The Bonds of Love

Chapters

Chapter Two: Reprieve
Chapter Four: Optimism
Chapter Five: Normality
Chapter Six: Stagnation
Chapter Seven: Pride
Chapter Eight: Tension
Chapter Nine: Fear
Chapter Ten: Home
Chapter Eleven: Closure
Chapter Twelve: Serenity, Part One
Chapter Thirteen: Serenity, Part Two
Chapter Fourteen: Family, Part One
Chapter Fifteen: Family, Part Two
Epilogue: Love
Chapter One: Transition
Chapter Three: Expression

Chapter Two: Reprieve

“Can you seeeee! The sun is shining—” Smack!

“Yes. I can, and it’s blinding,” Gallus sneered at his alarm clock as he rolled back over.

…

“Cause today is gonna be a brighter—” SMACK!

“Yeah, I know. I know,” the bleary-eyed griffon growled while he forced himself to sit up. “Since when did that song get licensed for the radio?” he mused, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes.

Yawning widely, Gallus arose from his bed and stretched out his wings until they too were awake. After ditching a few preened feathers into his trash can, he turned to the massive heap of paper and sighed.

It had grown bigger in the night.

“Ohhh, what am I gonna do with this?”

“Burn it?”

“You’re still…? Oh come on!” Gallus grumbled. “Okay, fine! Why would I do that?”

“Well, it’s not like you’re gonna do anything else with it.”

“I could read it,” he countered simply.

“You’re too cowardly to do that though.”

“Oh really?”

“Yep.”

To spite the mental apparition, he thrust his talon into the mound and extracted one of the smaller letters, held it to his face, and read it aloud.

“‘Advice Number Two Hundred and Nineteen: When looking into future careers, you should consult with her since there are several various scenarios that can occur between you two during such a tumultuous period of your lives. I’ll be sending the full list in time. Current estimate is next weekend.’”

…

Gallus slowly placed the letter back into the pile, staring into the blank walls of his room with a confused-yet-haunted look etched upon his face.

…

“Maybe I should start from the beginning,” Gallus said to himself as he began fishing through the paper in search for the first one he had received.

…

“Find it yet?”

He sighed and decided to humor his ghost. “No,” he muttered.

“How about now?”

“No.”

“Now?”

“Either shut up or help me out.”

“I’m a mental apparition in your head; I can’t help you out with moving stuff!”

“So you can randomly show up whenever you want and yammer a bunch of insane nonsense into my ear until I have a breakdown, but you can’t help me sort through paper?”

“Yep.”

“Ughhh! Why am I even having this conversation first thing in the morning?”

“Because you’re mentally unstable?”

He rolled his eyes in annoyance.

“Well, you did ask. And honesty is a ‘core foundation of friendship’ after all. Speaking of which, how fun was it to finally succeed in driving away one of your friends?”

Gallus didn’t bother dignifying that with a reaction and chose to resume searching through Cadence’s letters.

“It must hurt, knowing you did exactly what you were afraid you would do. Drive away your friends… Make them not care about you… One down. Four to go.”

“Uh-huh.”

“…That’s it? That’s your response? Just an ‘uh-huh’?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Wow. You must really hate Smolder if that’s all the emotion you can express over her loss.”

“Oh?”

“Of course. A real friend would be feeling miserable after having lost one of their only friends. Especially when they were pitying enough to be friends with a pathetic coward like yourself. But you? No. Of course you wouldn’t feel a thing. You never really cared.”

“I care about Smolder!” he shot back.

“You’re doing a wonderful job showing it.”

“I don’t know if I’ve actually ‘lost’ her yet,” Gallus argued, a note of uncertainly slipping through his angered tone. “Forgive me for trying to be optimistic for a change.”

“‘Optimistic’? You? I don’t think so. How about: Denial. Then again, that’s your go-to response to anything even remotely horrible, so…”

“Yeah? Well, not anymore. I’m tired of all of this, including you.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you made your friend stop caring about you. Nor does it change the fact that you don’t care that you did.”

“I care! What makes you think I don’t!?” he demanded hotly.

“‘If nothing else, heartache proves that we loved. If not to others, to ourselves.’ And you’re not feeling any heartache over Smolder’s loss, are you?”

Gallus looked down, unable to provide a response.

“See what I mean? Either you never really cared about Smolder, or you’re in denial.”

“Or!” he interjected, looking back up. “I’m simply focusing on everything else right now while remaining hopeful this will all blow over and that Smolder and I are still friends.”

“Hmm. In that case, I guess your friendship with Smolder isn’t a priority. Golly, I wonder why?”

Gallus ignored that thought.

A few minutes later, Gallus finally located the first page of Cadence’s advice at the bottom of the pile. He then remembered what the advice was for and panicked briefly before ultimately stuffing it into the depths of his notebook for later.

Afterward, Gallus slipped into his normal morning routine of gathering his school supplies for the day, taking a shower, and finishing his morning preening. Once that was done, he stopped to shoot one last gloomy glare at his barren room before he began his journey through the school’s halls.

Considering both how early it was and how exhausted everyone had been the previous day, it came as no surprise to Gallus that he made his journey alone. He took the opportunity to breathe a little easier and replace his current issues with thoughts of orange juice and pancakes.

Once Gallus reached the cafeteria, he found it devoid of the pink hurricane that had overtaken it for the past week, and in its place was a very sleepy Pinkie Pie and, much to his surprise, another student.

After having acquired a juice box and a plate of pancakes from his sleepwalking teacher, Gallus quickly took a seat at her table, raising a brow when his friend didn’t react to his presence whatsoever.

“Ocellus?” he tried. “Didn’t expect to see you here this early in the morning. You okay?”

“Hmm?” she groaned, blinking dazedly at him.

He took a closer look at her, noting that shadows had formed under her eyes. How long has she been up for this time? Gallus wistfully thought.

“Are you okay?” he repeated, giving her a gentle tap.

“Huh?” Her eyes finally focused on him, and she jumped back. “Gallus! O-Oh, uh, hi. S-Sorry, I didn’t see you there; how are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” he hesitantly answered. “Are you?”

“Huh? Oh! Yeah, yeah! I’m perfectly fine too. Heh-heh-heh…”

“You sure about that? You look about as wiped out as you did after last year’s midterms.”

“Do I? Sorry, I guess I am a little tired. Although, it’s mostly a migraine,” she elaborated, stifling a yawn. “And bit of a stomachache too, but that’s doing better for the most part.”

“Uh-oh. Did our friendly bug catch an unfriendly bug?” Gallus joked, biting into his pancakes.

“Okay, first of all, changelings may share anatomical similarities with insects, but that does not mean we are classed as such,” Ocellus argued, indignant. “And second, bugs are technically a type of insect as opposed to the entire classification.”

“Fair enough. But bad jokes aside, what’s up with you?”

“I… I had a bit of a busy night,” she said curtly.

“You don’t say,” he deadpanned. “What was it this time? No, wait! Let me guess, it was the teleportation project, wasn’t it? Spend your eight hours wasting away over magic math?” Gallus asked, smirking knowingly.

“‘Magic math’ is another over-simplification,” she said, gently itching at her eyes.

“Still a fair summation though, right?”

“A partly fair summation. But anyway…” she started only to immediately fall silent.

“But anyway…?” Gallus egged on after a minute.

She sucked in a breath, forcing out, “Full disclosure?”

“Is there any other kind? Rhetorical question, Ocellus,” he added before she answered.

“Okay. Okay… Honesty Lesson Eighty-five: Whenever uncomfortable situations occur between yourself and your friends or family, it is always best to express your thoughts and views truthfully and as early as possible in order to evade the situation possibly worsening.”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure that was Honesty Lesson Eighty-five, yes. What about it?”

“Just trying to remind myself of that lesson because… Well, this is kinda hard to say, but I spent the whole night worrying about you,” she confessed.

Gallus completely froze. “What?” was all he could get past his clenched beak.

“Oh dear! I’m sorry; I didn’t mean for you to take that the wrong way, o-or… S-Sorry, what I meant w-was, well… U-Um, er…?” Ocellus stammered, nervously shrinking back in her seat.

She was up all night worrying about me? But… Why!? There was nothing for her to worry about, so why did she waste her entire night worrying about me?

Because she cares about me, he realized uncomfortably. But… But…

“So you drove away Smolder, and now you’re harming Ocellus? You’re such a great friend.”

“Okay, you’re gonna have to explain this to me,” Gallus said, shutting down that train of thought before it grew more insidious. “Why exactly were you up all night worrying about me?”

“Um, well, um… I’m not entirely sure how to elaborate further on that.”

“Why?”

“I’m just not sure why my worrying about you requires elaboration,” she stated simply.

We’re friends; I’m bonkers; you’re scared. Oh no. No-no-no! She’s worried because of me! How badly did I screw this up!? What do I do; what do I do!? Gallus panicked behind a blank stare.

“Fix it,” answered his ghost.

“No, I mean…” He cleared his throat. “I totally get why you’d be worried, but I told you guys I’m fine. There’s no need to worry, especially if you’re staying up all night doing exactly that.”

Ocellus tilted her head and bit her lip.

Does she not believe me? But I’m not lying! I am perfectly— Wait! Back up! I know what I did wrong.

“Look,” Gallus resumed. “I’m doing well enough. I’m not on top of the world yet, but I will be fine soon. I just need to… Relax a little?” he offered hopefully. “Relax and put this whole week behind me. After that, I’ll be back to being my regular, snarky self. Promise.”

Okay, did that work?

Ocellus sighed and smiled. “Okay, Gallus. I definitely believe you.”

Phew.

“But I am still worried about you.”

Oh come on!

“Please, don’t be,” Gallus requested. “I have a pretty good hunch I’ve caused enough worry as it is. And I definitely don’t want to be accidentally messing with your sleep schedule…”

“No, it’s not that!” Ocellus frantically assured. “I mean, it technically is, but it’s not… I don’t know how best to explain this,” she admitted, frustrated.

“Take your time then. I’m not going anywhere.”

Please let me be able to fix this! Please let me be able to fix this! Please let me be able to fix this! he begged while she took the moment to think.

“Okay. So, I am worried about you, but I believe you and that you are doing better,” Ocellus began, carefully mulling over her every word. “Like you said, relaxing and spending some quality time in a healthy environment is probably the best thing for you. And in this case, that means maintaining stable relationships with those closest to you.”

“That sounds suspiciously like psychology; I thought you didn’t like psychology?” he instinctively teased.

“I’m entirely neutral to the subject; any disdain originates from its inherent unreliability. But that’s not the point. Gallus, the truth is I’m worried something like this might happen again.”

“But it won’t. Ocellus—”

“Oh, it ‘won’t’? It just ‘won’t’? So you’ve suddenly gotten over all of your trauma in a single night and two conversations?”

Gallus blinked as a horrified Ocellus slapped a hoof over her mouth.

“I-I-I-I— I’m s-so sorry! Gallus, I didn’t mean to—”

“No!” he yelped, cutting her off. “No. You’re good; no need to apologize, Ocellus. Besides, I didn’t know you had that level of sarcasm in you. Nice.” She’s also not wrong. Stupid subconscious psychological mumbo-jumbo…

“Ughhh,” she groaned, rubbing at the base of her horn.

“Oh. Migraine-induced irritability, eh?”

“…Something like that…”

Gallus caught the hesitation in her voice, once again asking, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“That’s the problem! I’m supposed to be asking you that, not the other way around!” Ocellus then looked away, quietly adding, “I should have been asking you that before all of this even began.”

“What do you mean?” he asked even though he already knew.

She took another breath and forlornly said, “Gallus, I believe you when you say you’re getting better. I believe you when you say you just need some time. And I believe you when you say you’re not going to have another… ‘Breakdown.’ I believe you.”

The sincerity in her voice practically slapped him in the face.

“You… You really do?”

“At first, I was a little worried you were going to start lying again, but not anymore. I’m your friend, and I trust you. So when you say you’re doing better, however little, I believe you.”

There was a tiny, nagging fear in the recesses of his mind that she was only saying that to appease him, but it was quashed under the weight of a single thought.

She trusts me. Even after learning about the whole thing, second-talon, she still…

Gallus smiled faintly. “Heh. That’s something I don’t hear every day. Thanks, Ocellus,” he said appreciatively.

“Of course,” she replied, smiling back. Said smile soon crumbled away once she continued, “But what I am worried about is that if any of this ever does start happening again… That if you start feeling afraid, alone, or sad again… I’m worried I won’t see it.”

Gallus gulped. Even though she trusts me, she’s still worried I’ll… Oh Grover, what have I done!?

“I should have remembered,” Ocellus rambled on. “I sh-should have remembered your situation, but I-I didn’t. And you spent the entire week feeling miserable because I didn’t remember…”

“Don’t worry about it, Ocellus,” he pleaded. “It was my fault for not telling you guys the truth. In fact, I was kind of avoiding you the most after Silver because of you’re, uh, thing.”

“What do you mean by… Oh. I keep telling you guys that’s not how it works!” she exclaimed angrily.

“Care to explain it more thoroughly then?” he challenged, trying to deflect the conversation.

“Maybe later,” she sighed. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t remember your situation even though I should have. … I’m so sorry, Gallus,” she ended, hanging her head.

“Ocellus?” Gallus spoke up softly. “These are my issues, and it was my stupid decision to not tell any of you about them. So, please… Do me a favor and don’t blame yourself.”

“I know I shouldn’t,” she mumbled. “Self-blame isn’t healthy, but I just can’t stop thinking that I should have remembered.”

“If it helps, everyone else forgot too,” he offered.

“Everyone else forgetting too is what led to all of this!” she snapped, more at herself than him. “I… I know I shouldn’t make excuses, but it’s been so long since we first found out. Then Cozy happened. And then Sombra happened. And then Cozy happened again. And then in all the excitement for Friends and Family Day, I just… Forgot! I. Forgot. Some friend I am…”

“You’re a better friend than me,” he admitted. “At least you’re being honest from the get-go. I needed Silver to drag me out to the Festival, kicking and screaming, and make me talk to her.”

“Don’t do that to yourself, Gallus; you’re a great friend!”

“Some ‘great friend’ I am, making all of you worry and panic. And why? Just because I—”

“Don’t!” Ocellus declared darkly. The glare she gave him silenced Gallus immediately, but it didn’t last long and was quickly replaced by a saddened frown. “Please don’t do that, Gallus.”

“Do what? Be honest about how stupid I was?”

“Find another reason to be angry at yourself,” she corrected.

“I’m not! I’m just trying to point out that everything that happened—”

“‘Was my fault’?” she guessed.

Gallus stopped himself just before he said exactly that. He then frowned and said, “Yes. Everything that happened was my fault. I was the one stupid enough to hide how I was feeling, and if I hadn’t done that then you wouldn’t be worried like crazy, I wouldn’t have had a breakdown, and—”Don’t bring up Smolder.“—everything would be fine right now.”

“Gallus, what you did wasn’t stupid. Let me finish!” she demanded, preemptively cutting his retort off. “Thank you. Gallus, yes, you hid how you were feeling from the rest of us. But you didn’t do it because you were stupid, you did it because you were afraid. Of telling us and spoiling our holiday,” she added morosely. “You said that was why you did it. So unless you were lying?”

“I wasn’t,” he affirmed, holding her gaze.

“I didn’t think so. But you see!? This is why I’m still worried! You’ve been in your situation for so long, and I don’t know what kind of…” She gulped. “For lack of a better word? What kind of ‘issues’ you’ve accrued as a result. I mean, look at yourself! I’m trying to apologize for not remembering your situation, and you’re trying to use it as an opportunity to demean yourself further! What the hay!?” she exclaimed, throwing her hooves into the air.

Gallus flinched. I’m such an idiot! Why couldn’t I just say it was okay and make her feel be—

“And you want to know what the worst part is?” she went on as her horn sparked. “The worst part is that what I just said could easily give you another reason to demean yourself! Not to mention be seen as selfish of me to place emphasis on my apology in the first place.”

How did she know I— Gallus shook his head clear and said, “You’re not selfish for apologizing to me. I’m grateful for the apology. If anything I should be—”

“That’s exactly the problem, Gallus!” she yelled.

Pinkie Pie suddenly snorted loudly, making them both turn to her. After a moment, her snoring resumed, and Ocellus took the chance to regain her breath.

“Gallus, you’re trying to go out of your way to find fault in yourself when you don’t need to,” she clarified. “Discounting my forgetfulness, there is no fault to even be had.”

“But—” Gallus started to protest before he stopped. Part of yesterday’s counseling began to replay in his head. So too did the ever-popular “There’s nothing wrong with you” line.

After taking his own moment to calm down, Gallus apologized, “Sorry, Ocellus. I…” Just say it; you know you have to. “I know I’m not at fault or whatever. Headmare Starlight also said I might have gotten used to some bad habits since… You know. Apparently, one of those is thinking I’m at fault when I’m really not. Heh-heh,” he chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Gallus,” Ocellus murmured. “I’m just worried about what else you’ve ‘gotten used to.’ What other ‘bad habits’ I didn’t notice because I…”

A solemn silence fell across the lunchroom, disturbed only by Pinkie’s soft snores.

“Ocellus?” Gallus eventually resumed. “You know I don’t blame you. Right?”

“I do. But that doesn’t make what I did—or rather, didn’t do—right,” she argued.

“It was our first Hearth’s Warming Eve together. Plus, I don’t exactly make it a point to remind you all about it, and we’re now, what? In our third year?”

“Mhmm. After the next one we’ll be able to graduate,” Ocellus acknowledged. “Unless of course, any of us decide to spend more time here for the added experience and knowledge. Something I evidently need to do,” she muttered dejectedly.

“You’re smarter than literally everyone else on campus,” he confidently praised.

“Having the highest grade average doesn’t make me smarter than anyone,” she countered, affronted.

“Everyone else would beg to differ.”

“But then they’d be wrong.”

“And you know better; thus, you’re smarter than everyone else.”

“That— That’s not— That’s not how that works!”

Gallus chuckled as Ocellus groaned again. “Ocellus, you’re a great friend,” he reaffirmed after some time. “You said I’m not at fault for what happened? Fine. But it wasn’t your fault either. I don’t blame you or any of the others, and I never would. So please don’t blame yourself, or be mad at yourself, or anything else! Please. Whatever it is I’m worth, I’m not worth that,” he stated resolutely.

“I’m just scared, Gallus,” Ocellus admitted with watery eyes. “Forgetting your situation aside, you were walking around all over campus as miserable as can be, and I didn’t notice at all. We watched the fireworks together, and I didn’t notice. We worked on my teleportation assignment together, and I didn’t notice. I’m scared that if you’re ever like this again I still won’t notice…”

“The reason neither you nor the others noticed was because I was hiding it. And I’ve gotten really good at hiding it. It’s because I slipped up that Silver and the rest of you even found out at all.”

“Exactly! A better friend would have known something was wrong right from the get-go! Unlike Silver, I was completely blind to it the whole time. That says a lot about me as a friend…”

“Don’t tell me you think Silver’s a better friend than you?” Gallus asked, confused.

“Wait.” She looked up from the table, meeting his gaze. “You don’t think that?”

“I think you’re both my friends. It doesn’t matter to me who’s ‘better’ or not. You’re all my friends, and I love all of you. That’s not changing so long as I can help it.” She still looked wary, so he continued, “Look. I promise—I! Promise!—I’m not going to lie to any of you about these issues again. I just want to move on, and I definitely don’t want to lie to or worry any of my friends while doing it.”

Ocellus took a slow breath and replied, “And I trust you won’t lie. I only wish I could trust myself to catch on if you ever were feeling as bad as you were again.”

“Well, knowing you, you’ve probably already checked three dozen books out of the library on the subject and plan to do another ‘self-improvement’ study session,” he half-joked.

“…Something like that…”

“See? That’s our Ocellus. Never one to let an opportunity to read half the library go to waste.”

“…Sure…”

“Yeah, heh-heh,” he laughed. I really hope I’m only imagining that hesitation in her voice. “You know what?” Gallus said after a brief silence. “It’s like we said earlier. All this drama and whatnot? We need a break from it all, you know? A few days to kick back, relax, and just…”

“Move on?” she completed.

“Yep,” he agreed, taking another bite of his pancakes.

“Yeah. That sounds like the best course of action from what I’ve read of the psychology section. ‘A stable environment and healthy relationships go a long way toward healing psychological trauma,’” she quoted. “At least, that seemed to be the most common answer to dealing with the issue.”

“I figured that. Luckily for us, we actually have those things. Go Equestria! Go Friendship! Ra! Ra! Ra!” he cheered dryly, raising his talons into the air.

“Go Equestria! Go Friendship! Ra! Ra! Ra!” she cheered back, giggling.

“Heh-heh-heh. … I suppose the important part now is to take everything one day at a time?”

“One day at a time,” she repeated. “That sounds good. Still, Gallus? I promise to be a better, more aware friend from now on.”

“I see your promise and meet it with one of my one: I promise to be a better, more honest friend from now on as well. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Here’s to having a normal day,” he toasted, raising his juice box.

She giggled again as she too lifted up her empty box. “To a normal day.”

Several minutes later, the rest of the student body began entering the lunch room, each on their own breakfast quest.

Yona, Sandbar, and Silver soon appeared as well, spotting Gallus and Ocellus immediately.

“There you are! We were wondering where you two were,” Silver greeted, sitting beside Gallus.

“Well, Yona and I were wondering where you were; Silver was kind of panic—”

“Sandbar, quiet! Eh-heh-heh,” she nervously chuckled. “Don’t mind him. So! You two up doing that teleportation thingy Smolder mentioned or something?”

“Nope,” Gallus answered, fervently ignoring his paranoia concerning Silver’s deflection. “I’m just a firm believer in the early bird getting the pancakes.”

“And I just had a pretty lousy night,” Ocellus mumbled.

“Ocellus try working on project through night again?” Yona asked knowingly.

“A project, yes. My teleportation project, no,” she groaned, rubbing her horn yet again.

“Are you okay, Ocellus?” Silver asked, biting into her pancakes. “You look a little sick.”

“I definitely feel a little sick. … Okay, maybe a tad more than ‘a little.’”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to our teachers or something?” Gallus asked one last time.

“It’s just a headache; I’ll feel better once I—Actually!” she interrupted herself. “I think I am going to need a minute! If I’m late, please apologize to Professor Fluttershy for me!”

And with that, the changeling sprinted out of the room faster than the blink of an eye.

“Yona know Ocellus likely want privacy, but should friends check on Ocellus anyway?”

“I don’t know,” Silver said, perplexed. “You were with her, Gallus. Was she like this earlier?”

“Ah, dude, you didn’t get sick, did you?”

Yona and Silver stared rebukingly at the blissfully ignorant Sandbar.

“No, I’m not sick,” Gallus responded, rolling his eyes when Sandbar let out a relieved sigh. “And all she said was that she had a migraine and a stomachache. … You guys don’t think she messed with anything dangerous when she was with Trixie the other day, do you?”

“I doubt it. She’d probably be dealing with some lung issues too,” Sandbar said casually.

“Lung issues?” Silverstream inquired hesitantly, slowly putting her juice back down.

“Well, fireworks are just colorful explosions. And it isn’t the healthiest thing to inhale explosive stuff. But knowing Ocellus, she was probably wearing a mask while inside a hazmat suit at the time.”

“I didn’t know you were so knowledgeable about fireworks, Sandy,” Gallus said, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not. It’s just common sense,” he replied, taking a bite of his pancakes and not noticing the others’ stares. He soon swallowed and said, “But if you wanted to learn more about firework safety, the Town Hall has been hosting a seminar on it twice a week since Trixie’s Equestrian Apology Tour.”

Three voices all suddenly said, “Ohhh. That’s how.”

“Huh?” he uttered, confused.

Before any of them could reply, a newcomer joined the table, bringing with her a blanket of uncomfortable silence and drawing forth all of their stares.

“Oh, hey, Smolder. How are you doing?”

Yona and Silver practically glared at the, once again, blissfully unaware Sandbar.

“I’m tired and grumpy.” she answered snappishly. “You?”

“Just dandy,” he said normally.

Smolder nodded, biting into her breakfast.

Gallus exchanged looks with Silver and Yona; the latter awkwardly shrugged while the former frowned. He then looked back to Smolder and gulped upon noticing how bloodshot her eyes were.

Okay, I need to fix all of this, so let’s try not to bottle up the problem this time. “Rough night?” Gallus inquired politely.

Smolder scowled and continued to aggressively eat her pancakes.

“Okay then…”

“Look,” she said, suddenly glaring at him. “I haven’t figured out exactly what I want to say to you yet, so until then…? … … … Yeah.”

He flinched. He flinched again when he saw Yona and Silver both glower at Smolder.

“Why Smolder have hard time talking to friend?”

Smolder ignored Yona.

“What do you even need to say? Gallus has done nothing wrong, so what’s your problem?”

Smoke started spilling out of Smolder’s nostrils again.

“Uh, Smolder?”

Smolder’s fork snapped in her claw, releasing a sharp crack.

“Yes. Sandbar?” she asked in a carefully measured tone.

“Smoke’s coming out of your nose again.”

She huffed a cloud of it out and said, “Yeah?”

“I just thought you’d like to know.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Bless you, Sandbar. You have no idea what’s going on, do you?

Smolder rolled her eyes and resumed eating.

“Did you want me to get you a new fork?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Okay.”

Yep. Not a clue. I’m jealous.

Yona merely shook her head at her boyfriend’s pleasantries to which he tilted his head in confusion. Silver looked between everyone before proceeding to solemnly pick at her food.

“So,” Gallus began, not wanting the silence to go on. “Ocellus roped me into joining Chess Club.”

“So November did drop out?” Sandbar asked. “Dude’s been debating between Chess and Yearbook for a while, but we all thought he would quit Yearbook. Guess not.”

“Didn’t he also quit Drama?” Smolder inquired. “I heard from Shimmy Shake that it caused a ruckus.”

Silver and Yona both looked at each other, wearing the exact same grimace.

“Yona forgot about that. Vellum not happy after learning November done with Club.”

“Now that’s an understatement,” Silver bemoaned wearily.

“Vellum?”

“Vellum Codex,” she answered. “He’s quite, er, passionate about Drama Club.”

“Yona know passion. And what Vellum have not passion. What Vellum have is stick up—”

“Okay, Yona!” Silver interrupted. “Ha-ha, but you know that’s not true.”

“Silverstream shouldn’t sugarcoat issue,” Yona acknowledged sagely.

“And you shouldn’t try to exaggerate it either,” Silver smartly shot back.

“Fair enough,” she conceded. “But still. If Silverstream plan to finally…” Yona shot Gallus a coy smirk and said suspiciously, “Ask. She should be upfront with everything, good and bad.”

“Yona!” Silver snapped, her wings flaring and face glowing red.

“What?” Yona asked innocently. “Yona only trying to help.”

“Yeah, well… It’s appreciated, but please don’t. I’ve got it.”

“Yona sure Silver has it. Yona just know Silver won’t actually ask without convincing.”

Silver scowled at Yona, but she ultimately relented, sighing and returning to her food. Yona did the same as Sandbar sipped at his juice, giving his girlfriend a curious look but nothing more.

Gallus and Smolder met each other’s eyes, asking the exact same question. A split second later, Smolder realized what she was doing and hurriedly looked back down at her plate, leaving Gallus to stare questioningly at the yak and hippogriff.

…

Gallus took a small breath and decided against asking further. Of course, he still didn’t want to let the noticeably more uncomfortable silence continue, so he instead asked, “So, Yona?”

“Yes?” Yona responded, perking up instantly in contrast to Silver’s immediate panic.

“You’re in Drama Club?”

Yona processed the question for a moment as her face quickly fell in disappointment. Silver, by comparison, looked about ready to break into a musical number.

“Oh… Yona mean— Oh, yes!” she said, perking back up. “Yona part of Drama Club. Did Gallus not know?”

“Mmm,” he hummed, double-checking his memory. “Nope. Can’t say I recall ever seeing you in any of the plays.” Please, please, please! Tell me I didn’t fall asleep during one of them!

“Ohhh!” Yona exclaimed, chuckling. “That because Yona not main performer. Yona work more on backstage stuff like props and dresses.”

“Oh. That explains that then. Cool.”

Yona shot Silverstream a swift glance and smirked. “If Gallus wants, Gallus always welcome to stop by Drama Club after school day done. Yona can show him what Yona does, and maybe Gallus watch others practice for—”

“So!” Silver desperately interjected. “Chess Club, huh? That sounds fun. I’ve certainly heard a lot of good things. So, Gallus? Did you need help learning the game?”

“Hey!” Yona protested. “Yona was still—”

“I’m not exactly an expert, but I still know a few things at least,” she continued.

Something is definitely going on, Gallus thought, looking at Silver uncertainly. But what? Did I… Did I screw something else up? Does it involve Yona? O-Or Silver!? What did I— No. No, Gallus. Calm down. You can figure out what you need to fix later. Let’s deal with this first.

“Nah. I have an idea of how the game works,” Gallus answered, earning a relieved sigh from Silver. “Thanks for the offer though.”

“Hee-hee,” she chuckled, blushing faintly. “Anytime. Just let me know if you ever change your mind or need a practice partner.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” he replied, smirking.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said, winking.

…

“You guys are so cute together,” Sandbar said happily.

“Sandbar!” Silverstream yelped, reddening again.

Gallus started screaming internally; whether in joy or terror, he didn’t know quite yet.

“What? You are,” Sandbar stated nonchalantly. “I guess you really did find that special somegriff, huh, Gallus? You old charmer, you,” he joked, grinning widely.

“Sandbar? Buddy, pal; friend,” Silver said with a deliberate calmness. “Stop talking.”

“…Okay,” he said, shrugging and returning to his breakfast.

Everyone stared at him for a moment, but they all quickly rolled with it and followed Sandbar’s example, none of them wanting to prolong the awkwardness any further.

Okay… Gallus thought to himself, sipping at the last bit of his drink. Okay! Everything is normal? Yeah? Aside from that and a bit of lingering awkwardness, everything is still normal.

“Pardon? ‘Normal’? Ha! You saw the tension they’re all filled with. You already chased off Smolder, and you saw what you did to Ocellus. And apparently, your little ‘girlfriend’ is next in line.”

No, he thought vehemently. I’m not going to do that.

“Admit to your own mess?”

Maybe I did screw things up, and that is my fault, yes. But I am not going to focus on that. I refuse to do that after what Ocellus and I just talked about earlier.

“So instead of owning up to how—”

Look! They all know, and they’re all still here! With me. I didn’t chase them away; I didn’t make them hate me; and I didn’t screw our friendship up. And… And I’m tired of dwelling on all of this junk. I want a break from it. So whether you like it or not, I’m going to ignore you now.

Gallus waited for a response, but to his surprise, none came. He let out another sigh of relief as he flipped open his notebook to review his recent notes.

Everything is fine, he assured himself.

“By the way,” Silver spoke up. “What was our first class today?”

“Kindness,” Smolder answered.

“Oh. … Thank you, Smolder.”

Smolder nodded, apparently not noticing the pause. Gallus looked between Yona and Sandbar, but they didn’t seem to notice it either, and Silver had already refocused on her food.

He shook his head and turned back down to his notes. Don’t be paranoid, Gallus. Everything is fine. If not? I can fix it. But I don’t need to fix it because everything is fine. … I hope.

***

“Oh no! What happened?” Fluttershy asked worriedly.

“We think she caught something, but she’s been in the bathroom since this morning, so…”

“Oh dear, did any of you check on her to see how she was doing?”

“We figured she’d like some privacy.”

“And she’s still in there? That’s not good. I better go check to see if—”

“I’M HERE!” Ocellus shouted, skidding into the room. “I’m here… I’m not late, am I?”

“Ocellus? Thank goodness, your friends were just telling me you were ill,” Fluttershy exclaimed, fretfully looking over the changeling.

“Y-Yeah, a little, but I’m feeling much better now.”

“Are you sure? I think Starlight knows some healing spells, but if it’s really serious, I can take you to the hospital. I’m sure Nurse Redheart wouldn’t mind giving you a quick check-up.”

“No! I-I mean… No thank you, Professor,” Ocellus decided, shaking her head. “I’m fine; I cast a few healing spells on myself and they did wonders.”

“Are you sure? If you’re worried about being counted absent, I can make an exception.”

“No-no. I’m good. Promise.”

“…Alright. But please don’t strain yourself if you’re still feeling uneasy later, okay?”

“I won’t. Sorry about the interruption.”

“It’s perfectly fine, Ocellus. Now, go on and take your seat; the bell will—”

RIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!

“—Do that. Okay, good morning, class!”

“Good morning, Professor Fluttershy!”

“Alright. If we’re all here now…” she began.

Once Ocellus sat in her seat, Gallus turned his attention away from Fluttershy and whispered, “Psst, Ocellus.”

“Yes, Gallus?” she whispered back, retrieving her books from her bags.

“You sure you’re okay? You were in the bathroom for a while.”

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”

“It wasn’t one of those athletic headaches you told me about yesterday, was it?”

“Aetheric headaches, Gallus,” she corrected reflexively. “And if I had one of those, I wouldn’t be able to levitate so much as a feather. Not to mention, I’d be—metaphorically speaking—dead to the world.”

“Then what’s up?”

“I’m just— It’s just— An unfriendly bug!” she proclaimed as if she had found the answer to the universe. “Yeah, an unfriendly bug. Like you said. Don’t worry, I’m fine. Promise.”

Yeah, like I promised? Gallus cynically thought, deadpanning.

“Seriously, please stop worrying; I’m fine. Just feeling under the weather,” she echoed.

What are you hiding, Ocellus?

“Can you feel the irony crawling along your back?”

It’s more crushing my back, thank you very much.

“Alright then,” he said slowly. “If you need anything though, just ask.”

“I will. Seriously! Don’t worry, Gallus. I’m woozy enough without that adding to it,” she whispered to herself.

“Sorry?”

“So was that ‘sorry’ preemptive to my pausing to listen in to your conversation, or was it a continuation of said conversation?”

Both Ocellus and Gallus jumped, much to everyone else’s giggles. “Sorry,” they said.

“It’s perfectly fine. Was there anything more that you two wish to share with the class?”

“You mean other than my fantastic wit and charm?” Gallus inquired.

“Yes,” Fluttershy said, unimpressed.

“Then nope.”

“Good. Now that everycreature is paying attention,” she resumed, sparing Gallus and Ocellus a tiny smirk. “I know we’re hot off the hooves of an entire week of relaxation and fun, so we should resume class as normal…”

About half of the class slumped in their seats; whereas, the other half perked up eagerly.

“But I also know we’re hot off the hooves of an entire week of relaxation and fun, and none of you likely want to return to the ordinary lessons just yet,” Fluttershy acknowledged. “That said, we still have over half an hour of class time, sooo… I thought it would be a great idea if we all shared what we did over the Friends and Family Day break as well as any important lessons we learned.”

About half of the class perked up eagerly; whereas, the other half slumped in their seats.

In the latter category was Gallus, who kept his head firmly planted in the palm of his talon so as to refrain from slamming it into the desk.

Grover’s Treasure, it never pecking ends!

The path of healing is long and arduous, but—

I know that, he said to himself. That doesn’t mean I can’t be annoyed by stupid things like—

Gallus turned to meet the five pairs of eyes staring at him and gave what he hoped was a confident grin and a talons-up.

Sandbar and Yona seemed consoled, and while Smolder held her stare a moment longer, she too slumped in her desk. Unfortunately, neither Silver and Ocellus looked convinced.

“Are you going to be okay?” the latter asked as the former was on the other half of the room.

Not if I have to deal with this pecking junk all week! But I know I can’t say that, so…

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

Ocellus reeled back in shock. That shock quickly melted into worry.

“It really is that easy…” she whispered again.

“Huh?”

“Gallus, are you sure you’re going to be fine? Please don’t lie,” she quietly begged.

Am I doing it again? “Yes, I’m a bit annoyed, but I’ll be fine. Promise.” Please stop worrying!

“…Genuine.”

“Ocellus, either speak up, or I’m going to start getting really cynical about whatever it is you’re muttering under your breath.”

“Eep! No, no! I wasn’t muttering anything!” Ocellus lied. “A-Anyway, if you’re sure you’ll be okay then I believe you. But if you need me to, I can cast a silencing spell so you don’t have to deal with… This.”

Now that’s appealing!

You do remember all those stories about how using magic just made everything worse, right?

That was the Princess; I like to think Ocellus is a tad bit more responsible than her.

Elsewhere, a lavender alicorn looked up and shot an annoyed glance in the direction of Ponyville. It quickly abated, so she returned to her notes, mildly miffed for an unknown reason.

After brushing off the sudden feeling of being stared at, Gallus admitted, But I guess I still shouldn’t risk it. “Nah, I’ll be fine,” he said to Ocellus. “If I get bored, I’ll just read or something.”

“Alright then. Let me know if you change your mind.”

“My-my, Ocellus! For feeling queasy all morning, you sure are chatty today.”

“Eep! S-Sorry, Professor Fl-Fluttershy,” she apologized, flushing scarlet.

“Hee-hee. Don’t worry about it. It’s actually nice to see you be so talkative for a change.”

“That’s teacher talk for ‘You’re one of the only students I won’t punish for being disruptive,’” November Rain not-so-subtly muttered to Ocellus.

“That’s assuming I do have students I’m selectively lenient on, which I’m not supposed to have. But if I did—and I’m not saying I do—what makes you think you’re one of them, November?”

“Uhhh…”

“In fact, since you’re feeling so chatty yourself, why don’t you come up here and talk about your Friends and Family Day first?” Fluttershy insisted.

“Ah geez! Uh, anycreature else want to go first instead?”

“If you can’t talk in class, maybe you shouldn’t talk during class,” Peppermint Goldylinks rebuked, holding back a giggle.

“You know, I quit to get away from Vellum…” the stallion grumbled, rising from his desk.

Peppermint’s smile instantly fell, and she weakly mumbled, “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he assured, trotting to the front of the class. Once all eyes were on November, he swallowed nervously and stuttered, “Well, um, the first thing I d-did on Friends and F-Family Day was, uh…”

Gallus shut the stammering out and opened his notebook to where he had stuffed Cadence’s advice. After finding it, he gulped and turned back to the blue unicorn who had quickly gained some confidence.

“—After Mom and Dad finished hugging me, we decided we’d probably have the most fun just wandering around the Festival with no set destinations in mind. That way, every activity would be a surprise we would experience together. And of course, our first stop happened to be—”

Gallus opened the letter and began.

Dear Gallus…

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Sorry, I couldn’t help writing out my reaction to finding out about you and your friend! I’m so happy for you and Silver—I totally called it when I visited the school last Hearts and Hooves Day; ask Twilight and she’ll tell you! Then again, I also thought your other friends, Sandbar and Ocellus, would get together too, but it turned out the colt had a soft spot for the yak all this time! WHO KNEW!?

Sweet Hearth’s Warming, I love Love! It’s so unpredictable, erratic, and explosive, and yet is equally beautiful, majestic, and harmonious! Not to mention—

Whoops! Sorry, I shouldn’t be letting slip all of the amazing feelings a creature experiences when their heart has been entwined with another’s! You’re about to learn that for yourself soon enough, and far be it for me to spoil any of it!

Gallus looked up so quickly his neck cracked.

“—After that, the puppet started break-dancing and singing about wrecking balls. I had no idea what it was about, but my mom was in tears over how beautiful it was. On the other hoof, my dad thought it had something to do with normalizing radicalized thinking…? I don’t know. Anyway—”

Rubbing his neck, Gallus forced himself to look down once more.

I found out when Twily mailed to me about your situation, and I am so! So! SO! Happy for you! You totally deserve some love in your life!

Of course, it’s not just you that deserves anything out of a relationship. Silverstream does too. Luckily, you already seem to know this, considering you asked Twilight for advice on the matter—I would have mailed you anyway, but you asking for help definitely made me sigh in relief.

Sooo… You are about to enter into a relationship with another creature with their own thoughts, dreams, and emotions. And you wish to be more knowledgeable on the subject to ensure said relationship is as fulfilling and rewarding as you can possibly make it.

You my fine, feathery friend have come to the right pony.

Gallus slammed the notebook shut, trying to keep the growing panic in his chest from exploding outward into an alien abomination.

“—So anyway, we all just floated into the air, weightless as could be. She started yelling at the Crusaders to fix the situation while also apologizing profusely for the whole thing. Luckily, Mom was having too much fun swimming through zero gravity to be paying the slightest attention to Ms. Cheerilee, and Dad was too busy vomiting into his popcorn bag—”

Taking a deep breath, Gallus once again forced himself to resume reading Cadence’s letter.

Now, something to remember is that every creature in this world is unique; therefore, every relationship is unique as well. Different creatures have different expectations, and those differences can and will effect how the relationships between creatures operate.

However, you shouldn’t be intimidated by that fact. True, there are many nuances to relationships, and I fully intend to write to you about them, but for now—since you’re only just beginning—it’s best to give you some general information, most of which is obvious enough that you probably already know:

First off: Respect Silverstream. See? I told you most of this stuff would be obvious; you should already respect her since she’s your friend.

Don’t be paranoid you need to respect her “more” just because she’s now also something “more” to you. Just be as kind and considerate to her as you normally are and you’ll be fine. Don’t take that as discouragement from being more considerate if you see an opportunity to be so, however.

Second: Trust her. Again, obvious, but you’d be shocked at how often this issue crops up.

A relationship requires trust because everything else is built upon that trust. Without it, you can’t depend on one another or be emotionally open or vulnerable with each other.

Acts of Kindness and Generosity mean nothing if your bond is lacking Loyalty or Honesty, and moments of joy and Laughter become empty and lifeless.

Simply put: The Spark of Magic that fuels a bond of love is gone if there’s no trust to maintain.

See, Twilight!? I did the thing you wanted me to; now get off my back about it, would ya!

Finally: Be aware. Nothing more to it than that. Be aware of her thoughts and feelings. Be aware of your own. Too many times I’ve seen couples fail to work because one or both of them weren’t aware of each other’s feelings. Ignorance is innocent most of the time, but it’s never desired.

Fortunately, I’m certain you don’t struggle in this aspect. Wanna know why? Because you asked for my advice. It bears repeating: You asked for help so you could know more about how this whole thing works and do better as a result. You were aware of your shortcomings and cared enough about both Silverstream and your new relationship to ask for help concerning them.

That means a lot Gallus.

Anyway, now that we’ve got the basic stuff out of the way; it’s time to get into the hefty stuff. So! My first major piece of relationship advice is…

“—It sounds like you had a very interesting day, November,” Fluttershy complimented, clapping encouragingly once he had finished speaking. “I hope everything is alright now.”

“It is. Mom’s new cactus pet is doing fine, and Dad finally managed to get the polka dots out of his coat. All’s well that ends well, right?” he concluded, shrugging.

“I suppose. So, who’d like to go next? Gallus?” she suddenly called. “You looked pretty bored, sitting there and reading all through November’s turn. Why don’t you come up here and talk about what you did for Friends and Family Day? I bet that’ll cheer you right up.”

Gallus froze.

“Wait! He was— Oh come on, dude! You were reading when I was talking?”

“Uh, sorry?” Gallus reflexively apologized.

November averted his eyes, genuinely hurt.

“Hey, Professor, Yona’d like to come up and talk about holiday!”

“Aww, that’s very nice of you Yona; you can go after Gallus.”

“B-But—”

“After Gallus,” Fluttershy repeated, still smirking at him.

She doesn’t know; it makes no sense why she’d be singling me out like this otherwise, Gallus reasoned, panicking. I’m just a student not paying attention, nothing more.

“Well, uh, I had a day,” he tried. “There you go. That was my day. It was a day.”

“Funny. But I know you had a better day than that,” Fluttershy asserted, sparing Silverstream a glance. “Come on up here and tell us all about it.”

What does she— Ah peck! Silver and I stopped by and played her water pistol game; she probably thinks I had a good time like everycreature else did!

“No chance of getting out of it?” he nearly whimpered.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Gallus. Now, come on! Let’s hear all about what you got up to the other day. I’ll even make sure no one reads during your time up here.”

Translation: Peck you! Get over here and be humiliated, you idiot!

Gallus blinked at the thought that just ran through his head.

True translation: Come up here and talk about your holiday so you’ll know better than to read and ignore everyone else when they talk about theirs after you.

Gulping, Gallus casually trotted to the front of the classroom and smiled awkwardly at Fluttershy who stepped aside, giving him the room. He then faced his classmates.

Nope! Nope! Nope! No— Oh, for the love of Grover’s Treasure! STOP! PANICKING!

Then what do I do!?

Give them an abridged version of your stupid day.

Including the breakdown?

Peck no!

What about Silverstream?

…Uh-oh.

“Uh-oh”? What do you mean by “uh-oh”!?

You told the others you were feeling better, so if you stand up here and lie to the class…

Oh. But they’d understand, wouldn’t they?

Smolder probably wouldn’t.

Okay, but I can fix that. She’s already kind of mad at me anyway, so…

What about Ocellus? You just promised you wouldn’t lie to her either. You promised the same thing to Silver, and didn’t you read the advice Cadence gave you about trust?

That promise is a little hard to keep when you’ve got an innocently ignorant teacher breathing down your neck to tell two dozen others that you had a mental meltdown!

“My day really was pretty boring, all things considered,” Gallus finally began, trying to hide his unease. “I, uh… Well, the first thing I did was get out of bed.”

Half of the class slumped in their desks; whereas, the remaining half snickered.

“And the second thing I did was discover that Silver’s cockatrice friend, Edith, is apparently really fascinated with the idea of acting as an impromptu alarm clock.”

The slumpers slumped harder, and the snickerers snickered louder. Funnily enough, Fluttershy appeared to be taking the side of the latter.

“Anyway, after getting out of bed, I…”

Okay, do I be honest that I spent the day with Silverstream, or do I make something up?

What would you even say? “I took a train to Griffonstone and got roped into waxing all of Grandpa Gruff’s furniture while he sat in his throne of dead feathers and disappointment”?

Grover’s Treasure, why is it never easy!?

“Ooh, Professor, this is the part where I come in!” Silverstream excitedly announced. “May I help tell the story?”

Hallelujah! For once it’s easy! … Wait a minute.

“Hmm, I don’t see why not.”

“Yay!” Silver chirped, bounding up to Gallus as his heart beat a little faster. “So! Context: My family and I figured that since we spent the entire week leading up to Friends and Family Day hanging out, that for the Festival we’d all do our own thing and meet up later. Sadly, that meant whatever I was gonna do for the day, I had to do alone. Buuuuut!” she ended, looking at him expectantly.

“Buuuuut,” Gallus picked up more confidently. “I conveniently had no one to spend the day with either, so Silver took the chance to rope me into spending the day with her.”

“How come you were alone, Gallus?” Peppermint asked. “Where were your parents?”

Barely resisting the urge to slap a talon over his face, he deflected, “Eh, Gramps just couldn’t make it for some reason.”

“Aww. Sorry, Gallus.”

“Don’t worry about it, Patty. Besides, I had Silver to hang out with, so it wasn’t all bad.”

Silver’s smile brightened. However that was possible, Gallus didn’t know.

“Yeah! So do you want to tell them about all the amazing stuff we did, or do you?”

“Turns?” he suggested.

“Turns,” she agreed. “You first.”

“Okay. So, first thing we did was Professor Fluttershy’s water pistol game.”

“I tried it out, but I lost twice,” Silver lamented sadly.

“You didn’t lose; you managed to get those two Stripes,” Gallus defended comfortingly.

“Yeah, well, you did better than I did.”

“Hey, you wanted Horton, so I got you Horton.”

“And I love him so much! He’s so fluffy…”

“After that we did Sugar Belle’s Pie Toss—”

“We got a little messy, but those cherry pies were delicious,” Silver gleefully reminisced.

“I was partial to the blueberry, but the cherry was good too,” he agreed, nodding.

“Certainly better than the apple from what I’ve been hearing…” Fluttershy muttered. The two stared at her indignantly, so she yelped, “Oops! Sorry, don’t mind me.”

“Next up,” Silverstream resumed. “We tried out the hammer-puck thing.”

“High striker,” Gallus corrected.

“Yeah, that. And I managed to get fourth,” she bragged.

“I’m still annoyed I didn’t even get tenth,” he playfully grumbled.

“Sorry, Gallus.”

“Not a problem. Just evidence I need to finally look into a gym membership or something.”

“Let me know if you’re serious about that; I know a few of the good ones.”

“Thanks, Sandbar.” I wasn’t serious, but thanks anyway. “Hey, Silver? What did we do next?”

“Was it Matilda’s game or Professor Applejack’s?”

“I think it was Matilda’s,” he remembered.

“Right. Well, I don’t think either of us were good at that one, but it was still fun,” she said, smiling merrily.

“Yep, and then we did Applejack’s game.”

“Hey, that’s right! I almost forgot AJ had a game,” Fluttershy interrupted again. “What was it by the way? Nopony ever told me.”

Everyone looked at Fluttershy fearfully, Applejack’s warning echoing in all of their minds.

“Well, she did have a game. Not sure what it was called, but it, er, wasn’t all that interesting,” Gallus hurriedly covered.

“In any case,” Silver quickly followed. “After that was Lyra’s Laser Tag.”

“Oh yeah! We were in that place for over an hour, but it was so awesome!” he shouted happily.

“We managed to win our way to the top and got these really cool figurines of the Princesses.”

“Well, we only won because you were fantastic at having my back in there.”

“You were the one getting all the targets.”

“So did Mrs. Ditsy.”

“I know.” Silver gasped and yelped, “Oh my gosh! We still need to bake those muffins for her!”

“Uh, I still don’t know how to bake muffins. Remember?” he said, slightly embarrassed.

“And I told you I would show you, remember? Hey! You wanna do it during break?”

“You know what? Yeah. Why not?”

“Eee!” she squealed, hopping excitedly. “Get ready to see this muffin-baking master at work then!” Silverstream proclaimed eagerly.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Gallus affirmed, grinning.

The two chuckled.

“Oh geez! They’re as bad as Sandbar and Yona.”

“Hey!” exclaimed said stallion and yak.

“Now, November, that wasn’t very nice.”

“We were all thinking it, Professor!”

“I wasn’t.”

“So what November should have said was, ‘We were all thinking it except you, Professor’?”

“Yes, Peppermint, that is what he… Wait. No!”

The class’s chuckling at Fluttershy’s expense gave Gallus and Silver a chance to recover their composure and hide their blushes.

“Okay, okay. Everycreature settle down. And please don’t do that, Ms. Goldylinks.”

“Yes, ma’am. Hee-hee-hee.”

“Anyway, sorry for that interruption. Do continue, you two.”

“Alright, Professor,” Silver said, nodding. “So, after having a blast at Laser Tag, we decided to stop and have some lunch, and then we— Ummm…” she trailed off, staring uncertainly at Gallus.

“…And then we just sat there for a while talking. We didn’t have a whole lot better to do since we were both exhausted from Laser Tag, so…” he finished with a shrug.

“Ooh! What did you two talk about?”

Was it the fourth talon or the third? Dang it, where’s Gilda when you need her?

“We, uh… Talked about, er… What did we talk about, Gallus?” Silverstream inquired, deferring to him.

“We mostly talked about random—” Don’t say that word in front of Fluttershy! “—stuff. The usual tangents that happen when you’re bored out of your mind.” Please relinquish us from this accursed torture!

Fluttershy smiled expectantly.

Oh, so it’s like that, is it? Okay, Professor, you asked for this.

“But I can tell you’re looking for specifics!” Gallus declared, smirking deviously. “And in that case, hey, guys! Who here thought Sandbar would hook up with Ocellus!?”

***

“Good morning, everycreature, and— WHA-HAH-AHH! O-Oh my stars! What happened to all of you? No offense, darlings, but you all look like you went through a warzone.”

“You could say that,” November groaned, rubbing his back.

“Goodness gracious, did Discord mess with the hallways again?”

“While it was certainly chaotic, it wasn’t that kind of warzone, Professor. It was the ‘shipper’ kind,” Peppermint clarified ominously.

“Should I even bother asking for an elaboration?”

“Well, it started out as Sandbar and Yona versus Sandbar and Ocellus—”

“Nope, nope, nope! Sorry, darling, but I’ve seen—and, er, been in—enough of those debates to know what kind of hysteria it devolved into. Everyone survived the carnage unscathed, I hope?” Rarity asked.

“Ocellus is in the bathroom, but she was sick earlier, so we’re not sure if she’s hiding out of embarrassment or queasiness.”

“My bet’s on both,” Smolder moaned, untangling tie-dyed toilet paper from her horn. “Where did this even come from?” she wondered, throwing the wrappings in the trash can.

“Shall I check on her, or is Fluttershy already doing so?”

“She’ll be fine, Professor. Ocellus will probably dash into her seat at the last second before the bell rings,” November supposed.

“Hmm. Alright then.” She then coughed into her hoof, announcing, “Good afternoon, class!”

Her response was a series of painful groans.

“Yes, that’s about what I expected. Now then…”

As Rarity went about inquiring the rest of the students as to their current state of mind and body, Gallus and Silver walked over to the farthest end of the classroom, sitting beside each other.

“Are you okay, Gallus?” she asked softly.

“Yep. Thanks for covering for me back there.”

“Of course! Sorry you got called on. Yona tried to help out too, but it, well, didn’t work.”

“I know; I plan to thank her later. Geez, how did I get caught reading in class? I never get caught. Must be slipping, eh?” Gallus joked.

“Well, you tend to pretend that you’re reading in class even when you really are listening, so…”

“What!? N-No, I don’t!”

“Hee-hee. Yes, you dooooo,” she sang. “We all know it, even the teachers.”

“Fiddlesticks,” he pouted.

“I guess that means you really weren’t listening this time. What were you reading then?”

Are you going to finally ask her?

“Just some other notes that I was… ‘Prioritizing’ for lack of a better word.”

“Oh, okay then. … Are you really okay, Gallus?”

“Of course I’m…” Nope, can’t say that word. “Yeah. I was a little caught off-guard, but other than that? Doing well enough. I’m still up for baking if that’s what you’re really wondering?”

“What I was really wondering was if you were genuinely alright,” Silver stated. “Glad to see that’s the case…”

Glad or not, Gallus could still hear her lingering worry.

“Are you alright?” he slowly asked, remembering the breakfast debacle.

“Um… W-Well, you see, I, er…”

Before he could inquire further, a pale blue fire roared to life in the front row and just as quickly disappeared, revealing a panting Ocellus and her smoking horn. The bell rang the second after.

“Phew, made it!” she cheered, pumping a hoof.

“That was a magnificent display, Ocellus!” Rarity praised.

“O-Oh! Um, th-thank you, Professor.”

“You’re quite welcome, darling. Now then, is everycreature settled down and ready to begin class?”

“Yes, Professor Rarity!” the class declared.

“Excellent! So, moving beyond the apparent ‘war’ that occurred last period—”

“I still think Princess Celestia and Discord should have hooked up, and you can’t change my mind!”

“Oh come on, Patty!” half the class roared.

“Ohp-up-up! We shall have no more of that! If you all wish to engage in this, er, ‘discussion,’ you may do so later in your own time. Right now, it is time for class, not shipping wars.”

“Yes, Professor,” Patty whined, defeated.

“Plus, we all know Discord has the hots for Professor Fluttershy,” November whispered.

“I said we will have none of that, please!” Rarity yelped, blushing.

“Yes, Professor,” November also whined, also defeated.

“Good. Now, I understand we have just come off the cusp of Friends and Family Day—”

OH! COME! ON! Gallus thought as he turned to give Silver another forced smile. She didn’t see it since her face was currently hidden behind a claw.

He instantly dropped the facetious grin and asked, “Are you okay?”

“‘Exasperated’ is the word I’d use,” Silver answered, dropping her talon. “More importantly, are you okay?”

I wish I’d stop making her ask me that. “‘Exasperated’ is the word I’d use,” he echoed back, winking.

“If you want, I can say something,” she proposed weakly.

“What? No. No, I’m good.” She stared at him, unflinching. “I promise, Silver. I’m—” Can’t say that word! “—doing okay. Don’t worry. Besides, I can always just fall asleep,” he suggested playfully.

She smiled, rolling her eyes. “You know you’re not supposed to do that.”

“I know. But it’s not like Rarity ever notices when I do.”

“Oh no, she does.”

“Wait. She does?” he asked, dumbfounded.

“Yep. She never says anything, but she always gives you the stink eye when you do it.”

Gallus gulped nervously. “I’d better start paying more attention then.”

They both chuckled, turning back to Rarity who hadn’t paid their conversation any mind.

“—And, of course, during that time I’m sure you all saw the amazing art and creations many of your fellow students made to celebrate the holiday?”

“If by ‘amazing art’ you mean Sandbar just buying a mirror and gluing macaroni to it.”

“Yona pretty sure Professor talking about November’s bottle fort.”

“Hey, that’s for my Science Fair project, not Friends and Family Day!”

“That’s enough, you two. Now, where was I? Oh, yes! I saw all of these projects myself, and first of all, I’d like to say to those of you who did these projects: Fantastic jobs, all of you; your projects were absolutely marvelous! And secondly, I was INSPIRRRED!” Rarity sang.

Here we go again, the entire class thought. Except Ocellus of course.

“Inspired to do what, Professor?” she asked excitedly.

“Well, after seeing so many students try their hoof—or claw—at crafting something to encapsulate their love for their friends and families, it occurred to me that an important lesson all creatures should learn is how to do exactly that.”

“Buy mirrors and glue macaroni to them?”

“Build water bottle play-castle?”

“Of course!”

“Huh?” both Yona and November exclaimed.

“Well, not those two things specifically; rather, embracing the mentality behind those actions. That being: Expressing yourself creatively.”

Phew! It’s not one of ‘those’ inspired lessons, the entire class thought. Except Ocellus of course.

“What exactly do you mean, Professor?”

“I mean exactly what I said, Ocellus. You see, there are many different ways we communicate to each other. Words, actions; thoughts… However, our ability to express ourselves is not limited to just these.”

“We can express ourselves in countless ways, our meanings and emotions limited only by our imagination and creation!” Rarity began explaining, her eyes shimmering with the passion she was so well-known for. “Sure, what may look like to you is a mirror with macaroni glued to it, to another is a representation of how much an individual loves that particular food. They love it so much they create something to symbolically represent themselves being surrounded by it.”

November looked away, ashamed of himself.

Yona smugly smiled, proud to have her boyfriend’s honor defended.

“Also, a large fort of bottles might seem wasteful to some, but others might see it as a way to stress the importance of recycling by suggesting that even homes are possible creations of the act.”

Yona winced apologetically, rubbing the back of her head.

November blinked and fell into a thoughtful daze.

“My point is this: Creative expression is one of the best ways we can interact with both others and the world around us. It allows us to transform our hopes and dreams into works of creation that touch the hearts of the world around us, speaking our words, thoughts, and feelings to them without ever speaking at all. And in turn, urging others to do the same.”

“So, the best way to talk to each other is to draw something and give it to them?”

“Not quite, Patty darling. Art is about more than simply drawing or painting; art is about creation! It is about taking what you feel in your heart and giving it physical form!” she exclaimed, flourishing her mane. “As such it can be anything. A song, a novel; a play… It matters not; art is merely an expression.”

“Uh, Professor?” Smolder began. “If that’s the case, I think I’ll stick to just telling my friends whatever I’m thinking. It’s easier.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Gallus noticed Silver shoot Smolder a glare.

“That’s fine, darling; just because you can express yourself that way doesn’t mean you have to.”

“But you just said it was the best way to communicate to others.”

“I said it was ‘one’ of the best ways, not ‘the’ best. While I’ve personally always found it easiest to express myself in such a manner, that doesn’t mean it’s the same for you.”

Smolder deadpanned.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean you should disregard the option entirely merely because it seems daunting at first. You never know if you’ll find yourself lost in the act of creation until you attempt it.”

For a split second, Smolder glanced at Gallus before dropping her gaze back to her desk.

“Professor? You said we could channel our emotions into our creations. What do you mean by that? Like, how can we put our hopes and dreams into something without using magic?”

“Excellent question, Sandbar. To clarify, I don’t necessarily mean that literally. What I mean is that when creating, we can draw upon our thoughts and feelings and use them to help guide our hooves—or claws—during the process.”

“How does that work?”

“There is no specific way it ‘works,’” she said. “Our creations are a medium through which we display the feelings in our hearts. As I said, the artwork I saw so many of you create for the holiday inspired me to dedicate this lesson to the concept. But what was it about all of them that inspired me? It was the love, affection, joy, and celebration they were crafted with!” Rarity answered, her voice rising a pitch in excitement.

“Everything from November’s bottle fort to Sandbar’s macaroni mirror were crafted with the desire—your desire—to create something for those you loved. To celebrate the bonds you had with your friends and family. This permeated each and every work of art created in the recent week.”

“That’s the whole point of creative expressions,” she explained. “It’s about putting forth all of your feelings and all of your passions, and using them to weave together something to share them with those you wish to behold it.”

Assuming it’s the things they want you to express, Gallus thought sourly, waiting for someone to say as such. Curiously, no one did. Likely because they were too busy taking notes to do so.

“Professor?”

“Yes, Smolder darling?”

“What… Well, what about… What about ‘negative’ feelings? Like anger, or… Or fear?” Smolder questioned, fidgeting uncomfortably.

“Ah, yes. Those,” Rarity said neutrally. “Well, just as love and joy can be woven into a creation of beauty and elegance, so too can sadness and heartache be forged into an artifice of melancholy and despair. However, that’s not a bad thing per se,” she quickly added.

“Many songs, paintings, and stories were created to communicate a sense of sorrow or tragedy—I highly recommend checking out the Shadow Spade series for those who haven’t already,” Rarity promoted shamelessly. “And that is perfectly fine. Happiness isn’t something everyone feels all the time, nor is it something that can be or should be expressed all the time.”

Gallus had to bite back his retort.

“Sometimes, sorrow is something that someone needs to show. Somberness is a perfectly acceptable expression, as is loneliness.”

Silver glanced at him, only to turn away the moment he glanced back.

“And fear?” Rarity continued. “That’s certainly something everycreature feels more often than we care to admit. But it too is something that deserves expression.”

“Well, duh! If it weren’t we wouldn’t have the Horror genre.”

“Only you would rejoice at the idea of Horror existing, Sandbar,” Peppermint accused.

“Hey, come on, Patty! Some of the best movies ever are Horror!”

“Yeah, and some of the best movies ever are Rom-Coms. And personally, I could do without sitting in a room for two hours watching crazy ponies hack each other to death, thank you very much.”

“‘Hack each other to death’? What do you—oh! I think you might have watched a Horror-Thriller. Yeah, those can get a little redundant.”

“‘Redundant’!? That’s the word you go with!?” she squealed disbelievingly.

“Yeah. That’s because a lot of them rely on gore and shock value way too much. Depends on the director and writing team. But if you’re looking for good ones, I can give you a list.”

“…Yona? Could you…?”

“Yona know. Sandbar?”

“What?” She whispered something into his ear to which he responded with, “Ohhh. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. … Did you have a list of Rom-Coms though? I’ve been looking for something new.”

“I’ve got you covered,” Sandbar answered confidently.

“If I may get back to what I was saying?” Both ponies quietly apologized. “Thank you. It is not just sadness and fear that can be expressed this way, but anger and irritation as well,” Rarity resumed. “I find myself alleviating frustration in this manner quite often, actually.”

“You do?”

“But of course! I may be your teacher, but I still occasionally face difficult or frustrating problems. And when that happens, I turn to my craft!” she declared energetically. “My anger weaves into the stitching as my grievance flows into the fabric. What blossoms forth is an object shining with said vented feelings. In fact, the dress I wear now is one such example.”

“So whenever Yona upset Yona should try sewing?” she asked eagerly.

“If you wish, darling. But remember that art is not limited to one specific activity. I express my emotions this way because that is how I best express my passions! But it might not be the same for you. The key is finding what is the best way that you can express your passions.”

“Seems kind of strange to only do that when you’re angry?”

“Well, I don’t, darling. You remember the dress that Twilight wore during her coronation?”

The class nodded.

“That was a work fueled by happiness, gratitude, a bit of apprehension, but above all else: Love. Whereas, this dress is one I crafted in frustration and doubt, but both are expressions nonetheless.”

“So, to make sure I have everything correct—”

“What are you talking about, Ocellus? Of course you have everything correct,” November accused.

“I don’t know that for sure!”

“Says the one who understands this lesson the best out of all of us.”

“Let me guess. Because I’m a changeling?” Ocellus asked tiredly.

“No…? It’s because you’re ten times smarter than the rest of us. Sorry for accidentally making you think otherwise,” he apologized, wincing.

“O-Oh! Oh… Sorry,” she said meekly.

“Meh, don’t worry about it.”

“Alright. Sorry,” she apologized again. “So, Professor? To ensure I have this right: Creative expression is a means of connecting with others by communicating the feelings that we put into our creations? And that all emotions can be expressed this way regardless if they’re positive or negative?”

“Exactly, Ocellus,” Rarity confirmed. “Joy, love, gratitude, hope, sorrow, anger, uncertainty, fear, and all manner of other emotions are best shown through creativity, integrity, passion, and inspiration.”

The class stared scribbling down some more notes.

“Having said all of that, this is today’s class assignment: I want each of you to create something that accurately portrays your present thoughts and feelings. It matters not what you do or if you finish. You have the remainder of class, and if you need any help simply ask me. You may begin,” she ended with a nod.

And thus, the class entered into a flurry of movements, withdrawing various materials and items from the nearby closet.

Some stole away papers and pens, aiming to etch into the papyrus the stories untold in all but their minds.

Others took those same papers, pencils, and brushes and sought to bring images into the world previously privy only to them.

A select few discovered an assortment of Professor Rarity’s leftover materials and began the beautifully painstaking process of creating an artifact of elegance.

However, while his classmates and friends had all sprang at the chance to embrace the activity, Gallus remained where he sat, his neutral face gazing downward at the notebook before him.

Aren’t you gonna finish? You didn’t even get to the actual advice.

That’s enough for today.

No, it isn’t! You asked for her help; she was even proud that you did! Are you seriously that terrified of knowing how to be a better griffon?

N-No!

Didn’t think so. After all, aren’t you trying to heal and be a better griffon in the process?

That’s a completely different issue than this!

Oh, like they aren’t intrinsically linked?

Exactly! One’s my current predicament with Silver being, um, potentially romantically interested in me, w-while the other is my, er, issues.

“If you want to talk about issues, there’s the remaining one of whether or not Silver is actually interested in you or is just humoring you so you won’t go crazy again.”

Nope, I’m not gonna think about that! Instead, I’m going to focus on—

“Ahem!”

Gallus jerked at the polite cough and awkwardly locked eyes with his teacher.

“I would be remiss to discourage reading, but unless you intend to provide a theatrical performance, you still have an assignment that needs doing, Gallus,” Rarity said, smiling comfortingly.

“Sorry, Professor. I’ll, uh, find something to do.”

“Indeed. What were you reading anyway? Out of curiosity.”

“N-Nothing. At least, not yet. I was thinking about it, but I’ll do it later. I have an assignment after all,” he said, happy to have a proper excuse to postpone reading Cadence’s letter. “Again, sorry.”

“Not to worry, dear; reading is a wonderful pastime, and we all find ourselves tempted to do that rather than perform our duties, mundane or not.”

“Yes, ma’am. Sorry again.”

“You already said that, darling.”

“Sorry.”

“That’s three times.”

“Sor—ughhh.”

She giggled, saying, “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Gallus. Happens to the best of us.”

“I know, I know.” Gallus turned to fully take in the plethora of activities before him and was immediately hit with an unfortunate realization. “So, Professor? What should I do?”

“Whatever you feel like, darling. This is an exercise in learning how you best channel your feelings into your passions and your thoughts into your creations.”

Gallus looked at her blankly.

“You still don’t know what you want to do, do you?”

He once again looked at all the activities and thought his choices over again. On one talon, he could just kill class-time messing around with literally anything there. On the other, he wanted to take the assignment seriously and do something he relatively enjoyed. The only problem was…

“Yeah,” he admitted. “I don’t know what I want to do.”

“Hmm. Well, what among the activities are you most interested in?”

Not sewing and definitely not writing. I can’t even write a stupid letter without it taking me half an hour, and that was without thinking of interesting characters and conflicts. And Ocellus has the only instrument, so even if I wanted to try violin I can’t. And no chess boards to practice with. Great. I guess that leaves…

“Drawing?” he concluded, shrugging.

“Ooh, alright then,” Rarity said, her eyes sparkling with fervor. “What exactly were you planning to draw? Did you want to simply sketch, or did you intend to color it too?”

Why does it even matter? Knowing me, I’ll just screw it up again. Gallus blinked and quietly sighed. And there I go again, being cynical and self-demeaning.

“Darling? Is something the matter? You seem perturbed.”

“Everything is—” Still can’t say that word! “—great! I’m just thinking,” he half-lied.

“Oh, my apologies. Take your time; I’m not going anywhere.”

Gallus wasn’t certain what he would have said next, but he thankfully didn’t need to say anything since a certain hippogriff had taken it upon herself to bail him out.

“Professor Rarity?” asked the newly arrived Silverstream.

“Oh, hello, Silver darling. Did you have a question?”

“Mhmm! May we work together on this assignment? I can help Gallus if he wants.”

“Hmm?” Rarity gave him a curious stare before saying, “I don’t see why not.”

“Yes! Thank you, Professor; c’mon, Gallus!”

Her talon wrapped around his before he could even blink, and Silver swiftly dragged him toward the back of the class where she had set up an easel and several paints. She then sat down on a bouncy, backless seat and patted the one beside her.

An annoying buzzing began blaring in the back of his mind as several panicked thoughts mixed together in an unintelligible haze of fearful anxiety.

Gallus then let out a small breath. Stop it, Gallus. She’s your friend, and everything is fine. Don’t worry, all that stuff can wait, he told himself as he took the offered seat.

“Hi,” she greeted kindly.

Just act normal. Just act normal… “Hi,” he responded normally.

“How are you doing?”

Oh, I don’t know? Terrified? Worried? Or at least, trying not to be… How about you?

What are you even worried about? You acted perfectly fine around her just a few minutes ago!

Yeah, well, now I have that issue currently on my brain!

You’d best get over it quickly.

I’m trying!

“Oh, I’m fine.” Aw peck. “No more exasperation. How about you?”

“I’m doing fine myself; no more exasperation either,” she giggled.

“That’s good,” he said, relieved his slip-up hadn’t triggered her panic.

“So, what did you really want to do for this assignment? I’m guessing it wasn’t drawing.”

“Heh-heh. I, uh… Honestly? I didn’t really have any ideas,” he admitted.

“Oh. That’s okay. Can’t decide what to do with all the different possibilities?”

“Yeah…” Gallus sighed, trying his hardest not to use that as a reason to demean himself.

“Well, what’s something you like to do that expresses yourself?” she asked innocently.

“Hang out with you and the others,” he answered.

“Awww!” she cooed, blushing. “Thanks, Gallus, you’re so sweet.”

That’s a compliment, Gallus; don’t panic over it. “Thanks, Silver,” he muttered, managing not to panic over it. “So, uh… What do you like to do that expresses yourself?” he asked in return.

“Ooh, I like to draw, read, bake, act, dance, fly, and all kinds of other things! But my personal favorite? Hee-hee, painting,” Silverstream revealed joyfully.

“Okay,” he said, remembering her tribute to the Tree of Harmony. “What is it about painting you like?”

“EVERYTHING!” Silver shrieked, flaring her wings excitedly. “The various colors I weave into a beautiful representation of my emotions! The gentle brushes I flow across the canvas, carving an intricate design of wonder and life! The abstract rivers of beauty and splendor I raise forth with every stroke and flourish!” Her smile drooped when she noticed his blank stare. “I guess it’s a little hard to put into words…” she murmured self-consciously.

“I hear that,” he said, struggling not to return to dwelling on his current fears. A light-bulb then lit in his mind as he asked, “In that case, why don’t you show me?”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t know the first thing about either drawing or painting, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you paint before. Except for that one time,” he preemptively said, reading her mind and earning another giggle. “So, why not? Show me how it’s done, Madame Silverstream.”

“Alright then, Sir Gallus. Prepare to be amazed!” she declared, reaching for her brushes.

She stared at the blank sheet for barely half a second before setting into motion.

At first, she left only small strokes of green, some dark and some light. Then another brush was taken into talon and left behind a swirl of warm cream. Another streak soon followed, this one a brighter white. Thin lines of gold then traced through the snowy white, like sunlight through a window.

It was as mesmerizing as a trainwreck, only far more beautiful and graceful. Silverstream moved with a finesse that no other creature could hope to match; every stroke and touch were as gentle as an angel’s feather. Not a movement was wasted, and not a feeling was lost.

Gallus was almost lost in a trance, watching the image bloom forth into the empty blankness, but he quickly snapped out of it once Silver started talking again.

“Now, what do you see when you look at this?” she asked, gesturing to her creation.

“Huh? Oh, uh… A flower?”

“Yep, it is a flower, but what does it make you feel?”

Like I’m looking at a flower?

“I don’t know. What am I supposed to feel?”

“Whatever it is you do feel,” she said, watching him patiently.

That doesn’t answer my question, Silver.

“Uh, warmth?” he tried.

“Ooh, okay. And?”

Silver, I don’t know what you want me to tell you! Gallus wanted so much to lament but didn’t.

He looked closer at the flower, trying to see every last detail she had put into it. It wasn’t easy, considering how meticulous she had been in crafting the single item, but he had to at least try.

Okay, Gallus. Gabby would get this in a heartbeat, so try to think like her. What would she see?

…

Come on, Gallus, Silver put a lot of hard work into this thing! Try to see what it is she wants you to see, or do you want to upset her?

Would she even be mad?

She’d certainly be hurt.

Okay, yeah. Peck no! I can figure this out.

…

I’ve still got nothing, he realized, ashamed.

“Gallus, you’re kinda quiet. Is everything okay?” Silverstream asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Huh?” There I go worrying her again. I’m such a— “Yeah, I’m just trying to figure this out.”

“Do you want me to explain it?”

Be honest, Gallus thought, conceding defeat. “Yeah, could you? I’ve got nothing. Sorry,” he added, wincing.

“That’s fine,” she assured. “You see, the singleness of the flower is meant to represent an isolation of self, while its colors communicate a purity of purpose and existence. However, see how it leans as if it’s caught in a breeze? That’s to symbolize both the fragility and endurance of life.”

As glad as I am I didn’t upset her, how the peck was I supposed to know that? Maybe I can read a book on art interpretation or something? … Grover’s Treasure, I sound like Ocellus.

“Oh. Sweet!” he praised. “What’s the rest of the blank canvas supposed to convey?”

“Nothing yet, I haven’t finished there. But see? Right now, the flower serves as a symbol of quiet tranquility and innocent fragility. However, if I take some black and add a bit to the top…”

She returned to imprinting her imagination upon the canvas, replacing the barren snowiness with a layer of swirling shadows. Soon, a blurry fog began to fall from the blackened sky, reaching down to press against the flower, turning what once was a symbol of fragility into the victim of a relentless downpour. In turn, the gentle leaning of the single stem transformed into a desperate struggle against the wild winds, and the field it grew from was hidden beneath a rippling river.

How is she so good at this!?

In no time, Silver finished and looked to Gallus with a smile.

“See? This why I love painting. You can say so much with so little,” she rejoiced. “Before, the flower was simply something that existed in an otherworldly void, enduring in a realm of nothing. But with a little rain and some clouds, it becomes a symbol of strength and determination! A marvel of nature in its ability to survive the most terrible of forces! Does that makes sense?” she inquired hopefully.

“I don’t know, does it?” Gallus asked jovially.

“I don’t know. That’s why I was asking you,” she playfully retorted.

“Heh-heh. Well? I think it does,” Gallus answered honestly. Seriously! How have I never noticed how good she is at this!? “This is really cool, Silver,” he complimented.

“Thanks,” Silver said, smiling warmly. “Of course, I still need to add some extra touches to make it truly work. In any case, did you want to try painting a flower?” she suggested. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter if you paint a flower or not, but do you want to just try painting anything?”

“Sure?” he answered uncertainly.

“Okay then. We can share brushes and paints. If you need anything, just ask.”

“Right.”

She continued to engrave even more details into her painting, leaving him to pick up a brush and stare at his own blank canvas.

Now what? … No, seriously, what do I do?

Express yourself artistically, darling! he sarcastically chanted to himself.

Okay, so how do I do that? What is it that they want me to actually express?

You have both a teacher and a friend to ask these questions.

Gallus looked over his shoulder and saw Professor Rarity helping Sandbar and Yona with the dress they were making. He then turned his gaze to Silver and found her lost in a haze of pure bliss, weaving her brush across a stormy night sky.

I don’t want to disturb her.

She said that if you had a question you could ask her!

Yeah, but I don’t want to look like an idiot! Look at how good she is!

Now, you know she doesn’t think of you as an idiot.

Then what does she think of me!? Because I have no clue!

You could ask her that too, you know.

AGGGHHH!

“Are you sure you’re okay, Gallus?” Silverstream said again, sensing his dismay. “You look a little frustrated over there.”

“Huh? No, I’m fine.” Peck, I said it again! “Just thinking.”

“About what?”

What did you really mean when you asked me if Friends and Family Day was supposed to be—

“About what I should paint.”

That’s not building a foundation of trust! Gallus rebuked himself, remembering Cadence’s letter.

“Oh.” Silver breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “Did you want some ideas? I’ve got a lot of ‘em.”

“You know what? No,” he joked. “I’m going to give this thing to Rarity exactly as it is.”

“But it’s blank,” she stated, puzzled. “I’m pretty sure she’d want you to draw something on it.”

“Not so. For you see…!” He cleared his throat and declared, “This! This is a ‘Blank Canvas’! And there is nothing in this world more expressive than this here ‘Blank Canvas’!”

“Is that so? Then tell me, Gallus. Why is that?” she questioned, playing along.

“Excellent question, Madame Silverstream,” he said, slicking his headcrest back. “You see, a ‘Blank Canvas’ is not simply a piece of paper; it is a bed of endless possibility! It is a vessel that can carry within itself any number of thoughts, feelings, and passions! Do not mistake the snowy expanse of its visage as a mark of emptiness! For it is a symbol of infinity, of mystery, and of timelessness. For truly? What is more creative than that which can be anything?”

Silver giggled.

“Ah! I see you enjoy my words and agree with their message. Well, what if I told you that this glorious entity can also be yours? Yes, yours! Yours to carve an eternity upon, yours to unlock the secrets thereof; yours to embrace with loving soul! All yours! … For ten Bits.”

Silver tried and failed to stifle her laughter. “Gee, Gallus, I never thought about it that way before,” she eventually said.

“What can I say? I have a way with words.” When I’m trying to sell something anyway.

“You’re quite the generous griffon too. For ten Bits, I’d take twenty.”

“Seriously?” he asked, laughing.

“Yes, seriously! Do you know how much these things cost?”

“Nope. But now that I have an idea… Did I say it was only ten Bits? Because I meant thirty.”

“Oh, you dirty scammer, you!”

“Agh! Mine heart! Mine heart hath been wounded by yon words of injury most heinous!” he cried out dramatically.

“No! Sir Gallus, yon heart must endureth!” she protested, smiling.

“Nay, Fair Silverstream! Mine heart can’st endureth! Yon words doth be too vile!”

“Then forgiveth mine words, Sir Gallus! Mine words doth be spoken in jest, not villainy!”

“I doth be sorry, milady. But without reason, mine heart can’st continueth! And now! I feareth I! Must! Pass! Bleghhh!”

“Sir Gallus, thou can’st perish; I refuse the occurrence of such nonsensical drivel. For surely! If yon heart needeth reason to continueth then thee needeth only recollect that thee and mineself hath yet to baketh thou village’s letter carrier’s basket of goods of great gratitude.”

“Dear me, I had almost forgotten such pleasantries awaiteth mine day! For such, mine heart shall endureth, and I? I shall yet live evermore! For muffins shall be baked! And yon village’s letter carrier shall be rewarded for her courage and valor in the battle against Queens Lyre and Bonneth.”

“Doth not forget King Caramel. For our trusted comrade doth saved thee from him as well.”

“That indeed, Fair Silverstream. That indeed.”

The two broke down into a fit of laughter.

“That is enough, darlings; there’s very little time left in the period,” Rarity informed them. “And no, Sir Gallus, I shall not accepteth yon ‘Canvas of Blank.’”

Everyone in the class chuckled except for Smolder. Though it was understandable since she was a little busy cleaning up the ink her broken pen had left on her desk, paper, and claw.

Once Silver quieted down, she said, “C’mon, Gallus. I can help you figure out what to paint. What were you considering?”

A few minutes later the bell rang, ending the class.

“Alright, everycreature! There may be no homework tonight, but I still want you all to think about how best you can apply today’s lesson,” Rarity insisted. “And yes, we will be picking up where we left off today during our next class. Until then, you all have a good afternoon.”

“You too, Professor Rarity.”

“See ya Thursday.”

“Goodbye.”

As the other students made their way out of the room, Gallus and Silver remained where they sat, both still staring at the easel before them.

“Whelp! It’s something, I guess?” Gallus mumbled, trying to hide his disgust.

“For your first attempt, this is really good,” Silverstream complimented, grinning reassuringly. “Trust me. No one’s first painting is a masterpiece.”

“Except yours, I bet.”

“What!?” she yelped, shocked by his suggestion. “Oh! Oh please! When I first tried painting, I made a complete mess of myself. Literally. I had streaks of red in my mane for days.”

“No way! Look at how great your painting is. You’re telling me you can make something this beautiful, but your first attempt wasn’t just as good?” he inquired disbelievingly.

“…You really think this is beautiful?” she asked tentatively.

“Well, duh!”

Silver looked over her painting silently then turned back to Gallus, saying, “Thank you.”

“For what? Pointing out the obvious?”

“For the compliment, Gallus,” she clarified serenely.

“Well, you deserve it, so…”

Gallus blushed once the words left his beak; luckily, they seemed to be the right words to say because Silver immediately hugged him afterward. After a moment, he hugged her back.

“Oh my! Smolder, wait, darling! Darling!” Rarity shouted, shocking the two apart.

Gallus felt something stirring in his heart, and it felt scarily like disappointment.

“Is something wrong, Professor?” Silverstream inquired, drawing his attention back to Rarity.

Rarity looked at the crumpled paper she held then to them. “N-Not really, darlings. I was trying to give this back to Smolder. She wrote quite a… Nice poem. And I thought it would be a shame to leave it behind. Ah well, I’ll give it to her later. But as for you two, oh! I see you both decided to paint,” she observed, trotting over.

What is she… You know what? No. I’m having a good day so far, and I don’t need to screw it up by prying into something that’s not a big deal, Gallus resolved. Besides, Smolder said she needed some time, and I doubt snooping into whatever she wrote is going to win me any points.

“Yep! How do you like them?” Silver asked happily, bringing him out of his thoughts once again.

“Hmm, let me see here… My, what a lovely flower! I can feel the devastating strength of the storm, but the flower!” Rarity exclaimed excitedly. “Ooh, it holds fast despite the overwhelming odds, yet it retains that beautiful golden and white coloring! Truly an image of fragility versus endurance and determination versus omnipotence. Absolutely stellar, darling; although, I suspect you have yet to finish it?”

Silverstream spared Gallus a glance and confidently nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I have way more to do.”

That thing looks as amazing as it does, and she’s not even done yet!? How the peck!?

“I’d expect nothing less, Silverstream. And am I correct to assume this one is yours, Gallus?”

“Hot garbage, right?” he half-joked.

“Not so, darling.”

“Wait, what?” he let slip out.

“From your lack of confidence, I take it this is your first foray into the craft?” He nodded. “Well, for a first attempt it’s certainly one of the better ones I’ve seen. Good job, Gallus.”

“You mean, ‘Good job, Silverstream.’ She was the one doing most of the work,” he protested.

“Gallus!” Silver squawked. “Don’t believe him, Professor Rarity; he did all of it on his own!”

“Excuse me? You were the one who told me to do little strokes.”

“And you did little strokes. Key word being: You.’ Not me. You.”

“Yeah, well, I guess that makes you my teacher; thus, all my success is yours.”

“Oh, hush, Gallus.”

“Why? Don’t you want me to give you the credit and praise you deserve?”

Silver grumbled incoherently as he simply chuckled. All the while, Rarity’s smile grew.

“Silver is quite right, darling,” Rarity concurred, nodding approvingly. “Yes, she taught you, but the work you did was still your own, guidance or not. Make no mistake, Gallus; this is your success. And thus, you deserve all the credit and praise for it,” she said, patting him on the shoulder.

But— But she— But I— Silver did all the— I didn’t— I don’t deserve the— What!? he thought in confusion, despite the neutral look he ensured he was wearing.

“Eh. It’s still hot garbage though,” Gallus attempted to reassert.

“Absolutely not, darling! It’s not quite a masterpiece, but if it’s truly your first try, it may as well be,” Rarity protested. “Nonetheless, both are certainly fine jobs. I’m proud of you two. Now, both of you had better hurry on to class before you’re late,” she said, trotting back to her desk.

“On it, Professor,” Silver said, standing up. “Let’s go, Gallus!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” he responded on instinct, still trying to wrap his head around Rarity’s words. He quickly gathered his things and started for the door before Rarity cleared her throat, drawing his attention. “Yes, Professor?” he asked.

“Darling, I hope you understand that what you did today truly is something to be proud of,” she stressed, approaching him. “Is it perfect? No. Neither is Silverstream’s for the record, but that doesn’t matter. You’re only just beginning, and trust me! Even I struggled at my craft when I started out. But here’s the thing: When you begin something, you can only get better as you continue. So I hope you keep it up! After all, I did say we’d be returning to our projects next class,” she ended, winking.

Gallus stared at her for a solid minute before giving a small laugh. “Thanks, Professor Rarity,” he said, smiling.

“Anytime, darling. Now, run along, dear; you know how Applejack gets.”

“Right. See ya later.” Gallus then raced through the door and down the hall until he eventually caught up with Silverstream. “Hey,” he greeted.

“Hey,” Silver greeted back. “I was wondering where you were; did Professor Rarity want something?” she inquired as they continued trotting together.

“Yeah. She, uh… Wanted to make sure I got the message.”

“‘Message’?”

“That I…” He took a deep breath and said, “That I should be proud of my painting.”

“Well, of course you should. It was really good.”

“Not as good as yours though,” he replied bitterly.

“So?” she asked, making Gallus stop dead in his tracks.

“So?” That’s all she can say? That’s it? No comparisons, no arguments, no corrections; not even a pecking defense!? Just… “So?” Why is that all she can say? When her art is so beautiful and mine is so terrible, why is “so” the only word she can say about the issue?

Because it doesn’t matter to her; she cares about me regardless, he realized.

“Gallus?” Silver’s worried voice cracked through his stupor and pulled him back to reality. “A-Are you okay?” she asked yet again, clearly panicked.

“Silver?” he began quietly.

“Y-Yes?”

“Have I ever told you that you are just… So, so awesome!” Gallus extolled, smiling gratefully.

“Huh?” she deadpanned, dumbfounded.

“Because you are,” he continued. “You. Are. Awesome!”

Silver snorted and swept her mane over her cheeks to hide her blush. “Oh, Gallus, stop it,” she mumbled.

“No, I want to say it again. You’re awesome.”

“Awww,” she nervously murmured. “Thanks, Gallus. You’re awesome too, you know.”

“…Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

***

“Ack!” Gallus coughed. He carefully massaged his dry throat as he leaned back into the lime green sofa of Starlight’s office. In a turquoise flash, a bottle of water entered reality and hovered over to him which he gratefully took. After a few quick, sips he said, “Thanks. Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Starlight urged. “There’s a reason I went out of my way to learn Oration Continuation Beta, and it’s not because I like punishing myself. If anything, I’m sorry for not offering you water earlier.”

“Eh, I would have probably—” He greedily took another sip of water. “—I would have probably downed this thing by now had that been the case,” he finished.

Starlight chuckled lightly. After a few minutes, she eventually said, “Sooo, sounds like you had a pretty good day, all things considered.”

He gave his throat another second to rest before he clarified, “Yeahhh, no. I actually haven’t gotten to the rest of it yet.”

“…Oh.”

“Sorry. I know you probably have more important things to do; it’s just—”

“No, no. That’s not it, Gallus. I’m just surprised,” she went with. “If there was a more immediate issue, I would’ve thought that you’d talk about it first.”

“Well…” he began, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s weird.”

She leaned back in her chair, sipping at her cocoa in thought.

Gallus had arrived at her door roughly half an hour earlier, asking if he could talk to her. Although shocked that he hadn’t waited until the weekend to have another session, Starlight obviously wasn’t going to turn him away, so she had agreed and had been listening ever since.

She had also been taking in his appearance and mannerisms during the recollection and was happy to see a noticeable improvement.

The bags under his eyes were still there, but the eyes themselves were far less bloodshot. And the confidence he was well-known for was finally beginning to return to his voice.

Of course, there were still quite a few moments where he hesitated for a split second and clearly decided not to tell her something, particularly when she had asked what he had been reading during Fluttershy’s class. However, judging by how quick he had been to dodge the question, Starlight had no doubt it had either been something inappropriate or something from Cadence. Then again, the two weren’t exactly mutually exclusive.

“So,” she started again. “How are you doing now?”

He put down the bottle, mulling the question over before saying, “I’m doing well enough.”

She smiled, saying, “That’s good to hear.”

Gallus nodded and took another few sips of water, letting the cool fluid soothe his scratchy throat. “I think…” he began after some time. “I think it was a lot easier for me today.”

“I should hope so.”

“I mean… Yeah! Looking back? It was surprisingly easier. I still had some times where I didn’t feel good. But those kinda seemed… Smaller, I guess?” he suggested. “At least, it was definitely easier to shut those thoughts down.”

“That’s also good to hear.”

“…It’s funny, isn’t it?” he continued uncertainly. “Yesterday, I was barely keeping myself together, and then there’s the whole week before that… Yet, here I am today, and everything is easier.”

“That’s three-for-three for ‘good things to hear,’” Starlight quipped.

“So, it is a good thing?” Gallus asked.

“Well, you said today was easier for you and that you were feeling better. Maybe not perfect, but well enough, right? I’d say that’s a good thing.”

“I guess. You’re right; I’m probably overthinking things again.” Gallus was silent for a second before suddenly questioning, “Am I supposed to be doing okay? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I’m doing fine, but… Am I doing it right? You said healing took a long time, so… I-I don’t know; like I said, I’m probably just overthinking things.”

“There’s overthinking things, and there’s being self-aware of things,” Starlight said sagely.

“So I am doing something wrong then?”

“‘Something wrong’? No, you’re not doing anything wrong.”

“Yeah, but…” he started before falling silent again.

“It’s okay, Gallus,” she said. “What’s on your mind?”

…

“Why can’t I say, ‘I’m fine’?” Gallus asked warily.

“What do you mean?”

You idiot! Why did you ask that!? You know you’re not supposed to ask those kinds of things! he rebuked himself, trying to hide his wince. No use crying about it now, might as well go all-in.

“Today was easier,” Gallus hesitantly noted. “I know that for sure. But all day today, my friends kept asking if I was okay. I kept wanting to say that I was fine, but I kept having to say I was doing ‘well enough’ instead. I told Ocellus I was fine, but no. I told the others I was fine, but no! I kept telling Silver I was fine, but…”

“Are you doing fine?” Starlight inquired. “Genuinely fine?”

“YES!” he shouted, recoiling afterward. “Sorry. That’s, like, the fortieth time I’ve been asked that today, and it’s…” He kept his beak shut for a moment, once again debating whether or not to tell her something. Eventually, he relented, “It’s annoying.”

“That your friends are worried about you?”

“That I keep making them worry,” Gallus corrected grimly. “All day, I’ve been taking things in stride, trying to keep everything under control and not lose my cool. All-in-all, I’ve been trying to move on and heal. … Right? That is what I’m doing, right?”

“From what you’ve told me, it certainly sounds like you’re doing better,” Starlight agreed.

“You say that, and yet… Yet, everyone else…”

“You’re worried that you’re not healing even though you think you are?”

Gallus nodded. “I feel fine. I may still not be at my best, but I feel way better now than I was. But…? It’s a lot of little things, I guess. Ocellus not believing me when I said I was fine,” he said, counting them on his talon. “Silver asking me if I was okay half a dozen times, my near-panic attack in Kindness Class; Smolder… Drama Club…” he ended, wincing.

Starlight raised an eyebrow at the last point, but she remained quiet so he could continue.

“I know I was doing better today. At least, I think I was doing better today. But when I look back, and I remember that none of my friends seemed to believe that…? Or how I just kept worrying them…? It makes me wonder if I really was doing better today,” he finished, shooting a defeated look toward the saddlebags he had left in the corner.

Starlight hummed thoughtfully before saying, “I think I understand what you mean.”

“You do? Thank Gro— Oh. Sorry. Is it ‘Thank Celestia’? or is it ‘Thank Twilight’ now?”

She snorted, giggling into her hoof. “It’s still ‘Thank Celestia.’ As far as I’m aware anyway. Heh-heh-heh. ‘Thank Twilight’? Oh geez! Spike is gonna rip her a new one when I tell him.”

“In that case, thank Celestia!” he rejoiced dryly. “What do I do?”

“There’s not really a whole lot that you can do.”

“Say what?” Gallus whimpered.

“No-no-no! I didn’t mean it that way!” she hurriedly clarified. “Sorry. Let me think of how to properly explain this.”

Gallus nodded, waiting with bated breath.

Eventually, Starlight spoke up again, “Okay, what you’re worried about? It’s sort of a continuation of the transition issue we talked about last time.”

“Okay? What am I doing wrong then?”

“Nothing. Gallus, you’re not doing anything wrong.”

“I’m not?”

“Nope.”

“Okaaay,” Gallus groaned disbelievingly. “Then what is wrong with—” He stopped, took a small breath and corrected himself, “What is going on?”

“You’re healing,” she answered calmly.

“But…” he tried to begin only to pause and mutter, “Sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Gallus. I completely understand where you’re coming from. And to be honest, I probably should have expected this to be an issue when I talked to you yesterday.”

“So, what does this have to do with the whole ‘transition’ thing?”

“Remember,” she started. “You’re only beginning to move on. As a result, you’re caught between where you’re moving on to, and where you’re moving on from. Because of that you—”

“Have to deal with a bunch of stupid emotional problems?” he guessed sardonically.

“I wouldn’t exactly put it that way, but… Pretty much, yeah,” she bluntly stated. “Here’s the thing: Healing is not a one-and-done scenario. It takes a lot of time, and there’s a lot of different parts to it. The ‘issue’ here is that you’re simply experiencing a different part of the process.”

“I-I’m confused. This is part of the whole ‘moving on’ thing, but you said it was sort of like the ‘transition’ part, and now you’re saying it’s a different thing entirely? Isn’t that bad? Like, am I not supposed to be doing that ‘transition’ first?” he rattled off, slightly panicked.

“Hold on there, Gallus,” Starlight interjected, raising her hoof. He ceased, so she elaborated, “You are still doing the transition. What you’re worried about now is just a different part of it.”

“And that is?” he nervously asked as he finished his water.

“That would be the recovery period,” she answered, igniting her horn with a simple thought.

“What do you—oh! Thanks,” Gallus said in regards to his newly refilled bottle. “But, uh, ‘recovery period’? I’m guessing that doesn’t technically refer to me being better, does it?”

“In a sense, it does. Healing from trauma is an uphill battle, but that doesn’t mean it has to be one all the time,” she explained. “In fact, it shouldn’t be. Take yesterday for example. You had only just begun trying to move on, so yesterday was a lot harder. But today was far less challenging, correct?”

“Even including the parts I haven’t talked about? … Yeah. Today was a lot better.”

“And that’s a good thing. You can’t be expected to have to deal with all of the, er, ‘troublesome’ parts of healing every second of every day. And that’s where today comes into play.”

“Today was a reprieve from the troubles,” Starlight stated. She then frowned and added, “At least the first half was; I’m still in the dark about the second half. Speaking of which, should I wait to finish this until after you tell me about it, or…?”

“No, you’re good. Everything else is more of a… Different problem.”

A glimmer of concern twinkled in her eye, but after a quick breath, Starlight resumed, “The fact of the matter is this: Today was easier. That’s a very good thing.”

“It’s true that healing requires time and is by no means easy, but one can’t be expected to face the struggles of it all the time without at least some time devoted to resting. Even if it’s only a day, a respite from the ordeals is necessary for one to get better. After all, how can you move on if you’re always dealing with whatever it is you’re trying to move on from?”

“I guess you’re right about that,” Gallus slowly admitted. “But it’s only been a day! Is that… Is that normal? Is it normal for me to spend a day fighting off panic attacks every other hour to being able to stop them before they drag on? In just a day!?”

“Everyone heals differently, Gallus,” Starlight comforted. “But I feel I should point out that today wasn’t just the first day back after the break. It was also the first day after everything that happened before it. So now, rather than having it on your mind at all times, it’s all…” She took a second to think over her next words and settled on, “Behind you, in a way. Not quite in the sense you’ve fully healed from it, but rather, you’re able to finally focus on other things instead.”

“I suppose so. But my friends are still worried,” he lamented. “I may be doing better, but they… They’re scared that I’m not. They’re scared that I’m pretending to be better.” Gallus fell silent. After some time, he looked back up and anxiously asked, “Am I doing that? I don’t think I am, but I’m so used to saying I’m fine. And I meant it when I told Ocellus no one would have known if I hadn’t slipped up,” he swore. “And with what you said about my previous worldview bleeding into my current one… What if I think I’m healing, but I’m not? Am I really doing better, Headmare? Am I healing? Genuinely healing?”

Starlight was quiet as she thought over his every word. Soon, she sighed and said, “In my experience, Gallus? Genuine healing is making peace with your loss, accepting it, and moving on despite it. It’s about being able to see and appreciate all the things you have in this world now, rather than lose yourself to the longing of what could have been. Is that something you’re doing now?”

Gallus pondered that for a moment, shooting another furtive glance toward his bags before answering, “Yes. But I don’t think I’m doing it as much as I should be.”

Starlight smiled at him and replied, “Then yes. You are healing.”

“But I just said—”

Starlight held her hoof up again, earning his silence. “You. Are. Healing, Gallus. But you still have a long way to go. That’s why I called it a ‘reprieve.’ Today was merely a break from everything, but tomorrow might not be. You might have been feeling perfectly fine today, but tomorrow, you might wake up and feel everything flowing back,” she admitted, eliciting a gulp from the griffon.

“But don’t let that discourage you!” Starlight fervently continued. “Tomorrow is another day, and while it could be a bad day, it could just as easily be a better one. It’s about taking it one day at a time. Little-by-little. Step-by-step. With every day that passes, that burden lessens.”

“…Yeah,” Gallus sighed, a tinge of serenity back in his voice. “I hope so, Headmare Starlight. I’m just really worried I’m not doing it right. Or that I’ll… That I’ll screw up again.”

“Everyone makes mistakes. It’s a fact of life. And you most likely will make some mistakes along the way,” Starlight acknowledged. “But those mistakes don’t have to be enough to ruin everything if you don’t let them. You have your friends by your side, Gallus, and they’ll all be with you regardless,” she said, sparing a short glance at the pile of papers littering her desk.

Gallus focused his gaze downward, trying very hard not to dwell on one particular friend.

“Thanks,” he eventually said quietly. “But…? How do I do that? My friends are still worried about me, and I… I don’t know how to make them stop. Got any advice for that?”

“You can’t stop them from worrying about you for one thing. They’re your friends, and after what you went through, they want to make sure that their friend is doing alright. That you are doing alright. And you are! The only problems is, well…”

“I lied?” he guessed, wincing.

“That’s… Yes. That is part of it,” she forced herself to admit. “They know you lied, so now they’re worried you might be lying again. Ocellus is, at the very least. However,” she preemptively cut him off. “You talked to her and promised you wouldn’t lie to any of them again. Right?”

“Yeah, but—”

“And did she believe you?”

“I think so. But I’m worried that she didn’t or that she’s still worried even if she did. I know I’m not supposed to worry, and I am trying not to, but I can’t help it,” he said, hanging his head.

“I don’t blame you for being worried, Gallus. It’s not easy having others worry about you when you don’t want them to be. But your friends did only just find out you weren’t feeling well,” Starlight noted in a gentle voice. “It’s natural they’d be worried for a while. And you can’t simply wave your talons and wish them all to not be. The best thing you can do is give them some time too and reassure them that you are doing better whenever you can.”

“And how can I do that? There has to be something specific that I can do, right?”

“By healing. By showing them that you are doing better. Even if you’re not feeling as great as you once were, you’re at least doing better now. Show them that. Show them that by spending time with them, by having fun with them; by just being with them.”

“How do I do that if I still have everything else going on? I may be doing better now, but what if I really am back to square one tomorrow? What then?”

“I don’t know. But if I know anything, it’s that it is a lot easier to love the ones closest to you and celebrate your time with them when you have a break from everything else. And you have a lot of loved ones, and a lot of time to be happy with them,” she reminded him encouragingly.

Gallus tore his gaze from Starlight and shot it at his bags once again; the unfinished letter waiting within its depths practically beckoned for him to finally read it. He turned back to her, a more relaxed expression adorning his face, and he said, “Yeah. I guess I do, huh?”

“Yep,” she agreed, meeting his small grin with a smile of her own.

…

“You kinda caught me off-guard, you know,” Starlight soon said.

“I did?”

“Yeah. I thought I would have to talk to you about this myself, but nope. Here you are! Being all self-aware and introspective, heh-heh,” she laughed.

“Uh, still a little clueless here,” he said, sipping at his water again.

“Oh, sorry. You see? I had a similar issue to you when I had my own experience with moving on.”

She looked out the window, quietly observing Twilight’s old castle. “There was a time when I was worried I wasn’t improving nearly as much as I thought I was too. Gave myself a nightmare or two about it. There might be worse things than it, but… Being paranoid you’re not doing nearly as well as you want to be or think you are is not a happy experience,” Starlight confided morosely.

“How did you get over it?”

“I got some pretty good advice from Princess Luna. It went along the lines of—oh, I dunno—trusting in your friends?” she said smartly.

Gallus snorted, shaking his head. “I get it already, heh-heh-heh. What happened after that?”

Memories of stalking through a shape-shifting labyrinth and getting thrown around like a rag-doll by Chrysalis replayed in Starlight’s mind.

“…A lot happened after that, but that’s a completely different story,” she quickly brushed aside.

“Oh.” So that’s what that feels like…

“Sooo?” Starlight began after taking another sip from her cocoa. “What else happened today?”

The memories of both his chaotic experience with Drama Club and Silverstream’s terrified face replayed in his mind. The latter in particular practically burned itself into his eyes.

“Uh? I, uh, um…” he uselessly mumbled as his pacified worries roared back to life.

“Gallus…?” Starlight apprehensively began. “What else happened today?” she asked gently.

He gulped and started, “I may have—”

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Gallus and Starlight stared at the door as it visibly shook with how hard the pony on the other end was knocking.

“Hey, Starlight? It’s Trixie; are you in there?”

Starlight hung her head, letting out an irritated sigh. “I’m in the middle of something, Trix!”

“Oh good, you are in there. Listen! We need to talk to you.”

“Trixie, I’m serious,” Starlight warned. “Is it really that urgent?”

Trixie’s next few words were muffled, but it seemed she was talking to someone else rather than Starlight. Before either the pony or griffon could ponder it, a calmer, more practiced knocking occurred, followed by a different voice.

“Hello? Ms. Glimmer? This is Mayor Mare; something reached my attention today, and I was hoping to talk to you about it?” she said politely.

A trail of crimson smoke leaked out of Starlight’s horn as she placed her face into her hooves, groaning in frustration. After taking a deep breath, Starlight teleported to the door and opened it, huffing out, “Trixie, What did you do!?”

“Hello to you too, bestie,” Trixie deadpanned. “I did absolutely nothing wrong for the record.”

“Then would you kindly elaborate on why you’re knocking on my door with the Mayor standing behind you?”

“That would be due to my needing to ask you some questions concerning an incident that took place during your Friends and Family Day Festival,” the Mayor explained on Trixie’s behalf.

Starlight turned back to Trixie, raising an eyebrow while maintaining her grimace.

“What? I wasn’t the one who poisoned half of Sugar Belle’s pie rations,” the stage magician whined. “Do you really think I would be that petty? Besides, I have an alibi; ask Ocellus.”

“Wait, someone poisoned Sugar Belle’s what now?” Starlight asked, completely taken aback.

“I’d be happy to go over everything we know with you if you wish, Ms. Glimmer. Provided you’re not busy that is? Oh, hello, Mr. Gallus,” Mayor Mare greeted, waving at him from around Starlight.

“Uh, hi?” he said, waving back.

“Wait just a moment, what happened?” Starlight asked again, still a little too befuddled to have properly processed what Trixie said.

“Pie poisoning,” Mayor Mare repeated. “We’re currently investigating, and I asked Ms. Trixie as to you’re location.”

“Uh-huh. Pie poison—what?” Starlight mumbled more to herself than the others. She then looked back up and said, “Look, I’m sorry, but can this wait a little while? I am in the middle of something.”

“Yes, and I am in the middle of something too, Ms. Glimmer. It’s called finding out who poisoned over forty ponies and tie-dyed the Ponyville Hospital’s entire stock of toilet paper.”

Starlight didn’t know how to respond to that, so she turned back to Gallus, wincing a little. She then turned back to Trixie and the Mayor before turning back to Gallus once more.

“Um, Gallus? I’m sorry, but could we resume this in a bit? I’m sure it won’t take too long.”

Gallus hid another gulp as his eyes darted to his bags and then back to his Headmare before he confidently said, “I’ll be fine. Do you want me to wait here?”

“If you could, yes. I’ll be back soon. Now,” she said, turning to the other mares. “Do either of you want to finish explaining what happened with Sugar Belle’s pies?”

The door closed behind them, and their voices quickly faded away into the background.

…

Gallus looked at his bags.

You’ve got yourself a chance. Go finish it!

Not yet. Not until I talk to her about what happened.

You make it sound so dramatic; all you did was—

I know what I did, thank you very much!

…

Gallus leaned into the couch and sighed, closing his eyes and steadying his breathing.

Everything is fine, Gallus. You are healing, and you haven’t screwed everything up too badly yet, and you can still fix this! You can still fix everything. Just relax. Everything is going to be alright.

Everything. Is going to be. Alright.

…

Gallus flung himself at his bags and quickly hunted down Cadence’s letter.

Author's Note

Hey, everyone! I'm back! Sooo, Chapter 2... Oof. This chapter was a trip. I had to overhaul a lot of what I originally intended for this chapter, and then! I had to split it up into Ch. 2 - 3 or else it would have reached over 40k words which...no.
That being said, think of this chapter as Part 1 and the next one as Part 2 of the same chapter. Sorta.

So, I don't know about the rest of you, but where I am, things are trying to return to normal a little. That's all well and good, but it might mean I'll have less writing time.

Luckily, as I said in the previous author's note, I want to be roughly two chapters ahead at all times, so if it takes too long to get Ch. 5 finished, Ch. 3 is ready to be released anyway.
I'll give myself around the 20th-23rd of June. Just in case.

Also, to those that were interested in that blog post about what writing A Day for Family was like(Maybe one?), I'll post that either later today or tomorrow!

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to the next one! As always, any thoughts or criticisms you possess are appreciated!
Stay safe, everyone!

Next time: You must stare into the abyss! It may gaze back at you, but for the good of the fallen, you must stare!

Chapter Four: Optimism

Outside the palace windows, the moon began to rise into the heavens, bathing the city of Canterlot in a pale, relaxing light as its sibling slowly sank beneath the horizon.

With the arrival of the night, the various golden armored ponies recognized by many shed their cloaks of metal and made their way home, and in their place stood the slit-eyed bat-ponies of the night, donned in their own indigo armor.

Despite the changing of the ponies, their duties remained the same: To stand guard throughout the halls of the Royal Palace, listening out for disturbances and watching for intruders.

And to give directions to hippogriffs, apparently.

“Her room is down the hall to your left. Third door on the right.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome, Miss Silverstream,” the fanged stallion replied, nodding solemnly.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Miss Silverstream.”

With that interaction done, Silverstream quickly followed the guard’s directions. Less than a minute later, she found her destination and proceeded to stand before the doorway.

“M-Maybe she’s asleep,” she nervously muttered to herself. “Yeah, she’s totally asleep, and I-I don’t want to disturb her or anything. So, I should just walk away and let her sleep! Yeah, I’m going to walk away and… And… I’m going to walk away…” she trailed off.

Silver stopped her panicked mumbling, staring at the wooden gateway as if it were an eldritch horror from the great beyond. She eventually sighed and said, “No, Silver. He said to just tell someone, and I need to fix this before it gets worse! So, let’s do this!” she exclaimed boldly.

She then knocked on the door as quickly as she could before her burst of courage died.

“Just a minute!” called out the voice from inside.

Silver tapped her talon against the floor anxiously as she waited.

The door soon opened to reveal Starlight Glimmer, still wide awake in spite of the lateness of the hour. “Oh! Hello, Silverstream,” she greeted kindly.

“Hi, Headmare Starlight,” Silver said, trying to ignore the pounding in her ears. “How are you doing, tonight?”

“I’m fine…?” she answered, perplexed by the question. “How are you?”

“I’m… I’m doing great!”

“Uh-huh. That’s good to hear, but, uh, what exactly are you doing here? Shouldn’t you and the others be resting for tomorrow night?”

“Um, well, yeah,” Silver admitted warily. “But I, uh, well…”

Just tell her what happened, Silverstream, she told herself. It’s not that hard. You made it this far, so now you just need to talk to her. She’d know what to do, right?

“I-I wanted to say thank you again for taking us to Canterlot,” Silver lied. “I know you were a little upset about not knowing about it before-talon, but thank you,” she ended, rebuking herself for her cowardice.

Starlight blinked and slowly said, “It wasn’t a big deal or anything…”

“Mhmm! But I still wanted to thank you anyway.”

“Well, you’re certainly welcome. … Are you alright, Silver?” Starlight gently asked. “You seem a little troubled; is everything okay?”

Something inside Silverstream snapped. “What!? No! No-no-no-no-no-no! Absolutely nothing is wrong! Nothing is wrong! Everything is fine!” she vehemently protested, hurriedly backing away.

“Okay, so probably not stage fright,” Starlight muttered to herself. “Silver, what’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing is wrong!” Silver repeated weakly. “Everything is fine; I only wanted to say goodnight to you and everyone else before I went to sleep! See!? Yeah, that’s it! Just saying thank you and goodnight! There’s no need to worry, so don’t worry! Don’t! Worry!” she said more to herself than to Starlight.

“Silverstream!” she called out, causing the hippogriff to pause. She then stepped closer and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder, saying, “It’s okay, Silverstream. Tell me what’s the matter?”

Silver finally cracked under her Headmare’s concerned gaze, admitting, “I’m worried about Gallus. Can I… I know it probably isn’t since it’s so late, but… Is it okay if I talk to you about it?”

“Of course,” she said, nodding warmly. “Why don’t you come in. I have plenty of cocoa, and you look like you need some.”

“That sounds good. Is— Is it really okay? I don’t want to be disturbing you…”

“You’re not disturbing me by any means, Silver,” Starlight assured before she could try to run away. “Now, come on in. Let me get that cocoa ready, and you can tell me everything from the beginning.”

“Thank you, Headmare Starlight,” Silver said, still fighting off her nerves.

***

“Are you sure that would work, Ocellus? Wouldn’t that compromise the alignment?”

“Not if we add an elemental sigil in the boundary between the second and third tiers.”

“Yeah, but then we’d have to completely readjust all the properties in the third one. And we just spent the past two hours figuring out their arrangement,” Gallus reminded her.

“Eughhh,” Ocellus moaned, shivering in disgust. “Fair point.”

The griffon and changeling fell silent. Silverstream looked between the two, understanding only half of what they were saying but enjoying watching them work nonetheless.

“Wait, maybe we— No, no. That wouldn’t fix the spell’s stability.”

“Well, what if we integrate a— No. That would just overload it faster.”

“We could— Actually? On second thought, that’s a disaster waiting to happen.”

“What about adding an— Agh! That would just mess up the matrix’s composition even more!”

Every instinct in Silver called for her to offer some kind of input despite having none to offer.

“Okay!” Gallus exclaimed, rubbing his tired eyes. “Let’s go back to the beginning! The problem is that the spell matrix is unstable and keeps overloading, correct?”

“Yes,” Ocellus sighed, straightening her back. “And because it keeps overloading, it keeps discharging raw magic back into the caster. We’ve been over this,” she complained grumpily.

“Hmm. Well, what if instead of focusing on stabilizing the matrix, we figure out how to deal with the discharge? Maybe we could redirect it somewhere else?”

“And where would we redirect it to?” she inquired bluntly. “The strength of the discharge is enough to send the caster into the hospital, and we can’t just dissipate that kind of power into the nearby environment. We’re trying to teleport, not blow things up!”

“I know, Ocellus.” After another minute, he said, “This is a stupid question, but what if we found a way to keep the discharge trapped inside the matrix?” Ocellus deadpanned, so he elaborated, “No, I mean… What if, before the discharge could blow back into the caster’s face, it was pulled back into the matrix as excess energy?”

“An energy recycling effect? Hmm. Sounds plausible. On one hoof, the spell would be able to proceed normally, but on the other, it would be akin to putting a band-aid over an amputation,” she groaned darkly. “Constantly dragging the discharge back into the unstable matrix would not end well.

“Oh,” Gallus sighed wearily.

“Don’t worry, Gallus; I’m sure you and Ocellus will get it eventually,” Silver encouraged.

“Yeah, I know. Thanks, Silver,” he said gratefully. “Say! Do you have any ideas?”

Silver gulped, suddenly imagining Gallus without a head. She then remembered he didn’t have a horn, so he wasn’t likely to fall victim to the issue they had been discussing. Nonetheless, she shook her head sadly, saying, “Sorry, but no.”

“Darn. It’s okay, Silver. Thanks anyway,” he said neutrally.

Please don’t be sad, Gallus! It’s okay; you and Ocellus will figure it out! Just please don’t be upset! Silver fretted behind a perfectly blank smile.

“Are you okay, Silver?” Ocellus asked as she lit her horn up and pulled a book from a nearby shelf. “You, er, seem a little… Anxious?” she added, staring at her in a mixture of both confusion and worry.

Ocellus, shut up; you’re going to make Gallus worried again! she panicked, quickly answering, “What!? No, I’m totally fine!”

As Silver predicted, Gallus looked back at her, raising an eyebrow at her tone.

No, no, no! “W-Well, I suppose I am a little anxious, but with The Epoch of Majesty Serendipity Daydream coming up…?” she offered, hoping it would suffice.

“Ah. I suppose that’s it,” Ocellus conceded, looking back to the book she held in her magic.

Gallus maintained his gaze for only a second longer before looking down at his book too, allowing Silverstream to breathe easier once again.

After some time, Gallus spoke up again, asking, “Is there a way we can weaken the discharge?”

“Hmm? What were you thinking of, Gallus?”

“Well, I don’t know, but… Maybe a shield spell in the tertiary tier? That’s where the discharge is released from, so if we stop it there…?”

“A shield spell?” she echoed, considering the idea.

“Yeah, I know. Shield spell. Teleportation spell. Not exactly a combination you’d expect. But I figured if a shield spell can keep something out past it, it can keep something trapped behind it too.”

“That’s— Actually? Hold on,” she said, whipping out a blank sheet of paper and pen.

And she’s got it, Silver realized with a knowing grin. Phew! See? No reason to be worried or upset; I knew they would get it, she thought happily.

“If we put it in the tertiary tier, the discharge would slam into the shield property and be neutral—wait! Oh,” Ocellus sighed morosely. “Correction: Almost neutralized. The discharge would break anything short of Shield Delta, and anything stronger than Shield Alpha will compromise the matrix,” she explained. “Ugh! For a moment, I thought we had it.”

“But we can add Shield Alpha to the spell, right?” he inquired after a minute.

“Yes? We’d have to adjust a few things, but nothing too serious. Why?”

“Well, isn’t Shield Alpha super basic? I remember reading that it’s one of the easiest spells to mess with when a mage is magic crafting.”

“It and Telekinesis Alpha are the two most malleable spells in existence,” Ocellus answered simply. “Practically anything can be added to them to create something new. I should know; I’ve done it myself,” she admitted, smiling proudly.

“So if that’s the case, could we strengthen Shield Alpha to better endure the discharge?”

“If we did that, we’d need to figure out exactly how to improve—” She froze and swiftly flipped to a different chapter in one of her other books. “Insulation Beta! That’s it!”

“Clue me in, Ocellus. I don’t know that one.”

“Insulation Beta! It’s a spell used to help protect electrical workers from accidents,” she quickly elaborated. “But it’s primary purpose is to resist any kind of uncontrolled energy emission!”

“Of the magical variety?” Gallus asked hopefully.

“Of the electrical variety. But I can still work with that,” she confirmed. “It should be a simple process to alter the spell to protect against magical energy as opposed to electromagnetic energy. See?” Ocellus asked, holding up a freshly drawn web of lines, numbers, and symbols. “I finished altering the spell property before I even finished talking about altering the spell property!” she boasted.

“Woo-hoo!” Gallus cheered. “So we can take that spell, add it to Shield Alpha, and then integrate it into the tertiary tier? And that would work?”

“Well,” she began, marking out and rewriting certain parts of her other papers. “The modified Shield Alpha would be able to withstand the energy, so that’s good. But what’s even better is if we combine it with—” She paused, looked at a page in her book, and resumed, “—Storage Alpha as well, the discharge would be stored within the shield! And if we add another channel into the matrix, we could make it so the energy would be safely distributed back into the spell as additional power! Making it more efficient!” Ocellus joyfully concluded, offering a hoof.

“Yes!” he yelled, bumping said offered hoof. “Hooray for shield spells and their ridiculously malleable compositions!”

“Hooray, indeed! …Although…” she began uncertainly.

“No…! No! Nooooo!”

“The idea would work; I’ve no doubt about that,” she stated resolutely. “But while it is a good makeshift solution, it’s not exactly the best one.”

“I suppose you’re right,” he conceded. “Solving the discharge issue doesn’t negate the overloading problem. And if somepony performs the spell without the shield aspect…?”

“The magic would backfire into them.”

“And if that happens, it’s bye-bye, outside world, and hello, hospital room.”

“Exactly.”

An uncomfortable silence fell across them all.

“But,” Ocellus eventually started. “As a workaround to the issue, it’s not exactly the worst thing we could have come up with. And…? We’ve been at this for so long; I honestly am ready to just forget it and make the shield modification and go from there,” she mumbled, massaging her forehead.

“Well, we still got a while before everything is due… How about this?” he offered consolingly. “We add the shield and deal with it until we finish the practical part of the project. Then we’ll see if we can come up with a better, safer answer to the matrix and use that from then on. Afterward, we can write up a report on both versions of the spell. Sound good?”

“Sounds good,” Ocellus agreed, yawning. “Wake me in an hour,” she groggily requested, lying her head against the table.

“I will if I’m awake enough to remember,” Gallus said, slipping out of his chair and then playfully falling to the ground. “Ahhh! My legs! I can’t feel my legs!” he melodramatically cried.

“Ha-ha, Gallus, very funny,” Ocellus moaned into the desk.

“I thought so,” he replied, winking at Silver.

Said hippogriff giggled and trotted over to them. “Need help, Gallus?”

“That would be very appreciated,” he answered, reaching up with his talon. She grabbed hold and pulled him to his paws/talons. Gallus then arched his back and let loose a thundering crack. “Ohhh, yeah! That helps!” he exclaimed, flapping life back into his wings.

“I bet,” Silver said, smiling. “How about you, Ocellus? You need anything?”

“A nap.”

“Oh yeah, a nap sounds good right about now,” Gallus agreed, covering up his own yawn.

“Heh-heh,” Silver giggled. “You guys have been working pretty hard to get this teleport thingy done. Sorry, I can’t help,” she apologized weakly.

“Don’t sweat it, Silver. I spent a week speed-reading through half of The Starswirlian’s Guide to the Arcane, and I still barely understand half of this junk,” he admitted.

Is he upset at that!? I don’t know if he’s upset about that! Please don’t think less of yourself for not understanding how magic works, Gallus! Silver screamed in her head.

Rather than express that, she instead said, “Thanks, Gallus. I still wish I could help you two more, but hey! At least you’ve got it now! See? I told you guys you would solve it.”

Gallus smirked playfully and said, “And I thanketh thee for yon words of encouragement, Fair Silverstream; they doth reinvigorate mine strength and determination to continue forthwith.”

“I am pleased to know mine words doth reignite yon passion and strength, Sir Gallus,” she replied, tittering. “Shall I continue to speaketh mine words unto thee?”

“Please do, Fair Silverstream, thine words are most enjoyable.”

Silver tittered. “Then I suppose I shall do so, Sir Gallus.”

“Aww,” cooed a new voice.

The three of them turned to see a cream-coated mare with a sunset orange mane standing at the library entrance. With everyone’s gazes locked onto her, she trotted up to them, chuckling awkwardly.

“Sorry to ruin the moment,” Shimmy Shake said, unknowingly making Silver flinch. “But, like, you two are just so cute together, and I couldn’t help myself.”

“Hey, Shimmy,” Gallus greeted casually despite his faint blush. “And thanks for the compliment by the way,” he expressed gratefully.

Silver stared at him blankly, so did Shimmy Shake for that matter.

“Wow,” the mare eventually said, blinking. “I’m surprised, Gallus; you usually brush it under the rug whenever somepony pokes fun at you two finally being a thing,” she half-joked.

Back off, Shimmy! Silver thought angrily, maintaining her polite smile.

“Yeah, well, I got some advice,” Gallus responded, pulling out a letter from his bag. “‘Never be ashamed or frightened of admitting to the existence of your relationship. Doing so can instill a sense of hesitancy and fear between you and her regarding your commitment to each other, and that is obviously not a good thing,’” he read. “As if I didn’t know that already,” he added, mildly affronted.

Did… Did he just read one of Cadence’s letters to someone else?

“Wow. That’s really good advice! … Wait,” Shimmy said, frowning in suspicion. “Have you been reading romance novels and writing down notes like Ocellus does?”

“I do not!” she protested, raising her face from her book-pillow to glare at Shimmy.

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t!”

“Lighthoof has seen you do it,” Shimmy countered, smirking.

“N-No, she hasn’t,” Ocellus shyly argued, failing to hide her own embarrassed blush. “Shut up, Gallus!” she commanded the snickering griffon.

Don’t yell at Ocellus, Silver. She’s just tired and grumpy, Silver soothed herself, asking, “Which letter was that one, Gallus?”

“Forty-six.”

“You’re on Forty-six already!?” she asked, feeling a tad ashamed of her own current progress.

“Technically, I’m on One Hundred and Seventy-nine, but I wanted to re-read some of them.”

“Ohhh. Gotcha.” Yeah, I have some serious catching-up to do, she realized uncomfortably.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on!” Shimmy interrupted as her eyes widened. “You really have been getting relationship advice!? When!? Why!? From whom!? And one hundred and seventy-nine!?”

“Yes. After Friends and Family Day. Because I asked for it. A ‘friend.’ And technically, I think I’ve received over five hundred letters at this point,” Gallus answered in rapid succession. “It’ll probably be six hundred by the end of the week,” he deadpanned, completely desensitized to that possibility.

“May I!? Thanks!” she said, snatching the letter away before Gallus could speak. Her eyes quickly flowed over the parchment and shot right back at him after finishing it. “Princess Cadence!? You’ve been getting relationship advice from the Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!?”

“Uh, yeah?” he admitted, taken aback by her shock.

“Whelp! That’s another thing Vellum is completely wrong on. Nepotism for the win!” she sarcastically cheered, re-reading the letter.

“I’m sure Scoop will add it to the list,” Gallus joked, glancing at Silverstream.

Silver simply shook her head, choosing to ask, “So, what are you up to, Shimmy?”

“Oh, I had to come find you guys so we could get back to practicing for the big night,” she explained.

“Uh-oh,” Gallus muttered, face-clawing. “What time is it?”

“Half-past five.”

“What!?” the trio shouted.

“But it can’t be that late!” Ocellus objected. “How long have we been sitting here!?”

“Long enough that a panicking Vellum sent me to look for you guys.”

“And how badly is he panicking?” Silver asked fearfully.

“We had to give him the bag again,” she answered, re-re-reading Cadence’s letter.

“And that’s our cue to vamoose,” Gallus said, hurriedly gathering his effects. “Silver?”

“Yep!” she squealed nervously, picking up her bag. Oh, Professor Rarity is going to kill us! And then Vellum will reanimate us so he can get a chance to kill us too! “I’m good; let’s go!”

“Sorry about having to rush out on you like this, Ocellus,” he apologized. “You gonna be okay with figuring out the shield integration without me?”

“I’ll be fine. But when we meet up again, we seriously need to fix the matrix proper. Otherwise, the judges for the Fair might not approve of our project, and if that happens—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” he interrupted dismissively. “We won’t be scientists or whatever. I get it,” he proclaimed, frowning sourly.

Something tells me that’s not the first time he’s heard that from Ocellus, Silver suspected.

“Exactly,” Ocellus agreed bluntly. “Anyway, you two have fun in Drama Club!”

“Right. See ya later, partner; make sure not to burn yourself out,” Gallus parted with a grin, hurrying to the library entrance. “C’mon, Silver!”

“Bye, Ocellus,” Silverstream said, waving to her friend before catching up to her other friend.

“See you two later,” she called after them, trying not to groan at the pun Gallus had made. Ocellus then noticed she still had company and asked, “Um, Shimmy Shake? Shouldn’t you be going too?”

“Huh? Oh! Right!” Shimmy said, pulling her eyes away from the letter she still held. “See ya, Ocellus! Hey, guys, wait for me!”

Five minutes later…

“Wow, Princess Cadence is so verbose in her writing. I LOVE IT!”

“I had no idea your favorite pastime was reading other creature’s mail, Shimmy,” Gallus teased.

“Ha-ha, Gallus,” she drawled, burying a snicker. “But seriously! This is some majorly good advice! … Do you mind if I borrow some more of these letters?” she asked timidly.

He hummed in thought before shrugging and saying, “Eh, sure! So long as neither Silver nor I still need to read them,” he added, pushing open the doors into the theater hall.

“YES!” Shimmy Shake shouted gleefully. Her exaltation echoed in the massive space, causing her to pause and mutter, “Oops,” in embarrassment.

“Happens to the best of us,” Gallus comforted as Peppermint flew up to greet them.

He sounds so confident again. Maybe he is doing better after all? Silver pondered.

“‘I worried you and the others. And I know you don’t want me to say it, but it’s my fault.’” echoed in her mind, making her unconsciously shiver.

Or maybe he’s only pretending just to make me feel better! No, don’t think like that, Silver; he is doing better! He is doing better. For now, Silver sighed, trying to shove away her worries as she joined in on the other’s conversation.

“No way! How come you didn’t tell any of us you were getting advice from Princess Cadence!?” Patty shouted, reading over one of the other letters Gallus had.

“Why would I?”

“Fair point,” she conceded. “Still though, advice from the literal Princess of Love… Or was it ‘Princess of Family’? Eh, whatever. Point still stands: Silver, you’re a lucky girl.”

“Patty!” Silver yelped, reddening.

“Wait. I’m not the lucky one?” Gallus wondered jokingly.

“Of course you’re… Actually? Yeah, you are the lucky one, Gallus,” Patty playfully jeered. “And you better make sure you’re the best special somegriff you can be for our friend, ya hear!?”

“You’re a few weeks late to make that joke, Patty,” he pointed out, smirking.

“I am? Aw nuts,” she cursed to herself.

“If it makes you feel any better, being the best special somegriff I can be is the reason I asked for advice in the first place. Did that help make you feel better?” he asked kindly.

“A little,” Patty murmured. “Hey, Shimmy?” she soon whispered not-so-subtly. “Am I supposed to say the same thing to Silverstream, or would Scoop be mad at me if I did?”

Shimmy shrugged silently.

“You know Silver and I can still hear you, right?” Gallus deadpanned.

Silver was actually a little too busy trying not to gawk at how open Gallus was being about their relationship to care about whatever Patty had said.

“Eh-heh-heh,” Patty weakly chortled. “Oops. Hey, Silver?”

“Huh! Yeah?” she asked, snapping out of her daze.

“You better make sure you’re the best special somegriff you can be for Gallus too, you know.”

“I know,” Silver stated bluntly. “You’re also a few weeks late to make that threat by the way.”

“Am I the only one who didn’t know they were a thing until this week!?”

“Oh come on, Patty,” Shimmy sighed. “Silver’s wanted to hook up with Gallus for months.”

Silver froze, but warmed back up slightly when Gallus shot her a coy smirk.

“I know that; I just didn’t know they were legitimately involved yet! I know now, but still.”

“I suppose I can’t blame you. They haven’t even gone on an official second date yet. Hey, you two, get on that, would ya!” Shimmy suddenly ordered.

Silver shot him her own coy smirk, but immediately recoiled when she noticed that Gallus had apparently decided it was his turn to freeze up in terror.

No, no, no! He’s panicking again! Why won’t he stop panicking! Is it my fault again!? I’m fine with postponing the second date until he’s ready! Please just be okay, Gallus! Silver wanted so much to express; unfortunately, Vellum and Scoop approached them before she could even open her beak.

“Where were you!?” Vellum immediately demanded.

“Hi, Captain Codex. How’s your day been going?” Gallus asked, his confidence restored.

How long will it last this time? Silver despondently thought, trying not to wilt then and there.

“My day has been relatively enjoyable. … Except for the part where you are all over an hour late!” he shrieked indignantly. “Where were you!?”

“Helping Ocellus with her science fair project,” he answered calmly. “We lost track of time.”

Vellum stared at Gallus and Silver intensely for a moment before sighing in defeat.

“Good enough excuse, Vellum?” Scoop asked, giving him a friendly nudge.

“Better than what I was initially thinking. Nonetheless, you two are here now, so we can actually begin practicing for this week’s perform—wait, where’s Yona?” he said, noticing the yak’s absence. “Wasn’t she with you two?”

“Nope,” Gallus answered, shaking his head.

“Scoop?”

“Bag?”

“Please.”

She passed him a paper bag, and he immediately started hyperventilating into it.

“Okay, I’ve learned by now that Vellum is pretty prone to stress most of the time, but is he always this high-strung?” Gallus asked worriedly.

“I take offense to that!” Vellum claimed before going back to hyperventilating.

“Don’t mind him; he always gets antsy before a big performance. And we do only have a week until we finally do The Epoch of Majesty Serendipity Daydream. Frankly, I’m a little jittery myself,” Scoop confessed. “Speaking of which, how’s about it, Gallus? First major performance with us! You excited, or are you crumbling into a ball of terror and nerves like the rest of us?” she asked playfully.

Scoop, if you freak him out, I swear I’m going to—Silver, don’t think those kinds of things; that’s not nice! Why would you even think that!? Silverstream silently admonished herself.

“If you’re asking whether or not I actually know my lines, don’t worry about it, Scoop. I know ‘em all. Except my first one. And my second one. And my third one…”

“Gallus, I swear to Celestia, you had better not mean that!” Vellum screamed hysterically.

“Relax, Vellum. I’m only messing with you; I’ve got everything figured out. Promise.”

“Oh thank Celestia! Please don’t freak me out like that,” he nearly begged.

“Sorry,” Gallus meekly murmured.

“You have really got to learn how to chill, Vellum,” Scoop sorrowfully sighed.

“Don’t pretend you weren’t terrified Gallus was being serious, Scoop.”

“Yeah, but I was smart enough to figure out he was being sarcastic.”

“I did too, but I still suspected he might have not been; I had to double-check.”

“You can’t let your fear and paranoia override your sensibilities and confidence,” she quoted.

“Kindness Lesson Seventy-nine?”

“Yep,” Scoop affirmed, nodding sagely. “Anyway, what were you cheering about, Shimmy?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, check it out, Scoop! Gallus got relationship advice from Princess Cadence!”

Scoop seemingly teleported to the griffon’s side and demanded, “Details! Now!”

“Uhhh…”

“If you’re worried about Professor Rarity overhearing, you don’t need to!” End Zone shouted from down on the stage where he was reading over his script. “She’s not here yet either.”

“She’s not!?”

“Nope!”

“Then why were you— You know what? Nevermind,” Gallus said, much to Vellum’s confusion.

“I still require details!” Scoop yelled, dancing in place.

“I asked for advice from Princess Cadence when I started dating Silverstream,” Gallus explained, annoyed. “Why do I keep having to answer that question?” he muttered to himself.

“Because we just found out,” Scoop answered plainly. “Also, wrong details, griffon-boy! I want to know what advice you got! Must! Know! Please! Tell!” she chanted, hopping excitedly.

“Well, I don’t exactly have all the letters on me right now, but here ya go,” he offered uncertainly, giving her a few more of the papers from his bag.

Scoop instantly took them and began reading greedily; Patty and Shimmy hurried to read over her shoulder while Gallus stepped to the side along with Silver.

“How many of those did you have on you?” Silverstream asked, smiling calmly.

“Eh. Fifteen? Sixteen?” he replied casually.

“Ah. I guess you really like reading them, huh?”

“They are very informative. And very nerve-wracking, considering they highlight just how many different ways I can screw up,” he added bluntly.

No! No, you’re not a screw-up, Gallus! Don’t think that! Don’t think that! Silver wanted to reiterate; however, she decided to only say, “Oh… Yeah?”

“Yeah. But luckily, I’m not going to screw up!” Gallus boldly claimed. “I promised after all,” he reminded her, winking again.

He is doing better! Hallelujah! Silver mentally celebrated. …Except he’s only doing better because I made him promise, so he’s not really doing better because he wants to be better but because he thinks he needs to be for my sake instead of his own! she concluded, horrified.

“Well, I’m glad you’re confident,” she praised, maintaining her tranquil smile despite her fear.

“Woo-hoo! I’m confident!” Gallus rejoiced sarcastically. “It’s a little thing, but it’s the little things in life that matter most, right?” he asked rhetorically, earning a giggle.

“‘Also, remember that if you watch any Romance movies or read any Romance novels to take any and all advice contained within said media with a grain of salt since quite a lot of it isn’t healthy in the slightest,’” Shimmy read quizzically.

“Excuse me!?” Patty yelled. “Romances are amazing! What the hay is she talking about!?”

“‘In fact, it’s scarily abusive most of time,’” Shimmy continued in spite of Patty’s outrage. “‘I’d give you a full breakdown of most of the advice—if you can even call it that—taught in some of the worst examples, but I figured it’d be best if I just gave you a list of which ones to avoid and why.’”

“Where is that list!?” Patty demanded spitefully. “I want to see that list! She better not have said my favorites teach toxic advice, or I swear!”

Gallus rummaged through his bags again and hurriedly passed it over to the perturbed pegasus.

“Thank you!” she snapped, looking it over.

“‘Of course, not all movies and books suffer from this issue. A good number of them do portray genuinely healthy couples as well, so I’ll make sure to send you a list of those too. Might be a good idea for some bonding time with Silverstream,’” Shimmy ended.

All three mares looked at the couple with their own smug, little smirk.

“I haven’t read either list yet,” Gallus explained to Silverstream.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t either,” she admitted reassuringly.

“But that reminds me… It’s been a while since we and the others have had a good, proper movie night,” he commented. “Maybe we should get with Sandbar and ask him about it?”

“That sounds like a nice idea,” she replied, smiling warmly. So long as Sandbar isn’t oblivious enough to pick a movie that features child abandonment…

“Well, I’m reading the good list now,” Scoop interjected. “Don’t worry, Patty, your favorites are all on it. … I think this is the good list anyway,” she muttered uncertainly.

“Oh, I definitely have the bad list,” Patty replied with a disgusted scowl. “I’m pretty sure no good Romance movie would be criticized for…” She cleared her throat and quoted, “‘Male protagonist forces female to enter relationship with him by threatening to commit suicide if she doesn’t. Female gives in to the outrageous demand, and the two are seen engaging in a healthy relationship despite the dangerous implications of such a threat.’”

Everyone was silent for a moment, each wearing looks of varying discomfort.

“Sweet Celestia!” Scoop exclaimed as Shimmy rushed over to read Patty’s list for herself. “All this one says is: Excellent Rom-Com, featuring two well-written ponies with meaningful heart-to-heart scenes.”

Finally breaking his silence, Vellum asked, “Is that not the chief goal for all Romance stories?”

“For the most part, yeah. I think Cadence found a different way to say the exact same thing for every single movie on the list.” Scoop read a little further and snorted. “Listen to this one! ‘Includes a duo of unalloyed, emotive primary characters, engrossing in eloquent gatherings of compassionate tenderness and passionate intimacy.’ … Oh! That’s why she was being verbose,” she said, blushing.

“Because she was trying to mask her redundancy?”

“No. It’s because the movie she’s referring to is Mature-rated.”

“…I’m not going to comment on that,” Vellum whimpered bashfully.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty good one too. Lot of fun action,” she added, giving Vellum a shark-like grin.

“I’m not going to comment on that either!” he squealed.

While Scoop and Vellum continued to banter, Shimmy trotted up to Gallus and Silver. “Here you go,” she said, giving him back all the letters except for the lists the other mares were still reading.

“Thanks,” Gallus replied gratefully, placing them back into his bags. “I thought you wanted to borrow them though?”

“I’ll ask next week. I don’t exactly have time to study that stuff with the big night coming up. But, about the advice…” she began, suddenly looking very timid. “Does Smolder know about it?”

That’s a strange question, Silver pondered. From the look on his face, Gallus thought the same.

“I don’t think so. She and I haven’t, uh… I mean, I haven’t talked talked to her in a while; been a little busy with other things,” Gallus nervously droned.

Smolder still isn’t talking to him!? It’s been weeks! Silver thought, feeling a twinge of anger.

“If that’s the case, er, don’t let her read this one,” she advised. “Or the lists. Especially the bad one! Smolder and I watched some of the movies on that one, and she, er, freaked out during most of them.”

“I didn’t think Smolder hated Romances that much,” he snarked, raising an eyebrow. “What’d she do? Scream at the characters on the screen?”

“Well, it was either that or throwing things at the television. But, well? The movie Cadence made that remark about? We watched that one too, and Smolder, er…”

Before Shimmy could finish, the theater entrance opened, permitting both Yona and Professor Rarity’s presences. Everyone turned to the frazzled duo as End Zone quickly approached the group.

“Ah! Wonderful, you’re all here!” Rarity cheered excitedly. “I fervently apologize for being so terribly late, especially considering what awaits us at the end of this week.”

“No. Trouble. At all. Professor,” Vellum carefully enunciated, struggling to not retort angrily.

“Yona sorry too! Yona helping Professor Rarity finish really important commission, but luckily! Yona and Professor finally finish today!” she declared proudly, shooting Silver a gleeful wink.

Uh-oh, Silver panicked at Yona’s implication. I really hope Vellum doesn’t find out, or he really is going to strangle me! … I hope Gallus will like it at the very least, she thought, smiling to herself.

“In any case, now that I have that commission done, we can properly practice for this Friday. However, I have an important announcement to make concerning it,” she said suspiciously.

“Are we putting it off?” End Zone asked nervously.

“Zone, if you didn’t finish memorizing your part…!” Vellum threatened.

“Hey! Don’t worry about it, Vellum. I’ve got everything but the last paragraph memorized!”

“YOU SHOULD HAVE ALL—” Vellum took a deep breath and let it out. “I will not shout; I will not shout; I will not shout…” he repeated to himself.

“Vellum’s learning, everyone!” Scoop sarcastically squealed.

The others chuckled in spite of Vellum’s angered frown. Eventually, Rarity said, “Settle down, everycreature. Now, End Zone darling? No. We are not postponing the play. But fear not, darling; you still have plenty of time to finish learning your part, and I have faith that you will,” she comforted.

“Thanks, Professor,” he said, still nervous but far less so.

“Of course. So! Onto the big announcement! We are not postponing the play or anything of that nature. However! We are not going to be performing inside the theater hall!”

She fell silent, looking over the students and just itching for one of them to ask for clarification.

“Then where are we performing it, Professor?” Patty finally asked.

“Why! We are performing at the one-and-only! Grand Canterlot Theater!” Rarity proclaimed.

…

Vellum passed out.

“Dang it, Vellum!” Scoop exclaimed, examining her friend. “Zone!”

“Smelling salts?”

“Smelling salts!”

He quickly retrieved his bags from the front and passed a bottle to Scoop. She held it under his nose for a good three seconds before Vellum gasped and bolted up, nearly smacking her in the muzzle.

“…Scoop?”

“Yes, Vellum?”

“Did I pass out?”

“Yes.”

“Was it because I got hit in the head again?”

“No.”

“So that means what Professor Rarity said wasn’t a dream?”

“No, Vellum. It wasn’t.”

“And I heard her right? We’re going to be performing The Epoch of Majesty Serendipity Daydream at the Canterlot Grand Theater?”

“Apparently.”

“Scoop?”

“You’re going to faint again, aren’t you?”

“I’m feeling very light-headed, yes.”

“Okaaay! Take it easy there, buddy,” she soothed, teaming up with Zone to help Vellum wobble to a nearby seat and plop into it. “Just relax and breathe. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.”

Vellum did as she instructed, and Scoop turned to frown at Rarity, asking, “Professor, you know you need to let him know these things gently, right?”

“But that was gently!” she protested faintly. “I even decided not to ask Pinkie to throw a party!”

“Scoop? Let’s be honest, Vellum would have done exactly this even if she had been gentler,” End Zone said on Rarity’s behalf.

“…Fair point,” she admitted. “Sorry, Professor. Okay, Vellum? Are you feeling better now?”

“M-Mildly. Scoop, pass me my water, please.”

“Sure! Here you go.”

“Thank you,” he said appreciatively, downing half of it in a gulp and reeling afterward. “Okay. Okay! I’m good! Now, Professor? Please forgive my loudness and my language, but… WHAT IN THE EVERLASTING BOWELS OF TARTARUS DO YOU MEAN WE ARE PERFORMING AT THE CANTERLOT GRAND THEATER!?” he roared loudly enough to make everyone flinch.

“Owww,” Rarity moaned, rubbing her ear. “Darling, be careful, you don’t want to hurt your throat.”

“Yes! Again, my apologies. I’m just a little stressed that we are to apparently be performing for the elite of Canterlot! In the Grand Theater of Canterlot! By the end of the week! In Canterlot! Scoop!”

“Bag?”

“Bag!”

She passed him that too, and he instantly took to heaving into it. Again.

We really do need to sit Vellum down and talk about his anxiety levels, Silver mused, glancing at Gallus and nearly vomiting when she saw that he looked like he wanted to heave into a paper bag too.

“Okay!” Patty suddenly said, drawing attention to her. “Before anyone yells, faints, or panics again… Professor? We are actually performing in Canterlot?” Rarity nodded excitedly, so Patty slowly asked, “And why are we performing in Canterlot and not here at the school?”

“Quite simple, darling! I’ve been helping all of you in the art of acting for quite some time, and—to be completely honest—I truly believe you are all capable of advancing far beyond in the craft! … Vellum darling? Do I need to take you to Nurse Redheart? You are looking far too pale for comfort.”

“No, no, I’m still listening. Go on,” he said, waving at her to continue.

“Yes, well, as I was saying,” she resumed, keeping an eye on the stallion. “I believe all of you are capable of advancing your places in the craft. However, though it pains me to admit it, you’re not going to be able to go very far if you only ever perform here at the school.”

“Makes sense,” Vellum concurred after regaining his breath. “‘Friendship School,’ not ‘Acting School.’ We don’t exactly make a lot of connections in the craft here.”

“Precisely,” Rarity agreed, wincing at the admission. “But! I know how much you all enjoy doing these performances, big or small! And I didn’t want to let all of your talent go to waste without also providing you an opportunity to show the world just how fabulously skilled you truly are!”

“That is why I’ve spent the past few months pulling a few favors with some friends in the business. Though it took a while, I finally managed to secure a chance for you to perform for more than just your fellow students. Now—as Vellum so rightly put it—you shall all be able to perform for the Canterlot elite! To go forth and demonstrate your remarkable talents to the whole world! And then! AAAND THEN!” she shouted eagerly. … “Aaand then!” she reiterated, waving at them encouragingly.

“Professor, Vellum is the only one who would know the end of that sentence, and he’s currently, er, catatonic,” Patty said, indicating the paralyzed stallion.

“Oh. Sorry, darlings. And then! You can all be noticed by talent scouts, reporters, and the like,” Rarity explained simply. “Resulting in the creation of various connections and whatnot which will allow you all to carve forth a future career in the field of acting,” she ended, beaming widely.

…

Scoop passed out.

“Scoop!?” Zone yelped, checking for her pulse. “Scoop, are you alright!?”

“Future… Future… Future…” she weakly whimpered, curling into a shaking ball.

“And there went the calm one,” Patty droned, sharing a panicked glance with Shimmy. “Scoop! Scoop!? C’mon, girl, say something! Are you okay, or do you need some water, or…?”

“Oh my…! Perhaps I really could have handled this revelation with a fair bit more grace?” Rarity acknowledged, nervously looking to Yona.

“Yona agree. Vellum! Scoop! Are friends okay!?” she yelled, approaching the others.

Future career? Silverstream wondered once Rarity’s words fully registered. What? Me? An actress!? No way! Vellum and Scoop? Yes. Not me. Personally? I think I’d rather be… She then turned to Gallus, wanting to ask of his thoughts, but she instantly froze at what she saw.

“Come on! Come on! Where is it!? Where are you, Two Hundred and Nineteen!?” he asked his bags.

“Uh, Gallus?” she said, trying to ignore the memories of the last time he talked to himself.

He stopped and turned to her, grinning nervously. “Yeah, Silver?”

“Are you okay?”

For a split second, he flinched as if she had slapped him. It quickly vanished as he said, “Aside from the current panic of just finding out we’re performing in Canterlot? Yep, I’m okay.”

Please stop lying, Gallus; It’s okay if you’re not okay, just please stop lying for my sake! Don’t hurt yourself for me!

“That’s good. Glad I’m not the only one who’s nervous and panicky,” she said quietly.

“Are you okay?” Gallus asked softly, putting his bag aside.

You shouldn’t need to ask me that! I shouldn’t need to ask you that! Everything should be fine, but nothing is! Why is nothing okay anymore!? she wanted to scream in frustration.

“Of course,” Silver lied reassuringly. “I’m just a little shocked. I mean… Canterlot! Wow! Who would have thought we’d be doing a big performance in Canterlot?”

“Definitely not Vellum and Scoop, apparently…”

“Apparently.”

“You think the nobles there are as stuck-up as everyone says they are?” he suddenly asked.

If they so much as scoff at Gallus for not being a noble, I’m going to—

“I doubt it. Some might be, but remember, Princess Twilight, Spike, and their family all came from Canterlot, so it can’t be that bad.”

“True. Then again, so did Neighsay…”

If they so much as gawk at Gallus for not being a pony, I’m going to—

“Yeah, but he reformed. Not to mention, he wasn’t really ‘evil,’” Silver defended kindly.

“That is also true,” Gallus conceded. “He wasn’t nice, but he wasn’t evil evil.”

“Plus, we taught him a lesson about friendship, and I like to think it stuck. After all, he was the one opening portals all over Equestria when… They happened,” she pointed out, scowling.

“Once again, true. Hey! You’re three-for-three on true statements, Silver!” he celebrated.

“Hee-hee! Yay, me,” she said, smiling but not feeling better at all.

“…Silver?”

“Yeah, Gallus?”

“You think everything is going to be alright?”

Silver hesitated for all of a second before fervently nodding. “Everything is going to be absolutely fine,” she lied once again.

“Yeah… Yeah, you’re right,” he agreed weakly.

Neither Gallus nor Silverstream were up to continuing that conversation, so they turned their attention to the others, both endeavoring to not succumb to their own fears on behalf of the other.

***

The next day, the group met up with Rarity and Starlight and reassured them they were—for the most part—fine with performing in Canterlot. After saying goodbye to their friends, they all boarded the Friendship Express, practicing twice more along the way.

The train ride and one quick dash through the lustrous city later…

“Wow, Princess Twilight has a really nice home,” Shimmy Shake complimented.

“It certainly is spacious,” End Zone agreed, looking toward the ceiling.

“Yeah, but I think we’d all prefer it be spacious rather than the opposite,” Gallus uttered, shivering slightly at the thought.

“True.”

“Is it just me, or am I smelling lavender?” Patty asked, itching at her nose.

“Oh yeah,” called Starlight from the front. “That’d be a leftover habit of the Palace staff from when Celestia and Luna were in charge. Specifically Luna. I’m glad they kept it up.”

“Yona like it; yaks always say lavender help yaks sleep better at night,” Yona said joyfully.

“I still don’t feel comfortable with this,” Vellum suddenly groaned.

Starlight stopped and rounded on the stallion, asking, “About coming to Canterlot?”

“About sleeping here in the castle,” he clarified.

“Oh. Glad to know we didn’t waste those Bits on train tickets then. … Not the point,” she reprimanded herself. “What is it that makes you uncomfortable with sleeping in the castle, Vellum?”

“It just feels like nepotism,” he answered, frowning at the castle décor around him.

“Uh, well, uh…” Starlight stammered, rubbing at her neck. “Rarity, help!”

“Why do you think it feels like nepotism, Vellum darling?” she swiftly covered for Starlight.

“Well, we’re using your friendship with Princess Sparkle to establish better accommodations than what we have a right too.”

“Excuse me, what do you mean by that last part!?” Scoop inquired indignantly.

“We didn’t exactly earn our lodgings in the Royal Palace for our stay here, Scoop.”

“Darling, you’ve more than earned lodgings in the Palace, and besides, Twilight has already said she’s perfectly fine with providing us rooms for the week.”

“First of all, Professor, we have not earned any lodgings with the Princess. You and Headmare Starlight might have, but we have not. Okay, technically, Silver, Yona, and Gallus have as well, but—”

“I’m going to stop you right there, Vellum,” Scoop said bluntly, shoving a hoof into his mouth. “Are you listening?” He nodded. “Good. Now, you can either loosen your moral code and stay in the beautiful castle, or you can go out there into the city and squat at some filthy, bedbug-ridden motel on your own Bits with noisy. Neighbors,” she stressed darkly.

Vellum trembled as he contemplated that very terrifying possibility.

“Gonna loosen your moral code?” she asked, smirking knowingly.

“Just this one time,” he answered resolutely. “But only because we need to perform perfectly!”

“Of course, Vellum, of course. Don’t worry.”

“I’m going to be worried whether you like it or not, thank you!”

“But if you worry, you might botch a line out of stress,” she countered slyly.

“Do you really think that’s possible?” After Scoop nodded, he quickly announced, “I’m going to stop worrying now! See? Not. Worrying.”

“How did you do that?” Gallus questioned, impressed by her skill.

“Vellum will do anything if you can convince him his acting or writing will suffer otherwise,” she answered, smiling in contrast to Vellum’s scowl.

“…Hey, Vellum?” Starlight beckoned suddenly.

“Yes, Headmare Starlight?”

“When this week is over, I want to see you in my office. We’ll have a nice cup of Empathy Cocoa, and we can talk about some things.”

“O-Okay?” he responded uncertainly. “Like what?”

“Your stress levels,” she answered bluntly.

Vellum blinked.

“Starlight darling? Isn’t Trixie supposed to be the Guidance Counselor now?”

“Not until she finishes those professional therapy and psychology books I got her. And last I checked, she was only halfway done with them.”

“Ah.”

“Alright, everycreature, we are here,” announced their guide.

“Thank you, Ms. Inkwell,” Starlight said, nodding respectfully.

Raven nodded back, opening the throne room doors with her magic. … Or at least, she tried to.

“Ow!” yelped a familiar pony as the door collided with her.

“THAT’S HOW IT FEELS!” shouted another familiar voice from further into the room.

“Zip it, Spike!” Twilight Sparkle retorted, stepping back and opening the door fully while rubbing her muzzle. “Anyway, Rarity! Starlight! It’s so good to… Stop laughing, Starlight!”

“Hee-hee-hee! Sorry, Twi,” she apologized, ceasing her snickering.

“See? Starlight gets it,” Spike said, approaching the group while quickly rolling up a scroll.

“My apologies for whacking your nose, your Highness,” Raven said neutrally. “Perhaps next time your friends visit, you shouldn’t stand behind the door, listening in?”

“But can you blame me for being excited?” Twilight challenged light-heartedly.

“Of course not, your Highness,” she reassured, curtsying.

“Thank you. Now then! Hello, everycreature, how has everything been?”

“Oh, I don’t know?” Starlight began coolly. “School maintenance? Financial stress? Unapproved Canterlot Grand Theater performances…” she ended, sneering at the pony at her side.

“I already apologized on the train, darling,” Rarity bit back.

“Well, I hope you are sorry,” she muttered back. “Thanks to you, Sunburst and I had to do a bunch of financial finagling to make sure everything would be good to go for this Friday.”

“You didn’t tell her about your plan!? Rarity!” Twilight exclaimed reproachfully.

“You didn’t tell me either!”

“That’s because I thought Rarity would!”

“I wanted it to be a surprise for the students, darling!” Rarity defended emphatically.

“And you thought I would ruin the surprise?” Starlight asked, frowning angrily.

“Well, considering you’re still doing counselor work, I was worried it would slip.”

“You’re still doing counselor work!? Ugh, I guess that means I can’t have my books back yet?”

“Not until Trixie finishes them, Twilight! Not until Trixie finishes them!”

“And when will that be? When we’re all seventy?” Twilight guessed, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey, that’s my best friend you’re talking about!” Starlight growled.

The three mares proceeded to glare at each other exaggeratedly.

“Should we say something?” Shimmy Shake asked Scoop.

“Uh, Spike?” she asked nervously.

The purple dragon held up his claw. “Three. Two. One,” he counted down

“I missed you so much!” the trio shouted simultaneously, quickly entering a three-way hug.

“…Scoop?”

“Yeah, Vellum?”

“Friendship is weird.”

“Oh yeah.”

“Still magical though, right?” Gallus asked casually.

“…Aughhh,” Vellum groaned painfully.

All but Silverstream laughed.

“That it is, Gallus! That it is,” Twilight answered, giving one last nuzzle to her friends. “So! Apparently, you’ve only just been informed of Rarity’s ‘surprise,’” she began, glancing at the mare.

“Heh-heh. Sorry again, darling.”

“No worries, I’ve had rooms prepped for all of you for the past month. Sorry about the abruptness of the whole thing, but I am very glad to see all of you again!” she sang, bouncing happily. “Scoop, love what you’ve done with your mane,” she commented to her former student.

“Aw, thanks, Professor.”

“End Zone, Shimmy Shake, I see you’ve both been keeping up with Rainbow’s drills. Keep up the good work,” she said, making the pair both stand a tad taller. “Patty, still rocking that bow, I see?”

“Of course!” she laughed, flourishing it proudly.

“Hee-hee. Vellum,” Twilight greeted, nodding. “How are you doing?”

“Well enough,” he murmured, failing to see the others shake their heads in contradiction.

“That’s good. Vellum? There’s a book I personally really enjoy. Perfection: The Impossible Pursuit. You should give it a read some time, okay?” Twilight advised kindly.

“Uh, will do, Princess. Thank you,” Vellum said, bowing his head.

“Of course. Yona!” she expressed loudly. “How are you doing?”

Yona gave Twilight a bone-crushing hug, shouting, “Yona happy to see old Headmare again!”

“I can… See! I can’t… Breathe! But I can… See!” she squeaked out.

“Might wanna ease up a little there, Yona,” Gallus advised. “We don’t want to see you in court being charged with ‘Damage to Private Princess Property.’”

“Heh-heh! Sorry,” she said, releasing Twilight who immediately locked gazes with the griffon.

“Gallus,” Twilight acknowledged gently. “How is everything going?”

“Eh, it’s going. Pretty good so far though,” he said confidently. “But you definitely need to get your sister-in-law a better hobby.”

“Oh no,” she sighed, face-hoofing. “Has she reached three thousand, yet?”

“‘Three thousand’!?” he shouted in shock. “She’s not gonna stop at one!?”

“She hasn’t reached that yet? Oh, wow, Shiny really is holding her back. … Spike?”

“I already added ‘Get Shining another medal for his heroism’ to the itinerary. Tuesday good?”

“Tuesday’s good. What would I do without you, Spike?”

“Forget to raise the sun and moon?”

“That was only funny the first time, Spike, not the tenth.”

“Twilight’s right, Spike,” Starlight agreed, earning a smug nod from the Princess. “She would totally remember to raise the sun and moon. … Eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner instead of reading, reading, and reading, on the other hoof? Nope. Eating is for the weak, right, Twi?”

Twilight grumbled as everyone around her laughed.

“I miss you so much, Roomy,” Spike admitted sorrowfully.

“I miss you more,” Starlight replied, winking.

“I miss you the most!” Rarity whined, trapping Spike in a tight hug that he reciprocated.

“Regular ladies’ drake, isn’t he?” Vellum whispered to Scoop, earning a quiet laugh.

“I heard that!” After Rarity released him, Spike said, “By the way, Gallus? I’m still planning out the campaign, but I don’t think I’ll have it done until after Hearth’s Warming Eve. Sorry about that.”

“Eh, it’s fine,” Gallus assured. “Oh, by the way, Sugar Belle did want in on the game, and she said she also sent you a letter saying so. But, well… Discord.”

“He won’t be messing with her mail anymore though,” Starlight guaranteed ominously.

“Uggghhh! Discord, I swear…” Spike softly growled, making another note on his checklist.

“Are you done?” Twilight asked, receiving a curt nod from her assistant. She then looked back at the group and blinked. “Oh! I forgot that November isn’t part of the Club anymore,” she admitted.

“He had… Other commitments,” Vellum elaborated, holding back a scowl.

“You really are learning,” Scoop whispered happily, earning an exasperated smirk.

“That leaves you, Silverstream!” Twilight stated brightly, trotting to the back of the group.

“Huh! Oh! Heh-heh, hey, Princess. Yep, I’m still here,” she greeted, snapping out of her daze.

“I noticed,” she responded far more gently.

Silver got the distinct impression that the Princess was looking her over in worry; immediately, she tried her hardest to appear as non-worrying as possible. It might have backfired.

“Are you okay, Silverstream? You seem a little quiet,” she said, quickly glancing to her friends.

“Oh, good! It’s not just me,” Patty sighed. Everyone stared at her. “What? She’s been quiet ever since we got off the train! Since we got on the train too now that I think about it,” she just had to add.

Gallus glanced at his friend worryingly.

NO! NO! NO! Silver screamed mentally. “Sorry. I’m still a little nervous about performing in Canterlot. That’s all,” she fibbed, praying with every fiber of her being that it would work.

To Silver’s immense relief, Vellum concurred, “I think we’re all a little nervous to be honest.”

“I don’t doubt it. But I am proud of you all for still having the courage to go through with it in spite of the ‘surprise.’ And I also know you’ll all do just fine when you get up onstage. But that’s for another day. For today! Raven?” she called to the mare still standing behind the group. “If you could, please show our guests to their rooms so they may rest for the days ahead.”

“Yes, your Highness,” Raven said, bowing.

“Thank you. Now, all of you off to your rooms for some rest. I doubt any of you want to practice rehearsals while still tired from the train ride.”

“You are, once again, correct, Princess,” Vellum answered for them.

“Then off you go. Raven?”

“Right away, your Highness. Come along, children, this way.”

“I’ll meet with you later, darlings,” Rarity said. “Right now, I have a friend I need to catch up with.”

“Same,” Starlight agreed. “Don’t get into any trouble.”

“We won’t,” Scoop assured, waving as the group began following after Raven.

Silver then ducked her again, noticed only by Gallus and Yona. They shared a glance, and the former slowed down, falling into step beside Silver, and whispered, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Huh!? Oh, yeah! Yeah, I’m fine,” she answered as happily as she could.

“Are you sure? You’ve been quiet all day. Is something wrong?”

“No! No, everything is fine…”

After a moment, he smiled slightly and said, “Alright. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. If you do need anything though, just ask. Okay?” he requested, giving her gentle nuzzle.

“Of course,” she promised, nuzzling him back despite not feeling better at all.

***

“I still think we should go back to the theater and practice again!”

“Vellum, we have rehearsed almost fifty times this week alone and nearly two hundred times this month!” Scoop fired back tiredly. “We know what we’re doing!”

“I know that, but…” he petered off, pawing at the ground uncomfortably.

Scoop sighed and put her hoof on Vellum’s shoulder, saying, “Look, Vellum. I get it. You’re still nervous about the play, and that’s okay. I’m nervous too; we all are!” she added, gesturing to the rest of the group. “But the play is tomorrow night, not this afternoon. Let’s try to relax until then, okay?”

“…Fine,” he grumbled.

“Thank you,” she said, hugging him tightly. After releasing him, she said, “Now, Professor Rarity gave us a ton of Bits to spend, and we’re in the capital of Equestria. What should we do first?”

“Shopping!” Shimmy Shake sang.

“I kinda want to see the Library of Magic,” Patty said eagerly. “None of us may be unicorns, but Ocellus has always spoken wonders about it. Wouldn’t hurt to at least check it out.”

“We could visit the Cloud Stadium,” Zone proposed. “Maybe we can catch a team practicing?”

“I’ve heard the Tasty Treat is a good lunch spot,” Vellum murmured, gaining a grin from Scoop.

“Well, Yona not care what friends do so long as friends do it together,” Yona cheered happily.

“Hee-hee. Of course we will, Yona,” Scoop reassured. She then turned to Gallus and Silver and asked, “What about you two? Got any ideas?”

Silver blinked and shyly admitted, “Um, I don’t really have any. What about you, Gallus?” she asked, hoping she wasn’t putting pressure on him.

He thought for a moment then shrugged. “I’ve got nothing either. I mean, there is Silver Frames’ Art Gallery, but I can’t imagine any of you’d want to go to it…” he suggested aloofly.

“Oh, I’m sure one of us would,” Scoop said, smirking deviously at Silverstream.

Silver chuckled, trying to ignore all of their grins. I almost forgot about Silver Frames’ gallery. That does sound fun, but… I don’t want Gallus to want to go just because of me.

“In any case,” Vellum spoke up, regaining everyone’s attention. “It seems we have an idea for our destinations. Shall we proceed? We don’t want to be out too late tonight.”

“Of course, Vellum. Alright, gang, let’s go!” Scoop decreed, leading the Drama Club forward along their march through the pearly streets of Canterlot.

There were a multitude of various stores to visit, from an ordinary mall loaded with ponies dressed as fancily as possible to dodgy antique shops watched over by shadowy, red-eyed strangers.

Shimmy Shake, Scoop, and Yona seemed determine to buy something every time; whereas, Zone and Vellum often found themselves waiting for the others to finish.

The Library of Magic was next, welcoming them with a comfortable tranquility in spite of its labyrinthine structure and the occasional muffled explosion from someone’s failed spell.

Patty, Vellum, and Gallus happily stalked the maze of books, eager to experience Twilight Sparkle’s old stomping grounds; sadly, neither Shimmy Shake nor End Zone enjoyed the ambiance as they were too busy struggling to remain awake.

The Cloud Stadium did indeed play host to a team of pegasi as well as the dragons, griffons, and hippogriffs they were currently initiating. And as to be expected, a large crowd had also gathered to watch the practice proceed.

Zone, Shimmy, and Patty were quick to join in the crowd’s excitement over the new trainees, but Vellum and Scoop both looked positively bored with the affair. Gallus seemed caught in the middle, enjoying the event like the others but clearly wanting to be elsewhere.

Silver, meanwhile, sat in the far back, watching her friend out of the corner of her eye and trying to figure out why he seemed so antsy. Unfortunately, every thought that crossed her mind was worse than the last, and by the time Yona approached her, the hippogriff looked ready to throw up.

“This seat taken?” Yona asked politely.

“H-Huh!” Silver exclaimed, taken out of her musings. Again. “Oh, n-no, Yona! Of course not!” She scooted over and patted at the seat to her left. “What are you up to?”

“Well, Yona just learned stadium food cost three times more than normal food, so Yona not happy about that,” she grumbled. “But Yona did find this!” she celebrated, flourishing a beautiful scarf bearing the emblem of the flight team currently training.

“Wow, that looks really nice, Yona!” Silver instinctively praised.

“Thank you. Yona considering knitting scarves more often when Yona get back home. Scarves pretty simple, but simplicity just as important as complexity!”

“Hee-hee,” she laughed emptily, looking back at Gallus. “That’s very wise, Yona.”

After about a minute, Yona suddenly stated, “Gallus prefer watching game rather than practice.”

“What!?” Silver yelped, quickly turning back to her friend. “I— I mean— What makes you say that?” she asked with a forced grin.

“Yona asked Gallus why he not enjoy stadium as much as others. Gallus said it because he rather watch actual game than just team practicing.”

“O-Oh! Uh, okay. That’s nice to know,” Silver said. Oh thank goodness! He’s not lonely, upset, or anything else! He’s okay, Silver! He’s okay… she told herself, calming down. For now.

After some time, Yona quietly asked, “Is Silverstream okay?”

“What!? Of— Of course, I’m okay!” she answered unconvincingly.

“Yona notice friend really quiet all day. All week too, now that Yona think about it. Is Silver sure she’s okay?”

“Yep, I’m totally fine, Yona; there’s no need to worry,” she repeated, smiling widely.

“Silverstream sound like Gallus,” Yona acknowledged apprehensively.

After a moment, Silver finally admitted, “I’m still worried about him.”

“But why? Yona see Gallus doing much better now!”

“I know! I know! I’m just being silly,” she said, looking down.

“Silver worried about Gallus! Yona not think that silly; Yona think that kind.”

Silver laughed slightly, saying, “Thanks, Yona. … What do you think though? Do you think that Gallus is doing better? Genuinely better?”

“Yona not given reason to believe otherwise,” she answered simply.

“Yeah, but… Still.”

“Ohhh. Yona know what’s wrong with friend.”

“So there is something wrong!?” Silver squealed as her heart thundered in her ears.

“Yes. That,” Yona said, pointing at her. “What friend doing is wrong.”

“What— What do you mean?”

“Silver not just worried about Gallus. Silver paranoid about Gallus.”

“I’m not paranoid!” Silver argued, affronted.

Yona stared at her disbelievingly.

W-Well… Yeah?” she said after some time. “But come on, Yona! With the play, and Canterlot, and everything…! You’re not the least bit worried about him too?”

“Yona worried about all friends,” she said, patting Silver’s back. “That why Yona asked Gallus if he was okay. Yona noticed Gallus look bored, so Yona ask why. But friend is doing fine. Yona also noticed Silver look afraid, so Yona ask too. But friend clearly not doing fine.”

“But I am doing fine! I-I’m just worried all the pressure of this performance might get to him. Can’t I be a little worried?” she asked, wincing.

“Yaks have saying: Fear is necessary for courage, but too little invokes hubris and too much reaps cowardice,” Yona quoted sagely. “Yona think worry is same. Worrying about friend is fine, but Yona knows it’s not good to worry too much. Silver clearly worrying too much.”

“But how can I not be worried!? I want Gallus to be okay! That’s— That’s all I want.”

“Yona know. But Yona also know Gallus doing much better,” she repeated, smiling.

“But what if Gallus isn’t, and he’s just pretending again!?”

“Yona trust Gallus not pretend. Silver should do the same,” Yona advised serenely.

Silver turned her gaze back to Gallus, watching as he walked over to Zone and Shimmy and talked to them as casually as anyone else would. She then turned back to Yona.

“I… I guess you’re right,” she admitted, smiling properly. “Even if I am worried, I still need to trust that he is doing better. Thanks for reminding me of that,” Silver said, wiping her eyes.

“Yona happy to help friend,” Yona said, beaming. “…Yona still worried too. But Yona know even if Gallus not okay, Yona and friends will be there for him,” she concluded.

“Hee-hee-hee. Right once again, Yona,” Silver agreed, wrapping a wing around her friend.

Maybe I am worried for nothing, Silverstream supposed. I’m sure everything is fine. And like Yona said, even if it’s not, we’ll be there for him. I’ll be there for him. … I just hope things stay fine.

***

After a quick lunch at the Tasty Treat, the group made their way to their final destination as the afternoon sun finally started its descent downward.

“Hello, and welcome to Silver Frames’ Art Gallery. Please enjoy the many beautiful and exquisite exhibits at your leisure and do make sure not to touch any of them,” the guide warned.

“Don’t worry,” Scoop placated. “You’d have to be an idiot to touch one of these things. But out of curiosity? What would happen if we did?” she asked suspiciously.

“Move along, Scoop, you’re angering the pony,” Vellum said, pushing her forward.

“Alright, alright! Stop shoving me!”

As the group split up to browse the Gallery, Silver quickly found herself happy that Gallus had suggested coming there, even if it had been on her behalf rather than his.

“Hey, Silver?” Gallus suddenly called out.

“Yeah, Gallus?” she asked, staring back down at him.

“You might want to stop hovering; I think the security guards over there are getting jumpy.”

“Huh? Oh. Oops!” Silver said, softly landing on the checkered floor. “I, uh, didn’t even realize I was doing that,” she admitted, blushing.

“I’m not the one who’s upset. In fact? I thought it was cute,” he sneakily whispered.

Her blush intensified as she quietly exclaimed, “Gallus!”

“Whaaat?” he asked innocently.

“Nothing,” she sighed. “Thanks for the compliment though.”

“Heh-heh. You’re welcome,” he said, winking. “So then? Do you, uh, like this place?”

“I love it, Gallus, but…” Be honest, Silver. “Do you? I don’t want you to like it just because you think I want you to,” she admitted gently. Please, please, please don’t be upset I asked that!

He winced but quickly recovered to say, “I was being serious, Silver. Art may not be my ‘thing,’ but I know you like it. And I like you! So regardless of whether or not I enjoy the gallery, I definitely will enjoy my time with you,” he ended softly.

“…Dang it! That’s just too sweet!” Silver said, unable to protest her worries any further.

“Yes!” he cheered. “The Lord of All Things Sweet still has it.”

“Oh hush up, milord,” she countered, tittering. “Now let’s go and enjoy our time together.”

“Lead the way, milady,” Gallus replied, gesturing for her to do so.

For as worried and anxious as Silverstream had been for the past few days, all of her woes faded into the distance the moment they ventured forth.

Hundreds of paintings lined the walls of the gallery, all of which were crafted meticulously by the most passionate of souls. From gorgeous landscapes overflowing with an abundance of life, to beautiful portraits capturing the very essence of their subjects’ existences. Even the occasional, expertly sculpted statue stood on display among the various works of art.

“I think I’m going to need to take back what I said earlier,” Gallus soon admitted. “Art might just be one of my ‘things’ after all.”

I could kiss him so much right now! “Hee-hee! I’m happy you like this place too, Gallus!” she rejoiced. “Thanks again for convincing the others to come here.”

“As opposed to the alternative of not coming here?” Gallus asked slyly. “I am kinda surprised you didn’t even mention it though. Don’t tell me… You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” he hesitantly guessed.

“No, I… I haven’t,” she timidly replied. “I’ve always wanted to come here though.”

“Then how come you didn’t suggest this place?” he politely inquired.

C’mon, Silver, be honest! “I didn’t know if you or the others would like it or not. And? I didn’t want to drag you guys here if you didn’t like it. Or make you feel like you needed to stay if you were bored,” she added, thinking back to the Cloud Stadium.

“You are too caring for your own good sometimes, you know that?” Gallus remarked joyfully.

Well, at least he didn’t get upset; that’s a plus, right? “Oh hush!” she retorted, grinning. “C’mon! Next up is the photography exhibit!” Silver sang, bounding forward in a flash.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Gallus laughed, hurrying after her.

The trees of White Tail Woods swayed in a serene spring breeze, and the shores of Silver Shoals sparkled in the shimmering sunset. The valley of Hollow Shades hid beneath an everlasting shadowy sky, and the fiery crags of the Dragon Lands erupted to the pleasure of the surrounding inhabitants. And even these examples weren’t half of what the photography exhibit had to offer.

So many tiny, beautiful moments had been captured for eternity and laid to rest along the walls of the room, and in the center of it all hung the images of two graceful alicorns, each guiding their own heavenly treasure across the firmament.

“It’s nice to know that even if the Princesses are retired, they’re still remembered, don’t you think, Gallus?” she said, smiling warmly.

“…Yeah…”

Alarm bells blared in Silver’s mind at the unfocused tone of his reply, so she immediately turned around only to see that she had lost him.

“Gallus?” she called out as calmly as she could. “Where’d you go?”

“Other side of the wall over here,” he answered, still sounding off.

She followed his voice and came to stand beside him, following his gaze and realizing with a fresh wave of horror what was wrong.

The photo Gallus was staring at depicted three petrified monsters standing in a garden.

Every single paranoid thought flooded back into her mind, yet she made neither a sound nor a motion despite her terror. All she could do was stand there, staring at them alongside her friend.

After some time, Gallus broke the tension by saying, “Looks like Smolder lost the bet.”

“W-What?” she mumbled, barely keeping her voice steady.

“They’re positions are changed,” he commented casually. “Chrysalis was mid-lunge when she was petrified, but now she’s crouching low as if she were getting ready to pounce.”

“Oh, right. I guess Princess Twilight really is holding out hope for them,” Silver whispered. I don’t know why she’s even bothering, she thought to herself.

“Yeah, guess so,” Gallus agreed. “…Cozy changed spots too. I’m pretty sure she made sure to be above the other two, but now she’s at the statue’s base. Right at the bottom,” he shot venomously.

He’s upset! I knew this would happen! Oh no! How do I help him stop being upset!? What do I do; what do I do!? Silver panicked. Gulping, she opted to mutter, “Yep. Right at the bottom…”

Gallus took a deep breath and asked more calmly, “When do you think this was taken?”

“Ummm,” Silver hummed, glancing the photo’s description. “Uh, a little over a month ago, according to this,” she answered. “Looks like it was a week or two after Friends and… Family… Day…” Silver practically whimpered. Ohhh nooo…

A moment of silence passed between the two before Gallus inquired, “What do you think?”

“Um, about what?”

“Do you think Twilight can reform them?”

“I don’t know,” Silver responded, blinking in surprise. “Why would she?”

“I don’t know,” he echoed uncertainly. “I mean, this is Twilight Sparkle we’re talking about; she will if she can, but… Do you think she even can in the first place?”

The image of her and her friends being trapped in a bubble of magic and slowly lowered into a cold, dark void replayed in her mind. “No,” she answered honestly, shivering at the memory.

Gallus only followed up with a quiet, “Hmm.”

…

“I know I probably shouldn’t,” he started hesitantly. “But I kinda feel bad for them.”

“You feel bad for them!?” she snapped, flinching at her own tone.

“Well, not bad for what happened to them,” Gallus swiftly elaborated. “They deserved what they got; I won’t even try to pretend that they didn’t.”

“Then why do you feel bad for them?”

“I…” Gallus paused to think for a moment. “I just wonder what would have happened if they had never met. They could have had everything they ever wanted if they had just… Found better friends,” he explained, sighing.

“How do you figure that?” she asked, trying not to let her cynicism leak into her voice again.

“Well, Tirek wouldn’t have even been locked in Tartarus to begin with if he had just gone back home with his brother,” Gallus began. “If Chrysalis had accepted Headmare Starlight’s offer, she would have had all the love she could hope for and would probably be able to rule over her subjects again. And if Cozy hadn’t seen either of them as parent… As role models,” he corrected himself. “She might not have thought of ‘friendship’ as ‘power’ or whatever it was she considered it to be.”

“They could have had everything. A home, love; family… It all could have been theirs, if they just had better friends,” he concluded, staring at her appreciatively.

…

“Maybe,” Silver eventually said. “But I… I don’t think that would be the case. All three of them were power-hungry psychos. They could have tried being better; they could have tried to learn friendship and compassion! But they didn’t,” she sneered. “They double-downed on their own hatred and cruelty. Maybe they could have been better, but I don’t think they wanted to be…”

“I guess that’s a ‘no’ to my question, huh?”

Silver winced, admitting, “Sorry, Gallus. But I don’t think Twilight can help them. Honestly, I’m not even sure they deserve the chance to be forgiven even if they could reform,” she added, surprised at her own anger.

“Eh, everyone deserves at least one creature willing to give them a chance. Even at the very end,” he stated nonchalantly. “Still, you’re probably right. Considering how much Ocellus avoids the topic, Chrysalis definitely wouldn’t be an easy fix.”

“Yeah, definitely not.”

“But you know what?” he began after some time. “I bet we could reform them if we tried!”

Silver snorted, asking, “Really? You think we could help make Cozy Glow realize murder is wrong?”

“Mmm? Yeah,” Gallus answered, nodding. “Think about it, Silver! We’re the next generation of the Elements of Harmony, and we’ve got the respect and support of the Tree of Harmony! At this point, we could probably do anything, and we’d succeed brilliantly!” he boasted.

“I wish I had your confidence. But when I look at them? All I can see is… All I can see is…” Silver sighed and concluded, “Nevermind.”

“Hey,” he said softly. “It’s okay. What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing!” she claimed. Seeing he clearly didn’t buy it, she quietly confessed, “I just can’t look at them without seeing…him.”

“…Oh.”

“Y-Yeah,” she mumbled, turning away from the painting.

A moment later, Gallus silently wrapped her in his wing, pulling her into a gentle embrace. She placed her own wings around him too, trying not to dwell on the rest of her memories.

For a long while, they stood in that position until Silver sighed and pulled away, whimpering, “Sorry, Gallus. I… Ughhh,” she groaned, looking down. “I just… Sorry.”

He gently raised her chin back up and said, “You don’t need to be sorry, Silver. It’s okay. Don’t forget that he’s gone too! You never have to be afraid of any of them ever again,” Gallus promised happily.

She smiled weakly and said, “I know. It’s just hard to remember that sometimes.”

“Yeah, I hear that. It does get easier with time though.”

Or worse. “Yeah. I guess so.”

“Although?” he began, smirking suspiciously. “If we did try to reform those guys, we would totally succeed!” Gallus promised, pulling out a pocket mirror and turning it toward her. “I mean, how can anyone resist this beautiful face?”

“What the— Gallus!” Silverstream yelped, blushing again. “Where did you even get that!?”

“I bought it when we went shopping,” he answered.

“W-Why?” she asked, grinning abashedly.

“Well, the original plan was to open it behind your back and then ask, ‘Hey, Silver! Check this work of beauty out!’ and then you would turn around. But, I figured doing it this way worked too.”

Silver laughed for a good while. “Oh, Gallus,” she soon said. “You didn’t need to go to all that trouble.”

“What trouble? The only hard part was buying the mirror, and that was just because I didn’t know where the beauty store was in the mall. After that, all I had to do was say a fact.”

“That I have a beautiful face?”

“What? Is that too specific? Should I have just said, ‘You’re beautiful’ and left it at that?” he asked, grinning. “Either one would work of course. You are beautiful, and you have a beautiful face.”

“How did you somehow turn the same compliment into two?” she asked, giggling again.

“Because, Silverstream, no matter how many compliments you receive, you will always deserve twice as many,” he stated matter-of-factly.

If not for Silver’s paranoia that it would screw everything up, she would have definitely kissed him for that one. That didn’t stop her from grabbing him in another hug though.

“You are just the sweetest thing ever, you know that!?” she sang jubilantly.

“Yeah, well. I am the Lord of All of Things Sweet for a reason,” he said, leaning into the hug.

…

“Hey, lovebirds!” called out the newly approached and completely unwelcome Vellum Codex. “We need to go! Scoop was an idiot and… What are you two doing?”

“Having a moment,” they both deadpanned simultaneously.

“What do you want, Vellum?” Gallus then asked as politely as he could.

To ruin everything? Silver suspected.

“Well, um, sorry to interrupt the moment,” he apologized genuinely. “But, uh, Scoop decided it would be a fun idea to touch the paintings, and well? Long story short: We’re getting kicked out.”

It really was only a matter of time before something screwed everything up again, wasn’t it?

“Of course she did,” Gallus groaned, sighing in exasperation. “Sorry, Silver.”

“Eh, it’s okay,” she deflected. “We probably should get going anyway.”

“Yes. The guards certainly want us to do that, so let’s do that,” Vellum emphasized.

A few minutes later…

“Sorry, everycreature,” Scoop apologized, hanging her head.

Everycreature merely stared at her with various degrees of irritation.

“You’re sorry for?” Vellum inquired.

“I’m sorry for touching the paintings and getting us all kicked out,” she continued, wincing.

“Are you!?” Shimmy demanded angrily.

“Yes!”

“Yona wonders if Yona should not believe friend,” she muttered sarcastically.

“I really mean it, guys! I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay, Scoop,” Patty comforted. “We know you didn’t mean to get us all kicked out. And banned. From one of the coolest places in Canterlot. For life,” she finished bitterly.

“Seriously, Scoop! What even possessed you to touch one of the paintings!?” Vellum shouted. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you would have been in had the guards not been lenient!?”

“Oh, like a criminal record matters that much in Equestria!”

“It certainly effects your career in the acting world!”

“Oh really?” Scoop asked disbelievingly.

“It at least matters until after you’ve secured yourself as one of the ‘best-of-the-best’!” Vellum clarified. “Tell me, Scoop! Are you one of the ‘best-of-the-best’ yet?”

“…No.”

“Exactly!”

“Okay, guys,” Gallus began neutrally. “We can all agree that Scoop made a mistake.”

“I’m not sure that word is strong enough to describe the sheer stupidity of her action.”

“Shut up, Vellum!”

“Both of you, stop!” Gallus interrupted. “Look, Scoop? I don’t know what you were thinking—if you even were thinking—but it’s okay. I forgive you. I’m mad at you! But I forgive you.”

“Thanks,” she murmured.

“Don’t thank me. You shouldn’t be thanking me! You shouldn’t need to be thanking me because you shouldn’t have needed to be forgiven in the first place!” he scolded.

She flinched.

“But… It’s over with; we didn’t get arrested; and we didn’t get charged a mountain of Bits for messing with a near-priceless painting. Can we all move on and agree to not tell Rarity about this?”

Everyone nodded.

“Well, now that we’ve got all of that out of the way,” Vellum began. “It’s getting late. Do any of you want to do anything else, or can we finally go back to the Palace and rest for tomorrow night?”

“If it’s alright with you guys, I kinda want to go to bed. I’m tired,” End Zone said, yawning.

“Honestly? I am too,” Patty admitted. “Plus, Vellum’s probably going to get us all up at the crack of dawn to squeeze in twenty more rehearsals.”

“Well… Not quite that early, but…” Vellum mumbled.

“Yeah, yeah,” Shimmy grumbled. “The point is we’ve got a long day ahead of us! But you know what!? We’ve totally got everything down!” she shouted enthusiastically. “We are all going to get on that stage, perform the hay out of The Epoch of Majesty Serendipity Daydream, and become world-famous actors! Whooo’s with me!?” she sang, holding out her hoof.

“Oh Celestia!” Vellum whispered fearfully. “‘World-famous’!? Oh, I can only hope to dream! But you know what, Shimmy? I’m with you,” he said, placing his hoof on hers.

“I doubt I could ever be an actor like you, Vellum, but I did not memorize over a thousand lines to flop the moment I get on that stage!” Zone declared, joining the hoof-stack.

“We are totally going to rock this play!” Patty shouted, following the others’ example.

“No way am I going to leave you guys hanging,” Scoop said meekly. “I can’t imagine what Vellum would do to you guys if I did,” she added, smirking at the annoyed stallion.

“Yona do best Yona can too! All friends will!”

“Yeah,” Silver agreed quietly. “We’ve got this!” she said as confidently as she could.

For a moment, Gallus hesitated to join the hoof-pile; however, he soon smirked and declared, “Yeah, we’re awesome! And everycreature is going to know it too! Even him…” he whispered to himself.

“Alright, everycreature!” Shimmy said, channeling her cheer-leader voice. “‘Drama Club’! In three! Two! One!”

“Drama Club!” everyone shouted, raising their hooves or talons into the air. Afterward, they all laughed and started their journey toward the Palace.

Silver was the first to stop laughing, and she quickly found herself at the back of the group, unable to share in the excitement of everyone else.

C’mon, Silver! You’ve got this! So do they! So does Gallus! Everything is going to be fine! Everything! Is going to be! Fine! she told herself.

…

But what if they suffer from stage fright!? What if I do!? What if Gallus does!? What if he sees that crowd and starts having an anxiety attack or something!? He has claustrophobia, so what if it triggers when he sees how big the audience will be!? What if it does happen, and he loses all of the progress he’s made!? What if he starts talking to himself again!? What if—

Said griffon slowed down to match her pace and gently asked, “Silverstream? Are you okay?”

“Huh!?” she squawked, snapping out of her panic. “Uh, y-yeah, I’m totally fine, Gallus.”

He didn’t buy that—she didn’t even buy that!—but he at least pretended to for her sake, saying, “Okay. I just wanted to make sure since Scoop, uh, you know. Speaking of which, I’m sorry about the gallery trip ending as abruptly as it did.”

“Gallus, you don’t need to be sorry; I’m fine!” Come on, Silver, be honest! “Are you going to be okay with the play!?” she blurted out.

“Yeah?” he answered, not understanding her sudden intensity. “I’ve got my lines memorized and my character studied. I’ll be fine.”

A hundred more questions and worries swam through Silver’s mind, but she dared not utter a single one of them lest she bring them to fruition.

“Okay,” was all she allowed herself to utter.

Gallus stared at her for a moment before blinking, coming to a sudden realization. “Are you okay with the play, Silver?” he asked softly.

“Of course I am!” she answered a little too loudly. “I’m perfectly fine, Gallus; you know me! Optimism and cheeriness for the win!” Silver ended jokingly.

Thank goodness Terramar didn’t hear that; otherwise, he’d never let me live it down.

“Alright, I believe you. And I’m glad you’re doing fine.”

Thank goodness for that too! Silver rejoiced as she said, “Thanks, I’m happy to be fine.”

…

“Silver?” he soon said, freezing her in her place.

No, no, no, no, no! “Yes…?” she asked hesitantly.

“If something is troubling you, and for whatever reason you can’t tell me… Tell someone about it, please?” he calmly pleaded. “The others, our teachers… Just tell someone. Okay?”

“Of— Of course!” Silverstream responded, voice cracking. “But I don’t need to do that because I am fine; I’m not troubled at all! Promise!”

“…And I still believe you. I just want you to be okay too, you know.”

And I want you to be okay, but that’s never going to happen, is it? Nothing will be okay, she thought hopelessly. “How are you so good at being so sweet?” she asked as normally as she could.

“Because you deserve the very sweetest,” Gallus answered playfully.

The two shared a small laugh.

“I really am okay, Silverstream,” he eventually whispered, reading her thoughts.

“…I know,” she replied weakly.

Wordlessly, the two quickly caught up with the rest of the group.

***

“Well, it certainly sounds like you had a fun day,” Starlight said after Silverstream had finished. “I’m sorry about the last part though; Scoop should have known better,” she ended, grimacing.

“You’re not gonna punish her are you?” Silver asked fearfully.

“Oh, I’m going to talk to her about it, but I’ll wait until after we get back. And don’t worry, I won’t tell her you were the one who told me,” she comfortingly assured.

Silver winced, looking away.

“Sooo,” Starlight soon began again. “It really does seem like you had a pretty good day! So did Gallus from what you told me. … Did something else happen after the gallery?” she asked warily.

“N-No,” Silver admitted, shaking her head. “We just came back here, talked with Professor Rarity one more time, and went right to bed. I just couldn’t sleep, so…”

“Ah.”

“So, what do I do?” she asked desperately.

Hiding an uncomfortable shiver, Starlight asked, “About what?”

“About Gallus! What do I do!? How do I help him!?”

“Help him with what?” Starlight inquired, hoping her first thought was wrong.

“What do you mean by that!?” Silver demanded. “You know what he needs help with! Unless… Oh no, has he been avoiding you!?” she asked hysterically. “No-no-no! I thought he actually was seeing you, but if he’s not…! Oh no! Oh no! Oh—”

“Silver!” Starlight shouted, regaining the panicking hippogriff’s attention. “Calm down! He has been visiting me. Almost every day, in fact.”

“He has?”

“Yes!” she affirmed, shocked by her student’s outburst.

Silver hung her head, sighing in relief. After a moment, she looked back up and asked, “Then what do I do? He’s still upset, so… How do I help him be better?”

“Silverstream,” Starlight began, her voice gentle. “He is doing better.”

“No, he’s not!”

“Was he not doing better today? Because it certainly sounded like he was.”

“Yeah, well… What— What about the part where he was bored at the Cloud Stadium?”

“Yona said he was just bored,” she bluntly reminded her. “Most creatures prefer watching a game rather than sitting through a practice, you know.”

“But— But— What about when he was yelling at his bag when Professor Rarity told us we’d be performing in Canterlot!?” she questioned, terrified.

“He said, ‘Two hundred and Nineteen,’ right? Well, Cadence numbered all of her letters, and he was carrying a lot of them at the time. He was likely looking for that one and just talking aloud,” she explained logically.

“Well, but— What— I— But what about in the photography exhibit!? What about when he looked at that photo of them and— And— And felt sorry for them!?” she snarled angrily. “Gallus would never feel sorry for them! Wh-What if Cozy really is messing with him and is trying to make him feel sorry enough to release her, so she can—”

“Silver!” Starlight yelled, cutting off Silver’s panicked rambling yet again. “It’s okay. Cozy is not messing with Gallus. I checked over her room, and Twilight checked with her personally.”

“And… She’s not?”

“She certainly tried pretending she was, but Twilight saw through it. And no. The little brat isn’t messing with him. He’s okay.”

“I… S-Sorry,” Silver whimpered, ashamed of her paranoia.

“It’s okay, Silver; I’m not angry or anything,” she assured, double-checking the air above her horn. “I’m just… Surprised. Gallus said you were scared, but…”

“Of course I’m scared!” she screamed. “Gallus may be fine now, but— But what if something happens, and he stops being fine! What if something happens at the play!? What if something happens when we get back home!? What if he goes back to lying again!? What if— What if—”

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” Starlight rapidly called, hurrying over to her. “Silver, calm down!”

“But—”

“Calm… Down…” she soothed, placing a hoof on Silver’s shoulder. “It’s okay; just breathe. Just… Breathe…” Starlight commanded slowly.

Silver did as instructed, calming down slightly with every deep breath.

“I’m…” she said after some time. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I… I just…”

“It’s okay, Silver,” Starlight assuaged, sitting beside her. “It’s okay…”

“No! It’s not okay! Nothing is okay! Nothing is ever going to be okay!” Silver stated tearfully.

Starlight blinked in shock before softly asking, “Why do you think nothing is going to be okay?”

“I… I don’t know! I don’t know, but… I know it’s not!” Silver protested grimly. “Something is going to happen! Something is going to happen, and everything is going to be ruined, and— And—”

“Easy, Silver, just breathe,” she repeated cautiously. “It’s okay to talk to me.”

“I know that, it’s just— I’m— He’s— I—” Silver sputtered wildly. She took a shaky breath and admitted, “I’m scared, Headmare! I’m so scared!”

“I understand. And it’s okay to be—”

“No, it’s not!” she interrupted. “It’s not okay that I’m scared because I shouldn’t have needed to be scared in the first place! Gallus should have been perfectly fine and happy, but he wasn’t! And he still isn’t! And if he’s okay now, how long is that going to last before he stops being fine again!?”

Silverstream suddenly flung herself around Starlight, clinging to her like a lifeline. Starlight didn’t hesitate to hug her back.

“Headmare Starlight, what— W-What do I do!? I don’t know what to do! Please tell me what to do; how do I help him!? Please just tell me how to help him!”

“It’s okay, Silver,” Starlight repeated again. “Just let it all out,” she said, fearing just how long Silver had been keeping this bottled up.

“I— I just— I want him to be better, but I don’t know if he is! And— And if he is!? How long is it going to be before something ruins it!? How long is it going to be before— Before—”

“Shh,” Starlight whispered. “It’s okay, Silver; it’s okay. Just let it all out…”

“I— I don’t know what to do!” she continued. “I don’t know how to help him; I don’t know even what is wrong with him! I don’t know what to do to help! And I can’t figure it out either since some…” Silver struggled for a second to find the right words before blurting out, “Since some inconsiderate jerk rented out half of the library’s Psychology section!”

“Wait, what? That’s news to me,” Starlight slowly said, immediately planning to ask Discord about that the instant they got back home.

“Yeah, and they didn’t leave their name in the registry, so I can’t even ask to borrow them,” Silver grumbled. “It’s like the world doesn’t want me to know how to help Gallus!” she lamented tearfully. “It’s like the world wants him to suffer…! I-Is that why everything keeps getting worse?”

“Silverstream, the ‘world’ isn’t out to make Gallus suffer.”

“Well, it certainly seems like it!” Silver protested. “How else do you explain how every time I’ve tried to help him, he just slips back into his worries all over again!?” she asked, panting heavily.

Starlight blinked.

“I tried to help him on Friends and Family Day, but he went right back to running away from everyone! I told our friends what happened, and Smolder decided she wanted to be jerk to Gallus for no reason! I asked him to join Drama Club because I thought he’d like it, and Discord showed up to screw with him! I had fun with him at the gallery, and that got ruined by a stupid photo of a bunch of monsters and Scoop being an idiot!” she ended, furious.

A box of tissues slowly floated in front of her, and Silver went for the offering with gusto.

“I— I’m so worried about him, Headmare Starlight,” she mumbled, sniffling. “Every time I close my eyes, or see him, or even look at my own bed, I… I just see him! Sitting on Cozy’s bed and talking to himself, or running away from me on the field, or trying so hard to say he didn’t deserve our friendship…” she said, shivering at the nightmarish memory.

Starlight was silent.

“And that…! That’s not Gallus,” Silver whimpered. “Gallus is cool, calm, and collected… He’s kind, sweet, and so, so caring!” she praised before frowning again. “But… I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I don’t know if he’s really okay, and I’m so scared he’s not! I just want him to be okay, but I know—I! Know!—something will happen, and… And he won’t be okay anymore…”

For several minutes, they sat in silence as Silver tried once more to regain control of her breathing, and Starlight comfortingly patted her student’s back, contemplating her next words.

Eventually, Starlight took a breath of her own and said, “I’m sorry, Silverstream. I didn’t expect that you would be suffering these same fears, like Gallus or Smo—”

“So Gallus is still afraid!?” Silverstream fearfully shouted.

“…He’s afraid of making you and the others worry,” she reluctantly admitted. “But! And this is the important part,” she emphasized before Silver resumed panicking. “Despite this, he is okay.”

“But—”

Starlight gave her a look that quickly silenced her. “Silver? Just how long have you been holding all of these fears in?” she asked, dreading the answer.

“…Since after Friends and Family Day.”

Starlight sat there for a moment, looking at her student in abject horror. She then took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry, Silverstream.”

“For what?”

“For not realizing how afraid you really were,” she answered. “Gallus said that you were worried about him, but I didn’t know you were this afraid. I should have known, and if I had, I would have already talked to you about this. So, I’m sorry for not realizing sooner.”

“But— But you don’t need to apologize!”

“Well, I’m going to do it anyway. I’m sorry, Silver. I’m sorry that you’ve been so afraid for so long without anyone—especially myself or the other girls—talking to you about it.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Silver said, flinching. “I know I shouldn’t be afraid; I know I’m always the optimistic one, but… I can’t be optimistic about this! I… I can’t,” she sighed glumly.

“It’s okay that you’re afraid, Silverstream,” Starlight soothed. “You don’t need to feel ashamed to be worried about your friend.”

“But Yona said I shouldn’t be so afraid.”

“And she’s right. It’s perfectly okay to be afraid and worried, but it’s not okay to be as such to the point of paranoia,” Starlight elaborated.

Silver looked away.

“Silver? Your fear, worry, anger, and sadness? It’s okay that you feel those things, and it’s okay that you’re worried about Gallus,” she repeated once again.

“The problem,” she continued. “Is that you can’t let these feelings blind you to your other ones. Your worry and fear for Gallus cannot and should not prevent you from being happy and hopeful that he’s getting better. Because he is getting better, Silverstream,” Starlight added, raising Silver’s chin up. “You know he’s getting better. So does Yona. So do I. And so does Gallus himself.”

“…I know. But… I’m just scared that something will happen again, and he’ll… He’ll stop being better, and go back to being…” Silver couldn’t finish her thought.

“I understand,” Starlight assured kindly. “And it’s okay that you’re worried about him; I’m not judging you for being so. But you have to remember that he is okay! If you spend all your time being afraid that he won’t be fine in the future, you won’t be able to appreciate the time you spend with him in the present. Trust me. I have some experience with that…”

“But what if I need to be worried about the future!? What if I don’t, and because I don’t, I fail to prevent whatever bad thing is going to happen to mess with Gallus again, and he—”

“Silver?” Starlight interrupted. “I’m going to stop you right there. Now take a second to think about what you were saying and then think about just how far you had to reach for that justification.”

“I… I…” Silver blinked, realizing the truth behind her Headmare’s words. “But— But can’t I be a little worried!? I don’t want to see Gallus hurting again!”

“It’s okay that you’re worried, Silver,” Starlight echoed. “But it’s not okay to be so worried about him that you hurt yourself in the process. It’s not okay to be so afraid that you can’t trust that he is doing better even if he tells you so himself. And it’s definitely not okay to be so pessimistic that everything will inevitably be ruined that you fail to appreciate everything when it’s fine.”

“But… But I’m not pessimistic!” Silver argued, not even convincing herself.

“Maybe ‘pessimistic’ is too strong a word,” Starlight conceded. “But you’re certainly paranoid.”

Silverstream didn’t even try to dissuade that notion.

After some time, she finally admitted, “I want to be scared. Maybe I shouldn’t be, but… If I’m not scared for Gallus then… What will happen if I’m not? What if I’m not there for him when he needs to be! The others weren’t there when it mattered, and look what happened!”

“Do you not trust your other friends to be there for him?” Starlight asked, raising an eyebrow.

“N-No! Maybe? Do I?” she asked herself. “I think I trust them. I know Yona would be there for him at least, and Ocellus too. … Would Sandbar notice? I don’t know; he was barely even upset when he first found out. And then there’s Smolder,” she snarled furiously. “I’m not even sure she would help him even if he were having another breakdown! In fact! I bet she’d just yell at him and tell him he shouldn’t be—” Silver threw a talon against her beak in revulsion. W-Where did that come from!?

…

“Silverstream?” Starlight began, drawing Silver out of her horrified thoughts. “I’ve said it a lot tonight, but I’ll say it one more time: It is perfectly okay to be worried about your friend. But you have to remain optimistic in spite of that worry. Because otherwise, your fear for his well-being, will overshadow your love, trust, and hope for him.”

“But I do feel those things for him!” Silver protested.

“Then why don’t you believe he’s okay?”

“No, I do! I mean— I think I do; I mean— I— I— I want to believe he’s okay, but what if he stops being okay!? How do I help him; what do I do!?” Silver desperately asked once again.

“Be there for him,” Starlight answered simply.

“But what if that’s not enough!?”

“Then what would be enough?”

“I— I— I don’t know…” she answered, trying to dry her tears.

“Silver, Gallus is doing better. A lot better,” Starlight emphasized after some time. “Do you know why? It’s because of you. You, Ocellus, Yona, Sandbar, and yes, Smolder too. He’s doing better because he knows you are all there for him,” she explained, smiling.

“But you said he was still afraid!”

“Yes, I did. He still has a long way to go before he’s perfectly fine again, but for now? He’s doing far better than he was.”

“‘I am still healing; I fully admit that. But I am doing better; I promise that too,’” Silverstream remembered Gallus saying to her.

Silver hugged Starlight again.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much…”

“I should be saying that to you,” Starlight joked, hugging her student back.

They eventually broke apart, leaving Silver to blow into her tissues and finally start breathing normally again.

“Headmare Starlight?” Silver started. “If he is doing better, how do I help him stay that way?”

“Be there for him,” she said again. “Trust him when he says he’s okay, and be there for him when he’s not. He’s not perfect, but none of us are. So, all you can do is, well? You get the point.”

Silver snorted. “So basically, be his friend?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Starlight admitted, grinning awkwardly. “There’s only so many ways to say it without being deliberately verbose,” she added, shrugging.

“Heh-heh-heh!”

…

“Silverstream?”

“Yes, Headmare Starlight?”

“I want you to promise me something, okay?”

“Um, okay?” she agreed uncertainly.

“Your feelings are just as important as his, Silver,” Starlight stated factually. “It’s okay that you’re worried and want to help him, but it’s just as important that you don’t do so at the cost of yourself. So, please. Promise you’ll never think your own thoughts and feelings matter less than even his. That’s not healthy. And he would not want you to do that.”

“Okay? Um, I don’t think I was doing that though, but—”

“Tell me again why you didn’t suggest the art gallery when you absolutely wanted to go?” Starlight requested, frowning.

“I didn’t want Gallus to go just because of me, and I… Ohhh,” she groaned quietly.

“Exactly. Please, Silver. Even if you don’t want him to be worried about you, please talk to him. He’ll understand if you’re worried about him just as much as you’ll understand if he’s worried about you being worried about him. … Well, that was a mouthful,” Starlight muttered to herself.

“Heh-heh. Magic Lesson One Hundred and Forty-five. I really liked that class,” Silverstream said happily. Maaaybe I should review my notes on that lesson, she considered as Starlight chuckled. She then took another deep breath and let it out, smiling. “You’re right, Headmare Starlight.”

“About?”

“About me. I do need to be more optimistic,” Silver said more to herself than to Starlight. “Even… Even if something bad does happen, I’ll still be there for Gallus. The others will too,” she added, trying not to think of Smolder. “It’s like Yona said: If I weren’t afraid, I couldn’t be brave. So… As hard as it is, I have to be brave in spite of that fear! Right?” she asked tentatively.

“That’s a pretty neat way to look at things, Silverstream.”

“Yeah! Yeah…! Yeah…” she sighed. “I just hope I can be brave…”

“I know you can, Silver,” Starlight said encouragingly.

Silver smiled weakly, muttering, “Thank you, Headmare Starlight.”

“No need to thank me, Silver. I’m just happy I could help, even if only a little.”

“Sorry for dumping all of my problems on you,” Silver apologized, rubbing the back of her head anxiously. “I know you didn’t exactly, er, enjoy that the last time I talked to you…”

“Okay, first of all, that’s because you were asking me how to describe a shower to someone when you could simply compare it to rain,” Starlight retorted indignantly.

Silverstream blinked.

“And secondly, these aren’t ‘problems.’ These are ‘fears.’ And it’s okay that you have them. So don’t be sorry for having them, and don’t be sorry for talking to someone about them,” Starlight sternly ordered. “Least of all me. I am the Guidance Counselor after all,” she added, winking.

“Hee-hee. Then I thank you for letting me talk to you about them.”

“I would never do otherwise.”

Silver sighed in relief. After another minute, she groaned warily. “Ohhh, how am I going to talk to Gallus about this?”

“Honestly?”

“Ha! Thanks, Professor Applejack,” Silver joked.

Starlight doubled-over in laughter. “Oh geez! You two really are made for each other,” she whispered, shaking her head in exasperation.

“Huh?” Silver asked in confusion.

“Just… I hope you and he have so much fun together,” Starlight encouraged teasingly.

“You don’t have to hope, Headmare! We are going to have fun together!” Silver sang happily.

“Hee-hee,” Starlight laughed again, happy to see Silver’s energy returning. “Yeah. … I can’t wait to see you two tomorrow night.”

Silver’s eyes bulged, and she quietly cursed, “Oh sea kelp!”

“Language.”

Silver froze for a second before muttering, “How did you…?”

“I know ‘em all,” she answered smugly.

“Okay, I get the feeling you’re referencing something, but… Eh, whatever. Is… Is it okay if I wait to talk to Gallus until after the play?” she asked hesitantly.

“Do you think it can wait?” Starlight inquired neutrally.

“…Maybe it shouldn’t, but I don’t want to worry him before the play. So, I think I will talk to him after everything is done. Is that okay?”

“When you talk to him is ultimately your decision, Silver. I’m not going to force you do it if you don’t want to. But I will say that you should tell him sooner rather than later,” she warned wisely.

“I understand,” Silver said, nodding. “Thank you again, Headmare Starlight.”

“And you’re welcome again, Silverstream.”

…

“Well, I… I feel a lot better, and at least now I have an idea as to what I should do,” Silver said, rising from the bed. “Thank you again for both the cocoa and for talking to me, but, uh, is it okay if I go? I need to get some sleep before, well? Before Vellum gets us up in about five hours and drags us down to the theater to practice. Again.”

“Yeah, do me a favor and remind him I still want to see him when we get back, would ya?” Starlight requested, getting to her hooves and opening the door for Silver.

“I will,” she promised, moving to the door. She then paused before exiting the room and mumbled, “Headmare Starlight?”

“Yes, Silver?”

“…Why is Smolder angry at Gallus?”

Starlight hesitated for a moment before looking away and saying, “That’s something I don’t think she’s ready to tell you or him yet. And I… I don’t feel comfortable answering that without her permission,” she admitted, frowning sorrowfully. “I’m sorry, Silver.”

“Oh. That’s okay. Thank you again, Headmare Starlight,” she said, bounding forward.

“Silver?”

“Yes?” she asked, stopping halfway down the hallway.

“Are you going to be okay?” Starlight asked worriedly.

“I will be,” Silverstream answered serenely. “Goodnight!”

“Goodnight,” she said, waving. Once her student departed out of sight, Starlight heaved in relief. “I swear…! I really hope I’m doing this right.”

Author's Note

So, this is a bit of a weird one. When I talked about what writing A Day for Family was like, I mentioned how I was disappointed in how little "screentime" Silver ended up getting. That being said, you can probably guess why this chapter is the way it is. :derpytongue2:

At first, I was a little nervous about this one focusing solely on Silverstream's perspective, but I wanted Silver to have her own chapter all to herself, and I stuck to that. Hopefully, I did it well enough that no one minds the temporary departure from our lovable blue griffon.

That being said however, Silverstream will have a few scenes focus on her perspective going forward. They'll be brief as Gallus is still technically the main character, but no way am I letting Silver be left in the dust this time. I'm not entirely sure if she'll have another chapter all to herself though. :rainbowdetermined2:

Side note: I want to offer my thanks to Matthais Unidostres for inspiring that portrait scene by suggesting Cozy get reformed in this story. I'd also like to offer my apologies because that's not going to happen. This story is about Gallus not them.

Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. Next one will arrive- you guessed it - on the 20th-23rd of August(At this point, I should just confirm that be the default date for all future chapters until I finish the story... :ajbemused: )
As always, any thoughts and criticisms are welcome and appreciated!

NEXT TIME: We're back to Gallus as he goes upon a valiant quest across Ponyville in search of good places to take his beloved for their anticipated second date!
Also, Sandbar's there.

Chapter Five: Normality

The sun shone through the windows of the Friendship Express as the train shot across the countryside, transporting a certain group of creatures back to their home of Ponyville.

“I just want to once again congratulate all of you, darlings,” Rarity said blissfully. “Last night was an absolute success; you were all phenomenal!”

“Awww, thank you, Professor,” Scoop said, blushing. “I’m glad we did our best.”

“And I’m glad the whole thing didn’t turn into a complete disaster,” Vellum moaned, fanning himself with his hoof. “I thought for sure something was going to happen…”

“Like what?” Peppermint Goldylinks asked, looking up from her book.

“Well, we did lock Discord up in a chest…”

Starlight quickly turned to face him. “Oh-ho! Don’t worry, Vellum. Discord won’t be messing with any of you for a long time,” she said, grinning heinously.

Vellum blinked and protested, “Even if that were the case, there was still quite a lot that could have gone wrong! One of us could have suffered stage fright, the stage crew could have messed up the lighting; Zone could have botched a line…” he suggested worriedly.

“Hey!” yelped the affronted stallion.

“Let it go, Zone,” Shimmy Shake soothed, placing her hoof on his shoulder.

“Yeah, but… I shouldn’t,” he argued. “C’mon, Vellum, I worked hard to learn my lines!”

“And you performed them spectacularly, darling,” Rarity assured comfortingly. “All of you did. I am very, very proud of each and every one of you.”

“I am too,” Starlight weighed in. “Sorry again about the whole thing being thrown upon you so suddenly, but you all did fantastic regardless. I know I wouldn’t have done half as good a job as you all did,” she ended bashfully.

“Nonsense, darling, I’m sure you’d do just as well on a stage yourself.”

“Oh please! Don’t be silly, Rarity, I wouldn’t… Actually… Hmm?” she hummed to herself.

“I think we’ve got another newbie, Vellum,” Scoop sang.

“Well, it would certainly be an interesting club meeting if we were to criticize our Headmare.”

“One thing’s for sure though,” Gallus spoke up from the back. “You would not be able to go through that ‘spiel’ of yours.”

Everyone but Starlight laughed.

“What? What ‘spiel’ is Gallus talking about?” she asked Rarity.

“Yeah! What ‘spiel’ is Gallus talking about, Vel?” Scoop repeated slyly.

Vellum tried to melt into the train seats.

“No need to worry, Headmare!” Yona declared on Vellum’s behalf. “Yona sure Vellum stopped doing ‘spiel’ long time ago. Right, Vellum?”

“You’ve all made your point; let’s move on!” the flushed stallion exclaimed.

“Okay, okay! Fine, we’ll stop,” Scoop assured, playfully nudging her friend. “C’mon, Vellum, why don’t you tell us all your thoughts and criticisms. I’m sure you’ve been dying to do so.”

“Well, there are a few things I am compelled to address, but first? Scoop? Did I manage to maintain satisfactory eye contact with my audience?”

“Yep. Congratulations, Vellum, you finally did it,” she mock-rejoiced.

“Phew,” he sighed. “That is so relieving to know. Anyway, onto my actual criticisms…”

“Hey, Gallus?” Silverstream whispered.

“Hmm? Yeah, Silver?” he asked, turning to her.

“Um… C-Can I talk to you?” she asked urgently. “In private?”

Gallus nodded uncertainly, standing up and retreating into the next car. Silver followed suite, pausing only to glance back at Starlight and receive a slight nod.

They walked through three more cars before finally coming across an empty one at the back half of the train. It was then that Silver closed the door and turned her attention to Gallus.

And then proceeded to say nothing.

“Sooo!” Gallus began after a few seconds of silence. “Good thing we were at the back of the train car, eh? I doubt Vellum would have been too happy with us ditching his rant.”

Silverstream seemed to snap out of a daze and nodded, tittering. “Yeah. And I don’t think I want to know the kind of teasing we’d get from the others if they noticed.”

“Eh-heh-heh-heh,” he laughed.

…

“I’m sorry, Gallus,” Silver suddenly said, looking away. “Well,” she continued before he could inquire. “I guess I’m not sorry sorry since Headmare Starlight said it was okay, but… I’m still sorry anyway because you asked that I try not to be. So, I guess I’m half-sorry? No. Wait. That doesn’t make any sense. Or does it? Does that make sense?” she asked bemusedly.

“…No,” he deadpanned. “Mostly because I don’t know what you’re talking about. … Is everything okay?” Gallus asked tentatively.

“I… Well, uh…” Silver inhaled sharply and admitted, “I don’t think so.” She then pulled out a small letter and asked, “Do you mind if I…?”

“Uh, no. No, I don’t mind. Go right ahead,” he stuttered nervously.

“Okay. ‘Dear, Gallus, as you can probably guess, I’m taking a leaf out of your—and by extension: Princess Cadence’s—book. Sorry about that,’” Silver read, wincing.

“Don’t be sorry,” Gallus hurriedly comforted. “I pulled the same thing on you, so there’s no way I’m going to judge you,” he said, smiling encouragingly.

Silver snorted slightly before beginning to read again. “‘Well, the reason I’m reading this to you is that I need to tell you something, but I wasn’t really ready to just ‘say’ it to you, you know?’”

“Again, I pulled the same thing. No problem,” he said, nodding for her to continue.

“Thank you,” she said, turning back to her letter. “‘So? The thing I wanted to say to you…? I wanted to say I’m sorry.’”

Gallus remained quiet, so she proceeded.

“‘Gallus…? I’m still worried about you,’” Silver shakily admitted. “‘I have been for weeks. I’ve been scared that you weren’t doing as well as you said you were and were lying just to make me and our friends feel less worried,’” she forced herself to say. “‘I know that you… That you don’t want me or the others to worry about you, and I know that you said you were doing better, but I couldn’t get it out of my head that you weren’t! And worse… I’ve been paranoid that even if you were genuinely doing better that something would happen and you’d be upset again!’”

She didn’t dare look at Gallus, not wanting to see just how destroyed she had made him.

“‘I know! I know!’” Silver added, beginning to tear up. “‘I know you don’t want me to be worried. That’s why I tried acting as normal as I could to hide it. I was afraid if you knew how worried I was that… That it’d hurt you. And I don’t want to hurt you, Gallus! I’m your friend, and I’m worried about you! I’m so worried about you, Gallus…’” she confessed weakly.

Gallus said nothing.

“‘But!’” she declared, wiping her tears away. “‘I talked to Headmare Starlight about this, and she said it’s okay I’m scared! B-But it’s not okay that I haven’t been telling you about this. Nor is it okay that I’ve been holding it all in…’”

“‘So,’” Silver continued. “‘I’m sorry, Gallus. I’m sorry I’m still worried, and I’m sorry I haven’t told you until now. But— But please, Gallus! Please don’t blame yourself, or hurt yourself, or anything else! I’m scared, but it’s not your fault! Please believe that! Please… Because I really am sorry,’” she quietly ended, hanging her head.

Silverstream expected everything from Gallus angrily breaking up with her due to her lack of trust in him, to questioning why she, the optimistic one, could ever be so terrified and paranoid.

In hindsight, she should have known he would just hug her. She quickly reciprocated.

“It’s okay, Silver,” he promised, enveloping her in his soft wings. “It’s okay.”

“But— But— But—” she stammered, sniffling again.

“It’s okay, Silver,” Gallus repeated. “I understand. I understand…”

Silver slowly buried her face into his neck, falling into a round of light sobs.

***

“…We sat like that for a while,” Gallus explained. “And eventually, we broke apart and just talked. She was still really worried, and it, uh, didn’t help when I apologized for scaring her.”

“Uh-oh,” Starlight muttered, gulping. “What happened when you did that?”

“She freaked out and thought I was trying to blame myself again,” he answered, haunted by the recollected image. “It took a minute, but she calmed down enough for me to clarify what I meant.”

“And just what did you mean?” she asked, trying not to let her own paranoia show through.

“That I was just sorry I scared her! That I… That even if I’ve made a lot of mistakes with how I handled everything, I’m done using my mistakes as a way to demean myself. That’s not what mistakes are for anyway. Mistakes are just… Really sucky learning opportunities,” he sneered, sipping at his water.

“Huh. That’s a pretty good way of looking at the concept,” Starlight admitted, relieved by his answer. “Did she believe you?”

“I don’t know. I hope so!” he stressed fretfully. “I think so; I just don’t know for sure. … Is it bad that I kinda want to ask you how to stop making her worried again?” Gallus asked hesitantly.

“That depends on whether or not you want to hear the answer again,” she replied, smirking.

“Be with her, let her know I am doing fine, give it time, and blah-blah-blah?” he guessed.

“Take away the ‘blah-blah-blah’ part, and you’re golden.”

The two snickered at the bad joke.

“But seriously, Headmare? I’m not saying that I’m doing something wrong, but… I’m doing okay! I know that!” he preemptively clarified. “But am I just not ‘showing’ it enough or something?”

“It’s not about ‘showing’ anyone that you’re healing. It’s about—”

“It’s about healing in general; I know, I know…” Gallus muttered in irritation.

“And I’m glad that you know.”

“Yeah… Well, at least Yona and Ocellus seem to believe I’m better,” he said thankfully. “But Silverstream… Smolder…” he murmured, slumping into the sofa. “I just want everything to go back to normal. I don’t want Silver to be afraid for me, and I don’t want Smolder to be angry at me.”

“So she still hasn’t talked to you, has she?” she asked, frowning worriedly.

“No.”

…

“Gallus, everything will go back to normal,” Starlight soon comforted. “You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I know,” he confirmed, grinning hopefully. “I wish it didn’t take so long though. Like, come on!” Gallus sarcastically whined. “Princess Luna got purged of Nightmare Moon in under a day, and compared to that, my problems should have been fixed in an hour.”

“Heh-heh. Funny how a few weeks ago, you were sitting there asking if everything getting better in a day was okay. And yet here you are, asking that,” she pointed out with a proud smile.

“Yeah, well…” he trailed off, shrugging nonchalantly. “What can I say? I’m a quick healer.”

Starlight chuckled quietly. “And you’ll be an actor soon from what I’ve heard.”

“Thanks, but I don’t… I don’t want to be an actor,” he said, shaking his head. “Besides, it’s not like I’d be great at it anyway…”

“Come on, Gallus, don’t say that! You were fantastic up there the other day. If you really wanted to, I’m positive you’d be an amazing actor,” she praised, giving him an encouraging smile.

Gallus blinked in surprise. “Really?”

“Absolutely!” Starlight answered with a firm nod.

That… No! No, I wouldn’t! I… Could I? Gallus wondered. Rarity did say we all were good enough to become actors, but… He gazed down at his talons for a moment before asking himself, But… But if I really were amazing up there then…? Then why didn’t he…?

Gallus sighed wistfully and said, “Thanks for the encouragement, Headmare Starlight, but I still don’t think I want to be an actor.”

“Fair enough. I suppose I can understand your trepidation; Rarity did dump the whole affair on you all at the last minute. Nonetheless, if you really don’t want to be an actor, that’s fine. There’s plenty of other things you can be, and plenty of time to decide on what it is you do want to be.”

“Y-Yeah, I know. It’s… It’s just…” Oh, just say it, Gallus! “Grandpa Gruff wasn’t there, and… And I kind of wanted him to be,” he admitted, looking away shamefully.

“O-Oh. Oh. Ummm,” Starlight hummed, nervously tapping her hooves together. “I, uh, I don’t think either Rarity or I sent him any notification about your performance in Canterlot, so maybe—”

“He knew; I wrote to him about it,” Gallus calmly revealed. “And yes, I wrote to him about it taking place in Canterlot too. I asked Spike to send him a letter on the first day we were there.”

“Oh.” She stared down at her desk, trying to think of what would be best to say next. “Are you okay even though he didn’t attend your play?”

“Of course I am!” he protested unconvincingly. “Like you said, I rocked that play. I only wish Gramps could have seen it, so I could, er, rub it in his face that I managed to do something that awesome!” Or at least, I wish I knew what I did wrong to make him not want to show up…

“Heh-heh-heh…heh,” Starlight awkwardly chortled, scrambling to figure out exactly what she should say. “That’s the spirit…?”

“Woo-hoo!” he sardonically cheered, knowing full-well he hadn’t sold his lie.

…

Starlight face-hoofed and whispered to herself, “Figures the one piece of advice I don’t immediately know how to give would be about dads…”

“What? You got problems with yours?”

“My problems are in a whole different ballpark and more importantly, aren’t the issue. So, that being said…? What exactly did you feel when Grandpa Gruff didn’t show up?” she inquired bluntly.

“Wow, just asking all the questions today, eh, Headmare?”

“I’m aware, Gallus. I’m very much aware,” she replied, barely not face-hoofing again.

“Well, to answer your question…? I’m not sure. To be honest, I’m disappointed. Everycreature else’s families showed up, even End Zone’s grandparents! Okay, Silver’s mom didn’t show up, but there’s a reason for that,” he added, rubbing his shoulder self-consciously. “And I know why the rest of my friends couldn’t show up…”

“I’m sorry about that, Gallus,” Starlight apologized, wincing in regret.

“No, I get it. Trust me, I know how screwy managing Bits can be. But I really do wish he were there. Or maybe Gabby or Gilda? Just… Someone. I put a lot of work into learning my lines, so I wanted at least someone to see how well I did. … You know, aside from the army of reporters that ambushed us the second we came out from backstage,” he concluded, grimacing at the memory.

“Sorry about that too. If Canterlot were as lenient as Ponyville when it came to, er, certain actions… You wouldn’t have had to deal with them for nearly as long as you did.”

“Yeah, well, Vellum got his fifteen minutes of fame, and Scoop didn’t get us banned from the entire city, so it wasn’t all bad.”

“…If it helps? I saw how well you did,” she said, beaming proudly. “And so did Rarity, Twilight, your clubmates, and half of Canterlot.”

“I know. I just wanted Gramps to see too.” Gallus rested his chin in his talons and angrily added, “But it’s not like that’s ever going to happen.”

“Well, you never know; maybe Canterlot will ask for an encore?” she suggested brightly. “I’m sure Rarity would accept that offer in a heartbeat.”

“And then what? He won’t show up to that one either, so why bother?”

Starlight put a hoof to her chin and hummed thoughtfully.

“I… I wish I knew what I did!” he vented angrily. “I sent over five letters to him; you’d think he’d get the hint and show up, but nooo! I just don’t know what I did wrong…”

“Gallus, you didn’t do anything wrong!” Starlight immediately protested.

“I know there’s nothing wrong with me, but c’mon, Headmare! Why didn’t he show up?”

“Maybe there was an incident, maybe he was sick; maybe he missed the train?” she suggested.

“Or maybe he just thought I didn’t really need him to show up and be proud of me…” he grumbled, crossing his talons indignantly.

…

“Gallus? It’s not your fault that he didn’t show up,” Starlight promised softly.

You don’t know that! he wanted to protest. However, he blinked and pondered, Wait. Am I doing that again? I-I don’t think I am. Unless… Dang it! When am I ever going to be better!?

“Yeah, I know,” Gallus finally said, brushing aside his other thoughts for now. “I just wanted Gruff to be there, but… He wasn’t, and I don’t know…” He sighed and concluded, “You get it.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I do,” Starlight replied, giving him sympathetic stare. “But don’t worry, Gallus. You’re okay. And everything else will be too.”

But why isn’t it okay yet!? I should be better by now, shouldn’t I!? “Yeah. Yeah, it will,” he said.

After another minute of silence, Gallus checked the time and said, “Whelp! Sandbar and I had something to do today. And, uh, as much as I don’t like cutting this short, can I…?”

“Oh! Yes, of course. Are you sure you want to leave it there though?” she inquired kindly. “If you want to talk about Gruff some more, I’m sure Sandbar won’t mind waiting a few extra minutes.”

He opened his beak, paused, and then sighed in defeat. Eventually, Gallus looked her in the eye and said, “No. I know I should keep talking to you about this, but honestly? I don’t know what I even want to say; I only brought it up because I needed to get it off my chest.”

A part of Starlight knew she should press onward, but the other part trusted Gallus would eventually talk to her if and when he was ready. The latter half ultimately won out, so she nodded, saying, “I understand, Gallus. But don’t dwell on it for too long, okay?”

“I won’t,” he promised, shaking his head. “The moment I figure out exactly what I want to say, I’ll come running. … Let’s hope you have some advice to give me by then,” Gallus added coyly.

“Okay, I deserved that. And don’t worry, I will,” Starlight swore.

“Phew,” he sighed exaggeratedly. “Anyway, I really do need to go; otherwise, I’m going to be late. Again, sorry about cutting this short, Headmare Starlight.”

“Don’t apologize; you had another engagement,” she said cheerily, teleporting to the door. “It’s perfectly fine; I understand,” Starlight said, opening the door for Gallus.

A violet-blue stallion with an auburn mane stood in the doorway, his hoof dangling in the air an inch away from the door. A tan mare with a pink mane stood beside him.

“Vellum? Scoop?” Gallus asked.

“Hey, Gallus,” Scoop greeted. “How’re you doing?”

“Uh, I’m good,” he answered, trotting out of Starlight’s office. “What’re you two doing here?”

“Headmare Starlight asked that I see her, remember?”

“That I did,” said unicorn confirmed. “I assume that’s why you’re here, Vellum?”

“Yep,” Scoop agreed for him. “And I’m here to make sure he didn’t try to cut and run,” she elaborated, smirking.

“You finally getting that ego of yours sorted out, Vel?”

“Shut up, Gallus!”

“Whoa! Careful, Captain Codex, you don’t want that temper of yours to mess up your chances at being a big shot in Canterlot,” he warned cheekily.

Vellum practically petrified.

“Ha! Good one!” Scoop praised, giving him a hoof/talon bump.

“Could that really happen?” Vellum quietly muttered as his legs started quivering. “Could my own personal emotions utterly overrule my acting and writing capabilities?”

“Okaaay, Mr. Vellum. Come on in,” Starlight commanded, gently wrapping a hoof around Vellum and leading him into her office. “I’ll warm you up some hot chocolate, and then we can have a nice, comfortable chat about your ‘own personal emotions.’”

“Will I have to stop communicating my thoughts and criticisms lest I earn the ire of those with far greater influence in the craft than I?” he fearfully mumbled, obeying Starlight’s order.

“Ohhh, this is going to be a doozy,” Starlight whispered to herself. She then looked back to the students. “Now, are you going to be alright, Gallus?”

“Do you even need to ask?” he inquired confidently.

“Never hurts to do so,” she answered. “Scoop, Gallus. I’ll see you both later. Stay out of trouble. … And that means not touching other creatures’ valuables, Scoop,” she bluntly rebuked.

Scoop laughed awkwardly, wincing away from her Headmare.

“Well, have a nice day, you two,” Starlight said, closing her door.

Gallus and Scoop both then turned and walked down the hall. Eventually, Scoop asked, “So, what were you seeing the Headmare for, Gallus? Get a detention or something?”

“Nope. Personal drama,” he answered casually. “And if anyone is going to be seeing her because they got a detention, it’s you, painting-toucher!” Gallus teased.

“I said I was sorry!” she yelped timidly.

“And I forgave you. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to remind you every so often that you—oh, I don’t know!—messed up my pseudo-date with Silverstream,” he concluded vehemently.

“So you admit it was date!” she accused, deflecting away from her own mistake.

“Pseudo-date,” Gallus corrected. “And after your little stunt—”

“Oh Celestia! Don’t tell me I screwed up your relationship!?” she squealed, panicking.

Gallus sighed and confirmed, “No, Scoop. You didn’t mess anything up.” You did make Silver’s paranoia worse, but you don’t need to have that burden.

Scoop breathed a heavy sigh of relief, saying, “Sorry.”

“The only thing you have to apologize for is nearly getting us arrested. Why did you touch the painting anyway?”

“Curiosity,” she admitted, shying away uncomfortably. “Anywho, what are you up to now?”

“Meeting up with Sandbar. You?”

“Meeting up with Yona,” Scoop said, winking suspiciously. “What are you two planning to do?”

“What do you think we’re going to do?”

“Plan out your proper second date with Silver?”

“Maybe?”

“Are you?”

“Am I?”

“I don’t know, maybe?”

“Maybe?”

“Maybe yes?”

“Maybe?”

“…Yes,” Gallus admitted, grinning.

“YES!” she roared, literally jumping for joy. “Okay, okay, okay! What. Are. You. Planning. Now?” she carefully inquired, vibrating with a barely contained fervor.

“Shh, spoilers!” he warned, smirking deviously.

“Spoil me! Spoil me! Spoil me!” she chanted, biting her hooves in anticipation.

Gallus looked up and down the halls, motioning for her to lean closer which she did, perking an ear. He then cupped his beak with his talon and whispered, “The first thing I’m planning to do…”

“Yeeeees?” she asked, bouncing as energetically as Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush.

“…Is not tell you anything because I know you’re going to spoil it for Silver!” he quickly stated, spreading his wings and bolting through the air.

“NOOO! You get back here, griffon-boy! You get back here!” she screamed, chasing after him.

“Tell Silver I said hi; see ya later, painting-toucher! Mwah-hah-hah-hah!” he laughed wickedly, racing out of sight. Speaking of Silver, he thought as Scoop’s dejected groan echoed down the hall. I wonder what she’s doing right now?

***

“So everything okay now? Silver not so paranoid, and Gallus doing much better?” Yona asked, biting her tongue as she fiddled with a particularly annoying stitch.

“I… I think so, Yona,” Silverstream answered happily. “I am still worried about him, but… You were right; he really is doing a lot better. I guess I was just too busy worrying that he wasn’t to actually see that,” she grumbled in shame.

“Silver not need to be upset. Yona understand Silverstream just worried about Gallus.”

“I know. But I should have just trusted that he was doing better,” Silver rebuked herself. “We’re a couple now, and Cadence said trust was something our relationship needed from the get-go, but…”

“Silverstream trust Gallus!” Yona retorted firmly. “Silver just not trust life to leave Gallus alone. Besides, Gallus not mad at Silver for being so afraid, right?”

“No,” she confirmed. “I was worried he would be, but he wasn’t. He was okay, not upset or angry. He understood. Heh. Here I am being terrified and gloomy, and it turns out I didn’t need to be at all,” she summarized sorrowfully.

“‘It’s not the examination that freezes your blood and shivers your spine; it’s the anticipation leading up to it,’” Yona quoted sagely.

Silver snorted, feeling her spirits rise back up. “Is that yet another Yak saying?”

“Hee-hee! Nope, Yona learn that from Spike.”

The duo giggled until the door of the Carousel Boutique opened.

“Whelp!” Scoop groaned in frustration. “The mission was a complete and total bust! The guy up and—” She froze the moment she laid eyes on Silverstream.

“Oh! Hey, Scoop,” Silver warmly greeted. “Um… Do you like the dress?”

The mare continued to stand there, slack-jawed.

“Er, Scoop? You okay over there?”

“You… You… You look beautiful!” she screamed ecstatically, rushing up to where the two stood. “THIS!? Is the dress you commissioned!?”

“Yeah…? I’m guessing you do like it then?”

“There aren’t enough words in the dictionary for me to express how amazing this is!” Scoop praised, staring at the garment as if it were a gift from the heavens. “You made this, Yona!?”

“Well, Professor Rarity did most of the work,” she confessed bashfully. “But Yona help a lot! Professor actually let Yona do finishing touches for first time!” she squealed excitedly.

“All that hard work under Professor Rarity is certainly paying off then because, holy butter-biscuits! This thing is gorgeous!”

“Awww, thanks, Scoop,” Yona and Silver both said simultaneously.

“No need to thank me; I’m just stating facts,” she replied airily.

“So, do you think Gallus will like it too?”

“Silver, if he doesn’t see you in this work of the fashion gods that are Rarity and Yona and pass out in sheer joy, he’ll be in a hospital room after Patty, Shimmy, and I knock some sense into him.”

“Scoop…!” Silver warned harshly.

“Don’t worry, I’m kidding,” she hurriedly clarified. “Silver, Gallus is going to absolutely love this! He’s a lucky griffon. I know I’d love to have a dress like this,” she sighed dramatically, looking at Yona out of the corner of her eye.

“Why would Yona make Scoop dress when Scoop get Yona and friends banned from best art gallery Yona’s ever seen?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Oh come on! I said I was sorry!”

“And Yona forgive you; Yona just couldn’t resist making joke,” she said, tittering. “Scoop not need to worry; Yona will make dress for her and rest of Club too.”

Scoop immediately grabbed Yona in a tight hug, squealing in utter bliss.

“Can’t…! Breathe!” Yona struggled to say. “Is this what Yona’s hugs…! Feel like!?”

“Whoops! Sorry,” she apologized, backing away from the panting yak.

“It’s okay,” Yona appeased, catching her breath. “Yona happy to know Yona’s work so beloved by friends,” she concluded, returning to the last bit of hemming she needed to do.

“Speaking of which? Sorry, girls,” Scoop mumbled, rubbing her neck.

“Oh no! Scoop, what did you do?”

“I didn’t mess with a painting if that’s what your asking,” she grumbled hotly. “I tried to get info from Gallus about what he was planning for his second date with you. Unfortunately, griffon-boy told me I’d spoil it and ran off, laughing like a hyena,” Scoop pouted.

“Well, you would have spoiled it, sooo…” Silverstream acknowledged, glad Scoop’s efforts had failed. “Honestly? I kinda want it to be a surprise anyway.”

“Really? He could be planning to take you bowling for all you know,” she warned, grimacing. “You seriously want to go bowling for a second date?”

“Bowling can be romantic!”

“Yeah, so can candlelit dinners, walks through the park, and pretty much everything else that’s not bowling or the aquarium!”

“Ooh! I hope he takes me to the aquarium!” Silver sang, bouncing excitedly.

“Silverstream, freeze!” Yona ordered, swiftly gaining the hippogriff’s stillness. “Thank you. Now, Yona confused; why Silver hope to go to aquarium?”

“Yeah, you were a seapony, Silver,” Scoop agreed, perplexed. “You lived in the ocean; wouldn’t you find a place talking about the ocean boring?”

“Of course not! Do you know how different Seaquestria’s knowledge of the ocean is compared to Equestria’s? Hint: It’s more than you’d think,” she said with a giggle. “Finding out all of the cool, interesting details Equestria knows but Seaquestria doesn’t and vice versa sounds like a great way to spend an evening.”

“Huh. Never thought about it like that before,” Scoop murmured thoughtfully.

“Eh. Doesn’t matter anyway. Whether we have a candlelit dinner or go bowling…? As long as we’re together, we’ll have a wonderful time regardless,” Silver concluded happily.

…

“Silverstream? When you two get married, can I be one of your bridesmaids?”

“SCOOP!” she screamed, flushing crimson.

“What? What did I say?”

“Scoop, I’m not— We’re not— I— Could we…? Is that a possibility?” Silver shook the thought out of her mind and said, “Scoop, that’s not something either of us have considered yet.”

“Not according to Shimmy Shake,” Scoop said, smirking knowingly.

“…Tell me what you mean right now!”

“Remember how Shimmy asked to borrow some of the letters Princess Cadence sent Gallus?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you reached the Sixty-eighth and Sixty-ninth, yet?”

“Ohhh sea kelp!” I’ve got to get caught up on those letters once and for all! she told herself, asking, “What did they say, Scoop?”

The mare smirked, whispering, “Spoilers!”

Silver gulped.

“Well,” Yona interjected. “Placing scary marriage thoughts aside, Yona finally done with dress,” she announced, motioning for Silverstream to look in the mirror.

She did so, calming down upon seeing herself cloaked in a veil of the purest beauty and grace. Silver smiled tearfully, exclaiming, “Thank you so much, Yona; it’s wonderful!”

“Yona know,” she said smugly. “And Yona happy to help friend.”

“It bears repeating, Silverstream,” Scoop acknowledged happily. “Gallus is going to love it.”

“Yeah. Yeah, he will!” she cheered optimistically. I really hope Gallus is planning our next date because I can’t wait for him to see me in this! “What do you think he’s doing right now anyway?”

***

“…We have all made excellent progress, so I believe we can end things here for today,” decided the teacher. “We shall resume next week; until then, I expect all of you to practice your waltz.”

“Yes, Ms. Hoofer Steps!” chanted her class.

“Good. You are all dismissed.”

The doors of the studio flew open, allowing a myriad of ponies to exit from its confines. Once the crowd had dispersed, a blue griffon bolted out into the afternoon sun, bee-lining for the nearest bench and collapsing upon it with an anguished groan.

“Goodbye, darlings. It was nice to see you two today.”

“Good to see you too, Professor Rarity,” Sandbar responded happily. “Out of curiosity, didn’t you already know how to dance though?”

“Indeed I did, darling. I merely needed somewhere to be for two hours that wasn’t the Boutique.”

“Why? Was something going on?”

“Yona and I worked together on a commission a while back, and she asked to make the final adjustments,” Rarity explained proudly. “And of course, I wanted to see what she could do on her own without my guidance. She’s come a long way, and I can’t wait to see what she did!” she squealed excitedly.

“Ohhh, so that’s what she was doing,” he said to himself, chuckling. “Yeah, she is the best.”

“Hee-hee-hee. I’ll tell her you said that,” she whispered, winking sneakily. “Speaking of which, tell Gallus not to worry; I won’t tell Silverstream I saw either of you today.”

“Thanks, Professor, I’m sure he’ll appreciate that. On that note? I better go make sure he’s alright. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow, darling,” she echoed back, making her way to the Carousel Boutique.

Sandbar then trotted toward his exhausted companion, greeting, “Hey, Gallus. You okay there, buddy? You look a little tired.”

No duh, Sandbar! Gallus wanted to remark. Sadly, he lacked the energy required to go through with that, so he settled for raising his talon in acknowledgment, wincing at the motion.

Thankfully, Sandbar made no further comments and chose to simply sit in the grass and wait for Gallus to feel better enough to move again.

…

“How’d you like Dance Class?” the pony finally cracked and asked.

“Would have been easier… If I didn’t have to look down all the time… Only to get reprimanded for it a microsecond later,” Gallus lamented in-between pants.

“Well, you’re not really supposed to look down when your dancing,” Sandbar stated bluntly. “You’re supposed to keep your eyes on your partner at all times.”

“Yes. I know, Sandbar,” he muttered miserably. “I heard Ms. Hoofer Steps when she yelled that exact same thing at me twenty-three times.”

“Because you kept looking down.”

“How else was I supposed to know where I was stepping!?”

“Practice and spatial awareness.”

“Okay, so how much practice and spatial awareness do I need before I don’t need to worry about stepping on my partner’s hooves with my razor-sharp talons?”

“As much practice and spatial awareness as you need to not step on your partner’s hooves with your razor-sharp talons.”

“…Sandbar?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

“Okay.”

…

“Sorry.”

“For what?”

“Telling you to shut up.”

“Oh. I forgive you,” Sandbar said kindly.

“Er, thanks,” Gallus said, slightly put off by the suddenness of Sandbar’s forgiveness. Eventually, he added, “And thanks again for helping me out with Dance Class.”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I help out?”

“Well, you did say you needed to foalsit your sister…”

“And I also said I got November to do it for me,” Sandbar reminded him.

“I know, I know… I just wanted to apologize for it again anyway.”

“You don’t need to.”

“…I know, Sandy.”

“If you know then why are you apologizing?” he asked jokingly.

Gallus blinked, shook his head, and deflected, “So, how did I do anyway?”

“I’m not exactly an expert, but I think you did pretty well. You do need to work on your posture and the ‘looking down’ thing, but those are things you can sort out with practice.”

“Yaaay,” he weakly cheered.

“Of course, it’d probably help if you practiced with Silverstream.”

“I don’t exactly want to do that just yet, Sandbar.”

“I’m just saying—”

“And I’m just saying!” he interjected. “Silver said dancing was one of her favorite things, and I want to be absolutely certain that I can do it perfectly before I try asking for a dance with her.”

“Don’t worry, dude, I understand. I just have this sneaking suspicion Silver won’t exactly dance the way I did today,” Sandbar elaborated with a smirk. “All I’m suggesting is you might want to practice with her too so you know how she dances.”

Gallus sat up with a groan and conceded, Sandbar’s not exactly wrong. Plus, dancing with Silverstream would totally be fun for the both of us. Hmm… “Hey, Sandbar? Could you pass me my bag?” he asked.

“Sure. Here you go.”

“Thanks.” Gallus then fished out a scroll and pen. He quickly unrolled it and jotted something down, murmuring, “Idea Thirty-nine… Dancing…”

“So,” Sandbar began once Gallus had finished. “Since my parents are gone for the day, and Yona’s working on that commission for Rarity, did you wanna come over and hang out?”

Subtle, Sandbar, Gallus thought, resting his head in his talons and closing his eyes. What? You want to spend more time with me to quadruple-check I’m not still a—no, Gallus! Sandbar just wants to hang out like we normally did—DO! he corrected himself. Like we normally do. Besides, out of all of my friends, he’s been the least paranoid, so I doubt the thought even crossed his mind.

Yikes, I really need to stop being so paranoid about my friends being paranoid. … Hey, Gallus, note to self: Stop being paranoid about your friends being paranoid about you!

Oh, right! The question! he remembered. I do have more places I need to check out. Buuut, my paws are killing me, and I need a break. Plus, maybe it could be a good opportunity to show Sandbar that I really am back to normal, Gallus considered, closing his eyes.

…

“Uh, Gallus? Are you falling asleep again?”

“Huh!?” he blurted out, snapping out of the daze he had begun falling into. “What!? Oh, yeah! Yeah, Sandbar, that sounds like fun,” he answered, trying to save face.

Note to self number two: Don’t almost fall asleep when your friends are talking to you.

“Totally. I’m sure you and my couch will have a wonderful time.”

“Hardee-har-har, Sandy,” Gallus grumbled as he stood up and followed after his friend.

A few minutes later…

“Okay, your choice: Movie or game?”

“Movie.”

“Popcorn or candy?”

“Do you really need to ask?”

“Both then. Okay, what genre?”

“Definitely not Romance,” Gallus said, remembering Cadence’s letters.

“Not a fan?” Gallus shook his head, so Sandbar advised, “Uh, don’t tell my mother that.”

“Well, that’s now four creatures I can’t tell that I don’t like Romances: Scoop, Patty, Rarity, and your mom. Anyone else I can’t divulge completely irrelevant information about my personal tastes to?”

“My dad. Never tell my dad that you don’t like war stories.”

“Not a problem since I actually kinda like war stories,” he clarified, silently thanking Yona for convincing Rockhoof to not petrify himself. “But was there a reason why I shouldn’t tell your dad otherwise?”

“He was in the Royal Guard before he retired and settled down in Ponyville.”

“Oh.” I don’t know what I was expecting, but I probably should have expected that.

“Yep.”

Silence fell between the two as Sandbar’s house finally came into view.

“So, what did he do in the Royal Guard?” Gallus asked, wishing to continue the conversation.

Sandbar stopped walking, smiled, and cleared his throat. “‘Sandbar, old colt! I did quite a number of things!’” he began trying and failing to sound elderly. “‘I stood guard over Her Majesty, Princess Celestia! I patrolled her sacred halls, protecting them from all who would dare invade!’”

“‘I stood side-by-side with pegasi, unicorn, earth pony, and batpony alike, and not a hint of judgment nor preconceptions were shared among us!’” Sandbar continued over his audience’s snickers. “‘For we all stood watch over Her Majesty’s ward with honor and dignity! Patience and perseverance! Kindness and integrity! And bravery and justice! We were not simply comrades! We were not simply allies! We were friends! All of us, regardless of whether we had wings, horns, or fangs!’”

“‘So, Sandbar? You had better make sure to remember that when you make friends of your own! Remember that appearances are irrelevant! So long as you and they share in the convictions of harmony, your friendship is always true!’” he concluded, clearing his throat after his performance.

“Heh-heh. Your dad sounds pretty wise,” Gallus said, grinning. “And you sound pretty talented. How come you didn’t join Drama Club? Vellum would have loved you.”

“Yearbook.”

“Oh. … So what happened afterward?”

“Mom called him out on the fact that all he did was stand in an empty hallway, bored out of his mind,” Sandbar answered nonchalantly.

Gallus burst out laughing. “Okay! Okay! Your dad may be wise, but your mom is awesome!”

“Thanks, I’ll tell her you said that. But be warned! She’ll hunt you down and force, like, ten gift baskets down your throat for the compliment,” Sandbar said as they finally approached his door.

“Don’t worry, Sandy. If I can handle Princess Cadence’s ocean of letters, I think I can handle your mother’s flood of gifts. … Besides, I could use some junk to fill my room up,” he mumbled.

“Huh?” he asked, grabbing a spare key from his saddlebags.

“Oh, nothing. I finished cleaning up Princess Cadence’s letters a week before our performance, and I, uh, forgot how empty my bedroom is,” Gallus elaborated morosely.

Sandbar raised an eyebrow but ultimately shrugged, saying, “Whelp! You’ve been warned; don’t blame me when you can’t find your bed after she gets through with you.”

“I won’t.”

“You say that now…” he teased, opening his door.

“AND SO!” bellowed November Rain. “THE GREAT AND POWERFUL SEPTEMBER TEMPEST ROSE TO HIS HOOVES, DRAWING UPON THE VERY LAST OF HIS POWER!”

“And!? And!? And!?” squeaked out the giddy filly sitting at the edge of the couch.

November climbed atop the coffee table and loudly proclaimed, “HE LIFTED HIS MIGHTY HORN INTO THE AIR, FIRING HIS ANCIENT POWERS INTO THE SKY, TEARING IT ASUNDER IN A GODLIKE DISPLAY OF POWER!”

Sandbar’s sister gasped loudly.

“YES! WITH A SWISH AND A FLICK HE COMMANDED THE HEAVENS AND BROUGHT ABOUT AN ALMIGHTY STORM! AND FROM THAT STORM HE DREW MORE POWER! AND WITH THAT POWER! HE! TROTTED! FORTH!” he exclaimed dramatically.

“Oooooh! That meanie is gonna get it!” she shouted, barely containing her energy.

“Heh-heh-heh… Funny that you say that,” November began quietly. “Because once The Great and Powerful September Tempest stepped forward, the Vile Codex backed away! In utter terror!”

“Yeah! Get him, Mr. Tempest, get him!”

“‘NOOO! NOOO! You cannot be this powerful! How!? How are you doing this!?’ the Vile Codex screamed in fear! And THAT! That is when the Great and Powerful September Tempest opened his gleaming eyes and looked down upon the monster in contempt and said…”

“What did he say!? What did he say!? What did he saaay!?”

“He said… ‘Do you see it, Codex!? The future! THE FUTURE IS BURNING BLUE! THIS HORN OF MINE BURNS WITH AN AWESOME POWER! IT’S BURNING MAGIC TELLS ME TO DEFEAT YOU!’ he declared angrily! The Great and Powerful September Tempest then charged at the Vile Codex, screaming in righteous fury! And the Vile Codex could do nothing more than back away in cowardice as the hero closed the distance between them!” November recounted, smiling excitedly.

“What happened then!?”

“The Great and Powerful September Tempest cascaded all of his power upon the Vile Codex! And just before he made the final blow, he said…!”

Sandbar’s sister just squealed in anticipation.

“‘Take this…’ September softly muttered. ‘MY LOVE! MY HOPE! AND ALL OF MY SORROW! SPIRIT! STORM!’ the Great and Powerful September Tempest shouted into the night, swinging his horn down, and letting loose the maelstrom of the divine onto the Vile Codex!” November explained, mirroring the described motions.

“And theeen?”

“And then, in one last scream of agony and hatred, the demon that had caused the Great and Powerful September Tempest so much pain and so much heartache was—at last—vanquished!”

Sandbar’s sister jumped up and danced around, singing, “Yaaay! He won! He won! He won!”

“Was there ever any doubt?” November asked teasingly.

“No! Nopony could ever doubt the Great and Powerful September Tempest!”

Gallus reached for the door and silently closed it. He and Sandbar then looked at each other, processing what they had just witnessed.

…

As one, they both turned and trotted down the porch and back toward the town.

“I’m glad that November and my sister are having fun, but it looks like the movie’s out,” Sandbar acknowledged sadly. “Did you have any ideas of what to do instead?”

Okay, Gallus. What’s a good, normal activity we can try out and kill two or three hours doing? His eyes slowly wandered to his saddlebags, and he hesitantly said, “Well, I’ve got some. But I already asked for your help, so…”

“Wait. Is it more dating stuff?”

“Yeah…?”

“I’m in!” Sandbar immediately agreed.

“Are you sure, Sandbar?”

“If you’re afraid I’ll spoil anything for Silverstream, don’t worry. My lips are sealed.”

“Pinkie Promise?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly; stick a cupcake in my eye,” he recited, performing the motions.

“…Okay,” Gallus conceded, pulling out another scroll from his bag. “I’ve got a lot of places to check out though, so if you really want to visit them all…?”

“I already did the Pinkie Promise, Gallus,” Sandbar deadpanned.

“Alrighty then. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he droned as he fully unrolled his list and watched it fall across the road and past at least three of the marketplace stalls. “Our first stop is…”

Sadly, Lyra wasn’t planning on starting up her Laser Tag game again for quite a while. But while Gallus may have found that disappointing, he was happy to know that Lyra did intend to host it again in another few months. Sandbar was too for that matter.

The bowling alley was loud and reeked of wood varnish, but it was still a comfortable hang-out, offered decent lunches, and had couples discounts. If the former two points weren’t enough for Gallus, that last point certainly was, especially since Sandbar was generous enough to slip him some coupons.

The Ponyville Retirement Village was an interesting stop to make. For one thing, Sandbar had immediately disappeared on him to go aid the nurses in helping some of the patients. For another, Gallus discovered that End Zone hadn’t been lying about the place being livelier than one would think.

Unfortunately, while Gallus did indeed have a blast at the paintball course, there was no way the place would be suitable for the second date. The third or fourth on the other talon…?

After leaving the Retirement Village, they stopped at the Hay Café for a quick lunch…

“Dang it!” Sandbar exclaimed sourly. “This is going to take forever to get out of my mane!”

“Heh-heh, sorry about that,” Gallus apologized, trying to keep his snickering to a minimum. “Your mane does look rather dapper in black and red though.”

“No, it doesn’t! I look like one of Shimmy’s attempts at drawing an original character!”

“Oh, don’t be like that, Sandy,” he protested, munching on the last of his hay fries. “I’m sure Yona can fix it to make you look spectacular.”

“…Hmm. Well, you’re not wrong,” he agreed. “And far it be it for me to deny that I totally deserved it.”

“What did you expect would happen when you walked into the middle of a paintball warzone?”

“I honestly don’t know,” he admitted, sipping at his juice. “I was just trying to meet back up with you after helping the staff.”

“Well, at least they got most of it out with Cleanse Alpha,” Gallus offered.

“‘Cleanse Alpha’? Oh, is that the name of the spell they used? How did you know?”

“Ocellus, duh.”

“Wasn’t your project on teleportation?”

“It is. But she talks a lot when she and I play chess together,” he explained simply.

“About magic?”

“About a lot of stuff. Magic, math; history,” Gallus listed off casually. “Of course, it’s lately been her fretting over the Fair, becoming a scientist, and…” Not wanting to focus on those particular conversations, he abruptly concluded, “And whatever else she can talk about to hide the fact she has a lousy poker face.”

“I don’t know, dude. You’ve never played poker with her, have you?”

“Not yet, why?”

“Don’t. Ever!” Sandbar stressed urgently.

“Oh no,” Gallus groaned in disgust. “She’s a card counter too, isn’t she?”

“It’s worse than that.”

“…Elaborate,” he asked, terrified of what could possibly be a worse threat than a fellow card counter.

“She actually knows how to play!”

Gallus inhaled deeply, desperately burying both a frustrated sigh and a bout of elated laughter. He then exhaled and said, “Sandbar? Never change, okay?”

“Why?” he asked, confused. “‘A creature should always be able to look for ways to improve, both in how they act within the world and who they are as a creature,’” he quoted sagely. “At least, that’s what my dad always says.”

Heh. All mine ever said was: Get out there and make us some Bits, Gallus sarcastically thought. He swallowed nervously after thinking that and quickly spat out, “Great life advice, Sandy; I’ll make sure to internalize it.”

“Great! My dad’s advice is always awesome. … You know,” he began shyly. “I’m kinda glad you enjoy hearing some of it. I like talking about my parents, even if I don’t do it much.”

Gallus felt a pit form in his stomach as he struggled to not let his newfound unease show.

“Speaking of which, how about you? Did Grandpa Gruff ever give you some cool advice too?” Sandbar just had to ask.

“Well, he taught me what marketing was,” Gallus quipped briefly, hurriedly pulling his bag up to his side and searching for his other list. Stay calm, Gallus. This is a perfectly normal conversational topic; no need to be so jumpy.

“Cool. Wait, is that where you got the idea to turn the Tree of Harmony’s old home into a tourist trap!?” he demanded, irked by the memory.

“Yes! No! Probably? I don’t know; maybe a few griffon characteristics got passed onto me by Mister Gruff,” Gallus rapidly said, hoping Sandbar would get the hint and shut up.

He didn’t. “Huh. Must’ve taught you pretty well then since you did a good job making ponies want to visit the place,” Sandbar begrudgingly admitted. “I’d bet he’d be proud.”

Gallus froze. Wh-What? Gruff… Proud of me? Good job making ponies… WHAT!? He blinked rapidly and eventually asked, “Hold on, I thought you hated my ‘Roadside Attraction’ idea?”

“I did. Turning something as sacred and meaningful as the Tree’s resting grounds into a tourist trap? Not cool, dude,” he rebuked, making Gallus flinch. “But I can’t say it didn’t do some good,” he conceded with small smile. “Word got around, and a lot more ponies have visited the place ever since.”

“Really?” Gallus asked, happy to be distracted from the other topic.

“Mhmm. Just last week I saw another memorial down in the cave where the Tree once was,” Sandbar said, smiling happily.

“‘Another memorial’? As in more than one? When did this happen?”

“Off-screen.”

“Har-har, Sandy. But do both of us a favor and leave the fourth-wall jokes to Pinkie Pie.”

“Yeah, I know; I realized it the moment I said it. Anyway, yeah, the Tree’s old cave has been filled with everything from flowers and balloons to candles and pictures. Silverstream even completed a painting of the old Tree and left it there too.”

“Huh. I didn’t know that,” Gallus said, making a mental note to ask Silver about that later. “Didn’t you leave that sapling of yours down there too?”

“Yep. Or at least, I think it’s still there?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Well, it was pretty close to the spot where the Tree grew back, sooo…”

“Oh please, Sandy! I’m sure the Tree of Harmony wouldn’t have knocked over a baby tree. That’d be rude,” Gallus joked.

Sandbar chuckled lightly before saying, “Then again? Even if my old sapling is ‘knocked over,’ I can just plant another one.”

“Do you even have another one?”

“Uh-huh. I’ve got a few extra from my Science Fair project. On that note, do you think I could be a good botanist?” he suddenly asked.

“What?” Gallus responded, caught off-guard by the question.

“A botanist? Do you think I could be a good botanist?” Sandbar repeated.

“Maybe? Why would you want to become a botanist?”

“You mean other than to help the ecosystem?”

“Yes, Sandbar,” he groaned, rolling his eyes. “Other than to help the ecosystem.”

“Thought so. Well, truth is I’ve been thinking about what I want to do after we graduate. And I’ve always liked taking care of plants and animals, so I was wondering if I should take up a career where I can do those things, you know?” he elaborated, smiling peacefully.

“Oh. That explains it,” he muttered, looking away from his friend’s serene gaze.

“Of course, I am still a little iffy about it since if I take up that career path, I’d have to leave Ponyville to study for a while. And considering Yona plans to become Rarity’s apprentice, I don’t want to just leave her behind,” he added, biting into the last of his daisy sandwich.

“Mhmm.”

“Now that I think about it…? What are you planning to do when we graduate, Gallus?”

I have no pecking idea, Gallus considered admitting. “Uh, Wonderbolt,” he ultimately decided to lie, while trying to stifle his guilt over doing so.

“Sweet. I can totally see you as a Wonderbolt. Silver too for that matter.”

“Mhmm.”

Sandbar nodded then gathered their trash, taking it away to a nearby trash can. Gallus, meanwhile, took the opportunity to bring his talon to his chest, breathing deeply, and push it away, exhaling slowly.

“Don’t worry, Gallus,” he told himself. “We’ll figure that puzzle out later. Right now? Don’t bother worrying about that stuff or about Gruff,” he whispered as Sandbar returned. Sandbar and I are having a perfectly normal day, and we’re going to keep having a perfectly normal day. Nothing—absolutely nothing!—is going to disrupt that, Gallus finished internally as he finally extracted his list.

“Okay!” Sandbar declared. “Now that we’re done with lunch, where to next, Gallus?”

“I was considering the aquarium, but all things considered, it probably isn’t the best place to go,” he murmured, debating whether to skip the place to not waste time.

“Gallus! Who doesn’t love the aquarium!?” Sandbar gasped, affronted by the mere idea.

“Well, Silver’s lived underwater for a while, so I’m not entirely sure if she’d like the place.”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true,” he admitted despite not wanting to. “Then again, she might enjoy going anyway to see how Equestria’s knowledge of the ocean differs from her own,” he proposed slyly.

His mind rewound back to when Silver first discovered stairs and practically exploded in joy. “Maybe. I’ll make sure to ask her about it before I check it out,” Gallus concluded, writing down a reminder. “In any case, are you good to keep going?”

“Yep. You?”

“Yep.” And back to normal, mundane date stuff. Thank Grover. “Okay, our next stop is…”

The Ponyville Clock Tower was honestly pretty boring, but Gallus did find the history of the building to be more than worth the visit. Sandbar evidently didn’t, considering he fell asleep ten minutes into the tour. Gallus ultimately decided to file the location as a “Maybe.”

Ponyville Antiquities was the very first compete and total bust. It was ridiculously cramped; the air was tainted by mothballs and mold; it was agonizingly cramped; the prices were gargantuan by even Griffonstone standards; and it was horrifyingly cramped. And above all else, it was cramped.

Gallus made sure to cross it off the list multiple times; only an inky black splotch of scratches and tears remained when he had finished.

The various restaurants they visited were exactly what Gallus expected: Places to eat food.

Very, very expensive places to eat food.

No matter where he went, the prices never dropped below double his current savings, and every time he was reminded of that, he felt his heart drop just a little farther. And while Gallus resolutely kept his disappointment from marring his face, Sandbar eventually sensed something was up.

“So, what did you think?” the pony asked once they had checked out the last of the restaurants.

“Oh yeah, super nice. Top three for sure,” Gallus instinctively replied as he sat in a nearby bench to rest his sore paws once again. Oh peck. He’s totally going to see through that, isn’t he?

“I think so,” Sandbar said slowly, sitting beside him. “…Are you okay, Gallus?”

And now even Sandbar is asking me that! What is wrong with me!? “I’m just disappointed.”

“About what?”

I really don’t want to admit this. “The prices,” he practically whispered.

“Oh,” he responded shortly. “Is that all?”

Gallus frowned indignantly and asked, “What do you mean by ‘Is that all’?”

“I’m just asking if that was the only problem you had with them.”

“Well, I…” Gallus paused and asked, “Why? Did you have problems with them?”

“Eh, my parents have been to some of them, and let me tell you this: The first and fourth are a sneeze away from being shut down by a health inspector. And the staff for the fifth is terrible! Like… ‘You’d get kicked out for being a griffon’ kind of terrible!” Sandbar explained uncomfortably.

Gallus stilled, unable to process that statement. He then shook his head clear and quickly crossed those off the list, saying, “Okay then, definitely not those. What about the others?”

“Second and sixth? Yes. Third is more… Ehhh,” he groaned. “Only go there if you have to. As for the rest? Good luck getting into them; if you place a reservation today, you won’t get to eat there until two years from now. And that’s after they cancel your reservation without telling you, forcing you to make the reservation again and wait again!” Sandbar fumed.

“That happen to your folks?”

“Both them and me and Yona!”

Gallus grimaced in sympathy, muttering, “Sorry.”

“You’re not the one who needs to be sorry, dude.”

“I can be sorry on your behalf, you know.”

“Fair point. Thanks, Gallus,” Sandbar said. He then perked up and exclaimed, “Oh! And if you’re worried about the prices, I have tons of coupons you can use.”

“You already gave me that ‘Three-rounds-for-one’ coupon for the bowling alley, Sandbar!” he protested. “I mean, I appreciate the gesture, but I can’t ask you to give me more of your coupons. What am I, a griffon?”

“Uh, yes? You are a griffon,” Sandbar answered, confused.

“That was the joke, Sandbar.” But thanks for the stark reminder.

“Oh. Well, nonetheless! If you need coupons, I’m going to give you coupons.”

“But—”

“No ‘buts’! You just let me know when you decide on a place.”

“I… Thanks, Sandy,” Gallus said, feeling his good mood slowly begin to return.

Sandbar responded, nodding kindly.

…

“THERE YOU ARE!” screeched a vaguely familiar voice.

Sandbar and Gallus both jumped at the sudden shout, and the latter quickly found himself being suffocated by a large mass of feathers and enthusiasm.

“Gah!” Gallus grunted breathlessly. “Gabby!?”

“Hee-hee, yep!” the gray griffon excitedly chirped, releasing him from her grip and jumping back to stare at him through her trademark happy smile. Said smile drooped a little when she noticed his and Sandbar’s expressions. “Sorry. Did I scare ya?” she asked, wincing guiltily.

“A little bit,” Sandbar admitted unapologetically.

“Well, I wasn’t scared!” Gallus proclaimed unconvincingly. “You just surprised us is all.”

“Oh,” Gabby said, trying very hard to pretend that she believed him. “Well, er, surprise then!”

“Yep. Surprise. So, what are you doing in Ponyville? You know Spike lives in Canterlot now, right?” he asked teasingly.

“Yes, I do know, and that place is amazing! So clean! So sophisticated! So glamorous!” she sang, channeling her inner-Rarity. “Maybe I should move there someday…?” she asked no one in particular.

How many optional girlfriends does Spike have? Gallus wondered in a mixture of stunned disbelief and hesitant respect. And… Is he even old enough to have one, let alone Gabby?

“So, why are you here again?” he repeated, snapping Gabby out of her daydreams.

“Oh, that’s because it’s Sunday,” she answered.

“I know it’s Sunday, but what do you mean by… Ohhh,” he groaned neutrally.

“Yep, it’s time for weekly Grandpa Gruff letter deliveries. Yaaayyy,” Gabby cheered weakly, flinching at his expression. “I stopped by your room earlier, but you weren’t there. Somepony named Strawberry Scoop—nice pony, by the way—said you were off planning a date with your friend?”

Instantly, Gallus grinned cockily, declaring, “Of course! Why wouldn’t I be planning a wonderful day and night out with the girl of my dreams?”

Gabby radiated with sheer joy in a way that was scarily reminiscent of Pinkie Pie. She then giggled and praised, “Ooh, she’s such a lucky girl to have you; I really need to be introduced to her properly.”

“Well, if you were in Canterlot the other day, I could have introduced you, but…” Gallus stopped himself, feeling his bravado drain away as quickly as he had gained it.

“Yeah,” she sighed, looking away regretfully. “I’m so sorry about missing the play. Ever since you guys defeated, er, them, Griffonstone has been trying to get back on its paws, and all kinds of creatures have been looking into visiting the place and vice versa.”

Gallus remembered the flight team that had been training a group of griffons on the day before the performance. He then frowned and asked, “Why would anyone want to visit Griffonstone though?”

“You mean other than Gilda’s amazing scones?” she joked slyly.

“Gruff’s scones,” he compulsively defended. “Let’s not forget that they’re his recipe.”

“Fair enough. But yeah, so many creatures are visiting Griffonstone—ponies, changelings; even hippogriffs! Some have even decided to help Gilda, Greta, and I fix everything up too! Seriously, this one guy, Neighsay, donated ten thousand Bits to the Restoration Fund! Can you believe it!?” she asked, joyfully dancing in place.

Ten thousand…!? Neighsay…!? “I don’t think I can,” he admitted, shaking his head in exasperation. “I’m guessing Gruff took complete control over the Bits?”

“He tried. Twice. Gilda managed to fight him off,” Gabby elaborated, scowling at the memory.

“Dang. I would have loved to see their slap fight.”

“‘Slap fight’? Yeah. We’ll go with that. ‘Slap fight,’” she said distantly.

“Oh.”

“Getting back on topic!” Gabby yelped. “Ever since creatures started coming to Griffonstone again, a lot of the other griffons have begun helping us too.”

So griffons are finally getting off their flanks and repairing that broken-down dirt heap? Huh. How long will that last? he wondered apathetically. Probably a week.

“Anyway,” she continued. “That’s why neither I nor Gilda could make it to your play. Gilda’s been swamped with work and budget plans, and my delivery load has tripled in the past two months! It’s a bit chaotic, but I’m glad we’re finally saving our home.”

Gallus bit down hard to keep himself from retorting. Unfortunately, while he managed to stifle his distaste for Griffonstone, he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Was Gruff also ‘too busy’?”

Gabby’s eyes darted away as a somber expression overrode her bubbly visage.

She knew I was going to ask that, didn’t she? he realized, feeling his heart break even more behind his blank expression. Why did I even ask? I already know the answer…

As Gallus expected, Gabby soon spoke the usual line: “He, uh, couldn’t make it.” She then hastily placed her typical fake smile on, professing, “But he also wanted to apologize.”

“Oh really?”

“Yep!” she chirped, pulling a bundle of envelopes out of her satchel and passing them over to him. “Here are his letters, and mine, Gilda’s, and Gavin’s too.”

Now that’s not usual. “Gavin wrote me!?” he exclaimed in shock, taking the letters and searching for the one in question. “What’s that fledgling writing to me for?” he asked suspiciously.

“Gavin wanted to congratulate you and your friends. He really wanted to visit Canterlot and watch the play too, but we were all too busy to take him,” she ended morosely.

Gallus searched Gabby for any of her usual tells but found none of them. As far as he could tell, she was telling the truth, but it sadly didn’t do much to raise his spirits.

A random kid cares more about me and our play than my… Than Gruff. That’s nice, Gallus thought sourly. “Huh. Uh, I guess you can thank him for me? I’ll try to write him back later.”

“Mhmm,” Gabby hummed, nodding enthusiastically. “Don’t worry, I will. I think he’d like it if you did,” she added with a more genuine smile. “Sooo, how about you? How are you doing?”

He shrugged and said, “Eh. Things are settling down and going back to normal around here, so that’s good. Then I got my date with Silver planned, so that’s even better.” Minus the finance issue. “What about you? Anything going on in Griffonstone besides its ‘restoration’?”

“Not really. The next place we plan to fix up is the library, and we’re hoping to get it back up and running by this year’s Blue Moon Festival.” She then gasped and exclaimed, “Hey! Did you have any ideas for what kind of books we should stock up on?”

“The Starswirlian’s Guide to the Arcane. All forty-two volumes,” Gallus answered immediately. “Also, if you can, get yourself a copy of both Stygian’s Me and My Shadow trilogy and Twilight and her friends’ Friendship Journal too.”

“Already have five copies of that last one,” Gabby elaborated, giggling. “The Starswirlian Guide to the Arcane and Me and My Shadow? Got it! Thanks, Gallus.”

“No problem,” he brushed aside. “Was there anything else?”

“Nope, that was it. Sorry again for scaring you.”

“I wasn’t scared!” Gallus mock-protested.

“Right. Sure. We’ll go with that,” she joked back, winking. “Anyway, I’ve got more deliveries to make while I’m here; speaking of which, where is Rainbow Dash? Gilda wrote her a letter too.”

“Check the spa. If she’s not there, find Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie always knows.”

“Got it. Thanks again,” she said, spreading her wings and readying for takeoff.

“Gabby, wait!” he blurted out before he could stop himself.

“Hmm? Yeah, Gallus?” she replied, folding her wings back in.

“I, uh, well…” he uselessly stammered, still warring with himself over whether to ask it or not. Gallus ultimately caved and asked, “Do you remember that science project I mentioned a while back?”

“Uh-huh. How’s that going by the way?”

“Well, we finally figured out how stabilize the matrix properly.”

“Right, I remember you said that was giving you some trouble. But you and Ocellus got it working now? Yay! Congratulations, Gallus!” she praised.

And now even Gabby is prouder of me than him! Gallus silently fumed, saying, “Thanks. I bring it up because the, uh, the Fair is coming up soon and…” He hesitated one last time before finally relenting, “Could you ask Gruff to be there?”

“…Of course, Gallus,” Gabby promised warmly.

“Thanks,” he murmured. He’s not going to be there either, is he?

“Mhmm. Well, I’d better be off. Are you going to be okay?”

Everyone. Literally everyone has asked me that! Why do I keep making creatures ask me that!? “Of course, I’m always okay,” he lied spectacularly.

“Alright. See you later!”

“See you, Gabs.”

She gave him one last hug before trotting off, eventually spreading her wings and taking to the sky in search of the Ponyville Spa.

Gallus sighed, whispering, “Stupid,” to himself. He then trotted to the bench he had been sitting in and plopped back down onto it, leaning back and closing his eyes against the burning sun.

Why!? Why did I ask that!? Why did I even think asking that was a good idea!? I’m so stupid; if Gruff wanted to be anywhere near me, he would’ve…! He would’ve…

Then again, maybe he’ll actually show up this time? he tried to encourage himself. Maybe he’ll actually try to show up for once?

Ugh, who am I kidding, and why am I trying to get my hopes up!? Of course he won’t come, and of course he won’t care! Why would he? Gallus questioned, leaning forward to stare at the ground.

A moment later, a bright green earth pony trotted up and sat next to him silently.

Oh Grover… Here we go. “Hey,” Gallus greeted casually.

“Hey.”

…

“So, who’s Gavin?”

So that’s where we’re starting, eh, Sandy? “He’s another kid Gruff took in,” he explained calmly. Sandbar was silent, so he added, “He’s, uh, he’s a pretty good kid from what I know, even if I don’t know him that well. Neither of our families are…around.”

“Ah.”

Gallus blinked and stared at Sandbar in confusion. “‘Ah’? That’s all you can say?”

“Well, yeah?” Sandbar answered, puzzled by the question.

“I… You… Okay,” he sighed, shaking his head and looking back at the ground.

Sandbar looked at him curiously before shrugging and reclining against the bench, basking in the warm sunlight and relaxing his own tired hooves.

Gallus looked back at Sandbar out of the corner of his eye, seeing only a tranquil smile upon the stallion’s muzzle. He then turned his sights toward the Friendship School, remembering his confession to them about his breakdown and each of their reactions. A moment later, he gazed back at the ground, thinking.

Everything is fine, Gallus, he told himself. Sandbar clearly thinks you’re doing okay, and why wouldn’t he? You are okay! Today has been a perfectly normal day!

Exploring Ponyville? Normal.

Gabby showing up and delivering mail from Gruff? Normal!

Disappointment that Gruff would rather hide away in Griffonstone than see me do something I enjoy!? Normal! Even if it shouldn’t be, he admitted, scowling in furious sorrow.

Sandbar’s voice broke through his current thought train, asking, “Gallus? You in there, buddy?”

“Huh!” Gallus yelped, scrambling to regain his practiced smirk and erase all traces of his other feelings. “Sorry, Sandy. I was thinking about something else and zoned out. What were you saying?”

“Oh. Sorry for interrupting. I just remembered that I hadn’t apologized for not being able to attend your play either,” he said, frowning awkwardly.

“O-Oh. Nah, it’s nothing to worry about, Sandbar,” Gallus weakly assured. “I know you and everycreature else would have come if you could. But train tickets are expensive, and I’d rather you have Bits for the trees and ecosystem than one wasted night of watching me bomb.”

“Uh, you didn’t bomb. At least, according to everycreature I heard talk about it.”

Gallus flinched, realizing he had done it again. “Yeah. I know.”

“If you know then why are you saying otherwise?” he inquired, perplexed. “Or did something happen I don’t know about?”

“Nope, nothing happened; I’m just being, er, self-deprecating,” Gallus explained, trying his best to not dwell on Sandbar’s specific choice of phrasing.

“Why?”

“I’d rather degrade my own abilities than risk overselling them,” he randomly suggested. The moment those words left his beak, he winced, knowing the paranoia he had surely just wrought.

“You don’t have to degrade your abilities to not oversell them. Just don’t oversell them,” Sandbar advised nonchalantly.

“Of course,” Gallus said sarcastically, face-clawing. “It’s so simple; why didn’t I think of that?”

“Probably because you were too busy thinking of the other thing?”

Just confess how scared for me you are and get it over with! “…Yes. Yes, that must be it.”

“Knew it.”

“Congratulations, Sandy, you knew it.”

“Aw, thanks, Gallus. Glad to know my mom’s and Yona’s advice helped,” Sandbar said merrily, closing his eyes and reclining against the bench again.

Gallus stared at the pony for a solid minute until he turned his gaze into nothingness, trying desperately to comprehend what had just happened.

So, Sandbar clearly sees I’m upset, but… Doesn’t ask if I’m okay, doesn’t freak-out and blame himself for me being upset, and doesn’t have a panic attack that I won’t stop being upset.

…

HOW THE PECK!? Gallus screamed into the corners of his mind. How can Sandbar sit there and accept I’m fine!? No paranoia, no lingering worries… Nothing!? How!? Not even Silver is— He shook his head, banishing that thought. No better way to find out than to ask, I suppose.

“Okay, how do you do that?”

“Hmm? How do I do what?” Sandbar asked, meeting his friend’s gaze.

“Act so… Is it ‘chill’? Is ‘chill’ the right word?”

Sandbar said nothing.

“Maybe it’s not that word. But, like… How are you so calm? Is that a better one?”

“Calm about what?”

“Everything!”

“…I think I’m going to need more context, Gallus.”

Well, peck! How am I supposed to answer that without screwing everything up and making him paranoid even though he currently isn’t!?

…You shouldn’t feel the need to force yourself to pick and choose what you can or can’t say or think because you want them to be happy before yourself, he remembered, gulping nervously.

Gallus closed his eyes and took another breath, telling himself, Calm down, Gallus. We’re talking to Sandbar; there’s no need to get so worked up. Nor try to micromanage his feelings.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized softly.

“Okay, now I’m even more confused. What are you asking, and why are apologizing?”

“I’m apologizing for lying just now,” Gallus said, flicking his tail anxiously. “And I’m asking how you’re able to act like everything is back to normal even though it’s… Not.”

Sandbar blinked. He blinked again. Suddenly, his eyes widened as what Gallus meant finally dawned on him. “Okay… Please continue elaborating?” he requested calmly.

And I made him paranoid. Good job, Gal—nope, I’m not going to think that! I shouldn’t think that; I should be better enough to not think that! “Look, I know I didn’t suck at the play, alright?” Gallus confessed warily. “I only said that because… Well? Honestly, I don’t know why I said that.”

“Oh. Well, that’s okay,” Sandbar gently comforted. “Everycreature has things they say without knowing why they say them.”

“Is that more of your parents’ advice?”

“Nope, that’s my uncle’s.”

Gallus snorted.

“But, uh, as to that second statement…?” he asked hesitantly.

And. Here. We. Go. “Right. Look, I don’t know how to explain this, so please bear with me?”

“Of course!”

“Thanks.” Deciding it would be best to be fully honest from the start, Gallus admitted, “Sandbar, Silver is still worried about me. And while I know they’re not as afraid as they were anymore, I know Yona and Ocellus are still worried too. And then there’s Smolder who still isn’t talking to me,” he added, flinching at the memory of his most recent exposure to her silent treatment. “And I know it’s been a while since Friends and Family Day, but everything is still…” he trailed off, sighing.

“My friends are still worried,” Gallus eventually continued. “I’m still worried! And it doesn’t help when I either don’t know what to do for my second date with Silver or can’t afford to do what I want! Not to mention I suck at dancing and got you coated in paint,” he mumbled, slumping.

“You’re not that bad at dancing; you just need more practice. And everycreature needs to practice at something before they’re good at it,” Sandbar acknowledged wisely. “Plus, I already forgave you for the paint thing, and like you said, Yona can totally fix this up.”

“And if she can’t?”

“Assuming there exists a single, worst possible timeline in the whole of the multiverse where Yona would ever fail at anything, and we live in that world? Eh. I was due for a mane-cut anyway.”

Gallus couldn’t help but laugh.

“But just to make sure I’m getting it?” Sandbar began cautiously. “You’re saying that everything is not okay? Because dating is hard and the others are worried about you?”

“It’s a lot of little things,” Gallus tried to explain. “A bunch of little things all getting thrown out of whack at the same time, and…” he sighed again.

“I just want everything to go back to the way it was, you know?” he resumed, shrugging. “I want Silver to be happy and optimistic again, not panicky and worried; I want Smolder to talk to me again, not look away every time I wave hello; and I want my second date with Silver to be absolutely perfect, not a complete disaster. Why do you think I asked you to help me out with Dance Class?”

“So you could have a partner you knew instead of some random pony from down the lane?”

“Okay, that too,” Gallus agreed, earning a bark of laughter. “But seriously, Sandy, I want everything to go back to normal. I want to be normal! And you know what else I want, er, wanted?”

Sandbar’s grin drooped a little as he guessed, “You wanted us to be there for your play?”

“I wanted Gruff to be there for my play,” he corrected. “But no. Instead, he’d rather hide away in that stupid hovel than come to watch me and my friends perform in Canterlot and risk encouraging me. All because I apparently don’t need to know he’s proud of me,” he angrily growled.

“Okay, hold on. I think I’m lacking some context here again,” Sandbar pointed out softly. “I thought you said Gruff wasn’t your real grandpa?”

“He isn’t.”

“Then why does it matter if he’s proud of you?”

“…Because he’s the closest thing I have to one,” Gallus mumbled, rubbing at his eye.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. ‘Oh.’”

…

Gallus soon felt Sandbar place his hoof on his shoulder consolingly. He then said, “Sorry, dude. I didn’t know you felt that way about the guy.”

“It’s okay, Sandbar. To be honest, I’m not sure I know how I feel about Gruff. I don’t even know why I suddenly care so much anyway,” Gallus admitted, wincing. “I just wished he’d have been there for our play. I should really know better than to get my hopes up, huh?”

“No…? It’s totally fine to have hope, dude.”

“Even in something that clearly will never happen?”

Sandbar shrugged and answered, “Yeah.”

Gallus stared at him and stated, “See, this is why I asked you how you do it.”

“Do what exactly?”

“Act like everything is normal even when it’s not,” he repeated. “Or… Now that it’s not anymore.” Gallus rubbed his temples and acknowledged, “Sandbar? You know you’ve been the least paranoid of all my friends, right?”

“I have?”

“Did you not hear a word I said about Ocellus and Yona still being worried, Smolder shutting me out, and Silverstream… And Silver… But then there’s you,” Gallus chose to say instead. “You talked about your awesome parents in front of me. You didn’t have a panic attack when I self-deprecated again! And you’ve been sitting here listening to me ramble for hours!”

“Uh, you haven’t been talking to me for hours. It’s only been, like, ten minutes.”

“Yeah, well, it feels like it took hours to figure out what to say.”

“Huh. Relativity is weird,” Sandbar stated completely out of nowhere.

“Well, you’re not wrong,” Gallus agreed, remembering the time Ocellus had tried to explain it.

“Oh, so I did use the right word? Yes!” he cheered. “Sci-Fi movies for the win!”

Gallus rolled his eyes and concluded, “And that is what I’m talking about; I’m literally dumping all of my problems on you, and you’re not panicking at all! Like… How!? You know what? When you guys first found out about everything, and I said I was doing better? You believed me just like that!” he said, snapping his talons. “How, Sandbar?”

Sandbar put his hoof to his chin, humming in thought. “I don’t know,” he eventually answered.

“You don’t know?” he echoed back.

“Well, I’m just not sure how to really answer that. I mean… The reason I believed you when you said you were doing better was that you said were doing better,” Sandbar acknowledged as if it were that simple.

“Sooo? What? You’re saying you trusted that I was telling the truth?”

“Yeah.”

Gallus blinked, completely taken aback. “And you didn’t suspect I was lying to make you all feel better?” he inquired, thinking back on his conversations with Ocellus and Silverstream.

“The thought did cross my mind once or twice,” he admitted hesitantly. “But then I remembered that you’re you. You’d never lie about something as serious as mental health.”

“I had already lied once before,” he argued, still not accepting Sandbar’s apparent trust.

“True. But the Yaks have a pretty cool saying: An inclination toward falsehood is not equatable to an unpreparedness for veracity,” he recited sagely. “Basically, it means some creatures lie not because they want to hurt somecreature else, but because they’re not ready to accept or tell the truth.”

“And that means what exactly?” Gallus asked, shrugging aggressively.

“I guess in this instance, you didn’t lie because you wanted to mess our friendship up or something. You just didn’t tell us you were upset because you weren’t ready to,” he explained calmly.

“And— And you didn’t just expect I was lying again anyway!?”

“Nope, I didn’t. But if you did, it’d probably be because you still weren’t ready to talk about your problems yet then either. Kind of like Smolder and that dress horde she has.” Sandbar blinked. “I probably shouldn’t have said that,” he whispered fearfully, looking over his shoulder.

“And if I had done that, what then!? When would I have been ready to talk about my problems!?” he demanded, searching Sandbar for even a single hint of dishonesty.

“When you were ready,” he said, turning back to Gallus. “If you weren’t ready to talk about something then you weren’t ready to talk about something. I don’t think there’s any shame in that.”

Gallus reeled back and gaped, trying to process that statement. “You mean that? You genuinely mean that?” he asked disbelievingly. “That’s why you’ve been acting like everything is fine? Because this entire time, you’ve believed me when I said I was doing better?”

“Uh, yeah? Why wouldn’t I?”

“Even though I lied to all of you…! Even though I was miserable, had a meltdown, and hid it from you all…! Even though I’m a griffon…! In spite of all of that, you still trusted me?”

“I feel like we’ve been here before; have we been here before?”

“Answer the question, Sandbar!”

“Yes! Yes, again!” he quickly confirmed. “And also again, why wouldn’t I?”

Gallus wrapped his talons around Sandbar’s torso and proceeded to squeeze the life out of the pony. The hug lasted for all of five seconds before he pushed the stallion away and squawked, “Okay, that’s enough hugging; don’t tell any creature about this!”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Sandbar assured, glad to be able to breathe again. “So, uh, if you don’t mind me asking…? Why is me trusting in you such a surprise?”

Because even Silverstream doesn’t. “Like I said, Sandbar, everything is messed up right now, and… And I know I shouldn’t blame myself, but there’s still a part of me that knows all of this is technically my fault,” Gallus explained wistfully. “So, seeing that something—Anything!—remained normal after my breakdown? It’s… It’s relieving.”

Sandbar tilted his head in confusion, asking, “So the others have been worried about you because they thought you were lying?”

“I’m not sure about Yona or Smolder, but Ocellus certainly was paranoid that I had been. And Silverstream is… She’s… She…” he struggled to elaborate before giving up and falling silent.

“Hey, don’t worry, dude. I get it,” he said, placing his hoof on the griffon’s shoulder again.

Gallus sighed. “I shouldn’t put all of this on you out of nowhere, Sandbar; I’m sorry! I just… I just needed somecreature to talk to about this. … Other than Headmare Starlight,” he added.

“Again, I get it. Don’t worry.” Sandbar was quiet a moment until he murmured, “I’m sorry I talked about my parents to you. I didn’t even think you would be uncomfortable with—”

“Don’t, Sandy,” Gallus commanded sternly. “Don’t be sorry. You don’t need to feel sorry for loving your parents on my account. I only brought it up as an example.”

Sandbar stared at him for a moment before saying, “Alright. But, uh, if I ever do start, er, talking too much again? Will you let me know so I stop?”

“Don’t worry. I know not to hide my feelings; I’m just bad at it.”

“Everycreature is bad at everything when they begin. It’s only after they practice and learn do they get better,” he commented sagely.

“Another Yak saying? Or your family’s?”

“Nope, that’s one of mine.”

“Heh. It’s a pretty good one too.”

“Aw, thanks, Gallus!”

The two shared a quiet chuckle.

“…So, were we done with the date stuff then?” Sandbar suddenly asked.

“Uh. I guess so?” Gallus answered, thrown off by the question. “At least with the first and second lists. I can, uh, finish the third through the twenty-fifth on my own, I guess…”

“Oh-ho-ho, no! I’m helping you with those too!” he vowed. “I just want to make sure we’re done with everything before we head back to my house.”

“…What?” he asked, trying to understand Sandbar’s current mental gymnastics.

Sandbar thought for another moment and began, “Gallus, look. I’m not going to deny that I don’t understand half of the stuff you’re going through either. I don’t know what to tell you to make you feel better about Gruff not being there for you in Canterlot or how to make you not feel like it’s your fault the others are worried about you… I don’t know how to help solve that,” he admitted sadly.

Before Gallus could reply, Sandbar continued enthusiastically, “However! I’m still your friend! So while I may not be able to solve all of your problems, I can at least help you solve some of them!” He then stood up and faced Gallus, clearing his throat and reciting, “Cross my heart! Hope to fly! Stick a cupcake in my eye! I Pinkie Promise I’m going to help you out as best I can!”

Gallus leaned back in awe of the usually calm stallion’s sudden determination. He then smiled gratefully and said, “Thanks, Sandbar. Just, thanks. … But, uh, what exactly are you talking about, because now I’m confused.”

“You know how earlier you were annoyed that your room was empty and bare now that you got the Princess’s letters all cleaned up?”

He remembered that? “Uh, yeah?”

“I’ve got an idea of what we can put in your room first,” Sandbar said, smirking deviously.

***

“Seriously, Sandbar, you don’t have to do this!”

“Nope, I Pinkie Promised. And you never break a Pinkie Promise,” Sandbar argued, grunting in exertion. “Not that I would want to anyway. Now come help me hang this thing up, would ya!”

“I don’t feel comfortable with this,” Gallus repeated, hurrying to his friend’s aid.

“It’s just a mirror, Gallus; what’s the problem?”

“It’s your mirror!”

“And I’m giving it to you!”

“But it’s the mirror you made for Friends and Family Day!”

“And you’re my friend!”

“Yeah, but…! This is just too much, Sandy,” he said guiltily. “This is the thing you made for your family, and—”

“And you are as good as family to me,” Sandbar stated bluntly. After a brief silence, he nodded at the mirror, saying, “Now c’mon. I think we’ve almost got it on the hook.”

Gallus silently pushed the mirror up a tad more until it jerked. After another round of jostling, the mirror fell into place against the wall of his bedroom with a resounding clunk.

Reflected back at them from within a circlet of glass, mahogany, and macaroni were the smiles of both a sea green earth pony and a sky blue griffon.

“Okay, it is a pretty cool mirror,” the latter acknowledged quietly. “Even if macaroni isn’t exactly my favorite food.”

“What do you mean by…? Oh! Oh,” Sandbar groaned, remembering their first Generosity Class after the holiday. “You do know Professor Rarity was giving me too much credit, right?”

“Nonsense! This totally ‘visually encapsulates your love for your friends and family.’”

Sandbar blinked then rubbed his mane awkwardly.

“Besides, you’re practically forcing it on me, so I certainly hope that’s what it’s meant to convey,” he concluded jokingly.

“…Gallus, are you okay with the mirror or not?” Sandbar asked gently. “Because if you really don’t like it, I’ll take it back; I don’t want to come across like I’m ‘forcing’ you to have it.”

“It’s fine, Sandbar,” Gallus said, smiling more genuinely. “I am really grateful for the gift. It’s just… I don’t feel like I deserve it. This was your creative expression for your family, not me.”

“No offense, Gallus? But you might need to go to the ear doctor.”

Gallus snorted.

“Don’t laugh; I’m serious!” he continued. “With how much I keep having to tell you you’re family to me, I’m not sure if you either aren’t paying attention or legitimately can’t hear me.”

“I can hear you, Sandy; I can hear you. Just a personal hang-up is all.” One I shouldn’t have.

“Well, that’s good to know.”

“That I have a personal hang-up?”

“That you can hear me,” Sandbar corrected. “And if it helps? November was completely spot-on when he said I had just bought a mirror and glued macaroni to it. I mean, I technically bought the mirror for my mom, but then my sister found where we kept our macaroni and decided to ‘help’ me out. With glue. My dad’s special, name-brand, industrial glue.”

“Your sister didn’t try to eat it, did she?” Gallus asked, chuckling slightly.

“No, she’s old enough to know better than to do that. Just not old enough to know better than to touch my stuff without permission,” he added, shaking his head exasperatedly.

“Heh-heh.” After a moment, Gallus went to his desk and opened a drawer, saying, “At least let me reimburse you so you can get your mom a new mirror. Here, I think I have enough Bits to—”

“No, Gallus!” Sandbar protested, leaving no room for objection. “Those are your Bits, and you’re going to spend them on something else. Like a poster, or a concert ticket, or—better yet!—for your date with Silverstream,” he suggested. “There’s only so far coupons can go, you know.”

“Yeah, but—”

“No ‘buts’! I’m not going to make you waste your Bits on a dumb mirror when you need them. This is a gift. From me. To you,” he stressed emphatically. “Generosity 101, dude.”

Gallus paused for a moment before sighing in defeat. “Thanks, Sandbar, I really appreciate it. But just so you know? I am going to pay you back for this.”

“Pay me back by giving Silver a good time on your second date,” he requested smugly.

“Heh. I was already planning on it.”

“Good. … Well! Now that that’s settled, there’s one more thing I wanted to do with the mirror.”

“And that was?”

“You know how Headmare Starlight has her own mirror, but it has pictures of her friends on it?” he said, holding up an envelope.

“…You don’t mean…?”

“Yep! I’ve got photos of everything from the school’s reopening after Tirek and his cronies attacked, to when we all saw you guys off for the play in Canterlot.”

Gallus stared at Sandbar in pure disbelief for a moment until he finally blurted out, “How!?”

“Yearbook,” Sandbar answered plainly.

“May I?”

“Sure, here ya go,” he said, passing the envelope over. “There’s over four dozen in there, so let me know which ones you want—”

A gentle knock at the door interrupted them.

Gallus and Sandbar exchanged glances before the former said, “Come in.”

The door creaked open, allowing Silverstream’s head to peek through. She then caught sight of Gallus and beamed, saying, “I thought I heard your voices. Hey, Gallus; hey, Sandbar.”

“Hey, Silver,” Gallus greeted, trying to quash the uneasiness that had returned. “How are you doing?”

“I’m great,” she answered, dashing over and giving him a quick hug. “You?”

“I’m good,” he said, reciprocating her hug. “What have you been up to today?”

“Oh, nothing. Just hanging out with Yona and Scoop,” she answered casually. She then looked at the newest addition to his room and asked, “Are you and Sandbar switching rooms or something?”

“Nah, I’m just giving him my mirror,” Sandbar clarified. “I don’t need it anymore, and he asked if he could have it,” he lied.

“Really? Gallus, I didn’t know you liked to be symbolically surrounded by macaroni!” Silver playfully proclaimed. “I guess now I know what our next cooking lesson will be on.”

“Yeah, well…” Gallus couldn’t think of anything to say in his defense, so he opted to change the subject by asking, “So you hung out with Scoop, huh?”

“Uh-huh,” she confirmed, giving him a knowing smirk.

“I’m betting she spoiled you on what else I was doing today?”

“Maaaybe! Is it too much to ask what you’ve got planned so far?” Silver softly prodded.

Well, at least she didn’t end it with: If that’s okay with you. Or something similar, Gallus noted, finding a bit of relief in that. “Why, Silver! I thought you wanted it to be a surprise?” he joked.

“Oh, definitely! But according to, uh, what number was it again?” she mumbled, pulling one of Cadence’s letters out of her bag. “Ah! According to Advice Thirty-three, knowing what the date entails is essential to determining the proper attire.”

That reminds me, I need to ask Yona for a suit. “Well, I’m still trying to figure out all the minute details, but I have at least some of them sorted out. I’ll run everything by you before I decide an actual schedule for the day.”

“I suppose that’s acceptable,” Silver said formally. “And by that I mean: Scoop will probably leave me alone now that I’ve confirmed that,” she deadpanned. “Speaking of which! Gallus, you think bowling can be romantic, right?”

First stop confirmed! “Totally. On that note, how do you feel about the aquarium?”

“Well, I would certainly hope you plan to take me there!” she answered excitedly. “I don’t know if you know this, but there are so many differences between Equestria and Seaquestria’s knowledge of the ocean! Seriously, it’s astounding!” she squealed. Silverstream then coughed and bashfully advised, “Just try to save it for the third date since we’d be there all day if we did go.”

Don’t say it, Sandbar. Don’t say it, Sandbar. Don’t say it, Sandbar.

“Told you so,” the stallion said, giving him a friendly nudge.

Dang it, Sandbar!

“Huh? Wait a minute,” she began, looking at the two suspiciously. “Sandbar, were you helping Gallus figure out what to do for our next date?”

“Maaaybe.”

“Hmm. Well, I guess I’ll just have to tell Yona that then,” she said with a sly smile. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate her boyfriend being an awesome friend to mine.”

Translation: Sandbar, you’re in for a kiss, Gallus thought, giving the pony a smirk.

“Uh, thanks?” he said, not getting it quite yet. “Speaking of Yona, where is she anyway?”

“She went to the post office to mail a tape of our play to her family. They might have come to the play, but Yona wanted the rest of Yakyakistan to see her performance too,” Silver explained. She then noticed Gallus and Sandbar had both gone still and asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Hold on, our play was recorded?” Gallus asked hopefully.

“Mhmm. Princess Twilight sent copies for all of us. Oh, I almost forgot!” she said, extracting a video tape from her bag and passing to Gallus. “This one’s yours, Gallus. Headmare Starlight caught me when I came back to the dormitories and asked that I give it to you.”

Gallus gingerly took the item into his talons and looked it over, gaping. He then held it up and gave Sandbar the same shocked expression. The pony merely calmly shrugged, so he turned back to Silver and joked, “Silverstream, how are you always the solution to all of my problems?”

“‘P-Problems’?” she repeated in a cracked voice.

Phrasing, Gallus! Phrasing! he rebuked himself, quickly clarifying, “I’m gonna pull a Yona and send this thing to Gramps since he was a no-show that night.”

“Oh!” she chirped, visibly relieved. “Wait, he wasn’t there? I thought you asked him to be?”

“And he was a no-show.”

“Oh. Sorry, Gallus,” she murmured.

“Eh, no big deal. At least, not anymore. But on that note? Sandbar, Ocellus, and Smolder didn’t get a chance to see us either, you know,” he suggested coyly, holding up the tape.

Silverstream stared at him blankly before gasping in realization and asking, “Movie night!?”

“Movie night,” he agreed happily.

“YES!” Silver shouted, giving Gallus another hug. “It’s been a looooong time since we last did that! Okay, standard procedure?” she guessed, looking to Sandbar for confirmation.

“My place. I’ll make the food and drinks,” he said.

“And kick the Great and Powerful September Tempest out too,” Gallus reminded him.

“That too.”

“I’ll get Yona,” Silver volunteered, choosing not to ask about the “September Tempest” line.

“And I’ll get Ocellus and Smolder,” Gallus said, feeling a flare of anxiety flicker to life upon muttering the latter’s name. “Meet up in ten minutes?”

“Meet up in ten minutes,” they echoed back, hurrying out the door to do their respective tasks. Gallus followed suite, closing his door after one last grateful glance at Sandbar’s gift.

After waving back to Silverstream before she rounded the corner, Gallus trotted up to his friend’s bedroom. Before he finished approaching, the changeling poked her head through the open door, asking excitedly, “Movie night!?”

“And here I thought you were an emotion reader, Ocellus,” he quipped, coming to a stop in front of her door. “But nope, you’re a mind reader too apparently.”

Her warm smile vanished instantly as she frantically stuttered, “T-That— I k-keep telling you guys that th-that’s not how it works!”

“And yet you never tell us how it actually works,” Gallus fired back.

Ocellus reeled back and proceeded to look away, biting her lip.

“…Okay, okay! Sorry,” he apologized, seeing her discomfort. “I didn’t mean any offense.”

“No, no, I know! Sorry. My door was cracked, s-so I heard you guys talking about the movie night,” she explained nervously. “Totally has absolutely nothing to do with mind-reading! Heh-heh-heh,” Ocellus laughed weakly.

“Okaaay… So, what’s your answer?” Gallus asked, ignoring her weird nervousness.

“Well, I am almost done with explaining the foundation of the third tier of our second teleportation matrix model,” she stated slowly. “But I am kind of tired, and you seem pretty excited, so yeah! I can finish it tomorrow. Standard procedure, I presume?”

“Sandbar’s place. Ten minutes.”

“Got it.” Ocellus then looked at Smolder’s door and frowned worriedly. “Uh, do you want me to talk to her, or…?” she offered timidly.

Gallus considered it for a moment before shaking his head, saying, “Nah. I’ve got it. You go on ahead; we’ll catch up.”

“Okay,” she slowly conceded. “Meet you at Sandbar’s.”

“Meet you at Sandbar’s,” he echoed, waiting for her to disappear down the corridor. He then cautiously approached Smolder’s door and stared at it.

…

Gallus looked out of the corner of his eye, expecting some half-formed, imaginary ghost to be standing there, smiling maliciously. Of course, like every other time he had done it in recent times, he found no such phantasm.

Encouraged by that fact, he took a deep breath and thought to himself, She’s your friend, Gallus, and your hers. Silent treatment or no… You’re friends.

No more cowardice, he concluded as he knocked on the door.

…

He knocked again, a little less gently this time.

“C-Coming!” she blurted out.

Gallus then heard the telltale sound of books falling and a dragon tripping. That was quickly followed by a rather loud swear that he hoped went unheard by both his teachers and fellow students.

Eventually, Smolder opened her door and froze upon seeing just who waited on the other side.

“Gallus! Uh, er, uh… Hi!” she yelped nervously.

“Hey, Smolder,” he greeted as confidently as he could. Please don’t shut me out; please don’t shut me out; please don’t shut me out! “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing fine,” she answered neutrally. Smolder then shot a panicked glance back at the sea of books currently hiding her bedroom floor.

Gallus had just enough time to recognize some of the titles were from the Psychology section before she slammed her door shut and leaned against it protectively, crossing her claws. “How about you?” she asked, deflecting away from her previous action.

“Good,” he answered, choosing not to ask further.

…

Ah, awkward silence! Truly the best way to interact with my friends, Gallus sarcastically lamented. “So, how’s your Science Fair project going?” he tried.

“Eh. Well eno—I mean! Fine! Just fine,” she course-corrected. “Yours?”

“Practical part is done. Now Ocellus and I just have to finish the written part.”

“Good… Good…”

Just get to the point, Gallus. “Okay, so you know how Silver, Yona, and I went to Canterlot a few days ago to do a play?”

Smolder seemed to perk up a bit, saying, “Yeah! I heard you guys were great! … Sorry about not being there,” she murmured, scowling at the floor.

“You don’t need to apologize, Smolder,” he calmly assured. “I get it.”

If he didn’t know any better, Gallus would have thought he saw Smolder flinch.

“Yeah, well… I still feel like apologizing,” she countered. After a brief stretch of silence, she added, “I mean, we’re friends! The least I could have done is come and cheer you on, right?”

YES! Gallus mentally celebrated. She does still think of me as her friend! “Aw, thanks, Smolder. I really appreciate that,” he admitted.

She finally tore her gaze from the floor, staring at him in surprise. “Uh, you’re welcome?” she offered briskly.

“Mhmm. But, uh…? Do you still want to watch me and the others perform?”

Smolder blinked and asked, “Wait, are you guys performing The Epoch of Majesty Serendipity Daydream for the school too?”

“Try: Princess Twilight recorded our play and sent us all tapes,” he clarified.

Smolder stood there, blinking owlishly at him for almost a minute before she sighed. “Look, Gallus…? I… I can’t. I’ve got, er, studying to do. And, well…”

No, no, no! “Smolder,” he began carefully. “I know you and I are still… Whatever it is that’s going on between us…”

Smolder flinched.

“Look, I get it. I’m not asking you to figure out what it is you want to say to me or anything. I’m just asking you come and watch our play with us tonight. Like we used to,” he appealed softly.

She looked at him for all of a second before nervously averting her eyes again. After another moment of silence, she took a deep breath and said, “So… Basically, movie night, huh?”

Oh thank Grover! “Movie night.”

“Heh. Been a long time since we had one of those.”

“Yeah, well, it’s about time we did something normal for a change, don’t ya think?” he asked with a shrug. “You know, instead of stopping world-ending threats and resurrecting ancient god trees.”

Smolder snickered. “You’re not wrong. Standard procedure?” she asked, visibly relaxing.

“Standard procedure.”

“Sandbar’s place?”

“Sandbar’s place.”

…

“Well? What are we waiting here for?” she inquired rhetorically. “Let’s go get some popcorn and watch you, Yona, and Silver rock a play!”

I guess things really are returning to normal, he thought, nearly exploding in relief. Bit-by-bit. Step-by-step. Everything is becoming okay again. “You know it,” he said, smiling happily.

Smolder chuckled quietly.

“You wanna race?” Gallus asked as his smile became decidedly more competitive. “Winner gets to watch the show in Sandy’s recliner?”

After a moment of silence, she grinned confidently, proclaiming, “Ha! You’re on, fluffy boy!”

“On three?”

“On three!”

“One…!”

“Two…!

“THREE!”

They both flared their wings and streaked through the halls of the Friendship School.

Author's Note

Ah, Chapter Five. I don't have much to comment on about this chapter at the moment, but I really enjoyed writing this one!

So, I have some good and bad news: The good news is that I'm now beginning work on Ch. 8! The first of the last three(Possibly four) chapters. Which means, that once I finish that last one, I can just post them all within about a week, rather than make you all wait a month between each of them!

As for the bad news? These last few chapters are ones I want to put a lot of extra work into! And I unfortunately fell behind a bit with writing Ch. 7. Mostly IRL stuff, but nothing too worrisome, and I do have that chapter finished just in case.
All that said? As annoying as it is to do this… The next chapter won't come until around the 25th - 27th of September. I'm sorry; I know some of you probably find that disappointing, but I really feel I need the extra time to perfect these last few chapters as best I can.

Anyway, for those wondering what character "Gavin" was. He was the kid griffon we saw back in Gallus' Blue Moon flashback:

Thank you all for reading the newest chapter; I hope you all liked it! And as always! All thoughts and criticisms are welcomed and appreciated!

NEXT TIME: I'm gonna be needlessly vague in a fruitless effort to seem smarter than I actually am! So, here are five random words to describe what's going to go down in Ch. 6: Tie, review, fight, ghost, moon.
Have fun!

Chapter Six: Stagnation

“Okay, now turn around for Yona.”

Gallus turned to the right.

“Turn other way please.”

Gallus turned to the left.

“Hmm…? Hold on! Ah-ha!” Yona proceeded to fiddle with a random seam in the side of the suit, declaring, “There! Now, please face forward.”

He did as instructed, desperately keeping his aching body as still as possible.

“Mhmm, mhmm! Yona love it; Yona love it,” she chanted to herself, gazing over every inch of his body as if he were a Bit. “Okay, Gallus, spread wings for Yona please.”

Gallus did so, trying to ignore the tingling sensation of both appendages awakening from their frozen slumber. He then twitched nervously when she gently tapped them with her hooves.

“Yona, why are you doing that?” he asked, unable to stay quiet.

“Seeing which feathers Gallus need preened. Also how wings fit in suit sleeves,” she clarified, too busy observing the latter item to register his uneasy grimace.

“Oh.” For the love of Grover’s Treasure! Somecreature save me from my crazy friend and her pecking sewing kit! Gallus silently begged the world.

The Carousel Boutique’s doors didn’t so much as twitch.

Figures.

Several more uncomfortable minutes passed by before Yona finally allowed him to fold his wings back down, much to his relief. She then pointed to the nearby mirrors and said, “Okay, now what does Gallus think of suit?”

It was a relatively simple affair: A deep ebony suit with dark indigo highlights and a snowy white dress shirt worn beneath it. And yet, for as simple as it was, it was undeniably glorious.

All-in-all, Gallus found himself looking more formal than he ever had in his entire life before this moment, and considering Yona hadn’t even finished yet…?

Oh yeah, I really think Silver is going to like this, Gallus thought to himself, weakly smiling at his reflection. Eat it, Gruff; I look dapper as peck!

“Would you believe me if I said it were comparable to the creation of a deity?” he asked.

“Yona would be flattered but not convinced. Yona good, but Yona not that good. … Yet!” she declared, her eyes brimming in determination.

“Well, I beg to differ; this is amazing, Yona!” Gallus praised, looking over himself once more in appreciation. “Thank you so much! Seriously, how do I repay you? How much do you—”

“No!” Yona shouted, stamping her hoof down. “Yona already tell Gallus Yona neither need nor accept any repayment.”

“Yeah, but…” He turned his gaze back to her and gestured toward himself. “Look at this! Look at what you made; you can’t just do all that hard work and expect nothing in return!”

“Yona expect only one thing return, and that’s Gallus and Silverstream both having fun on second date,” she countered with a happy smile. “Repay Yona with that.”

Gallus snorted and shook his head, thinking, Yona and Sandbar really are meant for each other.

“So suit does feel well?” she asked again.

“It feels wonderful!” he answered, turning in place once more and savoring the unrestricted looseness of the ensemble. He gently flapped his wings again, feeling no resistance whatsoever. “It’s not uncomfortable or tight in the slightest.”

“Hee-hee! Professor Rarity know everything about making attire comfy for all creatures,” Yona proudly proclaimed. “Even griffons. Which reminds Yona… Gallus not overheated, right?”

Gallus blinked and remembered what she was referring to.

“Uh, no. Not at all, Yona,” he assured, shaking his head confidently. “How’d you do it?”

“Trade secret,” she answered unabashedly.

“I probably should’ve expected that answer, huh?”

Yona tittered as she looked over the suit once more, saying, “Alright. Yona think suit finally finished. A few last touches needed, but otherwise, Gallus ready for second date.”

“Well, clothes-wise, sure…”

“Are date plans not coming along okay? Yona can help Gallus if friends would like!”

“Hate to curb your enthusiasm, Yona, but I’m getting most of it figured it out. The problem is—” Yeah, no! Not admitting financial concerns to the yak who just gave me a suit like this for free. “—deciding which places to actually go for the second date,” he half-lied.

“Where Gallus currently planning to go?” she asked with less subtlety than Discord.

“Nice try, Yona, but I’m not letting you spoil anything for Silver.”

“Curses! Foiled again!” Yona exclaimed with a pointedly pronounced pout. “Gallus can’t tell Yona even little bit of friend’s plans?”

“Sorry. It’s a secret,” Gallus claimed, giving her a smug grin.

“Oh, fine, don’t tell Yona; Gallus can keep his secrets!”

“That’s the plan.”

Yona humphed playfully. “Well, either way, Yona think it finally time to decide on ties,” she decided, grabbing a nearby box full of said objects. “Now, does Gallus prefer normal ties or bow-ties?”

“Uh, either or? You’re the expert here, so you decide.”

“Understood. Does Gallus prefer standard or clip-on?”

Gallus frowned and admitted, “Clip-on. I don’t know how to tie a tie.”

“Really?” she asked, not a hint of judgment in her voice.

“Yeah, sorry,” he apologized, feeling a drop of shame anyway.

“Gallus not need to apologize. Yona not know how to tie ties once either, but Yona learn. Does Gallus want Yona to teach him how?” she inquired.

After a moment of thought, he turned his face away from her and said, “Yeah. Why not. It’s not like anygriff else is going to.”

“Yay!” Yona cheered, having not noticed the scowl he now had. “Hold on, let Yona first find tie that would look great on Gallus,” she requested, plunging her face into the depths of the box.

A quarter of an hour had passed by the time Gallus finally figured out how to weave the tie properly without choking himself. But Yona, of course, never did anything halfway, so yet another fifteen minutes was then spent teaching Gallus how to work bow-ties as well.

By the end of it, Gallus was almost ready to explode in sheer embarrassment over his multitude of tie-tying failures. Then again, that feeling diminished significantly once he finally got the hang of it.

“Okay, how Gallus feel now?”

“Snazzy! Dapper! And ten levels of suave!”

In that moment, Yona’s elated grin could rival even Pinkie Pie’s.

“Seriously, you really outdid yourself, Yona,” Gallus said warmly. “Thank you.”

“Hee-hee, of course. Yona best at helping friends,” she boasted, putting away the box of ties. She then trotted back toward him, asking, “So, suit feel good? Tie feel good? Everything good?”

“Pretty sure you already know the answer to that.”

“Yes!” Yona shouted, pumping a hoof into the air. “Ha, Yona best at fashion! … Er, second best, Yona suppose,” she admitted meekly.

“No, no. You had it right the first time.”

“Aw, thanks, Gallus. But sadly, Yona still only second best. Professor Rarity current best, but Yona will catch up. Yona will catch up…” she muttered confidently.

“Well, if you ever need me to model for you again, just ask. I’ve always got more spare time than I know what to do with, and I seriously do owe you one for this thing. And for, you know, putting up with my constant tie fumbling,” he added, flinching awkwardly.

“Yona already said Gallus not need to repay Yona with anything more than giving Silver good time. And Gallus not fumble tie that much,” Yona assuaged honestly.

“Yeah, well… Sorry anyway.”

Yona raised an eyebrow at his unnecessary apology, but she simply shrugged, thinking nothing more of it as she returned to one last inspection of his attire.

Gallus, meanwhile, returned to appraising himself in the mirror. There I am. All fancy and formal and… Feathery.

“‘…You’d get kicked out for being a griffon’ kind of terrible!” he remembered Sandbar saying.

Gallus stopped smiling as memories of Griffonstone played in the back of his mind. Most of them were of Gruff. The others were of…other things.

Unable to take it anymore he blurted out, “Hey, Yona!?” to distract himself however slightly.

“Yeah, Gallus?”

“Thanks for teaching me how to tie a tie.”

“Gallus welcome,” she said brightly. “Yona more than happy to help.”

“Yeah, I know. … Sorry it took me half an hour to learn it.”

“Why Gallus apologizing again?” Yona asked. “Gallus not know how to tie tie, so Yona taught Gallus how. No need to be sorry; after all, Yona not know how to tie tie once too.”

Aw peck, I’m doing that again, aren’t I? “Well, regardless of whether or not I need to, I want to apologize anyway. Pretty sure nocreature else takes half an hour to learn how to do it.”

“Yona took two hours, so…?” she admitted, giving him a questioning look.

“O-Oh. Uh… Sorry?”

“Gallus apologizing a lot today,” Yona acknowledged, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “Did Gallus do something Gallus secretly feel guilty for?”

“Uh, no? At least, I don’t think I did anything wrong.” Other than that.

“So no prank gone awry again?”

“Nope. Been a little too busy as of late with Drama Club, Ocellus, and date plans.”

She giggled and commended, “Well, at least Gallus using time wisely.”

“Heh-heh. Yeah. So, uh, where did you learn how to tie a tie, anyway?”

“Yona once asked Yona’s father if Yona could try tying his one day. Yona’s mother showed Yona after Yona, er, failed miserably.”

Gallus immediately pictured a baby Yona being taught by her parents how to tie a tie and the shenanigans that entailed. Something stirred inside of his chest at the thought. “How badly did you fail?”

“…Yona not want to answer that…”

He chuckled, trying to fight off whatever feeling was building up in the back of his mind again. Of course, as with most feelings, it didn’t go away. And eventually, Gallus determined its cause.

“Can I say something?” he asked, remembering his lessons about bottling his emotions up.

“Sure. Yona listening,” she said, squinting and frowning at a loose stitch in his sleeve.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but… I wish you didn’t have to teach me how to do it,” Gallus said, despondent.

“Tie a tie?” Yona guessed, looking up to meet his eyes.

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“It’s just… For one thing, I should have already known how to do it,” he lamented grumpily.

“Nocreature knows how to do something until they first learn,” she countered smartly.

“That’s…not really what I mean.” Don’t bottle it up, Gallus. “I just wish Grandpa Gruff had taught me how to do it before,” Gallus wistfully clarified. “That’s all.”

“Oh,” Yona muttered. After a painfully silent minute, she admitted, “Sandbar told Yona Gallus also wish Gruff had seen play.”

Dang it, Sandbar! “He did, huh?”

“Mhmm.”

“He, uh, probably could have taught me… If he, uh, wanted to, but he didn’t…” he randomly mumbled. “T-Then again, it’s not like he, uh, had an opportunity to do so, considering we never really had, er, this,” Gallus awkwardly explained, gesturing to Yona’s suit.

“Well, Gallus has suit now! Yona think that what’s important,” Yona decided firmly. “And Gallus know Yona always here to help with suit if Gallus ever ask.”

“Yeah. Thanks again, Yona,” he said, trying to smile again. Gallus somewhat succeeded, but he ended up just ducking his head again while holding in a sigh.

“Yona sorry Gruff not come to play,” she whispered.

“You don’t have to be sorry, Yona,” he quickly said. “It’s not your fault the crotchety, old windbag doesn’t care about me.”

“Maybe, but Yona can still be sorry on friend’s behalf,” she argued softly. “And… Does Gallus really think Grandpa Gruff not care about him?”

“I… I don’t know,” he admitted, shaking his head. “Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t. I just… I really wish he did care.” Or at least care enough to watch me onstage. Guess I’m not really cut out for the actor thing after all, Gallus accepted morosely.

“Maybe Gruff care but really bad at showing it?” Yona suggested, sitting on her haunches and giving Gallus her full attention.

“Heh! Yeah, maybe that’s it. Self-expression isn’t really something griffons are good at unless it involves Bits…” he grumbled, frowning at his reflection again.

“Yona not know much about griffons, but Yona doubt that true. After all, Gallus express himself all the time,” she remarked, giving him a kind smile.

And how will I do that after we graduate!? What am I supposed to do!? Where am I supposed to go!? Who am I— Gallus shook his head and mumbled, “You’re right; I’m just being dumb. Sorry…”

Faster than he could blink, Yona pushed herself up to his eye-level and glared at him with an intensity scarily similar to Rarity when on an inspiration binge.

“Gallus! Not! Dumb!” Yona swore, punctuating each word with a gentle tap against his chest. After a moment of mutual silence, she stepped back down and asked, “Why would Gallus ever think that about himself?”

I did it again!? Gallus realized, recovering from her outburst. Why did I do it again!? “Sorry, Yona. I…” he said. “I don’t think I’m dumb; I just think I’m acting dumb.” That didn’t help, did it?

“Why!?”

“I guess I’m just overreacting or something… It’s not like it matters whether or not Gruff cares about me. It never mattered before, so why would it matter now?” he asked himself more than Yona.

“It not matter why!” Yona claimed. “It not matter if Gallus not care before; Gallus care now, so it matter now!”

“And why do I care now then? Because I don’t know!” Gallus stated, frustrated by that fact. “I mean it, Yona. Why do I care if he is or isn’t there for the Science Fair tomorrow?” he asked tiredly. “I already know he’s not going to show up, so… Why do I suddenly care if Gramps cares about me?”

“Gallus want Gruff to be proud of him,” she answered easily.

Gallus couldn’t think of a response since he was too busy trying to process the statement.

Yona took his silence as permission to continue. “Gallus want Grandpa Gruff to be proud of his accomplishments. His performance in play, and his work with Ocellus. And as far as Yona concerned, that not something to be ashamed of,” she concluded confidently.

“Yeah, but isn’t that bad? Wanting others to be proud of you?” Gallus realized that was absolutely going to be taken the wrong way, so he clarified, “I mean, without earning that pride first! If I had earned it then yeah, but… I clearly didn’t since Gruff didn’t come to see our play,” he ended, feeling his body sag in exhaustion. I just wish I knew what I did wrong.

“Love not need to be earned, Gallus.”

Such a simple sentiment, Yona’s words were. And yet, they managed to rekindle his energy enough for Gallus to protest, “I know that!”

“Then why Gallus suggesting otherwise?”

“I’m not!”

“Yona pretty sure that what Gallus mean by what Gallus saying.”

“No, I mean…!” Gallus face-clawed in frustration. He then blinked and dreaded, Oh peck! Why am I having another ‘bad habit’ moment!? Seriously, I’m better now, so why am I still having them!?

“Okay,” she conceded before he could figure out what to say next. “Maybe Yona misinterpret what Gallus really mean. If so, Yona sorry. Yona just think Gallus not selfish for wanting Gruff to care about him like Yona and friends do.”

After a moment, he muttered, “Sorry, Yona. I really didn’t mean it that way; it’s just…”

“Yona know,” she assured gently. “Yona just not sure Yona fully understand.”

“You’re not the only one… I’m sorry, Yona,” Gallus soon apologized. Again. “I should know better than to get worked up; I—”

“Gallus! Stop apologizing!” she commanded, silencing him instantly. Yona took a small breath to calm down, continuing, “Gallus not need to apologize, nor does Gallus need to be ashamed of speaking his feelings. Yona more than happy to listen to Gallus if it helps, however little.”

Gallus took the chance to calm down himself. After accomplishing that, he said, “Thanks, Yona. I’m still sorry for bringing this all up completely out of nowhere, but… Thank you.”

“Yona not need thanks; Yona just happy Gallus doing better.”

Now if I could only stay better… Gallus groused, hiding his frustration behind a thankful smile.

She then rose back to her hooves and returned to examining his suit, immediately mending the loose stitch she had spotted earlier. After yet another twenty minutes of adjustments, Yona deemed her job completed and had Gallus take it off.

“Now, Yona will keep suit ready for second date,” Yona vowed. “Gallus just remember to let Yona know one week ahead of time, okay?” she requested, placing the bundle away to fix up later.

“On it. Thanks again, Yona.”

“Yona still not need thanks.”

“Well, I’m giving it anyway; you deserve it.”

“Hee-hee, and Gallus deserve this!” she declared before snatching him into a bone-cracking hug.

After squeezing all the oxygen out of his lungs, Yona released him. Gallus then panted for a moment before asking, “I deserved to have to my spine compacted?”

“Yona not hug Gallus that hard!”

“You underestimate your own strength,” he quipped, smirking.

“Well, Yona best hugger. Okay, Yona second best hugger, but Pinkie Pie hold title for years!”

“Either way, I’m sure Sandbar appreciates them.”

“Oh, Yona not give Sandbar hugs that often,” she said, smiling deviously. “Yona too busy giving him something else Yona best at.”

“Hot cocoa?”

She let out a bark of laughter and clarified, “No, Gallus! Kisses! Yona best at kissing, and Sandbar… Ohhh!” she sighed, fanning herself with a hoof. “Sandbar great kisser.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“Hee-hee-hee! So, what else did Gallus have planned for today?”

“Not much. I needed to meet up with Ocellus later so we can test the final teleportation model. And so Ocellus can rant about how far we’ll go as scientists. Again,” Gallus snarled.

“Yona not know Gallus want to be scientist.”

“I don’t!” he revealed, his voice dripping with anger. After a moment, he looked down and said, “To be honest? I’m not even sure what I do—”

Before he could finish his sentence, the door to the Boutique slammed open, admitting entrance to a tan earth pony with a bright pink mane.

“YONA! YONA! YONA!” Scoop chanted, zooming up to the yak in a heartbeat. “The newspaper! Canterlot Times! Reviews!” she sang, bouncing energetically.

Of course… Gallus sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Scoop!” Yona called out. “Calm down! Tell Yona and Gallus what happened?”

Scoop stopped her giddy bouncing, cleared her throat and began, “All of us were mentioned in the—” She suddenly froze up, staring at Gallus as if only just now realizing he was there.

“Uh, hi?”

Her whole body spasmed. “He was trying the suit on, wasn’t he?” she muttered darkly.

“Mhmm. And to quote Gallus himself,” Yona began sneakily. “Gallus look snazzy. Dapper. And ten levels of suave!” she ended, meeting his smirk with one of her own.

“And I missed it?” she asked, shaking with an eldritch fury.

“Well, if you had seen me try on the suit, you’d have spoiled it for Silver. And you know it.”

“…Darn you, griffon-boy! Darn you and your inflexible attitude on spoilers!”

“Hey, you try hanging out with Sandbar at the movies, and then you can talk to me about ‘attitudes on spoilers,’” Gallus fired back jokingly.

“Try hanging out with Vellum,” she countered.

“Thanks, but I’d rather not need to be locked in an insane asylum, thank you.”

“Ha! As if an asylum could help you recover from spending a whole day with Vellum Codex.”

While Gallus shivered at that thought, Yona asked, “Wait, what Scoop say about reviews?”

***

“‘—With all that being said, so long as Mr. Vellum Codex refines the talent he displayed, then the young stallion no doubt has a bright future ahead of him,’” concluded Peppermint Goldlylinks. She then put down the paper and gave the stallion a displeased frown. “Okay, who did you bribe?”

Vellum gasped, reeling back in shock. He then glared at Patty and demanded, “You dare believe I would ever bribe a pony!? Much less one responsible for reviewing our performance!?”

“Yeah?”

He sputtered wordlessly for a moment then took a deep breath, holding a hoof to his chest. Vellum then pushed the hoof away, exhaling as he did so. “Patty? No,” he calmly claimed. “I did not bribe anypony, nor would I ever do so.”

“Suuuuure. Riiiiight.”

Gallus saw Vellum’s eye twitch violently and decided to throw him a bone. “Alright, Patty, leave the guy alone. You know as well as the rest of us how much Vellum hates nepotism.”

“Okay, okay,” she said, waving her hooves in defeat. “I’ll stop teasing you, Vel. Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t think I can blame you for thinking such things, considering how much hogwash this is,” he declared, glaring at the newspaper in pure contempt.

“Yona not understand; why Vellum think that? Yona thought Vellum would be drooling over all the praise he receive,” she acknowledged, smirking knowingly.

“Bah! Praise is acceptable when it’s earned, but this? There is far too much emphasis on my strengths and barely any reference to my shortcomings. A proper review would cast light on both equally; this is clearly a ‘fluff piece,’” he sneered. “After all, how can I work upon my flaws if I am not aware of them, and how can I be aware of them if my performance is treated as perfection?”

“That is assuming your performance wasn’t perfect,” Scoop suggested slyly.

“Perfection is unattainable, Scoop,” Vellum stated nonchalantly. “While that doesn’t mean we can’t seek it, it does mean we’ll always possess flaws despite our work to overcome them.”

By King Grover’s Treasure, let Vellum be wrong! Gallus silently prayed.

“Well, okay then, Vel,” she said, looking to the others with a raised eyebrow. “Where’d you get that from? A fortune cookie?”

“Headmare Starlight,” he answered. “She insists I keep meeting up with her to talk over my ‘issues,’” he groaned, rolling his eyes.

“Well, bad habits are always hard to break,” Gallus felt the need to interject. “Best to know what they are so you can work on fixing them, right?”

“Yes, exactly! See? Gallus gets it.”

“That being said, maybe you should keep seeing Starlight,” he added, grinning innocently. I know I have to…

“U-Uh? Hmm. Well, I suppose I can…”

“Good. Now try saying: Thanks for the advice, Gallus,” Scoop sarcastically suggested.

“…Thanks for the advice, Gallus,” Vellum repeated, much to the Scoop and Patty’s amusement.

“You’re welcome, Captain Codex.”

At that conveniently precise moment, a blue unicorn with a dark indigo mane stepped out of a nearby store and was immediately spotted by Patty.

“Oh! Hey! November!?” she called out, waving. “November, over here!”

“Huh?” the stallion yelped. Once he turned and saw them, he quickly trotted over, greeting, “Hey, guys, how are you?”

“Good,” Patty answered, offering him the chair nearest her which he gladly accepted. “You?”

“I’m good. I just had to return some bottles I didn’t need. What are you guys up to?”

“Oh, nothing… We just got reviewed in the Canterlot Times is all,” Scoop bragged pompously.

“Wait, really!?” Scoop and Yona were quick to nod, so he said, “Wow! Congratulations, guys.”

“Thanks. Bet you’re kicking yourself for quitting and missing out on the praise, eh?” Gallus joked.

“Heh-heh,” he laughed uncomfortably. “Not really,” November sighed, glancing at Vellum.

“Yeah, well…” Scoop began, catching November’s tone. “If it helps? Vel’s been throwing a fit over his review,” she said, much to Vellum’s displeasure.

“Really?” November asked, holding back a scowl. “Yeah, guess that figures. So, you get revered to Tartarus and back, and it’s still not enough for you, huh, Vellum?”

“I appreciate the praise; I simply wish we had received criticism as well,” Vellum explained, staring back at the other stallion neutrally. “Nothing more, nothing less, November.”

November’s expression morphed into one of compete shock. After a moment he worriedly mumbled, “Did… Did you just call me by my name?”

“Well, ‘November Rain’ is your name, correct?”

No way am I letting this opportunity slip by! Gallus resolved, sneering, “Naw, Captain Codex! I could have sworn his name was ‘September Tempest’!”

“How did you know about that!?” November squealed, blushing gloriously. He then remembered Gallus wasn’t the only one present and quickly chuckled, embarrassed. “Uh, moving on! Yes, my name is ‘November Rain.’ Not the other one! I, uh, was just asking because you… Well…?”

“Haven’t called him by his proper name since he quit,” Scoop finished explaining on his behalf. “It’s been ‘traitor’ this or ‘betrayer’ that with you for a while, Vel.”

“Yes, I’m aware. … Headmare Starlight is aware too which is why she said I shouldn’t hold others accountable for their own personal decisions,” he clarified sourly. “No matter how much I may disagree with them.”

“Seriously, am I dreaming? Am I brainwashed again? Or has the world finally come to an end?” November wondered, leaning away from Vellum.

“Don’t be so melodramatic, November. If this were a dream, Princess Luna would have popped out of the moon by now,” Vellum pointed out smartly.

“She does tend to do that a lot,” Patty acknowledged, thinking back to her own past dreams.

“Not to mention if other two were true,” Yona began. “Professors likely fix everything in next twenty minutes or so.”

“Unless we really are being brainwashed. If that’s the case, it’ll take the full forty-two minutes,” Gallus reminded her.

“Oh, right. Yona always forget that part.”

“So,” November began warily. “That means this is real? Vellum really is sitting in front of me and not calling me a traitor repeatedly? … What exactly have you guys been doing to him since I quit?”

“Well, Silverstream sort of scared him into not criticizing Gallus on his first day…”

“No, no, Scoop. I couldn’t properly criticize him for the first week,” Vellum corrected, sounding almost disappointed by the fact.

“Whoa!” November exclaimed in awe. “Gallus? Whatever you do, do not lose Silverstream.”

Gallus took a deep breath, stifling several ignited emotions. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Yes, well… Uh…” November took notice of the stern frown being thrown his way and decided to not comment on that subject further. “Thanks for, uh, addressing me by my name, Vellum.”

“Don’t thank me,” Vellum sighed. “I shouldn’t have held your, ahem! Quitting… Against you so fervently. Realizing my mistake and attempting to make up for it is not something to be proud of when I should never have made the mistake to begin with,” he grumbled, blushing faintly.

Peck, if that’s not relatable! Gallus agreed self-consciously.

“O-Oh. Still, thank you. I think? Anyway, I’m glad you caught me, Patty; I’ve been meaning to come and congratulate you guys on your performance in Canterlot,” November admitted.

“Aww, thanks, November,” Patty said, smiling happily. “Sorry you weren’t able to come with us. I know you quit because of…” She shot Vellum a glare. “Reasons. But it was a lot of fun. I wish you hadn’t missed out,” she ended sadly.

“Eh, it’s fine. Science Club and Yearbook are still tons of fun too. Plus, I’ve been busy for the past three weeks figuring out how to make my project work, so even if I hadn’t quit, I probably wouldn’t have been able to come anyway,” he acknowledged timidly.

“Oh yeah! The Science Fair is tomorrow, right?”

“Yep.”

“Cool. Hey, aren’t you participating in the Fair too, Gallus?”

“Uh-huh,” Gallus affirmed, nodding. And I cannot wait for it all to be over with so Ocellus will get off my back, he added to himself.

“So is Smolder,” November said, frowning. “Though… None of us are sure what she’s been doing.”

“Huh. So Gallus, Smolder, and November? All scientists in the making, eh?” Scoop questioned. “Vellum will be so disappointed neither of you wish to become actors like him.”

“Oh, shut up, Scoop.”

Gallus remained silent while November lamented, “Me? A scientist!? Celestia, I wish! But I doubt it; I have a long way to go and right now? Being one is practically just a dream…”

“Wait,” Vellum interjected. “You actually do wish to become a scientist?”

“Meteorologist,” he clarified shyly. “I may not have wings, but I’ve always been fascinated with weather and how it works. Plus, Atmokinesis Alpha is an awesome spell! Seriously, I should totally show you guys what I can do with it; it’s amazing!” he proclaimed, grinning widely.

Well, he’s not wrong, Gallus conceded, glad the conversation was back on November.

“It certainly sounds fun. Is your project something to do with weather spells then?”

November smirked slyly and settled for saying, “You’ll see…”

“On that note, what are you and Ocellus working on again, Gallus?” Scoop asked politely.

Ah! There we go, he quietly grumbled, answering, “Teleportation.” Please don’t focus on me.

“Now that is a glorious oversimplification,” November just had to say. “You guys aren’t just working on teleportation; you’re working on inter-species magic conversion too.”

“I’m going to assume by your tone that’s significantly more impressive than Gallus is letting on?” Vellum guessed, raising an eyebrow.

“Vel, do you have any idea how insanely hard it is to change one type of magic into another?”

He waved a hoof over his mane, highlighting his lack of a certain appendage.

“Oh. Well, uh, for comparison? It’s harder to do that than it is for you to say that acting sucks.”

Vellum gaped at Gallus, asking, “Is what you’re doing truly that impossibly difficult!?”

“Eh-heh-heh,” Gallus awkwardly laughed. “Depends on the types of magic really. But yeah. Ocellus has put a lot of work into it.”

“So have you from what Ocellus has told the rest of us in Science Club,” November, once again, just had to say.

Oh geez, Ocellus, what have you been telling everycreature!? “Wait, what?”

“Yeah! She’s gone on and on about how smart you are, and how you’d totally make a great addition to the Club,” he explained kindly. “Lighthoof has even considered asking you to join up, but… Well? Trust me on this. Never be in both Drama and Science Club.”

I! Am not! A scientist! Gallus fumed behind a blank expression. “Uh… Yeah. But me? A scientist? Nah, that’s not something I’d be good at,” he argued weakly. No matter how much Ocellus says otherwise.

“Maybe. But if you don’t want to be a scientist, you’d always make a good actor,” Scoop complimented, pulling the newspaper to her. “‘For a griffon, Mr. Gallus gives a phenomenal performance of the second lead protagonist, expressing and selling every last moment of selflessness, heroism, and compassion,’” she read, beaming at him smugly.

For a griffon…

“Whoa! Is that real?” November asked, grabbing the paper and reading it for himself. “Wow, dude, that’s high praise! Good job, Gallus,” he commended, offering up a hoof.

“Y-Yeah,” he said, bumping said hoof. “Thanks.” He then looked down at the table worriedly.

Yona noticed his discomfort and took it upon herself to deflect the conversation. “Well!” she began loudly enough to acquire everypony’s attention. “Yona just happy ponies enjoyed Yona and friends’ performance! It hard work, but Yona know our play was very best!” she shouted, raising a hoof into the air in victory and giving her friend a wide smile.

Gallus grinned back at Yona, thinking, I suppose we were pretty good. Even if I could have been better, Gruff could have been there, and I actually wanted to be an actor…

Gallus, you’re doing it again! he rebuked himself spitefully.

“Yona’s not wrong about that at least,” Patty agreed shyly. “We were amazing.”

“Speaking of which, where are the others?” November inquired. “I wanted to congratulate them too.”

“Zone is with his grandparents in the Ponyville Retirement Village, and… Huh. Actually, I’m not sure where Silver or Shimmy are to be honest,” Scoop answered, shrugging. “But I bet the latter’s probably helping Professor Pie plan this year’s Nightmare Night party,” she supposed.

“Oh yeah. I forgot Shimmy got roped into that,” Patty commented. “Celestia help her.”

Come to think of it… I haven’t seen Silver all day either, Gallus realized, turning his gaze to the Friendship School. Eh. Maybe she’s finishing that flower painting or something.

“So they’re not around? Aw. Oh well, I’m sure I’ll see the others tomorrow at the Fair, so I’ll congratulate them then,” November decided. “It was nice talking to all of you again.”

“It was nice talking to you too, November,” Patty said, nodding.

“Yeah, and I’m sure it was nice for you to talk to us without Vellum scowling and calling you ‘traitor’ repeatedly,” Scoop added with a smirk.

“Yeah, that was a nice change of pace,” he agreed, shooting a sly smile at the stallion.

Vellum just grabbed the newspaper and hid behind it as he pretended to reread the reviews.

“Whelp, I need to get going,” November said, rising from the chair. “I still have some last minute things I need to do with my project. See you all later!”

Everycreature wished him farewell, watching him disappear down the streets of Ponyville.

“Speaking of the Fair,” Gallus soon started. “I need to go and meet up with Ocellus so we can finish our own project. Did you guys need me for anything before I go?”

“Remember to keep refining your skills, Gallus,” Vellum said, folding down the newspaper and giving him an encouraging grin. “November was right about your review being high praise, but you still have quite a lot of work to do if you do wish to become an actor one day.”

Gallus quietly gulped, muttering, “Thanks, Captain Codex. Anything else?”

“I’ve nothing to add. Scoop?”

“Nope. You go and have fun breaking reality with Ocellus, Gallus.”

“Not technically breaking reality, Scoop. Ocellus isn’t there just yet,” he acknowledged, standing up. “Talk to you later, Yona. See all of you Thursday.”

“Bye, Gallus,” Patty said.

“See ya, griffon-boy,” Scoop said, failing to notice Gallus flinch.

“Remember to tell Yona when Gallus ready for second date with Silverstream!”

“I will,” he swore, trotting away and trying to ignore the sounds of Patty and Scoop frantically ambushing Yona about the suit she had made for him.

Me? An actor? Really? he pondered as he spread his wings and lazily glided his way toward the school. No, no, no! I… I’m not good enough for that! I don’t even want that anyway!

At least, I don’t think I do…? I mean… Seriously? I don’t belong on a theater stage.

“—Silver said she was afraid that you’d endure Drama Club on her behalf, even if you didn’t like it.”

“Geez, thanks for the reminder, Headmare. But guess what!? I did enjoy Drama Club!”

“Yes. Yes, you did, yes. And if you hadn’t?” repeated in his mind.

I didn’t join Drama Club to be an actor, and I didn’t choose to help Ocellus with her project because I wanted to be a scientist! I… I just wanted to be with my friends.

“—I’ve been thinking about what I want to do after we graduate. And I’ve always liked taking care of plants and animals, so I was wondering if I should take up a career where I can do those things, you know?” Sandbar’s voice echoed back to him.

Gallus shook the thoughts out of his mind, putting off those worries for later. Forget all of that, Gallus! Let’s just find Ocellus and get this dumb project over with!

Afterward, I’ll see what Silver’s been up to today. Probably something fun.

***

Every instinct in Silverstream’s body and mind screamed at her that this was a bad idea. In spite of this, she continued forward, slowly inching her way toward her friend’s room.

C’mon, Silver, what’s to be so afraid about? she asked herself. All you’re doing is talking to your friend—one of your very best friends at that!—so there’s no need to be so worried.

But what if she doesn’t want to talk to me!? Silver fretted. What if she only came and watched our play with us because she felt she needed to!? What if she really is still angry at Gallus!?

Why would she still be angry at him? she wondered, feeling her fear twist into something akin to anger. Why would she ever be angry at him in the first place!? How dare she be angry at—

Silverstream stopped in the middle of the hallway and took a deep breath, letting it out despairingly. “Okay… No more of that, Silver. We are not angry or paranoid; we’re optimistic!” she declared firmly. “Besides, she came and watched our play with us, so… Maybe everything is going back to normal? And even if it isn’t, we’re not going to bottle anything up this time.”

Silver then pulled out Cadence’s first letter and reread a particular part of it.

Relationships are relationships regardless of whether they’re friendships or romances. They’re all “Bonds of Love” as Twilight told me you were fond of calling them. However, ever relationship has its ups and downs. And that applies to romances just as much as it does to friendships.

To put it simply: Relationships can get strained. A little frustration here, a bit of irritation there. Something said in the heat of the moment here, something thought in a moment of vexation there. It doesn’t take much for creatures to be upset with one another.

Why is this such a big deal? Because a lot of creatures will bottle up their anger, fear, or sadness instead of expressing it openly. Why is that such a problem? Because it goes against the one fundamental rule of any healthy relationship.

Communication. That’s my first major piece of advice for you: Communicate with Silverstream.

“Or in this case: Smolder,” Silverstream mumbled, folding the letter up and tucking it back into her bag. “C’mon, Silver, Starlight said she was mad at Gallus for a reason; let’s find out what it is.”

Obeying her own command, Silver nodded and resumed her trot with renewed determination. Mere moments later, she turned the corner and came to a stop when she heard somepony talking.

“—asked for my help, Smolder! But I can’t give you any advice if you won’t tell me everything about what’s going on!”

Is that Shimmy Shake? Silver quietly approached Smolder’s door and leaned against it, trying to listen in to what was going on.

“I told you, Shimmy; everything is fine now!”

“I’m not convinced,” she deadpanned. “C’mon, Smolder, you’ve missed three cheer-leading practices, and Lighthoof said you haven’t been to Science Club in weeks! And then there’s…this!”

“And I told her the same thing I told Vice Headstallion Sunburst!” Smolder argued back hotly. “I’ve been busy with my Science Fair presentation!”

“On what? Psychology? How hard is it to write up two thousand words on how the brain works? Ocellus always says it’s unreliable anyway!”

“Yes, and that’s her problem! What’s yours!?”

“You tell me yours first!”

“I don’t have a problem!”

“And now we’re going in circles!”

“Sounds more like your problem than mine…”

Silver frowned at her friend’s remark in the silence that followed it.

“Okay,” Shimmy chirped neutrally. “You’re clearly not in the mood to talk, so I’ll leave. If you do ever change your mind and need some help or something, you know where to find me.”

Silver had only a second to back away before the door opened, permitting Shimmy’s exit. The mare then locked eyes with her and yelped, “Silverstream!?”

Several books crashed to the ground from within Smolder’s room.

“Uh, hi?” Silver greeted awkwardly. “How are you, Shimmy?”

Shimmy glanced into Smolder’s room before turning back to Silver, frowning. “Oh, I’m just dandy. Maybe you can talk some sense into her,” she groaned, stepping around her. “Good luck.”

What was that about? Silver wondered as the pony’s hoofsteps faded down the hall. She then gulped and entered Smolder’s room, gawking at the sight before her.

Almost every surface was covered haphazardly in books that Smolder was in the midst of organizing. However, her attempts seemed so frantic and mindless that Silver was scarily reminded of how Ocellus got during exams.

She then looked down and read some of the titles, questioning, Are these the books from the Psychology section? Wait! So it was Smolder who—

Her thoughts were interrupted when Smolder apologized, “S-Sorry about the mess. Been meaning to clean it up, but…” she trailed off, too busy tidying her book hoard to face her proper.

“Huh? Oh! No, no, it’s fine,” Silver defaulted to saying. “Besides, it’s not that bad.”

Smolder didn’t say anything else.

After some time, Silver casually asked, “So, what were you and Shimmy talking about?”

Smolder accidentally knocked over the tower books she had created not one second prior. She then swore under her breath and answered, “Nothing.”

“It didn’t sound like nothing.”

“Well, it was nothing!” she snapped, flinching at the anger in her own voice. She then picked up another cluster of books and muttered, “Just— Just some, uh, personal drama is all.”

“Between you and Shimmy?” she asked, completely unconvinced.

“Between me and—” Smolder paused and shook her head, professing, “Between me and a, er, friend. Back home. In the Dragon Lands. … So, yeah.”

The lie was obvious, and they both knew it.

“Well, er, what’s going on with your fri—”

“Nothing!” After organizing another pile of random tomes, Smolder calmly resumed, “Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine. Everything. Is. Fine.”

Silver shuddered involuntarily and asked, “So, the whole book thing is…?”

“J-Just me, er, overreacting! Yeah! Yeah… Just me overreacting.” She sighed and elaborated, “My friend? I thought he—I mean, she!—I mean, they…! I thought they were…upset. But I was wrong. They’re fine now! They’re fine now…”

If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was talking about Gallus, Silver deduced, not knowing why Smolder would pretend otherwise. “That’s great. It’s never okay when a friend is upset,” she said softly.

“No. It’s not,” Smolder agreed, glancing at Silver out of the corner of her eye before turning away again. “I’m glad that he— That they are okay! … For now.”

“Hey!” she snapped, incensed by Smolder’s word choice. “Don’t think like that! If he’s doing okay now then you shouldn’t be afraid he’ll stop being okay later!”

Smolder stood up straight and looked at Silver properly, a mixture of confusion and protest etched upon her face. After a moment, she whispered, “You really think so?”

Silver was taken aback by just how nervous Smolder suddenly sounded. The shock wore off in a heartbeat, and she quickly stated, “Yes.”

Smolder looked down and murmured, “Well, I’m glad you can be so optimistic.”

It’s harder than you think, Silver wanted to joke but felt it was too inappropriate to do so. Instead, she said, “It certainly beats the alternative.”

“…Fair point,” she conceded, grinning faintly. “So, what are you up to?”

“I wanted to stop by and thank you,” she answered, glad to be talking to Smolder normally.

“For what?”

“Hee-hee! Watching our play the other night, silly!”

“O-Oh! Uh, it was no big deal,” Smolder said, shrugging. “I’m just happy I got a chance to actually watch it; you guys were awesome!”

“Aww, thanks, Smolder, that’s so sweet of you!”

“Odd, considering dragons aren’t known for our sweetness,” she jokingly countered.

“Hey, griffons aren’t either, and Gallus is the Lord of All Things Sweet!” Silver sang merrily.

“Huh?”

“It’s a running joke between us,” she explained. “It’s a little silly, but neither of us really care about that. Especially since it’s not like the title’s wrong,” Silver ended, smiling dreamily.

“Heh. Regular couple of lovebirds, aren’t you?”

“That a problem?”

“Of course not,” Smolder answered, smirking. After a moment, she started fiddling with her tail and admitted, “You know? I was surprised when I found out you and he were together.”

Silver blinked and asked, “Why?”

“I don’t know. I guess I never took Gallus to be the kind of guy that, er, was up for romances. No offense,” she clarified, wincing back slightly.

“No offense taken,” she assured, trying not to be paranoid about Smolder’s uncharacteristically timid stature. “Besides, I’ve heard you don’t like Romances either,” she joked.

“Yeah, well… I’ve seen some really, really terrible ones,” she elaborated, leaving it at that.

“Oh.”

“He’s… You and he are happy, right?”

“Yes,” Silver immediately confirmed. She bit down to keep herself from accidentally adding, You’d know that if you weren’t avoiding him like a plague.

“Good. Good… That’s good…” she muttered, looking away again.

A silence fell between the two that Smolder decided to fill with the sounds of books being sorted. Silver, meanwhile, was trapped in a vicious mental battle.

Okay, maybe I shouldn’t ask about her silent treatment? she considered fretfully. Maybe I should just leave; we had a nice, friendly chat for once, and I shouldn’t try to ruin it by prying into—

She hurt Gallus! the other half of her mind roared. She shut him out, and for what! For what!? What could possibly justify hurting Gallus even more—

Silver took another deep breath and let it out slowly, thinking, Nope! I am not going to think the mean, paranoid thoughts. I don’t like that Smolder has been avoiding Gallus all this time, but she is still my friend! And I don’t like being angry at my friends.

In fact? I think I’m going to leave, Silver decided regretfully. I know I shouldn’t, but I don’t want to start a fight. Everything is fine; I’ll just ask about her “silent treatment” later.

“Whelp, I can see you’re pretty busy, and I don’t want to keep you,” she eventually said, stepping for the door.

“S-Silver, wait!”

Silver paused and turned around, facing her friend again. She then fought off another shudder at Smolder’s worried expression.

“Yeah, Smolder?”

“I… You… H-How is Gallus?” she asked, biting her lip in anticipation. “Is he okay?”

“Uh, I already said he was.”

“No! I mean… H-He’s not doing anything, er, reckless, or…? Or dangerous, or…?” Seeing Silver was just confused, Smolder groaned and spat out, “Is he better!?”

Silver was momentarily quiet, still trying to figure out what Smolder was really asking. She soon snapped out of it and answered, “Yes. He is.”

“How do you know for certain?” Smolder murmured distantly.

“How do I…? I’m sorry, Smolder; I don’t understand what you mean?”

“How do you trust that he’s doing better?”

“Easy. I trust him,” she elaborated, hoping she didn’t sound too much like a hypocrite. “Plus? I… I have to remain optimistic. Otherwise, I’ll just be paranoid, and I don’t like being paranoid.”

“Paranoid of what?”

Oops. “Um, paranoid that he isn’t doing well?”

“Wait! You— You think he’s still not okay?” she asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

“N-No, Gallus is doing better!”

“Then why are you paranoid!? You’re you, Silver, you’re always optimistic!”

A dagger to the heart would have hurt less than that comment.

“I-I know… It— It was just hard to believe that he was okay,” Silverstream admitted, praying it wouldn’t make everything worse.

It might have made everything worse.

“He’s still having panic attacks, isn’t he?” Smolder asked shakily as her eyes shrank in terror.

“No!” Silver said, deciding not to mention Discord. “He’s a lot better, Smolder; I promise!”

“Then why would you be paranoid!? Something must have been seriously wrong if you were!”

“…There wasn’t. I thought there was something wrong too, but there wasn’t. Gallus was perfectly fine, but I was too busy being worried to realize it,” she mumbled, hanging her head in shame.

Smolder blinked and fell silent. Soon, she asked, “But he is doing better now though. Right?”

“Yes,” Silver confirmed happily. “He’s doing a lot better.”

“B-But… But all the books I read said…” she whispered to herself before shaking her head. “But how do you know for certain?” Smolder asked once again.

“Because I trust him, Smolder,” she repeated resolutely. “I want him to be happy and okay again too. … Just like you do,” she acknowledged, shooting another look around the book-laden room.

“A-And you really believe he’s not lying to you again?” she inquired, not meeting Silver’s eye.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because…? Because like I said, I have to be optimistic. I want to be optimistic, not upset and worried! Besides, I can’t just spend our time together always being paranoid that Gallus isn’t okay. If I do then… Then my fear will just overshadow my love,” she concluded calmly.

Smolder snorted ruefully and stated, “Sounds like something Yona would say. I wish I could be optimistic too…” she lamented.

Silver felt a shiver run down her spine, wondering, Has… Has she been paranoid too? “Smolder? What do you mean you can’t be optimistic too? W-What’s wrong?”

Upon being asked that, Smolder hastily stepped away from Silver, appearing to fight off her own shiver. “N-Nothing!” she claimed, forcing a wide grin. “Everything is fine!”

No. No, no, no, this can’t be happening again! Why is this happening again!? Silver briefly panicked at the familiar deflections. “Smolder, please tell me what’s wrong?” she fearfully requested.

Smolder inhaled sharply and sternly declared, “Look! Everything is fine, Silver. I’m fine; Gallus is fine; my ‘friend’ is fine…! Nothing’s wrong! Okay? Okay.”

“Smolder,” Silver whispered gently. “Please don’t lie.”

“I’m not!” she snapped. Smolder let herself calm down before adding, “I’m fine. And you said Gallus was fine too, so unless you were lying…?”

“I wasn’t.”

She searched her for any indication of dishonesty. Upon finding none, Smolder sighed and muttered, “Don’t worry about me, Silver. I’m fine. Don’t know why you’re even worried anyway…”

“Because you’re my friend,” Silverstream stated softly.

The corners of Smolder’s maw twitched faintly. “Heh. Thanks, Silver.”

“You don’t need to thank me, Smolder. If the roles were reversed, you’d do the same for me,” she said, confident in that statement’s validity.

“…Assuming I’d know how…”

Okay, now where did that come from? Silver contemplated. She opened her beak to inquire as such, but Smolder quickly interrupted.

“So, this has been fun and all, but? I, uh, really need to get back to studying. And cleaning,” she added, indicating the mess around her. “So, um, if it’s not too much trouble, could you…?”

“Leave?”

“Please?”

Not again… Silver gulped and tentatively asked, “Do you really want me to leave you alone?”

Smolder hesitated for a second before nodding. “Y-Yeah. Not to sound insensitive or anything, but… I’ve got a lot of stuff to do. So, if you could…?”

I shouldn’t leave, should I? Something is clearly wrong with Smolder too, but… Oh sea kelp! What should I do? I want to believe everything is fine, but if it’s not… How do I help my friend!?

“Be there for him,” she remembered Starlight advise. Or in this case: Her…

“Okay,” Silver reluctantly agreed. “I’ll go. But only if you’re really okay, Smolder.”

“I’m. Fine. Silver,” she repeated fervently. “Nothing’s wrong. Sorry for freaking you out…”

“Hey, don’t worry about it; I just don’t like seeing my friends upset… I want everything to back to normal, you know?” she admitted cordially.

“Ha! Yeah. Yeah… You’re not the only one.”

“Well, if you’re sure…?“

“I’m fine!“

“Okay, then.” I trust her. I trust that everything really is okay, Silver told herself weakly. I… I have to believe everything is okay. “I guess I’ll be leaving now,” Silver lamented, making it halfway out the door before stopping and turning back around. “Hey, Smolder?”

“Huh?” she blurted out, already working on another book tower. “Yeah, Silver?”

“…If something is wrong, and for whatever reason, you… You can’t talk to me about it? Can… Can you promise you’ll talk to someone about it at least? Please?”

Smolder simply gave her a neutral look as she answered, “Yeah. Totally.”

“Thanks. See you later, Smolder.”

“Hey, Silver?”

“Yeah?”

“…Thanks. For— For helping him out.”

“I wouldn’t do anything less.” That might not have been the right thing to say, Silver realized when Smolder seemed to slump a little. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

“Ugh! For the last time, yes!” Smolder yelled. “Now go have fun on your dates or whatever it is you’re going to go do. I’ll be fine.”

“Alright then,” she conceded slowly. “See you later.”

“See ya.”

Silverstream then left her room and trotted down the hallway. Once she was certain Smolder couldn’t hear her, she let out a pained whine and leaned against a nearby wall, trying to hold back tears.

“Ev-Everything is fine!” she whimpered, desperately trying to believe it. “I-I just need to s-stay optimistic! Just stay optimistic! Don’t be paranoid, Silverstream!” she commanded herself.

…

“Everything is fine, right? Right?” Sniffling, she answered, “Y-Yeah. Everything is fine. I just need to stop being paranoid. I— I can’t keep worrying when I don’t need to; that’s not healthy!”

…

“Oh, please! Please let everything be fine!” Silver begged as she wiped her eyes and hugged herself. “Please just let everything be okay…!”

***

“Are you ready, Gallus?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you’re ready?”

“Yes, again.”

“Are you absolutely, positively—”

“Just do it already, Ocellus!” he snapped tiredly.

“Okay, okay, okay!” she conceded shyly, lighting up her horn. “Beginning teleportation in three! Two! One!”

A ring of turquoise fire flared to life around the blue griffon and slowly dragged him into its shapeless, ethereal depths. A moment later, another circlet of magic formed, allowing Gallus to rise up from the void, unfazed and unharmed.

“You know it still boggles my mind how cool it feels to teleport,” he said casually. “Always wondered why Headmare Starlight does it all the time.”

“It certainly is an experience. Now, could you further elaborate as to what exactly it felt like?”

“Exactly as it always does, Ocellus,” Gallus deadpanned.

“So no drowning sensation, correct?”

“‘Drowning sensation’?” he echoed disbelievingly. “We fixed that a long time ago; why are you suddenly worried about that again?”

“We need to make sure it’s still fixed in the final model, Gallus.”

“Of course it’s still fixed in the final model; we made sure it was!”

“And I want to make absolutely certain it still is!”

It took quite a lot of effort, but in the end, Gallus successfully kept himself from face-clawing.

“In any case,” Ocellus began again. “Any vertigo, hallucinations, or loss of bodily functions?”

Gallus blinked incredulously.

“Okay, so ‘no’ to that too?”

Gallus continued to blink incredulously.

“Yep, definitely a ‘no.’ Sorry,” she said, scribbling down some more notes.

“No problem,” Gallus sighed neutrally. After a moment, he caved in and asked, “Why do you need to keep asking these questions anyway? You know full-well that the final model is ready.”

“Well, y-yes, but…”

Please don’t go on a tirade about what I think you’re about to go on a tirade about, he wished, closing his eyes and counting down for its inevitability.

With his eyes shut, Gallus failed to see her horn flicker with a blue light. After the light winked out, Ocellus frowned worriedly and asked, “Gallus, are you okay?”

Oh come on! What did I do this time!? he shrieked internally. “Yes, Ocellus, I’m good. Just a little irritated is all,” Gallus answered as calmly as he could.

Ocellus thought for a moment and apologized, “Sorry. I… I know it’s probably a little annoying asking all these questions again, but I just want everything to be ready for tomorrow.”

“I don’t hold it against you,” he assuaged truthfully. “You’re not the only one who’s worried.”

“I can tell…”

“Reading my emotions again, eh?” he asked jokingly.

Ocellus was dead silent, but she eventually whispered, “Even if I could, it clearly wouldn’t help…”

“Huh?”

“N-Nothing!” she squealed. “I just k-keep telling you all that’s not how it’s supposed to work.”

“Oh, I know. It’s just fun joking with you that it does.”

“Mhmm…”

…

“So, how was the energy drainage?” he asked, trying to shoo away the awkward silence.

“Oh, far better,” she answered, just as glad as Gallus for the silence to be over. “I think I might be able to perform this spell over forty times an hour now, assuming I’m resting between uses.”

“And no discharge, right?”

“Not a spark outside of my control.”

“Thank Grover.”

“Thank Grover indeed. …Although…?”

“No, no, no, nooooo!” Gallus droned, rubbing his temples in agitation. “Come on, Ocellus!”

“The Science Fair is tomorrow, Gallus; we need to have everything ready!” she repeated.

“And we do!”

“No, we don’t! We still haven’t tested out the maximum teleportation passenger capacity!”

“Yes! Yes, we do know that because we already calculated it!”

“We calculated an estimation of that,” she corrected. “But we haven’t run any actual tests to determine the proper number, especially in regards to the final model.”

“Is this even anything worth worrying about?”

“Of course it is!” Ocellus protested stubbornly. “We need to have everything known and accounted for; otherwise, we’ll risk coming across as lazy! And scientists shouldn’t be lazy.”

And I’m not a scientist! Gallus wanted so much to shoot back. He ultimately chose not to say that, instead wondering, “And what have we done to communicate that idea?”

“You mean other than not account for the maximum teleportation passenger capacity?”

“Yes. What exactly have we done that is worth being so paranoid about?” he asked impatiently.

Ocellus opened her mouth to answer honestly but then slowly closed it, sensing he wasn’t in the mood to argue. “Nothing,” she soon begrudgingly admitted, rubbing at her horn.

“Exactly,” he said curtly. “If the judges want to throw a temper tantrum over us not knowing one single, stupid number they can figure out themselves…? Well, that’s their problem.”

“And it could be our problem should we ever try to get into the field,” she just couldn’t stop herself from retorting. “Think about it, Gallus! Not accounting for this one, single fact could make it seem like we didn’t research the spell properly! And if it seems like we didn’t do the research properly then we’ll never be able to get into the profession!” she fretted, biting her hoof nervously.

Gallus fought off a twitch and argued, “Yeah, but you’re you, Ocellus. If the ponies judging the Fair don’t take one look at your work and immediately praise and hire you, then they’re either a special kind of stupid or too egotistical to accept that you’re smarter than them.”

“I— You— I—” Ocellus stuttered in surprise. Eventually, she blushed and said, “Thank you, Gallus. That’s… That’s really sweet of you to say.”

Well, I am the Lord of All Things Sweet, Gallus thought, smiling slightly. “You deserve recognition for your work. What? Am I supposed to deny that or something?”

“Heh-heh. I appreciate that, Gallus. … But don’t try to make it seem like it was all my work; it’s not,” she reminded him. “If you hadn’t helped me, I’d still be struggling to figure out the first tier’s arrangement at this point, nevermind solving the discharge problem.”

“Oh please, Ocellus, you would have done just fine without me.”

“No,” she stated resolutely. “I wouldn’t. So, thank you, Gallus. Thank you for all of your help.”

Gallus blinked. “You’re, uh, you’re welcome,” he said shyly.

But… I didn’t do half of the work she did! I haven’t earned that kind of praise! I don’t even want it because I don’t want to be a scientist, but— Gallus stopped that train of thought, shifting gears to reprimand, Stop thinking those things! You stupid brain, why are you still devaluing yourself!?

“…Are you sure you’re okay, Gallus?” Ocellus whispered, trotting forward and placing a hoof on his shoulder. “You seem a little… A-Anxious,” she decided to go with.

Gallus stepped away from her hoof and answered, “Yeah, I’m—” Doing it again! “Actually? You know what, Ocellus? I am a little anxious,” he forced himself to admit.

“About the Science Fair? Or… Was there something else going on?”

I’m still screwing up with all these dumb ‘bad habits’! Just like I’m doing now!

I want Gruff to be there, but I know he won’t be!

I don’t want to be a scientist like you, but I don’t want to tell you that and hurt your feelings!

And speaking of that! Grover forbid I actually become an actor! I don’t want to be that, and I’m clearly not good enough to be that if I did! I don’t even know what I do want to be!

“A lot of little things,” he deflected, waving a talon dismissively. “But yeah. Mostly stuff pertaining to the Fair,” he ended, feeling his heart shrivel in guilt at the half-lie.

“Sorry,” she murmured, putting her hoof back down.

“No! No, it’s not you, Ocellus,” Gallus said, happy to finally say something honestly. “You aren’t the only one who doesn’t want all of our hard work thrown out the window because of one dumb oversight.” Or because I made a mistake or something. … Dang it! I did it again!

Ocellus took a deep breath and let it out heavily. “Yeah, we’ve worked a lot on this project. I just want everything to be, well? Perfect. I know I shouldn’t strive for perfectionism, but… This could be one of the most significant chances we’ll ever get! The Fair is being judged by actual representatives from the E.E.A. And if they see our project and think we did well…”

Ocellus let the rest of her statement go unsaid. Ironic, considering the rest of it had already been said enough times the past week alone that Gallus could quote it verbatim.

“Yeah, no. I get it,” he promised, hoping she didn’t continue any further.

Soon, she sighed. “Well? As much as I would really, really like to keep testing the final model? It’s getting pretty late,” Ocellus acknowledged, nodding to the setting sun beyond the windows. “And you’re right too, Gallus. We’ve gone over every… Almost everything we could for the final model,” she corrected, much to his amusement. “It’s ready, and we’re going to have to accept that.”

“It’s not that hard,” Gallus said, giving her an encouraging smile. “You worked hard on this thing. And so did I,” he quickly added for both of their benefits. “I know it’ll work.”

“I’m glad you’re optimistic at least,” she said, returning the smile.

After a minute, he placed a comforting talon on her shoulder and said, “Everything will be fine, Ocellus. Come on and say it with me: Everything will be fine.”

“Everything will be fine,” she repeated, taking a deep breath. “Everything will be fine…”

“See? That’s the spirit! You and I are going to do spectacularly!”

“I know, I know. Kindness Lesson Forty-eight: Have confidence in all that you do. Whether in the face of judgment and persecution, or acceptance and encouragement… Have confidence. Both in yourself and for yourself.”

“A simple lesson, but an important one,” Gallus agreed wisely. Now if only I could learn that lesson and actually internalize it, he sighed rebukingly.

“That it is,” Ocellus agreed, nodding. “Anyway, we’ve got everything sorted out for now; all that’s left to do is set it all up tomorrow. Why don’t you start heading back while I clean this up,” she suggested, pointing at the veritable ocean of books surrounding them.

“And let you have all the fun of putting a bunch of heavy books back?”

“…Yes. Yes, please.”

“Understood. Just make sure I don’t catch you sleeping in here again, alright?”

“You won’t.”

“I better not. Goodnight, Ocellus.”

“Goodnight, Gallus. Sweet dreams.”

“You too.”

Gallus then grabbed his bags and left the library, allowing Ocellus to lose herself in the calming rhythm of sorting books. Once he had trotted out of earshot of the library, he paused in the empty hallway, taking a moment to simply breathe and relax.

Calm yourself, Gallus, he ordered. You’re okay. You’re okay. You’re okay.

He let out a long sigh.

“Love not need to be earned, Gallus,” his memories replayed.

“But why can’t I stay okay?” he whispered, remembering his talk with Yona. Why do I keep demeaning myself? I don’t even realize I’m doing it, but I shouldn’t even be coming close to doing it!

It was just a stupid tie! he rebuked himself. I got upset! Over! A tie! How pathetic can I be to—

“And there I go again! Why can’t I stop doing that!?” he shouted in frustration. I’m better! I know I’m better! he maintained, resuming his trot back to the dormitories. But why do I keep making the same, stupid mistakes!? I shouldn’t be making mistakes! I can’t afford to make mistakes!

What is wrong with me? Gallus wondered for the first time in nearly a month.

As if in response to that thought, a voice immediately called out, “Gallus?”

“Huh! Silver?” he yelped, turning around and nearly bumping headfirst into his girlfriend.

“Hey, how are you doing?” she inquired, giving him a quick hug.

“I’m good,” he reflexively answered, hugging her back. “You?”

“I’m…good too,” Silver said hesitantly. “What about you? What are you up to?”

Why does she look like she’s been crying? Gallus asked, feeling a mixture of horror and rage bubble up in his stomach. What! Happened!?

“Silver? Are you okay?” he asked carefully.

“I-I… Yeah, I will be, don’t worry,” she requested. “I just need to talk to Yona about something is all. But enough about that, what did you say you were up to?”

Gallus thought about pressing the issue; however, he ultimately chose to trust Silverstream rather than make yet another situation worse.

“I’m going to bed,” he slowly answered. “The Fair is tomorrow, and I just spent the past three hours trapped in the library with the perfectionist that is Ocellus.”

“Oooh,” she cringed sympathetically. “How bad?”

“Exam week bad.”

“Oh no…”

“Yeah. But what about you?”

“I’m going to bed too,” Silver sang softly. “I may not have a science project due tomorrow like you and Ocellus, but I plan to get up a little early anyway. I want to check out all of the cool things everycreature did!” she proclaimed, hopping excitedly.

“Honestly, so do I,” Gallus said as they traveled down the hallway together. “With the play and the Fair going on, I haven’t had time to check out the competition.”

“Same. Oh! That reminds me, I heard the judges will be from the E.E.A. Is that true?” she asked, giving him an encouraging smile.

“That’s what Ocellus has told me.” About forty-nine times. Or was it fifty-nine?

“Huh. That might explain her, um, ‘exam week’ behavior. She really wants to impress them.”

“You don’t know the half of it!” Gallus vented, trying to keep his tone neutral. “‘Ohhh! Gallus! We must test our spell no less than two hundred million times!’” he sarcastically whined, earning a giggle. “‘Otherwise, neither of us will become professors! I’m not sure why we won’t be able to become professors, but we just won’t!’” he concluded, grimacing in disgust.

“Hee-hee! So? ‘Professor Gallus,’ huh? I like it,” she teased playfully.

“Aghhh! Please don’t…!” he groaned. No, seriously! Please don’t let this go there!

“Oh come on! I can see you now—wearing a snazzy lab coat and goggles and messing with a bunch of beakers filled with cool science stuff…! Hee-hee-hee!”

“…”

“You’re not laughing,” Silverstream realized, turning around to see Gallus staring at the floor quietly. She gulped nervously and asked, “Gallus? What’s wrong?”

For the love of Grover! When am I going to stop making her ask me that!? Gallus wanted to scream as he snapped his attention back to her. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just…”

“Did— Did I say something that upset you?” she inquired, looking horrified by the prospect.

“No!” he immediately answered. “No, Silver, it’s not you. It’s… Ugh, it’s something stupid.”

“Then tell me. Please… I won’t care if it’s stupid or not,” Silver promised.

She is way too good for me. “I… I don’t want to be a professor.”

“Oh! Well, that’s okay,” she said, noticeably relieved. “You don’t have to be a professor just because Ocellus wants to be one. Besides, thanks to Professor Rarity, you now have an opportunity to be a world-class actor,” Silverstream suggested.

“What if I don’t want to be that either?” he asked timidly.

“That’s fine too; neither do I.”

“You— Wait, you don’t? Even after what the reviews said about you?”

“Huh? What reviews?”

“Oh, right! Uh, ask Vellum and Scoop about it. Sorry for interrupting; what were you going to say?” he asked, feeling his tail swish nervously.

“Oh! I was saying that I didn’t want to be an actress either,” she repeated calmly. “Don’t get me wrong—acting is a lot of fun! But I like painting and flying way more! Besides, can you really see me on a theater stage, let alone a movie set? Ha! No.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Silver; you’re amazing in Drama Club!” he praised. “How did Vellum put it? You’ve got the grace of an angel and the voice of one too?”

“Vellum did not say that; he would never say that!” she yelped, blushing.

“Really? Huh. I guess that means I’m the one saying it.”

“Wha— Oh, Gallus! C’mon, stop it…!”

“Only when you stop deserving it, sooo? Never!” Gallus declared with a happy, teasing smile.

“Agh, fine! But only if you must,” Silver bemoaned dramatically.

“Which is always.”

“Okay, okay! You made your point. … Now come on, tell me what’s really the matter.”

His smile faded once the conversation was directed back onto him, but Gallus simply began, “It’s just… You know how I said Ocellus was ‘exam week’ bad, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I’ve been dealing with that for a while now. And…”

“Uh-oh! Do we need to go to our professors about it again?”

“Ocellus could definitely do with a sit-down with Professor Fluttershy, but to be honest? That’s not the part that’s been bugging me.”

“Then what is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s… I know it sounds stupid, but every time she got worked up earlier these past few days, she went on a rant about how much of an ‘opportunity’ this Science Fair is,” he explained, scowling. “About how if our project gets noticed by the judges we could improve our chances of becoming scientists and mages and whatnot. But…? I don’t want to be those things,” he finished honestly.

“And that’s okay. It’s like I said: You don’t have to be a scientist if you don’t want to be.” Silver then frowned and asked, “Ocellus hasn’t been trying to push you to become one in spite of what you want, has she?”

“What? No! No. I haven’t told Ocellus about this, so I doubt she even knows.”

“Uh, she’s a changeling, Gallus. Pretty sure she should have some inkling about your feelings.”

“She also keeps telling us that’s not how her whole ‘thing’ works,” Gallus reminded her.

“True. But she also never explains how it does work,” she countered.

“Okay, fair point. But still? No. Ocellus hasn’t been doing anything like that. … Silver? I don’t want to be a scientist, and I don’t want to be an actor either,” Gallus admitted bitterly. “I don’t even think I’d be allowed to be those things, considering…” he trailed off, staring pointedly at his talons.

“What!? Of course you could be those if you wanted to, Gallus!” Silver swore, draping a comforting wing over his back. “It’s knowledge and skill that get somecreature a profession, not appearance! And certainly not species,” she concluded adamantly.

“You forgot connections,” he deadpanned. “Connections get you jobs too, and you can’t exactly make ‘em if everycreature just thinks you’re…” He didn’t finish that thought.

“What are you—oh! Gallus, don’t listen to Vellum,” Silver said gently. “You know he doesn’t know what he’s talking about half of the time.”

“Maybe. But he’s not exactly wrong. We only got to perform The Epoch of Majesty Serendipity Daydream because of Rarity. Not to mention stay in the Royal Palace,” he added dejectedly.

“I reiterate: Don’t listen to Vellum Codex. We both know he’s in the Friendship School for a reason, and it’s not because he couldn’t go anywhere else.”

“Kinda makes you wonder what’ll happen the day he graduates from the school?” he asked, trying to segue into his real concern.

“Ooh, that’s a scary thought,” Silver half-joked. After a moment, she optimistically claimed, “But I’m sure he’ll be fine. Trust me, he’s a lot better now than he was when I first joined the Club.”

“I guess Scoop is good at more than just ruining pseudo-dates,” Gallus sneered.

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?”

“Depends. Are you?”

“…No comment,” she murmured, pretending to look ashamed of herself.

“Heh. But what about you? What do you think is going to happen when we graduate?”

“You mean other than the awesome ‘Graduation’ party Professor Pie will probably throw for us?” she inquired knowingly.

He snorted. “Yeah. Other than that.”

“Hmm… Honestly?” Silver shrugged. “I’m not sure. I definitely want to take a few more art courses; maybe then I’ll become a proper artist?”

“I bet all your paintings will get in Silver Frames’ Art Gallery if you do,” he praised coyly.

“Oh good heavens, I wish!” she admitted breathlessly. “But then again? Maybe I’ll try out for the Wonderbolts? I like flying, and Professor Dash always talks about how awesome they are.”

“That’s because Professor Dash can’t go two sentences without saying the word awesome itself, but I digress.”

The two shared a small chuckle.

“And what about you?” she finally asked. “You said you don’t want to be a scientist or an actor, so what do you want to be?”

Be honest, Gallus. “I don’t know,” he whispered.

Silver tilted her head in confusion, asking, “You don’t?”

Gallus turned away, a haunted, pained grimace marring his visage.

Silverstream caught on to his discomfort and quickly added, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean anything by that! I’m just surprised. Out of all of us, I figured you’d have the most ideas of what to do.”

“What— What makes you say that?” he asked, barely keeping his voice steady.

“Because you’re smart, talented, crafty, and amazing!” Silver answered genuinely. “If any of us had any ideas for what to do after graduation, I always assumed it would be you.”

“Yeah, well… I got nothing,” he sighed, sounding exhausted.

“Why don’t you want to be a scientist?” she slowly inquired. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I don’t know,” Gallus moaned weakly. “I mean… You’re not wrong about the snazzy lab coat; I could rock that thing all day long.”

“You would look rather cute in it, yes.”

Gallus immediately froze, reddening, much to Silver’s amusement.

“Hee-hee-hee,” she tittered. “Gotcha that time, Gallus!”

“Yeah, yeah, you got me,” he conceded, chuckling as his blush faded slightly. “But as awesome as it would be to wear a lab coat and solve multi-dimensional time-space equations for years and years and…years…and… Years…” He stopped for a second before resuming, “But it’s not what I want to do. It’s probably not even something I can do,” he said, combing his headcrest where a horn wasn’t.

“Now don’t you start that again!” Silver protested. “I already told you it’s your skills that could get you the job. And you’re super smart, Gallus; who else could have kept up with Ocellus when you two were figuring out the spell? I know I sure couldn’t, and I was just watching you guys.”

“And you also know she would have figured everything out on her own, with or without my help,” he said bluntly. “She can keep saying otherwise, but we all know she didn’t need me.”

Silver let that statement sit for a moment before pleading, “Gallus? Please don’t do that.”

OH! COME! ON! What did I do this time, and why do I keep doing it!? “Don’t do what?”

“You helped her, Gallus,” she stated. “I don’t care if she ‘maybe’ could have figured it out on her own; you! Helped! Her! … I know you did; I’ve seen you help her!”

It took a second for her meaning to click, but once it did, he face-clawed. “Dang it,” he groaned. “Sorry, Silver. I promise I didn’t mean it like that; I was just trying to emphasize my point.”

“I understand, Gallus. But I really don’t like it when you wave away your accomplishments just to ‘emphasize your point,’” she said, giving him a pained look.

“Well, then I guess I’m going to promise not to do that from now on!” he declared confidently.

“Please don’t promise that for my sake. If anything, you should be doing that for your own,” she murmured forlornly.

He gently cupped her cheek in his talon, compromising, “How about I promise that for both of our sakes?”

She smiled and pulled him into a soft hug, saying, “Fine. For both our sakes then.”

“Will do, milady,” Gallus agreed, wrapping his wings around her.

They soon broke away, each smiling warily at the other.

“Whelp,” Gallus soon began. “Sorry about doing it again. I really do promise not to devalue myself again. Accidentally or otherwise.”

“It’s okay, Gallus. I believe you,” Silver said honestly. “But! Back to the matter at-talon: Why didn’t you want to be a scientist?” she asked once they finally reached their bedrooms.

“I… I don’t know. Maybe it’s just because I don’t really ‘see’ myself as one? I’ve never really thought about being one before. … I haven’t really thought of being anything before,” he confessed. “I’m not even sure where I should start or what I should be,” he ended, trying to ignore some of his worse memories.

“Well, we have both the rest of this year and next year before we graduate, so you still have plenty of time to eventually figure that out,” she pointed out optimistically. “Plus, I’m always here to help too! And so is everycreature else!” Silver stopped and shot a worried glance toward Smolder’s door. “So, yeah. Don’t worry too much about the future, Gallus. We’ll figure it out together.”

“Heh. Yeah,” he said half-heartedly. “Yeah, we will.”

***

Gallus opened his eyes.

Surrounding him on all sides was a dark, impenetrable fog. Flickering wisps of smoke rushed by him, their strange whispers echoing in the silent, empty land. He slowly looked around him, searching for something—anything!—to guide him.

His heart began to race upon finding nothing.

“Hello!” Gallus cried out into the shadowy abyss.

…

“HELLO!”

…

“HELLO! Is anycreature there!? Can you hear me!? I… I’m lost! I’M LOST!”

…

“Aw peck,” he quietly cursed. “Now what’s going on!?”

…

Gallus raised his talon and cautiously placed it back down. Much to both his surprise and relief, it connected with something. He couldn’t see what it was as there was nothing to see, but at least he now knew for certain that he could move forward.

He then took another step. Another. Yet another. And finally, he threw caution to the wind and trotted forth briskly.

…

“Okay, this is getting ridiculous,” he growled. “Where the bloody peck am I?”

Anywhere.

“Huh! What the—” Gallus yelped, rapidly turning around, only to find more darkness staring back at him. “Who’s there!?”

Anyone.

“Of course,” he sighed, shaking his head. He then looked down and gulped. He turned around again and again until he was even more lost. “Oh peck! Which way was the way forward!?”

You’ll figure it out.

“For the love of— SHOW YOURSELF!” he demanded, flaring his wings instinctively.

Impossible.

“Oh really!? So you can flit around in the darkness like some alleyway psycho and whisper in my ear, but you can’t take one step into the light? How convenient…” he droned angrily.

Isn’t it?

“Shut up!” he screamed into the void.

…

“Brilliant, Gallus. The only thing that’s interacted with you so far in this place, and you tell it to shut up. Brilliant,” he grumbled at himself.

From somewhere in the distance, a small splash echoed.

Gallus hastily swiveled to face the direction the noise had come from. Another drip sounded off, and after a moment of indecision, he decided to move toward the sound.

The shadowy fog seemed to grow thicker as he advanced, and soon, flakes of…snow? Dust? Ash? … Whatever it was began falling from the dark sky above, yet none seemed to land upon him.

Eventually, he noticed something out of the corner of his eyes and turned to stare at it. It wasn’t until yet another splash sounded off that he saw it.

A ripple.

He took a step closer and tentatively placed his talon down, causing another series of ripples in what appeared to be a vast ocean of…something. It didn’t feel like water, but…

A quiet sniffle caused Gallus to tense up and turn around.

She sat upon a bench, facing the ocean; her head ducked low, hiding her eyes under her mane. And considering her slumped posture, she might have fallen asleep while sitting up.

“Silverstream?” he asked, feeling his body tremble in terror.

…

She slowly turned her neck to face him.

Gallus nearly vomited.

“Silverstream!? What— What’s— Y-Your eyes…” he uselessly stuttered.

“Why must you always demean yourself?” whimpered the eyeless ghost. A large blob of dark ink exploded out of the empty sockets, filling the ocean with even more blackened tears. “Can’t you see you hurt more than just yourself?”

“…Dream!” Gallus screamed, swiftly backing away. “Dream! Dream! Dream!” he repeated, desperately trying to accept that fact. “This has to be a dream!”

“Silly, Gallus, this isn’t a dream. After all, how could it be when you have no dreams?”

Gallus froze. He then forced himself to look behind him.

Before, there had been nothing. Nothing but an empty world hidden in the veil of a dark fog. But now, standing there a few paces behind him and smiling innocently was…

“Howdy! Golly, it’s been a while, huh?”

…

“Yeah, peck no. Bye!” he yelled, turning around and running away. Two seconds later, he stepped right back up to the sea of tears and the brat standing before it.

“Really? First thing you do is run away?” Cozy Glow asked in frustrated disbelief.

“You sound almost disappointed,” he growled through a clenched beak.

“Of course I’m disappointed! Running away from your problems was your go-to response last time, and it’s been how long since we last chatted!? Golly, you must hate listening to Headmare Starlight more than I do if you deliberately ignore her counseling to this extent,” she gleefully drawled.

“Says the psychopath who nearly murdered the world with a magic bell.”

“Oh-ho! You’ve finally gotten your spine back, I see. Good! More fun for me when I rip it out!”

Gallus cocked an eyebrow.

“What? What’s with the stare?”

“First of all: This is a dream. You can’t do anything to me other than flap your stupid lips. And second: Even if this weren’t a dream, I can kick your flank in less than five seconds.”

“How do you figure that!?”

“You’re tiny.”

“Like your self-esteem?”

“I’m working on it!”

“If that were true, neither I nor she would be here,” Cozy Glow sneered, pointing to the disfigured, hollowed-out abomination that was Silverstream.

Gallus refused to flinch, but that unfortunately didn’t stop her from continuing.

“Typical Gallus. Just as pathetic as ever but always finding a new reason to be so. Doesn’t have to be big; doesn’t have to be small. You always find a way to be a horrible griffon.”

“Well, at least I’m not evil like you!” he snarled back.

“You think that’s an accomplishment?” she laughed wickedly.

“Hey, I’ll take what I can get.”

“Even if you don’t deserve it?”

“I deserve love.”

“Not hers.”

“Care to explain why? Oh! No! Wait! Let me guess? I’m an orphan?”

“Nice try, but no. Although that certainly doesn’t help. No, no, no…” she hummed, stepping closer. “You don’t deserve her because… You. Hurt. Her,” Cozy whispered joyfully.

She barely came up to his chest, but Gallus still found himself scrambling away fearfully.

“Oh wow! You actually are listening for once! Guess you only ever listen to somepony when they’re telling you just how screwed-up you are. Figures. I mean… What else could you be but a screw-up anyway?” she asked, smiling predatorially.

“I’m not a screw-up!” Gallus argued, leering at the nightmare before him. “And… Maybe I did hurt Silverstream, but I’m moving on! I’m getting better, so I don’t—”

“‘Hurt her again’?” she guessed. “Oh, silly Gallus! Don’t you know you’re going to keep hurting her no matter what you do?”

“Shut up!”

“Come now, you know I’m right. You’ll keep hurting her so long as you don’t move on. And you don’t seem to be doing that. Almost as if you don’t want to… Almost as if you don’t know how…”

“I do want to! And I have gotten better!” Gallus protested in spite of his shivering body.

“Really? You’re still demeaning yourself; you’re still afraid of being honest around her and the others in case you hurt their feelings; and you’re still terrified of talking to Smolder,” Cozy recounted joyously.

“Well, then I guess I’ll just have to promise myself to do those things going forward then!”

“Ha! Like you promised Ocellus the first time? Like you promised Silver the second time? Like you promised Silver again. And again. … And again…”

“I get your point!” he groaned. “You got anything new to add this time, or are you just going to sit there doing your best impression of a broken record?”

Cozy Glow’s devilish giggle rang throughout the darkened world, and it continued to reverberate as she took another step toward him.

“Why, Gallus? Why do keep demeaning yourself?”

Gallus trotted back further, feeling an unnatural cold descending upon the world around him.

“Why are you still so afraid of your own feelings?”

The ash began to billow forth as harsh winds began to roar all around him.

“And why are you still not better?”

Silverstream’s corpse released a tortured scream as dark, crimson ooze burst out from every inch of her flesh, leaving her to slip and fall into the ocean of blood and tears.

“I’ll tell you why, Gallus,” Cozy Glow declared, growing in size until she dwarfed even the Friendship School. Blood-tainted armor formed around her body as large, demonic wings replaced her feathery ones, and a long, twisted horn emerged from her skull in a shower of blood.

Gallus tripped over something, only to realize that it was a body. Silver’s body.

His heart began to beat wildly against his chest as he scrambled to get up. However, the moment he tried, several melted appendages burst out of the ground and latched onto his thrashing body.

“GET OFF OF ME!” he screamed, momentarily forgetting that none of this was real.

“IT IS BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW WHO IT IS YOU WISH TO BE, PATHETIC LITTLE ORPHAN BOY!” bellowed the gargantuan, demonic alicorn.

Cozy leaned her head down and gazed into his very soul through fiery red-and-yellow eyes.

“YOU CANNOT BE ANYCREATURE ELSE—ANYTHING ELSE!—BECAUSE YOU! DON’T KNOW! WHO! YOU! ARE!”

The abomination opened her fanged jaw and clamped down around his body, swallowing him.

Gallus tumbled down a tunnel of darkness until he eventually slammed into the cold hard floor of Starlight Glimmer’s office.

Groaning in pain, he placed his talons beneath him and pushed himself upward. However, once he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting down in her lime green couch as opposed to lying on the floor. Starlight’s chair then swiveled around.

“Hello, Gallus,” greeted the shriveled, eyeless mare. “What ‘stupid subconscious psychological mumbo-jumbo’ shall you ignore my advice on today?”

Gallus didn’t even try to respond, immediately leaping off the couch and throwing open her door. Unfortunately, he was only met with a mirror of the room behind him.

“Running away is all you ever do, isn’t it, Gallus?”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” he screamed, darting through the window and landing back in yet another clone of the guidance counselor office.

“I suppose that it is all you know how to do, isn’t it?” growled the mare as a storm of crimson smoke spewed out of her every orifice.

“Get away from me!” Gallus fearfully shouted, backing away into the corner.

“How can you face your problems?” asked the approaching Starlight. “You haven’t done anything; you never will do anything! LOOK AT YOURSELF!” she screeched hatefully.

Gallus fell through the wall and quickly crashed head-first into another one. He groaned in agony as he gingerly held his throbbing head and peeked open an eye.

He stared back at himself.

“Do you know what I see?” his reflection asked. The mirror then cracked, shattering the reflection of himself and revealing a scrawny, sickly fledgling barely able to hold itself up.

“An orphan…!” the haunting image whimpered.

Gallus wordlessly scampered away from the mirror, only to back up into another one. He looked at it and found that reflected back was the mangled, fleshless corpse of Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Do you know what I see when I look at you? I see a failure!” she snarled.

Gallus quickly staggered away from the mirrors, but he almost immediately rammed his beak into yet another one.

“P-Please! Stop!” he pleaded, keeping his eyes shut. Unfortunately, a gnarled claw reached out of the mirror and grabbed his face, forcing his eyes back open.

“Ah see a griffon!” gargled out the flea-ridden image of Grandpa Gruff.

Gallus yelped, tearing himself free of Gruff’s grasp and running away. However, yet another spawned to bar his path, and the creature trapped within it caused him to skid to a halt.

Smolder slowly turned to face him, wearing a scowl of pure loathing and malice.

“I see… A LIAR!” she roared, taking a deep breath and blowing a stream of fire at him.

Gallus screamed as the flames wrapped around him and burned away the floor, dropping him further into the nightmare’s depths.

In less than a second Gallus hit solid ground, but he couldn’t find the strength to get up this time. He gasped for breath and opened his eyes to meet the gaze of Ocellus.

“You can be anything…” she muttered plainly. “Yet you choose to be these things? Pathetic! But then again? You’re not like me. You’re not like everycreature else. You don’t know what you want to be, do you? You filthy griffon!” she shrieked, snapping her fangs at him.

He flinched back and pathetically argued, “N-No! I… I do know! I do know what I want to be!”

“Pray tell, what!?” demanded the newly arrived Twilight Sparkle.

“I want to be better!”

“Then why aren’t you better yet!?” Starlight Glimmer screeched, suddenly behind him.

“I-I-I am b-better! I-I am!”

“You can never be better! You’re just a liar!” growled Smolder from within the darkened din.

The world then ignited into a storm of turquoise flames and ethereal winds, and from the storm emerged the monstrous form of a giant orange-and-orchid dragon.

“Friends never lie!” she declared, gazing at him with a hungered ferocity. “But you’re not my friend, are you!? What are you then!? WHAT ARE YOU!?” she bellowed, opening her glowing maw.

“I DON’T KNOW!” Gallus admitted, slumping against the floor as blackened tears began to leak from his eyes. “I don’t know! I don’t know!”

…

He opened his eyes to find another mirror erected before him, displaying himself and two other faceless griffons.

“How can you know who you are?” it slowly asked. “How can you know what you want to be? How can you know what you want to do? When the ones who were supposed to tell you never did,” it sneered as the two figures behind it vanished.

Gallus tried to back away; unfortunately, he bumped against something small, soft, and tiny. He then looked behind him and shirked back in unbridled terror.

“And that’s the question, isn’t it, Gallus?” Princess Cozy Glow asked, bathed in the silvery light of the moon above. “Who can you be if you’re no longer the broken, pathetic, little orphan boy that you’ve always been?” she said, igniting her horn with a demonic roar.

Gallus didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or flee. But two things were certain: He wasn’t going to beg. And he was definitely not going to let her have the last word.

“I don’t know, but I’d probably still be me!”

“And just who is that?” she laughed, lowering her horn toward his skull.

“…Gallus.”

He closed his eyes.

…

When nothing happened, Gallus slowly opened his eyes only to discover the blackened void had been replaced by the lush emerald grass of Ponyville Park. And upon returning his gaze to his would-be murderer, he found the filly had been turned to stone.

Gallus then looked up and watched as a midnight blue alicorn descended from the moon, quietly alighting upon the grass.

“Accursed child…” she whispered upon approaching the petrified psychopath. “Even now that pest finds a way to be a greater nuisance than she has any right to be.”

She then blew onto the statue, causing the item to crumble away into dust and disappear completely. Princess Luna then smiled, warmly greeting, “Hello, Gallus.”

“Princess Luna!?” Instantly, everything clicked back into place. “Oh! Right! It was all a dream!” Gallus remembered, chuckling weakly. “It was a bad dream, but it was still just a dream! … Oh thank Grover,” he wheezed, falling onto his haunches.

“Indeed it was,” she confirmed, sitting beside him on the picnic blanket that was suddenly there now. “But now, the nightmare is over.”

“Yeah, thanks,” he quietly mumbled, taking the chance to regain his breath. “Sorry, Princess.”

“For what?” she asked plainly.

“For… For dragging you out of retirement,” he answered, confused by her question. “Because you retired, right? So you stopped doing your dream thing, didn’t you?”

Luna let out a bark of laughter. “Oh, my sweet, little Hero of Equestria…” she said, patting his shoulder gently. “If my dear sister thinks she can drag me off to Silver Shoals before I can make up for a thousand years’ lost time, she’s got another thing coming.”

“So, wait… You didn’t retire?”

“From ruling Equestria? Yes, I did. I have a millennia of sisterly bonding to catch up on. From watching over the dreams of my fellow Equestrians? Well, you’re a clever griffon.”

“Huh. I guess I just thought Princess Twilight would take over that too.”

“Twilight Sparkle can shoulder many responsibilities, but she cannot bear them all. Yet another reason she has so many friends to help her. On that note? Please don’t tell her I’m still doing this!” she pleaded fretfully. “If Twilight knows, she’ll tell Celestia. And if Tia knows… Well, let’s just say I’m trying to postpone that conversation until after my new earplugs come in the mail.”

Gallus couldn’t help but laugh, and soon, Luna chuckled along with him. Eventually, he stopped laughing and lamented, “I’m still sorry that you needed to stop my nightmare…”

“And I’m sorry you had to endure it for as long as you did,” Luna apologized. “It was quite the challenge breaking through it in order to reach you.”

“It’s fine, Princess,” he half-lied. “I’m just sorry for having it in the first place.”

“A nightmare is your worst fears made manifest in an assault upon your psyche,” she explained, sipping at her tea. “You need not feel ashamed for falling victim to forces beyond your control.”

“Yeah, but… I shouldn’t have had a nightmare at all!”

“You expect too much of yourself.”

“But why would I have a nightmare like that to begin with? I’m not— What do I have to be so afraid of? I’m nervous about the Fair, but I’m not that nervous,” he claimed, angry at himself.

“Hmm. ‘What do I have to be so afraid of?’” she quoted quietly. “Why don’t you tell me.”

“But— But I’m not afraid of anything!” Gallus boasted as confidently as he could. “I’m… I’m not. Or at least, I shouldn’t be,” he added dejectedly.

“Come now, Gallus. You know I shall not judge you, nor shall I think you cowardly,” Luna promised soothingly. “Do not be afraid to speak of your fears.”

After some time, he confessed, “I’m not better.”

“Oh, is that so? Odd. You seem far better than you once were,” she congratulated bluntly.

Gallus shook his head and protested, “No, I’m not! If I were really better, I wouldn’t— I wouldn’t be having stupid nightmares, and I wouldn’t need help getting rid of them! I shouldn’t need help because I should be better already!” he bemoaned, hiding his face in his talons. “But I’m not!”

Princess Luna remained silent, affording him a moment to regain his composure.

“Princess, do… Do you know about what happened to me?” Gallus asked as calmly as possible.

“I do,” she answered casually.

“Then you also know that I’m trying to move on and heal?”

“Indeed. And I applaud your progress thus far,” Luna added, giving him a proud smile.

“Yeah, but… It’s not enough! I’m still screwing up; I’m still demeaning myself; I’m still—” His voice caught in his throat before he mumbled, “I’m still worrying Silver…!”

“Flawlessness is far too lofty an expectation to hold, Gallus,” she stated wisely. “And more importantly? Help is not something you should be ashamed of needing.”

“But if I were better then I wouldn’t need help!” he argued. “I wouldn’t be dumping my problems on Sandbar; I wouldn’t be getting upset over a stupid tie; I… I’d have made up with Smolder already,” Gallus rambled off regretfully.

“I reiterate: You expect too much of yourself.”

“What!?” he snapped hotly. “What do you mean!? Are you saying I shouldn’t be better!?”

“No. I am saying you shouldn’t hold yourself to such an unreasonable expectation,” Luna clarified calmly. “You are better, Gallus, but that doesn’t mean you’re no longer subject to mistakes.”

“But I shouldn’t be!” he protested, rising to his talons unconsciously. “Princess, I hate this! I’m supposed to be healing, but ever since that stupid holiday, I keep making these mistakes!”

“Mistakes are an aspect of life,” she began neutrally. “Everycreature will make them as nocreature is perfect. You would be wise to not expect yourself to be an exception to this.”

“Tch! I wish I were perfect,” Gallus grumbled venomously. “Maybe if I were, I’d stop worrying my friends and accidentally demeaning myself…”

“It is good that you wish to do neither of these things,” she agreed. “However, it is not right to expect yourself to be flawless, especially when you subsequently judge yourself for not being so.”

“I don’t need to be ‘flawless’; I just need to be better!” he argued fervently.

“And yet you are.”

“If I were better I wouldn’t be worrying my friends, I-I wouldn’t still be screwing up; I’d know what I want to do after we graduate!” Gallus added, perking up in rage.

“I wouldn’t dump my problems on Sandbar and Yona out of nowhere like an idiot! I wouldn’t have nightmares that I need to be saved from! Who knows!” he squawked wildly. “Maybe Gruff would have showed up to our play! Maybe he’d show up tomorrow, but fat chance will that ever happen!” Gallus concluded as his shout echoed throughout the dreamscape.

Gallus fell back to his haunches, taking deliberately deep breaths in a vain attempt to calm himself down as Princess Luna stoically watched on.

“I don’t want to worry my friends, Princess,” he continued despairingly. “I don’t want to hurt them. I just want to be normal, but I— But I keep screwing up! And if I keep screwing up then—” Gallus fell silent, unable to finish his thought.

For several long, agonizing minutes, Princess Luna sat there, observing the haggard griffon hang his head in guilt, a mixture of pity and hesitance marring her otherwise tranquil expression.

Eventually, Gallus rubbed his eyes dry and looked at her. “Please, Princess,” he pleaded in a cracked voice. “Please, tell me what I’m supposed to do…”

“Gallus?” Luna slowly began, meeting his puffy eyes with her own somber ones. “I shall not disservice you by pretending that there are easy answers to these struggles. Nor shall I torment you by suggesting that I hold the solution to even one of them.”

Gallus couldn’t help but let out a pained laugh. “Heh, I’m so screwed up that even an alicorn, let alone the Princess of the Night, can’t help me?” he whimpered hopelessly.

“You are correct in that I am an alicorn, but do not take that as grounds that I am omniscient. But even still? I need not be all-knowing to know the message you need to hear most of all.”

“Let me guess: That there’s nothing wrong with me?” he guessed, irked by that possibility. “Go talk it out with the others? Be with my friends, and they’ll be there for me, right?”

“From your tone, I suspect you’ve heard these lessons countless times,” she deduced impassively. “I suppose ‘tis only natural; they are rather wise courses of action. However, I trust you know and understand the value of these messages; hence, I shall not repeat them.”

Gallus couldn’t help but be thankful for that, asking, “Okay? So what should I do then?”

“You need to love yourself also.”

Gallus stammered incoherently for a moment before managing to ask, “Wh-What?”

“You need to love yourself also,” Luna repeated.

“I… I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

“I mean that you expect perfection of yourself, and when you cannot attain it, you think even less of yourself than you had previously,” she elaborated simply.

“I-I-I’m sorry,” he stuttered, beginning to frown. “A-Are you saying that I shouldn’t feel guilty for when I make mistakes? That… That I shouldn’t be angry that I keep worrying my friends!?”

“Gallus, you know full-well that is not what I am saying.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“I am saying that you are not immutable,” Luna stated resolutely. “And you should not feel guilty that you are not so.”

“I don’t need to be ‘immutable’ or ‘flawless’ or whatever else! I just need to be better, but—”

“You are better.”

“No, I am not! If I were better than I wouldn’t be—”

“Making mistakes?”

“Worrying my friends! Worrying her!”

“Through your mistakes?”

“…Yes.”

Silence.

“Princess Luna, please… Please just tell me what I need to do!” he begged. “I don’t care what I have to do, just please tell me!”

“Love. And accept. Yourself. Faults and all.”

“No! I will not love myself!” he yelled. Gallus then grimaced and shied away, muttering, “That— That didn’t come out quite right. Erm, I… I mean… I mean…”

“Yes?” she asked softly.

“…I lied to them,” he finally managed to say. “I hurt them. I worried them, Princess. I keep worrying them! I… I can’t love that! Why would I ever love that about myself?”

“I never said you had to.”

“But… But you said—”

“If I may provide context? Do you think I love Nightmare Moon?”

Silence again.

“No.”

“Indeed. I do not love that part of myself. I do not love that buried pit of resentment and jealousy that… Well? You know the story. But do you think that one, singular aspect is enough to prevent me from caring about myself? From loving myself for who I am?”

“N-No.”

“Indeed.”

“But what I did was—”

“Do not say what you did was worse,” she chided sternly. “And do not for even a single second believe that your mistakes are unforgivable.”

“S-Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way…” he elaborated, flinching back.

“Fear not, I understand,” Luna assuaged kindly. “And… Forgive me. I do not mean to compare or quantify our sins, merely contrast them. And I do so to emphasize that it is not our mistakes that should define us, but rather how we learn from them.”

“Clearly, I haven’t,” Gallus couldn’t stop himself from saying.

“Once more, you think too little of yourself for failing to be immutable.”

“Immutable or not, I still hurt my friends. And I… I’m still hurting them. What kind of creature does that make me?” he asked, gazing at the spot where Cozy Glow had last stood.

“A living one,” she answered gently. “A young, living, breathing soul in a world teeming with life, and deserving to love and to be loved.”

“Maybe that’s what I am, but is it really who I am?” he wondered, dejected. “Or… Or was that brat right all along? And I really am nothing more than… A pathetic, lying griffon?”

“I have heard a peculiar sentiment in the time since my return: We are not always who we think we are. Oftentimes, we are who others think we are,” she quoted sagely.

Gallus blinked, contemplating the notion. After a minute, he collected himself and murmured, “A-And?”

“And…? Would you like to know who I think you are, Gallus?”

After a moment of deliberation, he gulped and silently nodded.

“I think you are a brave, caring, clever griffon. A hero to Equestria. An inspiration to Griffonstone. And a loved one to your family,” she ended, giving him a bright, proud smile.

Nothing is wrong with you.

Two tiny rivers broke free from his eyes and streaked down his cheeks before Gallus could even try to stop them.

In less than a heartbeat, he found himself being pulled into Luna’s tender embrace, her wings wrapping around him protectively, almost motherly. Gallus didn’t hesitate to hug her back.

After what could have very well been hours, Gallus shuddered, wiping away the lingering dampness and pulling away. Meanwhile, Luna retracted her wings, but never once tore her gaze away from the griffon.

…

“So do I, uh, do I talk first or do you talk first?” he asked, a smirk tugging at his beak.

Luna fell into a series of giggles before answering, “If you wish to speak, you may; I shall not impede you.”

“Y-Yeah,” he said, smiling back. After yet another minute, he said, “Sor… Thank you, Princess Luna. I’m… I wish I hadn’t— I mean! I think I really needed to hear all of that,” he course-corrected.

“‘Tis my pleasure to aid you,” Luna said, nodding dutifully.

“…Does it get easier?”

She hummed in thought for a moment before sighing and admitting, “I do not believe I can say. For many, healing is a certainty. For others? It is a long-dead hope. But if I am to speak from personal experience? Yes. Yes, it does,” Luna confirmed, smiling serenely.

“It just takes a really long time, right?”

“Indeed. Time heals all wounds, but it cannot always do so alone,” she supposed sagely, rising to her hooves.

“Heh. I guess I’m lucky that I’m not alone,” he said, grinning weakly.

“Yes. You are not alone.” She let that statement sit for a while before asking, “Gallus? You deserve to be loved. You deserve a family, friends; a home… You know all of this. Don’t you?”

He nodded without hesitation.

“I am glad,” Luna sighed, relieved. “But? Always remember that you deserve to love yourself as well. You have made mistakes, Gallus; this is true,” she acknowledged simply. “But everycreature makes mistakes. ’Tis a part of life, as regrettable as it may be.”

“‘Regrettable’ is putting it mildly,” he muttered sarcastically.

“Perhaps. But the most despicable truth about mistakes is this: You will always make them,” Luna promised. “My sister and I are over a millennia old, and we’ve both failed Equestria and our little ponies more times than I can count,” she admitted, looking away regretfully.

“Well, I think you both did fine enough.”

“Thank you, Gallus,” she said, smiling. “No one is above making mistakes,” Luna resumed. “And one should never think otherwise. All we can hope to do is learn from our failures, big or small. Learn. And grow,” she concluded, nodding reassuringly. “And you have grown quite a lot in recent months.”

After wiping his eyes again, Gallus quietly muttered, “Thank you, Princess. I don’t want to make mistakes, but you’re right. I… I can’t hate myself for making them.”

“No. You can’t,” she murmured, slowly shaking her head. “So, please, Gallus. Promise me you’ll remember that. That no matter how many mistakes you make, you will always deserve the love of both your friends and especially yourself,” Luna requested gently.

“I will,” he promised. “I… I will.”

Luna merely smiled gratefully. She then trotted toward a wooden door that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the field.

“Are you leaving?” Gallus asked, his voice soft, subdued.

“Indeed. I have yet more dreams to visit and yet more creatures to aid. … I can stay for longer if you wish, however,” she proposed, turning back to him.

“N-No! No. I don’t want to keep you.”

“If you’re certain?”

“Yeah. Besides, I…” He hesitated but ultimately said, “I need some time to… I, uh, I don’t know, er, think? … Wait, is that even possible in a dream?”

Luna smirked coyly and deflected, “Then I shall visit your dreams later tonight. But for now? I believe I shall leave you with this one,” she declared, stamping her hoof down.

Immediately, the ethereal void of Ponyville solidified. The grass flared to life as the blazing sun beat down upon the happy world, and the images of several ponies appeared, simply trotting about.

“Remember, Gallus,” Luna began, opening the door and stepping halfway through it. “Remember that you are worthy of both the love of your peers and the love of yourself.”

The door closed.

Gallus blinked at the sudden departure before he quickly found himself trapped in Silverstream’s laughing embrace.

“There you are, silly!” she squealed, completely normal and smiling brightly. “I was wondering where you went.”

“What— But— Silver?”

“Yep, that’s my name; don’t wear it out. Now, c’mon!” she demanded, pulling him along as she precariously balanced a familiar basket on her back. “Mrs. Ditsy should be getting home soon, and we want to surprise her with the muffins!”

“But… Didn’t we… Didn’t we already do that?” he mumbled, scratching his head in confusion.

“Nope! We wanted to, but we got interrupted; luckily, no more interruptions this time!” she sang cheerfully. “Now, let’s go! Mrs. Ditsy is going to absolutely love these muffins, and you want to know why?” Silver asked conspiratorially.

“Uh… Uh, w-why?” Gallus asked, blinking as he slowly lost himself to the rules of the dream.

“Hee-hee! Because you helped me make ‘em,” she answered, sneaking in a playful boop to his beak. “Now hurry, we gotta catch her before she heads out for her afternoon route!”

Silverstream then bounded forward, waving her talon for him to come along. Gallus snorted in exasperation before happily replying, “Coming, milady!”

“You better, milord!”

In the waking world, Gallus rolled over in his sleep, a serene smile tugging at the corners of his beak.

Author's Note

Hello again, my friends! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 6, or as I like to call it: Reprieve 2: Electric Boogaloo. :moustache: Yeah, I'm not even going to try to pretend like part of this chapter didn't retread old ground in some regard.
Hopefully, I handled it well enough to not feel like too much like a redo of Chapter 2. I'll explain my process, regarding this chapter more thoroughly when I do the "Writing of..." for this story, but yeah.

On the other hand, plenty of other stuff happened this chapter! Gallus got a suit for his date with Silverstream, Vellum somewhat made up with November; Best Princess made a cameo...
Wonder what's up with Smolder though? :trixieshiftleft: Hmm? What say all of you? Any guesses?

So! Good news! I have two more chapters and an epilogue to complete, and then I'll be able to finally post all the remaining chapters! Woo-hoo! :pinkiehappy:
Bad news! I have to - once again - schedule the next chapter for the 25th - 27th of October. :pinkiesick:

I know it's frustrating, and I'm really sorry that I keep making you guys wait so long for updates. But I want to make absolutely certain that every chapter is as great as it can be. I don't want to just speed-write a 20k+ word mess and leave it riddled with hundreds of mistakes, contrivances, and plotholes. Especially considering what happens in these last few chapters.
Nonetheless, I hope to quicken my pace and get them done as fast as I reasonably can. I'm sorry again about the wait, but I really think that you'll find it worth it.

NEXT TIME: The Science Fair is finally upon us! Patience will be tested! Tables will be scratched! Awards will be given! And a certain changeling's secret will be revealed.

Chapter Seven: Pride

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Gallus groaned angrily.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Go away, nogriff is home!” he groggily mumbled.

“Come on, Gallus!” Ocellus shouted through the door, returning to her incessant knocking. “It’s morning, and we need to go set up for the Fair!”

Gallus sat there in silence, allowing his half-asleep brain to churn those words over and determine a response. After concluding that he had no response to give, he simply rolled back over and snuggled into his blanket and pillow, savoring their soft warmth.

“Gallus, come on!” she yelled, banging against his door once more. “We need to go! You told me not to stay up too late; don’t tell me you did yourself!”

“Ocellus, if I look out the window and the sun is still halfway beneath the horizon…!” he warned, forcing himself to sit up and rub his eyes.

She was quiet for a moment then weakly said, “It’s— The sun is up. P-Promise!”

I can’t even be mad, Gallus thought, shaking his head in exasperation. He then stood up and opened the door, moaning, “You know, Ocellus, I was having a really good dream too.”

“S-Sorry. Did you have trouble sleeping?” she asked, noticing just how baggy his eyes were.

“I had a bit of a rough night, yeah,” he yawned, vaguely recalling a visit from a certain blue alicorn. “But whatever, I’m awake now. What are you up to?”

“I’m trying to wake my partner up so we can both get our project set up as early as possible.”

“The Fair doesn’t start until this afternoon!” he protested indignantly.

“Yes, but I’m certain the judges will appreciate our timeliness. It is of utmost importance for scientists to be so, after all,” she added, presuming that would validate her argument.

“So is sleep. Go get yourself some more of that, Ocellus,” Gallus suggested, closing his door.

She held it open and pleaded, “Come on, Gallus! We need—”

“To go back to bed?”

“Gallus, please! We need to impress the judges however we can; otherwise, they might think we’re lazy or aren’t as passionate as we should be!” she claimed hysterically.

Gallus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t want to be a scientist, Ocellus,” he finally admitted, not feeling guilty in the slightest. “I know you do, and more power to you. But I don’t. So, sorry if I’m coming across as ‘lazy’ or whatever, but? Yeah.”

“O-Oh. But I thought…” she muttered, scuffing the floor nervously. Ocellus then cleared her throat and meekly apologized, “I’m sorry, Gallus. You’re not lazy; I just didn’t know you didn’t want to be a scientist.”

Wow. That was…simple! I thought this would be a way more awkward problem to deal with. Guess not, he rejoiced gratefully. “Eh, no problem,” he assuaged.

“D-Does that mean you don’t want to help me with the Fair today…?” Ocellus timidly asked.

Gallus scoffed. “What? And leave my partner hanging? No way! We both worked hard, and I’m definitely not letting you take all the credit,” he declared jokingly.

“‘Take all the credit’!? I wouldn’t dare!”

“Yeah, I know. Don’t worry, Ocellus, I’ll be down in a bit.”

“Okay. Meet you in the main foyer then,” she said, turning to trot away. However, before she did so, Ocellus looked back and asked, “Gallus? Why don’t you want to be a scientist?”

And back to being complicated and awkward. “I don’t know,” he answered, shrugging. “I just don’t think it’s something that I’d be… That I’d want to do,” he corrected himself.

“Oh. Well, far be it for me to fault you for you that.”

“Yeah, well… ‘Professor Gallus’ doesn’t exactly click for me.”

“Shame. You’d make a good one,” Ocellus casually complimented. “Anyway, I’ll start getting everything sorted out while I wait for you. I’ll see you soon.”

“Yep. See ya,” he replied, shutting the door and gazing longingly at his bed.

…

“Curse you, Ocellus,” Gallus grumbled, deciding not to immediately collapse back into the comfy warmth of his mattress. Instead, he quickly completed his morning routine and paused to stare into the mirror Sandbar had given him.

A sky blue griffon stared back at him through tired, baggy eyes.

“Eh, I don’t look that bad,” he said, grinning as he combed a talon through his headcrest again. Soon his relaxed grin faded away, replaced by a nervous grimace.

“You’d make a good one.”

“I don’t want to be a scientist…right?” Gallus asked his reflection.

Silence.

“I mean, Ocellus isn’t wrong. I would be a great one; I’m pretty smart,” he murmured proudly. “But is that really what I want to do with my life?”

“What do I want to do?” he asked himself, looking away from the mirror. “I’d be a good scientist, but what would I do? Just study and test all day long?” Gallus ran his mind back over the days he and Ocellus had done exactly that for their project. “That’s fun and all, but…? For the rest of my life?” he whispered, trying to imagine himself in forty years.

Gallus ultimately drew a blank, excepting for five specific individuals he knew he wanted to still be with. Although, one in particular stood out clearer than the rest.

—And then! You can all be noticed by talent scouts, reporters, and the like. Resulting in the creation of various connections and whatnot which will allow you all to carve forth a future career in the field of acting,” Rarity’s voice echoed back to him.

“Could I be an actor?” he wondered. “The play was a lot of fun. And everycreature seemed to really enjoy our performance…”

For a griffon… Gallus shook that thought out of his head and remembered the article had also said, “—Mr. Gallus gives a phenomenal performance of the second lead protagonist, expressing and selling every last moment of selflessness, heroism, and compassion.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I rocked that play!” he celebrated confidently.

A certain somegriff clearly disagrees with that.

“Yeah, well… If— If I don’t need to know he’s proud of me, then I don’t need to know he thinks I’d be a great actor either,” Gallus tried to tell himself, scowling angrily. “I could totally be an actor if I wanted to be! And I’d be a great one!”

…

“But do I want to be one is the question?” he acknowledged, groaning in frustration. “Why don’t I know what I want to do when I graduate!? Seriously, why is this even bothering me so much!?”

Perhaps you simply wish to know because you’ve seen Yona and Sandbar figure out their own aspirations? Gallus supposed one of his teachers would have answered.

Or perhaps it’s because it reminds you that you lack your own, he knew a certain psychopath would have suggested.

Gallus snorted at the latter, muttering, “Eh, I’ll figure it out. … I hope he shows up today,” he confided to his reflection. Taking a slow breath, he sternly decreed, “Okay! Gallus, it is too early to be dwelling on all of this junk. We can deal with this later; let’s go get some breakfast first,” he decided, leaving his bedroom and trotting down the hall.

“Today is going to be a good day,” Gallus told himself, smiling.

***

A few hours later, the Science Fair was finally in full-swing.

Scattered around the school grounds were dozens of tables, all bearing various projects and displays that their creators would explain and demonstrate to anycreature that came their way.

A multitude of both fellow students and Ponyville residents flit between each of these tables, beaming excitedly whenever something interesting caught their eye. As a result, the air was filled with the sounds of wonder, anticipation, and the occasional explosion.

And in the thick of it all were Gallus and Ocellus…

“—Of course, the teleportation magic cost will be reduced by over eighty percent so long as the caster initiates the recycling effect within the third tier,” Ocellus recited as she paced fretfully. “Why, yes! Of course I can show you; if you could kindly look to item sixty-two on the board…”

While she continued to practice for the judges, Gallus sat and awaited the next set of ponies—and hopefully one particular griffon—to visit their table, listening to her ramble all the while. It didn’t take long before he had enough of it and turned to her, calling out, “Ocellus?”

“WHAT!?” she shrieked, facing him. “Are they here!? Are they coming!? Where are they!?”

Gallus shot a swift glance over the crowd, spotting the burgundy robes of the EEA councilors. “Looks like they’re checking out whatever Lighthoof did for the Fair,” he answered simply.

“O-Oh! Well, let me know when they’re coming then.”

“Ocellus,” Gallus continued gently before she could resume panicking.

“Y-Yes?”

“Everything will be fine. Remember? Say it with me, Ocellus. Everything. Will be. Fine.”

She took a deep breath and echoed, “Everything will be fine.”

“Say it again.”

“Everything will be fine.”

“One more time.”

“Everything will be fine!”

“There ya go!” Gallus laughed. “ Don’t worry, Ocellus, the spell is good to go, and we’ve got everything written down for when they ask about it. We’ve totally got this,” he assured, giving her a confident nod.

“I know, I know… But it’s easy to say that; it’s another thing entirely to believe it,” she mumbled.

“All you have to do is be confident in yourself, Ocellus.”

“I am confident in myself,” Ocellus claimed. “I’m just not confident I’ve done everything perfectly.”

“Well, so what if it’s not perfect? Flawlessness is way too much of an expectation anyway.”

“Is… Is that a line from Perfection: The Impossible Pursuit?”

Gallus blinked and asked, “That’s a book?” If so, I want to read it.

“Mhmm. Pretty enjoyable read to be honest.”

Yep, definitely want to read it. “Well, if you’ve read it, then why are you so concerned about everything being perfect?”

“You know why…” Ocellus answered dejectedly.

“Yeah, I do. And you know something, Ocellus?” he began comfortingly.

“What?”

“You’re perfect just the way you are,” Gallus acknowledged calmly. “You and I have both done a lot of work on this project, and like I said yesterday: If these judges want to ignore all that work, they’re either stupid or jealous. Neither of which would be your fault.”

Ocellus stared at him in complete befuddlement. Eventually, her horn glowed for a second, and she perked up, asking, “Y-You really think everything will be okay? You’re not worried at all!?”

Gallus thought about it for a minute, and after shooing away more thoughts about Grandpa Gruff, he admitted, “A little. But I’m more worried about you being okay than the Fair. Even if we don’t win, I know we’ve done well. … You do too, right?”

She blinked and looked away, whispering, “I do.”

“Then be confident, Ocellus. I’m confident in you, and you should be too. Both in yourself and for yourself,” he proclaimed wisely.

“Kindness Lesson Forty-eight. A simple lesson, but an important one,” she quoted, grinning knowingly.

“Indeed.”

Ocellus soon sighed and sat down beside him, resting her head in her hooves.

“That help?” Gallus asked tentatively.

“A little. … A lot, actually. Thanks, Gallus,” she said, giving him a grateful smile.

“Anytime.”

“…I’m confident in you too, you know.”

“I should hope so; I worked hard too!”

“Yes, you did. Yes, we did. We are ready!” she declared.

“That’s the spirit, Ocellus!”

“Yeah! The hard part is keeping that spirit up, I suppose,” Ocellus contemplated.

“Yeah… Unfortunately, that tends to be the case,” Gallus concurred, turning his gaze back upon the Fair and finding a familiar pink hippogriff trotting among the ponies. “Oh! Hey! Silver! Hey, over here!” he called out eagerly.

She turned at his beckoning and swiftly darted over. “Hey, Gallus! Hey, Ocellus!” she greeted, smiling brightly. “I was looking for you two all over; how are you doing today?”

“Good. You?”

“I’m good too. Sorry I missed you at breakfast. I was going to wish you both good luck, but I didn’t see either of you…”

“Eh, we wanted to get an early start to today,” he explained, giving his partner a sly grin.

“Probably for the best to be honest,” Silver agreed, looking out into the huge crowd. “I’ve been looking for your booth for the past ten minutes.”

“We didn’t pick this spot for our project,” Ocellus clarified. “We got stuck with it because Professor Applejack was adamant we all have our own specific spots as opposed to choosing our own. … Which makes no sense!” she barked angrily.

“She wanted to have the center-most table,” Gallus elaborated to the confused Silverstream.

“Oh! Makes sense,” she said, nodding. “I’m pretty sure Neighsay stopped at that table first.”

“Chancellor Neighsay is here!?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, I was surprised too! He was really busy talking to November about his project though, so I didn’t say anything.”

“November got the center table!?” Ocellus inquired, frowning indignantly. “Augh, come on!”

“Sorry, Ocellus,” Gallus and Silver said. They then giggled at having spoken simultaneously.

“Hey!” the latter began cheerfully. “Look at it this way: If you two are the last ones the judges check out, that means they were saving the best for last.”

“Yeah, I guess you could say they wanted to end the Fair with a bang,” Gallus added, smirking teasingly.

“Really?” Ocellus deadpanned. “You’re still doing the firework jokes?”

“Oh come on! There was no way I was going to pass that one up!”

She sighed exasperatedly and asked, “Anyway! What are you up to, Silverstream? How are you enjoying the Fair?”

“It’s amazing!” she sang happily. “I can’t find Yona anywhere for the life of me, but I did see what Lighthoof made for the Fair. And you need to see what November did! … Hey, wait a minute! Have either of you two seen the other projects yet?”

“Sadly, no,” Gallus bemoaned. “We’ve been stuck here waiting for the judges to show.”

“In that case, I don’t want to spoil anything for you.”

“You might as well. Something tells me neither of us are going to get a chance to see any of the other projects,” he ended, disappointed.

Ocellus appeared ready to agree; however, she noticed Silver look at her pleadingly and was unable to resist. “If you want to go check out the other projects, you can, Gallus,” she conceded.

“Wait, what?”

“If you want to go hang out with Silver around the Fair, you can go ahead and do so,” she reiterated, smiling confidently. “I can hold down the fort until the judges show.”

He blinked for a moment, processing her offer. Grover knows! I do want to hang out with Silver, but… “Are you sure, Ocellus? I don’t want to just leave you here by yourself.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve got this, right?”

Gallus looked to Silver and was met with a dazzling smile. He then turned back around and gave Ocellus a tight hug, saying, “Thank you!”

“No need for thanks,” she said, hugging him back. Once he let go, she assured, “I’ll be fine. You two go have fun, but just so you know? I will come and get you the moment they show up, got it?” she warned.

“Aye, aye, Captain Firework,” he said, standing and trotting to Silver’s side.

“Now that one was forced!” Ocellus reprimanded hotly. “And terrible!”

“Don’t care. Now then, milady? Shall we?” Gallus asked, offering Silverstream a talon.

“Hee-hee-hee!” she laughed, taking hold of his claw. “Lead the way, milord. Thanks, Ocellus!”

“No problem.” After they disappeared into the crowd, Ocellus sighed and leaned her head against her hoof, muttering, “Those two really are good for each other, aren’t they?” She quickly ended her musings upon the arrival of another group of ponies.

***

“Thanks for saving me from Ocellus,” Gallus said once the pair had walked out of earshot.

“No problem,” Silver said. “I’m just glad she let you go. After what you told me last night, I was a little scared she wouldn’t let you out of her sight.”

“Well, she did bang on my door first thing in the morning…”

“Is that what that noise was?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “ I thought I was just dreaming that.”

“Nope. That was Ocellus waking me up so we could prepare as early as possible.”

“Oh geez! Not again… Sorry, Gallus. Do you think we should talk to one of our professors?”

“Nah, I think I got through to her earlier, so she should be good.”

“That’s a relief. There’s been enough worrying going on lately…”

“Yeah. Yeah…” Gallus thought for a moment before slowly saying, “I, uh, also finally told her I didn’t want to be a professor like she does.”

Silver held his gaze, softly inquiring, “And what did she say?”

“She was…surprised. I’m pretty sure she thought I actually did want to be one.”

“…Was she okay with you not wanting be?”

“Oh, yeah. I thought telling her would be a lot harder to be honest, but she just accepted it and moved on. Guess I was just overthinking things, huh?” he supposed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“‘It’s not the examination that freezes your blood and shivers your spine; it’s the anticipation leading up to it,’” Silverstream quoted wisely.

“Ha! Nice advice; where’d you get it from?”

“Yona. Although, she got it from Spike.”

“Heh-heh. Yeah, that figures. … She also said I would be a great scientist if I did want to be one,” he added hesitantly.

“That’s because you would be!” she wasted no time assuring.

“Aww, thanks, Silver!”

“No need to thank me. Just stating a fact,” she said, giving him a smug grin.

“Well, it’s a very nice fact,” he replied, nodding happily. “Ocellus would certainly approve.”

“Hee-hee. Speaking of which? How come you never told her you didn’t want to be a professor before?” Silver asked neutrally.

Gallus hesitated for a moment before muttering, “I was scared I’d hurt her feelings…”

“Awww, you’re so sweet! It’s so nice of you to care about her feelings like that, Gallus.”

“Yeah. But it probably would have been better if I had just told her a long time ago. You know? Instead of sitting on it for weeks,” he ended bitterly.

“I hear that…” she agreed, looking away sorrowfully.

“Yeah, I’ve really got to get a handle on that.” After some time, Gallus grinned and began, “Still? That’s a problem for another time. For now? I’ve got my awesome girlfriend by my side, and we’re surrounded by a bunch of cool science stuff,” he said, giving her cheek a quick nuzzle. “What say we enjoy our time at the Fair instead of dwelling on a bunch of problems?”

She giggled, joyfully returning the nuzzle and answering, “Definitely. And I know just where to start! Let’s go!”

Berry Bliss and Citrine Spark had decided to fiddle around with various different food spells in an attempt to—in the former’s words—concoct the ultimate candy.

As silly as it was, the result ended up being one humongous hunk of mouth-watering blueberry rock candy, and Gallus could never be unhappy with the existence of more blueberry rock candy. Nor could Silver for that matter, considering he had to hold her back from devouring the whole thing.

Soaring Virtue’s project was on methods of flight, from the anatomy of bird wings to the physics of hot air balloons. She had even gone so far as to draw diagrams displaying the differences between pegasus, griffon, changeling, and hippogriff wing structures.

Gallus found it mildly interesting, but Silver absolutely adored it. So much so, that by the time her curiosity was fully sated, two other couples had shown up, checked out the project, and left. Still, Silverstream’s excitement was so adorable that Gallus couldn’t bring himself to interrupt her.

Lighthoof had constructed a giant kinetic sculpture. It was satisfyingly psychedelic, but nothing Gallus found too spectacular. The fact that Silver had to physically drag him away from the item was absolutely not indicative of just how mesmerizing he truly found it.

Slate Sentiments, with the help of Maud Pie, created a model of the planet’s interior with each individual layer of crust sectioned off and explained in rigorous detail.

This time, Gallus was the one gushing over the display while Silver watched on in amusement. Luckily, he managed to keep his enthusiasm contained to fifteen minutes, and soon, they made their way to the center-most table.

Upon arriving at said destination, Gallus discovered that November Rain did indeed have one peck of an amazing project.

His table was laden with dozens of bottles, each containing their own miniature weather effect from blizzards and tornadoes, to volcanic lightning and tablecloth clouds. Gallus was utterly stunned at how well November had done, especially since he had done it all without the help of a single pegasus.

“So this is the kind of competition Ocellus and I face, eh, September Tempest?” Gallus quipped.

“Ughhh!” November moaned into his hooves. “You’re never going to forget that, are you?”

“Nope. But all jokes aside, this is awesome, November!”

“Thanks, Gallus,” he said, reacquiring his proud smile. “I was a bit worried my project wasn’t really as interesting as I thought it’d be, but if you of all creatures thinks it’s cool…? Thanks.”

Gallus was momentarily astonished by the sincerity of that comment, but he appreciated it nonetheless. “Yeah, well? I call things like I see them. And this? Is cool.”

“See? I knew you would love it!” Silverstream cheered.

“I never said I wouldn’t,” he chuckled. “So, where to next?”

“I’m not sure. These were all the different projects I saw before I found you and Ocellus. Sooo? I guess wherever we go next will be a surprise for the both of us!” she sang excitedly.

“Sweet! … So, uh, do you have any ideas?”

“Nope. Do you?”

“Hmm? I know! Hey, November? Did you know where Sandbar set his project up?”

“Yep,” he answered. “I’m pretty sure his table was four down from Smolder’s.”

His voice hitched for a second, but Gallus quickly recovered and said, “I forgot Smolder had a project too…”

“Well, she does,” November confirmed, noticing the pair’s newfound discomfort. “Not sure what it was, but I hope she finished it. She’s missed the past few Science Club meetings,” he revealed worriedly.

“She has?” Gallus asked as Silver fidgeted uncomfortably. “How come?”

“I don’t know. Shimmy says she’s fine, but Smolder’s seemed kind of down all month to be honest… Hey! You guys know her better than I do; do either of you know what’s up with her?”

After sharing an anxious glance with Silver, Gallus carefully answered, “Maybe. It’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to Smolder about for a while.”

“Phew!” November sighed in relief. “That’s good to hear. The last time I saw her, she looked more stressed-out than Vellum normally does. But if you guys know what’s going on then I know you’ll get it all sorted out.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, November. I’ll talk to her the next time I see her,” Gallus resolved, catching Silver’s fearful stare.

“Thanks, Gallus. And thanks again for stopping by too; I’m glad you guys liked my project.”

“No problem. And like I said, you did a good job, dude! You might even be able to snag second place. Right behind me and Ocellus, of course,” he teased smugly.

“Unless I get first place,” November challenged.

Gallus chuckled lightly as he and Silver trotted away. That laughter soon died out, and he turned to Silver only to find that she appeared on the verge of throwing-up.

“Silverstream?” he began softly. “Are you—”

“You’re going to talk to Smolder, aren’t you?” she interrupted.

Gallus was quiet for a moment then murmured, “I was thinking about it… But, Silver? Before I do anything, I want to know something.”

“Mhmm?” she hummed, barely meeting his eye.

“Did you want to spend the rest of the day together? Finish exploring the Fair and everything?”

Silver blinked in surprise and stammered, “Y-You… Wait! You want to…? But I thought…? I figured you’d want to talk to Smolder now!?”

“Well? We both know it’s not good to let problems bottle up, and I like to think I finally got that lesson drilled into my head,” he sardonically confessed. “But? Our last pseudo-date got ruined too, so?”

“I don’t care about that; I care about you and what you want to do!” she argued.

“And I care about you and what you want to do,” Gallus countered smartly. “So if you want to finish our pseudo-date, we will. I can talk to Smolder later, but I want to know what you think first?”

After mulling it over, Silverstream let out a weak chuckle. “Heh-heh. I think it’s really sweet of you to care about my thoughts like that…”

“Yeah, well? I try.”

“And you succeed brilliantly,” Silver praised. “But you’re right. I… I think…” She fell silent, recalling her conversation with the dragon last night.

“Are you okay, Silverstream?”

Silver looked about ready to snap, but she let out a long, forlorn sigh instead. “I will be,” she answered unnervingly. “But to answer your question? No. I think you should go talk to Smolder.”

Gallus silently stared at her before confidently nodding. “Okay. Then I will. Are you going to be okay while I do that?”

“…Yeah,” she lied. “I’ll just go find Sandbar’s table and wait for you. Are you going to be okay?”

“I will be when I know both my friend and my girlfriend are alright,” he stated, winking playfully and drawing forth a blush.

“Yep!” she chirped. “Definitely succeeding brilliantly!”

“Good to know.”

“Hee-hee-hee. … Gallus? One thing before you go?”

“Yeah?”

“I… I…” Silver looked away, clearly debating whether to tell him something or not. She then hung her head and muttered, “It’s nothing. I just wish I could help, but…”

“Don’t worry, Silver, you don’t need to help. I’ve got this,” he promised.

“I really hope you do.”

“…Did you want to come with me and talk to her too?”

“No!” she yelped resolutely. “No… I don’t think she wants to talk to me right now.”

Gallus already suspected something had happened that Silver wasn’t telling him, and that practically confirmed it. Nonetheless, he trusted her and asked, “Well? Shall I?” one last time.

“You go ahead,” Silver said timidly. “I’ll see you later.”

“And I’ll see you later,” he said, giving her one final nuzzle before departing into the crowd.

***

After splitting up, Silverstream continued forward in search of Sandbar’s table. Luckily, it didn’t take too long before she finally found him, and to her surprise, Yona.

“Oh! Hey, Silverstream!” the latter called out happily. “Yona and Sandbar over here!”

Figures I would find Yona after something bad happened again, she lamented, hiding her frown. Silver then approached, greeting, “Hi, Yona, hi, Sandbar. How are you two doing?”

“I’m swell,” Sandbar answered casually. “I’ve had a lot of ponies stop by today to check out my project,” he ended, gesturing to the dozen potted plants resting along his table.

“And Yona has been helping Sandbar,” she added cheerfully. “How about Silverstream? Is friend doing alright too?”

“I’m…fine,” she reflexively responded, turning her attention to Sandbar’s display. “So, Sandbar? You did something with plants, huh?”

“Yep. Specifically, a study on the stimulation of plant growth,” he explained. “Each one had something different added to help it grow, and I tried to see which method was best.”

“That sounds neat,” she said, brightening slightly. “So, which one was it?”

“This one,” Sandbar answered, gesturing to the leftmost flower. “I used a plant growth potion I got from Zecora, and it bloomed literally overnight! However,” he continued, pointing to the rightmost sapling. “If you were looking for a non-magical solution, I asked for a sample of the fertilizer the Apple family uses. It may not have blossomed entirely yet, but it certainly grew the second fastest.”

“That’s pretty cool. Did you learn anything else interesting?”

“Yeah. Turns out if you ask Granny Smith for a sample of her fertilizer, you’re gonna have to sentence yourself to a week of apple-bucking before she’ll give it to you.”

“She didn’t just let you pay for it?”

“I offered, but Ms. Smith was pretty insistent,” Sandbar said, shrugging. “Gallus helped me out though, so it wasn’t too bad. Plus, I got to hear a few stories from her too,” he ended conspiratorially.

“Ooh! What kind of stories?” Silverstream asked, happy to have something mundane to focus on.

“Eh, a little of this; a little of that,” he said vaguely. “The story about her first ever date…”

Yona then nudged him and admonished, “Sandbar not supposed to talk about that!”

“I told you!”

“That because there no secrets between us!” she boasted proudly.

“Yeah, but she asked!”

“Well, Sandbar shouldn’t have given Silver reason to ask!”

“Okay, fair enough,” he conceded as his girlfriend grinned victoriously.

Silver’s smile became considerably more strained as she wistfully mumbled, “You both really love each other, don’t you?”

“Yep!” they both confirmed joyously.

“Aww, I’m so happy for you two!” she commented honestly, hoping her jealousy didn’t register in her voice. I bet their dates never get interrupted all the time…

“Thanks, Silverstream,” Sandbar said softly. “Say? What about you and Gallus? Were you looking for him and Ocellus?”

“No, I already found them. Ocellus even let Gallus go so we could explore the Fair together! Of course, that didn’t end well. … As usual, apparently,” she groused, frowning miserably.

Sandbar and Yona shared a concerned glance, and after a nod from Yona, Sandbar stood up and proclaimed, “You know? We’re kinda slow right now, and it’s already lunchtime… I think I’ll go get some grub. Either of you want anything?”

Thank you for the situational awareness, Sandbar. “I’ll just have some water if that’s not too much trouble,” Silver muttered.

“Yona would like same thing.”

“Got it. … Do you girls want that water soon, or…?”

“Sandbar can take time,” Yona assured, giving him a knowing look.

Translation: This will be a while, Silver realized, feeling a mixture of shame and frustration.

“Gotcha. See you in a bit.”

And with that, Sandbar was off, leaving the two girls alone to chat. Silver opened her beak to speak, but no words came out, so she simply groaned and laid her head against the table, crestfallen.

That motion was what triggered Yona to make the next move. After stepping around the table and consolingly patting her back, Yona requested, “Okay, Silverstream, tell Yona what happened.”

“I’m not even sure where to start,” she said, pulling her face up from the table to give Yona a tired stare. “There’s so many different problems, and I don’t know how to fix any of them!”

“Well, try telling Yona one at a time,” she suggested soothingly. “Yona will listen.”

Silver hesitated for just a bit longer before admitting, “I got into a fight with Smolder.”

“Oh,” Yona yelped, caught completely off-guard. “Wow. Something definitely wrong if Silverstream get in fight with friend.”

“W-Well, we didn’t get in a fight fight!” she weakly protested. “It was just, er, a little, uh, misunderstanding? … Kind of?”

Yona cocked an eyebrow and asked, “What was misunderstood?”

“…You know how Smolder has been angry at Gallus ever since I told you all what happened?” Yona nodded. “Well, Headmare Starlight said that there is a reason why she’s so mad.”

“That make more sense than there being no reason. Does Silver know what reason is?”

“No. I asked, but Starlight didn’t think Smolder was ready to talk about it yet.”

“But Silverstream try talking to Smolder about it anyway?” Yona guessed.

“Uh-huh. Can you blame me? All this time I thought Smolder was just being a jerk to Gallus for no reason! I was angry at her!” she confessed regretfully. “I didn’t like being angry at her…”

“Yona not like being angry at friends either,” she agreed wholeheartedly. “So Yona understand.”

“Yeah, but then Smolder showed up when we had that movie night, so I thought that maybe she was getting over whatever was going on! That… That everything was going back to normal. A-And I didn’t want to keep being angry at her, so I tried to talk to her. I just wanted to talk,” she repeated, her voice weary. “I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but…”

“Hey!” Yona blurted out, looking Silver directly in the eye. “Silver did the right thing!”

“But I haven’t finished—”

“Yona not care! Silver try to make up with Smolder and not stay angry at friend! That not a bad thing!”

“I know that, Yona, but… But I freaked her out!”

Yona tilted her head in confusion and asked, “Silver freak Smolder out? How?”

“I don’t know!” she bemoaned, hiding her eyes behind her talons. “It all happened so fast, and…! We got to talking about some ‘friend’ she has in the Dragon Lands, and then she asked if Gallus was better and if we were happy, and then she started freaking out because I admitted I was paranoid…!” she rambled off, tearing up. “And then…! And then…!”

“Shh, it’s okay, Silver,” Yona whispered reassuringly. She gently pulled Silver’s talons away and asked, “And then what?”

Silver quivered as she shakily answered, “Smolder— Yona, she looked— She looked like Gallus did when I found him in Cozy’s room.”

“…Oh.”

“I…” Silver continued, pulling her talons away from Yona and clutching them at her heart. “I didn’t know what to do, Yona! Smolder seemed so scared, but… But I didn’t know what to do! I wanted to help, but she just asked me to leave, and I… I did! I shouldn’t have left, but…! I didn’t know what to do!” she shrieked, cursing her ignorance.

“Silverstream, it will be—”

“I don’t understand, Yona! What’s happening to us; why is nothing okay anymore!?” Silver whimpered, choking up. “I-I just wanted to m-make up with my friend! I— I just want all my friends to be happy! B-But we’re all— We’re all— Everything is messed up and—”

Yona pulled her friend into a soft hug that Silverstream immediately leaned into, wrapping her wings around her friend and falling silent. She cried into Yona’s fur for a few minutes before Yona pulled away and raised Silver’s chin up.

“Yona sorry Silverstream going through so much. And Yona promise to help friend any way Yona can!” she swore confidently. “But…? Yona think first thing Silver should do is…”

“Stay optimistic?” Silver guessed sarcastically.

Yona nodded quietly.

“Yeah, yeah… I know. And I want to be optimistic, Yona; I really do! But it’s just so hard to be that when practically every day something new happens that ruins everything! Friends and Family Day, Discord, Scoop at the gallery, and now this!? Gallus and I were supposed to be having fun today, not dealing with—” She sighed and grumbled, “It’s just really hard to be hopeful lately…”

“Yona understand,” she promised, keeping a comforting hoof on Silver’s shoulder. “Silver not wrong to be afraid, but Silver must also remember to not let fear become paranoia again.”

“I know, and I’m not paranoid! I’m just…” Silverstream tried to search for anything to say that perfectly described her current feelings. She didn’t, so she settled for saying, “I just want everything to go back to normal. Is that wrong?”

“No. That not wrong at all.”

Silver sniffled and wiped her eyes dry. Once that was accomplished, she smiled faintly and said, “Thanks, Yona. You’re… You’re right. I’m tired of being worried all the time, and that’s okay. … It’s okay that I don’t want to be worried,” she declared more to herself than Yona. “So…? Even if there is some horrible catastrophe on the horizon?” Silver gave Yona an appreciative smile and said, “I’m going to hope for the best and trust everything will be okay.”

“Yona certainly think that good idea,” she agreed, nodding encouragingly. “Yona also think it good idea for Silver to tell Yona what else wrong so Yona can help friend figure problems out.”

Silver took a deep breath and let out a significantly calmer sigh. “Right! Well, Gallus said he fixed the issue with Ocellus, so that’s not a problem anymore,” she remembered. “So, not counting Smolder? I think the first issue we need to solve has to do with Grandpa Gruff,” she decided.

“Okay. What problem with Grandpa Gruff?” Yona asked neutrally.

“I’m not sure if you knew about this, but Gallus wanted him to be there to see our play,” Silver disclosed quietly. “Gallus even sent Gruff letters asking him to come, but he didn’t.”

“Yona know. Gallus also wanted Gruff here today too.”

“Wait, what!?”

“Mhmm. Sandbar told Yona that Gallus even ask Gabby to ask him personally to be here for Fair.”

Gallus didn’t tell me that part, Silver thought uncomfortably. “In that case, what exactly should we do about that?”

“Hmm,” Yona hummed thoughtfully. “Yona not sure. Gallus want Grandpa Gruff to be proud of him; that why he want him to be here. Yona know that, but… If Grandpa Gruff here today, Yona not see him,” she mumbled morosely. “Has Silverstream?”

Silver racked her brain for even the slightest glimpse of the elderly griffon; unfortunately, she drew a blank and shook her head, answering, “I haven’t seen any other griffons here. Not Gilda, not Gabby; not Gruff… Do you think something happened, or…?”

Yona just frowned.

“Oh… Do you think we could make it to Griffonstone, convince Gruff to come back with us, and make it back in time before the Fair ends?” Silver suggested weakly.

“Yona not think that good plan,” she said bluntly.

“Yeah. Maybe in a different timeline,” she remarked dryly. After a brief stretch of silence, Silver considered, “Well, Gallus hasn’t said anything to me about Gruff today, so… Maybe he’s okay with Gruff not being here, after all?”

“Or Gallus simply not know?” Yona countered, wincing upon seeing Silver’s dejection. “O-Or maybe Silverstream simply distract Gallus from that fact!” she hurriedly proposed.

“That doesn’t really help, Yona…”

“No! That not what Yona mean!” she protested adamantly. “Yona mean Gallus enjoy Silver’s company so much that Gruff not being here not matter to him!”

Silverstream blinked, feeling her cheeks flush. She then grinned and bashfully asked, “You think that’s a possibility? Or do you really think Gallus simply doesn’t know Gruff isn’t here?”

“Yona not know. Maybe both, but if that true, Yona certainly know which one more important.”

Silver blushed even more. “W-Well, even if that’s the case, I guess now we need to figure out what to do about Smolder. She said she was fine, and I want to trust that she is, but…”

Yona nodded firmly and said, “Tell Yona everything from beginning.”

“Okay. So, when I finally worked up the courage to go and talk to her—”

“Hey, girls?” Sandbar’s voice suddenly interrupted them.

Of course, Silver sneered, slumping in defeat. Yona, meanwhile, scowled at her boyfriend and scolded, “Sandbar! Yona ask for time alone with Silver!”

“I-I know, and I’m sorry,” he said, flinching under her angry gaze. “It’s just… I’m not sure if you noticed, but the judges look like they’re wrapping up, and—”

That was all the provocation Silver needed to unfurl her wings and race back to where Ocellus and Gallus had set their project up. Yona and Sandbar didn’t even hesitate before giving chase.

***

Grover, help me! I don’t know what I’m doing! Gallus panicked as he slowly trotted forward through the crowd, searching for his friend.

“What am I even supposed to say? ‘Hey, Smolder, long time, no see! So, I heard from November that you’ve been upset lately? Are you okay?’ … Ugh! No, that’s a terrible idea!” Gallus rebuked, face-clawing appropriately. “C’mon, Gallus, think! What would my professors suggest I do?” After some consideration, he knowingly answered, “Talk to her, probably. Can’t exactly say that isn’t good advice though. Let’s just hope she talks to me too…”

It didn’t take much longer before he finally stumbled upon Smolder; although, he certainly wasn’t expecting to see her facing away from the crowd with her snout buried in a book.

Upon hearing him approach, she growled, “Just read the sign and be on your merry way!” without turning around.

“‘It’s just a cup of dirt; deal with it,’” he read, staring down at what was indeed a cup of dirt.

Smolder fell out of her chair, dropping her book in the process. She then quickly stood back up and shrieked, “Gallus!? I, uh, didn’t see you there!”

Here we go… “You were turned around and reading,” he assuaged warmly. “Trust me, I know what it’s like to get sucked into a good book. Sorry for scaring you.”

“D-Don’t be sorry! It’s totally fine!” Smolder argued, waving her claws dismissively. “I just need to pay more attention, heh-heh-heh…”

“No, no. You’re good, Smolder.”

…

“Sooo, how’ve you been?” Gallus asked cordially.

“I’m great! Just a bit busy!” she yelped, straining to keep her smile. “How about you?”

“Eh, I’m hanging in there.” For some reason, that response seemed to make Smolder bite her lip nervously, so he added, “I’ve been a little busy myself.”

“Oh, y-yeah? What’s been going on? What’s wrong?”

“Uh, nothing’s wrong,” Gallus clarified, trying not to worry any more than he already was.

“O-Oh. Sorry,” Smolder murmured. “Sorry, I-I didn’t mean to assume… It’s just… I’ve, uh, I’ve been really distracted today,” she went with. “Sorry.”

So that’s what that feels like, he contemplated, taking note of the repeated apologies. “You don’t have to apologize, Smolder; you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Well, uh… Thanks, I guess,” she said, blinking in confusion.

“Of course. So, anyway,” Gallus resumed. “I wanted to thank you for watching our play the other night. I meant to say that earlier, but I, er, forgot.”

Smolder froze as she processed the radical change in subject. Eventually, she affirmed, “You don’t need to thank me, Gallus.”

“I know. But I wanted to say it anyway. So, thank you, Smolder, for taking the time to watch us be awesome.”

Cheering up slightly, she said, “Well, it was totally worth it; you guys were awesome!”

“I know,” he acknowledged smugly.

“Yeah, you and the others looked like you had a lot of fun too.”

“You bet we did; it was great!” Except for the part where Gruff didn’t show, but that’s a problem for another time. “Although, getting swarmed by reporters afterward wasn’t so hot.”

“You got swarmed by reporters?” Smolder asked, letting out a dry chuckle.

“Yeah. Took Starlight and Twilight an hour to get through ‘em all. Of course, Vellum absolutely adored the attention, so it wasn’t all bad.”

“…Vellum’s the guy that made November quit, right?” she asked tentatively.

“Yep.”

“And… You have to hang around that guy all the time, don’t you?”

Okay, I know where this is going. “Mhmm. He’s actually pretty cool once you get to know him,” Gallus defended. “Although, he’s ridiculously stress-prone, so you gotta be careful about that.”

“Wait, what? From how November and Shimmy talked about him, I thought…” she trailed off.

“I’m not really sure how he was like with November. I’ve heard horror stories, but the guy has seriously mellowed out from what the others have said. Plus, he’s been seeing Starlight lately too, so that’s reassuring.”

“Oh.” Smolder twiddled her claws sheepishly, continuing, “So, he’s not upset— I mean! So, he’s not making you want to quit Drama Club too, right? Not like November?”

“Not really.”

“So, you are having fun in Drama Club then? Nothing going wrong, or anything…? Just good, old-fashioned fun?” she inquired carefully.

“I’m not sure how fun can be ‘old-fashioned,’ but yeah,” he said, relieved to see Smolder smile slightly. She hasn’t been worried about what I think she’s been worried about, has she?

“That’s good.” Smolder then frowned and slowly requested, “May I ask you something?”

“Sure!” he answered enthusiastically.

“Have you…always wanted to be an actor?”

Oh peck! Not this! “Actually…? No. I never have before, and to be honest? I still don’t,” he elaborated, holding back a bitter grimace.

“Really? But I thought…? Because you said it was really fun…?” Smolder then flinched and hurriedly promised, “I-I mean! I totally understand; I’m not judging you or anything!”

“Don’t worry about it, Smolder,” he placated calmly. “Seriously, I’m fine! I promise.”

Smolder’s fearful expression melted away into somberness as she muttered, “I believe you.”

I really hope you do… “Thanks, Smolder.”

“So, um, why didn’t you want to be an actor? I-If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I don’t mind,” Gallus assured. “But I can’t really give you an answer. I just don’t want to.”

“But you’re crazy good at it! You know that…right?”

Not good enough for Gruff apparently. “You bet I do,” he answered, winking. “And I do have a lot fun doing it. It’s just not something I see myself spending the next forty years of my life doing. If that makes any sense,” he ended with a timid shrug.

Gallus swore he saw Smolder breathe a sigh of relief before she said, “Oh. Yeah, don’t worry, it does. I’m just glad you do have fun acting,” she added, smiling properly for once.

“Thanks. I’m glad I’m having fun too.” After some deliberation, he asked, “But what about you? Have you been having fun in Science Club with your cup of dirt?”

“Blegh!” she moaned, shooting the item a disgusted look. “No, I hate that thing! I wanted to do an actual project, but I kinda…ran out of time,” she lamented, rubbing her shoulder nervously.

“Sorry, Smolder. What happened?”

“I, uh, got distracted with something else,” Smolder answered, shooting a worried glance at her psychology book. “I-It’s nothing important or anything! And I… I think I’ve got everything sorted out now…hopefully,” she ended, looking at him strangely.

Okay, seriously! What has been going on with her; what have I missed!? Gallus didn’t exclaim, choosing to instead say, “That’s great. Good to know everything’s okay, right?”

“…Yeah. Yeah, it is,” Smolder agreed quietly.

“Sorry again about your project though.”

“Don’t be sorry; it’s not your fault! I should have practiced better time management.”

“Well, don’t beat yourself over it. If it helps? Bringing in a cup of dirt was going to be my backup plan for the science project if I hadn’t teamed up with Ocellus,” he whispered conspiratorially.

She snorted and asked, “Really?”

“Same. Exact. Plan,” Gallus confirmed with a nod. “Although? I was also planning to hide from the teachers in the bathroom.”

“I got caught by Professor Rarity,” she explained grumpily.

“Ah. How badly did she rip into you?”

“Enough that if I hear the word darling again today, I’m going to break something.”

“Sorry to hear that, darling,” Gallus couldn’t resist saying.

Smolder just glared at him, deadpanning, “Okay, I know I set myself up for that, but you didn’t have to take the opportunity!”

“Fair point. But I wanted to, so I did.”

“You’re lucky you’re my friend; otherwise, I would totally throw my book at you,” Smolder joked. She then realized what she said and made to backtrack, but Gallus spoke up first.

“Aww! Thanks, Smolder, I’m happy I’m your friend.”

She blinked hard then casually replied, “And I’m happy you’re mine.”

A somewhat serene silence fell between them as they reflected on each other’s declarations. Soon, Gallus broke it by wondering, “So, what was your original project about?”

Smolder’s eyes sparkled excitedly as she replied, “I was going to talk about the stars!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! I… I’ve always really liked stars,” she bashfully revealed. “And there’s so much stuff about them that half the school probably doesn’t even know.”

“I didn’t know you had a thing for big balls of flaming space gas,” he said, smirking.

“Well, I do. On clear nights back home, you could see the stars better than even here in Ponyville,” Smolder recounted blissfully. “I always wanted to know what they were like when I was a kid.”

“And I just told you! They’re big balls of flaming space gas.”

“Oh, shut up,” she playfully ordered. “Don’t tell me you never wondered what it was like up there in space. How it all worked or how everything looked like from up there…”

“Can’t say that I did. Griffonstone isn’t exactly the kind of place that encourages you to stargaze.” Or at all.

“Neither is the Dragon Lands to be honest,” she reluctantly concurred. “I love my home, but strength and competition tend to matter more than beauty and grace. … Kinda makes me glad that Dragon Lord Ember sent me here,” Smolder said slowly. “Things may have been simpler back home, but at least here, I don’t have to worry about being sneered at for liking tea parties and dresses.”

“Wait! You? Afraid of being sneered at for liking something? Get outta here!”

“Hey! I’d whoop their tails in a heartbeat if anyone did that!” she proclaimed hotly. She then looked down and continued, “But… It wouldn’t really feel nice if they did sneer at me like that.”

“Yeah. I can understand that…”

“I’m sorry about Griffonstone, Gallus,” Smolder suddenly mumbled.

His first instinct was to tell her not to be, but after a quick round of rumination, Gallus smiled and said, “Thanks, Smolder. Sorry about the Dragon Lands.”

“Don’t be sorry; the Dragon Lands is awesome! It’s just that some parts of it are more awesome than others,” she acknowledged, shrugging weakly.

“A lot of places are like that.” Can’t say the same for Griffonstone though, Gallus thought spitefully. That place is pure misery through-and-through; no way can Gilda and Gabby fix it.

Smolder stared at him for a moment before smiling peacefully and adding, “Plus, if Ember hadn’t dragged me out here, I wouldn’t have gotten to meet you and everycreature else.”

“I’m glad to have met you too, Smolder,” he celebrated.

Smolder just rolled her eyes and laughed softly.

Yes, yes, yes! Gallus rejoiced in the following silence. Smolder and I are still friends, and—aside from a few lingering issues—everything is normal between us again! Eventually, he slowly said, “You know, Smolder? I never you knew you liked astronomy so much.”

“And I never knew you liked opening wormholes in space-time,” she fired back.

“That’s a glorious over-simplification.”

“But is it wrong?”

“…Not entirely. But still, I really had no clue you wanted to be the first dragon in space.”

She snickered, protesting, “Oh, stop it, Gallus! I don’t want to go to space!”

“You sure? ‘Smolder: Dragon Space-Adventurer Extraordinaire’ has a nice ring to it,” he teased.

“Yeah, yeah,” she grumbled, chortling heartily. “But I can’t go to space even if I wanted to.”

“You sure about that? Pretty sure the Tree of Harmony could hook us up with some rainbow lasers. That’d get you to the moon pretty quickly.”

“And how would I get back down?”

“You could borrow some of Trixie’s fireworks?”

“Ohhh no! Never again!” Smolder declared, shaking her head firmly. “Seeing the world from up there is not worth that! No! It! Isn’t!”

“Fair enough. Thankfully, if you wanted to see what our planet looks like, we do have pictures.”

“Yeah, and most of them are just artists’ depictions, not the real deal,” she countered. “…Can you imagine that, Gallus? Seeing our planet from up there? What would it even look like?”

“Probably like a giant blue sphere with splotches of green. Although, it would certainly be something,” he agreed, feeling a slight sense of wonder himself.

“‘Something’ wouldn’t even begin to describe it! I bet it’d be so beautiful, you’d never be able to forget what it looked like! … I’d never forget what it’d look like,” she mumbled, downcast.

Gallus took notice of her sudden change in mood and quietly asked, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Huh! Oh! Uh, yeah! Yeah, I’m fine,” she claimed. “I’m just…” Smolder gulped and hesitantly confided, “I’m just kinda sad that I’ll never really get to see our world that way.”

“You never know, Smolder,” he said, hoping to lift her spirits back up. “Now that Princess Twilight is the ruler of Equestria, maybe she’ll figure out a way to visit space without the need for supercharged banishment spells?”

“Maybe… But I doubt it’ll happen in my lifetime.”

“Says the dragon with a life expectancy in the quadruple digits,” he joked.

Smolder’s entire expression blanked as she wordlessly scraped her claws against the table, leaving deep gouges in its surface.

That wasn’t the right thing to say! Gallus realized fearfully. “Uh, Smolder? Are you okay?”

“…Yeah,” she answered airily, not looking at him. Before he could say anything more, she shook her head, coming back to her senses. “O-Oh, yeah! Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

“But—”

“I’m fine!” she shouted, wincing afterward. “Really… I’m fine, Gallus.”

Please don’t tell me that one stupid wisecrack just screwed everything up again!? Gallus dreaded as he slowly said, “I’m sorry if I upset you, Smolder; I didn’t mean anything by the joke…”

“Y-You didn’t upset me, Gallus!” she yelled as her eyes widened in worry. “Promise!”

Drop it! Drop the subject now! “Okay, I believe you. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“And I am okay; I’m totally fine!” Smolder swore, laughing nervously. “I’m just, uh… I’m just mad that I ran out of time for my project. That’s all. I really did want to talk about the stars…”

Seizing the chance, Gallus suggested, “Well, I’m right here. If you still want to regale me with the wonders of giant, flaming balls of space gas, I’m listening.”

She opened her maw, clearly about to do exactly that. However, she slowly closed it and sighed, “Thanks, but nah. I’d go on for hours if I did, and don’t you need to get back to Ocellus soon?”

No! I’m not getting pushed away this time! Gallus vowed, arguing, “Ocellus said she’d come and get me if the judges showed up, and even if she didn’t, I trust her to explain our project to them. Besides, I really do want to hear you talk about the stars,” he ended encouragingly.

Smolder looked completely dumbstruck by that request, and soon, she softly asked, “Really?”

“Sure! If you like talking about them, then go ahead. I like listening to you.”

“W-Well…” Smolder took in just how eager he seemed and smiled herself. “I guess I can talk to you for a little bit longer… I mean? It’s not as if anycreature else is going to show up,” she acknowledged, angrily knocking over her cup of dirt.

“Heh-heh. Probably. The only creature who would show up is Ocellus, but she’s probably—”

Just then, a large ring of turquoise fire erupted beside them, revealing a panting Ocellus who immediately sprinted over to them in a panic.

“Right. There. Because of course she is…” Gallus growled, face-clawing.

“Gallus, there you are!” she announced, stopping at their table and catching her breath. “Where have you been!? I’ve been looking for you all over the place! The judges are on their way, and Silver, Sandbar, and Yona have already shown up, and… Oh, hello, Smolder,” she said, blinking in surprise.

“Hey, Ocellus,” she replied with a weak, little wave. “Let me guess? Come to collect your partner for the judges?”

“Uh, yeah. Pretty much. … Was I interrupting something?”

“Well, Smolder was just about to tell me all about her awesome project,” Gallus said, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

Ocellus stole a glance at the cup of dirt, raised an eyebrow at the awkwardly shrugging Smolder, and finally turned back to Gallus, asking, “Do you want me to talk to the judges without you?”

“No!” Smolder answered for him. “No, Gallus can totally go with you, Ocellus. Don’t let me keep you,” she ended timidly.

“But—”

“Don’t worry, I’ll just talk to you later.” Seeing that Gallus wasn’t nearly satisfied with that response, she added, “Seriously, go with Ocellus. I’ll be fine.”

Starting to wonder if Silver is right about the world really wanting everything stay screwed up, he fumed. “Alright. But I’ll hold you to that.”

“Heh. Understood. Now, you guys go and show those judges how smart you two are!” Smolder commanded happily.

Light-bulb! “Better yet! Did you want to come and see our project too?” Gallus asked hopefully.

“Uh?” One moment of indecision later, she nodded and answered, “You know what? Sure!”

Yes! Oh thank Grover! “Alright then. You ready, Ocellus?”

“I’ve been ready for the past thirty seconds, let’s go!” she beckoned, igniting her horn and summoning another circle of magical flames.

***

“—And that is absolutely everything,” Ocellus concluded, barely keeping up her nervous smile.

The judges exchanged short glances with each other, and a short, elderly stallion declared, “Well, I think we’ve seen everything we needed to.” He then made a note on his clipboard and said, “Thank you for your time, Mr. Gallus and Ms. Ocellus.”

“No problem, sir,” Gallus replied, giving Ocellus a wary glance from behind his confident grin. “We’re just glad you liked it.”

“Hmm. That we did,” he assured, nodding firmly. “Now, come along, everypony. It’s been a long day, and we still need to determine the victors.”

“Oh, hush!” one of his fellows jokingly rebuked. “It hasn’t been that long of a day; you just want to go home and relax.”

“You’re darn tootin’ I do! I’m planning to retire soon, all this travel and judging ain’t good for my old bones!”

“‘Old bones’? Seriously? Old-timer, I’ve seen you dance for two hours straight!”

“When!?”

“Remember Princess Cadence’s wedding all those years back? Luna and you tore up the dance floor the second that Pinkie Pie mare started playing Disco music.”

“No, no, no! You’re thinking of somepony else, my boy!”

“I was there! I saw you! I even caught a picture of you!”

“…No, you didn’t.”

The ponies continued to bicker as they trotted away; however, one judge in particular remained behind and gave the pair an encouraging smile.

“I just wanted to once again congratulate both of you for a job well done,” the white-coated stallion said. “I must confess that I did not expect you two could have such a comprehensive understanding of how our magic works…”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Gallus conciliated. “I wouldn’t expect me to know the first thing about magic either,” he said, combing a talon through his headcrest.

“Yes, well…? I still feel it was wrong of me to presume such a fact. Not possessing a horn does not necessarily mean you lack the knowledge of those who do. And for that I am sorry.”

“Told you!” Silverstream not-so-subtly exclaimed. Yona then shushed her, so she ducked her head and whispered, “Sorry.”

“Heh-heh,” the stallion laughed. “Also? Ms. Ocellus, I’d like to applaud you as well. Not just for your knowledge, but also for your impeccable spellwork. Truly, I find myself most impressed by how you accounted for differences between unicorn and changeling magics. Not many do.”

“O-Oh! Oh, no-no-no! That wasn’t that important; I could have created the model with purely changeling magic, no problem,” she stressed worriedly.

“I’ve no doubt. Still? It is deserving of the utmost praise. Why…! I haven’t seen such fine magic crafting in years! Keep it up, and I daresay you’ll surpass even Princess Twilight herself.”

Ocellus let out a little squeak and blushed vibrantly. “Th-Th-Thank you!”

“You need not thank me; I am merely expressing my pride in you. Both of you,” he added, giving Gallus that same kind smile. “I look forward to seeing what else you two do in the future.”

They shared a knowing glance, and Gallus answered, “So are we.”

“Hey! Neighsay!” beckoned one of the other ponies. “We need your input on something!”

“You need not be so impatient,” he retorted curtly.

“Tell that to the old guy!”

Neighsay sighed and said, “It appears I am needed elsewhere for now. It was nice seeing all of you again. I hope you all have a great rest of your day. Oh, and now that I have the chance? Congratulations on your theatrical performance, Mr. Gallus, Ms. Silverstream, and Ms. Yona. You all did marvelously,” he praised. He then gave the group a short bow before trotting away too.

…

Ocellus and Gallus both let out long sighs of relief. The former then proceeded to steady her breathing while the latter rubbed his temples, lamenting, “Why, Ocellus!? Why did they ask about the maximum passenger capacity!?”

“I knew it! I knew they were going to ask it! I even told you they were going to ask it!”

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry about freezing up on you when they asked about the shield modification…”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I handled that part myself, so I don’t blame you for not knowing the answers to their questions,” she comforted. “I’m sorry I hadn’t gone over it with you just in case.”

“No problem, Ocellus. … We did good though, right?” he murmured, knowing full-well that they had but asking anyway.

“You did amazing!” Silverstream squealed, immediately grabbing him in a warm hug.

“Yona agree with Silverstream!” she said, scooping the three into her own, gentler-than-usual embrace. “Friends do just fine explaining their project!”

“Yeah!” Sandbar joined in. “For once, even I was actually able to keep up with what you were saying. Well? At least until the magic-conversion thing came up, and then I got completely lost.”

“Should I explain it to him, or you?” Gallus asked his partner.

“We’ll explain it later,” Ocellus decided, yawning widely. “Contrary to that one judge’s opinion, it has been a long day. I can’t wait for them to announce the winners and go to bed…”

“I hear that,” Smolder spoke up. She then shrank back a little once all of their attention was on her. “Uh… What? It’s been a long day, and I had a rough night!”

“Were you nervous about the Fair?” Sandbar asked normally. “I was up all night worrying too.”

“Y-Yeah. I’ve been worried about the Fair…” Smolder decided to say. “How about all of you though? I’ve, er, been a bit busy lately, so how has everything been going with you guys?”

“Yona and friends been doing well,” she promised on everyone’s behalf. “How about Smolder? Has Smolder been doing okay too?” Yona inquired, shooting a half-second glance at Silver.

“Just busy,” she repeated, kicking a stray pebble away. “Lots of reading, and…stuff.”

“For your science project?” Sandbar guessed.

Oh, Sandbar, why do say things? Gallus pondered, barely not face-clawing.

“Eh, a little of this and that,” she deflected.

“And… How’s that going, Smolder?” Silver asked timidly.

Smolder gave the hippogriff a worried look before answering, “Better than it was last night, that’s for sure. How about you?”

Silverstream briefly paused before smiling brightly and saying, “I’m doing fine too. Also, better than last night,” she added softly.

Okay, seriously, what the peck did I miss!? Gallus wanted to ask the duo. From the look on Sandbar’s face, the pony wanted to ask something similar, but he was luckily stopped by Yona. Unluckily, he decided to ask something different instead.

“By the way, Smolder? How’d your project go?”

Gallus couldn’t hold back the face-claw that time, earning a confused stare from the others.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Smolder grumbled, angrily folding her claws against her chest.

“Oh. Okay.”

“Yeah, thanks. … So, uh? Who do you think is going to win?” she asked, a note of excitement in her voice.

“Oh, Smolder! I think we all know who’s going to win,” Silver tittered, giving Gallus and Ocellus a wink. “A better question is who else is going to win?”

“November,” Gallus stated plainly. “Definitely November.”

“Speaking of which, what was his project on and why did he get the center table!?” Ocellus demanded indignantly.

“Oh, you should have seen it, Ocellus!” he started. “Okay, so you guys remember how November had this giant collection of bottles, right?”

For the second time in recent weeks, the group of friends chatted away happily without a care in the world. Silverstream’s cheerful smile was on full display, and even Smolder joked and laughed with the rest of them again. And as the sun began to finally set on the horizon, Gallus sighed in contentment, feeling happier than he had in a long time.

Everything is finally back to normal.

His thoughts and their conversation were then abruptly interrupted by a sudden turquoise flash illuminating the sky.

“Attention, everycreature!” roared Starlight Glimmer’s magically amplified voice. “The judges have made their decisions! Please convene in the western courtyard, thank you!”

“Whelp, we better get going,” Gallus said, standing up and draping a soft wing around his girlfriend. The action earned both a giggle and a blush.

“Yep. Time to see you two outdo literally everycreature else.”

“Technically, we’re not sure if we will win, Smolder,” Ocellus bluntly corrected.

“Wanna bet?”

“No. But thank you for the confidence, I really appreciate it,” she acknowledged.

“No problem. Not like it’s hard to be confident when it’s you two, after all,” she said without the slightest hesitation, unknowingly making Gallus smile even more.

“Hey,” Silver whispered as they gathered in the aforementioned courtyard. “You look happy.”

“That’s ‘cause I am,” he explained, giving her cheek a small kiss.

Her entire face burned crimson as she fought off a round of jubilant laughter. Fortunately for the both of them, it was at that point Starlight began her speech.

“Thank you, one and all, for participating in this year’s Science Fair!” she proclaimed, her voice still amplified. “As always, I am proud of each and every one you for all you did for today. Whether you spent months working tirelessly on your projects or simply stopped by to check them all out. Thank you. If it were up to me, everyone would receive one of these medals, but even though only three of these will be awarded, just know that all of you are victors in my book!” she ended, innocently oblivious to how corny she sounded.

Heh. I’d pay to see Gilda’s reaction to that last line, Gallus thought. His smile fell somewhat as he cast a quick look around, finally remembering a rather unfortunate fact. Oh. Right…

“So! Without further ado,” Starlight resumed, reading the results of the judges. “In third place…! For her excellent, and stunningly thorough research into the science and methods of flight, we award Soaring Virtue the bronze medal!”

The mare in question jumped into the air, squealing excitedly as she zipped over to her Headmare, receiving her award to the sound of booming applause.

“In second place…! For his outstanding work in unicorn-based weather manipulation, we award November Rain the silver medal!”

The members of Drama Club cheered the loudest as the awestruck stallion stumbled his way up to the front, clearly unsure if he had heard right. Of course, once the medal was placed around him, his uncertainty vanished and he practically broke down into joyful tears then and there.

“And lastly…!”

Despite his confidence, Gallus still gulped as Starlight paused dramatically. Moment of truth…

“And lastly!” Starlight loudly declared as as her eyes locked onto him and Ocellus. “In first place…! For their fantastic work in creating a brand new teleportation spell, we are pleased to award the gold medal to Gallus and Ocellus!” she ended, beaming proudly.

“I told you!” Smolder shouted happily as she and the rest of their friends cheered the duo on while they went onstage to claim their prize. A quick flash of Starlight’s magic later, and they both wore identical golden medals.

Gallus looked down at his own, shared a disbelieving-yet-elated smile with his partner, then turned out to the crowd as Starlight announced, “And with that, I present to you: The winners of this year’s Science Fair! Thank you for coming; now let’s give them a big round of applause, everycreature!”

The entire crowd stamped, shouted, whistled, and clapped.

Soaring Virtue merrily waved to her own friend group.

November tearfully hugged Patty, Scoop, and Shimmy as Vellum and End Zone congratulated him on his long-deserved victory.

Ocellus stood by his side, waving at no one in particular as their friends cheered in celebration.

Gallus scanned the crowd eagerly, keeping his smile up as he prayed with all his heart that maybe—just maybe—he’d have been wrong all along. Unfortunately, he inevitably conceded defeat.

Gruff wasn’t there.

His smile faltered for only a second before he put it back on, suddenly wanting nothing more to do with the Science Fair or the medal dangling around his neck.

So caught up in maintaining his forced smile, Gallus failed to notice the worried look Ocellus gave him or the faint glow around her horn.

***

Several hours had passed by the time the Fair, at long last, came to an end. And after one final round of celebration over the winners’ victory, almost everycreature had tucked in for the night.

Except Gallus.

The griffon lied against his soft bed, silently scowling at the golden disk he had been awarded.

“First place!” was inscribed upon the front of the medal. A proud proclamation of his victory, and an unapologetic acknowledgment of his work to achieve it. And yet, Gallus only sneered at it.

First place… he thought bitterly. I won. I did the best that I could do, and it wasn’t enough. Ocellus and I won, and it still wasn’t enough for him!

“Oh, and now that I have the chance? Congratulations on your theatrical performance, Mr. Gallus, Ms. Silverstream, and Ms. Yona. You all did marvelously,” a certain pony had said only hours prior.

“Even Chancellor Neighsay is prouder of me than him!” Gallus growled quietly. With a grunt, he deftly tossed the medal into his garbage can, rolling over and pulling his blanket over him.

“Guess I’m really not cut out for it after all,” he whispered, closing his eyes.

…

Knock! Knock! Knock!

His eyes shot open and stared at the door. “Uh…? Yes?” he called out.

“Gallus? It’s Ocellus,” she announced. “I-I know it’s late, but may I come in?”

“S-Sure! Just give me a second,” Gallus said, swiftly retrieving the medal and depositing it on his desk. Afterward, he opened his door and stepped aside, greeting, “Hey.”

“Hey,” she replied, entering calmly. “How are you doing?”

“Good. You?”

“I’m fine.”

A sense of awkwardness filled the air as Ocellus simply stood there, staring at him.

“So, uh, what are you up to?” Gallus asked, trying to relieve the tension. “I thought you wanted to go pass out now that the Fair is over?”

“W-Well, I did think about it, but I decided I needed to talk to you about something first.”

“Let me guess: Another science project?” he suspected, dreading the prospect.

“No, not really.” Ocellus chewed her lip but ultimately decided to get to the point. “Gallus, I know you were upset when we won,” she stated neutrally.

On reflex, Gallus closed his door, never once breaking his friend’s gaze. Half a dozen panicked thoughts flitted through his mind before he let out a quiet chuckle. “Am I that transparent?”

“Uh? Um, no?” she answered, mildly confused by the question. “N-No, Gallus.”

“Then how did you know I was… You know?”

Ocellus flinched, looking seriously uncomfortable about something. “It’s complicated…”

“So is teleportation, and I kept up with that pretty well,” he argued, smirking hollowly. Though not well enough apparently…

Gulping, Ocellus nervously mumbled, “D-Do you know how you guys always joke that since I’m a changeling, I-I can…” She gulped again and ended, “Th-That I can sense emotions?”

It wasn’t hard to figure out exactly where Ocellus was going with that, but Gallus still slowly murmured, “And then you always say that’s not how it works…?”

“That’s not how it’s supposed to work,” she corrected. “But…”

Gallus sat down on his bed with a loud creak. Wordlessly, Ocellus sat beside him, timidly staring at the floor and waiting for him to continue the conversation.

“Well, uh, you were right,” he said, keeping his tone neutral. “That is pretty complicated. And kinda creepy…”

“‘C-Creepy’?” she asked, reeling back in shock.

“What else do you call your friend reading your mind for Grover knows how long?” he wondered, flicking his tail angrily.

Ocellus chose her next words carefully, eventually stating, “I’m sorry, Gallus. I didn’t… I don’t mean to make you feel that way. But I promise it isn’t mind-reading, and I certainly haven’t been able to do it for very long,” she swore firmly.

Sensing only sincerity in her voice, Gallus faced her and tiredly groaned, “Okay, you just dumped this on me completely out-of-nowhere, so… Explanation? Please?”

“A changeling’s magic can only effect love, no other emotion. At least, not naturally,” Ocellus elaborated. “But I…found a way to do it.”

Considering how much other junk I’ve seen her figure out, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised, Gallus admitted to himself. Good thing she knows she wants to be a professor; she’ll be fantastic.

“Long story short,” she continued, ducking her head ashamedly. “King Thorax told me to never complete the spell proper, nor use it, nor tell anycreature about it. It’s not hard to see why…”

“Because it sounds creepy as peck and comes off like you’ve known our every thought and feeling since the day we met?”

Ocellus nodded quietly, concluding, “Which is why I listened to him and never truly completed the spell. … Until recently, that is.”

“Like that suddenly makes it better!” Gallus snapped. After taking a moment to calm down, he slowly asked, “Why did you complete the spell then?”

“…I crafted it the night we found out what happened to you…”

“—what I am worried about is that if any of this ever does start happening again… That if you start feeling afraid, alone, or sad again… I’m worried I won’t see it.”

Oh peck…! Gallus cursed as a pit formed in his stomach. “You created this spell so you could tell when I was upset?”

Nervously tapping her hooves, Ocellus nodded once again.

A whole cavalcade of emotions rushed through Gallus, but the biggest of them all was heartbreak. “Heh,” he softly laughed. “So you really didn’t trust me after all…?”

“No!” she protested resolutely. “I. Always. Trusted you, Gallus. … What I didn’t trust was myself,” Ocellus explained, frowning. “I had already failed you once as a friend; I didn’t want to do it again! B-Besides, I already had a prototype build of the spell. All I really needed to do was get my old notes out, iron out the bugs, and finish it.”

“Don’t you dare tell me you’ve been blaming yourself for what happened to me!” he panicked. “It’s been months, Ocellus! Months! You can’t have been blaming yourself all this time!”

“I haven’t,” she said truthfully. “Remember what we talked about that day? We both agreed that blaming ourselves for what happened wasn’t healthy. What was important was moving on…”

“And in case you haven’t noticed, I have moved on,” Gallus proclaimed proudly. “I haven’t even thought about my parents for weeks.” Unless you count Gruff, but he’s not— He doesn’t want—

“I know you’ve moved on,” Ocellus said before he could dwell on that thought any longer. “I trust you. I didn’t need to use my spell to know you were doing better,” she ended, smiling happily.

Gallus smiled back, but he soon turned his gaze away, still unsure of what his thoughts were on everything she had just revealed. Eventually, he asked, “Why exactly are you telling me all of this?”

“Because I didn’t want to lie to you anymore. Honestly, I was already planning to confess all of this to you guys eventually anyway.”

“Surprising, considering how helpful knowing when I was upset must have been.”

“It wasn’t,” she deadpanned, looking back at him morosely. “My spell would only ever tell me what you were feeling when I used it. Never why…”

“Oh, pardon me! I’m sorry that you, the great and powerful Ocellus, couldn’t figure out how to read my mind fully,” he grumbled sardonically.

Ocellus winced.

“…Sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry,” she pleaded. “I should have known better than to use magic to try to solve a friendship problem. In the end, it did nothing.”

Gallus remembered how whenever she rambled on about becoming a professor, Ocellus never seemed to notice how upset he became every time. “I never asked you to do something like that, Ocellus…”

“You never had to. I just wanted you to be okay.”

Sighing, he muttered, “I know. Thanks.”

“You really shouldn’t be thanking me…”

“Maybe. But I can thank you for caring about me. In that regard at least, you’re better than others,” he whispered, glancing at his medal.

Ocellus followed his gaze and tilted her head in confusion upon beholding the item. She then turned back to him and quietly stated, “I still don’t understand, Gallus. Why were you upset earlier? You and Silverstream had a fun time, and you and Smolder patched things up, right?” Ocellus said optimistically. “Plus, you were right. We won. So… Why weren’t you happy we did?”

I was wondering when she would ask about this… Might as well get it over with, Gallus decided, hanging his head in defeat and whimpering, “I wanted Gramps to be here today.”

Her eyes widened in realization. “Y-You wanted Grandpa Gruff to visit you today?”

“What? Sandbar didn’t tell you? I half-expected he would…”

“Yona is the one Sandbar tells everything to, not me,” she clarified sheepishly. “I… I’m sorry, Gallus. I didn’t know you wanted him here.”

“Well, I did. And he wasn’t.” His eyes narrowed in anger as he added, “I wanted him here today. I wanted him there in Canterlot the other week! And I wanted him there on that stupid holiday!”

“Gallus, I’m so sorry.”

“No! No, it’s not your fault. I’m the one who shouldn’t get so worked up over somegriff that doesn’t care about me,” Gallus reminded himself. Even though I really want him to.

“It’s okay, Gallus,” Ocellus assuaged, placing a consoling hoof on his shoulder. “It’s okay if you’re upset; you can speak your feelings,” she said kindly. “I’m listening.”

“You want me to speak my feelings?” Gallus laughed coldly. “Well, I can’t! Because I don’t know what I feel, Ocellus! I wanted him here! I wanted him to actually care about me for once—I wanted him to be proud of me!” he finally confessed. “But… But he’s…” Gallus stopped talking.

“Don’t worry, I understand,” she promised.

“That spell of yours sure is something then,” he jokingly praised. “I’m not sure I even understand anything about this…”

“I don’t need magic to know what you’re going through; I already know a thing or two about unrequited love.” Noticing Gallus stiffen, Ocellus swiftly added, “Chrysalis.”

Somehow, that is both better and worse than what I had been thinking. “You… You never talk about her. Or what it was like,” he addressed neutrally.

“That’s because I don’t want to,” she elaborated, grimacing. “She was a monster who would hoard every last drop of love she could get her grubby hooves on!” Ocellus snarled. Her expression softened somewhat as she added, “And yet? We all still wanted her to love us back.”

Gallus hesitated before allowing himself to ask, “Did she?”

Ocellus looked away thoughtfully before ruefully concluding, “It doesn’t matter. By now, we’ve all accepted that her love wasn’t real. And if it were once, it stopped being real a long time ago.”

“So, you… You don’t know?”

“No, I don’t.”

“…Do you want to?”

She breathed deeply and answered, “No.”

For a brief moment, both of them were content to say nothing more, but Ocellus soon found the courage to guess, “But you do want to know, don’t you?”

Beak quivering, Gallus asked, “How could I not?” She remained silent, so he continued, “How could I not want to know if he cares about me? He gave me a home! H-He taught me everything I know! He— He r-raised me and saved me from— From— From that place! So why doesn’t he care about me!?”

“Don’t say that, Gallus,” Ocellus urged. “I’m sure he cares about you. He sends you letters, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, but what does that prove!?” Gallus asked, his anger building. “That he’s obligated to make sure I’m not dead? That all he ever did for me back there was because he had to or else he would be the one in trouble!?”

“Most creatures don’t do something because they’re ‘obligated’ to, Gallus. And if they do, it’s because they chose that obligation,” she stated wisely.

“Well, he sure chose not to come today even though I asked him to,” he countered, angrily clenching his bedsheets. “He sure chose to not come to our performance even though I asked him to! And he sure chose to send me away no matter how much I practically begged him not to!”

“Gallus—” Ocellus tried to begin but was unfortunately cut off.

“I’m still not even sure why I care,” he moaned weakly. “I mean, what do I care if he doesn’t care about me? He never has, and he never will…! So what!? So what if he doesn’t care about me!? I don’t need him to care about me!” Gallus declared as his eyes watered.

“Gallus, stop,” she said gently.

“What do I care if he thinks I rocked that play!?” Gallus continued on anyway. “What do I care if he thinks I’d make a good professor!? What do I care if he’s proud of me!? He isn’t, so I should just accept that, right!? I should just move on and accept that I’m just not good enough for—”

“Gallus! Stop!” Ocellus commanded, planting her hoof squarely against his beak.

They both sat there, staring into each other’s eyes until Gallus blinked. Ocellus slowly retracted her hoof away while he took several shaky breaths, wiping at the wetness around his eyes.

The silence stretched on long enough for the moon to finish rising into the sky, chasing away the final flickers of the sunset. Eventually, it was Gallus who ended it.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Gallus,” Ocellus replied assertively. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

“It sure doesn’t feel like it,” he whimpered.

“What, Gallus? What do you have to be sorry for?” she asked, frowning in pity. “It’s not your fault Grandpa Gruff didn’t show up.”

“Then why didn’t he? I asked him so many times, Ocellus,” Gallus said, trying not to break down again. “And nothing I said got him to show up. Not even Gabby got him to come!”

“Maybe he does care about you. … And maybe he doesn’t,” she acknowledged reluctantly. “Maybe he wanted to show up but couldn’t. Or maybe he really never wanted to.”

Gallus fell back across the bed and placed his pillow over his head, desperately trying to drown out the world and his problems.

Ocellus flinched slightly but with a greater conviction, stated, “I don’t know what Gruff thinks of you, Gallus. But whatever he does think doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me, Ocellus!” he growled into his pillow.

“I know. And that. Is. Okay.”

Slowly, Gallus pulled the pillow away from his face and looked up at her in confusion. “It… It is?” he asked, looking almost hopeful.

“Yes,” she confirmed, nodding ever-so slightly.

He sat back up and stared at his medal, trying to sort through his own thoughts. It wasn’t long before he put one of them to words, saying, “B-But it’s not okay. I’m… I’m supposed to move on. I am moving on,” he added, entirely certain of that. “A-And clinging to some stupid hope that he’s proud of me… That isn’t moving on! It’s part of why I had a breakdown in the first place!”

“Wanting someone to love and be proud of you?”

“…Yeah.”

“Gallus? It’s okay; the others and I—”

“I know, Ocellus,” he cut her off. “I know you guys love me, and I love you all too! And I know I should love and be proud of myself, and I-I am… But I want him to love me too,” Gallus admitted, clutching his pillow to his chest. “I wanted him to show up, look me in the eye and say… ‘I’m proud of you, Gallus,’” he explained sadly. “I know love doesn’t need to be earned, but… Why do I need to earn his? Why am I never good enough?”

“Gallus…” Ocellus bit her lip, carefully considering her response. “You are good enough for him,” she promised.

“Then why does nothing I do ever matter to him?”

“…I don’t know,” she mumbled. “What I do know is that, no matter what happens, you’ll always be more than good enough for us.”

“But I want to be good enough for him too.”

“And you are, Gallus. You’ve always been good enough,” Ocellus reminded Gallus, levitating his medal over to him.

Gallus took the item into his talons and rolled it over to the front where the congratulatory inscription remained unmarred. The congratulations that he earned—that he deserved. Soon, he looked over to the mirror Sandbar had given him and stared at his exhausted reflection.

“I think you are a brave, caring, clever griffon. A hero to Equestria. An inspiration to Griffonstone. And a loved one to your family,” recounted the memory of a certain alicorn princess.

“Ocellus?”

“Yes, Gallus?”

“Thank you,” Gallus muttered, bringing her into a gentle hug.

Ocellus was quick to embrace the hug, replying, “Of course.”

…

They soon split apart, and Gallus mumbled, “I really wish I stopped forgetting how good I really am. It’s starting to get boring,” he joked dryly.

Ocellus tittered quietly, commenting, “At least you know that no matter how many times you forget, we’ll always be here to remind you.”

“Grover’s Treasure, I don’t deserve any of you.”

“Yes, you do,” she countered curtly.

“Heh. Yeah, I do.”

“I’m glad. … And I’m sorry,” she added, looking down. “I should never have used that spell, especially without your perm—”

Gallus silenced her with a talon to her muzzle. Smiling, he said, “Don’t apologize. I’m grateful you cared about me enough to do it. But unless you absolutely need to, please don’t do it again.”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly; stick a cupcake in my eye,” she Pinkie Promised, performing the motions perfectly and giggling along with Gallus afterward.

“Do you really think it’s okay I still want Gruff to be proud of me?” he soon inquired.

She hesitated for a moment before slowly answering, “Yes. I… I do think that you don’t ‘need’ him to be proud of you, but if you want him to be? That’s perfectly okay.”

“Okay, I am definitely going to need to remember that going forward,” he accepted, rubbing his neck awkwardly. “Thanks again, Ocellus. You’re a surprisingly good therapist.”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa!” she exclaimed, waving her hooves frantically. “I am not a therapist! Not even close! … But I did pick up a few things from the Feelings Forum,” she conceded shyly.

“Then clearly you’re a great learner,” Gallus praised.

Ocellus blushed and said, “Thank you, Gallus. That’s really sweet of you.”

“Now that I definitely know,” he said, smiling dreamily. “So, uh, what now?”

“Well? Do you want me to sit with you for a little while longer? … I did have a few other future research project ideas,” she suggested gleefully.

“Ha! Nice try, Ocellus, but I helped you out with the last one, and I think I deserve a break. And so do you.”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s true,” Ocellus said, clearly disappointed. “If I ever hope to be a professor one day, I can’t put myself at risk of burning out. Especially since if I do, you’ll just make a bad firework pun,” she grumbled playfully.

“You know it. … Hey, Ocellus?” he began. “Why do you want to be a professor?”

“Because I love learning, duh!” she answered as if it were obvious. “There’s so much to learn about our world, and I want to learn everything I possible can! Maybe I can even discover something new! Something groundbreaking!” Ocellus suggested with a twinkle in her eyes.

“You sound like Smolder,” he pointed out.

“I do?”

“Yeah. I asked what her project was on earlier, and she just lit up,” Gallus said, cheering up at the memory. “She was going to talk about the stars, but she ran out of time apparently.”

“Really? But Vice Headstallion Sunburst said…” Ocellus fell silent. However, before Gallus could inquire further, she mumbled, “You know? Without even using my spell, I can tell she’s been really upset lately too…”

“Yeah, I, uh, I figured,” he replied, staring at his wall and in the direction of the dragon’s room.

“…She seemed better today though,” Ocellus said hopefully. “I know I interrupted you two, but she really looked happy again when I showed up.”

Gallus breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “I guess everything finally is back to normal then? Or at least, as close it’s going to get?”

“Were our lives ever normal?” she joked.

“Not really, no.”

They laughed again.

Eventually, Ocellus quieted down and meekly requested, “Gallus? May I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“I know you didn’t want to be a scientist, so what did you want to be then?”

His smiled disappeared as he lamented, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t? What about acting? Isn’t that why you and the others went to Canterlot?”

“Acting is fun, but…” Gallus shook his head sadly and muttered, “I don’t think it’s something I want for my future.”

“Oh. That’s fair,” Ocellus said. “So, what do you want for your future then?”

He flinched and confessed, “No idea. Every time I think about it, I just…can’t think of anything. The only thing I do want is for all of you to be there with me, but that’s it.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah. ‘Oh.’”

“I-I’m sorry, Gallus,” she apologized, wincing. “I didn’t mean to sound judgmental.”

“Don’t worry, you didn’t,” he consoled, grinning hollowly. “I just wish I did know what I want to be. But, of course, I don’t.”

“…It’s hard to imagine a future when you think you don’t have one,” Ocellus suddenly whispered, hugging herself. “I know that feeling. She made sure we all did…”

Gallus draped a comforting wing around her and supported, “Hey? You know what you want to be now at least. And something tells me she’ll never be able to take that away from you.”

She grinned warmly, saying, “No, she won’t. Thanks, Gallus. I just wish I could help you figure these things out,” Ocellus groaned, rubbing her eyes. “Be it Gruff, or your future, or…anything!”

“Forget it, Ocellus. Gramps is Gramps; maybe he cares about me, or maybe he doesn’t…” Grover! I wish I knew! “Eh, whatever. And as for my future career…?”

“Don’t worry too much about the future, Gallus. We’ll figure it out together,” he remembered Silverstream saying to him last night.

Together…

“That’s a puzzle I can solve another time,” Gallus assured optimistically.

“Maybe, but I’d still like to help!” she declared. “If… If you want me to, that is?”

Gallus blinked and smiled, saying, “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that Ocellus.”

“Alright! I’ll help you out as best as I can!” she promised passionately.

“Well, duh. You’re you, Ocellus. You do everything as best as you can!” he complimented.

Ocellus blushed, muttering, “Thank you.”

…

“This has been a really weird conversation,” Gallus acknowledged bluntly.

“It has; it really has,” Ocellus agreed, nodding shyly. “Sorry again about… Everything. I know this probably could have waited until tomorrow or something, but I didn’t like the thought of leaving you upset all night,” she said, rubbing her shoulder anxiously.

“Well, I’m definitely not as upset as I was before, so thank you for that,” he said, chuckling weakly. “You really do make a surprisingly good impromptu therapist, Ocellus.”

“I told you I’m not a therapist!”

“And I’m not a scientist.”

“And that’s still a shame; you really would make a good one.”

“And you, a good therapist.”

“Ughhh! Is this going to be like the dumb firework jokes? Because those were never funny.”

“Nah, that time I was being serious. For as ‘inherently unreliable’ as you believe psychology to be, you’re pretty good at it.”

“Yeah, well… Maybe if I actually refreshed myself on the subject, I would enjoy it more,” she supposed, shaking her head wistfully. Ocellus then scowled, growling, “Of course? To do that, I’d have to find out who rented out half the Psychology section and ask for those books back.”

“Yeah, who did that?” Gallus asked, genuinely curious. “I heard that section has been missing since before we went to Canterlot?” He then blinked, remembering the book Smolder had been reading earlier and the hoard of books he glimpsed in her room. It wasn’t…? Nah! No way it was her. “Has anyone determined the culprit yet?”

“No. But I will! And when I do, I am going to give them such a lecture!”

Gallus chortled at her declaration and begged, “Please make sure to let me know ahead of time. I’m going to need popcorn for the show.”

Ocellus glared at him, but it only made him laugh harder. After Gallus quieted down, she softly asked, “Gallus? You are okay, right?”

“Yeah,” he answered honestly. “I’m okay.”

“That’s good,” she sighed in relief. Ocellus then glanced out his window, noticing how dark it had gotten outside. “It’s getting pretty late… Sorry I kept you up for so long.”

“Don’t worry, Ocellus. I’m always grateful for a pseudo-therapy session,” he said, winking.

“Still not a therapist…!” she groaned.

“Neither is Headmare Starlight, but she does a pretty good job too.”

“Not all the time,” Ocellus argued, thinking back to the last time she had sought out her advice.

“Says you.”

“Yeah, yeah… Did you need anything before I go?” she asked, rising from the bed.

“I’ll be fine,” Gallus said confidently. “You go get some sleep, Ocellus; you deserve it.”

“Fine, but you get some sleep too, okay?”

“Already plan on it,” he assured, realizing how tired he was himself. “Thanks again, Ocellus.”

Ocellus then gave him another a quick hug and promised, “Always. … Goodnight, Gallus. Sweet dreams,” she wished, stepping into the hall and returning to her own room.

“Goodnight, Ocellus,” he replied, quietly closing his door and collapsing back into his bed with a groan. He then shot one last glance at his medal, feeling a warmth blossom in his chest at the sight of it.

“Yeah. We did do the best we could,” Gallus accepted, smiling proudly. “And that is good enough! … Goodnight, Gramps,” he whispered, settling beneath his blanket and snuggling into his warm bed. “I wish you were here.”

Author's Note

Oh, boy! This chapter! This was one that I was planning for a while and changed quite significantly early on, especially the ending! But I'll talk about that some other time. :raritywink:

Alright! Let's get the bad news out of the way first:

The chapter that I've been working on for recent weeks? It, uh, got a little long! And if it gets any longer I might have to split into THREE parts! Because of that, I'm still not done with it, so that's quite a bother.
On the other hand? I hope to actually finish it in the next week or so! Afterward, I can finally begin working on the final chapter and the epilogue!

With that said, the next chapter will once again release on the 25th - 27th of November. BUT! Here's some good news regarding that: This should be the final time I have to request you guys wait that long! And I am ****ing DETERMINED to hold myself to that! I hate asking you guys to wait so long for updates!

Also! Here are the background ponies that cameoed during the Fair:

Berry Bliss:

Citrine Spark:

Slate Sentiments:

Soaring Virtue:

Anywho! As always! Any and all thoughts and criticisms are appreciated! And I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter and are excited for the chapters to come!

NEXT TIME: Look in the comment section, because that's something that needs it's own discussion.

Chapter Eight: Tension

“Okay then,” Ocellus sighed, setting aside one set of notecards in exchange for another. “How about weather management? Griffons can manipulate weather as well, right?”

“Yep.”

“Ooh! That sounds pretty good,” Silverstream squealed excitedly. “What do you think, Gallus? Does that sound like something you’re interested in trying out?”

“Yeah, it’s a pretty good job,” Gallus acknowledged. “The ponies are nice, the job is pretty simple; the pay is absolutely fantastic…!”

“You make it sound like you’ve done it before?” Ocellus accused, raising an eyebrow.

He chuckled awkwardly and revealed, “That, uh, might be because I have.”

“Wait, really?”

“Mhmm. It’s a pretty recent thing though.”

“Ohhh. Well, that’s really nice of you, Gallus,” Silver praised. “I bet Professor Dash appreciates your help.” Considering how many jobs she has, I’m surprised she even has time to be our teacher.

“So she tells me,” he confirmed, trying and failing to sound humble. “Of course, if there are any serious downsides to the gig, I don’t know about them yet,” he ended, looking to Ocellus.

“Mmm,” she hummed. “None that I can see. Unless you’re like Professor Dash and think—” Ocellus shape-shifted into the mare and quoted, “‘Bucking and gathering clouds is awesome and all, but it gets super boring after a while. Especially when you can get the skies clear as fast as me!’”

“Yep, that sounds like Rainbow Dash,” Gallus said as Ocellus changed back. “Really though. Why would she think cloud gathering is boring? It’s pretty relaxing to me,” he admitted nonchalantly.

“You think cloud gathering is relaxing?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe, Silver!” he exclaimed, beaming. “It certainly helps that it’s pretty quiet up there in the air, so you can actually hear yourself think when you’re doing the job.”

“Hmm. Sounds nice,” Silver agreed, grinning brightly. “Maybe I should try it out too.”

Gallus blinked in surprise then smiled, saying, “Maybe. You probably would enjoy it.”

“Oh, I’m certain I would.” Especially if you were with me, she thought, winking.

Ocellus coughed politely, drawing their attention to her knowing smirk. “I suppose I’ll just put this in the ‘Yes’ pile then?”

“Definitely,” Gallus answered with a nod.

She did just that, muttering, “Okay, that’s twenty-three.” Ocellus then pulled a new card and stated, “Alright. Next up: Politics.”

“Ughhh!” he loudly groaned, earning two confused stares.

“Judging from that reaction, I assume you’re not interested in the field?” Ocellus guessed.

“Not really,” he stated, shaking his head. “As far as I’m concerned, politics is just a race to see who can make the most believable campaign. Not something I really care to participate in.”

“That’s not what politics is about!” she protested indignantly.

“Then what is it about?”

“Ooh! Ooh! I know this one!” Silverstream announced, bouncing in her chair enthusiastically. “It’s about determining who would best lead a nation while invoking the most beneficial change in said nation.”

“That’s a rather simplified take on it, but it is technically correct.”

“Yay, I got it right!” she celebrated, smiling gleefully. And Auntie Novo said Skystar and I never paid attention to our lessons, she laughed quietly.

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure the best leader for Equestria is Princess Twilight,” Gallus argued.

“True. But she’s the sovereign ruler of Equestria as a whole, not the leader of any its individual cities,” Ocellus counter-argued. “Manehatten, Fillydelphia, and Ponyville for example…”

“How about it, Gallus? You wanna be the mayor of Ponyville when Mayor Mare retires?”

“Nah, too much responsibility,” he whined, leaning back in his chair. “And don’t get me started on the amount of paperwork I’d have to put up with!”

“But you like doing paperwork,” Silverstream deadpanned.

“N-No, I don’t!”

“Really?” Ocellus joined in. “I recall seeing quite the huge smile on your face anytime you had to write something for our teleportation report.”

“…No, you didn’t…”

The girls shared a playful grin.

Fighting off an ominous chill, Gallus sat up and said, “Okay, okay! Stop smirking. Look, I seriously don’t want to do something like that.”

“It’s okay, Gallus. We understand,” Silver assured. “But why don’t you want that kind of position? You really would make a great leader,” she promised softly, hoping that wasn’t the problem.

“And I know that,” he said without any hesitation.

“Kindness Lesson Forty-eight…”

“It’s not a matter of confidence, Ocellus; I just don’t want that kind of pressure. I’m more than willing to help my friends out if they have a problem, but managing everything in an entire town? No way,” Gallus declared firmly. “If you want somegriff to do that, go ask Gilda.”

Ocellus sighed and conceded, “Fair enough. Should I label that as a ‘No’ then?”

“Well?” Gallus hummed thoughtfully before slowly relenting, “I suppose I could go into that field if I needed to, but I really don’t want to if I don’t have to… What do you think, Silverstream?” he suddenly asked.

W-What!? Why is he asking me; this is his future we’re figuring out, not mine! “I-I don’t know, Gallus,” she stuttered. “I know you’d make a great leader, but if it’s not what you want to be…?”

After some contemplation, he ultimately decided, “Put it under ‘No,’ Ocellus.”

“Got it,” she replied, crossing the notecard out and placing it with the appropriate pile. She then yawned and acknowledged, “And that makes fourteen…”

Gallus groaned and stretched life back into his limbs. “It’s getting late, girls,” he realized after glancing out the window at the setting sun. “One more, then I think we should call it quits for tonight.”

“Got it,” Ocellus replied, turning her attention to the next card. However, before she could resume speaking, a new pair of voices flitted into the empty library.

“Thanks again for helping me, Shimmy. I know I haven’t been, er, you know… But thanks.”

Oh no! Silver dreaded, noticing Gallus also looked mildly apprehensive.

“Hey, don’t—Agh! D-Don’t sweat it, Smolder! Oh geez! These things are h-heavy!”

“Do you need help!?”

“N-No! I think I got it! Whoa-whoa-whoa! No, I don’t! No, I don’t!”

Upon that exclamation, Shimmy Shake charged into the library and haphazardly dumped her leaning tower of books onto the nearest table. She then moaned painfully and slumped to the ground.

Smolder deposited her books onto the same table, flinching once she noticed her audience. “O-Oh! Hey, guys,” she greeted as casually as she could. “Didn’t see you there. How are you all doing?”

“Hi, Smolder, we’re good,” Gallus slowly responded. He then turned his attention to Shimmy and called out, “Uh, Shimmy Shake? Are you okay?”

“No.”

“Did you want help up?” Silver inquired worriedly.

“No. No… Just let me lie here and die!” she pleaded melodramatically.

“That’s not funny, Shimmy!” Smolder barked, clenching her claws.

“Yeah, yeah, I know!” Shimmy fired back, rising to her hooves. “It’s just a figure of speech…” she muttered, trotting over to a nearby chair and collapsing into it.

“And it’s still not funny,” she huffed. Smolder then shook her head and strode over to her friends. “Sorry for barging in on you guys; we didn’t think we’d be interrupting anyone.”

“No worries. You weren’t interrupting anything anyway,” Gallus comforted.

“Oh. So, were you guys studying or something?” Smolder inquired. “Nightmare Night’s this weekend; the teachers didn’t give us any homework. … Did they?” she asked, grimacing in panic.

“Not unless Professor Applejack has another pop quiz planned,” he suggested fiendishly.

Smolder shuddered and begged, “Please don’t put that thought in my head.”

“Nor mine!” Shimmy shouted, stroking her mane soothingly. “Her pop quizzes are evil! Evil!”

“Heh-heh. Sorry.”

“All jokes aside,” Ocellus began. “No. There shouldn’t be any quizzes or tests with Nightmare Night coming up.” Seeing that Smolder didn’t seem convinced, she added, “Our teachers are preparing Ponyville for the holiday too, so they wouldn’t have time to plan any out.”

“Makes sense,” Smolder supposed. “But if you guys aren’t studying, what are you doing?”

“We’re trying to help Gallus figure out what he wants to do after Graduation,” Silver explained, giving Smolder a friendly smile. Everything is fine, Silver; don’t be paranoid that it’s not!

“Wait! You mean you don’t know?” Shimmy asked bluntly.

Silver struggled not to face-claw while Gallus simply shrugged.

“Huh. Not gonna lie. I totally thought you’d go for the whole Wonderbolt thing. Especially since a certain somegriff said she was thinking of joining up too,” she added, giving Silver a sly grin.

“If that’s what Gallus wants to do then that’s what he’s going to do,” Silver replied, unable to hide her annoyance. “But if not, I’m not going to pressure him into it just because I might do it too.”

“Oooh! I see somecreature finally read Two Hundred and Nineteen!”

“Oh, be quiet!”

“Never!” she retorted, blowing a raspberry.

Smolder rolled her eyes at Shimmy’s antics, but her smile slowly returned as she cautiously asked, “So, uh, Gallus? If you’re still trying to make plans for after Graduation, does that mean you didn’t want to be a scientist either?”

“Nope,” he confirmed neutrally. “I’d look amazing in a lab coat for sure, but I don’t really care for that particular career path. Even if I did…mostly…enjoy the Science Fair.”

“…Gallus also wanted Gruff here today too,” Silverstream remembered Yona revealing that day. And he never did show up… she realized, irked.

“So, you don’t want to be an actor or a scientist, huh?”

“Shimmy!” Smolder yelped rebukingly.

“What!?”

“Just, ughhh!” she groaned, face-clawing. “Were you making any progress then? Any ideas for what you do want to be?” she asked Gallus.

“Some. Nothing concrete yet, unfortunately. But weather management seems pretty promising,” he answered, perking up.

Smolder seemed almost relieved as she said, “Oh. Weather management…? Yeah, that sounds pretty cool. It’s nice, relaxing; safe… Yeah, you should totally try that!” she advised.

“Thanks for the encouragement,” Gallus said appreciatively. “I’ll keep that in mind. … What were you and Shimmy up to, by the way?”

“Well, uh, I kinda checked out a few too many books from the library, and I needed help returning them all,” she admitted, chuckling sheepishly.

Ocellus jumped out of her chair and rushed over to check the titles of Smolder’s books. She then rounded back on the very confused dragon and shouted, “It was you!?”

“Uh…? What?”

Oh sea kelp! Silver fretted, realizing what Ocellus was about to do. “Hey, Smolder!” she called out, drawing her attention away from the changeling. “If you needed help, we’d be happy to lend a talon.”

“U-Uh, no! No! It’s totally fine!” Smolder assuaged, waving her claws dismissively. “Shimmy and I can totally do it ourselves.”

“We can?” the mare mewled disbelievingly. She then winced at the glare Smolder shot her way and quickly stammered, “I mean! Y-Yes! We can totally get it all by ourselves! And, uh, if not, I can just call in a favor with End Zone, heh-heh-heh…”

“Yeah! See? We’re good; promise,” Smolder concluded for the both of them.

Gallus and Silver shared a quick glance, silently agreeing not to inquire further. Ocellus luckily caught on as well and ignited her horn, saying, “Here. I’ll at least put these books back for you. Maybe then I can see if you had any of the ones I was meaning to reread…” she murmured angrily.

Smolder flinched, looking uncharacteristically timid as she mumbled, “Sorry.”

“No problem, it’s fine,” Ocellus said, magically returning almost all of the books to their proper places, much to Shimmy’s relief. She then pocketed the remainder into her saddlebags.

Wishing to change the subject, Silver calmly asked, “So, Smolder? What are you going to do for this year’s Nightmare Night?”

“Well, duh!” she exclaimed, equally happy for the subject change. “Go to Shimmy and Professor Pie’s party; that’s what everycreature else is doing, right?”

“Pretty much,” Gallus stated, breathing a quiet sigh of relief at Smolder’s smile. “Although, that reminds me… How exactly did you get roped into helping Professor Pie with this year’s Nightmare Night party, anyway?” he asked Shimmy Shake.

“I, uh, got caught reading in Laughter class,” she answered, chuckling in embarrassment.

“What were you reading?” Ocellus asked, furrowing her brow. “Professor Pie is usually more lenient when it comes to that sort of thing.”

“Let me guess: It was one Princess Cadence’s letters,” Gallus deduced, smirking knowingly.

“Hey! It was worth it!” she proclaimed, pumping a hoof into the air. “Besides, planning the party was a lot of fun too. Speaking of… What costumes were you all planning to wear?”

“Oh, I have the perfect form,” Ocellus answered. “I wonder how many of you are going to know where it’s from?” she said challengingly.

“Uh, Ocellus? Not to bring you down, but you remember what happened last year, right?” Gallus bluntly inquired.

“I’ll make sure to bring my student identification this time!” she squeaked, flushing brightly. “I might even shape-shift when I get there just so you’ll all know it’s me.”

“Good. None of us want a repeat of what happened last time.”

“Yes. I know,” she growled through gritted teeth.

Stifling her giggles, Silver said, “Well, I’m planning to go as a Wonderbolt.”

“No surprise there,” Smolder quipped, smirking. “Wasn’t that what you wore last year too?”

“N-No! I went as Professor Dash!”

“But Professor Dash is a Wonderbolt? So, technically, you were a Wonderbolt last year too.”

“Yeah, s-so? If I want to do it again, I’ll do it again!”

“Yeah, but why don’t you change it up this year, Silverstream?” Shimmy Shake suggested slyly. “I’m sure Professor Rarity still has that zombie costume of yours.”

“And I will never wear that thing ever again, Shimmy!” Silver declared, twitching angrily. “Nor will we ever speak of it again! Got it!?”

She saluted in terror, swearing, “Understood, ma’am!”

“Good. … How about you, Shimmy? What costume were you going to wear?”

“Pfft! Unlike the rest of you, I intend to keep mine a surprise!” she boasted. “But enough about me, what about you, Smolder? What’re you going as?”

“Eh, nothing special,” she said, shrugging. “I just plan on wearing one of my dresses and going as some generic princess or whatever.”

“Oh. Not even any princess in particular?”

“Nightmare Night sorta sneaked up on me,” she elaborated, rubbing her neck self-consciously.

“You’re not the only one,” Gallus consoled. “I still haven’t figured out what costume I’m going to wear, assuming I wear anything at all.”

“Now don’t talk like that, Gallus!” Shimmy reprimanded harshly. “Wearing a cool or scary costume is part of the fun of Nightmare Night; you can’t just not dress as something!”

“Well, unless I find anything to go as, I’m just going tape a cup to my head and say I’m a unicorn. That work?” he asked sardonically.

“…Silverstream? For the love of Celestia, take him backstage to the prop department and get him something that’s not that!”

“Don’t worry, Shimmy, I will.” Third time’s the charm, right? she exasperatedly wondered, giving Gallus a blunt stare. “Let’s just hope we find something he likes.”

“Well, I could always put on a crown and go as the Lord of All Things Sweet.” he proposed. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Silver?”

Don’t fall for the bait! Silver commanded herself, blushing faintly. “S-Something tells me no one would get that! But thanks for thinking of me.”

“No thanks necessary. I’m always thinking of you,” he whispered, making her blush harder.

Ocellus rolled her eyes at the display while Shimmy smiled widely. Smolder, however, stared at the two with an unreadable expression until she finally grinned, saying, “I’m glad you two are happy.”

“Aww, thanks, Smolder!” Gallus replied, beaming. “I’m glad we’re happy too.”

You and me both; we’ve had enough drama for a lifetime, Silver thought tiredly.

“Yeah. You two seem really good for each other.”

“Now if only they would finally go on their second date,” Shimmy lamented, crossing her hooves grumpily.

I wish we would too, Shimmy; I wish we would too…

“Yeah, unfortunately, I’m still planning it out. But!” Gallus exclaimed, turning to Silver and finishing, “I do have almost everything ready. Promise.”

Uh-huh. I’ve heard that before. “Don’t worry, Gallus,” she requested, maintaining her smile. “I told you that I have no problem waiting. Take as much time as you need to figure things out.”

“Wait, you’re not helping him plan the date out?” Smolder asked, nonplussed.

“Oh, believe me, I have tried,” Silver stressed. “But he won’t let me.” Neither will Scoop, Patty, or Yona to be honest, she barely stopped herself from adding.

“It’s my responsibility to plan out the date, and I want to make certain it’s absolutely perfect!” Gallus explained.

“You don’t have to go out of your way to make it perfect, Gallus,” she said flatly.

“But you deserve it,” he stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Silverstream could only smile, feeling a warmth spread throughout her chest. Shimmy Shake, meanwhile, cooed giddily and said, “That’s so sweet! Dang it, Silver, you’re so lucky!”

“I thought we already established that I was the lucky one,” Gallus joked.

“You are,” she agreed simply. “But you’re far from the only one.”

“Well, uh,” Smolder started again. “If you, er, ever need any help… You know, with the date stuff and all that… You can, uh, always come to me?” she offered. “I may not know much about how romance works, but I’ll help if I can.”

“Th-Thanks, Smolder,” Gallus said, blinking in surprise. “I will.”

Smolder’s smile became far less strained, and far more serene. Eventually, she clicked her tongue and said, “Whelp, it was nice seeing you guys, but Shimmy and I still have a lot of books to return. So I’ll catch you later; c’mon, Shimmy!” she beckoned, marching for the door.

Shimmy let out a pained whimper and quickly followed suite, muttering, “You so owe me for this, Smolder… Bye, guys.”

“See you both later,” Silver said for them all. Once the pair’s steps had faded into the distance, she and Gallus both sighed heavily. “I hope this doesn’t sound too bad, but…” she warily began. “Am I the only one who still feels a teeny bit awkward around Smolder?”

“Only a ‘teeny bit’?” Gallus scoffed. “I keep feeling like I’m walking on glass whenever I’m in the same room as her! Still… I can deal with a bit of lingering awkwardness if it means we’re talking again.”

“Agreed. Plus, it wasn’t even that bad this time!” She didn’t even look paranoid today! Silver celebrated quietly. I guess everything really is fine after all.

“Yeah. It only took two-and-a-half months, but things are finally, properly normal,” he rejoiced.

Two-and-a-half months!? Has it really been that long? she pondered in total shock. Yeesh! Felt so much longer…

“Speaking of normal,” Ocellus spoke up, gesturing to the piles of cards held in her magic. “Should we leave things here for now? Like you said earlier, it’s getting late. Plus, we may not have any tests or quizzes to study for, but we do still have homework,” she reminded them.

Gallus rubbed his eyes, mumbling, “I almost forgot about that Generosity report.”

“Did you need help finishing it?”

“Thanks, Silver, but I’ve got it. Just need to write the conclusion,” he elaborated confidently.

“Are you sure? Last time we had a lesson on creative expressions, I distinctly remember you had no idea what to do,” she teased amicably.

“And I remember you tried to teach me how to do it, but the end result was a giant waste of paint,” he joked back.

“Your painting wasn’t that bad!”

“Yes, it was. Okay, for a first attempt? Yeah, it was pretty good, but looking back on it now? Ugh!” Gallus groaned in embarrassment. “Grover’s Treasure, what was I thinking at the time!?”

“You know? I’m not sure, but it was certainly something. At least you’re better now!” she complimented. “A bit more practice and maybe one of your works will get into Silver Frames’ Gallery.”

“Oh please! Just because I no longer get paint on the roof, doesn’t mean I’m good at painting. You will always be better at that than me,” he praised sweetly.

“Hold on! What!?” she yelped, stifling a giggle. “You got paint on the roof? When!? How!?”

“I didn’t try to get it on the roof!” he protested while Ocellus snickered behind his back. “All I did was try to paint without your supervision, and it just…sorta happened.”

“Oh, you should have seen his face, Silverstream,” Ocellus began deviously. “He was covered head-to-talon in paint, and his room was no better! It was as hilarious as it was confusing.”

After a moment spent gawking at the mental image, Silver bluntly confessed, “I believe it.”

“Yep. Good thing you knew Cleanse Alpha, Ocellus,” Gallus said, pretending that his face wasn’t glowing crimson. “But that reminds me. Did you ever finish that painting of yours, Silver?”

“Hmm?” The image of a flower surviving against a merciless monsoon flashed in her mind and she gasped, “Oh! The flower painting? Yeah, I finished it ages ago. Didn’t I ever show it to you?”

“No. I, uh, don’t think you did…”

Oops. “Sorry, Gallus. Don’t worry though, I still have it, so I can show you later.” An idea suddenly sparked to life in her mind and she gasped. “In fact! I can show you all of my other paintings too! Would you… Would you like that?”

“Are you kidding!? I’d love it!” Gallus exclaimed excitedly.

I love him so much! she thought, grinning blissfully.

He smiled back, and after a moment, said, “Well, thanks again for helping me out, girls.”

“It was no trouble at all, Gallus,” Ocellus assured, hoisting her bags onto her back. “Same time tomorrow?” she asked, marching toward the door.

“Yep. See you later, Ocellus,” he said, waving goodbye.

After Silverstream and Gallus finished gathering up their own things, they followed after Ocellus, trotting down the hall side-by-side. At first, they were content to walk in silence, but Gallus soon shot Silver a sly grin that made her blush and stammer, “W-What? What?”

“Nothing,” he sang suspiciously, still smiling.

“Oh-ho, no! C’mon, Gallus. What is it?”

“…I’m glad Smolder’s talking to us again,” he expressed, coming to a stop. “I know things are still a bit awkward, but I really missed hanging out with her, you know?”

“Yeah. Honestly? I’m glad things are just awkward, instead of something…worse,” Silver ended, recalling that encounter with Smolder and shivering.

Gallus wrapped a wing around her and pulled her into a warm hug. “Me too.”

As Silver snuggled against his feathers, relishing the embrace, she found herself thinking, This is nice. … Everything really is okay, Silver, she told herself. I really didn’t need to be afraid after all. Not for him. Not for Smolder. Not for anyone else, Silver determined, sneaking in a quick kiss to his cheek and giggling as he reddened instantly “Hee-hee! Gotcha!”

“Yeah, yeah, you got me,” he pouted melodramatically. “But just you wait! I’ll make sure to return the favor,” Gallus promised, winking teasingly.

Oooh! When is our second date!? Silver wondered, almost exploding in excitement. That excitement slowly faded when she remembered, Oh, right. Not until it’s all perfect… Right.

Her annoyance must have shown because Gallus gently asked, “Hey, Silver? Are you okay?”

I want to go on our second date already! But other than that? “Yeah, I’m fine. You’re just really, really amazing, you know that?”

Gallus blushed even more as he stuttered, “Aw, th-thanks, Silver. You’re amazing too, don’t forget! Seriously, I really can’t thank you or Ocellus enough for helping me figure out my future.”

“You keep thanking us, Gallus, but you know you don’t need to,” she argued, chuckling.

“Yes, I do. And even if I didn’t, I want to. Because I want you girls to know how much I really appreciate all of your help,” Gallus admitted, giving her a happy nuzzle.

Silverstream nuzzled him back, giggling. “Awww! You’re so sweet!”

“I try my best.”

“And you succeed brilliantly,” she marveled, leaning back to give him a content smile. Sadly, it didn’t last long as she worked up the courage to say, “There’s something I wanted to ask you about.”

“Oh?”

“Y-Yeah. About the whole ‘future plans’ thing? Have you… Talked to Grandpa Gruff about it?”

Gallus blinked, completely blindsided by the question. He quickly recollected himself, however, and answered, “No. I haven’t. Tch, not like he would respond even if I did,” he ended, looking away.

“…Are you okay?”

“Honestly? Yes and no,” Gallus said pensively. “I’m still angry that he didn’t show up for the Science Fair, but…? At this point, I don’t care what he thinks. It’s like you said, Silver. I can be whatever I want to be,” he boasted, cheering back up.

Silverstream gave him another gentle kiss. “Yes, you can, Gallus. Yes, you can.”

Not even Pinkie Pie could match how happy Gallus looked in that moment.

***

“And that was how that went,” Silver concluded. “No awkwardness, no fighting; no silent treatment… Just an ordinary conversation with a friend.” And two really nice kisses with my boyfriend!

“Yay!” Yona squealed, beaming in absolute joy. “Yona not lie, Yona expected talking to Smolder be harder, but Yona relieved to hear otherwise,” she whispered behind a hoof.

“You and me both.” Silver then held up a green wizard costume, calling out, “Hey, Gallus! What about this one?”

“Huh!” He turned around and gave the outfit a scrutinizing look, saying, “Nah. That’s not exactly my color. But thanks anyway, Silver.”

Don’t roll your eyes! she had to repeat to herself for the fifth time. “No worries, Gallus. Maybe the next one then?” she suggested hopefully.

“Yeah! Definitely the next one.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Silver echoed. She then looked away and groaned.

“Silverstream alright? Friend seem annoyed by something.”

“What? Nooo! I’m not annoyed; I’m never annoyed,” she protested despite putting no effort into it. “…Okay, fine!” Silverstream yelped softly, checking that Gallus wasn’t listening. “I am a little annoyed. But just a little!”

“Gallus?”

“I’ve been trying to help him find a costume for tomorrow all weekend! But nothing we find is ‘good enough’ for him, or something,” she elaborated, looking into the depths of the costume bin before her. Silver then laughed wearily and said, “I know it’s a pretty silly thing to be annoyed by, but…”

“It’s my responsibility to plan out the date. And I want to make certain that it’s absolutely perfect,” she remembered, wincing slightly.

“If Silver mad at Gallus, Silver should talk to him about it,” Yona bluntly stated, pulling her from her musings. “Princess Cadence advise something similar, yes?”

“Yeah, she did. But I’m not really ‘mad.’ Just…worried.”

“That Gallus would be upset?” Yona pondered, frowning. “Because Yona doubt Gallus would be upset about—” She froze, shot her own glance at Gallus, then turned back, muttering, “Nevermind.”

Silverstream sighed and grumbled, “Actually? It’s not really the costume that’s bothering me. … I just want to finally go on another date with him!”

“If that what Silver worried about, Silver just let Gallus know friend ready for next date.”

“I wish it were that simple, Yona,” she said, shaking her head. “But Gallus wants everything to be ‘perfect’ before he so much as considers a date and time! And if how picky he is about a silly costume is any indication…” Silver ended, knowing Yona would understand.

And understand, she did. “Yona highly doubt Gallus will keep Silver waiting too much longer. So long as nothing unexpected happen, Silver should remain hopeful.”

“I know, I know. And I am hopeful!” Silver quickly affirmed. “Aside from some, er, lingering awkwardness… Everything is finally back to normal.”

“Yes, but if Silverstream really want to go on second date with Gallus, she should tell him,” Yona advised wisely. “Yona not think it good idea to wait longer than Silver have to.”

“I know. But? With everything finally settling down, and all of us being happy again…? I don’t want to ‘start’ anything, you know?”

“Yona can understand that,” she said softly, running her hoof across the costumes in search of something Gallus would like. “But has Gallus seriously not talked to Silver about second date at all?”

“No, and it’s been months! Months, Yona!”

“W-Well, what about when Gallus and Silver explored art gallery in Canterlot?”

“Yeah, that was fun,” Silver admitted, sighing happily. “Of course, then we got kicked out of that place thanks to Scoop…” she growled.

Yona coughed uncomfortably, mumbling, “Yona remember that. But friends have certainly done similar things since then, right?”

“Oh, yes, we have. But whenever we do do something like that, he just calls it a ‘pseudo-date’ for some reason. And whenever I try bringing up our second ‘proper’ date, he dodges the question.”

“So, if Gallus not finished, how long till he is?”

“I don’t know; he’s the one the planning the thing!” she grumbled. “And no matter how many times I offer to help, I just get the whole ‘It’s my responsibility, and I want it to be perfect’ spiel!”

“Well, Yona do think it sweet that Gallus want that.”

“I do too! I really appreciate that he cares so much, but I… I just want to spend time with him,” Silver stated simply. “I don’t care how good or bad the date is, so long as I can spend it with him.”

Yona just smiled widely and said, “Yona happy to hear that. But? If Silver upset that Gallus not ready for second date yet, why does Silver not confront him?”

“Because I don’t know why he isn’t ready!” she explained, hanging her head. “Maybe I’m overreacting, and he really hasn’t finished planning it out yet. Or maybe he’s just waiting for the right time. Or m-maybe it has something to do with me…?” she mumbled, wincing at the prospect.

“Okay, Yona gonna stop Silver right there,” she deadpanned, placing a hoof firmly against Silver’s heart. “Gallus love Silverstream. Silver never need to fear otherwise.”

Silver raised her head, saying, “You’re right. Of all the things I can be paranoid about, that’s definitely not one of them,” she concluded, feeling a tad ashamed at having momentarily suspected otherwise.

“No! It! Is! Not!”

“Heh-heh-heh. And I love him too,” Silver declared, smiling happily. “But that’s just another reason why I don’t want to push him. I mean… Look at him, Yona!” she urged, pointing at him.

Following her gaze, Yona looked at Gallus as he held a piece of fake armor up to himself, seeing if it would fit and grinning delightedly when it did.

“He’s happy again,” Silver continued, elated. “Really happy! I don’t want to ruin that. Honestly, I can wait if I need to, I just wish I didn’t have to.”

“Yona understand,” she said, turning back to Silver. “But Yona also remember what happened last time Silver hid feelings… Yona really not want to see friend like that again.”

“You won’t!” Silver promised. “This isn’t like last time, Yona; I’m not afraid the universe is going to strike Gallus down or something. I just…want to keep seeing him smile,” she concluded, smiling herself as she watched Gallus joyfully don the rest of the ensemble.

Seeing Silver’s dopey grin, Yona nudged her.

“W-What?”

“Nothing,” Yona claimed teasingly. “…Silverstream does have a point though,” she continued. “If even Smolder is talking to Gallus and friends again, maybe everything really is okay again. And if everything okay… Maybe friends shouldn’t—What ponies say?—‘rock boat’?”

“Ha! For once it’s pony wisdom coming out of your muzzle and not yak wisdom,” Silver pointed out, smirking at Yona’s angered huff.

“Yes, well! Yak wisdom may be best, but yak wisdom not only wisdom. Sandbar’s parents have ton of wisdom too,” she confided, beaming.

Silverstream giggled. “So you’ve met his parents, huh? Has he met yours yet?”

“Sadly, no,” Yona bemoaned, clearly disappointed by that fact. “But hopefully, Yona’s parents can come down here for Hearth’s Warming.”

“Or maybe he can go up there for Snilldar Fest?”

“Hmm, maybe. But what about Gallus? Has Silver introduced Gallus to her parents yet?”

“Uh, eh-heh-heh,” Silver laughed awkwardly, looking everywhere but at Yona. “I don’t want him to meet my family just yet. He and Terramar would get along, but Dad can be…excessive. And, well, Mom is a whole different problem,” she snarled under her breath.

Before Yona could inquire further, Gallus cried out, “Hey, girls, check this one out!” He then grunted loudly as he put the last of the costume on, saying, “How do I look?”

Phew! Arrow dodged! Silver celebrated, replying, “Ooh! I like it!”

“Yona does too,” she said, trotting over to examine him. “Armor need serious polishing, and Gallus need pieces for paws and talons, but Yona can make those. Overall, Gallus look nice!” she praised.

“Thanks. So, what do you think, Silver?” he hummed shrewdly. “I look pretty awesome, right?”

She snorted. “You always look awesome, Gallus,” she complimented, relishing the faint blush that rose in his cheeks. “Is this the costume you want to wear then?”

Gallus looked himself over and grinned. “Yeah. Yeah, I think this is the one.”

Finally! “Good! Because you do look really dashing in it.” she said encouragingly, winking. “I bet everycreature else will think so too.”

“Thanks, Silverstream,” Gallus whispered, smiling serenely.

“Yeah! Now, come with Yona!” she beckoned, pushing Gallus toward the door. “Let’s get Gallus to Carousel Boutique so Yona can make friend look absolute best!”

“Alright, alright! Just stop shoving me, please!” he pleaded.

Silver slowly shook her head, chuckling. I’m so glad everything is okay again. “Hold on, guys! Wait for me!” she called out, chasing after them.

***

“Okay, how do I look?”

“I’ve already told you that you look amazing, Gallus,” Silver answered, giggling when he proudly raised his head even higher. “Now, how about me?” she asked, unfurling her wings and twirling about gracefully.

“I think you look great too,” he praised. Gallus then pointed to a spot on her back and addressed, “I do see a bit of leftover blue though.”

“What!? Where!? Ugh, I swear I got it all!” she exclaimed, twisting her neck to see one final remaining splotch of sky blue amid a sea of black and green. “Pass me the spray can.”

“Uh, sure?” he said, giving her said item. “Careful not to spray yourself.”

“Thanks for the warning, but I’ve done this before,” Silver mentioned, spraying over the spot.

“Spray painted yourself?”

“Made a last-minute costume adjustment,” she clarified, sighing in satisfaction once the last bit of blue was gone. “Good! That takes care of that. So, tell me. How do I look now?”

“As beautiful as ever.”

“…Thank you,” she muttered, not even trying to hide her blush. “You look really handsome too,” Silver added in hopes of evening the playing field.

“I thanketh thee for thine kind words, milady,” he joked, bowing.

“Likewise, milord,” she said, curtsying back.

The two shared a small laugh.

“So,” Gallus resumed. “I thought you said you were going as a Wonderbolt this year? What inspired the sudden paint job?”

“You know what.”

“What? Oh, don’t tell me you changed costumes because we reminded you of your Professor Dash costume,” he guessed.

“Caught red-taloned,” she sighed wistfully. “I really did want to go as a Wonderbolt again, but I figured I probably shouldn’t make the same choice as last year. Otherwise, I doubt I would ever live it down.”

“Hey, don’t worry, I get it. What I don’t get is the choice you settled on,” he ended, gesturing to her recolored uniform.

“The Wonderbolt outfit was the only thing I had,” Silver droned, embarrassed. “And I didn’t really want it to go to waste, nor did I feel like hunting through the Drama Club’s costumes again.” I’ve spent enough time doing that with you this week, she stopped herself from adding. “So I figured I’d just whip out the ole clothing dye and go as the next best thing.”

“A Washout?”

“Yep!”

“…Right. Well, you’d best stay away from Rainbow Dash then,” Gallus warned, adjusting a piece of his own costume. “You and I both know what she’ll do if she catches you ‘supporting’ them.”

“Freak out and give me a lecture on why safety protocol is awesome?”

“Now you’re learning,” he congratulated, tapping her beak playfully.

“Pfft! As if I didn’t already know that,” she huffed, grinning slyly. “I haven’t forgotten what happened when she found out you and Smolder had Lightning Dust’s autograph.”

“Oh Grover’s Treasure!” he groaned, shivering at the memory but laughing all the same. “I haven’t forgotten that speech yet either, heh-heh. … The autograph was still worth it though.”

“Even if the pony who gave it to you wasn’t the best pony?” Silver asked, tilting her head in curiosity. “Don’t you remember what Rainbow Dash told us about her in Loyalty Lesson Fifty-six?”

“Eh, you can be a terrible creature but still do some cool stuff,” Gallus remarked neutrally. “Besides, I know she and her Wonderbolt rip-offs ignore safety procedures and whatnot, but that doesn’t mean their performances aren’t awesome!”

“Can’t disagree with that,” she conceded, awestruck by the mere memory of some of the stunts those ponies had pulled off. “But still. I think the Wonderbolts are definitely the cooler team.”

“Oh, definitely! Speaking of the Wonderbolts…?” Gallus hesitantly began, his tail giving a slight flick. “I was wondering if you might want to go to one of their performances with me?”

Holy—! Is this it!? Silver wondered, feeling her heart violently beat in her chest. Unfortunately, before she could say anything, Gallus clarified, “You know, for a pseudo-date?”

Of course, she lamented, not bothering to hide her frustration. “O-Oh. Another pseudo-date plan? I mean, I’d absolutely love to go with you, Gallus!”

“Are you sure?” he mumbled, wincing. “You sound a little…disappointed?”

Out with it, Silverstream; you know better than to hide it. “Well? That’s because I am a little disappointed,” Silver admitted timidly. “I really would love to go to a Wonderbolts show with you, Gallus, but not as a pseudo-date.” Don’t worry, it will be okay if I say it. She then looked him straight in the eye and asked, “Gallus, when are we going on our second date?”

After a stretch of awkward silence, he replied, “W-Well, I still need to finish planning it out.”

“I know, and I promise I’m not trying to push you or anything!” she swore. “It’s just… I’m ready.”

“And I’m almost ready too!” Gallus squeaked out. “I just need to finish up the final touches so that everything will be perfect for the day! That’s all! Promise!”

There’s that word again, Silver thought angrily. “I know, and I’m beyond grateful you’re putting so much thought and work into it. I think that’s really sweet of you, Gallus,” she said, giving him a happy smile that he returned in kind. “But you know it doesn’t have to be perfect, right?”

“I know, but I can at least try to make it as perfect as possible, right?”

Silver had to fight to keep in a bitter sigh. “Fair enough. But please remember, Gallus, I’m not asking for everything to be perfect. That’s all.”

Gallus kept his beak shut for a moment until he nodded, saying, “Don’t worry, Silver, I hear you loud and clear. And I promise I really am almost done.”

“And don’t you worry either,” she said, giving him a small nuzzle. “No need to rush, I’m perfectly happy to keep waiting for when you’re certain you’re ready.” Sorry, Professor Applejack.

“Grover’s Treasure, I do not deserve you,” he exclaimed, nuzzling her back.

“Yes, you do.”

“Eh, debatable,” he joked. “But you know what we both do deserve, without question?”

“Peace and tranquility?”

“Technically true, but not what I was specifically referring too,” Gallus replied much to Silver’s amusement. “No. What we deserve is a night spent having fun with the rest of our friends,” he elaborated, gesturing to the door. “C’mon! We don’t want to be late, right?”

“The party doesn’t start for another ten minutes!”

“Better fashionably early than fashionably late.”

“Oh really? Since when have you ever viewed it that way?”

“Since always!” he claimed.

“Mhmm. Nice try, Gallus, but we both know you only want to get there first so you can take half the candy before anyone can stop you,” she accused, smirking.

Gallus sighed and bemoaned, “Silverstream! How could you!? How could you believe I would ever do such a horrendous thing!?” he asked, opening his door and striding through it.

“Because you did it last year too,” Silver deadpanned, following him into the hallway.

“Nocreature could prove that I did that.”

“That’s because nocreature needed to prove that you did it. We all already knew it was you.”

“And where was the evidence, hmm!? Hmm!?” he asked smugly.

“All unnecessary when the culprit is already known,” she argued.

“The law would very much like to talk to you about that.”

“Well, unfortunately for the law, I’m unavailable. I’ve got a party with my boyfriend to attend.”

“In that case, I think the law can wait up this one time.”

Silver rolled her eyes as Gallus chuckled at his own joke. And as they continued along their way to the Nightmare Night party, she gently leaned against him, drawing a blush from both of their cheeks.

***

Barely half an hour had passed, but by then the party was in full-swing.

Practically every wall had been plastered with spiderwebs, bats, and glowering eyes, and thanks to November Rain, the entire school was permeated by a dark, swirling fog as well.

Inside the school, a veritable banquet of desserts had been erected, consisting of an overload of holiday candy, pies, cakes, and a chocolate fountain. And in the center of it all was a giant statue of Nightmare Moon sculpted out of blueberry rock candy, courtesy of Berry Bliss and Citrine Spark.

Outside, the front courtyard was littered with a variety of Nightmare Night games, from an apple-bobbing arena to even a miniature hedge maze. It was here that most of the students had gone after having retrieved all the candy they could handle, including one group in particular…

“Seriously!? None of you know where she’s from!?” questioned a dark gray unicorn, tossing her black-and-magenta mane.

The others all shook their heads.

“Ugh! Oh well. Not a lot of creatures know about the game, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised,” she told herself, clearly annoyed. “I just didn’t think no one would know it.”

“Sorry, Ocellus,” Silverstream apologized.

“Nah, it’s fine,” she sighed, perking up slightly. “At least I didn’t waste time making a copy of the Unicornomicon and binding a demon to it for nothing. Heh-heh-heh.”

“…What?”

“N-Nothing!” Ocellus shrieked fearfully. “So, uh, w-what about you two!?” she hurriedly deflected, nodding to Yona and Sandbar. “How long have you had your costumes planned?”

“A while,” Sandbar stated, sipping at his fruit punch.

“Yona and Sandbar decide to do couple’s costume long time ago,” Yona continued. “Now, finding perfect couple to dress as…” she trailed off, looking to Sandbar.

“Heh-heh, yeah. That took a while,” he finished, grinning weakly.

“Well, you two look fantastic!” Ocellus praised. “Your costumes are both so detailed!”

Yona wore a beautiful red dress of a distinctly eastern design as well as a set of black high-heeled shoes that matched her wig. Why she also had a fake crossbow was anycreature’s guess.

Sandbar, meanwhile, was dressed in an ordinary police uniform. Although, wrapped around his torso was a set of bloody bandages that frankly made the whole ensemble seem goofy since they were placed on the outside of the uniform.

Still, the sheer abundance of care Yona had put into their outfits was impossible to ignore, so much so that many other students had quietly agreed to go to her for any future costume needs. A fact the yak was very much aware of.

“Aww, thank you, Ocellus!” Yona cheered, beaming in unadulterated pride. “Yona glad to know friends like Yona and Sandbar’s costumes.”

“And we’re happy you liked ours,” Gallus said, happier by that than he was letting on.

“Besides, why wouldn’t we love your costumes?” Silverstream asked, raising an eyebrow. “They’re absolutely beautiful, Yona!”

“Thank you again. What about Ocellus?” she inquired, turning to the disguised changeling. “Was it hard coming up with new form?”

“Not really,” Ocellus said, shaking her head. “It’s a lot easier to change into something if you know what it looks like. It’s when you’re turning into an original form that things get a bit harder.”

“Whoa!” Sandbar gasped in shock. “Guys! Ocellus just explained a bit about how changeling magic works! It took her over two years, but she finally did it!”

“Shut up, Sandbar!” she rebuked, scowling as the others all tittered at her expense. Once they had quieted down, Ocellus asked, “Anyway, what exactly should we do first?”

“Let’s try to find Smolder,” Gallus suggested, looking around for the dragon. “I haven’t seen her anywhere tonight; have any of you?”

“Pretty sure she was helping Shimmy Shake finish setting up the party,” Sandbar suspected. “So by now, she’s probably somewhere out here. Either that, or she’s in Ponyville trying to score a second round of Nightmare Night candy.”

“I doubt that, Sandbar,” Ocellus deadpanned. “Somehow, I get the feeling she learned her lesson after the last time she tried that. After all, Gallus clearly did,” she ended, shooting him a smirk.

“Yeah, well? Spending the night with you guys is way more fun than getting a lecture about cavities from Professor Fluttershy,” Gallus grumbled, finishing off his lollipop.

“I bet,” Silver said, smirking teasingly.

“Whelp!” he groaned, stuffing the rest of his candy into his costume’s pockets. “Smolder’s gotta be around here somewhere, so let’s go find her. Then this party can really get start—”

“Found her,” Sandbar announced flatly, pointing a hoof toward the dragon in question.

The others followed his gaze and saw Smolder standing alongside a mahogany-maned earth pony in a green-and-yellow striped sweater, a mare dressed in a courageous-looking green tunic and hat with a fishing rod at her side, and a midnight black batpony alicorn with a blood-red mane.

“Is that… Shimmy Shake?” Silverstream asked uncertainly, staring at the last pony in particular.

“And Vellum and Scoop from what Yona see. Costumes not half-bad,” she complimented, nodding approvingly.

“What’s with Shimmy’s costume though?” Ocellus wondered aloud. “Batponies can’t become alicorns…can they?”

Yona and Silver were both floored by how not even Ocellus knew the answer to that. Meanwhile, Gallus and Sandbar exchanged an equally exasperated look, both contemplating the same thing.

“One of her ‘attempts’ at an original character?”

“Yep.”

“Thought so.”

“The color scheme?”

“The color scheme.”

“What was that, Gallus?” Silver inquired, returning her attention to the boys.

“Eh, nothing, just thinking out loud. C’mon, let’s go!” Gallus beckoned, continuing further into the courtyard with the others following close behind.

It didn’t take long before they could start hearing the other group’s ongoing conversation…

“Excuse me!” Shimmy Shake cried out indignantly. “Tenebris Stellarum is too a flawed character! He’s the villain for crying out loud!”

“Just because you make him the antagonist doesn’t mean he’s a flawed character!” Vellum argued reproachfully. “And even still! Whatever flaws you gave him need to make him compelling! If you just gave him arbitrary flaws for the sake of giving him arbitrary flaws then that changes nothing!”

“Oh!? Like you know anything about compelling writing!” she challenged.

“I like to think I’ve picked up a thing or two from reading all of our scripts!” he harrumphed, frowning at her. “At least, I’ve read enough to know when a character is an obvious Mary—”

“Oh, look!” Scoop shouted, jerking their heads to stare in the opposite direction. “Silverstream and the others are here! Yaaay!” she sang through a pained smile.

“Yes, Scoop,” Vellum groaned uncomfortably. “I see them. Can you let go of my head now?”

As Scoop reluctantly did as he requested, Smolder turned to her friends and greeted, “Hey, everyone! Happy Nightmare Night!”

“Happy Nightmare Night!” they all echoed back. As the rest of the group finished approaching, Silverstream darted forward and gave Smolder a quick hug.

“Whoa! Careful, Silver, I have a drink!” Smolder yelped, holding the cup up and returning the hug with the other claw. “You okay?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at Silver’s sudden embrace.

“I’m great!” she answered truthfully. “How about you? You still doing alright?”

“I’m fine,” she promised after being freed from her friend. “Sorry about not meeting up with you guys sooner, but Shimmy asked for my help with the party.” Smolder then took a closer look at Silver’s costume and asked, “Uh, are you supposed to be a Washout?”

“Mhmm!”

“Guess you didn’t want to go as a Wonderbolt again after all, huh?”

“Eh-heh-heh, yeah. Professor Dash isn’t here, right?”

“Not that I know. But anyway, how about the rest of you?” Smolder said, turning to properly inspect the others’ costumes. “How are you all…doing?” she ended abruptly, focusing her gaze on Gallus.

“We’re all dressed up, stocked up on candy, and ready for some ‘terrifying times,’” the griffon answered eagerly. “Although, I get the feeling there will never be anything more terrifying than listening to Vellum and Shimmy argue about random junk.”

“We were not arguing about ‘junk’!” Shimmy Shake admonished, outraged. “If you must know, we were arguing about—”

“I don’t need to know,” he interrupted bluntly. “And if I ever do, I can just ask Scoop. She looks like she’s had your conversation seared into her brain,” he half-joked, pointing at the mare.

“Oh please, griffon-boy! As if I were actually paying attention to even half of what they were saying,” Scoop laughed, counting down till Vellum’s response.

“You were still likely paying more attention to my words than Shimmy was.”

“And there it is,” she sighed, disappointed but unsurprised.

“So, you’re a guard, huh?” Smolder suddenly blurted out, cutting off Shimmy’s enraged response.

“Hmm? Oh! Not just a guard! I’m a Royal Guard!” Gallus proclaimed, pride practically radiating from his every feather. “I figured since I’m a big-time hero of Equestria, I might as well look the part.”

“And you certainly succeeded at that,” Scoop casually commented. “I bet Silverstream must love having her own personal knight in shining armor,” she added, shooting the hippogriff a smirk.

“Scoop!” Silver squawked, reddening furiously.

“Why thank you, Scoop,” he said joyfully. “Silver is a princess, so I’m happy to be her knight.”

“Gallus, I keep telling you Skystar is the princess, not me!”

“Well, you’re a princess to me, so…” Gallus countered, grinning as her blush intensified.

“Celestia dang it!” Shimmy pouted vehemently. “How did you do it, Silverstream!? How did you manage to wrangle one of the sweetest guys in the school!?”

“I don’t know. But I do appreciate his sweetness.”

“And I appreciate the compliment,” he said, clearly pleased with himself.

“Oh. Well, do you have any ideas for how I can nab myself somepony as sweet as him?”

“No, Shimmy,” she denied, trying to ignore everycreature else’s snickering. “I don’t.”

“Dang it!”

“I swear, I will never understand romance,” Vellum muttered to himself.

“You’re not the only one,” Ocellus said, stepping around the others. “So, how about you? Anyone know where your costume is from?”

“Not really. You?”

“Nope.”

“Ooh! Let me guess! Let me guess!” Scoop requested excitedly. “You’re… You’re that necromancer guy Gallus said you were a fan of, right?”

Ocellus slowly hid her face in her hooves, groaning in frustration.

“Somehow, I don’t think that was the right answer,” Shimmy said, joining in.

While those four entered into their own discussion off to the side, the others resumed their previous conversation.

“So, Smolder? I see you dressed up as a princess like you said you would,” Gallus observed calmly. “Nice dress too by the way; Yona make it for you?”

Smolder shook her head, never taking her eyes off of him.

“Yona and Professor Rarity not make every dress in Equestria,” Yona refuted, laughing at the idea. “Gallus know that.”

“It really is a nice dress though,” Silver admired. “Must be one of your favorites?”

“Uh-huh…” Smolder answered, barely paying attention. She then shifted her gaze to Yona and Sandbar, visibly paling upon seeing the latter. “A-And you’re an officer too, Sandy?”

“Well, yes. But only because the guy was one in the franchise he belongs too. Yona really outdid herself with the costume though,” he celebrated, nuzzling the yak in question.

“Yeah. Yeah, she did,” Smolder agreed, staring at the bloody bandages wrapped around him. She then shook her head and nervously finished, “Yeah, Yona! Your costumes are awesome!”

“Thank you, Smolder,” she said, giving the dragon a bright smile. “Yona would have been happy to make Smolder her own costume too if friend wanted.”

“Thanks. Sorry that I didn’t go to you; my dress was a bit of a last-minute decision.”

“Smolder not need to apologize; Yona understand completely. In fact, Yona almost run out of time to finish costumes too,” she conspiratorially confided.

“Really? How come?”

“Nothing. Yona just had to make costumes from scratch as well as tend to other things,” she explained, giving Silver a wink. “Yona had just finished one week before Gallus need help.”

“Wait!” Smolder exclaimed, giving Gallus a panicked look. “You needed help!? W-With what!? What did you need help with, Gallus!?” she asked as her wings twitched irritably.

Gallus shared an apprehensive look with Silver before clarifying, “I just needed some help finding a costume is all. Nothing more.”

“O-Oh. Okay,” she murmured, switching her gaze back to Sandbar’s costume before returning it to Gallus and adding, “And you settled on a Royal Guard…?”

“Yep,” he answered, maintaining his collected composure in spite of his growing worry.

“Huh. Seems like a… A peculiar choice for ya,” Smolder laughed strangely. “I would think you’d want to dress up as a Wonderbolt like Silver or something, but a Royal Guard? Heh-heh. So, uh, how long did it take you to settle on that one?”

“Not too long. I found it hiding at the bottom of one of the Drama Club costume bins, and it just kinda clicked. And I’d say I look pretty cool in a set of armor, don’t ya think?” he asked, struggling not to fret over Smolder’s sudden change in disposition.

“Y-Yeah! Very cool!” she said on reflex. “Just, uh…” Smolder blinked, appearing to have just realized something. “Just be careful not to get any dust on it while you stand around in the Royal Palace doing absolutely nothing!” she declared, snorting.

Gallus was taken aback by her sudden joke, but he soon felt emboldened by it, scoffing, “Pfft! As if! There’s no way I would be stuck watching a boring hallway for hours on end! I’d rather be out there, fighting monsters, saving villages; rescuing princesses…!” he concluded, smirking at Silver once again.

“Ugh! I get it, Gallus; I get it! I’m just glad we found a costume for you,” Silver mumbled, struggling to not panic at Smolder’s smoking nostrils.

“You and me both. I would not want to be the only one here without a costume, that’s for sure.”

“And you could totally be wearing a lot worse!” Smolder supposed in a strained voice, unconsciously crushing the cup in her claws.

“You don’t know the half of it, Smolder! Sandbar here suggested I put a white sheet over me and go as a ghost,” Gallus revealed, rolling his eyes at the idea.

Yona gave Sandbar a look of deepest disappointment that prompted him to ask, “What?”

“Sandbar. Honey. No,” she said, shaking her head slowly.

“Huh?”

“Nevermind. Yona just glad Gallus found something decidedly better than that.”

“Yeah. No offense, Sandy, but I’d rather dress up as one of Shimmy Shake’s ‘original characters’ than throw a blanket over myself and pretend to be a ghost.”

“Hey!” Shimmy barked, scowling at what she overheard.

“Sorry, but it’s true. Your characters are more terrifying than the spirits of the dead,” Gallus teased, rekindling her previous outrage. He then turned his attention back on Smolder and flinched back at her sickened expression. “Hey, Smolder? Are you okay?”

“H-Huh!?” she gasped, snapping out of a daze. “Yeah, I’m fine! Totally fine! Don’t worry about me, I just zoned out! Heh-heh-heh.”

Yona, Gallus, and Silver all shared a worried look. Unfortunately, Smolder noticed it and demanded, “What!? What’s wrong!?”

“N-Nothing’s wrong, Smolder!” Gallus reflexively answered, gulping fearfully when it only seemed to make her angrier.

“Then what are you guys staring at each other like that for!?”

“Yona and friends not—”

“We were just sharing a concerned look is all,” Silver explained, reaching out and gently placing a talon on Smolder’s shoulder.

She immediately jerked away from Silver and protested, “And I said I’m fine! Why are you so afraid that I’m not, huh!?”

“Y-You just… You just look kind of pale, so I—”

“So you what!? So you what, Silver!? I’m fine! Unless you’re paranoid that I’m not!” Smolder accused, staring intently at Gallus. “Which… Why would you be…?”

“Uh, Smolder?” Sandbar began in a neutral tone. “I’m pretty nocreature is saying that.”

“Then what are you all saying!?”

“Uh… Nothing? You guys weren’t saying anything like that, were you?” he asked the others.

Smolder froze and looked around her, realizing that everycreature else was staring at her with various looks of confusion and concern. She gulped and started backing away from the crowd.

“Smolder…? Is something wrong?” Shimmy asked as softly as she could.

“No!” Smolder snapped. “Nothing is wrong! I j-just, uh… I, er, I need to use the bathroom!” she deflected, taking another few steps away. “So, uh, if you guys could e-excuse me for a minute…!”

“Smolder, wait! Are you sure you’re okay?” Gallus asked, intending to follow after her.

“Absolutely fine!” she swore, turning around and motioning for him to stop. “You guys stay here; I’ll be back in a jiffy! Promise!”

Gallus paused and slowly stepped back. “O-Okay. But if you need anything just holler.”

Smolder just gave him a claws-up then bolted off toward the school.

After a moment, Scoop voiced the thought on all of their minds, “What the hay was that about?”

“Scoop, don’t be rude!”

“Oh, you’re one to talk, Vellum! Don’t tell me you weren’t asking yourself the same thing!”

“I was, but at least I didn’t actually say it.”

As the two ponies continued to bicker, Ocellus approached her friends and asked, “I missed what happened. Is Smolder alright?”

“Yona think Smolder is… Is…” Yona couldn’t think of an actual answer to the question, so she tried saying, “Yona think Smolder okay. L-Like friend said, Smolder just needed bathroom…?”

“Y-Yeah,” Gallus concurred shakily. “She’s fine. Smolder would let us know if she weren’t, wouldn’t she?” he proposed, turning to Silverstream.

Silver remained silent, trying and failing to stay positive. She had that look again, she recognized, swallowing nervously. The same one Gallus had when…

“I-I don’t know, guys,” Shimmy Shake whispered as she continued to stare after Smolder. “She— She looked really freaked out.”

With one single sentence, everyone’s feeble attempts to remain optimistic shattered completely.

Yona shared an anxious look with Sandbar, debating, “Should Yona and friends go check on her?”

“We probably should,” he agreed. “But what if she freaks out again? Or… What if she really is alright? I wouldn’t want to say something and accidentally make things worse,” he admitted, glancing at Gallus. “Sh-Should we… Should we get…” Sandbar fell silent, leaving his thought unfinished.

“I trust Smolder,” Gallus affirmed. “But yeah. Even if it is nothing, I think we should go make sure she’s alright.”

Ocellus bit her lip for a second before hesitantly whispering, “Gallus? Should I…?” She then looked up at her horn.

As he contemplated her suggestion, Silver stepped forward, stating, “I’ll go check on her.”

“Silverstream?” Gallus whispered uncertainly.

“I-I’m sure it’s nothing,” she assuaged unconvincingly. “But like you said, Gallus, I want to make sure she’s okay too,” she said, trotting away while hiding how afraid she really was.

“Silver, wait. Do you want me to come with you?”

“No! No. Don’t worry, Gallus, everything’s fine, I’m sure!”

They all shared another glance; although, most of their fear had been alleviated. After all, if Silverstream was checking on Smolder then surely nothing would go wrong…right?

“…Okay,” Gallus soon conceded, nodding encouragingly. “See you in a bit then?”

“Of course! See you in a bit!”

Silver then followed after Smolder.

***

Breathe, Silverstream, breathe! she commanded herself as she trotted through the school halls. Everything is fine; I’m just overreacting again! That’s it! Nothing is wrong, so what could Smolder possibly be so upset about? she asked herself, racking her brain for any answer and eventually recalling her “conversation” with the dragon.

It’s because she’s still paranoid… Isn’t it? Silver considered, horrified by that possibility. “But nothing bad has happened lately, so why would she still be paranoid?” she asked, stopping outside the bathroom to mull the question over.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” her memories repeated yet again.

“Ugh! For the last time, yes! Now go have fun on your dates, or whatever it you’re going to go do. I’ll be fine.”

“Alright then. See you later.”

“See ya.”

“No. You weren’t okay, Smolder,” Silver realized, fighting off a terrified shiver. “I knew you weren’t, and I still left you! This— This is all my fault; I should have stayed and helped you!” she whimpered, struggling not to break down into tears.

After taking a moment to regain her composure, Silver gulped and resolved, If this really is my fault then it’s time I fix it! She then quietly opened the door and peered inside, spotting Smolder hunched over the sink, merely washing her face.

Silver took one last deep breath before softly knocking on the door. “Smolder? It’s me. Are you okay?” she gently murmured, stepping into the bathroom. Slow and steady, Silverstream…

Smolder’s body went rigid, and she slowly turned to face her. A cold shiver went down Silver’s spine at the sight of her friend’s reptilian gaze, but she held fast and repeated, “Are you okay?”

Smoke began billowing out of Smolder’s nostrils again as she turned away and growled, “I told you I’m fine! What are you doing here?”

Okay, Silver, be optimistic; we can fix this! We can help her! Everything will be fine! “I wanted to make sure you were okay,” she said, slowly approaching her friend. “And not sick or something.”

“Well, I’m not! I’m still alive, and I’m still perfectly healthy!” Smolder snarled, rinsing her face off again. “Even if you apparently think otherwise.”

Even if Silver wanted to combat that accusation, she knew full-well she couldn’t. Instead, she opted to say, “I’m just worried about you… That’s all.”

“Don’t be!” Smolder ordered, shooting Silverstream another frightening glare. She then turned back to the sink and added, “I’m not the one you should be worried about…”

Please don’t mean what I’m afraid you mean! Silver silently pleaded. “You’re my friend, Smolder. If you’re not okay, then I want to help you if I can.”

“Uh-huh. Sure, you do,” she grumbled, letting the faucet run as she stared into the mirror.

J-Just stay optimistic, she repeated to herself, feeling her stomach churn in worry. “Yes. I really do, Smolder. So, please…! If something’s wrong, please tell me,” she implored.

…

Smolder took a shuddering breath and uncertainly began, “Have you and Gallus… Have you guys made any progress yet? On his whole ‘future’ thing?”

Okay, she’s talking to me; that’s good! I don’t know why she’s asking that all of the sudden, but at least she’s talking to me! Silver celebrated, nodding. “Yes. He is still trying to decide exactly what he wants to do, but we’ve found a lot of things he’d like to try.”

“Like what?” she inquired, sounding almost afraid.

Managing to remain calm, Silver answered, “Well, like he said, Gallus really has been thinking about joining the Ponyville weather management team. He’s helped them out before and really enjoyed the job; he found it very relaxing.”

For a moment, Smolder was too stunned by that response to speak. Eventually, she regained her voice and urgently asked, “And!? What else!?”

“U-Um? He’s also thinking about helping Headmare Starlight around Princess Twilight’s castle,” she said. “It’s a pretty huge place to keep tidy; plus, it’s kind of Ponyville’s main library since—you know—Tirek blew the other one up,” she ended, grimacing at that recollection.

“So, Gallus wants to be a librarian?” Smolder pondered, cocking her head to one side.

“Like I said, he’s still undecided,” Silver stated honestly.

“Th-Then what is he really considering then!?”

Why is she so hung up on this? I thought she was afraid that Gallus wasn’t okay, so… I don’t understand… “Well, there’s the librarian and weather team. But he’s also considering writing, baseball, the Wonderbolts of course… And recently, he’s been giving baking some serious consideration!” Silver revealed, ecstatic.

“‘Baking’!? Gallus!?” Smolder exclaimed, unable to believe it.

“Yep!” she confirmed, nodding joyfully. She then cupped her beak in her talon and whispered, “Gallus may not look like it, but he makes some fantastic muffins!”

A small chuckle escaped Smolder as she replied, “Speaking of… Weren’t you guys practicing your baking together a while back?”

“Uh-huh! We still do from time-to-time, and Gallus always enjoys himself when we do.” After some hesitation, Silverstream cautiously asked, “Why do you ask?”

“J-Just wondering,” Smolder said, frowning again.

“Oh. … Did you want to practice baking with us too?” she offered hopefully.

Smolder didn’t respond as she was busy drying her face and shutting off the faucet. Afterward, she turned to Silver and wondered, “So, what does he really want to be?”

D-Does she not believe me? “What? Wh-What do you mean?”

“I asked what Gallus wants to be!” she repeated hotly.

“I-I don’t know,” she confessed, taking a step back. “Gallus hasn’t made a decision yet—”

“C’mon, Silver, I’m not an idiot! I know you know, so tell me what he really wants to do!” Smolder demanded. “Don’t lie to me!”

“I’m not lying to you, Smolder! I would never lie to you!” Silver promised, aghast at the mere notion. “I know what Gallus is considering being, but I really don’t know what he truly wants to be!”

Smolder just stared into the mirror again, refusing to look at Silver any longer.

Why does she care so much about this? I don’t understand what’s wrong, Silver lamented, biting her tongue in worry. “S-Sorry that I don’t have a real answer for you.”

“That— That’s not what you should be apologizing for,” Smolder reprimanded ominously, turning back around to glare at her. “What you should be sorry for is letting Gallus wear that stupid getup!”

What? Silver blinked in confusion, inquiring, “You mean his Royal Guard costume?”

“Yes! That thing!”

“Uh…? I don’t understand, Smolder; what’s wrong with his costume choice?”

Smolder ignored the question and stated, “You said you knew some of the things Gallus was considering being.” Silver nodded uncertainly, so Smolder continued, “Okay! Well, if that’s the case… Is one of the things he’s considering the Guard?” she asked, watching Silverstream intently.

“Huh?”

“Don’t play dumb, Silver!” Smolder snapped at her, stepping closer to the hippogriff. “Is Gallus thinking about joining the Royal Guard!?”

What— I— You— What— Silver stammered, failing to follow Smolder’s line of logic. What’s wrong with her!? “U-Uh, yes. I think so…? Why do you—”

Slowly, Smolder reached out and grabbed Silverstream’s shoulders, leaning her face closer until all Silver could see was her slit pupils. “Why?”

Silverstream was scared now; Smolder had never acted like this even at her angriest. Something must have been seriously, undeniably wrong for her to be acting so terrifying. Unfortunately, whatever the issue was, Silver wasn’t privy to it.

Seeking to change that fact, she softly inquired, “Smolder, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t. Dodge. The question,” Smolder commanded as calmly as she possibly could, which wasn’t much. “Why is Gallus considering joining the Guard!?”

Thinking back to that particular day, Silver remembered, “Gallus said it seemed like a good career from what Sandbar and Princess Cadence told him. He thought it might even be fun.”

Smolder’s eye twitched dangerously, and she angrily sneered, “So it was Sandbar and Cadence that made him think joining the Guard would be a good idea, huh!?”

“N-No! No, Gallus thought about joining the Guard entirely on his own!” Silver immediately clarified. “All they did was tell him what being one was like, and he thought he’d be really good at it.”

“Well, he wouldn’t be!”

A part of Silver tried to remind her that she shouldn’t further antagonize the already-enraged Smolder, but the other part urged her to defend her boyfriend. In the end, the latter was victorious.

Silverstream shrugged off Smolder’s grip and rebuked, “Now that was uncalled for, Smolder. Gallus can be whatever he wants to be, and he’d be amazing at whatever he eventually chooses to be!”

“But he shouldn’t be that!” Smolder argued wildly. “He should not be a Royal Guard, and you and the others should not be encouraging him to be one!”

“I didn’t say I was,” Silver pointed out coolly. “Ocellus and I are only helping Gallus figure things out, but his future is ultimately his decision. And I’m going to support him regardless of what choice he makes. … You should do the same.”

“Excuse me?” she muttered unnervingly. “You want me… To what!?” Smolder screamed, leering at Silverstream with her fangs shown in full display.

Silver didn’t remotely back down as she said, “To support him! You’re his friend, Smolder; you should be happy for him no matter what he chooses to be!”

“Are you insane!?” she shouted furiously. “How could I—no! How could you ever be happy that Gallus is considering the freaking Guard!? I thought you loved him!”

After gasping in shock, Silver yelled back, “I do love him!”

“Then why would you ever—EVER!—just sit back and let him join those idiots!”

“The Royal Guards aren’t idiots!”

“You know what I mean!”

“No, Smolder! Frankly, I don’t know what you mean!” Silver acknowledged, intending to find out. “Why does it matter so much to you if he wants to join the Royal Guard!?”

“Why doesn’t it matter to you!? If you ‘love’ him so much, then how could you let him think he needs to— To— To go out there, and— And fight some stupid war!”

“What are you even talking about!? What ‘war’!?”

Smolder stuttered for a second, but she quickly doubled down, roaring, “It doesn’t matter! What matters is that you’re letting him consider joining the Guard!”

“What’s so wrong that!?”

“What’s wrong is that Gallus isn’t some stupid soldier, but you’re just letting him think that he is!” she shrieked, lashing her tail out in frustration. “How could you, Silver!?”

“How could I what!? Let him decide his own future!? Because it’s his future we’re talking about!”

“That’s exactly the point!” she yelled, throwing her claws into the air in frustration. “This isn’t something he should be considering for his future, but you’re letting him consider it anyway!”

“It’s his future!” she emphasized yet again. “Not mine! Nor yours! If he wants to be a Royal Guard, then who am I to tell him ‘no’!?”

“His friend!”

“And what kind of friend would I be if I tried to dictate what Gallus wants for his life!?”

“The kind that actually cares about his life!”

“What does that even mean!?” Silver groaned, running her talons through her mane in frustration. “Of course I care about his life, Smolder! What would make you think I didn’t!”

“Because if you did, you would be talking him out of throwing it away!” Smolder screamed as her eyes watered.

An uncomfortable silence descended on the room as both friends stared at each other.

“What…?” Silver eventually whispered. “What do you mean, Smolder?”

Smolder ignored her and moved toward the door; however, Silver quickly stepped in her way and shakily beseeched, “N-No! No, Smolder, not this time! Please just talk to—”

“Get out of my way!”

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong! Please, Smolder!” she pleaded frantically. “It’s not okay to bottle up your feelings, so please just— Just tell me what’s wrong!”

Something in Smolder seemed to snap because tears finally broke free from her eyes as she answered, “You! That’s what’s wrong! You!”

Completely stupefied by the accusation, Silverstream uselessly whimpered, “W-What?”

“You just had to let him to think that being a warrior was something he should do! Well, now look at him!” Smolder screeched hysterically. “He’s already talking about going to war, and fighting monsters, and being a hero…! Is that why you really let him consider being a Guard?” she questioned as her gaze darkened alarmingly. “So you could think of him as some personal knight in shining armor!?”

“WHAT!?” Silver bellowed, appalled by the insinuation. “I would never— How dare— How could you even— What!?”

“You can’t even admit it!? Tch! You know… I was happy for you two. I thought that you were good for each other,” Smolder growled in a cracked voice. “But no! You’re not! You want to know what kind of friend you are!? You’re the friend that’s willing to let Gallus go out to war and die!”

As her eyes widened in terror, Smolder flung her claws over her maw desperately struggled to figure out what to do next.

Silverstream, meanwhile, just stood there, gaping in shock as she felt every last shred of anger she had accrued drain away. In place of said anger, was a fresh wave of regret and terror.

“Smolder…?” she soon whispered, just barely lifting her claw to reach out to her friend.

With relative ease, Smolder shoved her aside and sprinted out the bathroom door, shouting in a cracked voice, “Just leave me alone!”

“Smolder, wait!” Silver called out, quickly giving chase.

***

“—Well, duh! It means she wants you to buck up and finally take her out for your second date!” Shimmy Shake exclaimed. “You seriously didn’t get that!?”

“No, Shimmy, I didn’t have the faintest idea,” Gallus deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “Of course I knew what Silver meant, but I haven’t finished setting everything up yet!”

“Gallus, we’ve had this conversation before,” Ocellus stated gently. “You know you shouldn’t expect perfection of yourself,” she rebuked, giving him a mildly worried look.

“Yeah, yeah! I know I sound like a hypocrite,” he said dismissively. “But Silverstream deserves perfection, so even if I shouldn’t expect it, I should at least aim for it, shouldn’t I?” For her…

“Gallus, Gallus; Gallus…” Scoop mumbled as she shook her head in disappointment. “It’s not about whether the date is perfect or not. Silverstream literally couldn’t care less.”

Yona nodded in agreement and vouched, “Scoop right. Silver told Yona herself that she not care if date terrible so long as she spend time with Gallus.”

“She said that!?” Gallus and Shimmy asked simultaneously.

“Mhmm!”

“That’s Silverstream for ya,” Scoop said proudly while Gallus gulped. “So, what’s it gonna be griffon boy?” she continued, frowning sternly. “You gonna keep making the hippogriff of your dreams suffer in silence, waiting on your scrawny flank, or are you gonna buckle down and give her the time of her life?”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to— I am trying to give her the best night I can, but— I mean—” Gallus said, too flustered to finish his thoughts fully.

“Okay, okay!” Sandbar interrupted, giving Gallus a reassuring pat on the back. “C’mon, guys, give him a chance to think.”

Gallus gave him a grateful smile and took a deep breath, recollecting his thoughts. “Look,” he began solemnly. “I know I’m dragging my paws on this, and believe me! I don’t like it either…”

“If that’s the case, why are you taking so long?” Shimmy asked far more gently.

“Or better yet? Why not ask Silver to assist you?” Vellum proposed. “You need help, and she’d enjoy having a talon in the planning process,” he ended, receiving a validating nod from Scoop.

“Actually, I do plan to talk to her once I’ve finished everything,” he clarified.

“I see you remembered Advice Number Eighteen,” Scoop acknowledged bluntly. “Smart.”

“Yeah, I know. As for what the problem is…?” Gallus trailed off, looking away uncomfortably. It’s okay, Gallus, he told himself, hesitantly confessing, “I’m still trying to get the Bits for everything.”

Everycreature shared a surprised look before staring back at him sympathetically.

“What? Dude, I thought you said you were almost done saving up for the restaurant?”

“And I am, Sandbar. Turns out, if you do a lot of odd jobs around Ponyville you can really rack up the coins,” he said, shrugging. “Who knew?”

“That’s why you started helping out the weather management team…” Ocellus whispered in realization.

“Hold on! You just said that you didn’t have all the Bits for the date,” Scoop said, befuddled. “But now you’re saying you do?”

“For the second date? Yes,” Gallus confirmed. “For the third, fourth, and however many else? No. Right now, I can’t even afford tickets to a Wonderbolt show,” he sighed, sounding almost ashamed. “And she did say she’d like to go to one when I asked…”

Scoop cursed under breath. “Sorry, Gallus. I didn’t know you were hurting for Bits. … I-I have some allowance saved up if you need it,” she offered.

“Thanks, but no,” he politely refused. “I appreciate it, but I’d prefer earning the Bits myself.”

“Gallus certain? Yona and friends more than willing to help if Gallus ask!”

“I’m certain. But thanks anyway, guys.”

“Of course. Just let us know if that changes,” Vellum requested neutrally. “I respect that you wish to earn your own keep, but you shouldn’t deny yourself aid should you need it,” he advised.

Gallus was as shocked as everycreature else by Vellum’s words, but he quickly smiled and said, “Thanks, Vellum. I will.”

“I should hope so. But, if I may? There is one thing I’d like to ask?” Gallus nodded, so Vellum tentatively inquired, “Why are you preparing for all these future dates? You’ve only been together for a few months and have yet to go on your second official date. I’m simply curious as to why you’re putting so much thought and effort into a rather far-off future?”

“Dude!” Scoop barked, scowling at Vellum.

“What?” he asked innocently.

She just groaned at his romance-related ineptitude; whereas, Gallus chuckled nervously. “The truth is, Vellum…? I’ve been thinking about my future a lot lately. What I want to do after we all graduate, who I want to be… You know, that sort of thing.”

“Okay. And?”

“And every time I think about it, I realize that I want Silverstream there with me,” Gallus explained happily. “Wherever I am or whatever I’m doing… I want to be there with her.”

His declaration was met with stunned silence.

“W-What? Was that too corny or something?”

“Sweet! Celestia!” Shimmy shouted as her eyes twinkled in glee. “Are you seriously planning out not just a bunch of future dates, but an entire future life with Silverstream!?”

“W-Well, I have a lot of other stuff I need to sort out first before I can, but when I get that done? … Yeah. Yeah, I would like to do that,” he admitted bashfully.

“And you genuinely mean that?” Vellum asked, raising an eyebrow. “You’re being entirely honest right now?”

“Yes. I am.”

“You sly griffon!” Scoop bellowed, slapping him across the back. “First you get relationship advice from Princess Cadence! Then you remember to take her to Silver Frames’ Gallery on our trip to Canterlot! And now you’re saving up for a possible life with her!? Hot damn is Silverstream lucky!”

“Scoop, watch your language!”

“Oh, shut up! You’ve said worse!”

“You’ve no proof of such slanderous accusations!” Vellum harrumphed indignantly, turning his gaze away from Scoop and toward the school.

“Okay, but seriously!” Shimmy sang, hopping excitedly. “Like! Can we take a moment and talk about the fact that Gallus is actually considering a long-term commitment with Silver!? Seriously, that is the most adorable thing ever!”

“Heh-heh-heh,” Gallus laughed, blushing faintly.

“Oh Celestia! He’s blushing too!” Scoop acknowledged. “Oh my goodness! Silver is… Oh, she’s just the luckiest girl in the world!”

“Well, she’s certainly the prettiest,” he said serenely. And the kindest. And the best. And the—

Yona wrapped a hoof around him, pulling him out of his thoughts and into her joyful hug as she proclaimed, “Gallus and Silverstream will be fantastic couple! Yona know that for sure!”

“I think we all know that,” Ocellus agreed as Sandbar nodded. “But still… Gallus?”

“You don’t have to say anything, Ocellus,” Gallus assured, sighing in defeat. “I know I can’t expect everything to go perfectly; I just… I really want to give her the best time I can, you know?”

“Don’t worry, Gallus, I understand,” she promised, placing a comforting hoof on his shoulder. “But don’t forget that you don’t have to be perfect,” Ocellus requested, giving him a knowing stare.

“I won’t. Besides, you’re right,” he recognized, resolute. “As much as I really want everything to go smoothly, I can’t keep her waiting. So, unless some unforeseen disaster strikes? I think it’s time I finally get the second date ready.”

“That’s our boy!” Scoop yelled, giving him a friendly nudge. “Now, come on! Tell us what you’ve got planned so we can help you out!”

“Well, the first thing I’m planning to do is not tell you anything, Scoop, since I know you’ll just spoil it for Silver,” Gallus acknowledged, smirking evilly.

“Dang it! What’s it gonna take to make you spill the beans, griffon-boy!?”

Before Gallus could retort, Vellum suddenly blurted out, “Guys!” Once he had their attention, he pointed toward the Friendship School. “They’re back!”

All eyes turned to see Smolder sprint out of the school and come to a stop in the middle of the courtyard, panting and frantically wiping at her eyes.

“Smolder!?” Gallus cried out, already taking a step toward her.

She flinched and locked eyes with him, hurriedly backing away from the group; however, she immediately froze as her name was called out yet again.

“Smolder! Smolder, wait!” Silverstream begged, coming to a stop just behind the disheveled dragon and quickly gasping for breath. “Please, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Just talk to—”

Smolder rounded on Silver and screamed, “LEAVE! ME! ALONE!” at the top of her lungs. Not even waiting for a response, she spread her wings and disappeared into the dark sky above.

Scoop and Vellum both cussed as Gallus ran toward his petrified girlfriend.

“Silver!?” Gallus shouted, reaching out and holding her as she sank to the ground, staring after Smolder. “Silverstream, what happened!? Are you alright!?”

“I-I-I… I just w-wanted to make s-sure she was okay,” Silver whimpered, turning to Gallus with tears in her eyes. “B-B-But she— Sh-She— She w-wasn’t— She wouldn’t—”

“Hey, hey, hey! It’s okay, Silver,” he reassured, pulling her into a comforting hug. Hearing the others approach, Gallus turned and silently shook his head, requesting their silence. Luckily, they all understood the message, so Gallus turned back and nuzzled Silver closely as she wept into his shoulder. “It’s okay, Silverstream,” he whispered soothingly. “I’m here. I’m here, Silver…”

What the peck happened!?

Author's Note

To be continued…

December 15 - 17

Chapter Nine: Fear

An uncomfortable dread tainted the air of the school’s library as the students sat and silently waited for Silverstream to explain what had happened.

She didn’t. In fact, Silver had been borderline catatonic for the past ten minutes, staring into nothingness and barely responding to anything or anyone, even Gallus.

Eventually, Scoop sighed morosely. “C’mon, guys,” she mumbled. “I don’t think she’s going to talk to us…”

“Well, she has to say something at some point!” Vellum argued despite not appearing to believe his own words. “She has to if we’re going to figure out what occurred between her and Smolder.”

At the mention of Smolder’s name, Silver winced, tearing up again.

“Vellum, I don’t think this is something we should be involved with,” Scoop muttered, pointing at herself, him, and Shimmy Shake.

“And just what do you mean by that?” he asked, scowling.

“I mean that Smolder isn’t our friend. She’s theirs! If anyone knows how to fix things, it’s them! We’d just be getting in the way, so come on!” she beckoned, already turning to leave the library.

“No, Scoop! Something is clearly wrong! And even if we don’t know Smolder as well as they do, we’re still their friends!” Vellum reminded her. “Besides, I want to help.”

“And that’s awfully sweet of you, Vel, but we can’t help! This isn’t any of our business, and I…” Scoop cringed ashamedly and added, “And the last time I messed with something I shouldn’t have, I got us banned from that art gallery.”

“This has nothing to do with you disobeying some stupid rule about paintings, Scoop!” he chided sternly. “This is about a very real and very serious friendship problem!”

“Yeah? Well, do you see our cutie marks glowing and hovering over some ancient map table!?” she asked, pointing at her flank. “No, you don’t. Which means we can’t solve it!”

“Perhaps you’re right, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help them solve it!”

“I agree with Vellum,” Shimmy Shake stated solemnly.

Scoop looked between her fellow clubmates and hung her head, admitting, “Yeah. Yeah, I know you’re right. But I don’t know what to do, and I don’t want to screw anything up again! S-So… Any ideas?”

While Vellum contemplated an answer, Shimmy addressed the others, “Alright, everycreature, look… Smolder and I may not be ‘best friends’ like you guys, but we are friends.”

She then stepped up to Gallus and continued, “I don’t know why, but Smolder’s been acting weird for weeks now. Hoarding books, skipping practice; ditching Science Club… I tried asking her about it, but she just kept telling me she was fine. Part of me believed her, so I never talked to anyone about it,” Shimmy confessed, her voice dripping with regret.

“But that was a mistake,” she resumed. “So while I may not have helped her then, I will help her now! So, Gallus? How can we help?” she asked, standing at the ready.

Gallus stood up and stared at each of them in turn. “You guys really want to help?”

“Yes!” Shimmy answered immediately.

“I wouldn’t do anything less,” Vellum vowed.

“Neither would I,” Scoop assured, still somewhat uneasy but determined nonetheless. “Just tell us what you want us to do.”

Gallus turned to his other friends who each gave him their own looks of uncertainty. He then closed his eyes as his mind raced to come up with a plan, and once he did, he looked back at the ponies.

“Alright, listen up!” he began in a commanding voice. “We’ll figure out what we’re going to do about Smolder, but we can’t fix anything if we can’t talk to her. So, I want you three to find her. Find her, but don’t talk to her!” he emphasized. “Leave that to us.”

“Shall we fetch Patty and November?” Vellum inquired. “They’d likely wish to help as well.”

“So would Lighthoof,” Shimmy added. “And End Zone too.”

“No,” Gallus ordered calmly. “Don’t tell anypony else about this.”

“Uh, Gallus?”

“Hold on, Sandbar,” he said, not even bothering to look back at him. “For Smolder’s sake, keep this between us. Can you guys do that?”

“Don’t worry, Gallus. Not even I would gossip about this,” Scoop swore, performing the motions of the Pinkie Promise.

Gallus smiled gratefully, saying, “Thank you. Now, please. Hurry! I don’t want Smolder out there all alone after what happened.”

“Understood,” Vellum said, turning to Shimmy Shake. “You know her the best of us, Shimmy. Do you have any idea where she might be?”

“Hmm…? I caught her sleeping behind the sports field bleachers once. And we’ve hung out at Sofas and Quills from time-to-time,” she suggested shyly.

“She might have also gone to the Treehouse,” Gallus warned, praying that wasn’t the case.

“The one in the Everfree!?” Scoop squeaked, terrified. “No way! Smolder’s brave, but she wouldn’t be stupid enough to go through that place this late at night, right? With all the— The cockatrices, Timberwolves, a-and weird, Princess-attacking vine things…” she ended, suppressing a shiver.

“Somehow, I doubt she’s thinking very clearly right now,” Shimmy murmured.

“There’s also the possibility she came back to the school while we’ve been here,” Vellum acknowledged, frowning thoughtfully. “Hmm. We’ll just have to split up then,” he decided. “Shimmy? You know the layout of the Nightmare Night party going on, so you explore the school grounds.”

“O-Okay! Understood.”

“And Scoop? You stay here and search inside the school, leave no room or closet unchecked.”

“Got it! What about you, Vel?”

“I’ll head to Ponyville and search around the town. Once we finish, we regroup. And? Should we not have found her anywhere…” he trailed off, giving her a sympathetic look.

“Y-You mean…?”

“The Treehouse is the only other place she would be.”

Scoop looked positively terrified at the prospect of trotting through the Everfree Forest in the dead of night—on Nightmare Night, no less—but she soon gulped and nodded bravely. “Alright.”

“Don’t worry, Scoop, I’m sure that’s a worst case scenario,” Vellum assuaged, trotting toward the door. Before he left, he gave Gallus a small nod and beckoned, “C’mon, girls, we need to hurry!”

“We’re coming!” Scoop replied as he disappeared down the hallway. “Are you guys going to be okay?” she quietly asked before following after Vellum.

“Don’t worry about us, just find Smolder!”

“…Okay. We will,” she swore, leaving the library herself. “Let’s go, Shimmy!”

Shimmy Shake didn’t budge and instead gave one last pleading look to Gallus. “Are you sure you can figure out what’s wrong with my friend?” she whimpered.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, refusing to give her false hope. “But I do know that regardless of whatever it is she’s going through, I am not going to let her deal with it alone anymore,” he promised.

She held his stare for a moment longer before smiling weakly. “Thank you. Good luck, Gallus,” she wished, chasing after Scoop and Vellum to begin their hunt for the lost dragon.

…

I can help save Equestria twice without blinking, but I can’t even be certain I can solve one friendship problem? Gallus pondered, looking down at his talon. When he saw it was shaking, he frowned angrily and clenched it, resolving, No, I’m not going to think like that! Not when my friends need me!

Besides, he continued, trotting toward the others. If I can help save Equestria twice without blinking, then I can totally solve one little friendship problem, Gallus ended confidently. “Okay, Ocellus. What did your spell pick up?” he asked, ignoring Yona and Sandbar’s questioning looks.

“H-Huh!?” Ocellus exclaimed, jumping in surprise. “Uh, what do mean, Gallus?” she asked, smiling awkwardly and giving the pair a fleeting glance. “What, spell are you—”

“Ocellus, now is not the time!”

She flinched at his tone but immediately gave in and answered, “She flew out of range before I could even begin performing it.”

“Huh? What friends talking about?” Yona asked, sharing a glance with an equally stupefied Sandbar. “What spell?”

“Explanations later, problem solving now,” Gallus deflected, covering for Ocellus. “Come on, Ocellus, you must know something!”

“I never used it around anyone other than you and Silverstream! The only time I did was on the first day back after Friends and Family Day,” she clarified, hiding her face in her hooves. “And when I did, everything was muddled together, so I couldn’t tell anycreature’s feelings apart! Not to mention it made me violently ill…”

“Seriously, guys, what are you talking about?” Sandbar asked, tilting his head in confusion. “Because it’s starting to sound like you’re saying Ocellus really can sense—”

“Not the time, Sandbar!” Gallus rebuked harshly, silencing him instantly. He then returned his attention to Ocellus, asking, “You seriously have no idea what she’s been feeling lately? None at all?”

“I didn’t use it around Smolder since I didn’t think I needed to. She was obviously upset; I just assumed she was upset about what happened that day,” Ocellus mumbled, resting her head against the desk she sat at. “So, no. I don’t know anything. …I’m sorry, Gallus.”

“Ughhh,” he groaned, flicking his tail angrily. “Okay, but what about what Shimmy said? How Smolder was apparently ditching Science Club? How long has that been going on?” he asked, vaguely recalling November having said something similar the day of the Fair.

“Sh-She wasn’t showing up for a few weeks. But when we asked about it, Vice Headstallion Sunburst told us she was just working on her project alone,” she explained timidly.

“Professor Dash say same thing when Yona ask why Smolder not show up to cheer-leading,” Yona confided, joining the conversation. “That— That Smolder too busy working on project to practice.”

“So Smolder was skipping out on all of her clubs to work on her project?” Gallus summarized as he started pacing. “Okay, that makes sense. Except for the fact that she didn’t finish the thing!”

Ocellus raised her head back up and murmured, “Even with all that extra time she spent working on her project, all she had to show for it was…”

“A measly cup of dirt,” Gallus finished for her.

“B-But that doesn’t make any sense!” she yelped, sneering at the remembered image. “What was she doing with all that time if she wasn’t working on her project?”

“Exactly,” he grumbled. Was she maybe working on a second project? Gallus considered, massaging a building headache. No, that doesn’t seem right… Sure, we had a few friendship reports, but they weren’t that time-consuming! So? What was she doing?

“O-Okay! Hold on a moment, please!” Sandbar requested, trying and failing to hide how scared he looked. “Can we just… Take a second to calm down?”

“Every second we spend ‘calming down’ is another second Smolder is out there alone and upset!” Gallus snapped. “Right now, we need to figure out why she is so upset so we can help her!”

“I get that, dude!” he swore, holding up his hooves placatingly. “But, uh, why does it matter that Smolder didn’t finish her project? She just ran out of time, didn’t she?”

“Smolder had as much time as we did to complete her project, Sandbar,” Ocellus deadpanned.

“And hers was about stars and stuff, right? Well, that’s a pretty complicated subject, isn’t it?”

“Not that complicated a subject.”

“Yeah, but unlike you, Ocellus, Smolder didn’t have Gallus helping her out.”

“Fair point,” Gallus conceded begrudgingly. “But that doesn’t explain why she couldn’t finish her project when she was skipping activities so she could have more time.”

Sandbar stared at both of them before shaking his head clear. “I-I-I’m sorry, but…” he stuttered. “A-Am I out of the loop on something again? What— What does Smolder’s science project have to do with what happened between her and Silver?”

Now hold on, Gallus, that’s actually a fair question, he recognized, reigning in his frustration. “To be honest, Sandy? Probably nothing,” Gallus reluctantly avowed.

“Then why are you and Ocellus acting like it does?” he inquired, sharing a glance with Yona. “W-We can’t be paranoid about something like that right now; we need to help Smolder!”

There was something about Sandbar’s word choice that struck Gallus as odd, but he elected to brush it off, affirming, “I know we need to help Smolder! But we have no idea what’s wrong with her, and this is our only lead!”

“But why would Smolder want to skip out on cheer-leading of all things just to not work on her project!? She loves cheer-leading!”

“Exactly our point, Sandbar,” Ocellus said quietly. “Why would Smolder forgo something she loves so much if not for the reasons she gave us?”

“I don’t know,” he answered, rubbing his shoulder anxiously. “I-I… I don’t know.”

Yona reached out and took his hoof into hers, giving him a comforting smile. She then focused her gaze on Gallus, giving him a small nod.

Gallus took a deep breath to calm himself, accepting, Sandbar isn’t exactly wrong. Whatever is going on with Smolder might not have anything to do with why she didn’t complete her project on time.

But what else do we have to go on then? he wondered, staring at the despondent Silverstream. Gallus then recalled what else Shimmy had mentioned and began, “Alright, let’s back up a bit. Shimmy also mentioned that Smolder was hoarding books? Was she talking about all those psychology books she returned the other day?” he asked Ocellus.

“It has to be,” she confirmed, rubbing her eyes. “And what they returned was barely a tenth of what else Smolder evidently checked out.”

What the peck would Smolder even want with a bunch of psychology books anyway? Gallus questioned, unconsciously tapping the floor. That wasn’t what her project was on.

“Oh yeah, I am definitely not aware of this,” Sandbar muttered. “What happened?”

“For over a month, the library’s Psychology section has been practically barren,” Ocellus elaborated, unable to hide her bitterness. “Over two hundred books had been taken from it.”

“Okay, that is weird. But, uh, you don’t seriously think Smolder has something to do with that, do you? Psychology doesn’t seem like something she’d be interested in,” he pointed out.

“Hence why I never suspected it was her,” she said, nodding in agreement. “But then, Smolder and Shimmy returned some of them while we were in the library earlier this week.”

“But why would she take so many books?” Sandbar asked, even more confused. “Especially if she had her science project to complete?”

All but Yona perked up, coming to the same realization.

“Unless reading all those psychology books…?” Gallus started slowly.

“Was what she was doing instead of her project,” Ocellus concluded. “But that makes even less sense! Smolder asked me about her project a long time ago, and she was going to talk about star compositions, not psychology! And I seriously doubt she was thinking of changing it!”

“Ugh! None of this makes any sense,” Sandbar moaned, slumping into his cushion and staring at the ceiling. “And if it does, I’m not getting it.”

“I don’t think any of us are,” Ocellus lamented, staring anywhere but at Gallus. “We don’t even know why Smolder freaked out in the first place, let alone what she and Silver fought about!”

Silver suddenly sniffled, drawing all of their gazes onto her. When she remained taciturn, Sandbar blinked and suddenly inquired, “Hey, Yona? This…doesn’t have anything to do with what you and Silver were talking about at the Fair, does it?”

After a brief, ominous silence, Yona trotted over to Silver and sat beside her. “Silverstream?” she began softly. “Yona think friends should know about other fight.”

“‘Other fight’?” Gallus glanced at Sandbar only to see the stallion looked just as shocked by the revelation as he was. “Yona, what other fight!?”

For the first time since the incident, Silver spoke. “I-It was a few weeks ago…”

Gallus was at her side in a heartbeat, rubbing Silver’s back soothingly and giving Yona an intense glare that silently demanded an explanation.

Yona met his glare and looked back at Silver. Seeing she still didn’t look ready to continue, Yona divulged, “Silver talked to Smolder long time ago. About… About friend’s ‘silent treatment.’”

Oh peck. “W-What? Why?”

“I didn’t like h-how she was avoiding you! It— It wasn’t right!” Silver blurted out as she began crying again. “It wasn’t right th-that she wasn’t t-talking to you anymore, Gallus!”

Gallus wrapped his wings around her and pulled her closer. “Hey, hey, hey! It’s okay, Silver; it’s okay…” he comforted as Yona swiftly gave them space.

“N-No! No, it’s not! It’s not okay, Gallus!” she yelled, breathing raggedly. “She was so pa-paranoid! Smolder thought that— That you w-were still hurting!” Silver rambled on, seemingly unable to stop now that she had begun. “I-I-I tried telling her that you were okay, but she just kept a-asking how I could know for certain, and— A-And— And then she asked m-me to leave, a-and—”

Silver buried her head into his shoulder and whimpered, “G-Gallus… She— Sh-She was so scared, a-and I— I left!” she wailed, shivering violently.

“It’s okay, Silver; it’s okay,” Gallus repeated. “Everything will be fine, I promise.”

“No! It will not be fine!” she screamed into his plumage, gripping him like a lifeline. “I left her, Gallus! Sh-She wanted me to leave l-like you did, b-but I did leave! It’s all my fault!”

“Silver, it’s not—”

“N-No! I sh-should have been there for her, but I wasn’t! I wasn’t, Gallus! I-I’m her friend, and she was scared! But I-I was just so tired of being paranoid, th-that I— That I believed her when she said she’d be okay!”

“But I should have stayed!” she screeched furiously. “I sh-should have stayed with her, b-but I didn’t! And now she’s even more scared! S-Scared that you’ll j-join the Guard! That you’ll go to w-war! That you’ll… That you’ll…!” Silver choked, unable to say the last word. “It’s all my fault!”

“Silver, it’s not your fault,” Gallus assured as she continued weeping into his feathers. “It is not your fault.”

While Gallus consoled Silverstream as best as he could, Sandbar and Ocellus watched on in abject horror. And although Yona said nothing, she too was quivering where she stood.

They had all seen Silver upset at some point or another, but this…? This wasn’t right.

After several painstakingly long minutes, Silver’s sobs abated. “I’m a terrible friend,” she mumbled, not noticing Ocellus gasp in shock at her words.

“No, you’re not!” Gallus protested, pulling back so as to meet her gaze. “You are not a terrible friend, Silverstream! You are perfect.”

“No, I’m not…”

“Yes. Yes, you are,” he argued, leaving no room for objection.

“B-But I left Smolder… She was s-scared, and I—”

“You trusted her, Silver. You trusted she would be okay, and that’s not something you should ever feel ashamed about,” Gallus said warmly. “None of this is your fault.”

“But— But, I—” Silver froze, and after a second her eyes widened in panic. “Y-You don’t mean…!?”

Okay, I know where this is going. “No. Don’t worry, Silver, I know none of this is my fault either.”

“…You do?”

“Yeah, I do. Look,” Gallus declared openly. “Whatever is going on with Smolder? It’s no one’s fault. Not mine. Not yours!” he said pointedly to Silver. “Not even Smolder’s. It’s a thing that happened, and it’s a problem we need to solve. … So, Silverstream?”

“Y-Yes?”

“Please don’t think any of this is your fault,” he begged softly. “You are kind, and wonderful, and just so, so amazing! … So, please. For your sake, don’t blame yourself, Silver.”

After one final sniffle, she nodded fervently and leaned back into his embrace. “It’s— It’s not my fault,” she whispered, letting out a shuddering sigh. “It’s not my fault.”

“No, it’s not,” he promised, nuzzling her comfortingly.

…

“Are you okay?” Gallus asked after some time.

“I-I… I will be. I think? I don’t know,” Silverstream mumbled, fighting off another shiver. “I just want her to be okay. I just want e-everything to be okay.”

“And it will be, Silver. I promise everything will be okay.”

“I… I believe you.”

“Thank you,” he said, giving her a quick, encouraging kiss. “Now, are you sure you’re alright?”

Silver nodded shakily.

“Alright. But the moment you need anything, you let me know.”

“I-I will,” she said, wiping her eyes one last time.

“Good.” He turned his sights to the others and said, “Alright, guys, tell me one of you has some kind of a plan? Please?” Because I don’t have one, Gallus was too afraid to confess.

Ocellus shook her head, still reeling from just how distraught Silverstream had been. Yona, meanwhile, just seemed relieved that Gallus had helped Silver snap out of it.

Sandbar, on the other hoof, hesitantly proposed, “I think we should get our professors, Gallus. I-I don’t think we know how to fix this.”

“S-Sandbar has a point,” Ocellus agreed tentatively. “This doesn’t seem like a problem we’ve been taught how to solve.”

They’re right, Gallus admitted to himself. Smolder is Grover-knows-where, Silverstream is a wreck; and none of us have a clue what the peck to do! The only problem is…

“Smolder doesn’t blame you either, Gallus,” he remembered Starlight saying so very long ago. “I won’t deny she’s angry, but it’s not because she thinks you’re at fault for something.”

“Then why is she mad at me?”

“That’s something we both need to talk to her about…”

And with everything going on right now…? Gallus thought, frowning. Either she didn’t, and Headmare Starlight is the biggest hypocrite in Equestria… Or she did, and Smolder still isn’t okay.

“I wanna agree with you, Sandy, I really do. But I’m not sure if they could help either.”

“They’re our professors, dude!”

“Exactly. And if we ‘snitch’ on Smolder, who knows what kind of trouble she’ll get into for disappearing on everycreature in the middle of the night,” Gallus acknowledged, grimacing at the possibility. “And if that happens, I don’t think she’ll ever forgive us.”

“Yona not like it, but Yona think Gallus also has point,” she conceded slowly. “Smolder need friends right now, not teachers.”

“But what else can we do? Seriously, Gallus, what do we do!?”

They’re all expecting me to know how to fix this, Gallus realized fearfully. But I don’t! I don’t know how to fix this! Grover, help me! What am I supposed to do!? he bemoaned, feeling his stomach churn.

…You’re a clever griffon, Gallus, he reminded himself. This is just a problem. A problem is just a type of puzzle. And puzzles always have solutions, he understood, letting out a calm sigh. Emotional issues or no, there is always a solution!

We just have to find it.

“For now? We’re going to figure out everything we can about what’s going on with her,” Gallus decided, standing up and helping Silver do the same. “And then? We’re going to figure out what to say to Smolder to fix all of this. I am not losing her as a friend.”

“And our professors?”

“If we can’t solve the problem, we’ll go to them. But not until we’re absolutely positive that we can’t,” he added, glaring both Sandbar and Ocellus down. “Understand?”

“Perfectly,” he promised, wincing under the griffon’s gaze.

“If you’re sure, Gallus? Then yes. I understand,” she said neutrally.

“Yona understand too; just tell Yona and friends what Gallus think we should do.”

“I want to know what Smolder was so scared about and what she was doing with all those psychology books. So, the first place I think we should start is her room,” he ended determinedly.

Though Sandbar and Ocellus still seemed uncertain, they nodded nonetheless. “Alright. We’re with you, Gallus,” the latter swore quietly.

“We all are,” Silver agreed, giving him a weak-yet-hopeful smile.

I love them all so much, he thought, feeling his confidence rise. “Thanks, guys,” Gallus said, smiling weakly. “Now, let’s go! The others are going to find her soon, so we need to hurry!”

“Right!” they all replied, following him out of the library.

***

A few minutes passed as the group trotted down the hallways of the Friendship School, ignoring the echoing sounds of the ongoing Nightmare Night party outside. Eventually, they rounded the corner and spotted the dormitories…

“—But you always told us it didn’t work like that!” Sandbar exclaimed, continuing the conversation he had begun on their walk.

“That’s because it isn’t supposed to work like that,” Ocellus mumbled, rolling her eyes.

“Well, why didn’t you ever tell us when you did figure it out?”

“Because King Thorax told me not to! Now, please drop it!” she pleaded tiredly.

“Fine. It’s still totally awesome that you can do it though.”

“It would have been better if it actually helped solve any friendship problems…”

“Are you guys done?” Gallus deadpanned once the group reached Smolder’s bedroom.

They nodded.

“Good. Maybe now we can focus on the issue at talon,” he quipped, trying the door only to discover it was locked. “Oh, you’ve got to be…! Hey, Yona? You got a bobby pin?”

“Umm,” she hummed, searching her person for the requested item.

“Ahem!” Once Ocellus had their attention, she lit her horn up, and the lock clicked open from the other side. “Have I ever mentioned how much I love telekinesis?”

“You don’t do that to every locked door you come across, do you?” Sandbar jokingly asked as they entered into Smolder’s domain. “Because if you did, Professor Rarity would be—Whoooaaa!”

Smolder’s entire room was littered with books. Most were arranged in towers scattered across the floor randomly; others simply lied in a pile stacked around the bed. Besides this, the room looked relatively normal. And yet…? Gallus still felt a shiver run down his spine.

Geez, Smolder… What happened to you? he wondered, striding further into the room.

“You guys were not lying about the book thing,” Sandbar hummed, following after Gallus and accidentally knocking one of the towers down.

“Did you think we were?” Ocellus sneered, levitating several books around her.

“No,” he said, recreating the fallen tower. “I did think you were exaggerating a little, but…”

“Are Smolder’s books all from Psychology section!?” Yona questioned, gaping in shock.

Ocellus flitted through her cloud of tomes and confirmed, “Looks like it.”

While everyone else slowly took in Smolder’s mess, Silverstream finally entered the room herself and gulped. She then felt a reassuring talon on her back and gave Gallus a thankful smile.

He smiled back and proceeded to ask aloud, “Okay, so why does she have so many books? I can understand a passing interest in some of them, but this isn’t normal.”

“I don’t know. But I’m beginning to wonder if Smolder’s hoarding instincts kicked in,” Ocellus theorized, casting another glance over the room. “It would certainly explain why she grabbed so many copies of the same books,” she ended, holding seven identical tomes.

“You think she was just grabbing books randomly then?”

“Possibly. Remember that one story about Spike? And how when his greed got out of control, he started stealing things without rhyme or reason?”

“So, wait. Is that what this is all about?” Sandbar asked, pawing the floor nervously. “Smolder’s acting weird because of some dragon thing?”

“Considering that Smolder hasn’t become the size of a mountain? No,” she answered, much to his disappointment. “It’s most likely why she took so many books in the first place, but…”

“It doesn’t explain the sudden interest in psychology?” Gallus guessed.

“Exactly. And what’s worse? I’ve read some of these, and not all of them are enjoyable.”

“What do you mean?”

Ocellus was silent for a moment, but inevitably, she sighed and passed Gallus one of the books she had been investigating, refusing to meet his gaze. “This one is guaranteed to terrify anyone reading it.”

He took hold of the item and read the title, “The Many Signs of Sorrow? Sounds…weird. What kind of book is this?” Gallus inquired, turning and reading the description on the back.

“A book about mental health,” Ocellus stated concisely. “…Specifically, a book on how to recognize when somecreature doesn’t have the ‘best’ mental health,” she forced herself to clarify.

Feeling slightly nauseated, Gallus carefully placed the book on a nearby pile and murmured, “Why would Smolder want to read a book like that?”

“Well, I read it because it seemed rather informative, and it mostly was. As for why Smolder wanted to read it? I’ve no clue.” After examining some of the other books, Ocellus commented, “Huh. Seems like a lot of the books she took have to do with mental health.”

“Enough to be considered a pattern?” he asked, examining another tower of tomes.

“‘A pattern’? Hmm? I’m not sure. Princess Twilight made sure the entire library was filled with other, similar self-help books,” she disclosed plainly. “So if she were just hoarding books without really paying attention to what she was taking…?”

“Chances are she would have grabbed a few of them without meaning to. Great.” Back to square one, Gallus lamented, unsure if he was happy about that or not.

“There’s also the fact that we have absolutely no idea what books she did or didn’t read,” Ocellus groaned. “So if there is a pattern to Smolder’s book hoarding we probably won’t even realize if we find it.”

“Well, Yona know Smolder not read these,” Yona claimed, gesturing to a random, noticeably smaller pile. Everyone stared at her, so she elaborated, “Smolder not really careful with claws, so pages sometimes get scratched. See?” she said, showing them a book that was indeed filled with scratched pages.

Light-bulb! “If that’s the case, maybe we can see which of these stupid things Smolder read,” Gallus decreed, re-inspecting the one Ocellus had passed to him. “Maybe then we can get another clue,” he supposed, relieved to find no marks along the book’s pages.

“I don’t know, dude. Lots of these books were probably already dinged up, so I doubt all of the scuffs are from Smolder,” Sandbar reasonably argued. “Plus, she might have read some of these without ripping the pages too…” he mumbled, shooting Yona an apologetic glance.

“Do you have any better ideas for figuring out what books Smolder did or didn’t read?”

Sandbar turned to Ocellus expectantly.

“M-Magic can’t do everything, Sandbar!”

“You can make a spell that reads our minds, but not one that checks if someone’s read a book?”

“Okay! First of all, it’s not mind-reading! And secondly—”

“It’s not the point?” Gallus interrupted reproachfully. Once both of them were cowed, he continued, “Look, I know this is all one huge long-shot, but we don’t have any other options. So, please! Let’s just try to find something—Anything!—that could tell us what’s going on with her?”

Sandbar and Ocellus both nodded and proceeded to do exactly that while Gallus bent down and rummaged through the book pile by Smolder’s bed.

Silver and Yona shared a mutually scared expression, but the latter quickly put up an optimistic smile. Silver warily grinned back, joining Gallus in his search while Yona went about her own.

Less than five minutes had passed before Silver suddenly tensed up and uttered, “Guys? W-What was the name of that book you were talking about?”

Oh no. “The Many Signs of Sorrow,” Gallus answered apprehensively. “Why?”

“Because I found a copy of it. And it does have claw-marks…”

Peck. “Okay,” he began, gently taking the book from Silver’s trembling talons. “So, we know she likely did read that one. That’s okay; it’s no big deal,” he assured calmly. “It’s just one book.”

“M-Maybe. But why would Smolder read a book like t-that at all!?”

“Or this one!?” Ocellus yelped, flipping through a random textbook. “Wait! Oh, phew! No claw-marks!” she celebrated, putting the book down and shooting it sickened glare. “Thank goodness!”

Silver and Gallus exchanged a glance, and the latter muttered, “Uh, Ocellus?”

“You don’t want to know!”

“Um!” Sandbar squealed in a cracked voice. “I-I think we do want know why she had this one!” he declared, holding up a seemingly ordinary book.

The others all stared at him, and Gallus slowly read, “How to Help the Struggling: A Guide to Preventing—” His voiced hitched when they all saw the last word on the cover.

They all sat in silence, trying to find some reasonable explanation for the book they had found.

“A-Are… Are there…?”

Sandbar quickly recollected himself enough to open the book and flit through the pages, but to everycreature’s utter horror, he found exactly what they dreaded he would find.

The pages were covered in claw marks.

As if on reflex, Sandbar threw the book as far away from himself as possible and hastily backed away from the pile it had landed in. That action was what broke the stunned stupor plaguing the others.

“Gallus…?” Silver whispered, sounding beyond terrified.

Why the peck would she read that book!? Gallus panicked. It doesn’t— Why did she— What did I— He immediately stopped that train of thought, commanding. Don’t, Gallus. Do not go there.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” he said for both their benefit and for his. “All we know is that she had a book on…that! And she might have read it. That— That doesn’t mean anything.”

Ocellus picked the book back up in her magic and performed a spell. Immediately, four other copies were lifted into the air and pulled toward her.

And they were all littered with identical scratches.

“O-O-Okay,” she whispered in a cracked voice. “Th-That’s not good!”

“Did… Did Smolder r-really…” Yona hushed, unable to voice that thought.

“I really, really hope not!” Ocellus shrieked, checking through all of them. “This one is not a nice read! At! All!” she yelled, quickly scanning the other piles for similar titles.

“Wh-Why would Smolder want to read it then!?” Sandbar shouted, grimacing in horror.

Barely keeping himself together, Gallus said, “Okay! Guys? Stop it. L-Let’s just keep looking; maybe there’s another clue or—”

“Or another book just like it?” Ocellus interrupted, finding another set of tomes and drawing them closer. “Coping With the Loss of a Loved One,” she read, terrified. “Toxic Positivity: What to and What Not to Say!? The View From Halfway Down: A Psychological Study…!?”

“Ocellus, stop it!” Gallus ordered after noticing Silverstream had started shivering again.

“But, Gallus! They’re covered in the same scratches!” she acknowledged, tearing up. “Why would Smolder want anything to do with books like these!? What the hay is going on!?”

“I don’t know!” he bellowed, panting heavily in the silence that followed. “I… I don’t know!”

…

“Holy horseapples!” Sandbar swore, covering his mouth his hooves. “Y-You guys don’t think th-that… That she…?”

“Don’t you pecking dare, Sandbar! Don’t you pecking dare suggest that!”

“I-I didn’t mean it like that!” he clarified adamantly. “I meant… You guys don’t think she knows someone who— Who was considering that. Do you?”

Ocellus gasped and whispered, “You mean l-like a friend back in the Dragon Lands? O-Or somepony at the school?” she asked, biting her lip anxiously.

“Oh Grover…!” Gallus mewled, feeling sick.

“No! No, Yona can’t believe that what friend’s problem is!” Yona protested, crying openly. “Yona know Smolder would say something to friends or teachers if that were true!”

“U-Unless… Unless she thought going to our teachers would make everything worse,” Sandbar countered, directing a look at Gallus.

Gallus took a deep breath and exclaimed, “Guys! We can’t jump to conclusions. … But if that really is the case—And I’m not saying that it is! Then who does she know that was going through that?” I-It can’t be Shimmy Shake or Lighthoof, and it definitely can’t be one of us! Is… Is it her brother? One of his friends? Dragon Lord Ember maybe!? “Seriously, guys, who the peck does Smolder know that might be going through something like this!?” he asked desperately.

“You.”

Everyone stared at Silverstream.

“It’s— It’s you, Gallus,” she said, looking at him as if he were a ghost.

Time seemed to freeze for Gallus as he stood there, blinking in shock. N-No. No-no-no! No, that’s not— That can’t— That doesn’t— Gallus thought in a blind panic, feeling the horrified gazes of his friends lock onto him. “Silver, th-that doesn’t make any sense!” he finally blurted out.

“Actually,” Ocellus spoke up in a scarily calm voice. “It makes perfect sense.”

“How the peck do you figure that, Ocellus!?”

“She had books on how to help creatures going through troubles like that,” she began neutrally. “We know she did read some of them, and Silver said she was paranoid you still weren’t okay…”

“Well, clearly we now know why she was paranoid! But it can’t have had anything to do with me!” Gallus proclaimed, forcing a shaky grin. It can’t have had anything to do with me! he told himself.

“Except she was avoiding you,” Ocellus bluntly reminded him. “If— If she was afraid you were going through something like this and was worried she might make it worse…?”

“‘Assuming I’d know how,’” Silver murmured to herself. “That— That’s what she meant!?” She blinked and realized, “And that’s why she was so scared of you joining the Guard! Why she was so scared that you were… You would…” She sniffled, falling silent.

“G-Guys…” Yona mumbled, shifting her gaze between each of them. “Y-Yona think friends—”

“What are all of you talking about!?” Gallus demanded hotly. “She was avoiding me because she was angry I lied to you guys about what happened on Friends and Family Day, not because she thought I was—”

“Gallus…”

“No, Sandbar! Smolder is not afraid I would do something like that! She just can’t be!” he cried out, refusing to accept the possibility. “For all we know, Smolder really is going through some weird dragon thing, and we’re just overreacting!”

“Dude, come on! You were upset and didn’t tell any of us about it!” Sandbar reprimanded, whipping his tail angrily. “Silver had to practically force the truth out of you!”

“And that was really, really stupid of me!” Gallus angrily squawked. “But Smolder can’t seriously think I would do something like that! She has no reason to ever—”

“But logically speaking—”

“I don’t give a peck about logic, Ocellus!” he interrupted. It can’t be true; it can’t be true; it can’t be true! Gallus repeated, declaring, “We are all just paranoid! Nothing more! It’s just a few stupid books that she just so happened to grab!”

“And read! Extensively!” Ocellus countered, levitating the scratch-covered books closer.

Gallus slapped them away and continued, “Okay, so what!? She read a bunch of dumb books, but that doesn’t prove anything! They probably did spook the peck out of her, but that’s the worst case scenario!” he stressed, trying not to hyperventilate.

“This is the worst case scenario!” Sandbar countered as his face paled. “Smolder thought you were going to do…that! And now she’s Celestia-knows-where, dwelling on it! We need to go to our professors and talk to them about—”

“Shut up, Sandbar! We are not getting our professors! Smolder is our friend, and we need to help her!”

“Please! Friends need to stop fight—”

“Don’t you get it, Gallus!?” Sandbar groaned, having not heard Yona speak up. “Smolder is scared that you were going to kill your—”

“You don’t know that!” Gallus hollered over him. “I don’t know that! None of us know that!”

“Gallus, please!” Ocellus beseeched, quietly sobbing. “If Smolder thought you would—”

“No, Ocellus! She wasn’t— She couldn’t— Th-This is crazy!” Gallus screeched, flaring his wings in outrage. “This whole ‘idea’ is crazy!”

“You know what, Gallus!? It is crazy!” Sandbar agreed. “This isn’t a friendship problem! This isn’t some boring class assignment! This isn’t some lame bad guy we can zap to the moon! This! Is! Crazy!” he cried, taking a second to catch his breath. “And we need to get our professors! NOW!”

“Not if it means destroying our friendship with Smolder!” he growled, scratching his talons against the floor. “Or do you really think she would ever forgive us for going to them and accusing her of being scared that I was considering pecking suicide!”

Everyone flinched at the word, but Sandbar still argued, “This isn’t something we know how to deal with, Gallus!”

“We’re her friends, Sandbar! We have to help her!”

“Friends need to stop! Please!” Yona begged.

“We are kids, Gallus! We’re just kids…!”

“Yeah, a bunch of kids who helped save Equestria! Twice!”

“That doesn’t matter! I don’t care if we helped save Equestria, or if the Tree of Harmony thinks we’re cool, or whatever else! We do not know how to fix anything like this!”

“S-Sandbar’s right, Gallus!” Ocellus whimpered. “None of our lessons have ever gone over how to help someone struggling with this!”

“No, Sandbar is not right!” he frantically insisted. “None of this is right! This can’t be what Smolder was worried about this entire time! I— I refuse to believe it!” Gallus roared, feeling his eyes glisten. “I refuse!”

“Gallus, you can’t just ignore the facts—”

“What facts, Ocellus!? All we know is that Smolder was upset and reading a bunch of stupid, crazy books that just made her even more upset! That are making us upset!”

“Gallus,” Silver sobbed, reaching out with a talon. “Gallus, please—”

“No!” he shrieked, flinching away from Silver and the others. “No, this— This is crazy! All of this is crazy! I have never thought of doing that! Never!” he promised, feeling his heart thunder against his chest. “Smolder could never have been afraid of that!”

“She was, Gallus!”

“And how do you know, Sandbar!? What!? Were you afraid I’d do something like that too!?”

“What!? No! I-I would never—”

“You said you believed that I would never lie about something like this! That’s what you said, Sandbar!” Gallus snarled. “So don’t tell me all that was a lie!”

“I wasn’t lying, Gallus!” Sandbar proclaimed, crying almost as badly as Silverstream. “But for Celestia’s sake! You said you were hearing Cozy Glow in your head! Do you really think that’s a good sign!? Do you think Smolder took that as a good sign!?”

“Okay, fine! I was screwed up for a while; I won’t deny that! But I’m better now! You all believe that, don’t you!? Smolder has to believe that too!”

“She clearly doesn’t!”

“Guys, please—”

“So does that mean you don’t believe me either!?”

“Gallus, that’s not the—”

“Answer the question, Sandbar!”

“I believed you, Gallus!”

“Then why aren’t you acting like it!?”

“STOP! FIGHTING!” Yona screamed, slamming her hooves down with enough force to shake the entire room, toppling every last book pile assembled by Smolder.

Yona’s outburst was followed by the watery stares of everycreature else and the sounds of their labored breathing. After a moment, Gallus and Sandbar met each other’s gaze, only for both of them to immediately look away in regret.

After wiping away her own tears, Yona firmly exclaimed, “Friends need to stop fighting! Smolder is afraid and alone, and friends need to help!”

“But—”

“Quiet!” she barked. Once Gallus clamped his beak shut, she continued, “Friends think situation crazy!? Well, Yona think whole thing crazy too! Yona not know what to do or what to think! All Yona know is that friends have been afraid! And worried! And paranoid! And Yona! Is! Sick of it!” Yona shouted, punctuating each word with another stomp of her hooves.

Nocreature said a word.

Yona swallowed and resumed, “And do friends think Yona not feel these things too!? Well, Yona does! Yona does… Yona wishes everything would go back to normal, just like friends do! But friends still afraid. Friends still worried. And friends still paranoid!”

With every word Yona uttered, the others grew even more ashamed. And none more so than Silverstream. Perhaps Yona noticed this because her next words were spoken far more gently.

“Yona know there a reason why friends still so upset, but Yona not care. What Yona care about is helping friends not be upset. And right now, Smolder need friends’ help most of all.”

After having said that, Yona reached out to Gallus and placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder, asserting, “Yona and friends believe Gallus.” She let her words sit for a moment before adding, “But Smolder believe otherwise.”

Almost every instinct in his body screamed for him to jerk away, but Yona’s calm gaze kept him rooted to the spot. In the end, all Gallus could do was weakly mutter, “I-I don’t want to believe it.”

“Yona understand.”

Her words had been simple, but they did the trick. Sadly, that meant Gallus could no longer deny the truth any longer, either to them or to himself.

Gallus collapsed onto his haunches and hid his face in his talons. No, no, no, no, no! he fretted as tears forced their way out of his eyes. Smolder, did you really think I would…!? Oh Grover! Why would you ever think that!?

Yona didn’t have to so much as glance at Silverstream for she had already placed her wings tenderly around Gallus, bringing him into her gentle embrace. “It’s okay, Gallus…” she soothed.

He didn’t say anything; instead, he wrapped his talons and wings around her, pulling her closer and quietly crying into her shoulder. She did much the same.

While they continued to hold each other, Yona stared at Sandbar, betraying not a hint of her thoughts nor emotions. And although he held firm at first, he inevitably hung his head in shame.

“I’m sorry, Gallus.”

After one last sniffle, Gallus turned toward him and said, “Don’t be, Sandy. We’re all upset; it’s not your fault.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

“I don’t care. I’m sorry too.”

Sandbar simply smiled and nodded in understanding. Gallus nodded back.

Yona let out a massive sigh of relief and smiled wearily at the sight.

“Um, I know I’m disrupting the moment and all,” Ocellus spoke up after drying her own eyes. “And for as glad as I am that we’re not fighting anymore… What are we going to do!?”

Yona and Sandbar shared a glance before looking to Gallus expectantly. He gazed back for a moment until he turned to Silverstream and gave her questioning look.

“…I don’t want to be paranoid anymore, Gallus,” she said quietly. Silverstream then grinned feebly and optimistically reaffirmed, “I trust you.”

Gallus smiled as best as he could and gave her one last, quick nuzzle. Afterward, he returned his attention to the others and answered, “We’re going to do exactly what we need to do, Ocellus. We’re going to help Smolder as best as we can.”

“Even if it means going to our professors?”

“…Even if it means going to our professors,” he concurred, sighing sadly. “I hate it, but you’re right, Sandy. We need help.”

Almost as if in response to his words, somepony’s voice echoed from down the hall, calling out, “Guys! Guys!? C’mon, where are you!?”

“W-Was that…?” Silver stammered, as Gallus bolted through the door, crying out, “Vellum!?”

Gallus raced down the hall and soon found the stallion coated head-to-hoof in mud, twigs, and spiderwebs. Ignoring that for now, he announced, “Hey! Vellum! We’re over here!”

“Gallus!?” Vellum turned, saw him, and ran toward him with a plum-colored cockatrice flying closely behind. “There you are!” he rebuked between pants. “I’ve been looking all over for you!”

Before Gallus could apologize, the others caught up. Silverstream then noticed Vellum’s animal companion and squealed, “Edith!? Is that you!?”

The cockatrice cawed happily and flew over to Silver who offered her talon as a perch. “Hey, Edith! It’s so good to see you,” she rejoiced, giving the snake-bird a friendly scratch.

Edith chirped, wagging her tail.

“Uh, Vellum?” Sandbar began once he caught sight of him. “Are you okay?”

“I will be after a hot bath and a weekend spa treatment,” Vellum boasted, trying fruitlessly to brush the dirt out of his mane. “But the important thing is we found her.”

“You did?” Ocellus asked hopefully.

“Yes, I just said we did. The only problem is that she’s exactly where you think she is…” he groaned, gesturing to the aforementioned mud, twigs, and spiderwebs he was covered in.

“The Treehouse!” Gallus groused, receiving a solemn nod from Vellum. “Is she safe?”

“Yes. Er, relatively speaking,” Vellum answered, coughing into his hoof.

Oh thank Grover! he sighed in both relief and resignation. Now to figure out a plan…

While Gallus contemplated his next course of action, Vellum directed his gaze to Silver and Edith, saying, “Oh, and Silverstream? Thank you so much for befriending her.”

“You mean Edith?” Silver asked, giving the cockatrice a befuddled glance. “Well, I’m happy I befriended her too, but why are thanking me for doing it?”

“She may have swooped in and saved our lives from an angry manticore or two. … Or six,” he muttered, shuddering in fear. “We, uh, got a little lost in case you couldn’t tell,” Vellum explained, chuckling awkwardly. “Luckily, Ms. Edith found us and led us to the Treehouse.”

“Wait, if Vellum here… Where are Scoop and Shimmy?” Yona asked worriedly.

“They stayed behind. Partly because they didn’t want to go back through the Everfree again. But mostly because none of us wanted to leave Smolder alone.”

“…Thank you, Vellum,” Gallus said appreciatively.

“No problem. We didn’t talk to her though,” he reassured. “Once we confirmed she was there, I started heading back with Ms. Edith kindly serving as a guide.”

“Thank you so much, Edith,” Silver said, gently stroking the cockatrice. “I’m sorry about the whole suddenness of everything, but we’re really glad for your help. We owe you one.”

She clucked politely.

“Heh-heh. I can totally get you some marshmallows,” she promised, looking back at Gallus and slowly frowning. “Gallus? What are we going to do now?”

I can’t just leave Smolder out there by herself, but I don’t know what to do to help her, Gallus lamented. Headmare Starlight would know, but if that were true then why didn’t she fix this!?

Not to mention that even though I don’t know how to help, I know I should! She’s my friend, and it’s because of me that all of this craziness happened at all! It should be my job to fix it, but—

Gallus paused, closed his eyes, and searched his memories.

“…Don’t hold yourself responsible for the feelings of your friends. Your emotions are your emotions, and theirs are theirs…” he recalled, steadying his breathing.

Smolder is upset. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s my fault or not, Gallus accepted, coming to a decision. This is just a problem. And if I can help fix it, I will. And if I can’t…

Then it’s a good thing I’m not alone.

“Sandbar, Yona, and Vellum? I want you three to get our professors and tell them what’s going on,” Gallus adjured calmly. “Tell them everything,” he stressed to Sandbar specifically.

“Are you sure?” Sandbar asked, searching his gaze for any trace of indecision.

“Yes.”

“Alright,” he said, gulping nervously. “What about you? What are you going to do?”

“Maybe you were right, Sandbar; maybe I can’t solve this problem. … But there is no pecking way I’m going to let Smolder sit out there all alone, without even trying to help!” Gallus declared, unwavering. “So, while you guys get our professors… Ocellus?”

“Y-Yes, Gallus?”

“You are going to teleport us straight to the Treehouse so I can talk to her while we wait for the others to arrive. Can you do that?”

“If you’re absolutely sure? Then yes.” Ocellus confirmed. “I don’t want to leave her alone either.”

Gallus then turned to Silverstream who said nothing, merely regarding him through reddened eyes. “Silverstream? What do you want to do?”

“I’m coming with you,” she stated resolutely.

Gallus simply nodded. “Alright then!” he concluded, addressing all of them. “We’ve got a friend to help. Let’s do this!”

***

The moon and its starry brethren loomed above the peaceful world, bathing the Everfree Forest in its opal light. The sound of creatures celebrating Nightmare Night still echoed through the air, but they were barely whispers this far into the woods.

In the depths of the forest and surrounded by ruins, a shining structure towered. And within these ruins, a turquoise whirlwind dispelled, leaving three friends to behold the sight before them.

“Alright,” Gallus began, shivering in the chilly, night air. “I’m going to talk to her first. If I think I need help, I’ll give you girls a signal, but otherwise…?”

“Stay out of sight?” Ocellus suspected.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure you want to talk to her alone, Gallus?” Silverstream inquired, placing a gentle claw on his shoulder. “You don’t have to…”

Gallus placed his talon over hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I know. But I need to talk to Smolder once and for all.”

There was not a hint of hesitation in his voice, but neither was there confidence. Still, Silver took his words as a source of encouragement, replying, “Okay. I believe in you, Gallus.”

“Thank you. Now, let’s go,” he beckoned, trotting forward and into the Treehouse. “Smolder’s waiting for us.”

The crystalline interior shimmered in welcome as the trio entered its domain, and Gallus grinned gratefully upon discovering the front hall had been widened considerably.

The group then came across two half-asleep, haggard mares sitting on the steps leading to the second floor. Upon noticing them, Scoop shot to her hooves and shook Shimmy back to her sense. “Hey, Shimmy! Wake up, girl; they’re here!”

“H-Huh!? They are!? Oh thank Celestia!” Shimmy Shake gasped, rising to her hooves and rushing toward them. “Oh, please tell me you guys figured out what to say to Smolder!”

“Uh—”

“Hold on, Shimmy,” Scoop interjected. “First things first: Did Vellum make it back okay?”

“Yeah, that’s how we got your message,” Gallus explained. “Are you girls alright?”

“Well, my Nightmare Night has been thoroughly wrecked, I’m covered in five different kinds of bug bites; and I’ll be dreaming of rampaging manticores tonight. Other than that? Peachy.”

“We’re fine,” Shimmy confirmed, giving Scoop an annoyed glare. “But Smolder is… Sh-She’s upstairs. On the balcony. Y-You know how to help her, right?”

“Headmare Starlight and our professors are on their way,” he assuaged. “In the meantime, I’m going to try to talk to her. Can you girls wait here and let us know when they all show up?”

“Sure thing.” Scoop then shuffled nervously, adding, “And, guys? I don’t know what you plan to say or do…? But good luck,” she wished, stepping aside.

“Thanks, Scoop. Are you going to be okay, Shim—”

Shimmy threw her hooves around Gallus, cutting him off. After a brief second of awkwardness, he hugged her back, patting her reassuringly.

“Please help my friend!”

“I will.”

After Shimmy relinquished her hold on him, Scoop took her hoof, urging, “C’mon.”

“O-Okay,” she replied, allowing Scoop to lead them both back to the front entrance.

Wordlessly, the trio began their slow, decidedly quiet ascent to the balcony. Less than a minute later, they reached their destination.

Smolder was leaning against the guard railing, turned away from them and still dressed up in the black princess gown she had worn to the party.

Gallus, Silver, and Ocellus immediately ducked behind a nearby wall, but it didn’t seem that Smolder had noticed their arrival.

“Should I use my spell?” Ocellus whispered.

“No. We don’t need it,” Gallus said solemnly. “Are you girls ready?”

“Are you ready?” Silverstream asked quietly.

“No.”

…

Gallus stepped forward.

Everything will be fine, he resolved, approaching his friend. I don’t blame myself, or hate myself, or whatever else Smolder is afraid of.

Gallus stopped a respectable distance from Smolder and took one last breath, letting it out silently. All I want to do is help my friend, he thought, gently knocking on the crystal floor to announce his presence.

Smolder immediately tensed up, but she slowly turned around to lock eyes with Gallus, practically petrifying upon doing so.

“Hey,” he greeted peacefully.

“H-Hey,” she said, twitching her wings nervously.

An awkward silence permeated the air until Gallus took another step toward her, casually mentioning, “I figured I’d find you here. How’re you doing?”

“…Good,” she lied, tearing her eyes away from him and returning them to the forest beyond.

Gallus cautiously trotted up to her side and joined her in leaning against the balcony rail, but even though she remained where she was, Smolder still shifted uncomfortably.

“Nice night,” he commented, staring at the stars above.

After balking for a second, she agreed, “Y-Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

…

“Sorry I ditched the party,” Smolder apologized. “I, uh, just wasn’t feeling up to it. Shimmy’s not too angry at me, is she?”

“Nah, Shimmy’s not mad at you,” Gallus tranquilly confirmed.

“That’s a relief,” she chuckled weakly.

“I bet.” Gallus waited a moment and tentatively added, “Silver’s not mad at you either.”

Smolder flinched, and while that wasn’t really a good sign, Gallus found some comfort in the fact that she didn’t run away again.

“O-Okay,” she stammered, scratching at the banister. “Um? Thanks for telling me.”

“Yeah. … None of us are mad at you, Smolder. You know that, right?”

She scoffed, groaning, “Yeah, I know. I-I mean why would anyone be mad at me? I didn’t mess anything up! D-Did I?”

“Not really, no.”

Smolder blinked and finally looked back at him, taking in his calm smile. The corners of her maw twitched slightly, but she ultimately cast her gaze back out toward the Everfree once again.

“Are you okay?” Gallus asked, deciding to finally get to the point.

“W-What!?” she yelped, forcing a wide smile. “Of course I’m fine! Wh-Why wouldn’t I be fine!? I mean, you’re fine, r-right!?”

“Yes. I am,” he assured. “I just want to make sure you’re okay too.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry, Gallus!” Smolder protested, tightening her grip on the railing. “Please don’t worry about me, I’m fine! I swear!”

“…Okay. I believe you.”

“Y-Yeah! In fact, why don’t you, er, go back to the party; I just want to sit here a-and watch the stars, heh-heh,” she laughed miserably. “You should j-just go, and—”

“Fat chance.”

“What!?” Smolder squeaked, beginning to panic. “B-But I told you I’m fine!”

“And I believe you. There’s just no way I’m going to leave you out here by yourself. Stargazing is a lot more fun with a friend, after all,” Gallus proclaimed, winking.

“Uh, I, uh… Okay,” she whined, frowning again. Smolder then cleared her throat, speculating, “So, uh? You must stargaze a lot with Silverstream, huh?”

“You’d think so, but Silver tends to paint the stars more often than she gazes at them,” he confided, casting a sly grin toward the balcony entrance. “Her paintings are fantastic though.”

“They always are. … You know? Not many creatures like to look at the stars,” Smolder mumbled, releasing the banister and glaring at the cracks her claws had left in it. “At least, not as much as I do.”

“It’s a shame too,” Gallus agreed, sighing wistfully. “The stars are really beautiful. Princess Luna does a great job with ‘em.”

“She sure does.”

Both of them stared at the twinkling sky, allowing a peacefully somber silence to fall upon them yet again. Soon, Smolder closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.

“Gallus?” she began, meeting his gaze properly. “Can I… Can I ask you something?”

“Go right ahead, I’m listening.”

“Are you and Silver…happy? Together?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed with a nod. “We are. Although, she really wishes I’d finally take her on our second date.”

“Right. You haven’t done that yet… S-So, what was the hold-up with that anyway?” She blinked and quickly clarified, “I-I don’t mean to judge you or anything! I was just curious…”

Gallus paused, hesitant to answer with Silver listening just around the corner. In the end, he smirked ruefully and said, “Honestly? Bits.”

“Wait, really?”

“Mhmm.”

“Oh. Uh, I could give you some i-if you—”

“You don’t need to do that, Smolder,” he interrupted. “I’ve got enough for the second date; I’ve just been trying to save up for our next few dates too.”

“Ohhh!” Smolder groaned, seemingly relieved. “So that’s it. Okay.”

“Well? That, and… And I really want to it be as perfect as possible,” he timidly admitted.

“But you know it doesn’t need to be perfect, right? You’re, uh, you’re perfect just the way you are!” she stated, wearing that same strained smile from before.

“I know.”

Smolder was completely blindsided by his response. Once she regained her voice, she inquired, “If— If you know, then why are you so worried about making it perfect?”

Gallus just shrugged. “I just want to give her the best time I can,” he said serenely. “She deserves it.”

After a moment, Smolder held a claw to her forehead and laughed. “You really love her, don’t you?” she questioned in an eerily calm voice.

“Yes. Yes, I do.”

“Even if she’s perfectly fine with you—” Smolder stopped herself, inhaling sharply. She then turned away and exhaled a small jet of flames.

“Even if she’s perfectly fine with what?”

“Nothing,” she murmured, refusing to look at him. “Just— Just ignore what I said.”

Keeping his tone placid, Gallus cautiously continued, “Smolder…? Why are you upset that I’m considering joining the Royal Guard?”

“Tch! Should have known she would squeal…” Smolder growled, lashing her tail in agitation.

“I’m glad she did. ‘Cause you’re clearly upset about it, and—”

“Well, why wouldn’t I be upset about it!?” she snapped, rounding on him. “Why wouldn’t I be upset with you joining those idiots, going to war, and getting yourself—” Whatever bravery Smolder had garnered died out, leaving the dragon to cover her mouth in shock.

“Getting myself…what?” he asked despite already knowing the answer.

“N-Nothing! Forget I said anything,” she pleaded, hurriedly taking a step toward the doorway. “I’m sorry; I should just—”

Gallus reached out and gently held Smolder’s claw, freezing her mid-step. “Don’t.”

One word. Gallus had said only one word, devoid of anything resembling malice or anger. Similarly, his expression also lacked such feelings, retaining a determined neutrality.

And yet, Smolder still found herself quivering under his gaze.

“Don’t,” Gallus repeated, still holding onto her claw. “Smolder? Don’t go.”

“I-I don’t— I don’t want to hurt— I don’t want to make everything worse!” she whimpered warily.

“You won’t be making anything worse by talking to me.”

Smolder ripped her claw away from him and shouted, “If that’s the case, why is Silverstream so afraid of talking to you!?”

“About what?”

“About— About your crazy future ideas!” she blurted out wildly. “About you! But no! Of course she doesn’t talk to you about any of that! Because she’s too afraid to! Because she’s still paranoid!” Smolder deflected as smoke began billowing from her nostrils again.

Measuring his next words carefully, Gallus said, “Maybe a little. But she doesn’t want to be, nor does she deserve to be. Nocreature deserves to be paranoid all the time… Especially about our friends.”

Smolder clenched her claws but thankfully didn’t retreat any further. “S-So… You know about it? About her being…?”

“Yeah.”

“Well… Why has Silver been so paranoid!? I mean, Silverstream is Silverstream! She— She’s never paranoid!” she professed vehemently. “S-So, what could be so bad that even she…?”

“It’s a lot of little things. But mostly? It’s because she’s been so worried about me. … And you,” Gallus elaborated.

“B-But I’m fine; I told her I’m fine!”

He blinked owlishly, swearing, “And I’m fine too.”

Smolder fell silent, twiddling her claws unconsciously. “I-If that were true, then…”

“It is true. I am okay, Smolder.”

“Then why doesn’t Silver believe you are!”

“She does,” he revealed.

“But she’s still worried about you!”

“Yes, she is. I wish she weren’t, but…” Gallus shot an apologetic glance toward where Silver was currently hiding. “But she is. She just wants everything to go back to normal. Not gonna lie, I do too.”

“…I think we all want that,” Smolder recognized, rubbing her shoulder. “After all, if everything could just go back to normal, then— Then maybe…” She squeezed her eyes shut and wondered, “We were all happy, weren’t we? When everything was normal?”

“Yeah…? We were.”

“Yes! Yes, we were!” she agreed. “Everything was fine until— Until it all started…changing!” Smolder snarled, hugging herself. “We were all happy before everything changed! Before— Before—”

“…Before Friends and Family Day?” he finished, betraying not a hint of his current emotions.

Smolder’s eyes flew opened and locked onto his. “No-no-no! Gallus, this isn’t your fault! This isn’t your fault!” she screamed desperately. “I promise this isn’t your fault!”

“I know.”

Smolder stuttered in confusion, trying to process his reply. “You… You know?” she asked, feeling a shred of her terror drain away.

“Yeah. Everything might be different because of what happened that day, but I do not blame myself for any of it,” Gallus promised, fully honest. “I’m fine, Smolder. Really.”

She held his gaze for a full minute, but Smolder soon smiled and let out a weak scoff, stepping around him and back toward the banister. “You’re okay?” she whispered in a cracked voice.

“I’m okay.”

She slowly slid onto her rump, sitting against the railing. She then watched morosely as Gallus swiftly sat down beside her.

“It’s… It’s not your fault, Gallus. None of it is your fault!” she repeated adamantly.

“It’s not my fault,” he agreed, placing a comforting wing around her.

Smolder accepted the gesture and proceeded to rub away the wetness in her eyes.

Gallus simply sat back and waited until she was ready to continue. He then noticed Silver peak her head out from around the doorway, giving him an uneasy glance that wordlessly asked, Do you need help?

Gallus shook his head and smiled, communicating, Not yet. I think I’ve got it.

She grinned weakly and nodded, quickly retreating behind the corner.

He looked back at Smolder, relieved to see she seemed at least somewhat calmer. Be honest, he could practically hear Starlight advising him.

I shouldn’t… he thought to himself. I really shouldn’t push her any further than I already have. But I can’t just leave it like this, Gallus decided, taking a deep breath. Not when I haven’t solved the real problem. “I do have to apologize for one thing though.”

“Y-Yeah? For— For what?”

“We went into your room,” Gallus confessed, not meeting her eyes. “And we… We saw the books. All the books.”

Smolder went limp, staring off into space. She soon hid her face in her claws, laughing quietly. “Heh-heh-heh. I… I knew I shouldn’t have put it off. I knew I should have returned them all when I had the chance,” she lamented hollowly. “But nooo! ‘No, Smolder, what if he gets upset again!’ I kept telling myself. Heh-heh… Isn’t that funny?”

“Not really,” he refuted in a subdued tone. “In fact, I’m glad you didn’t put any of them back. If you did, we would never have figured out what was wrong.”

“Yeah, well? Looks like nothing was wrong after all!” she chuckled, throwing her claws up in frustration. “You were fine this entire time, and I was the one who was paranoid!”

“I wasn’t fine the entire time,” Gallus admitted gently. “I had a lot of junk to sort through… But I am better now. And I’m really grateful for your concern, Smolder.”

Smolder shook her head and growled, “Fat lot of good ‘concern’ did me! Silver was right all along; my fear really did overshadow my…” She fell silent, rubbing her eyes again.

“You cared about me, Smolder. I can’t ask you for anything more than that.”

“…”

“But…? There is one thing I don’t really understand,” Gallus resumed, preparing himself for the question he was about to ask.

Her claws fell away from her eyes and into her lap, and she slowly nodded.

“I… I understand why you were afraid, Smolder,” he said comfortingly. “I could never blame you for that. What I don’t understand is why you thought I would—” Gallus paused, gulping. Unable to say the exact phrase, he instead settled for asking, “Smolder, why were you afraid I’d die?”

Much to his surprise, Smolder snorted and turned her gaze skyward. After about a minute of silence, she quietly began, “Did you know Sandbar was still here? When it happened?”

“When what happened?” he asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“Sombra.” Smolder stared back at Gallus and said, “Sandbar was here when Sombra returned. Did you know that?”

“Well…yeah? I mean, where else would he have been?”

“Exactly! Sandbar was here. We weren’t, but he was! … And so was his sister. And his parents! And Shimmy and Lighthoof! And our Professors, the Crusaders, and our friends!” Smolder rapidly rambled off as her eyes glistened again. “All of them were here when that psychopath came back and mind-controlled them! And terrified them! And hurt them!” she roared, huffing out a burst of smoke. “All of them were here, and all of them could have… C-Could have…!”

Gallus gently placed a talon on her shoulder which she took as a signal to continue.

“But no! We saved the day, right!?” Smolder shrieked, forcing a smile. “We saved the day, and put Sombra back in the ground! That means everything is okay again! Everyone is okay! No one was hurt that day, so nothing bad happened! Right!?”

“…No,” Gallus muttered grimly. “Something bad did happen that day.”

“You’re damn right something bad happened that day!” she screamed, not bothering to wipe away the tears falling down her cheeks. “The Tree of Harmony died! A-And I don’t c-care if— If this is the Tree now!” she said, gesturing to the radiant walls surrounding them. “I don’t care if it’s still alive and just reincarnated or whatever! The Tree was our friend, Gallus! And— And it died…”

“Smolder—”

“Oh, but it’s fine!” she sang, cutting him off. “It’s fine! It’s always fine! I can never be anything but fine! After all! Princess Twilight and her friends saved Equestria, and that means everything is okay! As long as the day is saved, it doesn’t matter how close we all came to dying!” Smolder hollered, burying her face into her dress.

“It doesn’t matter if Cozy almost threw us into a glorified black hole!” she continued, slightly muffled. “It doesn’t matter if she and those other two freaks almost killed us all! It doesn’t matter if the wendigos nearly froze over the world again! It doesn’t matter if we had to save the world even though we’re not even seniors yet!” Smolder shouted, raising her head back up.

“A-And I fell for that, you know!” she admitted in a cracked voice. “I thought, ‘Oh! We saved the day, so everything is fine now! We totally didn’t almost die in half a dozen different ways because Discord’s an idiot and Cozy’s a psychopath!’ I always thought that! But— B-But then you— You w-were—” Her maw quivered, refusing to give voice to that last thought.

“It’s okay, Smolder,” Gallus whispered, pulling her into a soft hug.

“No, it’s not okay!” she screeched, hugging him back nonetheless. “Y-You were upset, and you hid it from us! That’s not you, Gallus! You don’t hide things like that from us! You never hide things like that from us! B-But you did! You did!”

“And that was wrong of me,” he conceded. “I should never have hidden my feelings from you guys; that wasn’t right.”

“It wasn’t just that, Gallus! You hid from us! You avoided us! Th-That’s not— That’s not okay! Friends don’t hide from their friends like that unless…! Unless something serious is…!”

“You don’t have to say anything, Smolder,” Gallus soothed. “I know. And I promise I never considered anything like that! I never would!”

“But you could have!” she argued, leaning away and staring into his eyes. “Y-You could have…! We didn’t know! A-And if Silver hadn’t— If s-she hadn’t…! No one would have saved you!”

After fighting back the urge to vomit, he whimpered, “What?”

“No one was there to save the Tree of Harmony…” she mumbled, sniffling. “And if the Tree hadn’t been there when Cozy tried to kill us…! A-And if Equestria hadn’t been there when they tried to kill us all again…! If— If Silver hadn’t been there t-to save you…!”

“Smolder, I’m still here! I didn’t go anywhere!”

“I don’t care if you didn’t; I care that you could have!” she said, holding her face in her claws. “I don’t want to live in a world without my friends!” Smolder wailed, no longer able to control her sobs.

“You won’t, Smolder!” Gallus swore, wrapping both of his wings around her as he struggled not to cry himself. “You will never have to live without us!”

“Yes, I will!”

“What? Why would you ever think that!?” he asked, completely taken aback by her declaration.

“I’m— I’m a dragon, Gallus!” Smolder puled, hyperventilating. “I’m already going to outlive all of you, don’t you get that!? Just because I’m a stupid dragon, I’m— I’m g-going to b-be alone!”

“You are not going to be alone, Smolder!” Gallus protested, shoving his horror aside for the moment. “I promise you are not going to be alone!”

“Yes, I will! You’re all going to die, and I won’t have anyone left! And I don’t care what Starlight says!” she snarled balefully. “I don’t want new friends! I want my friends!”

“I want you!” she continued, trying and failing to catch her breath. “I want you! And Silver! And Ocellus! And Sandbar! And Yona! And Shimmy, Lighthoof and November! And Spike and Garble! And Mom and Dad! And everycreature else! I don’t want to lose any of you! I don’t want to forget any of you! I-I…I don’t want you to go away!” Smolder wept, shivering violently.

“You’re not going to lose us!” he insisted. “We’re not going to go away, Smolder!”

“Yes, you will!”

“Well, we’re not going to go away now!” Gallus bellowed, giving her a determined glare. “I don’t care what might happen in the future; right now, we are not going to go away! I am not going to go away! … You are not alone, Smolder,” he promised as his own tears finally broke free.

Smolder didn’t say a word; she just whimpered weakly, holding him as close as she possibly could while the night continued on.

Behind the balcony doorway, Ocellus sat as still as a statue, horrified by all that she had heard. Silverstream, meanwhile, slowly curled up against the wall, covering her beak with her talons.

After several minutes, Gallus and Smolder broke apart, silently waiting for the other to make the first move. In the end, Gallus was the one to speak.

“Smolder, look. I’m, uh…” He paused to regain his breath. “Smolder, I promise I am okay. The others are okay. Everything is okay,” he assured her.

“I… I know. I’m so sorry, Gallus!”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” he assuaged, swallowing a lump in his throat. “You were right, Smolder. I— I hid everything from you guys, and that wasn’t okay! That wasn’t like me, and I’m sorry. I-I was scared, a-and confused, and worried! And— And I didn’t want any of you to be! B-But I was wrong, and I’m sorry, Smolder. I’m sorry.”

“N-No!” Smolder groaned, starting to panic again. “Don’t be sorry, Gallus, it’s not your fault! It’s mine! I shouldn’t have been afraid; I-I should have trusted you; I should have—”

“No! Don’t do that, Smolder!” he interjected bluntly. “It’s okay that you were afraid!”

“But… But I should have trusted you!”

“And I should have trusted you!”

“I don’t blame you, Gallus!”

“And I can’t thank you enough for that,” he said, holding her claw reassuringly. “But right now? None of that matters.”

“W-What?”

“Smolder, I don’t blame you for being afraid. … But please! Please never hide something like this from us!” Gallus pleaded desperately. “Because you were right, Smolder; friends don’t hide things like this from each other! That doesn’t help; that just makes everything worse!”

“I-I’m sorry…” she repeated, hanging her head.

“Don’t apologize,” Gallus requested, pushing her chin back up. “I don’t hold anything against you; I never would. Same goes for our friends.”

“I-I just— I just d-didn’t want to m-make things worse! I didn’t want to— I didn’t want—” She fell silent and wiped her eyes on her dress again. “I didn’t want t-to hurt you!”

“And you didn’t, Smolder,” he affirmed. “You had every right to be afraid. What— What wasn’t right was that you were dealing with those feelings all alone. We’re friends, Smolder!” Gallus declared fervently. “We’re friends. We help each other… Through both the bad times and the good.”

Smolder said nothing, merely drying her eyes one more time.

“Smolder?” he resumed after some time. “I promise I will never hide my problems again. From you, from Silver, or from anyone else! Can… Can you promise me that too?”

She didn’t even hesitate to answer, “Yes! Y-Yes, I promise!”

“Thank you! Thank you…!” he said, giving her one final hug.

…

“I’m sorry, Gallus,” Smolder cried once they broke apart. “I should have talked to you, and the others, and—” She hushed when she felt Gallus place a talon on her shoulder.

“I already told you. You don’t have to apologize, Smolder,” he guaranteed soothingly.

“It really feels like I do,” she scoffed, reclining against the banister again.

“Yeah. Yeah… I get it.”

Neither said a word, both simply taking the time to control their breathing and wipe away the last of their tears.

“I… I believe you, you know,” Smolder eventually whispered.

Gallus gave her warm smile, saying, “I’m glad.”

He then offered her his talon which she immediately grabbed and squeezed viciously, suppressing another sob.

“Do you remember…” he began. “At the Fair, when I asked you to tell me about the stars?”

“I do.”

“Did— Did you still want to talk about them?” Gallus asked, smiling encouragingly.

“Yeah,” Smolder confirmed, a smile tugging at the corners of her maw. “Did you?”

“Yeah.”

Before Smolder could do so, however, they both recoiled as a prismatic explosion thundered through the night. After recovering from the sound, they looked across the horizon and spotted a rainbow-colored streak flying straight for them.

Less than a second later, Rainbow Dash skidded to halt across the crystal balcony.

“Oh thank Celestia, you’re both still here!” the mare shouted, pulling them both into a rib-crushing hug. “Are either of you hurt!? Are you okay!? What do you need!?”

“Air!” Gallus squeaked out. “We need air!”

“Oh geez! Sorry!” Rainbow apologized, swiftly releasing them. “Now, what the hay were two thinking, coming out here this late at night!?”

There hadn’t been any reprimand in her voice—only worry—but Smolder still flinched.

“Would you believe stargazing?” Gallus tried, keeping a comforting wing held around Smolder.

Rainbow deadpanned, but before she could say something in response, Fluttershy landed on the balcony, panting in exertion.

“Rainbow Dash!” she exclaimed harshly. “You know I can’t fly as fast as you!”

“Sorry, Flutters. You okay?”

“Yes, but more importantly, are you two okay?” Fluttershy inquired tenderly, trotting closer and checking them both for any hint of injury.

“Uh…” Gallus shared an awkward glance with Smolder and settled for saying, “We’ll get back to you on that.”

Fluttershy immediately wrapped both of them in her own soft hug. She then shot a knowing look toward Rainbow who nodded and flew off back toward the forest. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered comfortingly. “Everypony else is on their way.”

Oh thank Grover! Gallus rejoiced as Fluttershy let go. “Thanks, Ms. Fluttershy.”

She shook her head, saying, “Thank you for telling us what happened. Now, c’mon,” Fluttershy urged, gently nudging them toward the door. “Let’s get both of you home.”

Neither of them had the energy to resist. And as they walked, Smolder shot him a meek glance, silently asking, You told them?

Gallus gave her a small nod and offered her his talon again. She tentatively took it and allowed him to lead her down the stairs and outside of the Treehouse.

The moment they stepped outside they were tackled into yet another hug. This time, the culprit was a tearful Silverstream who wasted no time apologizing, “Smolder, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Although stunned at first, Smolder soon started crying again and wrapped her claws around Silverstream, muttering, “I’m sorry too…”

Gallus ran his talons across Silver’s back comfortingly, glancing to the side where the others were explaining the situation to the newly arrived Starlight, Applejack, and Rarity. His vision was then obscured by the mass of brown fur barreling over to them.

With a yelp, the group fell onto the ground, trapped in Yona’s crushing embrace.

“Smolder and friends okay!” Yona cried out in relief. “Smolder and friends all okay!”

“Yeah, we’re okay, Yona; we’re okay,” Gallus confirmed, wheezing. “Can you let us up now?”

Yona acquiesced his request and immediately locked gazes with Smolder, declaring, “Yona and friends will help Smolder any way Yona and friends can! Yona promise!” she ended tearfully.

Before Smolder could reply, Sandbar and Ocellus ran up to them and immediately joined the hug pile with the latter agreeing, “We all promise that!”

“Yeah! Yeah, we do,” Sandbar agreed kindly. “So, uh… Hey, Smolder. H-How’re you doing?”

Smolder laughed weakly. “I’m… I’m horrible, Sandy. You?”

“Eh, could be better…”

“Same.”

“Good ta see ya’ll ain’t hurt,” Applejack celebrated once she and the others approached them. “…Smolder,” she said, tipping her hat to the dragon.

“Professor…”

“Oh, darling, you look positively dreadful!” Rarity whined, patting at Smolder’s dampened cheeks with a hoofkerchief. “No need to worry, darling, we’re going to get you home, and we’re going to help you get all freshened up! No matter how many spa visits are required, okay!? Would you like that, darling?” she quietly asked, holding back her own worried tears.

Smolder just nodded, sniffling.

Rarity nodded back, stepping aside for Starlight.

“Hey, Smolder,” she greeted warmly. “Are you okay?”

…

“No, I’m not,” Smolder finally confessed. “I’m not okay… I’m not okay!” she repeated, feeling the others hug her even tighter.

Starlight took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay. It’s going to be okay, Smolder. We’re gonna bring you home, alright?”

“…Okay,” she replied, trembling. “Okay.”

“Right. C’mon, girls, let’s go,” she said, motioning for the others to help her guide the students home. “Let’s go…”

As the party proceeded through the Everfree Forest and back toward Ponyville, a shimmering spirit formed at the edge of Treehouse, watching them progress.

Once they departed out of its sight, it smiled warmly.

“Worry not, my friends… Serenity will soon be bestowed unto you. I promise.”

Author's Note

And, at long last, the truth is revealed.

Ohhh, boy! This chapter was certainly a piece of work! Let me tell you, it was not easy figuring out how best to convey everything properly.
Them solving the mystery behind Smolder's attitude... Silverstream's mountain of regret... Sandbar and Gallus' argument... And especially that final scene with Smolder and Gallus!

If you're all wondering why I needed extra time writing these last few chapters, this is your answer. I certainly hope it was worth the wait because I don't know if I did this entire concept justice. :unsuresweetie: I very much think I did, but that's for all of you guys to decide.

Speaking of which, that concept I forewarned you all about was the mention of suicide(And just death in general).
I also like to think I did this moderately well, but I know it is absolutely not a thing most people are comfortable with. I also have no idea if I should add a "Suicide" tag to the story now because of this chapter.

With that said, PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET ME KNOW IF I DID HANDLE IT WELL! I don't want to leave a subject as sensitive as suicide in the chapter if I didn't treat it with the proper care it deserves!

Moving on, I have great news! After some final touches, I'll have finished the final chapter of the story! :pinkiehappy: Of course, I then have to write the epilogue which, uh...? Knowing me, is going to be just as long as all the other chapters! :scootangel:
Afterward, all I'll have left to do is the "Writing of..." for this story! Which is ALSO likely going to be heavy on the words. :applejackconfused:

All that to say, the next chapter is coming on 1 - 3 of January! :raritystarry: Thank you again for reading, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll gladly accept any and all thoughts and criticisms you may have!

NEXT TIME: We're off to Griffonstone, everyone!

EDIT (11/28): Now that I finally remembered to mention this, for those who didn't catch the references, these were the costumes the characters were wearing in the last chapter:

Gallus: Royal Guard(MLP, as stated in story)

Silverstream: Washout(MLP, as stated in story)

Ocellus: Oleander(Them’s Fightin’ Herds)

Sandbar: Leon Kennedy(Resident Evil)

Yona: Ada Wong(Resident Evil)

Smolder: Generic, non-specific princess, as stated in-story.

Vellum: Chara(Undertale)

Scoop: Link(The Legend of Zelda)

Shimmy: Tenebris Nightshade(Her own edgy O.C., as stated in-story)

I had meant to mention this in the Author’s Note back when I first posted this chapter but ultimately forgot and kept forgetting until I re-edited this chapter in preparation for “The Writing of The Bonds of Love.” Better late than never, right? …Right? :twilightblush:

Chapter Ten: Home

“Wow…” Starlight Glimmer muttered, gaping in surprise. She then passed the letter back to him, exclaiming, “I’ll admit! Sounds like Gilda’s made a lot of progress.”

“Eh, I doubt it,” Gallus said, taking the item and stuffing it into his bags. “Gabby’s probably just exaggerating again. Make it seem more appealing and whatnot…”

“Maybe,” she agreed, resting her cheek against her hoof. “Then again? I’ve heard from Twilight herself that the Restoration Project has been going strong, so I doubt that’s the case.”

“Uh-huh. Sure,” he replied, frowning indignantly. “So…? What do you think I should do?”

Starlight bit her lip and slowly said, “I don’t know, Gallus.”

“Well, I don’t know what to do either,” he admitted with a groan. “Should I go and spend the holiday with them, or should I just stay here?” Gallus asked, twiddling his talons.

“…Look, Gallus, this is your decision,” she began hesitantly. “If you want to go then you can; I won’t stop you. Or, if you don’t want to go, you can stay here over the break. But? I know how much you, er, ‘dislike’ Griffonstone. So, if going there will just dredge up bad memories…?”

“I shouldn’t go?”

“Not if it means you hurt yourself by doing so.”

For a split second, Gallus looked happy she had told him that, but his smile slowly faded away. “But if I went anyway and did have a good time there…? Then that would kind of be like healing?” he inquired.

“I suppose so,” she reluctantly conceded. “But is it worth the risk of not having a good time?”

“That’s what I’m asking you; do you think I should stay, or should I go?”

“I… I can’t make that decision for you, Gallus,” Starlight said, shaking her head sadly. “This is your choice, not mine. All I can do is give you whatever advice and help that I can.”

“Ughhh!” Gallus moaned into his talons. “Fair enough, I guess. In that case, got any advice for how I can figure out what to do?”

“Talk it out with your friends and see what they think about the offer,” she readily answered.

“Oh please, I already know what they would say,” he boasted. “Sandbar and Yona would say I should, and Smolder and Ocellus would say I shouldn’t. And Silver would just say it’s my decision too.”

“You know your friends so well,” she praised dryly. “Nonetheless, I really do think you should talk to them about it, even if you do turn out to be correct.”

“Will do. … Hey, Headmare Starlight?”

“Yes?”

“H-How has everything been going with Smolder?” Gallus asked tentatively.

Starlight blinked, caught off-guard by the question. She quickly recollected her composure and explained, “She and I have talked. A lot. And…? I think she’s doing a lot better now,” she sighed, relieved. “But what about you and the others? How have you all been holding up?”

“Well, it’s been a few months, so…” Gallus shrugged. “I think we’ve all moved on from what happened. Things are still a little awkward, but… Smolder is smiling again!” he rejoiced. “To be honest, I think she’s been trying to hang out with us even more than usual too.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Definitely.” He paused and hesitantly added, “In fact? Smolder wants to be with us so much—”

“That she’s not going back to the Dragon Lands for the holiday?” Starlight guessed.

“So you knew about that?”

“Mhmm. She discussed that with me too,” she elaborated, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. “It’s nothing to do with any of you; she just doesn’t feel up to going home this year.”

“I wonder if that would be true if…” Gallus hung his head and fell silent.

“What happened, happened, Gallus. There’s no use in dwelling on the past, wishing it had been better,” Starlight advised sagely. “The most you can do is accept it and move on from there.”

“Yeah. I know,” he mumbled, rubbing his shoulder anxiously. “I just wish she hadn’t been upset for so long! I don’t blame myself for what happened, but I do regret we didn’t solve it sooner.”

“Well, you have nothing to feel guilty for,” she assured. “Besides. Chances are that even if you had tried talking to Smolder, she wouldn’t have told you anything.”

“Like with Silverstream?”

“Like with Silverstream.”

…

“She does still feel guilty, you know,” Gallus whispered.

“I had a feeling,” Starlight mumbled, looking away pensively. “But from what I’ve seen, Silver’s been doing better. How does she act around you?”

“Happy,” he answered truthfully. “Silver and I sorta agreed to put off our second date until everything settled down, but a few days ago, she asked if we could start working on it again!” Gallus exclaimed, beaming enthusiastically. “I already got a schedule planned and everything!”

“Woo-hoo!” she cheered. “I hope everything goes well for you two.”

“Me too. I still need to run everything by her, of course, but…” He smiled serenely, finishing, “I think she’ll really like what I’ve got in store.”

“Oh, I’m sure she will. And make sure to let me know if you need any help with anything.”

Gallus blinked. “Actually? There is something you can help me with. I’ll have to get back to you on it though,” he ended suspiciously.

“O-Okay,” she said, wondering what exactly he had in mind. “So? Is Silverstream doing alright, regarding Smolder? You said she was still feeling guilty?”

“Not as much as she was, but Silver’s still pretty quiet around her.”

Starlight simply hummed, rubbing her chin in thought.

…

“Whelp,” Gallus resumed after finishing off his own cocoa. “Speaking of Silverstream? I gotta get back to her. She was going to show me some more of her drawings today!” he proclaimed eagerly. “And I definitely don’t want to be late to that.”

“I can tell,” Starlight said, giggling. “…Sorry I couldn’t give you any more advice about Gabby’s request.”

“Nah, it’s okay,” he assuaged as he stood up and stepped toward the door. “I’m sure I’ll figure it out.”

“You still have a few days before the Hearth’s Warming break, so don’t worry,” she comforted. “Just remember your choice should be the one that makes you the most happy.”

“Thanks, I will. See you later, Headmare Starlight.”

“Goodbye, Gallus.”

***

“Aww!” Gallus cooed at the picture in his talons. “That’s so cool, Silver; Sandy’s going to love this!” he praised, giving her drawing back.

“Hee-hee-hee,” Silver tittered, putting it and her other sketches back into her portfolio. “Thanks. It took a while to do, but I think it looks great. Now, I just need to frame and wrap it.”

“And get it to him before he and Yona leave for Yakyakistan,” he reminded her.

“Eh, they don’t leave until Friday, so I’ve got time.” She then gave him a warm smile and softly said, “I’m glad you liked my drawings.”

“What’s not to love?” he wondered, smirking. “They’re detailed, beautiful, and done by you. A pretty fantastic combination, if I do say so myself.”

“You wouldn’t be saying that about my earliest drawings,” Silver challenged, shuddering at the memory of them. “Those were terrible.”

“Did you get red streaks in your mane like you did when you first tried painting?”

“…I don’t want to answer that,” she grumbled, earning a delighted snicker. “B-But I will admit most of them were just plain, ole stick figures.”

“What’s the problem with that? You have to start somewhere, after all.”

Silver merely smiled bashfully.

“And besides, look how far you’ve come,” he continued, gesturing to her latest masterpiece. “From stick figures to a starry night sky that could make Luna jealous. Now, that’s amazing!”

“And look at you! From blueberry muffins to the best brownies in the school!”

“Aside from Pinkie’s?”

“Aside from Pinkie’s,” Silver begrudgingly conceded.

Gallus chuckled lightly, looking back at Silver’s painting and sighing. “It really is beautiful, Silverstream. I think Smolder’s really gonna like it,” he promised, placing a wing around her.

“I hope so,” she wished, leaning into his embrace. “I know how much she loves the stars…”

“She really does,” Gallus confirmed, thinking back to their last round of stargazing. He then took a breath, steeling his nerves. “You know…? You are going to have to give it to her,” he bluntly acknowledged. “Are you going to be okay when you do?”

Silver remained silent for a moment. “I think so,” she eventually said. “I just— I know it’s been a long time since that night, but I just keep wanting to tell her I’m sorry.”

Gallus gave her a comforting nuzzle, saying, “That’s okay, Silver. I think we all want to keep telling her that.”

Silver crooned in acknowledgment, nuzzling him back.

…

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“Were you planning to head home for the holiday?” Gallus asked gently.

“Back to Mount Aris? Uh? I…haven’t decided yet,” Silver admitted, wincing.

“Well? If you do stay here, maybe you and she can hang out? You know? Since Smolder’s not going home this year either. Sounds like the perfect opportunity to make amends,” he encouraged.

Silver mulled the idea over, mumbling, “I don’t know, Gallus. What would I even say?”

“‘Hey, Smolder, how’re you doing?’” he suggested, shrugging innocently.

She snorted and said, “Sure. We’ll go with that. … Assuming I do stay here for the break.”

“True. I bet your folks really want to see you again, huh?”

“Mhmm,” she hummed, shooting a nervous glance at her desk drawer. “Yep. They do.”

“Yeah. After all,” he added, smirking. “I bet they’re both dying to interrogate you about your new boyfriend.”

Giggling, Silver nudged him playfully and groaned, “Oh, believe me! That’s one of the reasons I’m considering not going.”

“No way! Oh come on, Silver, don’t tell me you’re—” Gallus gasped melodramatically and concluded, “Embarrassed of me!”

“Oh yeah. I’m totally embarrassed of you, Gallus,” she deadpanned. “You’ve only helped me tell off that fake Storm King, brought us to victory at Lyra’s Laser Tag, and given me the warmest hugs ever,” Silver listed off merrily. “Yeah. Totally embarrassed to be your girlfriend.”

Gallus smiled, murmuring, “Thanks. Seriously though? I doubt they’d bug you that much about me.”

“You’d think that, but as for Dad? Ugh! He would spend the entire holiday begging to know everything about you,” Silver elaborated, rolling her eyes. “Not even Terramar would be able to get him to stop.”

“Oof. Any chance you could stay with your mom for the break? Or would she do the same?”

She grimaced angrily, stating, “My mother is the other reason I don’t want to go.”

Gallus blinked in surprise and asked, “Did something happen between you two?”

“…Kinda. I don’t really want to talk about it,” Silver groused, giving him a pleading look.

“Let’s not talk about it then.”

“Thank you. But? Yeah, Dad will absolutely love you when you meet him.”

“Sweet! I’ll make sure to be on my best behavior,” he promised teasingly.

“You better be.”

“I plan to be.”

“Hee-hee-hee. … In any case? I think I will stay here this year,” Silver ultimately decided. “For one thing, I should talk to Smolder like you said… Pluuus!” she sang as she snuggled even closer. “Since you’re here too, we can spend the whole holiday together! Maybe we’ll even finish planning our next date,” she suggested, grinning eagerly.

“Heh-heh-heh,” Gallus laughed awkwardly. “About that?”

“Huh? What do you— Wait! You mean…!?”

“Yep. At long. Pecking! Last! I have finally finished planning the date.”

“YES!” she screamed, bouncing into the air for a second before collapsing back onto the bed and grabbing him in a tight hug. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, Silver,” he managed to get out. “Do you mind letting me breathe again?”

“Whoops! Sorry,” she apologized, loosening her grip. “Sooo? What’s the plan?”

“The plan is to give you this,” he said, retrieving a notebook from his bags. “It’s the schedule, and I wanted you to go over it. You know? Just in case there was something I planned that you didn’t want to do, or something you did want to do that I didn’t plan.”

She scoffed and exclaimed, “Gallus!? You’re giving me homework!? For the holiday break!?”

“W-Well, um, uh…” he stammered. “Yeah, pretty much.”

Rolling her eyes, she quickly took the schedule into her talons and stared at it in pure glee. Said glee soon dissipated into a mild hesitancy. “Gallus? Are you sure you want me to read this? I know you don’t exactly want me to be spoiled…”

“Scoop tell you that?”

“Repeatedly.”

“Figured. But honestly?” Gallus gave her a small smile and said, “If you don’t want to read it, I won’t ask you to. I just… I would rather have your input before I do anything for certain.”

“You are so sweet,” she complimented, nuzzling his cheek. “I really hope you know that.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, nuzzling her back. “I know.”

“Good. You… You can pay for everything, right?”

Gallus blinked, holding back a groan as he confirmed, “Yes, Silverstream. I can pay for it. Just like I could pay for it every other time you asked me about it.”

Silver awkwardly chortled, fixing her gaze on the schedule rather than his unamused frown. After a moment, she put the book aside, saying “Anyway, about reading the schedule? I’ll…think about it. It doesn’t go over everything everything, does it?”

“First page is the times and events, nothing more. Everything after is full details.”

“Gotcha. Out of curiosity, how long did it take you to whittle it down to just one notebook?” she asked with a knowing smirk.

“About a week,” he confessed unashamedly. “There were a lot of things I really wanted to include but couldn’t.”

“Like what?”

“Well, I was hoping to include kite-flying somewhere in the schedule, but…?”

“You were gonna take me kite-flying for our second date?” Silver asked incredulously.

“Hey, don’t knock it till you try it,” Gallus objected. “Starlight wasn’t kidding when she said it was awesome.”

“Hee-hee! Don’t worry, Gallus, I’d love to go kite-flying with you. But for our a second date?” she bemoaned. “Ehhh, no.”

“Exactly why I cut it.”

“Ahh. Anything else cool you wanted to do?” she asked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

“Ha! Nice try, Silverstream, but I ain’t telling you everything,” he retorted, playfully booping her beak. “Not when some of ‘em could be for other dates.”

“Come on! At least tell me if one of ‘em was karaoke?”

“Are you kidding me!? You may love turning all our drama recitals into musicals, but I have the singing skills of a cheese grater,” he proclaimed, snickering.

“I don’t sing my lines all the time!” she protested, fidgeting sheepishly. “Just some of them. And only when I’m too excited to not sing them!”

“I know. That’s what makes it so adorable whenever you do it,” Gallus praised.

Flushing faintly, Silver wondered, “How do you keep getting sweeter and sweeter?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just like taking my duties as your boyfriend seriously.”

They both shared a quiet laugh, but soon, his eyes fell back upon the schedule.

“There was one thing I really wanted to do for the date,” Gallus divulged as his headcrest drooped slightly. “But it’s too late to do it now. Stupid deadline…” he grumbled.

“What was it?” she asked, perplexed.

“Spoilers,” Gallus teased, cheering back up slightly. “That’s definitely something I plan to do for another date. No question.”

“Awww! I can’t even get a hint?”

“Mmm? Fine. Let’s just say it was something Sandbar helped me learn.”

“Ooh, macaroni art?” she speculated, genuinely thrilled by the possibility.

“While I’m certain most would call it an art? No. It’s not macaroni art.”

Silver snapped her talons, jokingly lamenting, “Dang. Oh well.” She then sighed peacefully, admitting, “I’m still not sure if I’ll read the schedule. I might; I might not…? I do want it to be somewhat of a surprise, after all,” Silver then clicked her beak and concluded, “But I won’t lie, working with you on the date sounds pretty fun too.”

“Yeah, it does,” he agreed, grinning happily. “But if you don’t want to read it, you don’t have to, Silver.”

“I know. … I’ll let you know when I decide.”

“Understood.” After a brief stretch of silence, Gallus swallowed nervously, mumbling, “Although, speaking of decisions? There’s something else I needed to talk to you about.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Do you, uh, remember that letter I got from Gabby last week?”

“Uh-huh?” Silver said, nodding in confusion. “What was that about anyway? Another letter from that kid? Er? Gavin, right?”

“His name is Gavin, yes. But no. It wasn’t from him. It’s, uh… A little hard to explain.”

“Okay. So, what was going on? Did something happen?” she questioned, a note of concern creeping into her voice.

“No, not really. … Gabby invited me to visit Griffonstone for the holiday,” he relented, twitching his wings anxiously. “And, um, I was thinking about going.”

Silverstream was speechless for a moment, but she soon collected herself enough to mutter, “But…? You hate Griffonstone. Why would you consider going back?”

“W-Well, Gabby said the place is really cleaning up well. Even the library’s rebuilt apparently!” he revealed, perking up excitedly. “And since they invited me, I figured… Why not?”

“Even the library is back!? That’s hard to believe. Amazing if it’s true, but…?”

“I know. Griffonstone? Repairing the library!?” Gallus groaned sarcastically. “Come on, Gabs, I know you told me that was your next big project, but did you really expect me to believe you actually followed through on that?” he ended, shaking his head.

“…They did fix the library. Didn’t they?”

“She sent a picture of it with the letter. Whole new building and everything! Looked really nice…”

“Wow,” she whispered, flabbergasted. “Gilda really is fixing the place up.”

“Evidently.”

“But you still don’t like it there… Do you?” she asked, watching him carefully.

“I— I mean, well? No,” Gallus confirmed shyly. “Griffonstone isn’t my home, so if I don’t have to go back then I never will! I promised myself that a long time ago.”

“If that’s the case, why are you thinking about going back this time?”

“…I want to see Gruff,” he confessed.

A moment of silence passed while Silver simply held him close, rubbing his back comfortingly. “Don’t worry, Gallus,” she requested. “I understand.”

“I-I know he probably doesn’t care about me, and maybe I’m just in denial,” Gallus continued, grateful for Silver’s presence. “But I still want to see him! That’s— That’s not bad, is it?”

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t think it is, but maybe it would be better if you didn’t go? At least that way, you don’t have to risk being…”

“Disappointed?”

“Hurt,” Silver corrected, holding his talon in hers. “I know you want him to care about you, Gallus. I just don’t want you to be upset if it turns out he…doesn’t.”

“You’re really sweet too, you know that?” Gallus extolled, planting a quick kiss on her cheek.

Silver’s wings gave a feeble flutter as kissed him back, saying, “I try.”

“And you succeed brilliantly,” he complimented joyfully. “So? You don’t think I should go?”

“…It’s ultimately your decision, Gallus,” she said, unknowingly making him smirk. “If you want to go, you can; I won’t stop you. But…? No,” she stated firmly. “I don’t think you should go.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Gallus acknowledged, flicking his tail warily. “I have nothing but bad memories of that place, so I probably shouldn’t go anywhere near it.”

“Exactly.”

“But,” he resumed hesitantly. “Wouldn’t it be better if I could make some good memories there? Like it or not, I was raised there. I am a griffon,” Gallus said, staring at his talons. “And Gabby and Gilda are my friends, so even— Even if seeing Gruff doesn’t pan out, I can spend time with them.”

“Still seems like a risk,” Silver addressed, not bothering to hide her worry. “I don’t mean to sound paranoid, but if that place will only upset you…?”

“No one can be happy all the time,” he said darkly. “And in this case, it’s less about me being upset by Griffonstone and more about finding reasons not to be. Moving on. … Isn’t that better?”

Silverstream thought about it and uncertainly agreed, “Yes. It is. But, Gallus?” she continued. “If you do go to Griffonstone, would you like me to come with you?”

“No,” Gallus answered resolutely. “There is absolutely no way I want you to go there!”

“Yet you’re willing to go yourself?”

“Willing to consider going. I am far from decided on the matter,” he clarified, sighing. “But if I did go, I would not want you anywhere near that place.”

“And I wouldn’t want you to be there all alone if you end up getting upset.”

“Thank you for caring so much, Silver,” he said, giving her another kiss. “Believe me, I’d love it if you could come. But as awesome a job as Gilda and Gabby are seemingly doing, I know full-well they haven’t fixed all the bad parts of that place.”

“Then why not stay here. With me,” Silver whimpered softly.

Gallus said nothing.

“…Well. Whatever you decide? Just know I’ll be right here,” she promised, kissing him once more. “Always.”

He kissed her back, whispering, “Yep. Definitely succeeding brilliantly.”

***

The Friendship Express whistled loudly into the snowy air of Ponyville while its conductor, All Aboard, urged the crowd to hurry onto the train and bask in its warmth.

Meanwhile, a trio of friends stood at the end of the station, deep in conversation despite the icy bite of the winter wind…

“Are you sure about this, Gallus?” Silver asked for quite possibly the hundredth time that day.

“Silver? It’s okay,” Gallus reassured. “I know what I’m doing.”

“I-I know,” she muttered, unconvinced. “I’m just worried.”

“I am too,” Smolder said, rubbing her shoulders in a futile attempt to stave off the chill. “Are you sure you don’t want us to go with you?” she asked, sharing an anxious look with the hippogriff.

“Girls, I appreciate the concern; I really do!” he proclaimed, swooping them both into one last hug. “But seriously! Nothing bad is gonna happen, I promise.”

If it weren’t so cold or windy, smoke would have begun billowing from Smolder’s nostrils.

“Plus,” Gallus continued, grinning at Silverstream confidently. “If anything does happen—which it won’t! Then I’m coming home immediately, no matter how much Gabby or the others protest.”

Silver scoffed and grumbled, “I can’t believe that actually has to be a concern…”

“Yeah. I know,” he settled for saying, unable to come up with a better response.

Smolder bit her lip and cautiously checked, “Y-You’re not gonna be there for the whole holiday, right? I mean, you hate that place! Don’t you?”

“I do…” Gallus then took a deep breath and let it out. “But maybe I don’t have to anymore. And call it crazy? But I don’t want to hate it. If that makes sense.”

Both Smolder and Silver desperately wanted to say it didn’t, but rather than discourage him any further, they remained silent.

“Gallus?” Silver slowly resumed. “We understand this means a lot to you, and we absolutely support you! We just want you to be happy. And if Griffonstone ends up upsetting you…?”

“I’ll head straight back here and spend the holiday with you two,” Gallus swore. “Besides? Like you asked, Smolder, I don’t plan to be there long. I’ll give that place a chance on Gabby’s behalf, but I’d rather hike my way back here through a pecking blizzard than stay there for the full two weeks.”

Neither of them seemed remotely relieved.

“Last call for Griffonstone! Last call for Griffonstone!” the conductor announced loudly. “All creatures heading for Griffonstone, please board now! Thank you,” he said, eyeing them specifically.

Gallus frowned at the display. “Look, girls, don’t worry about me,” he requested one final time. “I’ll be fine. See you two soon. Happy Hearth’s Warming,” he said, stepping towards the train.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Gallus,” Silver said, forcing a small smile for his sake.

“Just— Just be safe! Okay?” Smolder pleaded, tightly clenching her claws.

“I will,” he promised, giving Smolder a comforting smile. “Just promise me both of you will have fun while I’m gone,” he ended, shooting Silver a wink.

“Y-Yeah, we will,” she assured. “Buuut? We’ll have a lot more fun when you get back!”

“Tch. Obviously,” Gallus drawled. “My very presence is enough to triple the fun anycreature is having at any given time,” he declared jokingly.

Smolder snorted while Silver merely rolled her eyes.

“AHEM! Last! Train! To Griffonstone!” the conductor repeated, sternly glaring at them.

“Uh-oh! That’s my cue, girls!”

“Okay. We’ll see you soon, Gallus,” Silver said, blowing him a kiss.

Gallus blew a kiss back then promised, “And I’ll see you soon… Goodbye,” he said, trotting into the train car and waving from the window. They happily waved back.

Less than a minute later, the train emitted another loud whistle and chugged away into the foggy, white distance beyond.

…

“Silverstream?” Smolder began, dropping the fake smile.

“We shouldn’t have let him leave?” Silver guessed, her tone neutral.

She nodded, staring after the train even though it had long-since disappeared into the snowstorm. “If the others were still here they’d say the same thing.”

“I know.”

Smolder’s maw peeled back to reveal an enraged snarl as she growled, “We should’ve stopped him! That stupid place is— He hates— You— I—” She sighed furiously and weakly rebuked, “We didn’t even try to stop him…”

“No, we did try,” Silver argued sadly. “But Gallus made his choice. I just wish he had let me go with him! If he does get upset, I-I could have helped him! But I can’t… I’m stuck here,” she lamented.

Smolder hesitantly reached out and patted Silver’s back consolingly. “W-Well? Even if he is going back, we’ll still be here,” she said awkwardly. “Gallus promised he’d come back the instant that place starts screwing with him again. So…? Everything will be okay. Right?”

“I don’t know… But?” Silver continued with renewed hope. “You’re right. If anything happens, he’ll come back. And we’ll be right here, ready to help him however we can!” she declared, feeling somewhat comforted by that fact. “In the meantime, we’ll just have to be optimistic.”

“Yeah… Yeah! Optimistic! We can do that,” Smolder mumbled more to herself than Silver. “We can be optimistic. We can be optimistic…”

“Hey,” Silverstream called out, drawing Smolder’s attention. “Are you gonna be okay?”

Smolder flinched and fiddled with the threads of her scarf. “I-I guess? Although? Not gonna lie, I really feel like melting something right now,” she said, huffing angrily.

“You’re not the only one.” A second later, an idea sparked in Silver’s mind, and she beckoned, “Speaking of melting? C’mon, Smolder, let’s go get some hot chocolate and warm up! Sugarcube Corner? My treat?” she offered.

Smolder shot one last glare in the direction of the train before turning to Silver and protesting, “Y-You don’t need to do that, Silver. I-I—” She paused, realizing what she was doing and correcting herself, “Actually? That sounds pretty nice. But I’ll pay for mine!”

“Are you sure?” Silver asked, silently celebrating that Smolder wasn’t trying to run away this time. “I’ve got plenty of Bits to spare; it’s no problem.”

“I’m sure; I can buy my own cocoa,” Smolder claimed proudly.

“And how many marshmallows can you get with that cocoa?”

“…Crud. Okay, uh? You mind if we stop at the School first, so I can—”

“I’m buying your cocoa and marshmallows, Smolder.”

“Fine,” she pouted, much to Silverstream’s amusement.

***

Okay, Gallus! This is fine, he told himself, nervously tapping his seat as the train began slowing down. Everything will be fine; there’s no need to worry.

Once the Friendship Express jostled to a stop, All Aboard stepped into their car, announcing their arrival and permitting them to get to off the train. As the other passengers proceeded to do just that, Gallus remained exactly where he sat.

This is a good idea, right? Gallus asked himself yet again. I— I don’t have anything to worry about. It’s been—what?—over two years since I last lived here? A-And everygriff listened to me and helped Equestria fight those idiots off too! he remembered, feeling a bit more hopeful. If nothing else, that proves the griffons are at least a little nicer.

But what if that was a fluke? What if Gabby was exaggerating and Griffonstone is still a giant pit of despair!? What if this was a mistake!? he panicked. What if Silver and Smolder were right, and I am just going to get hurt!?

Gallus put his talon to his chest, sharply inhaling. He then slowly exhaled, pushing his talon away, commanding, Calm down, Gallus. You are okay. And Gabby’s not a liar; Griffonstone probably is better. Maybe I really don’t have to hate that place anymore… he considered, optimistic.

“And even if something bad does happen, I can leave,” he quietly reminded himself. “No guilt. No shame. No problem. I don’t owe this place anything.”

Knowing that, Gallus felt marginally better, enough so, that he finally stood, collected his luggage, and donned his scarf and parka.

As Gallus approached, All Aboard turned and exclaimed, “Ah! There you are, Mr. Gallus. I was wondering where you were; I expected you’d be the first to disembark.”

“How’d you figure that?” Gallus wondered, pausing in front of the stallion.

“I simply assumed you’d be eager to return home, is all,” All Aboard explained casually. “I imagine the, er, quirks of Ponyville likely get overwhelming compared to the charm of Griffonstone.”

Charm? “This isn’t exactly my home,” Gallus corrected, rubbing his shoulder.

“O-Oh. My apologies then.”

“Th-That’s fine; you don’t have to apologize. … Um? May I ask you something?”

“Of course. What did you need?”

“When, uh, when does the next train arrive?”

The conductor raised an eyebrow and asked, “You need to head back?”

“I-I don’t know. I might,” he admitted curtly.

“Well? The next train doesn’t come in until Monday, three days from now,” he apprehensively answered. “Of course, if you need to head back now, we can take you back to Ponyville, no problem.”

“W-What!? No-no-no!” Gallus protested. “No, you don’t need to do that for me!”

“You sure, son?”

“…Yeah. Yeah, I’m good,” he said, trying to sound assuasive but not exactly succeeding. “But, um? You said Monday, right?”

“There was some chatter about a blizzard that might roll in, but since it’s a pretty slim chance, we should arrive just fine. And even if the storm does come in, it’ll only delay us a few hours at most.”

“A blizzard delays you for only a few hours? Not days, but hours!?”

“Heh. Son, this here train trudges to the Crystal Empire and back every other week. She can handle a trip through the worst of white-outs,” he proudly professed.

“Wow! I didn’t know that; that’s cool!” I also hope it’s true.

“Indeed it is.”

“…So, Monday then? Yeah. Yeah, I can make it to Monday,” Gallus believed, far more confident now that he knew when he could leave if he needed to. “Thank you, sir.”

“It’s no problem at all,” All Aboard assured. “But, Mr. Gallus? Do you need to head back to Ponyville?” he asked, mildly concerned by his passenger’s obvious dismay. “It really is no hassle.”

This is it. Last chance to change my mind, Gallus realized, warring one last time over whether to continue or return home. But? Why would I change my mind?

Starlight and Silver were right. This is my choice, he understood. I’ve already made it, and I can stick with it. If everything goes well, maybe I can finally get some closure with this place. And if anything goes wrong, I can go back home and never return.

With all that said… Gallus calmly chose, “No thank you. I’ll be fine.”

“Alright, son. But only if you’re sure?”

“I’m sure. Thank you for the offer though, I really appreciate it.”

All Aboard simply tipped his hat in acknowledgment.

“In any case? I really should be going,” he said, stepping around the stallion and toward the door. “Thank you again. And have a Happy Hearth’s Warming,” Gallus wished.

“And you have a Happy Blue Moon Festival.”

“Thanks, I’ll try,” he said, trotting out onto the station and wincing as a blast of cold, mountain wind swept over him. “Y-Y-Yeesh,” Gallus stuttered, clutching his coat tighter. “I forgot how cold it got up here,” he whined, spotting the creature he suspected would be waiting for him.

Said creature saw him instantly and bounded over in a flash of gray feathers.

“EEEEE!” Gabby squealed, tackling him to the ground in a tight hug. “Gallus, you came! You really came!” she celebrated.

“Yep, I’m here,” he confirmed, struggling to both breathe and quell his remaining anxiety. “So, uh? How are you doing?” Gallus asked after she helped him stand back up.

“I’m amazing! Especially now that you’re here! I won’t lie,” she said shyly. “When you didn’t leave the train at first, I was worried you had changed your mind. But nope, here you are!” Gabby rejoiced, somehow managing to give Pinkie Pie’s smile a run for its Bits.

Gallus coughed, confessing, “Well, I almost changed my mind. But I figured I might as well give this place a shot.”

“And I’m glad you did!” Gabby’s smile drooped a little as she timidly admitted, “Although, I am surprised you didn’t want to spend the holiday with all of your friends?”

“I do,” he said bluntly. “And I still plan to spend it with them.”

“Huh? You mean…? They didn’t come with you, did they!?” she inquired, glancing excitedly at the train behind him.

“No. I just don’t plan to stay here for the full holiday break.”

“O-Oh,” Gabby muttered, frowning sadly. “How— How long do you plan to stay then?”

Well, the next train out is Monday, but… “Eh. I’ll give it a week. Maybe longer,” he added for her sake. “But I’m spending Hearth’s Warming with my friends. No exceptions.”

Her smile returned; although, it was noticeably subdued. “Understood. … Thank you again for coming, Gallus,” Gabby said, giving him another, softer hug. “It’s really good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too,” Gallus said, happily hugging her back. After they broke apart, he inquired, “So? How’re Gilda and Greta?”

“They’re both doing great, and so is everygriff else. Ooh!” she suddenly squeaked. “You need to see Gavin; he’s been so happy, helping at the library!”

“Oh yeah, Gavin said he was looking forward to the place being rebuilt,” Gallus remembered from his last correspondence with the fledgling.

“Grover’s Treasure! Is that the biggest understatement of the year!” she exclaimed, tittering. “I kid you not—When it reopened, he ran in there and tried to check out over a hundred books!”

“Whoa. The little scamp likes books,” he commented. The library has over a hundred books now!? he wondered, joking, “I bet Princess Twilight would be proud.”

“Oh, she was,” Gabby casually confirmed. “She was here that day, and she’s also why Gavin didn’t get to be the first to browse the new library. … He’s still bitter.”

“I would be too.”

After sharing a quiet laugh, Gabby resumed, “But yeah. We’ve done a lot since you were last here! Griffonstone feels like a totally different place, so I just know you’re gonna have a great time!” she claimed, beaming.

“That’s the plan,” he replied. Now, will I have a good time is the question.

Gabby giggled and began trotting away, waving for him to follow. “Well, c’mon then! Time for you to see the new and improved Griffonstone!” she sang, bouncing forward energetically.

Gallus said nothing and did nothing, staring at the speck in the distance he knew to be his hometown. Just the mere sight of it was enough to make him pause and fight back memories.

Just breathe, Gallus, he thought, doing exactly that. It’s okay to be afraid, but try to be optimistic. It won’t be that bad. Still? Be on your guard. You know what this place was like, and who knows how much it’s still like that, Gallus recognized, holding back a scowl. Just be ready.

“Grover’s Treasure, I sound paranoid,” he despised, combing a talon through his headcrest. C’mon, Gallus! You chose to give this place a chance, don’t let your terrible memories stop yourself from making better ones, he admonished himself, remembering Starlight’s advice.

“Hey, Gallus! What are you doing?” Gabby called out, breaking him from this thoughts. “Come on!” she beckoned, already halfway to the mountain path. “Let’s get out of the cold; you wouldn’t want to get sick right before the Blue Moon Festival after all,” she joked innocently.

Gallus shuddered involuntarily, whimpering No! No, I do not want to get hypothermia! Not again! Never again…! He gave a quick shake of his head and rushed to catch up with her. “Don’t worry, Gabby, I’m coming!”

***

“—I can’t believe you guys put a guard rail along the pathway,” Gallus admitted as they approached the archway leading into Griffonstone. “Like? Of all the things you could spend Neighsay’s donations on, you pick a guard rail up the mountain trail?”

“Actually, Princess Twilight’s donations went to it,” Gabby corrected. “And we put it up since so many creatures have visited our home recently. Of course we wouldn’t want any of them to, er, you know…” she trailed off, not wanting to finish that particularly morbid thought.

“Huh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” he agreed, shocked anygriff would have actually been concerned about something like that. That surprise quickly ebbed away into annoyance once his gaze locked onto a sign placed in front of the arch.

“‘Welcome to Griffonstone: Home of the Proud Griffon Race,’” he read, frowning.

“Yep!” she chirped happily. “Look—we even printed up brochures!” Gabby exclaimed, reaching to the box next to the sign and pulling one out.

“What the— Seriously!?” Gallus asked, taking the pamphlet and opening to the front page. “‘All tourists welcome! Please feel free to enjoy our famous Griffonscones, Boffyball stadium, and Hyperborean Mountain tours.’ Oh, so we’re giving tours now?” he pondered.

“Uh-huh! Gigi and Gimme both agreed to do it!” She then flicked her tail and remarked, “Gimme was a little hard to convince, but Gilda eventually won her over.”

“Let me guess? By promising her fifty Bits an hour? Or did she have to shoot for eighty?”

Gabby chuckled awkwardly, mumbling, “We’re, uh, still figuring that out. But Gigi was more than willing to volunteer.”

“Mhmm. Yeah? Well, keep your eye on Gigi then. She always had some kind of a plan from what I remember,” Gallus warned. That card-counting, little cheat…

“Gallus, we weren’t born yesterday,” Gabby deadpanned. “Fortunately, we didn’t have to prepare for any swindling attempts.”

“Keep telling yourself that and you’re gonna get swindled.”

“No, seriously, Gallus, she really didn’t ask for Bits,” she revealed, completely serious.

Gallus blinked rapidly, trying to wrap his head around that concept. “W-Well, she had to have asked for something in return! So, what was it?”

“Believe it or not? She just asked for us to help fix her house up,” Gabby elaborated. “I mean, we were already planning to do that, but…”

“Her house!? You’re telling me Gigi wanted help with her house!? Not Bits!?”

“Yep. No Bits, no favors; no deals. Just a few new windows and some roof repair. Of course, there was no way we were going to settle for that!” she laughed.

“You didn’t…?”

“We sure did! We rebuilt her house from the ground-up! Oh, Gallus, you really should have been here,” Gabby continued, smiling blissfully at the memory. “When she saw her new house, she started crying; she was so happy!”

Gallus worked to comprehend that revelation, muttering, “Well, uh, I-I guess that happened.”

“Hee-hee. A lot more happened too,” she stated, taking his talon and leading him into Griffonstone proper. “Come on, let me show what we did for the Festival!”

What they did, he quickly learned, was throw a celebration for the Blue Moon Festival.

An actual, full-fledged, proper celebration.

Never before had he seen such vibrancy permeate the kingdom. Ribbons and streamers were hung across practically everything, and almost every residence had at least some decorations put out for the holiday. And while most of it was simple stuff like a holiday flag or a string of lights, the mere fact Griffonstone had put up anything completely floored Gallus.

In fact, he had to do a double-take when he saw that one particular house had put out an inflatable snowgriff. The fact it was still there and slash-free nearly made him pass out in shock.

And as Gabby led him further into the city, Gallus noticed the decorations started changing. Gone were the colored lights and holiday streamers, and in their place were silver and blue banners depicting the moon and the occasional string of resplendently dyed feathers.

All traditional hallmarks of the Blue Moon Festival. And decorations Gallus had almost never seen before in his life.

Griffonstone is celebrating! Gallus acknowledged, no longer able to even remotely think otherwise. Actually celebrating! He looked around himself, and while there weren’t many griffons walking the streets, those who were all looked…happy. Genuinely happy.

“What?” was all he could say as he took everything in, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of positivity and cheer surrounding him. “What!?”

Gabby giggled, declaring, “Yep! Welcome back to Griffonstone, Gallus!”

***

“—It’s ice cream and soda pop in the same drink! Isn’t that amazing; I never would have thought they’d make a great combination, but lo and behold! They do!” Silverstream squealed, sipping at her float. “What about you? What’s your favorite dessert?”

“Mm? I would say mint chocolate chip ice cream with ruby sprinkles,” Smolder answered, munching on an oatmeal cookie. “It’s not the most sophisticated of snacks, but it! Is! Tasty!”

“I’ll have to take your word for it since I can’t eat gemstones.”

“Shame. Gems are delicious!” she professed, licking her maw.

“Well, I’m glad you enjoy ‘em.”

The pair fell into a calm silence as the flurry of snow continued to beat against the windows of Sugarcube Corner.

With the exception of the Cakes, Silver and Smolder were entirely alone within the establishment, but neither were really bothered by that. In fact, they both appreciated being able to spend some time together with nocreature else around.

C’mon, Silverstream, she thought as she massaged away a light brain-freeze. Everything is okay; all you need to do is apologize. For leaving her to stew in her paranoia. Which led to the whole Nightmare Night incident… Silver concluded, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

“Please don’t think any of this is your fault,” Gallus had begged of her.

After recalling that, Silver proceeded to play with her straw, telling herself, It’s not my fault Smolder was upset. I understand that. But…? I still shouldn’t have left her that day, she chastised, wincing faintly. Not when I could have helped her.

But how do I even apologize for something like that!? Silver wondered. It’s not like I can ask anyone for advice; everycreature would just say I don’t need to apologize. Yona would be the only exception, but all she’d say is that I should have hope everything will be fine, she groaned, looking up from her drink and staring at Smolder guiltily. She then blinked in realization.

But you? You would just tell me to get it over with, wouldn’t you, Smolder?

Silver swallowed nervously, gathered her courage, and began, “Hey, Smolder?”

“Hmm?”

“How are you doing? With everything?”

“Oh. Uhhh?” Smolder frowned uncomfortably, muttering, “I’m fine. You?”

“I’m doing good,” she confirmed. “Glad to hear you are too.”

“Yeah. … I mean, I could really do without the teachers pity-staring at me all the time,” she griped, determinedly looking away from Silver. “But I guess I brought that on myself, didn’t I?”

Rainbow Dash has been avoiding calling on her in class lately… “I think they’re mostly just worried about you. We all are.”

“I sorta figured that out,” Smolder said, scratching at her chair’s cushion. “Shimmy hasn’t let me skip a single cheer-leading practice since that night…”

“But you are practicing again; that’s good, right?”

Smolder grinned and said, “Oh yeah! Honestly, I almost forgot how much fun cheer-leading and Science Club are! Definitely helps that November and Ocellus have been bringing me up to speed on what I missed in the latter,” she added, finally meeting Silver’s eye again.

“Well, I’m happy you’re having so much fun!”

“I am too.”

For one heavenly minute, the two smiled at each other, all fear and awkwardness forgotten. Sadly, once that minute passed, Smolder frowned again. “Do you think he’s having fun? Back there?”

Silver stared at the frothy bottom of her empty cup, searching for an answer. Settling for honesty, she whispered, “I don’t know. But I like to think he is,” she said, smiling optimistically. “Gallus knows what he’s doing, so if he didn’t think it was a good idea, he wouldn’t have gone.”

“You, uh, you do know he probably only went there because of…him. Right?”

“I know,” Silver answered coldly. “And even if that place is better and Gallus manages to have fun with Gabby and Gilda…? I’m really scared of what will happen if Gruff…”

“Hurts him?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s scared,” Smolder eventually mumbled, taking a nearby napkin and slowly ripping it into pieces. “After all that place put him through…? After that stupid git didn’t bother to show up to the Fair or your play…!” she growled as smoke leaked from her nostrils.

Silver reached out and took Smolder’s claw into her talon. “It’s going to be alright, Smolder.” It has to be. I can’t… It— It just has to be! she kept herself from adding.

“Sure. Maybe,” she sneered, barely acknowledging Silver’s touch. “And what if it’s not? What if he gets hurt? What if he comes back, and he’s not okay anymore?” she asked, tearing up.

“We’ll help him feel better,” Silver answered, feeling her heart race in fearful anticipation. “Just like you said we would.”

Smolder took in a slow breath and let out a cloud of steamy air, squeezing the feeling out of Silver’s talon. “I wish we didn’t have to help him. Why couldn’t he just be okay forever?”

“Because…” Silver sorted through her lessons in search of a suitable response. Once she found one, she stated, “Because nocreature can be happy all the time. Sometimes, sorrow is something somecreature needs to show,” she explained, despising that fact. “Even fear and loneliness have to be expressed sometimes. It’s not exactly a fun fact, but… It is okay to feel those things.”

After a second, Smolder laughed weakly, leaning back and rubbing her eyes. “Oh geez!” she groaned, smiling hollowly. “You know? I think I needed to hear that, Silver. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. I think we all need to remember that lesson sometimes.”

“Yeah. It is a pretty good lesson,” Smolder conceded, exasperated. “Still though? Do you think there was anything we could have done to stop him from going?”

“I doubt it highly. Gallus can be pretty stubborn when he think he needs to do something,” Silver pointed out, even more relieved he had finally given up on planning their second date alone.

“He’s not the only one,” she sighed. “But you never know, m-maybe if one of us had gone home for the holiday, we could have invited him to tag along?” Smolder suggested weakly.

“Oh, believe me. I did think about that,” Silver wistfully confided. “But? On top of the fact that going to Griffonstone was his decision and I didn’t want to force him to go against it…? I am not ready for him to meet my family yet,” she confessed, grimacing. “Especially my mother!”

“I guess that makes sense,” Smolder said, still somewhat perturbed. “You guys haven’t even gone on your second date yet, so it’s no wonder you’re not ready for that step.”

“That— That’s not at all what this is about!”

“Hey, I didn’t mean to judge you; I-I know you love him!” Smolder yelped. “I swear!”

Terrified she had upset Smolder, Silver frantically protested, “No, no! I know! I-I’m not upset! I perfectly understood what you meant! No— No worries!”

“O-Okay! Okay…” Once both of them calmed down, Smolder resumed, “So? If that’s the case, then why aren’t you ready for him to meet your folks?”

“…Promise not to tell Gallus?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly; stick a cupcake in my eye,” she recited, performing the motions.

“Well? The truth is…” Silver inhaled sharply, forcing herself to answer, “The truth is my mom isn’t exactly fond of him.”

Smolder blinked. “What? Why not?”

“I have no idea!” she shouted, resting her head on the table. “But almost every letter she writes to me has some kind of comment about him. And not the nice kind.”

“Like what?”

Silver raised her head back up, brushed her mane from her eyes, and sweetly quoted, “‘And don’t forget, honey! There are plenty of seaponies in the ocean; you don’t have to settle for less!’”

“Well then!” Smolder groaned as her eyes widened in shock. “That’s… What!?”

“Yeah, I know. I stopped reading her letters after I saw that one.”

“Yikes!” she exclaimed, giving Silver a sympathetic look. “W-Why would your mom say things like that?”

“I have no idea!” she growled. “Oh, I want to know! Believe me, I do! But I don’t…” Hugging herself, Silver concluded, “Mom just doesn’t think Gallus and I should be together, I guess.”

“Is— Is that why you didn’t go home this year? ‘Cause you were always excited about celebrating the Three Days of Freedom before.”

“That. And if I did go, Dad would never stop asking me about Gallus.” Silverstream noticed Smolder sneer angrily and clarified, “About who Gallus is and what he likes. You know? The normal stuff.”

“So he’s not…?”

“Making sly remarks that I could do better, like Mom? No. But sweet sea kelp! Will he not leave me alone!” Silver bemoaned. “I swear, I think I’ve gotten more letters from him about Gallus than Gallus got relationship advice from Princess Cadence.”

Smolder couldn’t help but snicker.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up,” she pouted. “Go ahead, I don’t mind.”

“In that case, let me laugh harder,” she said, proceeding to do exactly that.

You laugh now, Smolder, but just you wait till you get a special somecreature, Silver thought, unamused. Then you can come to me and complain about nosy parents. … Speaking of which?

“While we’re on that note?” she began once the dragon had quieted down. “How come you didn’t go home for the Feast of Fire?”

Smolder’s mirth vanished instantly, replaced by something akin to shame. “Same reason as you,” she said, shredding another napkin. “My parents are acting pretty weird right now too.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Headmare Starlight contacted them,” she answered curtly. “And told them what happened.”

“O-Oh. They’re worried about you then?”

“Tch. ‘Worried’ is an understatement,” Smolder laughed icily. “My dad said Dragon Lord Ember had to step in to stop Mom and Garble from flying across Equestria to drag me back home.”

“Whoa. Well, uh, look at this way: At least they wanted to come and help make you feel better,” Silver said jubilantly. “I think that’s really sweet.”

“Yeah, it is,” she agreed, smiling gratefully. “Although, I am glad Ember stopped them. I don’t know what I would have done if they had shown up.”

“Afraid they would’ve embarrassed you?” she teased.

“Pfft, no way! My mom is five times as tall as Celestia and can toss a room full of ponies into next week!” Smolder boasted proudly. “Nothing to be embarrassed about there.”

“Hee-hee. But if that’s true, how were they stopping you from going home this year?”

“…Because they would’ve wanted me to stay in the Dragon Lands. A-And I think I would have,” she admitted, morose.

Nope! She’s definitely still not okay! “Smolder? If you needed a few extra days off, our teachers would totally understand. Everycreature would!”

Smolder shook her head and clarified, “It wouldn’t have been for a few extra days, Silver. I… I don’t think I would have come back.”

Ohhh boy! Silver fretted mentally. Okay, Silver! This time, we are not leaving her alone until we know she is okay! she vowed, asking, “Why not?”

“I-I-I don’t know,” she said, shrugging wearily. “Just… Things used to be so simple over there! It was easy to be a dragon; you just needed to surf lava, eat gems, and hoard cool junk!”

“That does sound fun.”

“It was! It was— It was fun, and simple, and— Y-You know? But here? No, nothing is ever simple here,” Smolder stammered, ripping apart the last of her napkins. “Over here, you— You got friends who won’t stop worrying about you, teachers who won’t stop staring at you, and Headmares who won’t leave you alone!” she maundered off distractedly. “N-Not to mention I— I didn’t— I wasn’t—”

“It’s okay, Smolder, take your time,” she pleaded. “I promise I’m not going anywhere.”

Smolder twitched violently and replied, “You know that— That’s another thing! Back in the Dragon Lands, I wasn’t afraid of outliving everycreature around me!” she whimpered, struggling to breathe steadily. “I really miss those days. I really, really—”

Before Smolder could finish, Silverstream stood up and brought her into a comforting hug that she slowly returned.

“It’s okay, Smolder,” Silver whispered soothingly.

“…No. No, it’s not,” she argued weakly. “I-I love you guys, you know that?”

“And we love you too, Smolder.”

“Yeah, but— But— I don’t want to wake up one day and… And forget what you look like! Or what you sound like! Or who you are!” she mewled, quietly crying into Silver’s shoulder.

“You won’t forget any of us. We’re your friends, Smolder; we’ll always be with you.”

“No, you won’t. Sooner or later, you’ll—”

Silver put a talon over her maw, silencing her. “If… When that happens,” she corrected grimly. “We will be with you, Smolder. Right here,” she ended, placing her talon over Smolder’s heart.

Smolder looked down at Silver’s talon for a solid minute before sniffling and wiping her eyes dry. “I know,” she croaked. “I just don’t want you there. I want you here!” Smolder sobbed, leaning back into Silver’s embrace. “I want all of you here forever.”

“That’s okay, Smolder,” she consoled. “We want to be with you forever too.”

Smolder fell silent as she processed those words. In the end, she remained silent and simply continued to hug her friend closely.

…

“Are you two dears alright?” asked a new voice, startling the friends apart.

“Oh! Hi, Mrs. Cake,” Silverstream greeted, keeping a wing held around Smolder. “We’re fine; we were just having a heart-to-heart about something,” she explained, covering for her friend.

“Okie-dokie. I just thought I heard… Eh, nevermind,” Mrs. Cake dismissed after noticing Smolder’s reddened eyes. “Would you two like some more refreshments? On the house?” she offered.

Silver looked quietly to Smolder who shook her head lightly and answered, “N-No thank you, Mrs. Cake. Those cookies were enough for me. They were really good too, thanks.”

“Aww, you’re welcome, Smolder dear; I’m glad you liked them.” She then glanced out at the half-frozen window and exclaimed, “Goodness! The snowstorm is still going strong?”

“Apparently,” Silver commented, passing Smolder a napkin discreetly. “Guess the Weather Management Team really wanted to let it snow this year, huh?”

“Evidently. That said? You girls might want to think about heading back to the school soon,” she warned. “Not to sound like a worry-wort, but I don’t think either of you want to go through that if it happens to get worse,” Mrs. Cake guessed smartly.

“You would be correct. You ready, Smolder?”

“Mhmm,” she answered, nodding and putting her scarf and hat back on. “You?”

“Yep. Let’s go,” she said, standing back up and helping Smolder do the same. After Silverstream slipped back into her coat, she said, “Thanks again for the lunch, Mrs. Cake.”

“You’re welcome. Have a Happy Hearth’s Warming, and do be careful on your way back!”

“We will. And Happy Hearth’s Warming,” she wished, following Smolder out of Sugarcube Corner. Silver then flinched as her mane whipped wildly in the bone-chilling zephyr. “O-Okay! Yeah! It’s cold,” she acknowledged. I really wish Gallus were here to hug me right now!

“Y-Y-You’re telling me!” Smolder stuttered, blowing flames onto her claws to warm them up.

Whelp. Gallus may not be here, but I definitely am. Silver wrapped her wing around Smolder yet again, earning a surprised stare that quickly morphed into a smile. And I’m never going away again.

“Thanks,” Smolder said, wrapping her own wing around Silverstream as well.

“Anytime. Now, let’s go home and get out of this cold!”

“You don’t need to tell me twice!”

The two then trekked back through the flurry.

***

Gabby’s picture didn’t do the library justice.

Finely polished mahogany composed the cylindrical floors and walls, stretching at least four stories upward. And while most of the cases had yet to be filled, the amount of books that did line the walls was nothing to scoff at.

“Grover’s! … Treasure!” Gabby heaved, slumping against the door after successfully shutting out the roaring storm beyond. “Yeesh! The winds are even worse than we thought!” she yelped, recollecting her breath.

Gallus didn’t respond as he was too busy gaping in shock at the sight before him. He blinked a few times before trotting to the nearest shelf and inspecting the titles while Gabby giggled.

“I know. Pretty cool, huh?” she supposed, depositing her scarf on a nearby rack. “This is what Chancellor Neighsay’s donations went to! Oh! By the way, I did remember to get all forty-two volumes of the Starswirlian Guide to the Arcane,” she boasted, gesturing to said collection. “We’re still waiting for the Me and My Shadow trilogy to arrive though. So? What do you think, Gallus?”

“I… I… I think I need to sit down,” he moaned, doing exactly that in a nearby reading chair.

“Are you okay?” she asked, quickly sitting beside him and placing a talon on his shoulder.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine. I just need a minute to process everything.” Okay! Fixing the library is one thing, Gallus thought, releasing the breath he had been holding for the past few minutes. But getting Griffonstone to decorate for the Blue Moon Festival? Rebuilding Gigi’s house!? Giving pecking tour guides!? “So much has changed, Gabby,” he stated plainly. “A-And I haven’t even seen everything! I just don’t know what to think right now,” Gallus explained, shrugging awkwardly.

“Ohhh,” she sighed, looking a tad relieved now that she understood the issue. “I guess it is a little weird. I mean, we hadn’t even considered rebuilding the library when you were last here.”

“And yet, here it is,” Gallus acknowledged. “Only a few months later, and…? Wow. Not gonna lie though, I’m kinda bitter this place only got better after I left,” he growled, glaring at nothing in particular.

“At least it did get better? You’re, uh, not bitter about that, right?”

“Peck no!”

“Hey, language!”

“Heh-heh. Sorry,” he apologized, grinning. “But yeah, you girls have done an amazing job from what I’ve seen so far. Congratulations.”

She hugged him tightly, saying, “Thanks, Gallus. That really means a lot.”

“I call ‘em like I see ‘em,” he said, hugging her back. “And Griffonstone looks a lot better than it did the last time I was here.” Once Gabby let him go, he asked, “So, uh? Did Gigi really cry?”

Gabby opened her beak to answer, but before she could, a crash echoed through the library, followed by a muffled swear.

“I’m coming; I’m coming!” shouted a voice from the upper floor. A moment later, a black-and-gray griffoness softly landed on the ground floor, reciting, “Hello! Welcome to the Griffonstone Li—oh! Hey, Gabby, it’s you. And…Gallus too?”

“Griselda!? What are you— Wait!” No way! No pecking way! “You’re the new librarian!?”

“Duh. What? Did all those friendship lessons make you oblivious to the obvious or something?”

Okay, that does it! Gallus threw his talons into the air and declared, “I give up; the world really is ending! Quick! Somegriff tell me where Gramp’s bunker is so I can camp out for the apocalypse!”

“Har-har, bluebird,” Griselda deadpanned. “I see you’re still as witty as ever.”

“And I see you’re working in the library of all places now…?”

“Eh, wasn’t my idea.”

“Uh, yes, it—”

“Zip it, Gabs!” she yelped, failing to hide a faint blush.

“But you really wanted to—”

“Zip! It!”

“Okay, okay,” Gabby gave up, smirking. “Fine. What’ve you been up to, Grissy?”

“Don’t call me ‘Grissy’!” Griselda squeaked, flicking her tail indignantly. “To answer your question? The fledgling and I were putting that new shipment up, so we were up on the fourth floor,” she explained, stretching out her wings. “Thought I heard something, so I looked down and spotted ya.”

“Aww, thank you for putting those books up, Griselda,” Gabby said, smiling. “That was very nice of you.”

“Yeah, I know. No need to get all mushy about it,” she protested, despite clearly appreciating the compliment. “So? I see you did come back, Gallus. Gabby showing you around?”

“Pretty much,” he answered.

“Cool. Well, welcome to the new-and-improved Griffonstone Library, kid,” Griselda said, waving to the shelves around her. “Looking for anything in particular? Horror? Adventure? What?”

“Close,” Gabby answered on his behalf. “Try: A fledgling named Gavin. We’re on our way back home, and we needed to pick him up for supper.”

“Gotcha. HEY, SQUIRT!” Griselda suddenly shouted at the floors above.

“Yeah?” a quiet voice called down from above.

“Gabby’s here to pick you up, so get your rump down here!”

“Can’t I have ten more minutes!?” he whined.

“You can! But just so you know,” she began teasingly. “That’s ten more minutes you could be down here spending with your idol!” Griselda ended, giving Gallus a smug grin.

They heard the faintest of gasps before he yelled, “You mean he’s…!?”

“Yup! Better hurry before I tell him how much of a fan you really are!”

“No-no-no! Griselda, don’t you dare!”

“If you don’t want me to spill the beans, put those books up and get down here!”

“You suck!”

“Hee-hee-hee,” she snickered, shaking her head as the telltale sound of books being rapidly sorted echoed down to them. “I love that fledgling. You remember Gavin, right, Gallus?”

“Of course I do. He and I have been writing each other,” Gallus said, taking note of Gabby’s widening smile. “I mean, it’s been mostly just one or two letters a month, but…”

“So that’s what he’s got tucked away in that diary of his…” Griselda theorized, smiling evilly. “Either way, good to see you didn’t forget everygriff over there in ponyland.”

“Not like I could; you all burned yourselves into my memory,” he shot back. “Especially considering how many times you cheated me out of my lunch.”

Griselda chortled nervously. “Yeah, about that? Well, I know you probably don’t want to hear it, but… Sorry,” she mumbled.

Gallus flinched back and inquired, “Did— Did you just apologize?”

“Yeah? Did, uh… Did I do it right?” she asked, glancing at Gabby and receiving a firm nod.

The world really is ending… “Oh, y-yeah! You did it fine,” Gallus confirmed, still struggling to process the apology. “I-I just didn’t expect it.”

“At least I did apologize correctly. Woo-hoo!” Griselda cheered sarcastically. “Guess that pony book really does give good advice.”

Before anygriff could say anything more, a small, tan griffon descended the stairs, grumbling, “I swear, Griselda, if you’re pranking me again, I’m gonna—” Gavin froze upon seeing the group.

“Hey, Gavin,” Gabby greeted, waving politely.

“Uh— You— I— G-Gallus!” he shouted, sprinting toward him. “You really are here!” Gavin rejoiced, hopping excitedly.

“Eeyup. I’m back,” Gallus said, not exactly certain how to react to the bouncing fledgling before him. “Good to see you, Gavin. How’re you doing?”

“We fixed the library!” he celebrated, fluttering into the air and beaming brilliantly. “And Gabby, Gilda, and Greta all let me help Griselda with it! And we have over two hundred different books, and we’re gonna get over four hundred more! And— And— And—”

“Easy there, Gavin,” Gabby cooed soothingly. “Take a moment to catch your breath.” Gavin did as he was told, panting harshly while she continued, “Gallus only just got back today, and he’s still adjusting. Go a little easy on him, okay?”

“Okay, okay! Play it cool, Gavin!” he muttered to himself, blissfully unaware they could still hear him. “Sooo? Gallus, you’re back. How’s it going?” he asked, decidedly calmer.

“Good. How’s it going with you?”

“I’m cool, I’m cool,” he said, stroking his headcrest much to the amusement of Griselda. After noticing her tittering, Gavin groaned, “Something funny?”

“Yeah, you. You’re adorable.”

“Sh-Shut up!” he croaked, wincing in embarrassment as Griselda only cackled louder.

Gabby turned her attention away from the display, trotting to the window and checking on the status of the snowstorm outside. Upon noticing she wasn’t going to do anything about Gavin’s clear discomfort, Gallus took it upon himself to help the fledgling.

“Hey. Take it as a compliment, kiddo,” he advised, patting Gavin’s shoulder reassuringly. “I know I do when I get called that,” Gallus boasted, smiling dreamily.

“You get called adorable!?” Gavin asked, eyes widening in shock. “By whom!?”

“My girlfriend, duh!”

“You have a girlfriend!?” both the other griffons shouted. “But— But— But relationships aren’t cool!” Gavin protested. “Why would you ever have a girlfriend!?”

“Because she’s beautiful, amazing, and I love her,” Gallus answered without hesitation. “And for the record, relationships are cool,” he added, winking.

Gavin tilted his head in confusion and wondered, “They are?”

“When they’re with the right creature.”

“Huh. … I don’t get it,” he admitted bluntly. Gavin then yelped as Griselda shoved him aside and screeched, “Dude! Your girlfriend! Details! Need details!”

I didn’t think I’d get a practice run for this, but I’ll take it, Gallus thought thankfully, pulling a photograph of Silver from his coat pocket. “Okay, do you remember my friend, Silverstream?”

“I think I know the name,” Griselda said, eagerly snatching the photo from his talons. “Wow. That’s a lot of pink.”

You don’t know pink until you have to sit in a classroom, staring at Pinkie Pie for half an hour, he joked to himself. “Yeah. Anyway, that’s her; Silver’s the sweetest girl in the school!” he proclaimed giddily. “I’m so lucky to be with her!”

Gavin hovered in the air so he could see the photo. Once he did, he asked, “Why does she have hooves?”

“That’s because she’s a hippogriff,” Gallus elaborated as Gabby returned from the window, appearing rather relieved. “She’s from Mount Aris and Seaquestria.”

“‘Seaquestria’?” Griselda repeated, giving him back the photo. She then blinked and exclaimed, “Oh, right! The hippogriffs transform into seaponies; I remember now. Grover’s Treasure, Equestria’s lore is weird.”

“I can’t deny that,” Gallus said, giving the picture one last blissful look before stuffing it back into his pocket. “It’s still awesome though.”

“I bet. … Sooo? A seapony, huh? I didn’t know you had a thing for fish, Gallus,” she accused.

“I have a thing for her,” Gallus said, not letting Griselda bring his happy mood down. “It doesn’t matter one iota to me if she’s a hippogriff or a seapony.”

“Oh, I can think of one way it will matter to you.”

“Griselda!” Gabby yelped, blushing crimson. “Not in front of Gavin!”

“What? The kid doesn’t even know what we’re talking about.”

“It’s true; I really don’t,” he confirmed, looking at everygriff in utter bewilderment. “So, uh? What are you all talking about?”

“You’ll understand when you’re older,” all three of them answered simultaneously.

Poor Gavin looked even more confused. However, Gabby continued speaking before he could get a chance to inquire further.

“Anyway, I looked outside, and the storm seems to have calmed down. So we need to get going before it gets a chance to pick up again.”

“Oh come on, Gabby!” Gallus groaned reproachfully. “I didn’t even get a chance to look around.”

“And I still wanna hear more about bluebird’s new girlfriend!” Griselda pouted, crossing her talons in outrage. “I at least wanna hear how he got her. C’mon, Gabby, you can’t have to leave yet!”

“I just want to know what you were all talking about?” Gavin interjected hopefully.

“You’ll understand when you’re older,” they all repeated again, making him groan in defeat.

“I’m sorry, guys,” Gabby resumed. “But we’re already running late, and Gilda’s probably started making dinner by now.”

“And we wouldn’t want to keep her waiting, right?” Gallus guessed.

“No, we do not. So c’mon, Gavin, we gotta go,” she beckoned, marching toward the door.

“Awww! But, Gabby, I wasn’t done reading!” he complained, staring at the shelves longingly.

“Would you rather stay here and read or come home and have dinner with us and Gallus?”

“…Dinner with you and Gallus.”

“That’s what I thought. Now, let’s go,” she said, putting her scarf back on.

Did I just get used to blackmail a kid? Gallus pondered, furrowing his brow.

“Okay, okay,” Gavin said, begrudgingly retrieving his own coat off a nearby chair and putting it on. “But I can come back here tomorrow, right?”

“Like we could even stop you,” Gabby joked, giving him an encouraging smile.

“Yay!”

“Eh-heh-heh, sure,” Griselda chuckled bitterly. “Just come in, steal my assistant, and ditch me to put six dozen more books up by myself… Thanks.”

“If you’d like to, you’re more than welcome to come and join us for dinner,” Gabby invited kindly. “Gallus came back today, so Gilda’s probably made enough to feed fifteen griffons for a week.”

“W-W-Well, I was, uh…” Griselda stuttered. “I-I mean, I wouldn’t want to intrude, but if you’re offering…?”

“Mhmm.”

“Then y-yeah, sure! Whatever! I-I’d like that,” she murmured, timidly tapping her talons together.

“Of course,” Gabby chirped, giving Griselda a bright smile. “Just so you know though? We decided to have an all-vegetable meal tonight. So, no, uh…you know.”

“Who cares!? A meal’s a meal! Thanks, Gabs,” Griselda said, surprising Gabby with a hug.

Things really have changed, Gallus accepted, having no idea whether he wanted to laugh, cry, or sigh. I wonder if that means…? “Plus,” Gallus began, cutting off that train of thought. “I’m here for the whole week, so I can help you out with putting those books up.”

“W-Week?” Gavin echoed so quietly nogriff heard him.

“Thanks, dude,” she said, lifting up a claw. After Gallus bumped it, she added, “Good to see you back.”

“…Good to be back,” he replied, still unsure if he meant that or not.

Once Griselda had grabbed her own coat, the group entered into the flurry, braving its subdued winds in their quest toward Gilda’s house. Luckily, it didn’t take them long to reach said location…

“Thank Grover! We’re finally here!” Griselda shrieked, yelping as another blast of air washed over them. “Can we finally get out of the cold now!? Please!?”

“D-D-Door should be open!” Gabby stammered as she spared a glance to the passenger atop her back. “Just a little bit longer, Gavin; we’re almost there!”

“I’m okay!” he squeaked out, snuggling into her feathers. “But, Gabby? C-C-Could you ask Gilda to move her house closer to the library before next winter?”

“Heh-heh. I’ll see what we can do. You okay, Gallus?” she asked, turning her gaze to him.

“Yeah… I’m okay…” he mumbled, staring at one particular house just a little down the road.

Neither a single decoration was in sight nor a hint of remodeling had been done, yet it was still the most recognizable house in all of Griffonstone. At least, as far as Gallus was concerned.

He’s right! Pecking! There! Gallus realized fearfully. Just a few steps in that direction and—

“Gallus!” Gabby called out, laying a talon on his shoulder and acquiring his full attention.

“Huh! Oh, uh, yes! I’m fine,” he lied. “Sorry, I got a little distracted,” Gallus said, casting another forlorn glance at the derelict house.

“It’s okay, Gallus. I know,” she comforted, draping a wing across his back. “But if you want to talk to him, he’s not there; Gilda invited him over too.”

“S-So, Gruff is…!?” he squealed, no longer shivering from just the cold.

“Mhmm. C’mon, I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you too,” she said, closing her eyes and gently coaxing him forward.

She’s not meeting my eyes; that’s one of her tells! Gallus mildly panicked. He then took a deep breath of icy air and coughed it out, reminding himself, Don’t be paranoid, Gallus. This’ll be fine; this will all be fine! No problem! We’re having a good time, and not even Gruff is gonna take that away!

“…I want him to love me too,” Gallus remembered admitting so long ago. “I wanted him to show up, look me in the eye and say… ‘I’m proud of you, Gallus. I know love doesn’t need to be earned, but… Why do I need to earn his? Why am I never good enough?”

“Gallus… You are good enough for him,” Ocellus had promised him.

“Then why does nothing I do ever matter to him?”

“…I don’t know. What I do know is that, no matter what happens, you’ll always be more than good enough for us.”

“But I want to be good enough for him too.”

“And you are, Gallus. You’ve always been good enough.”

I’ve always been good enough, Gallus reassured himself, relieved to find his pocket still held Silver’s photograph. Here we go… he dreaded as Gabby led him into Gilda’s domicile.

“Oh thank Grover! Warmth!” Griselda rejoiced, darting over to the lit fireplace.

“Hello to you too, Grissy,” Greta replied curtly, setting aside her book and raising an eyebrow.

“Ahhh,” Griselda sighed sedately, warming her talons over the fire. “Don’t call me ‘Grissy’!”

“Mhmm. Hello, everygriff,” she said, approaching the others and pausing when she noticed Gallus. “Oh. Hi, Gallus, so you did come.”

“Yep. Hey, Greta. How’re you doing?” he asked politely.

“Well enough. You?”

“Also well enough.”

“Good to hear. Hey, Gilda! Gruff! They’re here!” she announced over her shoulder.

“Cool! Let ‘em know I’ll be out in a minute!” Gilda’s voice requested from the kitchen.

Gruff didn’t respond.

“Like the lady said, she’ll be out in a minute.” Greta then looked over the shivering forms of Gavin and Gabby and disclosed, “Cocoa’s on the counter and tea’s in the fridge. Take your pick.”

“Got it,” Gabby said, gently depositing Gavin beside Griselda and darting into the kitchen for said drinks. “Did you want anything, Gallus?” she asked over her shoulder.

“Tea would be fine,” he answered. “I have enough cocoa back home as it is,” Gallus chuckled, taking in all of Gilda’s new refurbishments.

A ridiculously soft, velvet carpet hid the cold, dirt floor beneath it, and a few new pieces of furniture had been collected and arranged to give the room a rather cozy feel.

Hanging from the repainted walls, were pictures of various Griffonstone residents and one particular rainbow-maned pegasus. A number of these photos, Gallus noticed, showed griffons standing in front of their own newly restored houses.

Gallus approached one of them and recognized Gigi as its subject. And while she did indeed seem to be crying, Gallus had never seen her look so happy.

Greta took Gavin and Griselda’s coats, exchanging them for a thick, toasty blanket. Afterward, she trotted up to Gallus and asked, “I see you saw the photos. … Pretty weird, right?”

“What? The pictures?”

“Yeah. But what can I say? Gilda likes taking them after we help somegriff out. To be honest, I do too,” she confided behind a talon.

“It’s a nice reminder, I suppose,” Gallus whispered, tearing his eyes away from the portraits and focusing them on Greta. “That what you’re doing is worth it?”

Greta simply shrugged.

“Yeah. Well? It’s a great reminder,” he commented, nodding happily. “Not weird at all.”

“Heh. Gilda’ll be happy you think that.”

“Probably. … Thanks for letting me stay with you girls for the week.”

Unbeknownst to all, Gavin flinched.

“No problem, Gallus,” Greta affirmed. “It’s nice to see you back.”

“Nice to see you too, Greta. … So, uh? Where’s Gramps?”

“Sulking in the kitchen,” she answered, frowning pensively.

“Thanks. Er, do you mind if I leave my stuff by the door? I’ll take care of it later.”

“That’s fine. Gonna go talk to him?”

“Yeah. I wanna at least say hi,” Gallus elaborated, optimistic.

“You do that then. Here, let me take your coat,” she requested.

“O-Oh! Uh, thanks,” he said, giving it to her. “And thanks again for letting me stay here.”

“You’re welcome,” she mumbled, watching as Gallus turned and trotted to the kitchen.

Okay, Gallus, just play it cool, he commanded, running a talon through his headcrest. This will be fine. So what if I haven’t seen Gruff in almost half a year? So what if he never showed up to our play or the Fair!? So what if he may or may not care about me!? I care about him!

And that’s okay…right? Gallus contemplated, almost bumping headfirst into Gabby.

“Whoops!” she grunted, struggling not to drop the drinks. “Sorry, Gallus. Here’s your tea.”

“Thanks, Gabby,” he said, quickly taking it out of her grasp.

“No worries. Oh! And Gilda said dinner will be up in a few minutes; she’s just waiting for the biscuits to finish.”

“Understood. I’ll clean up in a bit,” he promised as Gabby strode past him, gifting Griselda and Gavin their drinks as well. Gallus then took a long sip of tea and echoed, “This is will be okay.”

Unlike practically everything else, Gilda’s kitchen looked almost exactly like it had been when Gallus was last in it. Although, the stove she was currently hunched over was certainly new.

There he is, Gallus thought once he spotted Gruff’s telltale fez peeking over the Griffonstone newspaper. Oh Grover’s Treasure, I’m not sure if I’m ready for—

“Ah still don’t get why you go to all this trouble decoratin’ everywhere!” Gruff loudly groused, interrupting Gallus mid-panic. “It’s all gonna get taken down a week from now anyway.”

“It’s to celebrate the holiday, you grumpy, old buzzard!” Gilda shot back, not noticing Gallus had entered. “Just ‘cause you’re too cheap to hang so much as a light-bulb, doesn’t mean the rest of us are!”

“Tch! Whatever you say, oh mighty savior of Griffonstone!”

Please stop fighting…! Gallus prayed, going stiff.

“Hey, at least I’m trying to clean this place up! You can’t even be bothered to clean your own pigsty of a house!” she shouted, closing her oven and taking off her mitts.

“Well, excuse me! Didn’t know you had some weird fetish for cleanin’ other griffons’ houses!”

“Why you little—” Gilda began, rounding on Gruff and freezing when she spotted Gallus standing in the middle of the kitchen. “G-Gallus! Hi!” she swiftly greeted with a wide smile. “Didn’t see ya there!” she nervously laughed while Gruff went dead silent.

Don’t freak out! You just overheard an argument; that’s normal! Gallus thought, calming down. “Hey, Gilda,” he said, averting his eyes from the other griffon. “I’m back.”

“Good to see ya, nerd,” Gilda said casually, offering him a claw which he gladly bumped. Relieved he didn’t comment on their argument, she continued, “Glad you could make it. How are you?”

“I’m good. Going through a bit of a culture shock, but otherwise, I’m good.”

“Gabby showed you around town, huh?” Gilda guessed, leaning against the counter and giving him a knowing smile. “So? What’d ya think?”

“It was…certainly festive.”

“Yeah. Even I have a hard time believing just how much progress we’ve made with this place, and I’m the one in charge of fixing everything up!” she scoffed, chuckling.

“And you’ve done a marvelous job as far as I can tell.”

“Heh. Thanks, kid,” she said, jabbing his shoulder playfully. “We still have a long way to go, but if even you are enjoying this place so far? Guess we’re doing something right.”

“Hey, at least you’re actually doing something.”

“Better than some,” Gilda growled, shooting Gruff a nasty scowl. “Hey, Gramps! In case you weren’t paying attention, Gallus showed up. You gonna say anything, or…?”

“Yeah, yeah! Hey,” he deadpanned dismissively, flipping to another page of his newspaper.

He can’t even look at me?

Gilda groaned and shook her head. “Sorry about him. He hasn’t had his milk bottle today.”

“Shut your beak!” he snapped, glaring at her over the paper but not even sparing Gallus a glance.

“How about you open yours,” she countered, trotting around Gallus. “Take a moment to talk to your kid, why don’t you?” Gilda suggested before swiftly sneaking into the other room.

“He ain’t mah—Ughhh!” he moaned, face-clawing at Gilda’s antics. Unfortunately, while Gruff hadn’t finished his retort, he may as well have as far as Gallus was concerned.

I’m not his kid…? Heh-heh, okay. Okay! We knew that; we knew that! Gallus insisted, struggling to stay positive. He doesn’t think of me that way, but that’s okay! That doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about me at all! I mean, Gilda certainly seemed to think he does; she even gave us the room!

…

Aw peck, she gave us the room! he realized, tapping the floor nervously. Dang it, Gilda!

“H-Hey, Grandpa Gruff,” Gallus warily greeted. “How are you doing?”

Gruff looked up and gave Gallus a cold stare. “Eh,” he replied, hiding behind his paper again.

Annnd, there we go, Gallus sighed, feeling his wings sag a little. Just like old times. “So? Anything exciting going on?” he tried continuing, joining Gruff at the table.

“Eh.”

Oh come on! What do I need to say to make him actually talk to me!? “H-How about the Blue Moon Festival, huh? Griffonstone’s really gone all-out this year, don’t you think?”

“Eh.”

“Yeah. Yeah…” Gallus whimpered, hanging his head sorrowfully.

…

“So,” Gruff finally started, making Gallus perk up eagerly. “You’re back, huh?”

“Y-Yeah! I’m here!” he declared, ecstatic. Think, Gallus, think! What else can I say to make him happy!? “It’s, uh, it’s really good to be back; I really missed Griffonstone!” Gallus lied wildly. “I missed Gabby. I missed Gilda. I-I missed you,” he quietly confessed.

“Mhmm.”

Gallus flinched. He then blinked and grinned, pulling out his photo of Silverstream. “S-So? Now that I have a chance, I-I wanted to tell you something.”

“Oh really?” Gruff droned, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

He’s interested! Grover’s Treasure, he’s actually interested! “You remember my friend, Silverstream?” Gallus asked, showing him the photo. “You, uh, you know? The hippogriff?”

Gruff spared the photo all of a glance before asking, “What about ‘er?”

“Well, I know this might come across as a bit of a shock, but… We’re dating!” Gallus announced, smiling rapturously.

“You are?”

“Yes, we are!” he affirmed, feeling his heart thunder against his chest in elation. “She’s the sweetest girl in the school, and we’re even gonna go on our second major date soon too!” he rejoiced.

“Mhmm. That’s nice.” Gruff then tucked the newspaper under his wing and stood up. “Whelp. Good to see you’re back in one piece. … Bye,” he said, departing for the living room.

“W-Wait!” Gallus called out desperately. “Did— Did you want to know more about…?”

Too late. Gruff had already trotted away, leaving Gallus all alone.

“…Good to see you’re back in one piece…”

A part of Gallus wanted to take joy in that statement because it meant Gruff was glad to see him again, if only to know Gallus was okay.

Unfortunately, Gallus felt no such happiness and simply laid his head against the table, staring longingly at Gruff’s empty chair.

“He can’t even tolerate being in the same room with me?” Gallus questioned, dreading that likely possibility. Oh Grover, what am I doing wrong? he wondered, wiping at his eyes.

Almost as soon as he asked that, Gilda cautiously stepped back into the room. She then shot a quick glare back at Gruff before approaching Gallus.

Gilda opened her beak to say something—anything!—but nothing came out. Instead, she simply patted his shoulder as reassuringly as she could and went back to work at her stove.

“…Thanks for trying,” Gallus managed to mutter.

“He, uh…” she began, giving him another pitying look. “He cares more than he lets on.”

I wish I knew that were true, he thought despairingly, rising from the table. “I’ll just, uh, go put up my stuff.”

“Alright. Guest room’s prepped for ya.”

“Thanks again, Gilda.”

“Don’t mention it, Gallus,” she said quietly.

Gallus then trotted away, keeping his eyes glued to the ground.

***

A quarter of an hour later…

“Alright, evergriff, supper’s on!” Gilda announced. “Get your talons washed up and rears in gear! I’m hungry; let’s go!”

“Yay!” Gavin cheered, rocketing into the kitchen at full-speed. “About time, Gilda.”

“You can’t rush culinary genius, kiddo.”

“You can in restaurants; all you have to do is complain enough.”

“Well, this isn’t a restaurant, and if you complain anymore I’m going to make you clean all these dishes by yourself,” she threatened, pointing a ladle at Gavin menacingly.

“Y-Yes, ma’am.”

“Take it easy on the fledgling, Gilda,” Greta requested, giving her a small smile. “Frankly, we’re all a little hungry,” she stated, taking her own seat at the table.

“Yeah, yeah…” Gilda grumbled, cowed for now.

“Hey, Gavin?” Gabby began as she helped Gilda serve the food. “Who exactly told you that ‘fact’ about complaining at restaurants getting you your food faster?”

“Uhhh, n-nogriff! Nogriff taught me that; I just…found out?” Gavin tried, shrugging.

Gilda, Gabby, and Greta all shot an unamused look at Griselda who whistled innocently.

“Don’t know why your askin’ about it; kid’s right,” Gruff growled as he planted himself at the end of the table. “All them fancy, pony restaurants care about is satisfyin’ their customers so they can get their Bits. Even if it means rushin’ out the order,” he ended, certain in his correctness.

“Well, restaurants do need to get paid,” Gabby placated. “That doesn’t mean it’s right to harangue the staff just to get your order sooner.”

Gruff merely rolled his good eye. He then sneered at the food before him and shot a scowl Gilda’s way.

To her credit, Gilda glared right back and demanded, “Eat it and like it, old griff!”

“‘Eat it and like it, old griff,’” he echoed mockingly. He then noticed Gallus finally enter the kitchen. “Ah. There you are. Wonderin’ when you’d show up.”

I was wondering the same thing about you, Gallus wanted so much to fire back. Of course, I can’t say that, so… “Sorry. I was just finishing up in my room. Didn’t mean to hold anygriff up.”

“You didn’t hold us up, Gallus,” Greta assuaged, shooting Gruff a cold frown. “Don’t worry.”

Gallus smiled weakly as he took his seat at the table and noticed Gavin staring at him with a huge grin on his face.

“Hey, Gavin. You look happy,” he said. “What? This your favorite meal or something?”

“N-No!” Gavin yelped, looking away to hide his flustered blush. “I’m just, er, really happy to be having supper with you!” He blinked and face-clawed, continuing, “Ah geez! I-I mean, I’m glad to be having supper with everygriff! That— That’s what I meant.”

Oh, I swear this kid is just the best, Gallus thought, giving Gavin a playful noogie. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly what you meant,” he teased.

“Hey, he’s not wrong,” Griselda piped up, covering for her assistant. “I’m glad I get to be here too. Speaking of which? Thanks again for inviting me, Gabs.”

“Of course. I’m just glad Gilda did make enough to feed fifteen griffons,” she added, giving Gilda a relieved smile.

“So am I. Otherwise, we’d be having a decidedly more awkward conversation,” Gilda pointed out as she finished serving everygriff. She then sat down herself and said, “Alright, everygriff good?”

After receiving various nods, she declared, “Good! Let’s dig in!”

The kitchen was then filled with the sounds of various griffons chewing and the clinking of silverware against plates.

“Oh dang! This is amazing, Gilda!” Griselda complimented, swallowing a bite of sweet potatoes. “Maybe you should consider opening a restaurant.”

“Heh-heh. Thanks, Grissy.”

Griselda looked rather annoyed to be called that again, but she elected to not comment on it and instead plunged another spoonful of potatoes into her beak.

“It’s just potatoes,” Gruff whispered rudely, receiving a good smack to the back of his head, courtesy of Greta. He glared at her for a moment before returning to his own bowl of potatoes.

I see dinners between griffons are still as awkward as ever, Gallus observed, laughing to himself. Guess that’s one thing that’ll never change.

Hoping to inject some more conversation into the meal, Gilda asked, “So, Gallus? How was your trip?”

“It was good,” Gallus answered, munching on a hunk of broccoli. “Can’t really complain.”

“You should have seen the look on his face when he found out we put a guard rail on the mountain path,” Gabby said, tittering. “He stared at it for, like, five minutes then gave up and asked about it. It was priceless,” she said before taking a bite out of her biscuit.

Gallus rolled his eyes and argued, “You try leaving Griffonstone for a few years and come back to find out everygriff suddenly cares about whether or not somecreature falls of the cliff.”

“At least you’re back now,” Gavin stated, grinning widely despite the food stuffed in his beak. After swallowing, he added, “Now you can see first-talon how much cooler Griffonstone is.”

“That’s the plan, Gavin; that’s the plan,” Gallus confirmed.

The girls all smiled and watched as Gavin nearly exploded in joy. Even Gruff looked like he was hiding a smile.

“On that note?” Gilda paused to sip at her water before asking, “How long did you plan to stay for? Gabby told me you were planning to stay only a week, but…?”

Gavin’s cheer wilted instantaneously, replaced by a terrified frown which he aimed squarely at Gallus.

“Yeah, a week’s the plan. It’s good to see all of you again, but I do want to get back home and spend the rest of the holiday with my friends,” he clarified, biting into an apple.

“…But you are home…”

The table went silent as all eyes locked onto Gavin.

Gruff tried to stand up to leave, but Gilda grabbed his shoulder and forced him to sit back down, much to his evident fury.

“Uhhh, Gavin? You do understand I’m living in Ponyville now, right?”

“W-Well, yeah,” he said shyly. “But— But that’s just so you could go to school! Griffonstone is still your real home!” Gavin declared, flicking his tail anxiously. “L-Like… You’re gonna move back when you graduate, aren’t you!?”

Oh peck, Gallus cursed as he rubbed his neck awkwardly. A little help here, girls! he silently pleaded, exchanging glances with the others.

“Now, Gavin,” Gilda began coolly. “We talked about this, remember?”

Gavin flinched back, desperately avoiding her disapproving glare. “I-I-I know! I know you d-didn’t want me to ask, but—”

“Then why did you ask?”

Wait a minute. “You told Gavin not to ask if I was ever moving back?” he asked, frowning.

Gilda cleared her throat and explained, “Well? We knew you wouldn’t exactly like being asked that, considering…” That we all know you never will, she left unsaid.

A spark of anger lit in his mind, and Gallus deadpanned, “I don’t mind being asked something, thank you very much.”

“Hey, Gilda was just looking out for you,” Greta defended calmly. “No need to get uppity.”

There it is. I knew they didn’t weed out every evil from this stupid place. “No need to discourage Gavin from asking a question,” he retorted. “Or anygriff for that matter…”

“Okaaay!” Gabby spoke up loudly. “Let’s not get into a fight. Please?” she wished, taking note of Gavin’s overwhelmed expression and Grizelda’s confused grimace.

Calm down, Gallus, he instructed himself, sighing. You know what’ll happen if you get angry, and you’ve already trudged through that blizzard once today. “We’re not getting into a fight, Gabby.”

“Good. Because it’s a holiday, and a holiday isn’t the time to be angry with friends and family.”

“As if griffons ain’t always angry with each other,” Gruff argued, aggressively eating a carrot.

“We certainly try to be less angry more often than you do,” Gilda reprimanded, rounding on him. “‘Mr. I-can’t-spend-more-than-two-seconds-alone-with-Gallus.’”

“Excuse me for wantin’ to read the paper and not listen to the boy gush ‘bout his girlfriend!” he countered, narrowing his eyes balefully.

“You’d rather read a dumb newspaper than hear about your kid’s love life?”

“He ain’t mah kid! Ah don’t know where you got that stupid idea, but you need to get over it!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Gramps,” she hummed sweetly. “My bad for assuming you loved Gallus when you constantly demand Gabby to bring you updates about him.”

“Well, you assumed wrong!” he snarled venomously.

Silence.

“I’m sorry,” Gavin suddenly apologized, drawing everygriff’s eyes back onto him. “I-I didn’t mean to start a fight; I w-was just… I was just…” He sobbed, falling silent.

“Hey,” Gallus gently began, rubbing Gavin’s back comfortingly. “You didn’t start a fight, kid.”

“B-But—”

“It wasn’t your fault, Gavin,” he interrupted, passing Gavin a napkin. Gavin hesitantly took it and wiped at his eyes as Gallus comforted, “You just asked a question; you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But… But Gabby and Gilda said…?”

“And they thought wrong,” he stated resolutely. “I don’t mind if you ask me a question, Gavin. In fact? I really like answering questions,” Gallus whispered behind a talon, eliciting a light giggle from both Gavin and Gabby. “So go ahead and ask away.”

Gavin’s smile slowly faded away, and he timidly asked, “A-Are you… Are you going to come back home? When you’re done learning about friendship?”

Gilda and Greta both shared a knowing look, and Gabby bit her talon nervously. Griselda, meanwhile, wore an expression that plainly communicated her desire to stay out of the conversation, and it was impossible to tell whether Gruff’s glare was born of cold indifference or sheer hatred…

Gallus took a deep breath. “Okay? Gavin, I… I don’t know if I’m ever going to move back to Griffonstone. And to be honest? I don’t think I am,” he answered.

Gavin’s beak quivered as he stuttered, “W-W-Why?”

“That’s…a little complicated.”

“N-No, it’s not!” Gavin protested. “Griffonstone is our home! It’s every griffon’s home, a-and you’re a griffon too! Like Gilda, and Gabby, and m-me…! Why— Why don’t you want to come back!?” he whimpered, tearing up again.

Because no matter how much Griffonstone improves, it’s still Griffonstone. And I still hate it, Gallus knew better than to tell Gavin. But what the peck do I say instead of that!?

“W-Well, Gavin?” Gabby started, swallowing nervously. “Gallus doesn’t have to come back; you understand that, right?”

“No, I don’t understand it!” Gavin shouted, flaring his wings angrily. “Why can’t Gallus stay here in Griffonstone!? Why did he even need to go away in the first place!?” he inquired, staring at Grandpa Gruff and shirking away when the elderly griffon glared back furiously.

“Gavin—”

“No, it’s not fair!” he wailed, cutting Gallus off. “Why do you have to go back to Ponyville at all!? Haven’t you learned enough about friendship!?”

“Gavin, friendship isn’t the kind of thing you can just ‘learn enough’ of…”

“I don’t care! I don’t want you to go!” Gavin admitted, trying to rub his eyes dry but to no avail.

“Gavin, you’re making a scene,” Gilda reproved. “We will talk about this later, but—”

No! Gallus unfolded his wing, blocking the others from view and silencing her instantly. You will not make Gavin bottle his feelings up, Gilda! I won’t let you! he vowed, hiding his own fury behind a calm smile. “Hey?” he whispered, lifting Gavin’s head to meet his eyes. “It’s okay, Gavin…”

“No, it’s not okay! I don’t want you to go away again!” he squealed, sniffling. “Why do you have to go away again!?”

“Gavin, I know you want me to stay, but I have friends back in Ponyville.”

“B-But you have friends here!”

“I know I do. You’re one of them, after all,” Gallus said, winking at the dumbfounded fledgling. “But? I have friends over there too. And I love them and want to be with them.”

“But d-don’t you love us too?”

“Of course I do, Gavin,” he promised truthfully. I’m mad as peck at the others, but they’re still my friends. … Probably shouldn’t say that part.

“Then why don’t you want to be with us?”

Gallus hesitated for a second before relenting, “Because Griffonstone isn’t my home.”

A chair scraped against the kitchen floor, and although Gallus knew exactly who was leaving the table, he never lowered his wing. He did, however, feel a sudden sense of weariness wash over him.

“But why?”

“Like I said, it’s complicated,” Gallus repeated, looking away. Okay, Gallus, get your mind off Gruff and figure out how to explain this to Gavin. “You see,” he resumed. “A home isn’t just where you live. It’s where you’re happiest. And I’m happiest when I’m with my friends,” he concluded calmly. Especially when I’m with her.

“I-I don’t understand,” Gavin said, tilting his head in confusion. “Griffonstone is better now, and g-griffons are being nice to each other again. So, why can’t you be happy here?”

“I…could be,” Gallus conceded, not entirely certain if he was lying or not. “But when I’m with my friends, I’m happy. Really happy,” he stressed, smiling joyfully. “I love them. And they love me.”

“But we love you too,” Gavin whined, staring at the floor.

…Oh. “Is that why you don’t want me to leave, Gavin?”

Gavin looked like he was trying not to say something, but after seeing that the others were still blocked from view, he whispered, “I-It’s just… Y-Y-You’re really cool. A-And I…miss you.”

“I— You think I’m— Whoa…!” Gallus sputtered, caught off-guard. Is that why he started writing me? I-I always wondered, but… “Heh. Thank you, Gavin. That means a lot.”

Gavin blinked and looked back at Gallus, asking, “R-Really?”

“Really,” Gallus affirmed, giving him a bright smile. “I really appreciate that, Gavin.”

“D-Does that mean you’re not gonna go? I-I know you have to go back to Ponyville sometime,” he continued before Gallus could respond. “But why do you have to stay for only a week?” he mewled. “Why— Why do you have to leave so soon?”

“…Gavin? I know you want me to stay here longer, but I can’t,” Gallus stated softy but firmly. “I have friends waiting for me back home, and I want to spend the holiday with them too. It wouldn’t be fair of me to stay here longer when I already promised them I’d be back soon.”

“It’s not fair that you have to go at all!” Gavin growled, rubbing his eyes again.

“Maybe. But would it be fair for me to stay here even though I don’t want to?” he asked quietly.

“…No,” he conceded despite clearly not wanting to.

Gabby suddenly yelped, and Gallus had the sneaking suspicion it was because Gilda had stopped her from saying something.

“Hey,” Gallus resumed, placing a talon on Gavin’s shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I’m here for a whole seven days straight. And like you said, this place has changed a lot,” he acknowledged, smirking. “I bet you know about all of the cool, new sights, right? Not just the library?”

Though thrown-off at first, Gavin slowly nodded. “Mhmm.”

“If that’s the case? Then how about you show me around the new and improved Griffonstone, instead of Gabby?” Gallus proposed. “That way, we can make this week the best week ever.”

“You— You mean it?”

“Yes, I do.”

Gavin immediately lunged at Gallus, trying his hardest to wrap his tiny talons around his midriff and squeeze the life out of him. Gallus simply smiled and hugged him back.

“It’ll be okay, Gavin,” he consoled.

“I’m s-sorry, Gallus.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Gallus assured, passing him another napkin that Gavin gratefully took. “So don’t be sorry. Okay?”

“O-Okay…”

Gallus smiled encouragingly as Gavin finished wiping away his tears. Once that was accomplished, Gavin glanced at the field of blue feathers blocking the dinner table and grimaced.

“It’s, uh, g-gonna be really weird when you lower your wing, isn’t it?” he guessed.

“Yeaaah,” Gallus confirmed, nodding reluctantly. “Do you want to go to the living room and eat? That way, you don’t have to deal with the stares?”

“I-It’s okay. I’m used to it anyway…”

You shouldn’t be. “If you’re sure? Alright then. I’m going to lower my wing now. But! If they start making you uncomfortable or anything, we’ll go eat in the living room,” he said, deliberately not lowering his voice. “Okay?”

“Okay,” Gavin accepted, combing a talon through his headcrest soothingly.

“You ready?”

“Mhmm.”

Gallus relaxed his wing, revealing three griffons who all swiftly looked away, attempting to pretend like they hadn’t been staring and listening the entire time. Griselda, oddly enough, was the only one of the four who kept her concerned gaze locked on Gavin.

“Hey, Gav, you okay?” she asked before Gallus could even open his beak.

Gavin shied away from the question, but he slowly nodded. “Y-Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Okay, kid,” she replied, clearly still uneasy. “But if you do need anything, let us know, okay?”

He blinked. “Th-Thanks, Griselda. I-I will.”

“Don’t mention it!” Griselda said a little loudly, pointedly staring at Gabby.

Aww, Grissy does have a heart, Gallus silently jibed, giving her a thankful smile. She grinned back, giving him a discreet talons-up that he gladly mirrored.

“Anyway!” Gilda began, eating a celery stick and acting as if dinner hadn’t just been interrupted. “Now that you’re back, Gallus, we need to know!”

“You need to know what? How I’ve managed to keep up my roguishly good looks?” he joked, grateful she wasn’t pushing the issue.

“Nah, I’m assuming that’s entirely that Rarity mare’s doing. No, we need to know about Silverstream,” Gilda clarified bluntly. “Details, nerd. Now!”

Gilda. Of all the creatures in this vast, unknowable world of ours… Gilda! Is more interested in Silverstream than Gruff… he ruminated, staring at Gruff’s empty chair. That’s… That’s not nice.

But you know what is nice? That somegriff does care! And I can be glad for that, Gallus thought encouragingly, not quite vanquishing his heartbreak. “Heh-heh-heh,” he chuckled, returning to his dinner. “Oh, where do I even begin with this one…?”

“The beginning, duh,” Griselda chimed in, already finishing off her sweet potatoes.

“Well, in that case? Strap yourselves in, boys and girls! This is gonna be a looong story…”

Author's Note

And here we go! Is there any better way to start out 2021 than with a new chapter? Eh, probably, but I've got nothing better to do, so why not?

So! I have no flipping clue how to write Gruff's accent. Just, uh, just thought I'd put that out there.
I am also quite a bit late to jump on the Christmas theme bandwagon, but whatever.

I'm sorry if any of you were a little disappointed that Smolder's issues didn't get more of a spotlight. After everything that happened in the last chapter, it feels a little sucky to have a time skip where her problems are somewhat addressed "Off-screen." Granted she still has issues, no doubt! But, yeah. Sorry about that.

A part of me wishes I could have devoted more time to Smolder in this story, but that's something I'll talk about more in the "Writing off..." for this story. Plus, The Bonds of Love is predominantly about Gallus and Silver's perspectives anyway, so...?

Other than that, I surprisingly don't have much to say about this chapter right now.

As usual, here are the characters that were introduced/mentioned in this chapter:

All Aboard :

Greta:

Gigi :

Gimme (Gimme Moore) :

Griselda :

And though I mentioned Gavin back in Chapter Five, this is him just in case anyone forgot:

As usual, any and all thoughts and criticisms you may have are welcome! I'm still working on the epilogue, but never fear! I'm making good headway with it.

As for the next chapter, it will arrive on 15 - 17 of January. Yep! Two chapters in one month! Crazy, huh? :moustache:

NEXT TIME: We ain't done with Griffonstone just yet, my friends! And while Silverstream works to keep a promise, a certain, grouchy griffon will force Gallus to break one.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Chapter Eleven: Closure

A few strokes of blue here… A few strokes of turquoise there… Annnd! “Presto!” Silverstream sang to herself, placing aside her palette and marveling at her newest creation. “Not half-bad for three day’s work,” she sighed, satisfied in her progress. “Just gotta remember to get Headmare Starlight to enchant it once it dries. … I said forever, and I meant it,” Silver quietly declared.

…

“And now I’m bored,” she deadpanned, stepping away from the now-drying painting and to her desk. What to read, what to read, what to read? Silver wondered as she perused her collection of books. Me and My Shadow? Nah, not in the mood. Plumbing 101: Fixing the Sink? Tempting, tempting. Ooh! But what about…? “The Ground Beneath our Hooves: A Comprehensive Study of the Planetary Layers!” she squealed, picking the tome up and giddily staring at the cover. “Been meaning to read this one.”

Her gaze then drifted down to her drawer, and she frowned somberly. After putting the book back, Silver opened it, revealing a small stack of unopened letters delivered from Seaquestria.

“Been meaning to read you too,” she grumbled, carefully extracting the bundle. Silverstream then sat on her bed, murmuring, “Okay, Mom, please don’t rag on Gallus in any of these.”

She then opened the first letter.

Dear, Silverstream…

Hello, honey, it’s Mom! Just wanted to check in and see if everything is okay with you. To be frank, I was a little worried when you didn’t reply back after my last letter…

But it’s okay; I’m certain you were just too busy or simply forgot. Hopefully, since I’m sending this on the weekend, everything has settled down enough that you can write back this time. Though if not, I totally understand; I’m sure you have plenty of schoolwork.

However, if you do have the chance, please write back! I know you’re “safe” at Princess Twilight’s school, but I do still worry about you. It’s my job as your mother, after all!

In any case, I hope you’re still doing well. Stay safe, Silverstream.

With love, Mom.

Silverstream breathed a huge sigh of relief and laid back on the bed, pumping her talons into the air. “Yes! No derogatory comments about Gallus!” she celebrated dryly. She then placed the letter aside and opened the next one, immediately sitting back up.

Silverstream, honey, are you okay!? This is the second letter in a row that you haven’t replied to, and I’m getting worried!

I tried talking to your father, but he brushed it off as if it were no big deal! As usual. But you’re my daughter too, and I know you! You always try to respond, even if it’s just a few sentences.

I know I might be coming off as a bit paranoid—

“Yeah, you do,” Silver realized, staring at the half-dozen other letters she had. “Oh boy… Maybe not writing her back wasn’t such a good idea,” she realized, reading the rest of the letter.

—But I’m worried about you. You’re all the way in Equestria, surrounded by who-know-how-many creatures, all with their own agendas and whatnot. And that griffon.

“And there it is…”

All I want is to know you are okay. That’s all.

Love, Mom.

“Oh sea kelp,” Silver swore, running her talons through her mane. “I don’t even want to know what the others say. … Hmm.” She then reached for the most recent one and opened it slowly.

Dear, Silverstream…

Okay. So, you undoubtedly noticed my recent letters have been somewhat…odd. If you haven’t, let’s just say I may have panicked. A lot.

“Yep. Definitely not reading the other ones.”

It’s just? You weren’t responding to any of my letters, and I took that as a sign that maybe you weren’t okay. That maybe that griffon, or somecreature else had stopped you from writing back. Which, needless to say, was a wildly stupid thing to think.

“Okay, Terramar, are you writing for Mom again?” Silver groaned, furrowing her brow.

Of course, I still think I was entirely in the right to worry about you. But? Perhaps I could have been a tad more confident in your safety.

Perhaps I also could have remembered your midterm exams were coming up soon. In my haste to worry, I might have forgotten how busy you likely were because of them.

Your brother made sure to remind of that fact after he found out I—

The rest of the line was obscured behind a rather copious amount of ink, but upon closer inspection, Silver could just make out, “‘Seaspray’? ‘Check on’!? Augh! Come on, Mom!”

In any case, while I’m not sorry for worrying about you, I do apologize for bombarding you with my paranoid ramblings. I should have held more faith in your teachers to keep you safe.

Another line was furiously scratched out. This time, however, Silver could barely decipher the last part, mumbling, “Couldn’t…? Filly from…? Windigos…? What?” she whispered, reading on.

Well, if you are unfortunately too caught up in your studies to write me back, I cannot hold that against you. Your studies are important, and I’d be loathe to pull you away from them. That said, good luck with your exams, honey; I know you’ll do swimmingly—pun absolutely intended!

Silver snorted. She then scowled once she reached the bottom line.

P.S. I can’t wait to see you when you return home for the Three Days of Freedom this year! In fact? There’s a certain somepony I’d like you to meet. He’s very sweet, very handsome—if I do say so myself—and I think you and he would get along very well! His name is—

“Not! Gallus!” Silver growled, crumpling the letter up and throwing it at her wall. “Just when I thought that maybe I should read your letters, you do that!? Ughhh!” she shrieked, burying her head into her pillow. Less than a second later, Silver rolled over and glared at her ceiling.

“Why doesn’t she like Gallus?” she wondered aloud. “I-I love him, so why can’t she be happy about that? Dad and Terry are! Sea kelp! Everypony else I know is too! So, why— Why aren’t you, Mom?”

Soul-crushing silence was her only answer.

Silver’s gaze wandered onto the stuffed elephant, Horton, that Gallus had won her so very long ago. Tenderly, she reached out and brought it close to her chest, hugging it tightly as she closed her glistening eyes. Three days down. Four to go, she lamented, sniffling.

“I hope you’re okay, Gallus.”

…

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Gah!” Silver yelped, gripping Horton even closer as she flinched away from the door. “Y-Yes? Who is it?” she called out, steadying her voice.

“Hello, Silverstream? It’s Starlight,” she announced. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Is Gallus okay!? Silver first wanted to ask. Luckily, she quickly quelled that instinct and reassured herself, If he weren’t okay, he’d have come back, Silver. He promised he would. Starlight probably just wants to give me another counseling session, she dreaded, nowhere near up for that. Oh joy.

“O-Okay,” Silver replied, giving Horton one last squeeze. She then opened the door, greeting, “Hey, Headmare Starlight. What’s… Smolder?” she asked, catching sight of the orange dragon just behind the unicorn.

“H-Hey, Silverstream,” Smolder responded, waving timidly.

“Hi,” she said, swiftly closing her door before Smolder looked inside. “So, uh? What’s up?”

“I wanted to ask for your help with something,” Starlight began, grinning suspiciously. “You see, you two aren’t the only creatures who didn’t go home for the holiday. And I thought it’d be a good idea if we all got together and threw a little holiday celebration of our own.”

“Ooh! That sounds fun,” Silver agreed, cheering up slightly. “How can I help?”

“Well, uh, heh-heh-heh,” Starlight chuckled. “I was hoping you two could help me whip something up in the kitchen. Pinkie’s visiting her family, and I’m, er, no good at non-magical baking,” she admitted shyly. “But I’ve heard a certain somegriff is pretty good at making pastries.”

Silver hid her blushing face behind her mane, earning a light snicker from Smolder. “I-I guess I am pretty good,” she mumbled proudly.

“So is that a yes?”

“Absolutely!”

“Great! Alright, you two head down to the cafeteria, and I’ll meet you there,” Starlight said as her horn began to glow.

“Oh, wait! Hold on, Headmare Starlight,” Silver blurted out.

“Hmm? Yes, Silver?”

She then shot a quick glance at Smolder and half-lied, “I need to talk to you about something later too. Just some friendship thing I needed help with.”

“Oh. No worries,” Starlight assured, smiling kindly. “I’ll be happy to help.”

“Thank you, Headmare.”

“Mhmm. Now, I still have some things I need to get ready for the party. I’ll see you both in a bit,” she said, departing in a bright flash.

“‘Some friendship thing,’ huh?” Smolder inquired as she walked up to Silver’s side.

Silverstream froze, fearing she had been caught, but she swiftly hid it behind a small smile. “Heh-heh, yep. It’s just a Laughter Lesson I’ve been thinking about lately.”

“Silver, it’s the holidays,” she deadpanned, grinning nonetheless. “I’d expect Ocellus to worry about our lessons over the break, but you?”

Please don’t catch on, please don’t catch on, please don’t catch on! “Well? It’s a lesson I really needed Headmare Starlight’s help with.”

“Whatever.” Much to Silver’s immense relief, Smolder changed the subject and asked, “Speaking of our Headmare? You know what she’s really doing with this whole party thing, right?”

“Oh yeah,” Silver confirmed. “Headmare Starlight is awesome, but subtlety isn’t exactly her best trait,” she joked, laughing alongside Smolder despite feeling like a hypocrite. “The idea still sounds fun though!” And I do still need to apologize to you… Never did get a chance to do that properly, did I?

“It does,” Smolder conceded, biting her lip. “Honestly, I could use some fun right now.”

Silverstream placed her wing on Smolder’s back. “We both could.”

“You still worried too, huh?”

“Mhmm. But he’ll be back soon, so I can’t be that worried,” she said, attempting to convince herself more than Smolder. “What about you? Are you okay?”

Perking up, Smolder said, “You know what? Yeah, I am! After all, thanks to Starlight, I have an excuse to spend the whole day baking with my friend,” she rejoiced. “Totally worth it.”

“Aww,” Silver cooed, giving Smolder a hug. “Thanks, Smolder, you’re so sweet.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she mumbled, hugging her back.

“Now, come on! We’ve got some muffins to baaake!” she sang, prancing off down the hallway.

“Don’t worry, I’m coming,” Smolder said, following after her friend.

“Hee-hee-hee!” Silver giggled. I hope you’re doing okay, Gallus, she wished as her smile drooped slightly. Please come home soon.

***

Seriously, dude,” Griselda laughed, reclining on the library sofa. “How the peck did you manage to learn that many lines?”

Gallus looked up from the book he had been reading and thought it over. “Eh. Honestly, it wasn’t that hard; all I had to do was memorize a few words and say them correctly,” he explained.

“Your play went on for two hours!” she exclaimed, throwing her talons up in disbelief. “That’s two hours you spent onstage in front of hundreds of ponies, reciting all those lines!”

“There were a lot of ponies watching,” Gavin mumbled, giving Gallus his own awestruck stare. “Wasn’t it hard acting in front of so many of them?”

“A little. But once I got into it, it was pretty easy. Definitely helped that I was having fun the whole time,” Gallus concluded, remembering that day fondly.

“Okay, but since when were you ever into acting?” Griselda bluntly asked. “Because I don’t remember you ever going anywhere near the Griffonstone Theater before.”

“You mean the one that burned down years ago?”

“Ohhh… Right. Although, Gabby did say Gilda’s planning to get that place fixed soon.”

“Hope that works out; acting is awesome. I bet you’d have some fun with it, Griselda; you’re a pretty good actor from what I recall.”

“What!? Oh-ho, no! I may have the second best poker face in Griffonstone, but I am not an actor!” Griselda protested firmly. “Not in a million years!”

Gallus gasped dramatically, inquiring, “Grissy!? Are you finally admitting I’m better than you at something!?”

“Don’t call me ‘Grissy’!” she snapped. “And no, I am not admitting you’re a better actor than I am. I’m, er, saying that I don’t wish to try acting! … But if I did, your skills couldn’t even compare.”

“There it is,” he chuckled. “Don’t worry, Grissy, I’m sure you’d get all the ovations.”

“I told you not to call me ‘Grissy’!”

“Don’t care.”

“Ughhh! You’re rather rude sometimes, you know that?”

“Mhmm,” he hummed in acknowledgment.

“Hey, Gallus?”

“Yeah, Gavin?”

The fledgling tapped his talons together before politely saying, “Thank you for sending us the tape. I’m really glad I got to see your play.”

“Thanks, Gavin, I’m happy you liked it,” he celebrated. I’m even happier Gilda kept it. Even if Gruff was the one I sent it to… “Gabby told me you wanted to come and watch our performance.”

“W-Well, yeah?” Gavin confessed. “I-I-I did.”

“Aww, that’s really nice of you, kiddo,” Gallus said unabashedly, drawing an elated grin from the fledgling. “But I have to ask—What made you want to watch our play anyway?”

He flushed brightly and answered, “I, uh, wanted to see you again. And I thought it was really cool you were in a play! In Canterlot!” he stressed. “Gabby always says it’s a nice place.”

“That’s because it is. Have you ever thought about visiting the city, Gav?”

“Sometimes. I heard they have a really, really cool library over there!”

“You really like libraries, kid,” Griselda commented, smiling approvingly. “Cool.”

“Y-Yeah, it is cool,” Gavin said, happy to hear her compliment his interests. “Princess Twilight said the Library of Magic has over two million books on all sorts of stuff! Two Million!” he squealed, enraptured by the mere possibility of that fact. “Isn’t that amazing?”

“Oh yeah,” Gallus said, thinking back to the memory. “That place was so huge, Patty and I almost got lost twice. Shame Shimmy and Zone were both too busy napping to appreciate it all.”

“Oh, here we go,” Griselda sighed, standing and trotting toward the two.

“Wait! You’ve been to the Library of Magic!?” Gavin squeaked out, shocked.

“Yep.”

His vision was suddenly filled with the gleeful smile of one adorable, tan-colored fledgling. “What was it like!? How many books were there!? Were they all kept in good condition!? What kinds of magic did the books go over!? What was the organization method!? What was—”

“Yo, Gavin! Give ‘im some breathing room, dude,” Griselda instructed, grabbing Gavin and gently pulling him away from Gallus. “Now, what do you say for getting up in his face like that?”

“S-Sorry,” he said, grinning timidly.

“Nah, it’s fine,” Gallus assuaged, holding back a laugh. “Trust me, Gavin, your excitement is totally warranted. As for your questions? Godly, over five million, yes, everything; and I don’t know.”

“Five— Five— Five million…?”

“Five million.”

Stars twinkled in Gavin’s eyes as he smiled as widely as his tiny beak would allow.

“Something tells me you just made his day,” Griselda acknowledged, shooting Gallus a smirk.

“Hey, he wanted to know about the Library of Magic, and I wasn’t about to dissuade him. That place is way too cool not to visit!” Gallus proclaimed, hoping he could visit both the Library and the city of Canterlot again one day. “For the record? So is Silver Frames’ Art Gallery.”

“Whoa! You visited an art gallery too? First theaters, then libraries, and now art galleries? Huh. Well, what do ya know? You really were a nerd all along, huh, Gallus?”

“Well, excuse you! If liking the finer arts of this world requires I label myself a ‘nerd’ then so be it. I am proud of such a title!” he huffed in mock indignation. “Besides, books are awesome.”

“Agreed!” Gavin chirped joyously.

“You two are such geeks.”

“Says the librarian.”

“S-Shut up.”

Gallus and Gavin exchanged equally sly smiles.

Overcome with a sudden, strong sense of foreboding, Griselda coughed and backpedaled, “But I’m actually kinda happy you both are. I don’t know where I’d be without my amazing assistant.”

“Thanks, Griselda. I’m just glad you do let me help.”

“Like I’d ever try to stop you.” Griselda then gave Gallus a genuine smile, adding, “And I’m not gonna lie… I’m glad I got watch your play too. You were amazing, dude,” she praised.

Gallus smiled warmly, saying, “Thanks. I’m happy you liked it.”

“Hey, I call ‘em like I see ‘em. And you and your friends totally rocked that play, Gallus.” Griselda’s smile soon drooped, and she mumbled, “Er, sorry Gilda fell asleep halfway through.”

“Nah, that’s fine; I sent ‘em the tape a while back anyway. Frankly, I would’ve been more surprised if she had stayed awake.”

“True. And hey, at least she made it through the first half.”

“More than I can say for Gruff…” Gallus couldn’t stop himself from growling.

Gavin and Griselda both shared an uncomfortable glance, and the latter slowly asked, “Has, uh, has he loosened up yet? ‘Cause I remember when we all found out about your play, and he—”

“Thought it’d be ‘Some borin’ snoozefest?’” he guessed, frowning dejectedly. “Or that he’s ‘got better things to do than watch some kid wax poetic about friendship’?”

“…You’ve got a really good memory,” she pointed out hesitantly.

“Thank you,” he said curtly.

“Y-Yeah. How— How about your Science Fair medal though?” Griselda tried, forcing a grin. “I don’t care how stubborn that buzzard is; no way can he not be even slightly interested in—”

“No.”

“No!? You can’t be serious! You and your friend were warping reality; how could he not be—”

“‘Shove that dumb medal in mah face again, and Ah’ll take it and pawn it off,’” he quoted.

“Seriously!?”

Gallus just looked away, darkly muttering, “Yes.” And he’d do it too.

“Damn…”

“Hey, that’s a tier-two swear!” Gavin reprimanded.

“What!? It was appropriate!”

“I’m still telling Gabby!”

“Whatever,” Griselda groaned, rolling her eyes. “Look, uh, don’t worry too much about it, Gallus,” she consoled. “Gruff’s a senile, old loony, so don’t let him get you down.”

“Don’t call him that, Griselda,” Gallus reflexively defended, much to the others’ surprise.

“U-Uh? Gallus, you earned that medal; Gruff shouldn’t be threatening to steal it and—”

“I don’t care; Gruff isn’t a senile, old loony!” he barked hotly. Gallus then recoiled at his harsh tone, murmuring, “Sorry. I don’t mean to yell; I just don’t like you calling him stuff like that.”

“Okaaay,” she hummed, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

“Um, Gallus?” Gavin began warily. “Are you okay?”

No, I’m not. But I can’t say that, so… Gallus hid his anger behind a smile and promised, “Don’t worry, Gavin, I’m fine.” He then pointedly returned to reading his book. “Everything’s fine.”

Griselda shared a concerned look with a very confused Gavin, but both ultimately decided not to press any further. Afterward, they both returned to reading their own respective books.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Gallus silently chanted, wishing he were alone to say as such aloud. C’mon, Gallus, why are you getting so upset when you don’t have any reason to be!?

I can be upset that Gruff doesn’t care about me!

Not really, he countered himself. Gruff doesn’t have to care about you or your dumb hobbies.

Can’t I want him to?

Certainly. Just don’t expect him to. Not when you already know Gruff doesn’t care, Gallus argued logically. If he did, he’d have watched the tape with the rest of you. Or attended the play itself.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t care; it just means he didn’t show up!

And if you were smart, you’d understand the implications.

I don’t want to understand the implications; I just want Gruff to… To… Gallus whimpered, struggling to prevent his current vexation from showing on his face.

Well, he doesn’t. So unless you plan to make him love you, you may as well give up, a dark part of his mind suggested. He’ll never care about you; he never did.

Then why did he help me all the time? H-He always gave me a roof or a supper w-whenever I couldn’t find one for myself. He— He took care of me…

Out of obligation, he refuted coldly. Why else would he cast you aside once he got the chance?

That— That’s not why he sent me away! He was just trying to get me out of this stupid place!

And away from him.

Gallus slammed his book shut and sighed. After a moment, he got up and silently re-shelved his book.

Shut up, Gallus, he rebuked himself. We’re not upset; we’re perfectly fine. And even if we were upset—which we’re not!—it wouldn’t matter anyway. We’re not supposed to be upset.

We don’t have any right to be. …Do we? he wondered, returning to the others.

“Done reading, huh?” Griselda spoke up, giving him an uncertain look.

“Eh,” Gallus responded halfheartedly. “Just not feeling up to it.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Gallus?” Gavin asked, frowning in worry.

“Yeah, I’m totally fine,” he claimed, trying his best to sound reassuring. “No problem here.”

“O-Okay,” he stuttered, not sure whether to believe Gallus or not. Gavin then closed his book and asked hopefully, “If you’re done reading, does that mean you’re ready to go?”

“Unfortunately, no. I’m really sorry, kiddo, but I need to cut today’s tour short.”

“What!? Why!? We still had so many places to go!” Gavin panicked. “I-I was going to show you the new school a-and gym!”

“Uh, Gav?” Griselda piped up. Once she had his attention, she pointed to the half-frozen window and the roaring blizzard beyond it. “Not sure you even could visit those places today.”

“But— But— But you promised…” he whimpered, tearing up.

Aw peck. “That’s right, Gavin; I did promise,” Gallus said, placing a comforting talon on his shoulder. “And I fully intend to keep it.”

“Then why didn’t you want to keep exploring today?”

“Well? For one thing, Grissy’s right,” he answered, ignoring her subsequent glare. “That snowstorm ain’t letting up any time soon, and I don’t want you getting sick.”

“But we were just fine yesterday and the day before!”

“Fair point. Except, we could actually see where we were going those days,” Gallus deadpanned. “We were lucky we could even find the library today.”

“…Okay. That’s a fair point too, I guess,” Gavin pouted ambivalently. “But doesn’t that mean you have to stay here and read with us?” he figured, smiling optimistically.

“Also no,” he groaned much to Gavin’s disappointment and Griselda’s befuddlement.

“Why?” she asked. “Got somewhere else to be?”

“Uh-huh. All this talk about Gramps reminded me I promised I’d help him clean up his house,” Gallus elaborated, feeling a strange mixture of dread and hope. “Just some winter cleaning and stuff.”

“What!?” Griselda shouted, whipping her tail in anger. “Gallus, it’s the holidays! How the peck did that idiot rope you into cleaning his house!?”

“He’s not an idiot, Griselda! He just…needed help.” And I want to spend time with him, he conveniently neglected to mention. Even if it means dusting everything he owns…

“Dude, you’re on vacation,” she retorted, quirking an eyebrow. “You know? Vacation? Noun? An extended period of leisure and relaxation?”

“Recreation,” Gavin corrected.

“Point being: You’re here to have fun, Gallus. Not do Gruff’s chores!”

“Yeah, I know,” Gallus vowed, shuffling awkwardly. “But I-I wanted to help. That’s just Kindness 101,” he tried, hoping Griselda wouldn’t argue further.

She did. “Kindness 101, huh? Funny. I recall Kindness Lesson Eighty-one stating that while it’s okay to help others in need, one shouldn’t let their kindness be abused.”

“What the— H-How do you—”

“Friendship Journal.”

“Right,” Gallus sighed, annoyed. “Well, you don’t have to worry, Griselda. I’m. Fine. Gruff isn’t ‘abusing’ my kindness, okay? I’m just lending him a talon.”

“In that case? You want any help? Generosity 101 and all?” she offered smartly.

“No, no, no! I’ve got it!” he protested vehemently. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll be fine.” C’mon, Grissy, you’re smart enough to know why I’m really doing this!

She scowled, reluctantly yielding, “Alright, fine. Just be careful that he doesn’t try to ‘suggest’ you help any more than you need to,” she warned. “That guy has a way of worming his way into everygriff’s head. Why do you think Gilda’s always so hostile around him?”

“Yes, well? I don’t plan to engage in any hostilities,” Gallus stated, reeling in his emotions. “All I’m doing is helping him clean up for the Blue Moon Festival. Who knows? Maybe we’ll have some fun while we do,” he hoped.

“If you can call playing housemaid to the most stubborn griffon in the whole pecking world ‘fun,’” she grumbled, turning her gaze away from him. “Then sure.”

“It might be fun,” Gavin supposed, shooting Gallus a concerned stare. “Right?”

Gallus wavered, debating, Would it be fun? Or… Or would it…not?

Does it even matter? he asked himself numbly.

Of course it matters!

But we already promised we’d help him, so we’re just gonna need to shut our beaks and deal with it. Like we always did.

I-I don’t want to be upset…

And you don’t want him to be upset either. Do you?

No, I don’t. I don’t want him to be mad at me; I just want him to— I just want— I just want to spend time with him! That’s all I want, Gallus confessed to himself.

Then you know what you need to do. Whether or not you have fun.

No more cowardice. “It’ll be a lot of fun. But don’t worry, kiddo,” he said, playfully ruffling the fledgling’s headcrest. “It won’t be nearly as much fun as exploring Griffonstone with you.”

Needless to say, Gavin looked happy enough to sing a musical number.

Griselda, on the other talon, clicked her beak and asked, “If that’s the case, did you want me to walk Gavin home? I was planning to close up early anyway.”

“You’re gonna close the library early!?” Gavin screeched, appalled. “Are you crazy!?”

“Kid, nogriff is coming here in that blizzard. Not to mention it’s getting pretty late anyway, and I’ll take whatever extra sleep I can get, thank you very much.”

“Heh-heh-heh,” Gallus laughed. “Don’t worry, Griselda, I’ve got it. Gruff’s place isn’t that far from Gilda’s, and I suspect Gavin would be happier if I brought him home,” he ended knowingly.

“W-Well, it would be pretty nice,” Gavin admitted, utterly unable to hide his excitement.

“See, Grissy? What’d I tell you?”

“Don’t call me ‘Grissy’!”

Gallus and Gavin both just snickered.

***

A blast of wind slammed into Gallus, nearly sending him tumbling away. Fortunately, he powered through it and trekked up the steps to Grandpa Gruff’s house.

“Grover’s Treasure!” Gallus yelped as he pulled his scarf over his beak. “‘Pretty slim chance’ my flank! I swear, this had better be worth it…”

Of course it will be worth it! he chanted to himself with forced optimism. We’re finally spending time with him!

Yeah. By forcing yourself to return to a place you hate and pseudo-manipulating him into letting you come to his house…to do chores! Gallus knew quite a lot of creatures would counter.

He paused at the door and remembered Silver saying, “I know you want him to care about you, Gallus. I just don’t want you to be upset if it turns out he…doesn’t.”

“I… I am okay. I’m not upset. Everything is fine,” Gallus repeated, desperate to believe it. He then knocked and mumbled, “This will be fine.”

…

Gallus knocked again.

…

His wings slumped into the snow as Gallus fearfully considered, D-Did he forget I was coming?

Almost immediately, the door opened, causing him to stand at attention. Gruff then peeked his head through the door, growling, “What the peck do you— Oh. Gallus, it’s you,” he acknowledged, raising an eyebrow. “Why are you knockin’ at mah door in the middle of a blizzard?”

“You— You said you wanted help. W-With cleaning up,” he explained, shivering.

“Ah didn’t think you were— Agh, forget it!” he yelled, rolling his good eye and stepping aside. “Get your flank in ‘ere before Ah have to chisel you off mah step!”

“Thank you,” Gallus said, swiftly accepting the offer.

Gruff’s house looked the same as ever: Dusty floor, flaking walls; discarded feathers… And not a single holiday decorations in sight.

After hanging his coat on the hallway rack, he asked, “So, uh, how are you doing, Gramps?”

“Eh,” Gruff replied aloofly. “You?”

See? He asked if I was okay; that’s a good start. “Cold. Otherwise, I’m fine.”

“Hmm. Good! Means you can start cleanin’ up,” he stated, trotting past Gallus without a second glance. “Broom’s in it’s usual spot. Ah’ll be in mah room.”

No! No! No! “H-Hold on, Gramps!” Gallus called out, making the elderly griffon stop and turn around. “I, uh, er… H-How has your day been?”

“Ah already told you; did you forget that quickly?”

How the peck did I already upset him!? “No! I just, er, wanted to know what you’ve been up to. C’mon, you must have done something cool today, right?” Gallus supposed, praying they could keep talking. “I-I’d like to hear about it!” Grover’s Treasure, that sounded pathetic…

Gruff’s frown deepened as he deadpanned, “Ain’t nothin’ to hear. Ah’ve just been tryin’ to clean, since ‘Miss Savior of Griffonstone’ won’t get off mah flank about it.”

“O-Oh. Well, good thing I’m here to help,” he proclaimed confidently. “I remember how annoying Gilda can be when she wants something from you.”

“Mhmm. Broom’s in it’s usual spot, and Ah’ll be doin’ mah own thing. Holler if you get trapped inside the cabinet again,” he drawled, stunning Gallus long enough to escape into his bedroom.

He had to bring up the cabinet incident, didn’t he? Gallus groaned in frustration as he entered Gruff’s living room. He then looked at the fireplace mantle and felt his heart sink a little lower.

No pictures like Gilda had, huh? Just dust? Yeah, that’s Gruff for ya, he sighed, disappointed. Gallus then shook his head and berated, Stop it, Gallus! He doesn’t care about you, and he doesn’t owe you anything! So stop acting like he does… Just— Just do what you came here to do.

“Okay, okay,” he whined to himself. “Now, where was the broom again?”

Quite a few hours had passed, and in that time, Gallus had worked himself into exhaustion, cleaning every nook and cranny he could. Ultimately, it was with a proud smile and a satisfied groan that he collapsed onto the living room sofa.

“Oh yeah. I. Am. Good,” Gallus praised, basking in the fruits of his labor. “Maybe I should reconsider the cleaning crew option when I get home?”

“You missed a spot.”

“AGH!” he screamed, leaping from the sofa in a burst of feathers.

Grandpa Gruff heaved over in a series of wicked cackles.

“Not funny, Gramps!” Gallus bemoaned as he tried to regain control of his breathing.

“Ha-hahah-ha! Whoo-whee! Says you!”

Gallus just pouted.

“Hee-hee-heheheh! Ehhh, too good…”

“Yeah, yeah. And just what have you been up to while I’ve been cleaning?”

“Wrappin’ presents.”

What the peck!? “Seriously?”

“Ha! No, Ah was takin’ a nap.”

Oh. “You, uh, enjoy your nap?”

“Not with all your clamorin’ around, Ah didn’t,” Gruff groused, frowning.

Gallus hung his head and muttered, “S-Sorry. I’ll try to be quieter next time…”

Why are you apologizing for doing a good job? a part of him wondered. Gallus instinctively ignored that thought and asked, “What was that about me missing a spot, Gramps?”

Gruff just pointed upward.

Aw peck. Gallus didn’t even need to look to angrily realize, “I forgot the rafters.”

“You always do.”

“Dang it! Sorry, Gramps, I’ll get right on that.”

“Eh, don’t worry ‘bout it,” he said, waving his talon dismissively. “You’ve done enough.”

“Nonsense, Gramps! I hate leaving a job half-done, and this won’t even take long.”

“You’ve done enough, Gallus,” Gruff repeated more firmly.

“W-What? Are you sure?” Gallus asked, completely stunned.

“Ah’m sure. ‘Sides, if you clean any more of mah home, Gilda’ll know you did it and make me pay you,” he joked.

“You know I’d just give it back.”

“She wouldn’t let you give it back. Not with the holiday and all.”

“Eh, I could always pretend to take it then sneak it back to you later.”

“Gilda wised up to that trick a while back.”

“Mail?”

“Gabby.”

“Okay, but there is no way either of them know about our hollowed-out book, right?”

“Gavin found that two weeks ago.”

“Seriously!?”

“Mhmm.”

“Dang. Sorry.”

“Eh, well…” Gruff shrugged. “What’re you gonna do?”

“Give me a minute to think and I’ll tell ya,” Gallus replied, winking slyly.

“One minute, eh? M’kay! Sixty… Fifty-nine… Fifty-eight,” Gruff started counting, laughing dryly. “You better hurry and think, boy; Ah expect you to have a plan! Fifty-seven. Fifty-six.”

Grover’s Treasure, I missed talking to you! Gallus lamented, chuckling as he ruminated on the conundrum. “Okay, I think I’ve got it.”

“Wow, that was fast! What’ve you got for me, kiddo?”

“I could get a safety deposit box and mail you the key,” he proposed confidently. “Gabby wouldn’t know to hold it back from you, and she couldn’t use it if she did. How’s that sound?”

“Hmm. It’s a nice plan, Ah suppose,” Gruff complimented. “But like peck am Ah leavin’ mah home to hunt down some dumb box in ponyland.”

Not even Bits can get you to leave Griffonstone now!? Struggling to keep his expression neutral, Gallus protested, “The banks aren’t that bad down there.”

“Sure, they’re not…” Gruff looked like he wanted say more, but he ultimately chose not to. Instead, he looked around and admitted, “Aside from them rafters, it looks good, Gallus. … Thanks.”

“I-It really was no problem, Gramps,” Gallus assured, barely not jumping for joy. “I’m just glad you’re happy with, uh, with my work.” Cleaning crew is definitely back on the list!

“Well, you know how Ah like it which Ah can’t say for everygriff. Glad to see your soiree in ponyland hasn’t made you forget the basics,” he added, grinning slightly. “You did good, kid.”

Sheer, unadulterated pride radiated from Gallus in that moment.

“So,” Gruff continued, raising an eyebrow. “About that bank comment…? How would you know they aren’t as bad down there in ponyland as they are here?”

“Oh. Uh…” Didn’t expect this to be brought up, but here we go. “Lately, I’ve been considering what career I want after I graduate,” he clarified hesitantly. “Bank manager was one of the options.”

“Pssh! ‘Bank manager’? You? Yeah, right!”

Annnd there it is. “W-What? You don’t think I could do it?”

“It certainly wouldn’t be a good use of your time.”

That didn’t answer my question. “Well? It was— It was just something I was considering,” he said, rubbing his shoulder self-consciously. And apparently something I’m not cut out to be either…

“Hope your ‘consideration’ wasn’t serious,” Gruff said bluntly, not noticing Gallus flinch. “That said? What other things you considerin’ for yourself?”

H-He’s interested in my…? Gallus thought, feeling his heart flutter joyously. Thank you, Grover! “A lot actually. Weather manager, Wonderbolt, lawyer; Royal Guard…? Pretty much everything but a politician,” he ended, chortling.

“Wonderbolt, huh? Whelp, you may as well give that one up too since you’ve got these,” he advised, waving his talons.

“B-B-But,” Gallus stammered, horrified. “Professor Dash said they’d accept me! That— That the Wonderbolts wouldn’t really care so long as I could fly well. Which I do.”

“And that candy-maned tomboy ain’t the leader of them fliers, now is she?”

“…No,” Gallus conceded quietly. But— But that wouldn’t matter! It’s knowledge and skill that get somecreature a profession, not appearance. And certainly not species, he chose not to argue.

“Exactly. One thing Ah know ‘bout this world is that things don’t come easy unless you know the right griffon, and they owe you a favor,” Gruff stated with absolute certainty.

“I-I, uh…” Say it. You know you have to. “I guess you’re right,” he forced himself to say despite knowing otherwise. There. I said what he wanted me to say. I didn’t have to, but I did.

“Ah’m always right whenever it comes to stuff like this,” he claimed, giving Gallus a small pat on the shoulder. “Just tryin’ to spare you the disappointment.”

Don’t say it, Gallus. You should be happy Gruff’s even talking to you. Don’t say it. Don’t! Say it! “By discouraging me instead?” Gallus countered, shrugging away from Gruff’s talon.

“Ain’t discouragin’ if it’s the truth,” he argued, making a show of slowly putting his talon back down. “What? You didn’t really wanna be a Wonderbolt, did you?”

Not anymore I don’t. “Nah, not really.”

“Oh. Ohhh! Heh-heh, you wanted it for the paycheck, didn’t you?”

Now, Gallus? You know you have to agree this time.

“No, actually…”

What are you doing!? If you tell him he’s wrong about something, he’s gonna shut you out!

“No?” Gruff seemed genuinely shocked by that and asked, “Then why were you considerin’ it?”

Say it was for the pride of Griffonstone or something stupid like that! Just don’t actually say—

“It was because of Silverstream,” Gallus elaborated calmly. “She was thinking about joining them too, so I thought it’d be nice if we joined together.”

Gruff narrowed his eyes, murmuring, “It was ‘cause of that girlfriend of yours, huh?”

Well, at least he remembered who Silver was, Gallus noticed, not feeling reassured at all. “Technically, it was for both of us. I thought the Wonderbolts would be a cool job, and since she was thinking about signing up herself?” That only seemed to make Guff angrier, so he added, “I-I mean, even if it didn’t pan out, I could at least learn more about something she’s passionate about.”

“Why do you care so much about what she’s passionate about?”

Utterly dumbfounded by that question, Gallus could only mutter, “I’m sorry, what?”

Gruff groaned at having to repeat himself and loudly inquired, “Why do you care so much for your newfound fling’s interests?”

Newfound fling!? “Gramps, Silverstream is not some ‘fling’! She’s my girlfriend.”

“Uh-huh. For now,” he stated so casually that Gallus blinked in shock. “So tell me, why do you think it’s even remotely a good idea to hedge your future on this random girl you suddenly have the hots for?”

Don’t get angry, Gallus. You know you shouldn’t get angry; you can’t get angry.

Peck that! Every feeling I have is equally important, Gallus remembered determinedly. And right now, I feel the need to defend Silverstream!

“Gramps, Silver is my girlfriend! I do not just ‘suddenly have the hots for her’; I love her!” he declared. “W-What am I supposed to do? Just not care about what she likes?”

“Don’t put words in mah beak,” Gruff chided indignantly. “Ah didn’t say that. Ah asked why you were thinkin’ about gettin’ a job you don’t like just ‘cause of her?”

“I was interested in the Wonderbolts at one point. I’m not anymore, but still,” Gallus clarified. “Besides! If we both joined, we could spend more time together. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothin’ at first. But when you break up, what then? You’ll be trapped in a job you joined just for her, and you won’t even be together anymore,” Gruff warned grimly.

“‘Break up’? You think Silver and I will break up!?” What the peck!? Just… What the peck!?

“Well, Ah certainly don’t think you’ll stay together,” he grumbled nonchalantly.

Gallus scowled, saying, “See, that’s where you’re wrong, Gramps. We’re not gonna break up. Not now, not ever.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I mean it, Gramps!”

“Oh, come off it,” Gruff scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re not even old enough to drink, and yet you’re considerin’ this girl might be your wife one day?”

“…Yeah.”

Gruff blinked hard.

“Yeah, Gramps, I have thought about that. A-About spending a future with her… I owe her that,” Gallus said simply. “I’m not gonna— I’m not gonna pretend that I don’t love her o-or that I don’t want to still be with her ten…? Twenty…? Eighty years from now!”

Gruff massaged his aching head, exclaiming, “Well, that’s a bold claim to make.”

Gallus snorted and agreed, “Yeah, I know. But what can I say? She’s the most wonderful creature I know,” he ended, smiling serenely. Maybe now he’ll give her a chance?

“I can’t— You seriously— Gallus, how long have you even known this girl for?”

“Since my first day of school.”

“Oh, so two years!” Gruff laughed, torn between irritation and amusement. “You think you want a future life with a girl you’ve know for two years.”

“Two-and-a-half!” Guess not!

“So what? Not like you even know what love is!”

Was that a dig about my…!? “Something tells me I know more about it than you do,” Gallus mumbled, thinking back to the three thousand letters he had stuffed away back home.

“What was that!?”

Gallus winced and reflexively lied, “Th-That maybe you’re right.” No! He is not right! “But I don’t need to know what love is to know I love her!”

“You mean you think you love her!”

“No, I know I love her!” You are not taking that away from me, Gruff!

“And what makes you think that? W-What even made you get up with her in the first place?”

So this is what it takes for you to ask me that, huh?

Reel it in, Gallus! he commanded himself. You’re going to lose him if you keep arguing with—

Don’t care! He finally asked, so I’m gonna answer. I don’t need to say anything other than the truth. “Friends and Family Day,” he practically growled.

“Friends and— Wait? That stupid holiday Twilight Sparkle made up?” Gruff asked, legitimately confused. “What the peck does that have to do with you suddenly havin’ a girlfriend?”

“It’s, uh… That’s a funny story,” Gallus chuckled darkly. “You see, um? She was there. … You. Weren’t,” he snarled, feeling a twisted sense of satisfaction when he noticed Gruff swallow nervously.

“S-So?”

Gallus nearly fainted; whether in sheer rage or overwhelming sorrow, he wasn’t certain.

“So…! She was there for me,” Gallus said, measuring his tone carefully. “How many times did I ask you to be there that day? Because I never had to ask her once.”

“Grover’s Treasure!” Gruff swore, face-clawing. “That’s what this is about!?”

“You weren’t there, Gruff,” Gallus continued. “You weren’t there for Friends and Family Day, you weren’t there for my play; you weren’t there for the Science Fair…”

“Yeah, and? What’s that got to do with why you ‘love’ Silverstream?”

You… You can’t even… You really don’t care, do you!?

“I’ll tell you what! Do you have any idea how much I wanted you to be there!?”

“A lot?” he guessed bluntly.

“More than you evidently think,” Gallus rebuked, furious. “You know? I may not want to be an actor or a scientist, but I loved our play, and I loved helping Ocellus for the Fair! But, you? No. You couldn’t even be bothered to write me back even though I practically begged you to be there for both!”

You’re doing it again, Gallus! Gruff isn’t Sandbar or Yona; he’s not gonna just sit there and let you ramble at him like an idiot!

Well, I don’t care! I don’t need to earn his love, and I’m sick of acting like I do!

“Get over it,” Gruff ordered, sneering angrily. “Ah don’t see you bein’ mad at Gilda and Gabby for not showin’ up either!”

“Don’t drag them into this! I didn’t ask them to be there; I asked you.”

“And what? Am Ah supposed to just uproot mahself and venture down somewhere Ah’m not welcome just to sit there and smile while you get some dumb, worthless medal?”

“Ocellus and I worked our flanks off to get that medal! And I’m proud of it!”

“Congratulations! Ah don’t care,” Gruff said, grimacing spitefully. “Ah’m curious why you care though. So Ah didn’t show up to some stupid events you were part of? Why’s that such a problem?”

“Because I wanted you to be there!” Gallus roared. And it is okay that I feel that way! “I-I sent you dozens of letters, and I know you got them… But you never showed up!”

“Why did Ah have to?” he asked icily.

“Why couldn’t you? I asked you to—”

“Well, Ah didn’t wanna be there!” Gruff interrupted, wheezing after the outburst.

Do not hide away your heart, Gallus.

“Is— Is that because you don’t care about me?” Gallus finally had the courage to ask.

“…Contrary to what that no-name showpony obviously put in your head,” he began tentatively. “You don’t! Need me! To tell you! That Ah’m proud of you!”

“Why?”

Gruff stepped back, completely unprepared for that response. A minute later, he deliberately looked away from Gallus and falteringly asked, “I-Is that why— Why you care about her so much?”

“What?” Gallus asked, leaving faint gouges in the floor beneath his talons.

“Silverstream. This why you think you love her?” he inquired, still refusing to look at Gallus. “‘Cause she’s ‘proud of you’? That it?”

He’s baiting you, Gallus.

“I don’t think she’s proud of me. I know she is!”

“So it is why you think you love her!”

You’re falling for the bait; get out of there!

“I do love her!”

“No, you think you do,” Gruff refuted, finally leveling a baleful glare at him. “But you don’t. You just like that she’s proud of you because—of course!—you still can’t be proud of yourself!” he snarled, panting heavily afterward.

…

Get out.

Gallus calmly wiped the tears from his eyes, whimpering, “You know what, Mr. Gruff? You’re right… It is hard to be proud of myself sometimes.”

Gruff squinted, perplexed.

Get out!

“But, uh, it’s a lot easier to do that nowadays,” Gallus stated, sniffling. “So, yes, Mr. Gruff. I, um… I can be proud of myself.”

GET! OUT!

Gallus took a deep breath and confessed, “I just wish you were proud of me too.” He then swiftly turned away, racing toward the door.

“Gallus, where are you— Gallus! Hold on, don’t go anywhere!” Gruff called out, unsure whether to follow or not. “Ah said don’t go anywhere!”

Don’t listen to him; just get out! Gallus told himself, barely resisting the urge to do otherwise.

“Gallus, stop! Just wait a minute, Ah can— Your coat— Gallus!? Gallus!”

Ignoring the continued calls from the griffon behind him, Gallus threw open the doors, and with one last sob, he spread his wings and darted into the white-out.

***

An uncomfortable silence permeated the otherwise cozy living room of Gilda’s house, broken only by the muffled steps of the griffoness in question’s angered pacing.

Gabby lifted her gaze from the floor and opened her beak to say something. Unfortunately, she simply hung her head once again, leaving the silence undisturbed.

Gallus, meanwhile, leaned against the back of the couch, hugging the blanket draped around him and staring at the crackling fireplace through tired, puffy eyes.

Eventually, a door clicked shut from down the hall, and they all turned to see Greta emerge from around the corner. “Okay. I finally got Gavin into bed, so let’s try not to wake him up? Please?” she requested softly.

“Don’t worry, Greta, I’ll keep my voice down,” Gilda assured. She then rounded on Gallus and quietly demanded, “Now, Gallus? Tell me what the peck happened again.”

“We’ve been over this, girls,” he said, not bothering to meet Gilda’s fierce gaze.

“Yeah, you got into a fight, but I want to know why.”

“Gilda…”

“Gabby, don’t.” With her cowed, Gilda asked far more gently, “Gallus, seriously… Talk to us.”

“We— We just got into a fight over Silverstream. I-I-It all happened s-so fast, and…” Gallus held his face in his talons and shakily sighed. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

“…You don’t have to do anything,” she promised in a grave tone. Gilda then marched toward the door and slipped on her coat and scarf, proclaiming, “I’ve got this.”

“Gilda, stop,” Greta said, following after her. “Don’t do what I think you’re going to do.”

“No worries, Greta,” Gilda said, smiling sweetly. “The old geezer and I are just going to have a little chat; that’s all. Promise.”

A part of Gallus urged him to defend Gruff, but it died out before he could even open his beak.

“You and I both know you’re not going to just ‘chat.’”

“Well, what do you want me to do, Greta!?” After sparing Gallus a glance, Gilda whispered, “I let Gruff get away with not visiting the kid, but this? He went too far this time.”

“Firstly, that’s not your fault. Secondly, I agree with you. And thirdly, what I want you to do is kick the windbag down the mountain,” Greta growled lividly.

Gilda grinned.

“Stop smiling! You know you can’t do that.”

“Aw, but I want to!”

“And you’re just gonna have to settle for giving him a black eye,” she argued, much to Gilda’s disappointment. “You’re lucky I’m even letting you leave this house with that blizzard still going on.”

“Should probably throw Gruff into the blizzard…”

“Do I need to come with you to make sure you don’t do that?”

“…Nah, it’ll be fine. ‘Sides, I know not to leave any marks,” she bragged, slipping out into the snowstorm before Greta could respond.

“Grover’s Treasure, we are so dysfunctional,” she groaned, turning to the other two griffons in the room and noting they both looked positively miserable.

Greta then met Gabby’s gaze and gave her a subtle nod, receiving one in return. “Okay. I’m gonna go put some tea on and start supper. Let me know if you two need anything, okay?”

“We will,” Gabby promised quietly. Once Greta had disappeared into the kitchen, she lunged toward Gallus and trapped him in a warm hug that he was quick to reciprocate.

“I’m so sorry, Gallus,” she whimpered, feeling her shoulder dampen from his tears. “I-I-I didn’t think he would— I thought he loved— I d-didn’t—”

“Gabby, just shut up,” he sighed neutrally. “Look, I’m not in the best mood to comfort you right now, so… Just— Just don’t blame yourself, okay?” Gallus pleaded. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I just never thought th-that he’d do something like this! I thought— Ughhh, I’m so stupid,” Gabby whined, leaning back and face-clawing. “I should have known this would—”

Gallus placed his talon over her beak and interjected, “Gabby? Please… This isn’t your fault, a-and I don’t care how many times you tell yourself it is. It! Isn’t! It’s… It’s his, okay?” he weakly stated. “H-He’s the one who sent me away. He’s the one who can’t accept that I have a girlfriend I love. He’s the one who— Who doesn’t care about me. Who never will…”

Gabby wiped her eyes and protested, “Don’t say that! Gruff’s a jerk, but I’m certain he cares about you. Wh-Why else would he always ask for so many letters and updates?”

“I don’t know!” Gallus snapped. “And right now, I don’t care. I’m tired of caring, and Gruff sure doesn’t! I can’t deny it anymore… I won’t deny it anymore,” he declared, sniffling. “It’s not worth it.”

“I-I just wanted you to see Griffonstone again,” she muttered dejectedly. “To— To see it really was better. I didn’t mean for you t-to get hurt all over again.”

“Well, for what it’s worth?” he laughed, slumping back into the sofa. “I did see Griffonstone, and it definitely is better. That’s another thing I won’t deny.”

“I’m glad for that at least…”

“You should be glad. You, Gilda, and everygriff else have done so much,” Gallus praised, smiling softly. “I wish I could have grown up in this Griffonstone.”

“Heh-heh. Thanks, Gallus. I’m happy we’re saving our home.”

“Me too,” he said, glancing at Gigi’s picture. “Even if it isn’t my home.”

“It… It could be?” Gabby suggested, her tone wistful.

“No,” he immediately refused. “Griffonstone is not my home, Gabby. It never was, nor will it ever be,” Gallus asserted before she could protest. “There’s nothing for me here. … You know, aside from the obvious,” he added, gesturing to both her and the hallway leading to Gavin’s room.

Although clearly disappointed, Gabby thankfully didn’t press further. Instead, she asked, “Do you think it could have been? I-If everything had gone well?”

“…No.”

“Heh. I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting that answer.”

“Because you’re optimistic?” he guessed, earning a faint giggle. “I don’t know how you do it, but nothing ever truly gets you down, does it?”

“Well, I am a Crusader!” she boasted. “And it feels good to help everycreature. Even if we sometimes fail,” she ended morosely.

“You didn’t fail, Gabby.”

“Still feels like I did…” Gabby then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “But like you said, I won’t let that get me down. After all, we still have the rest of the Blue Moon Festival to celebrate!”

“Yeah, you do. But as for me? I’m going home.”

“‘Going home’!? Wait! Y-You mean…? Oh. Ohhh.”

Gallus bit down to keep himself from reflexively apologizing.

“When, uh, when do you want to leave?” she inquired timidly.

“Well, I missed the Monday train, so, um? When’s the next train out?”

“It would have been tomorrow, but the blizzard delayed it,” she explained. “Now it’s not scheduled to arrive until the day after.”

“Surprising. The conductor said the train made trips to the Crystal Empire all the time.”

“Yeah, well? We all expected the blizzard to be bad, but…” She glanced at the ice-encrusted window and finished, “We didn’t think it would be this bad.”

“Fair enough, I guess.”

“Makes me really glad we warned everycreature to stay inside ahead of time,” Gabby said, turning back to him. “I wouldn’t want to be caught in that.”

“None of us would,” Greta commented as she exited the kitchen. She then took the last spot on the couch and passed them their drinks. “Get stuck in that, and it won’t be hypothermia you suffer from.”

Neither Gallus, nor Gabby wanted to acknowledge that particularly gruesome notion, so they simply leaned back and sipped at their tea. “Mmm! Thanks, Greta,” Gallus said, feeling slightly better.

“You’re welcome. … So? You’re leaving, huh?” she asked tentatively.

Gallus nodded. “Yeah. I-I can’t stay here, Greta; I need to go home. I’m really sorry, but—”

“Save it, Gallus. You don’t need to apologize to me or anygriff else. Least of all, him.”

“…Thanks.”

“No problem. But you are going to have to stay here a little longer though,” Greta pointed out calmly. “Like Gabby told you, the trains are delayed.”

“Yeah, I know. Don’t— Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I can wait a few days…”

“Good. Because if you thought we would ever let you hike your way back through that snowstorm, you’re pecking crazy,” she tittered amiably.

“C’mon, Greta! Gallus wasn’t thinking of doing that,” Gabby laughed. “Right, Gallus?”

“…”

“Riiight, Gallus?”

Before he could reply, the front door slammed opened, allowing a wave of cold, snow, and wind to penetrate the abode. Once she finally forced the door shut, Gilda slumped against it, panting as she fearfully shrieked, “We’ve got a problem!”

“Gilda!?” Greta began, rushing over and helping Gilda stand. “What happened?”

“I’ll tell you what happened! That pecking sleazebag vamoosed before I could get him!”

“W-W-Wh— W-What?” Gallus stammered, feeling sick.

“Gilda, pl-please tell me you don’t mean what I think you mean,” Gabby begged.

Gilda merely shook her head and reaffirmed, “He’s gone. Guys? Gruff’s gone!”

***

“No way,” Smolder groaned as she poured her bowl of fudge into the Silver’s tray. “You cannot let him take you bowling for your second date.”

“Why not? I like bowling,” Silverstream said, sliding the brownie mix into the oven. “Plus, according to that schedule of his, it’s only the first thing he planned to do.”

“Yeah, but bowling, Silver? Bowling?”

“Ugh, you sound like Scoop,” she jovially grumbled. “Bowling can be romantic too.”

“So can candlelit dinners in some fancy restaurant.”

“Or afternoons spent at the aquarium?”

“Or a ride on a Ferris Wheel.”

“Or an evening spent browsing an art gallery.”

“Or a night spent curled up on the couch, watching Sci-Fi movies.”

Both girls sighed contently.

“So? Ferris Wheels, huh?”

“Nuh-uh! You explain your dating preferences first,” Smolder ordered, leaning against the counter. “Then maybe I’ll explain mine. Maybe.”

“What can I say? Bowling is fun,” Silverstream stated, sitting down after having washed her talons. And at this point I’m just happy we’re finally doing something! she opted not to say.

“Hey, I’m not denying it’s fun,” Smolder protested. “But as a date activity? Hard pass! … Especially if you’re competing against Thunderlane; that dude wins every time.”

“True. He and his brother are on a whole different level,” she agreed, silently cursing out Rumble. “Your turn. Since when were you into candlelit dinners and fancy restaurants?”

“Eh. It’s a good way of knowing if the guy’s really interested,” she explained, shrugging casually. “He wouldn’t spend all those Bits on the meal, otherwise.”

“Oof. Now you really sound like Scoop. But honestly? I enjoy a formal dinner every now and then, but all the time? Nah, love isn’t something you can buy with restaurants, roses, and candles.” Even if Gallus is planning that too.

“But it can be bought with aquarium tours, huh?” Smolder snickered.

“Hey! Do you have any idea how different our knowledge of the ocean is compared to Equestria’s?” she exclaimed excitedly. “The answer is very.”

“And let me guess: You love learning all about those differences?”

“Guilty as charged. But who wouldn’t love learning new and amazing things about the sea?”

“Somecreature with thalassophobia?”

Silver just frowned and dodged, “…So, about that Ferris Wheel comment?”

“What? It’s a glorified elevator where you can sneak in some private snuggles with your partner,” Smolder said unashamedly. “Sounds pretty nice to me.”

Silverstream gasped dramatically. “Smolder! You’re a snuggler!?”

Blushing vividly, she quickly demanded, “Don’t ever tell anycreature about this conversation!”

“Hee-hee-hee. Don’t worry, I won’t.”

“Good. … So, art gallery, huh?”

“Do I really need to explain that one?”

“No, that one makes sense.” Smolder then flicked her tail and tentatively asked, “You guys still banned from the one in Canterlot?”

“Yep,” she confirmed irritably. At least until I snap and call in a favor with Auntie Novo, that is.

“Sorry, Silver.”

“Don’t worry about it. There’s plenty of other galleries we could visit.”

“Like the one you guys are going to for the date?”

“Yep. And I’m so glad Gallus thought of Spearhead’s gallery! I haven’t been there in ages!” she squealed eagerly.

“Yeah, I bet you’ll have a lot of fun when you two go there,” Smolder said, smirking.

“Oh, believe me! We will.” Actually, that gives me an idea! Silver celebrated, perking up. “You know? You’d probably like it too if you gave one a visit.”

“‘One’ what? An art gallery? Sorry, but I’m not exactly the ‘artistic’ type.”

“Funny. There’s a sculpture down in the Tree of Harmony’s old cave that would beg to differ,” Silver cheerfully reminded her.

“H-How did you know about that!?” Smolder yelped, feeling a light blush rise to her cheeks.

“You weren’t the only one to leave a memorial down there, ya know,” Silver explained, winking. “You left a statue; I left a portrait.”

“Yeah, well? That was just a one-time-thing! It wasn’t even that good,” she mumbled self-consciously.

“Really? I thought it looked spectacular!”

“…Thanks,” Smolder said softly. “But I’m more of an astronomer than a sculptor anyway.”

“That why you love Sci-Fi movies so much?”

“Just what else am I supposed to watch? Romances are terrible, and I can’t stay awake through a documentary to save my soul.”

“Hey, I like both those things!” Silver whined.

“Wait, you like watching documentaries?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“Same reason why I’d love to visit the aquarium,” she elaborated, smiling gleefully. “There are a lot of wonderful things in our world, and I love learning about ’em.”

“But documentaries are so boring,” Smolder moaned. “Plus, the narrator usually sounds like a pompous windbag.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that one.”

“Yeah. At least with Sci-Fi, you get some really awesome concepts: Dual-ended laser swords, time traveling phone booths; dimension-hopping therapy trains…!” she listed off passionately.

“Ooh! That does sound cool!”

“You bet it does. You know?” Smolder continued slowly. “Maybe we should get together for movie nights more often? I’ve got tons of great shows that the rest of you would like.”

“I do wish we could do that more,” Silver agreed wistfully. “After all, I’m sure I can find some Romance movies you’d like.”

“Ha! Nice try, but Shimmy already gave me Cadence’s list.”

“But have you watched any of them?”

“Honestly? I’d rather watch them with everycreature,” she confessed, rubbing her shoulder timidly.

“Awww,” Silver squeed, fluttering her wings. “That settles it! We’re all going to get together for a movie night when everyone gets back!” she declared adamantly.

Smolder smiled happily. It didn’t last long, and she soon asked, “While we’re on the topic…? What kind of movies does Gallus like?”

Oh sea kelp… Silver let out a nervous groan, answering, “He, uh… Really likes war movies.”

Smolder gripped the counter a tad tighter as she neutrally muttered, “That’s…random.”

Steeling her courage, she continued, “You can blame Sandbar for that one; he’s the one who got him hooked on the genre.”

“Of course…”

“A-Although? Ocellus gave us a list of some good ones, and we’ve watched most of them together. And they were pretty fun, even if the subject matter isn’t exactly my cup of tea… Plus,” Silverstream continued warmly. “It’s not like he only likes those kinds of movies. Gallus loves documentaries too.”

“Heh, seriously?”

“You should have seen how excited he was when I found a collection of old archaeology videos. I swear, he reminds me of Ocellus so much sometimes,” Silver sighed dreamily.

“Mmm, no. No, he doesn’t,” Smolder argued, shaking her head.

“Huh?”

“Have you ever watched a documentary with Ocellus? It’s torture!” she warned, shuddering at the memory. “She’ll point out every single inaccuracy and then pause to go fact check.”

Silver recoiled. “Eugh. No wonder you don’t like documentaries.”

Smolder just shrugged. After a moment, she swallowed nervously and questioned, “Is, uh… Is his apparent love of war movies one of the reasons Gallus considered being a Guard?”

And there it is, Silver thought, feeling her smile droop. “Maybe. But I doubt it. He just really likes that kind of stuff.”

“…Is he still thinking about joining up?”

Don’t lie, Silver. “Yes,” she admitted, hiding her fearful grimace behind her mane. “He is.”

Smolder silently nodded.

“Are you okay, Smolder?”

She sniffled and answered, “Y-Yeah. I’m fine.”

No, you’re not. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m good, Silver. Promise.”

C’mon, Silver, think! she fretted. How can you get Smolder’s mind off of the Guard thing?

Be there for her, was the answer she immediately came to.

“Smolder?” Silverstream said softly. “I’m sorry Gallus is still considering joining the Guard. I know you don’t want him to join and get hurt, but…?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Smolder requested, giving Silver pause. “Look? You were right that day. Gallus can choose whatever career he wants, and if that happens to be the Guard…? W-Well, I won’t be happy about it, but it’s still his choice. Not mine,” she concluded, rubbing her neck shyly.

Silver reached out and took Smolder’s claws into hers, assuaging, “It’ll be okay, Smolder.”

“I-I know. I’m just… I’m just really, really scared,” Smolder confessed, thankfully not crushing Silver’s talon this time. She then snorted and mumbled, “But I can’t be paranoid all the time, right? Wouldn’t want my fear to overshadow my love, after all,” she ended, winking.

Silver blushed and looked away warily, thinking, This isn’t exactly a good time to apologize. She then blinked and remembered what Gallus had suggested she do. But I’m not exactly going to get any better opportunities to make amends, so…? Here we go.

“Heh-heh, yeah,” Silver laughed, meeting Smolder’s somber gaze with her own. “But, Smolder? There’s, um, something else I need to apologize for,” she stated, stifling her simmering fear.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Our other fight,” Silver clarified nervously. “The one before the Science Fair…”

Smolder cringed and murmured, “Oh. Yeah, I got really carried away. I may have still been in full-panic mode, but that’s no excuse!” she rebuked herself, stunning Silverstream. “I’m sorry for jumping down your throat and acting so paranoid.”

“No, Smolder, I’m the one who should be apologizing to you!” Silver protested. “I saw you weren’t doing well—I even saw all the books! But I left you,” she acknowledged sadly. “I-I could have stayed and helped to make you feel better. B-But… I didn’t. I just abandoned you, and—”

“I chased you away!” Smolder interrupted. “You wanted to stay and make sure I was alright, but I…? Ughhh!” she groaned, hiding her face in shame.

“I didn’t have to listen; I could have stayed and helped you. I-I mean, I helped Gallus,” she pointed out, timidly tapping her talons together. “I should have tried to help you too.”

Smolder rubbed her eyes and replied, “Look, Silver, it’s all over. We’ve made mistakes, but it doesn’t matter anymore, okay? It’s no big deal. I forgive you. … That is, uh, if you’ll forgive me too?”

Silverstream immediately grabbed Smolder into a hug that she jubilantly returned. Once the hug was done, they both pulled apart, smiling serenely at each other.

“You never needed to ask,” Silver promised, wiping a tear away.

“And you never needed to apologize,” Smolder grumbled, giving her a friendly shove.

“Hee-hee-hee.”

…

“I think Starlight’s plan worked,” Smolder whispered conspiratorially.

“Maybe just a little,” Silver agreed, chuckling. “To be honest? I’ve been wanting to apologize to you for a while now, but…”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said reassuringly. “Let’s both just try to move on, alright?”

“That sounds nice.”

“It does.” Smolder soon dropped her gaze, asking one final time, “Do you think he’s still doing alright?”

“…Yeah. Yeah, I think so,” Silverstream affirmed optimistically. “We’d have heard something back by now if he weren’t.”

“No news isn’t exactly good news, you know.”

“I didn’t say it was. But it’s okay, Smolder,” she cheered, wrapping a wing around the dragon. “I’m sure Gallus is having a great time over there in Griffonstone.”

Smolder hugged her back, agreeing, “Yeah. I bet he is.”

***

Could this day getting any pecking worse!? Gallus moaned to himself as he shrieked, “I’m coming with you!”

“No, you’re not,” Gilda refuted sternly while the others donned their coats.

“Gilda, Gruff is out there in the middle of a pecking blizzard—”

“Let me guess: Because of you?” When Gallus remained silent, she put a talon on his shoulder and consoled, “Kid? This isn’t your fault, nor is it your responsibility.”

“No! I-I need to come with you! I can help!”

“Gallus, you are in no mood to hunt down a crazy, old griffon through a snowstorm!”

“Plus, one of us needs to stay here with Gavin,” Greta pointed out as she equipped her bags.

“That too,” Gilda concurred. “Gallus, look, we’ll find Gruff and drag his scrawny flank back here, okay? I promise. But you are not going out there, and that’s final!”

Gallus gave Gabby one last desperate stare, but she determinedly refused to meet his eye. “It’s— It’s okay, Gallus. You, uh, you just stay here where it’s safe. Okay?” she pleaded weakly.

“…Fine,” he forced himself to say.

“Good,” Gilda said curtly. “Are you two ready?”

“I’m good to go,” Gabby answered warily.

“And I got the med kit,” Greta confirmed. “Let’s hope we won’t need it.”

“Good. Now, let’s hurry and find the idiot before the storm gets even worse!” Gilda turned back to Gallus and quietly assured, “We’ll find him, Gallus. … Alright, let’s go,” she beckoned, opening the door to reveal a dark, foggy landscape, completely buried in snow and ice. Gilda then departed into the abyss, bearing herself against the barrage as Greta and Gabby followed suite.

Gallus slammed the door behind them, watching them swiftly disappear through the window. He then sat back on the couch and allowed the sudden silence of the home to crash down upon him.

…

Gallus grabbed the nearest pillow and screamed into it as loudly as he could.

Why, why, why!? Gruff, what the peck!? Just! What! The! Peck! Gallus lividly pondered as he pulled the pillow away from his face. Oh Grover’s Treasure, what have I done!?

Nothing.

He put his talon to his chest as he breathed in and pushed it away as he breathed out. Gilda was right. Gilda was right! This isn’t my fault, and I know it, Gallus told himself, managing to find some small comfort in that fact. I don’t feel guilty for being mad at Gruff. I don’t feel guilty for wanting to leave Griffonstone. And I definitely don’t feel guilty for defending Silverstream.

But why did he try chasing after me in the middle of a blizzard? Gallus asked, shrieking into the pillow again. What the peck was he thinking!? Why did he think it was worth risking his life to—

A creak suddenly echoed throughout the empty house.

Aw peck. “Okay, Gavin,” he began, keeping his tone neutral. “Come on out.”

All was quiet for a moment, but Gavin soon stepped out from around the corner, frowning coldly.

“Hey, bud,” Gallus greeted, maintaining a happy smile for Gavin’s sake. “How’re ya doing?”

Gavin shuffled awkwardly, mumbling, “I’m fine.”

No, you aren’t. “That’s good… But why aren’t you asleep?” he inquired, patting the sofa invitingly.

“I never went to sleep,” he revealed bluntly as he took the offered seat.

Yep, I probably should have expected that. “Weren’t tired, huh?”

“No. … Is Mr. Gruff really out in the storm?” Gavin asked, gripping the couch cushion tightly.

Gallus clicked his beak and warily confirmed, “Yes.”

“Is— Is he going to be okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, Gruff’ll be fine.” He has to be! He… He just has to be, Gallus silently prayed. “The others are looking for him now, and you know Gilda. It doesn’t matter how well he hides, if Gilda wants to yell at him, she’ll find him,” he joked.

Gavin didn’t even smile. “You and Mr. Gruff got in a fight.”

That wasn’t a question, he recognized, wincing in preparation for the conversation that was likely to follow. “W-We did.”

“And you want t-to go back to Ponyville because of it?” Gavin asked, keeping his gaze fixed on the fireplace. “Because of one dumb fight?”

“It wasn’t exactly ‘dumb,’ kiddo,” Gallus acknowledged, still determining his own current feelings. “Gruff kinda—” Put me down for considering certain career choices then suggested I’d break up with my girlfriend. “—said a lot of things that—” Were horrible. “—weren’t nice.”

Gavin sneered and argued, “Y-Yeah, well? Mr. Gruff says a lot of mean things. And nogriff else ever tries to leave Griffonstone because of it.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

“No!” he shouted. “No, you promised! You promised you’d stay for the holidays! Th-That we’d have fun together. That— That I could sp-spend time with you.”

Gallus flinched, conceding, “Yes, I did promise. But, Gavin—”

“I-It’s not fair,” he interrupted, sniffling. “Why do you have to go? Why can’t you stay here like you promised you would? It’s just not fair!”

“…You’re right, Gavin,” Gallus said, giving the fledgling pause. “It’s not fair. To you, or me, or the other girls, or… I really tried to stay here, Gav; I really did. But I can’t,” he ended.

“Because of Mr. Gruff?”

“He’s, uh… He’s certainly part of the problem, yeah.” Peck! It’s hard to to say that aloud! But if I can’t deny it to myself, I won’t deny it to Gavin, he resolved, gulping.

“W-W-Well? Why did he have to make you break your promise? Wh-Why did he have to send you away in the first place?” Gavin whined, hugging himself. “Y-You were happy here.”

Gallus held his breath for a second before stating, “No, I wasn’t.”

“What?” he gasped, finally turning back to Gallus. “Yes, you were!”

“No, Gavin… I hated this place,” he admitted. “Always did.”

“B-But you were always so cool, a-and smart, and nice,” he reminisced, unable to believe it. “E-Everygriff I knew thought you were awesome. And then— And then when you came back, y-you got evergriff to help the ponies! You were happy then!”

Gallus wrung his claws together and slumped against the couch, staring at the ceiling. “No, I wasn’t. I wasn’t happy for a long time, Gav…”

Unsure of what to think or do, Gavin fidgeted, saying, “I-I don’t understand?”

Gallus inhaled sharply, groaning, Oh Grover’s Treasure, how the peck do I explain this to a fledgling? “Gavin? I’m a mess,” he confessed shakily. “I’m— I’m sad, a-and scared, and lonely… And I may be better now, but I sure as peck was not okay when I lived here.”

“But you always seemed so happy?” he recounted. “You were the coolest griffon in town!”

“Ha! Thanks for the compliment, kiddo,” Gallus said, giving the fledgling a small smile. “But I wasn’t happy. I wanted to be! I wanted to be cool and brave! N-Not sad, or— Or guilty. So…I hid it.”

“You hid it?” Gavin echoed, staring at his own talons.

“Yeah. I pretended like I was okay even though I wasn’t,” he explained grimly. “The worst part is that I acted like I was happy for so long I…? I started believing it. But the truth is I was never okay. Not for a long time,” Gallus ended, flicking his tail anxiously.

“B-B-But why weren’t you okay? What— What was wrong? Why were you lonely?” he asked rapidly.

“Gavin, you know my parents abandoned me, right?”

He nodded meekly.

“Well, I didn’t know why, so I started blaming myself. I-I mean, there wasn’t any other reason for why they left, so I must have been the problem, right?” He scoffed. “At least, that’s what I believed. And that spiraled out of control and into a whole host of other problems. Including Gruff…”

“Of course,” Gallus continued, scowling at the fireplace. “That wasn’t okay. At! All! And I’ve been working to overcome my problems. T-To be happy and normal again. And I am! I am a far-cry better now!” he rejoiced, sniffling. “But… It’s still really hard sometimes, Gavin.”

Gavin’s eyes were watery, but he stubbornly refused to let the tears out as he asked, “Is that why Ponyville is your home and not Griffonstone? B-Because you’re happier there?”

Smart kid. “Yes. I may not always be okay, but I have my friends. And they help me so much!” Gallus wiped his eyes dry, adding, “I know I promised I’d stay, but I can’t. I-I need to go back home.”

“…It’s not fair.”

“I know it isn’t. And I’m so, so sorry, Gavin,” he said, draping a wing across his back.

Gavin fell silent for a minute until he suddenly asked, “So, wait…? It’s not okay to blame yourself?”

Gallus was completely blindsided by the question, so he merely mumbled, “What?”

“You said you blamed yourself, a-and that it wasn’t okay. Does— Does that mean…” he trailed off, twiddling his talons nervously.“

Gavin?” Gallus began, horrified. “Do you blame yourself for your parents being gone?”

Although clearly uncomfortable with answering, he still confirmed, “S-Sometimes…”

Gallus immediately swept Gavin into his embrace, proclaiming, “Gavin, it is not your fault!”

“B-But—”

“Gavin, you are not the reason why they’re gone! Do not blame yourself; that’s not okay!”

“But I—” Gavin stopped mid-sentence upon looking back at Gallus. “Gallus? Are you crying?”

“Yeah,” he admitted unabashedly. “Yeah, I am. I just found out you’re blaming yourself for something that’s not your fault! A-And I’m sad about that! I don’t want you to blame yourself, Gavin!”

“So, it’s not okay to blame myself…? But it is okay to cry?” Gavin asked, confused.

Gallus hesitated out of pure shock, but once he recollected himself he calmly clarified, “Gavin, you can cry as much as you want. I-It’s okay if you feel sad. Or lonely, o-or even afraid.”

“It— It is? B-But I thought…? ‘Cause Gilda… A-And you said you didn’t want to be sad!”

“That’s because I don’t like being sad, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to feel sad!”

Blinking thoughtfully, Gavin swallowed and asked, “It… It really is okay to be sad?”

“Gavin, if you want to be sad, then you can be sad,” Gallus assured. Who the peck told him otherwise!? “That’s nothing to be ashamed of. E-Everycreature is sad sometimes, and that’s okay. Being sad is just another feeling, and all your feelings are important. No matter what anygriff says.”

Gavin still looked beyond confused, but slowly, his façade cracked, and he threw his talons around Gallus, burying his face into his chest and sobbing. “G-Gallus, pl-please don’t go!”

Gallus instantly hugged him back, soothing, “It’s okay, Gavin… Just— Just let it all out.”

“I don’t want you to go!” he screamed, slightly muffled. “I don’t want to be left alone again!”

“I know… I-I’m sorry, Gavin,” he apologized quietly.

Gavin said nothing further; instead, he simply continued crying.

“It’ll be okay, Gavin,” Gallus promised. “It’ll all be okay…”

A quarter of an hour had passed, and while the blizzard outside showed no signs of ending, Gavin’s sobs eventually did. And after one last sniffle, he pulled away from Gallus, rubbing his eyes.

“…Are you okay, Gavin?” Gallus asked softly, keeping a wing held around him.

“No. I-I don’t want you to go,” Gavin repeated, shuddering. “I want to finish e-exploring with you. Like you promised we would.”

“I’m sorry, Gavin,” he sighed, rubbing Gavin’s back consolingly. “I know it’s not fair, but—”

“No, it’s not fair!” Gavin then winced and acknowledged wearily, “But? You’re— You’re not happy here. S-So it wouldn’t be fair either if you stayed even though you don’t want to… Would it?”

“Gavin, it’s okay that you want me to stay; that’s not a bad thing,” Gallus assured soothingly. “I may have to go home, but it’s not wrong to want me to stay and hang out with you, ya know. That’s actually really sweet,” he said, winking.

Gavin grinned weakly, but it rapidly crumbled away as he revealed, “Gilda, Greta, and Gabby told me not to talk to you about this.”

“About staying here in Griffonstone?”

“Y-Yeah… It’s why they were so mad at dinner the other day.”

“I kinda figured that.” I still don’t know whether to be grateful they didn’t want Gavin upsetting me, or mad they put that kind of pressure on him. “But like I said then, I don’t mind if you want to talk me, Gavin. I like talking to you.”

“I like talking to you too,” Gavin sniffled. “I really wish you could stay…”

“Hey,” Gallus said gently. “It’s okay, Gavin. I’m not leaving forever, you know.”

“Wait! You’re not!?” he asked, gaping in shock.

“Of course not! This may not be my home, but it is yours. And you and the girls are my friends too, so why wouldn’t I come and visit occasionally?”

“D-Do you promise?”

“Yes. I promise, Gav.”

“…Are you’re going to keep it this time?”

Ouch. “I’ll…try.” Gallus then grinned and playfully poked Gavin’s shoulder. “But one promise I’m definitely going to keep is I’m going to write to you a lot more from now on.”

“Really!?”

“Oh yeah!”

“YAY!” Gavin squealed, hugging Gallus once again as his tail wagged excitedly. “Thank you, Gallus! I promise to write to you every day!”

“Ehhh, how about every week?” Gallus suggested. “If we write each other every day, one of us is going to run out of things to talk about.” And it’s probably going to be me, he quietly laughed.

“O-Okay. But can we write each other every day for at least a little while? Pleeeaaase!?”

“You bet, Gavin,” Gallus agreed, giving the fledgling a soft noogie.

Gavin nearly exploded in delight.

Unfortunately, before either of them could say anything further, the door burst open, making them both yelp.

“We found him!” Gabby shouted, tracking in snow as she rushed inside. Once her eyes locked onto the pair, she added, “Can you give us the couch!?”

“Yeah! C’mon, Gavin!” Gallus exclaimed, practically leaping from the sofa as Gilda and Greta stumbled in, burdening a shivering, feathery mess.

“Gabs, shut the door!” Gilda commanded. She then turned to Gallus and smiled in relief. “Told you we’d find him.”

“Is— I-I-Is he okay!?” Gallus screeched, panicking.

“No worries, the old buzzard’s fine. Aren’t you?” she growled, leering at the immobile griffon.

“P-P-P-Peck you!” Gruff stuttered out, scowling as best as he could.

“See?”

“We found him huddled outside the library,” Greta elaborated, draping a blanket over Gruff. “It looked like the fool was trying to get in…”

“A-A-Ah’m right here, y-y-ya know!”

“And you’re in no condition to speak, so for once in your life, shut up!” Gilda was dumbfounded when he actually did as instructed, but she quickly recovered, adding, “You okay, Gallus?”

A storm of emotions raged inside of Gallus, ranging from relief and joy to loathing and fury. Unable to sort any of it out, he deflected, “Don’t worry about me; i-is Gruff gonna be okay?”

“He will be once he takes this,” Greta said, forcing a pill it into Gruff’s beak. “Swallow!”

He glared at her for a second longer before doing as instructed, sputtering melodramatically.

“S-So, he is going to be alright?” Gallus asked, still struggling to temper his current turmoil.

“Yes, Gallus,” Gilda repeated, nodding confidently. “Gruff’ll be okay.”

Oh thank Grover! Gallus thought, letting out a deep, shuddering sigh. He’s okay; Gruff’s okay! he repeated to himself, calming down significantly.

Meanwhile, Gabby finally noticed the fledgling hiding behind him and called out, “Gavin, what are you still doing up!?”

Gavin flinched, trying to hide his puffy eyes as he answered, “I-I couldn’t sleep.”

Gabby and Gilda both gave Gallus an inquisitive stare, but he simply shook his head slightly, stating, “It wasn’t a problem; Gav and I just sat here and chilled.”

“…Well? Good to see you still feel up to making cold puns at least,” Gabby said, giggling. “And don’t worry, Gavin. It’s okay. I think we’re all gonna have trouble sleeping tonight.”

Gavin let out a faint sigh of relief. “I’m just glad Mr. Gruff is okay.”

“We all are,” Gilda curtly agreed. She grinned smugly, adding, “Let’s just hope he’ll learn something this time. You know? Like how not to go running out into the middle of a pecking blizzard.”

“Oh, s-s-shut up!” he rebuked halfheartedly.

“Okay, but… W-What can I do?” Gallus felt compelled to ask. “How can I help?”

Gilda once again placed a talon on his shoulder, looking him over sorrowfully. “Nothing. Gallus, you know how hypothermia works. Gruff will be fine; he just needs some good ole warmth, rest, and medicine.”

I can’t argue with that, but Grover! Dang it! Do I wish I could do something to help right now!

“Look? Gruff is old,” she deadpanned, much to said griffon’s outrage. “But he’s in decent enough shape, and we found him pretty quickly. So? For the last time: He will be okay, Gallus.”

“Okay… Okay…!” he breathed, feeling unsteady. “I’ll— I-I guess I’ll just go…do something.”

“Like sleep?” Greta suggested, glancing at Gavin as she threw another blanket over Gruff. “Or try to at the very least?”

“Definitely considering that,” Gallus confirmed, giving her a talons-up. Before he did that, however, he trotted up to Gruff and asked, “Are— Are you okay, Gramps?”

It was unclear what was going on behind Gruff’s neutral stare, but it didn’t quite seem like hostility. Nonetheless, he still muttered, “Y-Y-Yeah. N-N-No th-thanks to you…”

In the silence that followed, everygriff’s jaw fell agape, and Gallus fearfully stepped away, reeling from the remark.

A second later, Gilda flicked Gruff in the eye, demanding, “What the peck is your problem!?”

“Agh! What w-w-was that for!?”

Before she could respond, Gallus calmly muttered, “So? You’re gonna do that to me, huh?”

Everygriff went quiet.

“D-D-Do what?” Gruff asked, looking genuinely confused.

Blame me. Instead of saying that, Gallus turned away, droning, “Well? Good to see you’re back in one piece. … Bye,” he unceremoniously ended, retreating to his room and collapsing onto his bed.

The moment his door shut, the other griffons exploded into a heated argument so loud Gallus had to hold a pillow over his head to block it out.

Despite this, he still heard the sound of his door opening and closing a minute later. A small bundle of tan feathers then proceeded to climb into his bed with him.

“Hey, Gav,” Gallus greeted, feeling a small smile creep onto his beak in spite of his current fury.

“Hi.” After a second, he noted, “They’re really loud.”

“Yeah, they are. You okay?”

“Not really. You?”

“Not really. … Pillow?” he asked, offering up his other one.

“Thank you,” Gavin said, gratefully accepting the pillow and holding it over his skull as well.

They both then burst into a round of snickering at the sheer absurdity of the situation as the chorus of angered screeches echoed in the background.

***

With a loud click, Gallus closed the last of his suitcases and glanced around the room, confirming none of his possessions remained. Eventually, his gaze wandered to the window and out onto the blizzard-free Griffonstone.

One more day. He flung himself onto his bed, thinking, One more day, and then I’m gone.

Well? It wasn’t a complete waste of time, Gallus supposed, shutting his eyes. Didn’t get hypothermia, saw the new library; hung out with Gavin… Yeah! Trip wasn’t so bad.

“N-N-No th-thanks to you…”

Except for him! he snarled, feeling his stomach churn in anger. He ran after me and got lost in the snowstorm! That’s not my fault; how dare he try to convince me it is!?

Is that even what he was doing though? he weakly pondered. Maybe he didn’t really mean it and was just speaking out of frustration? He almost died, so it would justify—

“No!” Gallus interrupted himself firmly. “I’m through defending him, and I’m through hoping he cares about me!” He then sighed, whimpering, “But, Grover’s Treasure, I wish he did…”

A moment later, there was a soft knock on his door, and it opened to reveal an uncharacteristically timid Gilda. “Hey, Gallus? You okay?”

“I will be when I get back home,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound too irritated. “But for now? I’m doing well enough. What are you up to?”

“Whelp,” she began, closing the door behind her and sitting at the edge of his bed. “I just got word back that the train will arrive tomorrow.”

“Good.”

“And you’re all done packing too, I see,” she said, gesturing to his luggage pile.

“Mhmm.”

“All-in-all, you’re good to go?”

“Yep.”

“Right.”

After a brief stretch of silence, Gallus impatiently implored, “Just say it.”

“Alright, alright!” Gilda took a deep breath and meekly murmured, “I’m sorry your trip wasn’t so hot, Gallus. I told that idiot not to antagonize you, but…”

“It’s not your fault, Gilda; I understand,” he said calmly. “And it wasn’t all bad, you know. It’s just… The one thing that went wrong went really wrong.”

Gilda crossed her claws and grumbled, “It’s still my responsibility to make Griffonstone feel like a home to everygriff. Including you…”

“This was never my home, Gilda.”

“That doesn’t do peck to comfort me, you know.”

“Just don’t feel like you failed me, okay? You didn’t.”

“But he did?”

Yes. “…Can’t exactly say that,” Gallus begrudgingly conceded. “I was never his kid, so it’s not like he needed to love me.”

“You may as well have been his kid, considering how much better he treated you than the rest of us,” Gilda argued, laughing sourly. “Don’t forget, I got stuck rebuilding a country while you got to go to school.”

“And you think school is easier than running a country?” he asked incredulously.

“Hey, I’ve read your letters; I know Fluttershy doesn’t like giving homework.”

“I can’t help it if one of my teachers is kind to a fault.”

“Says the secret bookworm. Frankly, I’m surprised you don’t remind her she should give out that junk.”

“I’m not stupid, Gilda. Not even Ocellus does that, and she’s the biggest teacher’s pet there is.”

“Uh-huh. … I need a vacation,” Gilda suddenly declared. “Dash is totally overdue for a visit from moi! And I’ve been meaning to meet your friends for a while now.”

“You’d certainly get along great with Smolder. She likes Sci-Fi too.”

“Really!? Wow! Greta can’t even get into that.”

“Oh? How uncultured of her,” Gallus teased pompously.

“Har-har, Gallus,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Not everycreature is as big a nerd as you are.”

“They don’t know what they’re missing. Being a nerd is fun!”

“That’s what you think.”

“No, that’s what I know.”

…

Both of them succumbed to a bout of laughter.

“Ahhh,” Gilda sighed, quieting down. “It really has been nice to talk to you again.”

“Likewise.”

“Speaking of talking?” She took another deep breath and disclosed, “He’s been asking to see you.”

“No,” Gallus stated, his mood darkening instantly.

“Gallus, he—”

“No.”

“…Alright.”

Silence.

More silence.

Yet more silence.

“Gallus, seriously, he—”

“No, Gilda!” Gallus shouted vehemently. “I’ve wanted Gruff to care about me for years now, even though I know he doesn’t. I can’t— I can’t keep pretending that he does. I can’t, Gilda,” he ended, hugging himself with his wings.

“The dude ran after you and into a raging blizzard just to—”

“I don’t care!” he snapped, glaring at her. “That doesn’t prove anything! Besides, he only ran after me, so he could yell at me some more. … Or guilt-trip me for arguing with him in the first place.”

“Gallus, he’s not a super-villain.”

“He’s not my dad either. And the more I keep wishing he was… The harder it is to move on,” he concluded resignedly.

“So you’re not even going to say goodbye?” she asked, frowning.

“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?”

Gilda was ready to chastise him for his enmity, but she calmed herself and clarified, “I get it, dude; I really do. I just don’t like that you’re gonna leave without even talking to him.”

“Sorry, but I’d rather not get into another fight before I go.”

“That’s not what I mean, Gallus,” she whispered, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

“Then what do you mean?”

Gilda stood up and paced around the room, struggling to find the words to best express her thoughts while Gallus patiently waited. “Okay,” she eventually started. “Gallus, look, I ain’t like those ponies you got for teachers, alright? My job is fixing Griffonstone, not giving life advice, friendship lessons, or whatever else!”

“I’m not asking you to,” Gallus assuaged. “You don’t have to say anything, Gilda.”

“Yes, I do! At least, I think I do? Ugh! I hate talking about feelings,” she mewled in disgust.“Whatever! Point is: I really think you should talk to Gruff before you leave.”

“Gilda…? I-I don’t want to be hurt again. I just want to be happy, and Gruff…” He fell silent.

“I know, kid. I know, but—”

“If you know, then why are you asking me to talk to him?”

After a moment’s hesitation, she answered, “Because I know what it’s like to throw away somepony you care about… And it’s not nice.”

Gallus blinked. “Are you talking about Rainbow Dash?”

“Mhmm. You remember how that turned out, right? How angry and betrayed I felt?”

“Yeah. … Did you ever get those knives out of the tree?”

“Nope.”

“Shame. You were getting really good at throwing them too.”

“Heh, thanks.” Her mirth didn’t last long, however, as she resumed, “But? I wasn’t just angry. I was…” Gilda gulped and forced herself to admit, “I was sad too. I lost my cool, and it cost me my best friend for a long time… Still the lamest thing I’ve ever done,” she cringed, stroking her headcrest.

“Yeah, but Gruff isn’t Rainbow Dash,” he countered simply. “You two actually cared about each other. And Gruff…? He doesn’t care about me.”

“You don’t know that for certain.”“That doesn’t matter,” he groaned, hanging his head dejectedly. “What matters is that I want to be happy. But it’s so hard to be happy around him.”

“Because he doesn’t care about you?” Gallus nodded, so she asked, “Well, what if he did?”

“He doesn’t, so…?”

“But if you could know for absolute certain that he did care about you,” she pressed on, never dropping her gaze. “Would you be happy?”

Gallus thought it over and conceded, “Maybe. But I’m not going to stay here, desperately trying to find out. I only came here so I could find out, but all I got was Gruff nearly dying and trying to make me feel guilty for it.”

Gilda rubbed her shoulder and admitted, “Okay. You got a point there.”

“Peck yeah, I do!” he yelled. “Everycreature back home told me I shouldn’t come here and that I’d just get hurt if I did… And they were right.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, Gallus,” she eventually whispered. “I-I don’t. Grover’s Treasure! For all I know, I’m an idiot, and talking to Gruff will just hurt you even more!”

Correct on both accounts, Gallus decided not to say.

“But, Gallus? I don’t want you to make the same mistake I did,” she said pleadingly. “You’ve been through enough crud as it is; and I think you deserve some closure on this.”

“Shame all the evidence suggests he doesn’t care about me,” he grumbled.

“…Not all the evidence,” Gilda refuted, pulling a small, plain box out from under her wing.

He took it, raising an eyebrow upon noticing it was addressed to him. “A Blue Moon present? Odd time to be giving it to me, Gilda.”

“It’s from Gruff,” she elaborated, causing his beak to fall open in shock. “I found it in his bedroom when I went looking for him.”

Morbidly curious, Gallus unwrapped it and froze at what he saw. It was a framed photo of him giving Gruff a farewell hug the day before he departed for Ponyville.

H-He kept this…?

“Gallus, I won’t pretend that Gruff is a nice griffon,” Gilda resumed softly. “He’s a cranky, selfish piece of garbage! But we all care about him anyway, and he cares about all of us. Even you.”

“But he doesn’t care about me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“And if I did?” he whimpered, trying not to cry. “What then, Gilda? If I go out there and talk to him, and it turns out he really doesn’t care… What then?”

Gilda’s face darkened as she answered, “You get on that train, go back home, and never see him again. You never even write him again! You don’t owe him, us, or Griffonstone anything!”

Gallus remained silent, utterly flabbergasted by her response.

“But? If it turns out he does care about you…?” she suggested hopefully. “I don’t know. But at least you’ll know for sure.”

Gallus lied against the mattress, shoving a pillow over his face and blotting out the world.

This isn’t proof he cares about me, he thought, feeling a mixture of pain, rage, sadness, and hope all swirl about in his chest in a cocktail of confusion. Knowing for sure sounds nice, but it’s not worth the risk. … Is it?

“I know you want him to care about you, Gallus,” Silver’s voice echoed in his mind. “I just don’t want you to be upset if it turns out he…doesn’t.”

I don’t want to be upset. But I do want him to care about me!

“You don’t! Need me! To tell you! That Ah’m proud of you!”

Gallus scowled, growling, You’re right, Gruff. I don’t need you to care about me. I want you to. And… And that’s okay.

I want you to love me, but I don’t need you to. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling somewhat peaceful. I have a family back home, and they love me more than you ever could. As long as I remember that…?

“Fine,” Gallus said neutrally, pulling the pillow away from his face. “I’ll talk to him.”

“You will?”

“Yes,” he agreed, sitting up and giving her a tired glare. “But the moment he starts screwing with me again…? I’m out. Understand?”

“Understood,” Gilda said, unable to keep the slight grin off of her face. “Sorry for, uh, springing all of this on you. You okay?”

“No.” Gallus smirked and swore, “And don’t worry. I won’t tell anycreature about our little conversation.”

“You better not,” she grumbled, lightly jabbing his shoulder. “Especially Dashie!”

“Heh-heh-heh. … So, uh? Are the others still here?”

“Gabby’s on her route, and Greta had to run some errands. It’s just me, you, Gruff, and Gavin.”

Translation: You don’t have an audience, but we’re here if you need us, Gallus recognized, mildly reassured. “Thanks, Gilda.”

“No problem.”

After some time spent steeling his courage, Gallus stood up and said, “Alright, let’s get this over with.” He then exited his room with Gilda following suite.

“…I’m just saying,” they soon heard Gavin grumble in a hushed voice.

“Well, you can keep your dumb lessons to yourself!” Gruff shot back, coughing slightly.

“If you keep up that attitude, you’ll just make it harder for Gallus to forgive you.”

“Bah! It don’t matter what Ah do; he ain’t gonna— Gallus!” he screeched upon seeing the duo enter the living room.

“Hello, Gruff,” Gallus greeted shortly. “And hello, Gavin,” he added, smiling brightly.

“Hi, Gallus, hi, Gilda,” the fledgling said, waving energetically. He then shot a sly smirk at Gruff and said, “See, Mr. Gruff, I told you he would. Ha! I win the bet,” he sang, blowing a raspberry. “Now, aren’t you glad we went over Honesty Lesson One Hundred and Fifty-six?”

Gruff was too busy staring at Gallus to pay the slightest bit of attention to Gavin.

Gallus stared back coldly, requesting, “May we please have some privacy?”

“Sure thing,” Gilda said, motioning for Gavin to follow her. “C’mon, bud. Time’s up.”

“Aww! I wanted to see them make up,” he complained, closing his copy of the Friendship Journal and hopping off the couch. “Oh well. Good luck, guys,” he said, giving Gallus a happy smile.

“Thanks, Gav, I think I’m gonna need it,” he said, grinning back.

“Move it, kiddo,” Gilda beckoned, shooting Gruff a hateful glare. “Let’s give ‘em the room.”

“Okay, okay! I’m coming.”

The pair then exited the house, closing the door behind them.

…

Ughhh… Here we go. “Gilda said you wanted to talk to me?”

“U-Uh, yeah. Yeah, Ah did.”

“Mhmm. What do you want?” he asked bluntly.

Gruff cleared his throat and calmly elaborated, “Well, Ah wanted to know if you were really leavin’ tomorrow. The girls all said you were, but Ah wanted to hear it for mahself.”

“I am.”

“Why? Ah thought you planned to stay the whole week?” he asked, furrowing his brow.

“That was the plan. Things changed,” Gallus explained, keeping his answers quick and concise.

“But didn’t you promise Gavin you’d let him show you around Griffonstone?”

Thus begins the guilt-tripping. “I did. But I have to go. We talked it out, so he understands.”

“Oh. … Well, what made you change your mind?”

Gallus blinked owlishly.

“Ohhh,” Gruff groaned, sneering judgmentally. “Oh come on, Gallus! You can’t seriously be that upset about what happened. Ah mean, why would you leave because of that anyway?”

“Hmm! I don’t know!” he exclaimed sardonically. “Perhaps it’s because I’m uncomfortable with the fact you nearly died and tried to blame me for it?”

“That wasn’t what Ah meant!”

“Oh? Care to explain what you did mean then?”

“Ah— Ah didn’t mean anythin’ at all! Ah was just cold and upset, and Ah said somethin’ Ah didn’t mean,” he said, expecting that to work. “Everygriff says somethin’ stupid when they get mad; it’s just how we are.”

“That’s no excuse.”

Gruff ran a talon along his face, groaning quietly. “Look, Gallus, Ah didn’t mean what Ah said, and Ah apologize. Ah don’t blame you for me gettin’ stuck in that blizzard.”

“Mhmm.”

“O-Okay.” Gruff tapped the sofa cushion, unsure of what to do next. After Gallus refused to say anything further, he gave up and asked, “So, um, do you forgive me? You’re, uh, kinda quiet.”

“A part of that is because I have nothing to say to you,” Gallus explained, feeling a touch of gratification when Gruff flinched. “The other part is because I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Well, Ah…” He shifted, looking somewhat affronted. “Ah am tryin’ to apologize to you. What? Am Ah supposed to write up some two-million-word-long novel about how sorry Ah am?”

“No.”

“Good! ‘Cause Ah ain’t no pony,” he barked, laughing awkwardly. Seeing that Gallus didn’t so much as twitch, Gruff added, “Uh…? That was a joke?”

“It wasn’t funny.”

“Oh. Geez, everygriff’s a critic,” he complained, hiding his worried expression behind his tea.

“Mhmm.”

“So?” Gruff gulped. “Do you forgive me?”

“No,” Gallus answered simply.

“W-W-What!? You don’t!?”

“No, I don’t.”

“But Ah apologized!”

“So?”

Gruff blinked, thoroughly floored by his response. “So…! Why don’t you forgive me!? Ah apologized!” he repeated angrily.

“And I don’t believe you.”

“Excuse me!? You don’t believe me!?”

“No. I don’t. And even if I did, I don’t have to forgive you.”

“Okay, what!? Ah apologize; you forgive! That’s how that’s supposed to work, Gallus,” Gruff reprimanded, glowering. “Even in ponyland!”

“So I’m just supposed to brush aside the fact you tried blaming me for you nearly dying!?” Gallus roared, flaring his wings furiously.

“But Ah told you Ah didn’t mean it!”

“You still said it! And I don’t care why!” he preemptively countered. “You have no excuses.”

“Why you—” Gruff stopped, sharply inhaled, and slowly exhaled. “Gallus? Ah really am tryin’ to apologize. Ah ain’t lyin’ or pullin’ a con; Ah genuinely didn’t mean what Ah said. Ah’m! Sorry!”

I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard him say that, Gallus noted, looking away and thinking. And I have no idea if he’s telling the truth or not. Maybe he really is sorry? he considered, turning his gaze back to Gruff. But even if he is…

“Well, thank you for the apology, Gruff,” Gallus said curtly, eliciting a hopeful smile from the elderly griffon. Said smile vanished immediately after he added, “But I still don’t forgive you.”

“What!? D-Do you still not believe me!? Oh Grover’s Treasure, don’t tell me Ah do have to right a dumb apology novel!” he shrieked, throwing up his talons.

“Even if you did it wouldn’t matter,” Gallus said icily. “Gruff, I don’t know if I believe you or not. But either way, I still don’t forgive you.”

“Wh— Well, why not!?” Gruff squawked, fidgeting nervously.

“Because what you said hurt!” he bellowed.

“But Ah wasn’t—”

“Shut up!” he screamed, silencing Gruff instantly. “It was your choice to go out into that storm. Not mine. If you had died, it would not have been my fault.”

“Well, duh! Of course it wouldn’t have been your fault!”

“Yeah, you say that now. Yet, you still tried to make it seem like it was my fault, and that wasn’t fair. It was sick!” After pausing to catch his breath, Gallus rebuked, “You don’t get to blame me for your problems, Gruff. Especially when it’s the result of your own bad choices.”

“A-Ah wasn’t—”

“I! Don’t! Care!” he shouted over him. “I have been working so! Hard! To not blame myself for things beyond my control, to not worry all the time; to not demand perfection of myself… To love myself,” he said, shivering slightly. “But then you! You tried to make it my fault you almost died!”

“Gallus, how many times do Ah have tell you Ah didn’t mean it!?”

“It doesn’t matter how many times you say it,” Gallus growled venomously. “You don’t get to just say sorry and pretend like everything is okay. An apology doesn’t make what you said better, and it sure as peck does not just wave it away!”

“Ah get that, but Ah’m tryin’ to make amends here, Gallus!” Gruff yelled, succumbing to a quick coughing fit. “Ah— Ah didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Well, you did. … You hurt me, Gruff,” he grimly affirmed. “And I don’t have to forgive you. I don’t owe you my forgiveness, and you certainly don’t deserve it.”

“…Heh. Heh-heh-heh,” Gruff chuckled dryly. “If that’s the case? Then why am Ah even wastin’ mah breath?” he mumbled, looking utterly defeated.

“I would say it’s because you feel guilty, but we both know that isn’t true.”

Gruff looked genuinely hurt by that, but he quickly hid it behind feigned indifference. “Whelp? Ah guess that’s that… You may as well go finish packin’ up; ain’t you got a train to catch tomorrow?”

“I do.”

“Well, have a nice trip then, Ah guess.”

Gallus remained where he stood, protesting, Don’t say it, Gallus. You’re better off; just walk away and be done with it.

I should, shouldn’t I? He doesn’t really love me, and I need to stop hoping he does, once and for all! … But? He is trying to apologize, he acknowledged warily. And yeah. Maybe he’s lying, and I shouldn’t give him a chance. But I chose to talk to him. I chose to come to Griffonstone just so I could see him. Maybe that was the wrong choice, but it was my choice. And since it still is my choice…?

“Gilda gave me the picture,” Gallus revealed before he could change his mind.

“Tch! ‘Course she went through mah things… Okay,” Gruff yelped, keeping his expression blank. “You got the dumb picture, so what?”

“I don’t know. I guess Gilda thought it proved you care about me,” he supposed. “But that’s just ridiculous. After all? I don’t need you to tell me that you care about me, right?”

“You don’t.”

And there it is. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Gallus began trotting away, but he froze when Gruff added, “Or at least… You shouldn’t.”

That’s…new, he observed, turning right back around. “Come again?”

Gruff just shook his head morosely and claimed, “It’s nothin’ important. Wouldn’t matter if Ah told you anyway, would it?”

“Probably not. … But tell me anyway,” he requested, sitting in the adjacent chair.

“Ah… Ah don’t know, Gallus,” he groaned, shrugging. “You shouldn’t need me to be proud of you, okay? You should be proud of yourself.”

“I am. What’s wrong with wanting you to be proud of me too?”

“What’s wrong is that Ah ain’t your dad!” Gruff snapped, recoiling at the harshness in his tone. “Ah ain’t.”

Yep. Still hurts. “You might as well be since my real parents wanted nothing to do with me.”

“Gallus, they—”

“Abandoned me.”

“It’s not that simple, kiddo…”

“Yes, it is. They made their choice, and I paid the price,” Gallus stated casually. “So what?”

“W-Wait, what?” Gruff asked, befuddled once again. “What do you mean ‘so what’?”

“Mom and Dad left me,” he sighed. “It wasn’t my fault, and I have a family despite their efforts to ensure otherwise. So? Who cares about them? I don’t.”

Unable to process what he had just heard, Gruff stammered uselessly before managing to weakly ask, “Y-Y-You really mean that? You really don’t care about them anymore?”

“I guess I sorta do,” he confessed solemnly, rubbing his shoulder. “Although, if I ever did find out who they were or why they left…? It wouldn’t matter. They stopped being my family a long time ago.”

“Well, A-Ah ain’t your family either!” Gruff protested, trying to sound aloof but ultimately just sounding afraid. “Ah don’t know where everygriff got the idea, but Ah’m not your dad! Ah never was.”

Gallus nodded weakly, wondering, “Is that why you never showed up?”

“Ah— Gallus, Ah didn’t show up because…” Gruff blinked and dropped his gaze to his talons, saying, “Look, Ah…? Ah didn’t want to go. And Ah didn’t feel like Ah needed to go.”

“But I asked you so many times to come, Gramps,” Gallus sniveled. “Why didn’t you?”

“Gallus,” he began, flicking his tail irritably. “You can’t keep needin’ me and everygriff else to be proud of you for you.”

“I wasn’t asking you to be,” he fired back. “I just wanted you to be there.”

“Oh, for the love of— Gallus! You need to be proud of yourself!” he shouted, hacking violently afterward. Once Gruff caught his breath, he finished, “We’re griffons, Gallus. We’re proud of who we are, and we’re proud of what he have. Same goes for you.”

“I am proud of who I am and what I have,” he reaffirmed determinedly. “And not because I’m a griffon, but because I’m me!”

“You are?”

“Yes! I just wish you were proud of me too. And no!” Gallus interjected before Gruff could argue. “It’s not because I ‘need’ you to be proud of me or something stupid like that! I just… I ‘want’ you to be proud of me. There’s a difference…”

Scratching his neck, Gruff mulled over his words. “Do you really, truly mean all of that?” he anxiously inquired.

“Yes.”

“Then yeah.” Gruff hesitated for just a moment longer before finally saying, “Ah’m proud of you, Gallus. Ah, uh,” he nervously rambled on. “Ah know it’s too late to admit it, but Ah am.”

“…Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear you say that?”

“Long enough that it don’t matter?” he guessed glumly.

Gallus shook his head and wiped away his tears. “Long enough that I don’t know what to think! I-I don’t know whether to jump for joy o-or scream at you for never telling me that sooner!”

“Gilda would probably want the latter,” Gruff joked.

“She might just get the latter,” he laughed weakly, sniffling. “Grover’s Treasure, I don’t know what to do… W-Why was it so hard for you to say that?”

“Gallus, Ah— Ah ain’t good at this sort of thing! S’why Ah always leave the touchy-feely stuff to Gabby and the ponies. But, Gallus? Ah ain’t your father!” he stressed fervently. “Ah’m your guardian, sure, but that’s not the same! Ah only even took you in ‘cause Ah felt bad for you.”

“Oh? Is that the only reason?” Gallus asked, smirking hollowly.

“Hey! Contrary to popular belief, Ah do have a heart,” Gruff boasted, earning a bark of laughter from Gallus. “It ain’t mah best organ, but it works well enough.”

“And what is your best organ? Your beak?”

“It’s certainly the only part of me that hasn’t failed me yet.”

Gallus chortled, shaking his head exasperatedly.

…

“So?” Gruff resumed timidly. “What now?”

“I don’t know,” Gallus said shakily. He wiped his eyes again and said, “F-For all I know, you’re lying, and— And you’re only telling me this to manipulate me into forgiving you.”

“Ah guess that would be a stunt Ah’d pull, wouldn’t it?” he acknowledged, looking away.

“Hey, you may not be as bad as Cozy Glow, but you’re certainly not Princess Twilight!”

“Duh! Do Ah look lavender to you?”

“A bucket of paint would fix that.”

“Ha! You try findin’ any purple paint in this town. Go on! Five Bits says you can’t.”

“Thanks, but I know better than to gamble with you.”

“Smart. Ah do have the best poker face in Griffonstone for a reason,” Gruff proudly proclaimed.

“It’s probably that perpetual scowl of yours,” Gallus theorized. “You always look angry, so nogriff can tell when you’re not.”

“Ah don’t scowl all the time!”

“Yeah, you do.”

“…Yeah, Ah kinda do, don’t I?”

The both shared a small laugh.

…

“I still don’t forgive you,” Gallus said decisively.

“Yeah… Yeah, Ah guess Ah should’ve expected that,” Gruff muttered plaintively. “Gilda sure wouldn’t if she were you. Peck—Ah don’t even think Gabby would!”

“Nah, Gabby would forgive you. She’s nice like that.”

“True. Either way, they’re them. You’re you. And Ah don’t deserve forgiveness as far as you’re concerned, eh?”

“I don’t have to forgive you,” he reiterated adamantly, wincing upon seeing how dejected Gruff appeared. “But…? If there’s one thing I know, it’s that everycreature deserves to have someone care about them. No matter how hard it is to care, everyone deserves someone. Even me. And even you.”

“What Lesson was that one? One Hundred and Seventeen?”

“It’s not a lesson I was taught; it’s a fact I believe,” he clarified, smiling softly.

“Heh. It’s a nice fact.”

After a moment, his smile fell and Gallus bemoaned, “But it’s really, really hard to care about you, you know that? There— There are ponies back home who would say I should stop caring about you,” he stated, shaking a kink out of his wings. “Because it hurts to care about you sometimes.”

“The showpony?”

“She’s not the only one. And say whatever you will, but at least Trixie stood up for me.”

“Fair point,” Gruff begrudgingly admitted. “Ah’m guessin’ you don’t want me mailin’ you anymore? Ah mean, Gilda said you’d probably want nothin’ more to do with me or Griffonstone, so…?”

Gallus wrung his claws, slowly answering, “No, I… I’d like to keep sending letters to you.”

“You— You would?”

“Yes, I would,” he confirmed uncertainly. “But, Gramps? We need to work on this!” Gallus said, gesturing between himself and Gruff. “It’s not… I can’t keep caring about you if you don’t really care about me. And I know you say you care about me, but it isn’t easy to believe it. Not when you never write me back, don’t show up to my play, or threaten to sell my medal.”

“That’s, uh, another thing Ah didn’t mean…”

“I don’t care, Gramps. That hurt too.”

Gruff winced and repeated, “Ah really am sorry, Gallus.”

Gallus soothingly stroked his headcrest and resumed, “Gramps, look? I want to care about you! I want you to care about me!” he stressed, blinking back tears. “But I can’t keep wanting either of those things if they’re never gonna happen. It’s not fair to me or to you. So…? If you want me to keep giving you updates, I will. But only if you and I actually figure things out,” Gallus ended, grimacing sorrowfully.

“Ah still ain’t your dad.”

“I know, and I’m not asking to be. I’m… I’m asking you to be my friend.”

“And by extension: Your family?”

“…Yeah.”

Silence.

“Ah ain’t so good at changin’ who Ah am,” Gruff began bitterly. “Ah’ve lived mah life, and Ah’ve learned all Ah need to! So why do Ah even gotta change, you know? … But?” he whispered, making Gallus perk up hopefully. “If there’s one thing worth changin’ mahself for it’s family.”

“You mean it?”

“Let’s get one thing straight: Ah ain’t your dad; Ah’m your guardian!” Gruff reiterated one last time. “That ain’t gonna change. So if you’re expecting different? Don’t. You will be disappointed,” he forewarned.

“Fair enough,” Gallus relented, holding his breath.

“Good. That said?” Gruff sighed and proclaimed, “Just ‘cause Ah ain’t your father, don’t mean Ah don’t care about you. Ah do, Gallus.”

“You just don’t like showing it?” he guessed jokingly.

“That, and Ah’m really bad at it when Ah do.”

“Yeah, well…? From what I saw, it looked like Gavin was trying to help change that.”

“Ha-ha! Yeah, that boy is somethin’ else, Ah tell you what. Reminds me of you.”

“The books?”

“The books,” Gruff confirmed, chortling. After a moment, he disclosed, “He really likes you, you know? Wouldn’t shut up about how excited he was when he found out Gabby invited you over. Heh-heh-heh! Eh, it was pretty adorable, not gonna lie.”

Gallus snorted and said, “Yeah, Gavin’s sweeter than most griffons. … I really hope Griffonstone doesn’t strangle that out of him,” he murmured, flicking his tail.

“Doubt it. Gilda’s done this place some good.”

“I think she’d appreciate it if you told her that directly. You know? Instead of all that ‘Miss Savior of Griffonstone’ nonsense.”

Gruff scowled uncomfortably, crossing his claws and pouting. After a moment though, he looked back at Gallus and announced, “There is, uh, something else Ah wanted to talk to you about…”

“I’m listening.”

“Silverstream,” he said bluntly. “Do you really love her?”

“Yes,” Gallus answered, unwavering. “Yes, I do.”

Gruff nodded. “And does she love you?”

“She hasn’t exactly told me otherwise, so…? Yeah.”

He hummed but said nothing further.

“…You know? I didn’t like that you insinuated we’d break up,” Gallus mentioned angrily.

“Ah know. Yet another thing Ah apologize for.”

“Okay, now that apology I can accept,” he said, eliciting a grin. “Why did you think we would break up? I mean, you wouldn’t even let me talk to you about her!”

Gruff shrugged noncommittally, answering, “Ah was worried that’d happen to you. Kiddo, you might not have noticed, but Ah’m reeeaaally old! And Ah’ve seen what happens when the love don’t last,” he rambled on, giving Gallus strange, somewhat pitying stare. “It ain’t pleasant.”

Gallus cocked an eyebrow and said, “Yes, but Silver and I love each other.”

“Yeah, you already told me. Forgive me for bein’ worried what would happen if that stopped bein’ the case,” he said, finishing off his tea.

“Well…? Thank you for being worried about me. It’s…nice. To hear that you do.” Gruff rolled his good eye, so Gallus added, “I really mean it, Gramps! Thank you. Not for accidentally insulting my relationship, mind you,” he clarified candidly. “Thank you for worrying.”

“You’re welcome.” After a brief stretch of silence, Gruff sighed and asked, “Could Ah ask one more thing though? About you and her?”

“Uh, sure?”

“You said you loved her ‘cause she was there for you,” he acknowledged, sounding almost accusatory. “On Friends and Family Day and whatnot…?”

“That was technically our first date, yes,” Gallus answered, shifting awkwardly under the elder’s glare. “Why do you ask?”

“Her bein’ with ya that day… That ain’t the only reason you love her, right?”

“Pfft! Of course not!” he laughed, rolling his eyes. “Do you have any idea how beautiful she is? How wonderful her voice sounds? And Grover’s Treasure! You should see her paint!” Gallus declared, smiling serenely. “I love how happy she looks when she paints…”

“Really? ‘How wonderful her voice sounds’?” Gruff echoed, smirking.

“Like an angel,” he sighed dreamily. Gallus then frowned and huffed, “And no, I don’t care if that sounds sappy; it’s the truth.”

Gruff let out a small sigh of relief, assuring, “Ah didn’t say it sounded sappy. Ah’m just surprised her voice was somethin’ ya love about her. That ain’t somethin’ Ah hear most griffons admire ‘bout their partners.”

“I admire everything about Silverstream! Seriously, her giggle?” Gallus giggled himself before revealing, “It’s the sweetest sound in the world. Second only to her singing voice,” he added brightly.

“Heh-heh. Ah’m sure.” Gruff was quiet for a moment before asking, “You’re really happy with her, ain’t ya?”

“Yeah, Gramps. I am.”

Gruff smiled.

…

“Did you… D-Did you want to hear more about her?” Gallus asked hopefully.

“About your girlfriend? Ah mean? Yeah, Ah guess,” Gruff said, unable to mask the eagerness creeping into his voice. “If it would make you happy.”

“It would! It really would!”

“Then go ahead. Not like Ah’m goin’ anywhere,” he whined, snuggling into his blanket. “But don’t blame me if Ah fall asleep, ya hear!”

“Oh, am I boring to you?”

“No, Ah’m just old and tired.”

“Old and tired? You? Get outta here!”

“Oh, hush up and get to the love story already!”

Gallus laughed, unable to keep the wide smile off of his face as he did just that.

***

Upon finishing his recounting, Gallus yawned widely and leaned back against the couch. “And that’s about everything,” he ended, smiling at the hippogriff by his side.

“Wow!” Silverstream exclaimed. “So, everything sorta worked out,” she acknowledged, sharing a glance with Smolder. “R-Right?”

“Pretty much,” Gallus confirmed, drinking his cocoa. “Although? I’m still not sure if I really made up with Gruff. I think I did, but it’s hard to tell with that guy sometimes.”

“For the record,” Smolder spoke up. “I still think I should go down there and give him a good clobbering. ‘No thanks to you…’ Geez, what a jerk,” she said, huffing out a cloud of smoke.

“I’m aware…”

“But you did make up with him?” Silver asked, laying a talon upon his shoulder. “Hopefully?”

Gallus placed his talon atop hers and grinned, echoing, “Hopefully.”

“Do you think the old geezer was actually sorry? Or do you think he was just saying that?”

“I have no idea, Smolder,” he answered, shrugging. “I want to believe he was being genuine, but I’m not gonna ignore the chance the others made him apologize. At the end of the day, Gruff is Gruff… Maybe he’ll change, maybe he won’t.” Gallus took a deep breath and concluded, “I’m optimistic though. We still need to work a few things out, but…? I think we will.”

“I still wanna punch him,” she grumbled, crossing her claws indignantly.

“You think I don’t?” he asked dryly, eliciting a small smirk from the dragon.

Silver, meanwhile, let out a long, relieved sigh. “I’m just glad you’re okay and that you had a good time in Griffonstone.”

“I wouldn’t really say I had a ‘good’ time exactly,” he retorted, grimacing. “Parts of it were good, no doubt. But other parts were terrible!” Gallus thought for a moment and determined, “Tell you what? I had an awkward time. We’ll go with that.”

“It’s better than the alternative, I suppose.” Silver then smiled and said, “But as long as you’re happy? Then I guess everything is okay.”

“Yeah,” Smolder agreed. “You’re back, and you’re okay! That’s the important thing…”

“Aww, thanks for worrying about me, girls. That’s sweet.”

“Well, I can hardly let you be the only sweet one around here,” Silver teased, kissing his cheek.

Gallus kissed her back, assuring, “And you’re succeeding brilliantly.”

“Yeesh, you two really are worse than Yona and Sandbar.”

“That a problem?” they asked simultaneously.

“…I’m just going to say no. I’m worried what’ll happen if I don’t.”

Gallus chuckled alongside Silverstream, but once he quieted down, he gave her a knowing look and asked, “What about you two? You girls have a good time while I was gone?”

“Eh, it was alright. We mostly just talked and stuff,” Silver answered, winking subtly and watching as his smile brightened. “Did some cooking for a holiday party that Starlight threw too.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t anything special,” Smolder dismissed bluntly. “If anything, it just proved we need to get Headmare Starlight a book on subtlety,” she ended, sharing a smirk with Silverstream.

Gallus stared at his girlfriend quizzically, earning a giggle and receiving a casual, “I’ll tell you later.”

“In any case,” Smolder resumed. “I’d say the holiday’s been pretty great so far. The blizzard’s over, Silver and I had some fun, and you’re back, safe and sound!” she emphasized, visibly relaxing.

“Unless you count this sweater Gabby gave me,” he whined, pointing to the pattern of hearts adorning his torso. “It’s pretty comfy, but hearts? Come on!”

“I think it looks cute,” Silver complimented, snuggling up to him.

Gallus snuggled back, blushing happily.

“If you say so,” Smolder chuckled mockingly.

“Oh, hush,” she reproved. “You’re just mad Gabby didn’t knit you a sweater.”

“Pfft! I don’t need a sweater.”

“But you need a whole dress horde, right?”

“Oh, shut up, Gallus!”

Silver and Gallus both just laughed at their friend’s expense. Eventually, Silver stopped and gasped. “Oh my gosh, I totally forgot! Uh, be right back,” she said, darting out of the library.

“Uh, do you…?”

“No clue.”

…

Smolder sat up and stared out the door, asking, “She gonna be back any time soon?”

“I don’t know,” Gallus said, shrugging. “Why do you ask?”

She waited just a second longer before diving for her bag, quickly whispering, “Okay, so don’t freak out, but I got you a Hearth’s Warming gift.”

“Why would I freak out about that?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow. “I got you one too. Although, I was planning to give it to you on Hearth’s Warming Eve proper.”

“I know, I know,” she distractedly groaned, extracting a small velvet box. “But this is something Silverstream can’t see,” Smolder insisted, passing it to him.

“Okaaay? You wanna explain why that—” Gallus froze upon seeing what lied within the box.

“Quick! Close that up and hide it before she gets back!”

He did as instructed before staring at Smolder in pure, absolute shock. “Wh-Wh-What!?” Gallus incoherently babbled, uncertain if his brain was working correctly.

“Yeah, I know it’s a little weird since you two haven’t even had your second date,” she muttered, checking to see if Silver was by the door. After confirming she wasn’t, Smolder continued, “But Shimmy told me about your whole ‘future life’ thing, or whatever! I figured I’d try to help out…”

“Yeah, b-but— But— But—” he sputtered uselessly, staring between his gift and the gifter.

“What? I didn’t taste it if that’s what you’re worried about?”

“What was that about tasting something?” Silver inquired, panting as she reentered the library with two large, rectangular boxes in tow.

“Silverstream!” Smolder announced awkwardly, sharing a nervous smile with Gallus. “I-I was just asking about, uh…?”

“My brownies!” Gallus finished, regaining his senses despite the thundering of his heart. “She wanted to know if my brownies really are the best in the school or if you were just hyping them up.”

“Well, duh! The answer is both,” she stated unabashedly as she collapsed back on the sofa beside Gallus. “Sorry. I figured I’d give you both my Hearth’s Warming gifts now since I have the chance.”

“You didn’t want to wait until Hearth’s Warming Eve?” Smolder asked, relieved that Silver had bought the cover story. “Should I, uh, go get mine?”

“No, no, no! It’s fine,” Silver placated. “Gallus just got presents on my mind when he mentioned Gabby’s sweater, and since it’s just us…? Eh, why not?”

Gallus caught sight of her presents and looked to Smolder, smiling warmly. “Or more accurately? You’re too excited to wait any longer to see our reactions to ‘em, right?”

Silver giggled, agreeing, “Yeah, that too.”

“Let me guess,” Smolder said, eyeing the items as well. “You were feeling really artistic this year, weren’t you?”

“You know it!” she sang cheerfully.

“Heh-heh-heh! Alright then, what’ve you got for us, Silver?”

“First of all, this is for you, Gallus,” Silver said, passing him a pair of tickets.

Gallus took them and yelped, “Tickets to Las Pegasus!? Cool! Always wanted to go there. I’m assuming the second one is for you, milady?”

“It better be,” she playfully warned. “After all, other than Mrs. Ditsy, who’s going to be your laser tag partner?”

“Las Pegasus has a laser tag arena now?”

“Yep. Heard they set it up just last month.”

“Awesome!” he excitedly squealed, hugging her. “Thanks, Silverstream!”

Silver hugged him back, happily replying, “You’re welcome.” She then turned to Smolder and gifted her one of the boxes, saying, “Now, both of these are yours, but I want you to open this one first.”

“Okay,” she chuckled as she gratefully accepted the present. “What? Is this gonna be a two-parter? Gotta hold ‘em both up to get the full picture?” Smolder guessed, carefully ripping open the box.

“Eh, you’ll see,” Silver said with a pointed look at her confused boyfriend.

Upon tearing away the wrapping and revealing the lustrous painting beneath, she exclaimed, “Whoa! This is awesome, Silverstream! Thank you!”

“Hee-hee! You’re welcome, Smolder.”

“Wow…” she breathed quietly. “This is so good! Geez, you even got most of the winter constellations in there,” Smolder recognized immediately. “Seriously, how long did this take you?”

“A few weeks. Mostly because I had to keep triple-checking everything and fixing my mistakes,” Silver elaborated, flourishing her mane. “It was totally worth it though; I’m glad you like it.”

“Silver, I love it! Thank you so much!”

“Told you,” Gallus whispered teasingly.

“Yeah, yeah, you told me,” Silver tittered, rolling her eyes. She then gave Smolder the other box and said, “As for this one…? I’m pretty sure you’re gonna like this one too.”

“Hey, if it’s as awesome as this one is, that’s a guarantee,” Smolder complimented, taking the item and repeating the tearing process.

Gallus tapped Silver and raised an eyebrow when she looked over. What was up with the second one? he silently asked.

She nodded to Smolder, communicating, Wait and see.

They both then looked back at Smolder, only to find her staring at the revealed painting with a rather pained expression on her face. She then held a claw over her quivering maw.

Silver gulped and asked, “Do you like it?”

“Y-Yeah,” she answered, blinking away tears. “Yeah, I love it, Silver.”

“Uh, may I see it?” Gallus requested, still in the dark about what was going on. He then immediately understood when she turned the painting around.

It was all of them. Gallus, Silverstream, Yona, Ocellus, Sandbar, and Smolder. All standing in front of the School of Friendship, hugging each other and basking in the light of Celestia’s sun.

“Huh,” he said, grinning at his girlfriend. “Definitely succeeding brilliantly.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, nuzzling him. “Now, Smolder? There’s something else you should know about that painting.”

“Is it that it’s beautiful?” she guessed, snorting. “Because I already know that.”

“Actually…? I asked Headmare Starlight to enchant it.”

“Huh?” both Smolder and Gallus mumbled.

“Yep!” Silver chirped. “Turns out she’s really good at time magic. Like? Really good! She was a little uncomfortable doing it at first, but after I told her what it was for, she went at that thing like Yona to a dress,” she explained, laughing.

“‘Time magic’? Uh, I’m still not following, Silver?”

“Well, to put it simply…? The painting won’t age.”

…

“What?” Smolder squeaked out, unsure if she had right.

“Yep. Neither of them will. According to Starlight, both of ‘em could survive a black hole, completely unscathed,” she proclaimed softly.

“Y-You mean… I won’t lose them?”

Gallus gaped in realization before his beak slowly widened into an ecstatic smile. Oh, Silverstream, you magnificent genius!

“No, Smolder. You won’t ever lose them,” she confirmed. “It’s like I said… We’ll always be with you, Smolder,” Silverstream promised serenely.

Smolder placed the painting aside and lunged forward, trapping Silver in her embrace. “Thank you!” she sobbed, crying into the hippogriff’s shoulder. “Thank you…!”

Silver hugged her back, soothing, “No problem.” She then stared at Gallus expectantly.

Gallus smiled as well and swiftly joined the hug, celebrating, “Happy Hearth’s Warming, girls.”

“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Gallus,” Silver replied joyfully, sneaking a quick kiss on his cheek. “Love you.”

Gallus kissed her back, affirming, “Love you too.”

“I love you both too,” Smolder said, somewhat muffled by Silver’s feathers.

Silverstream and Gallus merely shared another smile before proceeding to simply hold each other and Smolder in a warm, serene embrace.

Author's Note

And so ends our journey to Griffonstone. I'm curious to know what you guys think about Gallus' choice regarding Gruff. Do you think he made the right one, or the wrong one? I really would love to know your thoughts on the matter. :scootangel:

In any case, this was the chapter that I wasn't sure if I would need to split into three parts. Thankfully, I didn't have to do that, but I did have to go over 20k words this time.
Honestly? The way the epilogue is going right now, I might have to do that one more time. :derpyderp1:

Speaking of the epilogue? You guys remember how I said I was making good progress with that? Yeah, I might have jinxed myself with that one. :facehoof: Long story short, I'm only about halfway done with it.

Luckily, I still have two more chapters for you guys in the meantime! :pinkiehappy: And on that note, the next one will be arriving on 1 - 3 February. Considering a certain holiday that goes down that month, I'd say it's perfect timing! Why? Oh, come on, you all know exactly what's coming up next! :moustache:

NEXT TIME: Get ready for love! Get ready for chaos! And get ready for awkward conversations! For the time has finally come!

The second date is upon us at last!

Chapter Twelve: Serenity, Part One

“…Okay,” Gallus said, stretching his wings and letting out a sharp crack. “I think that’s everything. What do you think, Silver?”

After giving it some thought, she tapped an item on the paper with her pen and muttered, “I’m still on the fence about the Ponyville Clock Tower.”

“Still?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you said you’d enjoy going there?”

“And I would,” Silver affirmed earnestly. “Patty’s always talked about how amazing a history that place has, and I would love to know more about it.” Her smile drooped slightly as she explained, “But I am a little worried it’d take longer than expected…”

“Hmm? I suppose that could be a risk,” he recognized after reexamining his copy of the schedule. “Plus, if we didn’t go, we’d get more time to prepare for the restaurant.”

“Which is certainly something I can get behind.”

“Me too. So do you think we should cut it then?”

“I do,” Silver said, watching as he crossed out the item. “I’d love to tour the place someday, but I’d much rather have the extra time to get ready.”

“Fair enough. Besides, we can always visit it some other time,” Gallus proposed as he reread the schedule, quintuple-checking for any errors. Upon finding none, he placed the book back into his bag and murmured, “Saturday… Just a few more days, and we’ll finally be on our second date.”

“It only took us nearly half a year,” Silver whined sardonically. She then rubbed her shoulder and anxiously asked, “Do you think everything will be okay this weekend?”

“Yeah. I think so.”“…What if everything doesn’t go as perfectly as you planned?”

Gallus was quiet for a moment before answering, “I can’t expect perfection. Not from myself and certainly not from the world. But it’s okay if not everything goes smoothly,” he said, giving her a dreamy smile. “As long as you and I get to spend time together? That’s all I could ever ask for.”

“Likewise,” Silverstream said, planting a small kiss upon his cheek. “Although, there is one other thing I think we needed to talk about.”

“Sure, what?”

“The restaurant,” she tentatively mumbled, instantly eradicating his smile.

“Ughhh,” Gallus groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. “Silver, we’ve been over this…”

“I know we have, but—”

“But nothing!” he interrupted. “I told you I’ve got enough Bits for it.”

“Okay, okay!” Silver clicked her beak indignantly and added, “You could at least tell me how much you think it’ll cost, you know.”

“Why? So you could try to reimburse me?”

“Yeah.”

“No! No, you don’t need to do that! Why would you even think you did?”

“Because I remember what you told Smolder that night… About how you were trying to save up your Bits, and—”

“Silverstream, for the last time, I don’t want you to pay for the meal!” he decreed sternly. “And when exactly are you going to let that thing I said go?”

“Uh? Never,” she deadpanned. “Why would I not feel mad about the fact I had to find out second-talon you were having financial struggles?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘financial struggles,’” Gallus grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“I still could have helped you pay for it!” she insisted.

“Forgive me for not wanting to ask you for Bits on our second date!”

“Oh, I do! That’s not even something you should feel guilty for in the first place.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. But getting back on topic? What I don’t like is that you never told me about it at all,” Silverstream explained, frowning. “I mean, would you have ever talked to me about it?”

“I-I don’t know,” he admitted guiltily.

“Wow,” she sighed.

“Look,” Gallus resumed, taking a deep breath to calm himself. “I’m sorry I never told you about the Bits being a problem. I just didn’t want you to worry. Nor seem like I couldn’t provide…”

“You know I would never have cared about something like that,” she assured in a softer tone.

“Yeah, well? I do. I know I should feel comfortable asking for help if I ever need it, but… I just hate needing help sometimes.”

Silver took his talon into hers and assuaged, “I know. And it’s okay to feel that way, Gallus, but you can’t hide problems like that. Not from me. At least? I don’t want you to. Okay?”

Gallus gave her a small smile and promised, “I won’t.”

“Thank you!” she sang, pulling him into a warm hug. “And don’t you worry, I promise not to hide problems like that either.”

He hugged her back, teasing, “You better not.”

Silver giggled and leaned back, lamenting, “I really do wish you had told me though. I probably wouldn’t have been so impatient to go on our second date if you had,” she laughed.

“Heh-heh, yeah… Sorry.”

“I already said I forgive you.”

“And I wanted to say it again,” Gallus said, chuckling at her bemused sigh. Eventually, his laughter turned to a thoughtful hum. “You know? I think we just had our first major fight,” he realized.

“Really?” Silver asked, wincing slightly.

“Yeah. … All things considered? It was pretty good.”

“You think it was ‘good’ that we fought!?”

“Well, we didn’t yell, nothing was thrown, and we came to a mutual understanding,” Gallus listed off, smiling. “Trust me, as a former resident of Griffonstone, that is the ultimate cosmic sign!”

“O-Okay?” Silver stuttered, uncertain. “Of what though?”

“That we’re awesome together,” he answered without skipping a beat.“…Darn it,” she cursed, hanging her head in defeat. “Every time. Every time I think I’m catching up, you go ahead and out-sweet me again.”

“Hey, if I’m not always out-sweeting ya, then I’m not doing my job as your boyfriend right.”

“Good point.”

“Heh-heh-heh. Happy First Fight, Silver,” he joked.

“Happy First Fight, Gallus,” she joked back. “But, uh? Let’s try not having anymore fights in the future? I don’t like fighting with you…”

“Only hugs, snuggles, and kisses then? Okay. I can do that.”

“Yay,” Silverstream tittered, hugging him and resting her head against his neck with a sigh. “This is nice.”

“Hugging me?”

“Being with you,” she clarified, softly nuzzling him. “Planning out our date, making jokes, and yes! Hugging you too.”

“I think it’s nice too,” he crooned, returning the nuzzle.

…

“Do you think they heard all of that?” Silver whispered, casting her eyes downward.

“I don’t know; let me check,” Gallus replied, sticking his head over the edge of the cloud they sat upon. “Hey, Scoop! Patty! You two enjoying the show!?” he shouted.

Both mares yelped in fright and dashed away into the crowded streets below.

“Aughhh!” Silver groaned, face-clawing. “You would think now that we’re finally about to go on our date, the others would give us some privacy!”

“Or after I had to scrounge up a cloud so we could get some privacy,” Gallus growled, turning back to Silver. “Then again, it’s Scoop. We should know better than to expect her to care about privacy.”

“True. But Patty should definitely know better! … You don’t think either of them will try to…?”

“Spy on our date? Eh? I’m not sure about Patty, but Scoop’s definitely going to do that.”

“Wonderful. Ah well, at least our second date will be well-documented for all to see,” she remarked, crossing her talons.

“Did you want it to be?”

“Well, certainly not by Scoop!”

“In that case, you have nothing to fear. I’ve already made plans to take care of her,” Gallus said conspiratorially. “As well as anycreature else that tries to intrude on our date.”

“Okaaay,” Silverstream sighed, looking rather unamused. “What did you do?”

“Called in a favor with the others. Smolder was especially keen on helping us out.”

“Aww, that’s so nice of them. And nice of you too,” Silver added, playfully poking his shoulder. “Of course? This means you and I owe them all quite a few ‘Thank you’ muffins.”

“Understood, milady.”

“Hee-hee! … So? I guess this means we’re finally ready for Saturday?”

“I guess we are,” he attested, sneaking in another quick kiss and earning a blush.

“Eeeee!” she squealed excitedly. “I can’t wait!”

***

“Can you feel the sunshine!? Does it brighten up your—” Smack!

“Yes, I can feel the sunshine,” Gallus groused as he sat up. “Seriously, when did that song get licensed for the radio?” he wondered, scratching his neck.

…

“Today is the day,” he reminded himself, awakening almost immediately by the terrified pounding in his chest. Gallus closed his eyes and let out a slow sigh. “Everything will be okay… In fact? Everything will be amazing!” he sang optimistically. “Hee-hee-hee!”

With a delighted twinkle in his eye, Gallus sprung up from his bed and dashed about, completing his daily routine as quickly as possible. Once he was presentable, Gallus paused and stared into his picture-filled, macaroni mirror.

A bright-eyed, healthy-looking griffon smiled back at him.

“We are going to have so much fun!” Gallus celebrated, practically skipping over to his door. He then opened it and spotted Silverstream exiting her own room at the same time. “Silverstream?”

“Huh? Oh, good morning, Gallus,” she greeted, rushing over enthusiastically and sneaking him a hug. “Great timing! I think the others have already gone down for breakfast.”

“Good to hear,” he said, hugging her back. Upon letting go, he added, “I wanted to go over the schedule with ‘em one more time anyway.”

“That. But we could also—and bear with me on this one—all have breakfast together?”

“Yeah, that too,” Gallus agreed, smirking as she rolled her eyes. He then offered her his talon and asked, “Shall we?”

She tittered, gratefully taking it and muttering, “Ever the charmer, eh?”

“If you’ll let me?”

“Always,” she said, snuggling up to him as they continued down the hallway.

Eventually, they reached the cafeteria wherein rested four other creatures waiting for them…

“Okay, good, you guys are all here,” Gallus acknowledged as he and Silver approached their table. “That’s even more convenient,” he rejoiced, shooting a wink at Silver.

“We’re here physically, yes,” Smolder grumbled, sipping at her coffee. “Mentally? Ehhh, we’ll have to get back to you on that.”

“Agreed,” Sandbar deadpanned, yawning loudly. “I know today’s your date and all, but how are you two even awake this early? And on a Saturday, no less!”

“I don’t see you asking how your girlfriend’s able to stay awake?” Gallus fired back, sitting beside Silverstream. “Or Ocellus for that matter.”

“Because Yona’s the best at everything she does,” he complimented, earning a happy grin from the yak. “As for Ocellus? Frankly, I’m convinced she has some ‘perpetual awakeness’ spell.”

“Should I tell him, or…?” Gallus asked Ocellus.

“Tell me what? Wait! You do have a spell for that, don’t you?”

Ocellus gave Sandbar a blunt stare and answered, “Yes, but I don’t really care for it. Creatures do need rest after all.”

“You mind giving Sandbar and I a shot of it?” Smolder asked, glaring at her drink. “Because I don’t think this stuff’s working.”

“No,” she said curtly. “You’ll both have to settle for waking up the natural way.”

“You are cruel, Ocellus! Cruel, I say!” Sandbar wailed melodramatically.

“What Sandbar really mean to say,” Yona said, putting her hoof over his muzzle. “Is Yona and friends are happy to help Gallus and Silverstream. Even if it mean getting up earlier than usual.”

“Right, Yona,” Gallus said, chuckling. “I’m sure that’s exactly what he meant. But if it helps, I am sorry for asking you guys to get up so early.”

“It’s no problem, Gallus,” Ocellus placated, directing a disapproving look to the sleepy stallion and dragon. “Besides, I made sure to go to bed early just in case.”

“Oh, shut up, Ocellus,” Smolder moaned, finishing off her coffee. “Sarcasm aside, we’re all awake, and we’re all here,” she assured, giving the pair an eager smile. “What’s the plan, Gallus?”

Gallus nodded and began, “Okay, you all know the schedule, right?”

“First is breakfast, then it’s a few rounds of bowling, and then you two are off to that Spearhead guy’s art exhibit, right?” Sandbar questioned, resting his head in his hooves.

“Uh-huh!” Silverstream confirmed giddily. “I cannot wait for that last one; it’s been way too long since I’ve been to Spearhead’s Gallery,” she said, giving Gallus a grateful smile.

“I didn’t even know he had an actual gallery,” Ocellus confessed. “Wasn’t it just a temporary thing?”

“Oh, it was,” Sandbar confirmed. “But ponies really liked his art and funded a whole gallery for it, my dad included. Royal Guards gotta help out Royal Guards, after all,” he boasted proudly.

“I just can’t believe you two are really going bowling for your second date,” Smolder jibed.

“How many times do I have tell everycreature bowling can be romantic?” Silver mumbled.

“Yona agree; bowling tons of fun,” she vouched, shooting an expectant look at Sandbar.

“Already have a weekend planned for it,” he said, eliciting an excited squee.

“Afterward,” Gallus interjected. “We’ll stop for lunch at the Hay Burger joint. And lastly, we’ll cap off the first half of the date by taking a lovely stroll through the park.”

“Wait, what about…?” Ocellus began, looking rather confused. She then blinked and said, “That’s right! I almost forgot you two decided against visiting the Clock Tower.”

“Yona think that a shame,” she said, sighing sadly. “Patty and Vellum always say Ponyville Clock Tower have interesting lore.”

“Try ‘snooze-inducing.’ I couldn’t even last ten minutes when Gallus and I checked the place out.”

“Sandbar, that just shows you are in serious need of better tastes,” Ocellus rebuked lightly. “I will never understand how anycreature could find complex architectural history boring.”

“Easy. Make ‘em watch a documentary on the subject with you.”

“…Shut up, Smolder.”

As the others all snickered, Silverstream elaborated, “Gallus and I both wanted to check it out, but we figured it would be better to save that for a later date. That way, we could have more time to prepare for the restaurant,” she ended, hiding a nervous gulp.

“Ooh, Yona think that great idea!” Yona squealed, clapping energetically. “Yona gonna need extra time working on Silver’s mane,” she added so quietly only Smolder and Sandbar heard her.

“We did too. Speaking of the restaurant? You still have our attire ready to go, right, Yona?”

“Gallus need not even ask; Yona has everything ready for everycreature.”

“Good to know. Because once we’re done, we plan to stop by the Carousel Boutique.”

“And after Gallus picks up his suit, I’ll stay behind so you can help me into my dress,” Silverstream finished explaining. “And with everything else,” she added, examining her talons.

“Of course,” Smolder began casually. “And while you two are actually enjoying your date, the rest of us will be keeping tabs on you guys, correct?”

“Bingo. Which reminds me,” Gallus uttered, turning his attention to the earth pony. “Sandy?”

“Don’t worry, dude,” he said, patting his saddlebag. “I borrowed my sister’s toy radios. I owe her a tea party now, but whatever. They got fresh batteries and a range the size of Ponyville.”

“That’ll certainly make my job easier,” Ocellus proclaimed. “Just to double-check, you want me to remain incognito throughout the date and keep everycreature informed of what’s going on, right?”

“And teleport away any unwanted date-crashers. If you can, that is.”

“Anyone specific?”

“Aside from Scoop, Patty, and Shimmy Shake? Anycreature you think would disrupt the date.”

“Professor Rarity?”

“Professor Rarity,” he echoed in agreement, sparking a round of laughter among the group.

“Was there anycreature else you had in mind?” Ocellus inquired after quieting down.

“Well…?” Gallus murmured, tapping his chin in thought. “Nah, no way would he show up. Hmm? Hey, Silver? Do we need to worry about your cousin?”

“Skystar? No, I haven’t sent—I-I mean!” Silver cleared her throat, stating, “I haven’t written my family at all about today.”

“In that case, I can’t think of anycreature else who’d be a problem.”

“Alrighty then. I’ll make sure to keep my eyes open,” Ocellus promised.

“Please do, Ocellus,” Gallus practically begged. “Seriously, we’re counting on you guys!”

“Don’t worry, Gallus,” Smolder said, giving him a claws-up. “The last thing we’re going to do is let anycreature screw this up for you two. Promise.”

“Thank you! I’m sorry we have to ask this of all of you, but…” Silver apologized quietly.

“Silverstream need not fear; Yona and friends will make sure Gallus and Silver’s date absolute BEST!” she vowed, drawing out a relieved smile.

“Heh. I really can’t thank you guys enough for all of your help,” Gallus said gratefully. “Both for helping me figure out what to do for the date and agreeing to keep an eye on things.”

“Like we would ever leave you hanging, dude,” Sandbar scoffed.

“Sandbar correct. Friends would never leave Gallus or Silver to fend for themselves,” Yona swore firmly. “Especially considering how much date mean to both.”

“That does raise the question though,” Ocellus uncertainly spoke up. “What if—despite our best efforts—the date still gets interrupted by someone?”

“Oh, I can think of one thing we’ll do to ‘em,” Smolder said, pointedly showing off her claws.

“It’ll be okay, Ocellus,” Silver answered, glancing at Gallus once more. “We both know not everything can be perfect.”

“Yeah,” Gallus concurred. “We can’t be afraid something screwy will happen. Not when the most important thing is spending time together,” he concluded, smiling warmly.

“That’s deep,” Sandbar commented, earning five equally judgmental stares. “What?”

“Nothing,” Yona said, holding his hoof. “Yona just glad to know friends think that.”

“I am too,” Gallus said, laughing weakly. “Took me long enough to get that through my head, but better late than never, right?”

“Yeah, yeah…” Smolder chortled, rolling her eyes. “But, um? Is it okay if we pull some favors of our own? Because knowing the ponies in this town, we’re going to need back-up. And a lot of it!”

“Already thought of that,” he replied. “When Silver and I are ready to go on our date, meet up with Headmare Starlight. She agreed to help us out too, so I already got her up to speed.”

“Thank goodness! Let’s just hope she’ll be enough.”

“Uh, Smolder?” Sandbar piped up. “You do remember Headmare Starlight can banish Discord, right?”

“Yeah, but he’s still Discord. And he’s far from the only creature we need to worry about.”

Silver shivered and pleaded, “Please don’t put that thought in my head. The last thing I need to worry about right now is if he’ll finally try to get revenge on us for stuffing him inside that trunk.”

“If he tries, we’ll just stuff him back into it,” Gallus said, draping a comforting wing around her.

Ocellus bit her lip and tentatively asked, “Are you two ready for tonight then?”

“Yes,” he answered adamantly. “I know I certainly am.”

“Hee-hee!” Silverstream giggled, reclining against his shoulder. “I am too. After all, I finally get to go on a second date with the sweetest creature in the school,” she bragged, grinning victoriously when she noticed him blush. “And that’s something I’m always ready for.”

“Yona feel same way about Sandbar,” she stated, planting a quick kiss on his glowing cheek.

Ocellus and Smolder glanced at each other, frowning uncomfortably at their friends’ displays of affection. “You know?” the latter whispered behind her claw. “It wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t so corny about the whole thing.”

“At least it’s genuine,” Ocellus murmured back, shrugging.

“Why thank you, Ocellus!” Sandbar cheered, his tone dry. “It means a lot to have the mind-reader say we really love each other. Not like we could know that ourselves, or anything…”

“It’s not mind-reading!”

“Close enough.”

Ocellus just pouted.

“Heh-heh. Thank you again for helping us with everything today,” Gallus said once more. “We really appreciate it, guys.”

“No worries, Gallus,” Smolder began confidently. “It’s about time you two have some fun for once, and we’re not gonna let anyone or anything ruin it!”

Gallus smiled tearfully, whispering, “Thank you, Smolder.”

“You’re welcome. You two just make sure you do have a good time, alright?”

“Oh, we will!” Silver sang, barely able to contain her excitement. “We will!”

***

Roughly half an hour later, Gallus and Silverstream stood outside the Ponyville Bowling Alley, listening to the cacophonous thunder of crashing pins echo to them from within.

“You know something, Silver?” Gallus eventually muttered.

“What?” she responded, giving him a bright smile.

“This is a bowling alley,” he stated, gulping fearfully as he stared at the building before them.

“Yep. It totally is.”

“And we’re here on our second date so we can spend time together as a couple.”

“Hee-hee-hee, I know that too,” Silver cheered, flapping her wings eagerly.

“And it’s not like we haven’t spent time together like this before.”

“Obviously. This is our second date after all.”

“Yeah. Plus, we’ve helped save Equestria from near-destruction twice. Twice!” he emphasized, combing his headcrest nervously. “I mean, compared to that, this is…”

“Absolutely terrifying?” Silverstream guessed, receiving a nod. “Oh, good, it’s not just me!” she gasped. “I-I know I shouldn’t be nervous… We both planned this. We both want this. And we both know we’re gonna have fun today. So, what do I have to be nervous about?” she ended, giving him a shaky smile.

“That we’ll be interrupted again?” Gallus suggested.

“Well, that’s certainly one thing I’m worried about. You’re afraid of that too, huh?”

“A little, but I trust the others to keep that from happening. I think… I think what I’m worried about is that today won’t be as amazing as we expect it to be,” he theorized, pawing at the ground warily.

“Oh. So then, you’re still scared everything won’t be perfect?” Silver inquired, wincing.

“No, no! It’s not that; it’s…” Gallus sighed and looked her in the eye. “I think I’ve just hyped this whole thing up in my head too much, you know?” He gestured to the bowling alley and acknowledged, “We’re on a date, not going to some meeting with royalty or something.”

She snorted. “And yet, this is a lot scarier than that. Unless we’re talking about Auntie Novo, in which case? N-No, she’s worse; she is so much worse!” Silver exclaimed, laughing along with Gallus.

“Ha-ha-haaa! Yeah. Yeah… But this? This isn’t something serious like that. This is a date. Nothing more, nothing less,” Gallus concluded serenely.

“Ohhh no! It’s a little bit more than that,” she argued, grinning slyly. “It’s a date with you! That makes it far more special.”

“I think you mean it’s a date with you,” he retorted. “Which means it’s the most special thing in the world.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, glancing back at the entrance. “You’re not wrong though. About our date, silly!” Silver corrected before he could make a joke. “We did make it out to be too big a deal. So, if it’s okay with you? Can we keep everything simple, going forward?” she requested. “Please?”

“Of course,” Gallus promised, nuzzling her warmly. “Do you want to call today off? Maybe figure out something better to do?”

“Are you crazy!?” she shrieked indignantly. “No way! I have been waiting to go on another proper date with you for months, buddy, and you ain’t getting out of it that easily!”

“Okay, okay, okay!” he yelped, holding his claws up defensively. “Just asking…”

“Well, thank you for asking. It was very considerate,” Silver huffed, stifling another giggle. “But you and I are having this date! No amount of nerves is gonna stop me from having a good time with you.”

“Nor me with you.”

“Good. … So? Are you ready to knock down some pins with a big, heavy ball, milord?” she inquired, extending a talon in invitation.

Gallus happily took her talon and said, “Lead the way, milady.”

Despite both Scoop and Smolder’s assurances of the contrary, bowling was an absolute blast. There wasn’t much else to say about it; they both simply had some good, clean fun as they constantly tried to one-up each other.

“Yes!” Silver laughed, dancing triumphantly. “Who’s the champion!? I’m the champion!”

“Yeah, yeah…” Gallus grumbled, unable to stay too annoyed by his newest loss. “You can laugh all you want, but I’m winning the next one.”

“Mhmm. Right. Keep telling yourself that.”

“I plan on it.”

While they waited for the pins to be reset for the next game, Silver frowned and quietly asked, “You’re not letting me win, are you?”

“Nope, you’re just that good,” he answered honestly.

“Aww! Thanks, Gallus. Sorry I’m whooping your flank,” she apologized, trying and failing to suppress her grin. “I know you don’t like losing.”

“No one does. But truthfully, I don’t mind.”

“Even if you’ve lost four games in a row?”

“…You don’t have to rub it in my face,” Gallus pouted, much to her amusement. “I’m just happy to be spending time with you. No amount of losing can ruin that.”

“Alright. Be sure to tell me if that changes though. If you do, maybe I’ll let you win at least one game before we leave,” Silver taunted smugly. “Maybe.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha,” Gallus chuckled dryly. “Eh, even if I can’t win against you at bowling, at least we both know you can’t win against me in chess,” he challenged, winking playfully.

“That’s because no one can,” she whined, frowning when he snickered. “Not even Ocellus.”

“November can,” he revealed.

“Seriously!?”

“There’s a reason I finally stopped calling him ‘September Tempest.’”

“Wow! That’s… That’s impressive.”

“Yeah, I know,” Gallus said, standing up as the pins finished resetting. “It’s a shame he quit Chess Club; the dude can wield a rook as well as you can a brush. Or a bowling ball, apparently.”

“Hey, I can’t help it if I’m just better at this than you are,” Silverstream gloated with a smirk.

“For now.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“Alright, now just for that, I am going to win the next game!”

“In your dreams!”

“Oh! It! Is! On!”

Some time later, the pair found themselves exiting the bowling alley and making their way toward Spearhead’s Art Gallery, followed discreetly by their disguised friends.

The many sculptures and paintings were as much a sight to behold as the overjoyed hippogriff delightedly darting among them all.

Gallus tried valiantly to keep up with her but eventually conceded defeat. Thankfully, Silver quickly noticed and slowed down to match his pace, smiling apologetically as she muttered, “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Gallus said kindly. “It was cute.”

“Aww,” she cooed, blushing. “Thanks. You’re cute too.”

“I know. But we both know you’re cuter.”

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Heh-heh-heh. … It’s nice to see you’re having fun.”

“Oh, I am! I’m having so much fun!”

“I’m glad,” he said, giving her cheek a soft kiss that she cheerfully returned.

“I am too. Now, let’s go! I heard Lighthoof donated that sculpture of hers to Spearhead’s Gallery, and I remember how mesmerized you were by it,” she laughed, leading him forward.

“I wasn’t that mesmerized,” he protested, unable to hide his smile as he followed after her.

“I had to drag you away from it!”

“Like I had to drag you away from a certain mountain of blueberry rock candy?”

“Oh, hush up!”

“No, I like talking to you.”

“Hee-hee, I like talking to you too.”

Over an hour was spent perusing the amazing works of the former Royal Guard, and both of them would have been perfectly happy to spend many more hours exploring further. However, they ultimately-yet-reluctantly decided to depart, lest they deviate even more from the schedule.

Shortly thereafter, the pair tucked themselves into a corner booth at the local Hay Burger after having ordered a quick lunch…

“So?” Gallus began, dipping a cluster of his fries into some ketchup. “We both agree we’re going back there at some point, right?”

“Yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes!” Silver chirped excitedly, drinking her soda pop. “Sea kelp, I can’t believe there were so many new exhibits. Like—” She paused to bite into her sandwich. After swallowing, she continued, “—I know it’s been a long time since I last visited, but just…wow!”

Gallus simply nodded, opting to finish off his burger.

After a stretch of silence, filled only with the ambient sounds of the other diners, Silver remarked, “You know? I think I finally get why Princess Twilight liked this place so much.”

“Because the fries are godly?” Gallus guessed, eating some more of the aforementioned item.

“Well, that. And…?” She trailed off, trying to find the right words to express herself. “It’s nice.”

“Oh yeah. This actually used to be my ‘weekend treat’ spot,” he divulged, eating the last of his meal. “If I had the Bits, I’d stop here on the weekend and grab a bite. Nothing special, but it was better than everything Griffonstone had to offer.”

Silverstream bit down to keep herself from offering to pay for the meal again. After succeeding at that, she added, “Yeah, that’s it! Twilight loved this place for that.”

“That it was better than Griffonstone? I hate to break it to you, Silver, but that’s not exactly a hard thing to do.”

“No, not that. I think she enjoyed this place because it wasn’t anything special.” Silver blinked and shyly elaborated, “Don’t get me wrong, the food here is amazing! But… It’s simple.” She gestured around herself and acknowledged, “It’s nowhere near as formal as other places.”

“Yeah, I can understand that,” Gallus agreed, sipping at his drink while thinking. “Given all the attention she gets for being a princess, I bet she was ecstatic to have some places she could go where nopony would really care.”

“Oh yeah,” she groaned, rubbing her neck awkwardly. “I can definitely sympathize with that.”

“Considering you’re a princess too, that’s a given.”

“How many times do I have to tell you Skystar is the princess?”

“I don’t know. But every time you do, I’ll just say you’re a princess to me.”

Silver blushed, grinning as she said, “Thank you. But? While I may not be a princess, I’m not exactly a stranger to overly extravagant events.”

“The ‘Glad To Be A Hippogriff Festival’?” he speculated. “You did say your brother hated that thing.”

“That’s because of Terramar’s whole ‘hippogriff-or-seapony’ issue,” she explained, finishing off her sandwich. “Thankfully, he got that sorted out. As for me? Nope. I’m as proud to be a hippogriff as I am to be a seapony,” Silver avowed. “…But the Royal Balls? Those are a different story.”

“Ooh! Do tell,” Gallus encouraged, wiping off his beak with a napkin.

“Not much to tell, actually,” she said, shrugging as she distractedly stirred her drink. “The ones I attended happened before the Storm King attacked, so I was pretty young. My memories are mostly of me and Starry making a mess of everything,” Silverstream reminisced. “Trust me, the last thing you ever want a kid to deal with is sheer, absolute boredom.”

“That’s just common sense. Any notable boredom-alleviating attempts I should know of?”

“Well? Auntie Novo did say we once set fire to the Harmonizing Heights. But I’m, like, thirty-three percent sure she was exaggerating,” she confessed nonchalantly.

“Only thirty-three!?”

“You’d be amazed at the kind of chaos Skystar can unleash if she’s bored enough,” Silver warned ominously. “She’s done things crazy enough to make Discord blush.”

“…I find myself suddenly wishing to meet your cousin,” Gallus admitted bluntly.

“U-Uh, let’s try t-to save that for the future,” she worriedly stammered, trying to look anywhere but at Gallus. “If you want to meet her, you’ll have to go to Seaquestria, and… Well…?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not exactly eager to be turned into a catfish anytime soon.”

Silver blinked and tittered faintly. “Really, Gallus? A catfish? Really?”

“Hey, Spike got turned into a pufferfish, and he was a dragon! What do you expect a griffon like me to be turned into, a manta ray?”

“Oh please, you wouldn’t turn into that, you’d be a…” She suddenly paused and hummed. “Actually, you know what? I’ll get to back you on that.”

“Please do,” Gallus pleaded. “No offense, but if you ever ask me to visit Seaquestria, I don’t want to be turned into a catfish.”

“Oh? And what would you want to be turned into then?”

“A Ghost Leviathan, duh.”

Silverstream simply snickered.

Her giggles brought a smile to his beak, but soon Gallus hummed in thought. “…Did you want to do that?” he slowly inquired, tilting his head curiously.

“Hmm? Do what?”

“Visit your home together,” Gallus clarified, making her freeze up in alarm. “I mean, I know I sound a little hypocritical since I didn’t want you visiting my old home, but…?”

“W-Well, that I understand completely,” she stated, drinking the last of her soda pop as she worked to steady her heartbeat.

“Thank you. But still? I like to think Mount Aris and Seaquestria are both infinitely better places than Griffonstone. Plus, you did say your parents wanted to know more about me,” he hesitantly finished.

“You want to meet my parents?”

“Yeah. They’re your family after all. The least I can do is try to get to know ‘em, right?”

Silverstream was silent for a full minute until she finally whispered, “Gallus? That’s really sweet of you, but could we please not talk about this?”

“Uh, s-sure!” Gallus said, startled. “No worries, sorry.”

“Don’t— Don’t apologize,” she implored, running a talon through her mane. “You didn’t say anything wrong; in fact, I would absolutely love for all of you to get to know each other too,” Silver said, causing him to breath a quiet sigh of relief. “I-I’m just not ready for that discussion. So, can we please just enjoy our date today? And talk about Mom and Dad some other time?”

“Of course,” he answered, placing his talon over hers comfortingly. “Are you okay?”

“Mhmm. I’m okay, Gallus,” she said, feeling significantly allayed. “Don’t worry.”

“Alright…”

An awkward silence fell across the table as they both attempted to figure out what to say next. In the end, Silver succeeded, asking, “Are, uh, are you ready to leave?”

“I am if you are.”

“I am indeed.”

“Gotcha! Let me clean this up, and we’ll head out,” he said, gathering up their collective trash and dumping it. Once Gallus returned, he offered her a talon which she gleefully accepted. “Shall we?”

“Yes, let’s!”

A slight chill lingered in the air as they leisurely proceeded through the park, but it was easily combated by their matching scarves, courtesy of Yona. Of course, Silverstream wasn’t exactly going to let the opportunity pass her by, so she soon put a wing around Gallus and drew him closer.

Gallus immediately returned the gesture, smiling as he guessed, “Cold?”

“Eh, could be worse,” she replied, thinking back to the blizzard she and Smolder had braved. “But a little more warmth is always appreciated.”

“As is the snuggling, I assume?”

Silver merely giggled blissfully. “Yep! Smolder isn’t the only one who appreciates some extra cuddle time, you know.”

“Wait! Smolder likes cuddling!?”

“You didn’t hear that from me,” she said, whistling innocently.

“W-What!?” Gallus yelped, succumbing to a round of raucous laughter. “Oh, I am going to tease her so much after today!”

“And I’m certain she’ll tease you right back about taking me bowling.”

“True, but you wanted me to take you bowling.”

“She’s still gonna tease you anyway,” Silver countered smartly.

“Yeah, she probably will,” Gallus acknowledged, hanging his head in defeat. “Let’s just hope she doesn’t rat me out to Shimmy Shake. Otherwise, she’ll tell the whole school, and I’ll be forever known as the griffon who took his girlfriend bowling for their second date.”

“But you are the griffon who took his girlfriend bowling for their second date.”

“I know, but I don’t want the whole school knowing about it,” he complained, combing his headcrest. “I got a reputation to uphold.”

“Uh-huh. And what reputation is that, pray tell?”

“‘Gallus, the cool and mysterious griffon from a distant land!’” Gallus recited theatrically. “‘Gaze and behold as he saves Equestria three times over, stars in every play he participates in, and aces every last quiz his teachers shove under his beak, even Professor Applejack’s!’” he boasted, raising his head proudly. “‘Truly! He is the coolest!’”

“Except for the fact he only helped save Equestria twice,” she pointed out.

“…Why do you gotta ruin my bragging like that, Silver?” Gallus whined, eliciting another giggle from the hippogriff.

The pair spent another half hour enjoying their relaxing stroll through the park, simply enjoying each other’s company. Unfortunately, after having trotted along the same path thrice, they both decided to leave the park and proceed to the next activity…

Preparing for the restaurant.

“Okay, now remember,” Gallus began as the Carousel Boutique slowly came into view. “The reservation isn’t until six, but we meet up at the school at five-thirty.”

“I remember,” Silverstream reassured, silently waving to the dragon and yak waiting by the Boutique’s doors. “And I certainly won’t be late.”

“Neither will I,” he promised as they finally reached their destination. “Hey, Smolder. Hey, Yona. How are you doing?”

“Fine and dandy,” Smolder answered on both of their behalf.

“Any problems?”

“Friends not need to worry about that right now,” Yona rebuked sternly. “Friends should focus on having good time today. And is Yona correct in suspecting friends are having good time?”

“We’re having a fantastic time!” Silverstream rejoiced.

“Good to hear,” Smolder said, smirking neutrally. “By the way? Yona left your suit with Sandbar back at the school. Didn’t want to risk Silver being spoiled or something.”

“Thank you,” Gallus said, giving the yak a grateful smile.

“Yona not need thanks; Yona just glad Yona thought of that before friends returned.”

“I am too, not gonna lie,” Silver mumbled. After a moment of mutual silence, she coughed and asked, “If you two don’t mind, could Gallus and I say goodbye real quick?”

Smolder and Yona shared a knowing grin, and the latter swiftly trotted back into Rarity’s abode, cooing, “Absolutely! Come on, Smolder.”

“I’m coming; I’m coming,” she chuckled, following after the yak. “You two take all the time you need.”

“Thank you, Smolder,” Gallus deadpanned as she closed the door behind her. He then sighed in exasperation and moaned, “We are so doomed after tonight.”

“Oh, who cares? Spending time together is totally worth it!” Silver sang.

“Yeah. Yeah, it is,” he agreed, nodding happily. “Now, are you going to be okay?”

“Of course. I can handle a bit of friendly teasing,” she swore. “How about you?”

“I’ll be fine too.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” She then timidly pawed at the ground before adding, “I’ve had a wonderful time so far, Gallus. Thank you.”

“Nah, you don’t need to thank me. At least, not until after we’ve finished the date. Then you can give me all the thanks in the world for being such an amazing boyfriend,” Gallus proclaimed blithely.

“And you can give me all the thanks in the world for being such a patient girlfriend,” she fired back, cocking an eyebrow.

“‘Tis only fair, milady,” he replied, bowing melodramatically.

“Meh, just a little bit. Just— Just a teeny, little bit,” Silver concurred, grinning.

After sharing a small laugh, Gallus sighed and said, “I really did have a good time, Silver.”

“I did too!” she shouted, hopping joyously. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s like everything just seems…better! When I experience it with you!”

“I feel the same way,” he said, giving her a light nuzzle.

“Hee-hee-hee!” Silverstream tittered, nuzzling him back. “Ooh, I can’t wait until tonight!”

“Neither can I. Honestly, I’m half-regretting not scheduling the reservation for an earlier time.”

“Nope! Nope! Nope, I am very much glad for the extra prep time,” she said, brushing her mane out of her eye. “Even if the extra time spent having dinner with you would have been nice too.”

“Well, obviously! I’m well-known for being an excellent dinner conversationalist.”

“We’ll see, sweetie. We’ll see.”

“I guess we will,” he agreed, blushing.

“Five-thirty?” Silver asked one last time.

“Five-thirty.”

“Right. And you have your suit ready to go?”

“I do. You have your dress?”

“Oh yeah!”

“I bet you look really beautiful in it,” Gallus commented, giving her a loving smile.

“I do; I really, really do!” she rejoiced, already eagerly anticipating his reaction to it. “I bet you look super handsome in your suit too.”

“Indeed I do. As for how handsome? You’ll just have to wait and find out,” he teased.

“Yet another reason I can’t wait!”

“Same.” Gallus then looked up at something behind her and snorted. “I better start heading off; Yona and Smolder are grinning at us.”

“I’m sure they are. And I’m also sure Sandbar and Ocellus are waiting for you too.”

“Probably. I’ll see you tonight.”

“See you tonight. But…? Before you go?” Silverstream leaned in, giving him another kiss to his cheek. “Hee-hee! I wanted to give you that.”

“Another kiss?” he asked, blushing even more. “Why, Silver, that’s so kind of you! Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. Besides, I like kissing you,” she confided sweetly.

Gallus gave her another kiss as well, murmuring, “I like kissing you too. Now, I really do need to start getting ready…”

“I do too,” she grumbled, disappointed. “You go have fun.”

“I’ll have more fun when I’m back with you.”

“Likewise.”

He smiled and said, “See you later, Silverstream.”

“See you later, Gallus,” she replied, waving as he departed back toward the School of Friendship, a noticeable bounce in his step.

Silver then turned around and entered the Boutique, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. Oh! My! Gosh! That was so much fun! she thought, giggling rapturously as Smolder and Yona both approached her.

“Silverstream seem happy,” the latter acknowledged. “Yona glad friend having fun.”

“It has been wonderful so far!” Silver celebrated. “Thank you so much for helping us today. … But seriously, h-has Scoop, or Discord, or—”

“Hey! No! Don’t think about that, Silverstream,” Smolder ordered. “That drama can wait until later. For now, the important thing is if you and Gallus are having fun? And I take it you are?”

“Yes!”

“Good to hear.” She hesitated for a moment before asking, “On that note? How is Gallus doing? He acing the date, or—”

“Oh no! Don’t you go there either,” Silver warned coolly. “We can gossip all day tomorrow, but for tonight, I have a dinner I need to get ready for.”

“Dang it,” she whispered, crossing her claws in mock-indignation.

“Yona told Smolder,” she said smugly. “But friend not listen.”

“Hush up, Yona.”

“Hee-hee-hee. Now!” Yona resumed in a decidedly professional tone. “Does Silverstream wish to wait and relax for some time, or does friend want Yona and Smolder to help her freshen up now?”

“Give me ten minutes, and I’ll be good to go.”

“Understood.”

***

“Goodness gracious, Silver,” Smolder angrily groaned. “Why is your mane so humongous?”

“Because I like it that way,” Silver explained, flinching when she felt Smolder tug at it. “Ow! And for the record, I told you girls I didn’t mind keeping my mane un-braided.”

Smolder and Yona both gave her equally disgusted frowns.

“What?”

“Silver? Honey?” Yona calmly began despite her pained grin. “Free-flowing mane not go with friend’s dress. Professor Rarity would say similar.”

“I know I would look better with my mane braided, but if it’s giving you two trouble, you can leave it alone. I doubt Gallus would care.” I certainly don’t; I look beautiful either way!

“That’s not the point, Silver,” Smolder bemoaned, fiddling with another strand of her mane. “We are not gonna let you settle for ‘okay’ when we can help make you look your very best.”

“Yona agree,” she said, taking out her makeup kit.

“Okay, okay,” Silverstream conceded, unable to hide her smile. “Thank you again, girls.”

“You’re welcome. Now hold still, I think I’ve almost got it… Annnd, there we go! All done.”

Finally, she thought, relieved.

“Let Yona see,” she said, looking over Smolder’s shoulder. Yona then nodded approvingly and confirmed, “Braid indeed finished. Good job, Smolder.”

“Thanks. I’m just glad you mentioned something; I’d hate to see you handle her mess of a mane without these bad boys,” Smolder teased, brandishing her claws proudly.

“Oh, shut up and let me see!” Silver barked, turning to regard herself in the mirror. Whoa. Okay, I take back what I said before; I look way better now, she admired. “Wow!”

“Told ya.”

“So, does Silverstream like mane?”

“I love it, girls! Thank you! Sorry for all of my whining,” she apologized sheepishly.

“Pfft, forget about it,” Smolder brushed aside. “I’m not exactly the gentlest of creatures. … Not gonna lie though: I’m glad I don’t have a mane. Dealing with one every day sounds like a nightmare.”

“Try being yak,” Yona retorted, flourishing her own braids. “Yona need to re-braid mane every morning so Yona not trip every five seconds.”

“Yikes! Sorry, Yona.”

“No apology necessary. Yona love working on mane, so Yona not mind too much.”

“Regardless, if you ever need some help, just ask. I’d be happy to lend a claw. Literally.”

“We both would,” Silverstream enthusiastically concurred.

“Hee-hee, thank you,” Yona said cheerfully. “But Yona think friends should focus on readying Silverstream for dinner right now.”

“Fair enough. But you better come and ask us for help after tonight,” Smolder firmly insisted.

“Friend not need to worry, Yona will,” she promised, sorting through her hoof polish. “Now! With friend’s mane done, Yona think it time for talons. Does Silver have any preferences?”

“Uhhh? Oh boy,” she moaned, tapping her talon nervously. “Preferences, preferences…? Um? No, not really,” Silver answered unabashedly. “I love every color.”

“Gee, that really narrows it down,” Smolder sneered as she trotted up to Yona’s side.

“Oh, hush.”

“Whatever. Alright, let me see what we got here,” she muttered, taking a look at the available options. “Okay, we definitely don’t want those; they clash with the dress. How about seafoam green?”

“Great color for Silverstream, but Yona think friends should find something better. What Smolder think of crimson?”

“Eh, it’s a little too generic,” Smolder denounced, frowning. “But I suppose it’ll work if we don’t find anything else. Do think any of the blues would be good?”

“For dinner at fancy pony restaurant?”

“Indigo could work, couldn’t it? Or what about turquoise?”

“Hmm?” Yona looked Silver over before shaking her head. “Turquoise could work, but indigo not good color for her.”

“Excuse you, Yona, I’d look stellar in any color!”

“That might be what Gallus thinks, but Yona and I luckily know better.”

You suck, Smolder, Silverstream jokingly grumbled to herself.

“Anyway,” Yona continued on. “What Smolder think of purples?”

“Well, the shade of lavender you’ve got is way too close to Silver’s coat color,” she criticized. “And I’m not sure about the magenta. Ooh! Lush orchid! Score! What do you think, Yona?”

Yona held the colored bottle up to Silver, humming thoughtfully. She then grinned and announced, “Yona think this good. What Silverstream think?”

Silver took the bottle and compared to both her claws and dress. “I think…? It’s perfect.”

“Silver certain now?” Yona asked, taking the polish back from her.

“Positive.”

“Alright then. Let Yona just uncork this and—”

Before she could finish, a loud knocking echoed through the Boutique. All three of them turned to the front doors, spotting a silhouette behind the drawn shades. After a minute, they knocked again.

“Do they not see the ‘Closed’ sign?” Silver inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Eh, just ignore ‘em,” Smolder advised. “I’m sure they’ll go away in a minute or two.”

As soon as she said that, the door shook with another urgent knocking.

“Or they’ll just keep knocking ‘cause they’re too dumb to read a sign,” she said, face-clawing.

“That’s not Professor Rarity, is it?” Silverstream asked nervously.

“Nah, we got her locked up in Professor Applejack’s barn.”

“Oh. Wait, what?”

“Friends not worry,” Yona interjected, placing the polish aside. “Yona will go tell creature Boutique closed. Yona sure they’ll understand.”

I certainly hope so, Silver thought, befuddled. As mean as it sounds, I really want to finish getting ready. Maybe they just wanted to ask Professor Rarity about an order or something?

After opening the door, Yona began saying, “Yona sorry, but Carousel Boutique is—” She then stopped mid-sentence upon discovering just who it was standing in the doorway.

“Let me guess: Closed?”

Silverstream froze, only vaguely remembering that voice. It… It can’t be…?

Grandpa Gruff then nudged open the door a little more and focused his good eye on the stunned hippogriff standing inside. “And for good reason, Ah see!”

“W-Wait a minute,” Smolder began, exchanging a quick look with Silver. “Isn’t that…?”

Silver’s shocked expression morphed into a grimace as she coldly proclaimed, “Mr. Gruff, I presume?” So? Now you show up, huh?

“Indeed Ah am,” he confirmed, striding past the shell-shocked Yona and into the Boutique. “And am Ah right in presumin’ you’re the girly Gallus fancies? Silverstream?”

“I am.”

“Good. Ah’ve been meanin’ to talk to you all week. But, uh?” He chuckled drolly. “Gilda ain’t exactly the easiest griffon to escape from. Oh, here’s this by the way,” Gruff said, pulling one of Sandbar’s radios from under his wing and tossing it onto a nearby chair. “That changelin’ friend of yours needs to work on ‘er stealth.”

“Ocellus!? What did you do to her!?” Smolder growled, stepping between him and Silver.

“What do you think Ah did? Ah talked to her,” Gruff answered plainly. “Gave her quite the fright though; she’s a shy one. And a smart one too,” he complimented. “She almost caught me in that spell of hers. Too bad Ah saw it comin’ a mile away.”

“Yeah, well? Spell or no spell, you’re not welcome here!” Smolder declared, cracking her knuckles as Yona trotted up to her side. “Now get out before I throw you out.”

“Ordinarily, Ah’d love to see you try, but Ah ain’t here to start anythin’ today,” Gruff clarified truthfully. “Ah’m just here to get to know a certain somegriff more.”

“Tough! Get your wrinkly, old rear out of here! NOW!”

“Hmph! Well, you’re a friendly bunch,” he jibed, stifling a wheezing cough.

Before Smolder had a chance to react to that, Silver bluntly asked, “Why are you here?”

“Simple. Gallus sent me a letter, sayin’ he was finally goin’ on a date with his girlfriend soon,” he explained. “So Ah thought Ah’d stop by. You know? To meet the girl he’s fallen for…”

And not to spend time with him? “Actually, our date is today.”

“Today!?” Gruff echoed, eyes widening. He then looked away uncomfortably, mumbling, “Whoops. That certainly explains the other girl’s panic at least.”

“Yes, and friends helping Silverstream get ready,” Yona stated, instinctively lowering her horns at him. “So Yona would appreciate if Mr. Gruff leave before he upset friends further.”

“Ah already said Ah ain’t here to upset anyone.”

“Too late for that!” Smolder snapped as smoke billowed from her nostrils yet again.

“Mah apologies then. But Ah really would like to talk to you if Ah could,” he said, returning his gaze to Silverstream. “Ah’m sure you can spare five minutes?”

You’re not leaving until you get your way, are you? Silver wondered, narrowing her eyes angrily.

As if hearing her thoughts, Gruff shook his head slightly, communicating, No, Ah ain’t.

Fine then. If that’s the game you want to play… “You can go, girls. I’ve got this.”

“Wait, what?” Smolder blurted out, staring at Silver as if she had gone insane. “Silver, you don’t have to talk to this mother—” She coughed and course-corrected, “This idiot!”

“I know. But I want to.” It’s about time I had a “chat” with him anyway.

Though not nearly convinced, Smolder took a deep breath and relented, “Alright then. But if he starts upsetting you, you call for us. We’ll get rid of him,” she threatened, clenching her claws.

Gruff snorted.

Smolder bared her fangs, but Yona gently nudged her forward, murmuring, “Come on, Smolder. Let’s go.” She then looked back at Silver and asked, “Will Silverstream be alright?”

“Yep,” she said, never taking her eyes off the elderly griffon. “Promise.”

Yona and Smolder then reluctantly disappeared into the back room, leaving Silverstream and Grandpa Gruff alone to glare daggers at each other.

Slowly, Gruff moved closer to where she stood, looking her over as a chef would a meal. It made Silver feel decidedly uncomfortable, but she refused to let it show.

“So,” he finally began, stopping and staring her directly in the eye. “You’re the infamous Silverstream, eh? Hmm. That photo Gallus carries around don’t do you justice.”

Silverstream blinked and uncertainly murmured, “Thank you?”

“Don’t mention it. Anywho, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Gruff said, extending a talon.

Silverstream stared at the offered claw for a moment before hesitantly shaking it. “Nice to meet you too,” she politely professed.

“Gallus has told me good things about you.”

“Oh? Like what?”

“That you’re sweet, talented; artistic…” he listed off. “You know? That sorta thing.”

Aww, he said that? Silver contemplated, smiling blissfully. “That was very nice of him,” she said, feeling her joy diminish somewhat upon returning her attention to Gruff.

“Yeah, it was. The boy really knows how to pick his friends.”

“What can I say? We love him; we care about him… We’re there for him.”

Gruff grinned. “Huh. Gallus never mentioned you had some sass too.”

Silver winced somewhat, reminding herself, Gallus and Gruff made up, Silver, so don’t pick a fight. That isn’t the right thing to do.

“Ah suppose Ah can’t blame you for bein’ annoyed though,” Gruff resumed before she could say anything. “What with me poppin’ up outta nowhere and all.”

If you were going to show up, it should be to Gallus, she desperately wanted to say. “It is certainly odd.” And more than a little uncomfortable.

“Yeah, sorry again for that,” he apologized; although, Silver doubted he meant it. “But you understand, Ah’m sure. Wouldn’t want that boy’s heart gettin’ crushed, would we?”

“And just what do you mean by that!?” Silver asked, outraged.

“Exactly what Ah said. Ah don’t want him gettin’ hurt, so Ah want to make sure he won’t be.”

“So…what? You think I would hurt him?”

Gruff’s expression was entirely unreadable.

Silver breathed slowly, trying to calm her building anger down. “Fine. Feel free to ask whatever you want then. But before you do?” she preemptively interrupted. “Mind if I ask you something first?”

“It’s only fair, Ah suppose.”

Darn right, it’s fair! “Why are you here? And not with Gallus?”

“That’s a… That’s a good question, missy,” Gruff commended, somewhat caught off-guard. “See, Ah’m not that boy’s father.”

“But you are his guardian,” Silver argued bluntly.

“Which means Ah’m responsible for him, yes. But Ah’m his guardian, not his dad.”

“He wishes you would be. You know that, right?”

“…Ah do,” he confessed, anxiously adjusting his fez.

And yet, you still won’t— Silverstream shut down that thought and said, “I know you two don’t exactly have the greatest relationship…”

“That’s puttin’ it mildly.”

“Maybe. But I also know you and Gallus made up,” she decreed, a tinge of hope returning to her voice. “Didn’t you?”

“That we did,” he attested, allowing a faint grin to grace his face for all of a second.

Phew. “Glad to hear it. But if that’s the case, why are you talking to me?” Silver reiterated, tilting her head in confusion. “Wouldn’t you rather be spending time with Gallus?”

Gruff was silent for a minute, but he soon elaborated, “Look, Ah ain’t his dad. And Ah won’t ever pretend to be. Ah won’t deny Ah care about him, but Gallus ain’t mah kid.”

Silver tried not to let her disappointment show but failed miserably. “Yeah… I guess he isn’t.”

“No, he isn’t,” Gruff echoed somberly. “Gallus don’t need mah approval, and he certainly don’t need mah advice. Ah mean, look at me! Do Ah look Ah can give good advice?”

Silver grinned and joked, “You can regarding hat choices.”

Gruff laughed heartily. “Okay, Ah’ll give ya that. But hey! Everycreature oughta know you can’t go wrong with a fez.”

“I know. I’ve been meaning to buy myself one, but I can never find one I like,” she lamented.

“You could always get that yak friend of yours to make ya one,” he suggested, shrugging. “Ah reckon she’d enjoy tryin’ her hoof at it.”

“Heh-heh. Thanks. Maybe I will.”

…

“Ah’m guessin’ you’re not happy with mah answer?” Gruff soon continued.

“No. No, I’m not,” Silverstream said, frowning sternly. “Gallus wanted you to be there for him, but all you did was ignore him! I know you two are trying to work things out now, but…?”

“Eh, it’s fine. Ah wasn’t exactly winnin’ any awards with how Ah treated him,” Gruff admitted, shaking a cramp out of his wing. “You can hate me all you want; Ah get it.”

“I don’t hate you!” she protested, repulsed by the notion. “I mean? I don’t like that you never visited Gallus when he asked you to.” Silver paused before smiling slightly, saying, “But? You’re here now. You’re at least trying to be there for him more.”

“Even if Ah am a few years too late,” he quietly groused.

“Well, better late than never,” she cheered. “That’s what I think anyway.”

“Really?” Gruff scoffed. “Ya honestly believe that?”

“Meh, depends on the context. But regarding you? … Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

Grandpa Gruff looked genuinely shocked by that statement, instinctively taking a step back. “Heh-heh,” he laughed shortly. “Gallus wasn’t kiddin’ when he said you were kind.”

Silver looked away, unable to hide her faint blush.

“In any case, Ah reckon Ah’ll just ask mah question and get out of your mane.”

“Thank you. As ‘interesting’ as it is talking to you? I really would like to finish getting ready,” she said sheepishly. “So, uh? Go ahead and ask whatever you want. I have nothing to hide.”

“Okay then.?” Gruff hesitated only a second longer before finally asking, “Why do you love Gallus?”

“What?” Silver muttered, freezing as her mind struggled to process his inquiry. “I’m sorry, what?” she repeated, torn between annoyance and confusion.

“Ah asked why you love Gallus. You know, what drew you to him? What you like most about him? Nothing more to it than that,” he ended nonchalantly.

“Oh.” I totally thought that was a trick question. Guess not. “Well, that’s easy! Gallus is sweet.”

“‘Sweet’? That it?”

“Uh, well?” Silver squirmed self-consciously. “He’s also charming, has a fantastic sense of humor, and have you ever been hugged by him?” she asked, sighing merrily. “Oh, his hugs are just the best!”

“You love him ‘cause he’s witty, charming, and hugs you a lot, huh?”

“W-Well? Yes?” She flinched back fearfully upon seeing how furious that answer seemed to make him. “I mean, I love Gallus for who he is,” Silver clarified. “And he’s witty, charming, and hugs me a lot. And I love that about him.”

Gruff’s glare lessened somewhat as he hummed pensively. “So you love Gallus for who he is?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Mm. That’s rather wise of you,” he praised cordially. “But Ah do wonder…? Does that mean you love his flaws too?”

“‘Flaws’?” Does he mean what I think he does? “What ‘flaws’ are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what Ah’m talkin’ about,” Gruff deadpanned, trotting toward Yona’s makeup kit and looking at its contents rather than her. “How he bottles up his feelin’s? How he’s almost as stubborn as Ah am? His need for mah validation?” he snarled grimly.

“Gallus doesn’t bottle up his feelings!”

“Anymore,” he emphasized without turning around. “But he used to. Right?”

“I— You— That’s not—” Silver fell silent, hanging her head ashamedly as she admitted, “You’re not…wrong. But Gallus has worked hard to get over that problem! And he has gotten over it!”

“For now, yeah. But issues like that?” Gruff clicked his beak. “They don’t go away forever, you know? No matter how many times you learn not to do it; sometimes, you just can’t help but stagnate.”

“That may be what you believe, but I have faith in Gallus!” she declared with renewed vigor. “And I believe he won’t ever hide his feelings again.” Not like he did before.

“Why do you think that? ‘Cause he promised you he wouldn’t?”

“He did, but that’s not the point,” she retorted, stomping her talon down. “The point is I trust him. And I refuse to be paranoid he’d do something like that again.”

“But you were paranoid once,” Gruff accused, finally returning his full attention to her.

For a full minute, Silver stood there in a petrified stupor. H-How did he…? No. Oh no, he didn’t! “Wh-What makes you say that?”

“You’re a clever hippogriff.”

He did. “Gallus?”

“What can I say?” Gruff shrugged. “He really loves talking about you.”

“That was one thing I wish he hadn’t talked about,” she bemoaned, flicking her tail nervously.

“Oh, Ah’m glad he did,” he murmured strangely. Gruff then smirked and boasted, “But don’t get so bent outta shape about it. If Ah were you, Ah’d be happy he’s so willin’ to talk about that. Means he appreciates you in spite of your flaws too.”

Silverstream’s mind flashed back to the day after their play. How, after confessing to him how paranoid she had been, all Gallus had done was reassure her it was okay. Just as he had during the Smolder fiasco.

He doesn’t even need to be here, and he’s still out-sweeting me, she laughed, feeling a euphoric warmth spread through her chest. And Gruff wonders why I love him.

“Of course,” the elderly griffon continued, snapping her out of her daydreaming. “It’s not like you were wrong to be paranoid. From what Ah hear, he was far worse off quite a ways back.”

“Y-Yeah. It— It was pretty bad,” Silver remembered, her mood souring again. “Luckily, Gallus is a lot better now!” she exulted optimistically. “I really do trust he’ll never be like that again.”

“And if he is?”

“Then I’ll just help him through it again,” she readily vowed.

“Like ya did on your first date?”

Something in his tone sent a shiver down her spine, but Silver ignored it, answering, “Yes.”

“Huh. Well? Can’t fault ya for wantin’ to make him happy.”

There’s a “But” coming, isn’t there? Silver predicted.

Sure enough, Gruff coughed and bluntly stated, “But Ah can fault ya for doin’ it at the expense of yourself.”

Wait… What? Silverstream thought, completely dumbstruck. Massaging her forehead, she slowly said, “I’m a little confused. What exactly do you mean by that?”

“You tell me. You’re the one who ran yourself ragged, frettin’ over whether he was happy or not,” he remarked, cocking an eyebrow.

Oh. So that’s what this is about. “Look, I was paranoid for a while; I won’t deny that,” she confessed, ashamed. “But I’m not like that anymore either. Gallus and I are happy; our friends are happy; and everything is back to normal again!” she celebrated, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, for now. But how long will that last, Ah wonder?”

“Hopefully forever.”

“Oh? And how do you think that’s gonna happen?” Gruff inquired, lightly rapping his talons on the floor. “Life ain’t simple, kiddo; there’s always gonna be another bad day just as there’s always gonna be another good one. What’ll you do when the bad ones come?”

“You mean…? What will I do if Gallus gets upset again?” Silver asked, raising a talon to her chest defensively.

“Gallus, that dragon pal of yours; anycreature you call a friend, really,” he clarified.

“W-Well, I’d help them out then too.”

“Ohhh, Ah can already tell you and Gabby would get along,” Gruff sneered, noticeably frustrated by her answer. “Silverstream? Kiddo? Are you still paranoid?”

“What!? No! I already told you I’m not!”

“You can believe you’re doin’ one thing when you’re really doin’ somethin’ else, ya know,” he countered. “Ah know that from experience.”

“Your point being?”

“Kiddo, how far would you be willin’ to go to make sure Gallus ain’t ever sad again?”

“Wh-What kind of question is that!?” she demanded angrily. “Are you saying I shouldn’t try to help Gallus when he’s upset!?”

“Not if you end up hurtin’ yourself again in the process.”

Silverstream went dead silent for a moment, but soon, she scowled and swore, “I will always be there for Gallus. And if he ever needs help, I will never hesitate to do everything I can to help him.”

“And you think that’s noble, do you?” Gruff questioned, slowly circling her.

“Gallus is my friend!” Silver hollered, turning around to keep him in her sights. “If he’s upset then I’m going to help him however I can!”

“Even at the cost of your own happiness?”

“I already told you I’m not paranoid anymore!”

“And Ah already told you! You were afraid once,” he stated, glaring at her suspiciously. “What’s stoppin’ ya from bein’ afraid again?”

“The fact I trust Gallus!”

“How exactly is trustin’ he won’t break down again gonna stop ya from worryin’ your head off if he ever does?” he countered.

“I-I— You—” Silver stuttered, having no answer for that. She then shook her head and claimed, “That doesn’t matter because I’m not afraid now.”

“Ah can see that,” Gruff acknowledged casually. “You genuinely do seem happy, kiddo. But Ah can’t help but suspect that’s because things ain’t goin’ so badly for you right now.”

“Am I supposed to feel guilty for being happy?” she sneered.

“Grover’s Treasure! No!” he bellowed, shaking his head fervently. “Silverstream, you deserve to be happy just as much as Gallus does!”

“Then why are you trying to convince me I’m still paranoid?”

“‘Cause Ah’m worried for you, kiddo.” Before Silver could even try to contest that claim, Gruff added, “The last time one of your friends was upset, you were a blubberin’ mess.”

“No, I wasn’t! Sure, I was paranoid Gallus wasn’t okay, but I wasn’t ‘blubbering.’”

“Ah wasn’t talkin’ about when Gallus was upset.”

He’s talking about when Smolder was, she realized, looking down. “I-I was upset then too, yes.”

“Kiddo, you called yourself a terrible friend! Even Ah was shocked when he told me about that line.”

Ugh! Why, did you tell him these things, Gallus? “A-Admittedly, that wasn’t my best moment.”

“And what was your ‘best moment’? Spendin’ your days fearin’ somethin’ll happen to screw Gallus up again? Walkin’ on eggshells around him so you don’t accidentally upset ‘im? Always makin’ sure he’s happy before all else? Come on, kiddo, that can’t be what you want for yourself?”

Silver took a second to recollect her courage. “No. I was wrong to act like that, and I didn’t like being so afraid. But I was not wrong to worry about Gallus,” she asserted.

“Ah didn’t say ya were,” Gruff said, taking a calm step toward her. “The problem was you were hurtin’ yourself frettin’ over keepin’ him happy. Or are you gonna try to deny that too?”

“N-No. But that was so long ago! And Gallus and I are both happier now!” she proclaimed. “He— He hasn’t degraded himself in months.”

“And if he does start doin’ that again? What if, after one seriously messed up day, Gallus goes back to square one? You’d be terrified then, wouldn’t ya?” he alleged, narrowing his eyes inquiringly.

“That— That’s not true!” she yelled, nervously backing away from him. I-I’m not worried about that anymore! Besides! “G-Gallus is okay now! He wouldn’t just stop being okay because—”

“Kiddo, you’ve got a changelin’ out there, ready to teleport away whatever poor sod she thinks might intrude on your precious date. Pray tell, why’s that?”

“Because we… We…” We wanted it to be perfect, Silverstream couldn’t bring herself to answer. But no. It wasn’t just that. “Because we were afraid our date would be interrupted.”

“And why were you afraid of that?”

“You don’t have to string me along, Mr. Gruff; I get it.”

“Do you? Do you really?” he asked, his tone softening. “Silverstream? You’re his girlfriend.”

“Yes, I am,” she agreed proudly. “Your point?”

Gruff took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Where do you see yourself in forty years?” he suddenly asked. “Gallus said you were considerin’ bein’ a Wonderbolt? Or how ‘bout an artist?”

Getting really tired of these out-of-nowhere, trick questions. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“And that ain’t anythin’ to be ashamed of,” he comforted. “You’ll figure it out. Ah only ask ‘cause Ah want to know… Wherever you are, or whatever you’re doing…?” Gruff continued, stepping closer toward her. “Will he be there with you?”

“Huh?”

Ignoring her, Gruff pressed on, “‘Cause Gallus certainly wants you there with him. Now, he ain’t decided what he wants yet either, as far as Ah know. But regardless of whatever he chooses to be, that boy hopes you’ll be right there by his side. Can you say the same about him?” he pondered coldly.

“Silverstream?” Scoop’s voice replayed in her mind. “When you two get married, can I be one of your bridesmaids?”

“SCOOP!”

“What? What did I say?”

“Scoop, I’m not— We’re not— I— Could we…? Is that a possibility? … Scoop, that’s not something either of us have considered yet.”

“Not according to Shimmy Shake.”

“…Tell me what you mean right now!”

“Remember how Shimmy asked to borrow some of the letters Princess Cadence sent Gallus?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you reached the Sixty-eighth and Sixty-ninth, yet?”

And those letters were on…! Oh geez! Silver shivered in realization. That’s why Gruff came to me and not Gallus! He wanted to know about… But that…would mean… She gulped, hearing the violent drumming of her heart in her ear. Has Gallus really been considering—

“Well? You’ve been thinkin’ for a while now,” Gruff called out, once again ripping her away from her tumultuous thoughts. “What’s your answer?”

“I-I-I would c-certainly hope he’d be,” she reflexively responded.

“Really!?” he squawked, utterly shocked. “Even if it might mean you’ll spend all your days, treadin’ lightly for fear you—or someone else—would upset him?”

“That wouldn’t be the case.”

“And if it were?”

“It wouldn’t be!” she shrieked, trying to steady her breathing. “He would be okay.”

“‘He’? Not ‘We’?”

“What difference does it make!?”

“Depends on you, kiddo,” Gruff stressed, swishing his tail impatiently. “Would you seriously strap yourself to his side forever…? Just so you can make sure he’s always happy?”

“I’m his friend! Friends help each other!”

“Except this ain’t about friendship,” he refuted. “This is about a whole different kind of bond of love. So, tell me… Would you really do it?”

Silver didn’t answer.

He blinked. “E-Even if it might mean you’ll always be paranoid somethin’ll go wrong?”

Silver still didn’t answer.

Gruff scoffed, looking utterly disgusted. “No, Silverstream. That— That ain’t right.”

“But—”

“Don’t you ‘but’ me!” he shouted, spreading his wings and towering over her menacingly. After folding them back to his side, Gruff commanded, “Now you listen here, and you listen good! You will not do that to yourself; is that clear!? Ah don’t care if ya love Gallus, or not! If—for whatever reason—you find that you’re unhappy with him…? You get out,” he ordered, scowling sternly. “No questions. No regrets. You. Get. Out.”

You— You monster! “So basically…? You want me to leave him?” Silver asked, her fury temporarily blocking out everything else. “Like his parents left him!? Like you left him!?”

“Don’t you go comparing yourself to me!”

“Why!? Worried I’d make you look bad!?”

“Gallus ain’t your responsibility, Silverstream!” he roared resolutely, succumbing to a coughing fit immediately afterward.

Silence filled the Boutique as Gruff worked to catch his breath and Silver mulled over his words. Once he regained his voice, however, Gruff slowly resumed, “Kiddo? Ah know next to nothin’ about love. But if there’s one thing Ah do know about it? It’s that love ain’t some glorified reward for having wit and charm or for saving some princess,” he advised.

“I’m not a princess,” Silver protested out of habit.

“You are to him, ain’t ya?”

“Y-Yes,” she admitted, recalling her earlier conversation with Gallus.

“Exactly.” He afforded her a chance to recover before requesting, “Silverstream? Look at me.” Once she did so, he elaborated, “Love ain’t that. Love—True love!—is when creatures are at their happiest when they’re together. Now, Gallus? Ah know Gallus. And even if Ah didn’t, it’s peckin’ obvious he’s the happiest he’s ever been in a long time.”

“But you?” Gruff shook his head solemnly. “Ah don’t know you. Ah don’t know what you see in him, or why you’re so peckin’ determined to make sure he’s okay. Could be love,” he suggested, nodding. “Could be that you’re just that kind-hearted. Probably both.”

Gruff placed a surprisingly gently talon on her shoulder and rambled on, “But you see? Ah don’t know which is the case. ‘Cause Ah don’t know you. So tell me, Silverstream?” he whispered, leaning closer until all she could see was his eyes. “Do. You. Love. Gallus?”

“Yes,” Silver immediately answered. “Yes, I do.”

“…Alright. I believe you,” he said, taking a step back. “But I do want you to think about this. Think about everything you’ve ever thought or felt since you and he got together, good and bad. Joy and fear. And you figure out if you really are at your happiest when you’re with him.”

Silver laughed quietly, arguing, “I don’t need to. I already know I’m happiest when I’m with him. I know I love him,” she said, wiping away a small tear. “And Gallus loves me too.”

“That he does.”

Silverstream smiled a little at that; unfortunately, it instantly disappeared when Gruff continued.

“Still, kiddo. You need to figure these things out and figure them out soon. Otherwise, you’ll just be setting yourself up for disaster,” he warned, sounding almost sad.

“And why exactly do you think that?” she asked, genuinely curious.

After some hesitation, Gruff explained, “Silver? Ah’ve been around for a long time. Ah’ve seen plenty of creatures—griffons and otherwise—get all ‘twinkly-eyed’ for each other. And then some two decades later? They…fall apart.” He huffed angrily, whispering to himself, “And whenever that happens, it’s usually their kids that end up payin’ the price for it.”

Silver jerked back, realizing exactly who he was talking about. She then let out a terrified sigh, wondering, “And what makes you think that would apply to us?”

“Because life ain’t a fairy tail,” he answered wisely. “You don’t get to just say you love each other and live happily ever after.”

“Why not?” Silver whimpered in a cracked voice. “After everything! The Storm King, Cozy Glow; Sombra…! After all of the panicking, paranoia, and everything else…!” She wiped her eyes again, declaring, “We deserve to be happy!”

“Yes. Yes, you do. Not just Gallus. But you too, Silverstream. You deserve to be happy too.”

“And I am,” Silver said, struggling to remain calm. “I am happy with him!”

“Ah’m glad to hear that, Silver,” Gruff said, giving her pause. He then smiled softly, continuing, “If bein’ with him makes you happy? Then you go ahead and be with him. … But if you think there’s a chance—however small!—that your life’ll be nothin’ but worry and paranoia…?”

Gruff shrugged, finishing, “Ah speak for everycreature when Ah say not one single, livin’ bein’ in all of Equestria would want that for you. Least of all, Gallus.”

Silver looked away, struggling to sort through the armada of thoughts now raging in her mind. Before she could come up with any answers, however, Gruff apologized, “Ah’m sorry, Silverstream.”

“For what? Coming here and upsetting me!?” she snapped, wishing she had let Smolder throw him out. “A little late to apologize for that!”

“Bein’ late seems to be a runnin’ trend with me, Ah noticed,” he recognized, frowning awkwardly. “But Ah really don’t mean to make ya any more paranoid than you already were.”

“Also, a little late for that.”

“Yeah, well…? Ah really am sorry,” he mumbled forlornly. “Ah don’t mean to scare ya. Ah just don’t want to see Gallus get hurt again. Nor you,” Gruff said, tipping his fez to her.

“Thank you for being concerned at least,” she muttered, managing a tiny smile.

“Heh,” he snorted. “Anyway? Sorry again for intrudin’ on your dinner preparations. And, uh? Ah hope you two have a nice date. … Bye.”

And with that, Gruff abruptly exited the Boutique, leaving Silverstream to sit there in a confused stupor. She then sniffled and slid a talon down her face, wondering, Ohhh, what am I going to do?

***

Outside the Friendship School’s windows, the sun had finally begun to sink past the horizon, bathing the town of Ponyville in a majestic orange glow.

Most of the student body had long-since departed back to their dorms to either study or relax, but quite a few remained scattered about the halls, merely going about their business.

One group in particular, however, stood in the main foyer, anticipating the arrival of a certain hippogriff, dragon, and yak. And for the better part of half an hour, one of them had been pacing back and forth across the carpet, attempting to keep his growing unease at bay…

Eventually, Sandbar cracked and finally spoke up, “Uh, Gallus? You okay there, dude?”

“Yep.”

“You sure? You’ve been pacing for a while now?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You, uh, want anything, or—”

“I’m fine, Sandy!”

After receiving a skeptical look from the earth pony, Ocellus asked, “Are you sure you’re okay, Gallus? You seem really worried.”

Gallus came to a stop and rounded on them, exclaiming, “You know what? Yeah, I am worried, Ocellus! And you guys know exactly why!”

“I-I’m sure Grandpa Gruff isn’t going to actually do anything,” she assuaged.

“Yeah! Besides, Smolder and Yona are there,” Sandbar reminded them both. “So if he was going to mess with Silver, they’d have tossed him out in a heartbeat.”

“You guys don’t know Gramps,” Gallus groaned, trotting back over to them and collapsing in the adjacent chair. “The guy has a way of worming his way into everycreature’s head…”

“Sorry I didn’t stop him,” Ocellus apologized, unable to meet his gaze.

He sighed wearily, protesting, “No, no. It’s okay, Ocellus. I should have known better than to send him that letter in the first place.”

“Seriously, Gallus, don’t worry,” Sandbar pleaded. “Everything will be fine. You two love each other; there’s absolutely nothing he could say that would change that.”

“Sandbar’s not wrong,” Ocellus agreed meekly. “I don’t have to be a mind-reader to know how much you and Silver love each other,” she said, shooting him an encouraging wink.

“Doesn’t hurt that you are though, right?”

Ocellus merely pouted, much to Sandbar’s mirth.

Gallus held a talon to his chest, inhaling deeply, and extended it outward, exhaling slowly. He then smiled serenely, accepting, “Yeah, you guys are right.”

“Everything has been amazing so far!” he celebrated, holding in an elated giggle. “Gramps showing up might have been unexpected, but like Silver and I discussed? Today didn’t have to be perfect; we just had to have fun together. And we have. … I’m not letting him take that away from us,” he vowed.

“Good to hear,” Ocellus chirped, buzzing her wings happily. “Although? It would probably be best not to bring the subject up tonight.”

“Oh, peck no! That’d be a horrible—”

Before Gallus could finish talking, Sandbar’s bag gave off a loud shrill of static. He swiftly searched through it, pulling out a small radio and pressing the button. “Yona? Smolder?”

“Sandbar? That you?” came the mildly muffled voice of the dragon. “Do you read me?”

“Yeah, we read you,” he confirmed while Gallus practically petrified in his chair. “You girls okay?”

“Yep. We’re finally done and on our way; you guys good?”

“Aside from Gallus trying his best to wear holes in the school’s carpet?” Sandbar joked, shooting the irritated griffon a sly grin. “We’re good.”

“Great. We’ll be there in a few minutes. See you soon.”

“See ya,” he replied, turning the radio off. “Whelp? Looks like it’s time…”

After repeating his breathing exercise thrice more, Gallus stood up and nervously straightened his tie. “D-Do I look okay? Is my breath alright? Should I eat another mint?”

“Dude, you had three of ‘em,” Sandbar deadpanned. “And you look cool. Just relax; everything will be fine,” he soothed, giving his shoulder a reassuring pat.

Gallus nodded, chanting, “Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine…”

“Yes, it will,” Ocellus corroborated comfortingly. “Remember Kindness Lesson Forty-eight.”

“‘Have confidence in all that you do,’” they both recited. “‘Whether in the face of judgment and persecution, or acceptance and encouragement… Have confidence. Both in yourself and for yourself.’”

“Geez, it’s no wonder you guys won the Science Fair,” Sandbar said, chuckling impishly at their exasperation. “Eh, whatever. You totally deserved to win.”

“Oh, we definitely did,” Gallus affirmed, offering his talon. After bumping it, Ocellus concluded, “And we’re happy we won.”

“I’m happy you two did too. Even if I am still bummed I didn’t even get third.”

“Aww, cheer up, Sandy,” Gallus encouraged. “You’ll always have next year.”

“You know it!” Sandbar then frowned and commented, “Speaking of next year? Were you planning to take Silver there next Hearth’s Warming too?”

“Depends on what she wants to do,” he replied, sounding disappointed. “Seriously, I can’t believe we missed it! All that practice and for nothing,” Gallus grumbled, stretching out a back leg.

“I wouldn’t say it was for nothing. You and she can still do it at a different venue, you know.”

“At where, the Hay Cafe?”

“I don’t know, maybe? They have open mic night; you two could dance then,” Sandbar suggested. “You’d even be able to select whatever song you wanted.”

“True,” Gallus conceded, smiling a little.

“‘Open mic night’? ‘Dance’? What are you two talking about?” Ocellus suddenly inquired, staring at them in befuddlement.

Gallus and Sandbar both froze, remembering she was in the room.

“Wait!” she squealed, beginning to hop excitedly. “Don’t tell me!? Gallus, did you learn how to—”

Before either she could finish her question or they could come up with a suitable cover story, the doors to the school opened.

Gallus snapped to attention immediately while both Sandbar and Ocellus yelped, hurriedly racing to his side. Smolder then peeked her head through the door, spotted Gallus and smirked. She then stepped aside and theatrically announced, “I present unto you: Silverstream!”

Time froze for Gallus as Silver entered, shooting a timid glance at Smolder before looking at him and freezing as well.

A gorgeous, soft yellow dress flowed from her neck and down along her back, stopping just shy of reaching both the floor and her polished hooves and talons. Her mane was done in a braid that hung down her left side, and a faint layer of makeup highlighted her lustrous violet eyes.

Slowly, Gallus and Silver approached each other, stopping just within talon’s reach and continuing to gaze over each other in sheer wonder.

Yona then came into the school herself, joining the others as they simply sat there and happily observed their awestruck friends.

After swallowing nervously, Silverstream smiled and asked, “So…? How do I look?”

“Like an angel,” Gallus breathed, unable to tear his eyes away from her. “H-How about me?”

She smirked, answering, “Snazzy, dapper, and ten levels of suave.”

He snickered, supposing, “I probably should have seen that coming.”

“Hee-hee-hee! You look amazing, Gallus,” Silver said happily.

“Yeah!” Smolder roared, walking up and giving Gallus light jab. “You clean up great, dude. Silver’s a lucky girl, am I right?”

“I like to think I’m the lucky one,” he shot back, still smiling at Silver lovingly.

“I’d say you’re both lucky,” Sandbar weighed in casually. “After all, both of your outfits are from Yona,” he added, sneaking the yak a gentle kiss.

Yona kissed him back, swearing, “Yona happy for friends. Luck or no, Gallus and Silverstream deserve each other.”

“You also deserve to have a good night out,” Ocellus interjected after checking the clock. “If you two are ready, your reservation starts in about twenty minutes.”

“Thank you, Ocellus,” Silverstream said, managing to look away from Gallus. “Thank you, all of you! For everything…”

“We wouldn’t do anything less, Silver,” Smolder promised, winking. “Now! You two get your flanks down to that restaurant and have some fun,” she ordered, gently pushing them forward.

“We will; we will!” Gallus swore, chuckling. “Stop shoving us!”

“Get yourselves moving, and I won’t have to.”

“Heh-heh-heh.” He then held his talon up to Silver, asking, “You ready?”

A look of worry briefly flashed across her face as she stared at his talon. Almost immediately after it disappeared, Silverstream smiled and took hold of it, saying, “Yes. I am.”

Unfortunately, before anyone could do or say anything, a new, far more sinister voice rang throughout the hall, “Well, well, well… If it isn’t my two favorite lovebirds.”

Everyone slowly turned their heads to see Discord leaning against the door with Starlight Glimmer standing by his side.

“Hey, everycreature,” she greeted as if the deranged draconequus weren’t standing right next to her. “Sorry for the interruption.”

“Uhhh…” Gallus groaned, holding a wing over the trembling Silver protectively. “Hi?”

Shaking her head clear, Smolder cut to the chase, demanding, “Headmare Starlight, what is he doing here!?”

“Not to cause chaos, I assure you,” she said, giving him a steely look. “Right, Dissy-Cordy?”

Discord leaned away from her, shuddering fearfully as he exclaimed, “And risk suffering another one of your lessons!? Nooo thank you!”

“In that case, why are you here?” Gallus asked angrily.

“Simple. You see, this is my last chance for a cameo, so I figured I’d make the best of—”

“Discord!” Starlight barked, ignoring the red smoke trailing from her horn.

“Just because Pinkie Pie breaks the fourth wall on a regular basis, doesn’t mean I can’t do it myself, you know!” he argued.

“Just get to the point!”

“Okay, okay! Fine,” he pouted, returning his attention to Gallus and Silver. “Look, I wanted to apologize for that ‘Drama Club’ snafu a few chapters back,” Discord admitted, timidly tapping his paw and claw. “I had the best of intentions, but…? Starlight made it very clear that didn’t justify anything.”

“No, it didn’t,” Silverstream mumbled, terrified.

“And you thought the best time to say this was before Silver and I went to dinner?” Gallus asked, raising an eyebrow indignantly. “On our second date?”

Discord rubbed his shoulder, grinning awkwardly as he said, “Well? Like I said, this was my last chance for a cameo, and I figured…? Agh, you know what? Forget the jokes! I’m. Sorry,” he said with not a hint of sarcasm or reluctance. “I didn’t mean to upset you so much that day. Either of you,” Discord said, looking directly at Silver. “And yes, I know this is a bad time for it, but… I’m sorry.”

Gallus gaped, sharing a shocked glance with the others before turning back to Discord. He coughed uncomfortably and said, “W-Well? Thank you for your apology, Discord. I forgive you.”

Discord blinked, deadpanning, “Really?”

“Yep. Don’t get me wrong, I’d appreciate it if you never did anything like that again!” he snarled. Gallus then dropped his glare and confirmed, “But yes. I forgive you.”

“Wow. That was… That was a lot easier than I thought it would be.”

“Friendship usually is,” Starlight said, giving him a satisfied smile. “Now, are you going to show them the other part of your apology?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes, that,” Discord said, snapping his paw.

With needlessly dramatic fanfare, the front doors opened and a long red carpet rolled into the school, stopping at Gallus and Silver’s talons. Awaiting them outside was a pristine, golden carriage hooked up to bright purple mare with spirals for eyes. Said mare spotted them and eagerly waved.

Gallus hesitantly waved back, asking, “Uh…? Is that for us?”

“Well, you two can hardly be expected to walk to the restaurant!” Discord declared, smirking slyly. “For all of your planning, I’m surprised you never accounted for that, griffon-boy.”

Gallus blushed as Yona and Ocellus both hid their grins. Sandbar, meanwhile, nonchalantly acknowledged, “Huh. We totally did forget about that, didn’t we?”

“Sandbar?” Smolder groaned.

“Shut up?”

“Yes.”

“Gotcha.”

“And don’t worry,” Starlight added, giving Gallus and Silver a confident nod. “Discord made sure the ride will be as normal as possible. Correct?”

Discord sighed, falling into one of Rarity’s fainting couches as he assured, “Yes. Against my better judgment, I didn’t include any surprises.”

“You better not have,” she grumbled.

“I didn’t.” He then looked himself over, making sure he wasn’t fading away while bemoaning, “It’s maddening, but you two have had enough surprises for a lifetime.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Silver agreed weakly. After giving Gallus a small smile, she tentatively trotted up to Discord and said, “Thank you, Discord. … Sorry for locking you up in that box.”

“No, I deserved it,” he admitted, shrugging. “Although, I am deeply offended you didn’t take the opportunity to make a ‘What’s in the Box?’ joke.”

Silverstream tittered.

“Oh, by the way?” Discord said, standing back up and addressing Gallus. “Spike finally finished setting up his next campaign.”

“He did!? Yes!” Gallus cheered, pumping a talon. “Took him long enough. Edith has been getting impatient, and Silver and I can’t just keep giving her marshmallows as compensation.”

“We do need to get her a better snacking food,” Silver concurred.

“Yes, well? Don’t expect too much,” Discord warned, squinting at the set of papers he suddenly had now. “Apparently, the big bad is some weirdo named ‘Blackout Shade.’”

“Wait, seriously!?” Gallus scoffed disbelievingly. “No way that’s a character Spike came up with. That sounds like one of Lighthoof’s characters. Or better yet, Shimmy’s.”

“I can vouch for that,” Smolder piped up. “Let me guess: Red and black color scheme?”

“Dark gray and scarlet,” Discord corrected, folding the scrip into an origami swan. It then flew away into the night as he divulged, “Spike was quite specific about that.”

“Eh, whatever. It’s still gonna be fun.”

“Indeed it will, griffon-boy. Indeed it will.” Discord then clapped loudly and declared, “With all that out of the way, it’s high-time you both got to that dinner of yours!”

“I guess it is,” Gallus agreed, meeting Silver’s gaze. “You okay?”

Once again, a hint of trepidation twinkled in her eye for a split second. Silverstream then smiled and said, “I am. Are you?”

“Absolutely,” he confirmed, planting a small kiss on her cheek. Gallus then proclaimed, “Thank you again, everycreature, for all of your help.”

“It’s our pleasure, Gallus,” Ocellus said, bowing her head slightly.

“Friends happy to help,” Yona sang, grinning widely.

“You both just make sure to have a great time,” Sandbar cheered brightly.

“What they said,” Smolder laughed, nodding to the other three. “Go have fun, you two.”

“We will,” Gallus promised softly. “Are you ready, Silverstream?”

“Yes,” she replied, nodding calmly. “I am.”

“Would you two quit stalling,” Discord sneered, waving his talon impatiently. “This chapter’s already exceeded fifteen thousand words; cut the audience some slack, for goodness’ sake.”

“Uh? Sure thing,” Gallus said, rolling his eyes. “Shall we?”

“Let’s go,” Silverstream said, smiling eagerly.

Together, they trotted down the carpet and into the carriage. Upon the door closing, the purple mare blew a raspberry and dashed forward, carrying the duo onward.

“Whelp! That’s my cameo over with,” Discord yawned, stretching his back and letting loose a small series of cracks. “If you need me? I’ll be on the other half of Equestria, spying on their date where Glimmy-Glammy can’t stop me,” he announced evilly. “Toodles!”

In an uncharacteristically unceremonious flash, Discord was gone.

…

Starlight let out a disgruntled sigh and groaned, “Moving on!” She then trotted to the others, continuing, “Gather up, everycreature; I’m gonna teleport us there.”

“Hold on, Headmare,” Sandbar requested, turning to Yona. “What did Gruff say to Silver?”

Smolder and Yona shared an uncomfortable glance before the latter mumbled, “W-Well…?”

“We’ll talk about that after we get into position,” Starlight interrupted, charging up her horn. “Besides, I already have Applejack and Rainbow looking for him now.”

“Good! Because that guys needs a good kick in the beak!” Smolder grumbled furiously.

“I know. Now, hold on!”

One bright turquoise flash later, and the main hall was empty once again.

Author's Note

Poor Silverstream just can't catch a break, can she? Well, at least Gruff's trying. He's, uh, not doing very well at it, but he is trying! ... I think. :ajbemused:

Jokes aside, I loved writing this chapter! I really, really did! And, of course, the next chapter will complete this wonderful tale of woe and love. Yep, we're in the final stretch, everyone. The next chapter is the final chapter of the story. :raritycry:

Don't be sad just yet though; because after Serenity, Part Two, we have the Epilogue. And, um? About that...?

The Epilogue - as it is now - has exceeded 34k words. And I'm STILL not done with it. :rainbowderp: :pinkiecrazy:

Now, I know full-well that it'd probably be better if I just split the chapter into two like I've been doing, but since it's the Epilogue, I'm gonna make an exception. Besides? I've spent almost a year writing The Bonds of Love, and I want to end it with a BANG!

That said, I'm obviously gonna try to keep it below 40k words. But just know that I still have like 5+ major scenes that I still need write, so, uh... Yeah. I might not be able to keep that promise. :facehoof:

Ah, well. You guys don't mind reading a chapter that long, right? ... Right...? :duck:

EDIT: So, I've given it some thought, and I'm going back on what I said just above. That 30k+ chapter is going to be split into two proper chapters, and I'll be making a new epilogue for after it. Yeah, I'm not gonna ask you guys to read something that long when I could just condense it down. Sorry for the scare there.

In any case, as usual, all thoughts and criticisms are welcome and appreciated. And I thank you all for reading The Bonds of Love up to this point; I hope you've all had as much fun reading it as I've had writing it!

To be continued on February 14 - 17.

NEXT TIME: Gallus and Silverstream have a chat.

Chapter Thirteen: Serenity, Part Two

“Remind me again why I have to be here, Sister?”

“Hush up, Tia,” Luna angrily whispered. “It’s not like you had anything better to do tonight.”

Ignoring Cadence’s snickers, Celestia bewailed, “Oh, I don’t know? I could have been relaxing on the beach? Participating in that pie-eating contest? Hiking up Mount Everhoof?”

“At this hour? Sister, I had no idea you enjoyed late-night hiking.” Luna spared her a judgmental glance and acknowledged, “Especially since you certainly don’t show it.”

“Says the mare comfortable with having the flattest flanks in Equestria,” Celestia shot back.

“Ooh, she got ya there, Auntie Luna,” Cadence remarked, smirking at the blushing ex-Princess. “Seriously, you’d have all the stallions chasing after you if—”

“No thanks! That is enough! Thank you!” she interrupted, only causing their grins to widen. “Back to the topic at hoof: Are they here yet?”

Cadence returned her eyes to her binoculars, peering through the bushes the three alicorns had hidden themselves in. “Hmm? Oh! Yes! Yes, they are!” she announced maniacally.

“Ooh! Let me see, let me see!” Luna pleaded, eagerly taking the binoculars from her niece. “Now, where are…? Oh. Ohhh myyy! Cadence, look! Look at Silver’s dress!”

“Oh yeah, definitely Rarity and Yona’s work. What did you think of Gallus?”

“He looks positively dashing. Especially that bow tie.”

“I know, right? That thing looks so cute on him.”

“I trust Silverstream feels the same way,” Luna remarked with a knowing grin. “On that note, do you recognize her talon polish?”

“Uhhh? Nope, but I love that color!” Cadence praised. “Lush orchid was a great choice.”

“Speaking of choices? Can I go home now?” Celestia bluntly asked.

“No!” they both barked furiously.

“Why not? I have no interest in this, and if somepony discovers our presence—”

“They won’t if you keep your voice down.”

“Cadence, you of all ponies have a lot of nerve,” she chastised. “If anypony had spied on your dates with Shining you’d have thrown them through a window!”

“Yeah, so?”

Celestia paused, calming herself down. “Your flagrant hypocrisy aside—Would you not rather be home with your family?”

“Pfft, relax. Shiny’s taking care of Flurry. Now, do you want a peek or not?” she asked, passing her the binoculars.

“…Ugh, why not?” she groaned, rolling her eyes as she took the offered item. “You two have already dragged me out here; I might as well go all-in.”

“See, that’s the spirit, Auntie. Just have some fun.”

“If spying on two young adults going on a date is ‘fun’ to you, Cadence, then I clearly didn’t raise you right.”

Cadence stuck her tongue out at her.

“Okay, Sister, just stare ahead,” Luna advised giddily. “I think they’re still at the door.”

“Whatever you say, Lulu…” Celestia then put the binoculars to her eyes and frowned at what she saw. “Okay, why can I only see pink?” she questioned, looking back up and coming face-to-face with the eerily wide smile of Pinkamena Diane Pie. “Oh. That’s why.”

“Yep,” she said, bouncing energetically. “It’s me! Hi, Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadence!”

“H-Hello, Pinkie,” Celestia said, hurriedly thrusting the binoculars into Luna’s grasp. “How are you doing tonight?”

“I’m doing super-duper-tacular! How about you? Enjoying retirement?”

“I am indeed, yes,” she agreed while hastily stepping back.

Pinkie just closed the distance, squealing, “Cool! I bet you must be doing all kinds of awesome things, right? Relaxing on the beach? Participating in a pie-eating contest? Hiking up Mount Everhoof?” she suggested knowingly. “Spying in the bushes…?”

“N-Now, Pinkie Pie—” Cadence tried to negotiate, only to have a hoof jammed into her mouth.

“Hold that thought!” the hyperactive mare commanded. “I have a quick question for you: Did you know I keep stashes of random stuff all across Ponyville in case of certain emergencies?”

“Uh…? No?” Luna muttered, exchanging a terrified glance with her sister.

“Ooh, good! That means you didn’t know one of those stashes was booby traps! You know? For booby trap emergencies,” Pinkie giggled as her smile became decidedly more sinister.

“Oh, son of a—”

“Language!” she interrupted, grabbing a nearby branch and pulling it down with a mechanical thud. Immediately, a massive hatch in the ground released beneath the Princesses.

“AAAAAHHHHH!” all three of them screamed as they tumbled into the darkness while Pinkie Pie’s maddened laughter echoed to them from above. After a few minutes of nonsensical sliding, the trio landed in a heap within a brightly lit, crystalline corridor.

“Why couldn’t she have pulled the wrong lever?” Luna groggily asked, shaking the stars from her vision as she cautiously stood up. “Um? Tia? Cadence? Where are we?”

“Looks like the catacombs under Twilight’s school,” Celestia observed after casting a glance upward. “I have to hoof it to Pinkie Pie. She is very prepared.”

“Well, she can suck it,” Cadence wearily cursed, stumbling to her hooves. She then charged forward, screaming, “I am not missing their ki—” A loud bang echoed through the room as she fell back onto her rump, rubbing her muzzle. “Ow! What the hay!?”

On cue, Starlight Glimmer stepped out of the shadows, greeting, “Welcome! How was the ride?” she asked, raising a cup of Empathy Cocoa to the dumbfounded alicorns.

“Unquestionably unpleasant,” Luna snarled, rubbing her still-sore back.

“You’re telling us.”

Startled, the Princesses quickly turned around to find a large group Friendship School students situated behind them. All of them looked the worse for wear, and one even appeared to be petrified.

The one who had spoken up previously—a green pegasus mare with a nifty, purple bow—griped, “Well, if even the Princesses got caught, we stood no chance. That’s a bit comforting to know.”

“How so, Patty!?” Shimmy Shake screeched. “They were probably the only ones left!”

“Shouldn’t we be glad their privacy can now be properly respected?”

“Shut up, Vellum!” all of the other students roared.

The stallion in question simply scoffed but said nothing further.

“So, all of you endeavored to observe Gallus and Silverstream’s date as well?” Luna inquired.

They all nodded in sync.

“H-How long have you all been down here?” Celestia asked concernedly.

“I got caught halfway through their bowling match,” Patty pouted, resting her head in her hooves.

“I still can’t believe he actually took her bowling,” Shimmy angrily sighed.

“Yeah, like? Bowling ain’t romantic at all,” Lighthoof grumbled, disgusted. “And Shimmy and I? We know romantic,” she proclaimed, receiving a vehement nod from the other mare.

“At least we managed to see Silver geek out at that guy’s art exhibit.”

“Oh yeah! She was so adorable, and did you see Gallus when they found my sculpture!? Silver had to drag him away from it again! Oh sweet Celestia, that was priceless…”

“Ahem!” Vellum coughed, reacquiring the mares’ annoyed glares. “Firstly, hello, Princesses. Secondly, I distinctly recall Silver assuring all of you that bowling, in fact, could be romantic.”

“Vellum?” End Zone began grumpily. “Bro? Please be quiet. None of us are in the mood.”

“On that, we can agree,” Luna spoke up, turning to the group’s captor. “Greetings, Starlight Glimmer. Am I correct in suspecting you orchestrated this whole ordeal?”

“Eh, Pinkie Pie set up the trap; all I did was erect the barrier,” she acknowledged, knocking on the crackling blue sphere they were trapped within. “Next time: Don’t spy on our students.”

“I told you two this was a bad idea,” Celestia rebuked, eliciting only infuriated glares from her fellow alicorns. “I even said as much half a dozen times!”

“Big talk coming from the one who let them do it,” Starlight countered, raising an eyebrow.

“You try stopping these two from being colossal idiots!” she shot back.

“Don’t need to; I already have.”

“Oh yeah?” Cadence sneered as her horn thrummed with power. “We’ll see about that!”

She then unleashed a cascade of magic against the barrier for a full minute, accomplishing absolutely nothing. Though surprised at first, Cadence growled and slung more magic at it only to fail once more. “W-What? WHAT!?” she bellowed, whipping her tail angrily.

“Awww, did you think you could escape? How cute.”

“Oh, we will escape!” Cadence declared, pounding her hooves against the sphere. “No mere unicorn magic can resist the might of an alicorn!”

“You may be alicorns, but magic is magic. And I know magic,” Starlight bragged.

“And just what magic is this?” Luna inquired, rubbing a hoof across the shield. “It seems familiar,” she noted.

“That’s because it’s a modified version of Cozy Glow’s magic magnet,” she explained simply. “You know how her spell drew all of Equestria’s magic into one confined bubble? And how she trapped me in that bubble? This is essentially the same bubble, minus the magic-draining part.”

Starlight then smirked spitefully and added, “I figured, after everything that brat put my students through…? It was only appropriate to use her work to help ‘em have a fun time.”

“Your magical prowess never fails to impress to me, Starlight,” Celestia praised, nodding.

“Eh, I can’t take all the credit. Ocellus was a huge help in getting it set up so fast.”

“Yeah, yeah! Whatever,” Cadence groaned, taking a second to recuperate from her magical barrage. “Let us out.”

“No.”

“Let! Us! Out!”

“Why? So you can go stalk my students again?”

“It wasn’t—”

“I don’t care; you were trying to intrude on Gallus and Silverstream’s date!” Starlight shouted, casually waving away the red cloud coming off of her horn. “After all they’ve been through, they deserve to have a nice night out. Free! Of! Interlopers!”

“I beg your pardon? We were not intending to intrude upon—”

“You were already intruding just by spying,” she snarled, cutting Luna off. “Nothing you say will change my mind. And nothing you say will make me let you out. Deal with it.”

Cadence frowned coldly, snorting. “In that case? Auntie Luna! Auntie Tia! I require assistance!”

“And assistance you shall receive,” Luna readily vowed. “We shall not miss their kiss!”

“Count me out,” Celestia said, turning away and trotting toward the students.

“Sister, you get back here this instant and help us blast down this wretched barrier!”

“No.”

“Auntie Tia, if we miss their first kiss because you’re too lazy to help us—”

“Then you’re more than welcome to whine and complain about it for days on end.”

“You sure you want to give me permission to do that?” she deadpanned.

“Nay, dearest Niece,” Luna said, shooting Celestia a disappointed scowl. “You need not her permission for such things. Besides, I shall gladly help you in your whining and complaining.”

“Duly noted. Now come on, Auntie, we have a kiss to see!”

As they both proceeded to make no progress whatsoever toward freedom, Celestia sat down beside Vellum and greeted, “Hello. Vellum Codex, correct?” She offered him her hoof and added, “Twilight sent me a recording of your play, and I must say you and your friends were quite good.”

“Th-Thank you,” he said, shaking her hoof. “That’s high praise coming from you, Princess.”

“Celestia is fine, dear.” She then turned her attention to the strange statue beside him and asked, “May I ask why that mare is petrified?”

“Oh, her? That’s Strawberry Scoop,” he explained, giving her frozen form an indignant frown. “Silver’s pet cockatrice got to her before even Headmare Starlight did.”

“We’ve been debating on whether Silver put Edith up to it or if she just knew to go after Scoop first,” Patty disclosed, shrugging. “My vote’s on both.”

“She’s also the reason I’m even here in the first place,” Vellum resumed, sighing haughtily. “Had she not roped me into this whole thing, I would have been enjoying my Saturday night.”

“Yeah, I’ll give you that one, Vel,” End Zone admitted, kicking away a pebble. “November was probably on to something when he barricaded himself in his room for the night.”

“Is that why his door was coated in ice?” Lighthoof asked, receiving an affirmative nod. “I just thought somepony was pulling a prank on him again, but if it was intentional…? Huh. No wonder, I lost second place to him,” she grumbled. “Dude really does know his weather spells.”

“Hey, if there was a fourth place winner, we all know who would’ve won that,” Shimmy comforted, pulling her into a one-hoofed hug.

“Yeah, yeah…” she replied, hugging her friend back.

“Well, I can certainly say I envy Mr. November’s intelligence,” Celestia groaned, shaking her head exasperatedly. “I too would be enjoying my Saturday evening if Cadence and Lulu weren’t so—oh, what’s that modern word, again?—hardcore ‘shippers’?”

“Yep, that’s the right term,” Patty calmly confirmed. “Also, Princess— Or, er? Miss Celestia? If you don’t mind me asking? How far along were Gallus and Silverstream on their date?”

“Well, you see—”

Scoop’s petrified form jerked closer to Celestia, wobbling unsteadily. Vellum then smiled deviously and gave it a firm tap, knocking her over proper. “Oops.”

“Scoop is definitely gonna kill you for that, you know,” End Zone commented with utmost indifference. “And I don’t think I’ll be able to stop her this time.”

“Worth it.”

“If you say so, Vellum,” he mumbled, rolling his eyes.

“How did that— How did that even happen?” Celestia questioned, hastily shuffling away from the statue and the eldritch fury it burned with.

“It’s Scoop; don’t question it,” was the students’ collective response.

Before anycreature could speak further, a loud burst of static came from Starlight, pausing Luna and Cadence in their futile escape efforts. She then levitated a radio from her bags, pushed the button, and asked, “Rainbow? Applejack? That you?”

“Eeyup,” the latter confirmed. “We got the varmint jus’ before he fled Ponyville.”

“Excellent,” Starlight hissed wickedly. “Drop him down the chute.”

“Ya sure ‘bout that now?”

“Positive.”

“Alright,” Rainbow Dash responded, slightly muffled. “One heap of garbage coming your way!”

A series of dull thumps and swears thundered from the same pitfall the Princesses had fallen through, and out of said tunnel tumbled none other than Grandpa Gruff.

After a moment of stunned silence, he bolted upward and threw off the lasso that had been tied around his barrel, screaming, “Ah am gettin’ too peckin’ old for this!”

“Language!” Starlight and Celestia reflexively rebuked.

“Oh, shut up!” Gruff snarled, brushing himself off and marching over to Starlight, not even flinching when he rammed face-first into the shield. “Mind explainin’ why ya sent your goons after me?”

Keeping her icy gaze locked onto him, Starlight held the radio to her muzzle, saying, “Thanks, girls. I’ll take it from here.”

“Got it,” Applejack said calmly. “Rainbow and Ah’ll go help Fluttershy, Sandbar, and Yona. If Ah know Rarity, they ain’t gonna stop ‘er for long.”

“Understood.” Starlight then played with the radio’s dials a moment before casually revealing, “Oh, Cadence? Just to let you know? He tried scaring Silverstream into dumping Gallus.”

“HE DID WHAT!?” everycreature screamed while Scoop soundlessly teleported within hoof’s reach of Gruff’s neck.

“H-Hey! No! Ah did not do that! Ah—”

“You evil, senile, heart-crushing, pathetic, old roach!” Cadence screamed, flaring her wings as magical force sparked around her entire body.

“As much as I champion pacifism and mercy, this particular grievance requires the opposite response,” Celestia ominously decreed, ignorant to the fire slowly consuming her mane.

“To translate for my sister and niece…?” Luna virulently murmured as her eyes became cat-like slits. “Prepare to die.”

Her mission complete—Starlight trotted away contently.

“No! No, let me explain!” Gruff shrieked, swiftly backing away from the furious mob surrounding him. “That ain’t what Ah did! That unicorn knows! Hey, Luster Dawn!? Er, Dusk Shine!? Eh, whatever your name is—come back and tell ‘em what really happened!”

“I already did,” she called back over her shoulder, unabashedly relishing his sheer terror.

“…Aw, peck me…”

After walking a considerable distance away from the ensuing chaos, Starlight pulled the radio back out, calling, “Hey, Smolder? Ocellus? Do you copy?”

“Yep. We hear you loud and clear, Headmare Starlight.”

“Good. Gruff and the others are taken care of; how’re Gallus and Silver doing?”

“Uh? About that…?”

***

Okay, stay calm, Gallus told himself as he helped Silverstream step out of the carriage. This is just a dinner, nothing more. You have nothing to fear. “You okay?” he asked politely.

“Yep,” Silver replied almost instantly. “I’m great.”

I really hope you are, Gallus wished, reminding himself yet again to not ask about Gruff. “Okay. I just wanted to ask.”

“And I thank you for asking,” she said, curtsying. “‘Tis very sweet of you, Sir Gallus.”

Well, at least she’s still up to joking, he thought thankfully, curtsying back. “You knoweth mineself well, Fair Silverstream. For as the Lord of All Things Sweet, I doth try mine hardest to be as such.”

“And thou doth succeedeth brilliantly,” Silver praised merrily. She then turned her sights onto the restaurant and frowned, looking oddly frightened. “W-Well…? We’re here.”

Gallus nodded. “That we are.”

“At the restaurant.”

“At the restaurant,” he echoed neutrally.

“To have dinner together as a couple.”

“Yep.”

“A-And it’s not like we haven’t eaten meals together before,” she acknowledged.

“Yeah, we just did a few hours ago.”

“Exactly! Plus? We’ve helped save Equestria from near-destruction twice. Twice!” she emphasized. “I mean, compared to that, this is…”

“Absolutely terrifying?” Gallus guessed, remembering the nearly identical conversation they had had earlier that day.

“Yeah,” Silverstream murmured, gulping audibly.

Rather than respond verbally, Gallus laid a gentle wing across her back, giving her a comforting nuzzle that she tentatively returned. “I know it’s a little late to ask this, but are you sure you’re up for the restaurant?” he asked. “If you’re not, we can totally go somewhere else.”

“What!? No, no, no!” she frantically protested. “After all the trouble you went through to get the reservation and everyone else’s help with—” Silver suddenly paused, blinking in realization. Before Gallus could question it, she shook her head, assuring, “No, Gallus, it’s okay. I’m just a little nervous…”

Grover’s Treasure, what did Gruff say to her!? Gallus fretted, struggling to stifle his reinvigorated worry. A second later, he determinedly thought, No. No fear. No anxiety. None of that. Silver and I are going to have a good time, regardless of whatever he said.

“It’s okay if you’re nervous, Silverstream. I am too.”

“Y-You are?”

“I am. But I know everything will be alright,” he added truthfully. “We’re here to have a nice, quiet evening where we stuff our faces with a bunch of overpriced fruit and vegetables. Nothing more to it than that.”

Rather than laughing at the joke, Silver just impulsively inquired, “Are you sure you don’t want me to pay for the meal?”

“No thank you, Silver. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be fine,” Gallus reassured. “Next time we go out to a restaurant, you can pay the bill all you want. But for tonight? I’ve got this,” he pledged, winking.

“Next time…?” she repeated quietly. Silver then grinned and warned, “I’ll hold you to that.”

Gallus simply chuckled, extending his talon yet again. After Silverstream took it, he led her forward into the restaurant.

To say the establishment was glamorous would be an understatement.

Practically every surface was polished to the point of acting as a functional mirror, and from the ceiling, a dozen crystalline chandeliers hung, filling the space with a warm, ambient glow.

In the back corner, a group of ponies filled the building with a pleasantly serene harmony; it was quite the feat, considering the restaurant was huge enough to be mistaken for a ballroom.

Along the walls, several portraits had been arranged so that no matter where anycreature sat, they would always have at least one glorious artwork to admire.

This last fact in particular almost sent Silverstream into another excited frenzy, but she managed to contain her jubilance once she noticed Gallus giving her a knowing grin. After letting out an embarrassed huff, she whispered, “You know me so well.”

“You bet I do,” he stated with just a hint of smugness.

“Well, you don’t have to rub it in,” she grumbled, smiling all the same.

“Fair point. So, do you like it?”

“So far. Now we just need to try the food.”

“That we do,” Gallus agreed, trotting up to the receptionist mare. Upon approaching, she looked up and warmly greeted, “Hello, dears. How may I be of service?”

“Uh, we should have a six o’clock reservation for Mr. Gallus and Ms. Silverstream?”

“Hmm, Gallus and Silverstream?” she hummed, looking at her list. “Ah-ha! There you are. If you could just come with me…”

The couple shared a small smile as they swiftly followed her, striding past several other patrons enjoying their own meals until they reached a seat at the far back of the restaurant.

“I believe this was your desired table?” the receptionist asked.

Gallus looked at the nearby painting and nodded. “Yes, it was.”

“Alright then. Here are your menus,” she said, depositing said items onto the table. “Your waiter shall be here shortly.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Of course, of course! Thank you for stopping by tonight, and I hope you enjoy your meal.”

“We will. Thank you again,” Gallus said as the mare trotted back to the front desk. He then turned to see Silver staring at the portrait beside their table.

“Th-That’s…” she muttered, utterly slack-jawed.

“Mount Aris? Yep,” he casually confirmed. “Spotted it when Sandy and I checked this place out. Sorry about it being in the back of the restaurant though; I know you like sitting closer to the front…”

“Please don’t apologize, Gallus.” Silverstream then gave him a small, almost forlorn smile as she added, “It’s really sweet that you thought of that. Thank you.”

Gallus smiled shyly, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. He then coughed awkwardly and pulled out her chair, saying, “Well, uh, shall we?”

“O-Oh! Right, right!” she blurted out, quickly taking her seat and picking up her menu as he sat opposite her. Her eyebrows then shot up upon finally discovering the prices, but rather than voice her concerns once again, she simply asked, “So, uh? What do you think you’re gonna get?”

“I don’t know,” Gallus mumbled, looking over his own menu. “I’m considering getting an appetizer, but I’m undecided on that. How about you? Any ideas for what you want?”

Whatever’s easiest on your Bits, Silver luckily stopped herself from answering. Instead, she replied, “I’m still undecided too. There’s a lot of good stuff here.”

Oh gosh! That apple-broccoli salad looks so good! Silverstream silently exclaimed, trying not to drool. Wait! It can come with shredded cheese on top of that!? With croutons! Oh, that sounds heavenly! … Annnd it’s the fourth most expensive item on the list, she realized, wincing.

“You know? I don’t think I’m gonna get an appetizer,” Gallus said, thankfully not noticing her current discomfort. “Those cheddar-stuffed celery sticks sound good, but if I get them, I’m gonna order, like, five bowls of ‘em,” he laughed. “Eh? Maybe I’ll ask for that as a side.”

“Whatever makes you happy,” Silver commented, shutting her eyes and letting out a quiet groan. Subtle, Silver. Subtle, she reprimanded herself.

“What would make me happy is if I could order fifteen bowls of them and not gain a single pound. Or spoil my actual dinner.”

She blinked. “Seriously? Fifteen? Wow, you really love your cheesy celery,” Silver acknowledged.

“Says the apple fanatic.”

“Hey!”

“Do you deny it?” Gallus asked, peering at her over his menu.

“…No,” she pouted. Silver then noticed him snickering and playfully barked, “Oh, stop laughing! You love apples just as much as I do.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then why are you judging me for my love of apples?” she wondered, raising an eyebrow.

“Because you’re cute when you’re flustered,” he answered nonchalantly.

Blushing, she swiftly contended, “N-No, I’m not!”

“Yes, you are.” Gallus smirked and concluded, “Then again? You’re cute all time.”

Though Silver’s blush intensified, she still found herself smiling. “Whelp, I’m definitely flustered now,” she confessed, trying her hardest to sound annoyed but failing miserably. “You happy?”

“Heh-heh-heh. Yeah, I’m happy,” Gallus said, smiling serenely.

You really are, aren’t you? “Good. Because I’m happy too,” she swore, returning her gaze to her menu while trying to quell the burning in her cheeks.

His smile merely widened. Gallus then flipped to the next page, examining the remaining options until he eventually found one he was satisfied with.

Almost as if in response to this, a finely dressed stallion arrived, carrying a tray of drinks in his mouth. After placing it upon the table, he greeted, “Good evening. I am Savoir Fare, and I shall be your waiter for tonight. Please do accept these complimentary waters.”

“Thank you,” Silverstream said, immediately grabbing the glasses and passing Gallus his. She then put hers to her beak and sipped greedily.

Gallus put his menu down, saying, “Yes, thank you, Mr. Fare. I’m Gallus; this is Silver. It’s nice to meet…” He looked closer at the stallion and asked, “Wait. Don’t you work at the Hay Cafe?”

“I do indeed work there as well.”

“Oh. … Cool. How’s your night been going?”

“Very well. Things have been rather tranquil today, even by Ponyville standards,” Savoir said, nodding gratefully as Silver finally put her drink back down.

“Huh. Wonder why?” Gallus murmured, winking at Silverstream.

“Whatever the reason, I must say it’s a significantly enjoyable change of pace.” He then withdrew a pen and paper from his pocket, asking, “Now! Can I interest you in our new roasted asparagus and cheese platter?”

Ooh! I didn’t even see that one! both Gallus and Silverstream thought excitedly. After some consideration, however, Gallus shook his head and said, “Nah, not me. Silver?”

“Mm? No,” she answered, shaking her head. “Sorry. Thank you for the offer though.”

“No worries,” Savoir assuaged. “In that case, have either of you made any decisions for what you would like tonight?”

“I think I have, but I wanted to ask about the fruit platter,” Gallus said, pointing to said item on the menu. “Is there a way I can get that without the pineapple?”

“Unfortunately, sir, I do not believe so.”

“Really? Aw well. In that case, could I get the beet soup with a baked potato? And, uh, I’d also like to have a side of the cheddar-stuffed celery.”

“Beet soup and baked potato… Side of cheddar-stuff celery sticks…” Savoir repeated, writing them down on his paper.

“U-Um, could I have two helpings of those celery sticks?” Gallus requested, pretending that Silverstream wasn’t shooting him a sly smirk. “Please?”

“Yes, sir. Two bowls it is. And what would you like to drink, sir?”

“Just some tea will be fine, thanks.”

“Understood. And what shall you have, madam?” he asked, turning his attention to Silver.

After some hesitation, Silver cleared her throat and answered, “I’d, um, just like the lettuce and tomato sandwich. No sides or anything. A-And the water is enough, thank you.”

While Savoir raised an eyebrow at how meager her request had been, Gallus rubbed his temples, interrupting, “Just a moment, Mr. Fare. Silver, come on!”

“What? W-What do you mean, Gallus?”

“You know what I mean,” he accused, causing her to look away ashamedly.

“Yeah, but—”

“No ‘buts.’ I told you that you don’t need to worry about it.”

Silver looked ready to protest, but she ultimately conceded with a sigh. “Actually, Mr. Fare? Could I instead have the apple-broccoli salad, topped with shredded cheese? With some croutons too?”

“Of course, madam. Would you like to change your drink order as well?”

“No, no. I really did only want water. Anything else this late, and I’ll be up way past midnight,” she mumbled to herself.

“Understood. Now then, will that be all?”

“I suppose so,” Gallus said, maintaining a polite smile. “Thank you again, Mr. Fare.”

“It was my pleasure, Mr. Gallus. Ms. Silver,” Savoir said, bowing his head to each of them in turn. “I shall return with your orders shortly,” he assured, trotting away.

Gallus dropped his smile in exchange for a deadpan and a quirked eyebrow, aiming both at his girlfriend. In an effort to avoid acknowledging it, Silver drank her water again, unable to meet his gaze. Sadly, her glass ran dry before he stopped staring at her, so she was forced to ask, “What?”

“You tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“Silver, did you seriously think I wouldn’t notice you tried to order the cheapest item on the menu?” he inquired, thoroughly cross.

“Maybe?” she responded with a weak shrug.

“You didn’t have to do that, Silver. I told you I have the Bits.”

“But you didn’t tell me the prices were this high!”

“Does that matter?”

“Yes, it matters!” she snapped, keeping her voice low. “I wouldn’t have agreed to the restaurant at all if I had known just how exorbitant this place really was.”

“What? Do you not want me to treat you out to a place like this?”

“Not if it’s gonna bleed you dry!”

“It’s not gonna bleed me dry, Silver!” he insisted.

Silverstream just groaned, turning away from him and gazing intently at the Mount Aris picture.

I’m trying to look out for you, she chose not to say. I just want you to be happy.

Her stomach may as well have done a barrel roll once she realized what she had just thought.

Utterly ignorant to her rising panic, Gallus sighed and apologized, “I’m sorry, Silverstream.”

“D-Don’t be sorry,” she said instantly. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No, I should have been fully honest about the prices here,” he said regretfully. “I didn’t want you to worry about the bill any more than you already were, but that’s no excuse. For that, I’m sorry.”

“And I forgive you, Gallus,” Silverstream adamantly swore, facing him once more. “I’m just… I’m just worried,” she ended, barely stopping herself from continuing.

“And I appreciate your concern, Silver; I really do. But as I’ve said before, I can pay the bill perfectly fine. In fact, I want to,” Gallus proclaimed determinedly. “And yes! If I did have a problem paying it, I would let you know. I promise.”

Silver sharply inhaled, rubbing her eyes tiredly. After dropping her talons back to her sides, she stared at Gallus for a solid minute before warily saying, “Okay. I believe you.”

“Thank you. … Are you okay?”

Judging by her facial expression, the answer was a firm no. Silverstream seemed to recognize this because she quickly forced a smile, professing, “Yep! Absolutely fine!”

Gallus didn’t believe her. She knew full-well he didn’t believe her. But bless his sweet, little heart—Gallus pretended to believe her anyway.

“Good to hear. But if you do need one of my patent-pending, Gallus-brand hugs of ultra comfort, let me know. I know how much you love ‘em.”

Silver couldn’t help but giggle. “Thanks, I will. Even if the staff would probably disapprove.”

“Hey, if my girlfriend wants a hug, I’m giving her a hug,” he declared. “And there’s not a single pony on this planet that could stop me.”

“Oh? Even if hugging me would tarnish your reputation as ‘The Cool and Mysterious Part-Time Savior of Equestria’?”

“Hugging you would be worth it,” Gallus said unabashedly.

Blushing once again, Silver looked away and playfully twirled her braid in her talon. “Hugging you would be worth the world too,” she concurred.

“Well, duh. I’m a big ball of adorable fluff,” he boasted, gesturing to himself proudly. “If I were any fluffier I could be confused for a pillow.”

“Is that what you think?” she pondered, chuckling disbelievingly.

“That’s what I ‘know,’” he corrected confidently.

“Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, sweetie.”

Gallus blushed and continued, “What, you don’t think I could cut it as a living body pillow?”

“Eh? No offense, Gallus, but Yona’s a better pillow than you.”

“And how exactly would you know that without first falling asleep on her?”

“Maybe I have…” Silverstream hummed slyly.

“Okay, hold up!” Gallus chuckled. “I have several questions.”

“Okay?”

“First of all… You’re not gonna answer any of them, are you?” he guessed.

“No,” she confirmed, smirking.

“Rats.”

Gallus and Silverstream both just laughed.

Eventually, he stopped and sighed happily. “I love being with you.”

“I love being with you too,” Silver chirped, feeling a fair bit calmer. “…Sooo?” she resumed, knocking on the table distractedly. “Spike’s finally got the next Ogres and Oubliettes campaign set up.”

“‘Bout time. Didn’t expect to find that out the way we did though,” Gallus commented.

“Nope. Then again? I didn’t expect Discord to show up either.”

“Or apologize! That was the real shocker.”

“Really? For me it was the fact he didn’t try—I don’t know?—unleashing a pie monster on me for the whole chest thing,” she grumbled.

“And risk dirtying our clothes, subsequently invoking the wrath of Rarity and Yona? Ha, I don’t think Discord’s that dumb.”

“You sure about that? Even after he disguised himself as Grogar and… You know?”

“Okay, that’s a fair point.”

“You bet it is,” she chortled. After a moment, Silverstream looked around and asked, “Speaking of disguises? Which one of these ponies is Ocellus?”

“Dark gray mare in the back. Black mane with magenta highlights,” Gallus answered, nodding toward a table several rows down from them.

Silver then turned, spotting her instantly. “Isn’t that the form she wore for Nightmare Night?”

“I think so.”

“Huh. I guess she really likes that form.”

“Well, that. And also none of us recognized where it was from, so she’s probably banking on that tonight,” he suggested.

“True.” Silverstream sighed somberly and turned back around, murmuring, “Could you imagine what our date would have been like if our friends hadn’t helped us out?”

“Scoop would be sitting right there,” Gallus began, pointing at the nearest table. “Shamelessly pointing a camera at us the entire time. Well? Scoop and Patty. And probably Shimmy too.”

“All the while, they’d be smiling at us. Not even blinking, mind you. Just smiling.”

“Grover’s Treasure, I can already hear Scoop now. ‘Do it! Dooo iiit! Dooooo iiiiit!’” he chanted.

Silver tittered as she reached for her water. “Do what though? That’s the real question,” she said, raising her cup only to remember it was empty and lower it back down, frowning sadly.

Gallus pushed his untouched glass over to her. After she gratefully accepted the offered water, he speculated, “My guess? Kiss you.”

Silver choked for a second, and after taking a few steady breaths, she agreed, “Yeah, that’s probably it. I mean… We haven’t actually done that yet.”

“Not on the beaks, anyway,” Gallus clarified teasingly.

“No. No, we haven’t.” After properly quenching her thirst, Silver put the glass back down and lamented, “I really wish we hadn’t had to get our friends involved in our date.”

“Same,” he concurred, fiddling with the salt shaker out of boredom. “But it’s not like the others were gonna leave us alone otherwise.”

Silverstream flinched. “True. … Why can’t we just trust everything will be fine?” she growled, nervously thumping her hoof against the floor. “That we could be together without something interrupting us o-or ruining it?”

Gallus raised an eyebrow, saying, “Well? Everything is fine.”

“Yeah, because we had to ask our friends to tag along with us and make sure it stayed fine,” she countered angrily. “If we hadn’t, we’d probably have half the school on our tails right about now.”

“I doubt that highly. Scoop? Probably. Half the school? Nah. They got better things to do with their time,” he reasoned, keeping his worry from showing.

Though obviously not convinced, Silver conceded, “I suppose you’re right. Even so, the fact that’s actually something we needed to worry about…? It’s— It’s scary.”

After shooing away memories of Silver Frames’ Art Gallery, Gallus vowed, “Hey, even if somecreature did barge in our date, I’d just make ‘em leave.”

“Wouldn’t change the fact they messed up our date.”

“True. But we didn’t need our date to be perfect,” he reminded her in a soothing voice. “We just needed to have a good time together. And we are having a good time. Right?”

Silverstream looked at him and saw nothing but his tender smile. She then smiled herself, answering, “Yes. Yes, we are. I’m always happy when I’m with you.”

“Awww! Thanks, Silverstream, I’m always happy when I’m with you too,” he said brightly.

“Heh-heh.” Silver then shot another glance at the Mount Aris portrait and whispered, “That’s all there is to it, right? We just spend time together, have fun, and be happy?”

“Uh, I guess so?” Gallus responded, a little confused by the question. “Yeah, that’s pretty much dating in a nutshell. As needlessly complicated as it is…”

“Everything is needlessly complicated,” she complained out of nowhere.

Gallus swiftly shrugged off his initial bewilderment and said, “I suppose you could say that. Luckily, dating is one of those things that gets easier with time.”

“I guess…” Silver hummed, fidgeting her wings anxiously. After clearly contemplating something, she tried to begin, “But…? But what if—”

“My apologies for the wait,” interrupted a calm voice.

A look of sheer defeat upon her face—Silverstream slumped in her chair and stared upward, deliberately ignoring her boyfriend’s concerned gaze.

Once Savoir Fare finished approaching their table, he gave them both their food, declaring, “For you, fine sir: One bowl of beet soup with a baked potato and two helpings of stuffed celery sticks. And for the lovely lady: One apple-broccoli salad with shredded cheese and croutons. Here are your beverages also,” he said, swapping out their two empty glasses for full ones.

“Y-Yeah,” Gallus spoke up for the both of them. “Thank you, Mr. Fare.”

“Of course, sir, of course. Now, I shall be waiting other tables, but should you require my assistance, simply wave me down and I’ll be here in a jiffy. Beyond that?” Savoir Fare turned to trot away, concluding, “I shall let you both enjoy your meals.”

“Thank you again, Mr. Fare.”

In the silence that followed his departure, neither of them so much as looked at their food.

“Silverstream?”

“Yes, Gallus?”

“Are you okay?”

Burying another flinch, she quickly claimed, “Yes. I’m okay.”

“Seriously, if something is wrong—”

“Nothing is wrong!” Silver barked, startling both of them with her intensity. “Nothing is wrong, Gallus,” she reiterated, grabbing the nearby dressing and applying a thin layer of it to her salad. “Can we— Can we just have our meal? Please?”

Gallus flicked his tail worriedly, but he ultimately yielded. “Okay. Yeah, no problem. Just so long as you’re okay…?” he ended, keeping his eyes on her while he plunged his spoon into his soup.

Silverstream said nothing as she speared a clump of her salad onto her fork and brought it into her beak, chewing quietly.

Thankfully, having some good food did absolute wonders for both of their moods. And although a faint sense of awkwardness still lingered in the air, neither Gallus nor Silverstream payed it any mind as they were both too busy enjoying their supper to care.

After having finished his potato, Gallus paused and asked, “So? How’s your salad?”

“Oh sea kelp! It’s sooo good!” Silverstream ecstatically moaned. “I swear, I couldn’t make a salad this good if I tried.”

“Oh, don’t be like that,” he said, relieved to see her smiling again. “I’m sure you could make a salad ten times better than that any day of the week.”

“Thanks for the encouragement,” she said, smiling brightly. “Actually? I probably could if I knew where they got the cheese from. Seriously, this stuff is amazing!”

“Seems I’m not the only one who appreciates the delicacy of cheesy veggies,” he cooed, crunching on the last of his celery sticks.

“You are the only one who appreciates the ‘delicacy’ of beet soup though,” she shot back.

“Hey, now! What’s your problem with beets?”

“Oh, I don’t know? The fact they taste like dirt?”

Gallus gasped, affronted. “Don’t you dare denounce the most glorious vegetable in the world!”

“I’m not. Besides, why would anycreature hate broccoli?”

“Okay,” he groaned, face-clawing. “I totally should have seen that one coming.”

Silver chuckled before taking another bite of her food. After swallowing, she said, “Sorry. I just don’t really like beets that much.”

“Nah, that’s fine,” he assuaged, stirring his soup for a moment. “They are a bit of an acquired taste, not gonna lie.”

“Which is why I’m kinda surprised you like ‘em.”

“I didn’t use to, but Ocellus and End Zone both told me how nutritional they are. Needless to say, I’ve been hooked ever since.” He then shrugged and added, “I may be a ball of adorable fluffiness, but I gotta keep fit, you know?”

“Don’t worry, I understand perfectly. You’re not the only one who needs to exercise after all.”

“Oh please! You could eat fifty plates of pancakes and never lose that heavenly figure of yours,” Gallus teased candidly.

Silver’s face burned scarlet as she stammered, “That— You— I— I don’t—” After heartily gulping at her water again, she squealed, “That’s not what I meant, Gallus!”

“And I did mean the ‘heavenly figure’ comment, just so you know.”

“W-Well, thank you,” she mumbled, fluttering her wings. “I appreciate it.”

“Don’t mind me; I’m just stating facts,” Gallus said, winking. “That said though, what did you really mean?” he asked, sipping at his tea.

Pretending that her cheeks weren’t still blushing, Silverstream coughed and clarified, “I meant about what happened when we returned to Mount Aris. Magical transformation or no—we were underwater for a while, and not all of us had an easy time getting used to having hind legs again.”

“The talons were probably helpful though, right?” he asked, waggling his own for emphasis. “Magic is cool, but it’s got nothing on having digits.”

“Oh yeah,” she agreed, examining her own polished talons. “It’s way easier to paint with these than flippers, I can tell ya that much.”

“I imagine so.” He then frowned, befuddled. “Wait, how could you paint underwater? Wouldn’t it just wash away?”

“Yep. Hence why I never got into painting until after we got back on dry land,” Silver divulged, her tone wistful. “On the other talon, we could always collect sea shells and make art with those.”

“You and Skystar do that a lot?”

“Uh-huh. Although, she was always better at it than me.”

“I doubt that would be true today,” Gallus argued.

“No, hers would be better,” she casually admitted. “Starry is still practicing since she spends most of her time in Seaquestria, and I haven’t tried making sea shell art in months.”

“Nonetheless, your art would still be great. And if nothing else? I’d love it.”

She blushed. Again. “Awww! Thanks, Gallus.”

“You’re welcome.” They both returned to eating their meals for a minute before Gallus spoke up again, “You know, while we’re talking about Seaquestria…? I’ve always wanted to know this: What did you all eat down there?” he inquired.

“Oh, the usual. Seaweed, seaweed cakes, seaweed burgers; seaweed loaf…?” Silverstream listed off bitterly. “I think my mother accumulated, like, seven different recipes for seaweed loaf.”

“That’s a lot of seaweed.”

“Yep. Don’t worry though. Every so often, we’d forgo having boring, generic seaweed, and we’d instead have sea! Kelp!” she stressed, smiling sarcastically. “Good, ole sea kelp. Can never go wrong with sea kelp…”

“Yikes,” he winced.

“Yikes indeed.”

“H-Hey, wait a minute! If you guys ate sea kelp, why do you use it as a swear word?”

“I don’t know,” Silver said, shrugging. “Why do you use ‘peck’ as a swear word?”

“Honestly, I just sorta picked that up from Gramps,” Gallus elaborated, leaning his head against a talon. “Although, now that I think about it? I think everygriff else got that from him too.”

Not wanting to talk about the elderly griffon, Silver remained silent and simply picked at the remnants of her salad. Gallus did much the same with his soup.

“So, uh?” he resumed after a short time. “What— What about the fauna? ‘Cause I remember you told us hippogriffs could process… You know?”

“As hippogriffs, yes,” Silver emphasized. “Not as seaponies though. Nope, we had no choice but to completely overhaul our entire diet. Yaaay. Thanks, Storm King…” she ended, scowling.

“At least he’s dead now,” he replied consolingly.

“Yep, he totally is. Woo-hoo!” Silver then blinked and ashamedly rebuked, “A-Actually, that’s a really morbid thing; I shouldn’t be cheering for that.”

“After everything he put you and the other hippogriffs and seaponies through? I think you guys are entitled to hating him, dead or alive.”

“I guess so.” She then shook her head, lamenting, “But I don’t like doing it. I don’t— I don’t like being angry. Or afraid.”

Gallus reached out and gently held her talon, promising, “It’s okay, Silverstream. You don’t have to be.”

Silver held his gaze, grateful for his calming touch. After a while, her smile faded as she said, “I know. Thanks, Gallus.”

He gave her talon one more reassuring squeeze before releasing it and refocusing on his soup. Silver, meanwhile, stared at her plate, secretly wishing he had held on just a little longer.

“S-So,” she muttered, managing to work up the courage to continue eating as well. “Why the sudden interest in Seaquestrian cuisine? I didn’t see any of it on the menu. And I definitely wouldn’t recommend it if I had,” she laughed.

“Th-That’s, uh? That’s a funny story, um…” Gallus trailed off, chuckling nervously. “You know how we were talking about what I’d be if I visited Seaquestria?”

After some hesitation, Silverstream confirmed, “Yep. You wanted to be a Ghost Leviathan or something, right?” she asked, praying this conversation wasn’t going where she feared it was.

“Uh-huh. So, um, after we talked about that, I started wondering what would happen if you ever did invite me there? You know, what we would do? Where we would go…?”

“Your point?” she coldly questioned, aggressively eating another bite of salad.

Gallus cleared his throat and finished, “I, uh, just figured that since we were talking about Seaquestria, and food, and stuff… Just thought I’d ask. That’s all.”

“Well, you don’t need to worry about any of that.” Silver paused and downed another gulp of water. “I wasn’t planning to invite you to Seaquestria anytime soon,” she forced herself to confess.

“Y-Yeah, I sorta figured that out.”

Managing to not reflexively apologize, she asked, “But you do still want to visit there, right? To— To see my home…? Meet my family…?” she suspected, swishing her tail irritably.

If Gallus hadn’t felt awkward before, he certainly felt awkward now. “Y-Yes,” he admitted, wincing when she quietly sighed. “But I know you don’t want to talk about it, so—”

“I don’t. I really, really don’t.”

“I-I know, and it’s totally okay that you don’t. I’m not trying to seem pushy or anything; I promise.”

“Well, it—” Silver stopped herself mid-sentence, but after a short mental battle, she finished, “It kinda feels like you are.”

Gallus flinched, looking away. “I’m sorry, Silver. I really don’t mean for that to be the case.”

“No, no! Don’t— Don’t apologize,” she pleaded, leaning back in her chair as she massaged a building headache. “It’s not a problem…”

His first instinct was to cave-in and move on from the obviously touchy subject, but upon realizing just how distressed Silver seemed, Gallus decided otherwise. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” she lied terribly.

“Are you?” he mumbled, tentatively tapping the table. “You seem really upset.”

“Yeah, well…” Silver took yet another swig of water only to run out once again. Afterward, she tried and failed to meet his eye, grousing, “I just really don’t want to talk about it.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll gladly shut up right now.” Silverstream didn’t reply, so he added, “I just don’t like seeing you upset. If something’s wrong, I want to help.”

“And if I don’t want your help?”

“Why would you not…?” Gallus paused and thought for a moment. After taking a deep breath, he resumed, measuring his words carefully, “If you don’t want my help, that’s okay too. I’ll back off.”

Silverstream blinked, not expecting that response. “You… Would? Just like that?”

“Just like that,” he confirmed, ignoring the uneasy twitch of his wings. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d still be worried, but… I trust you,” Gallus stated, giving her a small smile. “Although? If something is wrong, and for whatever reason you can’t talk to me about it…?”

“Talk to someone about it,” she completed, remembering his words on the eve of their Canterlot performance. “Yeah, I know.”

“…I just want to make sure you’re okay, Silverstream,” he whispered worriedly.

Before the following silence could continue, Silver apologized, “I— I’m sorry, Gallus.”

“Don’t be. If I’m prying into something that’s none of my business, then I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

“No! No. No… I-It’s complicated,” she defaulted to saying. After yet another intense internal debate, she softly asked, “We promised not to hide problems from each other… Right?”

Although taken aback at first, Gallus quickly recovered, affirming, “Yes. Yes, we did.”

“Okay. Okay!” Silverstream inhaled sharply and blurted out, “It’s my mom.”

“Your mom? What about your mom? Is— Is she alright?” he asked, concerned.

“Probably. I, um, wouldn’t know; I stopped reading her letters,” she confessed, glaring longingly at her empty cup.

“Wait, what?”

“Eeyup.”

Despite being utterly dumbfounded by this revelation, Gallus found a modicum of comfort in that she was actually talking to him about this. “Okay, hold on! I remember you said something happened between you two, but…? You seriously haven’t been reading her letters?” he inquired, checking if he had heard correctly.

“Not since Hearth’s Warming,” she said, forcing a smile. “Not. One.”

“Why? What— What happened?”

“You could say we, er, had a fight…”

“W-Well? What about? ‘Cause—” Gallus shifted in his chair, addressing, “Because it had to have been something serious if you stopped reading her letters.”

Silver went dead silent, quashing every instinct urging her to shut down the conversation. Finally, after scrounging up an enormous amount of willpower, she answered, “She hates us.”

…

“What?” Gallus muttered, tilting his head in confusion.

“Actually? I’m sorry, that’s a bit of an exaggeration,” she admitted, rubbing her eyes again. “She doesn’t hate us. She hates… This,” Silver clarified, gesturing between the two of them. “Us.”

“Us being a couple?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Your mom hates us being in a relationship?” he asked again, trying to comprehend that fact.

“Yes, she does. Mother made that abundantly clear,” Silverstream snarled, jabbing a piece of broccoli with her fork. “Hence why I stopped reading her letters.”

“Okay… But she’s still your mom,” Gallus appealed, keeping his tone neutral. “Wh-What kind of stuff was she saying?”

“Oh, you know?” she mumbled, rolling her eyes dispassionately. “I don’t have to settle for you… I’m not safe with you… My, uh, my favorite one—Or? ‘Least’ favorite, I suppose—was when she tried convincing me. To dump you. For some random hippogriff noble I don’t know,” Silver growled venomously. “Yeah. Some ‘mom,’ huh?”

“She really said that to you?”

“Yep. I mean, I was already putting off looking at her letters, but that last one? That was the one that made me stop reading them completely.”

“Grover’s Treasure,” Gallus cursed under his breath. “W-Why would she say any of that? I mean… ‘You’re not safe with me’? W-What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know!” Silver yelped, throwing her talons up in frustration. “She’s nuts! I had to stop reading every letter from home because she started sending hers under everygriff else’s name too.”

“Hold on! Back up! What!?” he squawked, eyes widening in shock. “You stopped reading everygriff else’s letters too? Even your dad’s? Even Terramar’s!?”

“And Skystar’s. And Auntie Novo’s. And Salina’s. And even General Seaspray’s,” she confirmed, struggling to not raise her voice. “Evidently, my mother doesn’t think I can be happy with you, and she wants to make darn sure I know it.”

“That… That’s horrible!”

“Yes, it is! It is horrible!” Silverstream wearily assented. “I want so badly to write to Terry again, but I can’t. If I do, Mom’ll snatch up the letter and send me a thousand more, trying to tell me I can’t love you, or…something!”

“I doubt she’d be able to do that, Silver,” he argued. “A-And even if that is a risk, they’re your family.”

“Well, what do you want me to do, Gallus!?” she snapped, shoving her plate away from her. “I-I-I can’t— I don’t want to keep reading about how much she hates you!”

Confusion and horror swirled in his mind as Gallus asked, “Why does she hate me then? Your mom and I don’t know each other, so w-what gives!?”

“I already told you I don’t know!”

“But there has to be a reason, right!? Th-There…” Gallus put a talon to his chest, inhaling deeply before pushing it away as he exhaled slowly. “There must be some kind of reason why she would be so against us being together,” he reasoned tranquilly.

“I don’t care if there’s a reason she doesn’t like you!” Silver shrieked, voice cracking. “I-I don’t care if he— If she!” she corrected. “Says that I shouldn’t be with you! That— That we won’t work out together. Or that we’re not good for each other. O-Or that I… That I won’t be happy with you.”

Her slip-up hadn’t gone unnoticed, but Gallus decided against bringing up Gruff. Instead, he merely assuaged, “But we are good for each other. We are happy together.”

“Yeah, but for… For how…” Both unable and unwilling to finish that question, Silverstream whined weakly and struggled not to tear up.

“Silverstream…? Are you okay?” he slowly asked.

She grimaced, whispering, “No. No, I’m not.”

“O-Okay. What’s wrong? Is— Is it something else your mom said?”

“No. That’s not it, Gallus. I— I can’t— I don’t—” she uselessly stuttered. “I don’t know what— I just— Aghhh!” she groaned, resting her head in her talons.

“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t worry!” Gallus exclaimed, swiftly extending a wing around the table and laying it across her back as best as he could. “Take your time; I’m listening.”

After taking a few unsteady breaths, Silver sniffled, explaining, “I just want to be happy, Gallus. I don’t want to be angry. O-Or afraid. Or paranoid. Or— Or anything like that. B-But the more I think about it… The more I… I… I don’t want to be paranoid,” she repeated, choking back a sob.

“And that’s okay, Silver,” he comforted, unsure of where exactly this was coming from but having a good hunch. “You don’t have to be scared.”

“That’s just it, Gallus. I— I am,” Silver whimpered, dropping her talons back onto the table. “I am scared…”

“Of what?”

“I-I’m scared of… Of…”

“It’s okay, Silver,” he dulcified, reaching out to hold her talon as well only to stare in utter shock when she pulled hers back. Opting to ignore that for now, he said, “I’m here… Just tell me what’s wrong.”

“I… I’m…” Silver sniffled again, looking at him through glistening eyes. “We— We promised we wouldn’t lie about these things,” she reminded herself in an effort to work up her courage one last time. Before Gallus could reply, she confessed, “I-I’m scared of us.”

“You’re…scared of…us?” Upon receiving a trepid nod, Gallus swallowed nervously and speculated, “Is— Is this because your mom doesn’t like me?”

“N-No,” she denied, shaking her head fervently. “No, that’s not it.”

“Then what is it? Wh-Why would you be afraid of us being a couple too; we love each other!”

“Yes. Yes, we do.” Silver gulped, wondering, “But…? F-For how long?”

“How— ‘For how long’!?” he echoed, feeling his heart thrash wildly against his chest. “Silverstream, what do mean ‘for how long’!?”

Silver mouthed silently, struggling to say the next words until she eventually spat out, “What if this— What if this doesn’t work out?”

Praying with every fiber of his existence that she didn’t mean what he thought she did, Gallus tentatively asked, “You mean, what if we don’t work out?”

“…Yes.”

The quiet sounds of their fellow diners was the only thing intruding upon the grim silence that fell across their table.

Gallus took a breath and let it out shakily, realizing, “This isn’t just about your mom, is it? … He got in your head too, didn’t he?”

“So Ocellus did tell you?” Silverstream muttered, feeling her wings droop.

“Yes, and I’m very glad she did. Otherwise, I would be very confused right now,” he said, nervously stroking his headcrest. “What did Gruff tell you, Silver?”

“Does that matter?”

“Yes, it matters!” he snapped, remaining as calm as he could. “You just asked what would happen if we broke up. Don’t tell me you would have asked me that if he hadn’t talked to you.”

Silverstream looked away ashamedly. “N-No. No, I wouldn’t have,” she agreed.

“Then tell me what he told you, Silver,” Gallus begged, reaching across the table again. Much to his relief, she didn’t jerk away this time and allowed him to hold her talon. “Please?”

Silver immediately held his talon back, hesitantly answering, “He asked if I was still paranoid.”

“But… You’re not. Y-You’re happy—We’re happy!” he emphasized, a weak smile tugging at his beak. “Right?”

Nodding apprehensively, she promised, “Yes. I am happy, Gallus. I’m so happy to be with you!”

“And I’m happy to be with you! So…? If we’re both happy, what’s the problem?”

“We’re— We’re happy now, yes,” she stressed. “But will we still be happy forty years from now?” Silver wondered, shooting him a knowing look.

Still holding her talon, Gallus leaned back in his chair. “O-Oh. He told you about my…”

“‘Future plans’? Yes. … Is that what really took you so long to take me out again? All this time, you’ve been thinking about…?” She couldn’t finish the question.

“You, uh, you make it sound like that’s a bad thing,” he said in a cracked voice.

“It’s not. Gallus, any other time, I’d be jumping into your talons and hugging you harder than even Yona,” Silverstream declared, running a talon through her mane in a futile attempt to calm herself. “But— But I— Gallus, how far along are these ‘plans’ of yours!?” she screeched.

“Just two dates: The aquarium and Las Pegasus,” he explained. “I didn’t want to plan any other dates without you.”

“I didn’t ask about the dates, Gallus.”

Gallus sighed. “Complete honesty? I got a little over a thousand Bits saved up. And, um? Smolder… Smolder gave me a ring,” he revealed, swallowing anxiously.

“A ring!? Smolder gave you a— Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed, struggling not to hyperventilate.

“If it makes you feel any better, I wasn’t anywhere near ready to give it to you.”

“No, Gallus, that doesn’t make feel better!” Silver mewled, trying and failing to maintain her composure. “Do— Do you have any idea how unbelievably sweet it is that you were thinking about that? That you were considering a long-term relationship with me?”

“If it’s so sweet of me, why are you so upset?” Gallus asked, giving her talon a soft squeeze that she reciprocated. “I-I don’t understand. Are you mad? Happy? Scared? What!?”

“Gallus, I’m not mad, I—” Silver’s voice gave out for a second. Upon recovering it, she confessed, “I love you, Gallus. I love you. And— And when I’m with you, I feel like the happiest creature in the world!” she announced with a smile.

“And I feel the same way about you!” Gallus promised happily.

Silverstream shook her head sadly. “No, you don’t, Gallus. Because I’m not just happy. I’m scared too,” she elaborated, crying openly.

“Because of what Gruff said to you?”

“He didn’t say anything to me, Gallus. All he did was—”

“Ask if you were paranoid,” he interrupted. “Which you weren’t until after he talked to you.”

“And what if I have been scared all this time?” she proposed, brushing a strand of mane out of her eye. “And I only thought I wasn’t?”

“Oh, so that’s what he said to you, huh?” Gallus growled, furious. “Silver, you were not paranoid. He just put that thought in your head because he was screwing with you.”

“Even if that is the case, he was still right!” Silver shouted, pausing to double-check that nopony else had heard her. Once she affirmed that was the case, she finished, “Gallus, I am scared.”

“You don’t have to be,” he swore, never taking his eyes off of her. “Silverstream, nothing is wrong. We’re happy.”

“And how long is that going to last? H-How long before Sombra comes back? Or— Or Cozy and the others break free? Or my own mother tries to screw with you too?” she suggested fearfully.

“Sombra is dead, Silverstream,” Gallus countered. “And the others may as well be too. And— And your mom isn’t some crazy super-villain.”

“That’s not the point, Gallus,” Silver rebuked, beak quivering. “The point is I’m not— I’m not Princess Twilight. I-I can’t just give a cool friendship speech and fix all the world’s problems. I can’t— I can’t even fix yours half the time,” she lamented.

“I’m not asking you to; I never have asked you to!”

“You literally called me the ‘solution to all of your problems’ once!”

“As a joke!”

“You still said it!”

“Well, I don’t care! Silver, I— I don’t want you t-to be Princess Twilight or some glorified personal therapist!” Gallus yelled, blinking away his own panicked tears. “I just want you to be you!”

“And I just want you to be happy.” Silverstream’s response resulted in a short stretch of silence until she added, “I will always want to help you be happy.”

“And I’ll always want you to be happy too,” he whimpered.

“No, Gallus…” Silver hung her head, saying. “I’m still worried about you. I’m not sure I ever stopped worrying about you. And I know it’s okay to worry for my friends, but this isn’t healthy!”

“Of course it isn’t healthy!” he concurred, voice cracking. “But you don’t need to worry, Silver; I’m okay!”

“I know! I know that,” she avowed, breathing heavily. “But I’m scared anyway.”

“W-Why?”

“Because I love you, Gallus,” Silverstream cried. “I love you so much, and… And all I want is to keep seeing you smile and be happy,” she said, tenderly holding his cheek in her other talon. “And I will do everything I can to help you be happy, first and foremost.”

She then retracted her talon and focused her gaze on the one Gallus still held. “But I can’t do that forever,” she admitted to both him and herself. “I just can’t. I can’t live, constantly being afraid you’ll be upset again and running myself ragged making sure you’re not.”

“I don’t want you to do that either!” Gallus shrieked, disgusted with the mere suggestion. “I don’t want to be happy ‘first’; I want us to be happy together! Can’t— Can’t we be that?” he timidly inquired.

“We could,” she supposed, nodding. “But how long will it be before I do stop feeling scared? I-I don’t want to be scared anymore, Gallus.”

“And that’s okay,” he said, now holding her talon in both of his. “I don’t want you to be scared either. You deserve to be happy.”

“Yeah… Yeah, I do.” Silverstream let out a quiet sob, saying, “We both deserve to be happy. B-But I can’t be happy if I’m scared all the time.”

“But—”

“Gallus…?”

“Yes?”

“Please… I love you,” Silver promised one final time, smiling warmly. Her smile quickly faded away as she continued, “But I can’t live a life where I’m just scared and paranoid all the time. I already did that once in Seaquestria. I— I can’t do it again.”

“But you wouldn’t have to!” Gallus protested desperately. “Silverstream, I… I…”

He fell silent when Silverstream carefully pulled her talon back toward her. “I-I’m sorry, Gallus. I’m so sorry!” she wailed, hiding her face in her talons as she began sobbing quietly.

Time slowed to a crawl as Gallus slouched back against his chair, fixing his horrified gaze upon the table and doing his best not to vomit.

Eventually, Silver’s cries abated somewhat, so she began drying her eyes with her napkins, repeating, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I-I’m just so sorry!”

After a moment, Gallus tonelessly questioned, “Do… Do you really mean all of that?”

Silver’s subsequent snivel was all the answer he needed.

Gallus wiped his own tears away, letting out a pained whine as he requested, “Silverstream? Please— Please look at me.”

It took a moment, but Silver soon worked up the strength to do so. “Y-Yes?”

“You…? You were there for me when I needed you most,” he began. “You helped me through so, so much! I’m not gonna— I’m not gonna pretend like you didn’t help me or that I don’t appreciate it. I’m always going to be grateful for that,” Gallus stated resolutely.

Silverstream winced, but she perked up again when he added, “But, Silver? I don’t love you because you helped me through all of that.”

“Y-You don’t?” she asked, completely caught off-guard.

“No! No, I love you because—” Gallus struggled to find the words for a second before he laughed weakly. “I-I love you because you geek out over plumbing pamphlets,” he said, causing Silver to blink in surprise. “Because your favorite part of baking is watching the oven cook. B-Because you burst out into song during Drama Club recitals just because you want to.”

“I-I… I can’t help it,” she squeaked, feeling a faint blush rise to her cheeks. “Singing is just so much fun. And so is watching the brownies bake.”

“And that’s what makes you so amazing, Silver,” he continued joyfully. “This world has so many wonderful things about it. A-And you try to find them all, no matter how big or small they may be.”

“Sure, you’re not all sunshine and rainbows,” he recognized, avoiding her gaze as he said it. “But that’s okay; no one is always happy.”

“Even fear and loneliness have to be expressed sometimes,” Silver mumbled, hanging her head regretfully. She then felt his talon gently pull her gaze back up.

“Yeah… But you?” Gallus smiled. “Sure, you don’t like feeling afraid or sad, but you’re never ashamed to feel those things. And that’s what I love most about you, Silverstream,” he elaborated, crying freely himself. “You love who you are, and you love the world around you. And call it ‘cheesy’? But I think that’s beautiful,” Gallus ended serenely.

“Gallus, I— I’m sorry,” Silver wept. “I-I shouldn’t have said anything; I should have just—”

“Don’t apologize. It’s okay, Silver…”

“No, it’s not okay!”

“I know it’s not okay!” Gallus paused to dry his eyes once again, taking a deep breath afterward. “Silverstream? I love you. I want to be with you. I’m so happy whenever I’m with you!”

“Gallus—”

“No, I… I need to say this,” he fervently insisted.

“…Okay,” she said, nodding. “I’m listening.”

“Thank you. Look? I want to be with you,” he repeated. “But I want you to be happy, Silver. You deserve all the happiness in the world. So, if you can’t be happy when you’re with me…? Then I won’t ask you to be,” Gallus concluded, looking hurt beyond measure.

“W-What?” she gasped. “You— You can’t mean that!”

“I… I do. Don’t get me wrong, I hate this!” he snarled, lashing his tail. “I wish you weren’t scared, but…? But I would rather be alone than ask you to be with me, if it meant you wouldn’t be happy.”

Silverstream stared at him for a moment before letting out a humorless chuckle. “I hate this too. I love you, Gallus. I-I love the way you smile w-when you’re reading,” she praised, eliciting a shy grin out of the griffon. “How— How you always blush whenever we snuggle. I… I even really love that thing you do with your headcrest,” she said, rubbing her reddened eyes.

“Huh? You mean this?” he asked, combing the aforementioned feathers.

“Yes! That! I don’t know why, but I find that so adorable,” she admitted shamelessly.

Gallus slowly smirked and did it again.

“Oh no. No, that’s cheating,” she squealed, giggling nonetheless.

“Don’t care. I am going to absolutely abuse this newfound power, and you can’t stop me,” he laughed, stroking the feathers one more time.

“No, please! Have mercy,” Silver implored, reaching out and taking his talon into hers.

“Fine,” he reluctantly conceded.

They both simply snickered.

Once their laughter subsided, Silver glanced at her talon and found it still held onto his. She then turned back to him, whimpering, “It’s… It’s not fair, Gallus.”

“No. No, it isn’t,” he concurred, forcing a tired smile. “But it’s okay, Silver. You deserve to be happy, and if you can’t be that with me then—”

“But we both deserve to be happy!”

“A-And we can be! We’ll just— W-W-We’ll just be happy by ourselves,” he proclaimed, ignoring the twitching in his eye. “If we can save Equestria twice, we can totally do that. Besides, it— It’s better than being paranoid all the time, right?” he supposed, trying to convince himself more than her.

“I don’t want to be paranoid,” she agreed, causing his heart to sink even lower. “But I don’t want to be happy by myself either; I want to be happy with you.”

“And I don’t want you to hurt yourself for me,” Gallus adamantly affirmed. “So, if you can’t be happy with me without being afraid all the time…?” He sighed regretfully.

Trying not to break down again, Silverstream returned her sights to their talons. And the longer she stared at them, the more certain she was she didn’t want him to let go. She then looked back at Gallus, horrified by the forlorn grimace that had overtaken the bright smile she loved so dearly.

Silverstream gave his talon a firm squeeze, prompting him to look up and meet her gaze. And though his eyes still glistened faintly, there was not a hint of fear or anger in them. Only sorrow.

Sickened by that fact, Silver protested, “This isn’t right.”

“Neither is being afraid and pretending you’re not,” Gallus replied resignedly. “I don’t want you to do that. Our friends wouldn’t either. So…” His grip loosened, but Silverstream just tightened her own before he could even try pulling away.

“No,” was all she said.

“Silverstream, I—”

“No.” Silver closed her eyes, taking a slow, steady breath. “I… I don’t like being afraid. O-Or angry, or sad.”

“I don’t like that you feel that way either.”

“But it is okay that I feel those things,” she accepted, letting out a small sigh as she opened her eyes again. “Even if I hate being afraid, it’s not something I need to bottle up or be ashamed of.”

“No, it is not,” he agreed somberly. “I would never say otherwise.”

“I know you wouldn’t.”

“Yeah. But if… If you really are paranoid again…?”

“Then that’s wrong.”

“Silver—”

“No, Gallus. Fear is…” Silver blinked and quietly cursed, “Oh sea kelp, how did it go again? … Ooh! That’s right!” She cleared her throat, ignoring his confusion, and quoted, “‘Fear is necessary for courage. But too little invokes hubris, and too much reaps cowardice.’”

“…What?”

“It’s something Yona told me,” she explained, waving her talon dismissively. “But the point is… Gallus? I’m scared,” Silver reiterated, frowning sadly when he flinched. “I’m scared of the future. I’m scared Mom doesn’t think we could be happy together. I’m scared she could be right…”

“But I am not scared of you,” Silverstream promised, a determined sparkle in her eye. “I’m not scared of being with you. I love you! And more importantly? I believe you.”

“You believe me…?” he echoed, cocking an eyebrow. “About what?”

“What you said earlier. How… How we can be happy together.”

A hopeful smile briefly graced his beak before vanishing instantly as Gallus worriedly argued, “N-No! Not if it means you’re scared all the time! I won’t ask you to be with me if you—”

“Gallus, we both deserve to be happy!” she asserted. “Not just me. Not just you. Both of us. No more worries. No more paranoia. I just want us to be happy.”

“I want you to be happy too, Silverstream.”

“And you want to be happy yourself too, right?”

“…Yeah. I do. But—”

“No ‘buts.’”

“Silver, if you’re not happy with—”

“Gallus,” she interrupted one last time. Once he had closed his beak, Silverstream gave him an oddly peaceful smile. “I love you, Gallus. I’m happiest when I’m with you,” she stated decisively.

“And I love you too, Silver,” he said, smiling through his tears once again. “Grover’s Treasure, I want to be with you so much! But I can’t— But I won’t ask you to be with me if it means you’ll be paranoid all the time,” Gallus concluded, resolute.

“You won’t have to,” she assuaged, clenching his talon reassuringly. “I love you, and nothing will ever change that. Not— Not my mother. Not Gruff. And certainly not my stupid paranoia!”

“Don’t say that, Silverstream; you can’t bottle up your feelings!” he rebuked, panicking.

“I’m not,” she said simply. “I won’t pretend I’m not scared. But I refuse to be paranoid any longer!” Silverstream declared, her heart and resolve both unfaltering. “I love you. I’m happy with you. I want to be with you. And I am through letting my fear overshadow that.”

Silver then took several deep, calming breaths as if she were preparing for something. “So, with all that said…? No more cowardice, right?” she ended, smiling optimistically.

“Silver, you’re not a cow—”

Silverstream leaned forward and planted her beak against his, silencing him instantly. And although Gallus was shocked at first, his eyes slowly fluttered closed, and he joyfully kissed her back.

…

They both then broke away, each giving the other a serene smile. Silver then squirmed in her seat, blushing furiously as she exclaimed, “W-Wow!”

“Yeah!” Gallus blurted out, unable to stop smiling. “Full disclosure though? That was my first ever kiss. So, uh? I’m not sure if I did it right.”

“Don’t worry, that was my first kiss too,” she said, giving her wings a tiny flap. “I have no idea if I did it right either.”

“Well, I certainly think you did.”

“Likewise.”

“Heh-heh. So…? W-What did you think of it?” he asked shyly.

“Admittedly, I didn’t expect to get a whiff of cheese and beet soup,” she chuckled, making him blush just a little more. “But who cares? It was amazing! … Er? How did I do?”

“Amazing, duh,” he answered, eliciting an elated smile. “I’m just glad our beaks didn’t get in the way of it.”

“Oops! Hee-hee,” she tittered. “I didn’t think of that.”

“Doesn’t matter now. It worked. We kissed,” Gallus acknowledged, not ashamed in the slightest that his tail was wagging.

“Yeah, we did,” Silverstream whispered, merrily playing with her mane. “…I kinda want to do it again,” she admitted bashfully.

“Really!?”

“Really!”

“O-Okay. Uh, on three then?”

“On three!”

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

Gallus and Silverstream both kissed each other again. After breaking away, Silver collapsed into a fit of ecstatic giggles while Gallus merely watched her with a blissful smile.

Eventually, however, Silver quieted down and sighed contently. “So…? What now?” she questioned, her smile drooping slightly yet not fading entirely.

“You’re asking me?” Gallus wondered, laughing feebly. “We just went from talking about your mom, to breaking up; to kissing. Frankly, I have absolutely no idea what’s going on right now,” he said, shrugging. “Not to say I didn’t like that last part.”

“That was definitely the best of the three. … Wanna kiss again?”

“We just did it twice.”

“Yeah, well…? Third time’s the charm,” Silver cooed, batting her eyelashes mischievously.

Gallus had to fight to keep his wings from unfolding, but after winning that battle, he concurred, “I guess it is hard to argue with that logic, huh?”

“On three again?”

“On three again.”

“Okay, okay, okay!” she chanted, bouncing in her chair energetically. “One!”

“Two!”

“Three!”

Silverstream practically lunged forward in her zeal to kiss him, but it unfortunately resulted in both of them letting out a quiet, “Ow!” as they recoiled, rubbing their sore beaks.

“See? That’s what I was talking about,” Gallus said, snickering faintly.

“I sorta figured that out,” Silver chuckled. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. At least now we know for next time.”

“On that note, I demand a do-over!”

“If it’s a do-over you want, then it’s a do-over you shall receive,” he proclaimed, just as eager as she was. “But, uh? Let’s try taking it a little slower this time?”

“Ooh, that’s gonna be hard,” she grumbled teasingly. “But I think I can manage.”

“Okay then. Shall we?”

“Yes!”

They both carefully leaned forward, kissing one last time. It lasted for nearly a full minute before Silver broke away, squeeing, “Oh my gosh! That is so much fun!”

“It is. It really is,” Gallus agreed, resting his head in his talon as he smiled at her dreamily.

“I know! And we’re both new to kissing too!” she gasped, struggling to keep her own wings down as well. “Can you imagine how much more fun it’s going to be when we really get good at it?”

“Oh… Oh boy,” he yelped, trying and failing to hide the crimson flooding his cheeks. “Th-That’s gonna be a whole different ballpark of awesome.”

“Yes. Yes, it will,” Silver chirped. “And it is an absolute travesty we have to wait and practice before we can experience it. A travesty, I say!” she declared dramatically.

“Agreed.”

…

“But seriously though,” Gallus resumed anxiously. “What do we do now?”

After some intense contemplation, Silverstream gave him a bright smile and answered, “I have no idea.”

He snorted. “Yeah, neither do I.”

“Well,” she began, twiddling her talons. “Are you okay?”

“I think so. You?”

“After all those kisses, I’m pretty sure I now know what Professor Pinkie Pie feels like all the time.”

“You didn’t already?”

“I hadn’t kissed you until now, silly! Duh!”

“Ha-ha-ha-hahhh! I suppose that makes sense.”

Silver giggled.

…

“Does this mean we’re still together?” Gallus asked, frowning in anticipation.

Silverstream held out her talon to him, and he swiftly took hold of it. “I want to be with you, Gallus,” she said in a soft voice. “I’m always happy when I am.”

“And I’m always happy when I’m with you.”

“Thank you.” Silver paused, looking away nervously before continuing, “I… I am still a little scared. But I meant what I said. I won’t let that stop me from loving you,” she reaffirmed even more strongly than before.

“What if… What if you never stop being afraid?”

“Then…? I’ll let you know,” she promised. Silverstream then grinned, pledging, “And we’ll work through it together. I mean? We kinda just did work through it, so…? Yeah.”

Gallus smiled slightly, asking, “You really mean that?”

“Hey, I still remember Cadence’s first letter. Communication!” she sang, tittering as she waved her talons in an arc. “I promise I won’t hide my feelings, Gallus. You promise that too, right?”

“Always,” he assured with a firm nod.

Silverstream let out a quiet sigh of relief and gave him a serene smile.

…

“So,” Gallus began again. “What do you want to do now?”

“Kiss you again!” Silverstream immediately cheered, unable to stop her wings from flaring.

“I meant about the restaurant,” he clarified, chuckling as she rapidly retracted her wings. “I mean, you can absolutely kiss me again if you want to, but—”

Silver did just that and pulled away before he could react.

“Hey!” he yelped.

“Whaaat?” she asked innocently. “You said I could.”

“Yeah, I know. Just make sure to give me a chance to actually kiss you back next time,” he requested, only making her laugh harder. “I’m being serious, you know.”

“Hee-hee, I know. It was lot better when you kissed me back anyway,” Silver said jubilantly. “As for the restaurant?” She thought it over, saying, “Honestly? I’m not hungry anymore.”

“Not even for more kisses? Awww,” he whined in mock-disappointment.

“Oh, I can totally have more of those if you’re offering.”

“How about after we decide what we want to do next?” Gallus said, trying not to giggle at how adorable her subsequent pout was. “Now, you really aren’t hungry anymore, right?”

“Not really,” she confirmed, shooting her remaining salad an uncomfortable look. “I think I’ve had enough for tonight. … Both in terms of food and emotional turmoil,” she deadpanned.

“Same. You want skip dessert then?”

“Ehhh, yeah,” Silver begrudgingly decided. “While I would love to try their sundaes, I don’t think I want that on my stomach right now. A little too busy dealing with the butterflies.”

“Understood. I guess we’ll just call over Mr. Fare and get the bill,” Gallus said, looking around for the waiter in question. “Where is he anyway?”

“I was wondering about that too,” Silverstream said, searching for him as well. “Even if I am thrilled he didn’t show up while we were, er, ‘talking’? I really expected him to.”

“At least he didn’t.”

“Thank goodness,” she said, smiling just a little wider.

“Yeah. Oh, found him,” he announced, waving at the stallion. “Annnd? Yep. Here he comes now.”

“Let me guess? Ocellus was keeping him at bay?”

“Surprisingly, no. Looks like he was just busy with waiting other tables,” he clarified, much to her surprise. “As for Ocellus…? Huh. I don’t see her anywhere actually.”

“Maybe she went to the bathroom?” Silver suggested.

“Probably.”

Savoir Fare then came to a stop at their table, looking a little winded but professional nonetheless. “Ah, yes! Terribly sorry about that wait, sir, madam,” he apologized, nodding to each of them. “Has everything been going well for you tonight?”

After sharing a tired grin with Silver, Gallus answered, “Yeah, I’d say so. You?”

“All is well with me. Can’t say the same for the night crew since they’re still not here yet for some reason,” he grumbled beneath his breath. “But in any case, how may I be of service to you?”

“We were just hoping to get the bill,” he explained. “Neither of us are up for dessert tonight.”

“No? Alas, our strawberry shortcake is quite sublime.”

“Strawberry shortcake?” Silver echoed, perking up excitedly.

Gallus deadpanned at her. “Silver…”

“What?”

“Butterflies,” he said smartly.

“Awww! But strawberry shortcake, Gallus!” she bemoaned longingly.

“Hmm? Ooh! Compromise! Could we get one serving of strawberry shortcake to go?” Gallus requested, savoring Silver’s elated cheer. “And then could we have the bill?”

“Understood,” Savoir Fare said, nodding. “I shall return momentarily.”

“Gotcha.” After the stallion departed, Gallus withdrew a pouch from his pocket and turned to Silver, saying, “So? Strawberry shortcake, huh?”

“You have no right to judge me, Mr. Orange Sherbet,” she said, smirking.

“Fair enough,” he laughed, extracting some Bits from his bag.

After eyeing just how many Bits Gallus took out, Silver mumbled, “Gallus…?”

“Are you about to offer to pay for the meal again?” he guessed, raising an eyebrow.

“No, I know you want to do it,” she accepted peacefully. “But can I at least pay the tip? Pleeeaaase!”

Gallus sighed, smiling exasperatedly. “Okay, fine. You can pay the tip if you want.”

“Yay!” She then pulled out her coin purse and dumped most of its contents onto the table. As she began divvying them up properly, Gallus bluntly acknowledged, “That’s a lot of Bits.”

“Considering he didn’t interrupt us while we ate, I figured I’d make my thanks known,” she explained.

“Heh. You are just the best, you know that?” he complimented.

“We both are,” Silverstream said, winking.

Gallus winked back.

About a minute later, Savoir Fare returned to give them both the bill and Silver’s cake box. He then almost broke down into tears of joy when he saw how huge a tip she had given him.

Once he recollected himself, Savoir accepted the Bits Gallus passed him for the bill, thanking them once again for both the tip and for dining there. But especially for the tip.

And so it was that Gallus and Silverstream rose from their table and trotted back to the front of the restaurant, wishing the receptionist mare a goodnight as well…

“Ughhh,” Gallus groaned, exhausted. “I don’t know about you, but I am ready to call it a night.”

“Me too,” Silverstream agreed, cozying up to his side as they trotted toward the door. “I can’t wait to get out of this dress and into my pajamas, and then just sleeeeep,” she whined.

“Same,” he yawned, opening the door and stepping out into the crisp night air.

“DEATH TO ALL WHO OPPOSE BLUEBERRY PANCAKES!” roared the voice of the flaming alicorn above.

“WE DECLARE HERESY!” the opposing alicorn screamed, causing visible ripples in the air with how loudly she did so. “CHOCOLATE CHIP IS SUPERIOR! SUPERIOR, WE SAY!”

“Yeah! Bow to the majesty of the Chocolate Chip Kingdom!” Lighthoof shouted, donned in makeshift Lunar Guard armor. She then threw a massive pie at the furious fiery figure above.

She gasped and ducked under it, screeching, “THOU DAREST AIM TO STRIKE ME!? FOR THINE CRIME, THINE PENALTY SHALL BE MOST SEVERE! TAAAAAKE AAAAAIM!”

“Down with your chocolaty lies!” End Zone bellowed, doing the best he could to match his leader’s Royal Canterlot Voice. “Surrender to the Blueberry Empire!” He then released a catapult, flinging a veritable mountain of blueberry jam at the opposing side.

Luckily, it missed its mark and landed squarely in the face of the Ursa Minor that, quite frankly, looked like it had absolutely no idea what was going on or how it got there. Unluckily, it didn’t take too kindly to being splattered with gunk and instantly rounded on the opposing armies, roaring loudly.

“NIECE! WE DESIRE THINE ASSISTANCE!” both Ex-Princesses screeched.

“AND ASSISTANCE THOU SHALT RECEIVE!” Cadence hollered, descending from the heavens and mounting herself upon the Ursa Minor’s back. It reared up and roared once again, but its rider’s voice rang louder, “RIDE, MY NEWEST STEED! RIDE INTO THE WIND! HYAAH!”

The Ursa Minor then slammed back onto all-fours and charged into the heart of the burning village beyond, plowing its way through the terrified masses that had gathered.

Gallus and Silverstream both looked at each other with the same baffled expression.

“W-Well? I, uh, didn’t expect this,” he mumbled, blinking rapidly as he still wasn’t sure what he was currently witnessing.

“Nope,” she said, shaking her head slowly. “I did not expect this either. … Looks like fun though,” Silver remarked, smiling expectantly.

“True. But we’re both still in our clothes,” Gallus mentioned, straightening his bow tie. “Yona would kill us if we got ‘em dirty.”

“Also true. But come on,” she pleaded impishly. “I think the Chocolate Chip Kingdom could use some back-up.”

“Really? I was thinking of helping the Blueberry Empire.”

“Oh, were you now?”

“Yes, I—” Gallus blinked at the devious smile she was giving him. He then smirked back.

Sadly, before either of them could pick a side, Pinkie Pie and Shimmy Shake burst out of the ground, riding ginormous party howitzers.

“For the glory of the Chocolate Chip Kingdom!”

“Down with the Blueberry Empire!”

They both then pulled the strings attached to their respective cannons, unleashing a barrage of chocolate syrup into the air to rain down upon the battlefield.

Someone screaming, “WHY MEEE!?” was the only warning they got before a glob of the stuff landed right in front of the restaurant. Thankfully, it was all the warning Gallus needed, and he quickly shielded both of them with his wings.

After shaking the appendages dry of chocolate droplets, he folded them back to his side and checked over Silver, ensuring she was untouched and breathing a sigh of relief upon discovering she wasn’t.

Silver then smiled gratefully and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek, giggling when he blushed and kissed her back.

They both then jumped in surprise when a figure erupted from the chocolate mass and stumbled forward, collapsing a few steps away from them. It then wiped the goop from its face, revealing itself to be an extremely distraught Vellum Codex.

Both parties blinked at each other until Vellum reached out a hoof, grimacing in sheer terror as he shrieked, “SAVE YOURSELVES!”

Before either could say anything further, he was buried under another wave of chocolate and blueberry, courtesy of the madly cackling green pegasus hovering over him. Patty then spotted the couple, gasped, and smiled wickedly.

“Oh peck!”

“Oh sea kelp!”

Patty then inhaled deeply, preparing to announce their presence; however, before she could, a shadow pounced her and pinned her to the ground, holding a talon over her muzzle.

“Hey,” Grandpa Gruff greeted as casual as could be, covered from head-to-paw in burns, bruises, and batter. Somehow, in spite of all of this, he still sported his awesome fez. “Your date goin’ well?”

“No thanks to you!” Gallus snarled, holding a protective wing around Silverstream.

“Yeah, Ah know,” he wheezed, grimacing apologetically. “Really poor timin’ on mah part.”

“You’re a jerk!” Silver cried out, glaring even more harshly than Gallus.

“Ah know that too.” Gruff struggled to keep Patty down for a moment before assuring, “Don’t worry, Ah plan on skedaddlin’ back to Griffonstone before this lot realizes they didn’t do me in yet.”

“Don’t go too far,” Gallus requested coldly. “I fully intend to yell at you. A LOT!”

“That makes two of us,” Silverstream concurred.

“Got it,” he said, nodding nervously. “But that’ll have to wait. Right now, ya both might wanna follow that theater kid’s advice and get outta here. Ah don’t know what that statue thing was, but it exploded. And whatever the peck was in it is now—”

Gruff’s warning was cut short when Patty kicked him in a rather tender spot and shoved his cringing form off of her. Once she had risen to her hooves, she kicked him again while he was down.

“Cheap shot! Cheap shot!” he whimpered, curling into a ball of pain, misery, and regret. “Ah demand compensation!”

“No, you deserved that! … Creepy, old fart,” Patty grumbled, kicking him once more for good measure, much to both Gallus and Silver’s immense satisfaction. Their smiles then fell the moment she turned and faced them.

“You’re not gonna…?” Gallus murmured, leaning back from her sinister smile.

“I’m gonna!” Patty proclaimed manically.

“Oh, please don’t,” Silver begged.

“Sorry!” She then inhaled once again and announced, “EVERCREATURE! THEY’RE HERE!”

Instantly, all warring factions locked gazes onto the couple.

“Back exit?” Gallus asked quickly.

“Back exit,” Silver agreed, nodding ardently.

“TRUCE, SISTER!?”

“TRUCE!”

“EVERYCREATURE! CHARGE!” both alicorns declared.

Before either of them could react, Starlight appeared before them in a turquoise flash. She then swung her horn downward, erecting a giant blue barrier between them and the oncoming armies.

“RUUUUUN!” she commanded her students, flinching as the collective forces of the Blueberry Empire and Chocolate Chip Kingdom hammered against her shield.

“Understood! C’mon, milady!” Gallus beckoned, grabbing her talon and pulling her along.

“I’m coming, sweetie!” Silverstream giggled, racing alongside him.

***

Five minutes later, the pair found themselves coming to a stop on one of the only few hills that wasn’t currently on fire or flooded with sugary confections.

“Okay,” Gallus panted, still holding her talon. “I think we lost ‘em.”

“I certainly hope so,” she moaned, struggling to catch her breath. “This dress is hard to run in.”

“Gotta let Yona know about that for your next dress,” he said, gasping for air. “Get her to— Get her to make it good for both wearing out to dinner and running away from crowds,” he panted.

“Heh-heh-heh. My ‘next dress,’ huh?” she asked, sidling up to his side and giving him a happy nuzzle. “And here I thought I looked like an angel in this one.”

“Of course you do. You look like an angel all the time, with or without the dress.” Gallus then smirked, nuzzling her back as he added, “That doesn’t mean you don’t look even more beautiful in one though.”

She laughed blissfully. As they slowly crested the hill, Silver blinked and recognized, “Hey, check it out! Isn’t that Saddle Lake?”

“I think it is,” Gallus said upon catching sight of it. “Geez, we haven’t been here in ages.”

“Not since our first day of school,” she corrected, clearly regretting that. Silver then gasped and suggested, “We should all come out here and have a lake party when it gets warmer. What’d ya think?”

“Definitely,” he agreed. “I think we could all do with a lake party after the crazy night we’ve had.”

“Worst part is it’s probably only going to get crazier from here…” she muttered warily.

“And the best part is that no matter how crazy it gets, we’ll always have each other,” Gallus consoled, giving her a soothing smile as they approached the bank.

Silverstream met his gaze and happily grinned back. “I guess that’s worth the crazy, isn’t it?”

“I certainly think it is.”

“Hee-hee-hee,” she tittered, nuzzling him again. Silver then sighed, turning her gaze onto the lake and smiling in wonder at the full moon reflected within. She then frowned upon gazing at her own reflection and seeing how disheveled her mane had become.

“Ughhh! Stupid mane,” she griped, sitting down in the sand and working to undo the remnants of her braid.

“Here, let me,” Gallus said, sitting behind her and taking over, drawing out an elated blush from her cheeks. “Yona’s probably gonna throw a chair at us for getting sand in our clothes.”

“Not like she’d hit us with her aim,” she joked, rolling her eyes.

“Doth mine ears deceiveth me? Did thou, Fair Silverstream, indeed just insulteth thine friend and dressmaker?”

“T’was not an insult, Sir Gallus. T’was only truth.”

They both snickered.

“There. I think I got it,” Gallus eventually announced, retracting his talons as her mane fell away into its usual condition. He then winced when she shook it loose, flicking him in the face.

Upon realizing this, Silverstream suppressed a laugh, apologizing, “Whoops! Sorry, Gallus.”

“No problem. Just give me a warning next time, please.”

“Alright, I will,” she promised, shifting so she was sitting beside him rather than in front. “Thank you for helping with that though; I should have known better than to let them convince me the braid was a good idea,” she pouted.

“You still looked nice in it.”

“I know, but I prefer keeping my mane free, thank you very much.”

“It does look cuter that way, not gonna lie,” Gallus confided.

“Still out-sweeting me, eh?” Silverstream questioned, snuggling up to him.

“What can I say?” he said, extending a wing around her and hugging her close. “I just love seeing you smile.”

“I love seeing you smile too.”

…

“Are you okay?” both of them asked simultaneously. After sharing a quick laugh, Gallus said, “But seriously, are you okay, Silverstream?”

“Yeah,” she answered truthfully. “Like I said? No more stress. No more worry. No more paranoia. I just want to be happy with you.”

“And I want to be happy with you,” Gallus said, gently caressing her cheek. “Will you be happy though?”

“Oh, Gallus,” she hummed, staring at him lovingly. “When I’m with you…? I’m the happiest hippogriff in the world.”

“Funny. Because when I’m with you, I’m the happiest griffon in the world,” he boasted, giving her cheek a soft kiss.

“OH! COME ON!”

Gallus and Silverstream both yelped, turning to the nearby bushes and the furious mare hiding in them. Said mare then blinked and face-hoofed upon realizing she had revealed herself. “Dang it!”

“Seriously, Scoop?” Gallus snarled, scowling at the mare.

“Don’t you ‘seriously’ me, griffon-boy,” she reprimanded, giving him the most overly dramatic frown she could. “Kiss her on the beak already! Go on! Do it! Dooo iiit! Dooooo iiiiit!” Scoop encouraged, a maniacal glint in her eye.

“You think we should tell her?” Silverstream asked dryly.

“It would drive her crazy,” Gallus said, considering the option.

“Tell. Me. What!?” Scoop growled, praying her suspicions were incorrect.

Thankfully, Gallus was spared the burden of answering; for at that precise moment, a circlet of fire consumed the bush Scoop had hidden within.

“Yipe!” she yelled, leaping from the bushes and racing along the bank.

“Get back here!” Smolder bellowed, flying after her.

“No! I want to see them kiss! I want to see them kiss! I want to see them kiiiiisssss!”

Before Scoop could get far, Ocellus teleported in front of her and shape-shifted into a bugbear, pile-driving her to the ground.

“Nooo! No-no-no! Get off of me!” Scoop screamed, kicking and thrashing under her captor.

“Thanks, girls!” Silverstream shouted, sharing a bemused grin with Gallus. “You need help?”

“No, you two stay over there; we got this crazy mare,” Smolder said, giving them a claws-up.

As if to prove her wrong, Scoop bucked herself free of Ocellus with a triumphant, “Yaghhh! Ha-hahahaha-haaa!” the mare cackled, sprinting toward the couple only to get tackled back to the ground by Smolder. “Augh, not again! Let me go!”

“No,” Smolder bluntly denied. She then grunted when Scoop lurched forward, clawing her way closer to Gallus and Silverstream. “Agh! Ocellus! Little help! Now!”

“Hold on, I’m coming,” she said, returning to her changeling form as she quickly caught up to the dragon and mare.

“No! No! No! No! No!” Scoop shrieked, desperately struggling to escape Smolder’s grasp.

“Oh, would you just zip it already!?” Smolder barked, snorting a plume of flame. She then turned to Gallus and Silver, nodding as she assured, “Don’t worry, we got you!”

“Thank you again, Smolder,” Gallus said, waving. “We owe you one.”

“Yes! Yes, you do! Now keep having a good night, would ya!?”

“‘Night…’” Ocellus distractedly echoed, looking at moon above. She then gasped and urgently shouted, “Gallus! Open mic night! Open mic night!”

While Gallus blinked in understanding, Silver tilted her head in befuddlement.

“Ocellus, hurry! I don’t think I can keep her down much longer!” Smolder squealed, barely holding on to the frantically frenzying date-crasher.

“O-Oh, right! Sorry.” Ocellus coughed and lit her horn. “Teleporting in three!”

“No!” Scoop roared, watching in horror as another ring of fire surrounded the trio.

“Two!”

“No! Please! I need to see them kiss! I need to see them kiss!” Scoop wailed, bucking with all her might but to no avail. “Let me go!”

“One!”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—”

They vanished in a swirl of ethereal flames.

“—oooooooooooooooooooo!” Scoop’s final scream echoed from the depths of the Everfree Forest.

Gallus and Silverstream stared at each other for a moment before keeling over, howling in laughter.

“Oh my gosh!” Silver yelped, trying to catch her breath. “You called it. She said the thing you said she would say.”

“Yep. Yep, I noticed. Heh-heh-heh!”

“Yeah… Sooo?” she hummed, raising an eyebrow. “Mind explaining what Ocellus meant by ‘Open mic night’?”

Instead of answering, Gallus grinned and stood up, stepping closer to the lake. “You know? The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” he commented blissfully.

“Gallus?” Silver called out, swiftly following after him. “What did Ocellus mean by ‘Open mic night’?” she asked again.

“Oh, you know? That’s just her subtle, little way of suggesting you and I dance,” he elaborated, smiling serenely.

“Really?” she asked, nonplussed. “Huh. And here I thought she was trying to suggest we go to karaoke or something,” she said, chuckling as she shook her head in exasperation. “I mean, you don’t even know how to dance, do you?”

“…”

Silverstream’s wing fluttered excitedly as she mumbled, “Gallus, did you actually…?”

“Started taking lessons after we got back from Canterlot,” Gallus revealed, squawking when Silver grabbed him in a tight hug.

“EEEEE!” she squealed, jostling him slightly as she hopped in place. “You learned how to dance! You learned how to dance! You learned how to dance!”

“Yes, I did, yes,” he said, loving just how thrilled she was.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“You said it was one of your favorite things to do,” he explained, combing a talon through his headcrest and receiving a quiet giggle. “And I wanted it to be a surprise.”

Silverstream blushed, cooing, “Awww, thank you. So? Do you like dancing too?”

“Love the dancing. Hated the teaching,” he said, shuddering at the memory. “Sandbar’s a great dance partner, but Ms. Hoofer Steps absolutely loathes it when we look down.”

“Oooh, yeah… She really does, doesn’t she?” she tittered.

…

“Well? Shall we?” Gallus asked, offering a talon.

Silverstream just giggled ecstatically, quickly taking hold of his claw.

“Now, uh, just so you know? I only really know pony dances,” he warned as he carefully led her in a slow waltz. “Griffons don’t really dance, and I don’t know a single hippogriff dance, so…?”

“Hee-hee! That’s okay,” she said, glancing at her talons to make sure she wasn’t stepping on his. She then looked back up and added, “I can teach you some later if you want me to?”

“If it means I get to dance with you again? Peck yeah!”

“Language,” she playfully reprimanded.

“Heh-heh-heh. Sorry.”

A few minutes passed as they trotted to-and-fro under the beautiful moonlight, smiling serenely as they moved in perfect time with each other. Gallus then held his talon up, allowing Silver to do a little twirl he couldn’t help but find adorable.

After giggling again, Silver spoke up, “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah?”

“With all of the planning you did for our second date… How come dancing wasn’t on the schedule? Was it for spoiler reasons, or…?”

“Well, that. And I couldn’t figure out how to work it into the second date,” Gallus admitted sourly. “I almost did. But the event ended before we went out.”

“What event was it?”

“Did you notice the restaurant was really big? You know, like a ballroom?”

“You mean…? Oh, that is so cool! Okay, exorbitant prices or no, we are so going back again.”

“I think the next time they do it is Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“Yeah, but then everycreature is gonna go there,” she bemoaned. “It’ll be like the Royal Balls all over again.”

“And probably a little cramped too,” he noted, frowning at the thought of being surrounded by an army of other couples dancing alongside them.

“That too. Ooh! When’s the next time they do it?”

“Not sure. I only knew about the ones for Hearth’s Warming and Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“Oh. Wait, there’s one for Hearth’s Warming?”

“If you’re wondering if I planned to take you there for the holiday? Yes, I was,” he confirmed, nodding sorrowfully. “But then everything happened, so…”

“We could have gone on our second date as early as Hearth’s Warming!?” she screeched, eyes widening in shock. “Augh, darn it!”

“At least we’re on our second date now.”

“Yeah. Yeah, we are.”

Silver then raised her talon, allowing Gallus to do a twirl as well, chuckling as he did so. When he stopped, he draped his wing across her back and felt her do the same to his.

They spent another two minutes gracefully dancing along the sandy bank, never once looking away from the other’s eyes.

“Not gonna lie?” Gallus began nervously. “It’s a little weird not doing this to any music.”

“I could always sing a song if you want,” Silverstream offered excitedly. “What’s that one Pinkie Pie song you like?”

“Oh no. No, please don’t.”

“‘Cause I like to see you smile, smile; smile,’” she began melodiously.

Gallus just shook his head, snickering. Eventually, he smirked and quietly hummed, “‘Yes, I do…’”

Silverstream’s eyes sparkled giddily as she swiftly continued, “‘It fills my heart with sunshine all the while!’”

“‘Yes, it does,’” he added, letting her do another twirl.

“‘Cause all I really need’s a smile, smile; smile!’” Silver sang, beaming as radiantly as the sun.

“‘From these happy friends of mine!’” Gallus and Silver both sang the last part, smiling at each other. A split second later, they both broke down laughing.

“I really do love that song,” he soon confessed.

“Hee-hee! I do too.”

Grinning joyously, Gallus gave her a soft kiss on her beak that she eagerly returned.

Once they broke apart, Silverstream gently rested her neck against his, sighing, “This is nice.”

“Yeah. It really is,” he said, nuzzling her.

“Mmm,” she hummed appreciatively, nuzzling him back.

…

“Hey, Gallus?” Silverstream happily whispered.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” Gallus said serenely.

They then shared another kiss.

Author's Note

And at long last, Gallus and Silverstream finally have their second date. It wasn't as perfect as they would have liked, but, hey! They had fun, they're still together, and they danced! And that's good enough for them! :heart:
Although, I doubt Scoop and the Princesses will be particularly happy about missing Gallus and Silver's first true kiss. :pinkiecrazy:

Anywho, I've got some good news for ya'll! :pinkiehappy: Remember how I said this was gonna be the last chapter? Yeah, uh, no.

That was the original plan, with the epilogue being one massive 30k+ word chapter to be serve as the story's big finish. However, after getting some advice, I ultimately decided to go back on that plan and split what used to be the epilogue into two normal chapters.
And in case anyone missed it, I also changed last chapter's Author's Note to reflect this change(As well as left a comment).

Good news: This means you guys won't have to waste your days reading a 40k+ word long chapter; instead, it'll be two separate 20k+ chapters.

And even more good news: Since I did this, it means I'm gonna make a new, proper epilogue! :yay: Yep, you guys are getting an extra chapter that I didn't initially plan! Though it probably won't be nearly as long as the others. :raritydespair:

The only bad news is that I'm STILL not done with the latter half of what was the original epilogue. :facehoof: Thankfully, I do have the first chapter done and ready to go; the only part I still have to do is finish up two major scenes and then give the second chapter a quick once-over to make sure it's all good. After that, I just need to do the new epilogue.

Whelp. Looks like we're in the final stretch... Thank you again, everyone, for sticking with my story for this long. I'm really glad you've all enjoyed it so far. Here's hoping you liked this chapter as well, and you'll like the chapters to come!
As usual, all thoughts, comments, and criticisms are welcomed and appreciated.

Savoir Fare(Horte Cuisine) :

NEXT TIME: It's "Meet the Parents" time! March 1 - 3.

Chapter Fourteen: Family, Part One

The loud, shrilling whistle of the Friendship Express pierced the air as the locomotive slowly chugged back into motion. Within minutes, the clacking of the wheels echoed throughout the train once more while the landscapes beyond the windows passed by in blurs of color.

“Next stop: Mount Aris!” All Aboard declared as he passed through each of the cars. “Home to the proud hippogriffs of Hippogriffia! And the noble seaponies of Seaquestria!”

Once he had exited their particular train car, Silverstream jumped out of her seat and resumed her manic pacing. This continued for some time until Gallus softly called out, “Silver?”

“Yes, Gallus?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yep.”

“You sure now? You seem pretty nervous.”

“That’s because I am nervous,” she admitted. “Really, really nervous!”

“I see that,” Gallus remarked, maintaining a small smile. “But why are you nervous? You know everything is going to be fine.”

“Yeah, I know; I know,” she professed, continuing up and down the aisle. “It’s just…? Even though I know everything will be fine, I’m still worried.”

“About your mom?”

“Yes! Her, Dad, Terry, Skystar; Auntie Novo…!” Silver rapidly rambled off. “Oh sea kelp! If Auntie Novo does pay us a visit, I don’t know what I’m going to do!”

“I thought you said she was too busy this week?”

“That’s what she said, but she could still get all her work done early,” she fretted, sparing him a panicked frown. “What’ll we do if that happens and she stops by to meet you?”

Gallus hummed thoughtfully before answering, “You’ll introduce us? And then sit back and relax while I wow her with my roguish charm?”

“You are pretty charming,” Silverstream conceded, failing to conceal her smile. “Although, you are far more cute than you are roguish.”

“Guilty as charged.”

“Hee-hee, yeah. Now that I think about it? Auntie Novo probably will like you,” she said optimistically. Silver’s grin drooped again as she muttered, “My mother, on the other talon…?”

After a moment, he sighed determinedly, requesting. “Silverstream? Please come sit back down.”

“No…”

“Yes.”

“No!”

“Yes, Silver! Everything will be fine,” he promised. “You just need to relax a little.”

“It’s a little hard to relax considering where our next stop is,” she mumbled, combing a shaky talon through her mane.

“Fair point. But Mount Aris is still a few hours out; you should spend that time de-stressing.”

“Again! Little hard to do that right now.”

Gallus glanced briefly at their bags before giving Silver a sly smirk. “Well? I know one thing that’ll help you relax.”

“I swear, if you comb your talon through your headcrest…!”

“You’ll what? Blush adorably?” he guessed, waggling his eyebrows.

Although silent at first, Silverstream ultimately sighed and deadpanned, “You know me so well.”

“Yes, I do,” Gallus boasted, extending a wing invitingly. He then patted the seat next to him, saying, “Come on, milady. Come relax with your sweetie.”

Silverstream blushed vividly, but she still trotted back to their seat and sat beside him, feeling his wing drape across her comfortingly. “Okay, this is pretty nice,” Silver murmured as she nestled into his side.

Gallus gave her a quick kiss, asking, “Nicer than pacing back and forth for hours on end?”

“Definitely,” she chirped, kissing him back.

“Heh-heh.” He then withdrew her sketchbook from her bags and passed it to her, suggesting, “Here. Try drawing for a while; it’ll help get your mind off of things.”

“Drawing does sound fun,” Silver agreed, accepting the sketchbook. She spared it all of a glance before placing it aside and giving him a sultry smile. “But you know what sounds even better?”

“Oh? Better than sketching an empty train car?” he said, meeting her smirk with one of his own. “Milady, just what did you have in mind?”

“You know exactly what I have in mind,” she hummed, leaning closer until their beaks were barely an inch apart.

“Making out?”

“Yep.”

His smile widened. “Happy to oblige.”

After letting out one last giggle, Silver eagerly planted her beak against his. A moment later, she felt Gallus place a talon upon her cheek, softly caressing it as he continued embracing her. In response, her wings gave an elated flutter, and she wrapped both them and her talons around him, holding Gallus closer as she put even more fervor into her side of the kiss.

This continued for several minutes until they mutually broke apart, taking the chance to catch their breath.

“I am never going to get tired of this!” Silverstream declared, keeping her talons wrapped firmly around his shoulders. “Never!”

“It would be a shame if you did,” Gallus replied, brushing a loose strand of mane out of her face. “Especially after all the practice we’ve had.”

“Speaking of which? Don’t you dare think we’re done yet.”

“I didn’t think we were.”

“You still need to catch your breath?”

“Uh? Nah, I’m good. You?”

“Ohhh yeah,” Silver confirmed, nodding excitedly. “Now, come on, sweetie, hurry up and kiss me again!”

“Understood, milady,” Gallus said, proceeding to do just that.

***

A few hours later, the Friendship Express whistled one final time, slowing down before ultimately jostling to a stop.

As All Aboard went about announcing their arrival, Gallus peered through the windows and beheld the beautiful beaches of his girlfriend’s childhood home.

He then looked back and smiled at the hippogriff in question currently slumbering in his lap. After giving her another minute, Gallus gently nudged her, whispering, “Silver?”

She didn’t stir.

He nudged her again, saying, “Silverstream, wake up.”

“Mmm, five more minutes,” she groggily pleaded, burying herself deeper into his feathers.

“Don’t get me wrong, I like this too,” Gallus said, blushing faintly. “But the train’s got a schedule. And if we don’t get off soon, you’ll get an extra five hours by way of the return trip.”

“Ughhh!” she groaned, yawning and lifting her head up only to stare directly into his grinning face. Upon realizing what had happened, Silver flushed and whined, “Aww, dang it! I did it again?”

“And you say Yona’s a better pillow than me,” he teased, making her face burn even brighter.

“Yeah, yeah! Laugh it up,” she grumbled, crossing her talons in indignation. While he continued to chuckle heartily, she looked out the window herself and frowned. “So… We’re here.”

“Yes. Yes, we are,” he said, offering her his talon.

Silverstream happily took it, asking, “Are you ready?”

“I am if you are.”

“Well? I’m still a little worried,” Silver confessed, tightly clenching his talon. “But it’s okay. I know everything will be fine,” she said, smiling serenely. “Besides, you’re finally going to meet my family.”

“And we’re all going to get along and live happily ever after?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Sounds like a nice plan,” Gallus noted, giving her talon one more reassuring squeeze before grabbing both of their luggage. “Shall we?”

Silver sneaked him another kiss, exclaiming, “Let’s go!”

The couple then arose from their seats and exited onto the Mount Aris station…

While Gallus wished All Aboard farewell, Silverstream fluttered down onto the beach and inhaled deeply. “Ahhh,” she sighed, staring in awe at the far-off horizon. “Not gonna lie? I missed the smell of the ocean.”

Gallus trotted down the steps and onto the boardwalk, sniffing the air. “It’s certainly different than the smell of Ponyville, I’ll give you that.”

Silver tittered, unfurling her wings and relishing the relaxing breeze that washed over her. “Oh, I almost forgot how wonderful that wind feels,” she whispered contently. “It really is good to be back.”

Gallus merely watched her with a smile.

After spending another minute basking in the salty air, she turned around and flew back to his side, announcing, “Anywho, this is Basalt Beach.” Silverstream then pointed up toward the mountain, adding, “And that’s Mount Aris. Right up at the top will be Hippogriffia.”

“And I’m assuming down that way will be Seaquestria?” he inquired, suppressing a shiver at the sight of the shifting, sapphire waves.

“Mhmm. And I can’t wait to show you there; Seaquestria is sooo beautiful!”

“Not as beautiful as you, surely,” Gallus argued, giving her a warm nuzzle.

She nuzzled him back, saying, “Depends on who you ask. Ask my dad, he’ll say me. Ask my brother, he’ll say Seaquestria.”

“Well, if anyone were to ask me…?” he began sneakily. “I’d tell them no matter how beautiful the ocean is, you’ll always be more heavenly than it could ever hope to be.”

Silver frowned, suspecting, “You’re fishing for a kiss, aren’t you?”

“Maaaybe.”

“Good!” she shouted, immediately grabbing him and pulling into another deep, passionate kiss. Once it was over, Silver released him, explaining, “Because I really wanted another one too.”

“That ‘cause you fell asleep halfway through Round Two?” he joked as his tail gave a short wag.

“It was halfway through Round Two?” Silverstream asked, grimacing in horror. After receiving a nod, she hid her face behind her mane and groaned, “I thought it was after! Sorry, Gallus…”

“Hey, it ain’t the first time, and I wasn’t offended then either,” he comforted, snickering.

“Yeah, well…? You could have woken me up, you know,” she pouted as they began trotting down the boardwalk. “I would have happily given you a do-over.”

“As nice as that would’ve been? I couldn’t. You were just too cute, sleeping there and drooling into my lap,” he reminisced, smirking playfully.

Silver couldn’t help but smile. “You won’t tell Ocellus, right?”

“So she can run her mouth off to our professors again? Peck no.”

“Language, sweetie.”

“Sorry.”

They both chuckled, but Silver’s laughter quickly died out once she saw the creature lying just ahead. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” she moaned exasperatedly.

Quickly picking up on her distress, Gallus stopped and asked, “Silver? You okay?” He then followed her gaze. “Oh.”

At the end of the boardwalk was a violet-blue hippogriff with an aquamarine mane and tail. He stood tall and proud, donned in golden armor and watching them with a decidedly neutral expression.

“Isn’t that…?”

“General Seaspray,” Silverstream confirmed, approaching him with Gallus following close behind. “I told him not to do this; he better not be doing this…!”

“Ah! Ms. Silverstream, you are here,” Seaspray greeted calmly. He then looked at the griffon behind her and added, “And Mr. Gallus as well, I presume?”

“Yes, it’s us,” she said, stopping within talon’s reach and giving him the angriest scowl she could muster. “Now, General? Mind explaining why you’re here?”

“I am here to escort you and your boyfriend to your father up in Hippogriffia.”

“Okay…? You did say he would be meeting up with us, didn’t you?” Gallus asked Silver.

“I said my dad would be meeting us. Not. Him,” she clarified, returning her irritated gaze to the awkwardly grinning hippogriff. “General, I thought I made my wishes abundantly clear!”

“Y-Yes. You did,” Seaspray conceded, unable to meet her eye.

“But he didn’t listen, did he?”

“Er, no.”

Silverstream face-clawed and let out a long, frustrated sigh.

“Yes, that was pretty much everygriff else’s reaction as well.”

“Okay, I may still be in the dark here,” Gallus acknowledged, placing a soothing talon on her shoulder. “But are you okay, Silverstream?”

“Just— Just get ready to meet my dad,” she replied, massaging her temples. “He’s the one I’ll be yelling at in a minute.”

“…Huh?”

“To put it simply? Her father is being an idiot,” Seaspray deadpanned.

Before he could defend Silver’s father on her behalf, she preemptively assured, “No-no, Gallus, he’s right. My dad’s being an idiot.” After taking another minute to calm her nerves, Silverstream double-checked, “And you’re here to escort us to him, yes?”

“Indeed I am. Shall I take your inquiry to mean you are both ready to proceed?” Seaspray asked, stepping aside to reveal the massive, stone staircase leading toward the peak of Mount Aris.

Gallus raised an eyebrow at the sight, remembering Silver’s proclamations of her home being stair-less, but given how furious she currently was, he wisely chose not to comment on it. Instead, he simply coughed and said, “Yep, I’m ready. Are you, Silver?”

She snatched his talon into hers and pulled him along, growling, “Let’s just hurry up and get this over with.”

“Yes, let’s,” Seaspray agreed, following after them. “I’d very much like to get back to my day.”

“And I would very much like to enjoy spring break with my boyfriend,” Silver responded, her voice rising in pitch. “Without worrying about Dad doing something stupid like this.”

“Seriously, Silverstream, what’s going on?”

“Don’t worry, sweetie. You’re just about to see me be very angry at my father. That’s all.”

“Ooh, Sky Beak’s face is going to be priceless,” Seaspray rejoiced with a smug grin.

At that point, Gallus just gave up and settled for trotting beside his girlfriend, expecting a proper explanation to be given once they reached Hippogriffia.

Soon enough…

“Huh, you guys have an archway too?” Gallus noticed, staring up at the twin hippogriff engravings marking the entrance into the city. “Cool.” He then looked back down and froze in place.

A small army of hippogriffs stood in the center plaza, armored from head to talon and bearing several different weapons. Mostly spears, but a few carried swords or axes as well.

They all immediately fixed their gazes on the trio.

Gulping nervously, Gallus glanced at Silver only to discover she had buried her face into her talons. “I’m assuming this isn’t normal?” he whispered, trying to inject a bit of levity into the situation.

“I. Am going. To murder him,” she quietly snarled, whipping her tail in anger and nearly smacking Seaspray in the process.

As if on cue, a loud shriek echoed through the air, and a bright blue hippogriff with a large, silvery mane descended from above and landed before the army. He then gave Silverstream an ecstatic smile before leveling a harsh glare at Gallus.

Gallus merely raised an eyebrow.

Seaspray then stepped up to the newly arrived hippogriff and whispered something to him, receiving only an eye-roll. He then sighed and joined his place among the group while the leader took a step toward Gallus and Silverstream.

“Greetings,” he began in a cold, commanding tone. “I am Sky Beak, proud Captain of the Aris Guard and its hippogriff forces.”

With Silverstream rather busy trying not to explode, Gallus took it upon himself to give a cordial wave, replying, “Hi. I’m Gallus.”

“Hi, Gallus,” cheered a hippogriff with a pale blue coat and vivid pink mane.

“Stratus!” Sky Beak barked rebukingly.

“Huh? Oh, right! Angry face!” He then frowned as seriously as he could but utterly failed to convey a hint of hostility.

That was all Gallus needed to understand what was going on, and while he struggled to stifle a laugh, Silverstream stepped forward, angrily greeting, “Hello, Dad.”

“Hi, honey,” Sky said, waving happily.

“Hey! Why do you get to say hi, but I don’t?”

“Because she’s my daughter, and I want to. Now, hush!” he ordered Stratus, turning back to the couple. “As I was saying? Hello, Silverstream, how are you doing?”

“I’m angry,” she bluntly answered.

“You are!? Why is that?” he asked, staring intently at Gallus.

Silver held a wing between him and her father, bellowing, “Because my boyfriend and I just got here, and the first thing we see is the Aris Guard pointing spears at us!”

“Technically, we’re holding the spears upward,” countered a female hippogriff. “Your father was adamant we not point them anywhere in your direction.”

The guard nearest her tapped her shoulder and said, “I don’t think that helps.”

“It doesn’t?”

He shook his head.

“Aw, darn. Sorry for not helping, Silverstream.”

“Not your fault, Haven,” Silver assuaged. “Don’t worry.”

“We promise we tried to stop him!” somegriff from the back spoke up.

“He just wouldn’t listen,” yet another hippogriff sighed solemnly.

“AHEM!” Sky roared, earning a begrudging silence from all parties present. He then cleared his throat and said, “Thank you. Now, Silver? That griffon by your side…? Am to assume that’s—”

“Gallus? My boyfriend? Yes. Are you done trying to intimidate him now?”

“‘Intimidate him’!?” he gasped, pretending to be appalled. “I am doing no such thing.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Captain.”

“Quiet!” Sky Beak quickly returned his attention to his daughter, clarifying, “You see, honey? When you said you and your boyfriend were visiting, I simply had to bring everygriff together to give him a warm hippogriff welcome,” he explained innocently.

“This is the ‘warm hippogriff welcome’?” Gallus inquired. “But, Silver, you said there’d be balloons,” he jokingly mewled.

“There was going to be, but—”

“Stratus Skyranger, would you please be quiet!?”

“But, Captain, he asked about the balloons!”

“Yes, I heard him ask about the balloons; you don’t need to explain why they aren’t present.”

“You know, while we’re talking about the balloons,” the female hippogriff from before interjected to the absolute annoyance of Sky Beak. “Why did you have to take ‘em away, Captain?”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake, not you too, Haven Bay!”

“You already made us hide away the fireworks and cancel the parade,” she bemoaned, on the verge of tears as she said it. “The least you could have done was keep the balloons up.”

“Wait! There actually was supposed to be a parade!?” Gallus questioned, gaping at Silver in shock. “I thought you were joking!”

“Hey, we hippogriffs take our parades very seriously,” she boasted. “Don’t we, everygriff!?”

“YEAH!” the army collectively responded, matching her enthusiasm.

“Yeah, we do!” Silverstream affirmed proudly. “Which makes it even worse that you ruined it,” she reprimanded, glaring so strongly that her father nervously backed away.

“I-I didn’t ruin anything,” Sky Beak protested, forcing a nervous smile. “I simply, er, changed a few things up. Given you were visiting with your boyfriend, I figured throwing a parade might be a tad, uh…? Overwhelming?” he ended, hoping Silver would buy it.

She didn’t. If anything, it only made her angrier. Before Silver could make her fury known, however, Seaspray spoke up.

“Oh really? Weren’t you planning to throw a month-long festival to celebrate your daughter’s newfound love until Queen Novo stopped you?”

“Seaspray, that was supposed to be a surprise!”

“Not much of a surprise when Her Majesty specifically forbade you from doing such a thing.”

“Even though we all know he’s gonna do it anyway,” Haven Bay dryly remarked.

“I hope he does,” Stratus added, smiling brightly. “A month-long festival sounds fun.”

“True.”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Sky Beak shouted. “As enjoyable as that tangent was for all of you, I would like to return to the discussion at talon.”

“Sky, there is no discussion being had,” Seaspray refuted. “The only thing happening right now is your attempt to scare away that poor boy blowing up in your face.”

“I am not trying to ‘scare away’ my daughter’s boyfriend.”

“Yes, you are,” Silver accused, acquiring everygriff’s silence. “And I want you to stop it.”

“S-Stop what, honey?”

“Stop this!” she screamed, gesturing to the army behind him. “All of this! I specifically told you not to try any of your crazy intimidation attempts!”

“‘Attempts’?” Gallus echoed, eyes widening. “Plural? You mean this has happened before!?”

“Story for another time, sweetie,” Silver barked over her shoulder.

“Did you just call him ‘sweetie’?” Sky asked, a wide grin tugging at his beak.

“Don’t you change the subject!” she hollered loudly enough to cause some of the nearby guards to fearfully quiver where they stood. “I told you—I practically begged you!—not to try intimidating my boyfriend! And what did you do!?”

“I—”

“What did you do!?” Silverstream screeched over him.

“…I tried intimidating your boyfriend,” he confessed, shying away from her scowl.

“Exactly.”

“B-But you’re my daughter,” Sky Beak weakly countered. “It’s every father’s job to intimidate their daughters’ boyfriends; it’s tradition.”

“A tradition I repeatedly asked you not to uphold.”

“Yes, but—”

“No ‘buts’! D-Do you think this whole thing is a joke!?” she wondered, flaring her wings in outrage. “Because I’m not laughing; I’m furious!”

Gallus trotted up to Silver as her father squeaked out, “I-I-I can see that.”

“Oh, you can see it, can you!?” she shrieked, grateful for the gentle wing her boyfriend laid across her back. “Only after trying to screw with me and Gallus!”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“I know exactly what you meant to do!” Silverstream interrupted once again. “But all you did was ruin the parade, take everygriff away from their days, and make me reconsider coming here in the first place!” she rebuked, panting heavily from her outburst.

Nogriff said a word, so Silver concluded, “And all because you wanted to intimidate my boyfriend. I can’t— I don’t— I don’t even have the words to describe just how angry I am with you.”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Gallus interjected. “Easy, Silverstream… Take a moment and catch your breath, okay?” he cooed, rubbing her back soothingly.

Silver did indeed take the chance to calm down, wiping her eyes as she did so. Once she had steadied her breathing, she gave her father one last glare and growled, “You know? I expected something like this from Mom. Not you.”

And with that, Sky Beak hung his head in defeat, fixing his gaze on the ground as he anxiously shuffled from talon-to-talon.

“I-I’m so sorry, Gallus,” Silverstream apologized. “I didn’t think he would actually do something like this; I really didn’t.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Silver. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay,” she argued in a far softer voice than the one she had been using previously. “It’s not okay he tried intimidating you. Especially when I asked him not to.”

“No, really. It’s okay, Silver,” Gallus mollified, giving her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not intimidated. Promise.”

“You’re not!?” Sky Beak squawked, looking back up and at Gallus.

Before Silver could start lambasting her father once more, Gallus gave her a wink and said, “You just sit tight and relax. I’ve got this.”

Not wanting to give her even a second to protest, Gallus stepped up to Sky Beak and calmly began, “My apologies, Mr. Sky Beak, but no. I am not intimidated. Frankly? I’m more impressed.” He then gestured to the army and exclaimed, “I mean, just look at that armor! Wow, is it cool!”

“Aww, thank you, Mr. Gallus,” Haven Bay said, blushing. “You’re too kind.”

“Oh please! Anycreature could tell you guys have the coolest armor designs ever,” he praised, much to everygriff’s joy. “Seriously, Equestria’s doesn’t even come close.”

Gallus took a second to look back at Silver and found her struggling to hold back a smile. He then smiled himself and continued, “I do have one question though, if I may? Do you guys have two sets of armor: One for your hippogriff form and one for your seapony form? Or is it enchanted to switch when you all do?”

“It’s both actually,” Stratus answered, thrilled to hear somegriff be so interested in the topic. “You see? When we learned we could return to the surface—”

“Stop! Just hold on for one moment please,” Sky Beak interrupted, instantly souring the mood again. “You really aren’t intimidated?” he asked Gallus, nonplussed.

“No, sir.”

“But— But I—” he stuttered, glancing at his soldiers only to meet a sea of smug glares. Sky Beak then turned back to Gallus and whimpered, “Not even a little?”

“Oh, how do I put this lightly?” Gallus asked himself, flicking his tail in concentration. “Sir? I grew up in Griffonstone before the Restoration Project made its rounds. And this?” He pointed to Sky’s assembled forces. “This isn’t even as bad as an average Tuesday used to be.”

…

“Well, that’s dark!” somegriff in the crowd screamed, breaking the silence and sending everygriff into a flurry of panicked mumbling.

“What did he mean by that!?”

“How can a Tuesday be considered ‘bad’!? Tuesdays are the best!”

“Oh sea kelp, the implications!”

“Haven Bay, watch your language!”

“No, this time it’s appropriate!” the cream colored hippogriff shrieked. “If this isn’t as bad as an average Tuesday,” she explained, indicating herself and her fellow Guards. “Imagine what the average Thursday must have been like!”

The entire crowd gasped in shock, and even Sky Beak looked horrified. Confused by this, Gallus stepped back to Silverstream’s side and raised an eyebrow questioningly, receiving only a sly grin in return.

“I didn’t even think about that!”

“The horror! The horror!”

“Oh, Gallus, you poor dear!” Stratus Skyranger shouted, barreling toward Gallus and scooping the befuddled griffon’s talons into his own. “You must have been through such an ordeal!”

“Uhhh?”

“Tell me! How can we help you feel better?” he asked, looking Gallus over in genuine worry. “Do you need a hug? Milk and cookies? A stress ball?” He then gasped and suggested, “W-What about counseling? We have at least three therapists here in Hippogriffia and five more in Seaquestria, all of whom would be more than willing to visit the surface to talk to you.”

Having no clue what was going on, much less how to respond, Gallus settled for saying, “No— No thanks. I get plenty of counseling back home. Thank you for asking though.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Stratus said, clutching his chest and breathing a sigh of relief. “But you don’t need to thank me, Mr. Gallus. What’s important is that you’re okay.”

Gallus blinked, struggling to comprehend how a random hippogriff he didn’t know could so readily care about his well-being. Ultimately, he decided he didn’t need to figure it out and said, “Yes, well? Thank you again. It was… Really nice of you to ask,” he ended, smiling.

Stratus smiled back, praising, “Aww, you’re so sweet.” He then turned to Silverstream and whispered, “I think you’ve got a real keeper on your talons, Silver.”

“I know,” she assured, giving Gallus a quick kiss to the cheek.

Gallus tittered and kissed her back, eliciting a collective, “D’AWWW!” from the crowd.

“Not to ruin that absolutely adorable moment, but…?” muttered another hippogriff from the back. “Can we talk about the fact he does need counseling?”

“At least he said it was how Tuesdays in Griffonstone used to be,” Haven noted. “Implying they’re not so bad anymore…?” she trailed off, looking at Gallus.

“Yeah, no worries. Griffonstone is way better now,” he confirmed, giving them a talons-up.

“That’s relieving to know. I was planning to visit that place this summer.”

“Ooh! I hear their scones are simply divine.”

“I know. That’s why I was considering going.”

“Speaking of considering things,” another female hippogriff spoke up. “I’ve been trying to convince my hubby to let our chicks attend Princess Twilight’s school for months now, so I’m very glad to hear it has on-site counseling.”

“You didn’t already know?” Stratus questioned, raising an eyebrow. “It was on the brochures.”

“‘Brochures’? What brochures?”

“You didn’t get the brochures for the Friendship School!? Oh, this simply cannot stand!” Haven Bay decreed, stamping a talon down. “You bring your family over to our house, and we’ll treat you all to dinner. Afterward, I’ll give you our copy of the brochure.”

“That’s so nice of you, Haven,” she sang, smiling gratefully. She then shook her head, and protested, “But I refuse to take your brochure if it means you go without one.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” she scoffed dismissively. “We have ten of them.”

“‘Ten’!?” Seaspray echoed, shocked. “Why do you have so many?”

“The, uh, the little puzzles on the back of them are really fun to do,” Haven laughed shyly. “And I just… Couldn’t help myself.”

“Ah, I see. Say? Did you solve the crossword one? I’ve been stuck on that for months now,” he lamented.

“Forty-two down?”

“Yes, how’d you know?”

“Because I can’t solve that one either.”

“Curses! That’s the last one I needed to solve too, and it’s been driving me crazy.”

“Wait,” Sky Beak spoke up, drawing their attention. “You two are stuck on that one?”

“Yeah, why? Don’t tell me you solved it!” Seaspray squawked, both astonished and perturbed.

“I did actually. The answer was ‘friendship.’”

Both hippogriffs face-clawed.

“We should have known,” Haven Bay groaned.

“But it just seemed too obvious to be the right answer.”

Sky puffed his chest pompously, declaring, “Well, in most cases, the obvious answer tends to be the right one.”

“You mean, like…?” Haven Bay began, smirking.

“Listening to your daughter?” Stratus continued, stifling a giggle.

“And not trying to intimidate her boyfriend like a monumental fool?” Seaspray ended, causing Sky to wilt regretfully. “Speaking of which?” He cleared his throat. “Alright, everygriff, like we practiced!”

“Oh, please don’t,” Sky begged, wishing his armor could hide his blush.

“WE TOLD YOU SO, SKY BEAK!” the hippogriffs all recited, laughing joyfully afterward.

“Yes, I know; you don’t have to rub it in. My daughter’s already done that for you…” he whined.

“And is about to do it even more,” Silver swore, approaching him. She then spared the others an apologetic glance and proclaimed, “Alright, everygriff, show’s over. Sorry about all of this.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Silverstream,” somegriff from the front said. “It was actually kinda fun.”

“Yeah, it sure beat sitting around home and doing nothing all day,” his companion agreed.

“Speak for yourselves! I was supposed to be helping my sister repaint her ceiling an hour ago.”

The two hippogriffs shared an eager smile. “Hey, you want any help with that?” one of them asked. “We didn’t have anything to do today.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” the other assured. “C’mon, it’ll be fun.”

“Well, alright. Thank you.”

“No worries, let’s go.”

Once the crowd dispersed, Silver focused her attention on her nervously chuckling father.

“H-Hi…?”

“Hey, sweetie?” Silver said, shooting Gallus a look. “Give us a minute.”

“No problem.”

“Thanks.” She then dragged Sky further away and launched into another, quieter tirade.

While he waited for her to finish up, Gallus looked around and took in the lively sights of Hippogriffia.

Light shone through the dense, rustling leaves above and cast dancing shadows upon the myriad of cobblestone walkways that weaved between the trees.

Although there were no balloons thanks to Sky Beak, many resplendent ribbons and banners were still hung along almost every available surface, swaying gently in the warm breeze.

The hippogriffs had wasted no time in taking off their armor, but many of them still roamed around, merrily chatting away without a care in the world.

All-in-all, it was a positively gorgeous city that teemed with life and radiated a sense of warmth, love, and serenity.

“Heh. How did Silverstream ever leave this place?” Gallus wondered aloud, itching to explore even further into the forest haven. “This beats out Ponyville by a mile.”

“Auntie Novo will be glad to hear you think that,” said a voice from behind him.

Though initially startled, Gallus turned around and instantly recognized the sandy white coat and bright cyan mane of Silverstream’s brother.

“Hiya, Terramar,” he greeted, offering a talon. “How’ve you been?”

“Good,” he said, shaking his talon. Terramar then looked him over and complimented, “You look great.”

“Thanks, I feel great.”

“Good to hear. Been keeping healthy?”

“You know it.”

“Probably all that beet soup, right?”

“Silver told ya?”

“She tells me everything.”

“Oh, I certainly hope not.”

“…Actually? Yeah, I really hope not too.”

They both shared a small laugh.

“Geez, how long has it been?” Terramar inquired.

“Since Canterlot, I think?” Gallus supposed, vaguely remembering seeing him there.

“Right! Your play. Heh-heh, that was a nice night,” he chortled fondly. “Although, I do wish those reporters hadn’t swarmed you all.”

“You and me both. I don’t…do so well in cluttered spaces,” he timidly confessed.

“Yeah, and my dad and I both wanted to spend more time with my sister,” Terramar lamented. “Oh well. I guess I can’t be too mad; you guys deserved all the glamour after that performance.”

“We were pretty cool, weren’t we?” Gallus bragged, arrogantly rubbing his chest with a talon.

“Yes, you were.” After a moment’s hesitation, Terramar candidly acknowledged, “So! You’re dating my sister.”

“Eeyup.”

“Cool.” Terramar hesitated all of a second before asking, “What’s her favorite food?”

“Apple-broccoli salad, topped with shredded cheese and croutons,” Gallus promptly answered.

“Dessert?”

“Vanilla-chocolate ice cream float.”

“Favorite song?”

“Ohhh, come now, Terramar; we both know she has over a hundred songs she considers her favorite,” he countered with a knowing grin.

“And you know them all?”

“By heart.”

“Good. What about her favorite color?” he probed, smirking.

“Another trick question. Silverstream doesn’t have a favorite color; she loves all colors equally,” Gallus explained, much to Terramar’s satisfaction. “Did I pass the quiz, Professor?”

He nodded. “With flying colors.”

“Oh, you did that on purpose,” Gallus grumbled, laughing nonetheless.

“Yes, I did,” Terramar admitted, unabashed.

“Heh-heh-heh. It really is good to see you again, Terry.”

“Good to see you too, ‘milord,’” he replied with a bow.

“Silver told you about that too, huh?”

“Like I said, she tells me practically everything. Even if I sometimes don’t want to hear it.”

“Oh no,” Gallus muttered, panicking. “Please tell me she didn’t tell you about the neck thing!”

“Huh? What neck thing?”

That moment, a pair of familiar hippogriffs trotted up to them, so Gallus quickly seized the chance to avoid elaborating. “Hey, Silverstream,” he said, closing the distance and giving her a hug she happily reciprocated. “You okay?”

“Yep. You?”

“Fine and dandy.”

“Good to hear. Terramar,” Silver acknowledged, giving him a short nod. “Good job with stopping Dad from being an idiot.”

“Auntie Novo couldn’t even stop him; did you really think I could?”

“I guess not,” she conceded, letting go of Gallus in order to hug her brother. “It’s so nice to see you again, Terry.”

“Nice to see you too, Sis,” he said, hugging her tightly. “You hanging in there?”

“Yeah, I’ve got almost all of the yelling out of my system,” she said, releasing Terramar and turning to her father. “On that note? Daddy? Don’t you have something you want to say to Gallus?”

“Ahem, yes! Yes, I do,” Sky Beak said, addressing Gallus despite not quite meeting his eye. “Mr. Gallus? I am so terribly sorry for everything I did! Doing away with the parade… Assembling the Aris Guard… All of it. I deeply apologize for my actions, and I do hope you can forgive me.”

Gallus thought for a second then smirked. “I don’t know, Mr. Sky Beak. Silverstream seemed pretty miffed about everything… You apologized to her too, right?”

“Yes, he did,” Silver impatiently answered for him. “Now, would you hurry up and forgive him already!”

“I don’t know if I can, Silverstream,” he melodramatically moped, savoring her subsequent face-claw. “My feelings are pretty hurt after that whole ordeal.”

“You mean you don’t forgive me!?” Sky Beak panicked. “I swear, I really am sorry! I-I was even going to bake some apology cakes when we got back home! Please, Mr. Gallus, tell me what I can do to make it up to you!?” he fretfully pleaded.

“No, Daddy, he forgives you. Gallus is just being a pain about it,” Silverstream clarified.

Gallus chuckled and apologized, “I— I’m sorry, Mr. Sky Beak; I couldn’t resist. Don’t worry, I forgive you.”

“You do?” Sky Beak asked, holding his breath in anticipation.

“Yes, sir. I do,” he confirmed. “Well? So long as you let me help you bake those apology cakes, anyway.”

Sky blinked. He then turned to his daughter and stated, “I like him.”

“I told you you would. … Now, come here!”

Silverstream then lunged forward, but Sky Beak saw her pounce coming a mile away and swiftly caught his daughter in a gleeful hug. “Oh, Silverstream, I missed you so much!” he giggled happily.

“I missed you too, Daddy!” Silver sang, wrapping both her talons and wings around him and attempting to squeeze the life out of him. “I’m so happy to be back.”

The two continued hugging for a moment until Sky eventually let her go. “I see you’ve been keeping well,” he commented, relieved.

“Yep, I’ve been eating all my fruits and veggies,” she bragged.

“I thought as much. After all, it seems you’ve grown taller since the last time I saw you.”

“Daddy, I’m the same height as the last time you saw me.”

“Nonsense, nonsense! I am positive you’ve grown a full millimeter taller,” he asserted proudly. “I won’t hear anything to the contrary.”

“Aww, thanks, Daddy. You’re so sweet.”

“I do try.” Sky Beak then turned to the boys, wondering, “Now, honey, aren’t you going to introduce me to your boyfriend?”

“Depends. You done messing with him?”

“For now.”

“Daddy…”

“Don’t worry, I’m only joking. … Mostly.”

Rolling her eyes, Silver stepped forward, draped a wing around Gallus, and pushed him up to her father. “Anywho? Daddy, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend: Gallus.”

Gallus extended a talon, greeting, “It’s a pleasure to meet you properly, Mr. Sky Beak sir.”

“I assure you the pleasure is mine,” Sky Beak said, smiling as he shook his talon. “Although, I-I really must apologize again for that whole debacle. Please don’t let my, er, ‘stunt’ color your perceptions of Hippogriffia or Mount Aris as a whole.”

“No worries, Mr. Sky Beak. I already forgave you. But I was serious about baking those apologies cakes with you, sir,” Gallus added, glad to see Sky Beak’s grin widen.

“Oh, not to worry, Mr. Gallus. I was serious about baking them too,” Sky Beak whispered, winking. “In any case, you’re the griffon who’s stolen my daughter’s heart, eh?”

“I wouldn’t say ‘stolen,’” he protested. Gallus shrugged and suggested, “I think ‘charmed’ or ‘earned’ would probably be better.”

“Annnd! Three,” Terramar began counting down.

“Two,” Silver joined in.

“One,” they both said, snapping their talons in unison.

“AH-HAHAHAHAHAHHH!” Sky Beak roared jubilantly, swiftly swooping a very confused Gallus into a bone-crushing hug. “I’ve only known you for five minutes, and I already love you with every fiber of my being!” he screeched for all of Mount Aris to hear.

“W-What’s going on?” Gallus asked Silverstream, terrified.

“What’s going on is that you and I are going to have so much fun together!” Sky rejoiced, giving Gallus a smile not even Pinkie Pie could hope to match. “Not just with baking those apology cakes but with everything! We can explore the Harmonizing Heights, or we can go fishing, or—” He gasped before excitedly exclaiming, “We can have a father-daughter’s boyfriend crochet competition!”

“Ooh, that sounds fun,” agreed a nearby hippogriff.

“Can I get in on that too?”

“Oh, you can’t possibly have a crochet contest without me!”

“Yes! We’ll all have a crochet competition!” Sky Beak announced loudly. “In fact, we’ll throw you a parade even grander than the one I canceled! Who’s with me!?”

Various celebratory cheers and whoops were sung across the plaza.

“Yay! Thank you, Daddy,” Silver cheered, hopping happily. “Your parades are always the best.”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I throw a parade for your sweetie?” Sky Beak then looked back at Gallus and shook him slightly. “Because that’s what you are. She called you ‘sweetie’! You’re my daughter’s sweetie! MY DAUGHTER HAS A SWEETIE!” he celebrated, hugging Gallus once more.

Blinking in shock, Gallus glanced at Silver and dryly questioned, “So this is what it’s like to be doted on by a loving father, huh?” While Silverstream giggled at the joke, he hugged Sky Beak back and said, “Heh. Feels kinda nice.”

“Oh-ho-ho! Mr. Gallus…” Sky laughed, pulling away again. “Putting aside the implications of what you just said? I have not even begun to dote on you,” he assured, a maddened twinkle in his eye.

“…Silver!? Help! I’m scared!” Gallus yelped, completely serious.

“Ooh! I can give you another hug to make you feel better!”

Silverstream instantly pounced Gallus and dragged him away from her father, snapping, “No! Gallus is my snuggle-bird! Mine!”

“Now, Silver, I taught you to share.”

“No!”

“Aww, but he’s so fluffy and huggable,” Sky Beak pouted, beak quivering.

“Mine!” Silver growled, nuzzling Gallus aggressively.

“Okay, this backfired,” the griffon in question realized far too late. “Terramar? Terramar, help!”

“Uh, guys?”

Silverstream and Sky Beak both glowered at him.

“…Yeah, no. Sorry, dude, you’re on your own,” Terrmar said, running away.

“No, Terry, please! Help!” Gallus begged, trying and failing to escape his girlfriend’s clutches. “Help!”

“Ohhh, Gallus?” Silver cooed, giving him a sinister smile. “Don’t you worry. You’re all mine.”

“Or more accurately? All ours,” Sky Beak corrected with an equally devious smirk.

Seeing no way out of this, Gallus gulped and prayed for mercy.

***

At long last, the sun dipped below the horizon and granted dominion of the sky to its silvery sibling. And while many hippogriffs remained outside, setting up for the next parade, just as many others had returned to their abodes to rest for the coming days and reunite with their families.

One such trio barged through the door to one of the larger homes and entered its confines with a collective sigh of relief.

Without so much as glancing up from his book, Terramar asked, “You all have fun?”

“Oh my gosh! We had so much fun,” Silverstream laughed, giving him a quick hug. “We went to the Harmonizing Heights, participated in a screeching contest, and capped it all off with a trip to the hot springs,” she recounted, plopping onto the living room sofa.

“You should have seen Gallus, Terramar,” Sky Beak said, closing the door behind them. “His first screeching contest, and he managed to out-screech Seaspray. Not even your Auntie Novo can do that!” he exclaimed, impressed.

“Speaking of which? Is your throat feeling any better, sweetie?” Silver asked, patting the cushion beside her invitingly.

Gallus accepted the invitation, answering in a slightly raspy voice, “A lot better than it was earlier. And I can actually hear again, so that’s a plus,” he added jokingly.

Silver giggled. “Good. Because I want you to hear me every time I say I love you,” she whispered, nuzzling him happily.

“Careful there, Silver,” Gallus warned, nuzzling her back. “You might just out-sweet me yet if you keep coming up with lines that adorable.”

“I’ll take that as a source of encouragement.”

“As will I.”

As the couple laughed and nuzzled once more, Sky Beak and Terramar watched on with expressions of mirth and revulsion respectively.

“Whelp!” Sky eventually spoke up. “You all sit there and relax. In the meantime, I’ll go put on some dinner,” he said, trotting to the kitchen.

“Table is set, potatoes are peeled, and the seaweed loaf is in the oven,” Terramar listed off, returning to his book. “I wasn’t sure if Gallus ate fish, so I left that in the freezer.”

“Oh, Terramar, I love you,” Sky sighed, blowing his son a kiss. “Thank you, honey.”

“No problem, Dad.”

Once Sky had left, Silver gave Gallus a playful nudge. “Sooo? What’d ya think of Mount Aris so far?”

Gallus clicked his beak and answered, “I think… That sooner or later there’s gonna be a pretty significant height difference between us.”

“Heh-heh. I, uh, guess we hippogriffs are pretty tall.”

“‘Pretty tall’? Not counting her horn, you’re all as tall as Princess Celestia.”

“True.” She then smirked and inquired, “That’s not gonna be a problem, is it?”

“Nope. I already look up to you metaphorically, so I might as well look up to you physically too.”

“You look up to me?” Silverstream gasped, grinning. “How so?”

“Hey, do you think I was born this adorable? Please!” Gallus booped her beak and divulged, “I learned from the best.”

“Would you two just get a room?” Terramar requested bluntly.

“We are in a room,” Silver shot back.

“Get a different one; I was here first.”

Sighing, Silverstream looked back at Gallus and grumbled, “Don’t mind him. He’s just upset he didn’t get invited to the hot springs too. Jokes aside,” she continued softly. “You do like it here, right?”

“Silver, I want to move here,” Gallus proclaimed, drawing out a light giggle. “You laugh, but I’m serious. If you guys had shown me a bank, I probably would have gone in and asked what the mortgage rates were,” he added, succeeding only in making her laugh harder.

“Through the roof,” Terramar stated, turning to the next page of his book.

“No, they’re not,” Silver protested.

“Have you ever once looked at a mortgage bill?”

“No. Have you?”

“…Shut up.”

“Siblings,” she groaned, shaking her head. “So lovable, but so annoying too.”

“You shouldn’t talk about yourself that way, Sis. It ain’t healthy.”

“Good thing I wasn’t talking about myself then. I was talking about you.”

“You couldn’t have been; I don’t have an annoying bone in my body.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Terry. Keep telling yourself that.”

“Thank you. I will,” he promised, grinning victoriously.

Silverstream rolled her eyes at her brother’s antics, and Gallus suddenly found himself regretting being an only child. Mercifully, he was taken from his musings once more when Silver snuggled up to him and acknowledged, “You know, we still have some time before Daddy finishes dinner.” She toyed with her mane a bit, concluding, “Did you want to have some fun until then?”

“Oh sea kelp!” Terramar gagged, looking genuinely repulsed. “Please! No!”

“You know, you can go to another room if we’re bothering you,” Silver retorted hotly, not noticing her boyfriend wince at her brother’s words.

“And you can go to another room and spare me the agony of hearing you two lock beaks.”

“Aww, are you jealous, Terry?”

“Jealous? No. Disgusted? Thoroughly!”

“Blame Dad then,” she deflected. “I wanted to join Gallus in the hot springs and make out with him then, but—”

“Ew! Ew! I don’t need to know this!” he shrieked, hugging himself protectively with his wings.

“It’s okay, Terramar. You’ll understand when you find your own special somecreature,” Silver teased, returning her attention to Gallus. “C’mon, Gallus, let’s have some fun.”

Gallus nervously shuffled back, but his girlfriend simply closed the distance. “Y-You sure, Silver? I mean, your brother is right there,” he said, nodding at the extremely distraught Terramar.

“He doesn’t mind,” she assured, leaning against his chest and smiling expectantly. “He can close his eyes if he wants. Or go to another room?” she proposed pointedly.

“Or push the couch over and ruin the moment?” Terramar mumbled, yelping when Silverstream threw a pillow at him. “Hey!”

“Like I said, he doesn’t mind,” Silver repeated, either ignoring her boyfriend’s uneasy grimace or utterly oblivious to it. “Go ahead and kiss me, sweetie.”

“Okay,” Gallus said, sparing Terramar an apologetic glance before fulfilling her request.

Their kiss lasted all of five seconds before Sky Beak’s voice called out, “Silverstream? Honey, could you come in here for a moment?”

Silver pulled away with an infuriated huff. “What do you want, Dad!?” she called out, glaring at her snickering brother.

“I need your advice on something.”

“Can’t this wait? I’m trying to make out with my boyfriend in here!”

Sky Beak fell silent, but after a short round of clattering, he skidded into the living room and held a camera up to the couple, encouraging, “Go on, you two. Don’t mind me.”

“Daddy!” she squealed while Terramar keeled over in laughter. “You are not taking pictures of me and Gallus kissing!”

“But he’s your sweetie.”

“Yes, but I don’t want you taking pictures! It’s weird!”

“And making out with him in front of me wasn’t!?”

“Shut up, Terramar!”

“Honey, be nice to your brother.”

“I’m always nice to him,” she argued. “Why don’t you be nice to me and put away the camera? Why would you even want to record me and my boyfriend kissing?”

“Because you two kissing is a moment entirely deserving of memorializing,” he answered as if it were obvious.

Presuming this would take a while like it did for griffons, Gallus tried to escape Silver’s grasp and wait out the fighting in another room. To his surprise, however, said fighting ended with Silver conceding, “Okay, that’s a fair point.”

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Terramar whined, face-clawing.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Terry; I plan to do the same thing when you get your own sweetie.”

“Dad!”

“Whaaat?” he asked innocently.

“Let’s just move this along,” Silver interjected, pulling Gallus back into kissing distance. “You get one picture, Dad. One.”

“Three. One for me, one of your mother, and one for you,” he preemptively elaborated.

“Okay, fine. Three. But that’s all you get.”

“Understood.”

Before Gallus could even finish processing what was going on, Silverstream pulled him into another kiss, and he smiled, reciprocating instantly.

After Sky took the three pictures, Silver pulled away again, deadpanning, “There. Happy now, Dad?”

“Most definitely,” he said, smiling tearfully at the photos.

“Sooo? Does that mean I can go back to kissing my boyfriend now?”

Chuckling awkwardly, Sky murmured, “Well, er? Before you do that? I really would like your help with something in the kitchen.”

“Ughhh!” she groaned, giving Gallus an apologetic frown. “Hold on, sweetie, I’m sure this won’t take long. Right, Dad?”

“Nope. Not long at all.”

“Don’t worry, Silverstream, I’ll be fine,” Gallus assured.

“I know.” She sneaked in one more kiss to his cheek, vowing, “Be right back.”

“See ya.” After she and her father had bounded into the kitchen, he reclined into the sofa, letting out a quiet, relieved sigh. “Sorry about that,” he apologized to Terramar.

“No worries,” he replied, returning to his book.

After some time, Gallus anxiously muttered, “Hey, Terramar?”

“Mhmm?”

“Are… A-Are you okay with me dating your sister?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Terrmar questioned, not bothering to look up.

“Well, you didn’t seem comfortable with us kissing, so…?” he trailed off, twiddling his talons.

“That’s because I don’t want to see my sister snog someone for ten minutes straight,” he explained neutrally. “Or an hour if she decided to go to Round Two,” he added with a smirk.

Gallus face-clawed, flushing magnificently.

Terramar snorted and continued, “Why does it even matter to you if I’m okay with you dating Silver? Shouldn’t you be more concerned if she’s okay with dating you?”

“No,” Gallus argued, raising an eyebrow. “You’re her brother. A-And your important to her, so I… I want to know if you’re okay with us being together.”

“…Alright then.” Terramar put his book down and gave Gallus a cold stare, inquiring, “Is my sister happy with you?”

“Yes.”

“And are you happy with her?”

“Definitely.”

“And you love each other?”

“Absolutely!”

“Then there you go,” Terramar said, shrugging nonchalantly. “What? Were you expecting me to grill you on how to be a good boyfriend? Sorry, dude, I don’t know how romance works.”

“So, you are okay with us?” he asked hopefully.

“As long as my sister’s happy. And she definitely looked happy to me.”

“…Thanks, Terramar,” Gallus said, feeling an enormous surge of relief.

“Don’t thank me. Thank my sister for choosing your sorry hide,” Terramar joked.

“Hey, at least she’s got good taste.”

“True.”

They both snickered before falling into a comfortable silence.

Nearly half an hour had passed and not once did Silverstream ever return from the kitchen. Thankfully, before Gallus could get worried, she announced, “Gallus? Terramar? You might want to wash up soon; dinner’s almost ready.”

“On it,” Terramar replied, standing up. “C’mon, ‘milord,’ I’ll show you where the bathroom is.”

Gallus rolled his eyes and followed suite.

After cleaning up, the two then entered the exquisite kitchen to find Sky Beak at the sink, washing up as well, while Silverstream set down everygriff’s plates and drinks.

“Hey, Silver,” Gallus greeted, giving her a happy nuzzle once she was done. “You okay?”

“Yep,” she chirped, returning the nuzzle. “Sorry about not coming back earlier. I got distracted helping Dad with…something,” Silver emphasized conspiratorially. Her grin then became decidedly more mischievous as she swore, “I promise to make it up to you later though.”

“Oh, barf,” Terramar grumbled as he sat down.

They both spared him an annoyed glance, but Gallus soon assuaged, “No problem, Silver. I’m just glad you and your dad were having fun.”

“Oh, we were,” she said, pulling out both of their chairs. Once he had sat down beside her, Silver asked, “Alright, Daddy, wanna show Gallus what we did?”

“One moment,” Sky requested, drying his talons. He then grabbed a large bowl off of the stove and set it down in front of Gallus. “Now, I know Terramar already spoiled we were having potatoes and seaweed loaf, buuut! Silverstream also mentioned you had a certain hankering for these.”

“A-Are those…?” Gallus stuttered, eyes widening in shock.

“Cheddar-stuffed celery sticks!” Silver excitedly exclaimed. “Your favorite.”

Gallus just hid his face in his talons.

“So that’s why there was so much celery in the fridge,” Terramar remarked, looking at the item.

“Indeed,” Sky began, taking his place at the table. “Silver told me how much you loved them, so when I learned you were visiting, I simply had to find out how to make them.”

“Best dad ever,” Silver boasted. “Am I right, Gallus?”

“I— You— You didn’t have to do that, Mr. Sky Beak,” Gallus protested, grinning despite his embarrassed blush.

“Nonsense, Gallus dear. You are our guest and my daughter’s sweetie,” he bragged teasingly. “It is only right I try to spoil you as best I can.” After letting out a giggle, Sky added, “Plus? It’s not about whether I ‘had’ to make them. I wanted to.”

“You…wanted…to?” Gallus echoed, feeling his wings droop slightly as a strange warmth spread throughout his chest. “R-Really?”

“Really,” Sky Beak confirmed, smiling kindly.

“Our dad’s nice like that,” Terramar whispered smugly.

“Are you okay, Gallus?” Silverstream asked, noticing his eyes were glistening.

“Heh-heh,” Gallus chuckled, blinking his eyes dry. He then gave Silver a serene smile, saying, “Yeah, I am. I mean? Why wouldn’t I be? I’m having dinner with my beautiful girlfriend,” he said, planting a soft smooch upon her reddening cheek. “And her awesome family. … Thanks, Mr. Sky Beak,” Gallus ended gratefully.

“You’re welcome, Gallus dear,” Sky said, winking. “Now, if we’re all ready? Let’s dig in!”

***

“Goodnight, guys,” Terramar yawned, disappearing behind his bedroom door.

“Goodnight,” both Gallus and Sky replied.

“Goodnight, Terry,” Silver sang, skipping along beside her boyfriend and father.

“Seriously, thank you again for letting me stay here, Mr. Sky Beak,” Gallus said as they marched up to the next floor. “I really appreciate it.”

“Goodness, Gallus! You have thanked me no less than five times in the past ten minutes alone,” Sky said with a hint of pride in his tone.

“I just really want to make my thanks known.”

“No worries, dear, I understand. And once again: You’re welcome. Oh? And do please call me ‘Sky,’” he requested. “You’ve more than charmed me enough to warrant it.”

“Absolutely not!” Gallus protested, shaking his head emphatically. “‘Mr. Sky Beak’ is far more respectful,” he asserted adamantly.

“Silverstream, is he determined to make everything he says sound as sweet as possible?” Sky wondered as the group climbed yet another flight of stairs.

“Uh-huh! It’s yet another thing I love about him,” Silver blissfully extolled, happy to see her boyfriend blush in response.

Sky Beak smiled even more upon hearing her words.

One final flight of stairs later, the group reached the last door of the hallway. “And here we are,” Sky announced, opening it with nary a creak. “Gallus dear, this will be your room while you’re here.”

Gallus trotted in and dropped his bags on the floor, gazing around appreciatively at the huge amount of space he had. Silver, meanwhile, glared at her father and deadpanned, “You gave him the attic?”

“I gave him the whole attic,” Sky specified as if it actually meant anything. “Been meaning to clean up in here anyway, and your boyfriend visiting was the perfect excuse to do so.” He then leaned closer to Gallus and whispered, “Also, Silver and Terramar both told me you weren’t so fond of tight spaces, so I figured it would be appropriate to give you the biggest room in the house.”

After fighting back the urge to hug Sky Beak, Gallus grinned at Silverstream and agreed, “Yep! Definitely ‘Best dad ever’!”

“Don’t be too thankful, Gallus,” Silver responded coolly. “I’m pretty sure you’re only up here because my room’s on the ground floor.”

Sky looked away, whistling innocently.

“Wait? ‘Ground floor’?”

“Mhmm.”

“So that means our rooms aren’t connected then?” he realized, his headcrest drooping.

“Nope.”

“But if our rooms aren’t connected…” Gallus mumbled, giving Sky Beak a worried look. “How am I supposed to knock and wish her goodnight through the wall?”

Sky Beak rounded on his daughter and squealed, “I love him! I love him so much!”

Silverstream giggled, trotting over to Gallus. “That makes two of us,” she said, giving her boyfriend a happy smile. “Thank you for coming to Mount Aris with me, Gallus.”

“Thank you for inviting me,” he replied. “So, no goodnight knocking, unfortunately…”

“Yeah. But at least we’ll always have our goodnight kiss,” Silver rejoiced, waggling her eyebrows expectantly. “Right, sweetie?”

Gallus shot Sky Beak a nervous glance and found he seemed intently focused on studying the attic door. He then looked back at Silverstream and eagerly kissed her.

She kissed him back, wrapping her talons around him and pulling him into a closer embrace. This went on for a while until Gallus lifted his talon and gently held her cheek; however, as soon as he did so, Sky Beak let out a loud, disruptive cough.

Gallus and Silver broke apart with a mutual sigh.

“Silverstream?”

“Yes, Gallus?”

“I think your dad might want us to stop kissing and go to bed.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” she moaned, flicking her tail irritably. “But I don’t want to stop kissing you.”

“Hey, I know I’m a great kisser,” he bragged, smiling when she immediately nodded in agreement. “But we have had a long day. And we wouldn’t want you falling asleep mid-kiss, would we?” Gallus teased.

“No,” Silver mumbled, blushing faintly. “But kissing you is so nice though…”

“So is sleep,” he countered. “Let’s get ourselves some of that, alright?”

“Promise to kiss me in the morning?”

“After we brush, of course,” he stressed urgently.

“Oh yeah. Not after last time,” she laughed, flinching at the memory of that particular kiss.

“Heh-heh. I love you,” Gallus said, kissing her one more time.

“And I love you,” Silverstream crooned, kissing him back. “Sweet dreams, sweetie.”

“Sweet dreams, milady,” he wished, watching as she waved goodnight and exited the attic.

Sky gave Gallus one last, joyous grin before he followed after her, saying, “Goodnight, Gallus.”

“Goodnight, Mr. Sky Beak.”

“Hee-hee-hee!” Sky tittered, closing the door behind him and pausing when he met Silver’s icy glare. “Yes, honey?”

“You are a humongous spoiler-sport,” she reprimanded.

“Am I? Oh dear. And here I thought I was the ‘Best dad ever,’” he joked as the pair began their journey back to the ground floor.

“You are. You’re just also a humongous spoiler-sport.”

“Sorry, honey.”

“No, you’re not.”

“…Yeah, no, I’m not.”

“Ughhh!”

Sky Beak snickered slyly at his daughter’s exasperation. “I really do love him though,” he soon stated.

“You and me both,” Silverstream sighed dreamily.

“Admittedly, I thought you were exaggerating just how kind that boy actually was,” Sky continued as they trotted down onto the next floor. “But lo and behold! He’s the real deal.”

“Seriously, Dad?”

“I know, I know. Forgive me for finding it hard to believe your boyfriend could be that sweet,” he murmured. “In hindsight, I should have known that if anycreature could find the perfect sweetie, it would be you,” Sky praised, ruffling his daughter’s mane.

“Aww, thanks, Daddy,” she said, falling silent as they passed her brother’s room. Once they were on the second floor, she added, “Although? As much as I hate to admit it, Gallus isn’t perfect.”

“Oh? Do tell,” he insisted.

“For one thing? He hates it when I pay for dinner when we have a night out,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes. “And then he still won’t take me to karaoke,” Silver angrily lamented. “No matter how much I practically beg him to…”

“The first one, I understand completely. He wants to splurge on you, not the other way around.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s still annoying though; I want to splurge on him too.”

“Then I highly suggest talking to him about that.”

“Already have. We’re gonna work out a plan when we get back.”

“Smart. As for the karaoke thing? I’m not sure about that one,” he confessed, humming in thought. “Is he not confident in his singing abilities?”

“He did compare his singing to a cheese grater once,” she remembered, nodding.

“Ahh. That’d be why.”

“Probably. Ooh! That reminds me, I wanted to ask you something,” Silver said, stopping and giving him her full attention. “Do you know why Gallus hates it when I brush my tail under his beak?”

Sky Beak froze and blinked at her for a full minute. Eventually, he clicked his beak and wondered, “You…brush your tail under his beak?”

“Uh-huh,” she confirmed, smiling innocently. “I stopped after about a week though. Gallus is super cute when he’s flustered, but he seemed really annoyed by it,” she explained. “So I stopped.”

He rubbed his eyes with a talon, taking deep, measured breaths. “Silverstream?” Sky began as calmly as possible. “This ‘tail’ thing you did…? Are you talking about the thing your mother and I used to do?” he questioned, fighting back a blush.

“Yeah! I remember you and Mom doing it all the time even when we were seaponies and how happy it made you two. I figured Gallus would like it too, but—”

“Silver! Honey!” he interrupted, placing a talon against her beak. “No. Don’t— Don’t do that.”

“Huh?” Silver tilted her head in confusion, inquiring, “Why not?”

“Because that’s the kind of flirting you only get to do when you’re married.”

“Why?”

“That’s also something you’ll only understand when you’re married.”

Silverstream still looked confused, but she soon shrugged, conceding, “Okay, I guess. … You sure you can’t tell me now?”

“No,” Sky bluntly denied, earning an annoyed pout.

A moment later, the duo finally arrived on the ground floor, and after making a silent prayer, Sky asked, “Out of curiosity? Are you and Gallus doing anything else ‘physical’?”

“We hug, snuggle, and kiss,” Silver answered happily. “But that’s about it. Why?”

“Just making sure.”

“That I wasn’t doing anything else I wasn’t supposed to until after marriage?”

“Yep.”

“Hee-hee. Thought so. … Although, we did sleep together once. Does that count?”

Sky Beak stopped and grabbed the nearby wall to help stop himself from fainting. His silence caused Silver to stop and turn around, asking, “Uh, Dad? You okay?”

“…”

“Dad?” she called out worriedly.

“…Sleep…together…?” he mumbled in a cracked voice.

Silverstream blinked and gasped. “No, no, no! Not that way, Dad, not that way!” she hurriedly clarified, panicking.

“Not that way!?”

“Not that way!”

“Oh thank goodness!” Sky yelped, slumping against the wall and holding a talon to his chest. “You gave me! Such a fright!” he rebuked weakly.

“Sorry, Dad,” Silver apologized, trying not to hyperventilate. “That was— That was just really bad phrasing on my part.”

“You think!?”

“Yeah, well? You don’t need to worry,” she promised, combing a talon through her mane in an effort to calm herself. “G-Gallus and I know not to do that.”

“I really, really hope so! I-I-I am not read to be a grandfather just yet!” After taking a moment to control his breathing, he implored, “Silverstream, please give me the proper explanation.”

“Gallus and I were just making out, and I…” Silver grimaced in embarrassment, weakly confessing, “I sorta fell asleep mid-kiss.”

“And that’s all?”

“That’s! All!” she fervently reassured. “Please don’t worry, Dad. We didn’t do…that.”

“I believe you… I believe you.” Once his heart no longer felt like it was trying to explode, Sky smirked and asked, “So? You fell asleep mid-kiss, huh?”

“Oh come on, Dad!”

“I’m sorry. I-I can’t help it,” he proclaimed, laughing.

“Hey! We— We had a long day, alright,” Silver griped, her face burning crimson. “It was the night we got back from Las Pegasus, and… Well? I was— I was tired.”

“Enough to fall asleep on him in the middle of—”

“Gallus teases me enough for that, thank you very much!” she shouted over him. “I don’t need to hear it from you too. And on that note? Don’t you dare tell Terramar!” she commanded.

“Do you really think I’m dumb enough to do that?” Sky asked, raising an eyebrow. “If your brother found out about this, he’d never let you live it down.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, don’t worry, honey. I promise not to tell your brother.”

“Or tease me about it yourself?”

“Aww, but teasing you is so much fun.”

“Dad!”

“Okay, okay. Fine, I won’t tease you about it either,” Sky yielded, stifling another snicker.

“Thank you,” Silverstream said, relaxing.

“You’re welcome. I would like to know how you and he fell asleep in the same bed though?” he questioned, shooting a suspicious glance at the ceiling. “Gallus didn’t strike me as the kind of creature to, er? ‘Take advantage’ of that kind of situation.”

“Yeah, no. No, he isn’t. In fact, uh?” Silverstream laughed awkwardly, confiding, “He did try to leave the bed. But I apparently, er, hugged him in my sleep and wouldn’t let go,” she elaborated, hiding her face behind her mane.

Although quiet at first, Sky soon snorted, saying, “If you were anycreature else, I would be sorely tempted to believe you were lying. But? I remember full-well how tightly you clung to your mother and I whenever you slept with us when you were younger,” he reminisced fondly.

“Yeah, yeah… Hey, wait a minute!” Silverstream irately roared. “Daddy, did you seriously think Gallus and I would— Would do that!?”

“You and he are teenagers,” Sky acknowledged smartly.

“And neither of us are anywhere near ready for that!” she screeched, her voice cracking and cheeks burning. “Or anything even remotely like that!”

“You’re still teenagers.”

“Responsible ones!”

“Gallus? Maybe. You? No.”

“Excuse me? Are you saying I’m not responsible?” she huffed, scowling indignantly.

“You once tried to burn down the Harmonizing Heights,” Sky accused, unamused.

“Allegedly,” Silver instinctively countered.

“Yes. ‘Allegedly,’” he echoed, rolling his eyes. “But seriously, honey? You and he didn’t actually…?”

“Just some overnight snuggling, Dad,” she promised. “We’re not stupid.”

“I’m very glad for that,” he said, breathing significantly easier now.

…

“Although?” Silver began, smiling as a rosy tint returned to her cheeks. “Not gonna lie: Waking up next to Gallus…? Feeling him holding my talon and hugging me with his wing…?” She played with her mane as she timidly admitted, “It felt really nice.”

“Not too nice I hope,” Sky grunted, resuming his trot toward her room.

“Daddy!”

“You’re still teenagers.”

“Responsible ones.”

“Harmonizing Heights,” he argued again, smirking.

“Allegedly,” she repeated, smirking as well. Once they finally reached her old bedroom, Silver mentioned, “But if it helps? Ocellus caught us leaving the same room the next morning, and… Well? Let’s just say a few extra rules have been put in place at the Friendship School.”

“What kind of rules?”

“The kind that almost resulted in a student uprising.”

“Strawberry Scoop?”

“Strawberry Scoop.”

“Hmm. Headmare Starlight still sat both of you down and scolded you thoroughly, I hope?”

“Actually, Counselor Trixie did.”

“So she finally became the Guidance Counselor then?” Sky asked, smiling. “Good for her.”

“Yep. Headmare Starlight stills helps her out from time-to-time, but the Great and Powerful Trixie is now our Caring and Compassionate Guidance Counselor,” she declared theatrically.

Tittering, Sky opened the door and resumed, “That’s good. In any case, I think we’ve had enough talking for tonight,” he said, nodding toward her bed.

“I know,” Silver agreed, yawning widely. “It’s been a long day.”

“Indeed it has. Go ahead and get in bed; I’m gonna tuck you in.”

“I can tuck myself in, Dad.”

“You are my daughter, and I haven’t seen you in months,” Sky Beak mewled. “I am tucking you in whether you like it or not,” he asserted, leaving no room for argument.

Silverstream giggled and collapsed into the bed with a tired sigh. Nary a second later, Sky draped her comforter over her and gave her a happy smile.

“There. All tucked in,” he decreed, nodding confidently. “You get some sleep, okay? You’ve got a rather busy day tomorrow as well.”

“Skystar?” Silver guessed warily.

“You’re lucky I convinced her to hold herself back for a day,” Sky mumbled darkly. “And trust me… Doing so was quite the ordeal.”

“So basically? Expect to be pounced?”

“Expect to be pounced,” he warned, laughing along with his daughter. Sky then leaned forward to plant a goodnight kiss upon her forehead only for her to wrap her talons around him in a warm hug.

“Thank you for liking him, Dad,” Silver whispered.

Sky smiled and hugged her back, saying, “Oh, honey, I already told you… I don’t just ‘like’ him. I love him,” he confessed, feeling her hug him even tighter. Once she let go, he gave her a goodnight kiss and concluded, “Just like I love you.”

“I love you too,” Silver said, tucking herself back under her cover. “Goodnight, Daddy.”

“Goodnight, Silverstream,” Sky Beak said, stepping toward the door.

Before he could leave, however, Silver called out, “Dad?”

“Yes, honey?”

“Do… Do you think Mom will like him too?” she inquired, fiddling with her blanket.

Sky Beak winced and looked away. “I think…” he tentatively began. “That once she has a chance to properly get to know him, she’ll love him just as much as I do,” he professed, smiling as reassuringly as he could.

Silverstream let out the breath she had been holding and murmured, “Thanks, Dad.”

“You’re welcome, Silverstream,” Sky Beak said, blowing her another kiss and receiving one in return. “Sweet dreams, honey.”

“Sweet dreams, Daddy,” she said, rolling over and snuggling into her pillow.

Sky Beak quietly closed the door and walked away, smiling brightly. “My daughter has a sweetie,” he said to himself. A second later, he squeed ecstatically and did a little dance. “My daughter has a sweetie!” he celebrated, prancing to his own bedroom to rest for the coming dawn.

***

With a tired groan Silverstream awoke and rolled over, hiding her face from the daylight streaming through her window. “Go away, sun,” she grumbled into her blanket.

Much to her dismay, it didn’t.

“Okay, fine. I’ll get up,” she reluctantly surrendered, sitting upright and yawning. She then looked around her room and grinned. “It really is good to be back.”

After stretching life back into her wings, Silverstream stood up, left her room, and hastily flew up the stairs to the attic. “Gallus?” she whispered, quietly opening the door and peering inside only to find his bed empty.

Although saddened she hadn’t gotten to kiss him awake, Silver hastily returned to the ground floor and trotted into the kitchen, expecting to find him there.

All she found was her brother munching on some cereal with his beak buried in a book once again.

“Good morning, Terramar,” she greeted, giving him a hug. “How are you?”

He hugged her back and answered, “Well-rested and getting to the good part.” He then leaned closer to his book with an excited grin on his face. “Oh-ho-ho, yeah! Get him, Daring Do! Get him!”

Silver chuckled at her brother’s enthusiasm, asking, “How long have you been up?”

“About an hour. You just get up yourself, I take it?”

“Mhmm. Mean, ole sun… I was having a great dream too. I was swimming in an ocean of ice cream and chocolate syrup,” she recounted, licking her beak. “And there were sprinkles everywhere!”

“Yep. Definitely sounds like something you’d dream about,” Terramar teased, receiving a light flick to his beak in response. “Hey!”

“Oh hush. Are Daddy and Gallus up too?” she inquired, stifling another yawn.

“Yep.”

“Okay. So, uh, where are they?”

“The port.”

It took Silverstream’s half-asleep brain a full minute to register that response. “What?”

“The port,” Terramar repeated. “They’re at the port.”

“Why?”

“I think Dad was having Gallus help him out with swabbing the ships or something.”

“…Why!?” she angrily asked again.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

Silverstream slammed her talon over his book, forcing him to meet her fiery gaze. “Terramar? Bro? Why are Gallus and Dad at the port?”

Holding up his talons defensively, Terramar explained, “All I know is Gallus was going on and on about ‘earning his keep.’ And I think Dad just sorta… You know,” he bluntly ended.

Silverstream face-clawed, muttering, “Yep. I should have known he’d do something like that…”

“Dad or Gallus?”

“Both,” she answered, shaking her head exasperatedly. “Great. Now I gotta go down to the port and get those two back on dry land before she shows up.”

“Hate to break it you, Sis? But it doesn’t matter where you are,” he stated, pulling his book out of her grasp. “If Starry wants to pounce you, she’s gonna pounce you.”

“Starry wasn’t the one I was referring to.”

…

With a knowing sigh, Terramar marked his place in his book and placed it aside, giving his sister his full attention. “Silverstream? Are you still worried about Mom?”

“What do you think?” Silver responded balefully.

“I think you don’t need to worry,” he argued reassuringly. “She’ll like him. Just like I, Dad, and practically all of Hippogriffia do.”

Silverstream said nothing; instead, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, cheering up somewhat. “Well? In any case, I do still need to go down there and get ‘em.”

“So you can reprimand Dad for making Gallus clean the ships?”

“That. And Gallus promised me a good morning kiss,” she remembered, smirking at her brother’s disgusted grimace. “Come on, Terry. Let’s go.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up,” he snapped, crossing his talons. “Do you think I’m coming with you or something?”

“Yes.”

“And why exactly should I uproot myself from this comfy chair of mine,” Terramar began melodramatically. “Leaving behind my wonderfully balanced breakfast and awesome book, all just to follow you down to the port and see you snog your boyfriend?”

Silver smiled sweetly and answered, “Because I’m your big sister, and I’m asking you to.”

“…Fine. I’ll come with,” he conceded, grinning slightly when she gave him a thankful hug. “But before we go? You do know you’re still wearing your pajamas, right?” he pointed out.

Silverstream looked down at herself, finding him to be correct. “Why, yes! Yes, it appears I am,” she laughed, trying to save face despite the wave of crimson flooding her cheeks.

“And don’t you still need to have breakfast too?”

As if on cue, her stomach gave a rather pronounced gurgle. A second later, Silverstream let out a disgruntled sigh and requested, “You mind getting me a bowl and spoon while I go undress?”

“What are big brothers for?” he sighed, giving her a coy grin that annoyed her up to no end.

“Little brother,” she corrected, trotting out of the kitchen.

“I am taller than you.”

“No, you’re nooooot!” Silverstream called back from inside her room.

Terramar just smiled and went about preparing her cereal.

***

The bright, blue ocean shimmered in the sunlight as wave after wave sloshed against the wooden docks and swaying ships.

Flocks of seagulls hovered lazily in the sky, but every so often, one would squawk loudly before diving and snatching up a stray piece of food.

Off in the distance, the sounds of laughter and excitement echoed from the town square of Hippogriffia as its citizens eagerly prepared for the parade.

Silver took in all the sounds of her old home and let out a happy, relaxed sigh. She then returned her attention to her brother, growling, “You had better not tell Gallus about the pajamas, by the way.”

“Why not?” Terramar pondered, smiling wickedly. “He’d probably get a kick out of knowing you were totally gonna hunt him down while wearing them. Especially given they were covered in teddy bears,” he noted, chuckling.

“Don’t you knock the teddy bears,” she rebuked, blowing a raspberry at him. “I like teddy bears. They’re cute, fluffy, and huggable.” Silver then gave him a sly smirk.

He frowned. “Oh no. Don’t you say it; don’t you say it!”

“Just like my sweetie,” she said anyway, giggling at his irritated groan.

“You are so weird.”

“No, I’m in love.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Somegriff sounds jealous,” Silverstream teased, giving him a playful nudge.

“I already told you I’m not!” Terramar barked, nudging her back. “What do I have to be jealous of, anyway?”

“The fact I have a special somegriff and you don’t.”

“Mmm? Nah, not jealous of that. Nope. Not jealous at all.”

“Sure, you’re not. Hee-hee! Don’t worry, Bro. I’m sure you’ll find your own special somecreature someday.”

Terramar just rolled his eyes and swore, “Regardless, I’m totally gonna tell Gallus about the pajamas. I bet he’ll tease you like crazy for it.”

“Yeah, he probably will. But if he does, at least it’ll be—you know?—funny. Unlike your teasing which is flat-out annoying.”

“Oh, so when Gallus teases you, it’s endearing. But when I do it, it’s annoying?”

“Now you’re getting it,” Silver cheered, clapping mockingly. “Good job, Terry.”

“Augh!” Terramar grunted, holding a talon to his forehead dramatically. “And here I thought you went to Equestria to learn the ‘Art of Friendship.’ But no! Instead? You’ve returned and learned only the dreaded ‘Art of the Double Standard,’” he concluded, unable to hide a smirk.

“No. I also learned the ‘Art of Kissing My Sweetie.’”

…

They both burst out laughing.

“You know?” Terramar soon resumed neutrally. “As weird as it to hear you gush so much about having a boyfriend, I have to admit Gallus is pretty cool.”

“He’s also super cute.”

“If you say so,” he groaned, grimacing. “…Wanna know what he did?”

“What?”

“While you were helping Dad cook those celery things…” Terramar leaned closer and divulged, “Gallus asked me if I were okay with you two dating.”

“He did? Aww, that was sweet of him,” Silver said, fluttering her wings. “You had better have said yes.”

“I said that as long as you were happy, I was cool with you two being a thing.”

“Good, that was the right answer.” Silverstream then stopped and beamed jubilantly, expressing, “Because I am happy with him, Terry. I’m really, really happy with him!”

Terramar smiled and brought her into a hug, saying, “Yeah, I kinda noticed.”

“I have a sweetie!” she celebrated, hugging him back.

“And here I thought he was your ‘milord’?” he sneered.

“Eh, he’s both. But Gallus blushes way more often when I call him sweetie,” Silver elaborated, releasing her brother. “And, sweet sea kelp, I love that blush!”

“Annnd you made it weird again. Good job, Sis.”

“Oh hush! You’ll understand when you find somecreature that calls you ‘sweetie’ too.”

“Unless I’m the one calling them ‘sweetie,’” he suggested.

“Ooh, I see you, Terramar!” she exclaimed, giving him a proud pat on the back.

“Whatever. ‘Sides, that whole thing isn’t something I’m worrying about right now.”

“Shame. But hey! When you do start worrying about it, don’t hesitate to ask me for advice.”

“Ehhh? S-Sure. Right,” Terramar said, already vowing to never, ever do that. He then watched as she giggled and continued down the dock. “Hey, Silver?”

“Yeah, Terry?” she responded, pausing and turning back to him. She then raised an eyebrow when she notice him fidgeting anxiously and failing to meet her eye. “Terramar? Is something wrong?”

“You, uh…” He gulped and inquired, “You are happy, right?”

“With Gallus?” she questioned, befuddled. “Absolutely! Wasn’t that obvious? I mean, I literally just said I was.”

“No, I meant… Are you happy in general? Like? Are— Are you okay?”

Silver looked away, wincing in realization. After a second, she looked back at her brother and promised, “Yes, Terramar. I’m happy.”

Terramar grabbed her and pulled her into another tight hug. After regaining her bearings, Silver hugged him back, soothing, “I’m okay, Terry.”

“You are?” he asked, pulling back and wiping his eyes dry.

“I am.”

“Thank goodness,” Terramar gasped weakly. “You— You really had us all worried, you know! First with that dumb letter from way-back when! A-And then that thing with your dragon friend…!” He rubbed his shoulder, concluding, “And then you just stopped writing us back…”

“Yeah, I know,” Silverstream mumbled, hanging her head ashamedly. “N-Not my best idea.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Terramar sniffled before timidly acknowledging, “I-I know you needed a break from Mom, but…”

“I did. I really did.”

“I know, a-and I understand, Silver; I really do.” His beak quivered for a second as he frantically begged, “But still! Pl-Please don’t do that again!”

“Don’t worry, Terry, I won’t. I promise to keep writing back from now on,” she swore.

“You better! I… I didn’t like that you were going through all this crud by yourself, Sis,” he whimpered, tearing up again. “I-I know I can’t always help you out, but I at least wanted to be there for you just in case I could. I mean… I’m your brother after all,” he ended shyly.

“And you’re a great brother too,” she praised, giving him a somber smile. Said smile soon faded away, and she quietly apologized, “I’m sorry I worried you, Terramar.”

“Hey, no! Bad sister!” he admonished, giving her beak a light flick. “You don’t have to apologize for having a rough time, okay? I get it.”

“Thanks, Terry,” Silver said, feeling slightly better. “I really will keep my promise though. I missed sending you letters.”

“And I missed reading your letters. Especially the little doodles you always did on ‘em.”

“Oh, is that so? Then I guess I’ll just have to make sure every letter I send from now on has a doodle on it,” she promised. “Just for you.”

“Thanks. I’d like that,” Terramar admitted, smiling.

“What are big sisters for if not for blessing their brothers with their glorious, artistic talent?”

“Annoying us with your constant romance nonsense?” he teased.

“…Shut up.”

“Or needing us to remind you to not wear your teddy bear pajamas out in public?”

“Just shut up and keep trotting,” she commanded, pushing him along with her wing.

Terramar laughed triumphantly; however, once their destination finally came into view, he asked, “Gallus is doing okay too, right? Dude looks a lot better than the last time I saw him, but…?”

“Awww!” Silverstream cooed, giving her brother yet another hug. “You care about my boyfriend’s well-being? Thank you, Terramar, that’s so sweet of you.”

“Yeah, I know,” he squeaked out, struggling to escape her grasp.

“And yes. Gallus is doing fine too,” she gleefully confirmed after relinquishing him.

“That’s good to hear,” Terramar said, enjoying being able to breathe again. “And you really are doing okay too, right?”

“I already said I was,” she tittered, thankful he was asking again anyway. “The only thing I’m still worried about is Mom…”

They both fell silent.

“Terramar? Do you have any idea why she hates him?” Silver asked with a hint of desperation.

“‘Hate’ is a strong word…” Upon seeing her displeased frown, he muttered, “I have a hunch though. But I-I-I’m probably completely wrong about it, so—”

“It’s the ‘noble’ thing, isn’t it?”

“…Starry told me she’s still inviting that prince guy over,” Terramar confided, shirking back when her eye twitched angrily. “But that’s all I know, I swear! I don’t even know the guy’s name.”

“I don’t care what his name is,” she whispered venomously. “He’s not my Gallus.”

“I know!” he hurriedly proclaimed. “I-I know. What I don’t know,” Terramar continued, rubbing his neck awkwardly. “Is if that is the reason Mom doesn’t like Gallus. Like I said? I’m probably dead wrong about—well?—everything! Regarding this whole situation.”

Silverstream silently shot a cold glare at crystal blue water.

“Silverstream?” Terramar spoke up softly. “What are you going to do when she shows up?”

Huffing furiously, she answered, “Remind myself it’s not right to smack one’s own mother upside the head. After that?” Silver shrugged despondently, continuing, “Talk to her. Explain to her that I love Gallus and not this guy she wants me to meet. And also apologize for not writing her back,” she finished, flinching.

“You’re really scary when you’re angry, you know that?”

“Sorry, Terry,” she murmured, taking a quiet, calming breath. “I just… I really didn’t like what Mom was saying about Gallus,” she said, pawing at the dock. A moment later, an unnerving thought popped into her head and she worriedly muttered, “Hey, Terramar?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t think Mom’ll—” Silver gulped. “—try to introduce me to that guy, will she?”

“Oh geez,” he yelped, looking anywhere but at his sister. “I-I don’t know.”

She held her face in her talons, groaning weakly.

“I-I-I’m pretty sure she won’t though,” Terramar professed. “Mom’s— Mom’s not an idiot, a-and I’m sure she’ll really love Gallus once she meets him.”

“I really hope so, Terramar.” Silverstream then placed her talons back on the ground and growled, “Because, Grover’s Treasure, if she does do something like that, I think I will smack her.”

Terramar had intended to defend their mother, but her word choice stopped him in his tracks. “Grover’s… What?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Silver blinked and laughed nervously. “Just, uh…? Just an expression I picked up from Gallus.”

“Oh? So he’s teaching you cuss words, huh?”

“Don’t you get all preachy,” she chastened, failing to hide an embarrassed blush. “You know more swears than Gallus could ever hope to.”

“True. Then again? You taught me most of them, sooo…” he reminded her, smirking.

Silverstream frowned at him, saying, “Let’s just get on the ship. I have a kiss waiting for me.”

“And probably a stern lecturing too,” Terramar jibed. “I get the feeling Dad won’t be too pleased about your sweetie teaching you new—”

She poked him hard in the chest and threatened, “You tell Dad or Gallus about the ‘Grover’s Treasure’ thing, and I’ll start offering you up at school.”

“You wouldn’t,” he mumbled, reeling back in horror.

“Soaring Virtue would drool all over your wings, buddy.”

“Oh sea kelp! I don’t want to hear this,” he wailed, holding his talons over his ears to no avail.

“Plus, Berry Bliss and Citrine Spark have both been on the market recently too. And then there’s Scoop… Oh-ho-ho-ho! Oh, my poor, sweet, little brother,” she whispered ominously. “Scoop would have you bent over backwards faster than you could say—”

“Please stop!”

“Yes, exactly that!” Silver laughed. “And that’s just the mares, but as for the stallions—”

“Okay, okay, okay!” Terramar screamed, clamping his talon over her beak. “I won’t tell Dad or Gallus about the ‘Grover’s Treasure’ thing! Just please—for the love of Seaquestria—stop!” he begged.

“Okaaay,” she whined, disappointed. “I’ll stop. Unless of course, you want me to—”

“Just get on the ship and kiss your sweetie!”

“Gladly!” she exclaimed, spreading her wings and flying up onto the ship’s deck.

As the vessel slowly rocked in the waves, Silverstream cast her gaze around in search of her father only to find him talking to somegriff else with his back turned to her. She then smirked evilly.

“Whelp, there’s Dad,” Terramar acknowledged, landing right beside her. “Let’s—”

Silver swiftly shushed him before silently stalking toward her targets.

“—will be fine, Captain,” Stratus Skyranger promised, saluting with his wing. “Haven and I have already gotten the materials gathered. By tomorrow, we’ll have the whole stadium ready to go.”

“Thank you, Stratus,” Sky Beak said, nodding. “And make sure to thank Haven for me as well.”

“No problem. Oh, before I forget, she also wanted to know if there were any griffon songs we could—” Stratus abruptly hushed upon noticing the newly arrived Silverstream and Terramar. “Play,” he squeaked out, glancing back at his Captain.

“Unfortunately not,” Sky replied, blissfully unaware of the grinning hippogriffs behind him. “I asked Gallus about it, but he said griffons don’t have any songs like that.”

“Really?” Stratus asked, his eyes darting between Sky Beak and his children.

“Oh, yes. He even said the activity was legitimately outlawed in Griffonstone until recently.”

“Seriously? Wow.”

“I know, I know. Thankfully, Ms. Gilda managed to get it legalized again.”

Stratus wordlessly nodded.

Sky Beak blinked in confusion upon finally noticing how uneasy Stratus appeared to suddenly be, but said confusion instantly abated once Silverstream gave a polite cough. “Stratus?” he muttered.

“Yes, Captain?”

“My daughter’s right behind me, isn’t she?”

“Yes, sir. Her and her brother.”

“Ah. Well, thank you for everything, Stratus. Please go finish those preparations.”

“Understood. You gonna be okay, Captain?” he asked.

“We’ll see,” Silverstream answered for her father.

“…We’ll see,” Sky Beak echoed, forcing a wide grin.

“O-Okay then. I, uh, I’ll see you later, Captain.”

“Likewise.”

Once Stratus had flown off back to Hippogriffia, Sky turned around and met his daughter’s smile with his own. “Hello, honey. How are you?”

Silverstream shot her brother a look, so he spoke for her, “Eager to kiss her sweetie.”

“In that case…” Sky approached a nearby grating and called out, “Gallus?”

“Yes, Captain?” Gallus called back from below.

“Could you come up here, please?”

“Yes, sir. On my way.”

Sky Beak then turned back to his daughter and timidly professed, “I-I can explain…?”

“I’m still gonna yell at you.”

“Yes, uh, I-I know.”

Silverstream smiled and trotted toward the doorway leading below deck. She then hid beside it and awaited her boyfriend’s arrival.

“Oh sea kelp,” Terramar cursed, cringing. “You’re gonna pounce him, aren’t you?”

She nodded. “Yep.”

“You hung out with Starry way too much when we were kids.”

“Shhh! Here he comes.”

Not ten seconds later, Gallus stumbled back onto the deck, dressed in the traditional gold and emerald robes of the Hippogriff Navy. “Alright, Captain, I’m here. What did you—” Gallus let out an undignified squawk when his cackling girlfriend pounced him, sending them both into a tumble. Once the world stopped spinning, he opened his eyes and stared directly into Silverstream’s shining smile.

“Hee-hee! Gotcha,” she boasted, keeping him pinned against his back.

Gallus smiled back, bemoaning, “Oh, Captain, my Captain! I’m sorry, but I appear to have been pounced by an angel!” He reached out a talon to Sky Beak, pleading, “Please! Help me escape her grasp!”

“There is no escape for you, only snuggles!” Silver proclaimed, bending down and aggressively nuzzling his neck, much to his elated laughter.

“Then I suppose I have no choice but to snuggle you back!” Gallus declared, doing just that and basking in the sweet melody of her subsequent giggle.

They both soon calmed down, and after one last nuzzle, Silverstream gave Gallus a small kiss. “How’re you doing, sweetie?” she asked.

“Fine. But now that you’re here, I’m feeling even better,” he said, smiling at her lovingly.

“Shall I take that to mean you’re both enjoying yourselves?” Sky Beak supposed, approaching them. “As well as your current positioning?”

“I know I am!” Silver sang, failing to notice the scarlet glow suddenly overtaking her boyfriend’s face.

“Oh, I know you are. But what about you, Gallus dear?” he inquired, smirking teasingly. “Did you enjoy getting pounced by my daughter?”

The last thing Gallus wanted to do was answer that question, but upon seeing Silver eagerly anticipating his response as well, he gave up. “Y-Yes. Yes, sir, I-I-I did,” he tentatively confessed.

Silverstream squealed in delight, and her father broke down laughing. Terramar, on the other talon, face-clawed, groaning “Oh, you’re gonna looooove Skystar.”

Wishing to shift the subject away from himself, Gallus asked Silver, “But what about you? How are you doing, milady?”

“I’m disappointed,” she said, helping him stand back up. “I was hoping to come and kiss you awake, but when I got to the attic you weren’t there,” she pouted glumly.

“Eh-heh-heh. Sorry.”

“You’re not the one who should be apologizing,” she argued, staring at her suddenly taciturn father. “Right, Daddy?”

“N-Now, Silverstream, there really is a perfectly reasonable explanation for why Gallus and I are out here,” Sky Beak assured.

“Oh, is there now?”

“Don’t be mad at him, Silver,” Gallus implored. “This was entirely my idea.”

“You’re telling me you wanted to spend your morning cleaning a ship?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Even when you could have spent the morning with me?”

“Silverstream, you and your dad are letting me stay over for the break,” he began softly. “And everygriff here has been so kind and welcoming to me too.”

“Minus the intimidation skit,” she scoffed, aiming another glare at her father.

“Nonetheless, it is massive gesture of generosity and kindness to let me stay here. And I am so, so grateful I get to spend the whole week with you and your family,” Gallus said, smiling joyously. “So if I can repay that favor, I will,” he affirmed, resolute. “Honestly, helping clean a ship is the least I could do.”

Silver kissed him and adulated, “You are the best special somegriff ever, you know that?”

“Well, I certainly try,” he said, holding his tail back from wagging.

“And you succeed brilliantly. Though that doesn’t explain why you indulged him, Dad.”

“He wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Sky Beak explained, shrugging innocently.

“Right. I’m sure it had nothing to do with you wanting to sneak in some father-daughter’s boyfriend bonding time without me around. You know? To stop you from trying to intimidate him again,” she deadpanned.

“Or from embarrassing yourself in the process,” Terramar jeered.

Sky Beak chortled awkwardly. “Yes, well? Spending more time with Gallus was rather enjoyable,” he agreed, giving the griffon a proud wink. “He really is quite a sweetheart.”

Gallus could no longer stop his tail from wagging.

Silverstream beamed as brightly as the sun, saying, “I’m glad you liked spending time with him, Dad. Even if you did just drag him out here to make him do your chores.”

“Honey, this wasn’t even the first thing he wanted to do,” Sky revealed bluntly. “I literally had to talk him out of going door-to-door and asking everygriff else what he could do for them too.”

“I still want to do that, to be honest,” Gallus said, a note of avidity in his voice.

“No!” Silver and Sky Beak both yelped. “Gallus dear,” the latter continued. “It warms my heart to know you wish to show your gratitude for our hospitality. But you! Are! Our! Guest!” he stressed emphatically. “Knowing you are happy and enjoying your stay here is repayment enough.”

“Mr. Sky Beak, you do know when you say things like that, I just want to help out even more, right?”

Sky Beak stared at his daughter, questioning, “Silverstream? How do I get him to stop?”

Before she could answer, Gallus nonchalantly decreed, “Sorry, sir, but that’s impossible. I absolutely refuse to stop being as kind as I can to everycreature around me, especially you and your daughter.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Silver said, pulling Gallus into a hug. “Because I don’t want you to stop.”

He hugged her back, giggling merrily.

Terramar frowned and commented, “So weird…”

“Heh. No, it’s not weird,” Sky argued, ruffling his son’s mane. “It’s adorable, and I pray that when you find your own special somecreature they’re as sweet at Silver’s.”

“Blegh!” he moaned. “I can’t believe I gave up reading Daring Do for this.”

“That’s your problem, Terry,” Silver sneered. “My problem is I didn’t get to kiss my boyfriend awake,” she added, giving him a playful frown.

“Sorry again, Silverstream.”

“It’s okay. Just promise to bring me along next time you wanna try something like today, okay?”

“Why? So you could help me do your dad’s chores?” Gallus asked smartly.

“No, silly,” she tittered, giving him a loving nuzzle. “So I could spend more time with you,” she clarified. “Plus? If I had tagged along, we’d both be wearing those cute, little robes right now.”

Sky Beak scoffed indignantly, protesting, “These uniforms are not ‘cute’! They are symbols of the strength, camaraderie, and conviction we honorable sailors of Her Majesty, Queen Novo’s Navy adhere by,” he concluded, raising his head proudly.

“Uh-huh. But seriously, Dad, look at him!” Silverstream roared, grabbing Gallus by the cheeks and showing him off to her father. “Look at how cute he is!”

“And that’s my cue to leave,” Terramar deadpanned, trotting to the gangway.

While Sky Beak face-clawed at both of his children’s antics, Gallus freed himself from Silver’s grasp and said, “Hey, I may be adorable, but we both know you’re cuter.”

“You’re certainly giving me a run for my Bits with that uniform on.”

That got a blush out of him. “Aww, th-thank you.”

“If you really want to thank me,” Silverstream began, smiling slyly. “Why don’t you give me that kiss you promised me last night?”

“As you wish, milady,” Gallus hummed, making to do just that. Before he could, however, Terramar suddenly cried out, “DUCK!”

Neither of them got a chance to question his meaning, for at that moment, something bolted toward the couple with a high-pitched, “EEEEEEEEEE!”

Once it was gone, Gallus blinked and looked around, finding no trace of Silverstream anywhere. “Uh? What just happened?” he asked both Sky Beak and Terramar.

“Our cousin just happened,” the latter elaborated, sprinting to the ship’s starboard side.

Gallus and Sky followed suite just as a loud splash issued from the bay. They then peered over the railing to see a bright yellow seapony with a turquoise mane-fin squeezing the life out of Silver.

“Eeeee! You’re back; you’re back; you’re back!”

After shaking her wet mane out of her eyes, Silver beheld her attacker and gasped, “Skystar!?”

“Hee-hee-hee! Yep, it’s me,” the princess giggled. “Just like it’s you! Hey, Cuz, how are ya?”

Silverstream frowned and splashed water into Skystar’s face, pouting, “I’m annoyed. I was about to kiss my boyfriend, but you pounced me.”

“Heh-heh, sorry,” she apologized meekly. “I just couldn’t help myself. It’s been so long since I last saw you, so when I saw an opportunity to hug you again…? Well, it’s not like I was gonna pass it up,” Skystar explained, smiling shyly. “I really missed you, you know.”

“Awww,” Silver squeed, a smile swiftly replacing her frown. “I missed you too, Starry.”

They hugged once more, laughing happily at having reunited.

Terramar, meanwhile, prodded Gallus and sarcastically declared, “Behold, the pride and joy of Seaquestria: Princess Skystar. In all her weird, creature-pouncing glory.”

While Gallus stifled a laugh, Sky Beak defended, “Now, Terramar, that’s not nice. Your cousin is the pride and joy of Seaquestria and Hippogriffia,” he corrected.

“Yeah, and she’s still gonna pounce you eventually,” Terramar warned Gallus. “She may have gone for Silver first, but she’ll get you sooner or later.”

Gallus merely shrugged indifferently and called out, “Hey, Silverstream, you okay down there?”

“Yep,” she replied, giving Skystar one last squeeze. “Just sad our kiss was interrupted.”

“Same. But don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you,” he promised, winking.

“You always do,” Silverstream cooed, winking back.

Sky Beak cleared his throat and waved to the girls below. “Hello, Starry.”

“Hiya, Uncle Sky Beak,” she said, waving back. “How’re you doing?”

“I’m fantastic.” He then nodded toward Gallus and celebrated, “I’m getting to meet Silver’s sweetie, and he is an absolute delight!”

Skystar gaped at Silverstream, questioning, “You call him ‘sweetie’!?”

“Yup.”

“EEEEEE!” she squealed, hugging Silver once again. “My cousin has a sweetie!”

Terramar grimaced, announcing, “Okay, I’m gonna head out now.”

“You are?” Sky Beak whined, tail drooping in disappointment. “But, Terry…! Skystar just got here; surely, you want to stay a little longer?”

“Yeah, no. Gallus and Silver are weird enough as is, and Starry’s just gonna make everything even weirder.”

“I heard that!” the seapony in question hollered.

“Before you go, could you get my bags from below deck?” Gallus requested.

“Sure.”

“Thanks,” he said, watching Terramar depart. Gallus then turned back around and found Skystar—now a hippogriff—hovering an inch away from his face. “Uh, hi?” he muttered, taking a step back.

“Hi!” she squawked, giving him a smile frighteningly similar to Pinkie Pie’s. “I’m Skystar.”

“Nice to meet you, Princess Skystar; I’m Gallus,” he said, extending a talon in greeting only to wince as she violently shook it.

“Just ‘Skystar’ is fine,” she proclaimed, letting him go, much to his relief. “It’s so nice to finally meet you! Silver’s told us all about you and your friends. Oh! And by the way, this is Shelly, and this is Sheldon,” she said, holding up two clam shells with googly eyes attached to them.

“Um? Hello, Shelly and Sheldon,” he greeted uncertainly. “Nice to meet you two too.”

For a split second, he had the bizarre sensation of being greeted back, but before he could register it, Skystar tucked them back into her mane. “Hee-hee. Thanks for being so nice to them. They’re a little shy,” she confided behind a talon.

“No, uh, no problem. They were pretty cool,” he said, giving her a talons-up.

Skystar giggled cheerfully, but it soon turned into a critical hum as she looked him over. A moment later, she turned back to Silver and agreed, “You were right; he is cute.”

“Told ya.”

“Yeah, but your doodles didn’t do him justice though!” Skystar complained, pouting. “Seriously, I had no clue he looked this fluffy and huggable. And that headcrest,” she noted, nodding approvingly as Gallus buried his burning face into his talons. “I bet you have all kinds of fun with him, don’t you?”

Silverstream merely smiled widely, saying nothing for fear of freaking her father out again.

Said father interjected, “While I can’t comment on the headcrest part…?” Sky Beak then hugged Gallus tightly and doted, “I can certainly attest to him being super fluffy and huggable!”

Gallus wasn’t sure whether he wanted to die of embarrassment or explode in laughter, but he enjoyed Sky’s fatherly hug regardless.

“Oooooh!” Skystar squeed, flapping her wings energetically. “I want to hug him too, Uncle Sky Beak; give me a turn!” she pleaded.

“No,” Sky Beak refused, clutching Gallus even tighter. “I’m still hugging him.”

“Awww,” she puled tearfully. “But he looks so fun to hug…”

“Oh, I can assure you he very much is,” Silverstream avowed.

“Are you serious?” droned the newly returned Terramar, drawing everygriff’s attention to him. “I walk away for two minutes, and this is what I come back to find? My cousin and father arguing over whose turn it is to hug my sister’s boyfriend?”

“Yep,” Skystar chirped. “What were you expecting to find?”

“…I don’t even know,” he sighed, holding up a pair of saddlebags. “Anywho, here’s your stuff, Gallus. Want it?”

“Yes, please,” Gallus responded, escaping Sky Beak’s embrace, much to his disappointment. After eagerly accepting the item, he said, “Thanks, Terramar.”

“For the bags, or for saving you from them?”

Gallus shot a timid look at the other two hippogriffs. “Both,” he whispered.

“Heh-heh. Yeah. Sorry about my family being a bunch of lunatics,” he apologized.

“Hey!” three annoyed voices shrieked.

“You all know it’s true,” Terramar deadpanned. “Especially you, Starry,” he griped, shooting her a cold glare. “Or do you think I don’t see you preparing to pounce Gallus?”

Skystar instantly froze and straightened back up, smiling as innocently as she could. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, Terry,” she protested. “I wasn’t planning to pounce him yet.”

“Yes, you were.”

“Okay, fine! So what if I was?” she scoffed, keeping her eyes locked on Gallus as he not-so-subtly moved behind Terramar. “Pouncing creatures is fun!”

“No, it’s weird,” he argued. “And even if it weren’t, this guy doesn’t want to be pounced.”

“And how would you know?”

“It‘s pretty obvious, considering he’s hiding behind me.”

Gallus blushed again at having been called out; meanwhile his girlfriend asked, “Wait! Is he really?”

“Yes,” Terramar confirmed, causing Silver to howl in laughter. “And I’m pretty sure that proves my point,” he continued, frowning at his pouting cousin. “He ain’t ready for you.”

“No one ever is,” Skystar sniveled, slumping in defeat. “Aw well. I’ll just get ‘im when he is ready!” she sang, cheering back up. “But what about you, Terry? You find a sweetie of your own yet?”

“Still not trying to, Skystar.”

Sky Beak and Skystar both sighed sorrowfully. “You’re gonna have to find somecreature someday, you know,” the latter groaned.

“And introduce them to my family of weirdos? Yeah, no.”

“Coward,” Silverstream gibed. “I didn’t have a problem introducing Gallus to our family.”

Terramar knew better than to bring up their mother, so he instead shot back, “That’s because you’re part of the weirdos. I am the only sane one here,” he half-bragged, half-lamented.

“Or maybe you’re the only weirdo in a family of sane hippogriffs?” Skystar countered.

“Well, you would be the sane one in that context, and, uh…? No.”

“Tch. Rude.” She then glared at the snickering griffon and asked, “Something funny, Gallus?”

He just shook his head, saying, “I’m just having a lot of fun right now. You guys are awesome.”

While Sky Beak and Terramar shared a grin, Skystar danced in place, squealing at the top of her lungs. “Oh my gosh, you really are the sweetest griffon ever!”

“Thank you. I certainly try,” he replied, waiting for Silverstream to say the usual line.

Skystar beat her to the chase, praising, “Well, you’re certainly succeeding brilliantly as far as I’m concerned. Ooh! That reminds me! We still need to quiz you.”

“Quiz me?”

“Yeah!” she chirped, nodding. “Since you’re officially Silverstream’s boyfriend, Terramar and I prepared some questions we wanted to ask you.”

“And I already asked them too,” Terramar disclosed.

She turned to him, fixing him with a bone-chilling glare. “You what?”

“I already quizzed him.”

“Oh, you jerk!” she snarled, much to his amusement. “We were supposed to quiz him together!”

“If you wanted to do that then maybe you should have been there when he first showed up.”

“I wanted to, but Uncle Sky Beak told me to wait until today,” Skystar whined. “Why did you make me wait, anyway?” she inquired, raising an eyebrow at her uncle.

“Because I asked him to,” Silverstream answered.

“What!?” she screamed, looking over the railing and glaring at her. “Why!?”

“Because you’re you, and I didn’t want Gallus to get overwhelmed in the first five seconds,” she explained simply.

“…Fair point,” Skystar begrudgingly conceded. “He passed the quiz though, right, Terramar?”

“With flying colors.”

“I’d expect nothing less from Gallus,” Silverstream boasted proudly. “But now that the introductions are over, do you mind coming back down here, Starry?” she requested. “I wasn’t done hugging you.”

In a flash of light, Skystar became a seapony once more and plunged back into the water, swiftly giving her cousin another gleeful hug. “Hee-hee! I’m so glad you’re back.”

“I’m glad I’m back too.”

“I was wondering why Silver stayed floating down there in the water,” Terramar said neutrally. “Should have known she was just waiting for another hug.”

“She does love her hugs, doesn’t she?” Sky Beak commented, shooting Gallus a grin.

Gallus grinned back and pulled a camera out of his bags.

“Whelp,” Sky resumed, trotting away. “I’ll be back shortly. If anygriff needs me, I’ll be finishing swabbing the deck.”

“Uh, Captain, do you want me to—”

“You stay right there, Gallus,” he ordered, causing the griffon to stand at attention. He then smiled calmly and added, “Take a break and have some fun with my baby girl, okay?”

“Yes, sir!” Gallus barked, saluting. Once Sky Beak walked off, he realized what he had just agreed to and preemptively muttered, “Not a word, Terramar.”

“I wasn’t saying anything,” he claimed, whistling innocently.

Grinning gratefully, Gallus leaned over the railing and held the camera up to his eye. “Oh, Fair Silverstream?” he cried out theatrically. “Can’st thou bless mine eyes with thine angelic smile?”

Silverstream paused mid-hug and joked back, “With pleasure.” She then flashed him her most dazzling grin, and after he took the picture, she asked, “You made sure to get my good side, right?”

“Not hard to do when you’re beautiful from every angle,” he complimented blissfully.

“And that’s definitely my cue to leave,” Terramar recognized, taking to the sky. “See ya’ll later.”

“See ya, Bro,” Silver said, waving goodbye as he flew overhead and back to Hippogriffia.

“Hey. Hey, Silver,” Skystar whispered, tapping her cousin’s shoulder. Once Silverstream faced her, she excitedly repeated, “‘Beautiful from every angle.’”

“I know,” she whispered back, giggling ecstatically. “I love it when he calls me beautiful.”

“Well, you are. You are very beautiful,” Gallus extolled, smiling victoriously when he heard her giggle again. “A beautiful, beautiful angel…”

“Oh. My. Gosh!” Skystar yelped, gaping at the griffon above. She then looked back at her euphorically smiling cousin, wondering, “How in Seaquestria did you find somecreature that sweet?”

“I got lucky,” Silverstream answered.

“I thought we established I was the lucky one?” Gallus spoke up.

“We both are.”

“Yeah. I guess we are,” he agreed, holding the camera up again. “Can I get another smile?”

“Always,” she said, posing elegantly. After another round of pictures, she noticed Skystar glaring at her and smirked. “Jealous, Starry?”

“Yes. You got to go to Equestria and meet tons of creatures and this sweet, fluffy snuggle-bird, but I’m stuck here,” she grumbled, crossing her flippers in frustration. “Totally not fair…”

“Sorry, Cuz,” Silver apologized, patting her shoulder consolingly. “If you’d like? I could start showing your picture around the School? I’m sure somecreature would be interested.”

“Could you?” Skystar requested, trying not to sound like she was begging even though she absolutely was. “I’d really appreciate that.”

“Hee-hee! Of course.”

“Thank you. And while we’re on that note? Any notable hunka-hunkas I might like?”

Silverstream hummed thoughtfully, answering, “Well? Slate Sentiments is pretty nice, but he’s way too science-y for your tastes.”

“I dunno; I might like a bit more science-y in my life.”

“Not his level of science-y, you won’t. Hey, Gallus? End Zone is available, isn’t he?”

“I think so,” he said, resting his head in his talon. “But Shimmy told me she was gonna make a move on him.”

“Really!?” Silver gasped in shock. “Scoop and I both thought she liked Lighthoof.”

He just shrugged.

“Huh. I’ll have to ask her about that when we get back.”

“Are there any guys who aren’t possibly taken?” Skystar asked impatiently.

“Well, there’s Vellum,” Gallus suggested.

“And you don’t want him,” Silver countered, eliciting a loud, frustrated groan. “November Rain is still on the market though.”

“Ooh, he sounds cute.”

“He is cute,” she confirmed casually.

“You think so, huh?” Gallus wondered with a smirk.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Silver said, waving a talon dismissively. “You know you’re cuter.”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Yeah, you are.”

“You’re both the cutest couple ever!” Skystar sang, grabbing Silver in yet another hug.

Silverstream hugged her back, saying, “I know. And speaking of couples? Don’t you worry, Starry, there are plenty of guys at the Friendship School, including November.”

“And you’re gonna show ‘em all my picture?”

“Promise.”

“Hee-hee-hee, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Silver chirped happily. “So? What’ve you been up to lately?”

As the two launched into a casual conversation about each other’s recent life experiences, Gallus smiled brightly and took another few pictures of the duo, focusing primarily on his girlfriend. He then froze and lowered the camera upon seeing the seapony that had surfaced behind them. “Uh, Silverstream?”

“—and Sandbar, of course, didn’t take that challenge lying down,” Silver continued recounting, having neither heard her boyfriend speak up nor noticed the new arrival. “So, there Yona and I are just sitting there and watching our boyfriends duke it out in Trivia Trot.”

“Eh, I sorta get it,” Skystar said, wincing in sympathy. “I’ve played that game before, and, uh… It can get pretty heated,” she disclosed, recalling that particular incident with quite a lot of regret.

“So I noticed. Hee-hee, it was pretty cute seeing Gallus get all fired up though,” she reminisced, fanning herself with a talon. “He’s always so hot whenever he nerds out over something.”

Gallus would have ordinarily collapsed into a giggling, blushing heap upon hearing her say something like that, but given the audience they all had, her comment made him wince worriedly instead. “Hey, Silverstream!?” he called out a little louder.

“Hmm?” Silver and Skystar both looked up at him. “Yeah, Gallus?”

“You’ve got a visitor.”

Silver slowly turned around and found exactly whom she both expected and dreaded to see. She then sank a little further into the water, moaning, “Ohhh nooo.”

Skystar turned as well. “Oh! Hi, Auntie Ocean Flow,” she greeted, waving enthusiastically.

Having eyes eyes only for her daughter, Ocean Flow mumbled, “Silverstream?”

Silver smiled weakly and said, “H-Hi, Mom.”

If Ocean Flow picked up on Silver’s hesitation, she didn’t let it show; instead, she darted past Skystar and trapped Silver in a tight hug, rejoicing, “Silverstream, you’re back!”

“Yep. I’m back,” Silverstream squeaked out. “Can you let go now? You’re kinda crushing me.”

“Whoops! Sorry, honey,” Ocean apologized, easing up but refusing to let go entirely.

“No worries,” she assuaged awkwardly. “I’m good. So, uh, how are you?”

“Better now that you’re back, safe and sound,” she emphasized. “And I’m even happier to have gotten a chance to hug my daughter again.”

“She is pretty fun to hug, isn’t she?” Skystar tittered.

“Yes, she is,” Ocean concurred, giving Silver another, gentler hug. Afterward, she frowned at her niece, stating, “By the way, your mother sent me up here to find you.”

“Ooh! Is it because she wants to apologize for not letting me attend the Friendship School and meet all the cute boys?” she asked with not a trace of irony.

“Er? No. She wanted me to let you know you’re late for rehearsals again.”

Skystar gasped fearfully, cursing, “Oh sea kelp, I forgot all about that!”

“Language.”

“Sorry, Auntie Ocean Flow,” Skystar said, sneaking Silver one last hug. “And sorry to cut this short, Cuz, but I gotta go.” She then looked up at Gallus and waved. “It was nice meeting you, Gallus.”

“It was nice meeting you too. As well as Shelly and Sheldon,” he felt compelled to add.

“Hee-hee, I’ll tell ‘em you said that. See you all later,” Skystar sang, diving beneath the water.

As if on cue, Sky Beak trotted back up to Gallus and said, “Okay, I finally finished up the swabbing. Did I just hear Skystar leave?”

“Mhmm,” Gallus hummed, wincing as Ocean finally turned her gaze onto him. There was no hostility in her expression whatsoever, but he still had to fight back an uncomfortable shiver.

Before Sky Beak could question his unease, he looked down at the bay and immediately understood. “Oh, hello, Ocean Flow,” he said, putting on a warm smile. “You look well.”

“As do you, Sky Beak. … Um, Sky? Who exactly is that?” Ocean asked, pointing at Gallus.

“Oh, him?” Sky Beak wrapped a wing around Gallus, answering, “This lovely, young fellow is Gallus. Silverstream’s boyfriend.”

“‘Boyfriend’?” she echoed, eyes widening.

“Yes, Mom,” Silverstream confirmed, swimming between the ship and her mother. “My boyfriend. Not just ‘friend.’ Not just ‘best friend.’ Boyfriend.”

“I… I see.”

After an intensely awkward silence, Gallus took a deep breath and let it out slowly, spreading his wings and flying down to the duo. Sky considered following after him, but he ultimately decided against it, choosing to remain on the ship and watch.

Upon seeing her boyfriend approach, Silverstream turned to swim toward him only to feel Ocean Flow try to pull her back. She then yanked her talon free, glaring balefully at her mother as she paddled closer to Gallus. “Hey, you,” she greeted, feeling slightly calmer just by being near him.

“Hey, you,” he greeted back, smiling reassuringly. Gallus then hovered forward and extended his talon politely. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Ocean Flow.”

She simply stared at the offered claw until Silver angrily demanded, “Shake his talon, Mother!”

“O-Oh! Yes. Sorry,” she reflexively apologized, shaking it for all of a second before dropping her flipper back into the water. “It’s, um, nice to meet you too, Mr. Gallus.”

“Oh, no-no-no. Please, ‘Gallus’ is fine, thank you,” he said, chuckling bashfully.

Ocean Flow blinked, neither expecting that response nor having one to give back. After another awkward silence, she acknowledged, “So! Y-You’re here. And— And you’re actually d-dating my daughter…?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am,” he confirmed, nodding.

“Ah. So, you— You two are still together then?” she mumbled, biting her lip and refusing to meet his gaze. “That’s…lovely.”

“Tch. Seriously, Mother? Not five minutes in, and you’re already starting?” Silver questioned, irate.

“Now, Silverstream—” Sky Beak tried intervening.

“Don’t, Dad,” she cut him off with a huff. “I don’t want to hear it; I’m coming back onto the ship.”

“No, wait!” Ocean frantically pleaded, reaching out to Silver who flinched away. “Please don’t go, honey. I-I-I haven’t heard from you in so long, and there’s so much we need to talk about.”

“Oh, there’s a lot of things I need to talk to you about,” Silver grumbled coldly. “Or more accurately: Yell at you about.”

Before the situation could grow any more heated, Gallus murmured, “Silver…?”

Silver inhaled sharply and let it out slowly, turning her gaze to him. “Talk?” she guessed.

He nodded. “Talk.”

Silverstream sighed, shot Ocean Flow another glare, and pulled Gallus aside. “Yes, Gallus?” she whispered neutrally.

“Are you okay?” he asked, keeping his voice down as well.

“No, I’m not. I’m angry, worried, nervous, and just… Ughhh,” she groaned, face-clawing. “Is that an emotion? ‘Ughhh’? If not, it should be. Because that’s exactly what I’m feeling right now.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m a little nervous too. But still. This is something we have to deal with.”

“You mean something I have to deal with…”

“No.” Gallus gave her cheek a soft nuzzle, correcting, “It’s something we have to deal with. You’re not facing this alone, Silver.”

“Thank you,” she said, nuzzling him back. “I know you’re with me; I’m just worried anyway. I mean, you’re not the one who needs to make amends with my mother,” she pointed out, combing a shaky talon through her sopping mane.

“But I am the one who needs to win her over. And, uh…” He glanced over at Ocean Flow to see her regarding him with apprehension. “I get the feeling that’ll be pretty tough.”

“Then let’s go back to the ship and deal with it later,” she beseeched.

“Silverstream, no.”

“But, Gallus—”

“No. We’ve put this off for long enough,” Gallus argued wisely. “And we both know better than to leave things like this bottled up.”

Silverstream scowled, despising how she agreed with him wholeheartedly. She then looked back at Ocean, bluntly asking, “Hey, Mom? Do you have a problem with Gallus being my boyfriend?”

Gallus face-clawed as Ocean Flow raced to come up with an appropriate response. “W-Well, uh… I mean, er, I-I only just met him, but you, er…?” she trailed off.

“Okay,” Silverstream sighed, swimming away again and pulling Gallus along with her. “That’s all I needed to hear; back to the ship we go.”

“No, stop! Please!” Ocean Flow begged, voice cracking. “Silverstream honey, I— I missed you so much… Pl-Please don’t go yet.”

Feeling her heart sink at how despondent her mother appeared, Silver turned back to Gallus. “I really don’t know if I can do this,” she quietly admitted, beak quivering.

“You’re just talking to your mother, Silver,” Gallus comforted. “She’s not a super-villain. Remember?”

“I know she’s not, but… But… I just don’t think I’m ready yet.”

“Ready to apologize to her? Or ready to forgive her?”

“Both.”

“You can forgive somecreature but still be mad at them, you know,” he stated solemnly.

“Mom isn’t Gruff, Gallus,” Silverstream growled, hanging her head. “Besides. You know I don’t like being angry. At anycreature.”

He raised her chin back up, insisting, “All the more reason to talk to her and make amends.”

“Fair point,” she conceded, appearing rather morose herself.

“…It will be okay, Silverstream.”

“I hope so, Gallus; I really hope so.”

Seeing she still didn’t seem convinced, Gallus implored, “Seriously, Silverstream, don’t worry. Just, uh…?” He thought for a moment and advised, “Just think of this as a more awkward version of what happened with Smolder.”

“That doesn’t help, Gallus,” she whined, sparing another nervous glance at her mother.

He frowned worriedly and pleaded, “Then tell me what I can do that will help.”

“Kiss me and tell me everything will be okay?” Silver proposed weakly.

“That, I can do,” Gallus said, leaning forward and kissing her. Silver flung her talons around his neck, ensuring he couldn’t pull away any time soon, and in response, he lifted his own talons to her cheeks, gently holding her still as well.

Ocean Flow just watched on, her expression shifting from trepidation to shock. Sky Beak, on the other talon, smiled excitedly upon seeing the couple embrace. He then spotted the camera Gallus had left behind and eagerly took it into his talons, aiming it at the embracing couple.

After a full two minutes had passed, Silver reluctantly allowed him to break away and gave him a small, thankful smile.

“Everything will be okay, Silverstream,” Gallus soothed.

“Everything will be okay,” she echoed, holding her talons over his and relishing his warm touch. “You go have fun with Daddy; I’ll go deal with Mom.”

“You sure you’ll be okay?”

“Mhmm.”

“Alright then. I’ll see you later,” he said, attempting to fly back up to the ship only to stop once he realized she was still holding onto his talons. “Silver? Was there something else?”

“Yes. Could I have one more kiss?” she requested, smiling just the way she knew he liked it. “Pretty please?”

Gallus smiled back, yielding, “Of course. Long or short?”

“You know which one I’d prefer,” she purred, pulling him closer toward both the water and her.

“Yes, I do. After all, I prefer that one too.” Gallus then spared the thoroughly stunned Ocean Flow another glance before looking back at Silverstream and saying, “But I think we’ll have to keep it short.”

“What? Why?”

“Because your mom is waiting for you.”

“So?”

Noticing Ocean Flow looked genuinely hurt by that, he rebukingly mumbled, “Silverstream…”

“Yeah, yeah! I know,” she groused, frowning apologetically—though not too apologetically. “But come on! Don’t tease me like that; I want a long one,” Silver mewled pleadingly.

“I do too, but I doubt your mom would like it if she had to wait an hour to spend time with you.”

“But she wouldn’t have to wait an hour.”

“She would if you wanted a Round Two,” he countered. “And you always want a Round Two.”

Knowing full-well she had lost that debate, Silverstream resorted to the last trick she had in her arsenal: Pouting adorably until he suggested a compromise. Which, of course, he did.

“Okay, how about this?” Gallus continued. “I’ll give you another short kiss now…?” He then leaned closer and whispered into her ear, “And I’ll give you an extra long kiss when you get back.”

Beneath the water—and thankfully concealed from everycreature’s sights—Silverstream’s back hooves gave an ecstatic, little buck.

“Two kisses!” she demanded, barely keeping her wings at her sides. “Take it or leave it!”

“Two kisses it is th—Mph!”

Silverstream cut him off by bringing him into another kiss, but he quickly hummed happily, kissing her back as his eyes fluttered shut.

They soon broke apart for a second, breathing a little heavier, but once that second passed, Silver kissed him again, trying desperately to bring him into the water with her.

Unfortunately, she failed, and Gallus soon pulled away and gave her a smug smile. “Nice try, Silver. But I ain’t visiting Seaquestria just yet.”

“Shame. I can’t wait to make out with you down here,” Silver said, grinning despite her loss. “Oh well. You can make it up to me later.” She then batted her eyelashes and forewarned, “Because when we have that extra long kiss, we’re having three rounds.”

His wings went stiff for a split second, but much to Silver’s disappointment, Gallus managed to stay in the air, exclaiming, “Thr-Three rounds!? W-W-Wow, we’ve never had…” He then placed a talon on her forehead, asking, “Silverstream, are you feeling okay? You’re not usually this, er, risqué?”

“I am on spring break with my boyfriend. Neither our friends, nor our teachers are here to tease or stop us. And you just offered me an extra long kiss,” she listed off with a crazed sparkle in her eye. “You had better believe I’m feeling risqué!”

Silver’s declaration was met with utter silence from all creatures present. “Okay! Y-Yeah, I need to go,” Gallus eventually squealed. “Otherwise, I don’t think I’m going to be able to resist much longer.”

“In that case…?” Silverstream paddled backward, drawing him further away from the ship. “Why resist? Come into the water and play,” she beckoned, smiling alluringly.

“No…”

“Yes.”

“No!”

“Yes, Gallus!” Silverstream sang enticingly. “Come on, you know you wanna.”

“Mmm,” he hummed uncomfortably. Luckily, and just barely, Gallus found the resolve to pull himself free of her grasp and deny, “No. No. No… You need to go with your mom.”

“Aww, you tease,” Silver whined, playfully splashing him. “I want to keep kissing you.”

“You think I don’t?”

“Then come here and do it!”

Gallus chanced yet another glance at Ocean Flow and winced at the expression she greeted him with. He then sighed apprehensively and asked, “Do you really want one more kiss before I go?”

Silverstream’s immediate answer was obviously yes. But after giving it some thought, she sighed herself. “No, you’re right. I shouldn’t put this off any longer,” she recognized, jerking her head toward her mother.

“No, you shouldn’t,” he agreed.

“Yeah. Plus? If you kiss me again, I will pull you into the water and… Well?” Silver reached up and ran a talon through his headcrest, crooning, “You know.”

Gallus was fairly certain his heart legitimately skipped a beat, but he successfully stayed strong and yelped, “Yep, definitely gotta go!”

“Fine,” she bemoaned, truly saddened none of her attempts had succeeded. “You can go back to the ship. But I’ll be counting the seconds until we’re alone again.”

“That goes for both of us.”

“It better. Anywho, I’ll see you later, Gallus. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Before Gallus flew back to the ship, however, he smirked daringly and swiftly sneaked a kiss to her cheek, dodging her subsequent lunge. Laughing, he ascended back to the ship, saying, “See you later, milady.”

“You! Are! A! Tease!” she bellowed, staring after him longingly. “Gallus, you get back down here and kiss me proper!”

“We’ll kiss later!”

“I want to kiss you now!”

“Later!”

“Augh, dang it,” Silver grumbled, slapping her talon against the water in frustration.

She then turned around to find her mother staring at her with an utterly blank expression that managed to convey both overwhelming confusion and absolute terror.

With tremendous willpower, Silverstream managed to not groan at the sight, and instead, she reached for her necklace and activated it.

One bright swirl of light later, her beak, talons, and hooves were replaced with a muzzle, flippers, and tail fin. She then stretched a bit, reacquainting herself with the feeling of her seapony form, and slowly swam over to her mother.

“Y-You… You and he…” Ocean Flow stammered, still processing what she had just witnessed.

“Kissed,” Silver finished for her. “Yep. And he’s a wonderful kisser. Now, come on, Mom. We really do need to talk,” she said, taking her mother’s flipper and dragging her beneath the water.

Gallus, meanwhile, finally landed back on the ship with a dreamy smile. Said smile vanished upon locking eyes with the widely grinning Sky Beak.

“Sooo,” the hippogriff began neutrally. “That whole thing just happened.”

Having no clue how to respond, Gallus simply nodded silently.

“And you just promised my baby girl and extra long kiss, I see…”

“Yep,” he affirmed, flicking his tail anxiously. “I, uh, I did.”

“Yes, you did. And I’m not entirely certain whether to be overjoyed or horrified by that,” Sky Beak said, barely holding back a laugh.

“T-To be honest, I’m not sure either,” Gallus said, gulping nervously under the hippogriff’s gaze. “Silver has never asked for three rounds before, so…”

“Oh, trust me! You’ve seen nothing yet, my friend. When Ocean Flow was feeling especially eager, we would go on for hours,” Sky reminisced. “And it sounds to me like Silver is much the same.”

“Yeah, well…?” Gallus stroked his headcrest and timidly admitted, “I-I-I’m kinda glad for that. I really like kissing Silverstream.”

“I should hope so; she certainly seemed to enjoy kissing you,” he hummed, winking. “And hugging you. And snuggling you. And playing with you in the water…”

Gallus flinched, blushing.

Sky smirked even wider, adding, “Oh! And let’s not forget she also likes shoving her tail under your beak.”

“She told you about that!?”

“Yep.” Sky then snickered when Gallus groaned weakly and hid himself behind his wings. “Oh, don’t worry, Gallus dear, I’m only teasing. Besides, I’m certain you at least enjoy the kissing, hugging, and snuggling.”

“Yeah, I do,” he confessed, peeking out from between his wings. “I really do.”

“Well, you have me to thank for Silver’s fondness for snuggles,” Sky boasted casually. “As for her love of extra long kisses? That’s something she picked up from her mother.”

Gallus smiled, but his grin drooped slightly as he muttered, “Um? Sp-Speaking of Mrs. Ocean Flow? Do… Do you know why she doesn’t like me?”

Sky Beak fidgeted nervously, not meeting the griffon’s eye. “It’s not that she doesn’t— I mean, she isn’t— I mean…” He sighed. “It’s complicated. But long story short? She’s a little para—er? Worried. She’s a little worried,” he corrected himself. Sky then shook his head, saying, “Listen, Gallus, don’t— Don’t worry about Ocean Flow. She’ll come around.”

“…You think so?” he asked hopefully.

“I do. She just needs to talk to you and get to know you more. Once she does, she’ll realize just how lovely you really are.”

“Well? I guess I am pretty lovable,” Gallus jokingly gloated, grinning.

“Indeed you are.”

“Heh-heh. Although…?” he continued, frowning again. “I get the feeling Silverstream trying to make out with me in the water wasn’t a great first impression,” he fretted.

Sky scoffed and refuted, “Ocean Flow has no grounds to judge you for that.”

“Yeah, but—”

“‘But’ nothing! If Ocean tries judging you for kissing our daughter in front of her, I’ll remind her of some of the naughtier things she and I used to get up to when we were married.”

Gallus couldn’t help but laugh; however, he soon stopped and blinked in confusion. “Hold on? ‘When we were married’?” he repeated. “Aren’t you two still…?”

“What? Why would you think— Oh. Ohhh. Silverstream didn’t tell you,” Sky Beak realized, hanging his head.

“Wait, you mean—” Sky’s subsequent wince was all the confirmation Gallus needed. “I… I-I’m so sorry, Mr. Sky Beak; I didn’t mean to—”

“Oh, don’t apologize, Gallus dear,” Sky interrupted, forcing a calm smile. “If you didn’t know, you didn’t know. I take no offense,” he assuaged, glad to see Gallus seemed significantly relieved to know that. “Although, I’m surprised Silver never told you about us.”

“She told me you lived as a hippogriff and Missus, er? Miss Ocean Flow lived as a seapony. But I-I just assumed you guys made it work,” he elaborated tentatively. “I didn’t think that…”

“Yes, well? Unfortunately, we…didn’t…make it work.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Again, Gallus, you don’t have to apologize. … I felt happier up here, and Ocean Flow felt safer down there,” he explained, turning his gaze onto the glistening, blue bay. “It’s okay.”

“I’m still sorry,” Gallus said, unsure of how to comfort him.

“Heh. You really are a sweetheart, you know that?” Sky praised, shaking his head wistfully. “No wonder my daughter chose you.”

Gallus smiled.

Sky Beak snorted and admonished, “Oh, but there I go! Getting all broody and bringing down the mood… For that, I am deeply sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize either, Mr. Sky Beak.”

“Nonetheless, I shouldn’t be discussing such dark matters,” he argued. “Not when you and Silver are finally together. Your relationship is so new, so fresh!” Sky Beak rejoiced, beaming brightly. “I wouldn’t want to tarnish it by bringing up…that.”

“…Actually, Mr. Sky Beak?” Gallus began, pawing the deck nervously. “Silver and I… Have discussed that possibility.”

Sky’s beak fell open in shock. “W-What? You— You mean, you and she talked about—”

“What would happen if we broke up? Yeah.”

“B-But you’re both so young,” he said, utterly dumbstruck by this revelation. “Silver is so happy with you; a-and you’re her sweetie! Why would you two ever talk about breaking up, let alone consider it?”

“You… You know my guardian? Grandpa Gruff?”

“The fellow with the cool fez?”

“Yeah, him. He sorta paid Silver a visit and, er, ‘talked’ to her. One thing led to another, and… Yeah,” he concluded abruptly.

Sky Beak’s face darkened as he growled, “I suddenly feel the overwhelming need to pay this Grandpa Gruff a visit of my own.”

“If it helps,” Gallus added, snickering. “A few of our friends got together and beat him up.”

“What will help is if I get a chance to beat him up too.”

“In that case, I probably shouldn’t give you his address.”

“Wise.”

…

They both burst out laughing.

“Seriously though, Gallus dear,” Sky eventually resumed. “Are you and Silverstream…?”

Gallus eagerly nodded, confirming, “Yep! We want to be together, and more importantly, we’re happy together,” he celebrated serenely, his wings fluttering. “Grover’s Treasure, we’re so happy together!”

Sky Beak didn’t know what “Grover’s Treasure” meant, but he suddenly felt the need to say the word “Language” rebukingly. After quelling that odd instinct, he pulled Gallus into a comforting hug, saying, “I’m very glad to hear that.”

Gallus hugged him back, replying, “I’m very glad to say that.”

“Heh-heh-heh.” Sky Beak then let Gallus go and exclaimed, “Whelp! The ship is clean, Silver is with her mother, and Terramar is likely back home,” he acknowledged, nodding. “What say we go back to town and have some fun?”

“Aww, but, Mr. Sky Beak!” Gallus whined, headcrest drooping. “There has to be something else I can do for you. D-Do you want me to swab the others ships? The docks? Or maybe—”

“Gallus!” Sky called out sternly, causing the griffon to fall silent and stand at attention. “I have only one more task for you; are you ready?”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

After stifling a giggle, Sky commanded, “For the rest your spring break, you are to enjoy your stay here at Mount Aris, having fun rather than doing chores.”

“But, Captain—”

“That is an order, sailor!” Sky cut him off. “No more chores, favors, or repayments. You are to have fun. Understood?”

“Y-Yes, sir,” he agreed, giving a disappointed salute but smiling nonetheless.

“Good. Now, come on,” Sky beckoned, dancing in place. “Haven and Stratus may have the dancing stadium handled, but we still have that father-daughter’s boyfriend knitting competition to set up. And we also need to bake those apology cakes too,” he remembered, beaming excitedly.

“That does sound fun,” Gallus said, cheering back up. “And you did order me to have fun, so…? Which did you want to do first, Captain?”

“Apology cakes! Definitely the apology cakes!”

“Alrighty then. Er? Where should I leave the uniform?”

“Eh, keep it on. Give Silverstream a nice surprise when she gets back,” Sky Beak said with a knowing smile.

“U-Uh? Yes, sir,” Gallus said, blushing once again.

Author's Note

Can you tell I love the hippogriffs? Because I really love the hippogriffs! I wish we had gotten to see more of 'em, but the show really dropped the ball when it came to the non-pony races... :ajbemused: Ah well. More creative liberty for us fanfic writers! :yay: Although, it did leave me in a bit of a bind with the character names. Speaking of, here are the two other named hippogriffs that appear:

Stratus Skyranger :

Haven Bay(Her seapony form was the only picture I found) :

Also, my apologies to Great White Prime for making you wait so long for this story arc, but at last, we're finally here! And words cannot express just how much I loved writing this chapter!

Anywho, I finally got the second half of this particular arc done(Aside from one little thing I still need to change real quick), so that's good. Also, it's roughly 30k words. And, no. I ain't shortening it this time.

Right now, all I've got left is the epilogue. ... Yeah. We're almost done everyone. It still feels so surreal to be saying that. :unsuresweetie: Anywho, all thoughts, comments, and criticism are welcome and appreciated as usual.

NEXT TIME: Gallus gets a swimming lesson; Skystar performs a dance; Ocean Flow does something stupid; and Silverstream throws something away.

March 25 - 27

Chapter Fifteen: Family, Part Two

Sunlight streamed through the shifting waves above and danced along the sandy seafloor below, mixing with the beautiful beds of coral and flora stretched across it to form the iridescent masterpiece that was the bottom of the ocean.

Sadly, said beauty was rather marred by the icy silence between Silverstream and her mother.

Not wanting this silence to continue, Ocean Flow hesitantly began, “Sooo? How has everything been going?”

“Fine,” Silver answered curtly.

“That’s good; that’s good,” she murmured, biting her lip anxiously. “A-And what about school? You’ve been keeping your grades up and eating all your fruits and veggies, yes?”

“Mhmm.”

“That’s also good. … So, um, what about your friends?” Ocean asked politely. “Are they doing well? Did— Did you ever get that situation with Smolder figured out?”

Silverstream stopped swimming and faced her mother properly. “Yes. Everycreature is doing fine. As for Smolder…? She does still have some bad days, but she’s doing okay too,” she confirmed with a small smile. “Thanks for asking, Mom.”

“Of course, honey,” she said, relieved her daughter was no longer glaring at her. “I care about your friends too, so I’m glad to hear they’re doing fine.”

“You and me both.”

“Heh-heh. Now, what about you, Silverstream? How are you?”

“I… Need to talk to you,” she sighed, preparing for what was about to come.

“O-Okay,” she said, noticing Silver’s deflection but choosing not to comment on it. “Um? What did you wish to talk to me about, honey?”

Silver gulped, worked up her courage, and began, “You know how I haven’t been sending letters lately? To you or anycreature else?”

Ocean winced. “Yes. B-But if you just haven’t found the time to write back, that’s okay. I know you’re busy at school with exams and whatnot.”

“That’s, um, not the reason why I stopped writing back.”

“What?” Ocean muttered, feeling her heart thrash violently against her chest. “Silverstream, what do you mean? Why did you really stop writing back!? Who told you to stop writing me back!?” she cried out in a panic.

“Mom, stop!” Silver yelled, holding a flipper over her muzzle. “Now, will you please hold on so I can explain?” Once Ocean nodded, she retracted her flipper and clarified, “First of all? No one told me to stop writing you back; I chose to stop writing you back.”

“Wait, what?” she asked, completely blindsided by her statement. “You chose to stop responding to our letters?”

“Yes.”

“But— But, why?”

“…You.”

“M-Me?”

“Yes, you,” Silverstream repeated, rubbing her eyes tiredly. “You and all your stupid letters, always taking shots at Gallus and our relationship.”

“I don’t know what you mean, Silver,” Ocean protested, trying desperately to appear innocent. “What ‘shots’ are you talking about?”

“‘Just remember, honey, having a crush and being in love are two entirely different things,’” she recited in a scarily accurate imitation of her mother’s voice. “‘And you shouldn’t do anything you’ll regret unless you’re certain of the latter.’”

“I-I did say that, yes,” she admitted, nervously wringing her flippers together. “But it’s true.”

“Maybe. But that was just the first thing you said, and everything after it was even worse…”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Ocean inquired indignantly. “I was giving you advice.”

“Heh-heh. Yeah, no,” she deadpanned. “What you gave me wasn’t advice. ‘Advice’ would be telling me to talk to Gallus whenever I’m upset so we could work through it together.”

“Honey—”

“‘Advice’ would be telling me not to constantly worry about his well-being when I know he’s okay!” Silver rambled on, growing angrier with every word spoken.

“It’s because you were so afraid that—”

“‘Advice’! Would be telling me that true love is when two creatures are at their happiest when they are with each other!” she screeched over her.

After waiting for Silver to calm down a tad more, Ocean Flow ultimately agreed, “I suppose that all does sound like good advice.”

“Certainly better than what you were telling me.”

Her mother flinched yet again, but after recovering, she asked, “Is… Is that really why you stopped writing me back? You didn’t like the advice, er, things, I said?” she corrected.

“Bingo.”

“O-Okay. … But, um, why? What was wrong with the things I said?”

“Mom?” Silverstream began as calmly as she could. “Gallus is my boyfriend. But you wouldn’t stop haranguing me about him or how much you disapproved of him,” she groaned, massaging her aching temples. “And? I really didn’t like what you were saying. It— It freaked me out.”

“Freaked you out?” Ocean gasped, holding a flipper to her heart in horror.

“Yes! I… I was already dealing with a lot of stress and paranoia at the time,” she revealed, only terrifying her mother even more. “And the things you kept saying about Gallus only made it worse.”

“But I wasn’t saying anything about him!”

“You certainly made it clear you didn’t like me being with him. Or do you think I didn’t notice all those little hints of yours that I don’t have to ‘settle for less’?” She scoffed, ending, “As if Gallus is somehow not good enough for me…”

Ocean Flow said nothing and merely hung her head, unable to meet her daughter’s eye.

Silver let the silence go on a moment before saying, “Look, Mom, I had enough problems going on, and I didn’t need more. So…? I stopped writing you back,” she admitted.

“But if that’s true, why did you stop writing everycreature else back too?”

“Because somepony started sending me letters under all of their names,” she angrily answered. “Thanks to you, I couldn’t even trust Terramar’s letters were from him anymore.”

Once again, Ocean Flow had no words.

“All that said?” Silver resumed timidly. “I’m… I’m sorry. If you were upsetting me, I should have let you know. But I didn’t. Instead, I just cut you and everyone else off entirely, like an idiot,” she grumbled, face-flippering.

“Silverstream, you are not an idiot!” Ocean instantly defended, much to Silver’s surprise. “Why would you ever say that about yourself?”

“Because I know better than to bottle up my problems, but I did it anyway,” she explained, wincing ashamedly.

“Well, I don’t care! You are not an idiot; you are my daughter,” she comforted, pulling Silver into her warm embrace. “And you are the brightest, happiest, most splendorous creature in the world. Never, ever let anything or anyone convince you otherwise,” she commanded firmly-yet-kindly.

Silver smiled weakly, hugging her back and whispering, “Thanks, Mom.”

After a minute, they broke away, and Ocean resumed, “Furthermore, I am the one who should be sorry. I’m your mother, so I’m always going to worry about you… But I shouldn’t have bombarded you with my paranoid ramblings,” she lamented, holding a gentle flipper to Silver’s cheek. “And especially not when I knew you were having a hard time. For that, I am so, so sorry, honey.”

A pang of anger flared to life once Silver realized her mother wasn’t actually apologizing for what she said against Gallus, but it quickly died out as she replied truthfully, “It’s okay, Mom. I forgive you. … I am still mad at you though.”

“I don’t blame you. I really am sorry, Silverstream.”

“I just said I forgive you,” Silver chuckled. “But, uh? D-Do you forgive me for not writing you back?”

“Naturally,” Ocean chirped, tittering. “You don’t even need to apologize, honey.”

Silverstream’s smile widened as she said, “It’s really good to see you again, Mom.”

“It’s great to see you too,” Ocean Flow said, hugging her daughter once more. “Now then, with all of that out of the way? Let’s go,” she beckoned, taking Silver by the flippers and leading her forward. “If we hurry, we can catch the tail end of your cousin’s rehearsal.”

“I definitely don’t want to miss that,” Silver agreed, swimming alongside her mother. “But before we go, could I ask you something?”

“Of course. What did you want to ask?”

Silver hesitated for a moment before finally asking, “Why do you hate Gallus?”

Ocean Flow stammered wordlessly for a good minute, but she eventually found her voice and professed, “I don’t e-exactly ‘hate’ him, honey.”

“Mom, you wouldn’t even shake his talon,” she countered bluntly. “I had to make you do it.”

“Erm? A-A-Admittedly, that was rather rude of me. But I really don’t hate him.”

“Then what was with the ‘don’t settle for less’ line?”

“Because it’s true; you don’t have to settle for less, honey.” Upon seeing Silver’s previous glare make a comeback, Ocean hurriedly elaborated, “Th-That’s not to say that Gallus is ‘less,’ of course! It’s just… I want what’s best for you, Silverstream. I— I want you to be safe! And secure. And happy…”

“And I am those things with Gallus.”

“Er, that’s good then,” Ocean squeaked out, forcing a strained smile. “L-Like I said, I don’t hate Gallus; I-I-I just, er? Don’t…know…him,” she said slowly, praying it would suffice.

Silver suspected that answer wasn’t entirely the truth, but on the off-chance she was mistaken, she ignored her suspicion. However, that didn’t stop her from capitalizing on the answer she did get.

“I guess that’s true,” she conceded. “Lucky for you then, we’re both here for the rest of the week. Which means you have the rest of the week to get to know Gallus. You do want to get to know the griffon I love, right?” Silver asked, smirking.

Ocean’s eye twitched at the utterance of “love,” but she swiftly hid her discomfort and exclaimed, “Y-Yes! Of— Of course I do, honey.” She then blinked and smiled. “In fact? I have an idea…”

***

“I really can’t wrap my head around it,” Gallus said as he passed the last of the dishes to Silver.

“Neither can I, to be honest,” Silverstream concurred, putting the freshly cleaned plates away.

“Well, I can certainly believe it,” Sky Beak happily weighed in. “Ocean Flow is your mother, honey. There was absolutely no chance she wouldn’t want to get to know your sweetie,” he swore, turning off the kitchen faucet and drying his talons.

“Still though,” Gallus mumbled, apprehensively stroking his headcrest. “As glad as I am she wants to get to know me, I’m a little worried.”

“It’s just dinner, Gallus dear,” Sky began, patting the griffon’s shoulder reassuringly. “You’ve had it with Terramar and myself twice so far; what’s so different about having it with Ocean Flow?”

“The fact it’s underwater,” he muttered under his breath.

“Didn’t catch that, sorry?”

“N-Nothing,” Gallus reflexively blurted out. “There’s nothing really different about it, I guess.”

Silverstream was at his side in a heartbeat, taking his talon and comforting, “Don’t worry, sweetie. I’ll protect you from my big, bad mother.”

Gallus snorted and nuzzled her, saying, “Thanks. I’ll probably need you to.”

“Nonsense,” Sky Beak dismissed, bringing them both into a hug. After letting them go, he declared, “I’ve said it to both of you, and I’ll say it again: Once Ocean Flow gets to know you more, she’ll love you just as much as I do,” he promised, winking at Gallus.

Gallus smiled back.

“Well, of course she will,” Silver agreed, giving her boyfriend’s cheek a kiss. “You are incredibly lovable, after all.”

“Yeah, I know,” he boasted, kissing her back.

Sky Beak smiled at the display. “Whelp, now that dinner’s over, are either of you up for dessert?” he asked, moving toward the fridge. “Gallus and I made those apology cakes earlier. Or were you hankering for some ice cream instead?”

“Sorry, Daddy, Gallus and I will have to skip dessert,” Silver said before Gallus could accept the offer for cake. “We’re gonna go make out,” she nonchalantly announced.

“Wait, we are?” Gallus asked as she hastily pulled him along.

“Yep.”

After processing the sudden turn of events, Sky exited the kitchen behind them. “Er, try to keep it down,” he ordered, uncertain of how stern he should be. “You wouldn’t want to disturb Terramar.”

“Or else he’ll come banging on the door and interrupt us, I know,” she sighed, shooting her annoyed brother a glare while she led Gallus through the living room and up the staircase.

“And make sure to keep it appropriate!” Sky screeched after them.

“We will!”

“You better!” He then shook his head, pondering, “What am I going to do with her?”

“Ignore her,” Terramar suggested, keeping his gaze glued to his book. “That’s what I’m doing.”

Sky trotted over and ruffled his son’s mane, eliciting a small grin.

Silverstream and Gallus, meanwhile, finally reached the attic. After pushing him inside, Silver shut the door and leaned against it, sighing.

“‘We’re gonna go make out’?” Gallus repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Really, Silver? Really?”

“Oh hush,” she whined, trotting toward his bed and collapsing into it. She then patted the empty space beside her.

Gallus fluttered his wings and laid down beside her, staring at the ceiling while trying not to blush too vibrantly. “Sooo? You okay?” he eventually asked.

Silver stared upward as well, confirming, “Yep. I’m okay.”

“That’s good.”

…

“I thought it would be harder,” Silverstream suddenly stated.

“Talking to your mom?”

“Yeah. I mean?” Silver met his gaze and elaborated, “After all the nasty things she said and all that time I spent ignoring her letters… I didn’t think talking to her—much less forgiving her—would be so…easy,” she ended quietly.

“I know how that feels,” Gallus noted, chuckling. “Remember how scared I was of telling Ocellus I didn’t want to be a professor?”

“And then when you finally did, you realized you had just been overthinking things,” Silver happily reminisced.

“Yes, I had. And after I told you that, what was it you said to me?” He snapped his talons and said, “Oh, that’s right.”

“‘It’s not the examination that freezes your blood and shivers your spine; it’s the anticipation leading up to it,’” they both quoted, giggling at having spoken simultaneously.

“That said,” Gallus resumed. “Did you really forgive her?”

“…Yes. Yes, I did,” Silver said softly. “I am still mad at her. And she had better apologize to you too for everything she said! But other than that? Yeah. I forgave her.”

Gallus grinned and gave her cheek a warm nuzzle. Afterward, he leaned back and whispered, “I’m glad you did, Silverstream.”

“Me too,” she responded, giving him a nuzzle of her own. “Of course? It’s your turn now,” she grunted, rolling onto her side and smiling at him. “So, sweetie? Think you can charm my mother?”

“I don’t know; it’s gonna be pretty hard,” he playfully bemoaned, much to her amusement. “Doth thou believeth I can do so, Fair Silverstream?”

“I doth indeed, Sir Gallus. Thou art mine sweetie, after all,” Silverstream cooed, giving him a small kiss. “Everything will be fine, Gallus.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess it will,” he said, returning the kiss.

“Hee-hee-hee. Yeah. Plus, I get to finally show you Seaquestria tomorrow!” she celebrated. “Isn’t that great!?”

“Y-Yeah,” he murmured, his mood souring instantly. “Tomorrow. Great.”

“…Okay, Gallus,” she sighed, frowning. “I can hear it in your voice. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is ‘wrong,’ per se.” After searching for the right words, he settled on, “I’m just a little nervous still.”

“About having dinner with Mom?”

“That. And going to Seaquestria.” Gallus fiddled with the sheets for a moment before explaining, “I mean…? I know you were going to show me Seaquestria at some point this week, and I do want to see it,” he assured, laying a gentle talon on her shoulder. “I really do. But…?”

“But you’re still nervous about going down there?” Silver guessed, laying her own talon over his and holding it tightly. “Right?”

“Yeah,” he whispered, thankful for her soothing touch. “I-I just thought I’d have more time to prepare myself, you know? But nope. I’m going to Seaquestria tomorrow…”

“Do you want me to call it off?”

“What!? No!” Gallus yelped, shaking his head fervently. “Absolutely not.”

“Gallus, you don’t need to do it if you don’t want to.”

“But I do want to. I want to see Seaquestria, and I want to have dinner with your mom.”

“I want both of those things too, Gallus, but if you’re uncomfortable coming underwater—”

“I’ll be fine,” he swore, cupping her cheek with his other talon. “Promise.”

Silver couldn’t help but smile. “Alrighty then. … Still though? Do you think maybe I should convince her to come and have dinner with us at the beach instead?”

“I don’t know, Silver. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience her when she already doesn’t like me.”

“You are my boyfriend. If you aren’t ready to visit Seaquestria yet, she should respect that.”

“True. But she wouldn’t agree to that anyway, would she?”

“Well…? She was pretty insistent we come to her house,” Silverstream recognized, frowning sternly. “Which makes me wonder if this is her attempt at intimidating you.”

“How so?”

“Dad had the Aris Guard; Mom has the ocean.”

“If that’s the case, she’s doing a much better job at intimidating me than your dad did,” Gallus admitted, drawing out a faint snicker from his girlfriend. “That said, I’m not gonna let a little water intimidate me for long! … And I’m definitely not gonna let anycreature else know I was intimidated.”

“Hee-hee. There’s the Gallus I know and love,” she tittered, kissing him again. “But are you sure you’ll be okay tomorrow?”

“I will. After all, you’ll be there with me, won’t you?”

“Always.”

They both simply smiled at each other for a minute, but Silver’s smile soon morphed into a sinister smirk. Before Gallus could question it, however, she rolled over on top of him.

“Um, Silver? What are you doing?” he inquired, already knowing the answer.

“Lying on top of you.”

“Why?”

“Well, I did tell Daddy we were gonna make out,” she addressed, still holding onto his one talon. She then took her other talon and stroked it through his headcrest, reminding him, “And you still have a few kisses you need to make up for.”

Gallus was eternally grateful his wings were pinned against the bed and, thus, couldn’t flare open. “Well, so do you,” he pointed out. “You left me all by myself to go make dinner with your dad, remember?”

“Oh, I remember. And I will most certainly make up for it tonight,” she vowed, leaning closer to him and giving him a sweet, sultry smile. “However, I only owe you one kiss. By my count, you owe me three.”

“‘Three’? Wasn’t it just two? The attic one, and the one Skystar interrupted?”

“Mhmm. But you also promised me an extra long kiss too.”

“D-Did I do that?” he wondered, turning a brilliant shade of scarlet. “I can’t quite recall…”

“Don’t you play that game with me, Gallus,” she said, stroking his headcrest again and giggling when she noticed his tail start to wag. “Don’t you want to go to Round Three too?”

“I do. I really do,” he confessed, too busy staring into her eyes to feel any semblance of shame. “But are you sure you want to try going to three rounds?” he double-checked.

“Oh, relax! I’m sure we can handle it,” Silverstream proclaimed, tapping her beak against his teasingly. “Come on, sweetie. Kiss me.”

Gallus smiled serenely. “As you wish, milady,” he whispered, happily fulfilling her request.

***

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing; the ocean was roiling. And considering the sounds of merriment echoing from Hippogriffia, it seemed that Sky Beak’s parade was nearing completion.

The hippogriff in question had, of course, walked Silverstream, Terramar, and Gallus to the beach, but after wishing them good luck, he had flown off to help finish said parade.

Afterward, both of his children had entered the ocean without concern. Gallus, however…

“Are you sure about this, Silverstream?” the trembling griffon asked again.

“Of course, Gallus. It’s just a little water; it’s perfectly safe.”

“A-And you’re sure I won’t be a catfish, right?”

“For the eighth time, yes!” Terramar groaned, rolling his eyes. “I went to Auntie Novo after Silver hounded me about it, and she taught me how to prevent that from happening.”

Unfortunately, his words only further terrified Gallus. “You mean I really would have been a catfish!?”

Silverstream frowned at her brother who glared back.

“Gallus, look. Since I’m the one transforming you, you’ll be a seapony,” he swore.

“And what if I get stuck like that, huh!?”

“You won’t. I may be the only one who can turn you into a seapony, but anyone else can change you back into a griffon since it’s your default form, even Silverstream,” Terramar explained as reassuringly as he could. “Don’t worry.”

“Too late for that!” Gallus screeched, retreating even farther away from the water.

“Seriously, dude, it’s okay. Just think of it as a giant bath tub.”

“A bath tub?” he echoed, casting his gaze over the wide, open ocean. “Yeah. A giant bath tub. Where the water stretches on for miles and miles,” Gallus murmured to himself, spacing out. “And crashes down onto you from all sides, trapping you in an endless, crushing void of darkness. Trapped at the bottom of the ocean. Unable to move. Unable to breathe. Unable to call for help. All alone…”

Silverstream and Terramar shared a glance when Gallus suddenly went silent.

“But hey!” he resumed, scoffing as his wings twitched fearfully. “It’s totally like a giant bath tub. Absolutely nothing to worry about, no sirree. Heh-heh-hehhh…”

Silverstream swiftly swam back to shore. After approaching him, she took his talon into hers and said, “Gallus? Hey, Gallus?”

“H-Huh?” he gasped, snapping out of his daze. “Yeah, Silver?”

“Look at me, okay? Don’t look at the water; look at me. Just look at me,” Silver repeated slowly-yet-soothingly. Once she was certain he wouldn’t look away, she continued, “We’re both gonna take a deep breath. Can you do that for me?”

“Mhmm.”

“Thank you.” She then inhaled, and Gallus copied her. “Hold it. … And let it out slowly,” she said, sighing with him. “Deep breath in. Deep breath out. In. And out.”

Gallus nodded, shut his eyes, and continued the exercise. With each subsequent breath, he felt noticeably calmer, and a small smile soon returned to his beak.

Once Silver noticed this, she smiled herself and complimented, “That’s good, Gallus. You’re doing good. Now? We’re going to take this nice and slow…”

“Pl-Please don’t let go!” he begged, tightly clenching her talons.

“It’s okay, Gallus; I’m not gonna let go,” she promised. “We’ll take it one step at a time, okay?”

“O-O-Okay.”

“Alright. One step,” Silver announced, taking a step back toward the ocean and keeping a firm grip on his talons.

“One step,” Gallus echoed, keeping his eyes closed shut as he followed after her.

“Two steps.”

“Three steps.”

“There we go. You’re doing great, sweetie,” Silverstream encouraged. “You’re doing great.”

“Thank you. I-I think I’m—” Gallus let out a frightened squeak when a rush of water flowed over his talons and paws. “That— That was the water!”

“Mhmm. Are you okay?”

“I thought it’d be c-colder. But? It’s actually pretty warm,” he observed, shivering regardless.

“Yep. Terramar wasn’t wrong; it really is like a big, warm bath. Are you ready to keep going?”

“I don’t know, Silver. I’m— I’m really scared,” he confessed weakly.

“It’s okay, Gallus. I’m right here,” Silver comforted, her voice quickly calming him back down. “I know it’s hard, sweetie, but you just need to follow me for a few more steps. Can you do that?”

Gallus sighed happily, swearing, “I’d follow you anywhere.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, blushing. “Okay. Here we go.”

She led him even further into the brine, and Gallus had to hold in another squawk when he felt the ocean lick against his barrel. “S-Silverstream…?” he puled, feeling a wave jostle him slightly.

“Hold on, sweetie. We’re almost there, I promise.”

Gulping, Gallus continued following her, but after another few steps, he cried out, “Silver! I-I’m having trouble feeling the ground!” he screamed, barely clinging to the slippery sand below.

“But you still feel me, right?” Silver inquired, giving his talons another reassuring squeeze.

Gallus squeezed her talons back, nodding. “I do.”

“Good. Because we only have one more step.”

“J-Just one?”

“Just one. Are you ready?”

“…Go for it.”

Silverstream gave him a comforting nuzzle before using her wings to paddle back into the open ocean, pulling his whimpering form with her. Much to both her and Terramar’s relief, Gallus didn’t flail about wildly, but it certainly seemed as though he were considering it.

“Gallus?” Silverstream hummed softly. “You can open your eyes now.”

He tentatively peeked them open and beheld the soothing smile of his girlfriend.

“See? I’m right here, and I’m not letting go.”

Gallus surprised her with a quick, thankful kiss. “You’re so beautiful,” he praised.

Silver’s smile brightened as she looked away sheepishly. “A-Awww! Thank you, Gallus. You look very handsome too,” she cheered, kissing him back.

“You sure about that? He looks pretty sick to me,” Terramar acknowledged.

“Terramar!”

“I’m serious, Sis. Look at him,” he mumbled, gesturing to the griffon who legitimately did appear rather ill. “Gallus, are you sure you’re up for this?”

Keeping his eyes glued to Silverstream, Gallus asked, “You’re gonna be with me?”

“I’m gonna be with you,” she vowed.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Gallus took several more deep, calming breaths. “Mount Aris and Seaquestria are both your home,” he recognized. “And you are as much a seapony as you are a hippogriff.”

“I love you, Silverstream,” Gallus continued, smiling serenely. “And I want to be a part of your world. All of your world,” he emphasized, casting the water a wary glance before looking back at her.

Silver kissed him again, fluttering her wings in the water excitedly. After breaking away, she joyously sang, “I want you to be a part of my world too!”

“And I will be.” Gallus then turned toward Terramar, stating, “Alright, Terry. I’m ready.”

“You sure?”

“Just do it before I chicken out!” he squealed, extending his free talon to the hippogriff.

“Okay then,” he said, taking the offered talon. “But I’ll transform us above the water so you have a minute to adjust.”

“Sounds good; now, do it!” Gallus commanded, bracing himself.

Terramar glanced at Silverstream and received a small nod. He then grabbed his Pearl-piece, counting, “Three. Two. One!”

All three of them were enveloped in a flash of light.

Once the light vanished, Gallus was assaulted with an armada of clashing sensations, from the complete rearrangement of his jaw to the powerful tail that had replaced his back paws.

Oddly enough, the most powerful of these feelings was the one keeping him from screaming. That being the sudden rush of euphoria he now felt from being in the water.

Gallus himself was still absolutely terrified of the ocean, but his body wholeheartedly celebrated being swayed by the tide. And although he considered resisting this feeling, Gallus ultimately let it wash over him and gasped as his tail instinctively gave an eager flourish.

Though it frightened him down to his core, Gallus didn’t panic. In fact, he actually grinned weakly once he realized Silverstream was still holding his…well? They weren’t talons anymore, but she still held them, and that was good enough for him.

Gallus then opened his eyes once more to see Silverstream gaping at him in awe. Once she noticed he was looking at her, she clamped her muzzle shut and blushed. “H-Hi,” she greeted.

“Hi. I’m, uh… I’m a seapony now, right?”

“Uh-huh,” she confirmed, nodding fervently.

“Cool.”

“Yep. And I’m a seapony too. So? Do… Do you still think I’m beautiful?” she asked bashfully.

“As if you could ever not be,” he scoffed, winking. “Um, what about me?”

Silverstream just giggled madly and rushed forward, nuzzling him like her life depended on it. “You look amazing! Really, really amazing!”

As weird as the affectionate gesture felt without their usual feathers, Gallus still relished her embrace. “I’m glad to hear that,” he chortled. “Because I feel really weird right now.”

“That’s to be expected,” Terramar commented, acquiring their attention. He then appraised Gallus critically, noting, “Interesting. Your muzzle’s the same color as your beak.”

While Gallus crossed his eyes to stare at the indicated, golden-scaled muzzle, Silver acknowledged, “Same thing with his flippers. See?” she said, holding up the extremities in question.

“Whoa, they’re forked too? Awesome.”

“‘Forked’!?”

“Relax, sweetie. He means you’ve got a two-pronged flipper unlike us,” Silver explained, waving her own rounded one for comparison. “It shouldn’t make much of a difference.”

“Speaking of things you have that we don’t,” Terramar spoke up from behind Gallus. “You’ve got a dorsal fin, dude.”

“He does?” Silver gasped, keeping a hold of his flipper while she swam around to behold it. “Wow, Gallus, you totally do,” she said, running her other flipper down his spine and along the appendage.

Gallus reflexively seized up, screeching, “Please don’t do that!”

Silver gave him a sly smile, wondering, “Why? Does it tickle?”

“No, it freaks me out,” he said, trying not to hyperventilate.

“Okaaay! I won’t do that then,” she promised, swimming back in front of him. “Sorry.”

“No, no. It’s okay,” he assuaged, feeling calmer now that he could properly see her again. “It’s okay. I’m, uh, guessing it isn’t normal to have a dorsal fin then?” he asked Terramar.

“Nope. But you are, er, were a griffon, so I expected there would be some differences.”

“Yeah, even ponies have differences when they transform,” Silver added. “So don’t worry, Gallus. Dorsal fin or no, you’re a seapony through-and-through!” she declared, beaming jubilantly.

“I’m a seapony,” Gallus mumbled, staring at his forked flippers. “I… I’m a seapony.”

“Yep. Congratulations, Gallus, you’re a seapony,” Terramar celebrated, clapping. “Seems the transformation was a success. So, how do you feel?”

Gallus took a moment to look over his new form, taking in the rows of overlapping sky blue scales that had replaced his feathers and the twin indigo fins resting where his wings once were. He then tried swishing his tail a bit, feeling himself bob in the waves from the motion. It felt…

“Nice,” he finally answered. “The water feels nice now. I-I don’t know why, but it does.”

“It’s okay, Gallus,” Terramar said, patting his back comfortingly. “That’s perfectly natural. We get that a lot from the ponies who visit Seaquestria too.”

“Ooh, what else do you feel?” Silver asked, her eyes sparkling brightly.

“Not my legs that’s for sure,” Gallus half-joked, half-lamented. “O-Or my feathers. Or my beak. Or— Or my talons,” he maundered, voice cracking. He then flailed his flippers, wondering, “Like? How am I supposed to hold your cheeks with these things, Silver?”

“Hee-hee. Like this.” She then took his flippers and pressed them against her cheeks. “See? Easy-peasy.”

Although he could no longer feel her soft feathers, her cheeks felt as pleasantly warm as ever. And more importantly, his touch still drew out that giddy smile he loved so dearly.

“Yeah. I guess that works,” he said, smiling widely himself. It was this smile that cottoned him on to something else that had changed about his face.

Thankfully, Terramar took Silver’s attention off of him by reprimanding, “You two are gross.”

“Oh shut up, Terry.”

While they continued bickering, Gallus drew back his flippers and carefully felt around his face. He then swished his tongue around his jaw, confirming what he had feared. “I have new teeth?” he realized.

The siblings stopped and turned back to him. “Well? Yeah, you do,” Terramar stated.

“I-I-I didn’t expect to have new teeth too…”

“Gallus?” Silver began, concerned. “Are you okay?”

Gallus held a flipper to his chest, breathing sharply before he pushed it away, exhaling calmly. “I’m okay. I’m just… Shocked, I guess. This feel so strange.”

“Do you…like being a seapony?” she apprehensively asked.

“It’s going to take me a looooong time to get used to this, but…? Yeah. This is pretty cool,” he praised, grinning again despite his new, unnervingly squishy muzzle.

Silver hugged him, squealing elatedly.

Gallus happily reciprocated, adding, “I don’t know how Ocellus does this all the time. I feel weird enough in just one new form; she has hundreds!”

“Hee-hee, I guess we’ll have to ask her when we get back.”

“On that note, make sure I teach you the spell before you guys head back to Ponyville,” Terramar implored. “Otherwise…?”

“Catfish?” Silver guessed.

“Catfish,” he confirmed, nodding. “But, Gallus? You are okay with the new form, right?”

“Still wish I were a Ghost Leviathan,” he joked. “But yeah. I’m good.”

“Alrighty. Now, before we dive, remember you don’t have to worry about things like pressure or temperature down there. Your seapony body is naturally adapted to those issues.”

“Gotcha. Anything I do have to worry about then?”

“Dehydration. Seaponies can breathe on land and in water, but we kinda need the latter.”

Gallus looked around himself and deadpanned, “Something tells me that won’t be a problem.”

“Yeah, probably not.”

All three of them laughed.

“I do have one question though. How, uh, how do I swim?” Gallus asked anxiously. “I wasn’t exactly the best swimmer before, sooo…?”

Terramar shared a smirk with his sister, questioning, “You wanna tell him?”

“Let’s show him,” Silverstream suggested, letting go of Gallus, much to his dismay.

“S-Silver, what are you doing!?”

“You’ll see,” she deflected, swimming a fair distance away. Silver then waved her flipper toward herself, coaxing, “Come to me, sweetie.”

“What? But I don’t— I don’t know how.”

“Yes, you do,” Terramar claimed, ignoring the ex-griffon’s exasperation. “Trust your new body, Gallus. Just relax. Close your eyes. And go to her,” he instructed.

“I’ve got a kiss waiting for you when you do.”

Gallus didn’t have the heart to tell Silver he wasn’t encouraged by that at all, given he was still adjusting to his new form. That said, he did desperately want to go back to her, so he closed his eyes and breathed slowly, experimentally moving his tail and finding the feeling shockingly familiar.

“Okay… Here I go,” he announced.

On some previously unknown instinct, Gallus flexed his spine and gave his tail a powerful swing, blasting through the water and shooting straight into Silverstream’s awaiting flippers.

Gallus then shook his head dry, blinking in shock. “How— How the peck did I…?”

“Magic,” Silver giggled, hugging him and planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Specifically the magic of the Pearl,” Terramar clarified. “Basically, the Pearl makes it so you automatically know how to use whatever new form it gives you.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. What? Did you think Princess Twilight and her friends already knew how to swim as seaponies when our cousin transformed them?” he asked, grinning coyly.

“I honestly never thought about that to be honest,” Gallus said, unsure how to feel about also having new instincts to go along with his new body. “It is pretty convenient, I suppose.”

“And a little freaky, right?” Gallus blinked at Terramar who just snorted and divulged, “We get that comment a lot too. Just think of it as a subconscious instruction booklet,” he advised. “You know how to swim as a seapony now, but you’re not suddenly some award-winning swimming champion.”

“They, uh… They’ll go away when I’m a griffon again, right?”

“Correct.”

Gallus let out a long sigh of relief that caused Silverstream to frown in worry. “Gallus, are you sure you’re okay with being a seapony?”

He nodded, answering, “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

“Does that mean you’re ready to dive?” Terramar inquired.

Gallus glanced at his girlfriend, double-checking, “You’ll be with me?”

“Naturally.”

“Then, uh? Yeah,” he said, looking back at Terramar. “Yeah, Terry. I’m ready to go.”

“Alright then. Meet you two down below,” he said, disappearing beneath the waves.

“Shall we?” Silver hummed, giving her boyfriend a loving smile.

“Yes, let’s,” Gallus replied, grinning back.

They both then plunged into the water.

Immediately, Gallus felt his newfound seapony instincts roar to life, and he had to stop himself from laughing gleefully at how wonderful it felt to be underwater. Of course, his willpower didn’t last for long, and he soon found himself letting out a giggle as he practically danced in the current.

“Grover’s Treasure, this is awesome!” he exclaimed, twirling merrily. Gallus then stopped when a pair of flippers covered his eyes and a certain somepony chirped, “Guess who?”

“Don’t need to,” he said, moving his head out of her grasp and beaming as his upside-down girlfriend slowly lowered into his vision. “I always know it’s you.”

“Hee-hee-hee!” Silverstream giggled excitedly, flipping rightside-up. “Sooo? How do I look?” she wondered, posing gracefully and making sure to show off her tail proudly.

“Didn’t we already establish you’re beautiful?” Gallus laughed, eyeing said tail for an extra second longer before focusing on her eyes.

“We did. But I want to hear it again. Tell me, Gallus, what do you think of ‘Seapony Silverstream’?”

“Just as angelic as ‘Hippogriff Silverstream.’ Only without the feathers,” he added sadly.

“Yeah, I miss ‘em too,” she grumbled, staring longingly at his currently non-feathery headcrest. “Ah, well. I may not have feathers down here, but I can do this a lot easier.”

“Do wha—” Gallus hushed when, in less than a second, Silverstream flowed over his shoulder, twisted around, and nuzzled into his back with a happy hum. “That,” she answered.

His entire face burned red, and Gallus prayed with all his soul that Terramar hadn’t seen that.

Unfortunately, he had. “Sea kelp, Silverstream, could you be any weirder?” Terramar pondered, swimming back over to them and leveling a disgusted frown at her.

“Hush up, Terry. Gallus loves it when I do that; don’t you, sweetie?” When he didn’t answer, she snuggled his back again, repeating, “Don’t you, sweetie?”

To Silver’s surprise, Gallus pushed himself away from her, but before she could question it, he looked at Terramar and asked, “So, how am I doing down here? Am I doing anything wrong, or…?”

After sparing his stunned sister another grimace, Terramar told Gallus, “Eh, not as far as I can tell. Your swimming form’s a little off, so I highly recommend not doing any crazy stunts. I’m glad to see you’re enjoying the water now at least.”

“That ‘instruction booklet’ of yours is certainly helping,” Gallus snorted, rolling his eyes. “But it also helps that this feels a lot like flying.”

“You are not the first creature to say that to me, nor will you likely be the last,” he chuckled, making a mental note to send the Crusaders a letter later. “Other than that, you’re golden. You’re even breathing underwater just fine,” he acknowledged. “Most creatures try to hold their breath at first.”

Gallus blinked. “Grover’s Treasure, I am breathing underwater, aren’t I?”

“You just realized that?”

“Yep,” he confessed nonchalantly, focusing his attention on the act and blinking in surprise. “It kind of feels like breathing normally.”

“Duh, we’re seaponies,” Silverstream said as she lazily orbited her boyfriend, giddily beholding every inch of his seapony form. “Breathing water is sorta the norm.”

“No, I mean it feels like breathing regular air.”

“Uh-huh. And?” Terramar asked, not understanding why Gallus was so surprised.

“Yeah, but I thought—” Gallus froze upon running his flippers along his neck and discovering, “I don’t have gills! I— I didn’t even realize… Why don’t I have gills?”

“Because seaponies don’t have gills, Gallus,” he revealed bluntly.

“But— But then, how am I breathing right now?”

“We already told you, sweetie. Magic,” Silver answered, floating over to his side.

“Yeah, but physically speaking, shouldn’t I have gills or something?” he speculated, running his flippers along his featherless neck once more. “I thought that was how it worked? Like, you have gills, don’t you, Silverstream?” he asked, examining her neck as well.

“Gallus…? If you’re gonna keep looking at my neck like that, either massage it. Or kiss it!” she requested, causing him to flinch back in shock. “Preferably the latter,” she purred, closing the distance.

“Ew! Just, ew! No!” Terramar roared, putting himself between the two seaponies, much to Silver’s annoyance. “No, bad sister!” he rebuked, voice cracking. “Bad! We’re having none of that!”

“Oh, Terry,” she tittered, patting his muzzle condescendingly. “When you’re older and have your own special somecreature, you’ll understand just how good it feels to be bad.”

Terramar held a flipper to his muzzle, appearing as if he were about to be violently ill. Gallus didn’t look that much better as he yelped, “Silver, I keep telling you I don’t know how to do that with my beak!”

“You could always ask my dad how to do it,” she suggested, swimming around her shell-shocked brother and back to her boyfriend.

“I’m not gonna ask your dad for kissing advice!” he protested, batting his tail in a futile effort to escape his approaching girlfriend. “Much less when it’s about something other than your beak.”

“Why not? He and Mom used to do it all the time.”

“Wha— No, they didn’t!” Terramar shrieked.

“Ohhh, yes, they did,” Silver disclosed. “You were just too young to remember it.”

“Wh— Wh-Wha— What?” he stuttered, swimming farther and farther away from the duo. After giving his head a good shake, Terramar announced, “Okay, change of plans! I’m gonna go back up and hang out with Dad before this gets even creepier.”

“Ooh! Maybe you can ask him for neck kissing advice. You never know? Your special somecreature might want that too.”

“What!?” her brother shouted back, holding his flippers over his ear fins. “I can’t hear you on account of my not listening!”

“I said—”

“La-la-la! I still can’t here you! Good luck with Mom and goodbye!” Terramar screeched, breaking the surface of the water and disappearing onto the beach beyond.

“Hee-hee-hee. Ahhh, Dad’s gonna kill me for that one,” Silverstream sighed, shaking her head exasperatedly before turning back to Gallus and meeting an irritated frown. “What?”

“You know what,” Gallus accused, crossing his flippers.

“Oh come on, sweetie, it’s just a bit of teasing,” she chuckled, leaning closer only for him to lean back. Confused, she quietly asked, “Gallus, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong is that I have no intention of kissing you on the neck anytime soon.”

“Yeah, yeah. Because you don’t know how to do it with your beak, I know. Buuut? You don’t have a beak anymore,” she acknowledged hopefully.

“Yeah. I have this,” he said, pointing at his muzzle. “As well as these, this, and this,” Gallus listed off, indicating his flippers, tail, and dorsal fin respectively. “Not to mention, I’m still trying to adjust to being able to breathe underwater over here.” He frowned, concluding, “No offense, but I could really do without another crazy kiss request…”

Silverstream held a flipper to her heart, slightly hurt, but after thinking it over, she put it back down. “You’re right. If you’re not comfortable kissing me in your seapony form yet, then I won’t ask you too. I’m sorry, Gallus,” she apologized.

“Thank you,” Gallus said, smiling again. “I’m sorry too. I don’t mean to get snippy. It’s just that these past few days, you’ve been acting a little…” he trailed off, wincing.

“Risqué?”

“Yeah.”

“I-I know.” Seeing he desired an explanation, she began, “Gallus? After the crazy year, er, half a year we’ve had? After all the worry and paranoia…? Now that everything is back to normal and I know for a fact my family likes you…? I guess I just feel like I can finally be with you with nothing and no one stopping us!” she rejoiced with a joyful twirl. “If, uh, if that makes any sense,” she ended timidly.

“O-Oh,” he stammered, blinking in surprise. Gallus then blushed faintly and comforted, “Well, uh? No worries, that does make sense. I just didn’t realize that was how you felt.”

“Well, it is,” she reaffirmed with a nod. “Although, I am curious… Why did you think I was acting so risqué?”

“Honesty? I don’t know. I figured you wanted some extra snuggle time, but—”

“I do want that,” Silverstream suddenly said, startling him silent. “I want to snuggle you, and kiss you, and hold you and never let go!” she bellowed, her back fins flaring. She didn’t bother to fold them back in as she softly finished, “I want you to hold me and never let go.”

“Wait! S-Seriously?” Gallus questioned, unsure whether to explode in euphoria or pull her into his flippers and follow through on her request.

“Seriously,” she confirmed, eyes shining with glee. “Gallus, we’re finally together; all the drama is over; and my family loves you!” she celebrated once again. “Just like I love you. Oh, Gallus, I love you so much, and I want… I-I want…” Upon realizing what she had been about to say, Silver fell silent and blushed brilliantly.

“You want…what?”

Silverstream blinked at him for a second before smiling serenely and shyly answering, “I want you.”

Gallus gaped, his blush intensifying magnificently. He then hid a wide smile behind a flipper as he struggled to determine a response to that declaration. Eventually, Gallus cleared his throat and began, “Heh. U-Um, good news then: You already have me.”

“I know,” Silverstream said, finally returning her fins back to their proper position. “And I’m so happy I have you. I really love being with you.”

“I really love being with you too,” he sighed, caressing her cheek with a flipper and adoring her subsequent dreamy smile. “And, look? Silver, I don’t mind a bit of extra snuggle time if that’s really what you want.”

“It is,” she promised, holding his flippers. “It really is.”

“And I realize that. But, Silver…? I-I-I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about us,” he worriedly whispered. “Especially your family! I mean…? We don’t love each other just because we snuggle and kiss all the time,” he grumbled.

“Well, obviously. We snuggle and kiss all the time because we love each other.”

“Exactly.” Gallus bit his lip, continuing, “So, when you do things like randomly tell your dad we’re gonna make out rather than have dessert with him… Or creep out your brother by asking me about the neck thing… Or—oh, I don’t know?—try to drag me into the water and ‘play’? All while in front of your mother who hates my guts…?” he finished, frowning sternly.

“Eh-heh-heh,” she awkwardly chortled. “Y-Yeah, I see what you mean. And even I have to admit that, er, that having three rounds last night was a bit much.”

“At least you didn’t fall asleep on me again.”

“True. And you soldiered on pretty well yourself,” she praised, playfully poking his chest.

“W-Well? Anything for milady,” he decreed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

“Except for neck kisses?”

“Except for neck kisses.”

Silver laughed for a moment before ultimately falling silent, crestfallen. “I’m guessing you still want me to tone it down though, huh?”

“…No. Not ‘tone it down’ exactly,” Gallus said, trying to find the proper wording. “I really do enjoy the extra kisses and snuggles too,” he reassured, much to her relief. “But we should pace ourselves, I think. Don’t forget we’re both still new at this. And I can’t always keep up with you.”

“You do your best,” she complimented, giving him a warm smile.

“That’s because you deserve my best,” he said, returning the smile.

“Just like you deserve mine,” Silverstream chirped, struggling to not frantically snuggle him again. “I really am sorry though, Gallus. I didn’t mean to make you feel so uncomfortable.”

Gallus held her cheeks in his flippers once again and assuaged, “You don’t have to apologize, Silver. You know I forgive you. Besides?” He smirked and confided, “I want you too, you know.”

“Aughhh! Darn it, that’s not fair!” she wailed, her muzzle quivering. “How come you get to say something sweet like that, but I don’t!?”

“You’re the one who said it first.”

“…Fair point.” Once they both stopped laughing, Silver reassured, “And don’t you worry, sweetie. You already have me too.”

“I know. And I am so happy and lucky to have you.”

“Hee-hee. Still though… Going forward, I will make sure to pace myself, Gallus,” she promised. “It’s gonna be really hard though. Because, to put it bluntly, you’re really, really hot in this form!” she adulated unabashedly.

“I’m not hot all the time?” he asked, grinning.

“Oh, you absolutely are. But ‘Seapony Gallus’? Well…”

Silverstream leaned closer and whispered something so bombastically provocative that to write it down would be considered a crime against Equinity.

Afterward, she pulled back and gave him the most innocent smile she could muster.

Gallus, meanwhile, babbled incoherently as he worked to both fight off the flood of crimson blazing across his cheeks and get his back fins to fold back in.

“I-I-I don’t— I-I don’t know h-how to respond to that,” he eventually squeaked out.

“In that case,” Silverstream began, seizing her chance. “You can respond by promising me that when we get back home…” she whispered, softly stroking her flippers up his until they reached his neck. “We’ll go to Saddle Lake…” She then brought his face closer to hers and concluded, “And we’ll get some practice in. Sound good?”

Although startled at first, his muzzle soon widened into an excited smile as he contemplated, “W-Well? It would be another chance for some kissing time…”

“Yes?”

“And since it wouldn’t be on school grounds, our professors couldn’t exactly stop us…”

“Yeeesss?”

Gallus waited for just a second longer before agreeing, “It’s a date.”

“EEEEE!” Silverstream squeed, grabbing him in a tight hug as she spun them both around in the water. She then tucked her head under his chin and nuzzled him wildly, rapidly repeating, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Before Gallus could say anything, Silverstream blinked and yelped, “Whoops! Heh-heh, sorry,” she apologized, pausing to let him recover from her onslaught. “I promised I’d pace myself, and I will.”

“…Darn it. That was nice too,” he lamented.

“Want me to do it again?”

“Let’s settle for some normal nuzzling, okay? At least until after I get more used to this form,” Gallus said, bringing her back into his loving embrace.

Silver tittered, hugging him back and calmly resting her neck against his. “This is really nice.”

“Even without the feathers?” he wondered, holding her close enough that she could hear his thundering heartbeat. “Those are your favorite part, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, they are,” she unashamedly admitted, running a flipper along the smooth scales of his neck. “And while this does feel a little weird without ‘em…? It’s still nice,” Silverstream said, smiling serenely.

“That’s reassuring.” Gallus then placed his muzzle against her cheek, trying his hardest to kiss her with the new appendage. “Because that feels weird too, and I don’t think I did it right.”

“Eh, you were close enough,” she said, giving him a far more skilled kiss back. “Don’t worry though. We’ll have lots of practice when we get home.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“You’d better,” Silver warned, pulling out of the hug but keeping a firm grip on his flippers. “But in all seriousness, I really am sorry I’ve been so risqué these past few days.”

“And I’m sorry for being so snippy about it.”

“I’d rather you be snippy than silent.”

“Why would I ever be silent? If I were, I wouldn’t be able to tell you how much I love you.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’d just write it down.”

“There’s not nearly enough paper in the world for me to write down just how much I love you,” Gallus declared, nuzzling her neck and relishing the delighted blush it drew out of her.

“Awww!” Silver cooed. “You’ll never stop out-sweeting me, will you?”

“Nope,” he chuckled. “I am your sweetie, after all.”

“Yes, you are,” she rejoiced, giving him another kiss on the cheek. “Now, come on,” Silver beckoned, drawing him farther away from the water’s surface. “As much as I love talking to you, I can’t wait to show you Seaquestria.”

“Lead the way, milady,” Gallus said, allowing her to guide him deeper into the ocean’s depths.

The couple swam side-by-side for a few minutes, passing by countless colorful fish and plant-life. But as they descended further, Gallus grew uneasy again by how dark the water soon became. Before he could voice this concern, however, he spotted a bright, shimmering light ahead.

“Almost there,” Silver spoke up, sparing him a soothing smile. “It’s just past the coral.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he said, grateful she still held his flipper. He then followed her as she weaved through a naturally formed entrance in the reef and gaped at the sight awaiting him.

Light shone down from the dozens of shining structures suspended in the water, casting an ethereal curtain of light across the many surfaces of the massive undersea cavern.

All manner of sea life danced and billowed within this light, from the many beautiful gardens of aquatic flora to the prismatic beds of coral running along the seafloor.

Dozens of seaponies floated within this heavenly world of water. Some simply swam in the calm current; others could be seen tending to the sea-life; and many more roamed the open space, merrily chatting away without a care in the world.

All-in-all, Seaquestria was a positively gorgeous city that teemed with life and radiated a sense of warmth, love, and serenity. Just like it’s above-water counterpart.

“Hee-hee,” Silverstream tittered, reacquiring his attention. “Pretty amazing, huh?”

“You always said it was beautiful,” Gallus noted, turning back to Seaquestria. “But I never realized it would be this beautiful.”

“Still not as beautiful as me though, right?”

“I don’t know, Silver. This is pretty up there.”

“Hey!”

Gallus snickered. “Don’t worry, milady. You’re the most beautiful thing in the world to me,” he promised, stroking her cheek with a flipper. “Always have been. Always will be.”

She hummed happily, savoring his gentle touch. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied, trying again to kiss her cheek. “How was that one?”

“Ehhh, you really need more practice,” she criticized, smirking at his embarrassed blush. “But you’ll get it eventually.”

“I know. In the meantime, I suppose I could try… This.” Gallus then leaned forward and nuzzled the tip of his muzzle against hers, loving it far, far more than he expected to.

Once he pulled away, Silver giddily gasped, “You knew about the nose nuzzle!?”

“Well, I knew ponies do it,” Gallus explained, blushing. “And since I’m currently a ‘pony’ in a sense, I figured I’d try it.”

“I’m glad you did; I really liked it.”

“Did you want me to do it again?”

“If you want to…”

Luckily for her, Gallus did want to, so he immediately repeated the gesture. In response, Silverstream hooked her flippers around his back and hugged him closely, lovingly nuzzling him back.

“Alright, everypony!” Skystar’s voice soon echoed to them, startling them from the embrace. “Once more from the top!”

“What was that?” Gallus asked as a subdued chorus of cheers rang out a second later.

“Oh my gosh, I totally forgot!” Silverstream exclaimed, leading him toward the voice’s direction. “C’mon, sweetie, you won’t want to miss this.”

One swift swim later, they came up to another large reef of coral. They then peeked over it and gasped in awe at the display before them.

Several seaponies had gathered together to perform an extravagant, synchronized dance, and in the center of the magnificent ensemble was Skystar, performing as excellently as the rest while also singing the song they danced to.

Gallus was utterly mesmerized by the sight, but he managed to tear his eyes away from it once he noticed his girlfriend moving along with the rhythm. “So this is where you got your love of dancing from,” he deduced, grinning.

“Yep,” she confirmed, giving him a bright smile as she continued following along with the song. “We seaponies take our dancing very seriously.”

“As seriously as your parades?”

“Ohhh yeah.”

“Heh-heh. Sea kelp, it really is wonderful down here,” he said, gazing back at the performance.

Silverstream gasped. “Did you just—”

“Hey, I’m a seapony now, so I might as well use the lingo.”

“Yeah, well? Language, sweetie,” she jokingly reprimanded.

“Sorry.”

They both giggled.

Silver then extended her flipper invitingly, asking, “Shall we dance, milord?”

“Silverstream?”

“Yeah?”

“Seapony.”

“…Right. You don’t know how,” she groaned, disappointed. Her disappointment instantly turned into excitement once she realized, “Wait, you don’t know how to dance as a seapony! That means I get to teach you!”

“Yeah, you do,” he acknowledged, already eagerly anticipating when she would do so. Gallus then took her flippers into his, requesting, “But could you teach me another time? I want to watch this with you first,” he said, nodding back to Skystar’s troupe.

Silverstream gave him an ecstatic nuzzle, saying, “Of course. I wanna watch it with you too.”

The couple then turned back to the dancers, and soon, Silver rested her head on his shoulder, sighing appreciatively when he ran a comforting flipper along her back.

“I love you,” she whispered happily.

“And I love you,” Gallus hummed, smiling serenely.

***

“You were incredible, Skystar!”

“Aww, thanks, Cuz,” she thanked Silverstream as the two hugged. “I’m glad you enjoyed the show. Even if we could’ve done a bit better.”

“Oh, don’t be like that,” Gallus implored. “You guys were awesome.”

“I’m glad you think so, hot-stuff,” Skystar said, winking at the blushing ex-griffon. “But for as awesome as we were, we still could’ve been better. I noticed a few seaponies started slowing down around the four-hour mark,” she commented captiously.

“You guys were dancing for over four hours!?” he asked, gaping in shock. After Skystar nodded, he glanced at Silverstream and said, “Seaponies really do take dancing seriously.”

Silver merely giggled, so her cousin elaborated, “Of course we’re taking this seriously; we’re preparing for the Equestria Games.”

“You are?”

“Yep,” Silver confirmed. “That’s why Auntie Novo was so busy this week. She was getting everything sorted so we could participate this year.”

“Needless to say,” Skystar resumed. “We’re going for the synchronized swimming segment, and we cannot lose to Yakyakistan!” she declared determinedly. “Seriously, if I could get the others to agree to it, we’d be practicing for twelve hours a day rather than six.”

“Is this another seapony thing I don’t know about?” Gallus inquired openly. “You guys can just dance for twelve hours straight and not get tired?”

“No, sweetie, that’s not a seapony thing,” Silver clarified. “That’s a Skystar thing.”

“Hee-hee, yep. I can dance nonstop for forty-one hours and two minutes,” she bragged.

“How… How would you even know that without actually trying to dance for that long?”

Skystar smiled.

“No. No way.”

“Whaaat? I was bored,” she laughed, shrugging innocently. “Plus, Salina wagered I couldn’t do it, so I obviously had to prove her wrong.”

“The look on her face was priceless, not gonna lie,” Silver concurred, tittering.

“Yeah, but… For forty-one hours?”

“And two minutes. What? Do you not believe me?” Skystar sneered, grinning ominously. “Then I guess I’ll just have to prove it to you during Uncle Sky Beak’s parade. I do still owe you a pouncing, after all.”

“Heh-heh-heh, sorry,” Gallus said, swimming away from Skystar and back to Silver. “But the only girl I wanna be pounced by is Silverstream.”

Silver barely held herself back from doing exactly that, and instead, she hugged him tightly, praising, “You are so sweet, you know that?”

“So you tell me,” he murmured, hugging her back.

Skystar shook her head, cursing, “Dang it. Just… Dang it! I wish Mom had let me go to the Friendship School too.”

“Well, I’m glad I got to go,” Silverstream said, kissing Gallus. “If I hadn’t, I’d have never met my sweetie.”

“Yeah, I would’ve met him.”

…

Silver held Gallus protectively and pulled him away from Skystar, glaring at her. The action caused the princess to guffaw loudly, assuring, “Hey, don’t worry, Cuz, I know he’s yours.”

“Yes, he is.”

“Yeah, I know. That said? Sea kelp, Gallus, you are quite the looker as a seapony,” she praised.

“I’d say I’m quite the looker as a griffon too,” he boasted, shooting Silverstream a smirk.

“As would I,” she said, smirking back.

The couple then nuzzled noses once more while Skystar watched on enviously. A moment later, a new voice suddenly exclaimed, “Is that my favorite, little arsonist I see?”

They all turned around to behold a bright turquoise seapony mare with an orchid mane-fin that hung down both sides of her face. “Hey, Silver, long-time-no-see,” she greeted.

“Salina!” Silver cried out, rushing forward and pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. “Oooh, it’s so good to see you. I didn’t know you were one of the dancers,” she said, leaning back to beam happily at the seapony.

“She isn’t,” Skystar pouted, crossing her flippers indignantly. “She couldn’t keep up.”

“Eh-heh-heh,” Salina chuckled. “Yeah, sorry. I’m just here to support my ‘Little Sis,’” she clarified, winking. “But hey! I’m glad I’m here because I got to see you again, Silver.”

“I’m glad to see you too. How have you been?”

“Same old, same old. What about you? You’re not getting bored of Equestria yet, are you?”

“Nope. Never a dull moment in Ponyville.”

“Good to hear. I doubt the ponies would appreciate it if you tried setting fire to their favorite places.”

“Hey, I kicked the whole ‘arsonist’ thing a long time ago,” Silver protested, sparing her grinning boyfriend an embarrassed look.

“Shame I can’t say the same for Starry,” she groaned, staring judgmentally at the princess in question. “She found another new volcanic vent, and she’s been trying to explore into it between rehearsals.”

“Yeah, that sounds like you,” Silver deadpanned at her cousin.

“Well, duh! Volcanoes are totally awesome,” Skystar stated, her eyes twinkling with unbridled enthusiasm.

“True,” Gallus agreed, drawing everypony’s gazes. “What? They are.”

“See? Gallus gets it.”

Ignoring Skystar, Salina gave Gallus a grin and questioned, “So, Silver? Aren’t you gonna introduce me to the boy you were just nuzzling?”

“Ooh, right!” Silver then looked at Gallus and elaborated, “Gallus? This is Salina Blue. She used to babysit Skystar and I.”

“We even consider her an honorary big sister,” Skystar lauded.

“An honorary big sister that somepony never writes,” Salina lightly reprimanded.

“S-Sorry, Salina,” Silver apologized, smiling nervously. “I’ve, uh, had some mailing issues lately. But I promise I’ll start sending you more letters from now on.”

“Aww, thanks, Sis,” she thanked, sneaking Silver another hug.

“Hee-hee. Also, Salina? This is Gallus, my boyfriend.”

“You have a boyfriend?” Salina gasped, beaming widely at both seaponies. “There were rumors, but… You’re seriously Silverstream’s boyfriend?”

“Indeed I am,” Gallus confirmed with a nod.

“She even calls him ‘sweetie,’” Skystar confided conspiratorially.

“She does!? Aww, she must really love you.”

“Yes, I do,” Silverstream said cheerfully.

“And I love you too,” he said, nuzzling her. Afterward, Gallus extended a flipper out to Salina, greeting, “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Salina Blue.”

“Nice to meet you too,” she said, shaking his flipper. “Although? I swear I’ve heard your name before…” She hummed quizzically. “Wait a minute? Isn’t Gallus that griffon friend of yours?”

Silverstream simply smiled and gestured to her boyfriend once more.

“Oh. Oh wow! You’re a griffon?”

“Technically, I’m a seapony now,” he acknowledged, waving his tail for emphasis. “But yes, I’m ordinarily a griffon.”

“A very cute griffon too,” Silver extolled.

Upon noticing Salina’s surprised look, Skystar teased, “Yeah, I didn’t know she had a thing for cats either.”

“I have a thing for him, Starry.”

“Hee-hee-hee. I know, I know.”

“Still,” Salina interjected, eyeing Gallus critically. “You must be a very special griffon to catch Silver’s eye. So, what are ya? Merchant’s son? A baron? Ooh! Are you a prince?” she inquired, grinning giddily. “Oh, please tell me you’re a prince!”

“Nope. I’m just a poor, little orphan boy,” Gallus admitted with a hint of pride.

“Sweet, little orphan boy,” Silverstream corrected, pulling him back into her warm embrace.

“Sweet, little orphan boy,” he echoed, happily reciprocating the hug.

“Hold on!” Salina interjected, her face falling. “A-Are you serious? You’re an…?”

“Orphan? Yeah.”

Salina gaped in shock, but she quickly closed her muzzle and barreled toward Gallus, scooping his flippers into hers. “Oh, Gallus, you poor dear! You must have been through such an ordeal!” she shouted, voice cracking.

“Uhhh?”

“Tell me! How can we help you feel better?” she asked, looking over Gallus in genuine worry. “Do you need a hug? Milk and kelp chips? A stress ball?” She then gasped and suggested, “W-What about counseling? We have at least five therapists here in Seaquestria and three more in Hippogriffia, all of whom would be more than willing to traverse down here to talk to you.”

After successfully holding back a laugh, Gallus shook his head. “N-No thanks. I’m good.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I, uh, I was sure the last time I was asked this; I’m still sure now.”

“Wait, you were asked this before?”

“Word-for-word. Thank you for the concern though.”

“Oh, you don’t need to thank me, Mr. Gallus,” Salina protested kindly. “What’s important is that you’re okay.”

“Still. Thank you for asking and for caring,” Gallus thanked her again, smiling gratefully. “I really appreciate it.”

“Aww, you’re so sweet.” Salina then smirked at Silverstream, remarking, “I think you’ve got a real keeper on your flippers, Sis.”

“I know.”

“Heh-heh. So? Who was it that asked you if you were okay before? Wait! Was it Stratus Skyranger?” Salina guessed, blushing. “I bet it was him.”

“It was,” Silverstream affirmed, stifling a laugh of her own.

“Eeeee, I knew it! He’s so nice like that…”

“I keep saying you and he would make a good couple,” Skystar said pointedly.

“Oh hush, Starry! I-I-It would never work between us,” she argued, attempting to convince herself more than them. “He’s a hippogriff; I-I’m a seapony… It— It just wouldn’t work.”

“I don’t know,” Silver joined in. “Gallus and I are different creatures, but we work pretty well.”

“Only ‘pretty well’?” Gallus asked coyly.

“Very well,” she joyfully corrected. “Besides, Salina, all that matters is whether you and he are happy together.”

“Not to mention Uncle Sky Beak’s almost done setting up that parade of his,” Skystar acknowledged, smirking. “Perfect opportunity to ask Stratus out…”

“D-Do you really think we could work?” Salina mumbled, turning a magnificent shade of red.

“Yep,” Skystar and Silver both answered.

“Mmm, alright! I’ll ask him out.”

They both trapped Salina in hug, each celebrating, “Yaaay! Our Big Sis is going on a date!”

“Oh zip it, you two,” she barked, hugging them back. “I said I’ll ask him out, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be my sweetie.” She then looked back at Gallus and slyly began, “And speaking of sweeties…”

Gallus smirked. “If you’re about to quiz me, Terramar beat you to it.”

“I— I wasn’t about to quiz you; I was, er, going to compliment you,” she lied, attempting to save face. “It really is quite the feat that you managed to charm a member of the Royal Family.”

“I’m not a princess, Salina.” Silverstream then preemptively held a flipper over her boyfriend’s muzzle, warning, “Don’t you say it, Gallus.”

“Technically speaking—”

“Don’t you start either, Starry. You both know how I feel about that whole thing.”

Skystar and Salina shared a glance, muttering, “Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I just don’t want to be reminded that I’m kinda-sorta-but-not-really a noble. Especially not now,” she murmured, reminding herself once again that she had forgiven her mother.

“Is that because Mom’s gonna rip into him about it?”

“Rip into me?” Gallus questioned, rubbing his shoulder anxiously.

“Rip into him!?” Silverstream questioned as well, scowling.

“Well, yeah,” Skystar said, smiling innocently. “I mean, you are royalty, Cuz. And, Gallus, you’re…not,” she bluntly acknowledged. “And, uh? Mom’s not gonna like that.”

There hadn’t been a lick of judgment in her tone, but Gallus and Silverstream both flinched as if there had been.

“Starry, don’t say things like that,” Salina chastised, narrowing her eyes sternly. “It’s rude.”

“What? What’d I say?” she asked, oblivious to the tension she had accidentally created.

“Salina,” Silverstream began, face-flippering. “Could you…?”

“On it,” she said, pulling Skystar aside to explain matters.

Afterward, Gallus and Silver shared a knowing glance.

“Talk?” he guessed.

“Talk,” she confirmed somberly. “You first.”

Gallus tapped his flippers together timidly, mulling over his thoughts. After a minute, he took a deep breath and began, “Okay, look… I’m proud of myself. I’m proud of who I am, orphanhood and all. You’re not gonna hear me be all self-disparaging anytime soon,” he asserted calmly.

Silver let out a small sigh of relief, saying, “Oh good, you had me worried there for a moment.”

“Well, don’t worry, Silver. I’m not getting mopey on you.” He then looked away, whispering, “A-Although? I don’t exactly want to be berated by a bunch of stuffy nobles for being one…”

“Putting aside the fact you just called Auntie Novo a ‘stuffy noble,’ why exactly would you think anything like that would happen?”

“Worst case scenario.”

“Also an impossible scenario,” she insisted. “I mean? You remember how the other hippogriffs treated you; you really think the seaponies would act any different?”

Gallus blinked. “Well? Considering the first seapony I met offered me counseling just like everygriff else did?” He awkwardly chortled, conceding, “I guess not.”

“Exactly. We may have a few bad apples like everycreature else, but we hippogriffs and seaponies are the same in spirit,” Silverstream proclaimed, raising her head proudly. “And we take being kind to others very seriously! Even more so than our dancing and parades.”

“I can see that, and I’m beyond grateful for it. Sorry I doubted that for a second there.”

“Nah, I don’t blame you. But if it also helps?” Silver shrugged, elaborating, “I don’t know the other royal families. And the only thing they know about me is that I once tried to burn down the Harmonizing Heights. Er, allegedly,” she made sure to add, flushing faintly. “So, uh? Call it a hunch, but I’m pretty sure they couldn’t care less about my love life.”

“You are a princess though,” he pointed out warily.

“A princess to you and no one else,” she specified, giving his nose a happy nuzzle. “Seriously, sweetie, you really don’t need to be afraid of some stuffy nobles berating you,” she promised.

“Not even Queen Novo?”

“Firstly? We’ve already established you can charm her,” she reminded him. “And secondly? If she, Mom, or anycreature else tries to say I can’t love you because you’re not a noble? I’ll yell at them really, really loudly,” Silver nonchalantly vowed, giggling.

“You know? Whenever you’re angry, I can never tell whether you’re absolutely terrifying or just plain adorable.”

“I’m both.”

“Yeah, you are,” Gallus agreed, smiling at her adoringly. “Now then, what about you?”

“Well? I’m not paranoid, I promise you that,” Silverstream adamantly assured. “That said? I am a little concerned.”

“About?”

“Mom. I-I know you can charm her too,” she mumbled. “But Terry told me Mom’s still meeting that dumb prince guy. And now that Starry’s got my mind on the noble thing…”

“You’re what? Worried she’ll still try introducing him to you?”

“Yeah.”

Gallus tapped his chin in thought and commented, “I suppose that wouldn’t be so bad.”

“How so!?”

“Simple: I’m your boyfriend, so the only thing he can be is a friend,” he explained, snickering when Silver rolled her eyes exasperatedly. “And you like making new friends, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.” Silver huffed, creating a small stream of bubbles as a result. “But I like making friends because I want to make friends.”

“Are you saying you don’t want to be friends with somepony?” he asked, smirking slyly.

“Not if my mother shoves him onto me and says, ‘Here! Love this guy, not Gallus!’”

“Lucky for us, that’s an impossible scenario too,” Gallus said, cupping her cheeks in his flippers, much to her delight. “After all? How could you not love me? I’m your sweetie.”

“And I’m your milady,” she celebrated, holding her flippers over his.

“And I love you.”

“And I love you too.”

“And nothing will ever change that,” they both recited, sharing a jubilant giggle afterward. Gallus then leaned forward and nuzzled her nose, comforting, “Everything will be fine, Silver.”

“I know,” she said, reciprocating his nuzzle. “Besides! Like Daddy said, Mom just needs to get to know you properly. Once she does, she’ll be doting on you even more than him,” she cheered.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“In that case, let’s get a move on,” Gallus urged, leading her back toward Salina and Skystar. “I need to go charm your mom, like? Now!”

“Ooh, somepony’s eager for a mother-daughter’s boyfriend seashell-crafting circle!” Silver sang enthusiastically, taking the lead.

“That’s a thing?”

“Yep.”

“Huh. Sounds awesome.”

“Oh, it is. It is. Now, come on, sweetie, let’s go charm my mom.”

“Coming, milady.”

***

“So? How come you never told me you had an honorary big sister?” Gallus asked Silverstream as the group swam past a small school of fish.

Before she could answer, Salina Blue theorized, “Probably because she forgot I existed. Right?”

“No, I didn’t,” Silver grumbled, blushing. “You just never came up, okay? I, uh, don’t exactly go around telling everycreature about my—ahem!—‘arsonist days.’”

“Aww, but you used to be so proud of that title.”

“Well, I’m not proud of it anymore.”

Salina smiled. “That so, huh? Looks like my favorite, little arsonist is growing up.” She then glared at Skystar and added, “Really wish I could say the same about you, but…”

“Hey, I’m grown up too!”

“You still call yourself the ‘Princess of Pouncing.’”

Gallus snickered as Skystar explained, “Well, I am a princess. And all the pony princesses get to be the Princess of something, so I should be the Princess of something too.”

“You already are,” Salina contended. “You’re the princess of both Seaquestria and Hippogriffia.”

“Yeah, but I wanna be the Princess of Pouncing too. Or the Princess of Seashells. Ooh! Or maybe the Princess of Dancing!” Skystar proposed eagerly. “Yep. That’s it. From henceforth, I shall be known as the Princess of Dancing!” she decreed.

“All hail Skystar! All hail Skystar!” Gallus chanted, playing along.

“Bask in her glory!” Silverstream declared dramatically. “And perhaps, she may bless you with a display of her fabulous dancing prowess.”

“Yes, bask in my glory, everypony! Bask!” Skystar commanded smugly. Two seconds later, her resolve cracked, and Skystar burst out laughing with Gallus and Silverstream echoing her mirth.

After rolling her eyes at the display, Salina looked ahead and spotted the beautiful, floating abode of Ocean Flow. “Oh! We’re here, everypony,” she announced.

“Yay!” Skystar squealed, bolting ahead of the others and rapidly knocking on the door. “Hey, Auntie Ocean Flow! Guess who!”

“Just a minute, dear,” Ocean’s voice called back as the rest of them caught up.

As they waited, Silver reached out toward Gallus and took his flipper into hers, squeezing it tightly. She then smiled upon receiving a reassuring squeeze back.

The door then opened to reveal the yellow scales and purple mane-fin of Silverstream’s mother.

“Good afternoon, Starry,” Ocean Flow greeted. She then noticed the others and added, “Ooh! Silverstream you’re here too. And Salina. A-And who is…?” She hushed upon noticing Gallus.

“Yep. It’s Gallus, Mom,” Silver confirmed.

“O-Oh. Oh my!” she exclaimed, eyes widening fearfully as she hurriedly shut the door behind her. “So, you really are here?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am,” Gallus said, extending a flipper. “Hello again, Ms. Ocean Flow.”

“Um, yes, h-hello again,” she muttered, thankfully shaking his flipper without needing Silver to make her do it. “Er? Nice to see you’re down here a-and, uh, adjusting.”

“Also nice to not be a catfish,” he joked, eliciting a chuckle from all but Ocean Flow. “Not gonna lie, I was a little worried about that.”

“Thankfully, you were worried for nothing,” Silverstream said, touching his shoulder reassuringly. “You’re no catfish; you’re a seapony.”

“And a total hottie,” Skystar casually complimented.

“Starry!” Salina barked, frowning.

“Whaaat? He is.”

“Yeah, he is,” Silverstream agreed, playfully batting his tail with her own.

The action did not go unnoticed by Ocean Flow who quickly interjected, “Okay, hold on! You really are Gallus?” she double-checked. “And you actually became a seapony?”

Gallus nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I mean, I kinda had to. You invited me to dinner, after all.”

“Y-Yes, I did,” she said, shooting her door another nervous look. “Dinner. Right. I just didn’t expect you would actually— Um, I-I mean…” Ocean trailed off, still staring at Gallus in frightened disbelief.

“Accept the invitation and come down here?” Gallus guessed, sharing a glance with Silverstream. “Whelp? Happy to say I’m not going to let needing to transform into a seapony stop me from meeting my girlfriend’s amazing mother,” he proclaimed, giving Ocean Flow his best smile.

She didn’t smile back.

Upon noticing this, Silver smiled herself, saying, “Yeah, Mother. You didn’t think a little water would intimidate my boyfriend, did you?”

Ocean panicked, hurriedly professing, “No, no! That’s not it; I just, er, didn’t expect you two so early,” she went with, pursing her lip anxiously. “The seaweed loaf is still cooking, and, uh… You’re here. You’re both here. You’re— You’re all here,” she mumbled, blinking as if realizing something.

“And we’re not gonna be here for long,” Salina said, grabbing Skystar’s flipper and dragging her away. “C’mon, Starry, let’s let them have dinner.”

“Wait! Auntie Ocean Flow, could we have dinner with you guys too?” she pleaded as her stomach gave a weak gurgle. “All that dancing made me hungry.”

Before Salina could rebuke the princess, Ocean Flow darted in front of the duo. “Yes, actually!” she squealed, smiling ecstatically. “I’d be more than happy to have you two over for dinner as well.”

“Yes!” Skystar roared, giving her a hug. “Thanks, Auntie Ocean Flow.”

“Of course, Starry dear, of course,” Ocean laughed, hugging her niece back. “After all, a nice dinner is always made nicer when you have it with more family.”

“The more the merrier?” Gallus whispered to Silver.

“The more the merrier,” Silver whispered back. “Thanks again for inviting Gallus and I to dinner, Mom.”

“You’re welcome, honey,” Ocean said, swimming over and taking hold of her daughter’s flippers. “That said? The seaweed loaf really is still cooking, so dinner will be a while. In the meantime, I was hoping you and I could sit down and…talk.”

“Sounds good,” Silver said, her smile brightening. “Come on, Gallus.”

“No!” Ocean suddenly screamed. She then chortled awkwardly at the various confused—and in Silver’s case, hostile—looks she received. “S-Sorry, that came out wrong.”

“Yes, it did,” Silverstream concurred, pulling back from Ocean Flow and crossing her flippers.

“Well, um?” Ocean cleared her throat and elaborated, “I meant I simply, er, need to talk to you. About some…things. Adult things,” she stressed, aiming a look at Salina.

“Ah. Gotcha,” Salina said, winking. She then nodded at Gallus, asking, “You want us to keep him busy while you do that, Ms. Ocean Flow?”

“That would be lovely, Salina,” she said, visibly relaxing. “Thank you.”

“Right. Hey, Starry? You still wanna explore that volcanic vent?”

“Do I ever!” Skystar shrieked excitedly.

“Ummm?” Gallus hummed, shying away from the seaponies. “What?”

“Yes. What?” Silver snarled, glaring at Ocean Flow. “What are you going on about, Mother?”

“I just really, really need to talk to you, honey,” she responded aloofly. “Alone.”

“Whatever you have to say, you can say to me and Gallus,” she growled, swimming to her boyfriend’s side. “You invited both of us, so clearly you want to talk to both us… Right?”

“Not about the things I think she wants to talk to you about, Sis,” Salina vouched.

Skystar suddenly gasped. “Ohhh! That’s what she wants to talk to her about. Hee-hee, I get it.”

“Well, I don’t. Right now, it seems like you’re just trying to postpone meeting my boyfriend.”

“Silver honey, that’s not what I’m doing,” Ocean swore vehemently. “I legitimately just want to talk to you about something privately. Promise.”

Silver glanced at Gallus who shrugged uncertainly. “You promise?” she asked, a note of frustration still permeating her voice.

“Mhmm. I promise.”

“…Fine,” she conceded, reluctantly returning to her mother. “You gonna be okay, Gallus?”

“Uh, probably,” he answered, bewildered as to what was going on but giving her an encouraging smile nonetheless. “How about you? You okay?”

“Annoyed, but managing,” Silver said, sparing Ocean a frown before returning her sights to him. “I guess this is a thing that’s happening now.”

“I guess so.”

“Great!” Ocean Flow blurted out, clapping her flippers together. “Now that we’ve got all of that settled, come on, honey,” she beckoned fervently, opening the door and practically shoving Silverstream inside.

“Love you, Gallus,” she called back over her shoulder.

“Love you too, Silverstream.”

Ocean’s eye twitched again as she slammed the door shut.

“Sooo?” Skystar murmured, approaching the still-puzzled Gallus. “You like volcanoes, right?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Wanna go explore one?” Salina inquired. “You know? While we wait for them to finish up?”

“…Sure?”

While they swiftly led Gallus away to distract him for a while, Ocean Flow locked her door and breathed out a long sigh of relief. She then turned around and flinched at the glare she was subjected to.

“Headmare Starlight is subtler than you,” Silver criticized coldly. “Headmare. Starlight.”

“Y-Yes, I know. I know… But,” Ocean said, perking back up. “For as tactless as I just was, I really did need to talk to you about something important.”

“Uh-huh, so you’ve said. Let me guess? The ‘Birds and the Bees’ speech, right?”

Ocean blinked. “U-Um…?”

“But for your information, I’ve already gotten this speech from all of my professors,” Silverstream divulged, shaking her head in exasperation. “And I’ve also reassured Dad that Gallus and I are responsible enough not to do anything like that,” she added indignantly.

“Eh-heh-heh, yes. Well? I am relieved to hear that, but I wasn’t going to talk to you about that,” Ocean said, swimming toward the kitchen.

“Wait, you weren’t?” Befuddled, Silver followed after her, asking, “Then what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Er, that’s a little tricky to explain,” she laughed, pausing at the kitchen entrance. Ocean then pushed Silver inside, saying, “You see? There’s somepony I want you to meet.”

Silverstream froze, feeling her heart practically explode at the sight of the seapony stallion currently sitting at the dining table. Said seapony saw her and quickly floated upright, straightening his bow tie and giving her a polite smile.

“Silverstream,” Ocean Flow began, grinning innocently. “I’d like you to meet Prince—”

Silver not-so-gently slapped a flipper over her mother’s muzzle. She then slowly turned and gave her a stare that could have put Fluttershy’s to shame. “Not. Another. Word.” After retracting her flipper from her terrified mother, Silver swam to the prince, greeting, “Hi, there. How ya doing?”

“O-Oh, um, I— I’m good,” the noble fumbled nervously, blushing as he extended a flipper. When she didn’t so much as glance at it, he rambled on, “It’s, uh, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess Silverstream. I’ve heard plenty of great things about you.”

“Oh, have you?” she replied, an icy edge to her tone.

After stifling a nervous gulp, he nodded. “Yes, I have. A-And, if I may be bold, I must say you look absolutely dazzling,” he complimented shyly. “F-Far more so than I could have ever imagined.”

For half a minute, Silver could only stare at him neutrally, but her expression soon morphed into a grimace. “Oh sea kelp, you’re nice?” she whined. “Aughhh, why did you have to be nice? This would have been so much easier if you were a stuffy noble, but nooo! You just had to be nice,” she grumbled, face-flippering.

Ocean Flow and the prince shared a confused glance, but the latter quickly returned his gaze to Silver, muttering, “I-I-I’m afraid I don’t understand…?”

“Okay, look… I am so sorry about this, but you see? I’m taken,” she revealed, forcing a sweet smile.

“You are?” he gasped, gobsmacked. “But Lady Ocean Flow said—”

“I. Don’t. Care. What she said,” Silver slowly snarled, making Ocean gawk in shock and the prince wince uncomfortably. “I have a boyfriend. Who I love. And who I don’t ever plan on leaving.”

“Now, honey—”

“Shut up!” she snapped, causing Ocean to immediately close her muzzle and stop talking. Silver then rounded back on the prince who held up his flippers defensively. “Now, as for you? I’m very, very sorry my mother lied to you and dragged you into this mess, but I am in a committed relationship, and I’d like you to leave now.”

“But—”

“I! AM! TAKEN!” Silverstream screamed, leering over his whimpering form. She then took a short breath and let it out slowly, willing herself to calm down. “I’m sorry for yelling, and I’m sure you really are a perfectly nice seapony. But if I may be bold myself? Get. Out,” she ordered, pointing toward the door.

The prince wasted no time fleeing through the aforementioned door, pausing only to let out a meek, “S-Sorry,” before disappearing into the water beyond.

Afterward, Ocean blinked, processed what had just happened, and angrily admonished, “Now, Silverstream, why did you act like that? He was an absolutely wonderful seapony. You would have been safe with him, honey, and furthermore—”

“Mother?” Silver whispered so venomously that Ocean flinched away fearfully. “You have one chance to explain yourself. And if I don’t like the explanation? I’m leaving. And you won’t see me again for the rest of the week,” she promised, eye twitching.

Ocean stammered for a moment before forcing a grin and beginning, “W-Well…?”

***

“Seriously? The ‘Birds and the Bees’ speech? That’s what that whole thing was about?”

“You and Silver are teenagers,” Salina addressed coolly.

“Responsible ones!”

“Maybe you, but Silverstream tried to burn down the Harmonizing Heights once.”

“Allegedly.”

“Hey, that’s what Cuz always counters with too,” Skystar recognized, tittering. “Even though we all know she did it.”

Gallus ignored Skystar and nervously rubbed his shoulder, murmuring, “Was Ms. Ocean Flow really worried we’d do that though? I-I mean, we would never— Silver and I know better— I—”

Picking up on his distress, Salina placed a flipper on his shoulder, comforting, “I believe you. And I highly doubt she’s that worried about it. That said? Ms. Ocean Flow is Silver’s mom,” she calmly remarked. “If you had a daughter, you’d be worried about the same thing, wouldn’t you?”

Gallus contemplated that notion for a minute before shaking his head clear and answering, “I… I guess I would.”

“Exactly.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, Gallus,” Skystar chirped, winking reassuringly. “Auntie Ocean Flow’s probably just telling Silverstream not to rock your world until after you’re married.”

“Starry!” Salina shrieked as Gallus hid his flushing face in his flippers.

“Whaaat? When Shelly and Sheldon started dating their sweeties, I had to give them the same spiel,” she said with not a trace of sarcasm. “They’ve never been the same since,” she acknowledged forlornly.

“Oh my gosh,” she groaned exasperatedly. “You are too much sometimes, Sis.”

“Eh. Whatever,” Skystar continued, waving a flipper dismissively. “Now, come on, you two! We need to go explore that volcano before—” She stopped, squinted, and sighed disappointedly. “Nevermind, Silver’s back. … Wait! Silver’s back!” she declared, perking back up.

“Oh thank Grover,” Gallus exclaimed, desperate for the conversation to end. He then turned toward his girlfriend, happily greeting, “Hey, Silverstream, how—” He stopped once he noticed how furious she seemed. “What’s wrong?”

“One minute, Gallus,” Silver requested, rushing past him and frowning at both Salina and Skystar. “Did you two know?”

“Huh? What do you mean, Cuz?” Skystar inquired.

“Did. You. Know!?”

“Did we know what, Silverstream?” Salina asked, nonplussed. “Did something happen? I thought your mom was just giving you the ‘Birds and the Bees’ speech.”

Silver held her glare for a second longer before recognizing, “Okay, so you didn’t know. Good.”

“Silverstream, seriously, what happened?” Gallus asked, swimming in front of her and taking her flippers into his.

“Silverstream!” Ocean Flow’s voice echoed to them. “Silver honey, wait! Let me finish explaining!”

Skystar glanced between both her enraged cousin and fast-approaching aunt. She then glowered at the latter, guessing, “Fleeing a crime scene, Cuz?”

“Yep.”

“Hers or yours?”

“Hers.”

“Want a distraction?”

“That would be lovely.”

“On it. Hey, Auntie Ocean Flow!” Skystar greeted, darting for the seapony and blocking her way. “You wanna go explore a volcano?”

“Starry, hold on!” Salina cried out, swimming after Skystar.

“Come on. We’re leaving,” Silver told Gallus, leading him toward the water’s surface. “Now!”

“O-Okay,” he said, following her after sparing Ocean Flow a questioning glance.

“Wait! Honey, stop; you don’t under— Starry get out of my— Silverstream, wait!”

Ignoring her mother’s frantic pleas, Silverstream beat her tail harder in an effort to outpace her. Luckily, Gallus kept up rather well, and soon, the couple broke the ocean’s surface.

“Bright, bright…” Gallus mumbled to himself, squinting at the sudden sunshine but still following Silver as she dragged him to shore. “Silver, are you—”

“No, I am not okay, and I will tell you why once we are back on dry land,” she barked.

Gallus clamped his muzzle shut and simply swam alongside her.

Meanwhile, on the sandy shore of Basalt Beach, Sky Beak and a host of other hippogriffs were in the midst of erecting a large, wooden dance stadium…

“Thank you again for all of your help, honey,” Sky Beak said, giving Terramar one last hug. “Your sister’s going to absolutely love this.”

“No problem, Dad. If you need any more help, I’ll be back home finishing my book.”

“Gotcha. Just make sure to be down here by five; you wouldn’t want to miss the start of the festival, after all.”

“I’ll remember.” Terramar then unfurled his wings and took to the sky, saying, “See you later, Dad.”

“See you later, Terramar,” Sky replied, waving goodbye as his son flew back home. He then turned to the proudly beaming Haven Bay and Stratus Skyranger that stood behind him, adding, “And thank you, you two. You were both a tremendous help.”

“We know,” Haven Bay boasted, smirking smugly.

“Yeah, Captain, we told you we had it,” Stratus said, winking confidently.

“I know, I know,” Sky chortled. “Still. Thank you again for all of your help.”

“We’re just happy we could help,” Stratus said cheerfully. “This parade is gonna be a blast!”

“Oh yeah,” Haven agreed, flapping her wings enthusiastically. “I can’t wait to get my own turn on…” She then hushed abruptly upon noticing a flash of light in her periphery. “Uh-oh. Captain?” she muttered, frowning fearfully and pointing toward the beach. “Your kid’s back.”

“What!?” Sky Beak squawked, swiveling around and panicking when he saw his daughter and her boyfriend clambering out of the ocean. “They were supposed to be with Ocean Flow! Why are they back!?” he screeched, spreading his wings and flying toward them while the others wisely stayed behind.

“Agh, w-wobbly legs! Wobbly legs!” Gallus yelped, holding onto Silverstream for support as he worked to readjust himself to having the appendages again.

“Sorry, Gallus,” Silver apologized, helping him trot back onto the beach. “You okay?”

“The water does not feel nice anymore,” he said, shaking saltwater out of and feeling back into his wings. “But other than that? N-No. No, I’m not; I have no idea what’s going on.”

“Like I said, I’ll explain when we get home,” she dodged. Silver then noticed her father approaching and curtly greeted, “Hey, Dad.”

“H-Hi, honey,” Sky Beak chuckled awkwardly. “I-I-I didn’t expect you back so soon. Er? Is this a bad time to say surprise?” he asked, gesturing toward the dance stadium.

“Yes, it is, but it looks nice. Thanks, Dad.” Silver then grunted as her boyfriend’s legs buckled and he collapsed onto the ground. “Sweetie, I don’t mean to sound pushy, but could you hurry up?”

“A little busy trying to remember how to stand here,” he shot back.

Silverstream groaned in frustration, but thankfully, Sky Beak rushed forward and helped her get Gallus back to his talons and paws.

Eventually, Gallus finally managed to stay standing and said, “O-Okay. I think I’ve got it.”

“Are you sure?” Sky and Silver both asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“Great. Now, let’s go,” Silver urged, gently nudging him farther away from the water. “We need to get out of here before she—”

As if on cue, Ocean Flow reached the shore, panting in exhaustion and yelling, “Silverstream!”

“Peck!” she loudly cursed.

“O-Ocean Flow?” Sky Beak murmured, gazing between his scowling daughter, her wincing boyfriend, and his panicking ex-wife. “What’s…going on?”

“She’s crazy, that’s what’s going on!”

“Would you please just let me explain—”

“No! I don’t want to hear it!” Silver cut her off, trotting away with Gallus.

“Honey, I am trying to help you!” Ocean argued, wanting to follow her daughter but meeting the rather insurmountable barrier that was dry land.

“HELP ME!?” Silver bellowed, whirling right back around and stomping toward her mother. “You think you were ‘helping’ me!?”

“Yes! Silverstream, I am trying to keep you from making a huge mistake with—”

“Oh, so it’s a ‘mistake’ that I love Gallus, huh?”

“I didn’t say that—”

“It sure sounds like you are. And that little friend of yours sure didn’t help your case!”

“‘Friend’? Oh no. Ocean, you didn’t…?”

She ignored Sky Beak, proclaiming, “Silverstream, this is your life we’re talking about! Your safety, your future; your happiness…!”

“News flash, Mom: I am happy with Gallus!”

“No, you’re not!”

Gallus flinched.

“Ocean Flow, that is enough—”

“Stay out of this, Sky Beak; this doesn’t concern you!” she snapped.

“Yes, it does concern me!” he protested. “That’s our daughter you’re yelling at!”

“And if you’re not going to protect our daughter, then I am!” Ocean shrieked venomously.

Sky Beak looked as if she had slapped him.

With him cowed, Ocean frowned at Silverstream, resuming, “Silverstream, you are not safe with that boy, and you darn-well know it.”

“What are you even talking about!?” Silver shouted, leaving trenches in the sand beneath her talons. “Why would you ever think I’m not safe with him!?”

Evidently not wanting to answer that, Ocean instead deflected, “Honey, you can’t just throw your life away on some passing fling!”

“Gallus is not some ‘passing fling’! I love him!”

“You said it yourself, honey; you can’t love somecreature if you’re not happy with them!”

“And I am happy with him! How many times do I have to tell you that!?”

“You can’t keep telling yourself that, Silverstream!” she countered, voice cracking. “Not when it’s your safety and your future riding on the line!”

“And I want Gallus to be a part of my future!” Silver roared, shocking Ocean into silence. “I love him, Mom. … Gal— Gallus is right here,” she whimpered, gesturing to him. “Just talk to him. Just— Just talk to him and give him a chance,” she begged weakly. “Please!”

“I— You can’t— I-I don’t—” she stuttered, not so much as glancing at the griffon.

Silverstream sniffled as her wings slumped sadly. “Gallus, we’re leaving,” she said, trotting back to him.

“No! Silver, you can’t leave!” Ocean called out frantically.

“Watch me!”

“Young lady, you get back here this instant!”

Silverstream bit down to keep herself from responding as she approached her boyfriend. Still taciturn, she grabbed his talon and led him forward once more.

“Silverstream! SILVERSTREAM!” Ocean Flow desperately screeched after her. “Silverstream, I am trying to look out for you!”

“Ocean, stop it,” Sky interjected.

“No, Sky Beak! We need to protect her! I need to protect her!”

“And all you’re doing is hurting me,” Silver mewled too quietly for her parents to hear.

“Silverstream…” Gallus whispered, resting a wing across her back.

The moment she saw him do so, Ocean growled in frustration and screamed, “Silverstream, do you really think you’ll be happy with that boy!? That he can provide for you!? Can keep a roof over your head!? Can keep you safe!?”

“Ocean—”

“Honey, Princess Twilight couldn’t even keep you safe!” she yelled over Sky Beak. “From a filly! Do you really think that— That— Outsider! Can!?” She then blinked and held a flipper to her muzzle, horrified by what she had just said.

“Ocean Flow!” Sky Beak gasped, gaping in shock.

Silverstream stopped, let go of Gallus, and wordlessly trotted back to her mother, stopping within talon’s reach of the seapony. “Outsider, huh?” she muttered, fiddling with her Pearl-piece. “Is that what you think of Gallus, Mom?”

“I-I…” Ocean gulped and forced herself to say, “It— It’s true…?”

Silver said nothing, but her silence was far more terrifying. Eventually, she took a small, shuddering breath and let it out, beginning, “Mom? I have been working so! Hard! To not be paranoid all the time. To not worry all the time. To— To not be afraid of the future—”

Ocean seized her chance, shrieking, “See!? You’re afraid; that’s what I’m trying to—”

“Shut up.”

“But you’re not—”

“No, Mother, this is where you zip it!” Silver hollered, instantly acquiring her silence. “I hate being afraid, Mom. I hate it. But you? Heh-heh,” she chuckled darkly. “You just won’t stop, will you?”

“Honey—”

“Not now, Dad,” she calmly cut Sky Beak off, grasping her necklace tightly. “Now, Mother? Let me make this abundantly clear to you…”

“I love Gallus,” Silverstream said, smiling serenely. “And Gallus loves me. We are happiest when we’re together. Nothing you say or do will ever change that,” she vowed, dropping the smile for a grim scowl. “So? If you’re never going to see him as anything more than an ‘outsider’?”

Silverstream ripped her necklace off, eliciting a shocked squawk from both of her parents.

“You can call me an ‘outsider’ too,” she declared, throwing her Pearl-piece into the sand. Silver then turned around and trotted away, striding right past Gallus without a word.

Hesitantly, Gallus stepped toward Silver’s necklace and picked it up. He then shot Ocean Flow a pained grimace before hurriedly flying after his girlfriend.

The moment he disappeared from view, Ocean Flow snapped out of her stupor. “S-Sky, you need to stop him! H-He has— He has her…” she trailed off, wincing under his steely gaze.

“I think. You’ve said. Enough,” Sky Beak mumbled coldly.

Hanging her head in shame, Ocean slowly turned around and retreated back beneath the waves.

***

A soft, musical hum echoed amid the gorgeous, sprawling planes of the Harmonizing Heights, spurring many a bird to add their song to the natural symphony and coaxing many other critters from their burrows to bask in the resulting ambiance.

One creature, however, found no enjoyment whatsoever in said ambiance.

A gentle gust blew across the tranquil land, stirring Silverstream’s mane as the hippogriff in question stared at the babbling brook she sat beside. She soon tentatively felt around her bare neck, biting back a sob as she did so.

Silver then turned when she heard somecreature approaching and winced when she saw exactly the creature she had expected to see.

Without a word, she reached out expectantly with her talon and smiled feebly when her necklace was dropped right into it. She immediately re-did the string around her neck and let out a relieved sigh upon feeling the treasure rest against her feathers once more.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome,” Gallus said, sitting down beside her. A few moments passed before he finally asked, “What happened?”

“Remember that prince she wanted me to meet?”

“Oh no…”

“He was right there in the kitchen waiting for me,” Silverstream confirmed, still glaring daggers at the rippling river. “Bow tie and all.”

“Grover’s Treasure,” Gallus cursed, massaging his temples and letting out a sigh.

“Yeah. He even called me dazzling.”

“Oh, he did, did he?” he asked, feeling a sudden surge of fury build in his chest. After momentarily quelling it, he tried to joke, “Well? It’s not like he was wrong.”

“First of all, I am not dazzling, I am beautiful,” she stressed, frowning angrily. “And secondly, you are the only one who gets to call me either.”

“Yes, I am. And—”

“Gallus, please don’t,” she preemptively interrupted. “I’m not in the mood for compliments.”

“Sorry.”

“You’re not the one who should be apologizing,” she countered, tearing up. “She is.”

Gallus placed a comforting talon upon her shoulder, eliciting only another sob.

“I forgave her, Gallus,” Silver said, beak quivering. “I thought— I thought she was sorry. I thought that she really wanted to— To get to know you. B-But… But she didn’t…” She sniffled. “Why doesn’t she want to know you? You’re— You’re my boyfriend! I love you!”

“It’s okay, Silver—”

“No, it’s not okay!” she snapped at him, flinching regretfully afterward. “It’s— It’s not okay. I forgave her, but she still hates you. She still— She still doesn’t want me to be with you…” Silver wiped her eyes, murmuring, “I shouldn’t have forgiven her.”

“I was just so tired of it, Gallus!” she rambled on before he could speak. “I was so tired of being angry at her. I-I didn’t want to be angry at Mom. I love Mom. I… I just wanted her to love you too,” Silver puled, shivering as a fresh wave of tears ran down her cheeks.

“Silver? Please look at me,” Gallus requested. Once she did so, he resolutely affirmed, “You did the right thing, forgiving her. Okay?”

“But she—”

“I don’t care. You did the right thing at the time; don’t tell yourself otherwise.”

“…I won’t. But still! G-Gallus, I’m… I-I’m so sorry. I— I’m just so sorry!”

“It’s okay, Silver,” he said, cupping her cheeks reassuringly. “You don’t have to apologize either.”

As grateful as Silver was for his gentle touch, it did little to comfort her as she argued, “Yes, I do. It’s not like she’s going to apologize! A-And after everything she said to you… To us… Sea kelp, Gallus, I-I-I can’t even imagine how upset you are right now.”

“I’m not.”

Silver blinked. “W-What? You— You’re not?”

“No. I’m not.” Gallus looked away, clarifying, “Look, what she said…? It hurt. It really hurt. But the only thing I care about right now is whether or not you’re okay.”

“I’m not,” she confessed, shaking her head fervently. “I’m not okay.”

“Then tell me what I can do that will help.”

“Just hold me,” Silverstream pleaded, burying her face into his shoulder.

Gallus swiftly wrapped both his talons and wings around her and pulled her into his warm embrace. He then rubbed her back soothingly and felt his feathers dampen from her tears.

“Everything will be okay, Silverstream,” Gallus whispered comfortingly.

“Everything will be okay?” she asked, somewhat muffled.

“Everything will be okay,” he promised.

Silver sobbed again and slowly placed her own talons around him, crying freely.

The couple remained entwined for another few minutes, and soon, a familiar hippogriff cantered up to them, frowning solemnly. Once he reached the duo, Sky Beak politely greeted, “Hello.”

“Hey,” Gallus greeted back. He then nodded in the direction of the beach, asking, “Is she…?”

“Gone.”

“Gotcha.”

“Is she…?” Sky asked, nodding at his daughter, relieved to see she wore her necklace once more.

Hearing this, Silver gave Gallus one more squeeze and surfaced from his feathers. “H-Hi, Dad,” she whimpered, staring at her father through red-tinged, glistening eyes. “I’m— I’m sorry for yelling.”

“Don’t apologize, honey,” he implored, sitting beside them and bringing them both into a hug of his own. “It’s okay.”

Silverstream instantly latched onto her father, and after a second of hesitation, Gallus hugged Sky Beak back as well.

The three sat like this for some time before Sky Beak spoke up once more. “Gallus dear? I’m sorry for what she said.”

“It’s okay, Mr. Sky Beak,” he responded wearily. “It’s not your fault.”

“Nonetheless, I am sorry,” he apologized, holding the griffon as closely as he did his daughter. “You shouldn’t have had to hear any of that.”

“Why did she do it, Dad?” Silver whined between sobs. “Why does she hate him?”

“Honey, she doesn’t—” Sky Beak stopped mid-sentence upon seeing the teary, disbelieving glare she shot him. He then shut his eyes, wincing, but after a round of intense internal debate, he requested, “Gallus? May I talk to my daughter? Alone?”

“No!” Silverstream blurted out, hastily unfurling her wing around Gallus. “Please don’t make him leave, Dad! I don’t want him to go!”

“Shhh, it’s okay, honey, it’s okay,” Sky soothed. “It’ll be okay. Gallus…?”

Gallus wanted nothing more than to keep hugging both of them, but he ultimately broke free of the embrace and stood up. “You, uh… You’ve got her?” he checked, avoiding Silverstream’s hurt gaze.

“I do. I-I’m sorry, I—”

“No, no. I get it. I get it…” Gallus looked in the direction of the beach, thinking; he then glanced back at Silver and felt his stomach churn at how despondent she appeared.

Gallus then turned his thoughts to the culprit for said despondency, and soon a rather reckless idea came to his mind. With a determined glimmer in his eyes, he slowly returned his gaze to the beach, beginning, “Hey? Mr. Sky Beak?”

“Yes, Gallus?”

“Where’s Terramar?”

Both hippogriffs instantly realized what Gallus was planning.

“Home,” Sky answered, eyeing him intently.

“Got it. Thanks,” he said, stepping away from the duo.

“Gallus?” Silver called out, giving him a panicked, pleading look. “Where are you going?”

“Don’t worry, Silverstream. You have fun with your dad; I’ll be fine.”

“Gallus, no!” she shrieked, trying to rush back to him only for Sky Beak to hold her back. “Let me go, Dad! Gallus, don’t you dare go talk to her!”

Gallus said nothing, merely marching back to Hippogriffia.

“Gallus!”

“Let him go, honey,” Sky said, giving Silver pause. “You’re sure of this, Gallus?”

“Yep,” he called back, sparing them both a confident smirk. “I’ve got this. Like you said, all she has to do is talk to me and get to know me a little more, right?”

Sky snorted, swearing, “That is indeed still true.”

Gallus breathed a sigh of relief and continued forward.

Silverstream, meanwhile, shouted, “Gallus, you don’t need to— Mom isn’t— Gallus, don’t go! Gallus!? GALLUS!”

“I love you, Silverstream; I’ll be back soon,” he promised, disappearing into the distance.

“Wh-Why did he…? Why did you…?” she stuttered, utterly dumbstruck that Gallus would go, let alone that her father would let him go. “What’s happening?”

“Silverstream?” Once Sky Beak had her attention, he let out a regretful sigh and began, “Honey, I think it’s time I tell you the truth…”

***

For the better part of half an hour, Ocean Flow had been resting her head against the kitchen table and staring forlornly at her finished-yet-untouched seaweed loaf. Eventually though, she turned her gaze onto one of the waterproofed pictures on her counter and bit back a sob.

It was a photo of her and her family back when they were hippogriffs and long before the Storm King’s assault.

They all looked happy.

Silverstream looked happy…

Ocean silently floated up and swam over to the photo, picking it up and hugging it to her chest. “Oh, Ocean… You idiot,” she groaned rebukingly.

She then put the picture down when she heard her front door unlock and open. “Novo,” she called out, turning toward the door. “If you’re here to yell at me too, just go away. I already know I screwed…” Ocean hushed when, rather than her sister, Terramar and Gallus swam into view. “Up.”

An awkward, tense silence fell across the three, but Gallus soon cleared his throat and waved politely. “Hi again, Ms. Ocean Flow. Sorry for the intrusion.”

“You’re not the one who needs to apologize, Gallus,” Terramar said, frowning coldly.

Though unable to meet either of their gazes, Ocean managed to quietly question, “Terramar honey? Why— Why is he here?”

Gallus held in a groan while Terramar’s frown deepened. “Gallus, are you sure about this?” he asked, pointedly ignoring his mother.

“Yes. Don’t worry, Terry, I’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Terramar yielded, turning around. “I’ll be waiting outside for ya.” He then spared Ocean one last glare over his shoulder, adding, “Just in case she does something else monumentally stupid.”

Ocean Flow flinched as her son swam outside.

The silence returned with a vengeance as Gallus simply floated there, waiting for Ocean Flow to make the first move. And after a solid five minutes of being unable to look at him, she finally did.

“So? Have you come to gloat?” Ocean wondered cynically.

“‘Gloat’? Gloat about what?”

“Oh, I don’t know? About the fact I chased my own daughter away like a darn fool?”

“Why would I ever be happy my girlfriend had a fight with her mother?” he deadpanned. “Much less when that fight was over me?”

“Well, she obviously ran straight into your talons; you must surely be happy about that.”

Biting back an indignant retort, Gallus took a breath and calmly began, “Okay, look. Ms. Ocean Flow? You don’t like me. And you don’t like that I’m dating your daughter. And you know what?” He sighed, stating, “That’s okay.”

“Wait, what?” Ocean blurted out, finally looking at him properly.

“It’s okay you don’t like me,” he reassured. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d love it if you did. But if you don’t approve of me, that’s okay. I’m not here to ask you to— To bottle up your feelings and pretend you like me,” Gallus said, sickened by the notion. “That wouldn’t be fair; that’d be cruel. And I’m not cruel. That’s Cozy Glow’s job,” he sneered sardonically.

She stammered for a moment, having no response to that declaration. “That’s rather kind of you…?” she curiously noted once she had found her voice again.

“Yeah, well? I try.”

“O-Okay. Although, if that’s the case, why are you here?”

“To talk to you,” Gallus answered matter-of-factly. “To find out why you don’t like me, and if I can, work on whatever that issue is. Maybe be somecreature you could approve of,” he concluded, feeling his back fins twitch nervously.

Once again, Ocean Flow was at a loss for words, but she rapidly recovered and replied, “But why would you want to do that? After all the… Let’s be honest: Horrible! Things I said,” she mumbled regretfully. “Why would you care whether or not I approved of you?”

“Because you’re Silverstream’s mother. And you’re important to her,” he explained as if it were obvious.

“I somehow doubt that’s true at the moment…”

“No, it still is. She’s just mad at you. You know? For obvious reasons.”

“Very obvious reasons,” Ocean agreed, anxiously wringing her flippers. Eventually, she gestured to the table, requesting, “Um, pl-please sit.”

Relieved, Gallus let out the breath he had been holding and took the offered seat. Ocean Flow then sat opposite him and mouthed uselessly while she struggled to find a place to begin.

…

“Firstly,” Ocean finally started. “I’d like to apologize for all of the things I said to you and about you. Especially the ‘outsider’ line,” she emphasized, shuddering in disgust. “That was utterly uncalled for.”

“Well, thank you for the apology,” he said, nodding. “I forgive you.”

“I don’t know how you could,” she grumbled.

Gallus considered making a joke about having forgiven worse, but he thought better of it. Instead, he merely answered, “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

“Learn that at the Friendship School, did you?”

“Yep.”

Ocean smirked, but it sadly didn’t last long. “N-Now, about— About my not approving of you…?”

“I-Is it because I’m a griffon?” he guessed, dreading the answer. “Or because I’m not a noble?”

“What!? Oh, no-no-no!” she hastily protested. “No, it has nothing to do with that.”

“It doesn’t!?” he yelped, completely taken aback.

“No! No. No…” Ocean stroked a flipper along her mane-fin soothingly, saying, “I mean, yes, you’re a griffon. And, yes, you’re not a noble. But I care far more about who a creature is than what.”

Gallus felt an enormous weight suddenly lift off of his heart. “Heh. Silverstream is the same way, you know,” he said, smiling slightly.

“Of course she is. Sky Beak and I raised our children right,” she proclaimed proudly.

After a brief round of chuckling, he tentatively inquired, “So, why do you hate me then?”

“I don’t hate you!” she swore, aghast by the accusation. “Really, Mr. Gallus, I don’t. You’re her friend; I know you care for her.”

“Technically, I’m her boyfriend,” he acknowledged politely. “And, uh… To be blunt? If you know I care for her, why do you think she’s not safe with me?”

“Because she’s—” Ocean stopped herself from finishing that sentence. “I mean? It’s just that— You’re not— Silverstream isn’t— Aughhh,” she weakly groaned, hiding her face in her flippers.

“Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay, Ms. Ocean Flow,” he assuaged. “Take your time; I’m listening.”

Ocean gladly accepted that offer, carefully contemplating her explanation as she shot another glance at the photograph on her counter. “I didn’t want my daughter to go to the Friendship School,” she suddenly admitted, returning her gaze to him. “I… I didn’t want her to go to Equestria at all.”

“You didn’t?”

“No. I didn’t. A-After everything that— That— That wretched ape put us through!” she spat out virulently. “I didn’t want my family to leave Seaquestria. W-We’re safe down here, you see? We… We were safe,” Ocean repeated shakily.

“But… You guys are safe up there too,” Gallus argued, having no clue what this had to do with her not approving of him. “The Storm King is dead.”

“Yes, and he’s not the only monster in the world, now is he?”

“Okay, that’s a fair point.”

“Darn straight it’s a fair point. It’s also a point my sister and ex-husband resolutely ignored.”

“Alright…?” As uncertain as he was about where this conversation was going, Gallus took comfort in the fact Ocean Flow was actually talking to him at all. “So, you didn’t want Silver to go to the Friendship School, but Mr. Sky Beak and Queen Novo did?”

“Mhmm. You see? When we learned of that tyrant’s defeat, we were thrilled. For years we were trapped down here, but now? We were finally free. It was a very happy time for us all.”

“Bet you guys threw one peck of a parade,” he joked.

After stifling the sudden, bizarre urge to reprimand his language, Ocean laughed brightly. “Yes! Yes, we did. We even dedicated a holiday to it.”

“Three Days of Freedom?”

“Bingo.” Ocean rested her head in a flipper and let out a content sigh. “But then Princess Twilight built that school of hers,” she added icily. “And of course, she messaged my sister about it.”

“Ohhh boy. Here we go…”

“‘We are extending our hoof in invitation to all creatures so they may come and learn all about the value and importance of friendship,’” Ocean mockingly recited. “‘And we’d ever so love it if you could provide a student to act as a representative for your kingdom.’” She rolled her eyes, murmuring, “As if somehow ponies were the only creatures who knew how to be friendly to one another…”

After vowing to never discuss Griffonstone with Ocean Flow, Gallus divulged, “We got the same message. But I’m guessing you didn’t take it that well, huh?”

“You would be correct.”

“That because Silverstream came to the Friendship School even though you didn’t want her to?”

“Clever griff… Er? Clever seapony,” she corrected, drawing out a snicker from Gallus. “But yes. Once my niece learned of the letter, she wasted no time telling Silverstream, and she practically exploded in excitement over the chance of going to Equestria and meeting new creatures.”

“And she obviously did go…”

“Well, I didn’t want her to!” Ocean barked. “I didn’t want her to leave. Or— Or to get hurt… But since we all agreed Terry was too young, it was either Silverstream or Skystar.”

“Really? Just them? None of the other seaponies or hippogriffs were interested in the offer?”

“Oh, there were some. But Novo didn’t want to send anyone else until she knew for certain they’d be safe. Which was why she—like me—didn’t want her daughter to go either. And since my sister is the Queen, you can tell which of us got their way,” she sneered, voice dripping with spite.

Gallus winced sympathetically. “Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing? It wasn’t your fault,” she mollified. Ocean Flow then looked away, recognizing, “It wasn’t anyone’s fault. I’d have done the same thing if I were the elder sister.”

“Still, I’m sorry you had to go through all of that.”

“Well? Thank you for your condolences,” she thanked, giving him a soft smile. “But what’s in the past is in the past. Silver was going to Equestria, and that was final. I-I just had to accept that.”

“It couldn’t have been easy,” he commented, stifling another reflexive apology.

“It wasn’t. So you can imagine how relieved I was to learn that Neighsay fellow closed the Friendship School not one day later.” Ocean hesitated a moment before adding, “And then you can also imagine how terrified I was when Silverstream didn’t immediately come home.”

“We went to the Everfree,” Gallus remembered, not meeting her gaze.

“Yep. Rather than come home to her family, my daughter ran off to spend the rest of her life living in a monster-filled forest with a bunch of creatures she had only just met,” she stated, keeping her expression neutral. “That, uh, that was not a fun day for Sky Beak and I.”

“Yeaaah. In hindsight, that was really dumb of us. But it wasn’t like we were gonna just leave each other! Not… Not when we just became friends.”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Gallus, I understand. I know how much you all love each other.” Ocean clicked her tongue and confessed, “That said? I didn’t exactly enjoy finding out my daughter almost got skewered by a bunch of glorified porcupines.”

“Ugh, I almost forgot about those stupid pukwudgies…”

“I certainly didn’t forget. In fact, I wanted to bring my daughter back home; I didn’t want her anywhere near that forest, that village, or that school! … But? Silver wanted to stay there,” she said weakly. “She wanted to stay in Ponyville. And most importantly, she wanted to stay with her friends.”

Gallus smiled.

“It was hard,” Ocean went on. “I had a lot of fights about it with Sky Beak and Novo. But…? In the end, I caved. I let my daughter stay.”

“As, um, as sorry as I am you went through all that junk?” Gallus spoke up, still smiling. “I’m really glad you let Silverstream stay.”

“Oh, I know you are,” she said, shooting him a sly smirk. “Thankfully, it became far easier as time went on. Silverstream was… Oh, Gallus, she was so happy over there!” she rejoiced.

“We’re all happy over there.”

“And Silverstream was especially so! My word, the letters she sent!” Ocean exclaimed blissfully. “She loved everything. Painting, singing in Drama Club; taking a shower…” she listed off.

“The plumbing manuals,” Gallus continued, sighing dreamily. “Cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner; Headmare Starlight’s Empathy Cocoa…”

“Fluttershy’s pet rabbit…”

“Edith…”

“Stairs,” Ocean Flow and Gallus both recounted simultaneously. They then shared a grin and burst out laughing. “Goodness gracious, Gallus!” she resumed after quieting down. “You absolutely must see the letter she sent us raving about stairs. I’m not exaggerating when I say it was physically half a mile in length,” she proclaimed, beaming.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. Don’t ask me where she got a piece of parchment that long, but my daughter found it, and she filled the entire thing out, front and back.”

“She probably got it from the Crystal Empire,” he theorized, thinking back to some very similar letters he had received from Princess Cadence.

“As good a guess as any,” she tittered. “Speaking of her letters, did Sky Beak show you any? I assume he would since it was his turn to have them.”

“Nope. But I am definitely going to ask to see ‘em when I get a chance.”

“And you’re gonna love them. They’re so adorable, and sweet, and wonderful…”

“Like Silverstream herself,” he praised merrily.

“Like Silverstream herself,” she concurred.

They both fell silent, smiling fondly at the memory of the hippogriff in question.

“Those letters helped a lot,” Ocean whispered after some time. “For the first time in years, my daughter wasn’t just surviving. She was living!” she celebrated, shooting a joyful smile at her family picture once more. “She was learning about the world, making new friends; having fun…”

Ocean looked back at him, her smile drooping but not fading. “I couldn’t take her away from that. I’m her mother, so a part of me was always worried for her… But who cares? For once in far, far too long my daughter could explore the world, and she loved every second of it.” She shrugged. “So what if your teachers took you on that dumb field trip into the Everfree, or that draconequus threw a temper tantrum at Headmare Starlight? Silverstream was happy. And that was all I could ask for.”

There was very obviously a “but” coming, and Gallus bit his lip in anticipation of it.

Sure enough, mere seconds later, Ocean Flow glowered at nothing in particular and snarled, “But then the filly happened.”

“And there it is,” he mumbled, flinching.

“The saviors of Equestria, the slayers of the Storm King, and the ponies I trusted to keep my daughter safe and sound… And they were duped by a child,” she growled, flicking her tail angrily.

“To be fair, would you have thought the punk was a world-ending psychopath?”

Ocean Flow let out a loud, bubbly huff, reluctantly conceding, “No. I wouldn’t have.”

“Yeah. But hey! We stopped her,” he boasted, putting on an encouraging smile. “That had to be a relief, right?”

“Not when you all almost died in the process.”

Gallus blinked. “Oh.”

“Yes. ‘Oh.’ My daughter… My daughter had to save the world,” Ocean chirped in a cracked voice. “And she almost died doing it, along with you and your other friends.”

“But we didn’t—”

“You could have, and that’s all that matters,” she cut him off curtly. “For goodness’ sake, Gallus, the Tree of Harmony had to save you! An ancient, unknowable god-tree had to rescue all of you because no one else had been there to save you,” she acknowledged, suppressing a terrified shiver.

“Oh, but you see,” Ocean Flow rambled on before he could respond. “I was the one in the wrong. I was the one being a needless worry-wort. You and your friends had saved Equestria, so everything was okay in the end. Tch, as long as the day was saved, it didn’t matter how close you all came to dying! Nor did it matter I almost had to plan a funeral for my own daughter,” she whimpered, wiping her eyes despite her tears already mixing into the surrounding water.

“Oh Grover…” Gallus swore quietly. “Ms. Ocean Flow, I— I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Gallus dear. E-Everything was fine after all,” she forced herself to say.

“No, it wasn’t,” he countered firmly, much to her astonishment. “You had every right to be worried. We did almost…” Not wanting to say the word, Gallus instead said, “Get hurt.”

“Yes. Yes, you did. … And yet,” Ocean Flow began again, grinning hollowly. “Even after all of that, Silverstream still wanted to stay in Equestria.”

“We all did. I mean? One stupid brat wasn’t gonna stop us from loving each other. We’re practically family…”

“And I am her family!” she snapped, flinching at the harshness penetrating her tone. “Not— Not to say you and the others aren’t also her family, but…”

“But it’s different,” he finished for her. “It’s okay, Ms. Ocean Flow. I get it.”

“Then congratulations. You’re officially the first creature who does,” she praised bitterly. Upon noticing his confused frown, she clarified, “Oh, Sky and Novo were obviously as peeved as I was over the whole ordeal, but they were far more accepting of Silver going back. I, on the other flipper, wanted to drag Silverstream back to Seaquestria and never let her leave.” Ocean Flow let out an irked snort and confided, “Which is what I did do when that red-horned freak-show returned as well.”

For the briefest of seconds, Gallus flashed back to Nightmare Night and the last creature he had talked to about Sombra. “Y-Yeah, even Grandpa Gruff was pretty freaked when we found out about it,” he disclosed after shoving that memory aside.

“I can’t fathom how anycreature wouldn’t be terrified out of their minds…” She then chortled sourly. “But of course, he was bested too, so you know what that means!” she squealed, eye twitching.

“Everything was fine again?”

“Everything was fine again!” she angrily echoed. “Even when Silver up and disappeared in the middle of the night because the Tree of Harmony spoke to her in a dream… Even when she forgot to let us know she was in the Everfree befriending a cockatrice…! Even when that demon child and her cohorts returned! AGAIN!” she screeched, slamming her flippers on the table in fury.

Ocean Flow panted harshly, taking a moment to calm herself. “I’m… I’m sorry for that outburst,” she apologized, still quivering with barely controlled rage.

“Don’t be sorry, Ms. Ocean Flow,” Gallus implored, causing her to blink in surprise. “It’s okay to feel angry and afraid. Those feelings are important too; you shouldn’t just bottle them up.”

“I-Is that something else you learned at the Friendship School?” she questioned, flabbergasted by the teenager’s wisdom. “I don’t remember Silverstream telling us about that lesson.”

“It was Magic Lesson One Hundred and Forty-five,” he elaborated. “I think Princess Twilight had a horn infection or something, so Headmare Starlight substituted for her that day.”

“Ah! It was that one. Yes, Silver told us more about Princess Twilight’s condition than her school day in that particular letter.”

“Eh, you weren’t missing much; it was honestly a pretty boring day. I, uh, may or may not have even fallen asleep in class.”

“Did you genuinely fall asleep, or just pretend to?”

“Genuinely,” Gallus sheepishly admitted, staring everywhere but at Ocean’s knowing grin.

“For shame, Gallus dear. For. Shame,” she remarked, shaking her head disapprovingly.

“Yeah, yeah… I know. If it helps, I don’t nap in class anymore.”

“You’d better not,” Ocean warned, chuckling along with him. “Having said all of that?” she soon said. “You’re likely wondering how I could have let Silver keep attending the School…?”

“Actually? I’m more curious as to why Silver never talked to me about this,” Gallus clarified as his tail swished uneasily. “We don’t hide things from each other, so the only reason I can think of…”

“Is that she didn’t know?” she guessed, receiving a nod. “Well, you’re correct. She didn’t.”

“You mean, you didn’t tell Silver about any of this?”

“Did you really think we would?” Ocean asked incredulously. “And what? Risk repeating the same mistake we made with Terramar? Make Silver feel like she had to choose between Ponyville or Mount Aris? O-Or worse! Make her feel worried and afraid as well!? Well, no!” she yelped, her back fins flaring in outrage. “There were many things Sky and I disagreed on, but we both fervently agreed upon not letting our daughter know about any of this,” she ended, folding her back fins back in.

“You mean you just pretended you weren’t worried out of your mind about Silverstream?” Gallus inquired, feeling a horrified pit form in his stomach. “How!?”

“Gallus dear? A parent’s—” Ocean Flow paused, looked him over, frowned, and corrected, “A proper parent’s greatest wish is their children’s happiness. And Silverstream…? She was happy in Equestria. So, yes. I bit my tongue, put on a smile, and told myself everything was fine.”

“Every time something terrible happened, I would just tell myself, ‘Oh, the day is saved now, and my daughter is still happy. Everything truly is fine.’ Over and over, I told myself this and dozens of other mantras just like it,” she explained, nervously tapping her flippers together.

“And you know what? For a while, I fell for it,” Ocean confessed. “I moved on. I went about my life, believing my daughter was okay. Believing she was safe. And even when I knew full-well she wasn’t, I just told myself that all the worry, fear, and murder attempts…!” She took a deep breath and concluded, “That it was all worth it. Because Silverstream. Was. Happy.”

Ocean Flow stopped talking and allowed an ominous silence to fall across the kitchen once again, and during that time, Gallus slowly perked up, coming to an assumption he prayed was incorrect.

Unfortunately, what she said next confirmed his fears.

“‘I was so worried about him, Mom, Dad,’” Ocean Flow began quoting in a meek, pained voice. “‘After everything that happened, I just couldn’t get it out of my head that he still wasn’t okay. Or worse, that even if he was okay, something bad would happen and hurt him all over again.’”

“Silverstream…” Gallus whispered to himself, slumping in his chair and fighting back the urge to vomit.

“‘I just wanted him to be okay again,’” Ocean continued, her bottom lip trembling. “‘I wanted to help him; I needed to help him. I didn’t want him to be upset again. I-I didn’t like seeing him that way. It—’” Her voice hitched for a second. “‘It scared me,’” she finished.

Not wanting to say anything more, Ocean Flow held her face in her flippers and worked to steady her breathing. Gallus, meanwhile, had grown increasingly paler with every word.

“Did Silverstream really say all of that?” he asked timidly.

“Yes,” she confirmed, lowering her flippers back onto the table. “A while back, she sent us a recording of your play. And with it was a letter telling us all about her paranoia.”

“B-But Silverstream talked to Headmare Starlight about that,” Gallus protested, his heart thundering violently. “She talked to me about it too. Didn’t— Didn’t she tell you?”

“Oh, she did. The rest of the letter was all about the advice she got from her and Yona, and how she was going to try not to be paranoid anymore. But while that may have been good enough for Sky Beak and Terramar, it wasn’t good enough for me,” she declared, scowling.

“I-I don’t follow…?”

“Silver said she was doing better, and Sky Beak believed her. Terramar and Novo both did too. But me?” Ocean Flow shook her head. “No. No, I had had enough. This was the last straw.”

“Ms. Ocean Flow—”

“My daughter has almost died half a dozen times,” she interrupted, struggling desperately to not raise her voice. “And all this time, I believed that all the worrying was worth it so long as she was happy. Except…? Silverstream wasn’t happy anymore. Sh-She was scared. My— My baby girl was scared!” she sobbed, dropping her gaze to the floor.

Realization quickly dawned on Gallus, and once it had, he scoffed exasperatedly. “And let me guess… It was my fault, right?”

The silence persisted for a full minute until Ocean Flow had the courage to look back up at him.

“There’s a very dark, very vile part of me that wants to say yes,” she admitted. “That wants to hold you accountable for my daughter being so afraid. … But I can’t do that. I-I won’t do that!” she vowed earnestly. “Silverstream told us about your situation, and I— I know you couldn’t have helped what happened. So, no, Gallus dear, it wasn’t your fault. And I don’t blame you.”

“That so? Well, there’s a ‘very dark, very vile’ part of me that thinks you’re lying,” he shot back wearily. “It’s pretty clear you do blame me.”

“But I—”

“You shoved Silverstream onto some random noble neither of us knew and basically said, ‘Here! Love this guy, not Gallus!’” he interrupted. “Say you don’t blame me all you want, but your actions sing a whole different tune.”

Ocean Flow flinched and hung her head, unable to meet the furious gaze of her daughter’s boyfriend. Said furious gaze lessened up not one second later.

“Whelp,” he resumed in a calmer voice. “At least now I know why you thought Silverstream wasn’t safe with me.”

“Gallus dear, I…” She sighed ruefully, questioning, “How could I think she was safe with you? I don’t know you. All I know is what Silverstream tells me about you, and…”

“And I’m her friend. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah.” Gallus tapped the table distractedly, muttering, “When Silverstream told me about your letters, I… I didn’t know what to think. I mean, I don’t know you either,” he pointed out. “So, what was your problem with me? How could you— How could you ever think I’d hurt her?”

“I could understand you not liking me,” Gallus continued, hanging his head. “Maybe you just didn’t want Silver dating yet? Maybe you wanted her to date a hippogriff or seapony? Maybe… Maybe you didn’t want Silver to choose some ‘orphaned street rat,’” he suggested, wincing at his own words.

“Gallus dear, you are not some ‘orphaned street rat’!” Ocean Flow protested instantly.

“Huh?” he blurted out in befuddlement.

“Look, I don’t know you. I only know of you,” she began. “But what I know of you is that you…” Ocean struggled to find the words for a second until she laughed weakly and said, “That you love doing paperwork but don’t want to admit it. That you’re so kind-hearted you actually feel pity for those three monsters. That— That you love my daughter,” she whispered.

“And I also know my daughter loves you too,” she recognized, shivering at the memory of Silverstream throwing away her necklace. “I may be a fool, but I’m not a blind one.”

“And yet, you still don’t approve of us. Do you?”

“How can I?” she mewled somberly. “Y-You heard her at the beach, yes? She said she wanted you to be part of her future. Don’t you understand what that means?”

“It means we love each other and we both want a long-term relationship,” Gallus answered without skipping a beat. “Well? Yeah. We do want that.”

Ocean Flow dithered for a moment before saying, “And I want my daughter to be happy and safe. Th-That’s all I want. But how am I supposed to trust she’ll be those things with you when you…” she trailed off.

“Scared her?” he finished for her.

“…Yes.”

They both timidly looked away from each other, neither knowing what to say next, but after some time, Ocean Flow lamented, “But it’s not like I have any grounds to judge you, let alone disapprove of you. Seriously, Gallus dear, I-I-I must apologize again for the ‘outsider’ line,” she exclaimed, grimacing sorrowfully. “That was absolutely abhorrent of me.”

It took a lot of willpower for Gallus to not ardently agree with that statement. “Don’t worry, Ms. Ocean Flow. I really did mean it when I said I forgave you,” he assured.

“And I really don’t know how you could,” she whined, rubbing her eyes tiredly. “I’ve been acting like a complete and total fool.”

“You’re Silver’s mother. It’s not wrong to worry about her and want her to be safe.”

“But what is wrong, however, is freaking her out with my incessant, paranoid ramblings.”

“…Yeah. Yeah, you did freak her out,” he agreed, keeping his tone neutral.

“I know I did,” Ocean bemoaned. “And in light of that, I’m exceedingly glad Terramar stopped me from having Seaspray go check on her. Goodness, I cannot possibly imagine how terrible that would have been for Silverstream.”

Since Gallus had nothing nice to say to that, he opted to say nothing at all.

“Heh. Isn’t it ironic?” she soon resumed. “I wanted to protect my daughter, but all I did was hurt her more.” Ocean Flow harrumphed, snarling, “But apparently, I wasn’t satisfied with just that, and I had to go and hurt you too. Sea kelp, I owe you so many apology cakes,” she grumbled, face-flippering.

The corners of his muzzle twitched as Gallus inquired, “Are… Are you serious about that?”

“Of course. We seaponies and hippogriffs take our apologies very seriously!” she proclaimed, brimming with pride. She then noticed Gallus snickering faintly and asked, “What? What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. It’s just…? May I bake those apology cakes with you?” he requested, grinning widely.

Ocean Flow gaped. “Y-You want to bake apology cakes with me? Me!? After everything I said and did…? You want to spend more time with me?” she questioned, completely dumbfounded.

“Absolutely,” Gallus casually confirmed, bewildering her even more. “It’s like I said earlier, I want to be somegriff you can approve of. Because, to be frank? Ms. Ocean Flow, I love your daughter,” he confessed, smiling serenely. “I know you disapprove of me, and I know I scared Silverstream, but… I love her. And I don’t plan to stop loving her. Ever,” he concluded resolutely.

“…That was quite possibly one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard,” she commented, holding a flipper to her heart and staring at him in disbelief.

“Well? I am her sweetie,” he bragged, winking. “Being sweet is sorta my job.”

“Oh my gosh, she calls you ‘sweetie’!?” Ocean Flow squealed, beaming excitedly.

“Yeah, why?”

Had it not been for the context behind their entire conversation, Ocean Flow would’ve swept Gallus into her flippers and hugged him tightly, celebrating her daughter having a sweetie. Rather than that, she bewailed, “As if I didn’t have enough reasons to think I’m an idiot…”

“Ms. Ocean Flow, you’re not an idiot,” Gallus comforted kindly.

“I’ve certainly been acting like one,” she said, figuring he wouldn’t be able to argue otherwise.

She figured wrong because he hastily countered, “Acting paranoid? Maybe. Acting idiotically? No. I mean, you’re not entirely wrong,” he noted gravely. “I did scare her.”

“Not intentionally,” Ocean Flow fired back. “And don’t you dare try to say it doesn’t matter,” she preemptively interjected. “It does, Gallus. I refuse to blame you whatsoever for what happened.”

“But—”

“No buts,” she interrupted again. “You were having such a hard time that you found solace in being in that psychopath’s bedroom. I— I can’t even begin to imagine how horrible you must have been feeling for that to be the case,” she said, looking over him pityingly.

“Yeah,” he murmured morosely. “Yeah, it… It was pretty bad.”

“And if you think I’d ever blame you for going through such an ordeal, you’re mistaken. To hold your—for lack of a subtler word—trauma against you…? That wouldn’t just be cruel. That would be sick,” she said, disgusted with the mere idea of doing so. “And as you said, that’s the brat’s job.”

Gallus snorted. That snort turned into a light chuckle, and that chuckle quickly turned into full-blown laughter. Ocean Flow didn’t hesitate to join in said laughter

…

Eventually, Ocean Flow stopped laughing and timidly said, “I… I’m sorry, Gallus.”

“You don’t have to apologize for anything, Ms. Ocean Flow,” he assuaged.

“Oh no. No, I have plenty of things I must apologize for,” she insisted, running a flipper along her mane-fin again. “And one of them is that I… I…”

“Still don’t approve of me?”

“…I want to approve of you,” Ocean Flow said, staring him directly in the eye. “Really, I do. I know you’re happy with each other, but I want my daughter to be happy and safe. And I… I just don’t know if she’ll be safe with you. I’m so sorry, Gallus,” she apologized.

Gallus said nothing, focusing his gaze on her seaweed loaf while he ruminated on everything she had said. After some time, he smiled solemnly, saying, “I want so badly to promise you that everything will be fine. That you have nothing to fear, and that Silverstream will never be afraid again.”

“But I can’t promise that,” he lamented, shaking his head plaintively. “I can’t expect perfection from myself, let alone the world. And as much as I hate to admit it, bad days are just a part of life.”

“Wise,” she placidly commented. “Still though? We may not be able to expect perfection, but we certainly do wish for it, don’t we?”

“That we do. But having said that?” Gallus continued, his eyes shining with determination. “Ms. Ocean Flow? I love Silverstream. Disapprove of me all you want, but I love her, and that’s never going to change.”

“I know. And I’m not going to tell you that you shouldn’t love her; it’s just… I’m afraid,” she admitted.

“And that’s okay. But while it may be okay to be scared or angry, I know Silver hates feelings those things. And I gather you do too.” Gallus paused to take a calm breath. “So? Although I can’t promise nothing bad will ever happen again… I can promise this: If Silverstream is scared, I will be there to protect her,” he swore without a hint of hesitation. “If she is sad, I’ll be there to comfort her. If she is upset, I will be there to help her. Always.”

Ocean Flow said nothing.

“I understand that’s not ideal. Frankly, I wish I could wave my talons—er?—flippers,” he corrected, grinning awkwardly. “And make all the world’s problems go away, especially hers. But I can’t. However, that will not stop me from being there for her, nor will it stop me from doing everything I can to help and protect her,” he pledged adamantly.

“I love your daughter, Ms. Ocean Flow,” Gallus repeated one final time. “And I want to be with her. I want to be part of her world, and I want to be part of her future. No matter where she is, or what she’s doing… I want to be right there with her. Right by her side,” he concluded, smiling serenely.

Following his proclamation, Ocean Flow simply stared at him with an unreadable expression. Before long, a tiny grin graced her muzzle. “You really mean all of that?”

“Yes, ma’am, I do,” Gallus confirmed, nodding firmly.

“You are at your happiest when you’re with my daughter?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am.”

“And do you promise you’ll protect her? You’ll— You’ll keep my daughter safe?”

“Yes. Yes, ma’am, I will,” he promised.

Ocean’s grin grew wider. “You promise you’ll protect her?” she asked again, though decidedly less worriedly. “And you’ll respect her, love her, and be there for her whenever she needs you most?”

“I already do all those things, Ms. Ocean Flow,” he confidently reassured.

“Yes, well? I want to hear you say it,” she said, winking.

“Then I promise I’ll protect her, respect her, love her, and be there for her whenever she needs me most.”

Ocean Flow waited for all of a second before letting out a quiet snicker. “Sea kelp, you’re so sweet,” she praised, causing him to perk up hopefully. Ocean then shrugged and said, “Alright then. If you truly mean all of that, if you truly will keep my daughter safe, and if you’ll both truly be happy with each other…? Who am I to say no?”

“Wait! You— You mean…?” He fell silent, unsure if he had heard right but praying he had.

“Yes, yes, yes. You have my approval,” she stated, rolling her eyes. “It’s not like you actually needed it though; Silverstream is free to love whoever she wants. Just be glad you’re the one she chose to love,” she teased slyly.

“Oh, I definitely am,” Gallus said, smiling rapturously. “Also, um? I know it’s a little inappropriate to ask this, but…? Can I hug you?”

Ocean Flow gasped, excitedly squealing, “You’re a hugger!? Silverstream never said you were a hugger!” She quickly floated up from her chair and held out her flippers, saying, “Well, come on then! You’re my daughter’s sweetie, and I wanna hug you too!”

Gallus wasted no time darting into her embrace. “Thank you,” he whispered happily.

“Nahhh, don’t thank me, Gallus dear,” she pleaded, hugging him back. Once they broke apart, Ocean gave him a rue frown, acknowledging, “I understand it was okay to worry for my daughter, but I shouldn’t have directed my frustrations onto you. That wasn’t fair; that was cruel.”

“And I already said I forgive you,” he laughed, beyond relieved to know he had finally earned her approval. “That is…? So long as you were serious about those apology cakes?”

“Obviously. And you were serious about baking them with me, weren’t you?”

“Obviously,” he echoed. “Besides, why wouldn’t I want to bake with my girlfriend’s awesome mother? Great chance for some mother-daughter’s boyfriend bonding time, wouldn’t you say?”

“…I am going to dote on you so much,” she nonchalantly swore, grinning almost maniacally.

“And I’m going to do everything I can to earn that doting.”

“You’d better.”

“Oh, I will.”

They both giggled for a moment.

“Although,” Ocean Flow began again, recoiling regretfully once more. “I-I must apologize yet again for this whole debacle, Gallus dear. Please don’t let my, er, ‘attitude’ color your perceptions of Seaquestria or Mount Aris as a whole,” she implored.

“As if I ever could,” Gallus scoffed at the idea. “I’ve only been here a few days, and I already want to move here.”

“Oh yes. I am definitely going to dote on you,” she tittered. “Goodness, I really was a fool if I couldn’t see how charming a boy you truly were.”

“Eh, you were afraid; I can’t fault you for that.”

“Well, I can certainly fault myself for that.”

“Don’t. You don’t have to be ashamed of being afraid, Ms. Ocean Flow.”

She smiled. “You really are just the sweetest creature ever, aren’t you?”

“I try.”

“And you’re certainly succeeding brilliantly as far as I’m concerned,” she complimented, happy to see his smile widen. “That said? I really should have talked to my daughter about my fears. If I had, perhaps all of this drama wouldn’t have gotten so…dramatic,” she ended shyly.

“Probably.”

“Probably. … On that note?” Ocean Flow swam toward one of her kitchen drawers and searched through it. Before Gallus could question it, she extracted her own Pearl-piece from the drawer’s depths. “Come on, Gallus dear. I’ve got a daughter I need to go apologize to.”

***

“Seriously!? That’s the reason she’s been so angry at Gallus!?” Silverstream asked, gawking in disbelief.

“Mhmm,” Sky Beak hummed, nodding.

“I— I knew she was worried, but I just thought it was because I stopped writing back. I-I didn’t think…” She fell silent.

“Yes, well? That certainly didn’t help matters.”

Silver flinched and asked, “But why couldn’t you guys have just asked me to visit more? You know I would have if you wanted me to.”

“Because Ocean wouldn’t have wanted you to just visit. She would’ve wanted you to stay,” he clarified.

“Oh. Geez, now I know how Smolder feels,” she grumbled to herself. “But come on, Daddy! Why couldn’t she have talked to me about this instead of harping on Gallus? Or better yet, why didn’t you tell me this was the real problem?” she inquired indignantly.

“Because neither of us wanted to put you through the same thing we accidentally put your brother through,” Sky explained sadly. “Mount Aris, Seaquestria, and Ponyville may all be your homes, but we all know where you’re currently happiest.”

Silverstream couldn’t exactly contest that, so she simply said, “I still would’ve visited more.”

“And we’d love it if you would,” he chirped, wrapping a wing around her and bringing her back into a warm hug. “Ocean Flow wasn’t the only one worried about you…”

“Yeah, I know,” she muttered, hugging him back. “I’m really sorry I stopped writing you guys.”

“Just promise to never do it again,” he pleaded, a note of desperation slipping into his voice.

“I won’t.”

“Thank you, Silverstream.” Sky then gave his daughter one last squeeze before pulling back and sternly adding, “Now, I expect you to keep that promise, you hear?”

“Don’t worry, I will. Besides, I promised Terramar I’d send more letters too.”

“Ooh! Will they come with those little doodles of yours?”

Silver snorted, swearing, “Yes, Daddy. I’ll make sure they all come with doodles.”

“Yay!” he cheered, clapping happily. “I love your doodles.”

“Hee-hee. Gallus loves them too.”

“How could he not? How could anycreature not? Your art is always fantastic.”

“Yeah, I am a pretty good artist, aren’t I?” she bragged.

“Yes, you are,” he praised, planting a kiss on her forehead and drawing out a giggle.

Afterward, Silver’s smile slowly drooped, and she mumbled, “Although…? I guess I can’t really be mad that you and Mom didn’t tell me you were so worried. Not after I stopped sending letters.”

“Honey, you can be mad at us all you want,” Sky Beak permitted, secretly hoping she wouldn’t be. “You may still be a teenager, but after everything you’ve done and been through…? It would have been far wiser to talk to you about our concerns rather than hide them.”

“Just like it would’ve been wiser to ask Mom to stop haranguing me about Gallus,” she conceded, shooting a frown at the flowing stream they still sat beside. Silverstream then looked back at her father, wondering, “What… What should I do now?”

“What would you like to do now?”

After giving it some thought, she answered, “Go and make up with Mom.”

“Whelp, in that case,” he grunted, standing up. Sky then helped Silverstream rise as well, adding, “Let’s go make up with your mom.”

“Can I yell at her some more too?” Silverstream asked as the two made their way back toward Hippogriffia. “Because I am still mad at her.”

“Er? W-We’ll see,” he responded with. He then looked ahead and spotted a group of creatures halfway up the pathway toward them. “Hold on…? Is that Gallus?”

“Yeah,” she confirmed, recognizing the familiar sky blue plumage of her boyfriend and the sandy white feathers of her brother. “Him and Terry. But who’s…?” She fell silent, squinting at the yellow hippogriff they were helping.

A split second later, both Sky Beak and Silverstream gasped in realization.

“Ocean Flow!?” Sky screeched, spreading his wings and soaring toward the trio.

“Mom!?” Silver cried out, racing after him.

“Agh, w-wobbly legs! Wobbly legs!” Ocean Flow yelped as said appendages gave out yet again.

“You know, Mom? You didn’t have to do this,” Terramar complained, straining to keep his mother from collapsing to the ground. “We could have just gotten Silver to come back to the beach,” he proposed.

“Terramar, please,” she wheezed, struggling in vain to get her hooves to function properly. “I’m okay; I just need a moment to catch my breath.”

While Terramar rolled his eyes at his mother’s stubbornness, Gallus asked for the fifth time, “Seriously, Ms. Ocean Flow, are you sure about this? You really don’t look so good.”

“Thank you for your concern, Gallus dear, but I am not going back until I see— Oh thank goodness! Sky Beak!” she shrieked, smiling weakly as her ex-husband rushed over to them. “Help.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you! I’ve got you,” he worriedly exclaimed, taking over for Gallus and Terramar in supporting her weight. Once they stepped aside, he asked, “Are you okay?”

“Um, I’ll get back to you on that,” Ocean Flow whimpered, holding onto him for dear life.

Silver, meanwhile, caught up to the group. “Mom, why are you out of the water!?” Not waiting for an answer, she rounded on her boyfriend and brother and screamed, “Why is she out of the water!?”

“Don’t blame us, Sis,” Terramar said coolly. “This was her idea.”

Silverstream was about to respond with a rather harsh retort, but before she could, Ocean Flow spoke up, “Yes. Yes, it was, honey.” She then glanced at Sky and requested, “Sky Beak dear? Could you let me sit down? Please?”

“U-Uh, sure. Sure,” he said, helping her gently sit down in the grass. “Ocean Flow, what are you doing here?”

“I am here to apologize to our daughter,” she answered, panting from all of the exertion.

“Apologize to me?” Silver questioned, torn on whether to still be angry at her mother or to hug her and apologize repeatedly herself. At the moment, she was leaning more toward the former.

“Yes,” Ocean affirmed, finally controlling her breathing. “I am here to apologize to you.”

“But why? Mom, you’re a seapony; you shouldn’t be out of the water,” she rebuked, shooting another glare at Gallus and Terramar. “C’mon, let’s get you back to the beach and—”

“No,” Ocean refused bluntly. “Silverstream, I wronged you, and I refuse to go another second without apologizing for it. So? Please pardon the, er, theatrics,” she went with, gesturing to her hippogriff form. “But I need to apologize to you.”

Utterly flummoxed by this sudden turn of events, Silverstream stammered and looked at Gallus questioningly.

“It’s okay, Silverstream,” he comforted, nodding. “Just hear her out.”

After sharing another uncertain glance with both her brother and father, she rolled her eyes and gave Ocean Flow her full attention, grumbling, “Okay, fine. I’m listening. Just hurry up so we can get you back to the water, okay?”

Ocean Flow nodded, eternally grateful her daughter wasn’t screaming at her again. Yet. “Okay. Silverstream? I am sorry,” she began.

“Yeah, I kinda got that.”

“No, look, I… What I did was wrong,” she declared firmly. “Unquestionably. Undeniably. Irrefutably. Wrong! A-And while I could sit here and explain why I did what I did…? I’m not going to.” Ocean paused to catch her breath again before adding, “Nothing I say will change or undo what I did, and what I did was absolutely deplorable.”

“On that, we agree.”

“Y-Yes, I know. Honey? I’m… I have no excuse for the things I said or did—”

“You really don’t.”

“Silverstream…?” Sky Beak murmured, receiving only a cold glare in response.

“It’s okay, Sky Beak,” Ocean soothed, hiding a wince. “Silver honey?” she resumed. “It— It doesn’t matter who or what your boyfriend is; he’s your boyfriend. He’s the one you love. A-And I should have respected that. I should have respected him,” she emphasized, sparing Gallus an apologetic glance. “And above all else? I should have respected you. But? I didn’t.” Ocean hung her head and concluded, “I didn’t trust you. I pushed you away and…hurt you.”

Silver looked away, pawing at the ground nervously. “You know what, Mom? Yeah,” she growled. “You did hurt me.”

“Come on, Sis—”

“Shut up, Terramar!” she shouted, quelling him instantly. She then glared back at Ocean Flow, snarling, “Did you think I liked reading all about how much you thought Gallus and I shouldn’t be together!? Or hearing you call him an ‘outsider’!? Or— Or finding out you were paranoid I wouldn’t be safe with him!?” she bellowed, flaring her wings in outrage.

Ocean Flow looked at Sky Beak and received a knowing nod. She then returned her gaze to her daughter, saying, “No. Honey, that was wrong of me—”

“You’re pecking right it was wrong of you!”

“Did you just—” Gallus clamped his beak shut when his girlfriend shot him an irate scowl as well. “Shutting up now,” he murmured hastily.

“Thank you,” Silverstream huffed, turning back to Ocean Flow. “Mom, I… Dad told me how worried about me you were. And, first of all? It’s okay you were worried,” she consoled. “Secondly, I’ll obviously visit more if you want me to. And thirdly, I’m not mad you were so worried about me. I’m…actually kinda glad,” she revealed, much to Ocean’s surprise.

“What I am mad about, however,” Silver went on, grimacing again. “Is that you treated my boyfriend like dirt. I forgave you!” she shrieked, her eyes watering. “I forgave you for sending me all of your stupid letters, but you still—but! You! STILL!—tried to screw up my relationship with him!”

“I love Gallus, Mom,” Silverstream proclaimed, fighting back a sob. “Not that prince guy. And Gallus loves me too. Like, I-I get you were worried about me, but… Wh-Why did you have to be so mean to him? Why— Why couldn’t you just talk to him?” she whimpered, instinctively reaching up and double-checking that her necklace was still there.

“Because I was a fool,” Ocean Flow admitted, having no further reason, nor excuse to provide.

A part of Silver wanted to furiously voice her agreement with that statement, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. Instead, she sniffled and promised, “I really do love him, Mom.”

Sky Beak and Terramar both glanced at Gallus, glad to discover the griffon was smiling happily.

“I know,” Ocean replied, calmingly combing a talon through her mane. “I know, and I’m so, so sorry I tried to ruin that! I was wrong, and— And—” She shook her head, concluding, “I’m just so sorry, Silverstream.”

An awkward silence fell between the two as Ocean Flow worked on recovering her composure, and Silverstream sorted through her current thoughts and feelings.

“Do… Do you really mean all of that?” the latter soon began, though not without some hesitation.

“Yes. Yes, I do,” Ocean Flow adamantly averred.

Silver then turned to Gallus and asked, “And did she apologize to you too?”

“Yep,” Gallus answered immediately. “She did.”

“And you forgave her?”

“Naturally.”

Nodding slowly, Silverstream looked back at her mother and inquired, “Are you going to make any more derogatory remarks about Gallus?”

“Not unless he breaks your heart,” she swore, grinning hopefully. “But considering he’s head-over-fins, er, paws,” she corrected. “For you? I highly doubt that’ll happen anytime soon.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“…Pinkie Promise it,” she demanded, remembering the last time her mother had promised her something.

Although initially baffled by what her daughter meant, Ocean soon recalled what she was referring to and asked, “Oh, do you mean that odd contract thing Professor Pinkie Pie does?”

“Yep. The Pinkie Promise,” Silver repeated bluntly. “I want you to Pinkie Promise it.”

“You ain’t getting out of it if you do, Mom,” Terramar warned, shaking his head emphatically.

“You really won’t, Ocean dear,” Sky Beak concurred.

“Like that matters where our daughter is concerned,” she shot back, smirking. “Now, how did it go again? Oh, that’s right! I, er, cross my heart? Hope to fly? Stick a cake—”

“Cupcake,” Silver and Gallus reflexively corrected.

“Oops! Sorry.” After clearing her throat, Ocean Flow vowed, “I Pinkie Promise not to make any derogatory remarks about you, your boyfriend, or your relationship from here on out. Cross my heart, hope to fly; stick a cupcake in my eye,” she recited, performing the motions well enough.

“Alright then. I forgive you,” Silverstream chirped, moving to hug her mother. She then stopped herself and added, “Buuut? Only if you also promise that you, Gallus, and I will all have a do-over dinner. You know? So you can actually get a chance to know him better?”

“Absolutely,” Ocean Flow said, nodding gleefully. She then cupped her beak with a talon and confided, “I’ve got a brand new seaweed loaf recipe that I’ve been meaning to try out for weeks.”

“In that case,” Gallus spoke up, significantly allayed to see everything had worked out. “Do you mind if I help you bake that too? I’m really curious to see how seaponies cook underwater.”

“It’s a lot easier than you think,” Ocean replied. “And the answer is obviously yes.”

“Yes,” he echoed, pumping a talon in victory.

“Wait a minute!” Silver yelped, shifting her gaze between her boyfriend and mother. “You want to bake with him?”

“Of course,” she confirmed, eyes twinkling with delight. “He’s your sweetie, after all; there’s no possible way I wouldn’t want to get to know him more.”

“Told you,” Sky sang smugly.

“You… You mean, you’re actually…?”

“Perfectly fine with you and he dating?” Ocean guessed. “Yep. You were right, honey. I just had to talk to him, and he charmed me in the first two minutes,” she confessed, snickering.

Silverstream’s first instinct was to squeal excitedly and pounce her mother, but she quickly quashed that idea upon remembering Ocean was still in her hippogriff form. Although, that didn’t stop her from grabbing her mother in a warm hug anyway.

“Thank you, Mom,” she murmured, feeling a massive wave of relief course through her every feather.

“Don’t thank me, honey. I shouldn’t have been such a paranoid, old coot.”

“True. But hey! I still forgive you.”

Ocean Flow’s eyes watered as she hugged her daughter even tighter, whispering, “Thank you.”

A gentle breeze blew over the Harmonizing Heights, causing a beautiful melody to play across the fields, almost as if in celebration of the mother and daughter finally having properly made amends.

In the meantime, Terramar breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of them hugging while Gallus and Sky Beak shared a happy, thankful smile.

After a while, the duo broke apart, and Ocean Flow noted, “Heh. It’s been so long since I last had feathers, I completely forgot how wonderful they could make a hug feel.”

“Speaking of which,” Sky Beak said, offering her a talon. “Let’s get you back home, shall we?”

“Yes. Please!” she begged, grabbing hold and yelping as he hoisted her onto his back. “Thank you, Sky Beak. As, uh, nostalgic as it is to be in this form? I reeeaaally need to get back to the water.”

“Could have just gotten my sister to come to the beach,” Terramar not-so-subtly remarked.

Ignoring their son’s snark, Sky kindly assured, “Don’t worry, Ocean Flow, I’m on it. Would you like me to fly you, or—”

“NO!” she screamed, gripping him fearfully. “No… Please just take me back to the water.”

“Understood. To the beach, we go,” he declared, trotting down the path as gently as he could for Ocean’s sake while the others all followed suite.

“Yes, thank you. And, uh, sorry again for all the theatrics,” Ocean Flow apologized, blushing. “I just couldn’t bear the thought of spending another minute without apologizing to you, honey.”

“No problem, Mom,” Silver assuaged. “Just make sure not to do something like this again, okay?”

“Absolutely not! If I ever wrong you or anycreature again, I am most assuredly going to apologize for it,” she contended passionately. “But? Admittedly, I’ll try to refrain from doing…this,” she said, giving her wings a feeble flap. “Again.”

“If you ever do need to do so, however?” Sky Beak interjected. “Please make sure I’m there to help,” he requested. “You know I will if I can.”

Ocean smiled softly. “I know. Thank you again, Sky Beak.”

“No thanks necessary, Ocean Flow,” he said, grinning at her over his shoulder. “You okay?”

“I’m okay,” she said, nodding. Ocean then giggled impishly. “In fact? I’m more than okay. Our daughter has a sweetie, Sky!”

“Oh no. Here we go,” Terramar groaned, grimacing in realization at was about to come.

“I know!” Sky Beak squeed as his wings gave an ecstatic flutter. “You should have seen them, Ocean Flow. The first day they were here, they never once stopped smiling at each other. Not! Once!”

“And did you see how excited Silver was when Gallus promised her that extra long kiss? Because I certainly saw how excited he was!” she sang innocently.

“Please stop,” Gallus quietly begged, feeling his cheeks burn scarlet.

Terramar was about to say something similar, but once he noticed how embarrassed the griffon was, he instead attested, “Well? He definitely followed through on his promise, that’s for sure.”

“And I’m very glad he did because it was a good kiss,” Silverstream complimented. “A really, really good kiss,” she purred, cozying up to Gallus.

“Oh, was it now?” Sky asked, shooting Gallus a sly smirk that only made the griffon blush more. “Aww, Gallus dear? Did you enjoy giving my baby girl a good, extra long kiss?”

“Oh, I bet he did,” Ocean Flow joined in the teasing. “And if I know our daughter, I bet she repaid his affection in kind.”

“Yes, I did,” Silver confirmed, raising her head proudly.

Gallus hid himself behind his wings, much to all of their amusement.

“Oh come on, Gallus,” Terramar said, barely holding back an evil laugh. “Don’t tell me you didn’t love snogging my sister for two hours straight?”

“‘Two hours straight’?” Ocean repeated, gaping at both her daughter and her boyfriend in shock. “You two kissed for that long?”

Since her boyfriend was a little busy contemplating how best to escape this situation, Silver answered on his behalf. “Yep. And it was a wonderful two hours,” she hummed happily.

“Oh my gosh, Sis!” Terramar exclaimed, face-clawing and snickering.

“Whaaat? It was.”

“Two hours,” Ocean muttered, dumbstruck. “My daughter and her boyfriend kissed for two hours. Frankly, I don’t know whether to be horrified or impressed.”

“Same,” Sky Beak concurred. “I really am curious as to how they could go on for that long though. I mean, we couldn’t even reach two hours when we were their age. Seriously, Gallus dear, where did you get all of that stamina?”

“Probably all those beats and celery sticks, eh, Gallus?” Terramar jeered.

“Please,” Gallus croaked. “Please stop. Have mercy,” he pleaded in a cracked voice.

All four hippogriffs laughed cheerfully.

“Oh, Gallus dear, we’re just teasing,” Sky Beak comforted, sparing the poor griffon a reassuring pat on the back.

“And trust me,” Ocean Flow chirped warmly. “We’ll dote on you far, far more than we’ll tease you.”

“Make no mistake, we’re totally going to keep teasing you,” Terramar pledged, playing along.

“Oh, absolutely! You charmed us all, remember? So expect us to fawn all over you in the years to come,” Ocean fervently forewarned.

“But don’t worry too much, Gallus dear,” Sky giggled. “No matter how much we may tease you or joke around… It will come from a place of sincerity.”

“You’re my sister’s sweetie, after all,” Terramar said, rolling his eyes but smiling all the same.

“And we are going to love, spoil, and dote on you accordingly,” Sky Beak and Ocean Flow both promised, winking.

“That’s what family’s for,” Silverstream whispered to Gallus, giving him a loving kiss.

A moment later, Gallus folded his wings back in, revealing his still-blushing face and glistening eyes. “Can I just say… I’ve been here for three days, and I don’t ever want to leave,” he proclaimed, sparking another round of laughter among the others. “I’m serious. I-I really love it here. I love all of you.”

“Awww,” Silver cooed, wrapping her wings and talons around him in a joyful hug. “We love you too, Gallus.”

Gallus happily hugged her back, unable to think of anything more to say as he tried not to cry.

All three other hippogriffs watched the couple with tranquil smiles, but after a few minutes, Ocean Flow turned to Sky Beak and commented, “They really are cute together, aren’t they?”

“Yes, they are,” he agreed, beaming excitedly. “Do you remember when we were like that with each other?”

“Ohhh, I don’t think we want to talk about those days,” she said, laughing sheepishly. “We wouldn’t want to give them any ideas, would we?”

“Eh? A little late for that, I’m afraid.”

“…What do you mean?” she asked grimly.

“Silver picked up that tail maneuver of yours,” he divulged, perplexing Terramar and causing both Gallus and Silverstream to freeze up in alarm.

“Dad, what are you doing!?” the latter squawked.

“‘Tail maneuver’?” Ocean repeated questioningly, raising an eyebrow.

“You know the one,” Sky hummed.

Ocean Flow gasped in realization and glared at her furiously blushing daughter, asking, “Did you thrust your tail in that poor boy’s face, Silverstream!?”

“…Maybe?” she mumbled, shying away from her mother’s glare.

“What!? Ewww!” Terramar shrieked, shivering in disgust. “What is wrong with you, Silver!?”

“I was flirting!”

“How exactly is shoving your tail under my beak flirting?” Gallus asked dryly.

“Hey, Mom did it to Dad; I was just copying them. But it’s apparently the type of flirting I can only do when we get married,” she explained, rolling her eyes. “Dad wouldn’t tell me why though.”

Gallus tilted his head in befuddlement, but just before he could figure it out, Sky Beak quoted, “‘When we get married’? Already considering that, are we?”

Wordlessly, Silver gave her parents a serene smile before planting another kiss on her boyfriend’s cheek.

Terramar, meanwhile, grinned wickedly upon remembering a certain factoid his sister had foolishly shared with him. “Well, duh. Smolder did—”

“Nothing!” Gallus and Silverstream both roared, each slapping their talons over his beak, much to his frustration and Sky and Ocean’s confusion.

“Smolder did nothing,” Silver said, giving her brother a pointed glare. “Absolutely. Nothing.”

Sky Beak and Ocean Flow shared an unamused glance, deciding to ask Terramar what he was going to say later. “Whelp,” the former resumed, looking back at their daughter. “In any case, Silver honey? I do not want you shoving your tail under his beak again, understand?”

“Nor do I want you flirting with him in any similar manner,” Ocean Flow added sternly. “Otherwise, you will be in a lot of trouble.”

“But, Mooooom! Daaaaad!” Silverstream whined, pouting. “Have you seen his face? Look at him!” she ordered, gesturing to her boyfriend excitedly. “Look at this face. Look at how cute he is!”

“He’s not as cute as you, honey,” Ocean fired back teasingly.

“He’s still too cute not to flirt with!”

“There are other ways to flirt with him that don’t involve shoving your tail into his face,” Sky Beak countered. “You know? Like when Gallus took pictures of you in the water?”

“Oh, he did, did he?” Ocean Flow asked, sparing Gallus a smirk.

“Yes, he did. He showed me the pictures, and I must say he’d make a good photographer,” he complimented, winking at the griffon.

“Hmm. You made sure to get our daughter’s good side though, didn’t you, Gallus dear?”

Gallus grinned and blissfully answered, “Wasn’t that hard when Silver’s beautiful from every angle.”

While both of his parents squealed in delight, Terramar scoffed at the corniness of the line. Silverstream, on the other talon, jokingly deadpanned, “You already used that line, sweetie.”

“So? It’s the truth, isn’t it?” he replied, giving her cheek a happy nuzzle.

“Hee-hee-hee. Yeah, it is,” she agreed, nuzzling him back.

Sky Beak and Ocean Flow smiled widely at the couple before meeting each other’s eye and simultaneously celebrating, “Our daughter has a sweetie!”

“Yes, I do!” Silverstream rejoiced, giving Gallus a short, joyful kiss. “You’re my sweetie,” she sang happily.

“And you’re my everything,” he said, smiling serenely.

Following his declaration, Silver hurriedly hooked her talons around him and pulled him back into her embrace, passionately kissing him again. She soon leaned back, panting harshly as she extolled, “You are so sweet!”

“I can still be sweeter,” he promised confidently, cupping her cheeks with his talons.

“Later. Right now, I want you to kiss me again.”

“As you wish, milady.”

As one, they both gleefully resumed kissing.

…

“Hey!” Terramar yelled, startling them from their snogging. “You two done yet?”

“No!” they both angrily barked at him.

“Can’t you guys kiss another time? We’ve still got to get Mom home.”

“If it helps?” Sky Beak spoke up. “Stratus and Haven should both be done with the last of the parade preparations by now.”

“Ooh! You’re throwing a parade?” Ocean Flow inquired.

“Yep. To commemorate our daughter having a sweetie.”

“Wonderful! Your parades are always the best,” she praised, grinning triumphantly when she noticed his faint blush.

“Speaking of which, you set up a kissing booth, right?” Silverstream asked desperately.

“No. But the dancing competition is still on.”

Silverstream gave Gallus an eager smile he returned in kind.

“Shall we, milady?”

“Let’s go, sweetie!”

They both then excitedly sprinted back to Hippogriffia, leaving the others in their wake.

“Hey! Hey, you guys…!” Terramar called after them only to sigh as they disappeared from view. “Of course. You need help getting Mom back home, Dad?”

“Nah, I’ve got her,” Sky Beak assured. “You go and have some fun too.”

“Who knows? Maybe you’ll finally find your own sweetie during the shindig?” Ocean Flow suggested pointedly.

“Mooooom!” he mewled, flushing crimson as both his parents laughed. “Ugh, why am I the only normal one in this family?” Terramar asked himself, spreading his wings and flying away.

“Hee-hee-hee,” Ocean continued chuckling as Sky resumed his trot. “We raised our children right, didn’t we?”

“Yes. Yes, we did,” he confirmed, smiling proudly.

“Mmm,” she hummed, letting out a peaceful sigh. “Hey, Sky Beak?”

“Yes, Ocean Flow?”

“Our daughter has a sweetie.”

“Yes, she does. Hee-hee! Our daughter has a sweetie!” Sky Beak celebrated once more, giggling joyously.

“Our daughter has a sweetie!” Ocean Flow echoed, flapping her wings jubilantly.

They both laughed merrily as they trotted back to the beach, gushing ecstatically over their daughter’s newfound love and the future that awaited the happy couple.

***

The sound of music and laughter echoed through the air of Mount Aris as Sky Beak’s parade finally launched into full swing.

Dozens of hippogriffs frolicked through the air and across the land, singing and dancing to their hearts’ content, and just as many seaponies had surfaced along the beach to do much the same, only in the crystal blue waves.

Gliding upon her uncle’s dance stadium was Princess Skystar, laughing gaily as she and many of her troupe gave Mount Aris a taste of what kind of competition Yakyakistan faced.

The hippogriff responsible for establishing such lively festivities was nowhere to be seen, having disappeared below the waves with his ex-wife to plot out how best to dote on their daughter’s sweetie throughout the coming years.

Speaking of Silverstream’s sweetie…

Gallus had laid a towel down in the sand and collapsed onto it, closing his eyes and working to catch his breath and rest his sore legs. Upon hearing somecreature approach, however, he reopened his eyes and smiled at the hippogriff standing over him.

“Got room on that towel for one more?” Silverstream asked, smiling excitedly.

Gallus extended his wing invitingly, and she swiftly laid down and nestled into his side, feeling his wing drape across her back.

“You okay, sweetie?” she inquired, nuzzling his neck happily.

“No,” he deadpanned, wincing as another ache shot through his paws. “One second, Silverstream. I turned my back for one second, and that crazy cousin of yours pounced me.”

“I know; I saw.”

“She made me dance with her for half an hour, Silver. Half. An. Hour.”

“Hey, you kept with her at least; not even I can do that.”

“I still would have preferred dancing with you.”

“Aww, I would have preferred dancing with you too. … That said? You still wanna do that?”

“Maybe when my legs stop burning.”

Silverstream giggled for a moment before sighing contently and resting her head against his shoulder. “Thank you again for coming with me to Mount Aris.”

“Thank you again for inviting me,” Gallus thanked, giving her a serene kiss. “I really do love it here, Silver. I’m glad I got to see your home.”

“And I’m glad you got to meet my family.”

“And let’s both be glad that they like me.”

“Oh, Gallus, they don’t just ‘like’ you. They love you.”

“Stop it, Silver, you’re gonna make me blush.”

“They love you, Gallus,” she repeated, leaning back and smirking slyly. “Just like I love you.”

“Silver…!” he groaned in protest, struggling valiantly to keep himself from blushing.

“You’re my sweeetieee,” Silver sang, running a talon through his headcrest. She then laughed victoriously at the rosy glow she brought to his cheeks. “Ha-ha! There it is!”

“Yeah, yeah…” Gallus grumbled, smiling nonetheless. “Happy now?”

“Yep,” she answered, kissing the aforementioned blushing cheek. “I love it when you blush.”

“And I love it when you make me blush,” he quietly confessed.

Silver gasped and playfully rebuked, “You are shameless, Gallus. Shameless.”

“Yeah, well? There’s no shame in loving you with all my heart.”

“…Dang it,” she cursed, shaking her head in defeat. “Every time. Every time… You really do try to make everything you say sound as sweet as possible, don’t you?”

“I am your boyfriend,” he boasted, snickering. “It’s my job.”

“No, Gallus, you’re not just my boyfriend. You’re my sweetie,” Silver purred, snuggling him.

“I’m your sweetie,” Gallus declared, snuggling her back. “And I’m so happy to be your sweetie.”

“And I’m happy to be your milady.”

…

“Geez, we really are as bad as Yona and Sandbar,” Gallus acknowledged bluntly.

“I don’t care; I love you,” Silver whispered, giving him a dreamy smile.

“And I love you too.”

They kissed.

After breaking apart, Gallus nodded toward the beach, saying, “Hey, check it out.”

Silverstream followed his gaze and beheld the sight of Stratus Skyranger and Salina Blue merrily chatting away. Both of them, Silver noticed, were blushing.

“They look happy,” she said, grinning widely. “I hope they work out.”

“You still need to tell me about their whole story too,” Gallus addressed, reacquiring Silver’s attention. “After all? A certain somegriff completely forgot she had an honorary big sister.”

“Oh hush up,” Silver griped, blushing herself. “I didn’t forget; I just…never mentioned it.”

“Mm. Sure. We’ll go with that.”

Silverstream rolled her eyes, already knowing this wouldn’t be the last time he would tease her for this. She then spotted a hippogriff trotting toward them with a bouquet of flowers in his talons.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me,” she growled, scowling at the approaching noble.

“Hmm?” Gallus noticed the hippogriff as well and guessed, “That him?”

“Yep.”

Once the prince approached them, he awkwardly fidgeted under the furious frowns of the couple. After clearing his throat, he began, “H-Hello. My name is—”

“I don’t care what your name is,” Silver cut him off mercilessly. “What do you want?”

He froze and swallowed nervously, elaborating, “W-Well, I, um… I just wanted to say I’m sorry for everything that transpired. Earlier. At— At your mother’s residence.”

“You mean when you tried to hook up with me even though I already have a boyfriend?”

“Er? W-W-Well, I-I didn’t know you— You were taken at the time, so—”

“Well, I’m still taken now, so why are you here?”

“T-To apologize,” he answered, cowering under her glare. “And to— And to give you these as an apology gift,” he added, cautiously passing her the bouquet.

Gallus immediately seized the flowers from him, gasping. “For me!? Aww, thank you. You shouldn’t have, Mr. Prince Guy,” he ended, smirking.

The prince blinked in confusion, muttering, “Um, th-those technically weren’t for you, but—”

“They weren’t?” Gallus asked, dropping the smile in place of a fierce scowl. “Oh? So you’re not apologizing to me for hitting on my girlfriend while I wasn’t there?”

“N-No, that’s not what I meant!” he quickly protested. “It’s just— It’s just that the flowers were meant for her, and—”

“Oh, so now you’re trying to hit on my girlfriend while I am here, huh!?”

“Also no!” the prince squeaked, twitching his wings and barely resisting the urge to flee. “I— I wanted to apologize for the whole ordeal, a-a-and I didn’t have any apology cakes on talon. So I got her an apology bouquet instead…?” he ended weakly.

“In that case,” Silverstream spoke up icily. “Where’s my bouquet? You gave Gallus his, so where’s mine? I was the one you hit on, after all; don’t I deserve an apology bouquet too?”

“Um, th-that was supposed to be your bouquet,” he clarified, pointing to the flowers Gallus still held. “But, as you can see, h-he took them.”

“Are you saying I don’t deserve an apology bouquet?” Gallus snarled, whipping his tail angrily. “Even though it was my girlfriend you tried to hit on behind my back!?”

“I-I-I didn’t say that!”

“Then where’s his bouquet!?” Silver inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, you only brought one, even though you needed to apologize to both of us.”

“In, uh, in that case, I-I’ll go get another one for you, Mr. Gallus!” the prince swore, already stepping away from the enraged couple.

“Get two,” Gallus demanded, sneering coldly. “This one rings rather hollow now.”

“T-Two bouquets it is then, one for each of you! Is, uh, is that better?” When neither of them responded, the prince shuffled anxiously, apologizing, “I-I really am sorry for the whole…situation…that happened.”

“And we’ll forgive you once you get back with our apology bouquets,” Silverstream deadpanned, waving him onward. “Go on. Go get ‘em.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am,” he fearfully said, running away.

“Before you go though!” she suddenly called out.

The prince paused and turned around, apprehensively muttering, “Y-Y-Yes?”

“If you’re still looking for a girlfriend, go find my cousin, Skystar,” Silver commanded, smiling politely. “She’s been looking for a boyfriend herself, and…? Eh, you’ll do.”

“R-Really!? You think— You think so?”

“Hey, as long as you know how to dance. You do know how to dance, right?”

“I do.”

“Then bring us those apology bouquets, and I’ll introduce you two,” she offered.

The prince squeed and raced off to find said flowers.

Gallus and Silverstream then looked at each other, sharing a smirk. He then gifted her the flowers, saying, “For you, milady.”

She gasped excitedly, sniffing them and sighing happily. “Aww, thank you, Gallus. I love them.”

“And I love you,” Gallus crooned, kissing her. “It was pretty nice of you to offer to set the guy up with Starry.”

“Yeah, well… We were pretty rough on him for a minute there, so I wanted to throw him at least one bone.”

“You are too pure for this world.”

“And you are too sweet,” she praised, kissing him. Silverstream then smelled the flowers again and whispered, “I’m really happy, Gallus.”

“I’m really happy too,” Gallus said, holding her talon as he snuggled her even more. “I’m really, really happy with you.”

“I’m really, really happy with you too!” she sang, draping her own wing around him and nuzzling him ecstatically. “Thank you so much for being with me.”

“And thank you for being with me.”

They both laughed and kissed again. About five minutes passed before they stopped and broke away, each breathing a little heavier.

“So…?” Silver began, twirling her mane in her talon. “You wanna keep kissing, or do you feel up to dancing yet?”

“Ooh, that’s a hard choice,” Gallus said, feeling his tail wag enthusiastically. “But I think I’ll have to go with the first one.”

“Aughhh, I was hoping you’d ask me to dance,” she pouted adorably.

“Oh, we are definitely going to dance before the day ends,” he swore, sneaking her cheek a small kiss and relishing her subsequent giggle. “For now though, I wanna keep kissing you.”

“I wanna keep kissing you too.”

After sharing another laugh, they both leaned forward and blissfully kissed yet again.

Not ten seconds later, a snow white seapony with a lush violet mane-fin burst out of the water, transformed back into a hippogriff, and landed on the beach.

Many of the hippogriffs and seaponies immediately noticed her presence and bowed respectfully only to cringe when their Queen roared, “WHERE IS MY NIECE!?” louder than even Princesses Celestia and Luna’s Royal Canterlot Voice.

After being shocked apart, Gallus and Silverstream both grimaced at the newly arrived Queen Novo. “Uh-oh. Looks like she got done early,” the latter realized, sighing in exasperation. “Of course.”

“I guess it’s time to charm her…?” Gallus supposed, shrugging uncertainly.

Unfortunately, before he could actually go through with that idea, Queen Novo stamped a talon down and shouted, “I DEMAND TO SEE MY NIECE! I DEMAND TO SEE HER AND THE BOY SHE DARES CALL ‘SWEETIE’!”

“Yeah, I should have known Skystar would spill the beans on that one,” Silver commented, rolling her eyes but smiling all the same.

Gallus, on the other talon, gulped nervously and whimpered, “Uh? You know what? Silverstream, I changed my mind; I want to go dancing.”

“You don’t want to try charming her, huh?”

“I’ll charm her later; right now, I’d rather dance with you,” he assured, forcing a wide smile.

“Then let’s go,” she said, standing up and hurriedly helping him do the same. Silver then smirked daringly and said, “But first…? Hey, Auntie Novo!” she shouted, waving.

“Silver, what are you doing!?” he puled, feeling a shiver go down his spine once the Queen’s eyes locked onto them.

“Ah, Silverstream. There you are,” Queen Novo murmured neutrally. “Good to see you again.”

“Good to see you too,” Silver replied, smiling innocently. “How’s ruling?”

“Swell. How’s school?”

“Great.”

“Good, good. So!” She nodded at Gallus and asked, “Who’s he?”

“My boyfriend,” Silver answered cheerfully.

“Oh, is that right?” Novo growled, eye twitching.

“Yep. Now, watch this!”

Silverstream pulled Gallus into a deep, passionate kiss, and although he had been initially caught off-guard by it, he wasted no time in cupping her cheeks and returning the embrace.

While a collective “D’AWWW!” echoed among the surrounding hippogriffs and seaponies, Queen Novo shrieked, “THAT GRIFFON HAD BETTER BE A PRINCE!”

Upon breaking away, Silver shouted back, “He’s not, but I love him anyway! Deal with it!”

“Why you little…!” she snarled, snorting furiously and stomping toward them.

“Hee-hee, I knew that would get her. Come on, sweetie,” Silverstream beckoned eagerly, taking his talon. “Let’s see how well you remember those hippogriff dances I taught you.”

“Lead the way, milady,” Gallus said, hurrying after her.

“GET BACK HERE!” Queen Novo screamed, flaring her wings and giving chase.

Gallus and Silverstream both merely picked up the pace, laughing serenely as they happily fled back toward Mount Aris to dance the day away.

Author's Note

And at long last, the drama is finally over. Gallus has recovered from all of his issues and made up with Grandpa Gruff. Silverstream has overcome her paranoia and made amends with her mother. And they've both firmly cemented themselves as a happy, loving couple. I'd say everything worked out pretty well for them, wouldn't you? :twilightsmile:

Sooo? I'm gonna be honest, guys; I really didn't think this chapter would get this long. But, hey! I managed to end the story with that "BANG" I wanted it to, right? :derpytongue2:

At the very least, I hope you all had fun reading this chapter despite it being so humongous. I know the site certainly didn't like it since it kept buffering everytime I Copy/Pasted any major excerpts. Although, now I wonder what the largest word count for a single chapter is on this site? Eh, whatever.

Also, this is Salina Blue:

For those wondering about the "Sister" thing, I'll be explaining that in the "Writing of..." for this story.

Also, for those wondering about the whole "Seaponies don't have gills" thing...? Admittedly, that's likely how seaponies breathe in canon, but considering that I have personally yet to see a single picture of a seapony with visible gills(Both from the show and any fanart), I made a little bit of an alteration there.

Whelp... Here it is, everyone. The final main chapter of the Bonds of Love. All that remains is the Epilogue. Which - as you can probably guess by this point - is pretty wordy too. And by that, I mean I'm still not done with it, and it's currently 18k words. I'm almost done with it thankfully, but, still. I'm gonna try to get it out around April 10 - 13.

Here's hoping the Epilogue will be long enough to bump this story to 300k words! :yay:

One last stretch, my friends. One last stretch, and this story will finally be over. Thank you all for sticking with my story for so long; I put a lot of work into it, and I am so happy to know that you've all enjoyed it!

On that note, I hope you're not too mad at me, Great White Prime. I know you suggested both a fight scene and more Queen Novo, but, well...? Yeah. If it helps, you might just see Novo one more time before the story ends. :moustache:

Anywho, all thoughts, comments, and criticisms are welcomed and appreciated as usual. I'm especially curious to see your reactions to how I handled Ocean Flow.

NEXT TIME: The end...

Epilogue: Love

“Can you feel the sunshine? Does it brighten up your—” Smack!

Gallus retracted his talon from the clock, letting out a quiet yawn as he did so. He then stretched out his limbs with a chorus of small pops, and afterward, he snuggled back under the covers, smiling serenely.

…

“C’mon, Gallus,” he told himself, sitting back up. “Gotta get up. Gotta get up. Gotta get—” He then fell silent when a pink talon reached up and gently pressed against his chest, pushing him back down onto the bed. Gallus gazed a second longer at the beautiful ring adorning said talon before turning to its owner and joking, “Correction: Gotta lie down and go back to sleep.”

“And cuddle me,” Silverstream whispered giddily. “Don’t forget that part.”

“I never forget that part,” he assured, wrapping a talon around her and hugging her closer to him. Upon doing so, Gallus sighed blissfully and said, “Good morning, milady.”

“Good morning, sweetie,” she replied, nuzzling him. “How’d you sleep?”

Returning the nuzzle, he answered, “With you. So? Best sleep ever, as usual. How about you?”

“With you. So? Best sleep ever, as usual,” she repeated, waggling her eyebrows knowingly.

“One of these days, you’re going to have to come up with some original material.”

“Why bother when I can piggyback off of yours?” she argued. “Besides, I doubt any of my material would hold a candle to yours, milord.”

“Doth thou truly believeth such nonsense, Fair Silverstream?” Gallus questioned, stroking her cheek lovingly. “I beseech thee! Grant unto me thine greatest material so I may proveth thee wrong.”

Silverstream smirked and responded with, “I love you.”

“Why, Fair Silverstream! ‘Tis nothing greater than those three most beautiful, splendorous words,” he praised. “Not one single line I hath spoken in these many years doth compare.”

“In that case, say it to me,” she insisted.

“I love you,” Gallus said without hesitation.

They both chuckled and shared a kiss.

“But seriously, we really do have to get up soon,” he bemoaned, staring into her twinkling eyes.

“No, we don’t. All we have to do is lie here and cuddle,” Silverstream declared, nestling even deeper into his sky blue feathers.

“Oh? You want to just cuddle, huh?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, if you’re offering…?” she cooed, displaying her neck.

Gallus smiled and softly kissed it, savoring the elated hum it drew out of her. He then felt her talons stroke along his back, inducing him to continue.

This went on for some time until Silverstream grinned boldly and slid one of her talons toward a particular spot she knew to be a favorite of his. The second she made contact with it, he rolled on top of her and put even more vigor into kissing her neck.

Tittering, Silver worked to reward his affection by gleefully caressing her other talon through his headcrest. In turn, he ran his talons through her feathers as well, saying, “I love you,” once more.

“And I love you,” she crooned, closing her eyes and simply enjoying his embrace.

Eventually, Gallus lifted his head up and away from her neck. Silver waited for a moment, but when he didn’t resume kissing her, she opened her eyes and whined, “Oh come on, Gallus! Why did you stop? It was just getting good.”

“I had to,” he claimed. “Otherwise, I’d have asked you if we could do a bit more than just kiss.”

Her smile widening—Silverstream inquired, “How much more?” in as sultry a voice as possible.

Gallus combed a talon through her mane, replying, “Oh, I think you already know the answer to that.”

“Hee-hee, yes, I do. And I certainly wouldn’t mind if we did that again.”

“Neither would I, but you know we can’t.”

“Aww, what’s the matter, sweetie?” Silverstream asked, stroking his headcrest again. “Don’t you wanna play with me?”

“I do. I really, really do,” Gallus hummed, his eyes fluttering closed at her touch.

“Then go ahead, Gallus. Let’s play.”

“We can’t,” he lamented, glancing at their clock. “Not when we have to get up in five minutes.”

“We could have a lot of fun in those five minutes,” she sang, winking alluringly.

“And as heavenly as that sounds, neither of us would be satisfied with only five minutes,” he countered. “And you would not let me go until you were satisfied.”

“Well…?” She smiled. “You wouldn’t let me go either, would you?”

“Sea kelp no,” he swore, immediately planting his beak against hers.

Silverstream kissed him back ecstatically, returning her talons to his back and giving him a pleasant, little massage. She then giggled when Gallus rested his talons against her cheeks and caressed them just the way she loved it.

Yet another minute passed, and they mutually pulled away, each panting slightly but neither taking their eyes off the other.

“I love you,” they said simultaneously.

…

“Sooo?” Silver soon began. “Today’s the big day.”

“Yes, it is,” Gallus said, nodding. “You nervous?”

“Nope. If Cheerilee could handle the Crusaders, she can handle anything,” she reasoned.

“Fair point.”

“Mhmm. That said? If I didn’t have work today, I would totally be outside watching through the window the entire time.”

“Same.”

“You said you’ll get off at two, right?”

“Yep. I would have taken the whole day off, but, well? No one was available to cover my shift. Scheduling issues and all that.”

“Ughhh! Being an adult is hard,” she groused, pouting.

“True. But being an adult does have some perks,” Gallus acknowledged, brushing his tail against her hind leg teasingly.

“Yeah, it does,” she agreed, grinning mischievously. “And when we get home tonight, you and I are going to enjoy one of them. And we’re going to enjoy it for a good, long while.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Neither would I. Now, come on, sweetie! We still have—” Silverstream checked the clock and groaned. “Three minutes until the alarm goes off again. Let’s make them heavenly.”

“Still as shameless as ever, I see.”

“Hey, it’s like you always tell me: There’s no shame in loving you with all my heart. And I do love you with all my heart,” she whispered, giving him a small, adoring kiss.

“And I love you with all of mine,” he declared, leaning down and kissing her chest. “I love you with all my heart.” He kissed her shoulder. “And all my soul.” He kissed her neck. “Grover’s Treasure, I love you!” Gallus then finally kissed her beak proper, receiving an equally passionate kiss back.

They continued embracing each other, but much to their frustration, the alarm did, in fact, resume blaring three minutes later.

After shutting it off with a growl, Silver glanced back at Gallus and pleaded, “Ten more minutes? Pretty please?”

“Funny. I was going to ask you the same thing,” Gallus proclaimed.

“YES!” she roared, rolling them both over and taking the top position. “Thank you,” she said before going right back to kissing him.

He eagerly kissed her back, holding her in his loving embrace as his tail wagged excitedly.

Silverstream soon unfolded her wings and flapped them enticingly, and Gallus wasted no time moving his talons to the appendages and fondling them. Her euphoria was then made known when her back legs gave a quick buck.

Gallus pulled away from the kiss, laughing, so Silver swiftly seized the chance to move down and kiss his neck. “You bucked again,” he teased.

“Uh-huh. So what?” she muttered between kisses. “I’ll buck for you as much as you want.”

“Ooh, spicy!”

“You know it. Now, sweetie? Why don’t you repay the favor and purr for me,” she ordered, leaning up and offering him her neck once more.

“As you wish, milady,” he said, allowing a loving purr to escape his throat as he nuzzled her neck joyfully.

Silverstream laughed as well and ran her talons through his headcrest and down his back. In response, Gallus resumed kissing her neck, much to her rapture.

“Oh? Ohhh… Ohhh yeah!” Silver exclaimed, blushing faintly. “U-Um, sweetie? A little lower, please,” she requested. He did as instructed, and she let out a pleasured chirp in response. “Oh, yeah! Yeah, right there! Right there…” she sighed, practically melting into his embrace. “Don’t stop.”

Gallus had absolutely no plans to stop, but he unfortunately did when a loud ringing echoed throughout the house.

“Argh, that was not ten minutes!” Silver shrieked, angrily smacking their clock again.

“And that wasn’t our alarm,” Gallus noted, wishing more than anything that it had been so they could have snoozed it again.

Silverstream winced, closed her eyes, and prayed.

The ringing stopped.

“She’s up,” they both realized.

Silver hurried off of him and back to her half of the bed, cursing, “Aw peck! I was really getting into it too.”

“We’ll finish when we get back home,” Gallus promised, giving her another kiss.

After kissing him back, she reassured, “You bet we will. So? You hug me, or I hug you?”

“You know which I prefer.”

Silverstream simply smiled and shifted onto her side, feeling his talons wrap snugly around her yet again. “Love you,” she sang serenely.

“Love you too,” Gallus said, pulling their blanket back over them both.

“Hee-hee. Three,” she started counting.

“Two,” he joined in.

“One,” they both ended, snapping their talons before hastily pretending they were still asleep.

Right on cue, their bedroom door banged open, and a loud, happy voice squealed, “Daddy, Mommy, it’s morning! Wake up!” When they didn’t stir, she frowned and jumped into their bed. “Come on and wake up already,” she grumbled, giving them both a nudge.

It took a significant amount of willpower, but they both managed to remain silent.

Their daughter puffed her cheeks adorably and climbed onto Gallus, clamping her beak not-so-gently upon his ear feathers and giving them a sharp tug. “Stop sleeping and wake up,” she commanded.

“No,” Gallus deadpanned, gently batting her away. “We’re sleeping. See?” He then proceeded to make exaggerated snoring noises that caused Silver to let out a quiet snort.

“You can’t sleep; you have to make me breakfast.”

“Ten more minutes,” Silverstream requested in a falsely groggy tone.

“But I’m hungry nooowww!”

“Like Mommy said,” Gallus mumbled, hiding both his and Silver’s faces behind his wing. “Ten more minutes.”

After a brief silence, their daughter sighed. “Okaaay…” She then turned and stepped back toward the edge of the bed, intending to try her talon at making her own breakfast.

Realizing this, Silverstream bolted upright and bellowed, “Oh, no, you don’t!” as she trapped their daughter in her unyielding clutches.

“Yay, you’re up!” she rejoiced, giggling triumphantly.

“Yep, we’re up,” Gallus confirmed, sitting up himself and yawning again. “Good morning, honey,” he said, giving their daughter a small smooch before looking her over with a loving smile.

Her front half was avian, covered in a layer of bright, sunny yellow feathers with cream highlights, and her back half was feline, bearing a coat of fur as vividly pink as her mother’s.

Meanwhile, both the tuft of fur growing at her tail’s end and the small, hippogriff-esque mane sprouting from her head were the same bright blue of her father’s feathers, even sharing the same golden highlights of his headcrest.

And thanks to the wondrous power of genetics, their fledgling had luckily managed to gain both of their eye colors, one being a lustrous lavender and the other a shimmering sapphire.

“Good morning, Daddy. Good morning, Mommy,” she said, beaming jubilantly at her parents. “So, what’s for breakfast?”

“Glorious Pearl,” Silverstream began, frowning. “You haven’t been awake for five minutes and already you’re demanding food?”

“Yep.”

While Gallus snickered at their daughter’s childish innocence, Silverstream asked, “And what made you think it would be a good idea to barge into our room at the crack of dawn to make such demands?”

“Uhhh?”

“Especially when Mommy and Daddy were having a really good sleep too?” she added, giving their daughter a menacing grin. “Don’t you remember what happened last time?”

Glorious Pearl blinked in realization and nervously mumbled, “Uh… Oh…”

“I guess I’ll just have to give you a reminder…”

“No-no-no!” she mewled, trying her hardest to escape her mother’s grasp but to no avail.

“Of what happens to impatient fledglings who can’t wait ten minutes for breakfast.”

“No, please, I’m sorry! Just don’t—” Her protests instantly turned into frantic laughter as Silverstream began tickling her. “Hee-hee! N-No, please! Stop! Hahahahaha!”

“No!” she denied, showing their daughter no mercy. “You will not escape me!”

“Hee-hee-hahah! D-Daddy, ha-ha-ha-help!” Glorious Pearl pleaded desperately.

“Yeah, Daddy,” Silverstream hummed, shooting her husband an expectant smile. “Help.”

“Okay,” Gallus said, immediately joining his wife’s side in the conflict.

“No, Daddy, no!” their daughter squawked, panicking but laughing all the same. “Help me, not Mommy!”

“I can’t,” he argued, smiling mirthfully. “You’re too adorable; I must tickle you too.”

“Nooo!” she cried out before succumbing to another bout of guffawing.

After some time, Gallus and Silverstream reluctantly relented their assault before their daughter could get too overstimulated. They then both planted a loving kiss on each of her cheeks and waited for her laughter to subside.

Once it had, Gallus softly inquired, “How are you doing, Glory? You sleep okay?”

“Uh-huh,” she said, still panting from the exertion. “I had an awesome dream too.”

“Ooh, what was it about?” Silverstream asked, stretching life back into her wings.

“I was swimming in an ocean of ice cream and chocolate syrup,” Glory recounted, licking her beak. “And there were sprinkles everywhere!”

“Oh really? You sure that was one of your dreams? That sounds more like one of your mother’s,” Gallus commented, snickering when the mother in question gave him a light nudge.

“Well? I didn’t see Mommy there, but I did see a pony.”

“You did?” he gasped, pretending to be shocked. “Did she say anything to you?”

Glory’s face scrunched up in thought. “I think so. I think she said… ‘Good luck tomorrow’?” she murmured uncertainly. “I’m not sure; I can’t remember. But I do remember she was really tall!”

“Though surely not as tall as me, right?” Silverstream joked, making a mental note to write to the Princesses later.

“Nope. Nocreature is as tall as you, Mommy,” Glory extolled, flinging her talons around her mother and hugging her tightly.

Silver happily hugged her back and squealed, “Aww, you’re so sweet.”

“Bet she gets that from me,” Gallus bragged, enveloping them both in his wings and joining the hug.

“I think you mean she gets that from us,” Silver stated, sparing him a sly smirk.

“She gets that from us,” he corrected, mirroring her smirk.

“There ya go,” she laughed.

“Heh-heh-heh. You hear that, Glory?” Gallus asked, returning his gaze to their daughter. “You’re as sweet as both of us combined.”

“I guess that makes you super sweet,” Silverstream praised.

“Yay, I’m super sweet!” Glory celebrated. “Hee-hee-hee.”

“Yes, you are,” Gallus concurred, snuggling their daughter. “You are so sweet that everycreature is going to want to be your friend. Everycreature.”

“Really?” she pondered, blinking owlishly.

“Yes, really. Good thing too—Today’s your first day of school, after all,” he reminded her. “Are you excited?”

“Yeah!” Glory cheered, her vibrant eyes brimming with adventurous curiosity. “I can’t wait to go to school and learn all kinds of cool things. Like… Like…? Ummm?” she hummed, tilting her head in puzzlement. “What kind of things will I learn in school again?”

Silverstream snorted. “Well, one thing I certainly hope you learn is how to knock.”

“As opposed to bursting into our room while shouting, ‘feed me, feed me, feed me!’” Gallus joked, grinning despite his exasperation.

“I didn’t say that,” Glory protested.

“You did bite me though. And we’ve both told you not to do that.”

“But you wouldn’t get up, and I was hungry.” As if to aid her argument, her stomach gave a weak gurgle, prompting her to exclaim, “See!?”

Her parents both chuckled, and Silver soon said, “Yes, yes. We see. Don’t worry, Glory, we’ll make you some breakfast.”

“Yep,” Gallus said, retrieving two matching necklaces from their nightstand. After passing Silverstream hers, he adorned his own Pearl-piece and added, “We’re hungry too.”

“Ooh! Can we have pancakes?” Glory requested, flapping her tiny wings excitedly.

“You want pancakes?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, I’ll go make us some pancakes,” Gallus vowed, slipping out of the bed before Silver could stop him again. “What kind do you want?”

“Blueberry.”

“Nooo,” Silverstream interjected. “She wants chocolate chip. Don’t you, Glory?”

“No, I want blueberry,” she bluntly refuted.

“But chocolate chip is so much better. Why would you ever want plain, old blueberry?”

“Because it’s healthier.”

“‘Healthier’!?” Silver echoed, holding a talon to her heart in mock-horror. “Gallus, you monster! You’ve brainwashed our fledgling into liking healthy foods! How could you!?”

“I’ve done no such thing,” he objected. “Our daughter simply knows having a healthy breakfast is more important than satisfying your chocolate craving. Isn’t that right, honey?” he ended, offering Glory a talon.

“Yep,” Glory agreed, bumping her father’s talon.

“Booooo!” Silver whined in defeat. “I want chocolate chip pancakes.”

“Then I’ll just have to make both,” Gallus decreed, relishing the celebratory cheers of his family. Before he left for the kitchen, however, he gave Silverstream another kiss, saying, “I love you. And I love you,” he added, giving Glory one as well.

“And we love you too,” they both replied, kissing him back. “Now, go make us some pancakes, sweetie,” Silver ordered, smiling happily.

“As you wish, milady,” he said, smiling as well.

***

“—And be sure to stay tuned! For tonight, we’ll be hosting an interview with academy award-winning actor, Vellum Codex. Who will be telling us all about his latest role in the upcoming—”

The television suddenly switched off, cutting the news reporter’s statement short.

“Hey!” Glory groaned, frowning at her mother.

“Don’t you give me that look,” Silverstream lightly reprimanded.

“But they were gonna talk about the Power Ponies movie!”

“And you can watch them talk about it later,” she assuaged, scooping their daughter into her talons and setting her down by the front door. “Right now, you’ve got to go to school.”

Glory’s annoyance vanished instantly, and in its place was pure excitement. “Yay, school!” she rejoiced, hopping energetically.

“Yay, school,” Silver distractedly echoed as she gave their daughter her saddlebags. “Do you need to use the bathroom again before we go?”

“Nope, I’m good.”

“Did you finish your morning preening?” she asked as she inspected Glory’s wings.

“Mommy, you helped me finish my preening.”

“Huh? Oh yeah. I did, didn’t I?” Silver remembered, blushing faintly.

Glory snickered at her mother’s momentary forgetfulness.

“Oh, stop laughing,” she barked, succeeding only in making their daughter laugh more. “Hold on!” Silver yelped upon noticing Glory’s neck was bare. “Where’s your necklace?”

“Um, I don’t know…?”

“You don’t—” Silverstream sighed and shouted over her shoulder, “Gallus, where’s our daughter’s necklace!?”

“Right here,” Gallus answered, holding up the Pearl-piece as he trotted into the room and toward them. He then slipped it around their daughter’s neck and said, “And now it’s right there.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” Glory chirped, giving him a hug.

Gallus hugged her back. “You’re welcome, honey. You okay?” he asked his wife.

“I am now,” she answered, combing a talon through her slightly frazzled mane. She then looked back at the other griffon in the room and rebuked, “You really shouldn’t forget your Pearl-piece, Glory; you know how important it is.”

“I know… Sorry.”

Silver smiled and comforted, “It’s okay, honey. Just try to always remember it from now on, okay?”

“I will,” she promised.

“Thank you.”

With that minor issue settled, Gallus checked, “So, Glory? Are you ready to go?”

“Yep.”

“You sure? Did you brush after breakfast?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Really? Show me that smile,” he insisted, smiling himself.

Glory smiled as widely she could.

Satisfied, Gallus nodded. “Good. We wouldn’t want you going to school with stinky, blueberry breath, would we?” he questioned, winking.

“Nope. … Hey, wait a minute,” she grumbled, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “Did you brush too, Daddy?”

“Yes, I did. See?” Gallus said, showing off his own shining smile.

Glory tittered and smiled again.

“You two have such lovely smiles,” Silverstream complimented, reacquiring their attention.

“As do you,” Gallus replied, stroking her cheek adoringly. “You have the loveliest smile in all of Equestria, milady.”

“Awww,” she cooed, cherishing his warm touch. “Thank you, Gallus. You’re so sweet.”

“But not as sweet as me,” Glory proclaimed, grinning innocently. “I’m not just sweet; I’m super sweet.”

“Something tells me that’s never going to go away,” Gallus suspected, shooting Silver a smirk.

“You don’t want it to go away, do you?” she fired back, raising an eyebrow.

“Never. Our daughter is super sweet, and I want her to be proud of it,” he proclaimed, giving said daughter a cheerful nuzzle that she reciprocated.

A moment later, Silverstream clapped her talons together and began, “Alrighty then. So, Glory, you’re all cleaned up and good to go, you’ve got your Pearl-piece, and you’ve got your bags,” she listed off. “And you’re absolutely certain you don’t need to use the bathroom again?”

“No, Mommy, I don’t.”

“And you had your breakfast, you have your lunch, and you have your books,” Silver maundered, talking to herself as much as she was them. “We’re not forgetting anything, right?” she asked her husband.

“Everything is fine, Silverstream,” he assured, holding her talon soothingly. “No need to be nervous, remember?”

“I know, I know. I just feel like we’re still forgetting something…”

Gallus grinned at their befuddled daughter and not-so-subtly whispered, “You’ll have to forgive Mommy. She’s a little fussy today.”

“Of course I’m fussy,” Silver declared with a note of pride. “It’s our daughter’s first day of school, and I want to make sure she has everything,” she added, looking Glory over scrupulously.

“Which she does.”

“Are you absolutely sure? I swear there’s something—oh! That’s what it is!” she suddenly cried out, trotting into the kitchen and returning with a reddish-pink bow. “Your tail bow. Don’t want to forget your tail bow.”

Glory gasped in shock and glanced at her tail, finding her favorite bow truly wasn’t there. Before she could get upset at the sight, however, her mother quickly returned the accessory to its proper place.

“There we go,” Silverstream said, planting a kiss on their daughter’s forehead. “All nice and pretty.”

“Thank you, Mommy,” Glory squealed, kissing her mother back.

“You’re welcome, honey.” She then leveled a smug smile at her husband, boasting, “See? A little bit of fussiness never hurts.”

“I never said it did,” Gallus pointed out, giving her a loving nuzzle and receiving one in return. “But thank you for being fussy and remembering that.”

“Yeah, ‘cause you sure didn’t.”

“Neither did our daughter,” he countered, aiming an inquisitive frown at the fledgling. “Which is surprising given how much you love your tail bow.”

“I forgot I wasn’t wearing it,” she admitted, looking away bashfully.

“Never fear, Glory, I’ll always remember for you,” Silver vowed, cheering their daughter right back up. “Now! Do. You. Have. Everything?” she questioned feverishly.

“I think so.” Glory double-checked she did indeed have everything, and her eyes widened once she patted at her saddlebags. “Wait, I almost forgot!” she yelped, racing back to her room.

In the wake of their daughter’s departure, Gallus and Silverstream met each other’s gaze.

“You know what she’s getting, right?”

“Yep.”

Glory soon sprinted back to them, announcing, “Okay, I’m ready.” She then came to a stop before her parents and smiled at them, raring to go.

They merely smiled back knowingly.

Before their daughter could voice her confusion, Gallus pointed to the new, noticeable bulge in her saddlebags, inquiring, “What’s in the bag, Glory?”

She immediately froze up and professed, “N-Nothing! Just— Just some books.”

“Really? It doesn’t look like books,” Silver commented, reaching for their daughter’s bags.

“No, wait! Don’t—”

Against Glory’s protests, Silverstream reached into the saddlebags and extracted a slightly worn stuffed elephant. “Horton!?” she gasped dramatically. “What are you doing in Glory’s saddlebags?”

“My guess? She was trying to take him to school,” Gallus answered, raising an eyebrow at their daughter. “Weren’t you, Glory?”

Glory shuffled under her parents’ gazes, confessing, “Y-Yeah. I was.”

“I can see that,” Silver said, hiding her amusement behind a stern frown. “Unfortunately, Glory, Horton is staying here.”

“What!? But— B-But, Mom, I have to take Horton to school!” she screeched, panicking.

“No, you don’t.”

“But Horton’s my friend!”

“And you’ll make plenty of other friends when you go to school,” Silverstream contended, giving their daughter a reassuring nuzzle.

Not reassured at all, Glory pulled away and whined, “But Horton is my friend now; you have to let me take him to school! Please, Mommy, please!”

“No,” she refused, wincing at their daughter’s trembling beak but holding firm despite it. “If you bring him to school, you’ll spend the whole day hugging him rather than listening to your teacher.”

“I won’t; I promise I won’t!” she desperately swore, tearing up. “I’ll be a good fledgling and listen to the teacher all day; I promise!” Seeing she wasn’t making any headway with her mother, Glory instead turned to her father and begged, “Daddy, please tell Mommy I’ll be a good fledgling and listen to the teacher all day!”

“Well, I would, honey, but I don’t lie to your mother,” Gallus stated calmly.

“But— But— But I really will,” Glory whimpered, sniffling and dropping her gaze to the floor.

Both of her parents’ resolves cracked, but Gallus was the first to speak. “Okay, Silverstream, come on. Let her take Horton to school,” he appealed, causing Glory to perk up hopefully.

“Sweetie, you know she can’t resist hugging Horton,” Silver countered, wanting nothing more than to give in and return the companion to their daughter.

Gallus hummed in thought for a moment and snapped his talons once he came up with a solution. He then cupped his beak and whispered into his wife’s ear, causing Glory to fidget nervously in anticipation.

Afterward, Silverstream smiled and said, “Yeah, that works. Ooh, but what if…?” She whispered something back to him, and he swiftly nodded in agreement. “May I?”

“All yours, milady,” he said, taking a step back and bowing theatrically.

“Thank you. Okay, Glory,” Silverstream suddenly began. “Your father and I have come up with a compromise. That being: You can take Horton to school. But!” she emphasized before their daughter could start squeeing in joy. “Only if you promise he stays in your bags during class.”

“Aww, but why?”

“Because Mommy’s right, Glory,” Gallus weighed in supportively. “You can’t resist hugging Horton, no matter how much you promise you can.”

Glorious Pearl hung her head, knowing she couldn’t deny that.

“That said?” Silverstream continued, smiling playfully. She then cleared her throat, held Horton out before Glory, and comforted, “‘It’s okay, Glory. I don’t mind being in your bags; they’re nice and comfy.’”

Giggling at the voice her mother put on, Glory responded, “But, Horton, I like hugging you.”

“‘And I like hugging you, but you need to go to school and learn.’”

“I know. But you’re so fluffy and huggable.”

“‘So are you,’” Silver praised, treasuring the melodious laughter of her family. “‘But you really do need to learn, and I don’t wanna distract ya.’”

“Awww.”

“Hey, it’s okay, Glory,” Gallus spoke up, patting their daughter’s back comfortingly. “You can hug Horton all you want during lunch and recess.”

“I can!?” she squeaked, her tail becoming a wagging pink-and-blue blur.

“Yes, you can,” Silverstream confirmed in her normal voice. “So long as you promise to put him back in your bags once class resumes,” she finished, relinquishing Horton unto Glory.

“YAY!” the fledgling roared, taking the toy and hugging it so tightly she accidentally squeezed a bit of stuffing out of one of its stitches. Glory then breathed a sigh of relief, nuzzling her companion and whispering, “Thank you, Daddy. Thank you, Mommy.”

“You’re welcome, honey,” they both said, each giving their daughter a kiss.

“But we really do mean it, Glory,” Gallus resumed austerely. “Horton stays in your bags during class time. Understand?”

“Okaaay,” she pouted, giving Horton another happy squeeze before stuffing him into her bag.

“If it helps, honey? I couldn’t resist hugging Horton when I was younger either,” Silverstream confessed, winking. She then swept Glory into one last warm hug, saying, “Just like I can’t resist hugging you now.”

“Hee-hee. I love hugging you too, Mommy,” Glory said, wrapping both her talons and wings around her mother as best as she could.

Silverstream’s smile widened, and she sneaked Glory another kiss. “Well, with all of that settled,” she started yet again. “Are you sure you have everything now, Glory?”

“Yep.”

“And you’re all excited and ready to go to school?” Gallus double-checked, smiling.

“Uh-huh, uh-huh!” Glory affirmed, nodding fervently.

“Okay then.” Silver then turned their daughter over to Gallus who swiftly placed her onto his back. “Let’s get you to school.”

“Yay!” Glory celebrated, snuggling into her father’s feathers.

“Yay!” her parents both celebrated with her, laughing merrily as they trotted out the door and into the heart of Ponyville.

It was amazing how little the town had actually changed over the years.

Ponyville was still composed of dozens-upon-dozens of cozy cottages with thatched roofs, but several more had been built over time to accommodate the growth in the town’s inhabitants.

And while a number of new shops had come and gone, the remaining few were the same as ever: Sugarcube Corner, Sofas and Quills, the Carousel Boutique, and so on… All that had really changed was who worked at them.

In fact, its citizenry was perhaps the only major change Ponyville had seen in recent times.

From changelings and dragons to yaks and kirins, quite a number of creatures had visited the quaint, little village only to ultimately settle down within it. And although ponies still made up most of the populace, they had welcomed their fellow creatures with open hooves and many a welcome party.

Such had obviously been the case for Gallus and Silverstream when they had decided to make Ponyville their home as well. Ever since, the couple had been simply living life together, enjoying the good times and working through the bad times.

And nowadays, of course, a certain third creature had been part of that equation.

It had taken far longer than either of them would have preferred, but in the end, the wait had been worth it. They had brought life into the world, and not a second went by that they weren’t eternally grateful for the precious treasure that was their daughter.

Their Glorious Pearl.

Said daughter currently clung to her father’s back, smiling brightly at the great, wide world around her. Eventually, the faint sound of laughter reached her ears, and she turned to behold a pink unicorn mare with a fiery orange mane still snickering from whatever her kirin companion had said.

Glory sat up and watched them curiously, vaguely recognizing the mare, but the friends soon turned around and trotted off toward the towering Castle of Friendship and the school nestled beside it.

Once the duo had disappeared from view, Glory looked back at her parents and griped, “I still don’t understand why I can’t go to the Friendship School. Everycreature else gets to go there, so why can’t I?”

“Aw, don’t worry, Glory,” Silverstream placated. “You’ll go to the Friendship School one day.”

“But why can’t I go there now?”

“Because, honey, you need to learn a few more things before you can.”

“But I already know lots of things,” she argued.

“Well? You need to learn a few more things,” Gallus asserted vaguely.

“Like what?”

“Oh, you know… Math, science, history; grammar,” he listed off, waving his talon dismissively.

“And I do know that stuff, so how come I can’t go to the Friendship School too?”

“Okay. You know what, Glory?” Gallus began, stopping and giving her his full attention. “I’m gonna ask you a question, and if you can answer it correctly, we’ll turn around and take you to the Friendship School.”

“You will?”

“I will,” he promised, shooting Silver a wink. “You ready for it?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Alright. What is sixteen multiplied by…?” After giving the anticipation some time to build, Gallus brusquely ended, “Twenty-nine thousand, one hundred and ninety-four.”

“Um…? U-Um, uhhh?” Glory muttered, staring at her talons while trying her best to count in her head. Unfortunately, she felt dizzy just thinking of numbers that high and ultimately conceded, “I-I don’t have enough talons for that!”

“And that’s exactly why you need to go to school,” he said, reaching back and ruffling her mane. “So you can learn how to count that high without needing to use your talons.”

“Wait, that’s the thing I’ll learn in school?”

“That’s one of the things you’ll learn in school,” Silverstream specified, her smile brightening. “This world has so many more wonderful things about it, and in school, you’ll learn about them all. No matter how big or small they may be,” she concluded with a wink.

“Whoooaaa!” Glory gasped, eyes widening in sheer wonder. The gears in her mind then began to turn, and she soon resumed, “But if I learn those things in school… And the Friendship School is a school… I’d learn that stuff there too, wouldn’t I?” she theorized.

Gallus and Silverstream shared the same proud-yet-exasperated smile. “You are correct, Glory,” the latter confirmed, much to the fledgling’s excitement. That excitement was sadly dashed away once Gallus added, “However, the stuff the Friendship School teaches is a little too advanced for somegriff your age.”

“Your father’s right, honey,” Silver concurred, only worsening their daughter’s dismay. “You’ll go to the Friendship School one day, but you need to learn the basic stuff first.”

“But you teach there, Mommy. Couldn’t you teach me the basic stuff instead?”

“I could. But if you go to Mrs. Cheerilee’s school, you’ll get to meet more kids your own age,” she explained encouragingly. “And cute, little fledglings like you need to make some friends your own age.”

“Yeah, Glory,” Gallus spoke up serenely. “I know it’s called the ‘Friendship School,’ but you can make friends at Mrs. Cheerliee’s school too. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“I guess…” Glory sighed, looking away and hugging her father tightly.

Her parents exchanged a worried glance, and Silverstream soothed, “Hey, it’s okay, Glory. You’ll have lots of fun at Mrs. Cheerilee’s school.” That didn’t seem to cheer her up, so she added, “Plus, when you get back home, Daddy and I will help teach you some more too.”

“Really?” she asked, pepping up somewhat.

“Of course,” Gallus assured. “We love reading and learning with you, so we would obviously love teaching you too.”

“And like a certain clever fledgling pointed out,” Silver said, tickling their daughter for a second and eliciting a surprised yelp. “I can teach you the basics just as well as Mrs. Cheerilee can.”

It was at that point Glory realized she wasn’t going to win the argument, and she absolutely despised it. “I still wanna go to the Friendship School,” she pouted, disappointed.

“You will one day, honey. You will one day,” Gallus promised, turning his head to give her a comforting nuzzle.

“And when that day comes, I’ll get to be your teacher!” Silverstream rejoiced, instinctively hovering into the air in her excitement. Once she noticed she had done so, she quickly descended back to her husband’s side and finished, “And then you’ll get to call me ‘Professor Mommy.’”

Glory’s smile returned in full-force along with her giddy giggling, and Gallus and Silverstream both laughed along with her as they resumed trotting through the streets of Ponyville.

“While we’re talking about the Friendship School,” Gallus soon began, addressing his wife. “It’s your first day back too. You ready for today, Silverstream?”

“Yep,” she nodded. “I just hope this year will be less hectic than the last one.”

“You and Twilight both,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes. “I don’t think she can handle receiving another incident report about Luster Dawn.”

Silver’s eye twitched at the mention of that particular pony, but she ignored it and said, “Yes, well? Have no fear, Luster’s come a long way since… Er?”

“The ‘Want it, Need it’ incident?”

“Yes. That.”

“I sure hope so. I don’t want to come home to find my wife making goo-goo eyes at the school tapestry again.” While Glory snickered at the recollection, her father shot her mother a smirk and boasted, “Especially since I’m the only one you’re supposed to make goo-goo eyes at.”

Silverstream couldn’t hold back a grin and reassured, “Oh, don’t you worry, sweetie, I love you far more than I do some dusty tapestry.”

“Lucky me,” he cheered, draping a comforting wing around his wife.

“Lucky you,” she agreed, cozying up to her husband.

“Hee-hee-hee.” After waving hello to a passing Ditzy Doo, Gallus asked, “By the way, how are November and Patty doing?”

“A little tired, but otherwise, they’re doing good,” Silver answered.

“And their foal?”

“Perfectly healthy.”

“That’s great to hear. Any magic surges yet?”

“Not yet, but plenty of crying.”

“Ooh,” Gallus winced. “I remember those nights.”

“As do I,” Silverstream said, glancing at their daughter out of the corner of her eye.

“Think they’ll have to deal with a climbing phase too?” he wondered sardonically.

“Patty certainly hopes not.”

“Well, make sure she’s ready, just in case.”

“Oh, I have. Believe me, I have.”

“Aww, you’re so kind.”

“And you’re so sweet,” she said, sneaking him a quick kiss. “Thanks for asking about them, Gallus.”

“They’re my friends, and they had a baby!” he laughed. “Of course I’m gonna ask if they’re doing okay.”

“And I’m sure they’ll appreciate your concern.”

“Pretty sure they’d also appreciate it if we stopped by more often to babysit for ‘em.”

“Nah, Scoop’s got the babysitting covered.”

“Really?” Gallus asked, raising an eyebrow. “She has time for that?”

“For an acting coach, she has a surprising degree of free time,” Silver confided.

“Huh. More power to her, I guess.”

“Yep. All that said though?” she continued, returning to the original topic. “We totally should stop by Patty and November’s more. We haven’t had a good hayburger grill-off in a while.”

“Mmm, that does sound good,” Gallus said, licking at his beak.

“Yeah, it does. I’ll get up with Patty, and we’ll work something out,” she said, already mentally planning the details. “Just make sure Twilight doesn’t randomly call you in again on your day off.”

“As long as Luster doesn’t do anything stupid, Twilight shouldn’t have a reason to.”

“Then I’m gonna make darn sure she doesn’t do something stupid.”

“Heh-heh. In that case, all we have to do is wait for a day November and I are both off.”

“Which shouldn’t be too hard since he makes his own schedule.”

“True. How has November been doing at the Weather Bureau, anyway?” Gallus inquired, a note of concern slipping into his placid tone. “The manager role isn’t getting to him, is it?”

“Nope, he’s actually really enjoying himself,” Silver happily clarified. “Although, he has told me some of the other ponies miss working with their favorite griffon,” she recounted.

“Yeah, I kind of miss working there too,” he admitted, sighing. “Cloud wrangling is so much more relaxing than recruit training.”

“At least you still have the paperwork,” she reminded him, placing a talon upon his shoulder.

“Except there’s only so much paperwork for me to do, Silver,” he bemoaned, grateful for her comforting touch. “And when I get done with it, it’s back outside to train the newbies.”

“Yeah, but End Zone’s one of those newbies, isn’t he?” she recalled. “Come on, he has to be doing well at least. With all the sports he played back at school, I would think he’d be pretty fit.”

“Oh yeah. He’s certainly better than most of the other sign-ups,” Gallus confirmed, nodding tiredly. “So far, Zone’s one of the only five ponies who are keeping up with the drills.”

“Oof.”

“Yeah. ‘Oof.’”

“They are all getting better though, right?”

“Most of ‘em, yeah.”

“Then have some patience with them,” she soothed. “I’m sure with some time, they’ll do the Royal Guard proud.”

“Can’t deny that,” he conceded, smiling serenely at her. “All things considered, this batch is pretty good; it’s just that whipping them into shape is taking longer than I would like.”

“It’s okay. I know it’s tough being the Captain,” Silver said, giving him a comforting nuzzle.

“All the challenges are worth it so long as I can come home to you,” Gallus replied, gracing her blushing cheek with a loving kiss. “And you,” he added, shooting Glory a wink.

Glory had grown bored of the conversation a while ago, but she instantly snapped her attention back to her father upon being addressed by him. “We love you too, Daddy,” she squealed, hugging him.

“We really do,” Silver agreed, kissing his cheek as well.

“I love you both too,” Gallus sang, his tail wagging happily.

After sharing another joyful laugh, the family fell into a comfortable silence and continued on their way. Mere minutes later, the bright red coloring of the Ponyville Schoolhouse finally came into view.

“There it is,” Silverstream announced, pointing to the building. “We’re almost there, Glory.”

Rather than express her excitement, Glory nervously clenched at her father’s feathers once again.

Gallus spared her a questioning glance and found their daughter staring blankly ahead, a slight frown tugging at her beak. “Are you okay, honey?” he asked.

Glory blinked and grinned a little too widely, professing, “Uh-huh, I’m okay. I’m just glad I’m finally going to go to school!” she rejoiced with a tad more sincerity.

“Yes, you are,” Silver celebrated with their daughter. “So, come on! Let’s get you to school!” she cheered.

“Yeah! Let’s go, Daddy; take me to school,” she demanded, nudging her father firmly.

“We’re going, we’re going,” he chortled, shoving aside his worry for now and trotting closer toward the schoolyard. “Have some patience, Glory.”

After blowing a raspberry, Glory sneered, “I don’t want patience; I want to go to school.”

Her parents both rolled their eyes at their daughter’s attitude, and yet, they couldn’t help but smile.

Soon, the front of the building finally became properly visible, as did the many other families dropping their own children off for their first day. And while almost all of them were ponies, one specific group had noticeably more feathers.

Upon seeing the aforementioned group, Silverstream smiled and urged, “Hey, Glory, look who it is.”

Upon spotting the group herself, Glory gasped and jumped off of her father, bounding toward them. “Grandma! Grandpa!” she shrieked ecstatically, running as fast as she could.

While all five beaked faces turned at the sound of the fledgling’s call, two in particular darted forward as well.

“Glory!” Sky Beak and Ocean Flow both shouted, meeting the fledgling halfway and trapping the giggling ball of fluff in their embrace. “Ooh, it’s so good to see you!” they both squealed.

“It’s really good to see you too,” Glory said, smiling at them widely. “But, Grandma, why are you out of the water?”

“Because it’s your first day of school, and I’m not gonna let a little dry land stop me from seeing you off,” Ocean explained. “But thank you for the concern, honey; that’s really sweet of you.”

“Well, Daddy and Mommy did say I’m super sweet,” she bragged innocently.

“And for good reason,” Sky said, nuzzling her cheek. “You are super sweet. And super adorable. And, my goodness, you are getting so big,” he observed after looking her over. “You’ve been eating all your fruits and veggies, haven’t you?”

“Hee-hee, yep.”

“Ha! I knew it,” he chirped, bringing Glory into another happy hug.

Ocean Flow, meanwhile, turned her gaze to her approaching daughter and son-in-law. “Good morning, you two,” she said, waving politely. “How are things?”

“Good,” Silver said, striding forward and hugging her mother. “Thanks again for coming.”

“Like we would ever miss today,” Sky scoffed, switching hug partners with Ocean. “It’s so good to see you, honey.”

“It’s good to see you too, Dad.” Silver then glanced at her brother and said, “It’s also good to see you, Terry.”

“Naturally. I am quite the handsome hippogriff, if I do say so myself,” Terramar boasted, grinning pridefully.

“Handsome and, oh so modest.”

“That’s certainly what my sweetie tells me.”

“I should hope so. How’s she doing? Any news on when she’ll finally make me an auntie?” she asked eagerly.

“Just a few more weeks,” he answered, fidgeting anxiously for a second. “She also wanted to apologize for not making it out here, but…well?”

“It’s okay, I understand. You ready for fatherhood?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Good. Ya hear that, Glory?” Silver asked, plucking the fledgling from her mother’s clutches. “You’re gonna be a niece soon.”

“Yaaay!” Glorious Pearl cheered, throwing up her talons in celebration.

“Yaaay!” her mother, grandparents, and uncle all echoed merrily.

While his wife continued conversing with her side of the family, Gallus turned his attention to the tan griffon standing a few paces away. “Hey, Gav,” he greeted. “How have you been?”

“Fine,” Gavin said, giving Gallus a quick hug. “Just a bit busy. How about you?”

“I’m good,” he said, returning the hug. Afterward, he leaned back and morosely recognized, “The girls are a no-show, huh?”

“Gilda and Greta had a meeting with King Thorax, and Gabby’s covering my shift at the library,” Gavin elaborated.

“You guys will never leave that library unattended, will you?”

“Nope.”

“Heh-heh-heh. No worries, I get it.” Gallus blinked. “Wait, if Gabs is running the library, where’s Griselda?”

“Dealing with the E.E.A. councilors.”

“They showed up early!?”

“Mhmm.”

“Oh, those sneaky, little…” Gallus grumbled, whipping his tail in irritation. “Sorry, Gav.”

“Eh, it’s okay. We expected they would pull that trick, so we were ready for ‘em. I mean, Mom did sorta panic at first, but…” Gavin trailed off, shrugging.

“I don’t blame her. But hey! If I know Grissy, she’ll ace that interview in a heartbeat.”

“You bet she will.”

“Yeah. I won’t lie though,” Gallus continued. “It’s gonna take some time to get used to calling her that… ‘Councilor Griselda,’” he muttered, grinning.

“How do you think Mom feels?”

“Oh, I don’t know? Happy? Excited, nervous; a little scared?” he speculated. “I certainly hope she’s proud. She’s really come a long way from her reluctant librarian days.”

“Oh trust me! She’s proud,” he confirmed with a smile. “And I am too.”

“Make sure to give your mom my congratulations, okay?” Gallus requested, offering up a talon.

After bumping it, Gavin swore, “I will. Thank you, Gallus.”

“And thank you for coming.”

“As if I’d ever turn down an excuse to visit my ‘hero.’”

“You could visit me a lot more if you worked at the Library of Magic.”

“Griffonstone is my home, Gallus; you know that,” Gavin laughed.

“Yes, I do,” Gallus replied, pulling Gavin in for another hug that he happily reciprocated.

“Hey, you two!” Silverstream suddenly shouted, acquiring the griffons’ attention. She then beckoned with her wing, demanding, “Family hug.”

Both griffons smiled serenely and trotted over to join the hippogriff hug pile.

Sky Beak immediately folded a wing around Gallus and pulled him closer, doting, “Oh, Gallus dear, it has been far, far too long since I last got to hug you.”

“Likewise,” Gallus said, laying a wing across Sky’s back as well and smiling jubilantly. “It’s good to see you, Dad.”

Ocean Flow coughed politely.

“It’s good to see you too, Mom,” he chortled, shooting her a wink.

“It’s good to see you too, Son!” Sky and Ocean both mirthfully sang.

Upon being called that, Gallus smiled even wider and said, “Thank you both for coming down here. It means a lot.”

“It really does,” Silverstream concurred, sneaking a quick kiss to both of her parents. “I am sorry we had to ask you to come out of the water though, Mom.”

“Don’t worry about it, honey,” she implored. “I can handle having feathers for a few hours.”

“Are you sure? ‘Cause Saddle Lake isn’t that far away…”

“I’m fine,” Ocean assured them all, tittering. “B-But I will gladly take you up on that offer after this adorable, little granddaughter of mine goes to school,” she said, giving Glory another smooch.

Glory returned the smooch and said, “I’m glad I got to see you again, Grandma and Grandpa.”

“And we’re glad we got to see you,” Sky Beak rejoiced, ruffling her mane.

“Anygriff glad to see me?” Terramar openly wondered.

“We’re always glad to see you,” Silverstream swore, giving her brother a playful nudge.

Glory met her father’s gaze and received an eager nod. She then tugged at her mother’s talon and whispered, “Um, Mommy? Who’s he?” she asked, pointing at Terramar.

While everygriff else howled in laughter, Terramar merely inhaled sharply and let out a long, defeated sigh. “Really, Sis? Really?” he deadpanned.

After successfully biting back her own laughter, Silverstream frowned at her husband, but he was too preoccupied with recovering from his guffaws to notice. With that being the case, she turned her frown back at Glory and reprimanded, “Glorious Pearl, that wasn’t nice. You know who he is.”

“No, I don’t,” she protested, doing a surprisingly good job at keeping a straight face.

“Yes, you do,” Silver stated, channeling her “Mom” voice. “And if you keep pretending you don’t, you’re gonna get a repeat of what happened this morning,” she warned coolly.

Glory’s eyes widened in terror, and she instantly apologized, “I’m sorry, Uncle Terramar. I know it’s you; Daddy just said it would be funny if I pretended I didn’t.”

“Glory, you weren’t supposed to tell on me!” Gallus yelped as his parents-in-law keeled over in a renewed round of laughter.

“But Mommy was gonna tickle me if I didn’t.”

“And what makes you think I’m not gonna tickle you for telling on me?”

Glory let out a frightened squeak and hurriedly hid behind her mother’s forelegs. “Mommy, help! Daddy’s gonna tickle me!”

“Is that so?” Silverstream picked up their daughter and offered her up to Gallus. “Come and get her, sweetie.”

“No, not again!” she squawked, grimacing fearfully at her mother. “I don’t wanna be tickled!”

“Aww, but didn’t you know, honey…?” Silver then relinquished their daughter to her husband who finished, “Traitors always get tickles.”

Before Glory could protest, she fell victim to another series of giggles elicited via her father’s talons. “Pl-Please! Not again, Daddy! Hee-hee-hee, s-stop! Hahahaha!”

“Never,” Gallus denied, smirking wickedly. “In fact? Hey, Dad? Mom? You want in on this?”

“Gladly!” Sky and Ocean both squeed, rushing over and adding their own talons to the onslaught of tickles.

While they did that, Silverstream returned her attention to her brother and apologized, “Sorry about that.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. It only feels like my heart is breaking into a hundred million pieces,” Terramar responded in the most melodramatic voice possible. “Nothing too awful.”

“Don’t worry, Bro. We’ll make you some apology cakes,” she promised, patting his shoulder consolingly.

“Thank you. My wife and I would certainly appreciate that.”

Silver snickered for a moment before calling out to the others, “Okay, you guys. Let Glory go; you’re tiring her out.”

“But we want to keep tickling her,” they all pouted simultaneously.

Terramar face-clawed while his sister countered, “And I want our daughter to stay awake during her first day of school, but I doubt that’ll happen if you guys keep playing with her.”

“Okay, okay,” Gallus sighed, rescuing their daughter from his two partners-in-tickling.

“Awww,” Sky Beak and Ocean Flow pouted, beaks quivering.

“After all these years, you guys are still weird,” Terramar groaned, rolling his eyes.

“No offense, Mr. Terramar,” Gavin interjected neutrally. “But you might be the weird one because I thought that whole thing was quite charming.”

“Suck-up,” Terramar mumbled to himself, receiving a light slap, courtesy of his sister’s wing.

Meanwhile, Gallus gave Glory a chance to recover and quietly asked, “You okay, honey?”

After wiping her eyes dry, she begged, “Please— Please don’t tickle me again!”

“It’s okay, Glory; we won’t,” Gallus promised, kissing her forehead and returning her to his back. “At least, not for today anyway.”

“Thank you,” Glory wheezed, burying herself into his feathers as she worked to regain her breath.

Gallus then looked back at his wife and smiled lovingly.

Silverstream smiled back, but after hearing an indignant scoff, she turned and noticed the one creature that hadn’t said a single word the entire time, choosing to instead stand in the background. “Oh, hey, Auntie Novo,” she said cordially, drawing attention to the hippogriff. “Didn’t see you there.”

“Oh? You didn’t see me here, did you?” Queen Novo groused, frowning deeply at Silverstream. “Well, I suppose that’s fine. It’s not like I’ve been standing here, expecting to be greeted and hugged like the rest of my family, only to be completely and utterly ignored.”

“I didn’t see you greeting or hugging one of us,” Gallus shot back, trotting to his wife’s side.

“And that’s apparently because you didn’t even see me at all.”

“Well, you are pretty easy to miss.”

“Excuse me!? Silverstream, are you going to stand there and let him talk to me like that?” Novo wondered, returning her fiery gaze to her niece.

“Yeah,” she said nonchalantly.

Novo huffed and pointedly looked away from the couple, sneering, “Well, fine! Be that way. Go ahead and ignore me; I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m the Queen or anything,” she drawled.

“The only thing you’re a queen of is drama,” Ocean Flow snarked.

“Shut up, Sissy,” Novo barked, ignoring her sister’s smirk. “I’m chastising your daughter and her—ergh!—husband,” she ended, voice dripping with feigned disgust.

“Hey, Silver, check it out,” Gallus blurted out, smiling brightly. “She called me ‘husband’; that’s a step up from last time. I think we’re finally making progress.”

While Silverstream tittered at the joke, her auntie rounded on him again and growled, “You hush up; I’m still mad at you for ignoring me.”

“I wish we could ignore you.”

“Okay. Dial it back, Gallus,” Silverstream said, drawing out a smile from Novo. That smile morphed into a scowl once she added, “We wouldn’t want to upset the ‘Queen of Drama,’ would we?”

“What would she do? Banish us from Mount Aris?”

“Don’t tempt me,” Novo muttered.

“Yeah. Don’t tempt her, sweetie.”

“Oh please! If she did that, she wouldn’t get to see Glory anymore,” he acknowledged. “And then who would be there to teach our daughter in the ways of nobility?”

“Who said anything about banishing Princess Glory? I’d just banish you,” Novo specified.

“That so? Hey, Silver? Would you take our daughter to visit Mount Aris without me?”

“Hmm? I don’t know, Gallus. Mount Aris is pretty—” Silverstream hushed when her husband’s beak met hers. She then closed her eyes and kissed him back, humming ecstatically.

Gallus soon pulled away and whispered, “I’m sorry, my beautiful angel. What was that?”

“I wouldn’t even step hoof on the train, my love,” she breathed, smiling at him dreamily.

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Would you like to seal that with a kiss, milady?”

“Yes, please.”

They kissed again for a full minute, and once it was over, Gallus turned and aimed a smug grin at Queen Novo.

She glared back, grumbling, “I still don’t approve of you.”

“Good thing I don’t need your approval then. Auntie Novo,” he ended wryly.

“It is ‘Queen Novo’ to you, commoner boy.”

“Eh, I’ll stick with ‘Auntie Novo,’” he vowed, relishing his auntie-in-law’s irritation. “But if you’d like to, you could always call me ‘Nephew.’”

“Absolutely not!” she roared, appalled by the mere suggestion.

“‘Gallus’ then?”

“No!”

“Would it really be so bad?”

“It would be the single most horrible thing I’d ever have to do,” she growled, harrumphing.

“Worse than hugging me?”

“Yes.”

“So, what you’re saying is…? You’d rather hug me than call me by my name?” he asked innocently.

Novo opened her beak to respond, but rather than say anything, she slowly closed it a moment later. “Darn it. Darn it, I walked right into that one,” she realized, ashamed of herself.

“Yes, you did. Now, come on, Auntie Novo. You said you wanted a hug,” Gallus acknowledged, smirking triumphantly. “And I am told I’m very fluffy and huggable.”

“That’s because you are,” Sky Beak affirmed.

“And my sister would certainly agree,” Ocean Flow added confidently.

Every fiber of Queen Novo’s being wanted to contest her sister’s accusation, but she knew full-well she couldn’t. Plus, she didn’t really like lying to her family.

“Ughhh, fine! If you wish to hug me, then by all means…” she permitted, adamantly refusing to make the first move.

Gallus, of course, wasn’t about to let her get off that easily. “That’s funny. I thought you were the one who wanted to hug me?”

“Yeah, Auntie Novo,” Silverstream weighed in slyly. “Shouldn’t you be the one to hug him? After all, you were the one throwing a hissy fit over not being hugged.”

“…Why are you all so mean to me?” Novo mewled, trying and failing to hide a smile as she pulled her laughing niece and nephew-in-law into a hug.

“We’re not mean to you,” Silver protested.

“Yes, you are.”

“Well, we’re sorry then,” Gallus apologized. “You know we love you, Auntie Novo.”

“And I love you both too,” Novo averred, giving them both one last squeeze before releasing them and setting her sights upon their daughter. “And I love you too, my little princess,” she cooed, playfully booping the fledgling’s beak.

Glory giggled and booped Novo’s beak back. “I love you too, Grandauntie Novo.”

“Hee-hee. Sooo? Today’s your first day of school,” she acknowledged cheerfully. “Are you excited?”

“Yep,” she chirped, her tail wagging enthusiastically. “I can’t wait to learn how to count without using my talons.”

Gallus and Silver both snorted while Novo blinked in confusion. Gavin, meanwhile, trotted up to the fledgling and mentioned, “And just think, that’s only one of the things you’ll learn in school.”

“Hey, that was what Mommy told me too.”

“Did Mrs. Silverstream also tell you that another thing you’ll learn is how to read big words?”

“Big words?” she repeated, gaping. “What kind of big words?”

“The kind that once you learn, you’ll be able to read some of the ‘Big kids’ books from the library,” he disclosed.

“Really!?”

“Really.”

Stars twinkled in Glory’s eyes as she smiled as widely as her tiny beak would allow.

Everygriff chuckled at the fledgling’s expression, and Gallus soon said, “Yeah. So if you want to read those books, you had better pay attention in class and learn those words.”

“I will,” Glory vowed adamantly. “I want to read the ‘Big kids’ books.”

“And you will,” Terramar promised. “You’re a smarty-pants, so you’ll learn how to read big words in no time.”

Glory hopped off her father once again and gave Terramar a hug. “Thanks, Uncle Terramar.”

“Why are you thanking me?” he asked, hugging her back. “You’re the one who needs to go to school and learn stuff.”

“But you encouraged me. And Daddy and Mommy always say I should thank anycreature who encourages me,” Glory explained.

“In that case, you’re welcome for the encouragement,” Terramar said, giving her a soft noogie.

“So, Glory?” Sky Beak spoke up, acquiring the fledgling’s attention. “I’m glad you’re so excited to go to school and learn…” he trailed off, looking to Ocean Flow.

“But do you know what else you’ll get to do at school?” she asked, smirking conspiratorially.

“Ummm, eat lunch?”

Sky Beak stifled a laugh and clarified, “No, silly. You’ll get to make friends.”

“You must be thrilled to make some friends too, right?” Ocean Flow supposed.

Glory looked away for a second, saying, “Y-Yeah. That sounds fun too.”

“Eh, reading books is better,” Gavin claimed. Glory was about to agree wholeheartedly, but before she could, he added, “So I guess it’s a good thing Princess Twilight and her friends published the Friendship Journal.”

“Bet you got your parents to read you that book last night, eh, Glory?” Terramar suspected.

“She fell asleep before we could,” Silverstream revealed.

“Aww. Well, don’t worry, honey,” Sky Beak assuaged, giving the fledgling a comforting head-pat. “You don’t need to read a book to make friends.”

“Besides, absolutely evercreature will want to be friends with somegriff as fluffy, huggable, and super sweet as you,” Ocean complimented, bestowing another smooch unto Glory’s cheek.

“They better. No family of mine will be left friendless because a bunch of fools couldn’t teach their children how to recognize and respect royalty,” Novo remarked, raising her head pompously.

“Oh, hush up, Auntie Novo,” Terramar groaned, narrowing his eyes disapprovingly. “You’re only bringing that up because you’re mad nopony bowed to you on the way here.”

“I am the Queen!” she boasted. “Others are supposed to bow down and cater to me.”

“It appears I was mistaken before, Sissy. You’re the queen of both drama and entitlement,” Ocean corrected snidely.

“Don’t you pretend you’re better than me, Ocean Flow,” Novo growled venomously. “I still remember the kind of tantrums you used to throw.”

“And I still remember the kind of tantrums you used to throw. And still throw to this day.”

“Oh, you little…!”

The sisters continued quarreling, much to the amusement of their surrounding family, but one particular fledgling tuned it out and cast an anxious glance over the nearby crowd of ponies. Her legs then began to tremble at the sight of her many, many soon-to-be fellow students.

Noticing Glory’s distress, Gallus leaned down and whispered, “Hey? You okay, honey?”

“Um… I d-don’t… I’m…” she distractedly muttered, her eyes darting back to her father before sweeping over the rest of her present family. Glory then swallowed nervously and swore, “I-I’m fine.”

Gallus blinked in shock. “Glory, what’s wrong?” he asked, his heart thrashing wildly within his chest.

She didn’t get a chance to answer, for at that precise moment, a familiar voice called out, “Hey, everygriff, sorry we’re late!”

Immediately seizing the chance to escape her father’s attention, Glorious Pearl raced toward the speaker, squealing, “Auntie Smolder, Auntie Ocellus, Auntie Yona; Uncle Sandbar!”

“Yep, those are our names,” Smolder laughed, kneeling down and catching the oncoming fledgling in her claws. “Thanks for remembering ‘em,” she said, hugging her niece tightly.

“Hee-hee-hee. I would never forget your name, Auntie Smolder,” Glory promised, nuzzling the dragon gleefully.

“You sure did forget mine,” Terramar admonished.

“I said I was sorry,” she mumbled, flinching.

“Did you really forget your uncle’s name?” Sandbar asked, snickering as he and his wife caught up to the others. “That wasn’t very nice of you.”

“No, I remembered Uncle Terramar’s name. Daddy just said it would be a funny joke if I pretended not to,” she explained once more.

“Ha! Nice to know my favorite prankster buddy hasn’t completely lost his touch,” Smolder jeered, grinning at the griffon in question.

After quickly hiding his renewed worry, Gallus laughed, “Show’s what you know, Smolder. I haven’t lost a thing in all these years. Only gained,” he ended, nuzzling Silver who returned the gesture joyously.

Smolder rolled her eyes and jokingly griped, “A whole lot of sappiness is what you gained.”

“Oh, zip it, Smolder,” Ocellus rebuked lightly, trotting past her and closer to the family. “Sorry again for being so late. We had to wait for Yona to finish at the Boutique,” she elaborated. “It’s nice to see all of you again.”

“Nice to see you too, Professor,” Gavin said, holding out a talon. After she shook it, he added, “My mom absolutely adores your new book.”

“As does my wife,” Terramar confided, shaking her hoof as well.

“Oh. Heh-heh, thank you,” she said, hiding a faint blush. “I’m glad to know they both enjoy it.”

Terramar snorted and clarified, “Oh, she doesn’t just ‘enjoy’ it; she loves it. She’s even been meaning to stop by and ask you to autograph her copy of it.”

A frown was all Ocellus spared the cackling Smolder before she returned her attention to Terramar. “Well, um, thank you again. I’d be more than happy to give her my autograph if that’s what she wants.”

“Thanks. She’d like that.”

Still blushing, Ocellus nodded to the other hippogriffs present and greeted, “Captain Sky Beak. Lady Ocean Flow. You both look well.”

“As do you, Ocellus dear,” Sky said, nodding back. “Although, you truly must stop always referring to us by our ranks. You’re family too, you know.”

“I’d still prefer being respectful,” she argued, suppressing a chuckle at the defeated sigh her response elicited. “On that note, hello, Queen Novo,” Ocellus said, politely bowing her head to her as well. “Haven’t seen you in a while. How’s ruling?”

“As marvelous as ever,” Novo answered, as thrilled to have been noticed and talked to as she was to have been referred to by her rank. “How’s teaching?”

“As marvelous as ever,” she echoed.

Their friends and family continued mingling with each other, and after giving Gallus one more nuzzle, Silverstream made to join in as well. Before she could, however, Gallus urgently whispered, “Something’s wrong with Glory,” into her ear.

Keeping up a tranquil smile, she whispered back, “I knew something was off… What is it?”

“Not sure. Any hunches?”

“Friendship School?”

“Maybe.”

“Did she say anything to you?”

“‘I’m fine,’” he quoted.

Silver’s wings gave a slight, fearful twitch. “Gallus…?”

“I know, Silver. I know.”

“You, me, or both?”

“Give me a minute,” Gallus requested, kissing her reassuringly and trotting to their daughter.

Said daughter was currently hugging Yona with all her might while she and her husband conversed with Ocean Flow and Sky Beak.

“—We’re doing well,” Sandbar said, nodding calmly. “Thanks for asking.”

“Yona still have many dresses to finish, but Yona almost done.”

“And I trust they’ll look positively gorgeous?” Sky Beak presumed, winking.

“Ha-ha-ha!” Yona laughed heartily, patting Glory’s back gently before passing her to Sandbar. “Mr. Sky Beak know Yona always make dresses look absolute best!”

“We’d expect nothing less from you, Yona dear,” Ocean Flow complimented. “Now, Sandbar dear, what about your sister? I trust she’s doing well herself?”

“She is,” he confirmed, giving his niece one final squeeze before letting her go. “She’s a little busy with school, but she’s keeping up pretty well.”

“That’s good. Say, what was she studying again?”

“Zoology.”

“Ooh! Is she planning to follow in her big brother’s hoofsteps?” Sky Beak wondered.

“I don’t know, maybe?” Sandbar said, shrugging. He then tapped his chin in thought, noting, “That would be pretty cool though.”

“Of course it would be cool,” Glory chimed in merrily. “You work at the aquarium, Uncle Sandbar; that’s the coolest job ever,” she praised.

“Aww, and here I thought being a librarian was the coolest job ever,” Gavin bewailed, smirking slyly.

“You thought wrong then,” Sandbar said, smirking as well. “We aquarists get to spend our days hanging out with all kinds of awesome fish. Do you librarians?”

“We do when we’re browsing the Oceanography section.”

“But do you also get to wear snazzy dive suits like we do?”

“…No,” Gavin conceded, flicking his tail in vexation.

Sandbar raised his head in victory. “Didn’t think so.”

“It’s okay, Uncle Gavin,” Glory said, rushing over and hugging him. “The aquarium may be the coolest job ever, but working at the library is the best job ever,” she comforted. “There’s a difference.”

“Awww,” he cooed, rumpling her mane playfully. “Thanks, Glory. You really are super sweet.”

“Well, duh! Obviously I’m super sweet,” she bragged. “Daddy and Mommy said so.”

“And Glory’s parents correct,” Yona concurred, planting a kiss on the fledgling’s cheek. “Glorious Pearl is super sweet.”

“Thank you, Auntie Yona.”

Sky and Ocean shared a smile, and the latter resumed, “Speaking of parents, how’s the adoption going?”

“Heh. One more meeting and Yona and I will officially be a mommy and daddy ourselves,” Sandbar answered, nuzzling his wife lovingly.

“Congratulations!” Sky Beak cheered, giving them both a hug. “We’re so happy for you two.”

“Yona and Sandbar happy too!” Yona rejoiced, hugging the hippogriff back before ultimately breaking away to give her husband an adoring smile. “Yona can’t wait to be mom.”

“You’re going to absolutely love it,” Ocean Flow assured. “Being a parent is one of the most wonderful things a creature could ever experience.”

“Can confirm,” Gallus piped up after having finally approached the group. Once he reached Glory, he bent down and gave her a loving nuzzle. “You two are going to love having a kid,” he promised, taking the fledgling’s talon into his own and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Glory squeezed his talon back as hard as she could, not quite meeting her father’s eye.

“Oh, we know,” Sandbar said, holding Yona’s hoof. “We know.”

“Just make sure you keep a scrapbook for everything,” Sky Beak advised. “Trust me, you won’t want a single day to go undocumented.”

“Friends already tell us that,” Yona revealed, shooting Gallus a thankful grin.

“Yep, we have everything ready,” Sandbar said confidently. He then beamed tearfully at Yona, celebrating, “And we’re going to be parents.”

“Yona and Sandbar going to be parents,” she echoed, kissing him rapturously. “And Yona and Sandbar will be best parents ever!”

“Try second best,” Gallus corrected.

“Ahem! Third best,” Novo suddenly stated, gaining everycreature’s attention. “I’m a mother too, don’t forget. And I most certainly raised my daughter the best of us all.”

“Doesn’t your kid set off an underwater volcano every other Thursday?” Smolder questioned, crossing her claws and leveling an unamused glare at the Queen.

Novo blinked and turned to Silverstream, deadpanning, “Why are you telling your friends about royal affairs?”

“Better question: Why are you pretending you’re a better mother than I am?” Silver shot back icily.

Her retort both shut her auntie up and sparked a series of snickers from everycreature present.

Eventually, Sky Beak stopped laughing and turned his attention to Ocellus and Smolder, beginning, “And what about you two? Do either of you have any plans to finally settle down?”

“Eh, maybe in the future,” Ocellus surmised. “But I’d rather focus on my career for now.”

“Totally understandable, if a bit disappointing,” Ocean Flow sighed. “And how about you, Smolder dear? Have you given any thought to motherhood?”

“Pfft, and go through what Shimmy Shake went through? Nooo thank you!” Smolder bellowed, shaking her head emphatically.

“Uh? You do know it doesn’t work the same way for dragons as it does for ponies, right?” Gavin inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t care. Bachelorette for life,” she resolutely decreed.

“How is Shimmy doing, by the way?” Silver asked, curious. “We haven’t heard from her in a while.”

“She’s doing good,” Smolder divulged, glad the marriage and motherhood subjects were being sidelined. “Last I heard, she and Lighthoof made it to Trottingham, so for now, they’re just enjoying their honeymoon.”

“I still can’t believe Shimmy and End Zone broke up,” Sandbar commented.

“Not every high school romance is bound to work out, Sandy,” Ocellus countered neutrally.

“Fair point. But hey! At least ours did,” he said, giving Yona a kiss.

“And ours too,” Gallus concurred, stepping back over to his own wife and kissing her as well.

After kissing him back, Silverstream looked at the taciturn fledgling standing beside her father, still holding his talon. “You okay, Glory?”

Although somewhat startled at suddenly being spoken to again, Glory nodded and swore, “Uh-huh. I-I’m okay, Mommy.”

Gallus and Silver shared a troubled glance, but before either of them could continue talking to their daughter, Smolder chuckled, “I’d say you’re even better than okay, kiddo. Today’s your first day of school; that’s pretty exciting, don’t ya think?”

“Yeah,” Glory agreed with noticeably less enthusiasm than when she had previously answered that question. “I just wish I could go to the Friendship School instead.”

Ocellus trotted over and gave Glory a hug, assuaging, “It’s okay, Glory. You’ll attend the Friendship School one day.”

“And when you do, Auntie Smolder here is gonna dote on you something fierce,” she announced.

“You’ll never be able to dote on her as much as we do,” Sky Beak proclaimed, bumping talons with Ocean Flow.

“Is that a challenge?” Smolder asked, smiling toothily at the duo. “I hope not. It’s not wise to challenge a dragon since we always win.”

“Ha! If you think you can out-dote a hippogriff, let alone these hippogriffs,” Ocean Flow began, proudly gesturing to both herself and Sky Beak. “You’re sadly mistaken.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“Unfortunately, you’re gonna have to put your challenge on hold for quite a while,” Silverstream interrupted, taking Glory into her talons and hugging her protectively. “For now, Mrs. Cheerilee will be the one teaching our daughter.”

“Oh come on, Silver! Glory herself just said she wanted to go to the Friendship School,” Smolder groaned, her wings slumping in disappointment. “Can’t you let her go there instead?”

“No.”

“Well, why not? Scared I’ll out-dote your parents?”

“Trust me, you will never out-dote those two,” Gallus averred, much to the dragon’s annoyance and his parents-in-law’s glee.

“And Daddy and Mommy said I can’t go because I need to learn more things,” Glory clarified, pouting.

“But you already know lots of things,” Smolder deadpanned.

“That’s what I said!”

“And you still need to learn more things,” Silverstream asserted, unwavering. “Once you do, then we’ll talk about taking you to the Friendship School.”

Glory hung her head in defeat, whining, “Awww.”

“Heh-heh. Cheer up, kiddo,” Sandbar said, smiling. “It may not be the Friendship School, but it’s still school. And you’ll still have plenty of fun,” he placated.

“And considering how crazy smart you already are, I bet you’ll learn all those other ‘things’ in a flash,” Smolder declared, winking encouragingly.

“Glory also have parents to help her whenever she need it,” Yona pointed out. “As well as Yona and rest of family,” she added, indicating her and her fellow friends.

“Yona’s right,” Ocellus accorded. “We may not be your teachers yet, Glory, but we are your family. So if you ever need any more help, you can always come to us too,” she offered, patting her back comfortingly.

Upon hearing all of their words, Glory’s smile brightened. “Thanks, everycreature. I’ll make sure to study and learn as best as I can!” she swore.

Smolder nodded at Gallus, saying, “I’d expect nothing less from the daughter of this egghead.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Gallus chuckled, too relieved by Glory’s smile returning to care about his friend’s snark. “Besides, honey,” he continued. “It’s like both we and your Auntie Ocellus said: You’ll get to go learn at the Friendship School one day.”

“And when you finally do show up, we’ll spoil you rotten,” Smolder forewarned, shooting Sky Beak and Ocean Flow a competitive grin that they mirrored perfectly.

Ocellus nodded, assenting, “Naturally.”

Glory giggled again, and while she did that, Sandbar casually remarked, “Plus? When that day comes, some of your classmates will probably go to the Friendship School with you.”

“Hey, Hubby right!” Yona cheered, her smile widening. “When Glory graduate and go to Friendship School, Glory’s friends might go to Friendship School with her.”

Glory’s smile vanished, and in its place was an anxious frown. “M-My friends?”

While her parents may have instantly picked up on her distress, the others unfortunately didn’t.

“Yeah, your friends,” Sandbar continued, pointing to the surrounding crowd of said colts and fillies. “Look at all the foals you’ll be going to school with, Glory.”

“Eeyup. That’s a lot of foals all right,” Smolder agreed. She then grinned at Glory and proclaimed, “And I bet almost all of them will wanna be friends with somegriff as super sweet as you.”

“Um… Um, y-you, uh…” Glory gulped and whimpered, “You— You really think so?”

“Yeah,” Ocellus tentatively answered, noticing Glory’s mood shift as well but attributing it to simple nervousness. “You’re a really nice fledgling, Glory; I’m sure most of your classmates will love to be friends with you,” she said, hoping it would allay her niece’s worry.

It didn’t; in fact, it only seemed to make it worse. “But, Auntie Ocellus, I-I don’t— I mean, I…” Glory trailed off, squirming in her mother’s talons as her glistening eyes darted back and forth between them all.

Everycreature noticed the fledgling’s growing fussiness, but before any of them could voice either their concern or their confusion, Gallus requested, “Silverstream, may I?”

“Here,” Silver said, gently resting Glorious Pearl on her husband’s back.

“Thanks,” he said, concealing a wince when their daughter’s talons reflexively dug into his flesh. “I’m gonna go give Glory a ‘Dad talk.’”

“Thank you. You gonna be okay?”

“Yep. You?”

Silverstream spared their daughter a worried glance, but she soon looked back at Gallus and smiled slightly. “I will,” she answered, knowing he’d calm Glory down. “You go have fun.”

“We will,” Gallus swore, shielding Glory from view behind his wings. “And don’t you worry, we’ll be back before the bell rings.”

“You’d better,” she laughed, watching the two griffons trot a short distance away. Silverstream then looked back at her family and found them staring at her quizzically.

“Silverstream honey…?” Sky Beak murmured, staring after his son-in-law and granddaughter as well before returning his sights to his daughter.

“Was something wrong with Glory?” Ocean Flow asked for all of them.

***

Once they had reached a spot far away from any prying eyes—familial or otherwise—Gallus stopped and carefully lowered Glorious Pearl onto the ground.

“There we go,” he whispered, sitting down in front of her and spreading his wings slightly to block the sight of the crowd behind him. “All nice and quiet. Just you and me.”

Soon, Glory wiped her eyes and looked up fearfully, expecting to still see an armada of eyes staring down at her. When the only pair of eyes she saw was her father’s, she lunged forward and hugged him tightly, letting out a sob.

“Shhh… There, there, honey, it’s okay,” Gallus soothed, rubbing her back. “Everything will be okay, Glory; Daddy’s here. Daddy’s here…”

“I… I-I-I’m…” she soon stuttered, somewhat muffled by his feathers. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize, honey,” he mollified. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Glory sniffled and pulled back, rubbing her eyes dry again. “I-I didn’t?”

“Nope. Not a thing.” Gallus gave her some more time to recover her composure, but once he noticed the erratic, nervous twitch of her wings, he ultimately cut to the chase. “Alright, Glory, come on. Tell me what’s the matter,” he calmly commanded.

She froze up and tried protesting, “N-Nothing’s wrong, Daddy! I’m— I’m fine, see?” she ended, forcing a wide, shaky smile.

“Glorious Pearl,” he began in his “Dad” voice. “What’s the first rule?”

“To always listen to you and Mommy.”

“And the second rule?”

“…To always tell you and Mommy when I’m upset,” she answered, looking away.

“Correct.” Gallus nuzzled her, saying, “And I know you’re upset, Glory. Don’t act like you’re not; tell me what’s wrong.”

“Well, I… I mean, I-I-I… I…” Glory stammered, starting to feel overwhelmed again.

Realizing this, Gallus leaned back and gave her some breathing room. “It’s okay, honey. There’s no rush. You can take all the time you need,” he assured. “I’m listening.”

Glory gladly took him up on that offer, remaining silent as she stared at the ground and mulled over her own words. After some time, she peered around her father’s wings and grimaced anxiously at the sight of the many creatures that awaited her back at the schoolhouse.

Gallus hastily extended his wings further, re-obstructing the sight and causing Glory to return her gaze to him. “D-Dad?” she quietly began.

“Yes, honey?”

“How… How do I make friends?”

Of all the things Gallus expected his and Silver’s daughter to say, that was not one of them. “Huh? What are you talking about, Glory?” he asked, tilting his head in confusion. “You already know how to make friends.”

“No, I don’t,” she protested, her beak quivering.

“O-Okay,” he said, befuddled but glad to be getting to the bottom of this little mystery. “Well, it’s easy. All you have to do is be nice to others.”

“But what about Generosity and Kindness? And— And Bravery and Strength? I don’t know anything about that stuff,” she puled. “I don’t— I-I-I don’t know anything about Friendship at all!”

“Wait a minute…” Gallus slowly muttered, coming to a realization. “Glory, is that why you want to go to the Friendship School so much?”

After sniffling, she nodded and hummed, “Mhmm.”

“Oh, honey,” he sighed, gently wiping away her tears. “It’s okay. You don’t need to worry about all that stuff just yet.”

Bewildered by his response, she argued, “But the Elements of Harmony are super important to making friends. A-Aren’t they?”

“They are,” Gallus confirmed, proud she understood that fact. “But it’s still okay. You don’t need to know everything about the Elements to make friends.”

“I… I don’t?” she asked, flummoxed.

“Nope. You will learn about that stuff when you get older, but for right now?” He gave her another warm nuzzle and ended, “You don’t need to worry about any of that.”

“Then how do I make friends?”

“I already told you, silly,” Gallus chuckled softly, booping her beak. “All it takes to be friends with someone is being nice to them and them being nice back,” he explained.

After ruminating on his declaration for some time, Glorious Pearl questioned, “But w-what if… What if the other foals don’t like me?”

Gallus gasped in horror and asked, “How could anyone not like you, Glory? Look at you, you’re all cute and cuddly,” he praised, playfully poking her belly and drawing out a surprised, giggly yelp. “And you’ve got an amazing smile too, don’t you? Don’t you?” he repeated teasingly.

“Y-Yeah,” she confirmed meekly, the corners of her beak twitching.

“Then go on, honey; show me that smile.”

Glory smiled as brightly as she could.

“There it is!” Gallus rejoiced, throwing his talons up in celebration. “Yep, that is one incredible smile you’ve got there. And you know what else you’ve got, Glory?”

“What?”

“That awesome tail bow of yours. And, my goodness, it looks so nice and pretty on you,” he complimented, tittering when Glory looked at the indicated accessory.

Glory flourished her tail, beaming at the beautiful scarlet bow adorning the appendage. Her eyes were then drawn to the tuft of cerulean fur at the end of her tail, and her smile rapidly crumbled away.

“But…? Wh-What if they still don’t like me?” she mumbled despondently. “What if— What if I act as nice as I can, b-but they still won’t want to be my friends?”

“Oh come on, Glory. You’re adorable,” he praised again, keeping his smile up for her sake. “Why wouldn’t your classmates want to be friends with you?”

“It’s just… They’re all ponies. And I-I’m not,” Glory recognized, staring at her talons.

“So?” Gallus laughed, lifting her chin up so she would meet his gaze. “I’m a griffon too, and Mommy’s a hippogriff. And we’re not just friends; we’re married.”

“And then there’s your Uncle Sandbar,” he rambled on before she could try to argue. “He’s a pony, but he’s best friends with all of us. And there’s your Aunties Smolder, Ocellus, and Yona too. They’re not griffons or hippogriffs, but they love you just as much as Mommy and I do.”

“Yeah, but— But you’re not my friends,” Glory protested to her father’s utter shock. “You’re my family. Th-The only friend I have is Horton. But you and Mommy want me to make more. A-And so does everycreature else, but…” She started tearing up again. “But I don’t know how to make more friends!” she shrieked, voice cracking. “I— I don’t!”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Gallus cried out, holding her talons reassuringly. “Glory, I am your friend.”

“N-No, you’re not. You’re my daddy,” she sobbed.

“And I’m your friend too,” he staunchly assured. “It’s like with your aunts and uncles, Glory. We’re friends, but we’re family too. And if friends can be family, then family can be friends.”

Glory was completely mind-blown by this simple revelation, and she soon gasped in realization. “Wait! Does that mean everycreature else is my friend too?”

“Yep. And as for Mommy and I? We’re your best friends,” he confided, tittering.

“You are!?”

“Mhmm.”

“YAY!” Glory roared, flinging her talons around him as her tail wagged furiously. The moment she felt him hug her back, she squealed, “Thank you for being my best friend, Daddy!”

“Awww, I’m happy to be your best friend, Glory,” he replied, giving her cheek a smooch.

After smooching him back, Glory snuggled into his fluffy, huggable plumage.

The father and daughter were content to sit there and hug each other for another minute, but Gallus eventually pulled away and checked, “Are you okay, Glory?”

“Ummm, I think so?” she said, her smile drooping slightly again. She then rubbed her shoulder, apologizing, “I’m sorry for being so upset.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that either,” he assuaged, patting her back. “But I would like to know something, Glory. If you were so scared of making friends, why didn’t you tell me or Mommy?” he inquired.

“‘Cause I’m not supposed to be afraid.”

“What?” he droned, a spark of fury surging though him. “Who told you that?”

“Um, no one,” she answered truthfully.

“Then why would you ever think you’re not allowed to be afraid?”

“W-Well? The Power Ponies aren’t afraid of anything…”

Gallus snorted and rolled his eyes. “Glory, the Power Ponies are a cartoon; they’re not real. You are real,” he said, placing a talon over her heart. “And everything you feel is real. And that means you can feel whatever you want, even fear.”

“Really?”

“Really,” he affirmed, nodding. “If you’re allowed to be brave, you’re allowed to be scared. And if you’re allowed to be happy, you’re allowed to be sad,” he declared wisely.

“But I don’t like feeling those things,” Glory mewled.

“And that’s okay too. Mommy doesn’t like feeling those things either,” Gallus revealed. “And neither do I. But we both know it’s okay to feel them. What matters is we don’t let our fear overshadow our love. Or our joy,” he concluded, smiling serenely.

Although his words perplexed her somewhat, Glory fully understood their meaning. “Does…” she hesitantly began, swishing her tail. “Does that means it’s okay I’m afraid of making friends?”

“Yes. Yes, it is.”

“You still want me to make friends though… Don’t you?” she suspected, not meeting his eye.

“I do,” Gallus said in a soft, assuasive tone. “I do want you to make friends, Glory. I think it’s really important that you have friends, especially at your age.” He clicked his beak and added, “But, honey? If you’re not ready to make friends yet, you don’t have to.”

“But you just said you wanted me to make friends.”

“And you just said you were scared of making friends, right?”

Glory nodded uncertainly.

“Well, in that case, you don’t have to make any friends at all.”

“B-But… But I thought… You, Mommy, and everyone else all want me to make friends,” she acknowledged, even more confounded than she had been previously.

Gallus carefully contemplated his response for a moment until he finally began, “Glory? We all want you to make friends, and we would absolutely love it if you did. But? If you don’t want to make friends yet then you don’t have to,” he repeated.

“…Why not? You and Mommy want me to make friends, so shouldn’t I try to?” she figured, remembering the first rule.

“Actually, yes. I do want you to try to make friends.”

“Okay, I’m really confused,” Glory admitted, scratching her mane as she tried to make sense of this whole conversation. “Am I supposed to make friends or not?”

“Heh. Glory, you can go into that school and make as many friends as you want,” Gallus said, lowering himself until he was at her eye level. “You can be friends with every last one of your classmates. Or just one or two. Or even none at all.”

“What matters, Glory,” he continued serenely. “Is that you do whatever you feel comfortable with. If you’re ready to make friends then go ahead and make friends. But if you’re not ready to make friends then you don’t have to make a single one.”

“I don’t?”

“No. You don’t. Now, don’t get me wrong, kiddo,” Gallus went on, ruffling her mane. “Like I said, I do want you to try to make some friends. But if you don’t…? That’s okay. Mommy and I will still be your best friends,” he promised, beaming at her. “And we’ll always love you.”

“I love you too, Daddy.” Glory then looked away apprehensively, twiddling her talons as she said, “And I do want to make more friends. I know I should; it’s just… I-I’m scared they won’t like me.”

“Oh, honey, they won’t just ‘like’ you. They’ll love you,” he swore. “You’re nice, smart, adorable, and super sweet!” Gallus then planted a loving kiss on her forehead and comforted, “Nothing is wrong with you, Glory. You’re wonderful.”

Glory’s eyes watered again, but this time, she smiled serenely as well. “Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered, nuzzling him.

Relieved, Gallus grinned and returned the nuzzle, whispering, “You’re welcome, Glory.”

Although Glory appeared to have been allayed at last, Gallus couldn’t help but ponder what more he could say to help solace his and Silver’s daughter further. Eventually, he perked up and began, “Hey? Hey, Glory?”

“Yeah?”

“I want you to do something for me, okay? Whenever you’re scared, or sad, or upset—”

“Tell you and Mommy?” she guessed.

“Well, yes. I do want you to do that,” he confirmed with a chuckle. “But I want you to do something else too. Are you ready for it?”

She nodded.

“Okay. I want you to take a deep breath, like this,” Gallus began, inhaling sharply and holding a talon to his chest. “Hold it for a moment. … And then let it out slowly,” he continued, exhaling deeply while pushing the talon away. “And after you do that? I want you to say to yourself, ‘Mommy and Daddy love me,’” he stated quietly. “Go on, honey. Try it.”

Glory did as instructed, taking a huge gulp of air and puffing out her cheeks comically. A few seconds later, she gradually blew it all out, feeling significantly calmer. “Daddy and Mommy love me,” she then whispered, yelping when she was suddenly pulled into her father’s grasp.

“Yes, we do!” Gallus declared, hugging her tightly. “We love you so much, Glory.”

Glory blinked and happily hugged him back. “I love you too, Daddy,” she sang jubilantly.

Gallus simply held her both lovingly and protectively, but the longer the hug went on for, the closer he came to crying. “Glory? C-Can you promise me something else too?” he requested, his voice shaky.

“Yeah, Daddy?”

“Promise me that no matter what happens… No matter how scared or worried you ever are… You’ll remember that I will always love you,” he pleaded, unable to hold his tears back any longer. “And I will always be proud of you. And I will always, always be here for you! Okay? I’m always going to be here for you,” Gallus promised again, sniffling. “And the same goes for Mommy. We’re always going to love you, Glory. And we’re always going to be here for you,” he reiterated adamantly, holding her even closer. “Can— Can you promise me you’ll remember that? Please?”

“I’ll always remember that, Daddy,” she promised, comfortingly patting his back the way both her parents often did for her. “Are you okay?”

A short bark of laughter escaped his beak upon being asked that. “Yeah, Glory. I’m okay,” he said, wiping his eyes dry. “I’m just a little scared myself.”

“What!? But you’re Daddy!” she exclaimed, gaping in complete disbelief. “You’re not afraid of anything, so… W-Why are you scared?”

“I’m scared because you’re about to go to school,” Gallus elaborated as he leaned back to look his and Silver’s daughter in the eye. “And I’m worried you won’t have fun.”

“But I will have fun,” she said, cocking her head to the side in bemusement. “I’ll be learning all kinds of things, after all. And learning is fun!” she asserted.

Gallus chortled. “Yes, it is. But I want you to have fun making friends too. And I’m afraid you won’t,” he explained, his smile drooping faintly.

Though silent at first, Glory grinned bravely and vowed, “Well, I’m gonna try to make friends! And since it’s also fun to try new things, that means I should have fun. … Right?” she ended, looking to her father for confirmation.

“Heh-heh. That’s a pretty neat way of looking at things,” he said, hugging her again. “Now, Glory?”

“Yeah, Daddy?”

“Are you okay?” he double-checked.

Glorious Pearl thought over everything she and her father had talked about as well as her present feelings, and after doing so, she smiled and nodded. “Yep! I’m okay. Are you okay too?” she inquired worriedly.

“Yeah. I’m okay, honey,” Gallus said, nuzzling her one last time. “Thank you for asking. That’s really sweet of you.”

“Hee-hee-hee. You did say I was super sweet,” she reminded him, puffing her chest proudly.

“That’s because you are,” he said, kissing her and cherishing her following giggle. “Now, if you’re sure you’re okay, are you ready to go back to the others? You do still have to go to school, after all.”

“Um, c-can I hug you again before we go?” Glory requested shyly.

Gallus instantly brought her back into his warm, fatherly embrace. “You can hug me as much as you want, Glory. That is? So long as I can hug you as much as I want?” he added, smirking.

“Hee-hee, of course you can, Daddy,” she said, snuggling into his feathers once more. “Your hugs are the best.”

“No, your hugs are the best.”

“Nuh-uh, your hugs are!”

“Your hugs.”

“Your hugs!”

“No, yours.”

“No, yours!”

They both stared unflinchingly at each other for a moment before collapsing into a fit of laughter and going right back to hugging each other.

Sadly, the hug inevitably came to an end a few minutes later, and once it had, Gallus took Glorious Pearl’s talon and walked her back toward their family.

Glory breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the crowd had noticeably dwindled during their absence, but upon catching sight of one group in particular, she perked up and eagerly rushed forward.

They were all deep in conversation about what Glory’s issues might have been, but Sky Beak quickly noticed the fledgling sprinting toward them and announced, “Ooh, look! They’re back.”

Silverstream immediately swiveled around to meet her oncoming husband and daughter, beginning, “Oh, hey, you two. How are—” She fell silent when Glory suddenly leaped up and grabbed her in a tight hug, but Silver swiftly recovered and hugged her back.

“Thank you for being my best friend, Mommy,” Glory wasted no time saying.

Silver blinked and smiled. “Aww, thank you, honey. I love being your best friend,” she cheered, giving Glory a motherly kiss and holding her even closer. “Are you okay?”

“Yep. I’m okay, Mommy,” their daughter confirmed, looking up and beaming at her parents.

“That’s good to hear,” Silver said, relieved.

“Yeah, we’re okay. Glory was just a little nervous about making friends,” Gallus explained, folding a comforting wing around his wife.

“You were?” Sandbar asked, as surprised as everycreature else was.

“Uh-huh,” Glory admitted, nodding and turning her attention to the rest of her family.

“Oh no,” Yona exclaimed, holding a hoof to her heart. “Yona sorry niece so worried about making friends.”

Ocellus, meanwhile, connected the dots regarding this revelation and Glory’s reaction to their previous encouragements. “We’re also sorry if we made it worse,” she apologized, shuffling timidly.

“It’s okay,” Glory chirped. “Daddy said that if I wasn’t ready to make friends, I didn’t have to. So I’m not going to make any friends at all!” she proclaimed, grinning widely.

“You are going to try to make friends though, right?” Gallus asked, not remotely amused. “You told me you would.”

“Well, duh. I’m obviously gonna try to make friends,” she giggled. In a heartbeat, Glorious Pearl dropped the smile in exchange for a grim frown and said, “But I make no promises,” in the most dead-serious voice she could possibly muster.

…

“Okay,” Smolder blurted out, ending the awkward silence. She then walked over to the fledgling and gave her a light noogie, saying, “I’m just glad to see you’re doing better, kiddo.”

“Hee-hee-hee, thank you, Auntie Smolder. I just hope I can make friends…”

“Oh, don’t you worry too much, Glory dear,” Sky Beak interjected, trotting over as well. “You’ll make as many friends as you want,” he said, smooching her. “I’m absolutely certain of it.”

“And even if you don’t make any friends today, there’s always tomorrow,” Gavin acknowledged, smiling reassuringly.

“And regardless of how many friends you do or don’t make…?” Ocean Flow began. “You will always have us,” she swore, winking.

“Hey, that’s what Daddy said,” Glory remarked, chuckling cheerfully.

“I should hope so,” Novo said, aiming a cold smirk at her nephew-in-law. “No matter what happens, Glory dear, we will always love you. And you will always be our little princess,” she promised, booping her grandniece’s beak and receiving a beak-boop in return.

“Just try to remember our names, would ya?” Terramar appealed pointedly. Upon seeing Glory frown at him, he deadpanned, “Nope. I’m never letting that go.”

“Oh, yes, you will,” Silverstream and Gallus both said, frowning sternly.

“…Okay, fine. I’ll let it go,” he conceded, inciting a chorus of chuckling among the others. Terramar then whispered to Glory behind a talon, “So long as you don’t forget my name again, that is.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle Terramar. Your name is way too cool to forget,” she complimented.

“O-Oh. Well, uh…? Thank you,” he said, blushing faintly. “Your name is really cool too, Glory.”

“Hee-hee, thanks, Uncle Terramar.”

Silverstream gave Gallus a thankful smile upon seeing that their daughter’s usual cheeriness had truly made a full comeback.

Gallus smiled back and kissed her lovingly.

After returning the kiss, Silver gazed at their daughter and rubbed her back soothingly, double-checking, “Now, Glory? Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I already said I was,” Glory said, laughing.

“I’m glad,” Silver murmured, kissing her.

“As am I,” Gallus said, kissing Glory as well. “Now, come on, everycreature! Group hug!”

“GROUP HUG!” the family all loudly echoed, hurriedly swarming the mother, father, and daughter and bringing the trio into a large, laughing, loving embrace.

Moments later, the sound of the school bell rang out across the town of Ponyville.

“Awww,” a good half of the family whined as they all released each other from the hug.

“Whelp. That was nice while it lasted,” Silverstream grumbled.

“Eh, we’ll have another group hug later,” Gallus promised.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“Heh-heh-heh. Okay, Glory,” he began, addressing the fledgling. “Do you have everything you need?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And are you super excited to finally go to school?” Silver asked, grinning knowingly.

“Yep.”

“Does that mean you’re ready to go?” Gallus inquired, offering Glory his talon.

“Yeah,” she confirmed, grabbing hold of his talon and squeezing it tightly. “I’m ready.”

“Alright then,” he said, meeting his wife’s eye.

“Let’s go,” Silver beckoned, placing a gentle talon on Glory’s back and wrapping a wing around her husband’s. “Time for school.”

“YAAAY!” Glory shouted, skipping along as her parents led her forward.

“Yaaay!” her family echoed, chortling at the fledgling’s enthusiasm as they all followed after the trio.

In what felt like no time at all, the massive family reached the front doors to the school, finding its teacher eagerly beckoning the last of the foals inside.

The mare looked up as they approached and waved. “Hello, everycreature. How are you all doing today?”

“We’re great, Mrs. Cheerilee,” Silverstream happily answered on all of their behalf. “You?”

“As spry as ever,” she professed, flourishing her mane confidently. “And good thing too. I have a feeling this little ball of fluff is gonna be quite the lively student herself,” Cheerilee commented, smiling kindly at Glory.

Glory was too busy giggling at the joke to notice everycreature—most notably, her parents—fervently nodding in confirmation.

“Whelp, in any case, we’re here,” Gallus decreed. “Do you mind if we talk to Glory one more time before she goes in?”

“No problem. Take all the time you need,” Cheerilee insisted, trotting back toward the doors. “We’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you.”

Once she had disappeared back into the schoolhouse, Gallus and Silverstream both faced their daughter, and the latter began, “Okay, Glory, remember to listen to your teacher and to pay attention in class.”

Glory was halfway through nodding when her attention was drawn to her father.

“And make sure to be nice to all of your fellow students,” Gallus ordered calmly. “You don’t have to make friends if you’re not ready to, but we both want you to at least try to make them.”

Before their daughter could reaffirm she would, Silver said, “So don’t be shy or nervous about talking to your classmates. If you’re nice to them, they’ll be nice back.”

“Speaking of which,” Gallus followed up, watching as Glory hurriedly shifted her focus back onto him. “Remember to be very careful with your talons. You wouldn’t want to scratch anyone by mistake.”

Glory’s head frantically swiveled back to face her mother when she mentioned, “The same goes for your beak. No. Nipping. Anypony,” Silver firmly commanded. “I mean it, Glory.”

“I know not to do that!” Glory yelped, blushing in embarrassment.

“Yes, well…? We’d just rather not have a repeat of what happened this morning,” Gallus clarified. “Or with Princess Twilight.”

“I said I was sorry,” she groaned, hanging her head.

Silverstream lifted her head back up and soothed, “And she forgave you. Don’t worry, Glory, we trust you won’t get in any trouble.”

“But don’t go tempting fate,” Gallus implored. “Which means you still can’t hug Horton in class.”

“Lunch and recess are okay though,” Silver reminded Glory before she could be too saddened. “But your father is right, honey. Don’t disrupt the class, okay?”

“How could I even do that anyway?” Glory asked, genuinely curious.

“By talking while the teacher is talking,” Gallus suggested.

“Or by falling asleep in the middle of the lesson,” Silverstream added, shooting her husband a sly smirk that he resolutely refused to acknowledge.

“That’s horrible!” Glory exclaimed, appalled. “Why would anyone fall asleep in school when you get to learn there!?”

“Eh, don’t worry about that one, Glory,” Gallus said, waving a talon dismissively and continuing to ignore the mirthful gazes of his family. “I get the feeling you’ll be far too excited to even consider taking a nap during class.”

“Hee-hee-hee. Thank you, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome, honey. Was there anything else?” Gallus asked Silverstream.

“Hmm? Oh! And, Glory? Make sure to take lots of notes,” Silver advised, receiving an approving nod from Gallus, Gavin, and Ocellus. “Also, ask Mrs. Cheerilee about something if you don’t understand it. She’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.”

“But don’t ask so many that she can’t continue the class,” Gallus warned. Noticing Glory looked confused by the conflicting information, he clarified, “You can ask her as many questions as you need to or want to, but if she asks you to stop, you stop. Okay?”

“Ohhh! Okay,” she said, nodding.

“Thankfully, you won’t need to ask Mrs. Cheerilee too many questions,” Silver claimed. “Well? So long as you pay close attention to everything she says and follow along with the lesson, that is.”

“Which you had better do,” Gallus adjured.

“And I will.”

“We know. We just wanted to tell you that one more time,” Silverstream elaborated. “Which reminds me… Do not lose your Pearl-piece, Glory,” she instructed again.

Novo intended to express her outrage over Glory needing to be told that, but before she could so much as open her beak, both Smolder and Ocean Flow preemptively slapped their claws over it.

“Do not use your Pearl-piece either,” Gallus casually continued while his and Silver’s auntie tried to fight the others off. “Or try to fly. You don’t know how to do either yet, and we don’t want you getting yourself hurt.”

“Don’t worry, Daddy, don’t worry, Mommy. I won’t,” Glory promised, fluttering her wings slightly. “Is there anything else I have to remember?”

“Yes,” Gallus and Silverstream both responded. They then bent down and kissed one of Glory’s cheeks respectively before simultaneously saying, “Have fun.”

Glorious Pearl giggled ecstatically and kissed her father back first. After giving her mother a kiss as well, Glory beamed at them both, vowing, “I will!”

“We know you will,” Gallus said, lovingly nuzzling Glory one last time. “Are you ready?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well then? Go on, honey,” Silverstream said, kissing her forehead one more time before stepping aside and gesturing to the school. “It’s time for your first day of school.”

Glory hugged both her parents one final time and took a few steps forward.

Gallus and Silverstream then trotted to each other’s side and held talons, extending their wings around the other as they watched their daughter trot toward the door.

Meanwhile, Sky Beak choked back a happy sob and said, “Bye-bye, Glory!”

“Have fun at school!” Ocean Flow shouted after wiping away her own set of tears.

“And read all the books you can!” Gavin encouraged, waving goodbye.

Glory stopped mid-step and turned around, waving and shouting back, “I will!”

“You’d better,” Novo said, trying to appear stern but failing miserably. “I want to brag all about how smart my grandniece is to the hippogriffs and seaponies back home.”

“You don’t already do that?” Smolder asked, earning only an eye-roll from the Queen of Mount Aris. She then returned her gaze to her best friends’ daughter, declaring, “You’re going to have a great time at school, Glory. I promise.”

“You’re going to learn all kinds of wonderful things,” Ocellus proclaimed, eagerly anticipating when the fledgling would regale her with an account of said wonderful things. “Make sure to study hard and follow along in the class.”

“As well as remember the names of your teachers and classmates,” Terramar added, stifling a snicker at the exasperated-yet-apologetic look his niece shot him. “Last time I make that joke, I promise.”

“Ignore Uncle Terramar,” Yona said, sparing the hippogriff an annoyed frown. She then looked back at Glory and waved enthusiastically, loudly promising, “Auntie Yona gonna give niece biggest hug ever when she come home!”

“So will I,” Sandbar concurred, putting a hoof around Yona’s back and snuggling up to her. “Now, hurry on up, kiddo,” he urged, nodding toward the school. “They’re waiting for ya.”

Glory smiled and raised a talon to open the front door; however, before she entered the school proper, she paused and closed her eyes. Glory then took a deep breath in, holding her talon to her heart before extending it outward, sighing quietly. “Daddy and Mommy love me,” she whispered to herself before looking back at the others again. “Bye-bye, Daddy. Bye-bye, Mommy. Bye-bye, everycreature,” Glory said, smiling as she cheerfully waved goodbye one final time. “I love you!”

“We love you too, Glory,” Silverstream said, barely holding back a wave of proud, joyous tears.

“We’ll see you this afternoon,” Gallus promised, swallowing a lump in his throat. “Have fun.”

“Hee-hee-hee,” Glory giggled. “Daddy, you already told me to have fun.”

“Well, I’m saying it again. Have fun, Glory,” he repeated, smiling serenely.

“We love you,” both of her parents concluded.

“I love you too!” she sang, blowing them both a kiss.

Glorious Pearl then turned around and happily pranced into the schoolhouse to begin her first day of school.

Once she had entered, the doors closed with a gentle click, and the bell rang out one last time, signaling the beginning of another new school year.

Many of the pony families took that as their cue to trot away and continue with their day, but many others remained exactly where they stood, unable to tear their teary gazes away from the schoolhouse just yet.

And although Glory’s family was among the latter, Queen Novo ultimately broke the tranquil silence a few minutes later.

“Whelp! This has been a fun, little adventure,” she remarked, awaking her wings with a small flap. “But if you’d all excuse me, I have to go reclaim my kingdom from my daughter.”

“Hopefully before she sets off another volcano, right?” Smolder guessed.

“No-no, Smolder. This is Starry we’re talking about,” Gallus acknowledged, sharing a smirk with his wife. “She’ll have already set off at least three volcanoes by now.”

Novo groaned in exasperation while everycreature else howled in laughter.

Eventually, Terramar quieted down and said, “Yeah, I need to head back home too. My wife’s pregnant, after all,” he ended with a wide smile.

“Yona surprised she even let Terramar leave house,” Yona laughed. “If Yona were her, Yona not let Hubby out of Yona’s sight,” she commented, holding Sandbar’s hoof and receiving an affectionate kiss from him in return.

“Well, I’m glad she did let you leave,” Silverstream said, hugging her brother. “Thank you again for coming out here, guys,” she said to her fellow hippogriffs.

“It’s fine, honey,” Ocean Flow assuaged, giving Silver her own hug. “We’re just happy we got to see Glory off to school.”

“And see all of you again,” Sky Beak added, smiling proudly at his daughter and son-in-law.

“Thanks, Dad,” Gallus said, hugging Sky. “We’re glad we got to see you too.”

Sky Beak merely hugged Gallus as tightly as he could, but after a minute, he reluctantly released him. “Are you two going to be okay?” he inquired, placing a gentle talon on the griffon’s shoulder.

“We will,” Silverstream answered for them both, returning to her husband’s side and taking his talon into hers. “Thank you for asking, Daddy.”

“Of course, honey, of course,” he replied, sneaking them both a nuzzle.

“In any case,” Novo resumed, sharing a look with Terramar. “We really do need to head back to Mount Aris.”

“Well, you two can head home, but Sky and I plan to stay in Ponyville for a while,” Ocean Flow revealed.

“Wait, you do?” Silver asked her parents, surprised.

“We do,” her mother confirmed, beaming brightly at the duo. “Today’s our granddaughter’s first day of school, and we are not going to miss out on hearing how it went first-talon.”

“And don’t worry, we already booked a hotel,” Sky Beak preemptively explained, knowing Gallus was about to offer them their spare bedroom. “We’re only planning to stay for the week.”

“It’s a lovely, little place,” Ocean complimented, nodding in approval. “Friendly ponies, fantastic room service; comfy beds… All-in-all, it’s quite charming.” Her wings twitched anxiously as she added in a mildly strained voice, “No pool though. That— That’s a shame.”

“We can still take you to Saddle Lake, Mom,” Gallus offered again, concerned. “It really isn’t that far.”

“If you’re sure it’s not too much trouble…? Then, yes,” she accepted, nodding ardently. “Please. I-I’d really love that.”

“Come on then,” Smolder spoke up, beckoning with her claw. “We’ll show you where it is.”

“Huh?” Ocean mumbled, thrown off by Smolder’s sudden interjection. “Are you sure, Smolder dear?”

“We have to head back to the Friendship School anyway,” Ocellus explained for Smolder. “And Saddle Lake’s on the way, so it won’t be a problem.”

“Alright then. Thank you,” Ocean Flow chirped, exceedingly grateful. She then gave Terramar a hug and kiss, saying, “Tell your sweetie I said hello.”

“I will,” he assured, hugging and kissing her back. “You just hurry up and get back to the water, okay, Mom?”

“I will.”

“I’ll come along and make sure she does,” Sky Beak vowed. “I might even take a swim in Saddle Lake myself,” he added, casually fiddling with his Pearl-piece.

“At least I’ll have one swimming buddy then,” Ocean laughed, smiling thankfully at him and receiving a kind smile in return.

“You’d have a lot more swimming buddies if you came home with us,” Novo pointedly muttered.

“True. But then I’d have to spend another train ride with your entitled flank,” Ocean fired back wryly. “And I don’t think that’d be good for my sanity.”

“Oh, so now you care about sanity!” Novo drawled, frowning coldly at her sister. “But not when you were driving me insane with your constant whining and wailing when we were younger?”

“Pardon? I seem to remember you being the primary wailer of the family.”

“Well, you’re clearly remembering things wrong, Sissy. But are you doing it on purpose, however, is the question.”

“Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not,” Ocean deflected. “Either way, I know you’ll definitely be wailing your head off once you see whatever Skystar did in your absence.”

“Ah. That’s the real reason you’re not coming back with us, is it?” Novo pondered, glowering suspiciously at her snickering sister. “You don’t want to help clean up the mess?”

“It’s certainly a nice plus.”

“You’re such a lazy brat.”

“And you’re a pompous windbag.”

A moment of silence later, the sisters both burst out laughing and proceeded to hug each other goodbye. Sky Beak did much the same with his son.

“You have a good trip, Terramar,” he said, ruffling his son’s mane.

“Considering I have to take the train home with Auntie Novo…?” Terramar acknowledged, aiming a sly grin at the hippogriff in question. “Who knows?”

“Remarks like that are doing you no favors, Terry,” Novo forewarned, not bothering to glare back. After giving Ocean one last firm squeeze, she released her, imploring, “Stay safe, Sissy. See you soon.”

“See you soon,” Ocean echoed.

“And we’ll see you soon too,” Smolder said, trotting over and giving both Gallus and Silverstream a hug. “Sorry about both being late and having to cut-and-run,” she apologized, frowning regretfully.

“It’s okay, Smolder; we understand,” Gallus placated, hugging her back. “Thanks for coming out here.”

“And thank you for inviting us out here,” Ocellus responded, joining the hug pile for a moment. “It was nice to see Glory again.”

“Yeah, and she’s gotten so big too,” Smolder acknowledged in mock-bewilderment, shrugging exaggeratedly. “What’s up with that? I could have sworn she was way tinier just yesterday.”

“Same,” Gallus and Silverstream both said simultaneously.

“It’s a little thing called growing up,” Ocellus answered, smirking at the dragon. “Ever heard of it?”

“Nope,” Smolder bluntly denied, savoring the changeling’s eye-roll. “Jokes aside, you two gonna be okay?”

“Yep,” Gallus affirmed, nuzzling his wife. “We’ll be okay, Smolder.”

“Good to hear.”

“Just do me a favor and keep Starlight busy for me, okay?” Silverstream pleaded. “I might be a little late,” she admitted, meeting her husband’s eye.

“We will,” Ocellus promised, nodding. “But, uh, don’t be too late, okay?”

“Starlight won’t get on Silver’s case for being late, Ocellus,” Smolder deadpanned. “She knows where we all are today.”

“That’s not what I meant. I just think we’re gonna need her help dealing with…her,” she clarified.

Smolder winced and grimaced, realizing, “Crud! I forgot she came back today too.”

“Luster’s not that bad, girls,” Gallus appealed.

“While that might be true, I’d prefer having Silver around when we’re in the same building as that mare,” Ocellus openly confessed.

“Same,” Smolder piped up. “Out of all of us, Silver’s the only one who can get through to Luster when she’s having an ‘episode,’” she half-complimented, half-lamented.

“Not all the time,” Silver sighed, shaking her head in exasperation.

“You still get through to her more often than we do,” Ocellus grumbled. “Which is rather unfair when you consider that she should be listening to all of us equally.”

“Yeah, what’s your secret, Silver?” Smolder questioned, crossing her claws indignantly as smoke began billowing from her nostrils. “How come you’re the only one that can get Luster Dawn to stop spamming her magic all the dang time?”

“I don’t know. But it may have something to do with the fact I’m her favorite,” Silverstream supposed, failing to hide a smug smile as her friends both face-clawed and face-hoofed respectively.

“You never said you were her favorite,” Gallus noted, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m everycreature’s favorite,” she bragged.

“Especially mine,” he purred, kissing her.

Smolder and Ocellus couldn’t help but smile at the sight of their friends’ affection, but the latter soon said, “Thanks again for inviting us to come down and see Glory off.”

“Did you think we wouldn’t?” Gallus wondered, scoffing at the idea. “You’re all our family, remember?”

“Heh. You’re our family too, Gallus,” Smolder averred, lightly jabbing his shoulder. “Even if you did turn into a gargantuan sap over the years.”

“Don’t you be harsh on my sweetie for being sappy,” Silverstream fired back in her husband’s defense. “Especially since we both know you’ll be far, far worse the day you get a sweetie of your own.”

“And considering how much you dote on Glory,” Gallus followed up, sneaking his wife a thankful nuzzle. “I shudder to think of how much you’ll dote on your own child. Or rather…? Children,” he stressed, waggling his eyebrows.

Smolder had no response to that, so rather than attempting to provide one—and subsequently garnering even more teasing from her friends—she instead turned to Sky and Ocean and called out, “H-Hey, you two coming or what?”

“One moment,” Sky Beak requested, finishing his hug with Novo while Ocean Flow finished her hug with Terramar.

“Wow, Smolder! Not even gonna try to deny their accusations, huh?” Ocellus deadpanned as their friends guffawed victoriously.

“…Shut up,” Smolder growled, looking away in an attempt to hide her blush.

Once Gallus and Silver’s laughter subsided, Sky Beak and Ocean Flow broke away from their original hug partners and trotted over and trapped them in their grasp as well.

“You both have a good day,” Ocean promised, sneaking Silver a kiss.

“We’ll see you two later,” Sky wished, patting Gallus proudly on the back. “We love you.”

“We love you too,” Gallus and Silverstream both responded, hugging their parents back before letting them go to follow after Smolder and Ocellus. “See all of you this afternoon,” the latter said, waving goodbye.

“See ya later, Silver,” Smolder said on all of their behalf as they waved back merrily.

Terramar then trotted over and gave his sister and brother-in-law a hug of his own, saying, “I’ll see you guys later too. Love you.”

“Love you,” Silver echoed. “You make sure to let me know when I’m finally an auntie, alright?”

“I will, I will,” he swore, rolling his eyes. “After all, I’m gonna need your advice, right?”

“Obviously. You’re absolutely hopeless without me,” she taunted.

“Same goes for you too, Sis.”

“Mhmm.”

“It was nice seeing you again, Terry,” Gallus said, holding a talon out.

“Nice seeing you too, ‘milord,’” Terramar said, shaking the offered talon.

Gallus snorted. “In any case, you’d better get going,” he advised. “You’ve got a baby on the way, don’t forget.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t forget. You know? Unlike your daughter who—”

“Keep joking about that, and you ain’t getting any apology cakes,” Silver interrupted, frowning sternly at him. “From either of us,” she stressed, gesturing to herself and Gallus.

“Yeah, Terry, you wouldn’t want to lose out on our apology cakes, would you?” Gallus joined in on the threat. “Especially considering how much your wife loves ‘em.”

Terramar grimaced fearfully, muttering, “Okay, okay. I’ll let it go; just sends us those cakes. Please?”

“We will,” Silver promised, sneaking in one more hug to her brother before giving him a light nudge forward. “Now, go back home and make me an auntie.”

Terramar just shook his head and laughed. “You’re both weird.”

“And yet, you love us anyway,” Gallus accused.

“And yet, I love you anyway,” Terramar confirmed, grinning.

“The same can be said for me,” Novo confessed, smiling at them both. “Even if one of you is—” She shivered. “—A commoner,” she concluded with as much contempt as she could which wasn’t really all that much.

“I love you too, Auntie Novo,” Gallus replied, waving amicably.

She smirked and waved back before trotting off with Terramar back to the Friendship Express station.

Continuing the trend of leavers, Gavin approached Gallus and Silverstream, announcing, “I need to head back home too. Mom’s probably still dealing with the E.E.A. and is likely in need of some serious emotional support,” he said, sparing them both a quick hug.

“Give Griselda our best,” Silver cordially requested.

“And give the other girls some flack for not remembering to clear their schedules,” Gallus joked, hugging Gavin for an extra second longer.

“Heh-heh, I will,” Gavin agreed. “You just promise to bring Glory down to the Griffonstone Library once she learns how to read the ‘Big kid’ books. Uncle Gavin’s got some recommendations she’ll absolutely adore.”

“We’ll see you then.”

“Likewise,” Gavin said, turning around and trotting after the hippogriffs.

In the wake of his departure, the only remaining couple stepped up to Gallus and Silverstream.

“Sooo,” Sandbar began. “Glory’s in school now.”

“Yes, she is, Sandy,” Silverstream said neutrally. “Yes, she is.”

“Will niece be okay?” Yona wondered, her smiling drooping slightly in worry. “Even though Glory nervous about making friends?”

Gallus nodded reassuringly. “Yeah, Yona. Glory will be okay.”

Yona breathed a sigh of relief while her husband acknowledged, “You calmed her down pretty quickly, dude. What’s your secret?”

“There is no secret. Our daughter was upset, and I helped her not be,” he elaborated, shrugging.

“Yeah, but…how though?”

“Heh. You’ll figure it out, Sandy. It just takes a bit of time and practice.”

“And luckily, Yona and Sandbar will soon have plenty of both,” she rejoiced, nuzzling Sandbar lovingly and receiving an equally affectionate nuzzle in return.

“Speaking of which, when is the final meeting?” Silverstream asked politely.

Sandbar ended the nuzzle with a kiss to his wife’s cheek and answered, “Next Wednesday.”

“We’ll be there,” Gallus promised.

“Friends better be,” Yona warned, grinning slyly. “Yona want foal to meet all of their new family!”

“They are going to be in for such a surprise when they see how huge our family is,” Silverstream remarked.

Sandbar snickered. “To that, I say: All the more creatures to love and be loved by.”

“All the more creatures to love and be loved by,” Gallus repeated, snuggling his wife adoringly.

“Hee-hee-hee,” Yona and Silverstream tittered. The latter then gave her husband a kiss, saying, “That is whole lot of love in that foal’s future.”

“Friends can count on that; Yona and Hubby will be best parents ever!” Yona roared, punctuating her declaration with a passionate stamp of her hoof. She then smiled blissfully at Sandbar, whispering, “Yona really, really can’t wait to be mom…”

“And I can’t wait to be a dad,” Sandbar tearfully murmured, kissing his wife.

“Mom wasn’t kidding earlier; you two really will love being parents,” Gallus said, thrilled to see his friends so happy. “I know we do.”

“Just make sure to do what both we and Daddy suggested and keep a scrapbook,” Silver implored. “Every moment will be precious.”

“We already bought three of ‘em,” Sandbar revealed candidly.

“Buy more,” she countered without skipping a beat. “When I said every moment will be precious, I meant every moment will be precious.”

After sharing a glance with her husband, Yona conceded, “Then Yona will stop by store later and pick more up.”

“Wise.”

All four of them chuckled merrily.

Eventually, however, Sandbar finished laughing and sighed contently. He then hooked a hoof around his wife and resumed, “Whelp. I know everycreature else left pretty quickly, but…?”

“You’ve got to go too?” Gallus guessed, slightly disappointed.

“Yeah,” he confirmed, nodding regretfully. “I have a pretty long shift at the aquarium today.”

“And Yona really need to finish other dresses,” she wistfully acknowledged.

“We should be able to get back here in time to see Glory home though,” Sandbar swore. “I can take my lunch break around the time school gets out.”

“And Yona should be done with today’s commissions by then too.”

“We’ll see you then,” Silverstream said, striding forward and pulling them both into a hug.

“Thank you again for coming,” Gallus added once he joined the hug.

“Like there was a chance we wouldn’t,” Sandbar scoffed.

“Yona and Hubby happy to be here for friends and niece!” Yona bellowed as she hugged all three of them with every ounce of bone-crushing strength she possessed.

Much to the relief of her friends’ and husband’s internal organs, Yona relented a minute later. She then patted Silver’s back encouragingly before pulling away and checking, “Will friends really be okay while Glory in school?”

Gallus and Silverstream met each other’s eye, and the latter swiftly assured, “Yeah. We’ll be fine, Yona; we’re just gonna stay here for a little bit longer.”

“Alrighty then. Make sure to keep an eye on the time though,” Sandbar urged wisely, pointing to the Ponyville Clocktower. “You two don’t want to be late to work.”

“Don’t worry, Sandy. We won’t be late,” Gallus vowed. “The mighty Princess of Equestria needs her gallant Captain, after all,” he proclaimed, raising his head, puffing his chest, and brimming with pure, unadulterated pride.

“And Headmare Starlight and Vice Headstallion Sunburst need me to help teach creatures the values of friendship, love, and optimism,” Silverstream declared, fluttering her wings cheerfully and teeming with a bright, joyous energy.

“Heh-heh, sounds good,” Sandbar said, grinning tranquilly. “Well then…? Have a good day, guys.”

“Yona and Hubby will see friends later,” Yona promised, beaming widely as she energetically waved goodbye.

“We’ll see you two later too,” Gallus replied, returning the wave as the couple began trotting away.

“We love you,” Silverstream sang, also waving farewell.

“We love you too,” Sandbar and Yona replied simultaneously, tittering a moment later at having done so. Soon thereafter, they disappeared into the town of Ponyville proper.

A serene silence seemed to fall across the world now that Gallus and Silverstream were alone; however, they were far too preoccupied with smiling lovingly at each other to notice or mind the sudden quietness.

They then kissed and turned back to the school, hugging each other intimately with their wings and holding talons as they beheld the crimson building their daughter resided within.

What seemed like an eternity passed, but they neither made to break the silence, nor even considered letting go of their significant other. And even as the last of the other families finally found the strength to turn away from the school and trot away, Gallus and Silverstream could only continue staring at the schoolhouse, knowing that inside was their wonderful, beautiful, and precious daughter.

Their Glorious Pearl.

But like all things, the silence soon came to an end once Gallus caught sight of the tears streaming down his wife’s cheeks.

“Silverstream?”

“Yes, Gallus?”

“You’re crying,” he quietly pointed out.

Utterly unconcerned by that fact, Silver simply nodded and said, “I know. So are you.”

“I know.” After taking a short, shuddering breath, Gallus half-rejoiced, half-lamented, “Our baby girl is growing up, Silver.”

“Yes, she is. And she’s growing up fast; she’s growing up way too fast!” she exclaimed morosely. “Wasn’t it just yesterday that we caught her climbing the refrigerator?”

“‘Glorious Pearl! And the Quest for the Cookie Jar!’” he declared dramatically, much to Silver’s amusement. “The best part was her face when we caught her.”

Silver laughed even harder as she wiped her eyes. “Yeah, that was priceless. She still wasn’t able to speak back then, but if she were, you know she would have said uh-oh.”

“Oh absolutely,” he concurred, nodding and chuckling along with her. Afterward, he praised, “It was really nice of you to let her have that cookie in the end.”

“I had to, Gallus!” she proclaimed adamantly. “Glory put a lot of work into climbing as high as she did; she deserved a treat.”

“Well, let’s be glad we got to her before she tried climbing any higher,” Gallus stressed, unable to even fathom what could have happened had they not been there.

“Yeah. Yeah…” Silver mumbled, equally unable to contemplate such a scenario.

…

“I miss those days,” Gallus confessed.

“I do too,” Silverstream admitted, giving her husband a quick nuzzle. “I don’t miss the messes,” she clarified candidly. “But I miss everything else.”

“Playing with her in her crib…” he recounted, smiling serenely.

“Wheeling her around in her stroller…” she continued.

“Teaching her how to read…”

“Drawing and painting with her…”

“Holding her talon and helping her take her first steps…”

“Taking her to Saddle Lake and showing her how to swim…”

“Grover’s Treasure, she was so confused at first,” Gallus remembered, laughing at the memory of how bewildered their daughter had been to suddenly be a seapony.

“She caught on pretty quickly though,” Silverstream commended. “And once she did—ugh!—how long did it take us to get her out of the water again?”

“About an hour. … And then she cried for the next four,” he deadpanned.

They both laughed.

“You know what I really miss?” Silver eventually resumed.

“What?”

“Feeding Glory and then rocking her to sleep.”

“You always looked so happy when you did,” Gallus reminisced, smiling lovingly at his wife.

“That’s because I was happy,” she explained, smiling as well. “As happy as you were whenever you had to read her bedtime stories to get her to sleep.”

“Which only ever worked about half of the time,” he said, savoring her subsequent snicker. “The other times I would need to sing her to sleep.”

“Oh sea kelp, I miss hearing you sing her lullabies,” Silverstream lamented.

“I miss singing her lullabies too,” Gallus admitted, bringing her into a happy hug. “You— You think Glory’s going to be okay?” he asked, voice cracking.

“Yes. Glory will be okay, sweetie,” she soothed, nuzzling him reassuringly.

Gallus sniffled and held her closer, returning the nuzzle.

Some time later, Silver softly asked, “Are you going to be okay?”

“Mhmm,” he hummed, leaning back and giving her a firm nod. “I’ll be fine. You?”

“I’m gonna have butterflies in my stomach all day, but other than that…?” she joked, adoring the small laugh she drew from her husband. “I’ll be fine too.”

Gallus nodded again, but after a moment, he shuffled awkwardly and bemoaned, “The years are just flying by, Silverstream… Sometimes, I’m not sure I can keep up.”

Silver kissed him and said, “All the more reason to cherish the time we still have.”

“Heh. Don’t worry then,” he implored, cupping her cheeks tenderly. “I cherish every last second of every day of my life. Because I get to live my life with you,” Gallus rejoiced, kissing her.

After kissing him back, she wrapped her talons and wings around him and brought him back into her rapturous embrace. Silver then tucked her head under his chin and nuzzled him some more, breathing a serene sigh upon feeling his talons rub along her back comfortingly. “You’re never going to stop out-sweeting me, are you?”

“Nope. Never,” he promised.

“Lucky me.”

“Lucky you.”

Gallus and Silverstream both giggled, and after taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly, the latter snuggled deeper into her husband’s soft, sky blue plumage with a happy hum. “Gallus?”

“Yes, Silverstream?” Gallus whispered, his tail slowly wagging.

“Thank you.”

“For the hug?” he guessed. “Aww, you’re welcome, Silver,” Gallus said, folding his wings around his wife and hugging her even closer.

“Hee-hee, that’s not what I meant, silly,” she tittered, giving his back a gentle massage that he greatly appreciated. “I mean? Yes, thank you for the hug. But… Thank you for being with me,” she said, kissing his beak properly. “Thank you for saying yes.”

Gallus grinned and gave her two kisses back. “If I recall correctly, you were the one who said yes,” he countered, feeling a fresh surge of euphoria fill his heart upon recalling the memory. “Quite adamantly, I might add.”

“Well, duh. We’re married, aren’t we?” she whispered, acutely aware of the beautiful ring she proudly wore.

“Yes, we are,” he confirmed jubilantly, kissing her again and lovingly stroking his own ringed talon through her mane. “Because you said yes.”

“So did you.”

“Obviously.”

“Yeah, but you said yes long before I did,” Silver professed, caressing his cheek. Upon seeing him raise an eyebrow in confusion, she asked, “Remember Friends and Family Day, Gallus?”

“Of course I do!” he adamantly affirmed. “How could I ever forget our first date?”

“It didn’t have to be our first date,” she acknowledged, puzzling him even more. “But it was. Because I asked you if it was…”

“And I said yes,” Gallus said, grinning in realization.

“And you said yes!” Silverstream celebrated, kissing her husband deeply as her wings gave an ecstatic flutter. “And I’m so happy you did, Gallus; I love you so much,” she exulted. “And I— I can’t even imagine a life without you,” she said, placing a talon upon his chest and smiling tearfully at him. “So, thank you, Gallus. Thank you for saying yes.”

Smiling serenely, Gallus gently wiped his wife’s tears away before cupping her cheeks in his talons. She then held her talons over his, prompting him to begin, “Silverstream…?”

“Yes, Gallus?”

“You are the love of my life. You always have been, and you always will be,” he declared resolutely. “There was no other possible answer I could have given you that day,” Gallus said, kissing her.

After reciprocating the kiss, Silverstream buried her head into his feathers again. “I’m glad,” she murmured in a cracked voice.

“I am too. And if anything, I should be thanking you for choosing me.” Gallus sniffled. “I’m so lucky you chose me,” he whispered, unable to hold back his own tears of joy.

Silverstream spared his plumage one more nuzzle before retreating from its depths once more to grace him with a dreamy smile. “Oh, Gallus…” she sighed. “There was no one else I could have chosen. You’re the love of my life too, after all. Always have been. Always will be.”

Still crying, Gallus snorted and snarked, “Still stealing my lines, eh?”

“Yep. They’re very good lines,” she complimented, completely unabashed. “I’d like to use some of ‘em too.”

“Yeah, well…? If you ever hope to out-sweet me one of these days, you’re gonna need to work on your originality,” he teased.

“Pfft! I don’t care about being original,” Silverstream refuted, waving her talon dismissively. She then tapped her beak against his, finishing, “I only care about you.”

“Likewise,” Gallus said, his eyes fluttering closed as they kissed once again.

Several minutes later, they broke apart mutually yet continued holding each other in a shared, loving embrace.

…

“You know, as wonderful as this is…” Gallus began, a small note of sadness creeping into his neutral tone.

“Don’t you say it, don’t you say it,” Silverstream protested.

“We do have to go,” he said anyway, wincing regretfully.

“Augh, dang it!” she cursed. “You just had to say it, didn’t you?”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, sweetie. I just…” She sighed and nuzzled him again, muttering, “I don’t want to let go.”

“I don’t want to let go either,” he admitted, wanting nothing more than to hold her forever in his loving embrace.

“Then don’t let go.”

“But we have to.”

“No, we don’t,” she claimed, trapping him within the confines of her wings. “We don’t have to go anywhere; we just have to stay right here and hold each other.”

“Maybe in a perfect world…”

“We’re married; as far as I care, the world is perfect,” she asserted.

Gallus burst out laughing. “Yeah! Yeah, you’re right. The world is perfect,” he agreed, snuggling blissfully into her feathers with a happy purr.

Silverstream rewarded the gesture via a stroke to his headcrest and chortled when it resulted in her husband’s tail becoming a wagging blue blur. She stroked his headcrest again for good measure before proceeding to snuggle him as well, humming softly.

…

Eventually, Gallus let out a soft sigh and caressed his wife lovingly. “I really do want to stay like this, Silver,” he said somberly.

“I do too,” Silverstream agreed. “And yet… We do still have to go, don’t we?” she recognized, not remotely ready to do so.

“…Yeah.”

Silver was quiet for a moment, but she soon let out a defeated groan and pulled away, dropping her wings and letting him go. Once she felt his talons leave her back, she squeaked out, “Gallus?”

“Yes, Silver?”

“One more kiss?” she requested. “Pretty please?”

Gallus smiled and returned his talons to her cheeks, loving her ensuing elated smile. “For you, my love? Always.”

They wasted no time whatsoever in kissing each other one more time.

All too soon, however, the kiss came to an end, and Gallus and Silverstream hung their heads, desperately wishing it hadn’t needed to.

“You were right, Silverstream,” Gallus whispered despairingly. “Being an adult is hard.”

Silver immediately realized the opportunity she had been granted and smirked impishly. “Yes, it is. But like you said…?” she trailed off, turning around and brushing her tail under his beak. “Being an adult does have some perks.”

Apathetic to the fiery crimson blossoming across his cheeks, Gallus smiled sultrily at his wife and concurred, “Yeah, it does. And pray tell, weren’t we going to enjoy one of them when we got home tonight?” he questioned as his wings twitched excitedly.

“Ohhh yes. Yes, we were,” she confirmed, smiling alluringly at him from over her shoulder. “And we’re gonna enjoy it for a good… Long… While…” Silver ended, emphasizing each word with a teasing swish of her tail.

It took a second, but once Gallus managed to return his gaze to her eyes, he began, “Oh, trust me, milady. I wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact…?” Gallus strode forward, stroking a talon along her back as he did so, until he stood back in front of her. “I’ll be counting the seconds until we’re alone again,” Gallus swore, sneaking her neck a small kiss.

“As will I,” she assured, blushing fervidly as she valiantly fought back the urge to pounce him then and there. Once she had won that battle, Silver kissed his cheek and grumbled, “But sadly… That’s for tonight.”

“It’s gonna be a good night, that’s for sure,” he crooned, winking confidently.

“You know it,” Silverstream giggled.

Gallus giggled with her, but he quieted down a moment later. “All jokes and teasing aside though…?” he began in a quiet voice. “There is another perk to being an adult.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” she asked, expecting another particularly risqué comment.

What Gallus instead said, however, was, “Being a parent.”

Silverstream let out a small bark of laughter. “Yeah! Yeah, being a parent is amazing.”

“Yes, it is. … We’re parents, Silver,” he rejoiced.

“We’re parents,” she concurred, smiling serenely. “And you’re a daddy.”

“Yes, I am. And you’re a mommy.”

“Yes, I am. And our baby girl is growing up, Gallus,” Silverstream squealed, a fresh wave of tears flowing from her eyes.

“And she’s growing up far, far too fast,” Gallus bemoaned, crying as well. “We still have so much to teach her!”

“Like how to cook her own breakfast?” she joked.

Gallus chortled and added, “And use her Pearl-piece.”

“And how to sing and dance too!”

“And how to fly!”

“Oh, she’s going to love flying!” Silver exclaimed, already anticipating the day they could all fly together as a family.

“You know what else she’s gonna love?”

“What?”

“Her sweetie,” Gallus said casually.

“She is going to find a sweetie, isn’t she?” she gasped.

“Yes, she is. And we’re going to have to teach her how to keep ‘em.”

“Good thing we still have Cadence’s letters.”

“Good thing we know them all by heart.”

“That too. Hee-hee! Ooooh, Gallus!” she squeed, dancing excitedly. “I can’t wait to dote on her sweetie!”

“And I can’t wait to intimidate them.”

“You had better not!” she reproved.

“If I do, it will be jokingly,” Gallus clarified, meeting her stern glare with an adoring smile.

Although Silver tried to keep her glare going, it quickly faded away as she conceded, “Well…? Only if it’s jokingly. And Glory had better be onboard with it too, otherwise…?”

“Otherwise, I won’t do it,” he reassured. “I still need to walk her down the aisle, after all.”

“And I’ll need to help her pick out a dress,” Silver realized, nearly exploding in joy at the mere thought of doing so.

…

“I’m not ready, Silverstream,” Gallus stated, shaking his head fervently. “I’m not ready for our baby girl to grow up.”

“I’m not ready either,” Silver confessed, wiping her eyes dry. “Luckily for us, she’s not grown up just yet. And we still have a lot of time before she is.”

“We’ll make the most of it,” he vowed.

“Yes, we will,” she promised.

They kissed.

Afterward, Silverstream pulled away with a sigh. “I guess we’ve gotta go now, huh?”

“We’ll be back here in a few hours, my love,” Gallus soothed, nuzzling her.

After nuzzling him back, she said, “I know. Have a good day at work, sweetie.”

“I will. You have a good day at work too, milady.”

“I will. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They kissed each other goodbye.

“See you later, Silverstream,” Gallus said, beginning to hesitantly step away.

“See you later, Gallus,” Silverstream replied, waving as she trotted off toward the Friendship School.

Gallus watched her for a moment before turning around to trot away himself; however, he only made it one step before swiftly swiveling back around. “Hey, Silverstream?” he called out after his wife.

Silverstream paused and looked back, leveling a wide, knowing smile at her husband. “Yeeesss, Gallus?”

Blushing, Gallus pleaded, “One more kiss? Pretty please?”

“For you, my love? Always!” Silver cheered ecstatically.

“Ha! You really couldn’t resist stealing just one more of my lines, huh?”

“Nope! Now, come on, sweetie,” she urged, beckoning with her talon. “Come give me another kiss.”

“As you wish, milady,” he said, darting forward to meet her beak with his own.

Silverstream instantly reciprocated the affection and soon felt her husband’s talons return to her cheeks. Once they had, she repaid his touch by stroking her own talons along his back and pulling him even further into her loving embrace.

In response, Gallus folded his wings around his wife and held her as closely as he possibly could, embracing her with an even greater fervor.

Pure love radiated from the couple, and with every kiss of their beaks, every touch of their talons, and every beat of their hearts, that love only grew until it practically burst forth and washed over each of them, reinvigorating their passion and urging them to prolong the beautiful moment.

Unfortunately, like all good things, the moment ultimately came to an end, but they certainly made its finale worth it by having of one final, extra long kiss.

Gallus and Silverstream then mutually broke away with a happy sigh.

“That was a really good kiss,” Silver whispered, resting her head on her husband’s shoulder.

“All of our kisses are good,” Gallus contended, rubbing her back soothingly. “In fact? They’re not just good; they’re wonderful. Like you,” he praised, kissing his wife.

“And you,” she replied, kissing him back. “We’re so lucky to have each other.”

“Yes, we are.” Gallus then blinked away another round of joyous tears and said, “Thank you for being with me, Silverstream.”

“Always,” she promised. “Thank you for being with me.”

“Always,” he echoed.

“Heh. Who’s stealing whose lines now?” Silverstream asked, smirking slyly.

“Me,” Gallus confessed, sharing a laugh with her.

For another heavenly minute, they merely held each other close and nuzzled lovingly, but soon, Gallus spoke up again.

“Hey, Silver?”

“Yeah, Gallus?”

“I love you,” Gallus said, smiling serenely.

“I love you too,” Silverstream said, giggling happily.

They then shared yet another kiss.

END

Author's Note

At long last, we have reached the end of this amazing journey. A perfect, little happy ending for our sweet, lovable duo of Gallus and Silverstream, I'd say. :heart:

Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to read through The Bonds of Love! :yay: I know there were some rough patches, the chapter lengths were far too long, and the wait between the chapters was obnoxious... But I'm beyond grateful to see that so many of you stuck around and read my story in spite of these issues, and I hope you all enjoyed reading this 300k word behemoth as much as I loved writing it. :pinkiehappy:

For anyone wondering what I plan to do next, GaPJaxie is hosting a Friendship is Optimal writing contest for the month of April, and I'm in the midst of creating an entry for it. Don't worry, I'm keeping the chapter lengths short for it; I just hope I can finish it on time. :unsuresweetie: Afterward, I need to do some editorial work for a friend.

But once I get all that said and done, I'll begin working on the "Writing of..." for The Bonds of Love where I'll be discussing my entire writing process of the story as well as any potential plot points and story decisions that ultimately didn't make the cut.

For anyone interested in that, I'll be posting it as an additional chapter to The Bonds of Love(As opposed to relegating it to a simple Blog Post like I did with The Writing of A Day for Family). So, even though this story is technically completed, if you receive a notification about this story updating...? That'd be why. :derpytongue2:

When will I get done with that? I have no idea; I haven't even begun working on it yet, so I can't promise any specific release date, unfortunately. :raritycry: Sorry.

Also, I'd like to formally apologize to Damon Wolf Club because I have a pretty bad feeling that those, er, "Risqué" scenes are probably another rating-related screw up on my end. I'd like to think I kept those moments tame enough to pass, but, uh...? :twilightblush: Yeah, I failed at that, didn't I? Sorry.

Also-also, it was recommended to me by Great White Prime that the following song would serve as a good "End Credits" song for The Bonds of Love, so here you go:

And because I can't help but drag out these Author Notes as long as I can, here are two other "End Credits" songs as well:

This one was suggested by Redsopine:

And this one was one I personally found and thought worked too:

So, there ya go! The Bonds of Love now has a whopping three whole "End Credits" songs! :yay: The more the merrier, I suppose. :derpytongue2:

In all seriousness, thank you all once again for reading The Bonds of Love; I hope you all had a great time and have a great day!

EDIT(4/21): So, because johnerose126 is awesome! We now have have Glorious Pearl art!

Go check out johnerose126 on Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/johnerose126
Thanks again, dude; you're the best! :yay:

Chapter One: Transition

Dear, Gallus…

First, I want to clarify beyond any doubt that you are perfectly allowed to send me and Spike letters! I always wanted my students to feel they could ask me for help and advice whenever they needed it, and this remains true even now that I am no longer Headmare.

Second, I am so sorry for the heartache that you had to endure this past week. Friends and Family Day was something I devised as a way to commemorate my school’s opening by celebrating the bonds between a creature and those they loved. I had never considered it could be a source of pain for those with your particular circumstances.

On a happier note, it seems you managed to overcome those ordeals and have fun in spite of them. And I’m so very happy for you! You deserve to be happy with your life, yourself, and your friends, and I hope that, moving forward, you’ll find it easier to manage these wounds.

It can’t be easy having to live with the thoughts and worries you spoke of. Tragedy is something no one should ever suffer, but I have faith in you. You have a kind heart and a strong mind, and I know you can persevere through anything, even this.

But please, Gallus. Please never think that your fears are something you have to deal with alone. Your pain is not something you need to hide away, and your loneliness is not something you must tolerate alone. You have friends, Gallus. I’ve seen the bond you share with them, and it’s as strong as the bond I have with my own.

Silverstream, Yona, Ocellus, Sandbar; Smolder.

They all care about you, and they will be there for you if ever you wish them to be. As will my friends also.

And never, ever think for even a moment that you are burdening me by sending us a letter. If you need advice, or help, or just someone to talk to… I am a letter away. No matter where I am. No matter what I am doing. I will always make time to help you, my student.

So stay strong, Gallus. Your friends, your teachers; your Princesses…

We will always be here for you.

P.S. No, I don’t hold any judgment for your not agreeing with the ‘Friends are your family’ moral. Friendship is undoubtedly a wondrous thing, but it will always mean something different to every creature. I’m happy that to you, friendship is a bond of love.

P.P.S. I trust Cadence’s replies to your question were helpful? I certainly hope so because if there’s anything I fully admit to not knowing, it’s relationship advice. Luckily, I think she knows enough about the subject that her advice will prove beneficial.

I really need to talk to Shining about getting her a better hobby.

P.P.P.S. Hey, Gallus? Spike here! If you, Silver, and Edith wanted to join our next O&O campaign, you’re more than welcome to; I’ll let you guys know when I’ve got it ready. It’s gonna be a while though; I only just started planning out a new one.

Also, could you do me a favor and remind Sugar Belle that she still needs to let me know if she’s joining the party too? I asked a while back, but she never sent me a response.

I swear if Discord is messing with her mail again…

But anyway, I hope you’re doing alright. And remember, if you ever need anything just let us know. Until then, see you later.

Farewell, my student.

Sincerely, Twilight and Spike Sparkle.

Gallus put the letter down and sighed contently.

“Well, at least I didn’t waste their time…”

“No, but you did put a target on your back,” a sinister voice giggled behind him.

“You’re still here!?” he nearly shouted, his heart racing.

“Golly! You sound as if you don’t want me to be here.”

“You…” Gallus sighed. “It’s just a figment of your imagination, Gallus.”

“Or a sign of your madness.”

“You can talk all you want, but I’m done listening to you. So go away.”

…

“Did you really think I’d go away if you just said that to me?”

“I was hoping.”

“Sorry, but you’ll be stuck with little, ole me for the rest. Of. Your—”

Gallus groaned and turned away from the imagined ghost, focusing his gaze on the sea of parchment that now occupied half of his room, all of which bore the insignia of the Crystal Empire.

Like a light-switch, the memory of the prior night played in his mind, speeding through his perfectly normal interactions with his other friends until it came to the very end where it abruptly halted and replayed Silver’s final words once again.

“Gallus? Was today supposed to be… Well… A date?”

Gallus gulped, rose from his bed, and trotted to the countless responses he had received from one Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Anxiously, he swept his gaze over the entire pile before slowly reaching for the nearest letter with a shaking talon.

“Still as cowardly as ever.”

“Oh, shut up!”

“No. Making you feel terrible is way too much fun to stop!”

“Why do you take so much joy out of my misery?”

“You should ask yourself that question. After all, I am nothing more than a figment of your imagination, right? So if I enjoy seeing you be whiny and mopey then you enjoy being that way too.”

Gallus rolled his eyes, returning his attention Cadence’s replies.

“You must feel like you’re in a fairy tale.”

“Oh yeah?” Gallus said, yanking his talon away from the terrifying mound of paper. “How so?”

“You managed to trick a princess into pitying you, a worthless little orphan.”

“Ughhh, it’s just a voice in your head, Gallus; ignore it.”

“Still your voice though. And as your voice, I have to congratulate you on a job well done.”

“What job?”

“Manipulating Silverstream of course.”

“How did I manipulate her?”

“She has a bleeding heart, and you’re desperate for love. All it took was a bit of moping and question dodging to get her worried. Friends and Family Day was a perfect date opportunity, and, of course, having a ‘heart-to-heart’ with her helped make her feel like you’re worth repairing.”

“What. In King Grover’s Lost Treasure. Are you talking about?”

“Ugh! This is why you’re the stupid one; you don’t listen! I’m talking about your plan to get the ‘family’ you wanted! And hey, not gonna lie? Manipulating someone is far less likely to land you in prison than stealing a unicorn’s horn and engaging in mass-brainwashing.”

“Are… Are you saying I manipulated my friend into caring about me!?”

“Well, yeah. Don’t pretend you haven’t done it before. Bumping into Sandbar the day you all met… Sabotaging everyone else’s Hearth’s Warming…”

“You’re completely wrong about bumping into Sandbar!”

“Though not the latter one. You tried to manipulate them all into spending time with you once before; are you telling me you couldn’t do it again or that you didn’t do it this time?”

“You’re crazy!”

“You keep saying that. But I’m still technically a part of you, so crazy or not, I know what I’m talking about. My words are your thoughts, remember?”

“No! No, no, no! There’s no way I would— I don’t think those— Okay, that’s it! I’m talking to Ocellus! You have to be some kind of curse; you can’t possibly be a part of me!”

“And once again, you leap back into that sea of delusional denial. Ever as desperate to pretend you don’t need help, eh?”

“I don’t need help!” Gallus glared at the imagined monstrosity in silence. “Anymore. I’m fine!”

“If you’re so fine then why are you so nervous about touching those replies from the Princess? You’ve had all morning to go through them, yet there they sit. Untouched and unread.”

Gallus blinked and looked at his own talon. It was still shaking.

“You know what I think it is? Deep down, even you know there’s no other reason why Silverstream—a literal princess—would ever fall for a demented, abandoned orphan like yourself.”

“She’s my friend!”

“Just because she cares about you, doesn’t mean she likes you. If you’re being honest, and you really didn’t trick her, then I guess that means she’s only humoring you. You’re just that pathetic.”

“I’m not… I’m not pathetic!”

“Awww, you actually think you believe that?”

“Shut up and leave me alone!”

“I can only leave you alone if you stop thinking, but uh… That’s not happening anytime soon.”

“Silver is my friend, and she cares about me, enough she went out of her way to try to make me feel better! And I do feel better, and you can’t undo that! So stop trying!”

“You talk like you actually believe stealing her time with her family away was a noble thing. Of course you’d believe that though; you were the one who benefited from the theft after all.”

“Don’t even try that! Silver said—”

“Yeah, yeah. She’d help you no matter what; she never needed a reason to care about you; blah, blah, blah! You wanna know what I heard when she said that?”

“No.”

“Too bad. All I could hear was someone acknowledging it.”

“Acknowledging what?” he demanded, fighting to keep his heart from exploding.

“That your parents tossed you away because they did need a reason to love you. And you didn’t give them one. I wonder how long it will be before Silverstream needs a reason to care about you?”

In a burst of blue feathers, Gallus fled through the door and slammed it behind himself, leaning against it to regain his breath.

Don’t listen to that… he told himself. That… Thing! It’s just a stupid voice in your head or some crazy curse! Nothing it said was true, and you’re not… She isn’t… She wasn’t lying! She cares about me, and I care about her! We’re friends!

But… She did hint that she maybe wanted something more?

W-Well… I—

Or suspected that you did. But you don’t. Right? Or do you?

I… I don’t know!

She asked you though, so she’s looking for an answer. You’re going to need to give her one.

But— But— I don’t know!

Don’t you? Didn’t you ask Princess Cadence for advice about this scenario? Or was that just a lie, and you really couldn’t care less?

I don’t know how to deal with any of this! I don’t even understand what any of this—

Excuses, excuses. Was it a date. Yes. Or no. There are no other answers. No complications. No issues. Just yes. Or. No. What’s your answer?

I-I’m scared!

That your answer ultimately is or will be no? If so, you’ll have been leading her on and giving her a false hope. And you of all creatures should know that is the cruelest thing anyone can do.

Or are you afraid your answer is actually yes? If so, then what next? You and Silverstream. What will you do for her? What can you offer her? What are you to her? A friend? A love? Well? What are you to her?

I don’t know!

“An orphan? A mess?” the ghost whispered again. “Or how about broken and crazy?”

Shut up! Stay— Stay out of my head!

“You’re still broken. You know it, and she knows it. Your parents knew it too. And now, even the Princess and her friends all know it as well… Oopsie!”

And they still care about me! Th-They care!

“Maybe the Princess, but that’s her job. Why would Silver ever care about you? Or rather, does she? Does she really think of you that way? Possibly. Probably not. I bet the only reason she would ever do so is the same reason she sought to distract you from your problems yesterday.”

“She pities you.”

“Because you’re just that pathe—”

I! Am not! Pathetic!

“Two griffons elsewhere would care to disagree.”

Shut up!

“Fool yourself all you want, but she’s the only one who doesn’t think you’re pathetic. And unfortunately, you don’t know if it’s because she genuinely cares about you, or if she only pities you.”

I’m her friend!

“But is that bond forged out of genuine love or cheap pity?”

Genuine love!

“You’re not a mind-reader.”

I don’t need to be!

“You’ll never know for sure.”

I already know for sure!

“No, you don’t.”

Yes, I do!

“You won’t unless you ask her.”

W-What?

“Get over your own cowardice and go ask her. Confess your love for her, or deny it. Perhaps she’ll embrace you, or perhaps she’ll reject you. Either way, only then will you know for certain.”

Gallus turned to behold one of the neighboring doors.

If you want to know what she meant and that she really, truly cares… She’s right there. You don’t have to feel afraid. You’re not alone, Gallus, and she’d be honest if you asked. So do it. Ask her. Just ask her. Do not hide away your heart, urged a voice that was very much not his curse’s.

Gallus rose from the floor and stared at the door, feeling a demon’s glare crawl up his spine.

And she’s right there. Mere steps away. A single knock is all it would take.

A single knock.

…

Gallus turned away from the door and quickly walked away.

“Coward.”

***

His journey through the halls of the Friendship School was ultimately uneventful. While the previous week had been an endless cycle of growing anticipation and eagerness with yesterday serving as its culmination, today was the accursed holiday’s epilogue, and with it followed an ambiance of tranquility and relaxation.

The halls were almost entirely devoid of roaming bodies; most had already secluded themselves away to rest for the following day’s return to the scholastic grind.

The kitchens remained a hurricane of pink; although, it’s instigator’s motions were now performed in order to recover the area for tomorrow’s luncheon.

The classrooms were still covered from ceiling to floor in decorations, but they now served as little more than an epitaph to what had come and gone and a reminder that it would return once more.

Gallus made his way to the library, seeking both a better location to reside within and a different, more preferable activity than organizing an ocean of relationship advice. He then peaked his head into the room and sighed in relief upon finding it devoid of chaos spirits. Afterward, Gallus slowly entered the domain.

“Now what?” he asked himself.

“Golly, you didn’t think this through, did you? Shame. Because I’m still—”

The voice abruptly silenced as Gallus practically teleported to the Magic section. His talon slowly ran over book after book, and his eyes rapidly glossed over the titles in search of something that could potentially explain the brat being in his—

“Accursed Curses: An Encyclopedia on Heinous Hexes, Malicious Malformations, and Atrocious Actualizations. … Perfect!”

Gallus grabbed the tome, sat in a nearby chair, and propped it open on the table. He then did a double-take after turning to the table of contents and finding a note scribbled into the page.

“‘If you’re reading this book because you think something bad has happened or is happening to you or someone you know then you shouldn’t be here; you should be finding a teacher and telling them about the problem before it gets worse,’” he read blankly.

“‘And if you’re reading this because you wanted to use the spells inside, ask a teacher for permission first before you perform them. We’re looking at you, Ocell—Pfft! Hahahahah! Oh, I would pay to have seen her reaction to reading that. Please tell me she did!”

According the card, yes; in fact, she was the only one to have even touched the book. Assuming that anyone else who had read the book admitted to having done so of course, but Gallus found that unlikely.

Then again? He might simply be paranoid, and no one else really had used the book. Even Cozy Glow.

“But that would mean I really am just a voice in your head, and you don’t want to admit that.”

He shook his head and resumed searching the table of contents for a chapter on mind curses. Unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to peruse the pages since a pair of hooves began clicking against the stone floor, bringing with it the smell of smoke and fireworks.

Gallus jumped out of his chair before the newcomer had a chance to notice him and hurriedly stuffed the tome back into the shelf he had taken it from.

“Oh! Hello, Gallus,” Ocellus greeted after coming into view. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I’m like a ninja that way,” he hastily responded, desperately trying to appear normal.

Ocellus smirked and rolled her eyes. “So, what are you up to?”

“Bored. Came to library to alleviate. Still bored. You?”

“I’m doing some research for my Science Fair presentation. I figured I wouldn’t be disturbing anycreature since everyone’s resting after last week. I’m not disturbing you, right?” she timidly inquired.

Help me! “You’re fine,” he assuaged.

“Okay. Thanks.”

She then joined in him in looking around the Magic section.

…

Her horn lit up and carefully relieved the shelves of over forty books. She then levitated them all over to a table and began organizing them alphabetically by their authors’ names.

Gallus shifted his gaze to her, to his book, to her, to his book, and finally back to her.

“Sooo,” he began, taking a seat next to his friend. “Whatcha doin’?”

“Science Fair presentation,” she repeated.

“Isn’t that, like, three months from now?”

“Forty-six days.”

“And what exactly are you doing that needs forty-six days to prepare?”

“Teleportation research.”

“Oooh, Ocellus! Looking to warp space-time, are we?”

“That’s a glorious oversimplification, but I suppose it is a fair summation.”

“Mm. Wait, didn’t you already know how to teleport?”

She shook her head.

“Oh. Need help?”

Some time later…

“Okay, are you ready?”

“I was ready the last dozen times we did this; I’m still ready now.”

“Alright. Beginning teleportation in three! Two! One!”

A spark of aquamarine fire ignited and spread forth around the cerulean griffon, pulling him into an ethereal void. A moment later, Gallus rose back to the surface as the fire dissipated.

“That! Was weird,” he noted after regaining his bearings.

“Could you elaborate?”

“I don’t know?” She waited for him to elaborate anyway. “Like I was being drowned, I guess?”

“‘Drowned’?” she asked, confused by the word choice. “Drowned how?”

“How else can I describe being pulled down into—” An unending vortex of nightmarish calamity. “—a giant pool of liquid fire?”

“It’s not technically liquid fire. In fact, fire isn’t even a state of matter; it’s… Not the point?”

“You’re learning,” he congratulated, giving her a wink.

“Okay, but please continue. Were there any other significant feelings?”

The fire felt like a bottomless whirlpool of horror, closing in around the helpless, lifeless puppet held by an unmerciful deity, reaping joy from the marionette’s slow, torturous, inescapable drowning.

“Uncomfortable.” Do not hide away your heart, Gallus. “Very uncomfortable.” That’s…better?

“Hmm. Which part was the most uncomfortable?”

The entire thing. “Probably just the suddenness? Could have done without being dragged into—” The bowels of a demonic maelstrom. “—the ground without any warning.”

“I did forewarn you about the vertical displacement, but was the potential vertigo that severe?”

“No, it just could have been gentler.”

“Hmm. ‘Gentler’? Perhaps I could integrate a medical spell into the fire to lessen the roughness? Or perhaps include a matter distortion charm to remove any tangible sensations entirely? Ooh, but that would put the portal’s stability at risk, and I’m finally getting that part down…”

“Hey, at least I’m not reappearing on the other side of Ponyville. Anymore.”

“Eh-heh-heh, sorry.”

“Don’t sweat it.”

“In any case, I think we’re done for today. I need to spend some time analyzing the data I’ve collected and adjusting the spell’s casting and formatting accordingly. While I’m doing that, maybe I can figure out why I’m still struggling with it.”

“You say you’re ‘struggling’ with the spell, yet you’re still opening wormholes in space-time.”

“That’s still an oversimplification.”

“Still a fair summation though, right?”

“Indeed. To answer your question: I’ve practiced enough that I’m no longer having difficulties with casting the spell proper, but I’m not even close to doing it efficiently,” Ocellus explained.

“I suppose that makes sense.”

“Yep. A more advanced mage could create dozens of active portals at once! Of course, I’m stuck not being able to make more than one at a time on a good day.”

“Hey, don’t stress out about it, Ocellus. How many other creatures in this joint can say they know how to bend reality?”

“Oh please! ‘Bend reality’!?” she repeated, holding back a laugh. “I’m definitely nowhere close to being able to do that! Maybe one day one though.”

Gallus didn’t know how to respond to that, so he simply remained silent.

“And I’m not stressed out. I’m just a little disappointed in my progress.”

“I’d like to remind you that I got stuck in Discord’s Chaos Realm the first time,” Gallus pointed out, a hint of a smirk gracing his beak.

“Please don’t remind me of that,” Ocellus whined, wincing. “I still don’t know how that happened.”

“That’s okay; I don’t think Discord knew either.”

“It would have helped if he had; I could have solved that glitch in the spell formula, and you wouldn’t have gotten stuck there the second time.”

“Or the third?”

“Ughhh. Or the third time.”

Gallus softly chuckled at her embarrassed blush. “Why do you need to learn this portal spell first anyway?” he asked after a minute. “Can’t you just learn normal teleportation like Princess Twilight or Headmare Starlight?”

“I’ve got my eyes set on that spell family next. But I have to account for some differences between my magic and unicorn magic before I attempt those.”

“There are differences between changeling and unicorn magic?”

Ocellus deadpanned.

“You know what I mean.”

“Regarding functionality, they’re mostly similar, but they differ greatly in regards to their inherent natural properties and energy sources.”

“So the spell we’ve been testing this whole time was a changeling spell?”

“Correct.”

“Oh. I just thought it was a different type of unicorn spell or something.”

“I understand your confusion. Funnily enough, the Portal spell family—a derivative of the classic Teleport family—actually operates near identically to the spell I have been using.”

Again, Gallus remained silent.

“And I needed to practice and master the changeling spell first before I can isolate the differing properties between standard teleportation and changeling teleportation, but once I do that I can figure out a conversion formula to let me use both styles.”

“…Okay. Want any help with that too?”

“That depends. Have you recently studied up on the fundamentals of Advanced Manaphysics.”

“Is there a book I can read on the subject?”

“There are over a thousand books you can read on the subject.”

“Which one is the best.”

“I don’t understand the question.”

“Which of those thousands of books would be best for me to read?”

“All of them of course.”

I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting that answer. “Okay, so why should I read all of them?”

“Because they’re all equally fantastic and important; there is no single superior book on the matter. There are some with outdated fallacies that you should avoid, but I can give you a list of those,” Ocellus said, shrugging.

“In that case, what would you recommend I start with?”

“Well, I suppose you could start with The Starswirlian’s Guide to the Arcane.”

“Sounds like a fun way to spend a weekend,” Gallus noted, feigning sarcasm. Certainly better than shifting through all those letters…

She snorted.

“What?”

“There is no way you can read all forty-two volumes of that series in a single weekend.”

“How many volumes!?”

“Forty-two,” she answered smugly.

“Huh. Well, if you can read all of that in a weekend, I guess I can too!” he boasted.

“Hee-hee! It’s so cute that you think it still takes me a weekend to read that.”

“It still takes you an hour at least though, right?”

Ocellus merely smiled. “Moving on, I want to thank you again for all of your help, Gallus. I’ve made far more progress today than I would have if I had practiced on inorganic materials only.”

“Good thing I’m an organic material then,” he said dryly, earning a small snicker. “But I’m happy to help, Ocellus. It definitely beats the soul-crushing boredom of being in my room all day with nothing to do.”

“Can’t argue there. Luckily, I’ve got a whole new batch of calculations, formulae, and theorems to solve, so we won’t have to worry about that.”

“You mean you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Huh? I thought you were going to help me out with this?”

“But you said— Wait, you really wanted my help?” Gallus asked, blinking in surprise. “I thought you didn’t since I’m not caught up on Advanced Manaphysics or whatever.”

“That doesn’t mean you couldn’t help at all. Unless…? Are you already planning something for the Science Fair?” she questioned. “I wouldn’t want to keep you from doing your own project.”

“I was just planning to bring in a cup of dirt and hide in the bathroom so our teachers couldn’t get on my case for it.”

“A cup of dirt? Seriously?”

“Better or worse than a jar of dirt?”

“Gallus, you… Oh! Ohhh, I get it. Sarcasm. I need to work on recognizing it more. For a moment, I thought that was what you were really intending to do.”

If I didn’t think of anything better to do between then and now, it would have been.

“Anyway, yes. I would like your help,” Ocellus confirmed, nodding. “I’d really appreciate having a helping hoof with all of this research. Or talon, rather.”

“Research buddies then?” he asked, offering a claw.

“Research buddies,” she replied, bumping said offered claw. “Let’s meet up again later though. I’ve got a lot of spell properties I need to analyze, and a whole species-magic conversion equation to draft. I’ll let you know when I’m done with that part, and then we can start working together on perfecting it. Sound good?”

“Sounds good.”

“Right. Just let me sort this out really quickly,” she said, lighting her horn and returning half of the books back to their original places. The other half swiftly found purchase within her saddlebags.

“‘Quickly’ is right! Must be really nice having magic.”

“It is certainly versatile,” she agreed.

“I kinda got that. But I guess I’ll have to stick to having digits.”

“Hey, at least you don’t have to worry about getting headaches from horn overuse.”

“That can happen?” Gallus inquired, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve heard of magic exhaustion, but headaches?”

“Yes. And you’ll never know how lucky you are to not have to deal with them.”

“Aren’t there any spells to help with that?”

“You realize the irony of that statement?”

“Well, if anyone would have an answer to that question, it’s you.”

Ocellus remained quiet for a moment before blurting out, “Soothe Alpha and Beta are helpful in the early stages, but if it’s a full-blown migraine, the best spell to use for it is Healing Alpha. Or maybe Recovery Gamma if you don’t mind knocking yourself out for a few hours. Then again, you could also use any of the Medic or Tranquility spell families. Those are always good secondary options.”

His silence prompted her to meekly ask, “W-What?”

“Nothing. I’m just waiting for you to keep going.”

“Oh. Do you want me to?”

“If you want.”

“R-Really!? Wow! Usually, nopony likes hearing me talk about the practical uses of magic in everyday life.”

“Maybe they’re just jealous of your awesome magic skills?” he suggested.

“Uh, I don’t think it’s that. It’s generally more akin to exasperation.”

“Whelp. It takes a lot for me to get exasperated, and I’ve got literally nothing better to do.”

“Well, I suppose I still have some time myself, so… Let me tell you all about the new Daydream Beta modification that came out in Wizard Weekly over the break!” she began excitedly.

A looooooooooooooong time later…

“…And that is how Shadow Pyre became known as the Father of Necromancy,” Ocellus concluded.

“Wow. Just. Wow.”

“I know, right!? So many different spells, techniques, and runes were created by him; it’s such a shame his work got so eclipsed by others like Starswirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever,” she lamented, resting her cheek against her hoof.

“He did make a name for himself by resurrecting the dead; I doubt Princess Celestia would have wanted him romanticized,” Gallus reasoned.

“True. But for as amoral as he was, his works are still incredibly fascinating to read.”

“I bet.”

They shared a small laugh.

After a moment, Ocellus continued, “It’s been really nice talking to you, Gallus. You and I never seem to get a chance to spend time together.”

“Yeah, why is that?”

“Probably due to a lack of shared hobbies.”

“I’m shocked, Ocellus,” Gallus playfully exclaimed. “I thought you’d know me better than to think I have hobbies.”

“Oh, don’t be like that. You have plenty of hobbies.”

“Like?”

“Uh… Hmm.”

Thoughtful silence.

More thoughtful silence.

Yet more thoughtful silence.

“What do you do when you’re not hanging out with the rest of us? Or doing school work.”

“Wandering about. Aimlessly!” he answered dramatically.

“Funny. But I am serious. I know I spend all my free time in the library, but I still try out some of the school’s extracurricular activities from time to time.”

“Chess Club, right?”

“Mhmm. Hey! Speaking of that, November Rain quit a while ago, and we’ve been looking for a new member. If you really didn’t have anything better to do, did you want to join?”

“Me? Chess? I don’t know, Ocellus. I don’t play all that often, so…”

“Oh come on, I’d be more than happy to teach you, and it is a lot of fun. Please?”

“…Sure, why not?” he conceded.

“Yay! I love Chess Club, and I know you’ll love it too!” she cheered. “We meet up in Classroom 12B every Thursday and Friday; I’ll let the others know you’re coming.”

“You do that, Ocellus.”

A new set of steps sounded off, announcing the arrival of a familiar orange and orchid dragon.

“So, how long have you nerds been in the library?” she asked, drawing their attention to her.

“Huh? Oh, hey, Smolder,” Ocellus greeted, giving her a polite wave. “How are you doing today?”

“Bored out of my mind and still regretting trying out Sugar Belle’s game yesterday,” Smolder groaned, approaching their table.

“Uh-oh. Are you and your brother alright?”

“I’m fine, and Garble’s stomach is stronger than Pinkie’s. Trust me. He’s doing swell. … I think,” she added uncertainly. “Anywho, what were you two doing?”

“We were just talking,” Gallus answered.

“I was originally telling Gallus about this new spell modification I read about, but then he asked what PSI spells were, and that led to tangent after tangent after tangent…” Ocellus trailed off.

“Uh-huh. Hey, by the way,” Smolder began, addressing Gallus. “I bumped into Headmare Starlight on the way here, and she said she wanted to see you, dude.”

Ohhh nooo. She wanted to start that today!? “What did she want?”

“Didn’t say; she just asked me to tell you next time I saw you.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Why would she want to see you?” Ocellus asked.

Because I was stupid enough to tell her I was going crazy all week, and landed myself with a month of guidance counseling torture sessions.

“I don’t know,” he answered, shrugging. “What are you up to, Smolder?”

“Science Fair project. It’s less than two months away, you know.”

“I do know. Which is why I came here to practice for my own presentation,” Ocellus elaborated.

“And I was already in the library and bored out of my skull, so I offered to help.”

“Gotcha. Although, were you guys messing with explosives or something? Because the library reeks of—”

“Oh! Come! On!” Ocellus lamented, face-hoofing.

Gallus smirked and added, “I didn’t want to say anything, but…”

“I have taken three showers, emptied an entire bottle of cherry blossom shampoo, and sprayed myself down with perfume! How do I still smell like gunpowder!?”

“Oh yeah, you spent yesterday hanging out with Trixie, didn’t you?”

“Yes. And as fun as it was to learn a few things about stage magic and pyrotechnics, I could have absolutely lived without smelling like a barrel of used fireworks.”

After sharing a mirthful glance with Gallus, Smolder began, “Aw, cheer up, Ocellus. You were always a real firecracker; now you just smell like one.”

“Oh, hush up.”

“Gotta agree with Smolder, Ocellus,” Gallus continued. “After all, you were on fire today with your magic.”

“Don’t you start either!”

“Should we keep it going?”

“Nah. Let’s just randomly sneak one in every now and then so she doesn’t forget.”

“Oh, this going to be an absolute blast; don’t you agree, Ocellus?”

“Guys!”

The dragon and griffon snickered while the changeling huffed.

“Hey! Since you’re here, Ocellus, do you mind if I ask you a few questions about my project?”

“I don’t know, Smolder; I’m feeling a little burnt out.”

“Okay, okay. I deserved that. But c’mon, Ocellus, please? It’s just some science babble I need help understanding.”

“Science babble…” Ocellus sighed despairingly. “‘Science babble’ she calls it.”

“Well, what else am I supposed to call it?”

“You call it what it is, Smolder.”

“Except I don’t know what it is. But you can change that, you know,” Smolder sang, smirking.

“Fine. But I hope you don’t mind keeping it short. I’ve still got some stuff I need to do and not much time to do it since I got so distracted talking. No offense, Gallus.”

“None taken. I’ve, uh… Gotta go too.”

Now would be a good opportunity to ask her a certain question.

“Before I go though? Do you mind if I ask you something too?”

“Sure. What did you need?”

Did Cozy Glow curse her room to mentally screw with anyone who entered it? No, that’s way too obvious and indicative.

Let’s try: Is there a spell that can permanently mess with your mind? Nooo! Definitely not that!

Hmm… Is there a curse that can strengthen the worst parts of your mind?

“So I really am a part of your mind, am I? Took you long enough to admit—”

Could you tell if I’m being negatively influenced by some crazy dark magic stuff?

“You truly are so desperate to ignore your problems that you’ll pretend they’re caused by some unnatural, outside force? How pathetic. It’s so entertaining! Do it more! MORE!”

Am I going insane!?

“You sure you want to ask that? You can, but if you really want to make two of your other friends go crazy worrying about you…”

Oh peck! I can’t tell her about this! Wait, the book! I can still get the book; I can just come back later when Smolder and Ocellus aren’t here and get it!

“And then what? Waste a week of your life lying to yourself that I’m a curse and not another rotten, little speck of your broken mind?”

You’re not part of my mind! You can’t be! I refuse to believe it!

“Deny it all you want, but in the end—”

Two quick snaps echoed in front of his face.

“Hellooo! Equestria to Gallus? Are you still in there?”

“H-Huh?”

“You asked if you could ask Ocellus a question and then spaced out,” Smolder said, bewildered.

“G-Gallus?” Ocellus began tentatively as her horn dimmed. “Are— Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m perfectly fine!” he professed instinctively. “Just got lost in thought.”

“You got lost in thinking of how to ask a question?” Smolder asked, her voice oozing skepticism.

“Yep!”

“Okaaay then… So, you gonna ask it or what?”

“Smolder, don’t rush him; I don’t think—”

“Yeah, I was, uh, going to ask when did you want to meet up again to, uh, continue the teleportation research stuff?”

Ocellus blinked, having not expected that response. “O-Oh. Umm… Well, uh… How— How about after Chess Club,” she managed to sputter out. “That’s my last extracurricular activity on Friday, and by then I should have most of the conversion formula solved.”

“Great! See ya Friday,” he said, dashing for the door.

“G-Gallus, wait!” Ocellus called out worriedly.

He was already gone.

In the wake of his absence, Smolder openly asked, “What was that about?”

Ocellus bit her lip, still staring after Gallus.

“Ocellus? You look a little scared…” Smolder acknowledged, feeling a growing sense of unease at the sight of her friend’s dismay. “Seriously, is something going on?”

Their eyes met, and she whispered, “I don’t know.”

Silence filled the library.

***

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” he chanted, lightly smacking his head against a wall in the empty hall.

“Were you thinking something different?”

“Shut up!”

“No! You’re suffering! And I looooove it!”

“Get out of my head, you stupid curse… Hex… Thing!”

“And plague someone else? Okay, how about Silverstream?”

“Don’t you dare!”

“Well, I have to haunt someone, don’t I? Being a ‘ghost’ and all.”

“You’re not a ghost; you’re just a stupid curse!”

“You mean voice. Remember: Everything I say is—”

“My words, right? Well, you’re in my head, so of course you’d be speaking my thoughts!”

“So you finally admit it, huh? That my words are your own, just unspoken?”

“That’s not what I—”

“So everything I’ve ever said is something you’ve thought, right? That’s what you said.”

“Not like that! You’re—”

“So the idea to steal a unicorn’s horn and brainwash others into giving you adoration was something you’ve entertained before? The pleasure in your self-loathing is something you feel constantly? The fear that you manipulated—”

Gallus rushed down the hall, blindly fleeing from the ghost.

“You can’t run.”

Gallus didn’t bother responding.

“You keep wanting me to be some stupid curse, but the truth is that I am a voice in your head. Your voice, no one else’s. You’re just hiding from that fact, coward.”

That word reverberated in the slowly darkening world.

Coward.

It crawled along his spine and bled down the walls, paralyzing his wings and repeating mercilessly. The world fell otherwise silent. Cold. Dark. Gallus could hear nothing but that same word echo over and over.

Coward. Why aren’t you okay?

Coward. Why can’t you be happy?

Coward. Why are you so cruel?

Coward. She thought you were better; why did you lie to her?

Coward. She wasted her time with you instead of them; why did you steal from her?

Coward. She cares about you, so why did you betray her?

Pathetic.

You’ve always been pathetic.

You’ll never be anything but pathetic.

“S-Stop… Please! Please stop…”

Nothing answered his whimpers.

When the silence merely continued, Gallus opened a teary eye.

A closet. He had hidden himself in a supply closet. Probably for the best—he didn’t exactly want anyone to see him shivering in a cold sweat with his wings stubbornly clasped around himself.

His breaths came in short, harsh pants as he frantically swept his gaze across the cupboard, terrified the demons would return again.

Eventually, he finally regained control of his breathing and slowly uncurled himself; a talon reflexively combed through his headcrest and batted away the dampness from his eyes.

“What is wrong with me!?”

He flinched, anticipating some nightmare to answer. It didn’t; instead, it was an angel that did.

There is nothing wrong with you.

Gallus blinked and sighed.

“I wish.”

…

“Ugh! C’mon, Gallus. Stop being stupid and just… Go do something! Get your mind off of whatever is going on. Let’s go!”

***

“And that why hot cocoa now illegal in Yakyakistan.”

“No way. You have to be making all that up because there’s no way that really happened.”

“Yona not lie!”

“Are you sure? Because I swear I’ve heard this story before. Now that I think about it? I think that’s beat-for-beat the exact same plot in this story I once—Ow! Careful with the needle!”

“Yona be more careful with needle if Gallus be more believing of Yona.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Gallus grumbled, still wincing. “How much longer do I need to stand here?”

Yona merely smiled at him cheekily. Her smile then became far more joyful when the shop door opened a moment later, and in walked her boyfriend, Sandbar.

“Hey, Yona,” the young stallion greeted. “I got us some lunch, so I hope you’re… Uh? Gallus?”

“Hey, Sandbar, look! I’m snazzy! Dapper! And ten levels of suave!” Gallus declared, raising his head and giving his most confident smile.

“I can see that. Wait, isn’t that the suit I was helping you with, Yona?” he inquired, trotting toward the duo.

“Sandbar had sister to watch, and Gallus offered to help in Sandbar’s place,” Yona explained.

“Oh. But I thought I was your modeler,” he jokingly whined.

“Jealous, Sandy?”

“No. … Maybe.”

“Don’t worry, Sandbar still Yona’s favorite. Plus, suit still Sandbar’s when done; Yona needed only little more time to perfect.”

“Aww. Love you too,” he said, sneaking her a quick hug and missing a certain somgriff’s eye twitch. “Of course, if you’re almost done with the suit, I guess that means that next up is your dress?”

“Pfft! Yona not need some new, fancy dress,” she said unconvincingly.

“If I can get a cool suit that’s snazzy, dapper, and ten levels of suave then it’s only fair you get a beautiful dress that’s all those things and more.”

“Oh, fine! Yona needed more practice with hemming anyway.”

“Can I pick out the colors?”

“Yona not know. Sandbar have any ideas in mind?”

“Nope. Don’t need to when every color would look amazing on you.”

“Aww! Sandbar so sweet.”

“I try.”

The blushing couple shared a cute giggle.

“Bleghhh! Get a room,” Gallus jokingly exclaimed.

“We are in a room,” the pony shot back.

“Get a different one.”

“Should Yona remind friend that Yona still holding needle?”

“Go easy on him, Yona. He’s just jealous he doesn’t have his own special somegriff yet.”

“Gallus? Was today supposed to be—”

“Heh-heh,” he chuckled, shutting down the replayed memory. “Yeah, I’m just jealous. Awkwardly cute hugs, shared giggles, and repeated ‘I love yous’! Those are things I’m absolutely jealous of,” he scoffed.

He had the feeling that someone somewhere in the world was raising an eyebrow.

“Glad to see you admit it, Gallus. It’s nice to see you finally be honest with yourself.”

Every instinct in the griffon’s body lit ablaze with overwhelming terror, but Gallus remained rooted to the spot, forcing himself to acknowledge that Sandbar had no clue about his current issue.

“Oh please! I’m never honest with myself!” he squeaked out, unable to stop himself.

“I know. That’s why I got that jab at ya,” Sandbar added, winking.

“Yep. And I met it with a cut of my own,” Gallus replied, struggling to stay calm.

“No talk about cutting when Yona concentrating! Cutting make Yona think of ripping, and ripping make Yona nervous. Very nervous,” she murmured darkly.

“How exactly am I gonna rip something when I’m standing still?”

“Gallus certainly not standing still earlier.”

“I guess I’m just terrified to move now that anything I do could trigger another cutesy-romance session. Eughh. Of all the things in this world, that scares me the most.” Why can’t I stop talking!?

“I’ll make sure to remember that this coming Nightmare Night. Speaking of which, that is coming up soon… Yona? Did you want to maybe go for a couple’s costume this year?”

“‘Couple’s costume’?”

“Yeah, we dress up as a well-known duo instead of each of us having our own unique costume. I figured since we’re a couple now you’d might want to try it.”

“Sure, sounds fun. Does Sandbar have costumes, or can Yona make them too?”

“If you want to make the costumes, you go right ahead. As long as I can still help.”

“YES! Even more practice for Yona!” she bellowed, pumping a hoof into the air in glee.

“And even more time to spend with you,” Sandbar said, giving her a loving nuzzle.

Couple’s costumes? Nightmare Night? Spend time with!? Gallus panicked.

Yeah! Maybe you could do something like that with Silverstream, cheered an alicorn’s voice.

“Please!” scoffed a demon’s. “He doesn’t want that; all he wants is her pity, so he can pretend he doesn’t have an empty, hollowed-out husk of a heart. Or is bat-guano nuts.”

Oh, quit it! Sure, maybe he’s a little scared, but who wouldn’t be?

“The yak and pony currently nuzzling?”

They’re a special case.

“Are they really? What does Gallus even have to be scared of? It’s not like he even knows what love is; he only thinks he does because of the friendship rhetoric you shoved down his throat, Princess.”

It is not rhetoric, thank you very much! I’m sorry you didn’t want to learn it because you’re crazy, but friendship is the most important—

“Hold that thought! Gallus, why do you now have Twilight Sparkle’s voice in your head?”

Excuse you, I’m glad I’m a voice in his head. It means he has someone reminding him of the values and strengths of friendship and—

“Hold that thought! Gallus, why do you have a platitude vending machine in your head?”

Hey! Listen—

“Help me.”

“Hmm? What Gallus say?”

“Huh!? Oh, nothing. Sorry to ruin the mood, but the suit’s getting a little… Overheated,” Gallus went with.

“Is it maybe your feathers, dude?” Sandbar figured, wincing in sympathy.

“Y-Yeah! Just, uh, just my feathers.”

“Hmm. Well, when Yona make proper suit for friend, Yona will remember issue.”

“You… You don’t have to make me a—”

“Gallus wasting breath; Yona will make Gallus suit, and it will be BEST!”

“Right. So, uh… Mind getting me out of this in the meantime? It is getting really hot.”

“Oh, right. Here, Yona got it.”

An uncomfortably overheated minute later…

“Whew! Glad to be out of that.”

Yona frowned.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Gallus better not have,” she warned.

“You really better not have,” Sandbar wisely warned as well.

“Okaaay, I’m gonna vamoose before I get gored and trampled.”

Yona and Sandbar chuckled at the “joke” while Gallus forced a smile.

“Don’t worry, Gallus. Yona in creative mood today, not smashing.”

“Way too late for that, Yona! I’ve been worried all day, nothing new.”

Gallus had intended that to be a joke. Something in-character for him to say to stave off whatever suspicions he might have raised with his earlier losses of composure. Naturally, it backfired.

“Why Gallus worried all day? Something wrong?” Yona asked, picking up on his weary tone.

So many words flooded to the edge of his beak, desperate to spill forth, and it was by sheer ingrained habit that he was able to keep the dam holding against the deluge.

Do not hide away your heart, Gallus.

For a sweet second, Gallus thought about finally following that advice. Unfortunately…

“You got detention, didn’t you?”

“Detention?” Yona repeated. “Why Sandbar think that?”

“I bumped into Headmare Starlight at the sandwich shop, and she asked that if I saw Gallus to tell him she wanted to see—”

SMASH!

Only the rattling door disturbed the following silence.

“Huh. I guess he forgot the Headmare was looking for him,” Sandbar soon speculated. “Good thing I reminded him then.”

Yona said nothing.

“You think he did get a detention? Would explain his, er, abrupt departure.”

Yona still said nothing.

“Ah well. At least he didn’t break the door; that wouldn’t have been…” Sandbar finally caught on to his girlfriend’s silence. “Yona? Something up?”

“…Sandbar?” she began, frowning. “Yona not think Gallus was worried about detention.”

***

The sounds of another lazy afternoon filled the air of Ponyville.

Ponies trotted about with neither aim nor care; birds sang out into the sky, dancing in delight; and the Everfree Forest swayed passively in the autumn breeze, allowing the town to enjoy the peace.

Above it all, a single, fluffy cloud stood against a canvas of cerulean. And on that cloud, a lone griffon lied on his back, staring into the firmament.

The ghosts had long-since vanished into whatever rusted cesspool they had come from, leaving him trapped with only the muffled exchanges below to disrupt his solitude.

…

“What is wrong with me?” Gallus whispered.

…

“Didn’t I… Didn’t I get over all of this? Silver and I had so much fun together, and yet… I said I was feeling better! I told her I was! So why am I…?”

…

“What did Cozy do to me!?”

…

He turned to face the Everfree Forest.

…

“No. No, I’ll just get the same speech as last time.”

…

“Is this why Griffonstone is the way it is? Because nogriff has any idea how to solve their problems, so they just hide it? Is that maybe why I’m like this? That it’s just… A griffon thing?”

…

“Tch. No, Gallus, you’re the only who has this problem. You. No one else. You’re all alone.”

…

“Why am I so alone?”

…

He turned to stare at the Friendship School.

…

His gaze returned skyward, only to meet the soft golden eyes of the pegasus above him.

“GAAAHHH!” he yelled, leaping into the air and dispersing his makeshift cloud in the process.

“Whoopsie! Sorry for scaring you, Mr. Gallus.”

“It— It’s alright, Mrs. D. You didn’t scare me that badly.

“Phew! That’s a relief. So whatcha doing up here?”

“Just relaxing. We go back to school tomorrow, so I’m just trying to rest up.”

“Ooh, that sounds nice.”

“I guess. What are you up to?”

“Delivering letters of course,” she answered with utmost enthusiasm. “I just finished delivering another batch of yours, actually.”

“Huh? But Gabby only writes to me on… Oh no,” Gallus groaned in fearful realization.

“Ms. Glimmer said it would be okay to leave it in your room, so that’s where I left it. Sorry about not bringing it to you personally, but it was really heavy! By the way, could you sign this?” she requested, passing him a clipboard and pen.

“Oh, uh, sure,” he agreed, signing the paper with a shaking talon.

“Thank you. That’s one giant, one-day-express delivery from the Crystal Empire delivered, hee-hee. And on time, yay!” she cheered. “You know? I’m not used to delivering packages from the Crystal Empire, or ones so big, but that just made it more fun. So, did you make a friend there?”

“Something like that,” he whimpered, terrified of what awaited him back in his room.

“Wow! That must be really nice having a pen-pal all the way across Equestria.”

“Yeah. Nice.”

The ambient noise of the marketplace below echoed in the silent sky.

“Whelp, I have more mail to deliver. See you later, Mr. Gallus.”

“H-Hey, Mrs. D, before you go?”

“Hmm?”

“Uh… Thanks again for helping Silver and me with laser tag yesterday.”

“Oh, you’re welcome; it was a lot of fun!”

“It was. You were pretty good.”

“Hee-hee. Thanks, you were too.”

“Mrs. D?”

“You know you could just call me Ditsy if you want.”

“O-Oh. Sorry. So, Mrs. Ditsy?”

“Yup?”

“…”

“Nevermind.”

“Okay,” she replied instead of prying further. “Oh, almost forgot! After I dropped off your mail, Ms. Glimmer asked that when I saw you to—”

“Uggggggghhhhhhh!”

Mrs. Ditsy blinked. “Is something wrong? That ‘ugh’ went on for a while.”

“No, nothing is wrong. Nothing is wrong at all…” Gallus deflected badly.

She tilted her head.

“I got landed with some stupid counseling stuff. That’s all.”

“Oh!” she chirped in understanding. “Well, that sounds fun.”

“Not really,” he groaned, giving the Friendship School a wary glance.

“How come?”

I’m going to be told I’m going crazy. “I’m just going to be told a bunch of stuff I already know.”

“So you think it’s going to be boring?” she asked innocently.

“More a waste of my time.”

“I doubt that. Talking to your friends is never a waste of time!”

“Ms. Glimmer is my teacher, not my friend.”

“But you go to the Friendship School; aren’t your teachers supposed to be your friends too?”

Gallus paused before shrugging and saying, “I guess. But only because she has to be.”

“No one ever really ‘has’ to be friends; friends just choose to be.”

“Then why would she choose to be my friend?” he inquired, thinking more about Silverstream than Starlight and more about her question than their friendship. “Why would anyone?”

“Hmm, that’s a tough question to answer,” Mrs. Ditsy stated simply.

What the… She didn’t say the usual… What? “Because there is no reason to care?” he guessed.

“Nope! Because the answer would be different for everyone, so you can never really have one single answer. But I think that’s actually really, really cool! After all, if everyone has different reasons to be your friend, that means there’s that many different ways you’re special!”

“But how would someone know that though?”

“I don’t know,” she answered, shrugging. “I guess you just have to ask.”

“What if you’re scared to ask?”

“Why would you be scared to ask a question?”

“Because you’re scared of the answer.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re worried about what the answer means for you.”

“Hmm. I’m not sure I know what kind of answer could mean something bad for you,” Mrs. Ditsy said, tapping her chin in thought. “But I bet that even if it does, you’ll still have friends to help make it better.”

He gave that statement some thought before asking, “What if they don’t know about it?”

“Then I’d just tell them.”

“What if you’re scared they won’t help?”

“A real friend would always help! That’s what makes them your friends,” she declared, smiling.

Gallus looked down at the untroubled ponies below him as he contemplated that idea.

“Well, it’s been nice talking to you, but I do need to get back to my route.”

“Okay. Have a nice day, Mrs. Ditsy,” he said, waving goodbye.

“You too, Mr. Gallus. See you later!”

After she departed, he turned to the Friendship School.

…

“Peck it! Let’s get this over with!” Gallus told himself as he swiftly flew to the school before he had a chance to change his mind.

***

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Come in!”

Gallus took a deep breath. “Headmare Starlight?” he asked, poking his head into the room.

“Oh, hello, Gallus,” Starlight greeted, closing her book. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Yeah. I got your message, er, messages, I guess.”

“Heh-heh. Yeah, I hope I didn’t make your friends worry.”

“Eh, most of them think you’re probably giving me a detention or something.”

She raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

“Sooo, what exactly am I supposed to do?”

“There’s nothing you’re ‘supposed’ to do, but please, take a seat,” she encouraged. “The sofa’s really comfy.”

Gallus slowly obliged, reclining into the lime green couch. He couldn’t quite meet his Headmare’s eyes just yet, so he shifted his own around the room.

An assortment of kites hung from the ceiling above her desk; twin bookcases stood to the side, one filled with books, and the others with dozens of scrolls whose contents Gallus wasn’t privy too.

She was still staring at him.

In one corner, rested a metal filing cabinet with a picture frame atop that he couldn’t quite see properly, and in the other corner rested a glass hutch filled to the brim with multi-colored jars and vials.

Her periwinkle eyes wouldn’t stop staring into his soul.

A calendar rested behind the mare, marked with stickers, notes, and sticky notes, and scattered around the wall, several other pictures hung, depicting a few ponies and a dragon he didn’t recognize.

She was still staring at him!?

“Seriously, what am I supposed to do?”

“What do you want to do?”

Run away. But I know you don’t want me to say that, so… “I don’t know.”

“Do you maybe want to talk?”

Yeah, I had a feeling that’s what you really wanted me to do. “Sure?”

“Okay, what did you want to talk about?”

“Uh… What do you want to talk about!?”

“Hmm. Well, my day has gone pretty well. Especially now that we have the last of the Friends and Family Day Festival cleaned up and the School ready for tomorrow. But what about you? How has your day been?”

I’ve had some psychopathic filly’s curse screwing with my head all day. “Meh. My day wasn’t really interesting.”

“Oh? That’s odd; I thought you’d be spending the day going over Princess Cadence’s advice.”

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! “Y-You know about that?”

“Well, Twilight did mention it in her letter.”

Gallus groaned into his talons.

“I’m guessing you weren’t ready for anyone else to know about you and Silver?”

“Please! PLEASE! Tell me you didn’t tell anyone else!”

“No one around to tell. Everyone else is busy catching up on some much-needed rest.”

Gallus kept his head down, not relieved by that at all.

Noticing this, Starlight took initiative and added, “You look kinda down. Did you want some Empathy Cocoa?”

He looked up to find a steaming mug of liquid chocolate hovering before him. He took it and gently sipped at the hot beverage, ignoring what Yona had told him about the stuff earlier. The warm froth seared his mouth and throat, but the sweet taste of marshmallow and chocolate overrode the pain.

“Thanks.”

“Of course.”

There was yet another brief stretch of silence where the two did nothing but sip at their cocoa.

Gallus cracked and asked, “You’re a unicorn, so you know all kinds of spells and stuff, right?”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Starlight said, failing miserably to hide a cocky smirk behind her mug.

“In that case, what do you know about… About mind magic?”

“I’m competent,” she answered neutrally.

“Okay. So, this is going to sound a little bit crazy, but… If, say, something was up. Like— Like if I thought maybe I was—I mean! Someone I know was being effected by mind magic… Would you be able to—you know—tell?”

“Depends on the spell. Some have pretty obvious signs, but others are a fair bit more subtle.”

“O-Oh. Nevermind then.”

Starlight waited a minute before asking, “So, who is it?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry. It’s— It’s nothing; I’m probably just being stupid—I mean paranoid!” he quickly corrected. “I’m just being paranoid. Nothing to worry about.”

Awkward silence returned with a vengeance.

“Gallus?”

“Look, I know what you’re going to say, and no! I promise there’s nothing to worry about! Everything is fine! Nothing is wrong; I’m just worried over nothing is all. That’s it.”

“I was going to say I double-checked Cozy Glow’s room.”

“W-What?”

“Mhmm,” Starlight nodded.

“Wh— But that— What did you— I mean—” he stammered.

“Take your time, Gallus; I’m not going anywhere,” she promised, still maintaining her neutral expression.

Gallus took the offered moment then said hesitantly, “Twilight told you that too, huh?”

“That everything yesterday snowballed when Silver found you in the kid’s room? Yep. She also asked that I go over it just in case. Good thing too since you’re asking about it.”

“I’m guessing she also told you I’ve been seeing that nutbar in my head ever since?”

“…”

“Oh peck.”

“Language.”

“I’m not— I promise I’m— Nothing is—” Gallus blinked. “Did you just say ‘language’?”

“Yep. You think I don’t know about other nations’ cuss words? Please. I know ‘em all.”

The absurdity of Starlight criticizing his expletive rather than commenting on his admission of insanity floored him. And then he remembered that he just admitted to being insane.

“I think I should just leave; sorry for wasting your time!”

“Gallus.”

For as much as the griffon wanted and intended to move, he hadn’t so much as twitched.

“Yes?”

“You say you’re seeing Cozy Glow in your mind?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

And there it is. “N-No! I’m not— I’m not crazy!”

“I didn’t say you were.”

“But you were thinking it!” he accused.

“Why would I do that?”

“Well, duh! Only crazy creatures hear voices in their heads!”

“Unless it’s your own voice of course.”

“But… What if it’s not my voice? I’d be crazy then, right?”

“Why don’t you start from the beginning,” Starlight suggested, placing her cocoa aside.

“Do I have to?”

“You can just give me the cliff-notes if you want; I’m sure I can keep up.”

“Fine.” Gallus took a slow, shaky breath and began, “I was miserable for the past week, so I tried avoiding everyone. The day before yesterday, I wound up in Cozy’s room and killed time talking to myse… To her. Not even a minute after stepping paw in that room and there she is! Like some kind of ghost. And she talked to me, telling me every possible thing she could to make me even more miserable.”

He spared a quick glance at Starlight, but she remained unreadable.

“She sort of went away, but now she’s back. Kinda. I can’t even last more than a day before my mind breaks down, and…” He sighed morosely. “Now I just feel…”

“Miserable?”

“Paranoid.”

“Of?”

“HER! Duh!”

“What about her makes you paranoid?”

“Are you seriously asking me that!?”

“I have my own thoughts, but I’d rather hear yours first.”

…

“I’m… I’m scared that everything she says… That she might be right.”

“What kind of things has said to you?”

“That I’m a coward. A useless, superfluous… Monster.”

“Well, those are certainly lies. You are no coward, and by no means are you a monster. And only a true monster would think of you as useless or superfluous.”

But what if I think that about myself? “I know she’s lying. I know I’m— I’m not— I-It’s just that she kept spinning everything to make it seem like whatever she said was something that I actually thought! And that— That can’t be real! She has to be wrong, right!? I’ve never thought the— The— The things she said I have! I would never— I-I could never!” he proclaimed.

“What kind of things has she said you think?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Humor me,” Starlight challenged.

“There’s nothing humorous about the thoughts she keeps putting in my head.”

“I don’t doubt that. But still. Go on.”

“She told me that… That if I… Argh, I don’t want to say it!” he weakly groaned. “You may want me to be locked up in an insane asylum, but I prefer open air, thank you very much!”

“That’s not what I want, Gallus.”

“Oh, really!? Then what do you want!?”

“To listen. And to help,” she assured readily, her tone remaining placid.

Gallus panted for a moment before slumping and finally allowing the earlier dam to break.

“Before Silverstream and I had fun at the Festival, I was… Really down in the dumps,” he confessed. “I just wanted to know why… Why they left me. I just wanted so much to know why I couldn’t have a family like everyone else! I wanted that too. I wanted it so badly! And Cozy—or her curse, or whatever—said that I… She said that if I wanted to have that love then I could always just force others to love me.”

“Hmm. How would you go about that?”

The gears in the griffon’s mind ground to a halt. “W-What?” was all he could mutter.

“How would you force others to give you love?”

“She suggested stealing a… A unicorn’s horn and using it to mind-control others.”

“Oh?”

“‘Oh’? ‘Oh’!? That’s all you can say!?”

“No, I’m just thinking still.”

THIS IS MY HEADMARE!? “What’s there to think about!?” he demanded. “I literally have some demon child in my brain telling me to hurt and brainwash ponies! And all you can say is ‘Oh’!?”

Starlight’s unflinching silence sparked a fuse in his brain, urging him to continue.

“I have some…thing! Haunting me! Telling me that I— That I’m a monster! That I may have murdered my parents! That I don’t care about others! That the bonds I have with my friends aren’t real! That I manipulated them! That I made them pity me! That I— That I don’t know what real love is…”

…

“I don’t understand! How is she still in my head!? I’m better, aren’t I!? I told you, Princess Twilight; Silver! Grover’s Treasure, I told Silver I was doing better, but no! No, I’m not better! I still have that psycho in my head, and I can’t get her out!”

…

“And you! You said you searched her room, right!? Please! Please tell me that whatever curse she placed on her room, you lifted! I’m begging you! Please tell me she’s gone!”

…

“No… No-no-no. Don’t you dare say it. Don’t you dare say you found nothing!”

“I’m sorry, Gallus, but there was nothing to—”

“Check me then! All these crazy thoughts are in my head! It has to be some kind of curse, spell, or something! Come on! Light up your horn and get it out of me!”

“I don’t need to, Gallus. I know exactly what’s—”

“NO! SOMETHING! IS! WRONG WITH ME! You can’t pretend otherwise; look at me! Look at me,” he whimpered. “I’m supposed to be getting better, but I’m not! It’s still in my head! Just waiting for me to stop drowning it out so it can remind me of how pathetic I am!”

His panting was the only sound in the room.

“Here,” Starlight gently said, hovering a box of tissues in front of him.

“Thanks, but I don’t exactly feel like sneezing!” he snapped.

“You’re crying, Gallus.”

He put a talon up to his eyes, feeling the droplets. “…Oh. Might’ve missed that. Thanks.”

Outside, the sun slowly began it’s journey downward as the two sat in silence. Several minutes passed before Gallus sniffled, and wiped away his dried eyes one last time.

“What’s wrong with me, Headmare Starlight? Just… What’s wrong with me?” he practically begged.

“Something I know all too well.”

He blinked. She didn’t say no? She didn’t say no! “S-So there is something wrong with me?”

“Wrong only in the sense that it’s hurting you.”

“So what is it? What’s wrong with me; what do I do!?”

After a moment of thought, Starlight asked, “Gallus? May I ask you something?”

“Sure…?”

“It’s something personal. Are you sure you’re okay if I do?”

Personal? What does she mean by that!? What does she mean by— “Just get it over with.”

“Alright. … Gallus, what was the happiest thought you’ve ever had about yourself?”

“Huh?”

“What was the happiest—”

“No, I heard; I just… What do you mean?”

“What is the nicest or happiest thought you’ve ever had about yourself. Maybe an accomplishment you took pride in, or perhaps something fun you treated yourself too? Simply put: Have you ever looked into a mirror and smiled? Not boasted. Not bragged. Just… Smiled?”

“I… I… I still don’t understand.”

“You said you keep being told you’re pathetic. Or cowardly. Or useless. Have you ever had a day, or even a moment when you told yourself you were great or brave or smart? A single moment when you genuinely congratulated yourself for just being yourself?”

“…I don’t know.”

She closed her eyes, falling silent.

Gallus gulped. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She didn’t want honesty! She wanted—

“This truly is surreal,” Starlight said, opening her eyes and cutting off his internal rebuking.

“What is?”

“You.”

Gallus didn’t know how to respond to that. Okay, so she’s not treating me like a maniac; that’s good! I guess she actually did want genuine honesty? Huh. But what does she mean by ‘surreal’?

“Gallus…? How long have you been alone?”

“I-I’m not alone. I’ve never been alone,” he reflexively deflected. “I— I had Grandpa Gruff. And I have my friends now too! Silver, Smolder, Sandbar, Yona, and Ocellus! See!? I’m— I’m not alone!”

“That’s not what I meant, Gallus,” she countered knowingly.

…

“I think I’ve always been alone,” he quietly admitted.

“Never knowing why?”

He nodded.

“Did you ever blame yourself?” she asked, noticeably uncomfortable with doing so.

“I never wanted to believe it. I never wanted it to be the truth! But…” He gulped and said, “But what else could I have blamed? What reason could they have had? It had to have been me. Right?”

“No, Gallus. It was never your fault.”

“But how do you know? How would I know!? How would anyone!?”

“Does it matter how?”

“YES!”

“Why?”

“Because— Because— It just does! I don’t care what anyone says! It! Matters!”

She calmly nodded. “Alright then. … You didn’t answer my question though. Did you ever truly blame yourself? Not just this week, not just today, but… Have you always blamed yourself?”

Fighting back the instinct to sugarcoat things, Gallus mumbled, “I don’t want to. And I guess I’m not supposed to, but… But I’m scared that I…”

“That you should?” she guessed.

He finally locked eyes with her, blurting out, “Maybe? I don’t know. Should I blame myself!?”

“No,” Starlight said simply, decisively, and gently. How she did so all at once, Gallus didn’t know.

“But I don’t know why they left; I never will! So, how will I ever know if I really am to blame? What if I’m alone because I deserve to be!? How will I know that!? I can’t— I can’t know.”

“No one deserves to be alone, Gallus. Even the cruelest, most despicable monster in the world deserves at least one soul willing to reach out to them in the end.”

“But I… I am alone. Was! I mean… Am I still alone? Or am I not? I don’t know! If no one deserves to be alone then what did I do to be alone in the first place!? What’s wrong with me!?”

“Nothing is wrong with you, Gallus.”

“But—”

“Everyone has a reason for why they do things, but choices are still choices, regardless of what led to them,” Starlight said sagely. “Many will make terrible choices, and just as many others will suffer as a result. That doesn’t mean that bad choices can’t be made up for or forgiven, but that doesn’t matter now. You’re not the one who made the choices; you’re the one who suffered because of them.”

“But what if I made them make that choice!? Look at me! I’m a pathetic coward, and all I do is just whine and make everyone else waste their time,” Gallus claimed. “First the Tree, then Silver, and now you!”

“First, you are neither pathetic, nor a coward. Second, sitting here and talking to me is not whining by any means. And third, don’t ever believe you are a waste of time. You are worth so much, Gallus. Never think otherwise.”

“But what if—”

“And finally… I said that it didn’t matter what led to a choice being made—Yes, I know you said it did matter. But the only creatures it ever mattered to…? They made the choice, and in the end, you paid the price. Knowing why they made that choice will never change that.”

Gallus winced. “You don’t understand,” he spoke up. “What if I was the reason they left? How many times do I have to say that for you or anyone else to get it!?”

“I won’t pretend to know why they are gone. Perhaps they had a reason, perhaps not. Maybe it was a justifiable reason, maybe not. But regardless, what matters is—”

“YOU STILL DON’T GET IT!” he yelled over her. “I need to know why they’re gone! I need to know why they left me alone! I need to know why they made that choice! I need to know if it was me! I need to know if I was the reason they’re gone! I don’t ‘want’ to! I don’t ‘think’ I need to! I! Need! To! Know!”

…

“I’m sorry! I— I shouldn’t be yelling. It’s just— It’s just so frustrating! Wanting so badly to know but having everyone tell me that it doesn’t matter or that it shouldn’t…”

“It’s okay, Gallus. I understand.”

“Tch. Really? Or are you just saying that?” he snapped, recoiling immediately after.

“Hmm? Well, I suppose there is one thing I don’t understand. You say it’s frustrating… Is that because no one else seems to think it matters even though you know it does? Or is it because you think it matters despite everyone telling you it doesn’t?”

Gallus gulped, mulling over both her words and his next ones. “Silver wanted so badly to help me feel better. But here I am… Having some stupid meltdown like a pecking toddler.”

“So it was that one…” she mused. “Well, a creature can’t get over their pain in a day, Gallus.”

“Why not? Friends helping friends get over their issues—Isn’t that how friendship works?”

“That’s exactly how friendship works,” Starlight confirmed. “Friends help their friends. But that doesn’t mean your friends can instantly wipe away all the bad days you’ve had.”

“Isn’t that the point of all of your friendship missions?”

“They were about helping repair bonds that had been broken or were strained. Just that: Helping as best as they could. Not clapping a hoof and solving every problem in a snap.”

“Still instantly solved all the problems from what I know.”

“Go ask the Princesses if I solved all of their sibling issues in a weekend. Go on, I dare you.”

“…”

“Gallus?”

“Yeah?”

“May I ask you another question?”

“It’s not like I could stop you.”

“I understand you want to know why they left, and I know that you’re scared you might be in some part responsible for their absence. But—”

“It matters,” he interjected.

“I know. And I think I know why too.”

“Do you? Do you really?”

“Yes.”

“Well then, oh, Grand Headmare! Pray tell, what’s wrong with me?”

“You’re not only afraid you might have been the reason why your parents are gone… You’re afraid that somehow, someway you might once again drive those around you away. Aren’t you?”

Silence. All around him was silence. Everything else had pulled back, fleeing from his twisted, nightmarish visage. Even the darkness had fled away in terror, leaving only the silence to—

“Gallus, you’re crying a—”

“I’ve never wanted to think that!” he yelled, panic returning. “I don’t want to even consider that! They’re my friends! They’re my FRIENDS! Right? Friendship requires loyalty, so they— They wouldn’t leave me, right!? They care! I know they do! B-But… What if— What if they stop!?”

“They wouldn’t.”

“But they could! I already made one family run away, so what’s s-stopping me from driving them away too!? Silver tried to help me, but it didn’t matter! I’m still m-messed up in the head! I’m still alone! I’m still scared and sad and p-pathetic! And I still have that psycho in my head!”

His voice hitched, allowing for only a harsh sob. The sobbing continued, and his eyes blurred and stung with warm tears that began falling despite his frantic swiping.

On a different day, Gallus would have kept his beak closed and face expressionless, ignoring the uncontrolled rapids and maintaining his practiced cool. Today was not that day.

“Stupid tears! I’m not supposed to— I don’t— I don’t want to cry!” he rebuked.

A hoof gently gripped his shoulder, igniting a different fire in the griffon.

“Why am I not better!? What’s w-wrong with me!? Why c-couldn’t I j-just be happy!? Why am I still feeling these s-stupid things!? What am I doing wrong!?”

The hoof slowly moved up and down along his back.

“I want to be happy, so why can’t I be!? Am I just cursed!? Scratch that! I am! And I don’t know why! Why can’t I be h-happy!? Why can’t I move on!? I just want to move on!”

Another box of tissues hovered in front of him which he went after with reckless abandon.

“I want— I want to spend time with m-my friends! I want to— I want to be with them! I love them! I l-love my friends, but what if I screw it up!? I almost screwed it all up once! I’ve a-almost lost them all twice! And it’s all my fault! It has to be, r-right!? I’m the one that can’t be happy! I need them; they don’t n-need me! So why would they keep caring about— About someone like me!? I want to be happy! I don’t want to be sad, but I can’t get over it! Why can’t I just be happy!?”

The world wouldn’t answer.

“Why!?”

The world still wouldn’t answer.

“WHY!?”

The world finally answered.

“It’s okay, Gallus.”

“No! It’ll never be okay! I d-don’t know why, but it can’t! It just— It just can’t!”

“It can. It takes a long time, but it will.”

“You say that! But here I am! And it isn’t okay now! So what reason do I have to think it w-will be okay later! And how much longer before it becomes okay!? It’s easy to say it will b-be okay now, when you’re not the one who can’t… Who isn’t… Who…”

“Shhh. Just let it out. It’s okay.”

Only now did Gallus realize he had been pulled into a comforting hug. A moment later, he softly wrapped his own talons against her, leaning into the hug.

…

His sobs slowly quieted.

…

His tears soon finished.

…

His grip eventually let go.

They remained sitting on the couch—griffon and unicorn. One was too exhausted to do anything but stare at the floor, and the other remained alert, awaiting the faintest of movements.

“Is this why I lost them in the first place? Because I couldn’t be happy? If it is then I’m doing it again. I’m g-gonna lose my friends. I’m gonna lose my f-family again! I don’t want them to go! I don’t want to be the r-reason why my family is gone! I don’t— I don’t want to be alone!”

Gallus was beyond returning to the piercing sobs; instead, his tears flowed forth from the gentlest of whimpers. Wordlessly, he gratefully took the next batch of offered tissues.

“I’m so sorry! I— I shouldn’t be— I’m not supposed to— I just— I’m sorry!”

“Gallus, it’s okay.”

“But— But I’m not supposed to be like this! I’m not—”

“Never be afraid to show your feelings, Gallus,” Starlight interrupted. “It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be sad and upset. And it’s okay to be afraid. These aren’t things you need to hide away and bottle up.”

“I just don’t understand. What’s wrong with me, Headmare Starlight? Why can’t I move on?”

Starlight took a deep breath and answered, “You’re hurt, Gallus. You’ve been hurt for a long time, and you’ve been carrying that pain all by yourself for I’m guessing almost your entire life?”

A nod.

“But now you’re healing—”

“No, I’m not! I’m not heal— Sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize.”

Liar, he thought, keeping his beak shut for once.

“And thanks to Silverstream, you’re beginning to heal. You’re trying to be happy now. Genuinely happy. What you weren’t prepared for was the transition.”

“The what?”

“The transition. The long, winding, annoying road of healing. The path to happiness is laid before you, but it goes on forever, is arduous as Tartarus, and just looking at it fills you with dread.”

“Language,” he reflexively joked.

“Ha! Sorry. … You didn’t know how hard healing would really be,” Starlight resumed. “The truth is it’s difficult, confusing, and painful. Sometimes it feels like you’re going nowhere or worse: Backtracking. And on top of that, it only gets longer and harder the bigger the burden you carry. So many can look at the path to healing and complete it in a hop, skip, and jump. Others have to hike the thing for months on end.”

Gallus gulped.

“But, Gallus? That road does end. It will feel like an endless nightmare you can’t wake up from; it will rip and tear at you and leave you with scars deeper than the oceans; and it will challenge you and make you wonder why you bothered trying at all. But it does end.”

“You say that like it’s easy…”

“‘Easy’? Gallus, teleporting is easy. Time travel is easy. Mistakes are easy. Giving up is easy. Having the determination to walk that road? The strength to look into the face of the world despite the pain it’s given you? The bravery to keep walking that road and never stop until you reach the end? Gallus, that’s the single hardest thing a creature can do in this world.”

“Then how do I do that then?”

“You walk the path. Bit-by-bit; step-by-step. And with every step it gets that much easier. The end gets that much closer. And soon the days you had to force yourself to continue will become days where the challenge is taking one hundred steps instead of settling for ninety-nine. Yes, it is hard now. It will remain hard until the absolute end, but with every single step… It gets easier.”

“How do you know? H-How… How can you possibly know what it’s like t-to… To heal?”

“Because I’ve walked it myself,” Starlight revealed.

“You have?” Gallus asked, trying to remember if he had heard anything that implied as such.

“Mhmm. I lost a lot. My best friend. My home. … Myself. I walked around in circles for the longest time, afraid of even thinking about moving on, let alone trying it.”

“But you did?”

“I like to think I did, but honestly? Even now, I think I’m still on the path, just right at the end of it. Still carrying my burden, but it’s so light now I barely even remember it’s there.”

“So it was easy for you then, huh?”

“Nope. It took me a long, long time. But this isn’t about me and my journey. I just want you to know that I do speak with experience. A lot of it. And I promise you, Gallus. It does get easier.”

“How? How did it get easier for you then? Er, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I met Twilight. I met her friends. I made new ones, and I kept old ones.” He looked away but said nothing, so she continued. “The hardest part is that for as easy as the path becomes, you have to carry that burden the entire away, loneliness and all. But you don’t have to carry it alone. And the more friends you have, the lighter your burden. And you already have a few friends willing to help.”

“What if they won’t care?”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“Because they’d get tired of caring?”

“True friends never stop caring. Ever.”

“What if I drive them away?”

“Then you go after them and make amends.”

“What if I can’t?”

“Then you come to me and the others and you ask for help.”

“What if I drive you all away too?”

“Ha! Ha-ha… Kiddo, you’d have to do something truly awful to make us not want to help you.”

“It was pretty easy for Cozy Glow…”

“The choices she made were ones she made knowingly and willingly. And in the end, she reveled in the pain she brought. … Well, almost brought.”

“You still gave up on her. That means that you could give up. If you wanted to.”

Starlight looked away for a moment before sighing. “Fair enough. You wouldn’t be afraid if you didn’t have a reason to be. But even still, I know you’ll never do anything to make us give up on you.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because unlike Cozy Glow, you care.”

They quietly sat there for what could have been hours for all Gallus knew. But soon, he regained his breathing and finished drying his tears; his cocoa slowly hovered before him afterward.

“Thank you,” he said, gratefully taking the drink back.

“No problem,” Starlight said, levitating her own drink over to her.

“Why does it have to be so hard?” Gallus eventually resumed. “Can’t I just have a nice day with my friend and move on? Why do I have to deal with any of this?”

“Your heart isn’t a light switch, Gallus. You can’t just snap your talons and stop feeling, even if that feeling is loneliness.”

“I wish it were that simple. I’m tired of feeling this way! I’m tired of always wondering why they left! And I’m tired of having all these stupid thoughts in my head! Why can’t it just be easy!?”

“The world is a difficult place to understand sometimes. But if getting over heartache were that easy… Would the pain have meant anything at all to you?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, dumbfounded.

“Our worst experiences should never define nor control us, but they should always teach us. The days we’re sad should emphasize the days we’re happy. And if nothing else, heartache proves that we loved. If not to others, to ourselves. At least, that’s how I’ve come to think of it.”

“Huh. That sounds like a nice way to look at things.”

Starlight shrugged.

“I wish I could look at it that way. But all of this just feels like pain to me.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like any of this is your problem.”

“No, but that’s because it’s not my ‘problem.’ It’s my duty: Helping you heal.”

“Is it even worth it?”

“Yes.”

“Am I even worth it?”

“You’ll always be worth it, Gallus.”

“It’s hard to remember that when… When…” Gallus sighed. “When the ones who were supposed to teach me that never did,” he slowly let out.

“Then I guess it’s lucky you have all of your friends who’ll always help remind you.”

“…Yeah,” he agreed, perking up a tad. “Yeah, it is. It’d help if I actually told them about this.”

“That would certainly help,” she chuckled.

They shared a small smile, but his soon turned back into a frown.

“But why do I keep seeing Cozy Glow in my head?”

“You’ve only just begun healing, Gallus.”

“That doesn’t exactly answer my question.”

“You asked if it was a curse? The answer is no, Gallus. What you’re seeing isn’t some evil hex she placed on you.”

“Then what is it?”

“Hmm… You remember I said I had walked the same path as you are now? Well, the same thing happened to me. Words whispered in the back of your mind that you’re afraid are your own? Thoughts that haunt you like phantasms from day to night?”

“That’s exactly it. That’s exactly what she’s doing; h-how do I get rid of her?”

“The thing is, Gallus, that’s not Cozy Glow. This has nothing to do with her.”

“Then what is it?”

“The transition.”

“You said that already, but I still don’t get what you mean.”

“You’ve been alone for a long time, Gallus, and you’ve spent that time viewing the world and everything within it from that perspective. Right?”

“…Maybe.”

“Well, now you’re not alone. And you know it, and you’re trying to accept it and look at the world from a completely different view. But all that time you’ve spent alone isn’t going to go away, and the thoughts and fears you accumulated from it are going to bleed through from time to time. Not because you still think those things, but because you’re so used to thinking from that perspective.”

“You mean I’m used to thinking of stealing unicorn horns and mind-controlling others!?”

“Everyone has bad thoughts, Gallus. Some are born of anger. But most come from desperation and fear. They’re only dangerous when we’re willing to act on them, and I know you’re not.”

“But I’ve never thought those things before! Not once!”

“Maybe not that one specifically, but are you saying you’ve never once had even one like it?”

The memory of their first Hearth’s Warming flitted to the surface. “No.”

“Mhmm. And these thoughts seem more apparent now that you’re trying so hard to not think that way again. So whenever they do cross your mind, you’re more aware of them. And more afraid.”

“But then why do I keep seeing Cozy?”

“Eh-heh-heh,” she laughed hesitantly. “Now that I don’t have a concrete answer for, but if I were to hazard a guess? It’s because of how you view her.”

“As a nutbar?”

“As a sadist.”

“No! You’re suffering! And I looooove it!” echoed in his mind.

“I mean it could also be some subconscious psychological thing since all of this started when you went into her room, so you just connect these thoughts to her in some capacity, but…”

“Heh. But then why do I keep seeing anyone? Shouldn’t they just be—you know—thoughts?”

“Now that’s definitely because of some subconscious psychological stuff.”

“Really?”

“Well, the worst possible thoughts are always easiest to accept if they’re from someone else.”

“Oh. Yep, that definitely sounds like some subconscious psychological mumbo-jumbo.”

“Heh-heh-heh. Yeah.”

The two took a minute to just sit there and drink their cocoa.

“Headmare Starlight?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks. For… For listening.”

“Always.”

“Do you mind helping me tell the others?”

“Of course. Do you want to go tell them now?”

“Um, could we wait a little bit longer? I’m still not ready. Not yet.”

“I understand.”

“Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

***

A battle raged in the sky between the sinking sun and rising moon. To one horizon, a warm, hazy orange desperately clung to wakefulness, unwilling to fade away. And to the other, a sea of cool indigo served as the backdrop for the pale moon and it’s twinkling friends.

Along the streets of Ponyville, remnants of the populace were finally headed home, eager to rest in their homes and with their families after a long day of work.

Within the walls of the Friendship School, many a flickering light burned onward still, but just as many were quelled by ponies seeking an early rest to prepare for tomorrow’s return to studies.

Down the hallway leading to the dormitories, one particular pair stalked forth.

“She told you that!?”

“Yep. So was there any truth to it?”

“I’ve no idea; never traveled there myself.”

“Huh. Maybe I’ll visit one day and ask?”

“Oh, definitely. Because if that actually happened, I’m going to need to tell Pinkie to stop putting chocolate in anything she gives to Yona.”

And with that, they had finally reached their destination. Through the door before them laid another hallway, and in that hallway laid another set of doors, and through those doors awaited…

Gallus gulped.

“Are you okay?”

He nervously nodded.

“It’ll be easier if you tell them sooner rather than later, but if you’re still not ready…?”

“No. No, I need to tell them; otherwise, I probably won’t. Let’s get this over with!”

He opened the door.

And was immediately face-to-face with an orange dragon. Said dragon immediately started scowling and said, “Well, well, well… If it isn’t Mr. Lost-in-Thought himself.”

Oh no. What did I do!? “Hello to you too, Smolder. Something—”

“Smolder, wait! You can’t just—” Ocellus bellowed, racing behind her before skidding to a stop before them all. “Ohhh… Uh, h-hi, Gallus,” she greeted timidly.

Immediately, the other three quickly darted out from Silverstream’s room with the hippogriff in question being the last to exit, her head down and eyes averted.

She didn’t…

Gallus nervously looked to Starlight who awkwardly smiled and shrugged.

“Do I even want to guess?” he asked, putting a talon to his face.

“W-We were j-just—”

“No, no!” Smolder interrupted Ocellus. “I want to hear it from him. So, Gallus, what have you been up to? You having a good day? Enjoying the day off? You didn’t get a detention, did you? Don’t lie now; honesty is a core foundation of friendship after all.”

She did.

“Okay, Silver, how much do they know?”

“Um—”

“Oh, we know everything, Gallus!”

He flinched at the anger in Smolder’s voice but still asked, “Everything everything?”

“Pretty much,” Silver weakly admitted.

“Aw geez, Silver!” Gallus exclaimed.

“I’m sorry, Gallus, but—”

“Hey, don’t you be mad at her! We came to her when you had your freak-outs in the library and Carousel Boutique, and at least she was honest with the rest of us! Unlike a certain griffon…”

“Smolder!” admonished everyone, save Silver and Gallus.

“I ain’t taking it back.”

“M-Maybe, we s-should all c-calm down first?”

“‘Calm down!?’”

“Creatures are able to m-make better judgments when they a-are in a state of tranquility as opposed to frustration and anger,” Ocellus recited from some book or another.

“Yeah? Well, I don’t plan on making any judgment calls until after he looks me in the eye and tells me the truth! So, Gallus!? You look me in the eye, and you tell us if everything she said about you being on the brink of a meltdown all week was true!”

“‘Brink of a meltdown’ is kind of an over-exaggeration, dude.”

“I’m not talking to you, Sandbar!”

“Now, Smolder…”

“Headmare Starlight? Relax, I’ve got it.” No, I don’t, Gallus thought before he took a breath and began anyway, “Yes, I wasn’t feeling well over the break. You guys may have had fun getting ready for the holiday, but to me the whole thing was just a reminder that I don’t have anyone but myself, and—”

“You have us! If you were feeling crummy why didn’t you just come and talk to any of us!?”

“And what? Friends and Family Day was supposed to be something to enjoy, and all of you were having fun. I wasn’t, and there was no way I was going to push my problems onto any of you and make you all worry about me.”

“So instead of talking to us about this so we could help you feel better, you decided you didn’t trust us enough to tell us the truth!?”

“S-Smolder, I don’t th-think it was a question of—”

“I’m not talking to you either, Ocellus!”

The changeling winced.

“Smolder, I did trust you. I trusted all of you; I just— I didn’t— I—” He paused, hesitant to add the next bit. C’mon, Gallus, you’ve come this far. No more cowardice, he decided, continuing on, “At the time, I didn’t even think I was worth your concerns anyway. All of this stupid… Loneliness, or whatever it is; it was something I should have been able to deal with myself.”

“But Yona and friends’ happiness not more important than friend’s feelings!” Yona protested. “If Gallus upset, Yona and friends would have helped!”

“I knew that. It’s just… You were all supposed to enjoy the holiday, and I was too, but I… I couldn’t. You all know why… So, I did the best thing I could think of at the time and that was pretend I was happy and not tell any of you the truth.”

Smolder’s eye twitched.

“B-But it was Friends and Family Day! It w-was a time to have fun with our friends too! Why didn’t you want to spend time with us if you were s-so m-m-miserable?”

“Because I felt like I would drag you all down with me. The whole thing was my problem. Not yours. You didn’t deserve it; you guys deserved to be happy. Even if I wasn’t.”

A faint trail of smoke began billowing from Smolder’s nostrils.

“But that was how I felt. Key word being ‘was’ since—spoilers—Silver basically forced me to spend the day with her and helped me out. A lot.”

He tried to give Silver something of a smile, but she hadn’t yet looked up from the floor.

“Yeah, we know,” Smolder growled. “But we should have known because you should have told us. We shouldn’t have had to hear it from someone else!”

“I know, Smolder, but… I was too scared to be honest, alright!” Gallus groaned, shrugging. “I’ve said that a lot in the past two days, but I don’t know how to say it any other way. I was just scared.”

No one talked, following his declaration.

“But you are feeling better now at least, right?” Sandbar asked after some time.

Everyone’s eyes locked onto him, and he reflexively leaned back from the intensity.

“I’m… I’m…”

While they all looked at him with equal worry, what else their gazes held was unique to each of them. Yona still looked troubled; Ocellus was far paler than usual; Sandbar stared at him with uncertain hesitancy; Smolder’s scowl had deepened with his every word; and Silverstream…

Her eyes held the same fear they had yesterday.

Don’t you dare lie to her, Gallus! To any of them!

“I’m doing well enough. Not as well as I should be, but well enough. And I am getting better, I promise. I’ve got, like, three weeks of mandatory guidance counseling for a reason, you know?”

A coin could have fallen into the dusty dunes of Saddle Arabia and still be heard in the hallway.

“That’s great!” Sandbar declared, beaming. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Gallus.”

“Yeah, I am too, Sandbar.”

The others didn’t look quite as satisfied, especially Smolder. Yona, on the other talon, rushed to Gallus and trapped him in a bone-crushing hug.

“Yona promise Gallus not alone!” she bellowed. “And Yona and friends will always be here for Gallus to help friend feel better! Yona promise!”

“Gah! Th-Thanks, Yona, but— I can’t! Breathe!”

Yona lessened the force of the hug but didn’t relent. Soon, Ocellus and Sandbar joined in.

“Yona’s right; we promise we’ll be here for you, Gallus,” the former assured calmly.

“Yeah, dude. No way we’re not gonna be here to help you out. What are friends for after all?”

Silver darted into the hug and squealed, “We all promise!”

His eyes watered again, and a genuine smile tugged at his beak.

“Y-You guys…”

…

Smolder walked away, and while she may not have slammed the door, Gallus still flinched at the final piercing glare she gave him before she went into her room.

“Golly, looks like your biggest fear just came true.”

Everyone else stared after her as well.

“S-Sorry about her; she’s just… Um, uh… Help?”

“Smolder happy Gallus okay. Yona think Smolder just mad Gallus not tell friends his feelings.”

“Yep, that’s probably it. Don’t worry, dude, she’ll come around.”

Silver was quiet.

“Heh. She’s not wrong; I should have told you all what was going on.”

“It’s okay, Gallus, we understand. We’re here for you now, and that’s the important thing.”

“And we’re not going anywhere.”

Warmth spread through his entire body, and the last of his tears finally broke free.

“Guys… Thank you. Just… Thank you.”

Five minutes later…

“Alright, kids,” Starlight spoke up. “As much as I don’t want to intrude on this, it’s getting pretty late. And you’ve all got school tomorrow.”

“But, Headmare Starlight, Yona and friends still hugging Gallus!”

“And you can all hug him in the morning, assuming you’re not too tired to do so.”

“She’s not wrong,” Ocellus recognized, leaving the hug first. “And I still need to take another quick glance at my notes before I go to bed. Plus, I’m pretty sure we’re all exhausted after today.”

“Reading our emotions again, Ocellus?”

“Sandbar, I keep telling you it doesn’t work that way!”

“Hee-hee, I know.”

“Ugh, why do I even bother? Goodnight, everyone.”

“Goodnight!”

“I need to go to bed too; somehow, I get the feeling we’ve got a long day ahead of us,” Sandbar said.

“Is it because Headmare staring at Yona and friends with ominous-yet-knowing expression?”

“Yep, pretty much. G’night, everycreature.”

“Goodnight!”

“Yona need sleep too. … Gallus remember friends will always be there for him, right?”

“Considering how often I keep hearing it, I probably won’t be able to even if I tried.”

“Gallus not try though, right!?” Yona nearly screeched.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he quickly clarified.

“Phew,” she sighed. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight!”

“Well, um, goodnight, Gallus.”

“Night, Silv—”

She threw her talons around him and held him like a lifeline.

“Gallus…? You are feeling better, right?”

Her voice was quieter than a mouse’s whisper, but the worry rang louder than a siren.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Promise?”

…

“Promise.”

She squeezed him even harder then quickly broke apart and said, “Alrighty then. See you in the morning, Gallus. Sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams, Silver,” he replied, watching as the last of his friends disappeared from view, leaving only him and Starlight in the hallway.

“Whelp. That’s that,” she said. “Now, you’d better get to bed yourself too, Gallus.”

“Hey, Headmare Starlight? You called it a ‘burden,’ right?”

“Mhmm.”

“Is this what you meant when you said it got lighter?”

“Pretty much.”

“It’s just that it takes forever before that burden completely goes away, if it does at all?”

“I wouldn’t say it takes ‘forever,’ but it does take a lot of time, yes.”

“Well, at least I’ve still got my friends. And as much as I don’t want to worry them, having them with me will help the time go by faster… Right?”

“That’s a pretty neat way of looking at things,” she said, smiling. “Now go on. School starts back up tomorrow, and you need some rest.”

“Yeah, sleep sounds good right now. See you tomorrow.”

“See tomorrow. Goodnight, Gallus.”

“Goodnight, Headmare Starlight.”

She trotted back down the hallway, and he sighed. Everything was fine. Nothing had gone wrong. He still had his friends. Everything is fine, he thought as he absentmindedly opened his door.

An ocean of parchment crashed out of the door and dragged him into the undertow. After a solid minute of swimming through the flood, he broke through to the surface, gasping for air. Upon gaining said air, Gallus looked around and both winced in fear and gaped in awe at just what exactly it was.

“Oh yeah, Princess Twilight, you definitely need to get your sister-in-law a better hobby,” he deadpanned. His eyes then slowly widened once the realization fully struck. Oh peck, I forgot all about the date thing! he cried out internally.

Gallus swallowed anxiously and looked at Silver’s room, simply staring at it.

…

I’ll uh… I’ll just ask her later! Yeah, later. Sometime later…

He turned his gaze back to the paper around him and groaned. Without hesitation, he quickly shoved the disarrayed mass back into his room and closed the door behind him.

Author's Note

I'm baaaaack!

And with a sequel to the one and only story I have posted so far! Yeah. That was something I didn't think I would be doing. But well? I got massive flood of people asking for one(A whopping TWO! Can you believe it!? :moustache: ) so who was I to refuse?

So here's some quick things:

1) I plan to put up a blog post in a few days concerning the details of when the next chapter will come out, but the long and short of it is that I'm "done" with Chapters 2-3. However, until I am done with Chapter 4, I don't plan on posting them, just in case I feel the need to go back and add/change something in the previous chapters.
Of course, I don't plan on leaving you all hanging, so if the next chapter is taking some time to finish, I'll inevitably post them(So probably around the middle of May? But that's the worst case scenario.)

2) I hope you all are doing okay with the crisis going on. I'm doing fine(Aside from my sleeping schedule), but I still want to make sure the rest of you are as well. Also, I wish you all good luck in finding toilet paper and Lysol.

3) I hope you all enjoyed the story so far! I legitimately had no plans to do a sequel to A Day for Family originally, but people asked for one, the ideas flowed forth, and so I delivered. I hope it's meeting expectations so far. I also hope I can keep meeting said expectations. As always, any and all thoughts, questions, and criticisms are welcomed!

Next time: It's back to school for Gallus and his friends! It doesn't go quite as well, as he would want.

Chapter Three: Expression

“Okay, so now we add the milk?”

“And the mixture,” Silverstream reminded him.

“And the mixture too,” Gallus agreed, passing it over. “Here ya go.”

“Thanks, Gallus. Okaaay, and that’s that whisked. Pass the melted butter.”

“How much butter does this thing need?”

“Just a little bit more,” she answered, taking the bowl from him. “Thank you. And now the blueberries.”

“Yep, blueberries incoming. Big bowl of blueberries,” he exclaimed, passing it over as well.

“Thank you again!” she sang.

“You’re welcome, Head Chef Silver.”

“Hee-hee. ‘Head Chef Silver…’ Alright, almost done. … And we’re done!”

“Wow, and here I thought we were supposed to bake them before we were done,” he snarked.

“Oh, hush and pass me the baking tray and ice cream scooper.”

“Why the ice cream scooper?”

“To scoop the batter into the tray, silly.”

“But it’s the ice cream scooper. It’s for scooping ice cream; that’s why it’s called the ‘ice cream scooper’ and not the ‘muffin mix scooper,’” he said as if it were obvious.

“It’s still a scooper, Gallus.”

“But it’s still the ice cream scooper; we have to use it for ice cream! If we don’t who knows what could happen! The sky could fall, dogs and cats could start living together; the gates of Tartarus could open! Complete and total chaos would ensue!” Gallus warned emphatically.

“Hey, Gallus?” Silver asked, catching on.

“Yeah?”

“You know that’s basically every other Saturday, right?”

“…I can’t argue there,” he admitted, pouting.

“Then gimme. Thank you,” she said once he turned it over. Silverstream then scooped a glob of blueberry muffin mix and filled up one of the trays before she paused and humored him. “So did the sky fall?”

“Uh, let me check.” Gallus looked out the window. “Nope. Doesn’t look like it.”

“Cats and dogs living together?”

“No more than usual.”

“Gates of Tartarus still closed?”

“No bugbears or manticores, but if Tartarus did open up, we probably wouldn’t know it yet.”

“Well, we can’t wait until Saturday; this mix needs baking.”

“Give me a minute; I’m still looking.”

“Then you can keep looking, but I’m going to finish scooping these muffins. Let me know if the world does blow up though, so we can make it to the Town Hall’s bunker,” she requested, smirking.

“On it. Wait, what the…? Hey, Silver? Does a giant flood of—I think those are pies?—Does a giant flood of pies count as the world blowing up?” he inquired, squinting at the sight beyond the window.

“No. That’s either the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Discord, or a giant pie monster. Take your pick.”

Gallus hummed in thought before stating, “My bet’s on pie monster.”

“Really?” Silverstream asked, filling the other tray. “I thought you’d go with Discord.”

“The pie flood isn’t covered in mustard or polka dots,” he elaborated plainly.

“Oh. Then yeah, probably a pie monster. Think they’ll have it sorted in twenty-one minutes like usual, or do you think it needs the full forty-two?”

“Depends on whether or not it can mind-control us.”

“Well, I don’t feel like I’m being mind-controlled. You?”

“No.”

“Great!” Silver exclaimed. “Twenty-one minutes it is then. So, all we have left is to put these babies in there, close the door, and ta-da! We’re finished,” she cheerfully concluded.

“Woo-hoo! I baked my first batch of muffins, hip-hip-hooray!” Gallus cheered, genuinely smiling.

“Hip-hip-hooray! Hee-hee-hee,” she laughed, smiling back at him.

“Now what?”

“Now, we wait,” Silver said, hopping into a seat and watching the oven.

“Right,” he said, taking the seat beside her.

…

“How long do we wait for these things to bake?” Gallus eventually asked.

“Eighteen-to-twenty minutes,” she answered. “Just long enough that the pie monster should be taken care of by the time they’re done.”

“Ah.”

…

He looked at Silver out of the corner of his eye, noting that she seemed completely content to continue observing their efforts cook into blueberry-filled goodness, regardless of how glacially they did so. He then quickly averted his eyes when she turned to look back at him, earning a giggle.

C’mon, Gallus, just talk to her. It’s easy; all you have to do is talk. Just turn to her and talk. Just turn to her and— Oh Grover, help me! What am I supposed to say!? What am I supposed to think!? What am I supposed to do!? I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t—

No! I’m not going to freak out! I’m going to breathe! In. And out. In. And out.

Gallus closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, resting his head in his talons as he flicked his tail back and forth across the tiled floor.

Just relax, Gallus, he soothed. Okay, I’m not going to panic; I’m going to think. This is just a problem, and problems are just a type of puzzle. And puzzles always have solutions. Emotional issues or no, there’s always an answer.

So, what is the puzzle here? Gallus calmly asked himself.

The problem is that I have no idea what Silverstream thinks of me. She asked if we went on a date, but I don’t know if she sincerely wants it to be that way or if she was just joking.

Okay, now that I know the puzzle, how can I figure out the answer?

I could call in a favor with Sandbar or Yona and have them talk to Silver about her thoughts on romance, then bring me into the conversation. They could then ask if she had any genuine romantic interest in me; afterward, they can tell me her answer, and I can think and act accordingly.

…

Or I could talk to her. That’s the healthier course of action. That’s supposed to be my first course of action! he lightly admonished himself. And I want to talk to her anyway. I like talking to her.

Gallus looked at Silver again and was met with her warm smile. He tried his hardest to return it in kind, fighting off the sudden flash of heat that was absolutely, definitely, unquestionably from the oven in front of him. I just need to talk to her; it’s not that hard. … For goodness’ sake, just say something!

“Hey, Silver?” he managed.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks. For teaching me how to bake muffins.”

“You’re welcome, Gallus,” she replied happily. “And thank you for helping me out with them; it was way more fun than if I had done it all by myself.”

“Yeah. … So, you bake a lot, huh?” he asked, unable to think of anything else to say.

“Not as much as I used to, but oh boy! My first week here? I asked Professor Pie how to do it, and I practically never stopped afterward.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! I mean, cooking stuff above water? With fire!? How amazing was that!?” Silverstream squealed, throwing her talons into the air in excitement. Her burst of enthusiasm mellowed out as she finished, “Of course, now I’m used to it, so the novelty’s worn off a bit. But I still sneak down here from time-to-time.”

“Huh. I guess you know all about baking more than just muffins then?”

“I’d give you the full list, but I wouldn’t even be halfway done by the time the muffins finish.”

“Sweet,” he admired.

Silver giggled.

Okay. That was a good start. Key word being “start.” Come on, Gallus, try to keep talking.

“Sooo, how about today, huh?” he began again.

Though she kept up her smile, Silver’s chipper mood vanished instantly. “Kindness class?” she guessed tentatively.

“I was thinking more about Generosity,” Gallus clarified, trying not to panic at her worried tone.

Silver blinked. “Oh! Yeah, I had a lot of fun,” she said, regaining some of her pep. “I was hoping to add more to my painting tonight, but I doubt I will. I still have Drama Club, homework, and the muffin delivery. Oh well.”

“I can do the delivery if you want. O-Or did you want to do that together?”

“Nah, I’ve got it. I have Drama Club next, and I wouldn’t ask you to stay through it all.”

“What? Worried you might embarrass yourself in front of little, ole me?” Gallus teased. “Or are you worried I might embarrass you?” he added, winking. She’s not actually worried about that, right?

“What!?” she yelped. “Oh, Gallus, no! Of course I’m not worried about something like that. For one thing, you could never embarrass me,” Silver reassured firmly. “And for another, there’s no way I’d mess up with all the practice I’ve had,” she proudly boasted. “Practice makes perfect after all.”

“So muscle memory really is that effective, huh?” Gallus joked.

“‘Muscle memory’!?” she exclaimed, affronted by the claim. “You think after all the hard work we put into our performances, we would ever rely on something like muscle memory? Gallus, how could you?” Silver dramatically bemoaned.

“Sorry,” he meekly apologized.

“That’s okay,” she assuaged, cheering right back up again. “We actually get that comment pretty often for some reason. Much to both Vellum and Scoop’s fury.”

“Not hard to see why,” he said, shrugging. “If you put a lot of hard work and effort into everything you do, and someone assumes—joke or otherwise—that all your skill is born of something other than all of that effort… Annoyance is pretty obviously going to be felt,” he ended smartly.

“That sounds suspiciously like psychology,” Silver said, grinning. “And here I thought you fell asleep during Professor Twilight’s lesson on psychology.”

“I probably did,” Gallus nonchalantly confessed. “But her lectures were like parasites. No matter what, they always dug their way into my brain,” he lamented.

“Ugh, that reminds me… I really hope we go back to the play we were practicing for today, and not another Horror. I know Professor Rarity wanted us to broaden our acting ranges, but I really didn’t like playing the monster,” Silverstream admitted, shivering.

“Wait! Wh-What?” he chortled. “You’ve got to be kidding me; you played a Horror monster? No way, I don’t believe it.”

“Is it bad that I’m relieved you don’t want to believe I could do the role?”

Would she feel better if I agreed with her or disagreed with her? Gallus wondered, shrugging.

“Ehhh, I don’t know either. But you now what? I’m gonna feel relieved anyway.”

Phew. “Is that because I didn’t get to see you run around in a humongous alien costume?”

“Try a giant, zombie monster suit that weighed more than Yona with annoyingly unworkable tentacle appendages.”

After a moment of trying and failing to envision that scenario, Gallus asked, “What kinda play were you guys doing?”

“Scoop mentioned something about it technically being a video game plot and not an actual play, but I don’t know. And to be perfectly honest, I don’t want to know,” Silver grumbled, giving him a dry smirk.

Gallus blankly stared back.

“O-Of course,” she nervously added, her smirk swiftly collapsing. “It was still a lot of fun.”

She continued to grin awkwardly at him, expecting a reaction. Any reaction. He just continued to stare at her blankly, unsure of what reaction would be best.

“Sooo, yeah. That was a fun two weeks,” Silver said, returning her saddened gaze to the oven.

Okay, silence was probably not what she wanted from me! Gallus stressed. “It definitely sounds like fun. Did you get any of it on camera? Because I would have loved to see it all go down.”

Silverstream blinked and turned back to him, hesitantly inquiring, “You… Would?”

“Well, seeing you run around in a giant monster suit sounds way too awesome to pass up for one thing,” he pointed out, eliciting a bashful smirk. “And for another…?”

“Yes?” she urged, a tinge of hope in her voice.

Okay, Gallus, you may not have read all of her stupid letter, but Cadence did say I needed to be more aware of Silver’s feelings and take any chances I could to be more considerate.

One way to be more considerate is to take a larger interest in things that are important to her, like with her painting. And Silver is part of Drama Club, so logically, Drama Club is important to her.

All that being said… Gallus concluded, hiding another nervous gulp. “For another, you make Drama Club itself sound like a lot of fun. … … … So, yeah.” ”So, yeah”? “SO, YEAH”!? That’s all I’ve got!?

If it weren’t for Silverstream being in the room, he’d have likely smacked his talon against his forehead. Thankfully, Silver didn’t seem to care one iota how stupid his words had been.

“You mean you really want to…?” Silver started, perking up. Not even a second passed before said perkiness evaporated, replaced by something akin to weariness. “I mean, obviously it’s fine if you don’t, but… If you really…? Oh, who am I kidding? Of course you don’t,” she sighed in defeat.

Okay, I think this conversation might have gotten steered into a different direction because I don’t know what she’s trying to ask me. “Did I want to what?”

“N-Nevermind,” she said, looking away again.

Gallus opened his beak to speak further but ultimately closed it, turning to stare out the window. The pie monster looked to be halfway through being taken down by Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.

C’mon, Gallus, she obviously wanted to ask you something, so ask her what it was!

But what if I’d be intruding, or I mess something up, or—

Just talk to her!

I can’t!

You just did!

And I ended it with “so, yeah”! Two stupid words that obviously show I have no idea what I’m supposed to do, say, or even think!

You got this far; are you really going to give up now?

…No, Gallus decided, turning back to Silver and asking, “Okay, what is it?”

“Huh!?” she gasped, taken out of her own daze. “Oh, it’s nothing; don’t worry about it.”

“I’ll stop worrying once you tell me what it is that’s bugging you,” he said resolutely.

“N-Nothing’s bugging me,” Silver protested badly. Thankfully, a mere second passed before she relented, “Okay, fine, you win! Yona wins. Scoop, Shimmy, and Patty win… Everycreature wins,” she murmured mournfully. “Just promise you won’t say no immediately. Please?”

Gallus swallowed. Oh peck! Is she going to finally ask about that!? Okay, stay calm, Gallus; you’ve got this, he encouraged himself. “I promise not to say no immediately to whatever it is.”

“Do you want to come to Drama Club with me today!?” Silver rapidly spat out.

The panic in his mind ground to a screeching halt.

I was only asking to come and watch her and the others practice, but is she talking about me actually joining the club? If so, then… “Sure,” he answered, still a tad confused.

“Of course, it’s perfectly fine if you say no!” she continued.

“Uh, Silver? Did you hear the part where I said sure?” Gallus asked uncertainly.

“I-I was just asking because you asked about today’s Generosity lesson, and I know you were having some trouble figuring out what you wanted to do for the assignment,” Silver kept rambling on. “So I thought it would be a good idea since Drama Club is all about art and expression anyway!”

“Silver, you can stop now, I already said I wanted to—”

“Besides, I figured it might be fun for you or m-maybe the both of us, and you did say it sounded like fun. … … … So, yeah!”

Gallus felt far less self-conscious about his own usage of those last two words; although, he now wanted to face-claw for having been self-conscious about it in the first place.

“B-But I know you might also be busy with Ocellus and her project or something, so if you didn’t want to go then I would more than understand!”

“I already said I’d go, Silver,” he said, trying not laugh.

“Of course, if you did want to come with me, that’d be perfectly okay too; I promise I’m not forcing you or any—” Silver finally stopped. “Did you say yes?”

“Technically, I said, ‘sure.’ But, eh, semantics.”

“And I’ve been just rambling on despite that?”

“Were you? Whaaat? I didn’t even notice,” he answered with a playful smirk.

“Ohhh,” she groaned into her claws.

“Don’t worry about it, Silver. I’ve heard these things tend to happen to the best of us.”

“But… You do want to come to Drama Club with me today?” Silverstream double-checked, looking back up.

I’m still not sure if she’s actually asking me to join the Club out just check it out, but I’m good with either, I guess. “It’s not like I have anything better to do. Besides…” he trailed off.

“Besides what?”

It will give me another chance to talk to you about that. … Okay, maybe a bit more cowardice, Gallus thought as he settled for saying, “Besides, why wouldn’t I want to spend more time with you?”

Silver grabbed him in a gentle hug, not even disturbing either of their chairs. He waited a second before wrapping his own talons around her back, embracing the hug.

“Thanks, Gallus,” she whispered. “That’s really sweet.”

“Yeah? Well, thou knoweth mineself, Fair Silverstream, for I doth be Lord of All Things Sweet!” he declared theatrically.

Silverstream could only giggle merrily.

DING!

“Ooh, the muffins are done!” Silver celebrated, leaping from her chair and opening the oven.

Gallus took a second to recover from the hug and asked, “It’s been twenty-one minutes already?” How long was I just silently sitting there, debating with myself for?

“Hee-hee, I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun with your friends,” she laughed, carefully extracting the muffins.

“I guess it does.”

The ground violently shook as a loud, defeated roar echoed from outside.

“And that’d be the pie monster being beaten by our Professors,” Silverstream acknowledged.

Gallus looked out the window again and suggested, “Or Pinkie Pie burping after having eaten it.”

Silver blinked and shook her head, saying, “Don’t question it. I shouldn’t question it. Everycreature else says not to question it, so I’m not going to question it either.”

“That’s probably the wisest course of action,” he agreed.

They snickered at the absurdity of the moment.

“Anyway, what do we do now that the muffins are done?”

“Make sure they’re good to go, let them cool, and then wrap ‘em up in a basket for Mrs. Doo.”

“Oh,” Gallus said, disappointed. “So we’re done done. That didn’t really last long, did it?”

“It’s like I said: Time flies when you’re having fun with your friends,” she repeated, putting all of their utensils into the sink.

“Yeah. It really does, doesn’t it. … You want to do this again, sometime?” he blurted out.

Silver paused and gave him a neutral stare.

Abort, abort, abort! I went too far; I screwed up! I repeat: I screwed—

“Hey, Gallus?” she suddenly asked.

“Y-Yeah?” he replied anxiously.

“What other pastries do you know how to bake?”

“Uhhh,” he droned, taken aback. “Some, but not a whole lot. Why do you ask?”

She gave him a smug smirk and answered, “Just trying to think of ideas for next time.”

Gallus smiled back, feeling that earlier warmth return.

***

A gargantuan theater hall stood before the two of them. Sconces lit with an ethereal flame were carved into the walls, and velvet curtains hung from them all, accentuating the display.

A good three hundred cushioned seats were embedded into the well-polished floor with many more likely hidden within the confines of the balconies above.

The stage itself was practically a sign of divinity; intricate patterns danced and swirled along its edge, and the whole thing gleamed with a golden light despite the ambient dimness of the auditorium.

“To this day, I still don’t know whether to be more impressed that this was somehow in Princess Twilight’s budget, or terrified that this is what Professor Rarity can do with too much free time and a bit of Bits,” Gallus whispered to Silver, afraid of disrupting the atmosphere of the room.

She quietly chuckled. “I’m pretty sure that was everycreature’s first reaction. But I’ll tell you one thing: It’s definitely better than the set-up we had for Celestia’s ‘Ones-versary’ thing.”

“Oh yeah, why didn’t we do that thing in here?”

“Beats me. Unless Princess Celestia raising the sun during it was the plan all along, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t.”

“True. So, now that we’re here…”

“Yeeeees?” she hummed.

“What exactly do we do in Drama Club?”

“Depends. What do you think we do?” she asked as they started walking toward the stage.

For whatever reason, his mind defaulted to some high school musical movie Sandbar had made them all sit through.

“Sing?” he sarcastically surmised.

“Ooh! We do do musicals sometimes, yes,” Silverstream confirmed. “But what else?”

“I don’t know. Wanna tell me?”

“Okay-okay-okay!” she said excitedly. “We pretty much do exactly what you think we do. Professor Rarity will have us come on stage and pick certain parts we want to try out, and then we try them out. Afterward, she tells us how we did and how we can improve to be even better. Of course,” she continued. “That’s when we’re not practicing for any major performances; when those happen, we practice for weeks until we’ve got everything perfect for the big day.”

“Definitely sounds like fun,” Gallus said, nodding.

“Oh, it is; it’s so much fun! We do all kinds of plays too: Tragedies, Comedies, Romances; Thrillers… That one Horror,” she ended, grimacing uncomfortably.

“I still want to hear about that by the way,” he reminded her. “Seriously, how did you get landed with the role? No offense, but I can’t imagine you would ever want to play as a giant monster.”

“I didn’t want to be the bad guy!” she moaned. “But Professor Rarity said I could benefit from playing a different role. Although, even if the costume did chafe, it was pretty fun chasing Scoop around while growling about stars. Heh-heh. Er, that makes more sense in context.”

“Most things do,” Gallus stated as he tried once again to to imagine Silver dressed in a monster costume and pretending to legitimately scare someone. Nope. I still can’t do it, he conceded.

“That’s all just an example of what we do here anyway. At the end of the day, it’s about having fun with everyone else,” Silver ended, both of them finally reaching the stage.

“‘Everyone else’?” he echoed, grinning. “Pray tell, Fair Silverstream! Where be this fabled ‘everyone else’ thou speaketh of?” he inquired, earning another giggle.

“Oh sure!” whined a sarcastic voice suddenly. “Ignore me even though I’m right here.”

Gallus turned to see a violet-blue stallion with an auburn mane reclining in the front pew and staring at them through golden amber eyes, a condescending frown marking his face.

“Vellum! Whoops, didn’t see you there,” Silver greeted. “How’re you doing?”

“Well enough,” he said, unknowingly making Gallus twitch. “You?”

“I’m great. Sooo, as you can see… I brought my friend, Gallus, to Drama Club with me. I asked him, and he said yes!” she announced happily.

“About time,” the exasperated stallion sneered.

“Huh?” Gallus asked the suddenly very nervous Silver.

“Eh-heh-heh, nothing,” she dodged. “Have you two ever been properly introduced?”

“Ummm?” Gallus hummed. Thinking about it, he did recognize the earth pony from around the school, but no name came to mind.

“Obviously not, Silver,” the pony droned as he rose to his hooves. “I’m in Class 1B, remember? If he knew my name, it’d be because you had told him before-hoof.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Silver conceded, grinning awkwardly. “Sorry. Anyway, Gallus, this is Vellum Codex. Vellum, this is Gallus.”

Oh, so this is the guy they mentioned at lunch? Gallus thought as he said, “Nice to meet you.”

“Charmed,” Vellum said, giving a curt nod. “I already knew your name though.”

“Because I’m a ‘Hero of Equestria’?” Gallus jokingly guessed.

“No, your friends’ constant talking about you was what seared your name into my brain.”

“Oh,” he replied, having no other response. Should I say sorry, or…?

“Vellum!” Silver yelped. “We— We don’t talk about Gallus all the time!”

“Your embarrassment is palpable, Silver; you might want to try harder if you wish to hide it in the future,” he advised with a condescending smirk.

Don’t. Punch. The pony, Gallus told himself, trying to bury the outrage he felt on Silver’s behalf. Don’t be angry, that’s not something you’re supposed to feel. Especially in front of her. After succeeding at that task, he turned to Silver and teased, “So, you talked about me, huh?”

“M-Maybe once or twice; we’re friends after all. And friends talk about their friends with their other friends,” she offered weakly.

“You do know that Honesty is a core element of friendship, correct?” Vellum asked rebukingly.

“Of course I know that!” she fired back angrily.

“Mhmm. You’re doing a wonderful job showing it.”

Silver stammered for a moment, clearly hurt by the comment.

Peck it! I’m defending her! “You don’t need to be so rude to her,” Gallus remarked, scowling.

Vellum met his gaze and didn’t back down, saying, “Rudeness isn’t the same thing as crit—”

“I don’t care,” he interrupted. “I don’t appreciate you being mean to my friend.”

“Is that so?” he inquired with a quirked brow.

“What do you think?”

Vellum didn’t reply; instead, the two simply maintained their locked gaze. Eventually, he cracked a smile, saying, “Loyalty is certainly something I appreciate. It’s also something our Club needs desperately,” he added, shooting an angry glance elsewhere. “So, if you truly intend to join…”

Vellum held out his hoof.

Okay, what is this guy’s deal? Gallus asked himself as he stared at the offered hoof. Is he’s crazy? Really bad at friendship? Or is this some in-joke among the Club?

Well, it’s not like I can just ask him if— He blinked, then gave Silver a questioning glance.

“Yeah, he does this kind of stuff a lot,” she answered with a tired shrug.

Okay then, at least now I know exactly what they were talking about at breakfast. Gallus turned back to Vellum and shook his hoof, asking, “So this whole ‘spiel’ of yours is routine then?”

He smirked. “Welcome to Drama Club, Mr. Gallus. Try not to quit in the first week, please.”

Hidden beneath his drawling tone was a note of sincerity that Gallus almost missed. Still, he wasn’t quite sure if he had heard right, so he simply said, “Thanks? I’ll try not to disappoint.”

“You will,” Vellum said bluntly.

Before Gallus could retort, his now enraged friend yelled, “Vellum! Play nice!”

Sighing, Vellum rolled his eyes and practically recited, “Everyone fails in the first week. It’s not something to be ashamed of; it’s just a simple truth regarding the art of acting.”

Once again, Gallus didn’t know how to react, so he just said, “Oh. That makes sense.”

“See? Now was that so hard?” Silver asked Vellum hotly.

“Not really. But I’d prefer it if somecreature didn’t compromise the plan.”

Gallus had every intention of speaking up in Silver’s defense again, but she beat him to it.

“Oh, shut up, Vellum!” she shot back. “We all keep telling to stop doing that!”

“At least I try to make sure everyone’s committed,” he countered. “As opposed to prolonging the eventual traitors’ dalliances.”

“Do you always have to act so self-righteous?”

“‘Self-righteousness’ is a term created to belittle one for acting upon their personal convictions.”

“Ughhh!” she moaned in frustration. “Fine. You want to keep doing your ‘thing,’ then fine. But please, do me a favor and don’t do that to Gallus.”

“If an exception is made for one individual—”

“Vellum!” she snapped. After taking a deep breath, Silver quietly asked, “Please?”

He remained silent for a moment, but Vellum soon sighed and wearily replied, “Fine.”

“Thank you,” Silver said, giving him a quick hug.

“No need for gratitude,” he sighed, pushing out of the embrace. “I should have taken into consideration just how desperate you were for Gallus to join us.”

“Vellum!” Silver shrieked, her blush returning as he snickered.

“Could I have an explanation, please?” Gallus asked, his brain racing to keep up.

“Which part requires one?” Vellum inquired.

“Uh, the last part?”

“Vellum, don’t you dare!” Silver warned before he could even open his mouth.

“He asked for an elaboration; do you wish to deprive him of it?”

“I—”

“Didn’t think so,” he interrupted self-righteously. “Silver and Yona have been wanting to ask you to join Drama Club for the past month,” Vellum explained. “There, I kept it brief, happy?”

Silver let out a huge sigh of relief, nodding.

“Good.” He then hummed and quickly added, “Silver technically has been wanting you to join for the past two-and-a-half months, but—”

A talons swiftly slapped over his muzzle, and Silver faced Gallus, laughing nervously. “Heh-heh, ignore him. So, uh… How do you, um… Er… Darn it,” she bluntly ended.

“Couldn’t think of something to distract him, could you?” Vellum asked, stepping out from behind her.

She shook her head sadly, and to her annoyance, he broke down laughing.

“You… You’ve wanted me to join Drama Club? Before my— I mean! Before that?” Gallus asked.

Vellum quieted down considerably.

“W-Well, I mean— I, uh— Well, I— Uh, I— Yes?” Silver awkwardly stammered. “It always seemed like something I thought you’d enjoy, so… Yeah. I have wanted to ask you to join.”

Gallus tilted his head in confusion and asked, “Why didn’t you?”

“W-Well, um… Er, you see, uh…” She preemptively held her claw over Vellum’s muzzle again, but she needn’t have bothered since he was suddenly too preoccupied with studying his hoof to pay their conversation any mind. “I guess I was just scared you wouldn’t like it,” Silver admitted.

“Really?” She… She actually cared about whether or not I would…? “You didn’t have to be worried, Silver. It’s not like our friendship would have ended or something if I hadn’t.”

“I know, I know. I was just worried that if you didn’t like it, you would pretend otherwise on my behalf. Trust me. Vellum and Scoop don’t exactly make it easy to be in Drama Club, and I didn’t want you to feel like you had to suffer through it just… Well, just because of me,” she concluded softly.

“That’s… Rather pessimistic of you, Silver,” Vellum observed neutrally. Her subsequent glare quickly silenced him, and he returned to mutely studying the condition of his hoof.

She was afraid of that? Is that what she was worried about earlier in Generosity class? She was worried I would… Hide my feelings again?

His heart thundered in his chest as Gallus fretted, It’s all my fault! She shouldn’t have been worried, but she was anyway! I worried her! I— I need to fix this! I need to fix this!

“Silver, you didn’t have to be worried about that,” Gallus hurriedly protested. “If I didn’t want to join, I would have told you.”

She winced, not meeting his eye.

Oh no… “Silver, look, I—”

“YONA HAS ARRIVED!” Yona joyfully shouted, chuckling as her greeting echoed through the empty theater and drew their gazes.

“Hi, Yona!” Silver shouted back, turning away from Gallus as fast as she could.

I… I scared her; I scared Silver, he realized, revolted with himself. Oh no! What do I do; what do I do; what do I—

Okay! Gallus snapped at himself. I need to stop panicking first. This… This is just another problem which means it can be fixed. So, how do I fix Silver being worried about me?

Well, why is she worried about me?

Okay, dumb question. Better question: Why is she still worried about me? I’m fine. Even if I can’t say that, she knows I am or, at least, I will be. I haven’t given her a reason to believe otherwise, right? I am fine, right? At least, I’m better than I was… Right?

While Gallus was busy worrying, Yona scampered down to the front section.

I-I think I need to talk to Headmare Starlight again, he determined. Maybe I’m not healing as much as I thought? At the very least, she’d know how to help me stop worrying my friends.

“Gallus? Yona not expect you here,” she greeted brightly, breaking him from his thoughts.

Alright, Gallus, we’ll worry about this later. For now? Let’s try to have fun with Silver and Yona, he ultimately decided. “I didn’t expect to be here either, but here I am,” Gallus announced.

“Let us hope you stay here,” Vellum drawled. “We are in desperate need of a new member.”

The others started at him.

“What?” he asked, genuinely ignorant to the reasoning behind their annoyance.

“Yeah. Yona sorry for Vellum,” she said. “Yona hope he not give Gallus too much grief.”

“Eh, he’s fine,” Gallus reflexively said.

Their gazes were then drawn to the auditorium’s entrance when somepony called out, “Hey, guys! We’re sorry we’re late!”

Of the two newly arrived mares, Gallus recognized Peppermint Goldylinks from his class which wasn’t hard given she was never without her signature purple bow. The other mare was a tan earth pony with a bubble-gum pink mane with pale highlights.

“Oh, hey, Gallus. What’s up?” the former inquired as she and her friend approached.

“Hey, Patty,” he casually greeted. “I’m apparently part of the club now, or something.”

“You are? Yes!” Patty cheered. “Ha, I totally called it. Berry so owes me ten Bits,” she muttered, smirking.

Meanwhile, the mare Gallus didn’t recognize had rushed up to Vellum and asked him in a threatening tone, “Are you scaring the newbie again?”

“No. … Maybe,” he said, pretending to look ashamed of himself.

“Ugh!” the mare groaned. “When are you going to realize that! No one! Gets! What! You’re! Doing!” she snapped, punctuating each word with a stamp of her hoof.

Vellum made to retort but got cut off by said stamped hoof.

“You don’t get to talk!” she barked angrily.

Gallus snorted but quickly hushed after the mare suddenly set her gaze upon him.

“Hi,” the mare said with a smile scarily similar to Pinkie Pie’s. “You must be Gallus, right?”

“I—”

“Well, I mean, of course you are; you’re the only griffon in the school, so what am I even asking for,” she fumbled, chuckling awkwardly.

“Well, I—”

“Eh, whatever. My name is Strawberry Scoop,” she continued, picking his talon up and giving it a hearty shake. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. We’ve heard tons of good things from Patty, Yona, and, of course, Silverstream,” she said with a wink.

Gallus gulped, both terrified and curious to know what that wink meant.

“Scwop? Pluf blith muh mlff blk.”

“Huh? What did you say, Vellum?” Scoop asked, removing her hoof from his mouth.

“I asked you to do that,” he answered, wiping his muzzle off. “Oh, and before you coyly wink again, I feel obligated to inform you that I do not believe Silver has told him that part yet.”

“SILVER!” the pony roared, rounding on the hippogriff. “Explain! Now!”

“N-Now, Scoop, I—”

“You’re telling me that after all this time, you finally asked him, but you didn’t even tell him about why you—” Scoop got a taste of her own medicine via Silver’s talon.

“Yes, I asked! But he hasn’t talked to me about it yet, so could you please not—”

Scoop pushed her claw away and zipped back to Gallus, angrily demanding, “What does she mean you haven’t talked to her about it yet!?”

“Uhhh,” he droned, slowly backing away.

“Don’t you ‘uhhh’ me, griffon-boy! Now, you tell me what Silver asked you and what you’re—”

“Scoop, stop it!” Silver yelled defensively.

“Give me a minute, Silver; I’m trying to get an answer for you.”

“You don’t need to; I trust Gallus will—”

“Not even five minutes in and you two are already going after each other?”

“Shut up, Vellum!” they both shouted.

“Why should I exactly? Of the three of us, I’m the only one who hasn’t raised their voice.”

“Says the idiot who scares half the student body away from Drama Club,” Scoop accused.

“At least it helps prevent traitors like November from slipping in.”

“November isn’t a traitor; he just had other commitments!”

“Aiding one group of friends at the sacrifice of another is exactly what betrayal is, Scoop,” he deadpanned.

“Do you even hear yourself!? November didn’t sacrifice us for anything; he had the Yearbook and Science Clubs to help out! Plus, he decided he was done dealing with your crazy flank,” she snarled.

“To call one ‘crazy’ is to imply they suffer from some modicum of mental or psycho—”

“You know what I mean!”

“Could friends please settle down?” Yona spoke up worriedly. “Yona not like friends fighting.”

“We wouldn’t be fighting if Scoop didn’t insist on intruding in Gallus and Silver’s love life.”

“VELLUM!” Silverstream screamed, horrified.

When did the room start spinning? Gallus wondered, stepping toward a nearby chair and using it for support. Is it my fault the room’s spinning? I think it is. I should probably fix that.

“Oh, that does it! Come here, you little blabbermouth!” Scoop shouted, lunging for him.

“Agh!” Vellum shrieked, fleeing behind Silverstream. “Could we please hold off on physical violence until after Professor Rarity lets us know what we’ll be doing today? At least then you can—Yipe!” he squealed after dodging Scoop once more. “Please stop trying to smack me!”

“Hah! Scared, are we!?”

“Very much so!”

“Uh, G-Gallus!” Silver fearfully began. “I swear this isn’t how Drama Club usually goes! I even Pinkie Promise it! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a—Ow! Scoop, you hit me!”

“Sorry, Silver, I’m just trying! To get around you! So I can get! Him!” she growled through gritted teeth.

“I reiterate!” Vellum interjected. “Could you please wait until Professor Rarity shows up!? At least then you could channel your anger into your acting,” he grumbled.

“I could, but I could also channel my anger into hitting you, and I bet that’ll feel way more satisfying! Now, come here!”

“Scoop, Vellum, stop it! You’re freaking Gallus out!”

“Friends freaking Yona out too!”

“Sure, just let me get one more slap in!”

“Or you could stop before you get us all into trouble!”

“Too late for you; you’re already in trouble!”

“That’s not what I meant!”

The two ponies continued dancing around attempting to either hit or dodge the other with Yona and Silver trying to avoid the crossfire and keep the two from properly engaging.

Gallus backed further away from the chaos, coming to a halt by Patty who stood idly by, casually munching on a sandwich and utterly unfazed by the sight before them.

“Does this happen often?” he asked, unsure whether to laugh at the absurdity, intervene before someone did get hurt, dwell on the “love life” comment, or run before he made everything worse.

She swallowed and said, “Normally, End Zone would gotten between them and stopped ‘em from doing any real damage.”

“End Zone?” An image of a teal earth pony with a blonde mane flitted to the surface of his memory, and he asked, “That guy’s in Drama Club?”

“I know, right? I couldn’t believe it at first either,” she confessed, shrugging. “You’d totally think he’s a sports-only guy but nope. I mean, he totally loves sports—you should hear Shimmy Shake talk about him!—but he’s got a soft spot for acting too. Vellum said his Romeo was… Hey, Vellum?”

“Yes!?” he replied shrilly.

“What did you say about End Zone’s Romeo performance again?”

“I said it was a valiant showcase of originality and passion,” he answered, ducking under Scoop’s hoof. “And that even though he botched over three of his lines, his personality and enthusiasm perfectly sold his portrayal of the character.”

“Thanks! Yeah, Vellum said that about End Zone’s acting.”

“Just a reminder: I also said his Carlos performance was phenomenally underwhelming due to the severe lack of charisma with which he acted,” he added.

“Yeah, I know!” Patty turned back to Gallus and whispered, “Don’t listen to him; none of us ever do. Vellum knows his theater stuff, but when it comes to interacting with others, he’s—”

“And while it’s on my brain, Scoop!” Vellum suddenly spoke up again. “Your version of Officer Valentine was atrocious! Seriously, didn’t you read the character description!? She was supposed to be confident-yet-unnerved, not cowardly-and-whimper—Ow! My eye! You poked me in my eye!”

“—dumb,” Patty finished. “So, yeah. Welcome to Drama Club!” she proclaimed happily.

“Ow! My other eye!”

“If you didn’t move so much I would have gotten your cheeks not your eyes, and I’d have been done already, so stop moving and let me slap you properly!”

“Would you two please stop!”

“Yona not want friends fighting, so stop before Yona get mad!”

Gallus turned back to Patty and asked, “So this actually is normal?”

“Oh, this?” she asked, gesturing the chaotic tumbleweed of creatures. “This doesn’t even crack the top twenty. Vellum and Scoop practically live for getting into fights with each other.”

He sighed, relieved. I think I need to calm down. I’d probably be enjoying myself more if I did…

“Okay! That’s twice you got me in the eye! Happy!?” Vellum yelled, rubbing the indicated eye.

“Happy? No. Content? Yes,” Scoop answered coldly.

“Whatever,” Vellum groaned, shaking his head. “Now that you mentioned him, Patty, where is End Zone? And Shimmy Shake for that matter. They should have been here by now.”

“Zone’s trapped doing a gazillion drills with the rest of the sports teams. Something about everyone turning into wimps over the break, or something? Same thing with Shimmy.” She took stock of his scowl and added, “They said sorry, but you know how Professor Dash gets.”

“Yes. Yes, I know,” he sighed. “Hopefully, she’ll let them free by our next meeting.”

“And if they aren’t?” Scoop asked spitefully. “What? You gonna make ‘em choose between—”

“Obviously not!” he retorted. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t be annoyed that they—”

“Excuse me for just a second,” Silver suddenly interjected. “But could you two please… Maybe, just maybe…” Once Scoop and Vellum were both listening, she screeched, “STOP FIGHTING!”

Everyone stared at her.

Silverstream looked back meekly; her gaze briefly lingered on Gallus before she took a breath and said, “I’m sorry for raising my voice, but first impressions matter, and…” She gestured to him.

The two ponies followed her gesture and had the decency to look away.

“Sorry, Gallus. We’re not doing a good job at welcoming you, huh?” Scoop mumbled.

“Quite the opposite, I’m compelled to admit. My apologies for the behavior of both my companions and especially myself,” Vellum declared, bowing his head regretfully.

“Thank you,” Silver gratefully sighed. “Sorry, Gallus. This was all such a big mistake; I shouldn’t have even bothered! I’m— I’d understand perfectly if you wanted to leave, or…” she trailed off dejectedly, unable to meet his eye.

For a minute, everyone was silent. Then Gallus broke down, guffawing loudly.

“Is this standard behavior for him?” Vellum whispered to Scoop who merely shrugged.

“Uh, is Gallus okay?” Yona asked.

“Are you two happy!?” Silver demanded, glaring at Scoop and Vellum. “He’s literally laughing at the idea of being in our club! I hope! You’re! Happy!” she screamed in a cracked voice.

“S-Silver,” Gallus spoke up, regaining his composure. “You’ve got it all wrong.”

Bewildered, Silver turned back to him and muttered, “Huh?”

“Sorry. It’s just… You think I want to leave?” She winced. “Leave and what? Ditch you in this madhouse?” he joked, earning a surprised stare. “Pfft. As if I would leave and let you have all the fun.”

“You thought our fighting was—Mlph!”

“Shut up, Vellum,” Scoop urgently whispered, retracting her hoof from his mouth.

“Understood,” he replied, wiping his mouth off again.

“Besides,” Gallus continued despite the interruption. “You and I still need to deliver a certain somepony her ‘Thank you’ muffins, and no way am I doing that without you,” he concluding with a wink.

Scoop gasped excitedly and tapped Silver, whispering not-so-subtly into her ear, “He winked, girl; you know what that means!”

“Stop that, Scoop,” Silver said, gently pushing her away. “R-Really?” she asked Gallus hopefully. “You’re not upset? You still want to join even after the, er, terrible first impression?”

“Who cares about first impressions? You’re here; Yona’s here; and it seems like plenty of fun. Why wouldn’t I be on board?” he wondered, smiling happily.

Gallus blinked and suddenly found himself being jostled up and down by Silver’s bouncy hug.

Phew, he sighed internally.

“EEEEE!” she squealed. “Yes, yes, yes! Thank you so much, Gallus! Are you absolute, positively sure though?” she suddenly asked, looking him directly in the eye.

“I just said—Glrk!” he yelped when she redoubled the hug. Gallus then shook his head and patted her back until she broke away, beaming brightly.

“Awww,” Scoop and Patty cooed.

Oh peck! Gallus swore upon remembering he had witnesses beyond his two actual friends.

“Yes, yes. It’s all very sweet… I think,” Vellum said, reacquiring everyone’s attention. “But now that the chaos has died down, where is Professor Rarity? She definitely should have been here by now.”

“Did somepony say chaos!?”

The crimson curtain lifted to reveal Discord in a garish orange suit and purple bow tie. Quite coincidentally, a collective dread descended upon the creatures present.

“And so I appear! Like an unforeshadowed plot twist in a novice’s fan-fiction! Here to answer the call of all things chaotic! Hee-hee-hee,” he chuckled, leering at them through a fanged smile.

Yona glared at the unwelcome visitor, and Scoop and Patty swiftly backed away. Silverstream completely froze, staring at Discord as if he were Doomsday incarnate, and Gallus cautiously frowned, suspecting this wasn’t going to end well. Vellum, however, resolutely stood his ground despite his quivering hooves and calmly greeted, “Mr. Discord. How has your day been?”

“Oh, my day has been simply divine,” he laughed, tossing a package of tie-dyed toilet paper into Vellum’s grasp. “You can keep that; I don’t need it anymore.”

Is that the same stuff Smolder got tangled in earlier? W-Why did Discord have that? Gallus pondered, hoping the answer wasn’t what he thought it was.

“Thank you?” Vellum said, gently setting the gift on the ground. “If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly are you doing here? I get the feeling it’s not because you wanted to join Drama Club.”

“Don’t give him any ideas!” Scoop angrily whispered.

“Now, Scoop, you know we’re supposed to welcome newcomers without prejudice or hostility.”

“Why, how kind of you, Mr. Whatever-Your-Name-Is,” Discord said while an outraged Scoop gaped at Vellum.

“However, Mr. Discord,” he continued. “If you were to join Drama Club, we would demand your absolute loyalty to the group. Is that something you’re willing to provide?”

“HA! No,” Discord answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Thought so,” Vellum replied, a bead of sweat falling down his neck.

“S-So… You’re not here to join Drama Club?” Patty asked optimistically.

“Oh, you needn’t worry about that, Little Miss Background Character,” he said, gently patting the shivering mare. “I decided against joining your little ‘madhouse’ a long time ago.”

Though she remained silent, Gallus got the feeling she wanted to scream, “Thank Celestia!”

“Don’t get me wrong, I totally considered it,” Discord added. “But my thing is chaos and disharmony, and you already have enough of that going on without my help.”

“If that’s the case, what exactly are you here for then, Mr. Discord?”

“Well, duh! I am your substitute teacher for the day!” he declared, throwing aside his orange suit for a rumpled shirt, khakis, and a pair of square-rim glasses. He did keep the bow tie though.

“…Okay, which of us should go get Headmare Starlight?” Vellum asked the others.

Patty immediately spread her wings and fled toward the entrance.

“Now hold on a moment,” Discord said, holding up a paw. “Just what do you mean by that!?”

“Which part requires an elaboration?” Vellum asked, quickly stepping in Discord’s way.

Sadly, Patty only made it halfway to the door before being teleported back. It took three more failed attempts before she gave up and joined Scoop in praying for their lives.

“About getting Glimmy-Glammy,” Discord said, irked. “What? Are you worried I can’t teach you? No, no! That can’t possibly be the case. I know! You’re worried you won’t be able to live up to my standards! Yes, that’s it; you’re intimidated by how great a teacher I am,” he lied to himself.

Vellum wordlessly stuttered as he struggled to both process Discord’s words and not explode in indignation. While he was caught up doing that, Yona took the opportunity to get her own words in.

“Yona rather not be taught by Discord because Yona nearly eaten by bugbear last time.”

“Well, excuuuuuse me, princess! My bad for wanting to help you lot exercise by way of providing a very good motivation to do so.”

“Discord not know safer, more creative motivation for Yona and friends?”

“If you’re asking why I didn’t give you all super-speed and make you run down an unrealistic, hyper-surreal highway full of loop-de-loops, obstacles, and epic cinematic moments and set pieces with amazing, adrenaline-pumping music blaring in the background…? I didn’t think of it at the time.”

Vellum’s face-hoof echoed throughout the hall, as did the “Ow!” that accompanied it.

“Now, now! You know you shouldn’t hit yourself, Mr. Whatever-Your-Name-Is.”

“I’m well-aware, Mr. Discord. I’m well-aware.”

“Ah-ha! So you admit that I am a great teacher and know exactly what I’m talking about! Thank you. I’m happy you agree it was absolutely the best decision ever to make me your—”

“Ahem,” coughed a kind voice. Everyone then turned to see Fluttershy confidently stroll down to the group; Discord, however, audibly gulped at the stare she shot his way. “Sorry for the wait, everycreature, but I’m finally here. Discord,” she acknowledged with a frown.

“W-Well, uh, I mean that I’m happy you all agree it was absolutely the best decision to make Fluttershy your substitute teacher for today,” he corrected, smiling awkwardly.

“Oh thank Celestia, we’re saved!” Patty quietly sighed.

“But of course you’re saved,” Discord responded smugly. “Not only do you get the best of all of your Professors—if I do say so myself—but you also get me! Fluttershy’s Great and Powerful Assistant!”

Elsewhere, a blue unicorn jolted awake and glared in the direction of the auditorium, irked for an unknown reason. She then yawned and went back to reading the book she had fallen asleep on.

Back in the aforementioned auditorium…

“Discord,” Fluttershy sighed, maintaining a polite smile. “I told you that while I appreciate the offer, Rarity’s instructions were very thorough.”

“Yes, yes; I know. But please? I want to help out.”

“Well…” she said hesitantly, noticing Patty and Scoop’s frantic protests. “I don’t know, Discord. You don’t exactly have the best reputation among the students.”

“Yona! Almost! Eaten!” Yona shouted, emphasizing each word with a stomp of her hooves.

“I apologized,” Discord grumbled. “C’mon, Fluttershy, pleeeaaase?”

Vellum sighed and begrudgingly said, “You may as well, Professor. He sounds bored, and I don’t particularly want to know what he’ll do if he’s left alone that away.”

“I both resent you for saying that because of how offensive it was, but I also respect you for even having the gall to say that in the first place,” Discord said, nodding approvingly.

“Again! Yona! Almost! Eaten!” she repeated.

Vellum put his hoof around Yona and pulled her to the side, whispering, “And he’ll throw a hissy fit and release that pie monster from earlier in the auditorium; you want to deal with that?”

Yona blanched and shook her head.

“Do you think by taking a step to the side, I somehow can’t hear what you’re whispering? Because I can, and I had absolute nothing to do with that pie monster from earlier,” Discord swore.

Everyone, including Fluttershy, stared at him in complete disbelief.

“What? Come now, you all know I would have covered it in mustard or polka dots if it had been me, but no. It was purely boring, old, ordinary apple. And I don’t do ordinary,” he protested proudly. “Maybe Sugar Belle should start checking what ingredients she haphazardly throws into her pies,” Discord suggested, crossing his talon and paw indignantly.

Everyone rolled their eyes.

Fluttershy sighed and asked the Club, “Are you all sure you won’t mind?”

“I can tolerate his presence. What of the rest of you?” Vellum inquired. “Scoop?”

“As long as he promises not to do his poltergeist shtick again… I guess it’ll be okay. Patty?”

“Same,” she whimpered, clearly not wanting to have agreed.

“If Yona have to deal with bugbear, pie monster, or other monster, Yona not gonna be happy!”

Silver was still a little too frozen to answer, so Gallus gave a talons-up for both of them.

“Alright then,” Fluttershy began. “Discord? I suppose you can help, but! Like they asked, you can only help if you don’t add your, er, ‘usual flair’ today. Can you promise that?”

Discord sighed melodramatically, lamenting, “Oh, woe is me! I won’t be able to provide scene changes and prop alterations to assist with the mood of today’s acting like I intended!”

Vellum perked up, all traces of fear and apprehension gone as he asked, “Was that a genuine—”

Scoop practically teleported to his side in her quest to plant her hoof in his mouth.

“Ah well! I suppose I can make such a sacrifice if it means helping my friend even just a little.”

Fluttershy tittered. “Thank you, Discord. I’ll hold you to that though.”

“And I’m happy to oblige.”

The duo shared a giggle, much to Scoop’s disgust, Vellum’s apathy, and Patty’s disappointment.

“Like I said,” Gallus whispered to Silverstream. “No way am I leaving you in this madhouse.”

The moment his words reached her, Silver snapped out of her petrified state and emphatically promised, “Gallus!? I! Swear! It is not usually like this!”

Is she still worried I won’t join up? I am literally standing in a room with this wannabe eldritch horror and saying I will stay with her regardless! … Yeah. Definitely need to talk to Starlight. I can’t keep worrying Silverstream like this.

“Hey, even if it were usually like this, I still wouldn’t leave you behind,” he promised softly.

“Aww, Gallus!” she exclaimed, trying and failing not to blush. “You’re so sweet!”

Well, at least her panic’s gone, annnNNNDDD HOLY PECK! She said I’m sweet! What does that mean! Does she really think that, or is she just saying that! Does she really want us to be together, or not! I don’t know! And you know what!? I just remembered that this is, like, the third time she’s called me that today! I didn’t freak out then! I’m not going to freak out now!

“Aww, uh, thank you,” he said gratefully.

“Thank you”? “Thank you”!? That’s all I got!? Really!? That’s worse than the “so, yeah”!

“Hee-hee!” she tittered. “You’re welcome.”

Gallus smiled serenely. Okay, maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.

“Professor Fluttershy? Where is Professor Rarity?” Patty asked.

“Oh. Well, um, she had a very special commission come in at the Boutique yesterday, and she said it needed a lot of time to perfect. She did want to apologize for the inconvenience though.”

Silverstream suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

“Ohhh! Gotcha.”

“Yes, yes. Financial security is certainly the more important choice,” Vellum agreed after escaping Scoop’s grasp and wiping his muzzle off again. “In that case, do you require any assistance regarding today’s activities?”

“I think she’s got it, Vellum.”

“Can I not offer my assistance, Scoop?”

“You mean kiss up to Professor Fluttershy in order to get better parts, right?”

“Excuse me!? I would never do such a thing!”

“Suuuuure, riiiiight…”

“Are you suggesting I would ever lower myself to engage in nepotism!?”

“It’s not like you haven’t done it before.”

“Why you—”

“Um, before you continue?” Fluttershy interrupted, pausing their argument. “Rarity mentioned you two and that when you inevitably argued I was supposed to…” She looked at her paper. “‘Threaten to switch their parts if they don’t stop arguing,’” she quoted, looking up to see the duo’s terrified faces. “I’m not entirely sure what she means by that, but that’s your first warning.”

Vellum gulped and clarified, “The first one is the only one I require, Professor.”

“Y-Yeah, we’ll stop arguing now. Heh-heh,” Scoop nervously laughed.

“Great. Now, Rarity also mentioned your rehearsals stopped because of Friends and Family Day. So, to compensate for this, she wanted all of you to spend the day warming up instead of properly practicing for… The Epoch of Majesty Serendipity Daydream?” she read, bemused.

“Bah-hah-hah! What!?” Discord bellowed, looking at the paper himself. “No way! That can’t be a real play; that sounds more like some basement-dweller’s fan-fiction than an actual, legitimate play.”

“I’ll have you know, Mr. Discord, that it is an actual, legitimate play,” Vellum scoffed indignantly. “One that Professor Rarity intended us to perform for the rest of the school later this month.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Mr. Whatever-Your-Name-Is. I’ve got to read this,” he said, pulling out a pair of X-ray glasses. He sat down and opened an upside-down book that he suddenly had now. “Carry on,” he said with a wave. “I can read and help at the same time.”

“That’s the wrong book, Mr. Discord,” Vellum deadpanned.

Discord shut the book, threw it over his shoulder, reached under his seat, and pulled out a new book with the play’s title on the cover.

“That’s still the wrong… You know what? Nevermind.”

“Wise,” Discord and Scoop both said simultaneously.

He looked between the two but ultimately decided to ignore it and ask, “So, Professor? If we’re not to rehearse for the main play, I’m assuming we’re to be given individual parts to recite instead?”

Everyone looked to Fluttershy who held up the paper again, saying, “Oh! Um, yes, actually. Rarity left me several scripts for me to give you all, so if you’re ready?”

“I had a feeling this was the most we would be doing today,” Vellum lamented as he took some of the offered pages. “Ah well. At least it will be time well-spent.”

“Yeah, because listening to you wax poetic is ‘time well-spent,’” Scoop said, rolling her eyes.

“Listening to your performances tend to be so,” Vellum responded. “So long as you capture the true essence of the character while providing your own individual style to the performance, of course.”

“You almost had it,” she sighed wistfully. “You were so close too.”

“So close to what?”

“So close to giving her a genuine compliment with no criticisms attached,” Patty answered, retrieving her own paper from Fluttershy.

Vellum nervously looked away, providing no further comment.

Gallus turned his attention from the ponies and stepped up to Fluttershy.

“Oh, hi, Gallus,” she greeted, passing a set of papers to Yona and Silverstream respectively. “Were you here to watch them perform?”

“Actually, I was kind of here to join up.”

Fluttershy blinked and then rifled through Rarity’s notes. She then looked back at him after going through them all and quietly said, “Uh-oh.”

“She didn’t expect me to be here, did she?” Gallus asked, drawing the others’ attention.

“Eh-heh-heh,” she awkwardly chuckled. “No. Sorry, Gallus. Luckily, she gave me a lot of extra papers, so I’m sure I can just split some between you and the others.”

“Don’t worry, Professor,” Silver said, wrapping a wing around him. “We know what to do.”

Gallus quickly found a lump forming in his throat. He tried to speak his thanks around it, but before he could, Vellum chimed in, saying, “You know? Perhaps Professor Rarity not having us continue with our rehearsals is far more fortuitous than I thought. Scoop?” he asked, grinning.

“Yep,” she replied, smiling too. “I almost forgot we had a newbie today.”

“Yona think it might have something to do with somecreature showing up,” she suggested, leveling a glare at Discord.

“Don’t blame me for your own short attention spans!”

“Regardless, we have a new member. Time to break him in.”

“Please remember to go easy, guys,” Silver requested pleadingly.

“I shall refrain from my usual harshness,” Vellum assured calmly.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“…So, what am I supposed to be doing?” Gallus asked, unnerved by everyone’s behavior now that his “newbie-ness” was on their minds.

“That depends on you,” Vellum answered. “Would you prefer to go up and perform first so we know what we’re working with? Or would you rather wait and watch us perform so you’ll have a better idea as to what we expect of you on your turn?”

Unsure which Vellum actually wanted him to do, he looked at Silverstream. Unfortunately, she was also silently anticipating his answer.

“Which do you want me to do?” Gallus finally asked.

“I care not which you do so long as your choice is the one you’re most comfortable with.”

“Since when did you care about newbies being comfortable?” Scoop asked sarcastically.

“I’ve always cared; I’m simply being more vocal about it at Silver’s behest.”

Silverstream gave Vellum a grateful smile.

“Huh. Well, in any case, Vellum’s right, Gallus. It doesn’t matter to any of us which you do.”

“Uh,” he mumbled, unsettled by the creatures crowding around him in their zeal to stare into his soul.

Luckily, before his silence could go on for too long, Patty came to his rescue, saying, “If you want my advice? It’d probably be easier if you watched these guys first so you know what to do.”

Peppermint Goldylinks, I owe you so much right now, Gallus thought, relieved. “I guess I’ll go with that then,” he answered thankfully.

“Ah well, I was hoping to see what your raw acting abilities were as of now, but I suppose I can make due without.”

If that was what you really wanted me to do, why didn’t you just say so!?

“Save the melodrama until after you’re onstage, Vellum,” Scoop said as she and Yona passed the stallion, each taking a seat in the front row.

“C’mon, Gallus,” Silver beckoned as she sat down beside Scoop.

He followed suite, sitting between Silver and Patty. “Thanks,” he whispered to the latter.

“No problem,” she replied. “They did the same thing when I joined up, and maybe this is just me? But I can’t stand it when I get choices sprung on me out of nowhere.”

“Same,” he agreed. He then turned back to Silverstream to see her staring at him through downcast eyes. “What?” he asked, feeling a note of worry creep back into him.

“It’s nothing,” she absolutely lied, turning her attention to Vellum onstage.

Gallus wanted to say something—anything! But he didn’t. He had already caused her enough worry and panic, and Gallus wasn’t going to drag it on any longer just because he didn’t know what he could say to make her feel better.

“Well, um… It seems like you all understand what you’re doing?” Fluttershy murmured.

“Indeed we do, Professor Fluttershy,” Vellum confirmed from the center of the stage.

“Then I guess I’ll leave you all to it,” she said, sitting by Discord and waiting eagerly.

“Thank you. Before I get started, however, I want to reiterate something. Gallus?”

“Y-Yeah?” he asked, caught between his worry for Silver and surprise at being called on.

“I want you to watch carefully; even we in Class 1B know how notorious you are for not paying attention. Don’t take that as a derision, take that as a request,” he added before Silver could defend him. “Observe how I and the others perform our roles, and take what you observe and apply it when it is your turn. We’ll criticize you accordingly afterward. Understand?”

Gallus see; Gallus do. How hard can it be? “Aye-aye, Captain Codex,” he replied, saluting.

Vellum snorted. “Well then. Ahem!”

Before he could begin, the auditorium fell into darkness, save for a lone spotlight that shone down on Vellum, courtesy of the second Discord happily waving at the group below.

While everyone was distracted, no one noticed the fluff of Discord’s tail make a snapping motion.

“That’s the wrong light, Mr. Discord.”

“Well, at least it’s devoid of my ‘usual flair’!” the draconequus chided.

“I didn’t say I didn’t appreciate the sentiment, but if you want to know which is the right one—”

“Oh, just get on with it! Not all of us enjoy putting off after-school tea with their best friend!”

“…Oh yeah, Patty. You definitely lost the war.”

“Shut up, Vellum!”

“Heh-heh. Alright then.” Vellum cleared his throat and began.

“The abyss. The dark, eternal abyss. A place of nothingness. Of hopelessness. Of worthlessness. A spiraling vortex of oppressive darkness and decay where not a drop of love may bloom, nor a single ray of light may shine. Maddening. Everlasting. Beckoning,” he recited ominously.

“Is this what you really think of it!?” he asked fervently. “Do you truly believe the abyss is but a cold, empty void, devoid of life and light? That its purpose is to prolong the nightmares that we suffer from nightly? That its incomprehensible silence only serves to drive one mad? Is that truly what you believe?” he whimpered, shaking his head in pained denial. “If so… I feel only pity for you.”

“You ask me why I stare into the abyss, knowing its most terrible nature. You ask how could I not lose my already crumbling mind, staring into its despondent depths of despair. You ask what could possibly command me to stand upon these grounds and stare into the whirling void of quiet insanity?”

“To that I say… How could I not!?” he angrily screamed. “Why would I not!? Why would I choose to ignore that abyss!? Why would I ever choose to turn my eyes away from the limbo within which resides our nightmares! Our losses! Our fallen…!” he whispered, pausing for effect.

“You say that to stare into the abyss is to open yourself to madness, and yet here I stand, staring into it nonetheless! And for that you call me a fool!?” he roared at his imagined companion. “You call me a fool…?” he asked in a cracked voice. Shaking his head in disbelief, he softly said, “How dare you!? How dare you assume that it is I who have forgotten my sanity! That it is I who have lost all hold on this reality! That it is I who have been robbed of my mind and my soul!”

“…”

“Nay. I cannot indulge these flames of anger; for while they are borne of righteousness, they are also wreathed in impatience,” he rebuked himself. “Your words are spoken not in hostility and vitriol, but rather care, fear, and perhaps a dash of ignorance. And if the latter be the only truth among the three then I have no choice but to enlighten you.”

“Permit yourself a glance beyond these shattered windows,” he requested, gesturing to said imagined items. “What do you see? A broken world being slowly repaired? A smoldering ruin freed from fear? A somber city filled with countless souls thankful for its salvation? Good!” he rejoiced as tears formed in his eyes.

“That is what you—what all!— should see! For we fought for that world. We fought down to our very last breath! Our last drop of blood! Our last wink of life! We fought to create this world. To drive back the destruction that had befallen it. To bring about peace. To bring about hope,” he cheered, wearing a rapturous smile before it slowly faded away into a mournful frown.

“Yes, we fought… But we also lost,” he continued, fury returning to his voice.

“Countless brave stallions and mares fell to bring about this world! To bring about this so-called peace! The sounds of their dying shouts, their hardened battle cries; their anguished screams…!” he lamented, closing his eyes to blind himself to the dying ghosts. “The shouts of innocent foals, begging for the land to cease its quaking, screaming for their beloved parents to wake up; crying as the ruin soon reached for them…!” he wept, flicking his ears back to deafen himself to the echoing screams. “The wails of not just ponies, but griffons, buffalo, changelings, and all manner of other living creatures alike…!” he added, falling to his rump as shivers engulfed his body. “Silenced.”

“Thousands of courageous heroes fighting against the plague of war for all that they loved…! Thousands of terrified innocents losing everything they loved to that same plague…! Thousands of souls deserving of memory—no! Not just deserving of memory! Deserving of a grave!” he screamed.

“And yet… When you look out into that world we fought so hard for…? When you look at the banners, and the decorations, and the creatures… What do you see!? You see a celebration! You see joy and peace!” He paused for a moment before adding, “You do not see a single grave.”

“You ask why I stare into the abyss? It is because that nightmare is the last place these souls reside,” he tearfully explained. “Their bodies have long-since passed on, yet their spirits linger still.”

“The voices of the fallen cry out. They beg for their memories to remain if only for another day, if only so someone—anyone!—may remember them and their loss!” he wailed. “They weep for the dreams that have been stolen from them by the pride and desperation of creatures they would never come to know!” he shouted, panting heavily afterward.

“Within the abyss, the fallen remain. Within the abyss, their voices cry out. Within the abyss, their memories linger. So what right have I to not stare into the abyss?” he demanded, sniffling.

“I need not even ask for I have no right to not stare into the abyss! No right to not remember the lives lost, enemy or ally! No right to not recall the horrors these souls have fallen victim to!”

“What does it matter if I am driven mad!?” he asked, his mane disheveling. “What does it matter if others wish me to move on!? What does it matter if the abyss might gaze back!? What matters is remembering! All that has been lost and all that has been sacrificed! And if I must stare into the abyss to do so… Then I shall gladly stare into that void,” he declared, stamping his hoof in determination.

“You still ask me why does it matter?” he asked wearily.

“Tell me why it does not. Tell me why I should allow all these souls, innocent and guilty alike, to be forgotten! Why!? WHY!?” he roared, gasping for breath. “Why must they be forgotten!? Though they are gone, their ghosts remain! All that they were, and all that they could have been has remained. Their hopes and dreams… Their friends and families… All linger still. And you dare—YOU! DARE!—ask why I wish not to forget!?” he bellowed before falling into a brief coughing fit. After regaining his breath, he whispered, “You dare ask why these things still matter? You dare ask why I do not simply… Move on?”

“If you dare to be so bold as to ask such things then permit me to be bold enough to ask this: If I were to cease my staring and forget all of the depravity that this world has burdened us with… Then who would remember?” he asked, shaking his head in shame. “Clearly not you if you must ask such things! Clearly not them if not a single grave has been crafted! Clearly not our leaders if not a single eulogy has been given among their rejoicing!” he yelled, gesturing back out the imagined windows.

“Perhaps I am not the only one to stare into the abyss, but what if I am? If I were to cease, then who would remember the tragedies, the nightmares, and the losses?”

“The answer is no one.”

“Allow me to ask one more question of you,” he practically begged. “All of this destruction, bloodshed, and heartache… If they had ever mattered, then surely they deserve to be remembered? You say they do not deserve to be remembered? Then what was the point to all of it!?” he shrieked in a cracked voice. “If these horrible tragedies befell us then surely there had to be a reason!? And if not, then surely they still deserve to matter and be remembered, for if they are not remembered… For if they do not matter… For if the devastation, the ruin, and especially the heartache never mattered…”

“Then tell me why must we have suffered them?”

“…Even if there is no reason for why we have suffered, we have suffered nonetheless. So they must matter! Trauma without reason must matter just as much as trauma with reason, or am I wrong!? Can you truly look me in the eye and tell me that the ruin of the world, the sacrifices of the fallen, and the heartache of the abandoned do not matter!? That they should not matter!? That I should move on and forget all of the pain, and all of the heartache!? That the very world should do the same!?”

He took a moment to catch his breath once more, waiting for an answer.

“I didn’t think so. The fallen may have died in body, but until they are lost to the sands of time, then they are never truly gone! So, no! I shall not stop staring into the abyss. I shall stare into that darkened void, and I shall remember the memories of the lost!” he resolutely decreed.

“I shall remember their voices, their wishes, and their pain! I shall remember all that were dragged into a nightmare that they should not have dreamed! Who were pulled into a conflict that they could never hope to understand! Who were sent into an inferno to perish for an empire!”

“I shall remember every ally, comrade, and friend! I shall remember every foe, enemy, and rival! I shall remember every brother and sister, son and daughter; and father and mother!”

“I shall remember the fallen! I shall remember their suffering! I shall remember their dreams! And I shall remember their families! Until my final breath! Until my body is nothing but dust among the rubble, and dirt beneath an empire! I shall remember! For if I do not…!” he paused, sighing sadly.

“Who will?”

His final words were spoken so softly that they didn’t even echo in the soundless room. That same spell of silence lingered even when the lights of the theater returned in full-force.

“Ahem,” Vellum soon coughed. “Thank you,” he said, giving a deep bow.

With the spell of immersion broken, Gallus finally realized just how truly, completely, and utterly pecked he really was. I just had to ask how hard it could be, didn’t I? he groaned to himself.

“Well, bravo! I must say, Captain Codex, that was quite the brain-scratching monologue you gave there,” Discord commented. “Even if I could have done better,” he whispered to Fluttershy.

“Oh, hush, Discord,” she playfully retorted. “That was quite moving, Vellum. Good job.”

“Thank you, Professor,” he said with nod. “What are your thoughts and criticisms?”

“Oh!” she yelped. “U-Um, sorry, Vellum. I don’t think I can offer any criticisms the way Rarity could. It was a very good performance as far as I’m concerned, but…”

“That’s fine, Professor; I understand. The rest of you?” he asked, turning to them.

Wait, what? Gallus thought, snapping out of his own musings. Why’s he asking us?

“Voice inflection and body movement were good, and you absolutely nailed the emotional part, Vellum,” Scoop admitted with a mix of pride and jealousy. “However, you are still doing the thing you do where you read and act off the paper without maintaining eye contact with us, your audience. I think you only did it twice. Granted, it might have been a stylistic choice, considering the nature of your character, but the audience still needs to know they’re the ones being talked to.”

Vellum flinched angrily, muttering, “Darn it. I don’t mean to do that; I just… No, no. I have no excuse. My apologies, Scoop. I must ensure I follow that advice in the future.”

“I look forward to congratulating you when you do. Whenever that is,” she snarked.

Vellum smirked, shaking his head before asking, “Any other thoughts? Patty? Yona?”

“Vellum still really good at conveying character’s emotions,” Yona tried to admit begrudgingly despite failing at the “begrudgingly” part. “Though, Vellum should remember to breathe and take time,” she added worriedly. “That was long monologue, and Vellum barely stop to catch breath.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely a bad habit of mine,” he admitted, rubbing at his chest. “I’ll work on that from now on as well. Thank you.”

Yona nodded and asked, “Does Silver, Patty, or Gallus have criticism to make?”

What the peck can I even say!? Gallus wanted to ask. Even if I knew half as much as Vellum and the others clearly do, would they even want my thoughts? I’m the newbie here. Maybe that’s a tad too cynical, he suspected, remembering his conversation with Ocellus.

“Can’t say I have anything negative to say, Vellum,” Silverstream answered happily. “That was really good. It was so moving, yet so tragic! So wise, yet so sad! And you sold it perfectly,” she complimented.

Vellum nodded and turned to Gallus, asking, “Gallus? Your thoughts?”

“Uh, same as Silver?” he offered.

Okay, that worked, right? A good neutral answer that echoes the answer of someone more valued and important than—annnd he’s still staring at me.

“No, seriously, I have nothing to add. Silver nailed it on the head,” he stressed, trying very hard to melt into the cushioned seat.

“Really? You truly have no other thoughts to add?” Vellum just had to ask.

Gallus definitely wanted to melt into his seat after that. Luckily, Silverstream noticed his discomfort and gave a slight shake of her head to Vellum, telling him to back off.

Even more luckily, Vellum caught Silver’s message and said, “Alright then. Thank you for your input, Gallus.” He then proceeded to step down from the stage.

“Sorry it was all I could say,” Gallus quietly apologized before he could stop himself.

“It’s perfectly understandable why you wouldn’t be able to say more,” Vellum responded, stepping over to the rest of them. “You’re new to this activity, correct?”

Not counting the Ones-versary stint? “Yeah…?”

“Then there you go. If you’re a novice, you’re not exactly going to be able to provide a more thorough critique. It’s nothing to apologize for, and it’s certainly not something I judge you for.”

“What? Did you think you had to give a critique to stay in the club?” Scoop asked incredulously.

I was worried for nothing again, wasn’t I? “But… I thought…”

“Are you okay, Gallus?” Silver asked worriedly.

Why can’t I stop making her ask me that!? “Yeah. I just got a little caught off-guard.”

“I have been told I elicit that reaction sometimes,” Vellum acknowledged bluntly.

“Sometimes!?” Scoop laughed. “Pardon me, who is it that always tries to scare off the newbies because he’s paranoid they won’t fully commit to his precious club?”

“Oh, hush up!” he countered in spite of Scoop’s chuckling.

After fighting off a shiver, Patty finally spoke up, “So is no one going to mention just how dark that monologue was? I know Professor Rarity wanted us to try out new genres, but war!? Trauma!? Death!? Yeesh, I think that’s the darkest role we’ve ever played outside of our big performances.”

“Yona thought darker tone more interesting. Yak authors back home say dark themes in story best used sparingly so impact not lost. Same with roles.”

“Very wise,” Vellum agreed, nodding approvingly.

“Yaks tend to be,” Yona agreed pridefully. “Though Yona wonder if Vellum’s monologue excerpt from book or if Professor Rarity thought it up herself?”

“Considering Professor Rarity’s idea of ‘dark’ is the Shadow Spade series? It had to have been something that she got from another book,” Scoop confidently answered.

“…Unless of course, it was somecreature else who wrote these scenes,” Vellum suggested, shooting Discord a suspicious glance that all but Fluttershy caught.

“Well, whomever it was Rarity consulted with, I bet they were really clever,” Discord said devilishly, winking at Vellum. “Because that was genuinely good, if I do say so myself.”

Yep, he messed with the papers, the students realized with varying degrees of panic.

“I didn’t know you liked these kinds of stories, Discord,” Fluttershy said, not noticing the creatures around her frantically rifle through their papers for fear of just what Discord had done to them.

“Oh, Fluttershy, I love all kinds of stories. The hard part is finding my favorites,” he clarified.

“Ah, I understand.”

Gallus was very tempted to follow everyone else’s example, but he ultimately decided against it. He was already nervous enough without Discord’s meddling adding to it.

How the peck am I going to do this thing? he contemplated uncertainly. It’s bad enough I’m going to make a complete fool of myself, but Discord decided he wanted to show up and make things even worse! Other than to hang out with Fluttershy, why is he even here!?

Gallus blinked and thought, Okay, don’t panic, Gallus. And don’t demean yourself! Just because you won’t compare whatsoever to Vellum and the others’ performances, doesn’t mean that you can’t go up there and have fun. Besides… I promised Silverstream, he reminded himself determinedly.

“In any case,” the stallion said. “As Patty mentioned, Professor Rarity wished us to experiment with other genres and roles, so I suppose I welcome the opportunity to try out something new.”

“Hee-hee. Rarity will be happy to hear that,” Fluttershy giggled. “So who wants to go next?”

After giving her paper a once-over, Scoop raised her hoof and said, “Me! Definitely me!”

“Alright then, Strawberry. You go up there and wow us.”

“Don’t worry, I will!” she declared, bolting up the stage.

“What do you think Discord did to her part?” Patty asked Silver.

“I don’t know,” she answered anxiously. “But we’re about to find out.”

As they quickly did find out, Discord—in a complete breach of the chaotically consistent inconsistency he was known for—ensured Scoop’s part matched up with Vellum’s rather well.

Emotionally charged monologue from inferred war veteran? Check. Overarching theme of loss, heartache, and remembrance? Check. Several implications of death, despair, and destruction? Check.

The only difference that Gallus picked up on was how radically different Scoop’s character was from Vellum’s. While Vellum’s character was overwhelmingly passionate about remembering the pain and loss, Scoop’s spoke more about moving on from the ordeals they had suffered from and finding solace in the reprieve that had fallen as of the war’s end.

Gallus couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about the whole thing, but he didn’t know what it was until Scoop’s equally remarkable performance drew to a close.

“—I understand, my friend! Truly, I do! I understand you care for me and seek only my peace. But please,” she whispered. “Allow me to remember. The battle is won, my friend. And here, within these sacred halls lies something that neither the war, nor my leaders could ever gift unto me…”

“Rest, my friend,” she softly elaborated. “I can rest here. I can grieve and weep over those that I’ve loved and lost. But I can do so peacefully. I can do so knowing that though they are gone, I can still hold onto their voices and remember them always. Within these walls, I have been given reprieve. From the war, the destruction; the madness! I’ve escaped it all!” she rejoiced loudly.

“But…” she sighed. “I know you are right as well. Though I cannot bring myself to wish away this respite, I must not distract myself from the healing my spirit has yet to do. If I do not save myself, then my pain shall last forevermore… That is what you are afraid of, is it not?”

“My friend, please do not fear. I. Am. Healing,” she promised. “But I am doing so at my own pace. Yes, I know you worry still, and I cannot judge you for this. For how can you believe me when I have worn my mask of falsehood so often before… But please. Just this once… Please believe that I am okay. I beg you… Please believe me,” she concluded, tearfully.

Scoop then bowed as well, smiling at the applause that she immediately received.

Gallus clapped along with the others, but he paid very little attention to the motion as he was more focused on fighting the chill crawling along his spine.

No. No-no-no! No! I’m being paranoid! There’s— There’s no way Discord would— How would he even know about Ocellus and Silver being— Even if he did know, he wouldn’t—

As the others gave their thoughts and critiques about the performance, he gave Discord an expressionless stare that the draconequus met out of the corner of his eye.

For a split second, Gallus saw Discord smirk and give him a talons-up.

Oh Grover’s Treasure, he is!

Gallus wanted nothing more than to hurl himself through the theater doors and run until he was halfway back to Griffonstone. He then glanced at Silverstream and took a calm breath.

No, Gallus. This isn’t exactly “fine" but neither is running away after I promised I would stay. So… So buck up! No more cowardice, right? You’ve got this, Gallus.

I don’t think I do! What if Discord spills the beans to everyone else!? I can handle my friends knowing about my problems, but the others!? M-Maybe I could just ask him to stop?

…Pfft. Yeah, no.

Okay, I can stay calm. This isn’t a problem yet. I’m still okay, and I won’t freak out. I made a promise, and I am going to keep it. If not for myself… For her, he decided, meeting Silverstream’s eye.

“Who knew Discord had a thing for war novels, eh?” Gallus whispered to her.

“I know I didn’t. Pretty interesting stuff so far though,” Silver said thoughtfully. “Maybe I’ll ask Ocellus if she knows any good ones I might like later. You?”

“Eh, maybe. … You want ask her together? That way we both get the list?”

“That sounds nice,” she agreed.

“Ahem!” Vellum coughed, gaining their attention. “Scoop asked if either of you had any—”

“Vellum!” Scoop groaned, face-hoofing.

“What? They weren’t paying attention when you asked if they—”

“Not the point, Vel,” she elaborated, jumping off the stage and making a beeline for her seat beside him. He gave her an inquisitive look, but she just whispered, “I’ll explain later.”

“Does this have something to do with—Mlph!”

“I said I’ll explain later,” she said, retracting her hoof from his mouth. “Patty, you’re up.”

“On it,” she replied, spreading her wings and hovering onto the stage.

“Ooh, I wonder what Patty’s part will be like!” Silver wondered enthusiastically.

“I don’t know,” Gallus answered, keeping his casual grin up.

Two down. Three to go. And then me.

He gave another look to his own altered papers, but once again, decided against viewing them.

Both Patty and Yona proceeded through their parts much in the same way Vellum and Scoop had before them: With fervent passion and trained skill.

Patty spoke with an earnest charm that suited her character perfectly as she bounded through the air, practically dancing as she rejoiced in the multitude of creations that she and her fellow survivors could bestow upon the broken world, reviving the beauty that had been lost in the wake of the war. Quite a number of her lines, in fact, struck Gallus as oddly reminiscent of his earlier Generosity lesson.

Unfortunately, that—along with the tie-dyed toilet paper from earlier—pretty much confirmed that Discord had indeed been spying on him all day, and that terrified Gallus down to his core.

Once Patty had finished, she too asked about her performance and what she could improve upon. The others all had their own inputs, but Gallus just defaulted to mirroring Silver’s again since he was a little busy trying not to panic as his performance drew closer.

Next was Yona who acted the most animatedly of her peers by far, bouncing across the stage with every step despite tripping more than once. And yet, Gallus found the clumsiness to only enrich the performance. For a character who spoke so optimistically and excitedly about the future of a battle-torn world, the awkward stumbling seemed natural.

Then again, it also might have been the result of Yona’s hair braid coming undone halfway through her performance which everyone suspected was Discord’s doing.

Eventually, Yona came to a halt, breathing heavily from the routine. And yet, she still gleefully beamed down at them all, savoring the following applause.

“That was excellent, Yona!” Fluttershy cheered, clapping her hooves. “Wonderful job!”

“Thank you, Professor Fluttershy,” Yona said, blushing. “What friends think of Yona?”

“Energetic as always, Yona. I’m impressed by how quickly you adapted to your braid coming loose. Also? Excellent job integrating the circumstances into your portrayal,” Vellum commended.

“And as usual, Vellum sums it up perfectly,” Scoop agreed. “I could practically feel just how enthusiastic you were, and that resonated perfectly with your character’s personality.”

Huh. Well, what do you know, Gallus thought after hearing his own thoughts being mirrored.

“Aww, thanks. Yona not want to brag, but Yona been working hard to be better actor. As much as Yona love doing backstage work, Yona want to perform more too.”

“You’ve always been welcome to perform, Yona. … So long as you don’t break the stage again anyway.” Ignoring Scoop and Yona’s scowls, Vellum sat up and looked at the area around Yona’s hooves, adding, “And it doesn’t look like you so much as scuffed it this time! Hooray!”

“Thank you, Vellum,” Yona deadpanned. “Yona hoped to be reminded of stage incident today.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Apology accepted,” Yona happily chirped as she stepped down from the stage.

“Alright then!” Fluttershy declared, clapping her hooves together. “Only two more to go. … Wait a minute. Discord? What time is it?”

“Time for you to get a watch,” he said, pulling out a pocket watch from nowhere.

Fluttershy snickered at the corny joke as she looked at the watch and whispered, “Uh-oh. Eh-heh-heh. Sorry, everycreature. We’re going to have to wrap this up soon,” she revealed sadly.

“What? How late is it?” Vellum inquired, hurrying over and looking at the watch himself. “Oh.”

“I keep telling Professor Rarity that we need a clock in here,” Patty muttered, shaking her head.

“Ehhh,” Vellum groaned. “We do still have some time, but judging from how long all of our parts were, I don’t think we’ll be able to do both of yours, Silver and Gallus.”

Did the world just make it easy for me?

“That being said…” Vellum continued. “Gallus? Sorry to make this abrupt, but if you could, please step up and give your part.”

Of course. “Um,” he hummed. “Are you sure? Newbie, remember? No way am I going to be as good as you guys if I go up there. You might as well not waste time and have Silver go instead.”

Silverstream and Yona both immediately noticed his distress; the others…?

“It’s because you’re a novice that I want you to go up there, Gallus.”

“Say again?”

“Well, if you do plan on being loyal to Drama Club, we’re going to need to understand where you are in your performance ability and what improvements are needed.”

“As much as I dislike agreeing with Vellum, he’s got a point,” Scoop said firmly. “We need to know where your strengths and weaknesses are, and you need to start practicing. Otherwise, you’ll remain a novice forever, and there’s no way we’re going to let that happen! Right, guys?”

“Definitely,” Patty concurred, nodding. “C’mon, Gallus, show us what ya got.”

Yona and Silver both shared an uneasy glance, but the peer pressure caused Yona to cave. “Well, if Gallus up for it, Yona would love to hear him perform,” she admitted optimistically.

That left Silverstream who looked at him warily, asking, “Are you up for it though? I’d understand if you’re not! I don’t want to force you or anything; I just…”

…

“Heh, darn. And here I thought I would get to hear you perform,” Gallus lamented. “Ah well. Alright, let’s see just how badly I’ll do,” he said, rising up in spite of the terrified buzzing in his head.

“Everycreature does poorly on their first run, Gallus,” Vellum pointed out. “It’s the matter of improving afterward that you should be concerned with.”

“Cut the poor griffon some slack, Vellum,” Scoop reprimanded. “Everycreature is also nervous on their first try too, don’t forget.”

“I know!” he protested. “In any case, Gallus? Show us what you can do.”

“I can sit back down and watch Silver go instead. Would that be okay?” he asked snidely, climbing atop the stage.

“No.”

“Ugh. You’re no fun,” he jokingly grumbled, turning to meet his audience’s stares.

Gallus couldn’t help but look at the bringer of his doom who gave him yet another wink. He then looked back to his friends, comforted by the sight of their encouraging smiles.

“You’ve got this!” Silverstream whooped merrily.

You know what, Silver? Yeah. I totally got this, he realized, emboldened by her words. How hard it can it be to read some stupid lines on a paper anyway?

He cleared his throat and began.

“I didn’t imagine this is where my life would end up,” he read neutrally. “I would have thought I’d be elsewhere. I expected to be literally anywhere else in the world. Not here.”

He gave a quick glance to his audience and felt considerably relieved that no one had fallen asleep just yet. He turned back to his paper and confidently resumed.

“I expected that I would be in a home somewhere. Maybe I’d have bought it, or maybe I’d have built it, but a home nonetheless. I can almost see it now, you know. Comfy carpeted floors… Big beautiful kitchen… Maybe a nice garden in the back…”

“I expected so much out of my life. Out of this world, even! I didn’t expect to be rich, or powerful, or whatever others dream of. I just expected to be elsewhere. Living a normal life. A normal, comfortable life with friends and neighbors alike. But above all else, I expected to be—”

His voice hitched the moment he saw the rest of the line. His silence persisted until Vellum gave a slight cough, reminding him that he wasn’t alone in that moment.

Steeling his courage, Gallus nearly whispered the remaining part.

“But above all else… I expected that you’d be there with me.”

Gallus didn’t want to go on after that. He didn’t know why Discord was screwing with him, but he didn’t care. After saying that line, Gallus was almost ready to break his promise to Silver and bolt.

“…But above all else, I expected that you’d be there with me!” he repeated again, a note of anger slipping through. “I thought that you’d be there! I thought that after everything, you and I would be there together! That the home I’d be living in would be our home!” he nearly shouted.

“So why then!? Why do you leave me now!? Why do I have to be here!? Of all places… I never expected—I never wanted!—to be here! So why am I here!? Why couldn’t you and I just be here together! Well!? I’m waiting! Why couldn’t you stay with me!?” Gallus demanded furiously.

“How much have we been through together!? War!? Famine!? Destruction!? Despite all of that, we survived! Together! And yet, here I am! Alone! … I’m alone!” he shouted again. “And why am I alone!? Because you! Left! Me!” he snarled spitefully.

I need to calm down! I’m not supposed to be angry; I’ll only worry Silver and the others if I—

“Everyone else is gone! All we had was each other, but now I’m alone! Why!? Why did you leave me alone!? I never wanted to be standing here by myself, yet here I am! Because you couldn’t stay with me! Because you wanted to—” His voice cracked. “Because you— Because—”

Gallus took the moment to reattempt to regain control of himself, determined to not have a breakdown again when he knew full-well he wasn’t supposed to. Especially in front of Silverstream.

Just hurry up and get this over with, Gallus! he told himself, skipping to the next page.

“Sorry. I know you wouldn’t want me saying these things. But can you really blame me? What else am I supposed to say? You and I promised each other to be together forever, but here you are. At the bottom of a tomb of your own making. Knowing that… Can you really blame me for being angry? Can’t I be angry? Can’t I be even a little mad? I want to be,” Gallus admitted. “I want to be mad! I want so much to wave my talon over this stupid mound and wake you up! Because I want to yell at you! I want scream at you! I want to scream until my throat bleeds!” he screeched hatefully.

“We were supposed to be together! We decided that how long ago!? Was it when we were just children!? Was it when they threw weapons into our claws and told us to go to war!? Was it when they blew the trumpets only after we carved a valley of blood!? It’s been so long, I can’t even remember. I can’t…” Gallus gulped and continued, “I can’t remember without you.”

“But I do remember the promise we made. I know we promised each other that when we would be elsewhere, we’d be elsewhere together. That the house would be our house. That we weren’t friends anymore, we’re something more! We promised, didn’t we?” he whispered. “Am I remembering it wrong, or did you forget? At this point, I don’t even know. I’m not even sure if I want to know.”

“…But I do know that I want you here,” he continued weakly. “I want you back! I don’t want to see your face in only my dreams, I want to see your face with my eyes! I don’t want to hear your voice in only your letters, I want to hear your voice with my ears! I don’t want to feel your warmth in only my memories, I want to feel your warmth by my side! I want you here with me! I want you here… I just want you back!” Gallus lamented, barely succeeding in holding back the tears in his eyes.

“I just want you back,” he repeated shakily.

Gallus was only halfway through the paper, but he couldn’t care less. He was done. He was done. He would have burned the paper with a flamethrower if he had one, but since he didn’t, he settled for forcing himself to give the same short bow that the others had given.

Don’t you dare make me go on, Vellum Codex! Don’t you pecking dare! he thought vehemently.

…

Fluttershy leaped into the air, clapping with all her strength. “Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! That was absolutely incredible, Gallus!” she cheered, shattering the spell of immersion one final time.

Following Fluttershy’s example, Patty happily clapped, saying, “That was definitely better than my first attempt at this gig; that’s for sure!”

“Wow!” Scoop gasped. “Gotta admit, Silver, you weren’t lying when you said he’d be really good at it,” she said, giving her a knowing wink.

Silver didn’t respond.

“That was certainly impressive for a first foray,” Vellum reluctantly admitted. “However, I do still have some criticisms.”

“Of course you do,” Scoop sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Silver asked we go easy on him, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore his mistakes. And don’t pretend that his performance was flawless. You know just as well as I where he struggled.”

Scoop shifted uncomfortably, clearly torn between following Silver’s request and siding with Vellum. Gallus decided to make it easy for her by assuring, “Eh, I can handle a bit of criticism. Besides, I get the feeling Vellum will explode if I don’t let him criticize me.”

“Not necessarily ‘explode’ but…” the stallion mumbled as Scoop snickered. “Firstly, I want to congratulate you on a job well-done, Gallus. Most tend to struggle with the emotive part at first, but the sheer anger and sadness you spoke with were both raw and focused. You did struggle at first, but you soon hit your stride and were very convincing. Very convincing indeed,” he commended.

“Thanks,” he said curtly.

“That being said however! While you were able to nail the emotionally charged delivery, you didn’t quite nail the physical aspect of the performance.”

“Yeah, once you got into the groove you never looked up. I said it earlier to Vellum, but you need to maintain eye-contact with your audience to further the immersion, and you were just yelling at the paper by the end,” Scoop reluctantly said. “I know you needed to read it to know what to say, but…”

“‘Body language is just as important to giving a proper performance as emotion,’” Patty quipped wisely. “I had to be told that a lot too, so don’t worry too much, Gallus.”

“Good to see you still remember that advice.”

“How could I have forgotten, Vellum? You only told me it—oh, I don’t know—thirty times?”

“And I’m glad to see it stuck.”

Patty and Scoop just rolled their eyes.

“I should also add that in a proper performance you need to finish your part, not skip half of it in hopes of getting it over with quicker,” Vellum remarked. “I understand you were nervous, and I don’t judge you for being so, but you cannot allow your nerves to hinder your performance.”

“Yeah. Sorry about that.”

“Like I said, I don’t judge you for doing it.”

“Especially since we all know why you really did it,” Scoop added with a pointed look at Silver.

“On that note, what of you two?” Vellum asked Yona and Silverstream. “Did either of you have any thoughts you’d like to share? I know you likely won’t have criticisms.”

“Vellum right because Yona have no criticisms! Gallus do just fine!”

He knew Yona enough to know when she was using her “Everything is fine” voice. Everyone had one, and Yona’s was as obvious as Applejack’s favorite food.

“Nothing from me either, Vellum,” Silver quietly answered, giving Gallus that same haunted expression that he had seen and caused far too many times.

I think I’m going to be sick.

“Yes, I thought as much. Now, Gallus? You still have a lot of work to do. Clearly. And we’ll certainly help you in that regard, but for now? I’d say you did well enough,” Vellum ended. “I hope to see you again Thursday for our next meeting. You are going to be here, right?” he asked grimly.

Even if Discord returns and messes with the scripts to screw with me again…?

“Same time this Thursday, you said? … Yeah, why not?” he said genuinely.

“YES!” Vellum exclaimed out of nowhere. After realizing that everyone but Silverstream was staring at him he cleared his throat and nodded. “Thank you,” he said simply.

“You’re welcome, I guess. Can I get off the stage now? I, uh, really need to go to the bathroom,” he lied, resolutely avoiding Silver’s gaze.

***

“And that’s the end of that,” he ended, sipping at his water. “I came straight here afterward.”

Starlight nodded wordlessly.

…

“Okay, should I talk first, or did you want to?” Gallus asked, unable to take any more silence.

“Well, what did you want to say?” she asked.

“Honestly?” Gallus opened and closed his beak before giving up and shrugging. “I don’t know.”

“Hmm. Well, I now understand why you mentioned being worried about Drama Club. I’m sorry you had to deal with Discord’s…” She inhaled, dispelling the red cloud around her horn. “Antics,” she finished. “I can’t imagine how hard it must have been enduring his ‘attempts’ to help you out.”

“So he was trying to help me, huh?” he groaned, trying not to let his anger show again.

“For better or worse, Discord’s modus operandi is manipulation with a side of chaos… I don’t know why, but it sounds like he was trying to make you ‘confront’ your issues head-on.”

“I had a feeling that’s what it was about, but…”

“Yeah. At least, that had better have been his intention! Otherwise…” She shook her head and reiterated, “I’m really sorry that he did what he did.”

“It’s fine. Besides, for as uncomfortable as it was dealing with all of that, at least it was easier.” And I didn’t have a complete breakdown. … Even if Silver is still—

“I’m very proud of you, Gallus. You absolutely should not have had to deal with that, but I’m still very proud of you for being so patient with Discord,” she said encouragingly.

“Thanks, Headmare Starlight. … So what do I do now?” he asked, gulping.

“About Discord? Nothing. I’ll take care of him,” Starlight promised ominously. “But if you’re referring to Drama Club? I’d say go for it,” she advised joyfully. “It sounds like you had a lot of fun in spite of Discord’s meddling, and the others were all very welcoming of you. I think you’d like it.”

“No! I meant… What about… About Silverstream?”

“What about Silverstream?” she asked obliviously.

“What do you mean ‘what about Silverstream’!?” Gallus snapped. “I ditched her! I promised I’d see Drama Club through with her, but right at the end—right! At! The! End!—I ditched her and came here! And on top of that, she’s still worried about me! What do I do to fix this!?”

“I’m pretty sure Silver would understand you needed some time after—”

“No!” he interrupted. “No, she won’t! And besides, I promised her I’d go with her, and then I just… Ughhh,” he groaned, sinking lower into the sofa.

“You promised her that you’d go to Drama Club, and you did…?” she said uncertainly.

“Yeah, I may have gone to Drama Club, but did you not hear me about how worried she was the entire time? What do you think she’s going to think when, after I get done yelling at a stupid bundle of papers, I just decide to vanish under the lame ‘bathroom break’ excuse?” he grumbled.

“Even if she is worried, I’m sure she’ll understand. She knows how hard a time you’re having.”

So does Smolder; doesn’t stop her from being angry with me, Gallus barely stopped himself from saying. “Look,” he said instead. “I know that. I know that Silverstream will understand, but that doesn’t mean she won’t be worried! I promised everyone I was doing better, but she’s still worried about me, just like Ocellus! So, what do I do about that; how do I fix this!?”

“We talked about this earlier, Gallus,” she stated calmly. “You can’t just wave your talon and make your friends stop caring about you.”

“I know, I know! But you didn’t see Silverstream. She… She looked at me like I was dying or something! I scared her,” Gallus emphasized, wincing. “So please… Please tell me what I’m supposed to do to fix that.”

For a moment, Starlight’s eyes wandered to the papers on her desk before looking back at him.

“The only thing you can do, Gallus. Talk to her,” Starlight answered resolutely. “I understand you don’t want them to be worried about you, but it’s okay. Like I said before we got interrupted, the best thing you can do is be there for her and your friends and let them know you’re okay.”

“But you said I am okay! And I’m glad that I am doing okay, but… But it still wasn’t enough! They’re still worried, and it’s all my fault! So… Doesn’t that make it my responsibility to fix this?”

Starlight raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Your responsibility? What do you mean?”

“I mean that I screwed up! I wasn’t supposed to have a meltdown; I should have been fine, but I wasn’t. My friends are worried about me, and it’s my fault,” he ended, hiding his face in his talons.

“Again, we’ve been over this. Your friends are going to worry because they’re scared you’re not well.”

He dropped his talons and declared, “And I was supposed to be fine! But I failed at that, so… So, that means I have to make them stop worrying! That’s what I was trying to do all day, but since they were still worried anyway, I thought that maybe I wasn’t healing as much as I thought, but… But you said I was, so that can only mean I’m doing it wrong, right?”

“‘Make them stop worrying’? What do you mean by…” She blinked and asked suspiciously, “Gallus? How much of what you said to Ocellus earlier was what you thought she wanted you to say?”

“U-Uh, w-well, I, uh… I, uh…” he stammered, blindsided by the accusation. He swallowed and admitted, “The… The part about how I knew it wasn’t my fault for everything screwing up.”

“And yet, you still believe that it is?”

“Yeah? My friends wouldn’t be scared now if it weren’t for me. So that makes it my fault,” he stated matter-of-factly.

“So what you’re saying is… You lied to Ocellus to make her feel better?” Starlight deduced.

“Well, what was I supposed to say!?” Gallus asked hotly. “‘Hey, Ocellus! I’m not really as fine as I thought I was, and I will never stop thinking that all of this mess is my fault no matter what, but whatever’? Was I supposed to have said that!?” he asked, scowling at the mere idea.

“No, that’s not what I’m saying you should have done. What I’m saying you should have done was be honest with her,” Starlight professed bluntly.

“But I was honest with her!”

“Fully honest, Gallus. Fully honest!”

“Yeah, but if I had been ‘fully honest’ she’d still be worried about me! Maybe she still is, but she’s a far-cry less so because I—”

“Because you said what you thought you were supposed to say?” she guessed, raising her voice.

“Well… Yeah?” he said, not comprehending the problem.

Starlight inhaled, bringing her hoof to her chest. She then exhaled slowly, pushing it away. She repeated did this twice more before giving him a stern glare that made his insides crawl in anticipation.

“Gallus?” she began through gritted teeth. “What I am about to say to you is something I feel very strongly about. So if I get a little preachy, I’m sorry. Alright?”

“Alright,” he said uncertainly. Oh thank Grover! She’s going to tell me how to fix this!

“Gallus? Your feelings are just as important as everyone else’s. Every feeling. Your happiness and hope, your anger and fear. All of it. Every single feeling you can or will feel and express is equally important. They are never—ever!—otherwise.”

“Look,” Starlight continued before he could retort. “I know you don’t want your friends to be worried about you, and I also understand you feel like it’s your fault that they’re worried, especially Silverstream,” she added, making him flinch.

“Gallus, I understand your frustration, but… You cannot—I repeat!—cannot! Accept responsibility for other creatures’ feelings. And what I mean is that you cannot blame yourself for others—including your friends—being worried about you.”

“But they wouldn’t be worried if I hadn’t—”

“Hadn’t what, Gallus?” Starlight interrupted. “Hadn’t cared? Hadn’t cared about everyone else being happy when you weren’t? Hadn’t cared about being alone when you knew you did nothing to deserve being so alone? Hadn’t cared when Silver wanted to help you feel better?” she asked, scowling.

“I… I…” Gallus looked down, defeated. He hadn’t intended to say any of that, but it wasn’t exactly far from what he was going to say.

“Exactly. Your feelings are just as important as everyone else’s, not lesser than. If you want to feel angry then feel angry; it’s okay. If you want to feel sad then feel sad; it’s okay too.”

“But those aren’t things I’m supposed to express around others! Look at you now! I get just a little upset—just a little afraid—and suddenly you’re… Angry at me,” he ended, looking up.

“Angry at you?” she asked, stunned. “Gallus, I’m not angry at you. I’m…” Starlight stopped and followed his gaze, seeing another nimbus of scarlet magic. She then looked back at Gallus and found him staring at her in apprehension.

Starlight soon did her breathing exercise again, calming down far more significantly and withdrawing the rage cloud into her horn once again.

“I’m sorry for raising my voice, Gallus. I should know better, and I’m sorry,” she said gently.

“Look,” Starlight continued. “I really am not angry at you. What I am angry at is that you’re taking responsibility for your friends’ feelings at the cost of your own,” she explained, frowning sympathetically. “That’s something you should never have had to deal with, Gallus, let alone at your age! And yet… You are.”

“But this is my fault,” Gallus hesitantly argued. “The others are scared because of me. Silver is scared because of me!” he lamented. “It’s all my fault, so I should fix it! I’m supposed to fix it! I don’t want my friends to worry about me; they should never have had to in the first place because I’m supposed to be fine! But I wasn’t, and… And…”

“You say that it’s your fault everything is messed up, and I get that. But I don’t blame you. They don’t blame you. Silver doesn’t blame you. No one is holding anything against you, Gallus. No one except yourself,” she said morosely.

“But what about Smolder!?” Gallus angrily blurted out.

“Smolder doesn’t blame you either, Gallus,” Starlight elaborated, wincing. “I won’t deny she’s angry, but it’s not because she thinks you’re at fault for something.”

Wait… She knows why Smolder’s angry? he realized, asking, “Then why is she mad at me?”

“That’s something we both need to talk to her about,” she mumbled. “But getting back on the subject,” Starlight said, stepping out from behind her desk and sitting beside him. “Gallus? I understand you blame yourself for your friends worrying about you, but please listen when I say this…”

“Don’t. Don’t hold yourself responsible for the feelings of your friends. Your emotions are your emotions, and theirs are theirs. That includes worry, fear, anger, and everything else.”

“But they’re worried about me!”

“And you’re worried about them being worried about you,” Starlight countered. “And you know what? You are perfectly allowed to worry about them as much as you wish, but by that same logic, they’re also allowed to worry about you as much as they wish. And yes. I know they wouldn’t be as worried as they are now if you weren’t upset during the holiday. But that doesn’t matter, Gallus.”

“But it does matter!” Gallus contended. “It’s my fault that they’re worried! It was my mistake, and I need to fix my mistakes, especially when it pertains to my friends!”

“Gallus, the only creature this matters to is you,” she stated bluntly. “And that’s okay too. It’s okay that you’re worried, and it’s okay that you’re afraid you made a mistake. But what’s not okay is hurting yourself trying to make your friends less worried.”

“But I’m not hurting myself!”

“Maybe not in the short term, but in the long term? How long will it be before everything you say and do with your friends is just another ‘attempt’ to make them stop worrying about you?”

“What does that even mean?”

Starlight gave him a hard stare before saying, “Silver said she was afraid that you’d endure Drama Club on her behalf, even if you didn’t like it.”

“Geez, thanks for the reminder, Headmare,” Gallus groaned sardonically. “But guess what!? I did enjoy Drama Club!”

“Yes. Yes, you did, yes. And if you hadn’t?”

“Th-Then I would have told her?” he lied.

“Mhmm. Annnd, what if you don’t like Chess Club with Ocellus?” she asked, maintaining a steady tone. “Or what if Sandbar follows up on that gym membership question, and you don’t want to go but go anyway just because ‘you know you have to’? How long before you bottle up your feelings every chance you can because ensuring that they’re happy is ‘more important’ than being happy yourself?”

“I… I hadn’t really thought of it like that before,” Gallus weakly admitted.

“That’s because you care, Gallus,” she explained, smiling sadly. “You care about your friends so much. And I’m glad you care. The problem is that you care so much about making them happy, that… That you’re stressing yourself out trying to keep making them happy. Or, at least, you will.”

“I just don’t want them to be worried…”

“And that’s not a bad thing, Gallus. It’s okay that you want to make things better with your friends and help ease their fear, but it must not come at the cost of your own feelings. You shouldn’t feel the need to force yourself to pick and choose what you can or can’t say or think because you want them to be happy before yourself. That’s not noble. That’s not healthy. That’s toxic.”

Gallus quietly contemplated her words, contrasting them against his own actions. After a while he questioned, “What am I supposed to do then? How do I help my friends stop worrying? I know I’m healing, but is it enough? What can I do?” he asked pleadingly.

“You’re a clever griffon, Gallus,” she answered knowingly.

“Talk to them and let them know that I am doing okay?” Gallus guessed, sighing.

“And be honest,” she added.

“But what if I just scare them more? Clearly I’m not exactly… Great.”

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Healing takes time. So give it time. They’re worried now, but one day they won’t be. Because one day, they’ll know you’re doing better. One day you’ll be better. But it takes time, patience, and above all else…”

“Reassurance?”

“Honesty,” Starlight corrected. “Be honest with yourself, and be honest with them.”

“Heh. Okay, Professor Applejack,” he snarked, earning a chuckle. A moment later, Gallus began, “Headmare Starlight?”

“Yes, Gallus?”

“Did you have this same problem when you were healing?”

“…Yes,” Starlight reluctantly admitted. “I don’t want to go into specifics, but… Let’s just say I, uh, bottled up my feelings in more ways than one. And yes, I did hurt myself doing it. I almost hurt my friend and a few others too. So, yeah,” she concluded, grimacing uncomfortably.

Really regretting having fallen asleep during Magic Lesson One Hundred and Forty-five, Gallus bemoaned to himself as he continued pondering over her words.

…

“Does this mean that it’s okay to… To admit that I’m scared?” Gallus finally asked.

“Of worrying your friends?”

“Of talking to Silverstream.”

It took Starlight a second to realize what he really meant. “The date question?”

“Yeah,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Well, first off? Yes. It’s perfectly okay to be afraid. And second? If you’re about to ask for advice on what to do…”

“Go talk to her?” Gallus preemptively surmised.

“I was actually going to recommend flying kites together in the park, but talking to her works too,” she agreed, grinning awkwardly.

“Flying kites?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Don’t knock it till you try it,” Starlight protested, blushing. “Flying kites can be just as romantic as it can be platonic, just ask Maud Pie and Mudbriar,” she concluded sagely.

“Riiiiight,” he droned, rolling his eyes. Eventually, Gallus took a deep breath and said, “So, I probably need to talk to you about this whole thing more. A lot more,” he begrudgingly admitted. “But, uh, do you mind if I go? I need to go and, uh… Silverstream,” he ended abruptly.

“Of course. But please make sure to remember what we talked about today, alright?”

“I actually am healing despite only just beginning to do so, and I shouldn’t try to reassure my friends at the cost of my own sanity?”

“That’s, uh, a fair enough summation, I suppose,” Starlight tentatively agreed.

Gallus snorted.

“What?”

“Just a joke between Ocellus and me. Before I go though? Am I really doing okay, Headmare?”

“Yes, Gallus,” she answered confidently. “I do believe you are.”

“…Thank you. Right! I’ll see you later,” he said, grabbing his bag and making for the door.

“Tomorrow, or…?”

“Uhhh,” Gallus droned, pausing at the door and thinking. “Yeah,” he said, nodding. “Yeah. Tomorrow is good, right?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks again. Oh! And did you ever figure out what happened with Sugar Belle’s pies?”

“Oh. Yeah,” she sighed in irritation. “Same culprit as the pie monster. Which is the same jealous brat throwing a temper tantrum over her game getting more attention than his at the festival.”

Discord, you’d better run, Gallus thought as he requested, “Do me a favor and make sure that same ‘jealous brat’ stops messing with Mrs. Belle’s mail, would ya? Spike needs her for the party.”

“Noted,” she said, scowling scarily.

“Thanks. See you later, Headmare Starlight.”

“See you later, Gallus,” she said, waving goodbye as the door clicked shut behind him.

Starlight sighed in relief and sat back down in her desk chair, levitating a stained, crumpled-up paper to her face and reading the words inscribed upon it once again.

“Oh, Smolder… Now what am I going to do with you?”

***

Gallus leaned against his bed, sighing and trying really hard to calm down.

“Okay,” he said to himself. “Okay. We’re going to talk to Silver. We’re going to ask her about the date thing. No more cowardice, Gallus,” he ended confidently.

He opened Cadence’s letter.

—Anyway! Now that we’ve got the general stuff out of the way, it’s time to get into the hefty stuff! My first major piece of relationship advice is this:

Don’t be afraid to express your feelings.

Out of everything I’ve said so far, this is probably the most obvious. After all, how can you possibly be in a relationship with someone if you don’t ever express your emotions? Unfortunately, this particular rule is something way more creatures tend to take for granted than you’d think.

Relationships are relationships regardless of whether they’re friendships or romances. They’re all “Bonds of Love” as Twilight told me you were fond of calling them. However, every relationship has its ups and downs. And that applies to romances just as much as it does to friendships.

To put it simply: Relationships can get strained. A little frustration here, a bit of irritation there. Something said in the heat of the moment here, something thought in a moment of vexation there. It doesn’t take much for creatures to be upset with one another.

Why is this such a big deal? Because a lot of creatures will bottle up their anger, fear, or sadness instead of expressing it openly. Why is that such a problem? Because it goes against the one fundamental rule of any healthy relationship.

Communication. That’s my first major piece of advice for you: Communicate with Silverstream.

If you’re happy, let her know you’re happy. If you’re upset, let her know you’re upset. If you’re afraid, let her know you’re afraid. If something is wrong, let her know something is wrong.

Don’t try to hide away your feelings just because you think you need to for her sake.

To never let her know how you’re feeling is to sacrifice the foundation of trust your relationship is built upon, and to make matters worse, it will have adverse effects on the both of you personally.

For you, hiding your feelings will only worsen whatever you’re hiding in the first place, harming your emotional health in the process. And that’s assuming you don’t get accustomed to doing it every time you’re upset, and if that happens…

Don’t. Don’t let that happen. Don’t ever let yourself get used to hiding your feelings.

As for her, if you’re never honest with her about your feelings then she’ll never be able to fully trust you. That’s already the biggest mistake any couple can make, but what’s worse is that she won’t be able to know whenever you are upset or how to help you should that happen. The same goes for you.

That’s why I want you to express your feelings openly. I know that sounds a little scary at first. Frankly, I’d be shocked if you didn’t find the idea of being completely, openly honest about your feelings a little daunting, especially since everyone finds it daunting at first.

The fact of the matter is this: Relationships need healthy communication. And that means you need to—you guessed it—communicate with her. If you don’t do this, you’re only making it harder for the two of you to properly converse with each other when problems do arise. And if you two can’t healthily communicate with each other…

Then why be in a relationship in the first place.

All that being said! I know just how terrifyingly difficult it is to be like this with someone when you’re only just starting to do so. So! I took the liberty of providing a list of different, simple ways to communicate with Silverstream for if and when you were unsure of how to do it verbally.

It should be attached to this letter, or else it’s somewhere mixed in with the rest of the advice pile I had express-shipped to you. Sorry about that.

I think I’ll leave what you do next up to you. If you want to read my other letters, read them. If you want to take the advice I’ve given you so far and talk to Silverstream about the question, go talk to Silverstream.

And don’t worry, Gallus. You’ve got this. I believe in you.

P.S. Gallus? This is Shining Armor. I wrangled this out of Cadence’s grasp before she could send it to you, or more accurately, before she could teleport it directly into your face in your sleep. I wanted to add this here since I had a feeling she forgot to say this in her excitement:

We’re sorry about your situation, and if there’s anything we can do to help, we’re a letter away—as is my sis. At the very least, I hope you’re doing better by the time you read this.

Overcoming trauma and growing from it as an individual is a difficult thing to do, but you have tons of support from your friends—or should I say: Family—and teachers. And if there’s one thing I know, it’s that having creatures you trust be there to support you makes the ordeal far easier.

In any case, I hope you’re doing well, staying out of trouble, keeping your grades up, and hopefully not suffocating at the bottom of a pile of my wife’s advice.

I really need to get her a better hobby

I’ll try to keep her limited to one scroll per day, but for some Celestia-knows-why reason, the Crystal Empire has scrolls that reach half a mile in length. To this day, I still don’t know if that’s a traditional thing they’ve always done since the Empire’s founding, or a remnant of some whacked-out torture method from Sombra’s reign that these ponies couldn’t shake.

Either way, expect some very long letters in the future. May my Aunts-in-Law help you.

Oh! And Flurry Heart sends her love too!

See you later, Gallus.

P.P.S. Hi! Cadence here! Again. And about Shining limiting my replies to one a day…

No.

Sincerely, Cadence, Shining, and Flurry.

Gallus re-read the letter one last time as well as the extra document that was, of course, at the bottom of the giant pile of letters. After reconfirming that Cadence had indeed suggested it, he placed the two parchments aside in favor of re-re-re-re-reading the letter that he had written for Silverstream.

I guess this will have to do, he thought, swallowing nervously. “Let’s do this,” Gallus said with renewed determination as he rose up, stepped out into the hallway. He then politely knocked on her door despite his trembling talon.

“Just a minute!” called out the voice from within. A minute later, the door opened to reveal Silverstream standing there, happy as can be.

And then she saw Gallus, and out the door her happiness went in exchange for nervous panic.

“Gallus!” she cried. “Uh, um, uh… Hi, how are you doing?” she asked with a shaky smile.

“I’m… A little worried,” he managed to admit. “How about you?”

“I-I’m good,” she lied.

“That’s good. I need to talk to you,” Gallus quickly said. “Do you mind if I come in?”

“O-Oh! Uh, sure. Sure, come on in,” she welcomed, stepping aside.

Having never fully seen Silverstream’s room before, Gallus was rather surprised by how simple she had kept it. Aside from the Wonderbolt poster beside her bed, the only decorations Gallus saw were a few sketches of various landscapes and some knick-knacks he suspected were from her home. His eyes were then drawn to the flower painting from earlier which Silver had propped up on an easel to dry from her latest additions.

“Hey, that’s looking pretty good,” he bantered, nodding toward the painting.

“Aw, thanks, Gallus,” she bantered back, her voice still resonating with worry.

“I didn’t interrupt you painting, did I?”

“Huh? Oh! No, no! You’re good. I’ve been letting it dry for a while.”

“Ah. … Um, do you mind if I, uh…?” he began, pulling out his letter.

“Um, sure?” she answered, unsure of what he was doing.

Gallus nodded in thanks and began reading.

“‘Dear, Silverstream. First off, Sorry for reading a letter to you instead of just talking like a normal creature, but I was advised that it would be a good way to talk to you if I was terrified of doing so. Which, as you can probably tell, I am.’”

“You’re terrified of— Oh no! I’m sorry, Gallus!” she swiftly apologized. “You don’t need to be scared of talking to me! … Uh, why are you scared of talking to me?”

“I’ll, uh, get to that in a minute,” he answered nervously.

“O-Oh. Okay. Sorry for interrupting.”

“No-no, you’re good. Ahem!” he coughed. “‘You’re probably wondering why I am terrified of talking to you.’” Silver quietly snorted. “‘Well? I am terrified of talking to you normally because of that question you asked me. Specifically, the date question.’”

Silver gulped but remained silent so that he could continue.

“‘The truth is I have have no idea what you want my answer to be, let alone whether you genuinely meant it or were only saying that because—’”

“I meant it!” she immediately answered.

Gallus looked at her, opening his beak to say something. No words came out since he was too busy screaming internally, so he merely nodded and looked back at his letter.

“‘—Or were saying that because I was having a breakdown. Which, now that I’ve brought that up, I wanted to apologize profusely for scaring you. Regardless of whether or not I shouldn’t have been upset in the first place, I scared you. And for that I am so, so sorry! I never wanted to hurt you or any of our friends, but I did. And, uh, please don’t say that I didn’t because I know I did.’”

“Gallus, I— I didn’t know you were— I’m sorry for being scared; it’s just—”

“No!” he exclaimed, startling her. “Sorry. It’s just that Starlight said it wasn’t a good idea to hide or bottle up your feelings. So did Princess Cadence. So, i-if you want to be scared…? It’s okay to be. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.” Please don’t be, please don’t be; please don’t be!

Silver opened her beak but then slowly closed it, nodding again.

“Okay.” Gallus gulped and resumed reading, “‘I worried you and the others. And I know you don’t want me to say it, but it’s my fault.’ It is!” he added, cutting off his horrified friend. “‘However, I’m not going to blame myself. What I am going to do is heal and move on.’”

Gallus was thankful that Silver remained quiet even though she clearly didn’t want to.

“‘And that is what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to move on after everything that happened. And yes, I am moving on,’” he reassured. “‘Headmare Starlight has told me a lot about how it works—apparently, she’s been through this thing before, who knew?—and one of the things she told me was that it takes a long time. And since I’m only just starting, that means it’s, well, gonna take a long time. But! She also said it’s easier to move on when I have my friends to help do so. So for that? Thank you.’”

A weak groan managed to escape Silver, but she placed a talon around her beak to keep it shut. She then gave him a talons-up, signaling him to keep going.

“‘Whelp, now that we got that out of the way…’” He took a deep breath and hurriedly read, “‘I have no idea about that date question you asked! I said it before, and I’ll say it again: I don’t know whether you really meant it, or if you were joking, or if you were just trying to make me feel better. And because of that, I have no idea how to respond. If you were joking…’ Well, I guess I don’t need to say that part since you already said that you meant it. … You did mean it. Right?” he asked, terrified.

“Mhmm!” she answered through her clenched beak, nodding vehemently.

Well, at least I wasn’t worried over nothing. On that note? AAAAAHHHHH!

“In that case, I’ll just skip ahead.” Gallus flipped the letter over and read, “‘If you did mean it then I want to be honest and say that… Until now? I had never thought of you—or anycreature else for that matter—in that way. Please don’t take offense to that because you are incredibly awesome, and I care about you a lot! I’ve just never really thought about that before.’”

A note of sadness penetrated her worried stare, making Gallus wince.

“‘Again, I really don’t mean any offense by that. And to be honest? If you want to be in a relationship with me? If you genuinely, truly want you and I to date? Then yeah! Let’s call Friends and Family Day a date and go on from there!’” he declared, smiling as confidently as he could.

Silverstream caught him in a warm hug, and quickly said, “Sorry for interrupting you again, but can I keep hugging you? I really want to hug you right now!”

“Uh,” he muttered, blushing. “Sure, I don’t mind.”

Her hug intensified, and Gallus suspected she wanted to shout in joy. To be honest, he did too.

Gallus held the letter up as best as he could around Silver’s hug and continued, “‘If, uh, that is what you genuinely, truly wanted to do—’”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes; yes!” Silver rapidly confirmed.

“Right. ‘—then I want to warn you right now that I have no clue what I’m doing. Like I said, I’ve never really cared about my potential, er, relationships, so I’m completely clueless as to how it works, what I’m supposed to do, or anything. I’ve asked for advice and got a lot of it, but I haven’t really read anything past the very first letter. So, yeah. I don’t know what I’m doing. Sorry.’”

“You don’t have to be sorry, Gallus; I understand.”

“Thanks. ‘But in spite of that, I want to promise you something, Silver. I promise that even though I don’t know what I’m doing, even if I screw up massively, even if—’” Gallus gulped again. “‘—I scare you again… I promise to try to be as kind, considerate, and thoughtful as I can. I promise I’ll try my absolute best to be the best special somegriff I can be, and hopefully, the special somegriff you deserve. And I promise I will try not to worry you ever again!’”

“‘I am still healing; I fully admit that. But I am doing better; I promise that too. With all that said, thank you for listening to me read this letter instead of talking normally. Sincerely, Gallus,’” he concluded.

Silver gave him one last squeeze before retracting from the hug, giving him a teary smile.

“Do you really mean all of that?” she asked hopefully.

“Silver? It took me two hours and twenty rough drafts to write this stupid thing,” he deadpanned, holding the letter up. “I better have meant everything I wrote; otherwise, I wasted two hours of my time and twenty pages of paper for nothing.”

She snorted. That snort turned into giggles. And those giggles turned into full-blown laughter. Gallus couldn’t help but chuckle along with her as he put the paper in his bag.

“Heh-heh! I’m sorry; I know I shouldn’t laugh, but I can’t help it,” she apologized, snickering.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Gallus comforted. “Besides, if you’re laughing that means I’m getting my snark back. Yaaaaay!” he cheered.

“Yaaaaay!” she cheered back.

They smiled at each other for a moment, but Silverstream soon frowned, saying, “I’m sorry, Gallus. I wouldn’t have said anything at all if I had known you’d be so worried about the ‘date’ thing. Or at least asked it after you were feeling better. I’m sorry for making it worse,” she whimpered.

“Hey, don’t feel bad about it. That’s my… I’m not gonna make that joke since it’s in poor taste; so instead, I’ll just say this: Silver? I’m sorry for scaring you and making you worry about me,” he apologized, holding her talon. “I should have talked to you and the others. I’m sorry that I didn’t. But please don’t worry about me! I am doing better, and I am okay. I promise,” Gallus said firmly.

“Don’t worry, I believe you,” Silver replied. She looked away and asked, “Do you mind if I stay just a little worried though? I didn’t mean to make you feel like I was afraid or terrified! It’s just… I don’t want to see you huddled up in a bed talking to yourself again…”

“You won’t!” he assured. “Unless I’m talking in my sleep, or reading aloud. Do those count?”

She snorted again and said, “No, those don’t count, silly!”

“Hee-hee! That’s good. Because I don’t know if I talk in my sleep or not.”

“If you did, we wouldn’t hear you over Yona’s snores.”

“Ha! Yeah. Yeah…” He paused for a moment before apologizing, “Sorry about ditching you after Drama Club. I didn’t mean to worry you or the others, it’s just… You were scared, and Discord’s antics, and… It was just a bit too much at once.”

“Don’t worry,” she muttered balefully. “Discord won’t be bugging you again anytime soon.”

***

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the School of Friendship…

“Hello? Anyone? Hellooooo! Draconequus down! Fluttershy!? Starlight!? Tri—wait, I don’t actually want her to see this…” Discord mumbled quietly. “If you can hear this, Trixie, do not look in the chest! I repeat: Do not look in the chest; there is nothing of interest in here! No sirree! I am serious!”

The chest opened with a creak.

“…Bah-hahahahahah!” the Great and Powerful Trixie bellowed.

“Darn it! The only time reverse psychology works, and it has to be when I’m not using it!?” he snarled, crawling out of the box and stretching his cramped limbs.

“Hee-hee-hee! I’m definitely not going to forget that image any time soon! Ha-ha! What exactly were you doing in there anyway?” she asked, still smirking.

“Beats me! Why don’t you tell me how the Drama Club managed to get me in there at all!?”

Before Trixie could speak, a turquoise flash ignited at the doorway, followed swiftly by a crimson hurricane that thundered with the haunted screams of an unspeakable wrath.

“Discord!” Starlight greeted sweetly. “There you are, you… You… You annoying, meddling, pie-poisoning, little turd noodle with horns!” she screeched furiously. “Have I got words for you!”

Discord reeled back in terror. He then blinked, remembered he was the Lord of Chaos, and said, “And I have one for you too, Glimmy-Glammy! Toodles!” he said, snapping. Or he would have snapped, if his paw and claw hadn’t both been frozen in clouds of turquoise. “Uh-oh,” he whimpered.

“Not so fast, Dissy-Cordy!” she hummed venomously. “You and I are in need of a chat! So unless you want me to tell Fluttershy about your recent screw-up, you’re going to sit in that chair and listen!”

“But—”

“NOW!”

“Uh… Um… Help?” he weakly pleaded to Trixie.

Trixie smiled and pulled a bag of popcorn out of her hat. “Does this count as helping?”

“No, that doesn’t count as—MEEP!” he cried out after Starlight teleported him into the chair.

“Now then!” Starlight said, trotting to the front of the room. “Let me explain to you the difference between ‘helping’ someone and ‘screwing’ with someone! Because Celestia knows! You’ve needed to learn this lesson for a long time, you mail-stealing, jealous brat!”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I am sooooo going to enjoy this,” Trixie squealed happily.

“I’m not!” Discord roared fearfully.

“No talking when the teacher is talking, Discord! Now then…!”

***

Meanwhile, back in Silverstream’s room…

“Yeah, well, I’m still sorry,” Gallus repeated morosely. “I’m also sorry for getting riled up when I was doing that speech, but… It kinda hit close to home.”

“I know,” Silver sighed. “I’m so sorry you didn’t have a good time; I really should have thought better of it. I’m sorry for even asking you to come,” she lamented, flinching.

“Hey. Hey, Silver,” he said, giving her a gentle poke.

“Yeah?”

“We’re still on for Thursday, right? Or is Vellum ticked off that I ditched you guys?”

“Wait, what?” she uttered, taken aback. “You mean you… You want to come back!? After Vellum, and Scoop, and the fighting, and Discord, and… Everything?”

“I already told you that there’s no way I’m leaving you in that madhouse all by yourself. And you know what else? It gives me a chance to hang out with you more too,” he said, winking.

She hugged him again, wrapping even her wings around him too.

“First off, no, Vellum isn’t mad at you,” she confirmed. “He and the others figured it was Discord’s fault. And second? Five minutes in, and you’re already the best special somegriff ever!” Silver rejoiced sweetly.

“Yeah, well? I try,” he said, hugging her back.

…

“Sorry about not coming with you to deliver Mrs. Ditsy’s muffins,” he eventually apologized.

“Oh, that’s okay. I put ‘em in the fridge to keep them fresh so we could deliver them tomorrow,” she revealed. “Besides, we can always bake another batch if we need to.”

“Sounds like—” A date. “—fun.”

…

“Gallus?” Silver began softly.

“Yeah?”

“Do you promise that you’re doing better?”

“I promise, Silverstream. I promise,” he swore without hesitation.

She hugged him tighter, whispering, “Yay!”

“Yay!” he echoed.

…

“Oh! And Gallus?”

“Yeah?”

“All that stuff you said about not knowing how relationships work and whatnot?”

“Yeah?”

“Same goes for me,” Silver confessed with a small chuckle. “My only experience is the few romance novels I’ve read, but Scoop and Patty suggested them, so I don’t think they’re very reliable,” she wisely concluded.

“Well, I asked Princess Cadence for advice, so I’m not sure if my knowledge is reliable either.”

“You asked— Wow! Uh, can I read some of that advice too then? I kinda want to be the best special somegriff I can be too, you know!” she sang enthusiastically.

“Of course you can. I’ll have to organize it first though; it’s kinda flooding my room right now.”

“Oh. Oops.”

“Yeah. Oops. But hey! At least I’m not alone in the ‘romantically-disinclined’ group.”

“Of course you’re not alone, silly! You have me.”

“Yeah. I guess I do.”

Elsewhere, deep in the Everfree Forest, within the walls of a magnificent crystalline tree, and standing along one of its many balconies…

A glimmering spirit stood, looking out toward Ponyville and smiling.

“Do not be afraid, my friend. You may not have the serenity you seek just yet, but it awaits you at the end of your journey. I promise.”

Author's Note

And once again, I am back! Ah, Chapter Three... Or more accurately, Chapter Two: Part Two! Judging from the word count, you can probably figure out why I split it up, and while I'm on that note?
I make no promises, but I'm going to try to not let any future chapters get this long. I expect that I'm going to flirt with that 20k word count again, but if it goes over that limit, I'm splitting the chapters apart.
EDIT(9/5/2021): Well, this promise certainly aged, huh? :derpytongue2:

I'm not sure if any of you dislike the chapters having word lengths like that, but I don't think it's fair to expect you guys to take like an hour or two of your time to just read about Gallus getting therapy in a random person's fanfiction.

Speaking of which, sorry to FanficReader920 if Starlight's still sounding a bit too wise for her character. I'm going to work to tone that down a bit, going forward, but for now...Eh.

Also, all the other friendship students that I've mentioned so far are technically background ponies in the show, but as far as I'm aware, none of them have had any "Canonical" personalities set for them. Because of that, I wanted to ask you guys if I should put the "OC" tag on this story. I don't plan to have any truly original characters in this story, but I wanted to ask anyway.
EDIT(9/5/2021): And yet another comment that aged beautifully! :pinkiecrazy:

On that note, here are the background characters I've mentioned so far(Pictures acquired from the MLP Wiki):

November Rain :

Peppermint(Patty) Goldylinks :

Vellum Codex :

Strawberry Scoop :

End Zone :

As an aside, screw power surges for making me have to rewrite this entire chapter right as soon as I had finished! :flutterrage: Thank God for Copy/Paste! :yay:

As always, all thoughts and criticisms are welcomed and very much appreciated! Thank you for reading this chapter, and make sure to stay tuned around the 20th-23rd(Again) for Ch. 4.

NEXT TIME: Prepare yourselves! For a sudden perspective change is inbound! And the inner machinations of a certain hippogriff are soon to no longer be an enigma! :moustache: