke it off with him,” Silverstream admitted. “Really?” Smolder couldn’t help but interject. “Yeah, I guess, ever since Yona and Sandbar visited that last time, I couldn’t help but think of what me and Gallus had. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for them, but – oh, I know this’ll sound terrible, but… I was also kind of jealous. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret taking this teaching job for a second, and I really hope Gallus doesn’t regret his position in the guard, but I do wish it could have worked out for us. It was... it was just too much of a strain, being apart so much of the time.” “So, you’re having some regrets? Have you tried dating anyone else?” Ocellus asked. “Yeah, but… it never really got past the first date in any of those cases. I dunno, it just never quite worked out – and working as a teacher here, with all the prep, it gave me a distraction to pour my attention into,” Silverstream replied. “It really convinced me that it was hopeless, trying to find any creature else. I wonder if he feels the same way? Part of me really hopes he found someone, but another part of me…” “Yeah, come on, Ocellus, she’s clearly got it bad for him!” Smolder interjected, an obvious teasing tone to her voice. Silverstream ignored the teasing and continued, “Yeah, as the years went on, I felt more and more sure that he was the one for me. I mean, teaching is great and satisfying, don’t get me wrong! And having the two of you always around is great, but… it just feels like there’s something missing.” Smolder raised an eyebrow. “Gee, thanks.” “Actually… I know Smolder was teasing you, but I think she was right. My senses might not be as strong as they once were, but I know how to read them with the best of them. I can tell how deeply you still care about him, Silverstream,” Ocellus said. “Wait, really?” both Smolder and Silverstream responded, the latter equally as credulous as the latter was skeptical. Ocellus nodded. “And I think you’ll need some closure to move on – either that, or you’ll manage to get back together. Either way, staying in limbo like this will just continue to eat away at you.” “Well, alright – you know what? That sounds like a great idea! And it’s perfect! With the school letting out for Hearth’s Warming next week, I think I’ll plan a surprise for him then!” “So, what exactly do you have in mind?” Ocellus asked. “Oh, I’m starting to get a pretty good idea,” Silverstream chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Oh no, you’ve unleashed a monster,” Smolder deadpanned. Ocellus rolled her eyes. It hadn’t been easy, but it was finally Hearth’s Warming Eve! Silverstream was flying to Canterlot now, to put her plan into action. Hopefully that note she’d had Spike – who she had fortunately managed to bump into, and without who she would have never known that Gallus had the night shift every Hearth’s Warming – would cause the Princess to expect her. As she approached the castle and landed, a guard greeted her. “Ah, Silverstream. We were informed by Her Majesty that you might be stopping by. Come, right this way.” She was always impressed by the hallway to the throne room – it was always nice seeing the stained-glass window she and her friends earned for stopping that rogue sun beetle. But now was not the time to be distracted by that. “Silverstream! Good to see you!” Twilight embraced her former student. “I got your note. What kind of surprise are you planning?” “Well, um, I guess I should’ve checked this earlier, but, um, Gallus isn’t seeing any creature at the moment, is he?” Silverstream asked with trepadation, her claw once again grasping around her other forearm. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked, before her face lit up. “Oh, oh, like that! Oh, no, no, he’s doesn’t have any creature like that – and hasn’t in quite a while, I might add.” “Really?” Silverstream asked, hope sloshing off her voice in waves. “Yeah, I pay attention and notice more than the guards give me credit for! For instance, how Glinting Sword always manages to refile Super Naturals just one place off in the Royal Canterlot Library whenever he's on duty,” Twilight said, clearing her throat, “But, I don’t think that’s helpful right now. Suffice to say, I’m 100% positive he’s not seeing any creature like that.” “Oh good! Then could I have copies of the keys to his apartment?” “Hm… what exactly does your surprise entail?” Twilight inquired. “Well…” Silverstream whispered the plan to Twilight. “Hmm… I dunno…” Twilight seemed to look Silverstream up and down, making eye contact for an extended period, before finally continuing, “Yeah, I think that just might work. Alright, just let me know when you’re done setting up so I can give the order for the shift change.” It took all Silverstream’s control to not burst into tears upon seeing the state of Gallus’s apartment. It was so… so sterile, so impersonal! There was just a bed, an unexceptional kitchen, and a boring bathroom! There were no pesonalizations that she could see aside from the landscapes calendar and a clock with an image of Princess Twilight and her friends on it! This might take longer than she thought. At last, she had managed to pick out the perfect Hearth’s Warming tree, as well as the box to go underneath it. Princess Twilight said she would give the order for Gallus to shift out at midnight, right on the dot. She checked the clock. 5 minutes ‘til midnight. Perfect. She crawled into the box, and began mentally preparing herself to try and get Gallus back, or go down swinging! After what seemed like no time at all, she heard the doorknob turn. It was go time. She heard the steps approach the box. Soon, a sliver of light crossed her eyes. She sprung to attention. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Gallus!” He could only manage to spit out, “Silverstream?!” before she pulled him into a beaklock, down into the box with her. Author's Note For whatever reason, this chapter was a real pain to get out - and not because I was just winging it, making it up as I went along. No, I had an outline, but it just resisted being put to writing, or something. Oh well, I ended up happy with the result, so it's fine in the end. Also, the Saudade in the title is supposed to be italicized, I believe, since it's a loanword from Portuguese, but that formatting isn't supported there.
Where There's a Will, There's a WayGallus felt the fuzziness in his head start to recede. Where was he? Wherever he was, it was rather dark – were it not for his excellent night sight, he doubted he would have been able to see anything at all. He slowly turned his head, only to realize there was another figure lying next to him. A very familiar figure. Silverstream?, he wondered to himself. As he began to regain more of his faculties, he felt a familiar feeling, right in-between his hindlegs. They hadn’t! Then, he caught a whiff of the overwhelming scent of the area – musk, no doubt about it. They had. “Silverstream, what’s going on here?” Silverstream rubbed a claw behind her head. “Uh, Happy Hearth’s Warming, Gallus! I had wanted to surprise you with just a kiss, but, uh, I guess I missed you more than I thought, and one thing led to another… I’m so sorry!” She clapped her claws together in front of her face, closing her eyes. “No, don’t be, it’s not like I didn’t go along with it. Just wasn’t expecting it, is all. It had been a while…” Gallus trailed off, clearing his throat. “So you wanted to give me a Hearth’s Warming surprise? Why?” “I just wanted to surprise you, see how you’re doing and all – it’s been a while, y’know.” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “Really, you went through all this trouble, surprising me like this, just to find out how I am?” Silverstream looked away before sighing. “Alright, you got me, that’s not the real reason. But I really think we should break the ice first, before I get into the true reason.” Gallus wanted to protest – he raised a talon as if to make a point. However, his feline instincts started screaming at him to take Silverstream up on her offer of small talk, for now. “Alright, well, I’ve been doing well. Making sure the new recruits are whipped into shape, ensuring peace and justice across Canterlot, and the rest of Equestria, same old, same old. How about you? How are things at the School?” “Oh, the classes are great. The kids today are so much more accepting – things that were so taboo, like, well… like interspecies relationships, back when we first came to Equestria, now don’t even get a rise out of them,” Silverstream replied, the familiar bubbliness in her tone out in full force. “Well, that’s good to hear! How are Smolder and Ocellus doing?” “Well, they’re fine. I think their feelings for each other go deeper than mere friendship, though,” Silverstream replied mischievously. “They’re just in denial.” “Oh really?” “Yeah, at least, I think so. The other teachers think so, too.” Gallus chuffed in amazement. “So, anyway, I remember you talking about that crime ring you stopped when they broke into Canterlot Carousel. Anything exciting like that happen of late?” “Nah, nothing too special, just watching over the Princess, and her personal protégé, Luster Dawn. I don’t think you’ve met her yet,” Gallus replied. “Ah, okay. Hey, that reminds me, I don’t think you’ve met any of my current students! I’d love to introduce you to them.” “Yeah, that would be cool,” Gallus ruminated. An awkward silence descended upon the inside of the box until Gallus thought of something. “Wait, how did you get into my apartment? I know I locked it before I left – I always lock it before I leave,” Gallus said, scratching the underside of his beak. Silverstream rubbed the back of her head. “Oh, yeah, that. I asked Princess Twilight for some help in setting up this surprise.” Pieces started to click together in Gallus’s mind. “Ah, I see. That would also explain the sudden shift change.” “Yeah, she also told me you weren’t seeing any creature right now – that’s why I planned this surprise. If you had been, I would’ve thought of something more subdued.” Gallus chuckled – leave it to the Princess of Equestria to have noticed something like that. Suddenly Silverstream’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute, I just remembered something! Weren’t you claustrophobic, Gallus? How come you’re not freaking out about being in this box.” Gallus shifted his wings a bit, continuing to rub at the underside of his beak. “I guess it’s my guard training – I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m still not exactly comfortable, but this doesn’t scare me like it once did.” “Oh, that’s great news!” Silverstream exclaimed, clapping her claws together. “I’m so happy for you!” “Yeah, yeah…” Gallus’s patience was wearing thin by this point. “So, anyway, you got Princess Twilight involved in this surprise – more importantly, she went along with this. So I figure, it’s gotta be important. What’s the real reason for this surprise?” Silverstream chuckled wryly. “Fair enough, I guess it's now or never. Well, the reason is… I wanted to find closure, either with you or without you.” The reasoning clicked into place in Gallus’s head, and his eyes lit up. However, he decided to proceed with a little caution – just to be sure. “Come again?” Silverstream sighed, her posture slumping noticeably. “I… came here, to either get you back, or so that I could finally move on with my life.” Gallus recoiled at hearing it stated so bluntly. “W-what do you mean?” “Well, it’s just that, whenever I think of you lately, I can’t help but think about that day, when you- when I- when we, ended. I just stall out, and it’s tougher and tougher to snap out of. Ocellus used her changeling senses, and she could tell just how important it was that I do this.” The sudden mention of their changeling friend caused Gallus to ask what he would later admit was a dumb question. “Wait, so did she think up this plan, or like, put you up to this, or anything like that?” Silverstream shook her head. “No no no, nothing like that. No, I came up with this plan on my own – she was just the one who inspired me to come up with it in the first place. The only one who helped me out was Princess Twilight – and I guess Ambassador Spike, too, since he sent the letter to the Princess for me so she would know I was coming.” “Alright, well, I guess you’ll have to move on without me, because I’ve put that part of myself behind me now. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I never regretted what we had, not for a second, but that’s in the past now – I don’t have a need for a relationship like that,” Gallus said, trying to not let the full extent of the memories flood back. “So that’s why you’re not seeing any creature? You’re saying you’ve sworn off relationships entirely?” Silverstream asked, obviously trying to keep her emotions in check as well. “Yeah, basically. I mean, at the end there, they were only lasting for, like, one or two dates. So, I figured that I could just focus all my time on my guard work. Heck, that’s probably what made me get up to Captain so quickly,” Gallus replied, the words sounding more hollow than he intended. Silverstream was not about to give up so easily, it seemed. “But, remember the time we first kissed?” “Hm, when was that? Oh yeah, wasn’t it at that after party dance for the Princess’s coronation?” Silverstream perked up. “Exactly! That slow number had begun, and you pulled me in close. The gleam in your eyes, the way the lights were shining off your head feathers, your natural flighty scent… oh, it was just so romantic! And then when we drew in closer, and our beaks met – I remember the electricity that ran up and down my spine, left me tingling all across my body afterward! You remember that too, right?” That all sounded familiar, so Gallus responded in the affirmative. Silverstream continued, getting more worked up. “And-and then, you remember our first date outside of the School of Friendship, right? You took me flying all over Equestria! There wasn’t a plan, right?” Gallus chuckled. “Nope, I figured we’d just go wherever the currents took us, see what there was to see. That time we spent, just riding wherever that cloud took us… It’s always so lovely seeing the ground from so high up,” he finished, in a semi-flippant manner. Silverstream, clearly not happy with the progress, soldiered on, the emotion now starting to strangle her words. “And then… do… do you remember the first time we… we made love?” Gallus winced. As much warmth as that particular memory provided, it also caused the old knife wound in his heart to flare up again. “Yeah, I remember, it was our graduation day from the School.” Silverstream picked up the slack. “We were all getting ready for the ceremony – in fact, I think all the other students in the seniors dorm had gone off to be fitted for their gowns.” “Yeah, we had hung back – I remember your heat was particularly bad that year.” Silverstream blushed. “That it was.” “I remember you asking for my help with something, practically dragging me over to your room. The begging tone you took, as you pleaded for me to take you, the flush across your face, how your body glistened with sweat, your intoxicating musk… there was nothing about you in that moment that I didn’t find absolutely attractive,” Gallus said, the warmth growing, and its light revealing the blade still sticking in. “And do you remember after that?” Silverstream insisted. Gallus sighed. “Of course I do – I remember two-becoming-one, the scratches our talons left on each other and the bed, and the loud screeches both of us were making.” He paused to chuckle. “Y'know, it was lucky that every other senior was already on the other side of campus – otherwise we would’ve been busted for sure.” Silverstream chuckled. “Yeah, probably.” “Thank Grover we had to wear those gowns – those scratches might have been awkward to explain away.” “Although I’m pretty sure Headmare Starlight figured out what we had been up to when she came looking for us. Since we fell asleep together and all,” Silverstream finished with a giggle. “That’s right, I remember – I fell asleep listening to your heartbeat, because it… always… made me so comfortable…” Gallus trailed off, the warmth turning to a heat and the blade starting to twist around. “Right…” Silverstream murmured. “I’m sorry, but that was then and this is now. I… I should be going,” Gallus said, making to climb out of the box. Silverstream grabbed his arm. “Wait, please! Don’t go! Don’t… go…” Any pretense at checking her emotions was lost now, as the tears started to stream down her face and out of her voice. “I truly did love you Gallus. Do you remember the first time we told each other ‘I love you’?” Gallus grimaced, the pain starting to become too much to bear. If this continued for much longer, he was going to lose it as well. “Yeah, I do.” He made for the lid once again. “Gallus… I… you’re the only one for me! Every day, I feel that loneliness, that emptiness, because you’re not in my life! I thought I could distract myself with throwing myself headlong into teaching, but it only worked for so long! Damn it, Gallus, I… I… I still love you!” And just like that, the knife twisted free, reopening all the ossified scars. “You think I didn’t feel the same way?!” Gallus replied in a low tone, absolutely seething. “For so long, I felt so lonely! I didn’t want to get into a new relationship after ending it with you – but eventually the loneliness got too large to bear!” Gallus started huffing, the heat rising to his cheeks. “After you, I met this griffon. Her name was Glinda! At first, I thought I was going to move on, that she would turn out to be the one! That relationship lasted for a month. I can still remember her parting words to me – ‘Gallus, you know I care for you, and you care for me. I might even love you. I’m sorry, but I don’t think you can love me. I think you’re hung up about something in your past – and it makes you so distant. I do wish I could help you move past it. By now, though, I’ve figured out that it’s futile. So, I think it’s only fair for the both of us if we end this here. I really hope you can manage to move past it someday.’” Silverstream winced, the tears rolling at full speed down her face, forming a waterfall. Gallus continued, just short of shouting. “That was the last time I ever saw her!” He chuckled wryly. “For all I know, she’s married and has a couple kids now. And from there, it was all down hill! I don’t think I had a single relationship last more than a couple weeks! Eventually, it got to be where they would only last a date or two before calling it off!” A spark ran across Silverstream’s watery eyes – she had to place her claw over her beak just to keep from sobbing. “From that point on, I focused exclusively on taking care of my guard duties, and, and…” At this point, the dam within Gallus broke and the tears started streaming down his face. “And whenever I was doing something, stopping crime, protecting the citizenry, learning more about what it meant to protect, racking up accolades, I could ignore the biting loneliness, gnawing away at me. But… but whenever I was alone, with my thoughts, I… that part of me would torture me, at the edge of my consciousness, because… because I was always too afraid to look at it, afraid of what I would find!” “W…what were you afraid of?” Silverstream whimpered. Gallus wanted to shout, but he was out of energy by this point. “I… I was afraid that I would find that I was broken, beyond repair – or worse, that that part of me would be completely gone, and I could never get it back.” Silverstream scooted closer to Gallus, seemingly instinctually. “And then, out of the blue, you show up with this surprise, and I was forced to confront those things I buried a long time ago! I regretted it every day after I broke up with you! I thought those relationships, and then guard duties, would help me to get over it, but it always lingered! Because I did love you, Silverstream!” Gallus stopped, panting furiously. It was this pause that allowed him to realize that, suddenly, the pain didn’t feel so bad anymore. Instead, the warmth had spread from his beak to his paws, enveloping him in a warm hug. He gasped – this feeling was familiar! “Because… because I do love you, Silverstream!” The two broke down into full sobbing, desperately embracing one another, their bodies pressing so closely together that not even Ocellus would be able to transform into something small enough to pass between. Gallus stuck his head into Silverstream’s shoulder, greedily inhaling her familiar, comforting scent of lilacs and sea salt. He could feel her do the same to him. After the two had worn themselves out, as the tears were beginning to abate, Gallus felt that he was struck with a bolt of lightning. “Wait… I-I love you. I love you, Silverstream!” He began to chuckle, which evolved into laughter, which evolved into full on joyous guffawing. Silverstream looked at him, confusion evident in her eyes. “Wait, why are you-” “Because, I just realized, I can love again! You helped me to re-discover the part of me that I thought was gone, broken! I was so scared I could never love again, but you’re the key!” Gallus responded, cutting Silverstream off. “The key?” “To unlock all the love inside my heart! You came back for me, and saved me from myself. I love you so much, Silverstream,” Gallus said, part of him trying not to roll its eyes over the sappiness. Silverstream chuckled. “I guess, in that way, we’re finally even.” Now confusion danced across Gallus’s face. “How so?” “Well, remember way back when, the first time I started feeling what I feel about you? In the cavern underneath the School?” Realization flashed across Gallus’s face. “Right, when I helped you conquer your fear of being trapped by the Storm King.” Gallus chuckled, a smug grin crossing his face. “I remember that hug you gave me. To be fair, that’s when I started feeling the way I do about you,” he finished nonchalantly. A comfortable silence descended upon the pair, until Silverstream started. “Wait, you said that you broke up with me?” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, because that’s what happened. And then, no matter how much I wanted to get back, I didn’t want to feel like I was crawling back to you, so I felt like I couldn’t go back.” “Wait… but I remember breaking up with you…” Silverstream trailed off, breaking out into laughter. “You mean… you mean…” “Wait, so we couldn’t get back together because of how immature we were back then?” Gallus queried, breaking out into laughter as well. “All that emotional pain – and for nothing!” Silverstream guffawed. “This shouldn't be so funny, but I just can’t help it,” Gallus laughed. After the laughter died down, Gallus and Silverstream stared deeply into each other’s eyes. “Let’s not make the same mistake again,” Silverstream said. “Yeah, we earned our second chance, let’s not waste it,” Gallus agreed. “But, wait… you still live in Canterlot, and I still live in Ponyville. Wasn’t that what made the relationship so difficult in the first place?” “It will work this time, trust me. Not only are we older and more experienced now, but we know what will happen without it. Trust me, I really feel like it’s gonna work this time.” “Yeah… yeah.” Silverstream sighed contentedly. Gallus fidgeted his index talons. “Hey, uh, Silv?” Silverstream grunted in acknowledgment. “Would you mind if I listened to your heartbeat again?” Silverstream beamed. “I would love that.” The two of them fell asleep, Gallus listening to that comforting metronome the whole way. He felt a contentedness - like that painful loneliness was now a distant memory, never to haunt his idle thoughts again. END MAIN STORY Gallus awoke with a jolt and looked around. “Hey, uh, Silv?” “Yeah, Gally?” “You think we should go ahead and get out of this box?” Silverstream sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. “Oh, yeah.” Author's Note So, yeah, I realize that you probably already read it before reading this, but I figured I'd say, I put that "END MAIN STORY" there so that you're expecting it, as I did the same thing in the epilogue. Here, I feel that, while the scene is a bit of a mood change, it's not that sudden. The after "END" scene in the epilogue, however, might give some of you mood whiplash. Feel free to skip that if you want. Or not. Far be it for me to tell you how to enjoy something. Anyway, as tough as it was getting chapter 2 written out, this one was every bit as easy (if not more so) - not to mention really, really gratifying.
Epilogue - Dual Discovery“Thank you, for everything you’ve done.” Twilight tilted her head downward. “Hm? Whatever do you mean, Gallus?” “Helping me and Silverstream re-discover what we had thought was lost, what you came up with to allow us to be together much more often. Y’know, nothing big,” Gallus replied, slipping back into his old snark for a split-second. “Oh, she did the heavy lifting there, I can’t really take credit for that. As for the second part, I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Twilight said, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Sure, Princess, sure.” At that point, Luster Dawn walked up to the two. “This is a really nice proceeding, Princess, and Guard Captain. I’m also really glad you’ll be accompanying me to Ponyville, Guard Captain – the School of Friendship seems like it’ll be really fun! Plus, I have so much to learn.” Gallus raised an eyebrow at Twilight, smirking the whole time. “What? Can’t a princess assign the best possible protective duty to her personal protégé?” Gallus chuckled to himself. “Oh wait! I just thought of something! Won’t you have to give up your position if you come with me, Guard Captain?” Luster Dawn exclaimed. “No, he won’t, Luster Dawn. He will officially remain captain, and whenever he is in Canterlot on official business, he will resume his duties. For the rest of the time, I will name an acting captain to take over the duties. This arrangement will last for a year or so, to evaluate its effectiveness.” “Oh, okay, that makes sense.” In the background, bells started ringing. “It looks like the ceremony is about to begin. Luster Dawn, you’d better go ahead and take your seat,” Twilight said. “Alright, I’ll meet up with you after the ceremony, Guard Captain.” The ringing reached a crescendo, as the trumpeters began to play. “Ready to see your bride, Guard Captain Gallus?” Gallus gulped, tugging at the collar of his tuxedo. “I kinda want to say ‘no’, but I know I should’ve done this a long time ago. So yes, absolutely.” The doors opened, and in walked Silverstream, wearing a gown of flowing lace that accentuated her figure perfectly. It was easy to believe that Rarity had had a hoof in the making of it – harder to believe was that Yona, Smolder, and Ocellus had also assisted in the design. Gallus’s heart started thumping faster in his chest – it didn’t truly feel real before now. The entire walk up to the dais only took a moment but to the both of them, it felt like an eternity. Silverstream stopped, pivoted, and looked Gallus in the eyes, a gaze he returned. Twilight smiled, looking at the two of them. “Fillies and gentlecolts, every creature, we are gathered here to celebrate these two creatures being joined in holy mare-trimony, the Guard Captain Gallus the griffon, and his bride, Silverstream the hippogriff.” The rest of the ceremony flew by like a blur – the vows, the “I do’s” – though it was all they could do to keep their composure. Finally, the part of the ceremony they had been waiting for happened when Twilight said, “You may now kiss the bride!” Gallus swept Silverstream off her claws. Their beaks met and then parted, their tongues dancing an electric waltz of unremitting joy. Both would later admit that it surpassed even their first kiss. “Alright, so you’ll be on your honeymoon for about a month, and then you’ll meet up with Luster Dawn at the School of Friendship.” “Thank you so much for this, Your Majesty,” Gallus said, embracing Twilight. “Yeah, thank you thank you thank you!” Silverstream exclaimed, joining in the embrace. “Alright, go have fun, you two lovebirds!” Twilight said with a wink. Gallus and Silverstream looked at each other and grinned, getting in the carriage labeled “Just Married”. Twilight was watching, waiting for the carriage to take up, when a figure flew in next to her. “Oh, hey Spike!” “Hey, Twilight. That was some wedding, huh? They sure do make a good couple.” “They sure do.” Spike scratched his chin. “Hey, Twilight?” Twilight grunted, “Hm?” “Gallus mentioned to me that he had been having a recurring dream, of the time that he and Silverstream broke up. Considering that Luna transferred that part of her powers over to you, did you have anything to do with it?” “Hm, you know how, way back when, those stars just happened to break Nightmare Moon free from her 1,000-year moon imprisonment?” Twilight responded. “Yeah, but what does that have to do-“ Twilight cut him off. “Well, remember how, at that point, the whole sky – the sun, moon, and stars, were under the control of one Princess Celestia?” Spike’s eyes widened. “Wait, are you saying-“ “It was something Princess Celestia told me. One of her powers was foresight – the ability to read situations, see how they will play out in the future. Well, see how they’re supposed to play out. That came right away – what she developed later was a sense for when things could be trusted to play out on their own, and when they needed a little nudge in the right direction,” Twilight finished with a wink. “When I looked into Silverstream’s eyes, that was when I knew for sure that the time was right.” “You know, you’re becoming more and more like her every day.” Twilight just smiled from ear to ear. With that, the carriage with Gallus and Silverstream took off, the cans clinking behind them. It would take them to their honeymoon, and then on to the rest of their lives. Lives that would be contented – because they would be spending them with each other. THE END “Geeze, what is it with Equestrian Royal Guard Captains marrying royalty?” Spike suddenly spoke up. When Twilight looked at him quizzically, he continued, “Well, I mean, Silverstream is Queen Novo’s niece, so that makes her, like, a duchess, right? And then of course there was your brother and Princess Cadance, of course.” “Oh, that reminds me,” Twilight said, a candle being lit above her head. “I do believe I won our little bet, as they got married less than 6 months after Hearth’s Warming.” Spike sighed. “Fine, fine, I’ll supervise the castle for a day, so you can personally oversee the reshelving of the Royal Canterlot Library.” Twilight squeed. Author's Note The scene before "THE END" with Spike and Twilight, I felt was necessary to explain some things. The one after was just for fun.
