Love After Lifeby CrackedInkWellChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 1Earth hath no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal. -St. Thomas More "Somehow… I shouldn't be shocked by any of this." Gallus muttered with a claw holding up his head on the iron bars, but his comment went unnoticed. For the last hour or so, he, Silverstream, Sandbar, and Yona had been prisoners deep underground. Somewhere above them, their captor had persuaded his fellow Diamond Dogs to join him in world domination. Something that the griffon felt was almost routine by now. Of course, that didn't mean he liked it. Stopping the Looney Toon of the week while trying to balance studying at school did take a toll. Not only did the students have to deal with their everyday problems, but they now had to take care of the world too. Bringing down Cozy Glow was the start. For the past few years, they had to take down a cursed artifact, a plague of world-eating locus, a fiery monster, the real Grogar, a communist dragon and his revolutionary army, an undead army, all while trying to study to get a passing grade on their tests. On some days, Gallus thought that he and his group of friends had gone on more adventures than even their predecessors: Twilight Sparkle and her friends. "Did you say something?" Sandbar asked. Gallus shook his head, "Forget it." Several years at the school had Gallus recognized that life as he had known it had taken countless twists that he couldn't foresee from the start of his days at Friendship Academy. From having no plan in life to juggling a billion issues at once, it was amazing how things had changed in such a short amount of time! A single afternoon could be nothing but him and his friends expressing their dreams of what they may do once they graduate to studying battle strategies at night in case the next villain might come along. Hell, they were close to graduating soon, and all of his friends had goals they aimed to accomplish after school. Silverstream wanted to become the Hippogriff's ambassador for Equestria. Yona and Sandbar thought of going into the fashion industry with Professor Rarity as her apprentices. To nobody's surprise, Ocellus thought of becoming a professor, and Smolder had recently thought about doing monster hunting (although that one was up in the air). Gallus himself was even thinking of getting a job as a Royal Guard since saving the world had become such a norm for him that he might as well make money off of it. Yet, even with all of these accomplishments, there was a part of Gallus that felt like he hadn't begun to fully live. Looking over his shoulder, Sandbar and Yona were huddled together in the corner of their cell. To a degree, he envied them for gaining the courage to date each other. Nothing serious as far as Sandbar had told him, but they were noticeably close. Not that he wasn't happy for the two. There was a part of him that was glad that at least Sandbar was delighted in having a special creature that loved him. 'And yet, he still has no idea.’ Gallus thought with a heavy sigh as his inner feelings began to nag him more and more. The griffon had many secrets - one of them being that Sandbar was his first crush. Not love at first sight, but the more he got to know the pony, the more he noticed his friend in a different light. It wasn't that hard either, since they were the only two guys in their group (if one didn't count Spike hanging out with them once in a while). Sandbar was a loyal friend and was a great listener whenever Gallus had something to grip about, and that happened a lot. Plus, although the griffin hated to admit it, Sandbar did have kind of a cute smile. He even debated over the early weeks whether he should say something to Sandbar and see if something between them could work out. However, by the time Sandbar had asked Yona out to that fateful dance - it was too late. Not that Gallus was upset too much. He was happy his friend found someone he was very fond of and supported him throughout their relationship. However, his feelings soon paled in comparison to another creature that caught his eye. For a long time, Gallus didn't know if he was into boys or girls since he had found himself initially liking girls, then Sandbar, though finally he set his eyes on a special one: Silverstream. After all, that hug during their friendship trials from Silverstream helped him realize that he had a growing attraction to her too. Unlike Sandbar, Silverstream in his eyes didn't seem so out of reach, especially when he started hanging out with her more. Silverstream quickly filled the gap by always inviting Gallus to hang out with her, even taking him back home to spend Hearth's Warming Eve one time. For years, he longed to tell her how he felt about her, but he didn't say anything in case she fancied someone else - like what Sandbar did. Glancing at Silverstream, who was at the other end of the cell, her attention wasn't on any of them but the Diamond Dog across from them, standing guard. He was under no illusions that their adventures could result in one of them not coming home alive. While this wasn't the worst outcome they had ever been in, things were looking pretty grim. Was it better to say something just in case? 'Do you really think this is the right time to bring it up?' he silently asked himself. 'None of us know where Smolder or Ocellus are. They could be dead for all we know, and maybe the nutcase might do the same to us any moment now. You could just go ahead and say it while you still can. They would understand... Right?' Gallus took a moment to reposition himself to where his back was against the iron bars. 'But what if you do get out of this? What if you told them - Silverstream most of all - about what you've always wanted to tell her? I mean, if Sandbar could tell Yona, surely you could do the same here.' He took a deep breath. "Hey uh… Silver?" "Huh?" Silverstream snapped out of her concentration, turning her attention towards him. "What is it?" "I was just thinking…" He took a moment to form his words, "If we… don't get out-" "We will," she immediately told him, "Smolder and Ocellus are still out there. Don't lose hope. They'll help us any minute now." "Sure, but… if we don't, I uh…" He swallowed and took a deep breath, "I thought I'd let you know something." "Yeah?" She blinked, "What is it?" Gallus opened his beak, but before he could gain the courage to spit out what was on his mind, he was interrupted by a sudden cling. They looked around the dungeon for the source until another Diamond Dog with a plate of sliced bread and a bowl of soup came near. Their guard raised an eyebrow, "I thought changing posts were supposed to be later. Why are you here?" The other Diamond Dog held up the plate. "Dinner for the uh… prisoners." "Oh?" The guard blinked, "It's dinner time already? I must have been here longer than I thought." "Uh… yes, you have." "Hey, since you're here, did they find the other two yet? I was told they were going to bring them here forever ago." "Well… no, I heard they're still looking for them." "Rumor has it that one of them is a Changeling." The guard scoffed, "I heard they're impossible to find." "Yeah…" The Diamond Dog holding the plate looked over to Gallus, "You have no idea," and winked at him. Gallus raised an eyebrow. "Well, regardless, give it to them and go." "Can't," the Diamond Dog picked up the bowl and tapped it against the bars. "The bowl won't fit." The guard gave a grunted sigh, grumbling about something. "Alright, fine." He pointed his spear at Gallus and Silverstream, "You two, back to the wall over there." They obeyed. The guard reached for the keys on his belt. "Now where did I put that - here it is." He said. He walked up to the lock and picked out the right key to stick in the lock. "Say if it's dinner, do you mind bringing me-" Crash! Before the guard could do anything, a plate was quickly bashed over the head, knocking him out. "What the-" Sandbar looked up from the sudden crash. Everyone in the cell was taken aback by the other Diamond Dog in surprise. Acting quickly, the dog turned the key in the lock. "About time he got distracted," they heard the dog say. But when the cell door was opened, the dog was suddenly engulfed in green fire, leaving a blue Changeling in its place. "Did you guys miss me?" "Ocellus!" Silverstream rushed over to hug her. "I knew you'd come to save us." "I'm glad you're all safe," She hugged back, "I tried to get here as fast as I can, but I'm afraid we don't have much time. The Sorcerer is about to perform the ritual at any moment now. We have to go up there now!" "Finally!" Yona joyfully got up and out of the cell, galloping down the halls of the dungeon while yelling. "Yak smash!" "C'mon!" Ocellus ordered, getting Sandbar, Silverstream, and Gallus to follow after her. "Where's Smolder?" Sandbar asked as they hurried down the dark halls. "Right above us, Smolder's going to try to get close enough to get the artifact, but she's going to need our help to make our escape." "Stop!" Looking over their shoulders, the guard they knocked out was awake, "Prisoner escape!" He then started blowing a loud whistle that echoed in the halls. Out from the passageways and narrow holes in the underground tunnel, Diamond Dogs in armor rushed out, grabbing whatever weapons they could at the last moment to confront them. In front of them, many more guards with spears and diamond swords rushed over towards them. From behind, a group was unfurling a net to catch them in. And from the sides, the dogs tossed whatever they could get their paws on to slow them down. Yona, screaming out a battle-cry, charged forward with her head down and horns pointed at them. She aimed low at the legs, knocking and tripping them in her way. Silverstream, Gallus, Sandbar, and Ocellus grabbed whatever weapons that dropped to defend themselves. With adrenaline pumping through her, Silverstream took a spear and quickly turned around to slash the net before it could be used on them. It had been a surprise to the group when they first found out that Silverstream had martial training, but she said her Aunt wanted her to learn at a young age just in case. It only made her hotter in Gallus' eyes. Meanwhile, with a sword in his teeth, Sandbar helped clear the way for them to escape. Ocellus turned into a shield for Gallus, who also had a sword, and started to fly around the tunnel to block arrows and rocks from the Diamond Dogs attacking from range. One thing that Gallus had found out about himself was that he was very good at fighting. He chalked it up to being a griffin, a race that once held a mighty military empire, but according to Prince Shining Armor, he had a natural talent. It was helpful when fighting against that horde of the undead invading the Crystal Empire last year, and the prince even recommended trying out for the Royal Guard after graduation. Using that talent, Gallus had managed to block a blow from a Diamond Dog before pushing him back and striking hard enough at another to cut his arm and get him to drop his weapon. He had no intention of killing them if it was possible, but if something wasn't going to change soon, he might have to change that tactic. "There's too many!" Silverstream called out, noticing even more Diamond Dogs that were coming up from behind. Yona looked around and noticed the beams that held up part of the tunnel. "Make cave-in!" She told them. "Smash beams!" Sandbar, Silverstream, and Gallus, who carried Ocellus, went behind Yona as she went as hard and fast as she could to break one of the wooden beams. She charged, and upon impact, there was a loud but noticeable Crack! Just as quickly, she pulled away in time before the dirt and rocks from above fell into the tunnel. In a matter of seconds, they were cut off from the Diamond Dogs by a wall of dirt. Ocellus changed back into herself again. "Good thinking Yona! That should slow them down, but we need to get up there now." They raced through the halls and up the winding stairs into the great hall where the Sorcerer was conducting the ritual. Before their eyes stood the clay army that had taken the Diamond Dogs' form in armor in the thousands, each one had a marked engraving in their chest, no doubt part of the spell that will help bring them to life. On the other side was the Sorcerer Diamond Dog in a black robe, chanting the phrase, "Enital suoivbo enoitatnacni acigam ni ilam madiuq." over and over. His arms reached out to the glowing green orb just above him. "Where's Smolder?" Silverstream asked, looking around and seeing no sign of the dragoness. The Sorcerer took notice of them. "What? How did you…?" Taking off his hood, the dark-furred Diamond Dog with an eyepatch was puzzled at first but shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You're all too late! All I have to do is carry out the final part of the ritual, and my army of clay will rise to overthrow Equestria! I, Sirius the Conqueror, will be the lone ruler of-" "Oh, put a tennis ball in it!" "Pardon?" He looked around, "Who said that?" "Me!" Unexpectedly, Smolder came swinging in on a root vine. A free claw reached out and snatched the glowing orb from its position before she swung herself over to a nearby cavern. "Yes!" She held the ball up triumphantly, "Looks like you're out of luck, scruffy!" "What do you think you're doing!" Sirius screamed in terror. "You idiot! You've killed us all!" "What are you-" Smolder inquired, but before she could finish, a beam of pale, greenish light darted from the orb into the middle of the clay army. First, the symbols on the chests lit up, then their eyes. All at once, the army turned to look at her. "Uh-oh." "It's everycreature for themselves!" Sirius ran as quickly as he could out of the chamber. However, the would-be conqueror didn't get far as the clay soldiers took notice. One of them raised their paws and fired a bright green light. A scream was heard, and the sorcerer fell onto the floor, crying out in agony as his back was smoldering. Even his black cloak was melting into his flesh. Dozens of clay soldiers raised their paws aimed at him. "No! Wait!" But his plea went underheard as dozens of bright beams were fired upon the Diamond Dog. They didn't stop firing until all that was left was a skeleton that resembled freshly burned charcoal. "Holy sh-" Was as far as Smolder got before the army quickly noticed her, and she too was fired upon. However, thinking fast, she ducked back into the cavern before the beams could touch her. "Guys! Get out of here!" She called out. "Scatter!" Sandbar yelled, thus getting the attention of the army. Now, they had to run. Sandbar and Yona spotted a nearby cavern, galloping as fast as they could down it while Gallus and Silverstream took flight in the opposite direction. Ocellus spotted Smolder from above, and she flew up there to join her. She barely managed to get out of the way in time before the deadly beams could hit her. The worst part of getting lost in the Diamond Dogs' mines was that unless you knew where you're going, running down the twisting, turning tunnels was confusing. Gallus and Silverstream hurried through the tight corridors, the oddly shaped tunnels, and the countless deadends in the dark. "Which way? Which way!" Gallus asked frantically, trying to remember the way they came in. "Here! I think it's this way!" Silverstream grabbed his arm, pointing down towards one of the tunnels. "You sure?" "Maybe," Silverstream said, leading Gallus down one of the tunnels. However, when they entered, they quickly realized that they had made a wrong turn. They didn't remember a place where there were wooden crates everywhere in such a small space. "Wait, I think it might be the other-" Silverstream tried to lead him back out - only to be fired upon by the clay soldiers. Instinctively, they had no choice but to flee behind the crates. However, it made no difference to the soldiers as they began to fire their beams into the small room—one of the boxes that was hit quickly splintered into tiny pieces. The two students had to run to the very back of the room with the most crates to avoid the death ray barrage. "We're done for! There's no way out!" Silverstream panicked. With blasts of the deadly green light cutting and banging away at them, Gallus shut his eyes to try to think of something - anything to get out of this alive. The only way out is through those soldiers that won't stop until they're - his eyes opened. "I got an idea. It's stupid, but it's the best we got." "What is it?" He looked at her in the eye, "You trust me on this?" A blast fired over their heads. "I don't think there's much of a choice here!" Silverstream replied, "What do we do?" "Play dead." ".... What?" "They won't stop until we're dead. So maybe we need to convince them. Just pretend we got shot and don't move afterward. Their heads were made from clay, so hopefully, they wouldn't overthink about it." "How do you know that would work?" Silverstream questioned before another blast missed her. "You got any better ideas?" She shook her head. "Here, I'll go first so you'll have an idea how to do it." "Wait before you do." Before Gallus could ask what, Silverstream leaned in and kissed him on the beak. Although caught entirely off guard, Gallus wasn't complaining at the moment, even when she pulled away, blushing, "Well… just in case…" Gallus grinned, filling him with parts of hope and confidence. He placed a claw over his heart and cried out loud enough for the soldiers to hear him. "Ah! Oh no! They got me!" This seemed to catch the clay army's attention as their blasts died down. So standing up, Gallus wheezed and stumbled around. "Owie my chest, it burns!" Catching on what Gallus was doing, Silverstream clutched her stomach and stood up. "Ouch, they got me too. Ow," she stumbled over to a nearby shattered box. "I'm seriously hurt." Gallus labored his breathing, reaching out with a free claw in the air. "Everything's going cold! I-" he coughs, "but what's this? There's a light coming here. Silver, do you see that?" "I think we're dying Gallus," Silverstream replied, her back against the broken wood. "But I can't die, I'm too young, and there's so much I wanted to do." "Hey," Gallus reached out his free claw as if to try to grab something, "I think I can hear my parents calling to me." He stepped forward towards the army, but he was still looking up. "Gallus, don't leave me," Silverstream went over to lean on him. "I feel so cold." "Goodbye, Silver," Gallus said, his hindlegs buckling, "I'm just gonna lay here - dead." He fell over and rolled on his back, his arms crossed his chest, his hindlegs up, and his tongue hanging on the side. Now the army looked over to Silverstream. Melodramatically, she used a free arm over her forehead. "Thus die I, thus, thus, thus-" "Silver, get on with it," Gallus whispered. "Oh, sorry," she cleared her throat, turning to the army, "Now I am dead, now I am fled; my soul is in the sky: tongue, lose thy light; moon, take thy flight; Now die, die, die, die, die." She fell over onto the ground, hind hooves sticking straight up and tongue sticking out. For a moment, the clay soldiers looked at one another. Then after shrugging, they left the small room, leaving the two of them behind. As soon as the last soldier was gone, they rolled over to applaud one another. "Wonderfully done!" Silverstream clapped, "I didn't think that would work for a moment." "And I didn't think you would use that lame line from Shakespur, but here we are." Gallus chuckled. "Still, we should get out of here." "Right," Silverstream nodded, "I think I have an idea how to get back." With that, she took the lead. In another part of the catacombs, Yona and Sandbar were making a full gallop, heaving along the way. Lost in near darkness, the two ran for their lives as a few of the clay soldiers were still after them, still shooting at them. Neither of them had time to think about which way they were going and hoped that the other had some idea. They hurried around in the snake-like tunnels, very narrowly dodging the deadly blasts from the soldiers. It was becoming harder to breathe, with every step they came closer to collapsing to exhaustion. To Sandbar's alarm, he was getting slower with every passing second, falling behind Yona a little at a time. He wanted to call out to her, but all the air in his lungs was too busy being used on running. And with every blast that was getting closer, Sandbar became very aware of how much closer to death was coming towards him. They rushed out from the twisting tunnel and into an enormous cavern where the only thing connecting the other side was a stone bridge. Sandbar dreadfully knew that it was only a matter of time until the soldiers got a clear shot of them. While they ran, he heard something coming from above; only he couldn't be sure in his exhausted tunnel-vision. All he was trying to do was try to catch up to Yona, who was getting further away. Suddenly, a bolder from above fell in between him and her that ended up smashing a portion of the bridge, leaving nothing but a gaping abyss. The unexpected crash nearly gave the stallion a heart attack while he tried to stop himself. With the rushing momentum, Sandbar came within inches of falling into the darkness. "Sandbar!" Yona screamed, turning around to find that her special someone was on the other side with a few clay soldiers rushing at him. Sandbar turned around in horror across the other side as he realized that he had no way to escape. The soldiers raised their paws, and they aimed at the pony with their deadly green light becoming brighter. Yona screamed again, louder than before, followed by another rumble with rocks and dirt falling from the ceiling. The clay soldiers noticed this too and looked up - only to find a boulder to come down at them, crushing them and a part of the bridge, yet leaving Sandbar unharmed. Out of his near-death experience, Sandbar sat on his hunches, a hoof over his withers, taking a moment to catch his breath. His breathing was erratic, eyes wide, and he could feel his heart beating at an insane pace. "Sandbar!" Yona called out, "Is pony okay?" He nodded. "Yeah… Yeah, I almost died twice today, so I'm wonderful." He breathed deeply. "Can Sandbar jump?" It took a glance to conclude that between him and her, it was too far to make that leap without falling into nothing. However, looking the other way, the gap where the soldiers were was narrow enough for him to get across as long as he makes a head start. As soon as he was able to talk, Sandbar said to her, "Yona, I hate to do this, but you've got to go on without me." She stomped her hoof. "Yona not leaving without Sandbar." "Yona, I can't make the jump over to you. I have to find another way out on my own." "But-" Another boulder fell between them, followed by falling dirt from above. "I don't know how much longer this place is going to hold up." Sandbar told her, "Go meet up with the others; I'll join you on the other side." "Sandbar, just-" dirt and dust fell on Yona before she could finish. "I'll be fine." Sandbar turned around, galloped as fast as he could to leap over to the other end of the cavern. "Get yourself out. I'll be okay." Yona hesitated but nodded, "Hurry back, Sandbar." "I will." Sandbar nodded as he returned to the twisting tunnel while Yona went the other way. "Look! I see the way out!" Silverstream pointed, dragging Gallus along towards the exit. The two Griffs rushed out towards the light of day at the end of the labyrinth. Running out into the empty dirt fields, they spotted Smolder and Ocellus, who were trying to catch their breaths. "Ocellus! Smolder!" Silverstream rushed over to them, embracing them in a tight hug. "Thank the gods! You're safe!" Gallus looked around and then asked, "Where's Yona and Sandbar?" "Wait," Smolder freed herself from Silverstream's arm, "they're not with you?" "I thought they were with you." Before the dragoness could respond, they felt the ground tremble and shake underneath them. "What was that?" Ocellus asked, "An earthquake?" "No…" Gallus looked around, "that was too small to be an-". The ground shook again, and, to his alarm, there were immediate cracks in the ground that started to sink. "Cave in!" Grabbing his friends, Gallus used his wings to fly them towards the entrance as parts of the ground buckled and fell. Fortunately, this lasted for a moment. But the thought of what they saw alarmed them. "Yona and Sandbar are still down there!" Ocellus exclaimed, "We got to go back and find…" She trailed off as she and her friends heard galloping hooves coming from the cave. Much to their relief, Yona emerged from the darkness. But that was all they saw. "Yona, where's Sandbar?" "He not here?" She asked, almost out of breath. "With friends?" "Oh gods, he's still down there!" Silverstream said in alarm. "We got to do something!" Gallus stared down the inky abyss where Sandbar was. Although they completed their mission and the clay army will undoubtedly be trapped underground, he could not leave. Not until all of them were together. "Guys, I'm going to go in." "You don't know where he is!" Smolder yelled at him, "You saw what just happened. He might not-" "But you don't know he's dead!" Gallus spread his wings, "I'm going to go look for him. All of you, get to Ponyville to put that orb back where it belongs. And Silver?" He looked at her, "Thanks for the first kiss." Despite the protests of the girls, he flew back into the darkness. Flying almost blindly, the griffon rushed back into the labyrinth, calling out his friend's name. He hoped that maybe he was still alive somewhere and in a different part of this underground network where the cave-ins didn't hit. "Sandbar!" he screamed into one of the tunnels. "Where are you!" "Help!" Without giving another thought, Gallus flew down into an increasingly tight tunnel. Despite being in a place where it became smaller to fly in, where he could feel his shoulders rubbing against the cold walls that felt were pressing him and even snuff him out - his fear of losing Sandbar outweighed his claustrophobia. He pushed himself further and further into the depths until he fell out from the other side. There, trapped at a dead-end of the cave with falling rocks and debris, Sandbar was backed up against a wall with three of the clay soldiers having a clear shot at him. Without thinking, Gallus picked up whatever rocks he could grab and took flight. Using a free claw, he threw a stone at the head of one of the soldiers. It stuck to its head, thus getting it and the other two's attention. "Hey! Why don't you pick on a flying target for once!" Now distracted, the soldiers fired their green blasts at the griffon. But Gallus, being airborne, dodged and weaved between the stalactites and the deadly light. Almost dancing, twisting, and somersaulting through the air. But with each blast, the soldiers came closer to him - which was what he was hoping for. As they missed, they hit the ceiling, chipping it away until the boulders loosened up and fell. The first soldier was squished, the second was buried under a pile of debris, and the third had its legs trapped underneath the huge rocks. Then Gallus flew in to scoop his friend up. "Gallus?" Sandbar asked as he was carried, "What are you doing? This place is gonna fall apart!" "What does it look like, numbnuts?" he smirked, "I'm here to save your sorry green butt from being fried." Quickly, he flew over towards the tunnel that he came in. "The way out is through here and up the-" Gallus let out a scream as he felt something hot burn his back, so painful was this that he dropped Sandbar. Hitting the ground, Sandbar saw that his friend's back was smoking while he was screaming in agony. The stallion found the source behind him: it was from the third soldier that used its remaining half to fire at the griffon. However, before it could do the same for him, the chamber further collapsed, and the clay soldier was destroyed underneath the heavy rock. "Gallus!" Sandbar rushed over to his friend. He found a smoldering black spot just underneath the wings, yet Gallus clutched at his chest, and moving one of them away, he found out why. A dark wound in the middle of his chest was growing, slowly burning away the feathers. The blast hadn't just hit him. It had gone right through him. "C'mon, I need to get you out." "I-I can't," Gallus stuttered, breathing heavily as if all the air was deflated from his lungs, "breathe." "You're gonna be okay," Sandbar lifted his friend on his back, "just stay with me. I'm gonna get us out." "No…" Gallus breathed deeply again, "Leave… me…" But Sandbar ignored him. As fast yet carefully as he could, he carried him through the narrow passageway and began to make the trip back to the surface. All around, echoes of the labyrinth banged against the walls in seemingly every direction. Yet, Sandbar kept moving. The smell of the burning feathers was sickening, but he still pressed forward. He listened to his friend's heavy breathing and told him to hold on just a little longer. That he would get him to a hospital, and everything was going to be okay. Then he saw the light at the end of the cave. He could make out the shadowy outline of his friends that were just waiting. "See, dude," Sandbar told him, "We're almost there." "I can't… go on…" "Yes, you can. We're almost ther-" a loud cracking sound knifed Sandbar with dread as he looked up. The rocks above him were becoming loose. Gallus noticed this too, and using what energy he had, he slipped off of Sandbar and pushed him towards the exit. "Run!" he breathlessly screamed, "Run, idiot!" Another loud crack, and before either of them could react, the ceiling came down on them. "Sandbar! Can you hear me?!" Although he could not move, Sandbar felt pain all around. No, this was more than just pain - he felt broken. Everywhere he was bruised, crushed, and shattered. Even if he tried to move slightly, it was worthy enough to let out a feral scream. "Sandbar, wake up!" It was like being asleep and awake simultaneously - he couldn't tell where his awake agony began and his blacking out ended. He wasn't sure if he heard the rocks being moved or the girls' cries calling out their names. "C'mon, stay with me." But somehow, he heard Gallus's voice. It was full of fear and desperation. Despite the other voices, his came in the clear. "Please don't go, just hold on." Sandbar wasn't sure how long he laid there, nor was he aware of the rocks that were being lifted. He wasn't certain if he was being carried or still in the cave. At one point, he tried to open his eyes, only it wasn't clear at first. The girls' voices, though frantic, were still unintelligible. "It's gonna be okay, Sand, you're going to be okay." It was altogether strange. Even Sandbar's sense of time became fluid. He wasn't sure if it had been minutes or hours. Every time he opened his eyes, he would glimpse at the changing landscapes, blots of color moving in and out of his vision, and at times it would become clear while others were muddy. One moment it seemed he was outside, and the next, he was inside. "Don't go asleep! Stay awake!" ".... emergency room, now!" Now he heard new voices, unfamiliar voices. Opening his eyes, he saw the lights being rushed by while nurses in surgical masks looked down at him. "Red, where's that anesthetic? This guy needs surgery here!" Sandbar tried to open his mouth, but even his jaw refused to move as if wired shut by the splintered jaw itself. He wanted to know what was going on. Where was he? Where were his friends? What were they doing? "Sandbar! Don't leave me!" And where was Gallus? ".... blacking out more and more." He heard a nurse say. "What happened to this guy?" "I don't know," another nurse replied. "Something about a group of friends being in the Diamond Dog caves where boulders and such fell on them. As far as I know, one of their friends, a griffon, I think, was crushed and died pretty much immediately." Sandbar's weak eyes opened. He tried his best to open his mouth to get some answers, but something wet was in his throat, and he coughed. He couldn't breathe. He felt he was drowning. The nurses above him pulled away, but he saw what he coughed up that landed on one of the nurse's uniforms to his horror. Blood. He was coughing up blood. He wanted to scream, but his blood drowned his vocal cords. This had to be a nightmare. Gallus couldn’t be dead. He’d just heard him! "We're ready for him," Sandbar heard another voice, and the lights above were moving while the nurses put a thin tube and a mask over his muzzle. "Sandbar, for the love of all that's holy, wake up!" Sandbar briefly opened his eyes again. He could have sworn that he heard his friend scream in his ear that time. Only he couldn't see the source of where it was coming from. The only thing he could see was a ring of light above him with half a dozen heads silhouetted in the glow. "Hurry! Hurry!" A demanding, impatient voice called out. "We're losing him over here!" He was choking, trying to gasp for air that never came. In his brittle chest, he felt something was collapsing. As scared as he was, he couldn't move, couldn't do anything; yet, he felt talons gripping his hoof tightly. As if Gallus was still there, refusing to let go. "Please... don't go." What happened next was something so surreal that Sandbar could barely comprehend it. In his vision, everything became darker - yet lighter. That everything became unbearably painful but somehow relieved. He was more afraid than he ever was in his life, yet something was there to comfort him. He felt cold and warm at the same time. And as the surgeons above him faded out, Gallus faded in. Chapter 2"Sandbar! Are you okay?" "Huh?" Sandbar blinked. Above him, Gallus had placed his talons on his shoulders, as if he'd been trying to wake him from a deep sleep. The stallion was taken aback by the tears in the griffon's eyes, yet there was tremendous relief in them. "Gallus?" "Oh, thank gods," Gallus nearly crushed him in a tight hug, sighing. But a moment later, he pulled away to slap him across the face. "Ow!" Sandbar rubbed his cheek, "What was that for?" "That was for scaring the crap out of me! You were a bloody mess a moment ago, and you kept fading in and out, and you didn't wake up, and…" Gallus rubbed his eyes, breathing deeply. "Don't ever do that again!" While rubbing his cheek, Sandbar looked around. "Hey, dude… where-" "No idea," Gallus interrupted. "It was like this when we got here." Regardless of what direction they looked, there was nothing. Sure, they felt the ground beneath them, but it was nothing but a clean, blank world. It looked like an endless white canvas where the only things to exist were them. "How long have you been here?" Sandbar asked while getting up. "I'm… not sure. I was so scared that I didn't think about it." Gallus looked at him. "But what happened to you? You looked like a ghost for a long time." "In what way?" "As in see-through, completely beaten and broken. Now you're… well… not." Sandbar looked down and around himself. Despite having rocks fallen on him, he was whole again. There were no cuts, bruises, or blood. It was as if nothing had happened to him. "To be honest, I'm not one hundred percent sure," he scratched the back of his neck. "It was really confusing. I… I think I was taken somewhere. Maybe a hospital? I remember something about an emergency room, along with surgery, and you…" "What?" Gallus tilted his head. "I think… somepony said that you died. But that can't be. You're right here." "Well, of course I am! I'm not dead. I'm…" he trailed off as Gallus' eyes started to go wide. Looking around, he asked, "Hang on… where… are we?" "You said you didn't-" "Not that, I mean… If what you're saying is right… we were crushed back there. We should have died right there and then, but we're okay now. None of this is making sense Sandbar, how did we-" Before Gallus could finish his conclusion, there was a sudden rip that got their attention. At a stone's throw away, a very sharp scythe blade punctured through the void. It was then pulled down towards the ground, tearing the white nothing like fabric. Instinctively, Gallus placed himself between Sandbar and whatever was coming. The blade disappeared for a moment, and out from that torn portal, a figure wrapped in black stepped out, carrying a scythe. "Sandbar! Make a run for-" Gallus shouted but was quickly interrupted. "Hold on! Hold on!" the dark figure said in an impatient tone. "Let me get this thing off me." Setting the scythe aside, which was in the air on its own, the figure pulled the black cloak's hood off. The being had the head of a stallion, the claws and wings of a griffon, and a pony's flank. The unique-looking hippogriff was also all white except for the black dress shirt, suit, and gray tie. "That's better," the thing said, adjusting his tie. "I barely got back from up north where the chill has forced me to dress warmly than usual. Sorry if I startled you two." "Uh…" Sandbar was about to say something but couldn't find the words. "So, my apologies for getting here late — I'm afraid we're a bit understaffed at the moment — but I'm here now." "Are you…" Gallus gulped, "Death?" "You're thinking of my boss, who, between you and me, is a cosmic migraine to work with. So no, I'm more of a Reaper, you see. Think of me as a glorified chauffeur of sorts that's overworked and underpaid." ".... Uh-huh…" Sandbar walked around Gallus. "So are you an angel or something?" "Unfortunately, yes," he deadpanned. "One that's stuck doing this for the next couple thousand years. So look, I'm going to make this quick. You two come with me, and we'll get you sorted out where you needed to go. Okay?" "Wait, hold on!" Sandbar asked, taking a deep breath as he stepped forward. "Does this mean… that we're..." "Dead as a flock of birds near a firework? Yep." The Grim Reaper Angel said, pointing his scythe to Gallus. "You got crushed to death and died instantly about two hours ago. And you..." He pointed to Sandbar, "faded in and out, but ended up dying of your wounds just about five minutes ago." "W-Well then I chall-" "Challenging Death to a game for your soul back is a rumor. In practice, it doesn't work. Trust me. Even angels can't win. How else do you think I got this job?" The Grim Reaper finished as Sandbar lowered his head. "Anything else? No? Good, let's go." "Where are we going?" Gallus asked. "I told you, to get you two sorted out," the Reaper opened the ripped portal wider. "Well, c'mon! You don't want to spend eternal boredom in here, do you?" "We don't have much of a choice, do we?" The Reaper shook his head. Seeing that they have no other option, Sandbar and Gallus followed the Reaper through the portal. Neither of them knew what to expect when they crossed over. They followed the Reaper to a place that looked like a waiting area one would see at an airship port. It was the size of a city block with hundreds of benches in the middle. Above them were a glass and silver skylight, while around the walls, there were stands made into the brick walls. You could see them from the food court to the gift shop between golden columns. Around them, creatures of every kind were waiting. Here, Ponies were making small talk with Yaks. Griffons paced about near a gift shop while the Hippogriffs were scarfing down seafood near a vendor. They spotted Reindeer and Buffalos debating politics on the benches while a few Dragons were lying down on the benches, trying to sleep among the lively chatter. Meanwhile, some Zebras noticed them for a moment before returning to their crossword puzzles while a few bored Changelings flew to the ceiling to see if there was an opening. "What's this place?" Sandbar inquired. "This is one of many waiting rooms for the afterlife." The Reaper explained. "I didn't know there were waiting rooms." "Well, with creatures dying more and more every day, we got to have someplace to at least process them all." "So what do we do now?" Gallus asked the Reaper. "Welp, the two of you wait," reaching into his breast coat pocket, the Reaper pulled out a couple of tickets with numbers on them, "when they call up your number, go over there." He pointed over towards a section in the back of the room where there was a line where angels guarded it in security outfits. They stood in front of a metal detector-looking device made out of a unique silverish-white glass. One by one, creatures would step in the middle of the device in which it would light up as blue at first. But after a moment or two, it would change colors from either green or red. "That's where you get processed." The Reaper explained, "You step through that detector, and from there, the staff will take you to your destination." "What does the thing detect?" Sandbar questioned. The two of them looked over to the detector where a Hippogriff stepped through. The device had a blue glow for a moment before it turned green. There was a relieved joy from the creature from what they could see as it hopped up and down. The nearby staff placed a glowing halo on its head, thereby turning its wings a snowy white. One of the angels then guided the Hippogriff down a hall to the right where a glowing light was at the end of it. "Well, the good news is that it doesn't pick up on what gods you believe. However, it weighs up to see if you were an overall good enough being. If in life you didn't do anything hurtful and did what you could to cause the least amount of suffering, or at least made an effort to reverse it, then you should be okay." Suddenly, there was a commotion, and they looked over to the detector. A mare was horrified to see the glass device had turned red. But before she could flee, the other hall that had a burning light had several red hot chains that came out like snakes and, as quick as lightning, wrapped around the struggling mare, picked her up, and was taken away despite her screaming protests. Gallus swallowed, "And… if not?" "Let's just say you're not going to have a fun time." A beeping sound was heard, and the Reaper pulled on his sleeve to look at his watch. He let out a grunt. "Oh joy, another mass murder. God, I hate my boss sometimes." He muttered. "Look, I gotta go. If I miss this one, my boss will have me work overtime." "But what do we do?" Sandbar asked. "I don't know, wait? There's enough stuff in here to keep you occupied until your number gets called up." Using his scythe, the Reaper opened a portal. "Good luck," he said before stepping through the portal, closing it behind. A voice announced over the intercom system: "Would the following numbers please line up: 781 to 800. I repeat, numbers 781 through 800. Please come line up for judgment. Thank you." "So… We're dead." Gallus finally said. "Yep." Another long pause. Neither of them had any idea how long they'd been sitting on the benches. It could have been two minutes or perhaps an eternity - neither of them has noticed. The two of them sat there, letting the gravity of what just happened to sink in. Both of them spent a long time figuring out how to respond to all of this, but nothing was coming to them. How do you just suddenly react to knowing you were dead? "Um… y-you know," Gallus began again, "I'm a bit shocked none of us got here sooner." "Huh?" Sandbar finally looked up. "Well, looking back at the idiotic things we've done over the years and that’s not including the times we had to save the world we didn’t die sooner. I mean it's kinda amazing that out of all the pranks and stupid moments we’ve done, like the one time all of us got drunk and hung out on the school's roof, that we did all die earlier. Yet, it was falling rocks that did us in. How embarrassing!" Sandbar chuckled. "Now that you've pointed it out, yeah, I'm surprised that death didn't come sooner." But his laughter morphed to concern. "But… we did die. For real this time. Goddesses… I can't imagine what it must be like for them." "Who?" "Our friends, they must be balling their eyes out by now… and my family, they must be devastated. My mom cried for months after Grandma passed. Just imagine what she and Dad and my little Sis must be going through. How are they going to cope with me gone? And Yona… I don't remember if I said goodbye to her." Gallus sighed, "Tell me about it. But what can we do now?" He shook his head. "Still… I told you to run back there." "What?" "The cave. You should have saved yourself. I mean, even if you did drag me out, I probably would have died from that death beam thing." "But I couldn't do that. I mean, what was I supposed to do? Just leave you there? I couldn't do that knowing that I might have saved you. I just…" Sandbar trailed off, harrumphing in his seat. "Maybe I couldn't prevent you from dying, but I could at least try. I couldn't leave you alone in the dark with no chance." Gallus took in a deep breath and sighed. "Okay, I get it. Even though I didn't ask for it, I'm at least grateful that with all things considering, I didn't die alone." "Yeah?" "Well, back in that void… purgatory… place, thing, when I woke up, I saw that you were kinda there with me. Sure, you were see-through, but I was so scared to see you so… broken. But now that I think of it, even just seeing you would be better than being alone in that nothing space. At least you took my mind off of being alone." He glanced over at Sandbar. "If that makes sense." "Totally," Sandbar nodded. "I think I've heard somewhere that death is the last great adventure - but now I think it's more bearable when you have a friend like you to be with." They heard another scream coming from the gates, meaning that someone wasn't so lucky. "I just hope that wherever we end up, we could still be together." Gallus nervously nodded, "Yeah… I hope so too." Another awkward pause. Above them, the intercom system called: "Would the following numbers please line up: 801 to 820. I repeat numbers 801 through 820. Please come line up for judgment. Thank you." "I'm gonna see if I can get a snack," Sandbar hopped off the bench, "You want anything?" "Nah, I'll just sit here." While Sandbar maneuvered his way over to the food court, Gallus sat there in thought, his claws holding up his head. So deep in thinking that he failed to notice someone with a broom sweeping towards his direction. "Lift your legs, please." "Huh," this snapped Gallus out of his thoughts, looking up to a larger griffon that was gray, piercing eyes and a glowing red collar around his neck. "Just need to sweep under you." Gallus paused, "Have I seen you before?" "Doubt it, legs please," he pointed a talon upward. While Gallus did obey and the griffon swept under him, he remarked, "I think I've seen you before - in a book." "So?" "Yeah, you look like…" His eyes went wide. "No…" He stood up. "I think I know who you are! King Guto, the last-" "King of the Griffons before the Idol of Boreas was taken, I know. I was there." He turned his back, continue to sweep. "Wait a minute!" Gallus flew around him, "What are you doing here? I'd thought you might be-" "In Hell?" Guto finished his sentence. "Why yes, yes I have been sent there. You see this collar," he pointed, "this keeps me trapped." "Okay, but why are you sweeping in here? Shouldn't you be… you know…" He sighed, "It's part of my punishment. For the crime of selfishness, greed, and nearsightedness for not using my power to improve the lives of griffons and destroying the kingdom in the process, I was sentenced to be a slave for all eternity. Which, between you and me, is a bunch of crap. Well, since the waiting rooms have been a bit understaffed when it comes to janitorial duty, I have to sweep this place over and over and over again." "Huh, and here I thought it would be worse." "You don't get about the concept of damnation, do you?" Guto questioned. "So here's some inside information for you. Over there, not everyone gets the same punishment. They're tailor-made depending on what you did. For example, since I absolutely hate doing things like… Oh, I don't know… cleaning, or charity work, or anything that doesn't equal fun - I'm stuck with this. I've been doing this for who-knows-how-many-moons. Now, if you please excuse me, I have work to do." Walking around Gallus, the ex-king continued to sweep. Meanwhile, Sandbar got behind a line for freshly fried potato chips. There were only a few in front of him (a few Ponies, a Yak, and a Zebra). Eventually, a Changeling got in line behind Sandbar. "Uh… so…" Sandbar turned his head over to the Changeling, who he noticed was shaking nervously. "You uh… been here long?" "No, I just got in line-" "I mean, being here…" the Changeling looked around, "I think I've been here for hours, and they still haven't called up my number yet." "What's your name?" "Anteni." "Sandbar," he gave a friendly smile, "yeah, I just got here too with a friend of mine. Truthfully, I don't know how long we've been here." "Oh…" The Changeling looked back to the gates where the souls were being judged. "S-Sorry, I'm just really nervous." "How come?" "Well, aside from me dying, I don't know what's going to happen to me. I think I'll be terrified by the time my number is called up. I mean… What if they make a mistake?" "That's unlikely." Said a new voice. Sandbar and Anteni looked over to the Angel at the stand. A bored-looking dragon with blue scales and a white apron. "So, how many do you want?" "Well, two…" Sandbar answered, "but what do you mean by unlikely that they'll make a mistake?" "You see that detector over there?" He nodded as he scooped up some potato chips from the fryer. "That thing has been crafted to perfection. You see, what it does is that it looks at your life, see your actions in terms of how much pain you caused to others, your overall character, and how much you put in the effort to make amends. There's more to that, but essentially, it would see if you're alright." "But you only allow the good into paradise, right?" Anteni asked, and the Angel nodded. "So how would I know if I'm good enough?" "Well, truthfully, it's not my place to judge," he said, dumping a few spoonfuls of chips into a few paper trays. "So let me ask you this simple question that might help somewhat - do you overall consider yourself good?" "I…" Anteni hesitated, "I don't… think so…" she looked down and quietly answered, "no." The Angel hummed, "Then I can safely say you have nothing to worry about." "Huh?" Sandbar questioned, "Why's that?" "Because, even we noticed that the worst kind of creatures that ever lived: the cruelest kings, the informants that sent hundreds of innocent groups to prison, the bigots that burned books and kept entire communities segregated, etc... they have done all of this and more simply because they believed that they were doing the right thing. Ask any monster that question, and they would tell you with a straight face that they're blameless, that they didn't do anything wrong because it's always someone else that should be punished. They're convinced that they were on the side of angels. But the key to getting into Heaven, from what I'm told, is to be self-aware of the evil one is capable of. Here you go." He offered Sandbar the two trays of chips. "In other words, I think you're gonna be fine. So how much do you want?" Looking back at the detector again, the Changeling replied, "Actually… I think I'll be okay," and walked away. Sandbar carried the potato chips on his back and returned to the bench where Gallus was. "Well… that was interesting," Gallus said. "What?" "I just saw the last King of Griffonstone-" Gallus was interrupted as a voice over the intercom system called out: "Would the following numbers please line up: 821 to 840. I repeat numbers 821 through 840. Please come line up for judgment. Thank you." Sandbar and Gallus looked at the tickets that the Reaper had given them. They were being called up. "You know what," Gallus took hold of the trays, "I think I might need this after all. Because I think they're gonna be my last meal." "What's wrong?" Sandbar asked as he and Gallus started to head towards the detector. "Oh nothing, I think that I might be judged as crappy enough to be dragged by red hot chains to do who-knows-what for all eternity while probably getting separated, but other than that..." Gallus started stuffing his beak with chips. ".... I'm perfectly fine." "Dude, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about." "Easy for you to say, but I don't think I'm gonna make it." He said after swallowing a mouthful before doing another. Sandbar patted his back, "Then trust me on this, everything's gonna be okay." Gallus wished he could say the same. Once Gallus had fully scarfed down the chips, he and Sandbar got in line for their souls to be processed. The line itself wasn't very long, yet the closer they got to the glass detector, the longer time seems to drag on. One by one, various creatures' souls would step through and would either be deemed worthy of paradise - or eternal suffering. At least for Gallus, the worst part was that he's going to be judged first between the two. "We have done enough," Sandbar said, in an attempt to comfort him. "We've saved the world plenty of times and learned about friendship and kindness in ways we didn't know existed. I still think we'll be okay." In front of him, a confident Hippogriff stepped into the glass detector, where it went blue for a moment before turning red. "What! No!" he yelled as the chains swiftly wrapped around his legs, "I tried to create paradise on Equis! You can't take me!" but the chains did. "Next," An Angel who was a deer called out and turned to Gallus. "Yes, it's your turn, c'mon now." Gallus gulped but looked back at Sandbar, who smiled up at him. Turning to the detector, the griffon felt as if he was walking to the platform of the gallows. His execution seemed imminent. "All the way," the Angel told him, "step all the way in, please." Gallus took another step. "Hold still, please." Inside the glass, everything turned blue, and yet, he saw in his reflection everything in his life being played back all at once. Every memory that he remembered and forgot about came at once. The orphanage, begging in the streets, Grandpa Gruff sending him to school, his friends, his teachers, the adventures, his crushes, and his death; all in the exact moment. Then, just as quickly, they stopped, and the blue light was replaced with green. Gallus blinked. "Wait, what?" "See, I told you! You have nothing to worry about!" Sandbar clapped his hooves. "Step out, please," the Angel instructed. From there, he was pointed over to a dispassionate pegasus in white next to a box of halos. "Here you go," the stallion took out one of the halos and put it over his head. Gallus looked behind him, where he spread his wings in time to see them turn white. "I… I made it?" Gallus said in dumbfounded amazement, "I actually made it?" "Told you everything's gonna be fine," he looked over as Sandbar said that, noticing that the detector turned green for him as well. "So now what?" "Here," the pegasus gave him his halo, and Gallus watched as his friend's back started to glow brightly before it sprouted wings. "Go down to the end of the hall where you'll need to fill out a few things." The two of them looked down at the gate marked as Heaven, towards the light at the very end of it. Together, they walked towards the near blinding light. As they walked further in (although they couldn't be sure), the hall around them seemed to change. With every step, the blue walls became paler and paler until they were pure white. The ceiling was sloping upwards, and the walls were expanding further apart until the space around them resembled the void they entered earlier. But this too lasted for a moment. With every step, their eyes were adjusting to where they started to see more details around them. They saw columns of white marble along with windows that each looked out to extraordinary vistas from different parts of the world. Above them were murals that depicted the seasons where the trees were swaying in a breeze, and below were tiles made of solid pieces of huge opals. The further they went, the more this unfamiliar, fantastical place resembled a palace. Even the light that they walked towards was mercifully getting dimmer to where they could see what was ahead of them. When it was gone, the two found a desk with an Angel who looked like he barely slept, sitting behind it in the middle of the light. The desk itself was simple, if not modest, as it was made of oak. On it was piles of books, including one that the Angel was using as a pillow. Behind the Angel was the source of the light - a door that was as humble as the desk, yet around the tiny gaps where the streams of light that moved and flickered about like a candle flame. When Gallus and Sandbar reached the desk, they saw in detail what kind of creature the sleepy Angel behind the desk was. It was a dragon. One that resembled and was the size of a teenager. Yellow scales with white spikes on his back, both of them were intrigued by how this Angel had two different sets of wings - the left was the leathery kind while the other was made of feathers and above the dragon's head was a halo that silently floated over. "Uh… hi?" Sandbar began, but the dragon kept softly snoring. "Hello?" With no response, Gallus frowned. So turning to one of the heavier-looking books, he picked one of them up and, using his wings, flew up a little before letting the book drop. The book hit the desk with a noticeably loud bang. "Gah!" the dragon jumped from his seat, grabbing his chest. "Okay, I'm up! I'm up!" After taking in a few calming breaths, the dragon rubbed his eyes. "What is it? What do you want?" "You tell us, we just got here," Gallus replied. "Huh?" he looked up, "Oh, new arrivals…" "You okay?" Sandbar asked. "Sorry, I'm just," the dragon yawned, "I didn't sleep well - or at all for the past couple hundred years. What time is it?" Reaching for a drawer, he pulled out a grandfather clock. "How do you like that? I should have had my coffee break five months ago. Okay," Clearing his throat, he turned to them, "Tell you guys what, I'll get you two all set up, and I can finally get on with my break? Good? Great. Now, where did I - there it is." From a drawer, he pulled out a quill pen. "I'm just gonna ask you two some questions, and then I'll let you in there. Okay?" They nodded. Turning a page from his open book, the dragon asked with a dull tone. "Name?" "Sandbar Oceanvale." “Gallus of Griffonstone.” "Uh-huh…" He scribbled a bit. "Age?" "I'm eighteen." Gallus answered, "Sandbar would be turning eighteen in August." The dragon hummed, "Birthday?" "Mine is August 29th." Sandbar said. "February 18th," Gallus said while adding, "I think." This raised the dragon's eyebrow, "You think?" "Coming from someone that doesn't know when I was born, I'm only going off when I was given to the orphanage." ".... I see…" the dragon jotted it down. "Cause of death?" "The Reaper guy said that I died from a cave-in." "And I died from my wounds on the operating table." The dragon shook his head but didn't give any remark. "Orientation in religion or faith?" "Does New Age count?" Sandbar asked. "Yeah, sure," the Angel wrote it down. "And you?" He pointed at Gallus. "Well… none actually, which is partly why I'm surprised I'm here." "Atheist?" Gallus nodded. "To be fair, the universe as a whole runs on the forces of good and evil. So if you were overall trying to be good, you end up at this desk. If you were bad, well... you get the idea. I'm asking this because depending on what you worship, we'll still give you benefits, as well as meeting up with your gods. I guess that neither of you has much to worry about. But we're getting off-topic." After scribbling down, he further asked: "If given a chance, would either of you want to be reincarnated?" Sandbar and Gallus looked at one another. "That's an option?" Sandbar asked. "It's more of a preference thing, like saying someone isn't ready for Heaven yet. However, if you do go for that option, your memory will have to be deleted and start from scratch again. Kinda a big gamble if you ask me. We ask that to give the rest of us an expectation, you see. Just in case if we need to make any accommodations or not." Both Gallus and Sandbar stood there, silent and uncertain. The Angel spoke up, "How about I put that under 'Undecided.' That way, it should give you all the time in the cosmos. Anyways…" After writing that, he asked, "Were either of you in a romantic relationship with anyone before coming here?" "I… yeah." Sandbar nodded. "Was." Gallus shook his head. For a moment while the dragon wrote down their answers, he remembered his last memory of Silverstream before saving Sandbar. He realized that he didn't so much as say goodbye to her in those last moments he had with her. "Okay, last question here," the dragon looked up from his book and asked with a straight face, "are either of you virgins?" This caught them off guard. "Excuse me!?" Sandbar questioned, his cheeks turning pink. "To put it in plain Equestrian, have either of you ever had a sexual experience with someone else?" Gallus turned to Sandbar, seeing him shook his head. "Seriously? Never?" Gallus asked, taken aback, "Not with Yona? I thought you guys were really close." "Yeah, but I didn't exactly… well…" his cheeks turned a darker tone of red. "I didn't feel… r-ready." "How about you?" the dragon asked Gallus. Gallus folded his arms and sighed, "No, and not by choice either. I was never given the opportunity." "In that case, I got some good news for both of you." The dragon informed. "While the only downside is that you'll have to wait until eighteen, there is a program to help out virgins like yourselves have that experience when they weren't able or didn't feel ready when they were alive. From what I've heard, it's a pretty fun experience." "Um… okay?" Gallus replied with a raised eyebrow. "One last thing before I set you two loose," The dragon pulled upon another drawer to pull out a folded-up pamphlet. "This thing is gonna be your best friend. This is your map, your idiot's guide to knowing how stuff works, and it points in the direction to the stuff you want to do. And there's a whole bunch of other stuff too that you'll find out." He handed the pamphlet over to them. The cover was a sky-blue background with clouds floating across with the title of "Heaven" on it. Unfolding it, Gallus looked between it and the dragon, "There's nothing on it." "Of course there isn't. You're not on the other side of the door yet." Placing a bookmark, he closed the massive tome. "Now, with all of that out of the way, Welcome to Paradise full of eternal peace, blah, blah, blah. Okay, let's get you in so I can have my coffee break." Getting out of his seat, the dragon waved a claw until a key appeared. Walking over to the door, he unlocked it and turned the knob. "If you have any questions or concerns, just ring up the Angel Customer Service Station, and a poor sucker- I mean, a helpful representative will help ya. Got it? Good?" He pulled open the door, bathing the two souls in its brilliant light, "Welcome to Heaven." Side by side, Gallus and Sandbar walked around the desk and entered into the light. As soon as the door was shut behind them, they blinked in the blinding light until they began to see figures moving about. Rubbing their eyes, things around them became unblurred, colors, shapes, sounds, and smells faded in until they were able to see with clarity. When everything came into focus, they blinked once more in confusion. Neither of them had any idea what to expect from Heaven. But if they didn't know any better, they might have said that they came back to Ponyville. They almost expected this paradise to resemble something like Cloudsdale, yet there they were, standing in the marketplace where the sky was blue, the grass was green, and the buildings at first glance looked similar to home. But at the same time… it almost wasn't. There were statues and stands, shops and houses, trees and lampposts that were more or less in the same places as Ponyville. Yet it wasn't. It was as if every flaw from the cracks in the plastered walls to the crooked cobblestones was corrected. There was something, even in the air, that felt more vibrant than usual. As they circled around, they began to notice that there were buildings that they never saw before or were destroyed long ago. From a shop that sold inventions that they never saw before to an oak tree down the road that had a sign that said "Golden Oaks Library." Of course, this second, seemingly-perfected Ponyville had its pony residence too, along with other creatures and Angels that went by with their day. Some were doing jobs like carrying mail or selling their goods by the stands. A yellow stallion with a red mane could be seen placing apple pies on a stand while a purple pegasus with a blue mane moved a cloud while humming a tune. The only thing that was out of place was the gate they came through. It was framed in snow-white marble with columns on each side and capped with an arch with a large chunk of gold as a keystone. This gate stood out from the rest of the town as it looked like it was part of a temple, yet it stood alone. But what was unique about it was the bright light that illuminated from it. Sandbar and Gallus came through it, but the light was as solid as a wall when they touched it. Even though the gate was open, they could not go back. A fact that took both of them several minutes to let their situation genuinely sink in. "So…" Gallus finally said. "We're in Heaven." "Yep." Sandbar replied matter of factly. After looking this way and that, Gallus wondered aloud, "Now what?" "I don't know. Should we ask for something?" A ringing sound caught their attention, and both of them looked over to the pamphlet that Gallus was holding. Curious, he unfolded it. "There are words here." "What does it say?" "It's kinda vague. 'Ask, and ye shall receive.' What do you think that means?" "Maybe if we ask aloud for something, we'll get it." "Hey, the words are changing." "It is? What does it say now?" Sandbar looked over his friend's shoulder and read aloud: "'Yep, pretty much.' Huh…" After looking around again, a thought came to him, "I'm gonna try something." "What?" "I guess something small to start with? You know, to see how this works." Clearing his throat, he asked aloud, "Can I uh… get a chocolate peanut butter milkshake? That has whipped cream, chopped peanuts, edible gold flakes, and a candied cherry on top… please?" Their ears perked up when down the road, there was the unmistakable sound of a bell that followed by a mare pulling an ice cream cart. She pulled up in front of them. "Excuse me, you're Sandbar, right?" "Uh… yeah?" "I got an order for a milkshake, so let me get it out." Unhitching herself, the mare trotted to the back of her cart and opened a door that both Sandbar and Gallus saw a blizzard pouring out. "Here it is!" She stepped back, pulling out a tall glass of the very milkshake Sandbar had described; cherry, golden-flakes, and all. "Would you want spoons and straws with this?" ".... Sure." Sandbar was handed the milkshake in which the mare placed a couple of long spoons and bendy straws. Hitching herself back to the cart, the mare waved at them, "Have a nice day!" and trotted away. Blinking, Sandbar placed the milkshake down and used one of the straws to sip it up. His eyes widened, "Holy-" he covered his mouth. "What? Is something wrong with it?" Sandbar shook his head, "Taste it." "Why?" "Just taste it." Curious, Gallus took the other straw to his beak and sucked up a little bit of the ice cream. "That's… actually really good." "That's the best milkshake I've ever had." Sandbar commented, proceeding to consume the dessert. "Ask for something." "Like what?" "I don't know… maybe a cake or whatever. Do you have a favorite?" Gallus folded his arms, "Well, I do remember this one time that Professor Pinkie brought in this cake for… some reason. I kinda wish I had more of it. It was an ice cream cake with cookies and cream, while the cake itself was dark chocolate and covered all over with vanilla frosting. I wonder if this place could make that?" "Oh hey!" the ice cream mare came back to them, "I'm so sorry, I knew I forgot something." Quickly unhitching herself, she went around the wagon and pulled out the cake that Gallus recalled not too long ago. "Usually, I'm not this careless, and I'm always on top of stuff like this." "No… problem…" Gallus took hold of the cake in his paws. "Next time, I'll be sure not to forget your order. Bye!" Once again, she walked away with the ice cream wagon in tow. "Hm… Could have at least given us a knife." He muttered. "Free knives! Get your free knives!" A vendor called out from one of the stalls, "Perfect to cut your ice cream cake with!" "This place is full of coincidences." Sandbar remarked. "It's like we're given all the good luck." Gallus walked over to the stall which he was handed a knife. After spending a moment cutting a small slice to extract from the cake, he took a good look at it. "This even looks like what Pinkie made." He took a bite. His eyes widened in amazement, and he looked in disbelief at the cake. "Dude! It tastes just like it!" For the next minute, Gallus devoured the cake like a starved animal that captured its first meal in weeks. Sandbar merely shrugged and tended to his milkshake. "Ya know, as pretty as this place is," Gallus pointed out, "I realize that we're homeless at the moment." By the time Gallus had said this, he and Sandbar had looked around this alternative Ponyville. As similar as it was, a few landmarks were missing - mainly the Academy along with Twilight's crystal castle. There were the familiar shops, the town hall, and the cafes that they knew in life, yet when it came to looking for a place to stay when they had nothing… it dawned on them that they had no place to sleep for the night. And when Gallus made this remark, they wandered about on the same land where the school should be, yet all they found was nothing but grass, some rocky hills, and a stream that ran through it. Sandbar sat on his hunches, "What do you think we should do? We just got here, and as far as I'm aware, we don't have any money… Does Heaven have money?" Gallus shrugged. "Don't know… but it's getting dark soon. I wonder if there's some way to find a place to stay." A moment later, the pamphlet that he was carrying around started to ring. Opening it up, and Gallus tilted his head. "Talk about convenient. Hey Sandbar, take a look at this." Sandbar moved behind his friend to look over his shoulder. The pamphlet now showed rows of houses from the traditional cottage to a few modern creations. Each house had a little arrow pointing down at them, all of them saying the same thing: "Touch Me." "Mind if I try something?" Sandbar asked, and he reached a hoof towards one of the houses. As soon as he did, they were taken aback that a cubist two-story house suddenly appeared on the field. "Where did that come from?" Gallus looked between the open pamphlet and the suddenly materialized house. Curious, he picked another place at random, and instantly the house was replaced with a stone castle - drawbridge and all. Blinking, he chose a hut that reminded him of the ones in Griffonstone, and lo and behold, it appeared. "I think this thing is giving us a place to live," Gallus said, "and by the looks of it, we got a lot to choose from." "Let me see." Sandbar took the pamphlet in his hooves. "So how about… this one?" Upon tapping on the paper, a beach house materialized, complete with sand, black shingles, and light blue walls with a white door. "I prefer not to get sand in every orifice, so how about…" Gallus ran his talon across the folded-up pages. "What about this one?" Upon tapping it, a palace with golden onion domes, purple tiles, and a few guards stood at the gate. The building looked like it would be the setting for 1,001 Saddle Arabian Nights. "I don't like it," Sandbar shook his head. "Why? What's wrong with it?" "It looks so… gaudy." "Well, forgive me if the idea of living in a hut is something I find unappealing." Gallus deadpanned. Sandbar put a hoof under his chin in thought. "What about something that we could compromise?" "Like what?" "Maybe…" Sandbar looked through the options until one caught his eye. "This one." With a tap, a new structure took its place. It resembled an ancient oak tree in its form and color, yet it was made out of crystal. Beside the front door were twin staircases that lead up to the branches with its shining leaves that glittered in the sunset. Like a real tree, the upper branches sway gently in the breeze, yet there were balconies, windows, and an observatory at the top. It appeared both as a natural treehouse and yet an artificial place to live in. "That…" Gallus walked towards it, "doesn't it kinda remind you of the clubhouse at the Castle of the Two Sisters? It's like that only more-" "Natural?" Sandbar nodded, "I like it." Gallus flew over to the front door, "Let's go see what's inside!" Flinging the door open, the griffon stepped in. "Holy crap! Sandbar, get in here!" Sandbar galloped in, he had no idea what to expect, but he was taken aback by how massive it was inside. As soon as he walked in, a swimming pool resembled the watering hole that he and his friend used to go to on hot days. If anything, the interior was almost like being outside in a forest, but there were plenty inside aspects as well. The hallway was covered with various paintings that showed Gallus or Sandbar at multiple aspects of their lives, including some with their friends. The various hallways led to other rooms, but a grand staircase went up two more floors. Finally, the smell was like a fresh minty smell that reminded Sandbar of the forests back at home. With his hooves clopping against the warm red rug, Sandbar walked inside as he and Gallus looked around in awe. Turning to each other, they grinned and decided without speaking to check the place out. After all, if this was their new home for eternity, they might as well spend time looking at it. The first thing they did was look through what was behind these near countless doors that all seemed to be bigger on the inside than on the outside. One door opened to a gym, another to an arcade room, a theater room, an aquarium, a bowling alley, a library that had comic books, an armory complete with suits of armor from around the world, a sauna, a stage, a carnival including a rollercoaster, and more. It was as if an eccentric kid designed the house - not that either of them minded. Eventually, Sandbar opened a door that showed a bathroom. It had a walk-in shower where water would fall like rain, a tub that was more like a bubbling hot spring, a sink, and something else that caught the pony's eye - a toilet. "Hey, what's this one?" Gallus popped his head in. "This is nice!" "Hang on a minute," Sandbar pointed at the toilet, "you see that, right?" "Yeah? So?" "Don't you think it's a little odd to have that around?" Gallus blinked, "What do you mean?" "Well, we've been in Heaven for hours, and never once did I ever feel like using that. I mean… does anyone here need a toilet?" "I…" Gallus paused for a moment, "Now that I think of it, I never felt the need to go ever since we uh… died. But if there's a toilet here, does that mean…?" "Don't know," Sandbar walked in and put a hoof to the door, "I guess there's one way to find out." With that, he shut the door. "Gross," Gallus rolled his eyes. "I'm just gonna keep looking around." After going through a few more doors, eventually, he found one of the rooms that he was more curious about - the kitchen. Or at least, he found an area that combined the kitchen and dining room. All around the walls were the cabinets, drawers, fridge, freezer, stove, and pantry. But in the center was a table with six chairs but could easily fit several times that amount. On the table was a grassy-green tablecloth with fine white china, silverware, carved crystal glasses, and a centerpiece that resembled a garden with branches that held out thin candles. But the table wasn't what Gallus was after. Opening the drawers and cabinets, he searched until he found the pantry. His jaw dropped what he saw. It was the size of a small bedroom, and all around, there were shelves upon shelves of every kind of food that could be put into jars, smoked, boxed, and bagged - and some with stuff he had never seen before. But there were jars of pasta, smoked sausages, cookies, chips, jams, rare candied fruits, and chocolate. He then went to the fridge, where he found cheeses that would cost a goldmine, a row of fruits and vegetables that looked like they were just picked and cleaned, and various meats all nicely cut up in various sizes. The freezer even had ice cream just made from scratch. Then turning to a cabinet, he found enough bread and pastries to open a bakery. "Well, at least I know where the goodies are," Gallus smirked as he continued to open more drawers and cabinets. Then between the sink and the oven, and just underneath a wooden chopping board, he found a row of knives—dozens of blades for different uses. Before Gallus moved on, a thought came to him. His claw grabbed hold of a heavy chef's knife and looked at his reflection in it. "I wonder…" he muttered. Eyeing the cutting board, he placed his left claw on it. 'I know this is Heaven, but… what happens if you're chopping veggies away and you accidentally slip?' So he thought he should try something small at first. Carefully guiding the tip of the blade to one of his fingers, Gallus hesitated for a moment and tried to give himself a very shallow cut. What resulted was something… odd. Not that he couldn't feel the blade, but it didn't hurt. If anything, when he pulled away to look at his talon, he didn't see anything. So placing his claw back on again, he steadied himself with his right claw, lifted it high, took a deep breath to brace himself, and brought it down on his wrist. Again, he felt the knife that made contact with his bones, but it didn't hurt. Even more shocking was the fact that that there was no blood or searing pain. So when he pulled away, he watched the wound pull itself back together again like a thread pulling two pieces of fabric to one. Even the scar sealed up to make it look like nothing had happened. "So in Heaven, I have regeneration powers… neat!" Looking around with a smirk, he asked aloud, "Now I wonder where the skewers are?" For several minutes, Gallus went around the kitchen, trying to stab himself with whatever pointy thing he could find. He jabbed a fork into his neck, a steak knife in his arm, a corkscrew to his heart, a spork into his flank. Whatever that Gallus could find that was sharp, he stuck it into his body - and he felt no pain. If anything, without the feeling of his nerves were in agony, it kinda tickled when those pieces of metal scraped his bones to the point that he was giggling. "So it turns out we can go to the bathroom," Sandbar said as he walked through the door, "but all that came out was - WHAT THE HAY ARE YOU DOING!?" "Dude! This is incredible!" Gallus exclaimed with a good chunk of kitchen tools being in him. "It doesn't even hurt! I'm like a living pincushion. Watch!" He then grabbed a steak knife and jabbed it in his belly. "See, I'm not even screaming!" Sandbar blinked. "Woah… With all of this stuff sticking out, you look like a hedgehog." He chuckled, "Stab yourself anymore, and I think I should call you Gallus the Hedgehog- Hey!" Gallus took out the chief's knife and stabbed him in the chest. "Huh… you're right, it doesn't hurt." "That joke was terrible, and you should feel terrible." "Yeah, but I got a big knife in my chest." Sandbar blinked. A moment later, he stumbled back dramatically. "Oh, ech! Et Tu, Gallus?" He fell backward on the floor, convulsing his legs this way and that. "Oh, what a world, what a world," then he went limp, "eh…" and let his tongue out to the side. "Oh, brother," Gallus rolled his eyes, pulling a skewer out from his hindleg. "C'mon dude, I want to see the rest of the house." "Can't. I'm trying to be dead." "You're already dead. We're already dead." "Well, I wanna be… deader." "That makes no sense!" "So does having a house that's bigger on the-" Sandbar was cut off by the sound of a doorbell. "Who can be here?" "You didn't ask for anything, did you?" Gallus asked, pulling his friend up off the floor. "No, and I take you didn't either?" Gallus shook his head. Curious who could be at their newly made home, the two of them, without so much as taking out the kitchenware still stabbed in them, went to the front door. Sandbar was the first to reach the knob and turn it, and after pulling it open, there was a mare that neither of them recognized. She looked to be in her thirties, a deep pink mane tied back in a bun, copper framed glasses in front of light artic blue eyes, and a coat of spring green. "Uh… hi?" Sandbar greeted, but the mare's jaw dropped, partly in shock and partly in amazement. At first, Sandbar thought it was from the big knife sticking out of his withers. "Oh! I forgot that was there!" He pulled it out in which the wound healed. "Sorry about that, we were fooling around and-" "Sandbar!" the mare unexpectedly dragged him into a bone-popping hug, "I've missed you so much! It's so good to see you finally!" Despite being dead, Sandbar fascinatingly found it hard to breathe. His forelegs waved about for air. "Oh! Sorry," the mare let go of him, "I forgot that I'm stronger than you remembered." "Yeah," Sandbar heaved, "who… are you again?" For a brief moment, the mare had a hurt expression in her eyes, "You mean you don't - Oh!" She suddenly realized, "That's right, you don't remember me being like this. Some days I wonder if I left my head somewhere else if it wasn't screwed on. Hold on a second…" Before their eyes, the mare closed her eyes, and they saw wrinkles forming on her face, her coat fade, her mane grew ever-increasing strands of gray. In a matter of seconds, they watched this mare aged into her forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, and then she stopped to open her eyes. "Ring any bells?" She asked in a shaky voice. Gallus saw in Sandbar something he hadn't seen him do in years - the stallion's eyes watered up, threatened to burst. "G-Grandma!" Sandbar hugged her back, letting the tears trail down his face. "I thought I would never see you again!" "There there," Sandbar's grandmother patted him on the back, "I'm here now. It's all right." "Wait, how did you find us?" Gallus asked, "In fact, how did you know we're here?" "It's a policy in Heaven, you see," she explained, while stroking her grandson's back, "you know how they asked your names earlier? It makes it easier for relatives on this side of the veil to be reunited so they wouldn't be alone." Pulling Sandbar away, she wiped the tears from his eyes, "So young… but we have plenty to catch up on." "Excuse me, ma'am," Gallus inquired, "I get you're his grandma and all, but what's your name?" "Spring River, and you?" "Gallus, I'm his friend and was with him when we… you know." "Dear, just say it, we're dead. There's nothing taboo about it, kinda pointless to be at this point." Pulling away from her grandson, she added, "Besides, we have much to catch up on with the rest of the family." "The rest?" Sandbar sniffed, "You mean...?" "Those slowpokes should be here by now. We would have met you earlier, but your passing was so unexpected. The rest of the family ought to be if only they - ah! There they are!" Looking out into the twilight sky, they spot a flock of ponies heading their way. Touching down before the stream and folding their wings, one of them called out, "Spring, I thought we were gonna greet 'em together." "Well, forgive me if I happen to miss my grandson." "Who was tha-" Sandbar asked but was quickly answered. "That's your grandfather. I don't think you know him. He passed away when you were just a baby. Everyone else is your uncles, aunts, a few cousins, and even some of your ancestors." Gallus hummed as he pulled a few more knives out of him, "Hey, since we're all here, why don't we have an impromptu party?" "Now?" Sandbar inquired. "Why not? We got a new house with pretty much everything, a good chunk of your family's here, plus we still haven't explored the rest of the house." He poked his head out, "Hey! You guys gonna stand there or what? Let's party!" Gallus barely made it out of the way from the stampede of ancestors that came in. It wouldn't be until dawn that the ancestors finally decided to go home. They ate, played games, rode the rides, swam, and told stories of their lives throughout the night. Gallus was impressed by how fascinating Sandbar's family was. He didn't know that Comment, Sandbar's great-great-great-grand uncle, was a monster hunter in the Everfree Forest who once battled with a hydra. Or Grace, his friend's great-grandaunt, pioneered civil rights for non-ponies in Equestria, including griffons. Even his friend's second cousin twenty-fifth times removed, Peanut, was interesting, dying in an experiment involving a combination of cherry trees, crystals, gunpowder, and a hill of salt. There were plenty of things that the two of them were surprised to find out. They were taken aback that a good chunk of Sandbar's ancestors were married to more than one pony. Spring had taken them aside to explained that in Heaven, it was considered okay to be in a relationship with more than one spouse. Given how some of them had married more than once when they were alive, it made sense. There was also the interesting fact that you could marry a different creature in Heaven, provided you did love each other and your other spouses gave their permission. Polyamory was prevalent in the afterlife. However, only in Heaven could you marry and love one another. In Hell - as they were told - everyone was a demon's bitch. Yet, as the night went on, something about this gathering didn't suit well for Gallus. Not that these were terrible ponies (they were in Heaven after all). But from what Sandbar's grandma had mentioned about finding them… Gallus wondered where his family was. "Sandbar, you make sure you come around to visit." Spring told her grandson, "I'll be happy to give you the grand tour of this Equestria while making a plate of cookies with your name on it." "Thanks a lot, grandma!" Sandbar smiled, "I think we'll come by later today." After saying their farewells, Sandbar closed the front door. "You know Gallus, I never knew that the afterlife could be this wild! Especially with the family I never knew I had." "Tell me about it." Gallus nodded, "I guess that since we've kicked the bucket off a cliff, maybe we could see if we could find anyone famous up here?" "Yeah, that's right! Everyone that's in our history books or old movies and such might be here. Maybe we might run into all sorts of dead guys - Beethooven, Da Vinci, Dawn Lemon, the Wright Brothers… I wonder if they're in Heaven or not." "Speaking of which," Gallus said, looking out of a window. "Did you notice that it was all your family that came to see us?" "Well yeah," Sandbar tilted his head. "Why'd you ask?" "I guess," rubbing the back of his neck, Gallus told him, "I was wondering something. If your family's in Heaven, where are mine? I didn't think about it for a while, but since last night… Where do you think they could be? This place is probably bigger than the world we knew so..." "I see…" Sandbar looked around, "where did that brochure thing go?" His question was answered by a ring that was coming from a drawer that was under a mirror. After pulling it out and unfolding it, the pamphlet showed a simple instruction manual on how to get in contact with the Angel Customer Service Station. "It just said to touch a mirror where some numbers would show up," Sandbar told him, "press 4-1-1, and it would get an Angel to help with whatever questions we have." "I guess it's worth a try. Let's do it," Gallus said as he and Sandbar walked over to a nearby oval mirror. Putting his paw on the glass, he watched as it glowed a golden aura before a set of numbers appeared. Gallus pressed the proper number combo that Sandbar told him about, each press letting out a small beeping noise. The numbers washed away, and a few minutes later, the mirror went static for a second before a female Griffin Angel appeared, using a nail file on her claw. She was in some cubicle with papers around and looked bored out of her mind. "Thank you for calling Angel Customer Service Station. My name is Glinda. What do you want?" She asked in a dull tone. Raising an eyebrow at the remark, Gallus just pushed his annoyance aside and spoke, "Um hi, my name is Gallus. I recently died, and I was wondering if my parents were also dead or if they were still back on Equis." "Last name?" Glinda asked, taking out a book from her desk. "I uh... don't have one," Gallus said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was orphaned… that's why I want to know..." "Uh-huh," Glinda said, without looking up. "Hang on, let's see what I can dig up." She tossed the nail file away and started flipping through the book for a few minutes. Gallus and Sandbar just stood there patiently as they waited for some kind of response. He did his best to hide it well, but Gallus could feel his heart beating from anxiety. All his life, he just wondered about his origins, and now he was going to learn about them at last. Since his parents weren't here with Sandbar's family, considering they had all got notified, it probably meant that they were still alive. Even if that was true, just knowing even a bit about them would be enough. "Well, congratulations. Your last name is Skyflight," Glinda said, which made Gallus blink. "Gallus Skyflight… not of a bad name," Gallus said, letting roll off the tip of his tongue. "Yeah, I can dig that." "I like it," Sandbar said, smiling. "Sounds cool." "And my parents?" Gallus asked eagerly. "Victor Skyflight and Ginny Skyflight died about thirteen years ago. Father died from a blade to the heart, and an arrow to the face and chest caused your mother's death," Glinda said. "Wait… thirteen years ago?" Gallus was stunned. He was still alive back then? Where were his parents all this time? "Hang on, a blade to the heart? Arrows?!" Gallus pressed against the mirror with his talons. "Were they… were they murdered?!" "Well, I don't know if being killed by Griffin Rangers for crimes of theft, murder, and outlaw-related violence counts as murder, but if you want to call it that, sure," Glinda responded with a shrug. For the first time since Gallus found out he was dead, he felt a dark and sinking pit of horror in his stomach. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped slightly as the revelation echoed in his head. "O-Outlaws?" "Oh yeah. Both your parents were wanted in several Griffin providences for running with some outlaw gang," Glinda responded, not even bothering to act sympathetic at all as she read a few pages. "Says here they gave birth to you and left you in some town they were passing by. A few years later, the Griffin Rangers caught the bandit group they were a part of and killed them all when they resisted arrest." Gallus slowly backed away as he silently lowered his head. Sandbar looked at his friend with horror upon hearing this. It was bad enough to learn your parents were also dead but were criminals? Not to mention that they abandoned Gallus without a care? Heaven suddenly wasn't all bright and shining anymore. Turning to the mirror with some vain hope, Sandbar asked, "Are they in Heaven?" That caused the Angel to snort. "Yeah, right! Those two are in the pits of Hell, kid. Rotting there with the other criminals. Let's see…" "What happened to them?" Gallus asked, trying as hard as he could to hold it together. "Hold on, I know that's somewhere… Here it is. Apparently, they both got the same punishment. Since they went around without a heart, they have been given a shared sentence of reliving the lives of everyone they've ever robbed, killed, exploited, and - especially in your case - abandoned. Nasty stuff if you ask me." She then closed the book and asked, "So anything else?" Gallus didn't say anything. He just kept his head down with his feathers hiding his expression while Sandbar walked over to touch his friend on the shoulder. Only for Gallus to just walk away without saying anything. Taking this as her cue, Glinda ended the call, and the mirror turned back into a regular mirror as Sandbar quickly followed his best friend. "Hey, Gallus?" "I'm fine." "But, your parents-" "It's fine." "No, it's not!" Sandbar went around to face him. "This is not fine." Gallus looked at him, his eyes holding back the explosive anger, the horror, and the deep sadness of the truth he's learned. "Sand," Gallus said sternly, "I know you want to help. And before you say anything, don't. I'm not in the mood to listen right now. Because right now, nothing is fine, and I need time away before I could listen to whatever you're gonna say. So I'm going to ask you this once, and as nicely as I can without screaming: please, let, me, be." Gallus walked around Sandbar and walked out of the front door before slamming it. Sandbar went over to a window to watch his friend fly up to a nearby cloud. There were a million thoughts that the stallion had pondered all at once. Despite Heaven being a paradise, it now was a lonely place. Sandbar looked up to the cloud, imagining what his friend must be feeling right now. It was a situation that was enough to make him cry, make him want to do something, say something to ease the pain that Gallus was going through. It pained him that for the second time in his friend's life, he was alone again. Up in the cloud, Gallus curled up and sobbed softly. Chapter 3"Here's your salmon," the waiter said, placing a plate down in front of Gallus, "and your pasta," he put the other plate down before Sandbar. "So will that be everything?" "I think so," Sandbar nodded. With that, the waiter went away. It had been three days since they arrived in Heaven. Sandbar's family had given them the introductory tour of some of the towns and cities in Equestria. On some level, it had been interesting to see what a better Manehattan, Applewood, even Vanhoover were like in Paradise. There were similar monuments here and there that they had seen in travel books, while others had older buildings along with structures that they had never seen before. Canterlot especially was elevated. It had parks, theaters, observatories, shops, and restaurants that both of them were certain didn't exist when they were alive. They were astonished to find a princess who lives at the palace - an alicorn no less - who they had never heard of before: Princess Faust. But as puzzling as it was to hear about a long-lost princess before Celestia and Luna were born, they didn't pay too much attention because their thoughts were on other things. Fortunately, Sandbar's family took the hint, and they allowed them to roam free in Canterlot, with Spring River promising them that she'd check on them in a few days. In the corner of Canterlot, Sandbar and Gallus were sitting down at an outdoor table by a place called The Copper Pot Cafe. For the moment, the two of them were silent with their meal. Gallus picked his fish with a fork brushed with herb butter and a squeeze of lemon on top before glancing at Sandbar munching on an angel hair pasta that had shredded carrots and an alfredo sauce. They either ate or picked at their food for several minutes, waiting for the other to interrupt the silence. "You feeling okay?" Sandbar finally asked. "Huh?" Gallus looked up from his plate. "Just that… you've been feeling down for a while." "Oh… Yeah, I…" Gallus thought about what to say, jabbing into the pinkish meat. "I guess I'm still adjusting or something." There was an awkward pause for a moment. "Do you…" Sandbar began again, "want to talk about it?" "What?" "Your parents." Gallus put his fork down. "I'm just… disappointed." "Really?" Sandbar raised an eyebrow. "Among many things…" Gallus muttered. "Look… in my life, I never once heard anything from them - ever. When I got dropped off at the orphanage, there wasn't even so much as a note for why they couldn't take care of me. For years, I tried to come up with… something to explain why. That maybe they were too poor, or Mom was a teenager that got knocked up. Maybe they died somewhere, got lost, had a mixed-up at the hospital, just something ya know? The one thought I had tried so hard to avoid was that they simply didn't want me. That they were monsters. Now that I know what really happened…" He snorted. "I take it you must be angry at them." "Well, no duh, Sherlock!" Gallus breathed in deeply through his nostrils. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, just…" "We're just stressed and worried." Sandbar sighed. "For me, I'm still wondering if my family and our friends are doing okay." After taking a quick sip of his soda, he added, "All I'm saying is you're not the only one that finds this whole being dead thing to be sucky." "Yeah…" Gallus nodded, "If I knew what was to happen, I would have said something different to them. Maybe done things to help… I don't know… move on or what have ya." "I know that feeling." Gallus raised an eyebrow, "How?" "Well, if I knew that I would have ended up dead that day - like I can't change the outcome and all that - I would have at least told my folks, my little sis, too, that I loved them. I would have taken Yona out on the best date ever and let her do whatever she wanted. If things were a little different, I would do one last big hang out with all of you guys. Maybe tell each of them what I honestly thought of them or… something." "I see…" Gallus nodded. "Gods, Sandbar… I have so many regrets. So many things I wanted to do, wanted to say. I guess if I knew what would happen in that cave… I don't know what I would have done. But I do know what I would have done." "Like what?" "Like uh…" Gallus' eyes shifted, choosing his following words carefully. "Maybe I would have uh…" Gallus trailed off to a low murmur. "What was that?" "That I… may or may not have a crush on a few..." "Really? Like who?" Gallus touched his talons together. "Silverstream." Sandbar clopped his hooves. "I knew it!" "W-What!?" "Dude, almost all of us were betting that something was going on between you two!" Sandbar said, giggling. "Seriously, the way you were always blushing in her direction and the way Silverstream stared at your butt when you were working up a sweat? We were wondering what it was going to take to get you two to say something." Gallus's eyes widened, and his cheeks turned red. "She… she was checking out my butt?" He wrapped his tail around his rear end. "Yup! Though, it's not hard to see why," Sandbar said, shrugging. "You do have a good butt." ".... What?" Gallus stared at Sandbar with wide eyes. "What?" Sandbar asked. "Did… did you just compliment my butt?" Gallus asked, blushing even redder now. "Well, yeah," Sandbar sighed as he sipped his drink. "To be honest, I think all of my friend's butts are pretty good in their own way. I thought you were all interesting to try and date." "You're bisexual?" Gallus asked, tilting his head. "Pansexual is the best way to describe me," Sandbar admitted with a curved smile. "I kinda had an interest in all of you to a degree, but I went with Yona because she won me over with her heart and kindness. Not that I wouldn't have dated any of you guys either if given a chance. Silverstream is a joy to be around, but I knew she had her heart set on you. Ocellus, I came close to asking out, but I kinda felt like I screwed that up when I thought she caused that mess with the Hearth's Warming Eve scenario-" "Please don't remind me," Gallus grumbled, covering his face. He felt guilty about doing that even to this day. "Smolder told me she was interested in dragons rather than interspecies dating, so that left you and Yona," Sandbar said, shrugging. This made Gallus blink a bit. Thoughts of his early crush on Sandbar echoed in his heart and head as he wondered what would have happened if, instead of Yona asked to the dance, it was him. Leaning a bit forward, he asked, "And why didn't you choose me?" "Because you're not gay," Sandbar answered as if he was asked the obvious. His eyebrow raised. "I didn't ask because I assumed that you…" Sandbar trailed off when his friend's question settled in. "Wait… are you…?" "Both ways, at least I think," Gallus admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "But I liked Silverstream, so… well, I guess maybe I like girls more? But… yeah..." "Huh," Sandbar said as a deep silence between them made things awkward. "Okay, so that's something new we learned about us." "Yeah…" Chuckling, Gallus said, "Being dead kinda makes secrets pointless now, huh? I guess whatever we did or thought wasn't bad enough to send us to the other place so we can speak or do whatever our hearts desire or something like that." ".... You know what," Sandbar said, his face lit up. "You're right! And that's one thing you can put over your jerkbutt parents!" "Huh?" Gallus asked, eyebrows raised. "Think about it. You're up here in Heaven! You got into Paradise! Eternal happiness, and what do your parents have? Everything opposite of it for eternity," Sandbar said, smiling with satisfaction. "You know what that proves? That you're better than them. That you managed to get to the heavens without them." "....Yeah," Gallus said, as a smile crept onto his face. "Yeah, you're right! I didn't need them! And knowing what they really were? I don't want them! I had a family at the end of my life, and that was you, our friends, and everyone at school! I'm here in heaven! I'm set for eternity, baby!" He then turned to Sandbar and held out his claw. "And I'm not alone. I got my best bud with me." "Yup!" Sandbar said, hoof bumping him. "We're best dead buddies!" "Dude, never say that again," Gallus said, deadpan before leaning back in his chair. "Besides, now that we know Heaven is real, we’ve got all the time in the world to wait for everyone else. Eventually, Silverstream, Smolder, Yona, Ocellus, and everyone else we know will pass on one day. So we can be there to greet them and show them around." ".... You're going to prank them, aren't you?" Sandbar asked with a knowing smile. "Damn straight!" Gallus grinned. "I wonder if I can get a job as a Reaper and scare the living daylights out of them when they die." "Still, I kinda wish we did more with them," Sandbar said, sighing. "Want to know something? Yona and I were seriously thinking of moving in together after graduation." "Woah, really?" Gallus said, leaning back forward. "Hmm, I wonder if we were always destined to always fall for one of our friends?" "Well, I think we were most likely going to," Sandbar said, nodding. "Don't get me wrong, but I had my suspicions that eventually you, me, or any of us might have started dating each other the moment we all became friends. It was just a question of who. I mean, with us being so close, you'd think that one of these days, we might have asked someone out. Why do you think I started to like Yona?" ".... Good point…" Gallus frowned, "Still… Now that you brought it up, I do wonder how they're taking our deaths?" "What do you mean?" "Well, like what you said, we've been dead for a good three days now, so you'd think that maybe they might be holding the funeral or wake or whatever they put for us by now. Morbidly, I kinda want to know what's happening over there." While they were talking, across the street, a deer carrying the mail cart was looking around. With a blue hat and pouch, heavy with letters, the deer brought out a list and looked about as if lost. However, after checking the list a few times, the mail-carrying deer crossed the street. "Hey, excuse me!" the deer called out, "I'm looking for a Sandbar and Gallus? Do you know where they are?" "That's us." Sandbar answered. "Oh finally," sitting down, the deer reached into the bag, "you have no idea how tricky it was to find you." He pulled out from it two small envelopes, white with a gold leaf around the edges that had their names on it. "So, here's your mail." "Huh?" Gallus grabbed the envelopes, "How could we get mail? We just got here a few days ago." "Hey, my job is to deliver the mail, not question it." Tipping his hat, the deer gave a small smile, "Have a nice day!" and went away. Sandbar took hold of his letter and began to open it. Gallus did the same. He joked: "What, are they sending us bills already?" Ripping one edge with a claw, he looked inside where there were only two things: a theater ticket and a small, rolled-up poster. Unrolling it, Gallus thought that someone had sent him a movie poster by mistake - until he saw his picture. It showed a funeral wreath that was next to a black coffin with a white lily on it. On the wreath was a picture of him - in the casket, eyes closed, and his face fixed from the cave-in. It was cropped into an oval shape, and it was in black-and-white. Above the picture was a black ribbon with white letters of "R.I.P.," and under it was another ribbon with his birth and death year. And like a movie poster, it had a title at the top. In bold, giant white letters, it read: "The Funeral of Gallus Skyflight," and just under it in slightly smaller type: "Staring Gallus Skyflight." At the bottom of the poster, it read that the premiere was at the Magic Lantern Theater. A place that both he and Sandbar had passed by not too long ago. It was to hold only one showing at 3:30. And underneath that with small lettering, it says: "Private Screening. Tickets Only. Refreshments Free!" Looking up from the poster, he and Sandbar shared the same expression - bewilderment. "Well, I did dream that I would be in the movies once." Sandbar said, "But I didn't think it would be for this." "Yeah… You know, a couple of days ago, if I saw this, I would be seriously weirded out. Especially when a movie poster has my name on it." "Mine does too." "Huh?" "Yeah, see," Sandbar flipped his poster around. It was similar to Gallus's, be it that the names were changed and the picture on the wreath was Sandbar laying in the coffin. Gallus looked closely at his friend's poster, "Hey, yours is showing the same time as mine." "Huh," Sandbar looked at him again, "Do you think it's like a double feature or something?" "I don't know… what time is it?" Sandbar looked at the clock that was inside the cafe. "Three-twelve." Humming, Gallus looked back at his fish, "You wanna finish up real quick and go check out what this is about?" Sandbar picked up his fork to get more pasta on it, "Partly because I'm morbidly curious and partly because I can't think of anything better to do - so why not?" The Magic Lantern Theater was something out of the golden age of cinema. It was small, but it stood proud with lightbulbs, a neon name in cursive, and even had a ticket booth with a pony in a scarlet uniform at attention. Even when they stepped up to it, they could smell the popcorn as they drew near it, walking past movie posters of old movies that they’d never heard of before. "Hi there!" Their attention was snapped back into reality as the ticket taker behind the glass spoke up. The gray earth pony pulled his short red hat before snapping back. "Are you here for the 3:30 or some other show?" "We got this in the mail." Gallus pulled out the tickets from the envelopes. "Any idea what this is about?" Slipping them under the glass, the ticket taker "Ooh'd" in admiration. "The Funeral Show? Oh, you guys are so lucky. I hear it's quite the tear-jerker. I think they got that one guy who directed Ran to film it." Gallus and Sandbar's jaw dropped, "Ran?" Sandbar questioned, "As in… Kurosawa? Directing our funeral?" "Apparently, he got bored and wanted to take up film again." After carefully ripping the tickets in half, he handed them back to them. "Your show is the first on the left." ".... Thanks…" Gallus took the tickets back. "Enjoy the show!" the ticket taker grinned as they walked past him and through the glass doors. The lobby they entered was small, and behind a counter with rows of candy bars, cotton candy, a popcorn machine, soda, and a pizza oven was a buffalo reclining on a chair, reading a newspaper. On the left and right of the counter were stairs that went off in opposite directions. On the right, there was a poster that showed a robot with the title of "Maretropolis." And on the left, there was a poster that made Gallus and Sandbar do a triple take. Unlike the posters they got in the mail, this one showed them in their coffins, yet it was on a stage complete with lights overhead, curtains on the side, and even theater lights below. There were mourners dressed in black in all sorts of exaggerated poses around the coffins. From holding a handkerchief over their faces to waving their arms about in grief, they were familiar faces such as family and friends all in mourning. They also noticed a little detail that in their coffins, each of them held a single white lily that was sticking straight up. Although it was a painting, the longer they looked at it, the more they noticed that the image was moving. Above it, the poster was simply titled "The Funeral." "No way! It's you guys!" They looked over to see who was talking to them, but they were blinded for a moment by a bright flash of light. After blinking a few times, they were able to see who took their picture. It was a pale green changeling who wore a similar uniform as the guy in the ticket booth. Next to him was a lidless casket and some funeral wreaths that read "Rest In Peace" on them. They were next to a giant cardboard cutout of a stage, similar to the poster at their funeral. "Sorry about that," the changeling said, "I'm just so excited to meet the actual stars that I…" he erupted in excited giggles, "Sorry, I'm just so star-struck right now!" “Uh…” Sandbar blinked. “Who are you?” "Yakov," he said, racing his hoof to shake theirs, "I work here. I, uh, take pictures for like momentos and stuff for various movies. You know, take your picture next to the serial killer or standing on a rock in the background of an adventure movie. That kind of thing!" "I take it that this one is ours?" Sandbar asked, pointing it out. "Yeah, we haven't had anyone come in yet, so we had to set this up in a hurry," Yakov added before gasping. "Hey, you want to get your photos? You can be my first customer! Don't worry, it's free, and I'll let you take as many as you want!" After looking at one another, Sandbar shrugged, "Well, we are early, so… why not?" "Yeah," Gallus grinned, "ya know, I'm getting a few ideas already." "I'd be happy to take them," Yakov grinned. "You got any other props?" "Absolutely!" Yakov pulled a few random items out from the casket. Out of it, he pulled out a fake lily, a knife, a pair of plastic vampire teeth, and a banana. "Help yourself. If you need anything specific, just think about it, and it will appear." "We're going to have fun with this, aren't we?" Sandbar asked with a grin. "Oh, yeah..." Gallus Van Helsing, the vampire slayer, carefully made his way towards his arch-enemy’s resting place: Count Dracubar. Shivering with both fear and excitement, he steadied himself as he inched closer and looked into the coffin. The vampire pony was sleeping peacefully, looking like any other corpse save for the fanged teeth in his mouth. It was time to end this monster once and for all. Holding the stake right above the vampire's heart, Gallus let out a cry and hammered into the chest the wooden instrument of God. The moment it pierced his chest, Count Dracubar screamed and hissed in pain, his body thrashing before his eyes landed on Gallus Van Helsing. Gallus didn't stop as he pounded in the stake one more time, forcing the vampire pony to moan and groan as his undeath was soon turning into the proper send-off he should have had years ago. A final strike and Count Dracubar let out one last wail with his hoof in the air before it went limp over the casket as his eyes slowly closed until they would open no more. Gallus sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow before turning to the camera bug. "Got it?" "Got it!" Yakov said with a smile, showing some of the photos. "Good thing I can't feel this thing in my chest," Sandbar said as he popped the fake vampire teeth out of his mouth. "Think you can get it off me now?" "Sure, let me get the large pliers." Something was charming about being on a desert island. The sun. The swaying palm trees. And the hot tub that the locals provided for our heroes. "Ah, this is the life," Sandbar sighed, letting the bubbles in the cauldron relax him. "We should have crash-landed here a long time ago," Gallus nodded as the natives returned with herbs and vegetables. While one of them was cutting up an onion, Gallus pulled his claw out of the water to lick it. "Hey, this needs more salt." The native nodded happily and went off to fetch the salt. More came with large spoons to stir up the cauldron, while a few more carried a couple of coconuts and offered them to the duo. Taking hold of their drinks, Sandbar looked over to Yakov, "You got it?" "Yep!" The Changeling grinned, "Are there any others you want to do?" Gallus looked over the sand below them. "I think I got an idea." It had taken months of digging in the sands of Southern Equestria, but the archeologist Dr. Gallus had finally found it! He slipped into the lost tomb of Sandhotep III, carefully avoiding the boobytraps and the giant scorpions, making his way deeper into the tunnels until he came across what he was looking for. "Well, Sandhotep," Dr. Gallus grinned as he neared the sarcophagus, adjusting his safari hat, "it was pretty smart to hide your tomb underneath the river. But not smart enough to keep me from finding the secret entrance." So taking out a crowbar, he struggled to wedge the lid off the stony casket. Inch by inch, the top moved until he could finally see the mummy that lay inside. He shined his flashlight into the coffin with the opening wide enough to illuminate what he had been searching for. There it was! The forgotten pharaoh, Sandhotep III, laying there in his ancient wrappings for the past three thousand years! And in its crossed forelegs was the charm of eternal life—the Ankh of Osiris, one that was made of pure gold. "Come to papa," Gallus reached for the artifact when suddenly a dried hoof clenched around his arm. "What!" He recoiled in shock as the mummy moved. Its eyes were opening, moths escaping its maw and a grip that could crush bones. Sandbar coughed, "You got it?" "Uh-huh," Yakov nodded, "The Mummy option is always a classic! So do you want to do any more?" "Yeah," Gallus said, "I got another idea." Flying up to perch on the edge of the casket, Gallus faced Yakov. "How about the next one we go for something out of Pegasi mythology? We can have marble columns and stuff, something like a ruin. Maybe it could be like that minotaur myth - no! That snake lady that turns you into stone just by looking at her, what was she called?" While Gallus continued to spin his idea, Sandbar sat up a little from the casket. However, as he adjusted himself, getting ready to get out, he realized that where his friend had perched was close to his face. In fact, from the low angle he was at, Sandbar blushed as from there he could see… everything that the griffon's posterior usually hid under his tail. "Uh… dude," Sandbar tries to speak up. "Just a sec, I'm thinking here," Gallus interrupted him, oblivious to what Sandbar was seeing. "Oh! How about sand here can come in with a spear, and I would be pinned down-" "G-Gallus-" "Hold your horses. I'm almost through. So anyway…" The problem for Sandbar wasn't that he didn't like the view he was seeing. Sure he may or may not have sneaked a few glances here and there in the past (especially in the locker room for Rainbow's P.E. Class), but it was always from a distance. However, given that he was so near to this perfectly crafted rump, along with seeing how… alluring his friend's nether regions were - that was precisely the problem. The longer Gallus sat there, talking about the next photo, the more Sandbar felt the bandages lower down were tightening up. Sandbar felt that he needed to get out of the casket and fast. But given the awkward positioning (in more ways than one) he was in, he felt around for something to get a grip on. And unfortunately, he gripped Gallus's hindleg. ".... So in a way," Gallus continued, "it would be like holding up a hunting troph- WOAH!" Unexpectedly, the griffon felt something pulling him back, and he lost his balance. His wings spread and flapped on instinct, but that didn't stop him from landing on Sandbar. "Dude! What's the big ide-" Rip! "What the...?" Gallus looked over to the sound source and saw something that made his face turn bright red. While the griffon was almost sitting on his friend's face, there was another part of Sandbar that was… up. It didn't take long to piece together how awkward a position both of them were in. Then to make this embarrassing moment worse, Gallus saw a flash from the corner of his eye, finding that Yakov had just taken another picture. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to take that. Hoof slipped." While the two were trying to scramble out of the casket, Yakov dispersed the illusion. Sand, hieroglyphs, and the tomb dissolved back into the theater's lobby. The Changeling rushed over to pull Gallus out, but in doing so, the casket tipped over on its side. The three of them tumbled onto the floor, with Sandbar quickly reaching out for the safari hat that Gallus was wearing to cover himself. Gallus, as thoroughly embarrassed as Sandbar was, couldn't look his friend in the eye while he scrambled to get up. Yakov pushed the empty casket back up, "Are you guys okay?" he asked with concern. "Y-Yeah, yeah," Gallus nodded, his cheeks flustered so much that they were burning. "Ya know what, I'm gonna go ahead and see that movie." "But your photos-" "Justburnthelastone, bye!" Gallus abruptly said, half running and half flying up the stairs into the theater. Yakov blinked and turned over to Sandbar, who was still covering up. "Is there a, uh… bathroom anywhere?" Sandbar asked, his eyes shifting. Gallus sat alone while the screen ran trailers of upcoming movies. In truth, he wasn't fully paying attention. A few promoted some dramas, a romantic comedy, an animated movie about spaceships, and one about... humans? He wasn't sure, nor was his mind focused on them. He wasn't even contemplating the screening room he was in either. In any other circumstances, he would have wondered if this was a movie theater at all. There were hardwood floors. A bar that was stocked in candy, nachos, popcorn, soda, and ice cream. And the only seating in the room were two big chairs that were heavily padded, covered in velvety black fleece, and it had buttons on one armrest to recline it so much that it could turn into a bed and even vibrate to massage one's back. In any normal circumstances, he would be easily wowed by the sheer luxury of it all. However, his mind was elsewhere, and it all focused on Sandbar. On some level, he was deeply embarrassed that he had accidentally flashed his friend without realizing it. If his friends were here, they would make it worse and probably tease him about it until the day he died. As far as he saw it, Heaven for the next several days (perhaps the next few months) was going to be awkward. Yet… a small part of him held complicated feelings ranging from flattery to confusion and everything else in between. For the first time, he was able to (for lack of better words) turn someone on like that. It was unbelievably humiliating, yet… seeing his friend get so… aroused like that was almost something to be proud of in a way. Yet, pride wasn't the right word either. For a long time, Gallus sat there, struggling to come to terms with what just happened. It was shocking, but he knew that he shouldn't be, considering that Sandbar just came out as Pan. 'Maybe it's… hope?' Gallus wondered. 'Nah, it can't be that. But what else could it be? I haven't felt like this since I realized that I had a crush on him. Not to mention that I unintentionally gave the guy a boner. Hell, he wasn't fully hard, and yet he was hu-' He shook his head. 'C'mon! That doesn't mean anything! So the guy got… excited, that doesn't mean that he's suddenly in love with me.’ He sighed, 'Then again… if I had known before, maybe I could stop being afraid and just ask if he would go out sometime. Perhaps, if he said yes, things might have been different. I don't know how the girls would have taken it, but now… they're not here. Probably for a long time. And not only might it be possible here, but it's clear that he found me… yeah. I mean, I lived and died waiting to see if either Sandbar or Silverstream could feel that same way back. Well, now, I finally got my answer - not only might it be possible, but he's turned on too. 'So… maybe…' His ears perked up from the hoofsteps that walked up the stairs that Sandbar appeared. Even when he heard his friend had walked in, Gallus didn't dare look him in the eye, and unbeknownst to him, Sandbar was doing the same as he simply sat down in the other chair. Although both of them knew that at least one of them should say something… perhaps it was best to wait until after the movie. Not that they had to wait long as soon after Sandbar sat down, the movie began. On the screen, at first, it showed the sky with a few passing clouds. At first, it was quiet except for birds chirping in the distance. But as the camera moved back, something strange happened. At first, Sandbar and Gallus thought it was their imagination, but the screen was getting broader and taller, revealing more and more of the sky, the mountains around Ponyville, a tree, and Yona with her back against them underneath that said tree. Even when it focused on this still image of a calm day, the screen kept on expanding further into the theater. "What the…?" Gallus exclaimed as the screen moved past them, enveloping them in their seats until the screening room was gone. It was replaced entirely by the film. Sandbar looked around, "Wait… what's going on? Where…?" He looked over his seat at the grass below. So he stretched his hoof down to touch it. "Dude," Sandbar said, getting out of his chair. "I think… I think we're back." Gallus sat up and spread his wings to fly out of his seat. If this was an illusion, it was a convincing one. The breeze felt real, it smelled real, and it looked real too. Even the sun's warmth even felt real. "Are we really…?" He then turned his back and froze for a second. His wings were still white and not blue. He looked over his friend's head and saw that he still had his halo. It was then that Gallus knew they were still dead. "But if we're back then… Yona!" Sandbar cried out with joy as they turned to the yak, her back still to them. She was dressed in some kind of black poncho with green gems on it. She was sobbing and pretty hard too. Neither had seen Yona cry so much, not even when she broke her leg one time by accident. "Yona?" Sandbar called out as he approached her, "Yona, it's me, Sandbar!" Gallus reached out to stop him, but Sandbar rushed over to his special creature and smiled at her. A part of him felt some sinking pain seeing such a happy expression on Yona's face. Sandbar cried out her name again, but Yona wasn't looking at him. "Yona, what's wrong?" Sandbar reached out to lay a comforting hoof on her, but it went through. "What the…" He moved his hoof around on her, but he couldn't feel anything. "Dude," Gallus said, walking over as he placed his head on Sandbar's wings. He freaked out for a moment until he saw them and his halo. "We're still dead." "Then… are we ghosts, or is this an illusion?" Sandbar asked, looking at Yona, who was wiping the tears from her eyes. "I don't know..." Gallus said as he and Sandbar just continued to watch. "Yona?" The three of them turned to the left and saw Ocellus walking towards them. She too was dressed in black, but she wore some jewelry and makeup on her face. "We've been looking all over for you. Everything is almost set up at the funeral home. They'll be opening it up for visitors in an hour. We thought… we thought we'd go together." "....Yona don't want to go," the yak muttered, closing her eyes. "Yona don't want to say goodbye." Ocellus, frowning, walked over and placed a wing on Yona's back and nuzzled her. "I know… I don't want to either." She sighed. "But it's the least we can do for them. Sandbar and Gallus were our friends... I miss them too, but we have to honor them by-" "Yona don't want to honor Sandbar and Gallus as dead! Yona… Yona wants to hold Sandbar… tell Sandbar that Yona loves him..." "Yona," Sandbar whispered as a few tears dripped from his face. Gallus placed a wing over his friend and continued to listen. "You can still tell him," Ocellus said with a sad smile. "Don't yaks believe the dead are with us at the funerals before going to the afterlife?" "Ocellus not believe in afterlife," Yona pointed out. "Just because I doubt that anything happens to us when we die doesn't mean I don't think it's wrong to say something may happen to those we love when they are gone," Ocellus said, sighing. "Besides, if there is a better place after we die, I can't think of two creatures who deserve to be there more than them." Yona was quiet for a while before she slowly got up. "Promise to be with me?" "All of us will," Ocellus said as the two hugged and began to walk away. "....Well," Gallus said with a shrug. "I know Ocellus is gonna be surprised when it's her turn to come to the hereafter." "Yeah but…" Sandbar sighed, "I couldn't do anything. Yona was in tears, and I couldn't make it better." "I know." Gallus held a claw up and, swiping at the tree, it went right through, "Whatever this is, I think we're only here to watch. So if we're in a movie about our own funeral, is that where we need to go next?" "And Ocellus said something about a funeral parlor in town…" His eyes lit up in realization. "I know where it's at!" Turning to the town, Sandbar made a full gallop, "Follow me!" "You have wings now!" Gallus shouted back, "You can fly!" But Sandbar was too far away to hear, so with a disgruntled grunt, he spread his wings and flew towards his friend's direction. The two of them made their way back into Ponyville. Through the streets, and behind city hall, Sandbar led his friend to a solemn-looking place. A two-floor building in black with a sign hanging above a pair of double doors called "Sarcophagus and Sons." For Ponyville, it was the only place in town that made coffins and the only funeral parlor in town. And next to the door was a chalkboard where, written in white, were the various services it would be hosting. Halfway down the list, they saw the message: "Gallus & Sandbar - 4:30." "So, do we just go in?" Sandbar asked, putting a hoof through a wall. "I mean, we are early." "I don't see why not," Gallus shrugged. "If we're ghosts or something, I don't see why we couldn't have a peek." So sticking his face through the plaster, the griffon walked through the wall. Sandbar followed after him. The two found themselves in a lobby where ponies and a few other creatures walked around or looked to be workers. Sandbar and Gallus watched as creatures phased through them, including a big husky crying earth pony muttering something about his mother. "Busy day?" Gallus wondered aloud as they quickly noticed a unicorn levitating a green and red-flowered funeral wreath with Sandbar's cutie mark designed in flowers on it and a banner at the bottom that read: "Goodbye Sandbar. We Love You." on it. "Hey, boss?" the female unicorn asked the aging earth pony stallion. "What number is the room for the two teenagers? The griffin and earth pony?" "Room Six," he answered before going back to his papers. The two invisible souls didn't bother to wait and followed the unicorn, staying right behind her. They passed a few other rooms where services were going on or ending before arriving at room six, where their names were up in front, as well as their birth and death dates. When they walked in, it looked like they were still setting up. Chairs were being unfolded and placed in rows. Black silk banners were being pinned up, florists at work on bouquets to make some finishing touches, and a podium was placed behind the two coffins. Their attention lay directly ahead as the unicorn they followed walked up to put the wreath on a tri-stand next to one of the caskets. "And here's the other one," another unicorn, a younger stallion, went to the mare. The two ghosts noticed that he was carrying a wreath that was similar to Sandbar's, but it had light blue roses, and the bottom had a ribbon where it was written: "Farewell Gallus. We Love You." "Good to hear they got it done on time," the mare commented, "Put it up on the other stand, then go get the rest for the Hippogriff's farewell in Room Nine." After placing the wreath on the other stand, the younger stallion rushed out. "Alright," the mare then opened Sandbar's casket and frowned, "Looks like you need a flower." She then went over to Gallus's and opened it, "No, both of you do. Glad nopony bothered to do their job." Muttering, she walked past the invisible souls. They couldn't withhold their morbid curiosity any longer. Gallus and Sandbar walked down towards their caskets, peeking over to come face to face with themselves. It was surreal that in these velvet-lined coffins that they looked at their lifeless bodies. Yet, if they didn't know any better, they might have mistaken them for doppelgangers being asleep. Gallus was impressed that he couldn't pick out anything that made him look broken, considering how he died. His face was frozen in a stoic calm. However, he was taken aback by what his corpse was wearing. It was a white robe, silk by its look, and stitched together with golden thread. His claws clenched on a sword, highly decorated with sapphires and diamonds on a silver hilt. It wasn't that he was being buried in a traditional griffon robe that surprised him, but that he was a robe designed for nobility — something for a king. Sandbar looked at his body that lay there. He looked at the face of someone that might be having a happy dream of some kind. There was even a smile. His heart almost broke at what he was wearing: a white dress shirt with a tie-dyed tie and suit that his parents no doubt requested. He noticed that on the bottom of the casket was a layer of sand, the kind that would be from a beach, complete with seashells placed around the body. Sandbar also noticed that his tie had a pin in it of a peace sign. Gallus gave a low whistle, "Ya know, from someone that got crushed from a cave-in, I look good for a dead guy." "At least they cleaned up the blood," Sandbar commented, rubbing a hoof over his mouth. "I almost can't believe they would do all of this for us." "That's a huge understatement. You see what I have on?" Gallus pointed out, "The last known griffon to ever be buried like this was meant for royalty. And given that I was born from nothing, I'm shocked they decided to do this." "Excuse me, but we're not ready yet!" This new voice got their attention. Looking behind them, they saw the mare that carried Sandbar's wreath enter with Silverstream and Queen Novo. Silverstream, wearing a black cloak with the hood covering her head, walked past the mare. Her face looked as if it was barely holding together and her eyes wet marched towards the caskets. "Ma'am, we're not ready for-," The mare protested, but the Queen, who wore an elaborately stitched vail that blurred her face, craned down to face her. "I know you're not ready," Novo told her, "but right now, my niece needs this. It's… part of how we show respect to our dead. The last rite if you'd like to call it." "What do you mean?" "Just watch." Silverstream stopped before the coffins, lifting her hood. Gallus saw her up close, doing what she could to not burst into tears at that moment—even taking in a few deep uneasy breaths to steady herself. Then, gently, she walked over to his coffin and leaned forward as if to whisper something in his ear. Curious, Gallus went around to listen to what she had to say. "The way you walked has changed, through no fault of your own," she said softly like a prayer, "As the rain follows back into the sea, so too shall you return to where you were made. Your many tears, your endless anguishes, your countless fears, and your continuous pains are behind you. Your toil has finished. Your slavish work has come to an end. Sleep now, and go off to where you may dream of tranquility. Rest now, forever now. You are at peace." Gallus had never had believed in religion or gods or any of that stuff because no creature on this earth prayed for him. He had never even gotten an amen. Yet, now that his mortal life was done, someone had given him his first prayer. And regardless of being so short, it was the most beautiful one he had ever heard. So much so he was already leaking tears and doing his best not to sob. He slowly reached for Silverstream only to phase through her as a bitter reminder of his fate. Silverstream slowly inched closer to Gallus' forehead with her beak trembling and lay a kiss on it. Then she couldn't hold it in anymore and fell to her knees. She let out a wail as the tears finally came unleashed in a dual set of waterfalls that couldn't stop. Queen Novo was quickly there for her niece as she scooped her up and held her against her chest. The room workers looked at each other awkwardly before slowly leaving one by one and closed the door behind them out of courtesy. Silverstream continued to cry, pounding her aunt's chest over and over again. Gallus was crying just as much, and he didn't even bother hiding it from Sandbar. He just sat down and sobbed. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Silverstream..." For the first time, Gallus really wished he wasn't dead. That Silverstream or any of their friends would have to suffer like this. He didn't want to be dead anymore. He wanted to be with her. "I..." Silverstream whimpered as she slowly calmed down. "I loved him… Gods help me, I loved him!" ".... I loved you too," Gallus muttered, but it was an echo in the wind. "I know," Queen Novo whispered, much to her niece's shock. "You didn't think I would approve?" ".... I thought..." "That because he was an orphan of no noble blood that I would not allow you to see him as a special partner?" Queen Novo placed her claws on Silverstream's cheeks and kissed her forehead. "Perhaps, at first, I would have been against it. But as you told me more and more about him. I realized just how much in love you were. It reminded me of my husband even - long may he rest." She gave a soft smile. "So, yes, Silverstream. I would have approved of him and you." "Not that it matters," Silverstream muttered, turning away to face the casket. "The gods took him from me." "I know that you are hurt and cursing them," Queen Novo said, putting her claw on her shoulder. "I was that way for many years after my husband died. The gods have plans we do not understand. Perhaps we never will. But take comfort in knowing that in those last moments you had together, you had a chance to express that love you both had. Rather than never having it at all." Silverstream wiped her tears away before sighing. "I… I want to be with my friends now." "Of course, we still have thirty minutes until the funeral starts," Queen Novo said, slowly guiding Silverstream towards the door. Once it was opened and left, the workers quietly went back to work, but with even more silence. Unbeknownst to the funeral attendees, Sandbar and Gallus stood at the very back of the room. Being as crowded as it was with mourners, the invisible souls were side by side in a corner, watching familiar faces make their march to the caskets underneath the black banners. Some stopped before the bodies to let out a few words, lay a flower on the lid, and either took a seat or walked over to the table that had a montage of photos of them when they were alive (mostly taken during their time at the academy). That table was on the other side of where they stood. A simple black tablecloth with dozens of pictures taped on some cardboard pieces, along with three lit candles and two white roses. All the while, melancholic nocturnes of Horseshoepin played softly from another room while small talk arose from the mourners. Before the funeral began, some familiar faces walked through in sober black. There were their professors and Headmare Starlight who entered together. Rarity was the only one among them to dress up for the occasion, a black dress with touches of gold, a modestly feathered hat, and a dark veil. Next came Princess Twilight with Spike, her closest adviser. They were then followed by their friends with Queen Novo, who accompanied Silverstream. Following them behind was Smolder. Unlike her friends, she wasn't wearing black clothes, but noticeably, her head was covered and dusted in ash. Sandbar and Gallus told themselves that maybe this was a dragon's way of showing that they were in mourning since they can see tear stains underneath her eyes. Minutes later, Sandbar's parents came in with his little sister. But it didn't stop there. Before the funeral started, others came to fill up space in the room. The kind that neither of them expected to show up. There were students from the school who came to pay their respects, many they didn't recognize. Shining Armor had entered and pinned metals on their bodies - they went over to see that they were given purple hearts; something only reserved for Equestrian heroes who have died in combat. Yet, the most surprising of all to pay their last respects was from someone they expected the least to come. Ex-Chancellor Neighsay walked in among the whispered attendees and, without saying a word, placed a rose on each of the caskets before sitting down. Then the funeral began with Twilight getting up before the podium. "If I can have every creature's attention, please? Thank you. Before we start, I want to thank everyone here that came out to honor these two remarkable students. More than that, these fallen heroes gave their lives so that Equestria and the world remain safe and free. Although they were never asked to take the call of action, we are now thankful for standing up against the darkness of the world. "As I knew them, Sandbar and Gallus were outstanding students when I was then Headmare at the School of Friendship. They excelled in their studies and did what they could to learn and excel with whatever projects, tests, quizzes, and assignments they were given. Like their friends, they had the desire to grow and better themselves. When last I spoke to them, they were planning a future where they could make a name for themselves in some small way. "When they grew older, they and their friends became guardians on behalf of their nations and each other — forming a bond that has brought down foes that threaten tyranny, to divide and to destroy the harmony that unites us. In this fight to preserve what is good in the world, it was that even when facing danger, they gave their friends and each other their last full measure of devotion. "Today, under sad circumstances, we are gathered here to preserve the memory of these remarkable individuals. So I invite you to come up to bring your stories, your thoughts, your testimony to be laid out. The podium is open for everyone if you wish to speak." To the surprise of the deceased and those in attendance, Smolder was the first to get up. The dragon had done her best to hide away any tears from the moment she arrived at the room, but now she was no longer hiding them. They were mixing with the ashes on her face, but she did nothing to stop them until Twilight gave her a tissue to wipe herself with gently. Clearing her throat, Smolder looked at the two caskets before turning to the audience. "Look, I'm not going to say something dramatic or long. Don't expect me to be sappy. That's not who I am, and I think both Gallus and Sandbar would like me to talk about them the way I normally do." She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "You know, I always dreaded this day in my heart. My best friends were short-lived creatures compared to dragons like me. I knew that one day, I would have to say goodbye to them in a casket, one by one. I just figured that it would be… so much later. Like when they're old and grey, and I still have a good eight hundred or so years left to go around kicking, you know?" She shook her head. "But this… this shouldn't happen. Not so quickly and not so soon. I remember the lessons we had about when it was time to say goodbye to our friends. I failed those tests every time because I didn't want to think about saying goodbye. I honestly still can't. I just want to smack both of them awake and punch them in the face for getting killed like that." Both Gallus and Sandbar snorted. Smolder would do that if she could. "Still, I think both would be happy to know they died saving Equestria one last time… and that the rest of us made it out alive," Smolder whispered, wiping her tears. "You know how they say best friends forever? Well, I hope that's true even in death because they'll always be my best friends. Be it in life or death." She walked over to where the two caskets were and gave a sad smile. "Wait for us, eh, guys? And don't start any parties without me." Gallus felt Sandbar wrap his arms around the griffin and started crying openly on his chest. Gallus wanted to as well, but he just stood still and watched Smolder sit down. Soon enough, someone else quickly got up and made their way to the podium. Sandbar only sobbed harder upon seeing who it was. Coral had finally stopped crying. She had been crying ever since she entered the funeral home, and it looked like she was ready to burst again at any moment. She walked over to Sandbar's coffin, where her older brother's body lay at peace. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead and whispered something to his ear before making her way to the podium. "My big brother… he was a pretty cool guy," Coral said with a sad smile. "I always wanted to be like him when I was growing up. Saving the day from bad guys and hanging out with friends from all over the world. Just going to school and being taught by the greatest heroes of our generation. It just seemed like the perfect life." She took a deep breath. "I didn't know Gallus too well, but from the few times I met him, I got the impression he was awesome in his own right. I could see why my brother liked him a lot." Gallus could feel his cheeks blushing but did his best not to look at Sandbar, who didn't notice "It's funny," Coral said as she looked at her brother in the casket again. "They always say that the hero comes back after an adventure. My brother was a hero. Gallus was a hero. But they… they didn't come back this time. It's a hard reality to learn life isn't a storybook, but I guess we all have to learn that growing up." "Coral… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry, sis," Sandbar muttered. "I want to believe that my brother and Gallus are up there in Heaven. Happy and at peace," Coral said, smiling. "I can't think of two creatures who deserve it more. So, big brother? If you and Gallus are looking down at us? Please don't cry. We miss you, but we'll always love you." "I can't… I can't anymore..." Sandbar said, turning away. Gallus didn't answer, but he agreed as well. The two slowly left the funeral home before the following speech. The funeral went on for two hours before Gallus and Sandbar saw them moving their coffins in a hearse through town. Those who attended were following, singing what sounded like songs of mourning and passing. Even Gallus, despite not being a pony, was being treated as if he was one of them. The hearse came to a stop at the "Final Fields Cemetery," where workers carried both caskets from the funeral home until they reached a spot with two open holes and two gravestones: Here Lies Gallus The Griffin Born 989 E.F - Died 1007 E.F Beloved Friend to All Rest Forever In Peace Here Lies Sandbar Oceanvale Born 990 E.F -Died 1007 E.F Beloved Friend, Son, and Brother To All Rest Forever In Peace. The two watched as their caskets were lowered into the dirt as everyone mourned one last time, a few throwing flowers into the graves. When the loud 'thud' was heard, that was it. It was official. Gallus and Sandbar had been placed in their earthy beds. The two just stared at the graves for a long time, even after everyone left and the holes were filled up. Eventually, everything went black, and the two found themselves soon back in the theater room with two words on the screen: "The End." In the lobby, Yakov was waiting. After he cleaned up the mess that Gallus and Sandbar left behind and had the pictures developed, he sat on the edge of the open casket. His hindlegs swinging, he held onto the camera in his lap while holding a hoof down on the developed photos. Humming an improvised tune quietly, and his ears perked up to listen for them to come down the stairs. Yakov was looking forward to seeing both their reactions to their movie and the pictures he'd taken. He couldn't wait to see their awed expressions and maybe impress them with these amusing photos. Perhaps, if he's lucky, he might get their autograph too. Finally, he heard them coming down the steps. This was it! Leaping off the casket with the photos, he rushed over to greet them. "Hey there! Did you guys enjoy the… show?" His excitement died on his lips when he saw them. On their faces, they looked as if they had been drained of every tear they could shed. Tired, yet defeat and heartbreak were hacked, carved, and chiseled on their faces. It left them in a glassy-eyed, heavy-hearted depressed state. It was as if they had watched a genocide in which they had no way of interfering. They walked past Yakov, not paying him much attention. "Hey, what's wrong? Didn't you like the movie?" "Yeah…" Sandbar muttered softly, "It was… something…" "Now, wait a minute," Yakov walked in front of them. "Was there something wrong with the movie? I thought it was brilliant." "Something… wrong?" Gallus deadpanned in a heavily sarcastic tone, "Oh gee, what gave that away? Could it possibly be that we've witnessed our funeral where everyone we loved and cared for is crying entire oceans' worth of tears that there's not a damn thing we could do about it? Maybe it's witnessing our friends and family wishing that we haven't died? Or perhaps there's no way to get in touch with them to comfort them in their time of grief? Nah, I'm sure it's something else." "Oh… Oh…" Yakov's ears laid flat against his head. "I'm so sorry. I thought that since it was about you two, you might have liked it." "All it did was make us realize how much it sucks being dead." Sandbar said, moving towards the glass doors. "And wish even harder that we can go home." Gallus sighed as he followed Sandbar behind him. However, before they could reach the door, they heard, "That's not… entirely out of reach." This got their attention. "What do you mean?" Sandbar questioned. Looking over his shoulder to make sure that the Buffalo wasn't listening, Yakov said quietly. "Look… I'm not supposed to say this..." "Why?" Gallus inquired and was hushed. "Shh! Keep your voice down." Yakov looked over his shoulder, seeing the buffalo flipping over to the next page. "This is something that most souls - well, even a majority of angels don't know about. Because if they did, many would likely abuse it or shut it down completely." "How come?" Sandbar asked. Yakov waved a hoof for them to come closer. "Let me get straight to the point - there is a way for us to contact the living. There are strict rules, mind you, but it's the only line of communication there is. In fact, I'm breaking the rule of secrecy just letting you know about it." Gallus grabbed him by the shoulders and held him up to his eye-level. "How and where?" He said in a low voice. "In a nutshell, through dreams. And as to where…" After conjuring up a pen, Yakov scribbled an address and some instructions on the back of one of the photos. "But uh… before I do. Could I at least have your autographs? I'll trade you this if you sign my little book." After agreeing to this, Yakov took out a small black book underneath the cloth and opened it. Gallus and Sandbar scribbled their names into the blank spaces, next to the signatures of dozens that neither of them recognized. After thanking them, Yakov gave them the photos and wished them a good day before leaving the theater's doors. Chapter 4At first, Sandbar and Gallus thought they had been pranked. They followed the instructions on the back of the photo to go to the back of Cloudsdale’s Weather Factory at eleven at night. It was an odd location, even in Heaven. There wasn't anything to indicate a hint of an entrance to the club. If anything, the instructions said to stand underneath a lamppost at eleven at night right behind the factory. The rest was a phrase, some kind of password, that they had to give to enter. The two waited for a good fifteen minutes or so without anything happening. For a long time, they didn't see another being. It was quiet, if not dull. "How much longer do you want to wait?" Gallus asked, eyeing the moon. "I'm almost tempted to go home at this point." "Maybe it's some kind of test?" Sandbar suggested, but there was uncertainty in his tone. "I guess we'll stay for… maybe ten more minutes?" "Funny, that's what you said ten minutes ago." Gallus folded his arms. "And we're still waiting." There was an awkward silence between them. For a while, both wanted to make small talk, yet the options they had were the depressing funeral or the… embarrassing moment that came before that. Even when one of them almost brought up the latter, they stopped before they could begin. After all, how would one bring up such a topic? Sandbar gave it a try. "So…" "Hm?" "Well, uh…" He swallowed. "Look… about what happened this afternoon…" Sandbar felt his cheeks turning red. "I didn't mean-" Gallus held up a paw but didn't look at him. "It’s not your fault. What happened was an accident. If anyone's to blame for the… you-know-what, it's me." "But-" "I didn't realize where I was and what you were…" Gallus cleared his throat, "I should have been more self-aware." "No, I should be the one apologizing." "Why?" "Well… yeah, I… did see something I probably shouldn't. But I was eyeing you and… I'm so sorry." "But you shouldn't." "Says who? It was still wrong of me." This caught Gallus's attention. "How come?" "Because you love Silverstream. I mean it's one thing to uh… like someone that’s free, but it's different when you already love someone else, and they have their eye on somecreature that isn't… well… you…" Sandbar pawed at the cloud below them. "Ya know, if Yona was here, she would have been angry with me." “Would she?” “I’m just guessing but… it’s almost like cheating, isn’t it?” After a beat, he added, “Besides, you’re technically a year older than me so… there’s still like a couple of months before I turn eighteen - ya know?” "Okay, but would it make any difference if I wasn’t either of those?" Gallus asked. "I… I don't know…" Gallus didn't say anything. That same awkward yet hopeful feeling from before came back to haunt him. Here from the lips of his own best friend, he heard that if he wasn't seeing anyone, Sandbar may consider him as someone who could be more than friends with. At the same time, however, Sandbar was also right. Both about Silverstream and his age - at least to a degree. It was true that he pined for her, and she did for him for who-knows-how-long. If things were different, he might have had a girlfriend by now. That, and he was also correct about that age difference. He was, after all, eighteen while Sandbar was seventeen. Then again, the pony’s birthday is a couple of months away. However, Gallus wasn’t the kind to jump right in unless there was a guarantee. There were still too many uncertainties, too many factors that haven’t been considered to make that leap of faith. ‘Then again…’ Gallus thought, ‘do you want to spend eternity waiting, like how you did in life?’ Fortunately, something finally did happen among the awkward silence. Their ears perked up as they heard the sound of hoofsteps and someone humming in the distance. In the dim moonlight, they spotted a figure in a white trench coat approaching them. Whoever they were, they looked like they were having a casual stroll and were going to pass them. However, just as the figure took a few steps away from them, they suddenly stopped. "We are such stuff as dreams are made on," spoke a female voice. Blinking, Gallus looked at the back of the photo and read aloud: "And our little life is rounded with a sleep." Now the mare turned to look at them, lifting her wide-brim hat. "My, it's about time we got some new faces." In the light of the street post, a short yellow mane with a blue face smiled at them. "I figure you two are here for the club?" "As in the Dream-" Sandbar was about to say but was interrupted. "Yes, yes, yes," she nodded. "Sorry, we're just trying to be careful and all." After looking around, she held out her hoof. "Call me Lullaby. I'm more or less the official scout of the group." Sandbar and Gallus introduced themselves and shook her hoof. "So since you're here for it," Lullaby said, "I'll show you guys the way in. But follow closely. We do want to keep our club a secret after all." "Where are we going?" Gallus inquired. "There's a place that's right underneath the factory, but I have to show you how to get in." Before the two could question her, she jumped up and dived right through the cloud below them. The two friends looked at each other before shrugging and followed suit. After shaking the bits of cloud off of them, they spotted Lullaby waving to follow. They flew under the cloud, silent as the night itself, but didn't have to soar long as Lullaby stopped right directly under the middle of the factory. Narrowing his eyes, Gallus could faintly stare at the spot and realized that there were tiny cracks that, when connected, made an upside-down jagged tricked door. She knocked on the bottom of the cloudy surface before a small section opened up. "Password?" "Winter delight." A few locks were heard unlocking before a section of the cloud opened up just wide enough to fit all three in one by one. The room they entered was dark and small, with just another door behind a bulky blue hippogriff guard. Lullaby smiled and high-fived the bouncer. "Hey, Art. Got some fresh blood for the club." "They give the right phrase?" He asked. "What do you take me for? Of course they did," Lullaby answered, rolling her eyes. She stepped back to introduce the new bloods. “This is Gallus and Sandbar. Guys, this is Art. Short for Arthur. He was a prince of hippogriffs about four hundred years ago until he died in an accident." "Yeah,” Art grumbled, “if you call getting stung by a king-sized killer jellyfish and drowning while paralyzed an accident." "Wait, really?" Gallus asked with his eyebrow raised. "What's a prince doing as a bodyguard for a club? Shouldn't you be, I don't know, in some kind of official position?" "You'd think that, but after doing that for twenty years up here, I felt like I was dying again, but this time of boredom," He answered with a shrug. "Trust me, doing jobs like these is a breath of fresh air." "I don't suppose you're related to the current royal family of the hippogriffs?" Sandbar asked, curious. "Nah, my family lineage died out shortly after my death from a civil war. To put it very nicely, let's just say my older brother was a prick and an idiot at ruling," Art said, shaking his head. "Anyway, just head on in and enjoy yourselves." "But first things first," Lullaby said, "There's someone you gotta meet." Gallus and Sandbar followed Lullaby down a short hallway to another door. On it, they noticed that it had a crescent moon, almost similar to the Ex-Princess Luna. Pushing on the door, Lullaby let them in and got a good look at the club's main room. Far from being a dead, factory-like setting, the lobby alone was as large as a house. A rotunda with cloud pillars, a dark dome that twinkled with stars. Yet from it, some of them fell like snowflakes. If neither of them knew any better, they might have mistaken this as the entrance to some grand hotel. Or, judging by the center's fountain, the small bridges, and the ponds of water, a faithful recreation of an ancient Pegasi bathhouse. "C'mon, you guys," Lullaby nudged them, "the sooner you meet her, the sooner you can get down to business." "Sorry, who?" Sandbar asked. "My boss, the owner of the club. So c'mon, I'll take you guys to her office." Lullaby took the lead, and the two of them followed her deeper into the club. As they passed by the fountains and walked over bridges, they noticed many souls interacting with each other like any other club. While others were getting into the small ponds before they dove right underneath the waters. As they walked on, Gallus spied a Yak who sank into a pool. He noticed that when the waters became still enough, he saw Yakyakistan's gates that the yak had swum towards. In another pool, a Hippogriff was under the water, having a meal with an old seapony. "Hey Lullaby," Gallus spoke up, "are these pools-" "Dreams? Yeah, at least dreams of the living. They take forever to set them up for each client, but at least they give you a direct line to whoever you're trying to get in contact with." Sandbar looked over where a doe came up from one of the ponds. "How many members are there?" "Roughly under five or six hundred, but don’t quote me on that. We don't even get more than fifty a night, and for a good reason as my boss will explain." "You know you've been very vague about that," Gallus pointed out. "To be fair, I kinda doubt you would believe me if I told you." "Why?" Sandbar and Gallus asked. "Well… let's just say that in the living world, she's considered as a tall tale, but she's genuinely real." “So was Rockhoof,” Sandbar commented. "Besides, there's her office." She pointed up to a balcony that was next to a spiral staircase. On the railing, there was a snowflake pattern that stretched across, obscuring any view from below. Lullaby climbed the staircase with Sandbar and Gallus following behind. At the top, the office they found wasn't what they expected it to be. There wasn't a desk to greet them, nor were there any filing cabinets or anything to suggest an office. It was more of a studio with all the scraps of cut paper laying around. In the center of the office was a light blue mare with a white mane, her eyes looking down at a cutting board with a scalpel in her teeth. On the panel was a piece of paper that she carefully cut shapes from. A circle here, a triangle there, a slash, a jab, and a cut resulted in a paper snowflake that was perfectly symmetrical and proportional in every way. Lullaby cleared her throat. "Ma'am?" The mare's ears perked up before setting the scalpel down and looking up. When Sandbar and Gallus looked at her in the eyes - a pair of blank eyeballs that showed she was blind - it suddenly clicked who this was. "Yes, Lullaby?" "We've got some new members I've picked up. Their names are Sandbar and Gallus," she turned to them, smirked at their taken aback faces, "I suppose you've heard about Snowdrop?" "Well, of course, I've heard of her," Sandbar answered in awe. "The first pony to have made a snowflake." Gallus raised an eyebrow, "So why is she here in a club that's about dreams?" "I founded the club," Snowdrop replied. "I was very good friends with Princess Luna back when I was alive. She and I used to do so much together until, well..." She sighed heavily before smiling. "Well, she's back from the moon, so I guess things worked out in the end. Anyway, Princess Luna used to tell me about the sort of dreams she used to help comfort ponies. After I passed away, I just worked here in the weather factory. However, I always found that ponies often wished they could communicate with their loved ones from the great beyond to let them know they were okay." "Yeah, we kinda experienced that," Gallus said grimly. Getting up from her chair, Snowdrop walked over to the two with a smile. "That's when I remembered one of the things Princess Luna used to do. It was to comfort those who lost their loved ones in their dreams. I wondered if such a thing was possible to do here in Heaven. So I spent a long time finding mages from ages past who knew about dream magic, and together we created this place to help the souls of the living and the dead move on. As for the design, I thought of it as a way to honor my friend." "So, can we really visit our friends and family in these dreams?" Sandbar asked with a hopeful smile. Snowdrop nodded but then frowned. "Yes, but you can only see three creatures each." "Why just three?" Gallus asked. "Because going into a dream is hard on the soul. We've found out that those who go in too many times without a period of rest can end up in comas. What we're doing is very illegal and could get us all in big trouble, so we not only limit the number of times you can come into the club, but the number of dreams you can enter," Snowdrop said in a stern tone. "Understand?" The two nodded as Sandbar then raised a question. "Um, I'm just curious about something. Why are you still blind? I mean, not to be insensitive, but shouldn't you be able to see in Heaven?" "Oh, I can, but… well, this is kind of embarrassing." Snowdrop slowly closed her eyes before a glow emitted from them. Once she opened them again, the two young creatures were surprised to find a standard set of light blue eyes staring at them. "I can't make snowflakes without my hearing being enhanced. So I made myself blind on purpose to do it again." "And why all the paper?" "Well, to put it simply," she lifted the freshly made paper snowflake, "the pools are the lock, and these are the keys. Do you see this space in the middle? That's where you write the name of whoever you're trying to talk to in their sleep. All you have to do is write down the name, toss it in one of the pools, and jump in." "That sounds easy enough," Gallus reached out a claw, "we'll take three each then." "Hold on, before you do," Snowdrop withdrew the paper snowflake, "how did you two find out about the club?" "Honestly?" Sandbar answered, "We ran into a Changeling that's working in a theater in Canterlot. Said he could help us out." "Yakov…" Snowdrop mused thoughtfully, then nodded, "I see. At least I know for a fact that he's a member and wouldn't let anyone know about us unless there was a good reason behind it. Very well, but before I give either of you these, both of you must promise me a few things." "And what's that?" Sandbar inquired. "First, this club must be kept a secret. Do not spread the word of this place to anyone else unless you know they wouldn’t tell anyone." They nodded, "Second, once you've used all three of your paper keys, both of you will not be allowed back in for another ten years." "Ten years?" Gallus blinked. Snowdrop nodded, "Given how much others would abuse this establishment, and of course, for safety reasons, we have to keep it at a minimum. You'll be given three keys, and once you've used all of them up, you will not be allowed back in for ten years. Trust me. This will prevent you from blacking out for a very long time." "That makes sense," Sandbar said, "Anything else?" "Well, this one isn't much of a rule as a heads up. Each of these keys allows you to be in the dream for twenty minutes and no more. Also, one key each to one dream, so you can't reuse them on the same individual unless you want whoever you're trying to get a hold of to go into a coma. Do you understand?" They nodded. "Very well," Snowdrop turned to a small pile of paper snowflakes and pulled out six from it. "Just remember, regardless of who you try to reach out to, make every second count." They were each given a pen before Sandbar and Gallus dismissed themselves from Snowdrop's office. For a long time, neither of them did anything to their paper snowflakes. It wasn't that neither of them knew who they wanted to talk to. Rather, their lists went far and beyond the limited three keys they were given. Plus, the choice became more complicated to make knowing when they’ll get the next opportunity to do this again. "This is a lot harder than I thought," Sandbar remarked, looking at his blank snowflakes. "There were so many at the funeral… so many that were hurt." "Yeah… But we can only call three. Well, two for me because I know who I need to talk to first." Sandbar held up one of the paper flakes. "This one will go to Yona. But what about everyone else? Our friends, my family… and we only have twenty minutes each." Gallus hummed. "Maybe we should get a hold of those that are the most important to us. Perhaps we could use two of these things to get in touch with the girls and the third for whoever." "Maybe…" Sandbar trailed off in thought. "I think I should get a hold of my sister." "Why? Don't you want to talk to your parents?" "Of course I do. But when we were at our funeral… Coral was grieving the most, and if there's anyone that needs comfort, it's her." "I see," Gallus nodded, looking at his options. "So if you're going to talk to Yona and your sis, while I talk to Silver and… maybe Starlight. That just leaves Ocellus and Smolder." After a humming thought, he added, "So how about you tackle Ocellus?" "Well, I guess I can, but why?" "Between the two of us when Smolder is grieving, maybe it's best to send in someone that would make it a little difficult for her to make us extra crispy if she gets upset. Besides, I can handle her grudge if she has one. Ocellus, I think might need a more gentle approach." "That makes sense." Sandbar looked up to the nearby empty ponds. Where in one, he watched a dragon write down a name to a snowflake. Then tossing it into the water, the pond shimmered with a light underneath of an orange glow. So the dragon took a few steps back before swan diving headfirst into the water. "How do you think they would react to us?" asked Sandbar, "I mean, having us in their dreams." "Truthfully, no idea." Gallus began to scribble one name at a time on his snowflakes. "Either they might freak out or cry uncontrollably. I don't know if they'll remember us when they wake up, but we still got to try." Eyeing the name of Silverstream, he added, "I just hope they'll be willing to listen." As Gallus walked up to an empty pond, he heard Sandbar ask, "So what are you going to tell Silver?" Tossing the paper snowflake that had Silversream's name into the water, he watched the ripples expand, opening up to a blurry scene below like an iris lens to a place that he couldn't see. "Well, I don't know about you," Gallus replied, "but I think I should go tell someone something that I should have said a long time ago." "And what's that?" Gallus looked back into the water. He could barely see something moving there. A blurry light pink thing that he knew had to be Silverstream. "The truth. The whole truth. And nothing but the truth." Glancing back at his friend, he added, "I have a feeling we owe everyone that." Sticking a claw into the water, Gallus braced himself. Taking in a deep breath, he pushed himself into the dream. There was a bright light, and for a few moments, Gallus felt like he would go blind. Eventually, it faded, and he was able to see his surroundings slowly. The scene in front of him shouldn't have come as a surprise to Gallus, but the fact that the griffin could smell the ocean air, feel the sand in his toes, and feel his lungs breathing in the air was stunning. He had been dead for so long he had already forgotten such things. The place was easily recognizable. Silverstream took Gallus here one time when he visited for the holidays. It was her favorite place on the entire island to relax and think to herself. Turning to his right, he saw Silverstream, sitting on a smooth rock while watching the ocean with the sun setting before them. It was like seeing the entire sea burning in flames, and yet it held a sense of sorrow and finite to it. Knowing he couldn't stay around just to admire the view, Gallus slowly walked forward until he was inches away from the rock with his friend's back still turned to him. "Silverstream?" A small gasp and slowly Silverstream turned around. Upon seeing Gallus standing there, her eyes began to water. "G-Gallus." A soft smile decorated his lips before nodding. "Hey, Silver." "Gallus!" Silverstream cried before diving into him. She brought him down to the sand and hugged him so hard, yet he felt no pain, only a sense of familiarity and longing. She had hugged him so many times, yet Gallus never realized just how much he took those hugs for granted. "Is it… am I… am I dead?" "No, you're dreaming," Gallus whispered as he put his arms around her back, stroking her feathery wings while nuzzling her neck. "Then I don't want to wake up," Silverstream whispered before lifting her head and seeing him eye to eye. "I don't want to leave you..." "Silver… I can't stay for long," Gallus said as he slowly lifted himself, yet never once let go of his friend. "I'm here because… well… a lot of things… but first of which is that I'm sorry." "S-Sorry?" Silverstream asked, rubbing her eyes. "For dying. For leaving you with so much pain," Gallus lowered his head in shame. "I… I was there… at the funeral… I heard your last rite thing and..." He sighed before just figuring it was best to get it over with. He slowly leaned his head forward and pressed his beak against her own. Silverstream closed her eyes and let Gallus guide her lips into pure bliss. The two of them embraced one another as gently set her down. He didn't need to say anything after that, but he wanted to. He needed to say it. Gallus ended the kiss as he got on top of Silverstream and smiled. "Silverstream. I love you. I've always loved you. I'm sorry that we never got a chance to make it work out. I want you to know the truth finally. The truth is that I've never felt happier than all the times I was with you. Even in my final moments." Silverstream gently shed some tears, but her smile never faltered as she pressed her palm against his cheeks. "I love you too, Gallus." The two kissed again, this time with more passion. Gallus was surprised that Silverstream allowed her tongue inside his mouth, but he didn't complain. The waves slowly began to wash over them from the high tide, getting their bodies wet as they slowly pressed against one another. Gallus could feel his loins burning despite being dampened by ocean water, but he didn't care, and from the look that Silverstream was giving him, she didn't either. The two slowly bumped heads as neither spoke for a moment before Silverstream slowly placed her hand on Gallus' chest and stroked him down. "Will you… always be in my dreams?" "Like this? No, after this I can't come back for another ten years," Gallus said, which caused Silverstream to tilt her head. "Don't ask. It's a long story." "Then… will I ever see you again?" Silverstream whimpered. "When you die, I guess, but I want that to happen when you're old and in bed," Gallus said before taking a deep breath. "Which is why I want you to move on, Silver." "W-What?" Silverstream asked, her voice expressing shock. "Silver, I'm dead," Gallus said plainly, despite the hurt in his heart. "I can't come back. Neither can Sandbar. We're… we're gone, Silverstream. I don't want you wasting your life waiting for something that isn't possible anymore." "B-But I love you!" Silverstream cried out. "And I love you too, but loving a dead griffin like me won't help anything," Gallus said, holding her hand. "I love you too much to let you stay forever mourning for me. I want you to have a life. Find someone who will love you, that you will love equally back, and have a family with them. When you finally cross over, we can see what happens. But until then, please don't stop yourself from having a life because I died." He kissed her on the lips again. "Promise me." "I…" tears in Silverstream's eyes began to form. "Gallus, I don't know if I can." "Listen to me," Gallus looked her in the eye. "I've wasted my life waiting. Do you understand that? I've spent my life waiting around for something better to come along. I've waited and double guessed and triple guessed if I would find any happiness with anyone. And you know why I've waited? Because I was - and still am afraid that if I didn't play this right, this might blow up in my face. Silverstream, I'm begging you. Don't waste your time waiting for that fairytale moment that might not happen. The last thing I want is for you to die without getting the chance to live. Please, promise me that." "I… I promise..." Silverstream whispered with her eyes misty. She then pulled Gallus close to her and whispered. "But only if you do the same." "Huh?" Gallus asked. "Gallus… I don't want you to wait for me either," Silverstream smiled as she placed her hand over his heart. "You said you regretted not finding such happiness in life. Well, if you're up there in Heaven, then maybe you can find it in death? Someone who will love you as much as I do. I won't be angry if you do. Surely, you can find someone besides me over there, right?" For a split second, Gallus' thoughts turned to a particular light green pony who was currently saying farewell to his special creature. His first real crush before Silverstream. But could it happen? Or was he just deluding himself? "Alright, I'll try," Gallus whispered, smiling. "Plus, if this works out for the both of us, we can always have an orgy. Apparently, harems are a thing in Heaven." "Speaking of which, I want one thing." She blushed, "One final thing from you." "What's that?" Gallus asked before she kissed him on the cheeks. "Make love to me." Gallus felt his cheeks blush as Silverstream smiled at him. "If this is a dream… and the last time we speak… I want to remember it both in my heart and in my soul. Please, Gallus. Love me." Gallus slowly took her into his arms and gently laid her down. "How can I say no?" It felt like a dream within a dream. The way they touched, moved, and humped. Neither screamed their names but whispered them with passion and care. He treated her like the princess she was to him, and he let her explore him in every place for the first and last time. He was fierce like a lion and yet gentle like a cat when needed. The waves continued to come right between them with each thrust and swallow. Red dying sunlight reflected off their rumps as both claimed each other as their own in this midnight fantasy. Silverstream made him finally scream her name as he dominated her on top, owning her very soul from the inside with each push and prod until his final burst. When it was all said and done, the two lovers lay side by side, snuggling with the scent of hot romance between them. Nothing needed to be said. No more goodbyes. No more farewells. The sun finally began to set as the two looked at each other one last time before silently bidding their lover farewell. When Silverstream blinked, the moon had risen, and Gallus was gone. For a split second, she thought about joining him in death. To wake up and make her end to be with him forever. But then the echoes of their promise came, and she banished those thoughts for good. Silver would find love again. Even if it took years, she would learn to live without him. But this dream would be hers to own forever. When Sandbar tossed the snowflake with Yona's name on it, he didn't know what to expect going into a dream. At first, everything was too bright to see, too blinding to make out what was going on. But soon, things came into focus as his senses were registering what was around him. The first thing he saw was the colorful lights on bare branches overhead, underneath a dark sky. Then his hooves felt icy. He was standing in the snow. In his ears, there was the sound of laughter and distant tunes of Hearths Warming. Even in the cold air, he can smell the hot chocolate, pine, and cinnamon. Shapes and colors became clear that he could see where he was. It was an ice rink, where part of a pond had solidified in ice, and ponies were skating happily this way and that. But as he looked, he couldn't see Yona. "Hey, aren't you coming?" Sandbar was taken aback to hear Smolder asking that question, and he turned to find her talking to Yona. Underneath an ice-covered weeping willow, Yona sat with her back against the bark of the tree. Smolder had seemed to pause for a reply from her. She knelt down a bit. "C'mon, the girls are hoping you'd be up here by now." "No thanks," Yona said softly, melancholically. "Yona, don't want to." "You sure I can't talk you into it?" Yona shook her head, and with that, Smolder shrugged and skated away. Sandbar walked over, softly, quietly towards Yona so that he could hear her weeping softly. In the twinkling of the colored lights above, he spotted the tears that were running down her face. He sat down next to her, lifting a hoof to brush away a tear. "Yona?" He asked, "Are you okay?" Yona was startled, nearly jumped out from where she sat. She looked over to him, a cloven hoof over her heart. Her jaw hangs loose for a moment. "S… S-Sandbar?" There were tears in her eyes, and there was shock yet a tremendous joy to see him there. "Sandbar!" Quick as lightning, she enveloped him in a crushing hug. Although Sandbar didn't feel pain in the constrictor-like hug, he felt that familiar warmth that he loved. "Sandbar came back! Sandbar alive! Is Sandbar okay?" "Yona… air." Sandbar said to get her attention. Although he didn't need to breathe pre-se, it did get the desired effect to have her let go of him so they could talk. "Sorry, Yona just…" She wiped the tears from her eyes, "happy Sandbar be back." "Well… yes," Sandbar's ears flatten flat against his head. "At least for a visit." Yona blinked. "What does pony mean?" "Yona, I don't have much time. You're still dreaming and… it's a long story, but basically, there's so much I want to say to you, and I have so little time to do it." "Wait…" Yona took a step back. "Is Sandbar…?" He nodded, "I’m dead. But I wanted to come back to you while I still can. And I won't get this chance again for another ten years. So while I'm here, there are some things I want to tell you." Yona glanced over to the ice rink at the skaters' slow pace, the music, and the magical lights that reflected over the scratched ice. "Well…" She held out a hoof to him. "May Yona have this dance?" With a gentle smile, he took her hoof and stepped onto the ice. Side by side, they gently skated in the cold night air. "Well, first of all," Sandbar began, "I thought I'd come back to at least apologize to you." "Why?" Yona tilted your head. "Sandbar didn't do anything wrong." "But… I did." He looked her in the eye. "Me and Gallus, we were at the funeral. We were there when you cried over us and said your goodbyes. And I was there when…" Sandbar felt a lump in his throat, "you were crying and… I couldn't do anything. You were in so much pain that I caused that..." "No," Yona stopped, carefully placing a hoof on his face, "pony shouldn’t say such things. It's not Sandbar’s fault." "It still hurts to see you cry." Sandbar tried to withhold his tears that threatened to come out. "You know I love you too much to see you cry." They stopped. This time Sandbar felt Yona's hoof wiping the tears from his face. "It does hurt," Yona said, "but it's worse to know that Sandbar in pain too." "Why?" Sandbar gave a weak smile. "I'm dead." "But Sandbar should be happy. Yona can't be happy if Sandbar not." She kissed him on the forehead. "How can Yona be better?" Sandbar sighed, "Just hear me out, okay?" She nodded, "First off, everything that has happened to Gallus and me, it's not your or any of the girls' fault. Second, and understand this most of all, I still love you no matter what. Even if that means you moving on without me." Yona's eyes widened. "But… Yona can't move on. If Yona did, it like Yona betraying Sandbar." "You won't. Yona, I don't want you to be miserable forever. And don't you think of killing yourself for me. Because you still have a beautiful life ahead of you. The last thing I want is to hold you down from being happy." "But Yona won't find anyone like Sandbar." He sighed, "Maybe not, but put yourself in my horseshoes. If you died, do you want me to go around for the rest of my life never finding love? Or happiness? Or finding something fulfilling?" Yona sniffed, "No." "Forgive me for putting it like this, but you don't need my permission to be happy. Yona, out of everyone I know, you deserve love. You deserve a life—a long one with someone that can love you back and maybe have a family with you someday. Yona, look me in the eye and promise me that I wouldn't hold you down. Promise me that when you do find someone, don't let me stop you from being loved." Yona took a deep breath and let it out into the frosty air. "It… won't be easy." "I know. But please, don't do this just for me. Do it for yourself." She let out an uneasy breath. "Yona promises to try." Then after a beat, she added. "On one condition." "Name it." Yona leaned forward to kiss Sandbar. Deeply, allowing the warmth of her lips to melt into his. Allowing sweet surrender of her tongue inside his mouth. The sensation was as if she was more intimate to touch his very soul. But upon withdrawing, she told him, "Sandbar… promise Yona that pony moves on too." This took Sandbar aback. "What?" "Not fair if pony goes around afterlife being mopey ghost. Yona wants Sandbar have peace. Yona wants pony find same love Sandbar gave Yona in life. It matters not how long or with whom, Yona wants Sandbar be happy." Sandbar paused. Deep down, he knew she was right. Just because he was dead doesn't mean that he couldn't move on too. After a beat, Yona added, "Even if with Gallus." "What?!" Sandbar asked, surprised, his cheeks darkening. “Sandbar did tell Yona that pony was Pan. Yes?" He nodded, "If Gallus could love Sandbar back, Yona will approve." "Now wait, Yona! I know you have your shipping glasses on but, c’mon, this is Gallus you’re talking about. I don't know if he would. I-I mean sure, he just came out as bi but-" "None of that." Yona silenced him with a hoof. "Yona moves on if Sandbar moves on. Agree?" A few times, Sandbar tried to say something back, but his jaw kept opening and closing with nothing to respond on. So, after a sigh, he nodded. "How long does pony have?" Yona inquired. "Donno, I wanna say about… fifteen or so minutes." Yona held his hoof tightly. "Stay with Yona?" Sandbar smiled and nuzzled her. "I will." His ear perked up as a Hearth's Warming Waltz began to play with the plucking of strings. "Yona, may I have this dance, one last time?" It may have been fifteen minutes, even in a dream, but every second was an eternity as they held one another. Savoring moment to moment as they twisted and swerved, laughed, and fell over the ice. The two of them sharing their warmth underneath the colored lights was a memory neither would forget. It was a bittersweet moment that they skated this way and clinging on so that the other wouldn't disappear so soon. They weren't paying attention to the music anymore but to each other. Letting minute after minute be spent in the other's company. Then, somewhere in the distance, a bell chime was heard, and Sandbar began to fade. In the eyes of Yona, Sandbar didn't see devastation. Although in tears, they were relieved. With a smile, she said, "Goodbye, Sandbar. Be happy for Yona." Sandbar reached out to kiss her for a final time. "Goodbye, Yona. I love you." In her arms, she felt Sandbar fade out to where there was nothing but air. While she was sad to see him go, she did feel something that she welcomed in her empty arms. Peace. Of all the scenes that Gallus had been expecting to see in Smolder's dream, a graveyard was not on the top of his list. He felt the pouring rain come down on his feathers and shivered from their cold touch. He passed by, grave after grave, all unmarked until he saw a familiar figure in a black tux holding an umbrella in one claw and a shovel in the other. While standing in front of six graves close to each other. Five of them were filled with dirt and grass, but one was still open and fresh, ready to be filled with a coffin. Getting closer, Gallus saw familiar names on the graves. They were the names of him, Sandbar, and all of his friends. It wasn't until he got to the one that Smolder was standing next to that he saw that she was looking into her own grave. He was about to say something when, to his surprise, Smolder spoke first. "You're late." "E-Excuse me?" Gallus asked. Turning around, a smirking Smolder looked at him as if she was expecting Gallus to arrive. "I've been hoping you'd find that club and visit me in my dream. I'm guessing you and Sandbar are also visiting the others?" "Wait, you know about it?" Gallus asked, pointing to her. "How did you-" "My grandmother died five years ago and visited me, my brother, and my dad in our dreams shortly after she died," Smolder said, shrugging, letting go of the shovel to let it fall on the soggy ground. "She told me about old Snowdrop's club for visiting dreams, and I got to spend some time with her before she left. I was hoping you guys would find it too." "Why didn't you tell anyone that at the funeral?" Gallus said before adding. "Also, nice speech, by the way." "Thanks," Smolder said with a nod. "Because I doubt anyone would’ve believed me, and I didn't know if you guys would find it. So I figured I'd keep quiet. Still, I'm glad and relieved you're here. So now I can do this!" Smolder's free fist made contact with Gallus's jaw, which sent him to the ground. "Ow! What the Hell was that for?!" "That was getting your stupid butts killed!" Smolder screamed, tossing the umbrella at him as tears began to leak from her eyes. She dragged Gallus up and glared at him despite her crying. "I've always been prepared to lose you guys! I thought I was ready when the time came - but no! You went and died too soon! I mean really?! Now?! Thanks to you, I can't spend any time alone by myself or I’ll fall into a bunch of tears like a baby! You stupid assholes! If anyone should have died among the six of us, I should have been the one to go!" ".... Is that why we're in a graveyard?" Gallus asked, slowly pushing himself off. "Do you think you should have died?" ".... If there was a choice, yeah," Smolder grumbled as she stared at the six graves. "Look, before you say anything, I'm not suicidal. I don't want to die… but living without you five was always my biggest fear. I even thought about going through that race-changing spell thing and becoming something that wasn't a dragon a few times." She kicked a rock nearby and cursed. "I didn't want to lose any of you. Even if I found other friends, a lover, or a family, or whatever… I didn't want to lose them too and not be able to see you all again for hundreds of years!" Gallus sighed and slowly made his way to Smolder, wrapping his arms around her with a hug. "I know. I can't think of the idea of life without any of you either. Or an afterlife without all my friends beside me. I mean, at least I got Sandbar, but that's it." "What? Your parents aren't dead either?" "Oh, they're dead alright," Gallus snarled. "But they not in Heaven." ".... Shit," Smolder said, shaking her head. "I guess Heaven isn't always a happy place." "Considering Sandbar and I just saw a movie about our funerals where all our loved ones cried and mourned for us? Making us feel guilty that we died early and left you guys to suffer and there’s nothing we could do about it? Yeah, it's not all sunshine and rainbows," Gallus answered, which made Smolder raise her eyebrow. "A movie?" "Don't ask," Gallus said, rolling his eyes. "It's a long story." "Did they at least get my good side?" Smolder asked with a smirk. "Well, you do look ten pounds heavier on the big screen," Gallus joked as the two laughed. Taking a deep breath, Gallus looked at Smolder in the eyes. "Smolder, I just told Silverstream I wanted her to live despite losing me. I'm saying the same to you as well." "How can I live knowing that you're all going to die before me?" Smolder grumbled. ".... By protecting them," Gallus said as he forced her to turn around and glare at her. "And those that come after them.' "Huh?" Smolder asked, confused. "Silverstream. Ocellus. Yona. They're all going to have kids someday. Families of their own. And those families are going to have families as well," Gallus continued. "If there is one thing I've learned, it's that dying young sucks. Think about it, I'm never going to graduate, find my purpose in life, get married, have kids, and all that. My life ended before it really could begin. I don't want the others to go through that. I want them to live life to the fullest before it's their time to die. Regardless of how long that might be." He stared at the graves that held both his and Sandbar's name. "Hell, I'd give anything even to have Sandbar live his life again. It's my fault he died saving my stupid butt, and he ended up six feet under with me. I don't want to see that happen to our friends or anyone." Gallus smiled at Smolder, who looked to be in shock. "That's why there is no creature in the world I trust to protect them but you. You've always been the strongest, bravest, and fiercest of us all. You said once that we were like your horde, right? Well, protect that horde from anything that will make it unhappy. You want a purpose? I've given you one. Make it even my last request." He took her claw and held it up in hers. "Smolder, I ask you to protect Silverstream, Ocellus, Yona, their families, their friends, their children, and grandchildren, and all those after them. Make them live their lives to the fullest until it's your time to go. Don't let what happened to Sandbar and me happen to them." ".... Heh, when you put it like that..." Smolder chuckled before laughing with a smile. "Ah, screw it! I'll do it! I protect them so badly that Death itself will curse my name!" Smolder looked at the graves and closed her eyes. A split second later, as if by magic, they were all gone. Instead of a graveyard, it was a simple green field with statues of her and the rest of the gang looking happy and content. Gallus sighed in relief as he and Smolder just looked at the statues in silence. "So what now? I still got some time." ".... Hey, Gallus?" Smolder asked. "Yeah?" ".... Do you think Spike likes me?" Smolder asked. "Wait, what?!" Gallus asked, pointing at her. "You and Spike?" "W-Well," Smolder crossed her arms. "You had Silverstream. Yona had Sandbar. I kinda always wanted to have someone and… Spike's been really supportive ever since you two… died… I mean, I don't think anything can happen in a few years, but… you know?" ".... Huh, and here I thought you like Ocellus," Gallus said with a smirk. "Hey, I'm not gay. That's my brother," Smolder grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, why does everyone think that with me?" Shaking his head, Gallus put his claw on Smolder's shoulder and smirked. "Look, you want my advice? Give it a shot. Sandbar and I already missed our chance with Silverstream and Yona. Don't be the third of us to not find love because who knows what might happen." "I guess we can have lunch together and see where it goes," Smolder said with a slight blush and smile. Gallus soon started to feel himself fading away, just like last time. Smolder recognized it too as she soon wrapped her arms and wings around Gallus. "I'm going to miss you, dude." "Same," Gallus said, smiling. "I promise I'll look after everyone. Just… wait for me, okay?" "I will, I promise." By the time Smolder opened her eyes, Gallus was already gone, but instead of sorrow, she felt content for the first time in days. When Sandbar entered Ocellus's dream, the first thing he saw after the bright lights had dimmed was that he was in a forest of aspens. There were tall thin trees with white bark and thinner black lines that had formed an outline of eyes in every direction. By the looks of it, it was autumn in the dream as there were leaves on the ground in multiple colors. What stood out the most was that from his perspective, stepping inside this dream was like being inside a painting that moved. Above him, the leaves were mere dots that swayed in the branches. He saw shades of reds, purple, orange, white, gold, yellow, and pink. The components and trees looked as if they were painted with hurried brushstrokes, with shades of gray, purple, and light blue clinging onto the bark-like shadows. On the ground were dots of yellow, orange, and red leaves that seemed to be flung there by the wind. Even the sky overhead was brushed with paint. Sandbar squinted at the sun's light that was merely a white dot with yellow and silver lines that surrounded it like a basket pattern. As impressive, if not beautiful as this dream was, Sandbar still needed to find Ocellus. "How am I supposed to find her in a place like this?" He asked himself aloud, looking about until he spotted the angel wings on his back. "Oh yeah, that's right, I can fly now." So spreading his wings, he started to hover upward towards the painted canopy. Within moments, he flew through an opening and got a view of the forest from a bird's eye view. Up in the air, he saw a sea of autumn leaves that stretched in nearly every direction, with mountains rising above them like islands. Although painted, the canopy realistically moved in the wind like waves. Still, he looked around in hopes of finding something that might stand out, so it would lead him to his friend. Fortunately, it didn't take long as he spotted some trees disappearing, leaving a river behind. Whatever was doing that, he reasoned, it had to be her. Gliding over through the trees, he came closer to the river until he was right over it. The water reflected and blurred the forest and himself back to him while it flowed out elsewhere. Yet, he followed upriver to where the trees were disappearing. Then he found her. With a brush in her mouth and her neck bowed low to the ground, she painted the river. Stroke by chaotic stroke, the leaves and grass gave way to the water. As he got closer, Sandbar's ears picked up on the unmistakable sound of sobbing. He got close enough to see that Ocellus was blinded by her tears that rolled down her face. "Ocellus?" Sandbar called out, "Where are you doing?" This sudden voice snapped the changeling out from whatever she was doing. The brush fell out of her mouth, landing with a plop into the stylized water. She gasped, "What?! Sandbar? You're…?" Sandbar gently landed near her. "Still not alive, as you can see." He folded up his wings and pointed at his halo. "What about you? Are you okay?" "I…" Ocellus sniffed, shutting her eyes tightly. "I'm in a dream, am I? N-None of this is…" The tears returned to her face. Sandbar, overcome with compassion, hugged her tightly. "You… You feel real, but… you're not here." Ocellus said, her voice becoming hoarse. "But I hurt you." Sandbar nuzzled her. "Gallus and I hurt you." Ocellus pushed him away. "No, you…" she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yes, I'm sad about all this. Only because… this is my fault." "Why?" "Because if… if things had gone differently. If we had stayed together in those caves, you and Gallus would still be alive. Or maybe if we let our Professors know of what the Diamond Dogs were doing. Or maybe if we-" "But it's not your fault." Sandbar reached out to her, "None of you had anything to-" "Yes I did!" Ocellus stepped back, slapping his hoof away. "It should have been me that died! This was my plan to save the world again, and this time it got two of my best friends killed!" "By an unexpected cave-in?" Sandbar questioned. Taking in a deep breath, he sighed, "Ocellus, how do you think I feel? Even if you doubt there's an afterlife, do you honestly think I went to my grave with a clear conscience?" Ocellus blinked, and after a sniff, she inquired, "W-What do you mean?" "Ocellus…" Sitting down on his haunches on the leafy paint-covered ground, he said, "Yes, I was terrified when I died. I was more scared than anytime I had been in my life. I didn't know what was happening, and I was in pain. I was wondering if everyone else got out okay. Then when I did die, my thoughts turned to all of you. How this unexpected thing has caused so much pain to you and the girls, my family..." He paused and sighed. "Growing up, I tried everything I could to cause the least amount of harm… and I failed… I failed you… I'm sorry, Ocellus." Wiping the tears from her eyes, Ocellus inched closer. "Don't beat yourself up for me. I know you didn't do this on purpose. Just… having you and Gallus go like that… It's painful because it was so unexpected. And now that you're gone for good… It's like everything feels so… empty now. Like a piece of a masterpiece had been broken off and destroyed forever." "I know it’s hard to hear this, but I know what that feels like." Sandbar nodded and once again tried to reach out to her. This time, he successfully got his hoof on her shoulder. “I don't know if this helps, but if it did happen to you instead of me or Gallus, I would be devastated too. I would have wished I could go back and do something - anything - just so that we're all together at the end of the day. It's hard. While I doubt I would ever get over it, I don't think I should let my grief control my life either." Ocellus tilted her head. "Why do you say that? Don’t you miss us?" "Of course I do. I miss my friends, my family, the school, Yona… But just because I'll miss them doesn't mean that I shouldn't keep on growing. Maybe use that loss as a powerful tool to do something… I don’t know, incredible with it. I mean, look what you've done with the place." Sandbar used his free hoof to wave at the forest. "Even in a dream, even in your grief, you made something stunning. Makes me wonder what you could do awake?" Blinking, Ocellus looked around at the landscape she made. From the river to the trees, even the multicolored leaves above. "I… I did this?" "Uh-huh," Sandbar nodded. "Look, I know when things are so painful that you just can't see another way around it. But give yourself some time and open up your imagination, you can find all sorts of ways to make your life around you better - even if only a little bit. I mean," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Out of all of us, we always looked to you for guidance. Even I looked up to you because you were so imaginative when it came to finding solutions. A voice of reason at times. I can imagine that the girls need you now more than ever for something like that." "It's… but your passing, it's going to be so big to overcome." "Well, it's not like we're trying to save the world again." Sandbar joked. This finally got a giggle out of her. "I guess I see your point." After a sniff, she added, "You know, part of me wishes that you really are Sandbar." The stallion raised an eyebrow. "Hey, for all I know, this dream is just my mind trying to cope or something. But I still wish you were here, because if I had known what was to happen, then I might have said a few things." "Yeah," Sandbar nodded, his ears folded back. "And I wanted to reach out to let you know that I still feel guilty for saying those things to you." "What are you talking about?" "Remember that one time before Hearth's Warming that Gallus had sabotaged the tree, but I accused you of doing it?" Sandbar shook his head. "I had no excuse for saying those things. I thought I had gotten over that way of thinking when I met you, but that night? I realized how big of a jerk I was." "Sandbar, come here," Ocellus wrapped him in her hooves, pulling him in a tight hug. "You've changed since then and for the better. I've already forgiven you for that because of how you treated me since." Pulling away, she smiled, "Even now, I can still sense your conflicting emotions." "Yeah?" "Sandbar, I'm a Changeling. I can read your and everyone's emotions like an open book. I sensed that you'd made peace, but you're still going to miss us. That you wished that you had enriched your love when you were alive." "You have no idea," Sandbar frowned but nodded in agreement. "Hey, look, if it helps… and if there's an afterlife, maybe you have a second chance with that." "Huh?" Blinking in confusion, he asked her what she meant. "What are ya talking about?" Ocellus smiled slyly, "Let's just say that Yona wasn't the first to have feelings for you," she put a hoof to Sandbar's mouth before he could say anything, "and I'll give you a hint, it's not me. But maybe someone closer to you than you think." "Really?" Sandbar stepped back. "Who?" Her smirk grew. "Oh no, I think you'll have to figure this one out for yourself." Before Sandbar could inquire further, he noticed that he was starting to fade. "Sandbar? What's happening?" Ocellus asked, concerned. "I think my time's about up," He looked at her with a smile. "Goodbye, Ocellus, and remember to be kind to yourself." "Sandbar?" Ocellus reached out to him, but her hoof went through. She was helpless to see her friend fade away into nothing. Her focus was on his caring eyes and calm smile as he disappeared. Even if it was a dream, she told herself that the strange encounter brought her tranquility that she had a hard time finding for several days. Perhaps her mind made it up, but she couldn't argue that sense of catharsis she so desperately needed. Sandbar might be gone, but Ocellus felt that she was done crying. Her friends still need her, and she'll do what she can to make the lives of her remaining friends better. Gallus wasn't surprised to learn that Starlight was dreaming about herself in her office, nor with the rain pouring heavily from outside. The droplets were like the sizes of apples, and they reflected the mood that Starlight had on her face. However, when she saw Gallus appear before her desk, she quickly leached back with a surprised look on her face. "G-Gallus?! But… oh… wait a second..." Starlight shook her head and held a hoof to her forehead. "I'm dreaming. Of course, why else would one of my dead students appear before me?" "Well, you are dreaming, but it's not a normal one," Gallus answered as he leaned back against the seat he was sitting on. "Huh?" Starlight asked, raising her head. "Of course, this is a normal dream. I've lost one of my best students, and my mind is in grief, so you're a manifestation of it." "Not this time Dr. Freud, I'm the real Gallus coming to you live from the afterlife to talk to you in your dreams," Gallus answered with a shake of the head. "Yeah, I know it sounds like a joke, but I'm being serious. And to prove it?" He leaned over and bonked Starlight on the head, which caused her to rub it in pain before her eyes widened. "Remember how you can't get hurt in dreams? Kind of a special case here." ".... Gallus?" Starlight asked, her voice filled with uncertainty. "Is that… you?" "Well I'd say in the flesh, but I think my flesh is getting feasted on by worms by now," Gallus joked. "Actually, Twilight requested you and Sandbar be given stasis spells, so your bodies are preserved for hundreds of years," Starlight pointed out before shaking your head. "But that's not important right now! How are you able to do this?! Wait, you came from the afterlife?! What is it like?! And where is Sandbar?!" "In a nutshell?” Gallus shrugged, “It's nice if a bit weird at times. Look, the reason I'm here is Sandbar and I met somepony who could help us say our final goodbyes to those we love in their dreams. Just three each, though. I already talked to Silverstream and Smolder. You're my last one." Starlight tilted her head. "While I am honored, I'm kinda confused. Silverstream and Smolder I understand, and I take it Sandbar is with Yona and Ocellus, but why me?" "Because..." Gallus took a deep breath. "You remember all the times we talked? About me and… my parents..." Just like it was another council session, Starlight positioned herself to listen and nodded. "I do. It was a difficult topic, but I thought we were able to deal with a lot of your issues when… when you were alive, did we?" There was silence between the two for a moment before Gallus cleared his throat. "Yeah… I… I finally found out what happened to them. Who they were and all." Gallus closed his eyes and did his best to hold back the tears. "They were criminals. They were utter scum. They killed, and robbed, and… they're in the other place right now. They didn't care about me or wanted me. They just abandoned me in Griffinstone before going on their next heist." Gallus sighed before looking up at the ceiling. "The answers I wanted to know my whole life turned out to be ones I never wanted to hear. I'm the product of two utter buttholes who were scum and deserve their fate. I guess I should be lucky they did abandon me, so I didn't follow in their wake." "Gallus," Starlight slowly got up and walked over Gallus before wrapping her forelegs around him. "I'm so sorry." "Thanks, Starlight," Gallus said, hugging back. The two looked at each other as Gallus gave a small smile. "You know? Out of all the adults I had in my life, you were the closest to a Mom I ever had. You were always willing to listen to me and hug me when I talked about my problems. My friends are like family too, but more of the brother and sister type. You, however, were the closest parent figure I had." "I'm glad you thought of me as such, Gallus," Starlight said, with tears in her eyes. "I just wish… I wish I was there to save you… both you and Sandbar." "I know, but nothing can be done about it now," Gallus said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Being dead kinda sucks, but at least I'm not alone. Besides, I know we're all going to meet up again, and I'm going to make the most of the afterlife while I am here." He got up and smiled at Starlight. "Just tell everyone back at the school we're okay. That we love them and… we'll see them again." "I promise," Starlight said, nodding her head. "So… what now?" "Well, I got some time. Want me to tell you about the afterlife?" "Sure, I'm actually kinda curious," Starlight said as she summoned some tea for the both of them. For the rest of his time, Gallus talked about what he and Sandbar had seen and done in the afterlife. Everything from the judgment process to getting their own house to meeting all of Sandbar's deceased family. Although Starlight did chastise Gallus for stabbing himself with knives, only to laugh later when he told her about Sandbar's lame performance. Before the two knew it, Gallus was starting to fade from his last dream. The two just silently looked at each other with a smile. "Guess it's time to go… see ya around," Gallus said as he faded away. "Goodbye, Gallus," Starlight said with tears in her eyes. "Go rest in peace." By the time he left, Starlight had looked out the window and saw that the rain had stopped. It was now bright and sunny. The first thing that Sandbar could register was the thunder. At first, he slipped on the slick floor, feeling the cold rain hit his fur before falling in the other direction. His hooves reached out and grabbed on the first solid thing he could hold on to. Pulling himself up, he looked around his surroundings. He was on a sailboat in the worst spot one could be - a storm in the middle of the sea. It was hard to see from the inky clouds overhead that he couldn't tell if it was day or night. The only sources of light were from a few lanterns and the sudden flashes of lightning overhead. This small ship was being tossed among the waves this way and that, where Sandbar thought this little boat would capsize into the threatening, icy waters. His ears were being pained by the constant roar of the wind and thunder of the storm. He spotted his sister, trying to take hold of the ship's wheel that fought against her. Dread stabbed at Sandbar's heart as he realized that his sister wasn’t having a dream; it was a nightmare. Remembering to use his wings, Sandbar flew over to her. "Coral! What do you think you're doing?!" Coral tried to wipe the rain out of her eyes, "Who's there? I can't see you!" "You shouldn't be sailing in a storm!" Sandbar called out. Instinctively flew next to his sister, taking hold of the wheel. "Are the sails drawn up?" "I did that a long time ago, but I still need to get to the harbor!" "You won't be in this weather!" In a lightning flash, Sandbar saw a rope nearby. So he tied one of the spokes of the wheel to hold it in place. "Come on down." "What?" "I said get below deck!" Sandbar grabbed her hoof, "You need to get out of the storm!" "Who are you?" Coral called out in the roar of the wind. Sandbar didn't answer. Even in a dream, he needed to get her to safety. Finding a hatch that opened to a steep flight of stairs, he dragged her down into the dark, closing the trapdoor behind them. "Okay, now I can hear," Coral said, searching for something in the darkness. "Who are you? How did you get on board?" "Didn't you see me up there?" "I was sailing blind out there with all the rain hitting my face. And the wind and thunder were so loud that I could barely hear. Now, where is that- Ah! Found it!" There was the sound of clinking glass and a match trying to ignite. Finally, there was a small light that illuminated Coral's dripping face. She guided the tiny flame to a lantern. "There we go. Now we can see," she turned the flame up, and the cramp, dark cabin lit up. "So who are yo…" She saw the face of her brother, dripping wet with a halo overhead and a pair of wings. Her free hoof covered her mouth, her eyes tearing up. "Hi, Sis," Sandbar weakly waved, "so I think I owe you an explanation, huh?" "Is… Is that really…" Coral couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Setting the lantern down, she rushed to hug her big brother. Sandbar hugged her back, stroking her mane as she cried on his shoulder. "It's okay. I'm here now." He pulled her away to dry her tears. "Hopefully, things will be alright now." After a sniff, Coral pushed him away. "Coral! What was that-" "I thought you were dead!" Coral lashed out at him. "Do you have any idea how hard I cried when mom and dad told me what happened?! I was at your funeral and every…" She trailed off at the sudden realization. "Wait… No, you are dead. I saw your body, and your friend, and-" "Yeah," Sandbar nodded. "Long story short, I saw. And yeah, I've already kicked the bucket." "So how-" "There's a way to reach out to the living through dreams. But that's not important right now." Sandbar reached out to put a hoof on her shoulder. "I have so much I wanted to say, and there's so little time. And the funny thing is, I don't know where to start." "Did you hear what I said about you at the funeral?" Sandbar nodded. "I meant every word of it. Sand, I know we haven't been close, but I did look up to you because you're always the big hero. I do want to be what you ar- were." Coral corrected herself. "You were so cool, like you're one of those heroes from my storybooks that just came to life. Having you save the world and all that. Then… when I found out you died, suddenly all that came crashing down." She rubbed her foreleg, "I almost didn't want to believe that someone as good as you could end up like that. When mom and dad told me, I thought they were lying. Heros always come back. Only… you didn't." Sandbar let out a deep breath. As the ship still rocked, the angel propped himself against a wall, trying to think of a response. "Did you know that I used to look up to someone? That I had a hero that was a role model of mine once?" "I… don't think so?" "Yeah, Rockhoof." Sandbar nodded. "When I was little, I wanted to be like him because of his bravery and determination to keep everypony safe. Defend them from whatever dangers that came their way, even when some didn't think he could do it. I had read quite a bit of the legend surrounding him, but there was one that stuck out to me. It was the story where he and the Pillars had to sacrifice themselves to seal away the Pony of Shadows. At first, I couldn't understand why someone like Rockhoof would voluntarily choose to give up his life. As a colt, I thought all heroes return after doing a good deed. But slowly, I began to learn about what sacrifice was - the whole concept, I mean." "What does that have to do with anything?" "It means that sometimes when you're fighting for something bigger than yourself, that if it means putting yourself before others so they could be protected, then you go headfirst into danger. Not for glory, but do so that you, mom and dad, and the world would still be free at least one more day. I died so that others wouldn't have to. It's sad, I know, but maybe there's honor in fighting for a noble cause, even if I don't come back. I'm no soldier, just a pony that tries to do the right thing. And personally, Coral, I don't consider myself as a hero, just a guy that's trying to protect those that I care for." "And that's why you're a hero." Coral nuzzled him. "It's gonna be okay in the end. Someday I'll see you guys again. It may take a while, and I'll have to wait, but as long as I know that you and mom and dad are going to be alright, then I'll have nothing to worry about." Coral's ears perked up, her head turned this way and that as she tried to listen for something. "Hey, you hear that?" "What?" "It's quiet now. I think the storm is over." She went up the steep stairs and pushed open the trap door, letting in the sun's rays in. Stepping out onto the deck, they saw that the sea had calmed, and the waves were gentle. They looked up to find the storm clouds were moving away. "This reminds me of a quote from Dawn Lemon," Sandbar said, "Everything will be alright in the end. And if it's not, then it's not the end." Looking down at his hoof, he noticed that he was starting to fade. "Sandbar?" Coral waved a hoof at him, only for it to go right through. "What's happening?" "My time’s up, Coral. When you wake up, can you tell mom and dad I love them?" She nodded, "I will. Love you, big bro." "Love you, little sis." Sandbar smiled as he slowly disappeared. "I'll see you guys later." A moment later, Sandbar was gone. Strangely, Coral wasn't overcome with grief but a relief in knowing that her brother, although dead, will be alright. "We'll see you later." Gallus and Sandbar had left the club soon after Sandbar returned from his dream with Coral. They were offered a free round at the bar, but the two were just too tired and wanted to head to bed. Arriving back at home, the two slowly entered inside and made their way to the stairs where their bedrooms lay. "So... you had sex with Silverstream?" Sandbar asked. "Yeah, I guess it just kinda happened. I didn't expect to give Silver a wet dream, but..." Gallus admitted as he blushed. "I'm just saying, you should have done it with Yona when you had the chance." "Nah, I think what we did with our last moments together was more than enough," Sandbar said as he made his way to his room. "Well, I guess we better-" "Can I sleep with you?" Sandbar's eyes widened as Gallus blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "N-No! Not like what Silverstream and I did… but… just…” He breathed in, “I think tonight… I want to sleep beside a friend. Just with all that happened today… I don't feel like being alone." Sandbar sighed in relief before smiling. "Sure, I think I could use a cuddle buddy too." "Don't say that ever again," Gallus said but smiled nonetheless as he walked inside. The two silently lay down together, holding one another both in sorrow and at peace. While their lives may have ended, they both felt more relaxed that everything was now going to work out. Their friends and family were now given the strength to finally move on. As for the two of them? Well, eternity awaits for them tomorrow morning. Chapter 5"Okay, what's wrong?" Spring River asked, setting a plate of cookies down. "Huh?" Both Gallus and Sandbar looked up from their dining room table. "It's just after a week from giving you the tour, I can't help but notice that you boys seemed… well, distant. Did something happen?" "Kinda," Sandbar replied, picking up a chocolate chip cookie. He hesitated for a moment before explaining further. "It's just… we've found a way to make peace with the fact that we're… you know." "Yes, dead, Sandy. It's not a taboo subject." "Sorry, we're still new to this." "I know, but that's not what's gotten you boys down, isn't it?" "Yeah." Gallus mindlessly munched on a cookie. "So, question for you: what did you do after you ended up here?" "Oh." Spring River blinking, "Is that what this is about?" "Well, the thing is-” Gallus took a moment to swallow "-all that stuff we were so concerned about in life? Well, its kinda pointless now. I mean one day, we’re turning in assignments on time, passing a test, defeating the monster of the week. And suddenly we get killed in one fell swoop, and even after coming to terms of pushing up daisies… well, now what? I know that for many, just getting here is the end goal. But when you do get here, what do you do with the rest of eternity?" Spring sat down next to them. "Well, whatever you want. Just because you're dead doesn't mean that you can't keep on living. I mean, there are folks in this town alone that continue what they're familiar with in life. For example, down in Sweet Apple Acres, the family doesn't need to tend to the apples or harvest them. Yet, they do it because it's what they know and love to do. Sandbar, your grandfather never attended college after we got married, but here, he was able to graduate." "Sure but…" Sandbar sighed, "it doesn't exactly feel like home without our friends being here. Besides, the school isn't here. And since we don't need to fight any monsters or mad super villains, there's not much for us to do here." His grandmother hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe there is." "What?" both Sandbar and Gallus tilted their heads. "As it so happens, there's a tradition here in Heaven. That those newly arrived would be set off on their own to travel wherever they roam, to find a new meaning in the afterlife. Think of it as a rite of passage." "Wait," Sandbar raised a hoof, "I thought you've already given us the tour?" "Around Equestria, yes. Even then, it doesn't begin to cover what's here. Or outside of Equestria, for that matter. After all, the world - especially in Heaven - is a vast place." "But where would we go?" Gallus questioned. "And wouldn't we need to pack for something that big and expensive?" The grandmother laughed, "Dearie, you don't need to pack. Don't you know you can take this home with you? There's a way that you can fold all of this up and carry it around in your pocket. But I'm getting off track. The point is that you'll be free to go anywhere. Carry yourselves by the winds and waters, roam in a forest, explore the deserts, climb mountains, or sail across oceans. Perhaps you'll take up fishing, become a monk, finish your schooling, or find someone to settle down with. You'll cease being Wandering Spirits when you find out what you want to do with your afterlife." "Wandering Spirits?" Sandbar blinked in confusion. "It's the name for those who undergo the tradition," she smiled. "In a way, it's like a glorified road trip, but I would encourage both of you to undergo it. I think it’ll be good for you. Why it's the first thing my husband and I did when we got back together. And the places we went to! Southern Prance, the Fillypine Islands, Istanbull, Casaflanka, Griffonstone, Shangha-" Gallus's ears perked up, "Sorry, what was that part?" "Shanghay?" "No, the one before that. Did you go to Griffonstone? Why? That place is a dump. I should know. I lived there." "Maybe in the mortal world, but not here. You see, in Heaven, all those ancient civilizations like Southern Equestria or the Pegasi Empire - not only are they still around, but they've thrived. With Griffonstone, they say it looked better than it did at its height. It's a beautiful place to go to. "But even then, there are so many things you could do on this journey. There're festivals you can see, battles you can fight without dying, go to concerts from musicians that have passed on. Maybe visit the more truly unique places in Heaven. Like the What If library in Griffonstone. Or visit the Past Lives museum where, if you were reincarnated, you could see what you did from long ago. I think that one's in... Shire Lanka? Perhaps you might come across Life and Death in their office if you want to know what the meaning of existence is." Sandbar blinked, "Life and Death?" His grandmother nodded, "They're a married couple. Life could tell you endless stories where you'll never get bored, and Death, she has a wicked dry sense of humor." She said before taking a cookie. "Oh, and by the way, all of that stuff is just from the top of my head. There's so much more in Heaven than what's on the surface." Sandbar looked over to his friend, "I think we should do this." "What? This Wandering Spirits thing? You heard what your grandma said. We could put our lives back together, go back to school without saving the world all the time. But you wanna do that?" "Why not? There's nothing really to tie us down anyway. We don't have to go to school or get a job unless we want to. Nothing is making us, and we could go wherever, do whatever. It'll be like the ultimate vacation where we can travel anywhere and carry this place with us. So c'mon, where do you wanna go?" "You're serious?" "Yeah! Where have you always wanted to go but never got the chance? Mexicolt? Istally? The Frozen North? Just name a place, and let's go there." Gallus let out an exhausted sigh, running a claw over his head. "Dude, I mean… if Heaven's roughly the same size as our world, just getting to any of those places will take a while." "As the old saying goes," Spring commented after eating another cookie. "Sometimes, it's not just the destination, but the journey that makes travel so meaningful. Even if it takes years, I recommend both of you should still go. It'll be good for you. In fact, we'll throw a going away party before you set off to this wide world." "Please…" Sandbar begged as a foal would to a parent. Gallus stared back at those sea emerald, puppy eyes. The griffon could swear that those eyes shone like diamonds. This look of innocence, this modest plea for a new kind of adventure, warmed his heart. It's not easy to say no to something like that. "Alright, you've twisted my arm. We'll head out tomorrow." "Yes!" Sandbar hugged his friend tightly. "This is gonna be so much fun!" In that moment of his friend's embrace, Gallus could swear that his cheeks were feeling warm. Not that he wasn't happy for Sandbar - he was - especially to be this up close to the excited pony. At the same time, that haunting feeling returned, where his heart pumped something anxiously welcoming. It was as if in that moment when Sandbar was tightening his hug, that Gallus could almost hear the whisper of Silverstream's promise in his ear. Spring applauded. "Wonderful! I must get the family together for the big send-off. In the meantime, how about you two start figuring out where you're going to be heading off first?” Getting up to steal a few more cookies, she added, "Sandbar, your grandfather is gonna be so proud of you!" "You're leaving?" Sandbar asked. "Right now?" "Well, there's so much to do in such little time. But I'll worry about that while you boys come up with some idea where you're going," she kissed her grandson's forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow." After they said goodbye and his grandmother left, Sandbar turned to Gallus. "You haven't answered my question. Where do you like to go?" Gallus munched on another cookie in thought. Upon swallowing, he replied, "Probably a sandy beach with no one on it." The memory of the farewell party was still fresh in Gallus and Sandbar's minds. A family gathering that wished them luck with their wanderings through Heaven. But if they were being honest, their memories of it were somewhat blurry. There were hugs and hoofshakes, along with countless suggestions of where they might go in case they ran out of ideas. Before they left, they were gifted with a compass that guided them towards the destination they're heading towards instead of pointing north. As for packing, it was less of a hassle than they thought. Next to the crystal front door, there was an imprint of a leaf that looked identical to their home's leaves. So plucking one of the leaves and inserting it into the imprint, they watched with amazement the branches, windows, and trunk of the treehouse shrunk before their eyes. All of it was getting smaller and smaller, folding itself ever more compact until their home reverted into a walnut. They found it was light and that they could carry their home with everything in it anywhere with them. After the final goodbye from Sandbar's family, the two set off flying towards their first of many destinations - the Fillypines. They set up their home a short trot away from a beach that looked like the kind they have often seen on advertisements and postcards. A clean, white sandy beach that stretched for miles without any sign of another soul around. The sand was powdery but never hot to the touch. Above them, the sun shined down with a warm but never baking light. Now and then, a straying cloud hovers by. A gentle breeze carried the distant scent of banana, coconut, orange blossom, and sea salt in the air. The waves of the sea were soft, and the horizon beyond being flat. And by the beach, a line of palms swayed with the breeze. It was on these palms that Gallus and Sandbar lay in hammocks, their heads resting on pillows, a freshly made smoothie in coconuts in their hoof and claw. All the while, a small radio played soft love songs in the Fillypinian language. Neither of them understood what the singers were saying, but it sounded nice. "Ya know," Gallus commented, looking straight up at the twin palms that held him, watching the leaves sway, "I don't think I've ever been to a beach like this when I was alive." "No?" Sandbar looked over to him. "Not even at Mount Aris?" "I mean, I've never been to a tropical one before, especially when the water isn't cold when you step in. Unless you're a seapony, the water there is icy. I guess it has its charms but nothing like this place." "That makes sense," Sandbar nodded. "Back when I was growing up, my parents would take me along the Equestrian beaches up and down, both east and west coast. Every time I went, I was struck by how different the beaches were. Like near the south, it's kinda like this with sand and warmer water. But up north, they tend to get more rocky and cold." "Wait, why did your parents drag you along?" "Partly because I've always had a soft spot for the sea, and partly because it was my parents job at the time. Marine biologists. I've learned a lot from them, like how to swim, what sea creatures were safe and which weren't, how to build sandcastles, and even how to sail at one point. Kinda sad that we stopped doing that." Gallus looked over to Sandbar, "Do you miss it?" "On some days, yeah. But then when I went to the School of Friendship, I ended up finding you guys. Sure, I'll miss those days by the sea; but weirdly, I think I value being around you guys near the lake more. I guess just being with the friends you care about makes a whole world of difference." "Yeah…" Gallus looked away towards the waves that ebbed to and fro. "Hey Sandbar? Mind if I ask you something personal?" Sandbar shifted in his hammock. "How personal is personal?" "Close enough, I guess, but I was thinking about how you said that you're… Pansexual? Isn't it?" "Yeah, why?" "Well, how come you didn't say anything like that when we were alive?" Sandbar raised an eyebrow. "I thought I did." "Have you?" "I… Yeah. Yeah, I did. I came out with it last year." "When?" "I don't know… I think before summer break last year. Don't you remember? That time when we went camping near the Castle of the Two Sisters. When we were roasting marshmallows that night, I came out to you guys. As I recall, Smolder was confused as she never heard of the term before. She thought that it meant that I was attracted to pots and pans." He chuckled. "Huh…" Gallus blinked. "All I remember was listening to a story from Silverstream all night. Something about the history of the Hippogriff Kingdom, I think? Chances are I was probably distracted, and that piece of info went over my head." Then after a beat, he added, "Uh… dumb question. What does Pansexual mean again?" "Well, I like the one that Starlight gave - she was the one that helped piece it together." 'Of course, she did.' Gallus thought, but he heard his friend answer. "It means that I'm capable of having an emotional, sexual (or both) attraction to any sex and gender of another, regardless of who it is. That on some level, I can find nearly anyone appealing and appreciate someone for who they are. Mind you, that's the oversimplified explanation." "Is that right…" "What about you?" "Huh?" "With you just coming out as bisexual, how come you didn't come out when we were alive?" For a long time, he didn't hear a response from his friend. All heard were the breeze and the call of seagulls. "Gallus?" "It's… complicated." Sandbar sat up a bit. "How come?" Gallus didn’t reply for a long, awkward pause. "You might think it's stupid." "Well, what is it?" The griffon breathed deeply, "For the most part… I was afraid… and embarrassed." "Why?" "Oh, where do I begin? Where do I end?" Gallus rolled over to look at Sandbar. "For starters, in Griffonstone where I grew up, the whole being gay thing, like being flamboyant, being interested in stuff girls were into, or just being a little too… friendly with someone the same sex as you... Let's just say that it wasn't a tolerable place. And you know what? For a long, long time, I bought into that. I had believed that being gay was the worst thing ever. In Griffonstone, if you were even suspected of having that kind of attraction... Well, you're not gonna live very long." Laying down to look overhead, he continued. "So by the time when I entered school, I've always thought I was straight. I mean, I liked girls before, so I had no reason to be thinking otherwise…" Sandbar raised an eyebrow, "But…?" Gallus sighed, "Let's just say… that before I got to know Silver a little better… there was a student there that threw me into doubt. Turned my world upside-down while giving it a good shake." "Really?" "Yeah," Gallus nodded, looking away to hide his blush, pausing for a moment to think of his next words carefully, "the guy… as embarrassing as this is to admit it... he was my first real crush, y-he unintentionally for me put two and two together. Of course, my heart still went to Silverstream, but ever since, I kept in mind that I wasn't entirely… straight." "But why didn't you tell any of us before? I mean, does Starlight know?" Gallus shook his head, "It's a secret that I took to the grave. I didn't say anything because if I did, I thought I might not have friends anymore. I thought I might not have a decent education if they knew. Or if I went back to Griffonstone with everygriff knowing that I liked guys too, I might as well paint a target on my chest. I know not being able to come out is soul-crushing, but it's the price I'm willing to pay for things like safety, food, shelter, education, friendship… even love itself. I thought it would be worth it." "Dude, we wouldn't have minded. Even if someone like Silverstream knew, I'd bet she wouldn't have seen it as a deal-breaker. I mean, when I came out a year ago, did you ever see any of the girls acting any differently towards me?" "Well… no." "We would still have accepted you for who you are. You're our friend, and even finding yourself liking dudes wouldn't change that." Gallus muttered something under his breath, but Sandbar didn't hear it. "By the way, who was it?" "Who?" "That first crush of yours." Gallus's face turned bright red. "Is it someone we know?" ".... Well… maybe." Sandbar smirked, "Handsome?" Gallus didn't reply. "C'mon dude, you can tell me." "It wouldn't have mattered," Gallus grumbled. "Because uh… I found out later he liked someone else." "Oh…" Sandbar's ears folded flat against his head. "I'm sorry." "No… I never got the chance to tell 'em either. It wouldn't have worked out anyway. Wouldn't… like me back." "Okay, now you're just being unfair with yourself." Gallus rolled over on his side to face his friend. "What does that mean?" "Well, I think you are lovable, probably more than you give yourself credit for. If not Silverstream, then any creature else would have been lucky to have you." "Over what?" Gallus questioned with a cocked eyebrow. "What about me that anyone insane enough would see me as lovable?" Sandbar swung his hindlegs to sit on the edge of the hammock without falling out. "Let's see… For starters - and to be blunt - maybe it's because I don't know many griffons, but you have a body to die for." Gallus's eyebrow remained as high as his skepticism. "Are you referring to the movie theater incident?" "Hey, I'm just saying," Sandbar held up his forehooves. "Your feline butt aside, you uh… (how do I put this…?) You're overall… fit." "Fit?" "Yeah, I mean you've always kept yourself healthy and have a good amount of muscles that makes you so well balanced. Sure, you're no bodybuilder, but I like how strong you get. But you never go crazy with it. Your claws could easily break something, but you're always gentle with them, even when you could do otherwise. And your eyes? Well, they're the same color as the ocean, but I can see that they're the kind where it could be vulnerable with you if you let it." Gallus blushed but tried to hide it, "Yeah? Is that all?" "No. There are other things too, besides the physical stuff. Now I can't speak for everyone, but personally, I like how resourceful you are when the occasion calls for it. I like how you tried to keep all of us together, even when we don't always agree. In a way, we've always felt safe around you when we were in trouble. That you told us the truth about ourselves, regardless if we wanted to hear it. You are in some ways mature, but not so much that you're a stick-in-the-mud. I know you wanted to present yourself as this tough guy, but really, it's during those times when you trust us enough to be vulnerable that really says a lot more. "Point being," he smiled, "if I can pick out all of those traits that I find loveable, surely someone else would too." "Would…" Gallus started to ask but trailed off. "Forget it." "What?" "Nevermind," Gallus sat up from his hammock. "I'm starting to think we might start thinking about where to go next." Sandbar raised an eyebrow, "Changing the subject, are we? Well, it sounds like you're trying to avoid-" "Can we please figure out where we're going next?" Gallus interrupted. A thought came to Sandbar before he replied back. It was clear from his friend's body language that he seemed uncomfortable. For the most part, he realized that Gallus couldn't look at him in the eye while he explained his friend's lovable side. He was hiding something, Sandbar realized. On the other hoof, it wasn’t out of character for Gallus as he was the more mysterious type. Someone who wouldn’t reveal all his cards at once, so to speak. However, it didn’t prevent Sandbar from wondering what was eating him. ".... Sure." Sandbar finally said, hopping out of the hammock and onto the sand. "Where would you like to go next?" "Where's the map?" "In your claw." "Huh?" Gallus looked down to see that he was holding the Heavenly pamphlet. "I swear the laws of reality are broken some days…" He muttered as he unfolded it. "Maybe we should do something interesting." "Yeah? What do you have in mind?" Humming, Gallus eyed over the map of Heaven. There were exotic places they could go to, but the griffon was in the mood for something thrilling. Not like going on a roller coaster nor being pushed over in a barrel down Neighegra Falls. Something where the danger is great, but the concern is low. Then, up north between Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom's lands, Gallus spotted the territory of the Old Helm. There near the snowy ground, he spotted the name of a place that filled him with ideas. Smiling, he folded up the pamphlet and got off the hammock. "Let's pack up the house. We're heading North-West." "Why?" Sandbar questioned, "Where are we going?" Gallus looked back at him, his mischievous grin growing more expansive, "Oh, to a little place called... Valhalla." To the east of Trottingham and north of the old Griffon Kingdom where the land meets the sea, the dry grassland meets the snow, lays a battlefield. Gallus and Sandbar flew near and were struck by how massive this land was fenced off. It was a single land area encompassing portions of the sea, a mountain, parts of forests, hills, and grassland. It was the size of a city, yet it lay barren save for the noticeable creators, broken weapons and armor, and war machines that were unguarded. Above this was a massive storm cloud that hovered over this piece of land. Connected between it and the ground was a rainbow bridge where souls were escorted upwards. So flying just above the bridge, they were led to a floating island above the storm. The first thing they noticed was a tall, golden tree with bright red leaves that shaded a massive hall with a scally roof made up of hundreds of thousands of golden shields. Eventually, they found themselves in an enormous hall with hundreds of doors and gates. Entering inside, they saw that all around them was constructed and pieces together from weapons from its walls to the doorknobs. The columns from the eastern gate were made out of cannons, the titanic twin doors were forged with thousands of swords, and even the floor they entered was covered with spear staffs and arrows. "I gotta admit," Sandbar commented as they entered the great hall, "Valhalla is so metal. I could think of so many punk bands that would kill to perform here." "Tell me about it," Gallus agreed, "This place is like every war nut's dream come true." Upon entering the vast hall, there wasn't a part of Valhalla that wasn't decorated with the instruments of war. Such as a hearth of raring fire made out of cannonballs or chandeliers welded together with bayonets. On the ceiling, crossbows served as rafters to hold up the shields along with bows of every kind, size, and description. There were tables and benches made of armor that were flattened out with chain mail strewn over like tablecloths. Yet, all around, they saw soldiers from different places and periods of time. Even historical enemies who not only were in the same room but they played games together, drank in contests, and even engaged in some roughhousing with whatever weapons they'd picked up. It was, in a way, very surreal, and that was saying something considering what they've seen in the afterlife so far. They saw Neighpoleon in the middle of an intense game of chess with Julius Kaiser. Over by one of the mammoth barrels of mead, a unicorn knight was toasting his drink with a dragon. And on one of the tables, armed with a spear and an eye-shamed shield, a Zebra spar off with a tomahawk wielding buffalo. "Looks like we found out what Smolder's idea of Heaven is," Gallus joked. "I've noticed." Sandbar observed, stopping just in time as an ax flew past him and hit one of the columns. "So remind me why we're here again?" "Because of something I've wanted to do ever since I found out this place is real, something about what I heard about Vallhalla." "Isn't this supposed to be the resting place for fallen warriors?" "That, but from what I've heard, there's a story behind this place. It's said that between now and Ragnarok, these guys have ways of training themselves when it happens by having a battle every day." "Not on Wednesdays because that's our movie night," spoke a new voice. The two of them looked behind them to see an old but strong griffon. Twice the size of Gallus, this silvery red griff had on heavy Viking armor made of heavy chainmail with a leathery outer layer. On his head was a silvery helmet that fused with a light, winged crown. However, most noticeable of all was the two ravens perched on his shoulders and a scar that forever closed one eye. "And it's a real treat when we get to make fun of a poorly made film that depicts war." He chuckled, "That 300 movie never stood a chance." Gallus blinked, ".… You're not-" "Odin?" The gigantic griffon replied with a chirp. "All-Father of the Gods, Husband of Frigg, life-giver, God of War and Knowledge, Mr. One-Eye… I could go on, but yup! That's me." He patted them on the back. "I was beginning to wonder when either of you would show up." "You were expecting us?" Sandbar asked, taken aback. "Well, from what I've gathered, you two are warriors with a common cause. Frankly, I'm shocked neither of you entered these gates sooner." He turned to Gallus, "You, while being cornered, fended off foes in those caves with nothing more than your wits, and you," he turned to Sandbar, "Got your friends out to safety and not abandoning him. Such deeds have earned a place of honor." Sandbar blinked. "How did you know-" "The ravens," Gallus interrupted with a snap of his talons. "I almost forgot, in mythology, the ravens tend to act as spies for Odin." "In a sense," Odin replied matter-of-factly. "They also tell me that you've taken up the journey of Wandering Spirits and that you were heading this way." He patted them on the back. "Your timing is most excellent because soon, we are about to begin our war games. Today's capture the flag. Would either of you care to join in?" "Wait, neither of us has had any official martial trai-" Before Gallus could finish, Odin snapped his talons. Instantly, memories of fighting in armed combat entered their heads as if a book got crammed inside. There was a brief moment where the two had a headache, but soon that faded. "Um... how do I suddenly know how to kill a pony in sixteen different ways with just my hooves alone?" Sandbar asked. "And why do I know ancient sword techniques from the Warlords Era?" Gallus asked. Odin chuckled before answering. "'Tiss nothing more than a small boost of knowledge I have given you. A simple handicap to help you in the fight. Over time you'll develop your own skills the more you come here, but for now, I'd like your first experience to be fun. Now then!" With a wave of his claw, Sandbar found himself wearing red knight-like armor similar to the guards at Canterlot, while Gallus wore a set of blue leather armor and cape. "What weapons would you like to have?" ".... Um, a spear, I guess?" Gallus said before, out of the skies, a spear landed in front of him like a bolt of lighting. It was bright gold with a jeweled encrusted blade. Taking it into his claws, Gallus swung it around and did some air jabs like he had been training with the weapon since birth. "Woah, cool!" "And for you, Sandbar?" Odin asked. "Hmm, I suppose the classic sword and shield?" A flash of white light appeared before Sandbar, and he found his front right hoof holding a silver shield with his cutie mark on it while sheathed around his waist was a blue-handled sword with an angel-like wing design for the handle. Pulling it out with his teeth, the sword was also silver with some runes on it. "Now that you are both armed and ready, are there any other questions before you begin your first battle?" Odin asked. "Um, I guess one," Sandbar asked. "We're already dead, so what happens if you… get killed in battle?" "Oh, you shall be placed in a death-like sleep until the match is over. Don't worry. You won't feel anything serious. Just a pinch, and then you'll be out like a candle," Odin said before raising his claws. "Now, let us begin our glorious combat!" Strikes of lightning smite both of heaven's new residents along with several others and warped them away before Odin himself disappeared in a flash. Both armies stood, waiting for that signal that would begin the fight. Blue and Red stood across from one another, separated by a grassy field. These armies were made up of every kind of warrior throughout history. A collage of soldiers stood ready, from cave ponies with bone clubs to the more modern snipers that waited in the threes. Here a legion of plated Pegsi from the old Empire positioned above. There, a cavalry of Samurai was contemplating strategy. Behind these armies, proudly presented on hills, were the flags of each respecting army. At the foot of each hill, they were heavily guarded by those who had gunpowder-based weapons. Standing in position behind a trench, with cannons loaded and bayonets fixed. The final line of defense if those with more ancient weapons fail. In the Red Army, Sandbar scanned the field, wondering where Gallus might be. Yet, so many were participating in this battle that he couldn't easily pick out where among hundreds, perhaps thousands, he was. All he knew was that this battle's goal was simple - capture the enemy's flag, and you win the game. Then, somewhere from above, a trumpet sounded, singling for both armies to charge. Knights galloped towards a militia of musket welding hoof soldiers. Dragons were flying towards Ancient Southern Equestrian archers. It was a confusion of clanging swords, exploding cannons, twinging of arrows, shouts of orders, banging of shields, roars of fire and gas. Limbs were chopped, rows of soldiers shot, explosions created holes in the ground, and yet, neither side gave way to the other. Among the fury, Sandbar charged. He followed their example of unsheathing their swords with the other warriors beside him, galloping at full speed towards the oncoming army. Tunnel-visioned, he galloped straight through the clashes of tumbling bodies, over the fire, and swords towards the hill. There were many close calls now and then among the chaos. Blades that came dangerously close to his neck, cannonballs almost tossed him aside, and arrows that nearly hit their target. Fortunately, the other soldiers provided tremendous help as they either took the hit or blocked those blows when he didn't notice them. It was a whirlwind of confusion as weapons, bodies, and earth seemed to rain down. Time has become lost amongst the fighting, as each side clashes, trying to pass the other to get to the hills. Bullets, cannonballs, arrows from every direction whizzed and banged - in front, behind, the left, and the right. It was like trying to run during an earthquake. Although Sandbar wasn't too sure if he saw blood, he saw limbs and heads being chopped and cleaved. At times he could swear that he saw limbs beneath him. But he wasn't confident as one thought ruled above all else - get to the other side. Even among this intense fighting, Sandbar kept his eyes peeled for Gallus. Perhaps he'd been hit already, or maybe he could attempt to ambush him at any moment. Then, as he got close enough towards the enemy's hill, just enough that he could see the wall of sandbags, he saw him. With a section of the trench blown into a creator, Gallus bravely stood his ground, desperately doing all he could to keep the Red Army back. With the spear in his claws, he jabbed, spun, and stabbed anyone who dared to come near. Sandbar could see that his friend was heaving as if he was doing this for hours, fending off waves upon waves of warriors without taking a breath. Clenching onto his weapons, Sandbar charged at the nearly exhausted griffon. He was screaming out a warcry with the shield in front and sword raised. It didn't catch Gallus off guard, but he acted quickly. The griffon swiftly ducked while swinging his spear, thus tripping the young stallion. But before he could be killed, Sandbar, thinking fast, raised his shield in time. The spear was stopped, but the tip went straight through the protection. So Sandbar pulled the shield off, taking the spear away and leaving Gallus unarmed. Once he was up, the stallion charged with his sword about to hack at the griffon's head. But Gallus wasn't ready to give up. His talons felt the dirt beneath him and tossed it in Sandbar's face. Now blinded, Gallus got out of the way to disarm his friend, knocking the sword to the ground. Sandbar, with dirt in his eye and at full gallop, ran into the sandbag wall. While the stallion tried to whip the soil from his eyes quickly, Gallus took hold of the sword and jumped at his friend. One claw at Sandbar's neck, and the other pointing the blade at his face. Wide-eyed, Sandbar knew what was coming next. In this battle, he was about to be killed by his friend. And yet, among the chaos and the thought that all was lost, something curious happened. Gallus hesitated. Although it would have been so easy just to end him right there, the griffon froze. In all the times that Sandbar knew him, especially when it came to things like saving the world, Gallus wasn't the kind to shy away defending his friends, yet now... However, before either of them could react, Gallus cried out in pain as two arrows from somewhere in the battle hit him right in the spine. On instinct, Sandbar grabbed Gallus before he could fall and held him as the griffin began to cough. Despite feeling no blood in the wound, Sandbar could tell the arrows were deep as Gallus' eyes slowly began to close. Even though he knew that Gallus wouldn't be dead for real, seeing such a realistic rendition of death made Sandbar flashback to the cave. The bolts of energy that burned the flesh of his friend as he lay dying on Sandbar's back. Gallus' eyes finally closed as he let out one last breath before going limp in Sandbar's hooves. A single tear dripped down Sandbar's cheek, despite the idea of knowing this was a game. Yet, for some reason, it didn't feel like a game anymore. Sandbar didn't think long afterward as something went right through his own back and through his chest. Looking down, he saw a sharp spear going right through where his heart was before blacking out. Sandbar's limp body fell on top of Gallus' as the bloody conflict continued around them without caring for their lifeless bodies. So the battle raged on for another two hours until, at last, the blue army claimed the red flag on the other hill. A trumpet sounded, and it was over. In an instant, Gallus woke up and felt something sitting on top of his stomach. Groaning, his eyes opened before winding as he felt his breath-hold. There, inches before him, was Sandbar's face all pale and lifeless with his lips close to his own. The griffin blushed upon seeing just how close he had come to kissing Sandbar, or rather Sandbar still in his death state. Seeing the pony's color returning to his face and slowly waking up, Gallus gently helped them both up as Sandbar shook his head. "Wait, is it over?" "Yeah, looks like we got killed," Gallus said as he saw other soldiers from both sides congratulating and saluting each other as if they just finished a sport. "You know, it was kinda fun… until we had to face each other." "Well, I'm kinda surprised," Sandbar said as the two walked off the battlefield. "You had me right there, and you didn't kill me. Why?" ".... I just couldn't do it," Gallus admitted, shrugging. "I mean, I know you would have been fine, but still… I kinda feel like I let my team down now." "Well, if it helps, I think I kinda would have hesitated as well," Sandbar admitted with a smile. "Still, despite that happening, I really got a sense of adrenaline. Do you… want to do another round?" ".... If we do, then we need to be ready to kill the other one," Gallus pointed out. "We can't hesitate… so..." "So what?" Sandbar asked. "What do you say we duel a few times? To the death? At least until we've killed each other at least once," Gallus suggested. "That way, we can get used to the idea of fighting and murdering the other on the battlefield. 'Cause I kinda want to give it my all both to the team and to you." "Hmm, okay!" Sandbar chirped. "Let's find Odin and see if he can give us a place to duel for a bit." The two nodded to each other and proceeded to look for the ancient god. As it turns out, in Valhalla, there is a room meant for dueling. Odin led Gallus and Sandbar to a large room wherein there was a deep hole with sand in the bottom. "I partially got the idea from the Pegasi," Odin explained, "with the gladiatorial games, it made me think we could use them for more one-on-one fights." "Okay," Gallus raised an eyebrow, "So why the hole?" "With Valhalla being made entirely out of weapons, I prefer to keep this great hall standing without everyone disassembling it. Besides, the pit will make it so that both of you will have only your weapons, and it wouldn't make such a big mess." "Kinda weird considering what we've been through today," Sandbar pointed out. "To be fair, the pit was my wife's idea. So," he turned to them. "What will be your weapons? The blade, the bullet, or by your own hooves and claws?" Looking about the room, they saw that, like the rest of the great hall, it too was made of weapons. As they eyed the countless firearms, shields, and armor built-in, Gallus eyed the door they entered through. "What about these?" From it, he pulled out a rapier with a sharpened point at the end. "Ah, the gentlecolt's weapon." Odin commented, "Flimsy for my tastes, but they do provide some entertaining fights." Gallus pulled out another from the door and handed one to Sandbar. Now armed, the two jumped into the sandy pit, with Odin looking over from above. "Just remember young ones," the god told them, "when you see the moment to strike, do not hesitate." Positioning themselves from one another, they crossed swords. "You ready?" Sandbar asked. Gallus tapped his blade. "Yeah. No holding back now." Odin raised his claw. "And… fight!" There was a beat as they both anticipated the other to make the first move. Sandbar jabbed first, but Gallus dodged out of the way. Although their blades were thin, they rang out in the pit as they hit one another as quickly as lightning. Rapiers blocked and slapped the other away, yet neither side could get that vulnerable spot to make the kill. "You know, dude," Sandbar commented, "I thought you would be better at this." "Funny," Gallus smirked, "I was gonna say the same thing about you." Gallus brought his sword down, but Sandbar blocked the move. The two moved around the sandy pit, each trying to get ahold of the other yet unable to give way. Each was trying to think ahead of the other and yet defending themselves from each jab and slash. Both sides knew that they couldn't keep this up. Eventually, one of them would make a mistake. It took a while, but Gallus did spot that mistake. Several times, his friend would try to hack at him from above, leaving him unguarded below. Gallus fell forward, bringing his blade from underneath with that momentum, he couldn't stop himself from stabbing Sandbar - even if he wanted to. Sandbar's breath was cut short, and looking down, the rapier had buried itself deep in a lung. Gallus even seemed shocked to see that he had actually done it. Dragging the blade out, Sandbar held the area where he was stabbed, stumbling back a bit before collapsing on his side. His eyes slowly shut, and he went limp with even his angel wings stopped fluttering. For a minute, Gallus just stood there and stared at the body of his friend. "S-Sandbar? Y-You're just faking, rig-" Suddenly, a heavenly glow coming from the body as slowly a spirit-like appearance of Sandbar emerged from the motionless body. It landed on the ground before a final sputter of light made what appeared to be a perfect clone of the earth pony stand there in confusion. Gallus, wide-eyed, slowly walked over and poked an equally stunned Sandbar with his talon. "Um, what the living Hell just happened?" "I… don't know," Sandbar admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. "I suddenly felt cold, collapsed, and was in a dark void before a bright light shined, and I found myself here again." "Okay, if you are here, then who's that?" Gallus asked, pointing to the dead body of his friend. "Is that… me? Am I dead? Again?" Sandbar asked. He walked over to the body and inspected every part of it from the head to the flank. He even lifted his rear legs and let them plop to the floor-like stone. Poking his clone's cutie mark, Sandbar turned the other Sandbar onto his back and pressed his head against the chest. "No heartbeat. I think he is dead." "But you already died," Gallus pointed out. "How can you be dead twice?" "Oh, I see you discovered that little feature," Odin shouted from above. The two looked up and saw him waving from above. "Yeah, it's a neat little gizmo the angels made for a laugh a while ago. Previously, if you got stabbed or shot or something on you, you would just heal up. But sometimes, your previous body will drop dead for real before a new one of you is made. And before you ask, no, you are still the same, soul and all. You just got reborn again." "Why would anyone want that?" Sandbar asked, raising an eyebrow. "Eh, creatures develop some weird morbid sense of humor up here," Odin said before leaving. "I have to go check up on something. You boys can just fly your way out when you're done." The two looked at each other and then at the now-dead Sandbar clone. Upon hearing the words "morbid humor," Gallus snorted. "Hey, check this out." He picked up Dead Sandbar and placed his claw under the jaw, and started to open the mouth open and close. Using his best impression of Sandbar's voice, he said, "Hi, I'm Sandbar. I totally like to catch the waves and get in tune with mother nature and all that jazz, man." "One, I do not say stuff like that," Sandbar said, but even he couldn't help but smirk. "And two, that's just creepy. I feel violated seeing you do that to me… or the dead me, I should say." "Oh, come on," Gallus said, dropping the body. "We're already dead. What's wrong with a little grim humor? I'd let you do it to me." Sandbar grinned as he grabbed his sword. "Really?" Before Gallus could react, Sandbar quickly cut with his blade against Gallus' throat. The griffin gasped and held his neck despite no blood coming out. He slowly fell onto his stomach, breathing his last gasp before his eyes closed. A few seconds later, his body also began to glow before a clone of him appeared soon after from the corpse. Sandbar, getting the dead body of the griffin, propped him up and started moving his beak. "Hello! I'm Gallus! I'm loud, crude, rude, and have an ego the size of Canterlot. I also like to smell my own farts because that's how much I'm in love with myself." "Oh, ha-ha," Gallus said, rolling his eyes. "For the record, I at least can mimic your voice. Plus, I look more handsome than you, alive or dead." The two looked at each other before looking at their now dead angel versions of themselves. "So, what should we do? Odin didn't tell us how to get rid of them." "Well, I don't think they'd be happy if we leave them here so... let's bring them out of this hole," Gallus suggested as he grabbed Dead Sandbar while Sandbar grabbed Dead Gallus. Flying upwards, the two reached the top and placed them on the floor next to each other. "So now what do we do?" Gallus asked, making his way to the door. "Want to do another match or… Sandbar?" He looked back and saw Sandbar staring at the two dead copies of themselves, who lay there silently in an almost peaceful manner. Walking over to his friend, Gallus asked, "You okay, buddy?" "Huh? Yeah, it's just… still kinda hitting me that I'm dead and all," Sandbar said as he gazed over at his dead copy. "A bit unreal, really." "Yeah," Gallus said with a heavy sigh. "But… there isn't much we can do about it." ".... You know what we haven't done?" Sandbar said with a severe expression. "We've said our goodbyes back home. We even saw those we loved back home say their farewells to us. But you know who we haven't said it to? Ourselves." "Ourselves?" Sandbar sighed and pointed to the dead copies. "Look, this is gonna sound a bit… weird, but I kinda think we should give these guys… our own farewell to them." "You want to give a funeral to ourselves?" Gallus questioned, eyebrow raised. "Nothing so dramatic like a full-on service, just some kinda send-off. To say something to both of us, you and me, to the old Sandbar and Gallus," Sandbar answered. "Look, we've accepted that our past lives are over. It would be a good way to get everything off our shoulders if we just say what needs to be said to ourselves and each other. A final farewell to who we once were and to look at what we'll become here in the afterlife." Sighing, he rubbed the back of his leg. "Maybe it's just stupid, but..." "No," Gallus said as he walked over and slowly hugged his friend. "It's not stupid. I… I get what you're saying, and there are some things… I guess I kinda need to get off my chest too..." ".... How about we go find Odin and find a private place to do this? We can even do it Viking-style with a funeral pyre and all." The two nodded as they both took their deceased copies and carried them on their backs while looking for the god. South of Valhalla, next to the Griffon Kingdom's borders, two souls were putting together a funeral. In an isolated field where the grass is greener with summer flowers while the stoic mountains stand in the background, Gallus and Sandbar gathered whatever scraps of wood they could find. Their cold bodies lay on a stony bed before they piled the wood up methodically. Structuring it so that it didn't look like they were just thrown on, each piece was laid and propped up like an open coffin. For good measure, they then turned to the field itself to stuff those empty spaces with dried grass and wildflowers. However, the final touch was that after getting some paint from the house they've been carrying, they took the last pieces of wood to mark the other's pyre. Sandbar painted feathers in a light blue color while Gallus three sea turtles in green. A further search of the house and they found the last two things they needed before the funeral - lamp oil and a box of matches. Once they doused the pyres in the flammable oil, they stood back. Although they knew what was to come next, neither was ready to strike a match just yet. ".... So uh…" Gallus looked over to Sandbar, who spoke up, his voice quiet and dry. After a cough, he asked, "Should we… say something first?" "I… I think so…" Gallus scratched his head. "Not gonna lie, this is the most surreal thing in my life… afterlife - whatever this is. I…" He sighed, "Strangely, this is probably the hardest thing I've ever done." "In what way?" "Well," he waved at the pyres. "That, for one. And… I get to do something that I've been dreading to do." Sandbar tilted his head, "Burying us?" "Saying goodbye. I know it's not exactly you underneath all that wood but…" Looking between him and the pyres, he asked, "Do you want me to go first?" Gallus nodded. "Okay…" Sandbar paused for a long time, trying to come up with the words. "At first… I thought Gallus was a jerk." This got a look from his friend as if to say, "Seriously?" "Hear me out. When I bumped into him, I thought he was this rude griffon who didn't want to be at the School of Friendship yet, for one reason or another, he did. When I found out that we're going to be in the same dorm for most of the school year... yeah, I wasn't looking forward to that either. Even with the early days of school when they didn't know what they were doing, I thought it would just suck. "That was… until the day that we just decided to skip it. Not just with him, but with the girls too. Take some time away from those boring lessons and just… lighten up a bit. On that day by the lake, I found out that those creatures, Gallus included, may be different in all sorts of ways, but if you took the time, you'd find that all of them have good hearts. Yeah, Gallus may be the kind that acts tough, and nothing in the world gets to him. He may have a sense of humor that could cut the world in half if you piss him off enough," this made Gallus smirk, "and out of all of us, he was a real mystery. For a while, none of us knew what he was going through. Maybe we'll never know the full extent of what happened to him before he became our friend. "But for the Gallus, I got to know, he turned my idea of what Griffons were like upside-down. He wasn't the greedy, self-centered creature that some make him out to be. No, the Gallus I came to know was someone who used his creativity to get us out in a jam. That at the end of the day, and maybe he wouldn't admit it, but he always put his friends first. He was complicated. He didn't show us everything, but what we saw was enough. Now that he's gone… my only regret was that I didn't get to know him better." Gallus was silent, yet he turned away so that his friend wouldn't see the blush from the mountains of compliments he was hearing. "My friend is many things," Sandbar continued, "a smart guy, a great friend, a hero. I don't know how long the world would remember him and all the things he's done. Even what I have to say will more than likely be over looked years and years from now. But what he's done was to sacrifice himself to keep the world safe and free so that countless innocents wouldn't have to." Sandbar finished, the wind passing by them in the silence. However, the stallion's ears perked up, hearing quiet, suppressed sobs from his friend. "Dude, are you crying?" "N-No!" Gallus furiously rubbed his eyes. "Just… give me a minute." "Was that too much?" Sniffing, Gallus turned to face him. "No, I just… didn't think I would hear that." "Well… do you want to have your say? Or should we go ahead and-" "Wait, hold on." Gallus cleared his throat, "Yeah, I have something to say." He took a moment to think before opening his beak. "When I was younger, I used to think that there was no happy future for me. I had no parents. No friends. Nobody even cared about me. I sometimes wondered if my life was even worth living. When I learned I had been chosen to go to the Friendship Academy. I thought it was going to be a waste of time." He chuckled. "Turns out it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got to meet so many new friends that became more than just buddies of mine. They became the family I never had, and one of them was someone I ended up caring for a lot. That was Sandbar." He gazed over to his blushing pony friend. "He didn't care who you were, where you were from, or what your past was. He was just kind and gentle to you and wanted to be your friend. I admit I didn't give the best first impressions, but slowly the two of us managed to become friends, and in some ways… he became the closest thing to a brother I ever had." Gallus closed his eyes, smiling at all the happy memories they had. He felt about his best friend and how much Gallus wished they were more but content with what they were currently. "Saving the world and doing homework was cool and all, but it was better with Sandbar. In some ways, he was kind of the glue that held our gang together. Whenever a problem was going on between us, he would always make sure to bring us back together. He was the most loyal friend you could ask for. He even died trying to save my sorry butt… even though it got him killed in the end." Sighing, Gallus looked down. "In some ways, I kinda wished I died alone and that he lived. The world needs guys like Sandbar more often and, while I know he doesn't blame me, I can't help but blame myself for his death." "Dude, you know that's-" Gallus put his claw up. "Yet, I can't change what's happened. So at the very least, I'm glad that I didn't die alone. I died with one of my best friends. One that I'm glad to have known both in life and in death. And I promise that, so long as eternity exists, I'm going to do everything to make him smile here in the afterlife. The same way he made me smile back home among the living." Sandbar smiled, "At least I know I would be in good claws." "Yeah," Gallus nodded, looking down at the box of matches he was holding. "So… You want to do the honors or should I?" After giving it some thought, Sandbar told him that he should do it. So pulling out a match from the box and striking it, Gallus first went over to Sandbar's pyre. "Goodbye, Sandbar." He said before dropping the match between the wooden spaces and onto the dried grass. Stepping back, they watched as smoke began to spew out between the wood. Gallus pulled out another match, "Your turn." Taking the match in his teeth, his friend held the box steady to strike it. Once lit, Sandbar walked over to Gallus's pyre to drop it. "I'll see you later, dude." He stepped back as smoke rose from it. With the sun going down in Heaven, two friends watched the fire consume their old bodies. In a solemn moment, side by side, they felt the warmth of the flames, witnessing the past being destroyed. Of course, they know that, in a way, they have given birth to a new start. Whatever demons that had haunted them, whatever problem and secrets they thought were essential to keep. It, too, was going up in flames. Strangely, before they left those fields for good, they were indeed given a second chance at life, even in death. Whatever may happen in the future, they can go forward knowing that they're now cut off from the past. Though their journey to their future will be a long one, they went to bed that night knowing they had taken the first step. Author's Note Yea! We're only halfway through! Chapter 6It had been several weeks since they left Valhalla, and they were in the mood to go someplace warmer. So packing up their home, the two went southward towards the warm currents and gentle breezes of Austallia. West of Sydneigh, they stopped by a beach town called Woombie that was nearest to the Kangaroo Islands. It was a place where the water was warm but still breezy enough to set sail between the town and the tiny islands. As far as Sandbar was concerned, it was the perfect place to teach Gallus the basics of sailing. "You're doing great," Sandbar told his friend as he was at the bow of their small sailing yacht. "But get ready to turn to starboard in a minute." Gallus was behind the ship’s wheel. "Uh… Which way is starboard again?" "Port is left, starboard is right," Sandbar reminded him. "And stern is behind you." "So turn right then?" "Yes, but wait a minute." Sandbar looked over to the side. "Turn when I tell you to." Gallus watched for Sandbars to give the signal. His eyes drifted from his friend's foreleg to somewhere more south, specifically towards the curvy rump of his best friend. Gallus shook his head as soon as he realized what he was doing and felt ashamed that he was staring at Sandbar's flank. Yes, it has been about a month or so since they entered paradise, and he still remembered Silverstream's promise. However, it alarmed him that when Sandbar wasn't looking, Gallus would get a few glimpses here and there. In some ways, he felt embarrassed that he lusted for his friend, even in Heaven. A friend that, as far as he knew, still wouldn't feel the same way back. Of course, during their travels this past month, there were times that Gallus came dangerously close to telling Sandbar something. Even after speaking with Silverstream for the last time and telling himself that he should move on too, there were times that he wanted to say to him that he was that first crush. However, before he could get a word out, just when he was about to tell Sandbar the truth, it would die instantly on his beak. He knew what he wanted to say to him, but when push came to shove, he had no words to- "Starboard! Starboard!" "Huh?" "Turn right-" The sailing boat came to a sudden halt as it ran aground; the jerk threw Sandbar off the ship. "Sandbar!" Gallus rushed over to the front of the ship, "Sandbar, you okay?!" Looking over the spot that the pony fell off from, he found him, his back on the sand, the waves lapping over him. "Considering that getting stomped over by a herd of elephants wouldn't do anything to me, I'd say I'm dandy." Sandbar sat up, shaking the sand and water out of his mane. "Dude, what happened back there? I told you to turn, didn't I?" "Sorry, I guess my mind was somewhere else," Gallus said, jumping over to help him up. "Are we okay?" "It's just gonna take some pushing to get back out to sea," Sandbar told him. "That, or wait until high tide to get anywhere." "Ah, shit…" Gallus cursed under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck, looking at the boat he marooned. "So should we call in for help or…?" "What time is it?" "Noon… ish…" Gallus looked up at the sun. "I guess since we're stuck here for a while, we might as well have lunch." "Yeah. Too bad we left our house at Woombie, and it would take forever to fly over there." Brushing the sand off him, Sandbar looked up to the sea and spotted something drifting towards them. "Hey, what's that?" Gallus looked up too. "I'm not sure. Let me go get it." Spreading his white wings, the griffon flew out to sea a little bit until he hovered over a tiny raft. Inside this small, yellow inflatable toy boat was a picnic basket, wrapped in a red and white checkered beach towel, with a card that read “For Sandbar and Gallus” in curvy hoofwriting. On any other day and outside of Heaven, Gallus would consider this the mother of all coincidences. But being in the afterlife for roughly a month, he had to remind himself that Heaven was full of such coincidences. So picking up the basket, he flew back over to the island. "What did you find?" Sandbar inquired. "Lunch." Gallus landed towards the dryer sand on the beach. He pulled out the towel and laid it out. Shrugging, Sandbar, still dripping wet, walked over to the oversized beach towel to dry his mane while Gallus started pulling out their meal. There were hayburgers with fries, a salad, a couple of bottles of coke, and - "What the…?" Sandbar looked up at his friend's confusion as he pulled out a birthday cake. It was primarily blue with an island on top, with lit candles that look like tiki torches in the edible sand, and it was complete with a sugar palm tree. "What's with the cake?" Sandbar asked, getting a closer look. "Hey, what's this on the side?" Gallus turned it, and there, written in white icing, it read: Happy Birthday Sandbar! Sandbar blinked before he looked at the tiki candles and counted them to eighteen. "Wait, today's your birthday?" Gallus asked. "I…" Sandbar rubbed the side of his head. "How did I forget? What day is it?" "It's…" Gallus blinked, ".... I don't know. We've been so caught up going around that I didn't take notice of what day it was." He then looked back in the basket. "Wait, there's something else in here too." Reaching down, he picked up something flat and covered in brightly colored gift wrap. "And it looks like you got a present too." "Who's it from?" Gallus flipped it around. It was no bigger than a card and just as flat. "There's nothing on it. But I guess it must be for you." Curious, Sandbar took hold of his gift and tore the wrapping off. He uncovered a birthday card that had the usual congratulations on turning eighteen. Then upon opening it, a blue ticket fell out onto the beach towel, along with a drawing of a cupid with red hearts around. A red hot pink pegasus waved at him. "Hello!" Said the drawing, "And happy eighteenth birthday!" "Uh… thanks?" "Well, first thing's first, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Eros, the C.E.O. of the Big V Pop Company, and that ticket you have is the key to help you lose your virginity!" If either of them were drinking something when they heard that, they'd spit it out of their mouths. However, still taken aback, both Sandbar and Gallus said in unison. "What!?" "Not if you really want to, of course," Eros said. "That ticket is all part of a program here in Heaven to assist virgins such as yourself in experiencing the pleasures of sex that you never got the chance to do when you were alive. As you have turned eighteen, this is an exciting opportunity for you, I'm sure. That ticket will provide you with a partner and a private pocket dimension to have your first time for one, passion-filled night." Sandbar picked up the fallen ticket: a blue paper that had a red cherry in the middle. "So… how does it work?" "Well, when you feel ready for that big moment, just lick the ticket, and you'll have one of our many assistants to escort you to that exclusive place and bring a willing partner to help you out." "Just like that?" "Just like that." Eros nodded. Sandbar looked at the ticket in thought. "Okay… I don't think I want to use it now as I'm not exactly… ready yet." "Of course," Eros nodded in understatement. "But I do have a question. Suppose sometime later I find someone that I want to lose it to. Would that be okay?" "Oh absolutely!" The drawing replied in a cherry tone. "Our program is open for those who find a willing partner to have that magical night with. However, it does need to be consensual if your partner wants to go with it." "Okay," Sandbar nodded, a blush forming on his cheeks, "That's a relief to hear." "There's no time limit on that ticket, by the way. So you have all the time in eternity to use it. We hope you enjoy your gift. And happy birthday, Sandbar!" "Well, thanks." Sandbar said before Eros stopped moving and became a regular drawing that didn't move. "Huh, I wonder why that appeared with the cake?" Gallus had a sneaking suspicion why but he kept his mouth shut. It seemed even Heaven likes being a tease as well to those with 'hidden and repressed' desires. However, with the silence growing as they dug into their lunch, Gallus asked, "So…" "Hm?" "Are you gonna use that ticket? I get it's your present and all but… are you?" Biting down on his hayburger, Sandbar blushed, and after a swallow, answered. "Well… eventually, I guess. This is just unexpected, and I'm not sure if I'm… ya know… ready for that yet." Gallus hummed over a hay fry, "Well if it's anything like what Silverstream and I did… you're going to enjoy it." "Huh? Wait, you and Silverstream? How- oh yeah, that's right, I forgot. You two did it in her dream that night," Sandbar said, blushing as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I guess if I need advice, I can always ask you. Did you do… anything... you know?" "Kinky?" Gallus asked, which made Sandbar blush harder and nod. "Nah, nothing super unusual..." Sandbar nodded and made for his coke to drink. That's when Gallus smirked and muttered, "Unless you count the anal we did at the end." This nearly made Sandbar spit out his drink like an elephant as Gallus laughed so hard he collapsed against his back. "Gah, ugh, it went up to my nose!" "Gahahahaha! The look on your face!" Gallus shouted as he pounded the sand. "Dude, seriously?" Sandbar looked at him with awe. "You did that with her?" "Yeah, surprised me too when she didn't mind when I was… you know… touched her there," Gallus said, grinning. "Damn, Silverstream has a perverted side to her. Who would have thought?" "Must have been all those years underwater," Gallus suggested with a shrug. "I mean, I don't know how you can do it with those fins and tails they have. So I bet once the hippogriffs were free to become their bird forms again, they were very excited to try a few new things in bed." "Alicorns, I can't believe we're talking about this," Sandbar muttered, rubbing his temples. "Come on, we're guys. We're already in the afterlife. I'm sure orgies are happening somewhere right now," Gallus pointed out with a grin. "What's wrong with a little pervert talk?” “Can we not talk about this? It’s kinda embarrassing. I mean you didn’t talk about this stuff with the girls, right?” Sandbar asked. “Have you met Smolder?” “.... Good point.” Sandbar sighed. “Well, either way, if I’m going to do this, I’m going to save it if I find someone here that I love. And if I don’t? Well, I’ll save it for Yona when she comes over.” “So, you and Yona are also agreeing to you both finding new loves too, right?” Gallus asked, turning away to hide his blush. “Yeah, don’t know if I will find them, but if I do I hope they’re like my friends, including you,” Sandbar said which made Gallus snap his head to him. “W-What are you talking about?” “I’m just saying that if I meet someone here in the afterlife I want them to be kind like the friends I have back home. Maybe someone as kind and sweet as Yona? Or as happy and cheerful as Silverstream? With you? Someone brave and strong-minded,” Sandbar pointed out, not knowing that it was making Gallus blush redder. “Come on, dude. Don’t say stuff like that?” Gallus whispered. ‘Seriously, do you want me to fall for you?’ “What? We’re just two guys who happen to like girls and guys talking about who we would want as our partners,” Sandbar responded with a cheeky grin. “Besides, I’m curious. Who are you going to look for a partner up here?” ‘I think I might have already found one,’ Gallus thought but instead he just got up, much to Sandbar’s confusion. “I’m going for a walk.” “Huh? Okay, but be back soon,” Sandbar said as he took another bite of the cake. “But when you do, I wanna talk about where we should go next. I was thinking about going to see what Griffonstone is like in Heaven.” ‘Yeah, and I’m not looking forward to it…’ Gallus thought. ".... And another thing," Gallus said as he and Sandbar flew, "if anygriff comes to you and offers you a tour of the place for a small fee, don't. It's a scam. If you say yes, then you'll be held hostage until they drain you dry of your bits like a vampire." Below them were the Himalamas, in particular, within the borders of the Griffon Kingdom. Ever since Sandbar had made up his mind to visit the "What If Library '' that his grandmother spoke about, Gallus had spent most of the trip north giving the stallion advice of what to do when they got near Griffonstone. For hours, Gallus told him to be extra careful when they got there. Saying things like: don't eat street food, don't trust strangers even if they act friendly, and don't drink the water. "Oh! Also, don't use any of the alleyways as shortcuts." Gallus added, "Trust me, if it looks dark and unsafe, that's because it is." "You do know that this Griffonstone we're going to is in Heaven, right?" Sandbar deadpanned. "Well, yeah, but we'll have to go through it. Take it from someone who spent a good chunk of his life there. If you don't know what to expect, you might as well walk through a minefield blindfolded." "Again, we're in Heaven, a place where everything's pretty much improved." Gallus shook his head, "Coming from an orphan who was practically homeless in one of the worst places ever to exist, I highly doubt it. Just whatever you do when we get there, do not go wandering off where I can't see you." "Dude, I'm eighteen now. I don't think I need to be foalsat. Besides, it's not like I can end up dying a second time." "Maybe not. But I know my way around and know what to look out for." Sandbar sighed. "So how close are we to Griffonstone?" "It's over this mountain," Gallus pointed but stopped suddenly. Sandbar noticed this to look over at him. "Look," he said, sighing, "I know I'm being a control freak, but given where we're going… I have a good reason to be. The last thing I want is for you to be taken advantage of here. Or worse. I'm just trying to protect you is all." Sandbar flew over and patted his friend on the back. "Do you want to go somewhere else?" "No, we've already come this far. It's just I have bad memories of this place, and I want to be sure that you wouldn't have to go through any of the stuff that I did. Okay? We'll still go, just… stay close to me." Nodding in understanding, Sandbar and Gallus began their accent over a snow-capped mountain. Pushing through the clouds, going higher and higher into the cold, thin air. Although it was by no means uncomfortable to either of them, they could still feel the chill on their fur like gliding through a crisp winter morning. They broke through the gray clouds to catapult themselves over the sharp peaks of the mountain. Yet, midway over, Gallus froze. "Hey," Sandbar noticed his friend's surprise, "What's wrong?" At the roof of Heaven itself, the angelic griffon looked down to a clearing below where the clouds didn't cover. On the edge of a cliff were the familiar branches of a place he once knew. The tall tree that made up Griffonstone was there, yes. However, it was neither the only tree nor how he remembered it. Along the mountainous cliff, there was a forest of lively, sky-reaching pines that grew. Yet, what drew his attention more was the one at the top. Not only was it bigger and its branches stronger, but on its branches were held up palaces, temples, libraries, theaters, and countless homes. It was a proper city, yet still balanced by the nature that supported it all. "Gallus?" Sandbar waved a hoof in his face, "You okay?" "Huh?" Gallus shook his head. "You looked surprised back there. I take it that this isn't Griffonstone?" "No… It is," Gallus answered. "This was Griffonstone." "What do you mean ‘was’?" "Dude," he waved a claw, "this is what Griffonstone looked like during its golden age. What it looked like centuries ago." If Gallus had any doubts that this was the afterlife, they were long gone now. Only in Heaven could the worst place in the world, a place of misery and hate, end up looking like such a paradise. Griffins everywhere were smiling and acting polite to one another while the streets were filled to the brim with traders, markets, stores, restaurants, and children having fun. Up in the skies, griffins were flying with each other, and a couple of couples were on clouds making out and having fun. "Dude, you okay?" Sandbar asked, getting the blue griffin's attention. "Uh, yeah," Gallus whispered as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm just shocked… I mean..." "Was Griffinstone really that bad?" Sandbar asked, seriously. ".... Yeah," Gallus said and left it at that. The two continued to travel, using their map to find their way around town towards the library. While a part of Gallus did kinda want to explore his home during its golden years, he still found it far too creepy to even look at it. The streets and locations he recognized looked polished and shined in the sunlight, unlike their usual bleak appearance. 'Maybe I can check this place out another time, but for now…' For now, it was still too painful to see this place as nothing but a hellhole. Even if this was Heaven. The two soon found an air-taxi service that would take them to the library—free of charge of course—and they sat in the coach while their fliers took off into the sky. Gallus took a moment to stare at the shining palace that held Griffinstone's government: The Council of Kings. According to their driver, it held the wisest and greatest rulers in Griffinstone's past since its founding. When one of the leaders died in the mortal world and made it into Heaven, they were judged to see if they were worthy enough to join the council. Sadly, there hadn't been a new member to join the council for a long time. It showed just how far the griffins had fallen from grace. "Hey, Gallus?" Gallus turned around to face Sandbar. "Can I ask you something?" "Yeah, what is it?" Gallus asked. "How long do you think we should be at the library for? I mean, technically, we could stay for eternity and ask every question ever, but I think we should set a time limit for how long we stay." Gallus rubbed his chin. "Good point. I'd hate to get so lost looking at all the choices I could have made in life and find out a thousand years have passed. Hmm... how about three hours?" "Yeah, that sounds good," Sandbar said, nodding in agreement. "What kind of questions do you think you'll ask?" "Well, besides finding out what my life would have been like if I hadn't died?" Gallus took a moment to think about it. "Maybe ask questions about what if my upbringing had been different. Or if I was born as something or someone else. You?" "Hmm, I don't know. I guess I'll find out when I get there," Sandbar answered. They didn't have to wait long as soon they saw a building even bigger than the Royal Castle at Canterlot. It was a grand masterpiece of a three hundred floor building that extended as big as a mountain with hundreds if not thousands of souls flying towards it and leaving it at the same time. It was golden in appearance with giant angelic wings that held strange words on each feather with glowing colored runes. The two were mesmerized by the sight of it and felt their jaws drop. “Woah,” Sandbar said in awe. "If Princess Twilight were here, she would have a heart attack." "Dude, if Ocellus was here, she'd never leave!" The best way one could describe the interior of the library would be something of a monastery. Instead of having bald monks meditating, there were rows upon rows of shelves that preserved scrolls and books of nearly every size, shape, and description. All around, there were lit candles, statues of ancient griffon gods that even Gallus didn't recognize. Yet, there were tables and chairs in this library; even couches in which one could recline while looking through the tomes. Perhaps it was the burning incense that was hinted in the air, or maybe the ancient stone that made up the library, but the place felt more like a monastery than a library. Regardless, when they walked in to look up at the hundreds of floors and bridges that crisscrossed one another, it was as if they had entered into a forgotten temple. "Just a moment," Gallus and Sandbar were brought back into reality by that quiet, monotone voice. Over by a nearby shelf, a griffon with the head of a falcon and robes of orange and yellow, something like a monk, was shelving the last few books back into place. "Yes, I know you two were standing there gawking for the past five minutes, but these books need to be put back." Turning around, the monk walked over to them. "Are you two new? I don't think I've seen your faces here in the library." "Well yeah," Sandbar answered, "it's our first time here." "Ah." Nodding, the monk started to walk away from them, but bid for them to follow. "In that case, I should show you two to your books." Gallus blinked. "Come again?" "Well, that's what you're here for, isn't it? Both of you are here for your books. So I'm going to show you where they are." "Sir, I don't think I understand," Sandbar said, walking up to the monk. "You make it sound like you were expecting us." "Of course I didn't. But those who come to the library often ask questions that tend to relate to themselves. If you ask me, this place should be called the 'What If I…' library. It's all a matter of self-interest, you see." "So how do you know where to look for-" Gallus began to ask but was quickly interrupted. "I don't have to be a detective to deduce that both of you are new souls. And new souls would mean that they would have new books. Being added daily with all those creatures dying, you see." The monk walked them over to a library section where the book bindings became newer as they passed. He stopped at a particular section where they could see books being self-made on the shelf, where the binding and paper were being put together before creating the next one. "So what are your names?" "Gallus Skyflight." "Sandbar Oceanvale." Humming, the monk started walking down. "Let's see… O… O… Oa… Ob… Oc… Oce… Ocean… Ah! Here we go." He pulled out a glossy green book that had Sandbar's cutie mark on it. "This is your book." Handing it to the stallion, the monk walked further, "Now for you… The S's should be over here…. Sc… Se… Sh… Sky… Found it." Pulling it out, he gave Gallus a book that was as blue as he was with three feathers on the cover. "Hey," Sandbar said, flipping open his book, "There's nothing in here." The monk rolled his eyes, "Turn to the first page." Curious, both of them flipped open their books to the front. It too was blank except at the top were the words: What if… "All you need to do," the monk explained, "is write in a question of what you wanted to know. From there, the book will show you." Gallus tilted his head. "That's it?" "We're a library, not a bureaucracy. If you want something that's needlessly overcomplicated, you'll find it in the lowest depths of Hell. Now, if you will excuse me, I still have a good set of books that need to be returned to their shelves." And before he left, he added, "Oh, before I forget, unless you're checking those out, do put those books back where I showed you. It would make my job much easier." From there, he left the two alone with their books. "Okay…" Sandbar looked at his book, "So… now what?" "I don't know about you…" Gallus eyed over to a nearby burning hearth with a low table, a quill and inkwell, and a cozy colorful rug underneath it. "But there's some stuff I want to know, alone. So I'll see you later then." "Okay," Sandbar waved to his friend as he walked off, "See ya." Looking around for a place to sit down, he spotted a padded armchair, one that was covered over with a woolen blanket. Next to it was a thin table with enough room for a quill and inkwell. Then, walking over with the book in hoof, he hopped onto the comfy chair and thought about what he wanted to know first. Gallus looked over his shoulder. Sandbar had sat down in a place where he wouldn't be able to see what he wanted to find out. Given the nature of the questions he had in mind, especially how personal they are to him, he thought it best that he needed all the privacy to find out. With the book laying flat on the low table, he opened the first page to the words: What if… Picking up the quill and dipping it in ink, he meditated on what sort of question he should ask first. Yes, there were a million things he wanted to know if certain things had gone a different way. However, guiding his claw over to the page, one question did come to mind as he filled in the blank. What if… I was never sent to the School of Friendship? Before his eyes, all the ink on the paper vanished. What was appearing, however, were lines and watercolors that were painted on both pages. The illustration showed a gray, wintery-cold alleyway filled with filth, garbage, and a depressed, head-lowered griffon. It pictured none other than Gallus himself, missing a few feathers and carrying a rope over his shoulder. "The last bits I've ever spent was on a piece of rope." The book narrated aloud, thereby setting the illustration into motion with the downtrodden Gallus entering the alleyway. However, for the real Gallus seeing this, what surprised him wasn't that the picture started to move, but the voice he heard narrating was his own. "A twenty-foot rope, strong enough to hold a full-grown griffon that cost me forty-five bits - ironically the most expensive thing I've ever bought in my life." Like watching a film, the illustration panned back as his counterpart walked forward. His drawing duplicate looked up as if searching for something. "As you could probably guess by now, this isn't the story of my life. I mean… what's there to tell? If you were to ask anyone in Griffonstone, they wouldn't tell you who I was. Because really, I'm a nobody. Nobodies have grown up in orphanages. Nobodies have to fend for themselves at the ripe age of twelve. Nobodies have to beg for everything just to see another tomorrow. And as far as Griffonstone is concerned, nobodies have no friends to tell their story to." His illustration stopped, looking between whatever was up ahead and the rope. Then, spreading his wings, he flew up to a beam and began to tie the rope around it. "I've heard somewhere that good things come to those who wait. For me, I have spent all my life doing just that… waiting. Waiting for an excuse to get out of this hellhole. Waiting for someone to show me the smallest amount of kindness. Waiting for my luck to finally turn around so I could have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, hot food, clean water, and maybe, someone that cares to tell me that everything's going to be alright." Once one end of the beam was secured, his copy began to tie the other end in an elaborate knot. The real Gallus watched on, dreading what was to come next. "However… that opportunity came and went years ago when Grandpa Gruff decided to send somegriff named Gabby to the School of Friendship. Of course, she was the first pick as she was the most friendly griffon in town. Any chance for a second chance had left when the smiley, happy-go-lucky griff flew away. But now…" Gallus's eyes widened when he saw what his illustration held up a noose and put it around his neck. "Winter is coming. That means I will have to spend another three or so months in the snow and ice. Several more weeks on a diet of garbage if I could find anything edible. And another Blue Moon festival without having to celebrate it with a family." In horror, Gallus watched his double standing on his hind legs on the beam. Although the book didn't show his face, it showed his breathing was quickening. Trembling at what he was about to do. "So really..." the narrator of the books said before his illustration jumped off. Gallus covered his beak in shock. Although the book thankfully didn't show the body, it did show the rope suddenly tightened on the beam. "This is a story... of my death." Gallus nearly closed the book right there and then. Seeing him hang himself was shocking enough, but at the same time, it did confirm something that he had suspected all along. If he never went to the School of Friendship, he would have died a good deal sooner. A large part of him wanted to slam the book shut for showing him this. Yet, perhaps it was because of the shock that he allowed it to play out as a morbid curiosity to see where this dark tale was going. "I don't blame you for cutting this short and closing the book on me," his counterpart of a narrator told him. "Just like how quick it was for me to go. And like my death, this story isn't pleasant by any means. However… if you're one of those weirdos that are into that sort of thing… then what's to stop you from sticking around?" Gallus watched the illustration back away to show his swinging corpse, lifeless as a rag doll on a string. As unpleasant and morbid as it was, part of him wonders if someone were to come across something so gruesome. Unfortunately, it didn't take long. A door opened behind the swinging body, and a crossed griffon carrying a trash can dragged it out into the alleyway. "Why can't the bastard just drag the garbage out once in a while?" she complained, not taking notice of Gallus just above her. "Sure, cooking takes a priority when it comes to customers, but still, does he expect me to do everything?" Placing the trash down, she huffed and swiftly turned around; taking a step, she bumped into the dead griffon's paws. "Gah! What the?" She looked up. Instead of the expression of horror, she looked even more irritated. "Oh, come on- again?!" She threw her claws up, "Seriously, what's up with griffons these days!? This is the fifth time this week! Agh!" With anger, she walked around and marched over to the open door. "George! Get out here now!" "Can it wait?" an equally irritated voice called back, "I'm in the middle of my smo-" "No, it can't," she spat back, "we got another one." A moment later, a gray griffon walked out with the other pointed at the body. Although Gallus didn't recognize the female that found his corpse, he did realize who the other one was. He was the cook of a soup shop, not that he ever ate there, but he recognized the face and the always present cigarette that hung from the corner of his beak. George, the cook, looked up and spotted the hanging griffon. "Ah geez… Glinda, how long has that been there?" "I don't know," Glinda replied, "I just walked out here and found 'em like this." George sighed, running a claw over his head, "Well, that's just great, now I got close up shop and buried this one… somewhere." "Or we could-" "No!" George snapped at her, "I'm still not going with that Sweeny Trot crap idea." "Says the guy who puts dog treats in some bowls of soup." "Well, that's because there are a few griffs in this town that deserve it. But serving them bits of a dead guy? Now that's just poor taste." Spreading his wings, he flew up to the rope and used a talon to cut it until Gallus's counterpart fell to the ground. Glinda huffed, "Fine, but where are we gonna bury Don Joe here?" George thought about this for a moment. "There's the ruins if we can wait until nightfall… Or the simplest thing we can do is just shove 'em off a cliff. Course, we gotta wrap him up in something so it wouldn't draw too much attention." The real Gallus groaned, it was one thing to see himself die, but there was something distasteful about having these complete strangers figuring out how to throw him away like a piece of garbage. He watched on as these strangers wrapped him up in a dirty sheet before placing him in a wheelbarrow. Next, they piled on garbage from rotten food and open cans. Gallus wasn't sure if he should feel insulted by how they were treating him or impressed by how they're hiding a dead body in plain sight. From there, the illustration followed the couple out of the alleyway and through Griffonstone. Nervously passing every griffon they pass by, trying to be careful that the rickety wheelbarrow doesn't lose its wheel. Soon, George and Glinda walked away, out of sight from any prying eyes towards the cliff. When they were sure that they weren't being watched or followed, they set the wheelbarrow down. George wiped the sweat from his brow. "Phew… We've got to stop doing this." "What? Carrying suicides away or serving your crappy soup." George frowned, "I mean, just living here. I don't want to carry off bodies every Thursday or be in a place that's been driving guys like 'em to do so." He sighed, "I want to leave." Glinda scoffed, "Yeah? And go where? Namby-pamby Equestria or getting-yourself-barbequed Dragonlands?" "At this point, I don't care. I just want out of this. And you should too." "What good would that do?" Glinda pinched the bridge of her beak. "Besides, we don't have the bits to get out of here. Unless you become a student of friendship or whatever, otherwise, we can't go." With a frustrated grunt, she added, "So what are you waiting for? Let's dump this and go home." "Shouldn't we… I don't know… say something first?" "Like what? We don't know him. For all we know, he could be some homeless guy." "A homeless guy that had a life. Even if we don't know what's up with him," George said as he then removed the part of the wrap that had Gallus' face on it. It was already starting to pale due to the blood flow stopping, but upon seeing his face, George also turned pale as well before closing his eyes and letting out a few curses. "Gods dammit. He's a kid." "What?!" Glinda shouted, taking a closer look before turning away in horror. "Shit..." ".... Gods, I hate this place," George said, closing the wraps again. "It's bad enough adults are killing themselves, but we got kids now? He looks barely into his teens." ".... I take back what I said," Glinda said, shaking her head in disgust. "I want out of here too." "Poor kid, I wonder why he did it," George said. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Glenda looked over to Griffonstone. "As frustrating as this is right now… there's some part of me that can't blame him." "In what way?" "Hon, we're in Griffonstone. It's pretty much, let's face it, a prototype of Hell. No one wants to be here, yet here we are. Everygriff is just frustrated for existing here. So we have to take it out on someone else ourselves just for getting the short end of the stick." Snorting, she shook her head. "I still don't know who this kid is. Maybe he was slapped around one too many times by his parents. Maybe he couldn't take it being in such a gray place as this. Or maybe he would rather kill himself quickly than starve again. If I was any less strong, I might have too." George put a claw over her shoulder, "Maybe we should take this as a sign to get out of here finally. Today it's this kid, and part of me is afraid that tomorrow it might be one of us. I don't want to keep doing this, and I know you don't want to either. I mean, even if we don't go and have a chick, how long do you think our child will last out here?" Glinda, trying to hold back the tears, took in some intense breaths. "As much as I doubt we could… we should. We really should." She turned back to the corpse. "But what about him? I know he's a kid, but now… just tossing 'em off doesn't sit well with me." Humming in thought, George looked around the desolate ground and spotted a black, barren tree. "Over there. We can try burying him over there. It's not much, but it's better than the cliff." So the couple set out to work, using their claws and flat stones to dig a shallow grave for Gallus's double. Finally, they dragged the body out from the filth with a deep enough hole and laid him in the cold earth. "Ya know Glinda," George commented to her, "between you and me, I do hope there really is an afterlife. Maybe his ghost could go off somewhere that's better than here." "I think he'll get into Heaven easily." George tilted his head, "You sound confident with that. Last I checked, suicide was considered a sin, isn't it? So what makes you so sure?" "Anygriff probably should get into Heaven because they've already spent a lifetime in this Hell." While Gallus watched them cover his body, a part of him almost agreed with them. He wondered if what Glinda said had merit with memories of his childhood from the bullies at the orphanage to spending those wintery nights alone, hungry, tired, and cold. How many griffons in Heaven got here because they had suffered the most? Then again, suicide was considered a sin worthy of going to Hell. Considering Gallus was an atheist until he died, he most likely wouldn't have believed such a thing existed when he did himself in. What would have been his afterlife fate in this timeline if he had gone through with it? Would he be up here in Heaven still? Or joining his parents in the burning flames? With the last piece of dirt being put on his face, the couple stood up. George went over to Glinda, hugging her tightly. Although neither of them said a word, Gallus can see pity, fear, and vulnerability etched in their faces. Perhaps they decided at that moment that they should get out while they still can. It was here that Gallus closed the book. He didn't care if this grim tale of his death would continue. For now, his first question was answered. After something like that, he felt that he needed a break. Sandbar wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to write as his first choice. This was the chance he had to figure out what his life could have been like if anything different happened. Like what if he was born a pegasus or a unicorn? Or what if he got chosen to be Princess Celestia's apprentice instead of Twilight? What if Cozy Glow won? So many choices were available to him, and he didn't know which one to choose. He wondered what Gallus had picked already but figured it was best not to bother him. Most likely, he was asking a lot of personal questions that Sandbar had no right in snooping on, even if they had become closer. In fact, in some ways, Sandbar was the only one Gallus had in the afterlife that he really could call a friend or family member due to his parents being in the other place. "Actually… I wonder..." Sandbar rubbed his chin. "Yeah, why not?" He then took his pen and wrote in his first question: What if… my family adopted Gallus? Just as soon as he finished the question, all the ink on the paper vanished like magic. The book started drawing itself by becoming a set of lines and colors while forming pictures that seemed to be moving like a movie. He saw snow everywhere in the School of Friendship, and he could see several students all playing with each other. That was when the art moved and showed Sandbar, only a few years younger now, walking side by side with Silverstream as they talked to each other. "Well, everything seems to be fine. It kinda looks like this is my first year at the school." Sandbar smiled as he saw him and Silverstream talking until he noticed something. Something that he never did with her, and it made his jaw drop. His tail was wrapped around Silverstream's. As in, something that couples did. "W-What?! Wait a minute… am I dating… Silverstream?" His question was confirmed when, out of nowhere, Smolder appeared above their heads with a mistletoe from above. The two were blushing as three creatures came out of the bushes laughing at the state the two were in. They were Ocellus, Yona, and a… Diamond Dog? "But… there wasn't a Diamond Dog at school… not until this year at least," Sandbar recalled. Every race in the world had been invited to send a student to the Friendship Academy, but only five races accepted it; it was just after the Terrible Trio incident that more species agreed to attend, such as the Kirin, Buffalo, Abyssinians, and later on Diamond Dogs. Sandbar looked closer at this black-furred Diamond Dog, who seemed to be more of a wolfish creature than anything by how wild his mane was. He dwarfed the others with his size by being a few inches taller than Silverstream. He was wearing a long black coat with paw prints on it and had a handsome face, yet there was a scar over his eye along with a black eyepatch. If it weren't for the fact he was smiling with the others, Sandbar would have been sure he was some kind of thug. But this didn't make sense to him. Where was Gallus? However, his attention was then turned to his alternate self and Silverstream making out as the others continued to snicker. Sighing, Sandbar was really glad Gallus wasn't watching right now. "I know this isn't real… then why do I feel so guilty? And how did the two of us end up together?" His pondering was on hold as the six walked inside and began making for the school's big student lounge, where they soon sat down at the big fire roasting in the far end of the room. "Ugh, I can't understand why creatures like snow so much," Smolder said, shivering as she warmed herself by the fire. "It's so cold, wet, and weird." "You're just saying that because the first time you saw it, you thought the sky had fallen, and the end of the world was happening," the Diamond Dog said with a chuckle. "Shut up, Rexis. At least I didn't roll around in it like a puppy," Smolder argued, to which the Diamond Dog blushed. "Anyway, so tomorrow we're going to your place for that holiday party your parents are hosting, right, Sandbar?" "Yeah, I figured since we're all going to be doing our own holiday celebrations in a few days, I thought it would be nice to do one together at my place," Sandbar said while cozying up to Silverstream with a heavy blush. "Plus… I kinda want to introduce them to Silvey." "Ah, I look forward to seeing your parents too, Sandy!" Silver said before kissing him on the face. Ocellus glowed a bit which made everyone stare at her before she rubbed the back of her neck. "S-sorry! Feeling the love from you guys is making me hungry." "Aww, Yona wishes she had boyfriend," Yona whimpered before stomping her hoof on the floor. "Yak find future mate this year when returning home!" "Geez, Yona," Rexis said with a smirk. "They only just started dating after that whole underground trials thing. They're not ready to go into the sheets yet." He then raised his eyebrows. "Unless there is something they aren't telling us." "We haven't done anything!" Both Sandbar and Silverstream said at the same time. "The underground trials? When the Tree of Harmony tested our friendship? Now that I think about it, that is when Gallus and Silverstream did become closer. Could it be that I was the one who helped Silverstream, and she fell for me and I for her?" Sandbar wondered, rubbing his head. "So where is Gallus in all this? Isn't he a student like me?" "Anyway, I'm really excited for you guys to meet my folks," Alternate Sandbar said as his smile got bigger. "Plus, my brother is coming over from Military School! So you get to meet him too!" "You have a brother?" Everyone asked in surprise. "Yeah, Gallus. I don't think I've told you about him, have I?" They shook their heads, "He's actually my adopted brother. My father took in when he went to travel in Griffinstone awhile back," Sandbar explained. "He saw him living on his own and felt sorry for him. So he took him home and officially adopted him. Gallus and I grew up as the best of friends, and he was always protecting me from bullies and keeping me safe. It's one of the reasons why he became so interested in the military growing up. Prince Shining Armor is his biggest hero!" "Wait, you said he came from Griffinstone," Ocellus pointed out, tilting her head. "Does that mean he's a griffin?" "Yeah, he is. Born in Griffinstone but raised right here in Ponyville." Real Sandbar was surprised. Gallus had grown up with him? Now that he thought about it, his Dad did go to Griffinstone one time when he was six for something, but he didn't know what. Did that mean that if his father noticed Gallus living on his own at that time, then he could have avoided that horrible life and lived with him as a big brother? "Woah, that's like… far out..." Sandbar wondered out loud. "I've never seen a griffin before," Silverstream said with excitement. "What's he like? Will he like me? I hope all your family likes me!" "Well, he acts tough, but he's a complete kitten on the inside. He's always looking out for those smaller or weaker, like with me when we were growing up. He's got a sarcastic mouth to him that can cut steel, but he's pretty funny. And he'll never back down from a challenge. One time, we kinda did something stupid in the Everfree forest when we were ten, and I broke my leg. Gallus carried me all the way home on his back despite his own bruises," Sandbar explained with a sheepish smile. "He sounds like a cool creature," Smolder said, nodding in approval. "Oh, and uh, he's kind of a major flirt," Sandbar said, blushing. "Like seriously. He was hitting on ponies older than us since he was thirteen." "Does this mean we have to keep our guard up?" Ocellus asked, smiling nervously. "No, the only one that has to worry about that is Rexis here," Sandbar said, surprising the Diamond Dog. "He's into guys. So that's something you both have in common, Rex." "O-Oh," Rexis said, blushing as his tail twitched. "Um, that's… cool..." Yona walked over and nuzzled Rexis. "Friend Rexis needs to start dating now that he accepts real self. No need to be afraid." "Y-yeah," Rexis said while moving his paw to his eye. The actual Sandbar wondered if there was a story to this. "A-Anyway, I guess we'll meet him at the party. So what do you guys want to do until then?" Sandbar then saw the entire scene disappear, much to his confusion. When it reappeared, Sandbar soon saw that it was now the exterior of his house with all the decorations of Hearth's Warming Eve on display. It soon moved to his living room, where he saw himself, his friends, and his family all enjoying themselves. Sandbar's heart tightened upon seeing his parents and little Coral dancing to some music on the phonograph and did his best to prevent himself from crying. He could see him and Silverstream dancing side by side while Smolder and Rexis seemed to be having some kind of cookie-eating contest. Ocellus and Yona were merely talking to each other about something Sandbar couldn't hear. That's when the door knocked, and Sandbar gasped as he and his family soon rushed towards the door. "He's here!" Opening the door, it turned out to be none other than Gallus, dressed in a military uniform and opening his wings out. "Hey, gang! I'm home!" "Gally!" Coral said as she jumped into her adopted brother's arms. Gallus took her into his embrace for a hug before twirling him around. "Weee!" "Hey, Coral! Wow, you got bigger since I last saw you, little sis!" Gallus said as he then put her down and walked over to Sandbar's parents and hugged them. "Hey, Mom and Dad! Miss you both at the academy." "We missed you too, Son," Sandbar's Mom said before kissing him on the cheek. She then took a look at Gallus's buffed body and giggled. "My, you look so muscled! You must get a few guys looking at you during drills." "What can I say," Gallus said, showing off his muscles. "The boys love a buff griff in uniform." "I guess this Gallus is fully gay rather than being bisexual," Sandbar thought aloud, wondering what caused him to be so. "Hey, what about some love for your brother!" Sandbar said before the two embraced and messed with each other's hair. For the real Sandbar, it was a surprise not only to see Gallus so touchy-feely but also looking so… well… handsome. Sandbar blushed upon getting a good look at Gallus's muscles. His chest was perfectly cliched, and his wings were broad and powerful. Plus, if Sandbar was honest, the military made Gallus' rear end look like that of an Ancient Pegasi God. Rexis seemed to be thinking the same thing as he was staring at Gallus with a fully dropped jaw, with drool coming out. "Close your mouth, or you're gonna swallow a fly," Smolder joked, which the Diamond Dog quickly did. Sandbar then guided his adopted brother to his five best friends, who lined up together for introductions. "Everycreature, I'd like you to meet my big brother, Gallus Oceanvale. Gallus, these are my best friends at the Friendship Academy." "On behalf of the entire Oceanvale family, I'd like to apologize for you having to put up with my silly little brother," Gallus said, winking. "Celestia knows that he's a bit of a dunce in the common sense area." "Oh, ha-ha," Sandbar said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not the one who failed math in the third grade." "Dude, you try learning numbers while living on a street when you’re six," Gallus said, sticking his tongue out. "I got an excuse." Gallus walked over to Silverstream, who grabbed Gallus's hand and started shaking it rapidly. "Nice to meet you, Gallus! I really am glad to meet a griffin! I've never met one before! I've been underwater! But you look so similar to a hippogriff! Are our races related to each other?! Are we cousins?! I'd like to have a cousin! I mean, I already do have a cousin. She's a princess, but not a boy cousin!" "I take it by your hyperactive behavior that you're Silverstream? My brother's future ball and chain?" Gallus said with a grin. "Ball and chain? I don't have a ball and chain on me? Do I?" Silverstream asked as she started checking herself out. Gallus laughed a bit before nudging Sandbar. "Oh, I can see why you two are dating." "Lay off!" Gallus then walked over to Smolder, and the two shook hands. "So, Gallus says you're training to be in the military, huh? Are you doing any good?" "You mean besides the fact that I'm currently matching you in strength as you test my grip?" Gallus said, grinning with a competitive smirk. "The Equestrian Military knows how to fight dragons. I know all your weak spots." "Oh, is that a challenge?" Smolder asks, puffing some smoke. "Guys, save killing each other for when we're in a real war," Sandbar said, rolling his eyes. Ocellus was next as she nodded her head nervously. "Um, hi? I'm Ocellus. I hope you aren't afraid of me being a changeling." "No worries, we're friends now," Gallus said as he wrapped her arm around her. "Although you do look tasty." "T-tasty?!" Ocellus said with horror. "Yeah, bugs are common food back in Griffinstone. Gather a bunch of beetles, ants, centipedes, and a few flies, and you got yourself a nice lunch," Gallus said with a lick of his lips which made Ocellus faint. "Uh, whoops?" "Nice one, bro," Sandbar replied, rolling his eyes. "Yona next!" Yona proclaimed as she jumped forward. "Yona want to meet Sandbar's bird brother!" "I'm also part lion," Gallus pointed out as he lifted his rear end and then, much to Sandbar's embarrassment, pointed it to Rexus, who was blushing. "Which is the better part, hmm? The handsome bird face or the nice toned rear of my feline genes?" "Wow, six minutes of not flirting with a guy," Sandbar said, facehoofing himself. "New record." "What's wrong with showing off what's good about me? Besides, you did say your friend recently accepted himself and came out as gay, right?" Gallus said, walking over to a blushing Rexis while ignoring a confused Yona. He started walking around him and examining him with a nod of approval. "Yeah, not bad. I've never considered a canine approach, being feline and all, but I think I can let you bark around with me if you want." "I… I… I..." Rexis soon couldn't handle it anymore and fainted right next to Ocellus. "Son, could you please stop making your brother's friends faint?" Sandbar's father requested with a sigh. "Sorry, Dad," Gallus said sheepishly. "Fratization isn't allowed at HQ. I gotta let out some steam, you know." "This is why I'm with a steady girlfriend, and the longest relationship you had was three weeks," Sandbar said. "Three weeks and four days." The scene then changed again to show it being nighttime as Gallus and Sandbar were still up, but in a room that seemed to be designed for the two of them as there were two beds with each side filled with stuff that reminded the real Sandbar of the dorm the two shared. The ones in the book were drinking hot chocolate while talking outside their home's balcony while the stars were shining at night. "So, you give Silverstream some courage, and all of a sudden, she's all over you like a hungry dog for steak," Gallus said before drinking from his mug. "Wish I could get a guy that fast." "It wasn't fast!" Sandbar said, rolling his eyes. "It took me three months to finally ask her out and confess my feelings for her. I honestly didn't think she'd want to date a nopony like me since she's royalty and all." "Oh yeah, she's related to a queen, right? Wow, I'm really going to have to step it up," Gallus said before asking. "Say, is Rexis a long-lost prince or related to a noble or something? I wouldn't mind dating him. He's got a cute smile and a nice butt." "One, ew, that's one of my friends you are talking about," Sandbar said, sticking his tongue out before sighing. "Second… no… actually, his father's a total asshole, and that's coming from me being nice!" After another sip, he added, "…. It's the reason why he's got that eyepatch." ".... Rejected him for being gay?" Gallus asked, his mood turning sour. "Yeah, but like… worse than normal," Sandbar said, shaking his head. "He's actually staying with Professor Twilight since his family pretty much refuses him. Hay, the only reason he's here is that Diamond Dog society rejects homosexuals and wants to get rid of him, or else he might have been stoned to death. It was pretty much a nightmare and a blessing for him to come here. He was so terrified of letting us know he was gay that it took all five of us to help him with his trial in that underground test thing." "Shit," Gallus said with a heavy sigh. "Kinda reminds me of what little I remember of Griffinstone. Glad I don't live there anymore." "Yeah, me too," Sandbar said as he touched his brother's shoulder. "I really did miss you, Gallus. I know being a soldier is your dream and all, but sometimes I wish you were there with me at the Academy. I mean, you've been my best friend since we were six. I was kinda afraid I wouldn't find anyone else to hang out with." "Well, it worked out, didn't it?" Gallus said, smiling. "You got five cool friends, dude. And I can see how much you all care for each other. I've got my own group of friends as well back in Canterlot. But no matter what happens to us in the future, we're always going to be brothers." "Got that right!" Sandbar said as the two wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders and continued to watch the moon. "Okay, I think I've seen enough," the real Sandbar said before shutting the book. "Wow… who would have thought..." Still, this did beg the question. "What happened to Rexis in our real-time?" "Excuse me?" Sandbar turned around and saw a messenger pony angel, dressed as a mailpony, with a letter. "Letter for you from a Mr. Rexis." "How did… you know what? I think I should stop being surprised by now," Sandbar said as he accepted the letter before the angel pony flew away. Opening it, he quickly read what it said: Dear Sandbar, Chances are, by the time you are reading this, you've seen an alternative timeline in which we became friends, and your brother was Gallus. If you wonder why I know this, I too looked at my book. Just like you are doing, I asked what would have happened if I went to the School of Friendship, and it showed me a few futures - such as the one you saw. I was later informed that you would be asking such a question about me one day, and you would start feeling guilty about what my fate was. Well, I guess the fact that I'm writing to you in Heaven is kind of a clear picture. I didn't have a happy life. After it was found out that I was gay, I got stoned to death by my clan. Not all Diamond Dogs do this, but mine was an honest group of assholes. But that was years ago, and before you ask, I'm over it now. I'm living with my boyfriend in the Diamond Lands, and I've got a job as a stone cutter. Please don't feel any guilt or such that my fate wasn't for us to be best friends like we both saw in our books. What's done is done, and nothing can change that. Still, I wouldn't mind us getting to know each other, so feel free to drop a letter, and I'll come by to visit. Sincerely, Rexis P.S. Gallus does have a great butt. P.S.S. Yeah, we did become boyfriends in that timeline. But I can't date him now because not only do I have my own boyfriend, who I love very much, but also… well… you'll find out. Sandbar just sighed and smiled. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to find a new friend." He then paused and wondered. "I wonder what he meant when he said I'll find out..." Chapter 7Finally, Gallus opened up his book. Closing his eyes in the hope that maybe the nightmarish scene he saw wouldn’t be there. Cautiously, he pried an eye open to find - much to his relief - that the pages were blank again. So flipping back to the first page, he stared at the words What if… and tried to figure out what else he wanted to know. He could have asked the book what would have happened if he had been raised by his parents but he immediately turned it down. Knowing that they were criminals who had abandoned him at the orphanage, there was a part of him that knew his life might have been far worse than what he had to face growing up. Besides, if for some reason they did raise him, he might have become a monster in such conditions. Letting his mind wander, he tried to focus on something else. Something that would give a much-needed palate cleanser after what he’d witnessed. Then it came to him. So picking up the quill and dipping it into the ink, he wrote out: What if… me and Sandbar didn’t die in the Diamond Dog caves? Watching the ink disappear, he braced himself as lines and colors began to form a new picture. To his confusion, it showed Carousel Boutique. For a moment, he wondered why the book was showing him this. Then the door opened. “You two are lifesavers,” a pony complimented as she walked out the door carrying a wedding dress. “Again, thank you both so much.” Following an unrecognized pegasus mare behind them were Yona and Sandbar, who waved at her while encouraging her to come back again. Gallus was taken aback; his friends looked older, probably by a good fifteen years or so. At first, the griffon thought that this alternative reality was showing them working for Rarity after they might have graduated. But as the book followed the two into the shop, he noticed that Rarity was nowhere to be seen. Did they take over the boutique, maybe? “Has Sandbar seen Yuna lately?” Yona asked, starting to put the bundles of fabric away. “By now she probably just got out of school.” Sandbar replied, rolling up a piece of measuring tape. “So she’s more than likely on her way back.” “Good.” Yona nodded, “And Sandbar invited friends over?” “Of course, and they wrote me back telling how excited they are to hear if she’s been accepted by the academy.” “Will.” Yona corrected, “Yuna has been accepted.” Sandbar raised an eyebrow, “How do you know?” “Starlight told Yona. But Yuna and rest don’t know yet. Best not ruin surprise.” It was then that they heard the bell from the shop’s door. In rushed a young yak that Gallus had never seen before. A sandy brown yak with braided locks in her mane, complete with a light green poncho similar to Yona’s, came rushing in with a mile-long smile and a scroll in her horn. “It’s here! It’s here!” Yuna cried in excitement. ‘Oh, so this must be their daughter,’ thought Gallus, but paused for a moment, ‘For a future that might have taken place a good twenty-five, maybe thirty years from now, she must be… what? Fifteen years old.’ While he watched the wholesome scene of his friends congratulating Yuna, the more he wondered… ‘Did they… adopt?’ “Can I open it?” Yuna asked, her eyes begging her parents. “Later tonight,” Sandbar patted her back. “We need to have everyone else be here before we find out.” “Including Uncle Gallus and Aunt Silverstream?” Yona nodded, “And the kids too.” This Gallus didn’t expect, ‘Me and Silver had kids? So in this, that would mean that if I never died, I might have married Silver.’ He sighed at this melancholy thought. “Not to mention that Ocellus is coming too with Kiki,” Sandbar added, “and I think Smolder is coming too with Spike and Cinder. Which reminds me, we need to get some gems for them to snack on when they get here.” “But dad,” Yuna took the scroll off her horn, “Couldn’t I just take a little peek? Just in case that this might be a rejection letter.” “No peek,” Yona shook her head, “not until everyone gets here.” Then the picture changed. Colors faded and bent, the lines rearranging to form a new scene. This time, it was a dinner table, all of Gallus' friends sitting around it. In the middle, he spotted himself. He looked older, had more muscles on him, and, much to his surprise, wore a military dress uniform he had seen a few times before - one meant for the Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard. Between him and Silverstream (who, despite her age, was still as beautiful as ever) were two children, a boy, and a girl, both probably no older than ten. They looked the exact same age, though the twins weren’t identical; the boy had a pink coat, similar to his mother’s, yet had his father's eyes, while the girl was a lighter shade of blue with eyes like her mother’s. Next to Silver was Spike who munched on gems with Smolder. Next to her in a highchair was the youngest of the group. The hatchling, whose scales were purple and had small, round spikes, was being fed by her mother, spooning a paste that looked like grounded turquoise. On his counterpart’s end, Ocellus sat next to a small, yellow changeling. Someone who was older than the twins, yet in some ways had carried one particular trait from her - that at the dinner table, the Changeling had a book. Then at one end of the table next to Ocellus and her kid, were Sandbar and Yona with theirs. With Yuna almost vibrating in her seat. At first, there was a confusing chatter that Gallus couldn’t make out. That was until Yona stomped on the table a few times, getting everyone’s attention with their dishes being shocked. “Friends quiet down,” Yona began, “we have something special to show everyone.” “Well, we know that,” Silverstream commented, “You sent us the letter for something special but didn’t say what it was. Is this supposed to be a surprise party? Because if so, I don’t think that’s going well.” The table laughed and Sandbar waved. “No no, it’s not that kind of surprise. However, it is something very special.” He patted his daughter’s back, “Today’s the last day our Yuna will be going to the schoolhouse. And lately, we’ve been applying to get her into a particular school.” “Sandbar, I’m disappointed in you,” Gallus’s counterpart shook his head but joked, “if you want her to attend military school, you just have to ask.” “Not that kind of school ya featherbrain,” Sandbar chuckled before holding up the sealed scroll. “We’re here to have Yuna open this letter that I think will change her life, as it had with ours.” Handing it over to her, Sandbar told her daughter to go ahead and open it. Breaking the wax seal, Yuna unrolled the scroll. “It says: ‘Dear Yuna Oceanvale, we are happy to inform you that after reviewing your academic credits and you have been accepted to attend the Friendship Academy beginning this August!’” Yuna squealed in delight. “Yes! I got in!” The table erupted in applause, cheers of congratulations from all around. “It’s about time,” the young Changeling next to Ocellus beamed, “maybe by the fall semester, we might attend classes together.” “You think so Mantis?” Yuna asked, “Didn’t you say that there are so many classes at the academy now?” “‘Course there is,” Smolder informed, spooning another mouthful to her hatchling, “But knowing you, I think you and point-dexter will be in at least a few dozen classes from now on.” Then after a beat and a wicked smile, she added, “Although, I would recommend taking a class from me. I offer field trips.” “Mostly camping,” Spike quickly added, “it wouldn’t be like the volcano incident, I assure you.” Ocellus laughs, “Yeah, I can still remember how loud Starlight was after the fact. Some say you could hear her from all the way from Saddle Arabia.” “What can you do?” Smolder shrugged, “Yeah, I get yelled at most often. But can you blame me for wanting to teach something fun?” The real Gallus chuckled at this, ‘Yeah, Smolder would do something like that.’ “Hey Yuna,” Silverstream said, “why not start out taking Ocellus’s class? Last I’ve heard, the students over there love her.” “Only if you want to,” Ocellus told Yuna, “but if you do, then you’ll have to dedicate yourself to a lot of reading in Creature Studies.” At this point, one of the twins, the pink hippogriff, leaned forward. “Yuna, why are you so excited to go to school? It’s boring.” Yuna shrugged. “If it were any other school, then yes, you might have a point. But this is the Friendship Academy, Greg. This isn’t just all tests and books. It’s more than that.” “It is?” the other twin inquired. “How?” Yuna tilted her head. “You mean you two don’t know? Not even you, Athena?” “They’re still in elementary school.” Gallus’s copy said. “Remember, they’re a few grades behind you so they don’t know yet.” “Oh,” Yuna nodded in understanding. “Well, the thing is, Greg and Athena, the academy isn’t like most schools because they teach things differently. Not only can you learn about whatever you want, but it teaches you on how to be a better friend. How to grow a community, how to help one another, I can go on, but it’s a place where you can learn while having fun doing so.” “Does it have games?” Athena asked. “Well, I have them for my class,” Smolder smirked, “I require it.” “And treats?” Greg inquired. “I will bring some in if the class is doing well at the end of the week.” Ocellus answered. From there, the twins tugged on their parents’ feathers begging, “Mom and Dad! Mom and Dad! Can we go to that school?” “You will,” Silver rubbed her daughter’s head, “but try getting through elementary school first, and then we’ll get you two in.” “But I wanna go now!” Greg objected. The other Gallus patted his head, “Well you’re not gonna get in by being impatient. In a few years, you’ll start learning there. You’ll just have to wait.” At this point, the real Gallus had seen enough and closed the book; and gave a melancholic sigh. Not because of what might have happened, but as it started to sink in… but what he lost. Yes, what he saw was a happy occasion, witnessing the beginning of a new chapter for another generation. However, he had to remind himself that everything that he saw could have happened if he and Sandbar were still alive. He could have married Silverstream and had those two children. But he was dead, and despite what he knew what could have been, Gallus still remembered Silverstream’s promise to move on. Sure, what he saw was what could have been, but it won’t help what might be possible now. Maybe someday, he could be a father and marry someone he loves. Perhaps, not with Silverstream. But maybe… Gallus looked over his shoulder, eyeing Sandbar with his book who seemed to be having the time of his afterlife from the laughter he was giving. In his mind, a question began to form but shook his head. “It’s unlikely… but then again…” Looking at the book, he flipped open to the first page. After a thoughtful hum, he muttered, “I could probably ask later…” “Hmmm, what should I ask next,” Sandbar wondered out loud. He scratched his head and grumbled upon realizing just how short of imagination he had in his brain. He could ask anything in the world about himself and yet here he was still blank as the sheets of paper before him. “There has to be something I can ask. What if I was born a girl? Nah, that's a bit too freaky. What if the Cozy Glow won? Actually, I think I might get disturbed by a world where that happens. What if I asked someone else to the dance? Well, I just saw myself with Silverstream not too long ago so I guess that already counts the fact I could have been with any of my friends.” Sandbar sighed and rested his head on the desk. “Man, if Princess Twilight was here she would be able to figure out what to write… Princess Twilight...” Sandbar’s eyes lit up. “Hey, there’s an idea!” He quickly grabbed the book and started writing into it: What if... I was an alicorn? Just like last time, the book began to take the shape of moving pictures and sketches. The form of the scene was, however, pure darkness much to Sandbar’s surprise as he wondered what was going on. Then, to his surprise, there was a narration that he could hear in his head. “How long have I been asleep? It feels like forever since I have seen the sun or the moon. Am I even still alive after thousands of years? Have I joined my fellow alicorns in death and failed my mission? Had the statis spell failed and I am trapped in the void for eternity? We sacrificed everything for this chance to save the future of our world… Yet was I… a failure? Father. Mother. I wish you were here.” “Is this… me?” Sandbar asked, tilting his head. Suddenly, a light began to appear on the page as the sound of crumbling stones and voices could be heard. The narrator started to speak again. “Light? Light! I have to… reach out...” With a loud grunt, a figure burst through the stone tomb that had laid still for thousands of years as the figure emerged from its rock coffin. Groaning, the figure slowly raised its body up while spreading its grand emerald wings and lighting up its glowing green and white horn to let the familiar feeling of magic spread through him. The dust soon settled and Sandbar gasped upon seeing… himself. Or rather his alicorn self. He was much taller than Princess Luna but still shorter than Princess Celestia and he looked far older than he was currently in the afterlife. Then again, considering how long alicorns could live, it was possible that he was even older than the princesses if the dialogue of the narrator was correct. He was also very, very handsome to the point that any mare or stallion who saw him would easily turn red. His mane was also longer but was no longer two shades of green. While his darker green tone remained, the lighter green tone was replaced with a pure white look and his coat was a pristine and regal emerald. The most noticeable thing, however, was his cutie mark. It wasn’t the three turtles that proudly stood on the real Sandbar’s rump, but rather was a strange swirling symbol of water, air, and sand in a vortex. As Alicorn Sandbar got his bearings straight, a voice talked over the dust. “Um, Yona? I think you woke up an ancient alicorn.” The dust finally settled as the images changed to show his five friends, all in some kind of ancient-looking tomb, but also an ash-colored earth pony with a beanie on top of his head that covered his mane. His cutie mark was a skateboard and a ramp. All six of them were staring at the Alicorn Sandbar like he was a ghost or something as the male alicorn shook his head to get the last of the rocks in his mane out. “W-Who are you children? Wait, Griffins? Changelings? Yaks? Hippogriffs? Dragons?! Run, little pony, I will protect you!” The five non-ponies seemed to be frightened as Alicorn Sandbar summoned his magic to his horn and glared. Before anything could happen the earth pony got in front of his friends with his arms stretched out. “Woah! Chill dude! These guys are my friends!” “You’re… friends?” Sandbar asked, tilting his head as he slowly lowered his magic. “You mean to tell me that the enemies of Ponykind are… allies with us?” “Uh, yeah,” The ash pony said with a small grin. “We’ve been friends for a while now. Ever since Princess Twilight Sparkle started the Friendship Academy we’ve been all working together to promote the magic of friendship.” “I… I see...” Alicorn Sandbar whispered, confused but calm. “I guess I should have expected our races to be allies in the future. In fact, this works to our advantage to prepare ourselves for their coming.” “Who are you talking about?” The earth pony asked. “Actually, a better question would be who is he,” Ocellus stated as he pointed to the large male alicorn. “I thought Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and Princess Twilight were the only alicorns?” “I’m more surprised by the fact he’s a male alicorn,” Gallus said, crossing his arms. “I was under the impression only girls could become them.” “Wait, there are other alicorns?!” Alicorn Sandbar asked with shock and glee. “I… I thought I was the last! Take me to them! I must see them at once!” “Um, okay,” The Earth Pony said as he turned to Silverstream. “Hey, Silver? Better let Headmaster Starlight and Somnambula know about this.” “On it, Ashburn!” Silverstream started with a salute as she gave the name of Sandbar’s replacement of the six. Apparently, in order for Sandbar to be an alicorn the entire timeline of reality had to be rewritten so that he was born way before there was even an Equestria. 'Really shows how things can change if something is different.' The scene then changed again, only this time it showed someplace familiar: The Front Halls of the Friendship Academy. Alicorn Sandbar was looking around in interest as the six students and Starlight Glimmer lead the confused male alicorn into their school. “So, this place promotes the teachings of… friendship?” “Yup,” Starlight said with a smile. “We’ve managed to bring more students from all over the world here to learn to work together in harmony. We do teach things like math, science, and history here as well, but the primary purpose is to let other races come together to learn from one another and be united by the bonds they make.” “I see,” Alicorn Sandbar stated as flapped his wings a bit. “I must admit, it reminds me of the Grand College of Lathia. Only it had just Alicorns attending with the occasional non-alicorn pony allowed if they showed promise.” “I never heard of any place called Lathia in Equestria.” Ocellus said, raising her eyebrow. “That is because it was once in the land of Avalon,” Alicorn Sandbar stated, which made the others stare at him in confusion. “You… have you ever heard of Avalon? Home of the Alicorn race? The first was created by the Goddess along with the other first races such as the Dragons, Kitsune, Lupans, Humans, Elves, and Dwarves?” “Ummm, one of those we know,” Gallus said, pointing to a waving Smolder. “Why yak not included in ancient races?” Yona asked, upset. “We old race too! We trace our history very far back and proudly!” “S-Sorry, but I’ve never heard of those races. Well, except humans, but they live in an entirely different dimension,” Starlight pointed out. “Dimension?” Alicorn Sandbar stated as he rubbed his chin in thought. “So the rumors of the Imperial Mages discovering the means to bend time and space were true? Did they use such a power to escape… them?" “Again with the them! What is so mysterious about these guys?” Smolder asked, annoyed. However, before Alicorn Sandbar could answer, four figures appeared from the other end of the hall that made him gasp. The group turned to find an equally shocked Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and Princess Twilight all standing still with shocked expressions, and… were they blushing?! “Wait, what?!” the real Sandbar asked, nearly knocking his chair over as he inched closer. Indeed, all four of the princesses were staring at Sandbar with deep red cheeks. “Um, are the princesses… checking me out? I honestly don’t know how to feel about that. Wait a minute, isn’t Princess Cadence supposed to be married?” The group then turned to Alicorn Sandbar who was looking at the four with tears in his eyes and a bright smile. Rushing forward, he stood before the four. “So it’s true… you are alicorns… our race survives!” He soon knelt before them. “It’s an honor to meet you nobles of my kin. I am Prince Sandbar Vos Oceanvale, son of King Ventwind vos Oceanvale and Queen Shora vos Oceanvale. Heir to the Nyabbin Sealand Kingdoms. Protector of the Sky and Waves. Lord of the Waters. And Guardian of the Realm in the name of our Glorious Goddess, Faustilia. May she forever be praised!” He smiled at them and asked, “From which of the lands do you hail from or are descended from? Illora Republic? Corano Empire? The Nightwinter Realm? Or the Kingdom of Everstar?” “.... Um, Canterlot?” Twilight asked, nervously. “I… have never heard of it,” Alicorn Sandbar said nervously, but still continued to smile. “Nevertheless, I must know, how did you survive after ten thousand years like me? Did the Grand Wizards also give you the stasis spell? Or are you descendants of those who survived? Oh, are you all related?” “My sister, Luna, and I are related,” Princess Celestia said, getting her bearings straight. “Perhaps we should introduce ourselves. I am former Princess Celestia, raiser of the sun. This is my sister, Princess Luna, raiser of the moon.” She then turned to Twilight. “This is the current ruler of the Equestria, raisers of both the sun and moon, and my former apprentice, Princess Twilight Sparkle. And this is the ruler of the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence.” “You are a raiser of the sun and moon?! I… I had no idea you were the descendants of the High King and Queen!” Alicorn Sandbar shouted in shock before bowing so low he almost touched the ground. “Your graces! Forgive me. I did not know. I am yours to command.” “Okay, hold up!” Twilight shouted, flaring her wings. “Just… who the hay are you?! What are these places?! And we’re not descendants of alicorns! We were turned this way by destiny!” “.... What?” As the scene began to change again, the real Sandbar began to rub his face. “This is so confusing. This is all sounding like a really bad fanfic.” The entire scene had now shown the five alicorns to be alone in the library with Alicorn Sandbar looking depressed while the four others were looking at him with sympathy. It seemed that they must have told him the truth in between the scenes. Sighing, Alicorn Sandbar looked at the ground with misty eyes. “I see… a method that allows one to become an alicorn… but not born as one... you were all regular ponies before?” “Yes, Cadence and Luna were pegasi while Twilight and myself were unicorns,” Princess Celestia answered with sympathy. “We have all turned at a very young age thanks to destiny and the discovery of new magic such as raising the sun or moon. Twilight is the youngest of us, but she has proven to be more powerful than all three of us with her actions.” “Yes, these tales you’ve told me of your adventures against these evils,” Prince Sandbar stated as he turned to Cadence and bowed. “I am sorry for the loss of your husband in the battle against King Sombra. I too have lost many I cared about in the war.” Princess Cadence shed a tear before wiping it away with her wing. “Thank you… I just hope Shining is… at peace.” Twilight nuzzled her sister-in-law before Princess Luna stepped forward. “We have told our story, but I am afraid we have yet to hear yours,” Princess Luna stated. “We have never seen a male alicorn before and you claim to be one born from two alicorn parents? Such a thing is almost unheard of.” “Yes, I am. I suppose in a way this makes me the last trueborn alicorn in the world,” Prince Sandbar stated as he sighed and turned away. “Not that any of you don’t deserve such a title. You have done great deeds that are worthy of our race, but still… you must understand… I had hoped...” “.... What happened?” Princess Cadence asked. “.... Long ago, we alicorns were one of the most powerful races along with the Humans, Elves, and Dragons on equal footing while the other races. The Dwarves, Lupans, and Kitsunes were right behind us. We each ruled our own kingdoms and realms. Sometimes there was peace and other times there was war. It was why I was so surprised to see so many races working together when I first awoke. The only ones who had ever treated us kindly were Humans, Elves, and Dwarves. All the other races were our rivals.” He turned around and faced the four who saw hatred and fear in his eyes. “Then, a great evil came into our lands. Creatures of horror and terror who brought nothing but death and destruction. All kingdoms were felled one by one. These beings were called… the Necronai. The undead unholy abominations of the Dark One. The Forsaken God of The Void: Yazaboth.” The four alicorns shivered as his name was mentioned. Even real Sandbar did so, but couldn’t help but get really into this story. “The Necronai were relentless. They butchered everyone and anything in their path no matter how old or young. They desired the entire extermination of all lives in our world. Some races fled while others were slaughtered to the last. The Alicorn Race was of the former. At that time, I was a Guardian. A warrior chosen by the Goddess to protect our people even as my family was killed, my lands raided, and my people suffered. I fought and fought with no fear of death. Only a desire to see this nightmare end.” “How… horrible...” Princess Cadence whispered as tears began to appear not just in her eyes but all four of them. “What stopped them?” “I do not know, but I assumed the last alliance did it.” Alicorn Sandbar answered with a heavy sigh. “The last thing I remembered, the Dragons had gathered what remained of the living to form an army to find the Death King, their leader, and prophet, to end the nightmare once and for all. However, there was a fear that even if we did succeed in ending the reign of the Necrotani, it would only be enviable that the Dark One would try again. So I was preserved, along with others, to see to it that future generations would know of the possible rise of the Dark One’s army once again. And should the worst have happened, as I assumed it came to be for our people, then some of us could survive and rebuild in the ashes of a new world. It seems, however, that while my race… died, along with many others, the last alliance succeeded for still there is life in this world.” “But the tomb you were in has been searched many times before,” Twilight pointed out. “The only reason we discovered you now was because there were glowing seals in the wall you were in.” “My seals were too weak and the spell to release me, should it be sensed a new Death King had emerged. However, that was many years ago, but I still remained trapped. The last kingdom, Oberan, was where the Grand Wizards preserved me in a stasis spell with the hopes that I could warn future races of the dangers of the undead,” Alicorn Sandbar stated as he glared at the four. “I am here to warn and prepare you all for the threat that ended the great and noble races of the gods’ first era. For if you do not prepare yourselves, I fear that all you love and treasure will die in a sea of blood and flame.” A long silence stood as all four alicorns stared at Alicorn Sandbar until a loud growl was heard. They turned their attention to the blushing prince’s stomach as he rubbed the back of his head with a nervous smile. “F-Forgive me. Having been asleep for ten millennia… I fear I am hungry.” Princess Celestia smiled. “Perhaps Twilight and Cadence can get you something to eat. We can discuss this matter some other time. This is a… lot to think about. Plus, I’m sure Twilight has hundreds of questions she wishes to know about your time.” Twilight’s eyes nearly burst into stars as she quickly grabbed the surprised prince and started asking numerous questions while Princess Cadence followed her with an amused smirk. While also, keeping her gaze upon that toned flank of his. Once they were gone, Princess Luna turned to her sister. “Sister, do you believe him?” “I do,” Princess Celestia said with a heavy sigh before turning to her sister with a serious expression. “The eyes he holds speak not only of ancient experience but pain and loss, Sister. This stallion… he speaks the truth.” “.... How can we hope to contend against an army of monsters strong enough to wipe out the ancient races of our world?” Princess Luna muttered with a cold shiver before her sister nuzzled her. “We will find a way, Sister. We are not alone in this now. Thanks to Twilight’s efforts we are closer to the other nations than ever before. We will warn them of the danger to come and prepare ourselves for these demons who seek to ruin our world. I believe destiny sent Prince Sandbar to us in order to help us. We will help him adjust to our world, and in return, he will help us deal with these Necronai.” Princess Celestia then tapped her chin with a smile. “Plus, it is nice to have a handsome-looking stallion around our height for once, isn’t it?” The real Sandbar covered his face with his hooves. “Oh… no...” “S-Sister!” Princess Luna shouted, puffing her cheeks. “We are talking about the end of the world and you are thinking of flirting with our possible savior?!” “Oh come on, Lulu,” Princess Celestia said, rolling her eyes. “You cannot tell me you don’t find him attractive? Twilight was certainly staring at him with ogling eyes and I did see Cadence check out his bum a few minutes ago.” “Is she not still mourning over Shining’s death?” Luna asked. “It was years ago, Luna,” Princess Celestia said with a sigh. “Perhaps this is a sign she is ready to move on and find new love… unless I get him first.” “W-what?! Sister, whose side are you on? Twilights?! Cadence?! Or yourself?!” Princess Luna demanded. Celestia smirked as she turned away and made for the door. “All’s fair in love and war, Sister. I love those two as my own daughters, but I’m not going to miss a chance to finally be with someone who can live just as long as me.” She then grinned at Luna. “If you are not interested in him either, that’s fine. One less opponent for me.” Just as she left, Luna growled and stomped her hoof. “‘Tis a challenge you want, Sister, I shall accept! We shall see who wins his heart!” “Okay, I had enough!” Sandbar said, closing the book. “Ugh, so if I was born an alicorn now only do I live through a war against a race of monsters while arriving ten thousand years into the future with all my loved ones are dead, but I also get all four Princesses, one of which is a widow, who has an interest in me as a romantic partner?!” He shook his head and decided to take a breather. And maybe find a mini-bar somewhere. Gallus hummed and tried to figure out what he should ask in the book next. Sure, he already thought of one but he felt that since he still had enough time, he might as well think of something else. However, for a long time, he wasn’t sure what exactly. He could inquire what if he dated someone else, but he wasn’t sold on it. Maybe he could ask what it would be like if Twilight or probably Starlight had adopted him. Or he could ask what would happen if in the past he and his friends had secretly tried doing something like smoking poison joke. But those didn’t quite stick out. However, remembering what part of Heaven he was in, a question did come to him. Which prompted him to fill in the blank: What if… I found out I was the last King of the Griffons when I was alive? Gallus braced himself for what he was about to see as the ink faded away and the lines were being drawn. On those pages, he saw the student lounge which connected the dorm rooms. With color being added, it showed his friends lying about on the couch or on the floor in the middle of a study session. But before the illustration moved, he noticed that he was missing from all of this. When it did move, there was a loud bang, and the book showed his double. Just slammed the door, panting in a panic. Heaving, the other Gallus darted his eyes about the room. “What’s gotten into you?” Smolder asked looking up. “Quick!” his counterpart rushed over to grab a nearby table, “Barricade the doors! Shut up the windows!” Frantic, the other Gallus took whatever he could get his claws on and threw them at the door. “They’re coming for me!” “Who’s coming?” Yona stood up, just in time for Gallus to yank the carpet underneath her. “Why griffon afraid?” “The army!” Gallus took hold of the couch that Silverstream, Smolder, and Ocellus were sitting on. “The Griffon army is coming to take me away-” he was suddenly cut off when Smolder smacked him across the face. “Dude! Snap out of it!” Smolder hopped off the couch, “What’s going on?” She held up a claw to his beak, “And please explain without screaming your head off.” Gallus stepped back, rubbing the side of his face. “Sorry just… if they take me, I’ll never come to Equestria again.” “What for?” Sandbar asked, “Did you do something wrong?” “Oh-ho, I wish!” Gallus walked past them to go into his and Sandbar’s room. There were sounds of him moving something around and coming back with a shoebox. “They’re coming for me for uh… two very important reasons. The first is I have something they thought was lost. Something that until much later I realized what this… thing is.” His friends gathered around, he opened the lid and showed the remains of a broken cup that had a jewel that barely held onto one of the gold pieces. “Guys… do you know what this was?” Gallus asked. “I was gonna say junk,” Smolder replied, “but with the army coming, I take it it's more than that.” “Oh yeah,” he nodded, “What you’re seeing is all of the pieces of the Idol of Boreas. The very thing that held the Griffon kingdom together.” “Wait,” Silverstream raised a talon, “didn’t it fall off a cliff where it’s so super duper windy that no one was able to get it?” “If you tried to fly down, then yeah. Guess nogriff has thought about going in from the side. Just walk into the canyon to find it. At the time, I thought I could probably melt it down and get enough bits for a meal. But I kept it around when I realized what this actually was.” “So if the Griffon army is coming here for the Idol,” Ocellus inquired, “why not just simply give it back to them?” “That leads to the uh…” he closed the box, “second thing. Recently, I found a family tree that went back to the last King. Turns out, he had a few kids, and those kids had kids, and… let’s just say I found a connection.” “How?” “I stupidly asked Grandpa Gruff if anyone at the orphanage had a note or something when they found me. Turns out, the last name that they found me, was the same one with one of the last griffons that were thought to be the end of the bloodline. Which means-” “You’re royalty too!” Silverstream exclaimed, “This is incredible! Gallus, if that’s true, then that means you’re a king!” “But that’s the problem,” the other Gallus tossed the box aside, landing with a noticeable crash, “now that they put two-and-two together, they’re coming to take me back to Griffonstone! Don’t any of you get it? They’re going to drag me back kicking and screaming to a dumpy kingdom that’s beyond redeeming - and they’ll never let me go until I somehow fix everything! That means I’ll never see any of you again!” There was a knock on the door, Gallus watched his other self, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. He rushed out, “Hide me! Hide me!” There was a crash from his and Sandbar’s room before slamming it shut. Another knock, “Hello?” Starlight’s voice was heard, jiggling the door handle. “Is Gallus in here?” “Give us a sec,” Smolder went over to move the furniture that was blocking the door. Her friends came to help clear it enough to open it. “Sorry about that, Gallus is being more panicky than usual.” “Uh-huh,” Starlight nodded, “I was wondering if you knew where he was. Because I need to ask him why there’s a whole legion of armed Griffons just outside of school grounds.” “Armed?” Yona asked, “With what?” “Armor, crossbows, a catapult, and a general that won’t shut up.” “Tell them I’m not here!” the other Gallus called out from his room. Starlight rolled her eyes. She marched past the students and headed towards the door that Gallus was behind. “You need to get out of there and deal with that army outside.” “No offense to you, but are you mental?! I’m not going with them. Not now or ever!” “And if you don’t do something right this instant, I’m pretty sure we might have an international crisis on our hooves.” “I’d rather die than go with them…” then after a beat, he added, “If I can figure what to kill myself with.” “Oh for the love of…” Frustrated, Starlight pointed her horn down at the doorknob and blasted it away, leaving a gaping hole behind. Kicking it open, she immediately spotted Gallus’s tail underneath the bed. She used her magic to pull him out. “I know you didn’t ask for this,” Starlight pulled him out of the room and down the hall, and kept pulling his tail hard when he reached for something to grab on. “But this is your mess, and you need to clean it up.” “Starlight you traitor!” Gallus clawed at the walls, leaving scratch marks as he was pulled into the student lounge. “You can’t make me go out there!” “Yes I can, and I think there is a way for you to make them go away.” “How?” She lifted him up upside-down but looked him in the eye. “Let me spell this out to you - you’re the king, dumb-dumb, you can do whatever you want.” “.... And how do you know they’ll listen to me?” “I don’t, but unless you do something, they'll leave boulder-size holes in our school in a few minutes.” Gallus looked around and spotted the shoebox he tossed. Seeing the thoughtful look on his face, Starlight sat him down where he went over to pick the box up. “So I take it you have something in mind?” Sandbar asked. “I have an idea,” he replied. “It’s a long shot, but it’s all I got to work with.” Holding the box close, he walked out of the room, with his friends and Starlight following him. The next scene showed the outside of the school and surrounding it was the army that had gathered in the thousands. Carrying banners, spears, crossbows, swords, and a catapult in the back. Between them and the drawn-up drawbridge was Grandpa Gruff in rusty armor, still making a long-winded speech. “.... Today is the day we finally rise from the ashes!” He declared, “Inside of that school is our future! The King and the Idol are just waiting for us to come and rescue them to make our kingdom great aga-” His speech was cut off when they heard a loud clicking noise coming from inside the school. They turned to see the drawbridge was coming down. There was hesitation, but the army took hold of their weapons to make themselves ready for the fight of their lives. Instead, Gallus walked out. With determination on his face and the shoebox under his arm, he marched over the bridge. “That’s him!” Grandpa Gruff called out, “All Hail King Gal-” “Oh shut the living Hell up!” The army gasped. The real Gallus’s jaw dropped to the floor. He watched his counterpart walk up to the army, not afraid, but pissed off. “What do all of you think you’re doing?” He demanded, “No seriously, all of you here, have you all lost your damn minds! All of you were just about to storm a school… a place that’s unarmed for- what? This thing?!” He tossed the box to the ground, the lid popping off and the fragments of the artifact bounced on the grass. “All of you were willing to lay siege to this place,” he pointed at the academy, “foalnap me,” he pointed at himself, “and take me back to fix all of your problems? Are all of you insane!? You’re asking a teenager to put the monarchy back together; fix Griffonstone; fix everygriff’s bitter, there’s-no-possible-way-of-fixing-this attitude; and do all of that complicated government stuff when I have no clue how to do any of that!” “B-But,” Grandpa Gruff raised a shaky claw, “Your Highness-” “Oh don’t give me any of that ‘Your Highness’ crap! Up until I sent you that letter, you didn’t want anything to do with me! None of you did! I still haven’t forgotten how I had to survive every single damn day just to get by! I still haven’t forgotten how all of you turned your backs when I begged for a crust of bread, a cup of water, or a place to spend the night! If that’s how you treat someone who isn’t important, then I’m terrified to imagine what you’re going to do with someone who is!” “But… the Idol-” “It’s just junk!” Gallus screamed at him. “Yeah it united all of us, but doing so over a faulty cup is kinda stupid, don’t you think? I mean, I may not be that great as a history student, but compared to how other kingdoms built theirs, what they rally around, having our whole identity centered around a cup is pretty idiotic, isn’t it?” The whole army went dead quiet. “Hey! Here’s an idea! How about forming a kingdom on the basis that - oh I don’t know - that we should have a better life rather than just stealing it from everyone else we say hello to!? Maybe, we should build a society on being kind, being humble, and maybe giving others a break for not having as many bits as you do? But maybe as King, I’m asking way too much, am I? Would it be so hard to be selfless for once? Hell, how else can you explain how a namby-pamby Kingdom like Equestria managed to stick around for so long? “But what do I know? I’m still a kid. And at least I’m smart enough to know I’m too dumb to run anything without having it set on fire! I still got a lot to learn from this place, and by the looks of it, so do all of you! Now, if all please excuse me, I have a life to live, and friends to be with. So unless you absolutely want to spark a world war, then do as your king says and GO HOME!” Gallus watched his double heave after a royal rant like that, seemingly to wait for that one idiot to make an objection and take him on the spot. Looking around at the slack-jawed army, none of them, not even Grandpa Gruff, made a move. After taking some deep, calming breaths, Gallus added, “So if any of you want to see our Kingdom come back, here’s a bit of advice: take a good, long look at it, and do the opposite. Now, you’ll excuse me, I have classes to attend.” He turned around and walked away. On the other end of the drawbridge, his friends plus Starlight stood there. Their jaws too hung loosely from what they’ve heard. Smolder was the first to speak, “I’d never thought I’d say this, but holy shit.” Starlight narrowed her eyes at her, “Language aside, I have to agree. Looks like they’re leaving.” Indeed they were; the proud Griffon Army was turning around, taking their weapons with them. Their army was going away like a foal being told to go to bed. “So with that being taken care of,” Starlight said, “you’re all free to go back to whatever you were doing.” One by one, they started to leave Gallus. All except for Silverstream who remarked, “Gallus, I just noticed something.” “What?” “That with all your ranting… you never said you were stepping down as king.” “Well…” Gallus’s counterpart folded his arms, “I still need some authority to tell them off.” “Yes, but technically, you’re still royalty. Now we have more in common! I can’t wait to tell my Aunt about this.” “Why would- oh duh,” he facepalmed, “that’s right, she’s a queen.” “Yep! And you’re a king! A lost king, but a king nonetheless!” She hugged him, “You’re gonna like being a royal, that means you’ll have servants, a plot of land, you getting to date me, and a crown-” “What was that?” the other Gallus blinked. Silverstream stopped herself, letting Gallus go from her hug, her cheeks turned red and coughed into her claw. “What I mean is that we just have more in common now, and that’s a good thing.” “I get that, but what did say about-” “Oh look at the time! I’m going to be late for the… Plumbers club. Yep! I’ll see you around, Your Majesty!” With that, Silverstream took flight. Alone, Gallus took a moment to process what he heard, “She… likes me…” A goofy smile spread across his face. “Yes!” he pumped his claw in the air victoriously. Closing the book, Gallus felt he had enough of that story. At least this time the scenario didn’t leave him feeling down. Looking back at that rant, it was something that he almost always wanted to tell his Griffons for years but never had the courage to say it. In an odd way, it was… strangely satisfying. For now, he felt that he needed a drink from somewhere. For some reason, the library did have a bar and that’s where Gallus saw Sandbar upon arriving at it. Noticing him, Sandbar lifted his drink and smiled. “Hey, Gallus. How’s reading all your possible timelines?” “Emotionally exhausting and confusing,” Gallus answered as he turned to the bartender. “Give me something not too strong, but it will give me a good kick in the head.” A few minutes later, he got a heavy-looking blue drink and took it down in one gulp which made him feel a nice chill down his spine. Sighing in relief, he turned to Sandbar and asked, “So, anything interesting?” “Well, I found out if I was born an Alicorn then I would be having all four princesses trying to be in a romantic relationship with me,” Sandbar said with a chuckle which made Gallus stare at him in awe. “Dude, seriously? I’ll admit that would be kinda awesome. I guess since I’m dead I can say this but I’ve always thought Princess Luna had one helluva flank.” He then blinked before pointing out, “Wait a minute, isn’t Princess Cadence married?” “Apparently, Shining Armor died during that whole incident in the Crystal Empire against Sombra,” Sandbar said, wincing. “That… wasn’t nice to hear. Hope yours has been better.” Deciding it was better to not mention his suicide, Gallus shrugged and said, “Well, I can say this right now, being king of the griffins is something I never hope to be.” “Even if it would have made you and Silverstream possible as a couple? She being royalty and all,” Sandbar asked, eyebrows raised. “Well, I didn’t say it was all bad,” Gallus shrugged before glancing at a clock nearby. “Wow, we’ve been here a while. We should probably just do one more and head out of here. Much as I like to see myself in various other situations, we have all of eternity to do that and I want to explore Heaven more.” “Sure, meet here when we’re done?” Sandbar asked. Nodding, Gallus walked back the way he came but paused to look back at Sandbar who didn’t notice him. He thought about a question from earlier that made him wonder just what if… well… what if it wasn’t Yona and Silverstream who were their objects of desire… but rather... ‘You know what? Screw it! Might as well go ask it,’ Gallus thought with a heavy sigh while he tried to ignore the nervousness in his heart. ‘Hmm, what do I ask? What do I ask?’ Sandbar wondered as he sat back in his reading chair with his book in front of him. He bit into the pen he was using as ideas continued to warp around in his head. ‘What if I was born rich? Nah, never really cared about wealth. What if I was born into a different race? Hmm, maybe. What if Nightmare Moon had won against Princess Celestia? Actually, I think Princess Twilight told us about that in one class. I could always ask what would happen if I was a serial killer and murdered my friends… okay, maybe I should hold off asking such evil questions until I’m sure you can’t get kicked out of Heaven.’ Rubbing his temple, Sandbar tried to think of something-anything-that could be a good third question. Finally, he decided to just randomly write down the next idea in his head: What if… My friends and I were some kind of superhero group? Just like before, the page started to turn into a moving set of art pieces, but unlike the previous ones, these were in a style that he didn’t recognize until it dawned on him. A few months after Princess Twilight ascended to the throne Equestria had come into contact with a new race called the Kitsune from Kyubiokitusne. They had a strange comic method that they called “manga” and what was appearing in the book was very similar to that style. When the drawing was finished, the focus was on the Friendship Academy, but interesting enough in a room that Sandbar had never seen before. It was like a hangout place but with a juice bar, seats, some gym equipment, and a boxing ring. A sign said “Spike’s Juice Bar” and various students were chatting or eating while Spike was mixing shakes. At the boxing ring, Smolder, in a red jacket, could be seen training Ocellus, who had pink sweatbands on, with what appeared to be martial arts while Gallus, in a blue jacket, was watching them. “Kick! Punch! And spin kick!” Smolder shouted with an impressive array of combat training. Ocellus tried to follow suit, but during the spin kick she went too far and ended up landing on her face. “Ow...” “Well, if the mat ever becomes your enemy, Ocellus, I’m sure you’ll knock it out in one blow,” Gallus joked with a chuckle. Smolder helped Ocellus up while smiling at her. “Ignore him, Ocellus. You’re doing great.” “Easy for you to say,” Ocellus said as she wiped the sweat off her face. “I still don’t know why Zelona chose me to be a Harmony Ranger. I mean, without my morpher, I’m not that useful.” “You kidding? Who was it that invented that anti-brainwashing machine when we had one of Grogar’s monsters nearly turning the entire town into mindless slaves?” Gallus said, getting into the ring and patting her on the back. “You’re useful on the team, morphed or non-morphed.” Blushing, Ocellus rubbed the back of her head. “Thanks guys.” The focus then shifted to nearby where Yona, in a yellow jacket, was trying to do her homework with the aid of none other than Rexus from the first What if that Sandbar saw. Rexus, in a black jacket, gave a sympathetic smile to the yak before pointing at one of their papers. “Come on, Yona. You’ve been studying for an hour straight. The test isn’t until Friday and you could use a break.” “Yona needs to study! Yona not doing well in science class,” she answered, turning the paper in a different direction. “Yona not understand why electrons not releasing energy and electricity except in certain manners. Yona produces such when Yona fights.” “I think there the difference is that you are using magic while the electrons Professor Twilight is talking about is natural,” Rexus answered as he got up. “Come on, let’s get dinner and think later?” Yona was about to get up when she noticed Sandbar and Silverstream, in a green and white jacket each, entering with disappointing faces. “Look! Friends back from the eco fight!” “Eco disaster is more like it,” Silverstream complained as she tossed aside a protest sign along with Sandbar. Everyone started to group up as the two looked defeated and without hope. “Our pleas fell on deaf ears. That section of Whitetail Forest is going to get turned into a condo resort.” “Can’t they see that they’re just hurting all the animals and plant life by doing this?!” Sandbar grumbled as the real one watching nodded his head in agreement. It was a good thing to see that, regardless of what world or timeline, he was still a supporter of protecting nature. “We tried asking for help from Professor Fluttershy and Twilight, but they said everything is purely legal. We can’t do anything.” “That sucks,” Gallus said, shaking his head. “It’s actually a nice place to relax too.” “Well, you shouldn’t give up,” Smolder said, crossing her arms. “Why don’t we all go there tomorrow after class and protest together?” Everyone seemed pleased with the idea, but soon the image started to fade to show a dark and sinister castle high up on a tall mountain where a lightning storm was happening overhead. The book showed the inside where Grogar the Cruel - which Sandbar assumed was the real one and not Discord in disguise - was staring at his mirror pool with Queen Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, King Sombra, and Tirek by his side as his minions. The image before him showed a large series of destructive bulldozing equipment that was huge in scale and very powerful as they ripped apart tree by tree. One of them, the biggest, not only had a giant bulldozer, but also buzzsaw blades on the side and even a flamethrower on top. “Hmm, so it seems even the ponies of Equestria are not always friendly with their own land,” Grogar started with an amused smirk. “Hypocrites,” Queen Chrysalis snorted. “Quite frankly, I see no use of nature myself.” “Neither do I,” Tirek said. “It’s only good to fuel your army for war,” King Sombra stated. “I think it's nice to stroll around a park or two on a nice clear day,” Cozy Glow stated which earned her the angry glare of her fellow villains save for Grogar. “What? Can’t I have a difference of opinion here?” “Hmm, that machine seems to be quite powerful in tearing down trees,” Grogar stated as he summoned dark yellow energy into his hoof. “I wonder how it will be to see it tear down the homes of Ponyville and rip their residents to pieces?” Shooting the energy sphere into the portal, it managed to travel through space and time before appearing in another portal right over the machine just as it was being turned off. Upon hitting the bulldozer, it began to glow as the energy completely consumed it much to the shock of the nearby workers. Slowly, it began to morph and take on a new humanoid form of a giant bulldozing monster with buzzsaw hands and pipes coming out of its shoulders and back. With a loud roar, it cried out, “Grah! This wood is nothing! Let’s try to break things up that are tougher! Such as you weaklings!” The workers screamed and ran away while its buzzsaws began glowing before it swiped them in the air. Energy blades then sliced through the other machines which caused them to get clearly sliced in half before exploding. Laughing mechanically, the bulldozer monster began to make its way towards Ponyville. “Woah, this is so cheesy and yet I love it!” the real Sandbar said as he leaned further. Back in the book, the group was leaving the juice bar when a beeping noise came from the watches all seven of them were wearing on their wrists. Looking around to make sure there was nobody around, Smolder pressed a button and talked to it. “Go ahead, Zelora.” “Rangers! We have trouble! Come to the Command Club at once!” “We’re on it,” Smolder answered before nodding to the others. They all pressed their communicators and vanished into streaks of various colors. Soon enough, they appeared in what looked like the Clubhouse that the real Sandbar and his friends hung out at, but it was more mystical with a glowing set of crystals in various colors in the middle. The group appeared in a flash of light just as a pure silver alicorn with multi-colored hair similar to Princess Celestia, floated down from a balcony above to greet the seven. “We got your message, Zelora,” Rexus said, walking forward with the others. “Is Grogar at it again?” “I’m afraid so, Rexus,” Zelora stated as she used her horn to activate the crystals which showed an image of the bulldozer monster rampaging towards Ponyville. “One of the machines that were being used in the construction site near the forest has been turned into a monster by Grogar’s magic. If it isn’t stopped before it reaches Ponyville, I fear there will be many ruined homes or worse, lost lives.” “Great, so not only was that thing keen enough to destroy nature it's got to destroy civilization too? That thing is going down hard!” Silverstream growled with passion. “Don’t worry, Zelora,” Smolder said with a thumbs up. “We’ll take that thing out of commission. Ready guys?” They all nodded. “It’s morphin’ time!” Appearing around their necks were what appeared to be necklaces similar to the Elements of Harmony but in different jewel shapes and colors. Each of them all pressed against their respective crystals and called out. “Courage!” screamed Rexus pressing the black onyx in the shape of a paw. “Generocity!” screamed Ocellus pressing the pink quartz in the shape of a butterfly. “Kindness!” shouted Yona pressing the yellow garnet in the shape of a yak horn. “Laughter!” shouted Silverstream pressing a white opal in the shape of a fishtail. “Loyalty!” shouted Sandbar pressing a green emerald in the shape of a horseshoe. “Honesty!” shouted Gallus pressing the blue sapphire in the shape of an eagle’s wing. “Friendship!” shouted Smolder pressing the red diamond in the shape of a dragon’s claw. The seven were soon transformed and real Sandbar felt his jaw drop upon seeing all his friends standing tall with what appeared to be a combination of colored spandex and cybernetic armor that covered them head to tail. Each of them colored based on the color of their jewel which was shining brightly in the middle. Suddenly, the seven were transported in a flash of light. The scene was then redrawn to show the bulldozer monster making his way closer and closer to Ponyville, but stopped upon seeing seven figures appear in a bright light. “What the?! Who are you?!” “The Hound of Courage that braves the darkness!” Rexus cried out, posing first. “Black Harmony Ranger!” “The Changeling of Generosity that sacrifices all for the future!” Ocellus cried out, posing second. “Pink Harmony Ranger!” “The Yak of Kindness who protects the weak from bullies!” Yona shouted, posing third. “Yellow Harmony Ranger!” “The Hippogriff of Laughter who shines with hope in the sky!” Silverstream shouted, posing fourth. “White Harmony Ranger!” “The Pony of Loyalty who is the shield of the innocent!” Sandbar shouted, posing fifth. “Green Harmony Ranger.” ‘Note to self, use that one day as an introduction,’ Real Sandbar thought with a smile. “The Griffin of Honestly who seeks to make a better world!” Gallus shouted, posing sixth. “Blue Harmony Ranger!” “The Dragon of Friendship that unites all as one mighty team of power!” Smolder shouted, posing last. “Red Harmony Ranger.” “Shining forth in our crusade to bring peace and justice! Magical Sentai Harmony Rangers!” “Pause!” Sandbar said which caused the book to freeze. Grinning, Sandbar closed the book and reopened it for a peek. Satisfied, he closed it again and looked at it. “Good, it’s still there. Oh man, I have to show Gallus this! He’ll love it!” Even before Gallus could pen in his question, his mind already was filled with at least a hundred scenarios. If things had gone differently, would he have been able to come out when he was alive? Would he and Sandbar have a relationship? Would it have worked? Would his professors accept him? Would Grandpa Gruff want him removed from the school? Killed? Would he have taken Sandbar’s virginity early? For a long time, Gallus hesitated to fill in the blank. Looking over his shoulder to make absolutely sure that no one would peek at what he wanted to know. Even double checking if Sandbar was still at that comfy chair - he was. Taking in a deep breath, he dipped the pen in the ink. ‘Just do it. Quickly, like you would do with an extra-sticky band-aid.’ So with one last look over his shoulder, he jotted down his question. What if… Sandbar had asked me to the dance? He braced himself, watching the ink fade and the illustrations drew up the scene. Almost immediately, he recognized it as the foyer from the school. Where it showed Twilight putting up posters for the Amity Ball, and explaining to some of the nearby students that this was the first dance where multiple creatures will be attending. Gallus remembered this vaguely, where at the time he rolled his eyes and about an hour later, would hear that his then crush had asked Yona. But as the illustration moved, it did show himself doing just that and walking away. However, this time he saw Sandbar walking up to him. “H-Hey, Gallus?” Sandbar asked, and noticeably, his cheeks had turned red. “Hm?” his counterpart stopped to look over at him, “What is it?” “So…” Sandbar rubbed the side of his leg, his head nervously looking down, “You haven’t asked anyone out for the Amity Ball, have you?” “I don’t think I’m going.” His friend blinked, “No? Why not?” “It’s kinda pointless to go to a dance when you got no one to dance with.” He raised an eyebrow, “Why?” “Well… I think I have a pretty good idea who I want to ask out. F-For the dance, I mean!” Sandbar quickly added. “Are you feeling okay?” The other Gallus tilted his head. “Y-Yeah I… oh boy, give me a sec…” Sandbar, on the edge of a panic attack, took in several calming breaths. “Sorry, this… this is new for me.” “Why? What are you trying to…” Gallus watched his double’s eyes widen. ‘No way…’ he heard his counterpart’s thoughts, ‘He’s not… Not in a million years! But he’s super nervous and has an idea who he wants to take to that dance and… Oh dear Gods, it’s happening!’ “So…” Sandbar regained some of his composure, “I don’t know if you would want to if you say no then that’s… that’s okay. But I’m curious if you… crap, I’ve messed it up, have I?” ‘But he won’t… he can’t be-’ “Gallus,” Sandbar smiled widely and nervously, “you… wanna go out to the dance with me?” No response. If anything, his double froze when he was asked that. Even Sandbar waved a hoof in front of his face, “Hello? Are you there?” “What did you say?” his twin asked quietly, full of disbelief. “I just asked you out to the dance.” From the look of his own face, he heard it, but he couldn’t believe it. Suddenly, unexpectedly, Gallus flew off. “Gallus, wait!” Sandbar went galloping after him. The scene redrew itself. This time showing their dorm room, with blinds drawn and he saw himself, huddled in a ball and back against the door. Behind the door, there was knocking. “Gallus, I just wanna talk.” His double shook his head, ‘No. H-He’s lying! That’s gotta be it! There’s no way in the deepest part of Hell that he would suddenly take any interest in me! Seriously, is he blind? Does he have brain damage? He just asked me - ME! - to that dance thing!’ Another knock, “C’mon, open up! You can be mad at me all you want, just talk to me.” ‘What the Hell is going on? Does he know that I’ve had a crush on him this whole time? Does everyone else? No, no that can’t be, I was so careful. They couldn’t have known and yet… Yet… He asked me. Sandbar asked me to the dance! So… why do I feel like it’s not earned?’ “Dude, if you don’t open this door, then I’m gonna get Yona and have her use her horns as a battering ram.” Another beat. “You asked for it. Hey Yon-” The other Gallus unlatched the lock, moving away from the door so Sandbar could peak in. “You okay?” Gallus didn’t answer. Sandbar pushed his way into their room and sat down next to him. “Look,” Sandbar explained, “I wasn’t sure if you… you know… swing that way. But I thought that out of all of our friends, you were someone that I could have a good time with at the ball. You’re not mad at me, are you?” The other Gallus shook his head. “So… I take it you don’t like guys, huh?” Instead of answering, Gallus watched his double blush heavily. “Why?” he questioned. “Just… Why me?” “Well… why not?” Sandbar scooted closer. “I mean, good looks aside, you’re always fun to be around with. Maybe the most snarky out of all of us, more than Smolder I think. Yet, getting to know you as a friend, I found how loyal you are, how brave you are, and even resourceful when none of us could think of anything better. So I just thought I would ask you… Because maybe,” he blushed, “we could one day become more than just friends.” ‘He’s lying…’ a cynical, hate-filled whisper was heard in his counterpart’s ears. “I don’t know what else to tell you,” continued Sandbar, “you’re a good guy and as… unbelievably corny as it sounds… you complete me.” ‘Your parents never loved you.’ “You’re never a bore to talk to, and I could go on for hours by your side.” ‘No one in Griffonstone ever loved you.’ “Even on boring days, you always make them so much better for me.” ‘What chance do you ever think, a griffon so worthless as you would ever receive the love you’ve been chasing after?’ “I just wanna ask you out to the dance to maybe get to know you bet-” “Shut up!” the other Gallus covered his head, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Just please, stop lying to me! I-I don’t… You can’t…” He started shaking, “T-Tell me you’re…” he couldn’t finish, tears leaked out from his eyes, his voice stopped up in utter shame. For a long minute, Sandbar hugged the crying griffon tightly, comforting him. Refusing to leave until all tears had run down the griffon’s face. Yet with every tear, Sandbar used a free hoof to wipe them away. Although neither of them said anything at that moment, the real Gallus saw how much love that Sandbar was showing. A genuine love that he never got when he was alive, not on a level like this. There was a time skip as they were shown on the mountainside above the academy. Underneath the moonlight and the twinkling stars, the two sat close to one another on a rock, looking over Ponyville. “.... so, yeah,” his counterpart nodded, “I didn’t say anything before because I wasn’t sure if you felt that way.” “Holy crap dude,” Sandbar’s hoof brushed against his mane. “I never guessed how… bigoted Griffonstone was. But I can see why you were afraid to say anything before.” “Yeah…” he rubbed his talons, looking up at the moon he added, “You’re the first I’ve ever come out to. Especially knowing that you won’t lynch me for it either.” Sandbar patted his back, “Dude, Equestria is a lot more tolerable place than you think. I mean, speciesism aside, there aren’t that many ponies here that would care what you happened to like. You know, I’d bet even the girls wouldn’t mind you either.” “You really think so?” “Are you kidding?” Sandbar laughed, “We’re as different as we could get! We’re friends with a yak, a changeling, a dragon, and a hippogriff that could change into a seapony - I don’t think that this,” he waved a hoof at his friend, “would be a deal-breaker.” His double hummed, “Let’s not say anything, at least, not until the dance. I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready yet to let them know about this side of me yet.” “Well, we still need to get ready anyway.” Sandbar agreed, “We still got to pick out what to wear, what our pot-luck baskets will have, even getting the dances hammered down. But after that, we should totally go to the dance and surprise them.” “Yeah…” his duplicate nodded, “I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces. Which one do you think will have their jaw hit the floor first?” This got a chuckle out of Sandbar, “No idea, but I don’t know about you, I’m ecstatic for it.” “Well sure,” with a deepening blush, his other self asked, “hey Sandbar?” “Yeah?” “Would you…” Gallus watched his other self shift uncomfortably. “Forget it.” “What?” “Just forget I said anything.” “Well, what were you gonna say?” Taking a deep breath, he asked, “So… have you ever uh…” he double-tapped the tips of his talons together, “have you ever kissed anyone before?” “Like from my mom?” “What? No! I mean… like romantically, fully on the lips.” “Oh? Oh!” Sandbar blushed, “Oh that… well… not, really?” He tilted his head, “Why?” “You know I have a crush on you, right?” “You just told me ten minutes ago.” “Right, but… I don’t know if I’m skipping a few steps or whatever but… now that I know that I like you and you like me that maybe you might wanna…” The real Gallus saw Sandbar gently place a hoof on his double’s face, turning over to face him. “Y-You know… I’m nervous too.” They blushed, “I never kissed anyone like that, let alone a dude. But… Do you wanna try?” “Like here… now?” “Hey, I trust you. So… will you?” The other Gallus cups his friend’s face, adoring his face and shining eyes in the moonlight. “I…” he drew closer, “I think…” and closer, “I wanna-” “What are you watching?” “GAH!” Gallus was snapped back into reality, slamming his book, earning the ire of nearby readers. A fist clenching his chest, he twisted around to find Sandbar who was… uncomfortably close over his shoulder. He almost came close to having a heart attack right there and then. “Dude, don’t sneak up to me like that!” Then after a beat, he added, “What did you see?” “Nothing, I just got here,” Sandbar lifted his hooves defensively. Then noticing how red his friend’s face was, he added, “You weren’t watching porn in a library, were you?” “Wha- no! Of course not!” Then after taking in a calming breath he said, “So, what is it?” “Well I found that librarian we’ve met and it turns out we can check out our books. So I was just gonna ask if you want to check these babies out and maybe check out the rest of Griffonstone.” Taking in a deep breath, Gallus got up with his book, “Yeah. Sure… let’s do that.” “By the way, what was happening in your book? It looked like you and me were about-” “You know what,” Gallus quickly changed the subject, taking Sandbar’s book, “I’m just gonna take these and get ‘em checked out.” “But I’ve already checked mine-” and before he could finish, Gallus had spread his wings and quickly went off to find the check-out desk. Left behind, Sandbar scratched his head. “What’s gotten into him?” he asked before shrugging and following his friend. Chapter 8Sandbar couldn’t put his hoof on it, but something about Gallus had seemed off ever since they’d left Griffonstone. He didn’t know why, but after they’d left the library, the griffon had been… distant. It was as if Gallus was becoming somewhat avoidant. For a long time, he didn’t bring it up, simply assuming he just had something on his mind. Surely, that had to be what it was, right? Whatever it was, he’d eventually get over it and be back to his snarky self in no time. Even so, on some days he wondered why it was that his friend couldn’t bring himself to look him in the eye. So when it was his turn to pick their next destination, he wanted to choose a place that could maybe help get his friend out of whatever funk he was in. Maybe a place that wasn’t as intense as Valhalla, nor as easygoing as the beaches they’d visited. Something that would surely distract the griffon in a fun way. So, when looking through the map of Heaven, there was one place in particular that caught his eye; partly because he knew that, when he’d been alive, that place was nothing more than a desert wasteland with a dumpy town in the middle of it. In Heaven, however, there was no Klugetown. In its place, however, was a town known by a different name: Monte Catlo. “Are you sure this is the place?” Gallus looked between the map and their destination. For the past several hours, the two had flown over the sandy dunes sandwiched between Southern Equestria and the borders of the Hippogriff Kingdom. When they finally found the place they were headed towards, it wasn’t the dumpy, trash-constructed, slave-owning town underneath the scorching sun. What they found was an oasis. It wasn’t big as a city, and yet, they thrived. Monte Catlo had the grace of Paris, yet it was as colorful as a Saddle Arabian market. It was paved in cobblestones, shaded in palm trees, and watered by elegant lotus-shaped fountains of stone. As the two entered, they found it crowded by creatures from Hippogriffs to Zebras, Syrans to two-legged cats that spoke, complained, and sung in dozens of languages. They passed by restaurants, cafes, and bakeries that perfumed the air with spices, freshly baked bread, and promising meals if only they stepped in. At corners, they heard street orchestras and solo musicians playing on instruments that have been lost to time. Yet, it was not this elegant town that they came for. Towards the center was a building that was big as an opera house and just as beautiful. Carved marble, cast iron, and gold leaf stood proud and shining in the sun like a crown. It was here that Sandbar wanted to take Gallus. For, over the door, etched in masterful calligraphy in stone and iron, were the words: Monte Catlo Casino and Hotel. “Here we are!” Sandbar grinned, waving a hoof at the building as if he was presenting his friend with an expensive Hearth's Warming present. “What do you think?” “Huh…” Gallus blinked. “A casino? This… doesn’t sound like you.” “I know; I had you in mind.” “Uh-” Gallus was taken aback, slightly blushing- “Excuse me?” “I mean, I thought that maybe you needed some cheering up. I wasn’t gonna bring it up, but lately, you’ve seemed... down in the dumps. So I kinda figured I should take you to someplace that you might find fun. I mean, remember those game nights we had when we were alive?” “Well yeah, I remember whipping your flanks,” he chuckled. “Do you remember when I won that poker game, and Smolder got so mad that she flipped the table?” Sandbar laughed. “Yeah, and you had to spend days trying to prove that you didn’t cheat. I remembered how much enjoyment you got out of that game, so I thought maybe I should take you somewhere where we could experience something like that again.” “That’s…” Gallus rubbed the back of his neck. “.... actually really sweet of you.” “Now c’mon!” Sandbar trotted through the huge iron and glass doors. “Let’s get ourselves checked into our room.” “Why?” Gallus walked behind him. “I mean, we’ve got our house in our saddlebag. So why would we want to check in a hotel?” “Well, don’t you just want to know what it’s like to be in a fancy hotel that you don’t have to pay for?” Gallus couldn’t think of a comeback to that. Walking into the lobby, the two paused for a moment to be in a place that should have been part of a palace. On the floor, there was a marble mosaic of the initials “M.C.” Columns made out of solid amber reached up to the dome, a glassy-blue ceiling with a crystal chandelier hanging in the middle. It was decked out in the baroque style, complete with monumental paintings, gold leafing that encompassed the whole room, and even cherubs that peeked down from above. In front of them was a desk, and between it and the wall of key hooks was a feline that was focused on a novel. It was one of those tuxedo cats that had black and white fur, complete with a tuxedo and a nametag. When they approached, they saw a name on it - Monte. The two walked up to the desk, where there was a little sign that pointed to a silver hoof-bell. Sandbar tapped it to get the feline’s attention. Stoically, the cat closed the book and looked up at them. “Good afternoon,” he spoke in a soothing, deep voice that would almost put one to sleep. “welcome to the Monte Catlo Casino and Hotel. My name is Monte. Are we checking in or gambling today?” “Well, both,” Sandbar answered. “Do you guys have a room?” Monte looked behind at the wall of keys, “We always have a vacancy here. Is there a particular kind of room you wish to stay in?” Sandbar smiled. “Surprise us.” “Very well.” Nodding, Monte turned around and pulled up a ladder from the floor. He climbed up a few steps and reached out for a key that had the number 473 on it. “If I may ask, how long do you gentlecolts plan to stay at our establishment?” “Maybe for a day or two.” Sandbar looked over to Gallus. “Unless you wanna stay here a bit longer?” “Meh, we’ll probably move on tomorrow. I’ve never been here, so I don’t know what else there is to do.” “Oh there’s plenty,” Monte explained, climbing down back to the floor. “For example, there are a good number of places to eat as well as some entertainment of sorts. There’s a good improv theater that’s just down the block from here. Now,” he then pulled out a book and a fountain pen, “if I may get your signatures please just so you’ve been registered.” Sandbar and Gallus signed their names. The book then filled out the rest, including the date and time when they checked in. However, they were taken aback by the date: December 24th. Today was Hearth's Warming Eve, and by the looks of the other, they both seemed to have forgotten what day it was. “Uh, excuse us?” Gallus raised a talon. “Is today Hearth’s Warming Eve?” Monte looked at his watch. “Last time I checked, it’s the twenty-fourth of December. Why?” “Oh crap!” Sandbar exclaimed. “We’ve been so busy going around we didn’t realize… I didn’t get you anything.” “I know…” Gallus groaned. “I feel so stupid.” Monte coughed into his small paw. “If it helps, gentlecolts, you might not have to worry about that.” He held the key out to them. “It’s already been taken care of.” “Hang on,” Gallus objected, “what do you mean by that?” “As I said, it’s all been taken care of.” He jingled the key, “Everything you need is in your room.” The two just stared at each other before shrugging. So far, Heaven hadn’t let them down yet. It took a while to reach their rooms, but while doing so, they rode the glass elevators and got a good look of the entire place, including a big outdoor pool that they both agreed to try out later. Once they reached their floor, they were fortunate enough to find their shared room right in front of them. Upon unlocking it the two were amazed by what they saw. It wasn’t just a room; it was an entire penthouse! The entire front room had four soft sofa chairs and two velvet black couches with two glass coffee tables with magazines on top. Nearby on the left, there was an actual wooden bar filled with dozens of drinks, a fresh ice maker, and glasses from wine to shots. There were three small platinum chairs to sit in front of the bar, while behind the bar were two medium-size television screens with the logo of the hotel on them. Further in the back, a giant grand dining room table with six chairs and silverware all sorted out, with fresh fruit and spring water already prepared for them. Walking further inside, they saw two hallways that they each took to explore further. For Gallus, he found a large recreational center with a billiard room, a gaming couch with a plasma screen TV, and dozens of video games. There was also a mini-library with a set of popular board games that Gallus remembered playing with all his friends from their time at the academy. Next to it was a smaller room that led to a hot jacuzzi with a tub as big as an elephant. Sandbar, meanwhile, found himself entering the bedroom, where two king-sized beds awaited them with green and blue covers, pillows, and velvet shades around their beds. A mini-bar was set up as well as a fridge filled with ice cream. There were even separate bathrooms for them. “How could they fit all of this in here?” Gallus asked as the two met up back in the living room. “Maybe it’s just bigger on the inside than it is on the outside?” Sandbar suggested. “I guess,” Gallus said as he looked around. “So where is this thing that’s supposed to help us with Hearth’s-” A knock on the door alerted the two of company as they walked over and opened it. A bellhop pony bowed and came in with a large red and green box. “For you, gentlecolts. Good day.” He bowed again and left as quickly as he came. The two looked at the box before opening it. Sandbar gasped as he pulled out a small but easily movable Hearth's Warming Eve tree that shouldn’t have fit in the box, but he soon chalked it up to the imagination. “Woah! This tree is huge!” “There are other decorations inside too,” Gallus said, pulling out tinsel. “Hey! Let’s decorate the place!” Sandbar said with a smile. “My folks and I used to love doing that. Since you and I are pretty much together- ” Gallus went wide-eyed upon hearing that word- “let’s celebrate it together!” “Still, we should do something special for each other. I mean, what can you give in a place that can give everything?” Gallus asked, which made Sandbar rub his chin. “Hmm,” Sandbar hummed to himself before clopping his hooves together. “I got it! Let’s find each other a date!” “Whawhawhat?!” Gallus shouted, blushing red. “Yeah, I mean we’re both technically single, and we did promise the girls we’d find someone new to love,” Sandbar said with a smile. “Plus, this is technically a romantic holiday. Let’s find a date for each other.” ‘I’d rather just go out with you,’ Gallus thought in his head, but he slowly nodded anyway. “Great! Let’s first set everything up and we can go on Operation Babe Hunt!” Sandbar said, pumping his hoof in the air. Gallus raised his eyebrow. “‘Operation Babe Hunt?’” “Eh, I just picked what sounded good in my head the first time,” he shrugged. “Besides, we can start here at the casino. Maybe if we’re lucky, we might get lucky.” Gallus groaned at that joke. “C’mon!” Sandbar hopped out the door. “Let’s see who we can find!” “What about the decorations…? Ah, forget it!” Begrudgingly, Gallus followed behind. The casino itself was just as beautiful and elaborate as the rest of the building. Rows upon rows of games promised fortune and excitement. There were the kind of games they expected from a casino, from poker to blackjack, but there were others that they didn’t consider to be gambling-related. In one part of the casino floor, there was an arcade with a wide range of games, from dance-offs to shooters - only, instead of the tickets one would see from those who won, casino chips would be distributed. “So,” Sandbar chirped, “if we’re gonna get ourselves back into the dating pool, we got to choose a game.” “Sure but uh…” Gallus hesitated, looking around at the gamblers. “What kind of game? I mean, there’s just so many to choose from.” “Well we’ve got to go for one that draws a crowd, so…” Sandbar scanned the floor and spotted one that had a good size group around it. “What about that one? Roulette, isn’t it?” “I uh… yeah,” Gallus said meekly. “At least that’s a game that has no chance of being rigged.” “C’mon, let’s see what’s going on over there.” Sandbar happily trotted off towards the table. Gallus sighed, dragging himself behind. Pushing themselves through the crowd, they found that there were only two players. One was a thin deer in a white suit, while across him was a mare with a mane as gold as the sun, an orange coat, and a sparkling red dress. When the two got closer, they saw that between the two, the mare was clearly winning by the huge number of chips. “Okay, place your bets,” a changeling standing behind the roulette wheel called out. The deer hummed. “I think…” He pushed what little chips he had left. “Two-hundred on black. Twelve, black.” The mare smirked, pushing all of her chips. “Sixteen red.” “Last chance to change your minds,” the changeling warned. Neither of them backed down. Nodding, the changeling spun the wheel and tossed the ball in the opposite direction. All eyes were on the ball as it went round and round the colored wheel, jumping when it started to slow down. The deer held his breath while the pony with great confidence simply smiled. A moment later, the wheel slowed down and so did the ball as it rested on... “Sixteen red!” the changeling called out. “Yes!” the mare cheered in her victory, and the crowd cheered along with her. “That was a close call, but what do you say?” She reached out her hoof. “Good game, Mitos?” “Yeah,” he shook her hoof. “You won this fair and square.” With that, the deer got up from his seat. The mare playfully tapped a few of her chips together. “So, who wants to try their luck?” “Oh! We would!” Sandbar raised his hoof, “We’ll play!” “Dude,” Gallus asked in a harsh whisper, “what do you think you’re doing?!” “We are gonna play a game-” He sat down at the table- “and hopefully, one of us will win.” He winked. Frowning, Gallus sat down next to him. “Well, well, well.” The mare rubbed her hooves. “It’s been a while since I’ve faced some brave souls.” She held out her hoof. “The name is Chanceuse.” “Sandbar.” He shook her hoof. “Gallus.” He reluctantly did the same. “Welcome. I hope you two understand the nature of the game?” “You basically bet on a color or a number,” Gallus said dryly. “Whoever gets it right wins.” “That is oversimplified, but yes.” She paused for a moment. “But I noticed neither of you have anything to bet with. If you’re interested in playing me, here.” She pushed a small portion to the two. “I suggest starting small and working your way up.” “Thanks.” Sandbar smiled, while Gallus’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll go first,” Chanceuse said, placing a few chips on the table. “Thirty on three black.” “Ten on red fourteen.” Sandbar placed his chip down, then elbowed his friend to do the same. Gallus sighed. “Twenty on black.” “Ah, smart move,” Chanceuse smiled and winked at Gallus, only to receive an eye-roll. “Last minute to change your minds?” the changeling asked. When none of them did, he spun the wheel and tossed the ball in. They watched the wheel and the ball slowly slow down and eventually land on - “Seven black.” “Looks like you win.” Chanceuse smiled. With the chips being pushed in Gallus’s direction, she began, “So, when are you two from?” “Don’t you mean where?” Gallus questioned. “Well that, but when as well. Although given that answer, I take it you haven’t been in the afterlife that long. No, I’m referring to when you passed away.” “About six months ago,” said Sandbar. “I’m from Equestria and he’s from Griffonstone, by-the-way.” “Prance,” she said, picking out a fifty-bit chip and placing it on eight black. “I passed away during the revolution.” “Really?” Gallus tilted his head, “Which one? I know there was at least more than one.” “The one that overthrew the monarchy,” she replied, watching Sandbar place a five bit chip on fourteen-black. “I was in the mare’s march to the palace when we moved them to Paris.” “Wow,” Sandbar leaned forward, “So… uh…” “Mhm?” “If it’s not rude to ask but… if you died during the Prench Revolution… did you… you know…” He motioned with a hoof across his neck. She nodded. “That I found ironic. I played an important part in overthrowing the monarchy, and a year later I was guillotined for saying I felt sorry for the queen. But it doesn’t bother me now; I’ve moved on since then.” Gallus put a ten-bit chip on red. The changeling did the last call for further bets, spun the wheel, and tossed the ball. It landed on fourteen-black. Sandbar won that round. “Thank you,” he said as the chips were pushed in his direction. “So miss, or should I say, Madame, what is someone so charming as you doing in a place like this?” Gallus took hold of the edge of the table and tightened his grip. “For the same reasons as you are, no doubt.” Chanceuse placed a fifty-bit clip on red. “I’m a wandering spirit, going this way and that to see where the winds take me. Exploring this world and getting to know a few handsome stallions out there.” “Yeah?” Sandbar smirked. “Are you still on the lookout?” She hummed, watching the pony across from her placed a fifteen chip on seven red. “That depends, are you?” “Oh definitely!” Sandbar grinned wider, and the grip from Gallus got tighter. “We’re just some best buds going around to have fun and maybe, find someone special.” Gallus grabbed a five-bit chip and tossed it on black. Chanceuse raised an eyebrow. “The gentlegriff seems stressed, yes?” “What?” Gallus shook his head, as if he had fallen asleep. “I’m not stressed.” “No? Then why are you making a dent in the table?” Gallus looked down at what his claw was gripping and blinked. He didn’t realize that the wood underneath his claw was bending and splintering. “You okay, dude?” Sandbar asked. “Uh… y-yeah.” He got up. “Would you hold my seat? I’m gonna find a bathroom real quick.” “Sure thing.” Sandbar watched his friend fly off before looking down at the indent in the wood. “What’s gotten into him?” “Has the Monsour offended him in any way?” Chanceuse inquired. “No, I didn’t do anything.” He blinked. “What makes you say that?” “When you get to be my age, you tend to pick up on certain things. Body language, for instance. You probably weren’t aware, but your friend seemed cross. But I don’t know why. He was tense, grumbled a good deal, didn’t want to make eye contact, and there’s also that.” She pointed to the damaged side of the table. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that he was bitter.” “But that doesn’t make sense.” Sandbar scratched his head. “I mean, I was honest about how we’re here to have fun. But also to maybe pick up someone. Ya know, for like a date.” “Ah-ha!” Chanceuse smirked. “Now the plot thickens! Is that what you were trying to do? Flirt with little old me?” “W-Well uh…” Sandbar gave an embarrassed smile, and his blush betrayed his intention to be cool. “Is it… working?” She laughed. “Oh, you have much to learn about flattery before you try to earn a date.” “So… is that a no…?” “Monsour, you are a sweet stallion. However, I have a feeling that you may have more pressing matters to attend to first.” “I do?” Sandbar blinked. “Like what?” “For starters, your friend seems to have lied,” she said, pointing to the front doors, “because that is not the bathroom, but the exit outside. So, whatever you might have done, I suggest you go and try to fix it quickly while you still can.” “Really?” Sandbar got up from the table. Looking between him and the door, it took him a moment before he pressed all the chips to her. “Thanks for the game, but I think I need to go.” He galloped off. Chanceuse waved. “Hope to see you again.” Gallus didn’t know how long it would take for anyone to catch on with his lie. No, he needed more than a restroom - he needed air. Just someplace away to catch his breath and calm down before he exploded. He sat on the edge of a stone fountain that was just outside of the casino, his back against the brightly lit water. Of course, he planned on going back to the gambling floor, playing along with Gallus until the Prench mare ended up seducing him. But it was that thought that made him step outside. He knew that he shouldn’t be miffed by any of this. Sandbar wouldn’t ever consider him as a possible… whatever. So, by all means, he should be cheering him on to be the first to get a date. But for now, he wasn’t ready. Not yet… Not now. “Hey, you okay?” Gallus looked up, seeing Sandbar walking over to him. “Uh, yeah…” He breathed in deeply. “I’m fine. Really.” “You sure?” “Yeah. I’m okay. See?” He pulled a fake grin. “It’s all honky-dory!” Sandbar raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. Gallus let his grin down. “Sorry, just… I’ll be okay, I just needed a minute.” Walking up to the fountain, Sandbar sat down next to him. “So why were you kinda angry back there? I thought you’d be thrilled with finding a special somecreature.” “Sure, but…” Gallus cupped his face in his claws, and sighed. “I don’t know. Okay? I didn’t feel comfortable back there.” “So… maybe we should find a dude?” “.... Can I be straight with you?” He looked up, “I don’t know if I’m ready to… you know… date anybody now.” “Oh…” Sandbar rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, so I pushed you into something you weren’t ready for. Crap, I’m so sorry dude.” “No.” Gallus shook his head. “You clearly want this. And I guess you were ready to fall in love with… what’s-her-name.” “Dude, we just met. We didn’t have much of a connection if you could call it that.” Rubbing his chin in thought, he asked, “So… do you wanna do something else?” “Like what?” “Well… I don’t know. We could go back and play some other game. Or hay, we’re in this new, fancy town. Maybe we can go see what’s here.” “What about our game?” “I called it quits.” Sandbar got up, offering a hoof to him. “So how about this - we won’t find ourselves any dates tonight. Alright? Let’s just go and have fun somewhere. I mean, I brought you here so we could have a good time, so let’s actually go and have a good time. Okay?” Gallus looked between Sandbar’s outstretched hoof and his face. There was so much in that moment that he could say or do. After all, Sandbar was changing his plans and tossing out a potential date just so he could have as much fun as he was. He came out here to check to see if he was doing alright, and was making the effort to mend a spoiled moment. He grabbed Sandbar’s leg and was pulled up. “So what do you wanna do?” Gallus asked, looking around. “It’s too early to eat dinner and too late to win our bets back. Any ideas?” “.... Bet I can kick your butt that billiards table we got back at the penthouse.” “You’re on!” Gallus said as the two dashed away to their hotel room. “And that’s 4-3, Sandbar!” Gallus grumbled as he began to rack up the balls again. “How does a creature who uses hooves become so good at billiards? You don’t even have digits!” “I think Professor Twilight said something about how earth pony magic is connected to our hooves, and thus some kind of gravity-like spell allows us to hold things for a short time, similar to how pegasi use their wings and unicorns use their horn,” Sandbar said, shrugging. “That has to be a bunch of bullshit if you ask me,” Gallus said, shaking his head. “How does that even work?” “I don’t know. I’m not Ocellus,” Sandbar pointed out before pausing. “You know… I just realized. It’s Hearth's Warming Eve and all the other celebrations down back home. How do you think the others are doing?” Gallus looked down and sighed. “Well, I hope they’re keeping the tradition of us all celebrating it together. That was honestly one of my favorite parts of the year.” “And to think,” Sandbar said as he walked over and wrapped his hoof around Gallus. “We started that tradition in our first year thanks to you keeping us there to clean the decorations up.” “Ugh, don’t remind me. I still feel guilty that I did that. Plus, those were one of the worst detentions I had to serve afterward,” Gallus grumbled. “Worse than the time you and Smolder put cherry bombs in the septic tanks and-” “Okay, not as bad as that! Plus, I’m pretty sure the only reason I wasn’t expelled was because Professor Rainbow Dash admitted to doing that prank at school once too!” Gallus rubbed his neck. “Still, I just hope they’re having a good holiday without us. Your family as well.” “Yeah... I hope my sister is going to be happy despite me not being there. Of course, she’d want me to be happy celebrating up here too, or else she’d kick my butt,” Sandbar chuckled while shaking his head. “Well, you were her hero,” Gallus said, remembering her words at their funeral. “I’d think even heroes need a break or two.” Sandbar’s eyes widened as a grin appeared on his face. “Oh yeah! Dude, thanks for reminding me! I gotta show you this What If I didn’t finish!” He rushed into his room and flew back seconds later with his book from the library. “I asked what would happen if we were superheroes and it showed me this corny and yet awesome looking timeline about us! You have to watch it, dude.” Shrugging, Gallus walked into the living room and sat on the couch. “Got nothing else to do. Show me away.” “Well, first let me restart it so you can see what’s going on...” ***20 Minutes Later*** “.... I SOUND LIKE A DORK!” Gallus shouted in disbelief as he stared at the book with cringed eyes. “Seriously? ‘The Griffin of Honestly who seeks to make a better world?!’ In what world would I say that?!” “Apparently in this one,” Sandbar said, grinning. “And another thing!” Gallus pointed out as he poked himself. “I’m the one the Tree of Harmony said was closest to representing the Element of Magic! Not Honesty! I should be the leader of this team! Why is Smolder the leader?!” “I think it's because you’re not red,” Sandbar pointed out. “What does color have to do with being the leader of a group?” Gallus asked. “Princess Twilight is purple.” “Ugh, let’s just watch what happens already,” Sandbar said, rolling his eyes and he got the book to continue showing the alternate timeline. The manga-drawn pages showed the seven transformed heroes standing ready to fight against the Bulldozer Monster who was growling at the seven. “You think you rainbow-colored freaks are gonna stop me?! I’m gonna wreck that town and everything in it!” “Not if we stop you first!” Rexis cried out as he launched himself forward. “Hi-ya!” He delivered a solid punch upon the metal monster followed by a kick and another punch, but the metal monstrosity didn’t even flinch. He just laughed before back-fisting Rexis away, sending him sailing. “Pathetic! I didn’t even feel that!” “Rexis! You’ll pay for that, jerk!” Silverstream shouted as she flew towards the monster, Gallus and Sandbar right behind her. The three charged and dived at the monster, delivering various karate moves that normally would have hurt something, but the bulldozer monster was unphased. He smashed his bladed arms into Gallus’s chest, causing the griffin to get sent back with sparks flying out of his spandex armor. Sandbar was next as the monster headbutted him, bashed him in the helmet, and backhanded him to a tree with sparks also flying out. Silverstream tried to dive-bomb him, but he unleashed a powerful smoke from his mouth that filled up the hippogriff’s vision. “Can’t see!” Silverstream said before she was grabbed by the monster and thrown to the ground. The big mechanical beast slammed his foot on her stomach, causing her to scream in pain as it tried to crush her in two. However, rescue came in the form of Yona, who charged forward while glowing yellow with lightning bolts coming out of her body. “Lighting Charge!” This actually managed to make the monster scream in pain as Yona impacted him and sent him flying before he landed in a small crater nearby. Yona turned to Silverstream and helped her up. “Friend Silverstream okay?” “Yeah, just winded… and I think I don’t need to worry about losing weight now...” Silverstream winced as she rubbed her chest. “Our turn!” Smolder shouted as she and Ocellus took to the air and aimed towards the monster. It growled and fired energy cuts from its buzzsaws. “Energy Shield!” Ocellus shouted as her horn glowed and protected both her and Smolder with a pink barrier. “Dragon Burst Ignite!” Smolder shouted, letting out a ray of flames from her body that had the head of a dragon upfront. Before it could hit the bulldozer, he laughed and activated his pipes which started to suck up all the fire like a vacuum much to the shock of the girls. “Here, you can have this back!” It then reversed its flow of air and blew the flames out which hit both girls. While Smolder took the heat with little damage, Ocellus' entire suit was sparking from the fire until she was grabbed out by Smolder. “Is that even scientifically possible?” Real Gallus asked, turning to Real Sandbar. “Don’t ask me, I sucked at science save for marine biology and animals,” Real Sandbar answered. The seven heroes united and began to grunt from the damage they took. “This guy is tough,” Sandbar said. “And super strong, ow,” Rexis muttered as he winced from his blow. “Let’s take him at long range then!” Smolder shouted as she took out what appeared to be some kind of laser pistol. Everyone soon took theirs from their belts, even Yona was holding one that seemed to be comically too small for her, and aimed at the monster. “Fire!” The Bulldozer monster curled himself up into a ball as the laser blasts fired at him, but each ray shot bounced off his steel body like light from a mirror. The seven were shocked, but this didn’t stop the Bulldozer monster from laughing and glowing red hot in the center where his bulldozer blade was located. “Now let me show you what I can do by mowing you all down!” It began to roar like an angry machine before charging even faster than the seven could react. It rammed right through them, sending them into the air and screaming in pain while small explosions appeared from where they were once sitting and even around them. Time seemed to slow down as they flailed around in the air before landing back on the ground, weakened and groaning. The Bulldozer monster laughed and waved them off. “So long, losers! I’m gonna destroy that town!” “For a bunch of super suited beings, we sure super suck,” Real Gallus snorted. “Oh, please, this is when we get our second wind and kick the monster’s butt,” Real Sandbar said, rolling his eyes, but still having his goofy smile on. As the monster waved off, the gang slowly got up and looked at each other with worry. “What are we going to do? He’s too tough and strong to beat!” Sandbar pointed out. “We have to do something or else everyone in town is going to lose their homes!” Ocellus shouted. “If only there was some way to get him to stop moving! Something to jam up his gears!” Rexis shouted, which caused Smolder to lift her head up in realization. “Rexis! That’s it! If we can plug up his pipes he’ll be unable to work properly! Here’s the plan...” The pages then transformed to show that the Bulldozer monster was just a few feet away from arriving in Ponyville. “Aw, look at all the nice buildings. Well-managed streets. And the peaceful atmosphere… I HATE IT! LET’S TEAR IT ALL DOWN!” “No so fast!” The Bulldozer monster turned its head only to get nailed in the head by both Ocellus and Silverstream who dived, kicked him in the head and knocked him down. Growling, he glared at the flying creatures and stomped his foot in frustration. “You again?!” “Try and get us, ugly!” Silverstream said, mocking him as she shook her rump at him. “Ugly! Oh, I’m gonna bury you six feet under for that!” The Bulldozer monster shouted as he rushed after the two while firing energy cuts from his buzzsaw. The two fliers were able to skillfully dodge and weave from the blasts while leading the monster further and further away from Ponyville. Suddenly, it found itself unable to move and looked around. “Wha-What?! Why can’t I move?!” Hidden from behind a nearby tree, Rexis was using his Harmony power of the shadows to extend his shadow and merge it with the shadow of the monster, freezing it in place. Activating the communicator in his head, Rexis said, “I got him trapped in my Shadow Link! Go!” Smolder and Sandbar then charged forward as each had their claws/hooves glowing. The monster growled before unleashing the smokescreen from before in an effort to blind the two. However, he didn’t expect Gallus to dive down with his wings glowing blue and shout, “Air Blast!” With a powerful flap of his wings, a mighty gust of air roared through the sky and quickly dissipated the smokescreen. This allowed Smolder and Sandbar a free chance to attack without losing focus. Both of them shot out their forelimbs with the dragon shooting out magma and the earth pony shooting out water. “Magma Rage!” “Water Spray!” “Wait a minute, if I’m wearing green, why is my power water?” Real Sandbar asked, eyebrows raised. “Should it be air or earth or something? Or better yet, why isn’t Silverstream using water? She lives in it!” “That’s the last question I have,” Real Gallus pointed out. “I’m wondering how the Hell Smolder is able to spray magma from her claws, and how connecting your shadows together freezes someone in place? What is this, some kind of lame-ass ninja technique or something?” Regardless, the blasts of magma and water managed to hit the pipes together and turned them rock solid. The Bulldozer monster eventually broke free from the shadowy grip and growled. “Ha?! What was that… ugh… gah… ughhh!” He started holding his stomach as his pipes began to get bigger, and his body was glowing red. Parts of him were coming off as he struggled to maintain himself. “W-What’s going on?!” “Just as I thought!” Smolder said, crossing her arms. “Without that energy of yours able to escape, it’s building up too much inside of you like a bad case of gas.” Both Real Sandbar and Gallus agreed that Smolder was not smart enough to come up with something like that in real life. “Plus,” Ocellus said, landing next to Smolder, “all that energy building up will just cause the need to be expanding to add more pressure to your body. Unless something was to cause an external amount of force to make it happen sooner! Now Yona!” “Lighting Charge!” Yona shouted as she rushed towards the monster from the right. It turned around and gasped only to get a full-frontal assault of a thunder-powered yak tackle. The charges of the lightning went straight into the monster’s body causing it to explode a great amount of energy from its body and sending it sailing in sparks and broken parts to the ground. It coughed out smoke and moaned before slowly getting up, but it was clearly disoriented. “Damn, that was awesome!” Real Sandbar cheered “I admit, the effects were nice, but I’m not sure if that’s how energy works,” Real Gallus said, shrugging. “Alright!” Smolder shouted, pumping up her first in the air. “Let’s finish him off!” “Right!” said everyone as they lined up and placed their paws/talons/claws/hooves on their glowing Elements. The seven began to glow with their respective color energy before each of them held a ball of a different element: Fire for Smolder, Air for Gallus, Water for Sandbar, Ice for Silverstream, Light for Ocellus, Lighting for Yona, and Darkness for Rexis. Putting their forelegs to the right side of their bodies while keeping one foot behind them and positioned in stance. The seven all shouted, “Final Harmonic Blast!” At once, all seven of them shot the powerful energy beams into the monster who screamed until he was vaporized in a powerful explosion of multi-colored light. When it faded, all that remained was a single pile of ashes. “Wait, why didn’t they attack him with that the first time?” Real Gallus asked. “‘Cause we wouldn’t get the awesome fight scene, duh,” Real Sandbar pointed out. The seven began to cheer, but far off in the distance, watching from his portal, Grogar just muttered to himself as his eyes began to glow. A few seconds later, a mysterious magical pentagram appeared under the ashes which caused them to reform. A flash of dark light later and Real Gallus and Sandbar had their jaws drop upon seeing the now gigantic-sized monster back to life and roaring in the air. “Graah! Now I can not just crush the town, but the mountains nearby as well! Gahahaha!” The others looked up at the monster before nodding to each other. Smolder activated her communicator inside her head. “Zelora! We need the Zords now!” “The what?” Real Gallus and Sandbar asked, raising an eyebrow. Their answer came when the book started showing a sequence of events that made the boys’ jaws drop. It turned out the Zords were giant mecha versions of the respective races of the Harmony Rangers hidden in various places around Ponyville. From the woods of the Everfree Forest emerged a black mechanical wolf that howled so loud the birds scattered before it ran out of the forest. Upon the mountains near Canterlot City, a blue griffin mecha was screeching into the air before taking flight to aid in the battle. Under the giant lake rose a bird-like mermaid that looked like a hippogriff that splashed in the water before it started defying physics right up the butt by swimming in the air. Bursting out of Ghastly Gorge was a yellow and brown giant yak that let out a war cry before bouncing off the canyon walls to reach the surface and charge forward. A small section of the earth slowly opened up and bursting out of the ground was a green earth pony who galloped and neighed along the way. Coming down from the bright sun, buzzing around, was a giant mecha beetle-like creature that had to be a representative of a changeling. Finally, bursting out of a volcano, which made no sense since no volcanoes were even near Ponyville, was a red dragon robot who roared out flames before flying off. Suddenly, the scene showed all seven mechanical creatures running or flying side by side as one by one the rangers jumped into their robots from near impossible heights of distance. Each landed inside a cockpit before pressing a few buttons. “Megazord Unification Activate!” Each of the respective mechs roared as the wolf and pony Zords started transforming themselves into shaping like legs and feet with their respective bodies with the heads acting as the latter. They soon connected to the yak, who pulled in all their limbs, including their head, to act as the body while the two other Zords connected below. The changeling and hippogriff ones did the same as the pony and wolf one except they were made to be like hands with the griffin’s claws soon coming off its body and connecting with the arms to become the hands while the rest of it went to the back, transformed, and connected to the yak’s spine while spreading out its wings. Finally, the dragon robot landed on top and connected its body to have wings make a second set while the body entered the yak’s neck before the head remained on top. Its tail also came apart and turned into a long-spined blade shaped like a katana sword. It poised in the air before landing with a thud as the page to the left showed all seven in some kind of advanced cockpit and poised with their left limb out. “Megazord Formation Complete!” The eye from the real Gallus twitched, “They had… a giant robot that they could have called on at any time… and they didn’t think of using it first?!” “But… the fights…” “This battle could have been over in two seconds!” Real Gallus folded his arms. “This is why I should have been the leader,” he muttered. Ignoring his friend, Sandbar went back to focusing on the fight as the two giant monstrosities rushed at each other and started exchanging blows that each blocked. The Megazord used the dragon tail sword while the Bulldozer monster used his buzzsaws. The Megazord then went for a downward chop only to have the Bulldozer monster grab the blade and mock them with laughter. However, they didn’t expect the Megazord to kick them in the gut before pushing them back and slicing them with the blade as sparks came out. “Gah! Oh yeah?! Eat this!” the Bulldozer monster shouted as he fired missiles from his pipes which hit the Megazord repeatedly. “GAH! AH! UGH! WAH!” the seven cried as they flailed their limbs around in the sparking cockpit that the two watchers didn’t know if they were being tossed around or having a stroke. “I got you now!” the Bulldozer monster cried out as it tried to charge, but suddenly golden arrows made of energy hit it from the side and caused it to slip and fall in pain. “What the?!” Silverstream gasped. “Those arrows!” The Megazord turned to see, up on Princess Twilight’s castle, was a creature that neither Gallus or Sandbar had ever seen before, but knew about. It was a fox, but it had five tails behind it, making it one of the Kitsune from the far east. He was dressed in a similar outfit like the rest of the Harmony Rangers, but was gold and had a cloak and hood with strange eastern writing on it. In his hands was a sparkling gold and white bow that it lowered upon seeing that its attack had hit. “Now, Rangers. Get him while he’s down,” the Golden Ranger said before he vanished with a swift flap of his cloak. “Wait!” Silverstream said, reaching out as if she wanted to grab him. This made both Real Gallus and Ranger Gallus growl at the same time before Smolder alerted Silverstream to focus. “R-Right!” The dragon sword began to glow bright orange with white flames as they circled it above their head. The seven heroes then shouted, “Divine Cut of Justice!” With super speed, the Megazord brought its glowing sword down and sliced the monster in two. It barely had time to fall down before exploding for good this time as the Megazord raised its sword in victory. “Soooo, who was the golden guy?” Real Gallus asked, eyebrow raised. “Probably a mysterious ranger who's going to hide in the shadows, aiding when needed, until the team finally has him join them full time,” Real Sandbar pointed out. “At least, if my knowledge of superheroes is accurate.” “You’re such a nerd,” Gallus chuckled. ‘Gods, do I love you for it.’ The story didn’t seem to end there, as it showed Spike’s Juice Bar again, but apparently the next day as Ocellus was going on a one-on-one sparring match with Gallus. The two were evenly matched as they exchanged blows for blows and counters for counters until Ocellus managed to get in a sweep kick that knocked Gallus to his back just for him to get a fist inches from his face from a smiling changeling. “Seriously? I lost to Ocellus in a fight?” Real Gallus moaned. “Wow, I’m glad I’m already dead, or I’d die of embarrassment from that.” Smirking, the two shook hands before getting up as Smolder clapped for the performance. “Nice work, Ocellus. Told ya you’d get the hang of it.” “Yeah, I guess I just needed to believe in myself like you said,” Ocellus replied as she and Gallus drank from their water bottles. “Plus it helps that Gallus likes to lean on his right rear foot a lot when he fights.” “Noted,” Gallus chuckled as Yona and Rexis walked over. He noticed the former was smiling brightly while the latter was depressed. “What’s with you two?” “Yona got B+ on Test! All thanks to friend Rexis help!” Yona said, giving a friendly nuzzle to the diamond dog who sighed. “Isn’t that good news?” Smolder asked, tilting her head at Rexis’s behavior. “Yeah, but the problem is that I was so busy helping Yona I forgot to study by myself! I got a C+,” he answered, which made the others chuckle. “Ah well, at least it’s not that bad.” Just then, Silverstream and Sandbar rushed in with big smiles on their faces. “Guys! Guess what! It’s amazing!” Silverstream said as she shook with excitement. “Thanks to what happened yesterday, they decided to stop construction! The forest is going to be left alone!” “Wow, guess that monster did do something good, huh?” Gallus said, grinning. “Yeah, but I’m glad we were able to beat it regardless,” Sandbar said with a nod. “With a little help from the Gold Ranger.” “I wonder who he is...?” Silverstream whispered as a blush appeared on her cheeks. “I... I still never got a chance to thank him for saving me...” “Uh, hey!” Gallus said, interrupting her train of thought. “Why don’t we hang out in the forest since it's no longer being torn down?!” The others all nodded and soon left the Juice Bar, not knowing that in the corner, a yellow fox with five tails was watching them while reading a book under his hoodie. The words “To Be Continued” appeared in the book as both Sandbar and Gallus closed it and sat down. “Wow, that was intense!” Sandbar grinned. Gallus shrugged. “Some of the fights were cool, but… I don’t know, there were parts that just got too cheesy for me.” “Oh, don’t be such a sour puss!” Sandbar got up. “Besides, there’s something else we still need to do.” “Like what?” “Well it is Hearth’s Warming Eve.” Sandbar walked out of the bedroom. “So c’mon, we haven’t finished decorating yet.” “Yeah about that,” Gallus got up and filled his friend behind. “Have you noticed that there’s no hearth anywhere in this place? How can we have a Hearth's Warming without a…” His point died on his beak as they entered the living room, where they found a new feature next to the open Hearth’s Warming box - a large fireplace. Made out of marble and gilded iron, it was already burning brightly with several logs, bathing the room in an orange glow. “How the… Oh right, Heaven.” Gallus facepalmed. Sandbar went over to the open box. “I remembered that we hadn't decorated since we left earlier. So come help me pull this stuff out.” For a while, the two pulled out and kept pulling out more decorations. There, they found more ornaments for the tree, along with bows and freshly-made pine wreaths to hang up around the room. They pulled up strings of colored lights, candles, and even trays of ginger and sugar cookies. “Talk about the gift that keeps on giving,” Gallus remarked, stringing up a holly wreath over the fireplace. “Do you think if you turn the thing upside down we might be flooded with Hearth’s Warming stuff?” “Hey, what’s this?” Sandbar asked, reaching into the box and pulled out a few long boxes with bows on them. Taking a moment to untie them, he let out a gasp. “Dude! Come look at these!” Gallus flew over next to him. In those long boxes, were rows of hoof-sewn dolls - the kind that ponies traditionally placed over the hearth. But what they found wasn’t just copies of them - it also contained their friends, Sandbar’s family, and even Starlight in doll, button-eyed form. Yet, that wasn’t all. In the hooves/claws of their friends, they held onto rolls of short slips of paper. Gallus took the one that looked like Silverstream and unrolled the paper. It had a short little message: We have not forgotten you. - Silverstream. Then he picked up Smolder’s in which it read: Thank you for being in my life. - Smolder. It was the same with the other dolls, each of them had a short but heartfelt message from their loved ones. Yona loves you both. - Yona Please be happy up there and at peace. - Ocellus You will always be my precious students. - Starlight Son, we love you. One day we will see you. Gallus, you were like a part of the family. Happy Hearth's Warming - Mr. and Mrs. Oceanvale I wanna be you when I grow up, Big Bro. I know you are here with me. I love you. - Coral Deeper inside they found those from their former professors and Spike. I’m proud to have taught you both. - Twilight Sparkle Say hi to my folks for me. Tell Mama to make her special pie. - Applejack. When I get up there you better have a party ready for me! - Pinkie Pie I’m not really religious, but if there is a Heaven out there, it better have let you two in or I’ll kick angel butt. - Rainbow Dash I’m always praying for you. Be at peace. - Fluttershy. I bet you both look ravishing in white wings and halo. We miss you. - Rarity You were both good friends. Might be awhile before I join you, but I’ll look after everyone for you. - Spike Much to their shock, there were even more dolls. But from ponies they didn’t recognize at first until they remembered them as their fellow students from the school. You two are the school's heroes. We’ll miss you. I always had a crush on you, Gallus. I hope you find peace. Sandbar, thanks for helping me with my homework on those study lessons. We’ll look after Smolder, Silverstream, Yona, and Ocellus for you. We Academy Students are always a family, even in death. Pray for our petition to make one of the rooms named get passed. We want to make it happen in your honor. Hope you guys are happy up there. No creatures deserve it more than you two. It was at that moment that two big smiles appeared on Sandbar and Gallus’s faces as they looked at each other’s teary-eyed expressions and hugged. At that moment, surrounded by these dolls which held so much love, it felt like being back home. One by one, they’d put every doll in some place in any of the rooms. But for now, it suddenly felt like the penthouse was occupied, not just by themselves, but with everyone who they knew in their lives. “Damn…” Gallus wiped the tears from his eyes. “That’s one helluva Hearth’s Warming present.” “I know,” Sandbar did the same. “That was the most thoughtful gift I didn’t know I wanted.” He looked back into the box and blinked. “Huh?” He turned it upside-down, and the only thing that came out was an envelope addressed to them. Sandbar opened it up and quickly read it. “What is it?” Asked Gallus. “It basically says that that’s it for the decorations - but there’ll be more gifts in the morning. But…” He shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe who it’s signed by.” “Oh what,” Gallus joked, “Saddle Clause?” “Actually… yeah.” The griffon paused. “You’re joking.” “No, seriously, it’s signed by Saddle Clause. I don’t know if it's a joke or, being Heaven, it might be real.” He looked over at the now-empty box. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.” “Okay…” Gallus looked around at the dolls they took out. “Hey, I think we’re almost done. You wanna put all of these up on the hearth?” Saying it would be a good idea, he and Gallus began to place the dolls on the mantle - one by one with as much love and care that they gave them. As they did so, an idea popped in Sandbar’s head. “Hey, Gallus? Can I ask you a personal question?” “I don’t see why not,” he said, placing the dolls of Yona and Silverstream up. “What is it?” “Well, with what happened earlier, it got me thinking,” Sandbar continued after he placed the dolls of his parents up. “Ideally speaking, who do you want your special somecreature to be?” Gallus nearly dropped the dolls into the fire. “U-Uh…” Gallus felt his cheeks growing warmer. “Sorry?” “Too personal? Sorry just… you know, after you said goodbye to Silverstream and all that. It just made me curious to know what you’re looking for as a romantic partner, that’s all.” “No, no…” He turned away so he could hide his blush. “It’s just I didn’t expect to hear that is all.” “So… Do you wanna talk about it?” “I… guess?” “Okay, great!” Sandbar reached over to put up the dolls of the students from the academy. “So paint me a picture. Let’s say you just found that special someone and they agreed to go on a dinner date with you.” “That’s a bit cliche, isn’t it?” “Hey, it’s just a what if, ya know? So anyway, they agreed to the date. So what would they be ideally like?” “Oh…” Gallus exhaled. “Big question... Well…” “Are they male or female?” “.... Let’s pretend that they’re… male.” “Okay,” Sandbar nodded. “And what would you be looking for - besides being hot, of course?” Gallus scratched the back of his neck, his wings flustering. “Well…” He gulped, “Ideally? If it were a guy, I can see him as being mature… but not being a stick in the mud.” “So mature to be an adult, but young at heart enough to be immature in the best ways, right?” “Yeah… He uh… would be someone that’s… caring, of course. That he would be flexible-” Sandbar snerked. “Not like that!... Okay, that too, but I mean someone that’s… easy-going. Who’s open minded?” Gallus couldn’t tell if it was the fireplace, or this discussion that was making him feel warmer than usual. “He would uh… be patient with me. Understanding that I’m not exactly easy to be around with on some days. Maybe someone that I could be vulnerable with and not be afraid I would be made fun of for doing so.” “Well okay,” Sandbar smirked, “But what do you expect this Mr. Perfect to be?” “What do you mean?” “Like what kind of job would he have? Hobbies? His taste in stuff - things like that.” ‘Wow you’re not making this any easier on me, aren’t ya?’ Gallus thought. “Okay uh… If I had my way… I’d have my date to be… kinda a nerd. But not the embarrassed to be around with kind. I mean the sort that would love one or two things I like but know much more about so I can learn from ‘em. I would… well, wouldn’t mind what job he had as long as he doesn’t become too overly obsessed with it. Ya know?” “Sure.” “But as weird as it may sound, while I would like him to have a few things in common with me, I also would like him to be a sort of a challenge.” Sandbar tilted his head, “Huh?” “Well, realistically, I don’t want him to agree with me all the time. If he did, things would get boring pretty fast, ya know? I want someone who could at certain points hold his ground without being a jerk about it. Someone that wouldn’t be afraid to challenge me on certain points that, maybe in hindsight I would need to rethink about. Yeah, I know that’s weird but, hey we’re talking about the ideal date, aren’t we?” “Okay, final question,” Sandbar said dramatically before he pointed to Gallus with a perverted grin. “Would you be the one getting pounded in the butt or you pounding him with your co-?” “Oh, jeez, you’re turning into such a pervert,” Gallus groaned, blushing his cheeks as sets of perverted images came to his mind. “I guess… I’d let him do me.” “Really? I thought you’d be the dominant kind, being a predator and all?” Sandbar said in surprise. “Well, what about you?” Gallus asked back, which made Sandbar blush. “Well… if given the chance, I guess I’d want to do it on top...” Sandbar admitted. “Why? Because you’re bigger or something?” Gallus blinked, “That came out wrong.” “Why, wanna see it again?” Sandbar joked but it took all of Gallus’s willpower not to nod. “Anyway, let’s finish this up. I’m going to take a shower in my bathroom after this.” “Y-yeah… I want to use my bathroom too...” Gallus asked. ‘Though I’m going to get dirty instead of clean.’ Half an hour after their showers, the two of them went straight to bed - Gallus trying his best not to make eye-contact from the sheer awkwardness by the time they lay in their separate beds and turned off the lights. Yet, even in the dark, neither of them fell asleep. Sandbar, with the memory of his friend so flustered still fresh in his mind, asked aloud: “Hey Gallus? Are you still awake?” “Hm?” “Well… joking aside, I do hope you do find someone special here.” Gallus rolled over to face him. “Yeah?” “Yeah. I know that your life wasn’t easy. And your love life was pretty much non-existent. I was hoping that maybe I could help change that. Maybe be a wingman for ya and when you do find someone you like, I could help get the ball rolling.” “Dude, you don’t have to do that.” “Maybe not, but I do think you deserve to be happy with someone - for real this time. Not just some distant crush or whatever, I mean for real. I was happy with Yona when I was alive, and… you hardly got the chance to do that. To have that long, deep relationship with someone. I just want ya to know that if you do find someone, I wanna help out to make it last. Okay?” Gallus pulled the covers closer to his head. “Yeah… sure.” “You’re a good griffon, dude,” Sandbar shifted in his bed, getting comfortable, “you deserve to be happy.” “.... Thanks.” Gallus rolled back, closing his eyes, and focused on his breathing to make his heart slow down a little bit. Chapter 9“Gallus wake up!” Whatever pleasant dream the griffon was having was rudely interrupted by Sandbar. “Dude, get up!” Gallus groaned. “What time is it?” “Early, but seriously, get up right now!” The warm covers of the bed were pulled off, leaving Gallus to wince at the sudden chill. “Can it wait?” he grumbled. “No, it can’t!” Sandbar’s voice sounded more excited than panicky. Almost like a foal on Hearth’s Warming mor… oh yeah. Slumping up, Gallus rubbed his eyes. “This better be important,” he mumbled under his breath. “Of course it’s important! You’re not gonna believe it, but I think there is a Saddle Clause!” Gallus blinked. “You do realize what just came out of your-” “C’mon!” Sandbar grabbed his hand, practically dragging him out of bed and into the living room. “See! I told you he came!” It took the griffon about a minute or two to process what he was seeing. Around the room, from under the tree to the stockings that hung from the Hearth, were presents in every shape, size, and color imaginable. Some in shiny wrapping paper of silver and gold, others tied up in bows with great care. There were candies and sweets that were added to the tree. And on a small table were two silvery domes with their names engraved on them. Gallus went over to his and uncovered it. Whoever it was that set all of this up, they’d also included breakfast: cinnamon rolls that perfumed the air in cinnamon, clove, and cardamom. Even if it was the hotel staff that had done all this, even he had to admit that it was a nice gesture. Meanwhile, Sandbar went over to the tree and pulled out a few of the presents. “Hey, these have our names on them.” He handed Gallus a silver-wrapped box. Taking hold of the gift, Gallus flipped it at every angle, finding nothing else but his name. He wasn’t sure where Sandbar came to the conclusion that this was a gift from Saddle Clause himself, but hey, he had gifts now. He wasn’t one to turn it down if it was free. So the two unwrapped their presents. Underneath the shiny paper was a thick book. Made of black leather, the cover had, in gilded letterings, the year they died. “Is this a photo album?” Gallus questioned. “Why would someone give us these?” Sandbar opened it up, and his eyes went wide. “What the…? When was this taken?” “Huh?” “Open your book.” Curious, Gallus did. At first glance, there were a few photos with a short inscription underneath them. Hoofwritten in black ink. It was laid out like how a grandparent would with their photos that tried to preserve their cherished memories. Yet, the first few photos he saw were of events neither of them remembered. But at a closer look, they saw why. Wherever these photos came from, they were taken after they died. In one photo, it showed the girls - Smolder, Ocellus, Yona, and Silverstream - out in the student’s lounge being swamped with other students bringing pots of soup, trays of biscuits, cookies, and other comfort foods. Underneath it was inscribed: Academe students came to show support after their loss. August 20th, 1016. Another photo showed Silverstream and Yona. Behind them was a fox with several tails, crouching by a wall, apparently hurt. And before the girls who stood valiant before a group of other students. Underneath it was written: Today Yona and Silverstream stood up to bullies for the new kid from Kyubiokitusne. After this, the Kitsune became a friend. His name is Inari. September 29th, 1016. “Hey, look at this one!” Sandbar said, showing Gallus a picture of Smolder holding claws with a blushing Spike. Behind them in a bush were several eyes peering out. Smolder finally asked Spike out on a date today. And of course, we had to follow them around to see how it went. October 4, 1016. “It’s about time Smolder started going out with someone.” Gallus flipped through his book and stopped when one picture caught his eye. “She’s not the only one.” He pointed to a picture of Inari, looking at the floor and blushing out of embarrassment with Silverstream, wide-eyed and a claw over her mouth. Inari fesses up and tells Silverstream that he’s developed a crush on her after she saved him from his bullies. Silverstream is flattered but doesn’t feel the same way - saying that she still needs time. October 13, 1016. Gallus then turned the page and saw, to his surprise, Inari and Ocellus kissing under a mistletoe just outside the academy. Inari is surprised to learn Ocellus has a crush on him. Inari and Ocellus have their first kiss under the mistletoe. Ocellus also doesn’t need to eat for three days. December 12, 1016 “At least she found someone,” Sandbar said as he scooted over and smiled upon seeing the next picture. “Guess we aren’t the only ones missing each other on Hearth's Warming Eve.” He showed a photo of his and Gallus’ graves with a big Hearth's Warming Eve tree behind the graves and protecting them. It was decorated and had flowers around their tombstones with their friends, family, and others all singing carols together. Some with tears in their eyes. Spike organizes a Hearth's Warming Carol concert in memory of their lost friends Gallus and Sandbar. December 23, 1016. Gallus flipped over to the last photo. “Hey, dude look at this,” he pointed to a picture that was starting to develop. “I think this one is being taken right now.” “Really? Let me see.” Side by side, they watched the black photo slowly being created with lines and colors becoming clearer. At first, they couldn’t make out what they were looking at. However, it soon showed the student’s lounge with its yearly Hearth’s Warming tree. At the foot of it were their friends and many other students opening presents. Gallus and Sandbar spotted Smolder, who had just opened up a box that had a large ruby (undoubtedly from Spike, who was next to her, relieved that it was being received well). They spotted Yona handing a crudely wrapped gift to Ocellus and Inari, who both smiled back at her. Silverstream wiped a tear from her eye because she unwrapped her gift that had Yona’s name on it - it was a wool knit blanket that had Gallus and Sandbar on it. Nearby, Starlight was handing freshly baked gingerbread cookies out to the other students. A record number of students volunteered to stay for Hearth’s Warming this year for Smolder, Yona, Silverstream, and Ocellus. Just so they wouldn’t be alone for this year. December 25, 1016. Gallus and Sandbar smiled. Even though they were gone, at least they knew that those they cared for were still being taken care of. There wasn't a gloom like from their funerals, but smiles from their friends. From these pictures, it showed that their friends still remembered them, but had taken the steps to move on. “You know,” Gallus wiped a tear from his eye, “I’m glad they’re doing okay over there.” “Yeah. And they’ve made a new friend too,” Sandbar agreed. “Hopefully things will get better for them from here.” “Something tells me we don’t have to worry about that.” Gallus closed his photo album. “If this is just the first thing we’ve opened, I wanna see what other stuff we got.” He eyed one of the cinnamon rolls and picked one of them up. “That is… after breakfast first.” After about an hour of unwrapping presents and piling up a mound of wrapping paper, Gallus and Sandbar moved their gifts inside their home, going back and forth most of the morning to load up what they gained. While they were doing so, a thought came to Sandbar’s mind. “Hey Gallus, I just realized something.” “Yeah?” His friend walked out back into the living room to grab another armful of his stuff. “What’s that?” “What do you think we should do for New Year’s? I mean, sure, it’s still about a week away, but where do you think we should go?” Gallus shrugged. “I don’t know. We could probably go back to Equestria for the fireworks. But outside of that… I’ve no idea. I mean, we don’t have anything planned for it, do we?” “No, but I just think we should do something.” “Yeah?” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “Like what?” Sandbar was about to answer when a knock on the door alerted them that they had company. Since he was the nearest to the door, Sandbar walked over and opened it revealing a dragon dressed in a royal blue silk trench coat with a fancy white dress-shirt and frill. He was wearing a pair of glasses and stood proud with his back straight and still. “Mr. Oceanvale and Mr. Skyflight?” “Yes?” Sandbar asked, raising an eyebrow. “Can we help you?” “My name is Azuma. I am here to present to you these invitations on behalf of The Creator,” he said as he revealed two black-and-purple-leathered envelopes with dark pink wrapping bows. Curious, Sandbar took them and handed the one with Gallus’ name on it to his friend. “What do you mean by ‘The Creator?’” “The Creator. As in Creator of All,” Azuma answered, which made both teens nearly turn white as they stared at the smirking dragon. “Also known as God, Supreme Heavenly One, Big G Boy, Master of Life, The First Angel, The Prime Good, and a bunch of other titles he’s been called over the ages, including The Boss.” “.... The Creator...” Gallus whispered. “As in… the guy who created the Heavens, Hells, worlds, space and time, all of reality, and us included?” “Pretty much for a short list,” Azura said with a shrug. This was too much for Gallus and he fainted on the floor, his rear legs twitching in the air. “That always happens to first comers.” “Why would God want to invite us?!” Sandbar asked in disbelief. “I mean, I know this is Heaven and you get pretty much treated like a prince all the time, but seriously, this can’t be normal!” “It’s not,” Azura said as he smirked. “Only a select hundred or so are allowed to attend God’s annual New Year’s Eve Party. It’s a big event and one of the most sought after here in Paradise. He only chooses those he wants, and it seems he wants you.” He then pointed to the invitation in Sandbar’s hooves. Quickly, he ripped open one of them and read: Dear Sandbar Oceanvale, You have been invited to the annual God’s New Year’s Eve Party. This is an event where I, your Almighty and Awesome Creator, invite specific creatures to a special night of games, food, and merriment. You are perhaps wondering why you and your friend Gallus have been chosen to attend. Especially since this is your first year being dead and all. Well, the truth is, we owe you and your friends a lot for saving the world more than once. Pretty much like Twilight’s group, but not as big or epic. Still, without you stopping certain events and villains, I’m afraid Heaven and Hell would be having a bigger count than usual. And before you ask, no, I didn’t plan you two dying back there in the caves, but your choices sadly led you to an early grave. My deepest apologies, but there was nothing I could do, since I made a choice long ago to let free will dictate the lives of mortal beings. I may have set everything up, but I have no control over whatever comes after. Still, think of this not only as a reward for all your good deeds when you were alive, but also as an apology for your lives ending as they did. Don’t worry about figuring out what to wear or anything like that. I’ve already sent you some costumes. These include masks that will hide your identity for the Masquerade, as part of the celebration that will be this year’s special event. I hope you enjoy it, as well as Gallus when he wakes up from fainting. (I know what you’re thinking: “How does he know that?” Duh, I’m God!) Sincerely, Big G P.S. I love that timeline where you are superheroes too! Season 3 is my favorite! “.... Is it me, or does he seem a bit…?” Sandbar tried to find the right word. “Normal?” Azuma asked, which got a nod. “Yeah, they always expect either a fire-and-brimstone kind of guy or some wise old being with a fatherly voice from His Holiness. He can be those things depending on his mood, but most of the time he’s just… an average Joe.” “What did he mean by outfits?” Sandbar asked, and was soon answered by two boxes that were handed over to him. “The invites are the key to getting into the Keter Palace. Just say the name and you’ll be there. Please arrive around 4 PM on December 31st. Thank you,” Azuma said as bowed before walking away. Sandbar slowly shut the door as Gallus slowly got up, moaning as he held his head. “What happened? I had a weird dream where some guy said that the Creator God invited us to a party.” “Well, it wasn’t a dream. Also, guess who also likes cheesy superhero worlds?” Gallus’s eyes narrowed at the map in frustration. Over the past week, no matter how many times he’d tried, the map had refused to give the exact location of the home of the creator. Every time he tried, all he would get was “This Address Not Known”. “How are we supposed to get to that New Year’s Party if we have no idea where it is?!” Gallus threw the pamphlet on the sandy ground. By this point, he and Sandbar had finally left Monte Catlo in the desert. With the new year just hours away and both of them dressed in their given costumes, neither had any idea what to do. Gallus sat on his haunches on top of a sand dune. “Kinda defeats the purpose of going anywhere at this point.” Sandbar took off his tricorn hat at the invitations. He took extra care to sit down next to his friend given the delicate costume. He had a red overcoat that, to him, looked like it belonged to a ringmaster of a circus, or perhaps an old uniform for a general, given the gold buttons and loops that hang from his shoulders. He set his mask down in the sand - like Gallus’, it was made out of white porcelain, yet had painted features, like eyebrows that moved with the face. As for Gallus, he was dressed in black and white, almost resembling a harlequin in many ways, from the flurry cuffs at the end of his sleeves to the thick starch collar around his neck. Over his face was a mask that fit him well with a long curved beak - Sandbar had joked that the mask made him look like a plague doctor, but the clown outfit just made him look ridiculous. “You know, I’ve read this so many times,” Sandbar said, scratching his head. “All it says is to say the name of the place and we should be there. But I don’t understand why you can’t just go there.” “Maybe we’ve been pranked.” Humming, Sandbar looked up to the stars, “Or maybe… Nah, forget it.” “What?” “Well… It’s just a crazy idea but… what if this place where The Creator lives isn’t in Heaven itself?” Gallus’s mask showed a raised eyebrow. “How does that make sense?” “I mean, what if the guy lives in a different dimension from here? Like, above Heaven or something?” Rolling his eyes, Gallus stood up. “Well, I think that looking for a place called Keter is a waste of time,” he said, beginning to walk away. “I think it makes more sense to go back to the casin- OW!” Gallus was cut off as he ran face-first into something solid, nearly making him fall and roll off the sand dune. “What the...?” Rubbing his beak, he looked at what he ran into. Clearly, neither of them remembered a gilded elevator being there before. They didn’t hear it fall from the sky, nor were they even aware of its existence until Gallus ran into it. Regardless, it was startling to find an old-fashioned elevator to come out of nowhere. The sliding doors folded open to show a deer in a blue silk bellhop uniform. He tipped his small hat to them. “Going up?” He asked. “How…?” Sandbar looked around, “Where did you-” “You two are here for the masquerade? For the New Year’s Eve Party that His Holiness is throwing?” “How did you know that?” Gallus asked, still rubbing his face while he got back up. “You called. Here I am.” The deer gestured a cloven hoof inside. “Shall we go?” As strange as it was, the two climbed aboard the gilded elevator. They watched the deer turn a switch, upon which the doors folded shut and they began to fly upwards to the stars. For a while, the three of them didn’t say anything. Sandbar coughed into his hoof. “So…” he asked, getting the deer’s attention, “do you uh… have a name?” “Call me Michael,” he said. “Cool. So, uh… Michael, where are we going?” The bellhop chuckled. “To the top floor, of course. That’s where the party is.” “Right…” Gallus tilted his head. “But where we’re going, is it still in Heaven or…?” “My, what easy riddles you two ask,” Michael replied. “Not exactly. The home of His Holiness is above all creation, just above Paradise.” “So that’s why we couldn’t find it!” Gallus slapped the floor. “I thought we were pranked.” “You know, you’re the fifth person to have mentioned that.” “Yeah?” Sandbar tilted his head. “I’m aware that the instructions to get to Keter are… somewhat confusing. Not many know that getting there requires a password.” “What password?” both Sandbar and Gallus asked. “Keter.” Gallus frowned. “That’s a lame password.” “Hey, I don’t make the rules, I just follow along and work the elevator.” There was the sound of a bell above them, a noticeable ding that made the elevator stop. “Here we are,” Michael said, pulling a switch to open the doors. “Welcome to Keter Palace.” The two masked friends stepped out of the elevator and onto a stone bridge. What was in front of them was like stepping into an illustration of a fantasy epic. Before them, underneath a rainbow of fireworks, was a structure that was part city, and part temple. They saw towers, domes, arches, and columns, all standing proudly. It was made of white marble, opal roofs, and moving stained glass windows. In a way, it was like a collage of all the best architecture of all the great marvels of the world - and yet, not at the same time. All around it were forests, mountains, seas, and gardens full of spring flowers, autumn trees, snow-covered pines, and summer fruits. One thing that really stood out, however, was the giant platinum dragon that was almost as big as the entire building that was flying above the sky. Gallus and Sandbar had seen many dragons ever since they’d befriended Smolder, including the previous Dragon Lord Scorch, the biggest dragon in the world. This guy, however, made him look like a newborn kitten. It flew lower and rested on one of the mountains nearby, letting out a roar while scratching its neck. Because of its size, it was big enough to be seen in detail. It was as shiny as a star made out of crystal, glimmering in the dusk as light reflected off of its scales into a rainbow. Its wings were pure platinum as well, but had angelic feathers that were silvery-white. Its tail was huge, with large sharp spikes that could cut through the very mountain it was resting on, and its glowing silver eyes were like two moons side by side. “That’s… a big… dragon...” Gallus muttered with a gulp. “Is… Is that God?” “You wish!” Michael snorted. “That’s Bahumat.” “Wait, THE Bahumat?! As in the God-King of All Dragon Kind?!” Sandbar shouted in surprise. “The Platinum Dragon of Justice?! The Lord of The North Wing?! Paladin of the Shining Light of Mercuria?!” “And biggest lover of oatmeal cookies. Seriously, he eats those like mice to cheese,” Michael said with a smile. “He’s not a god. Well, kinda... In some other worlds, he is, but in others, he’s not. It’s complex to explain. But in your world, he is the father of dragons, due to God taking some of his scales and using them to create dragonkind. So I guess it's no surprise that they worship him as their God-King. However, in reality, he’s God’s pet.” “.... As in a dog?” Gallus asked in utter disbelief. “Yup! He does the cutest tricks too! Like beg, fetch, play dead, and flip,” Michael said with a snicker. “Well, I think I’ve lost all sense of disbelief in my life,” Gallus said with a heavy sigh. “Anything else from here is going to be all dull.” “Wait, so if Bahumat is real, what about his sister? Tiamat?” Sandbar asked, remembering Smolder’s essay on the Dragon Pantheon in school. “Oh, she does exist alright, but she’s not Bahumat’s sister. That’s a mistranslation,” Michael said while waving a hoof. “She’s actually his cousin twice removed. And she’s not really evil. She’s… How do I put this elegantly…? Continuously on her period. That’s why she’s such a bitch all the time. Literally and figuratively.” “.... She nearly destroyed the world three times in the last four thousand years,” Sandbar pointed out. “Can you blame her? She’s got five heads. One session of PMS for each one. You’d be pretty much a goddess of destruction if you had to deal with that. There’s a reason why His Holiness has to give each of them a candy bar and tell each head that they’re very pretty now and then.” “.... Let’s head inside before we lose more of our sanity,” Gallus said, to which Sandbar nodded as Michael waved goodbye before shutting the elevator. As they approached the massive doors, Gallus and Sandbar now took notice of the other guests that were on the bridge with them. They too were wearing masks like theirs, in a range of costumes that one would see from a Venetian carnival. There were elaborate ones that were made up of lights or snow. Others paraded as characters like a jester, a king, a samurai, a million-armed Manedian god, and so on. Both strange and fantastical that they wondered if the Creator God too had given each one of them their costumes. Then they entered through the double doors towards the kaleidoscope of light and the sounds of lively chatter, laughter, and music that was a mashup of baroque violin with jazz rhythms remixed with modern dubstep. When they went inside the palace, it was like stepping inside another universe entirely. Not that there weren’t things they expected, like doors, walls, and ceilings - there were, but at the same time… there weren’t. It was almost too surreal to describe the inside of The Creator’s home. It was like walking through a galaxy of stars. Everything inside seemed titanically huge, from the rollercoaster that twisted around and through the walls to the Jupiter-size disco ball that lit up the vaulted ceiling. It felt more like stepping inside the foalhood home of Discord than that of the God of Creation. Yet, somehow in this space, it wasn’t by any means empty. As they walked in, gawking at the surreal splendor of the space; there were other guests in nearly every direction laughing, dancing, talking, and playing games from the enormous board game of chess that was so big that they used plants as pieces, to the mountains of horderves, forests of desserts, and rivers of every drink imaginable running through. But even still, as far as they could see, this was only a small portion of the party that was further inside. “Now this is a house,” Gallus gawked. “Tell me about it.” Sandbar nodded dumbly, “Maybe the Creator God is a more interesting guy than I thought.” “Yeah…” Gallus looked around for a moment. “So… now what?” “Well I don’t know about you-” Sandbar pointed over to the food land nearby- “but I wanna get a taste of that chocolate geyser over there.” However, before he could move, he felt a hoof on his shoulder. He turned to see a unicorn there. “Wait,” the unicorn said. They noticed that this one was in a uniform, silver in color, and held himself of high importance. “Stay here for a moment.” “Why?” Gallus asked. “Who are you?” “Herald for His Holiness,” he said, taking a few steps in front of them, “Before either of you go off, He wishes to talk to you.” Underneath their masks, Gallus and Sandbar turned white. “W-Wait, what?” Gallus stuttered, “You mean that God wants to…” The Herald nodded and turned to the rest of the party. He stomped on the floor three times, letting out a thunderous bang each time. For a moment, the halls of creation went silent. “Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! Presenting the Great I Am, the Alpha and the Omega, Lord of Creation, the First Angel, All Praise the One, the End and the Beginning, here he is, His Holiness - God!” He then pointed to the ceiling, where everyone looked up and saw that a section of it was slowly opening up like a garage door. Slowly, descending down, was a golden hot air balloon that was being guided by half a dozen angel wings on the balloon itself. Loud trumpeting music began to play as a chorus of angels echoed across the room and even throughout the Heavens themselves. Nearly everyone felt such powerful compassion and love that some were moved to tears while everyone else slowly bowed. Gallus and Sandbar as well felt an everlasting light burning inside their souls. The sorrows, regrets, guilts, fears, and anger that still lingered inside them from the tears - from seeing their friends mourn for them to Gallus learning of his parents’ true actions - they seemed to burn away from the deepest parts of their hearts. It was such an experience that made them fall to their knees. The hot air balloon continued to slowly descend until it was in the middle of the room, just a few feet away from where Gallus and Sandbar were kneeling. The opening to the basket of the hot air balloon slowly parted as smoke came out of it, while a figure slowly emerged… or rather hopped gracefully. “What up bitches! Big G back in the crib y’all!” A tiny white rabbit, dressed in a yellow basketball jersey with the numbers “777” on his front and back and the words “G.O.D” on the top back. He had blue sweats on and a pair of shades resting on his long ears as he hopped around as others got up and began applauding, save for a confused Gallus and Sandbar. “Wait… where’s God?” Sandbar asked. “He is right there,” The Herald proclaimed. “What?” Gallus asked, craning his neck over. “Behind the rabbit?” “It is the rabbit,” The Herald answered. “.... WHAT THE ACTUAL GODDAMN FUCK?!” Sandbar and Gallus shouted. “I heard that!” “Lifestyles of the Rich and Holy” “Hello and welcome back to Lifestyles of the Rich and Holy!” a blue pony with a fancy red suit and black mullet spoke into his microphone, talking towards a ram angel who was holding a TV camera. “Hi, I’m Dick Flankus speaking to you all live from the Keter Palace, where the big man himself, God Almighty, has arrived in style! The angels are singing it up tonight and we got guests from every sphere of the Heavens coming in to celebrate the New Year. Including celebrities long dead and buried!” Dick Flankus turned his head and pointed to the entrance, where walking on the red carpet were a series of griffins and pegasi soldiers in formation, their shields out and spears ready. “Oh, look like the Praetorian Guard have arrived, and you know what that means, folks!” Entering behind the guard, waving their paws to the cheering crowd, were two figures smiling side by side. One was a white and light brown griffin in a fancy toga with a purple cape wrapped around his neck and a golden wreath for a crown. On the cape was a golden eagle spread out holding a scroll with two thunderbolts on it while another wreath was surrounding it. The one beside him was an Abyssinian Cat dressed in golden regal and silk dress along with a fancy crown on her head with golden beads going down her long black mane. Males and even a few females were all whistling at one of the most gorgeous creatures to have ever walked the mortal realms. “Yup, it’s Julius Kaiser and his lovely date Catapatra. Once again, the lovely Queen of the Nyah River has every guy acting like they got struck by cupid!” Dick Flankus then gasped as more Praetorian Guards arrived with them carrying a big salad bowl and one of them holding a big pepper shaker. “Oh, and they brought us a salad for the party. How wonderful is that?” Dick Flankus then turned his head and gasped upon pointing over to what appeared to be a tall eight-headed snake that was wearing bow ties and a different colored hat for each serpent head. “Oh, there’s Orochi! Oh, Orochi?! Can we get a few words for the audience?!” One of the heads leaned down and grinned. “Sure, I’d be happy to-” “Hey, he was talking about me, jerk!” another head shouted. “No, he was talking about me!” a third said. The eight heads soon started arguing with each other as Dick Flankus looked at the camera, shrugged, and soon saw a lot of creatures in the crowd making way for someone coming through. Dick Flankus put his hoof over his head. “Oh, wow! I don’t believe it! This is a treat! Parting the crowd, making his return from the last party four hundred years ago, the pony who's been God’s BFF since the whole Mountain and Commandments thing...” An elderly-looking earth pony in a bright red and white robe and sporting the longest of white beard parted the crowd with his staff as he poised for the camera. “It’s Moses!” A lot of people started clapping and welcoming him back as he bowed over and over again. Dick Flankus was one of them until he saw a big dragon fellow in a Viking outfit, red beard, and holding a hammer on his shoulder that was shooting out lightning. “What do you have to say about such a grand return, Thor Drakenson?!” “I have to pee. Where are the bathrooms?” “What a show it’s been, people!” Dick Flankus said, talking back to the camera. “Once again, we’d like to remind our viewers in Heaven that this show is brought to you by... “CLOUDS!” “They’re everywhere!” (Get used to it) God was a rabbit. The Creator of All Creation. The Father of Life. The Supreme Being of the Universe… was a rabbit. And Sandbar and Gallus were walking behind him as he hopped around, smoking a cigar while accepting a martini glass. The rabbit had requested them to follow him to one of the many bars in his house before they took a seat at a mini-bar stand table. Sipping his martini, God let out a relieved sigh and turned to the silently stunned Gallus and Sandbar. “So, let me guess? Didn’t expect me to look like this?” “Among other things, but yes,” Gallus nodded. “But… why a rabbit?” “Because I thought it would be funny. Technically, I can take any form I want, and I often switch it depending on what universe I’m hanging out in, but for this one, I take a rabbit ‘cause the idea of a supreme being having unlimited power in the body of a fluffy cute bunny is hilarious.” “I guess God does have a sense of humor,” Sandbar pointed out with a shrug. “Of course I do. Why do you think I gave creatures the ability to fart awkwardly in public?” God said before tossing his glass away, having it shatter and form into a flutter of butterflies. “I’m still in a bit of disbelief here,” Gallus said before God rolled his eyes. Suddenly, there was a voice in Gallus’ head. ‘You want me to be blunt? Alrighty, you asked for it! You’ve masturbated to Sandbar’s butt over the course of forty-six times while here in Heaven and two-hundred-and-eighty-two times when you were alive - at minimum. Your personal sex dream is to have Silverstream be Sleeping Beauty and you’re the brave knight who can only wake up the princess by having sex with her. Also, you like to shove Diamond Dog shaped dildos into your asshole, among your favorite collection; which is in your desk, third drawer on the right, sitting under a false bottom that’s currently in your dorm room. And yes, Smolder does eventually find those and will use them for her own needs later on.’ “.... Never mind, I’m convinced.” “So, I guess you’re wondering why I invented you guys to my little shindig?” God asked, leaning back on his chair. “I was kinda wondering that,” Sandbar said. “I mean, I get that you’re thankful that we saved the world so many times, but I’m sure a lot of creatures in Heaven have done that. Hay, Princess Twilight and her friends I’m guessing are gonna be saints when they end up here.” “Well, it’s partly that, but it’s also that I feel bad you guys drew the short stick for dying so young; so to speak,” God said with a shrug. “I actually kinda like you guys in this world. I mean, I like you guys in other worlds too. Well, except in that one where you guys joined the Storm King and sold out Silverstream. Seriously, you guys in that world are so going to Hell when you get your asses kicked by the New Elements.” “Joined the Storm King? Worlds?” Sandbar asked, confused. “Like fuck we’d ever sell out Silverstream!” Gallus growled as God held up his paws. “Easy, I wasn’t talking about you. I said other yous,” God answered. “Like I said in those invites. There are near-infinite versions of you in different timelines and universes.” “Wait, if that’s so, shouldn’t you be checking on them?” Sandbar asked. “I am,” God answered. “But… you’re here.” “Yeah, and I’m also, at this very moment, in all the other worlds and timelines as well, doing my duties as the Creator. Don’t think about it too much; trust me, your heads will explode trying to figure it out. Just accept that I’m everywhere and leave it at that.” Sandbar and Gallus looked at each other before shrugging. “Alright,” Gallus said before narrowing his eyes. “There is something I gotta ask. Why did you-” “Let you two die?” God asked, interrupting Gallus as he rolled his eyes. “I get asked that question all the time. Seriously, if I had a nickel-” “Just answer it!” Gallus demanded. Narrowing his eyes, God took his cigar and put it on an ashtray before looking at both of them square in the eye. “Alright, let's get this question out of the way. And for sake of convenience, I’m gonna give you two the oversimplified explanation. First off, free will does exist (at least in this universe). If I didn't give you mortals the ability to do that, you'd be nothing more than slaves that obey my every will, and I don't want that for my creations. Seeing you explore and choose your own fates - save for moments that I do need to interfere for the sake of the cosmos - is the reason you've been able to advance yourselves from brainless animals to what you are now. Your choices lead you to ending up dead, and I can't play favorites when it comes to things like that, otherwise, it'll be unfair to everyone.” He took a moment to puff on his cigar before continuing. “Yes, everyone has a destined time to die, but not all destinies are fulfilled. Did you know that in this universe, if I solely controlled everything, this world would have been completely different? My original plan didn’t include stuff like the Renaissance, the light bulb, or The Beatles. Hell, originally, you two were meant to be the bad guys. Yet, I decided to set the game up and leave you all be.” “Wait, how were we meant to be the bad guys?” Sandbar and Gallus asked in confusion. “Well, let’s say that originally, in the distant past, a different Alicorn was going to find the Elements of Harmony, defeat Discord, get worshiped as a living god, take over the world, and turn it into a military theocracy dictatorship. And guess who was her cruel, sadistic generals? Eventually, after finding the means to travel in space, and start a galactic conquest until The Doctor of your universe stopped you all. However-” he took another puff of his cigar- “that so-called Alicorn decided it would be a smart idea to try climbing a tree when she was a little filly and broke their neck when she fell. Boom! Dead. So that kick-started a brand new timeline and Princess Celestia and Luna got the Elements instead.” “So because one creature died before they could step into power, our world had become what it is?” Sandbar asked in awe. “Among a trillion other things, yes,” God answered after another puff. “The choices you and countless others have made with the circumstances you were given decided what fates are played out in the end. Secondly, you are dead in this timeline, but there are other timelines, dimensions, worlds, and so on where you are alive. Remember those What If books you guys got from the library in Griffonstone; and when they start, almost no two stories are alike?” They nodded and he puffed another lungful of smoke. “They show you all the endless realities that could have happened to you based on your choices and the choices of those before you. There are timelines where you lived happily ever after and ones where you died horribly. You're not the first Gallus and Sandbar to end up dead before old age, nor are you going to be the last. And third, just because you died, it doesn't mean they didn't have any meaning. The legacy you leave behind is going to inspire countless others in the future to rise up and become heroes that will save the world.” He turned to Sandbar, after breathing into his cigar. “Sandbar, your sister is going to become one of the greatest adventurers on earth and save the world at least once if she plays her cards right.” Then he turned to Gallus. “Gallus, you inspired a younger generation of griffins to slowly make some necessary changes to their society. So, in about a hundred and fifty years, your nation will once again be whole and complete. You might have died young, and I am genuinely sorry about that, but you've done so much good in your lives that it will be remembered for ages to come." The two deceased heroes had their jaws dropped before looking at each other. A sense of uneasiness that had been on their backs seemed to have been lifted. “Wow, all of that happens?” Sandbar asked. “More or less if things stay as they are, but like I said,” God pointed out, “a single choice can change anything.” He took a moment to take a deep breath with the cigar, breathing in the smoke before letting it out. “Ya know, as much as my angels keep telling me this… I still feel responsible for you two.” “What are ya talking about?” Gallus tilted his head. “Well, when you set up everything, and when a bunch of stuff goes wrong like wars, or massacres, corruptions, or the harm of the innocent - I know that at the end of the day, I’m responsible because I was the first cause that did it. And yeah, I have plenty of angels telling me every day that it wasn’t my fault, but… it still doesn’t excuse that. The thing is Gallus, you have every right to hold me accountable for what happened to you both. So…” After another puff, he reached into his ear and pulled out two files that had their names on them. “I looked through these and I noticed something.” “About what?” Sandbar asked. God let go of the folders, and instead of dropping them, they levitated in the air, opening up to him. “Both of these say that when you two got here, you were asked the question regarding reincarnation. And it says that both of you were uncertain about it.” Closing them up, he lay the files on the bar. “So look, I don’t expect either of you to accept this, but I just want you two to know that if you really want, I can send you back to the mortal world in a different body.” Sandbar blinked, “You could do that?” “Hang on there,” God pointed at him, “unlike my mongoose opposite, at least let me give you all the details about this before you say yes to anything. Okay? Good.” After tapping the ash from his cigar off and giving another lungful of smoke, he explained: “Because here’s the deal, if you want, I can have you guys reincarnated into lives that are better than the ones you had. Perhaps I could have you be royalty, or live a life as someone who’ll become a legend one day... Or something like that. I mean, given what both of you went through, even I think you two deserve better. “However,” he added after a puff of his cigar, “if you do say yes, then you’ll go back to the mortal realm, having your minds wiped completely clean. That would mean you’ll have no memory of what happened before. You’ll forget the friends and family you’ve made - you’ll even forget that you two are friends. What’s more, being given a second chance at life would be quite the gamble, as there won’t be any guarantee that you’ll come back here.” “Woah…” Gallus heaved a weary sigh. “That sounds like a huge risk.” God nodded. “There are those that do take it and they end up back here. Sure, I could help make it so that you’ll have a pretty good setup. But after that, it’s out of my paws - so to speak. As much as I want to help here, I just think that you two should know about what you might be getting into before either of you agree to this.” He said, finishing out his cigar and summoning another one. He snapped his fuzzy fingers to light it. Sandbar took off his hat, running a hoof through his mane, “That’s… a whole lot to think about.” “Hey, you don’t have to decide tonight. Understand? Hell, you don’t even have to agree to this at all. I get it, but I just felt that I should do something here.” “Sure…” Sandbar nodded. Getting up and putting his hat back on, he said to Gallus, “Hey I’m gonna go get a snack over there. I’ll see ya around.” “Later dude,” he waved, watching Sandbar walk away. “Ya know,” God said, letting the smoke leave his lungs, “if I remember right… Tonight's the night, isn’t it?” Gallus tensed up. “W-What?” “If I’m right,” he said after taking a puff, “this is the night that you tell ‘em the truth. The whole truth. And nothing except the truth.” “You don’t mean…” God nodded. “I just… I don’t plan to-” “You don’t?” God raised an eyebrow. Then taking out a thick script from behind, with a cover that read Love After Life, he flipped through until he stopped at a certain point. “That’s funny, because it says right here that you tell him everything at the party.” Gallus narrowed his eyes on the front page. “Who are CrackedInkWell and Rated Ponystar?” “One is a gay guy that writes fluffy surreal fanfics, and the other is someone who's way too obsessed with funerals for his own good. A weird combination if you ask me, but hey, if it works, it works.” “Waitwaitwait, hold on!” Gallus objected, waving his arms. “You mean that I’m gonna…” God nodded. “But… I-I can’t!” “No? Why not?” he asked, puffing on his cigar. “I just… I can’t just… he won’t…” It took God a moment, but his eyes widened and snapped his fuzzy fingers. “Oooh, I get it! You’re afraid of telling him because you think he’ll do more than just reject you. Okay, this I can handle.” This response put Gallus on edge. “What are you talking about?” God had a wicked grin on his face. “Gallus, I’d like to play a game.” He raised his small arm in the air and snapped. At first, Gallus didn’t notice anything, but he felt something powerful being echoed throughout the enormous palace. “Wait, what did you just do?” “Look down.” He did. Gallus was startled that he was wearing a different costume. Gone was the jester outfit, and it was instead replaced by a samurai suit of armor. He felt around his face and found there was a different mask there. “What did you-” he covered his mouth. “My voice!” He exclaimed in a deeper tone. “What did you do?” “Ah-ah, not just you,” he chuckled, pointed out to the other partiers. “It’s everyone.” Gallus looked and saw that there was a moment of confusion among the guests that they had changed costumes. “Every half hour or so,” God explained after another puff, “you and everyone at this party will change outfits. Plus, to make things more interesting, you and Sandbar will have disguised voices; so that way, you two won’t recognize each other. That is, of course, until the unmasking tonight.” “So…” Gallus looked around the party, “how would I know which is Sandbar?” “You don’t. This is a game of trust. If I were you, I might go see some advice from someone about your… predicament. I find that confining your issues to a complete stranger is… curiously reassuring.” “How is this supposed to help?!” God smiled warmly, “Just trust me on this. And believe me when I say that after tonight, everything is going to get better.” Gallus wasn’t sure how wise it was for God to do this to them, but it certainly left him in a near paranoid state. Being set free to roam around this universe of a party, he maneuvered around crowds of masks and costumes with the thought that any one of them could be Sandbar. Even with what God said that this would be the night that he tells him everything. Only he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how that would be possible. He didn’t feel ready to let him know about it, and even if he did, he had no idea how he would bring it up without having it be blown up in his face. He walked past the kingdom of snacks, around the ocean of dancers that moved to the psychedelic beats of Vinyl Scratch, aka DJ Pon-3. It only took a minute for Gallus to remember the famous DJ had tragically died young breaking her neck down a staircase last year. He headed towards the outskirts of another bar. Perhaps what he needed was something to calm him down a little. So he walked up to a bar that resembled the Milky Way and asked the bartender for something strong but palatable. Something that wouldn’t get him tipsy right away, but with just enough to let go of his stresses for a bit. While he wanted for the bartender to mix up his drink, Gallus was joined by a stranger in an odd costume. It looked like something for a foal’s birthday party that had gone wrong. He was in a furry suit with flippers at the end of his tail and had on a mask of a walrus. The bartender asked the stranger what it would be. “Give me a sec,” a voice answered, trying to pry the mask off, “I can barely hear in here. Let me get this thing off…” Finally, the heavy thing was pulled off, and Gallas saw underneath an oddly familiar face that he couldn’t put a talon on. He didn’t know why, but there was something about this stranger that reminded him of something. The stallion next to him was an earth pony, green as grass, and had a long chocolate brown mane and mustache. “Now I can hear,” he said in a Trotingham accent. “So would you mind gettin’ me a scotch? Just a shot will do.” The bartender said he’d have it up in a minute. While he waited, the stranger noticed Gallus was staring. “Can I help you?” “No, just…” Gallus tilted his head, “I don’t think we’ve met, but your face and voice sound so familiar, but I can’t figure out why.” “Hang on,” he said, reaching into his suit, “let me pull out me glasses.” After unzipping a little and pulling out a pair of round, granny-like glasses, Gallus shook his head in disbelief. He didn’t realize it until the pony put on the old glasses but with them, he recognized the face. The stranger offered a hoof out to him. “Name’s Dawn. Dawn Lemon.” Gallus, despite his jaw-dropping to the floor, dumbfoundedly reached out to shake it. “As in… The Beatles Dawn Lemon!?” “Was last time I checked.” He chucked. “I don’t recall bein’ anyone else.” “Just… holy Hell,” Gallus looked at his talons that shook with the dead musician. “I didn’t expect to meet you of all ponies here.” “To be fair, I didn’t expect to run into Moztrot either, but here we are. Turns out there was a Heaven despite me putting it in me song.” The bartender laid down his shot of scotch, “Thanks,” then turning back to Gallus he inquired, “And just who might you be?” “No one you would know. I was born way after you died. But my best friend has heard of you.” “Yeah?” “Sandbar, he’s… he’s a huge Beatles fan. Next to Pull, you were his favorite.” Gallus blinked. “Hey, Forge isn’t around, is he?” “Yeah he’s… somewhere, out there.” Dawn waved a careless hoof out to the crowd. “Honestly, I think he might steal the stage at any moment now. Knowing him, he’d probably play that Here Comes the Sun bit, now that one’s a crowd-pleaser, let me tell you.” “Uh-huh…” “Here you go,” the bartender said, placing a cocktail down by Gallus. The griffon, although he held the drink in his claw, didn’t drink it right away. If anything, he hesitated for a long time, mindlessly looking out to the crowd, almost expecting to see some sign of his friend somewhere. “You doin’ okay?” “Huh?” Gallus snapped back to reality. “Ya drifted off there,” Dawn sipped a little of his shot. “It’s like something’s really bothering ya.” “Oh no no no I…” Gallus lied but trailed off when he saw Dawn raising a skeptical eyebrow. Then he set his drink aside. “Oh, who am I kidding. No, I’m… not fine.” “Really now?” Dawn set his shot on the bar. “How come?” “It’s…” He waved a dismissive claw. “It’s kinda stupid.” “Must be major enough for ya to come get a drink. Trust me, I’ve seen a thing or two.” “Don’t you have someplace to be?” Dawn shrugged, “I’ve been shot years ago, where else do I need ta be?” he joked. “But all kidding aside, I got nothing planned. And you seemed to have quite a bit on your mind. Why don’t ya talk to me about it?” Gallus looked over his shoulder one last time, to make sure they wouldn’t be listened to. “It’s just… I think I came to realize something… huge.” Dawn nodded. “I think I…” He took a deep breath. “I think I’m in love with my best friend.” “Okay…” Dawn nodded. “And…?” “.... That’s it. Well, that really oversimplifies it, but essentially, my problem is that I think I love him but I don’t think it would ever work and-” “So?” Gallus blinked. “What?” “Well, so what? You love your friend. That’s beautiful, mate.” “Dude, how can you say… oh right,” Gallus facepalmed. “I forgot I’m talking to the guy who co-wrote All you Need is Love.” “Well not that,” Dawn waved a hoof. “I mean that you finally found someone to love is a beautiful thing.” “Even when doing so might be difficult?” “Look, it matters not who you love, where you love, why you love, when you love, or how you love - it matters only that you love. Trust me, I oughta know.” Gallus rolled his eyes. “What? About the whole thing with… what’s her name, Yoko?” “Partly that,” he nodded, “but you’re not the only one I know of who was a homosexual when I was alive.” “Huh? What are you talking about? No one in The Beatles was gay… right?” “Well, back when the fellas and I got started, we needed a manager. Brain E, was the name. And I found out later on that he was gay. In fact, he only told me about it because he had a crush on me. Now, mind you, we didn’t do anything, but it did give me some insight about how diverse and strange, and yet, how beautiful the nature of love can be. In fact, in one of our albums, I wrote a song as a kind of dedication to him as a form of solidarity to ‘em, You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away. I wrote it specifically for ‘em, knowing all the hardships he was goin’ through. So believe me when I say I know a thing or two.” “Okay. I never knew that.” “Neither did the other fellas until much later. So while I don’t think I can fully know what you’re goin’ through completely, at least let me try to help a little.” He downed the rest of his scotch. “Like this best mate of yours, how come you haven’t told ‘em yet? I take it he’s not into other fellas too?” “Well… not exactly, turns out he does swing that way.” “But if ya knew, then why all the hush-hush?” Gallus went quiet for a minute, “I’m just… scared is all.” “Yeah? Of what?” He sighed, “Well… suppose that maybe he does accept it, and does like me back. What if… I end up disappointing him.” “In what way?” “Well… for a while I wasn’t sure why but, I think it’s because in the past… I never understood or got that unconditional love that everyone else got. Things like loving parents weren’t a thing when I was growing up. I know that sounds unrelated, but I can’t help but think that while it’s possible that I could love someone… I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle being loved back. Hell, I’m so used to chasing after crushes that have been so out of reach that I guess I didn’t think I’ll be able to get it. And if I did… I’m scared I’ll just ruin it somehow. What if I become a huge jerk or avoid him at every turn when he needs me? It’s not that I’m evil, but it’s like…” “Like a language you don’t fully know how to speak?” “I…” he nodded. “Yeah.” “Ya know, in a strange way, I could relate.” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “How?” “Well, to tell you the truth, given my past, I’m shocked I ended up here at all.” “Why’s that?” Dawn sighed deeply. “I’m not… what I considered… a good pony. If ya asked me first wife and son, they would tell you that I’m awful... and really, I was. I used to hit me wife when I got angry and ignored me son entirely. Back then, I couldn’t express how much I was hurting that I hit. Now, mind you, I have tried to become better, with Yoko and my other son. In a way, that’s why I’m on so much about peace and love, you know? I figure that it’s the most violent ponies that go for stuff like that. It’s the opposite, you see.” He shook his head. “I don’t look back at any of the stuff I did with pride. If anything, I have to be a good deal older to confront the stuff that I did as a young stallion.” “I mean, that’s really heavy stuff, but what does that have to do with me?” “The point I want to make here is that I get it. The pain in your past can haunt you in the present. Maybe what you’re afraid of is that you don’t want your friend to suffer as you did. Trust me, I get it. But sometimes, when you’re offered that chance to be loved back - and I mean genuinely be loved back - well…” he chucked, “it’s as the old song says: ‘Love is all you need’.” “I don’t know…” “You want to know what I’ve learned about life? It had taken me about forty years of it to figure it out.” “Sure, what?” “Ya want a good life? It’s not hard. Tell the friend that you love, that you love ‘em. And always speak the truth.” Gallus stood up from the bar and started to walk away. “Oi,” Dawn called out, “are ya gonna finish that drink of yours?” “No…” He shook his head. “I don’t think I’ll need it… I just need some time alone.” “You’ll be alright?” “I will.” He nodded. “Just need some time. And thanks for the advice. I got a lot of stuff to think about.” “If you say so.” Shrugging, Dawn took hold of the cocktail. “Happy New Year, stranger!” Sandbar didn’t know what happened. He had gone out for just a few minutes and suddenly he was wearing a strange turtle costume with two katanas on his back and a blue mask with eye holes. He wasn’t the only one who suddenly found themselves looking different, as the entire palace turned into some kind of cosplay event as the music began playing that reminded him of DJ Pon-3. Then again, considering she died last year, it was possible that she was playing here. Looking around, Sandbar tried to find some hint of where Gallus might be but realized it would be harder than normal since his friend most likely was disguised for the masquerade as well. He was so focused on finding his friend that he ended up bumping into someone’s flank and nearly fell off his hooves. “S-Sorry! Didn’t see where I was… Grogar?!” “Huh? Where?” a mare’s voice shouted as she looked around, before realizing that Sandbar was talking about her costume. It was like looking at a big mascot suit one would see in a professional sports team or theme park, only this Grogar costume had silly eyes and a tongue sticking out. “Oh, sorry. One sec.” She took off the head, revealing a unicorn who appeared to be just about two or three years older than Sandbar. Her youthful palish-yellow furred expression displayed a hyper sense of joy and nervousness at the same time. “Sorry about that,” the unicorn said as she pushed aside her green, red-striped mane. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.” “No, that was me,” Sandbar said, taking off his mask. “Say, you look familiar...” “I would hope so. Last time I checked they made books about me,” The mare said with a giggle as she looked at her costume. “Here’s a hint. The costume I’m wearing? I sent him to Hell about a thousand or so years ago.” “Woah,” Sandbar said in awe. “You’re... Gusty the Great?! The Legendary Hero who banished Grogar? My mom used to read me your story all the time as a little colt!” “Yeah, trust me,” Gusty said with a heavy sigh, “that’s the friendly version of my trials dealing with that bastard. It was a lot worse, let me tell ya.” She then tilted her head and hummed. “You know, I think I’ve seen your photo too. Yeah, in Afterlife's Heroes and Villains Magazine. You saved the world too, right?” “Mostly Equestria, but once or twice, yeah,” Sandbar said, blushing as he found himself honored to be noticed by such an esteemed legend back home. “I actually kinda died while doing it...” “Yeah, me too,” Gusty said with a shrug. “Sucks, huh? You manage to save the world, but instead of living happily ever after, you find yourself going to the great beyond. Funny enough, I was an atheist until I found myself here.” “You too? That’s kinda funny since my friend Gallus was one as well until we died,” Sandbar pointed out. “Oh, you died with someone? Wow, lucky you,” Gusty said as she motioned for them to take a seat nearby on some pillows. “Not that you dying so young was lucky. I mean, you got to have a friend with you when you passed on. I was stuck on my own for years until my friends finally started dying of old age and joined me here. Even the stallion I loved took over seventy years for him to croak, but he had gotten married and had kids while I was dead. We never got back together after he arrived with his wife, but I did find someone else eventually while I was here.” Sandbar bit his lip and sighed. “Do you… regret it?” Gusty tilted her head. “Sacrificing yourself I mean? I tried to save Gallus from dying, and that only ended up getting us both killed. We left behind our friends, and I left behind my family. I just feel… I feel like sometimes I wish...” “That you got to enjoy life more?” Gusty whispered with a sad smile. “I know how you feel. I never wanted to be a hero to begin with. I was just a normal filly trying to get adopted by someone until Grogar burned everything to the ground. After that, I just found myself always having him in my life to the point where I just wanted him gone so bad that I was willing to do anything to stop him. So when God came to me in a dream, saying it was my destiny to fight him, I agreed.” “Wait, I thought you were chosen by Harmony itself?” Sandbar asked. “Harmony, God, it’s basically the same thing,” Gusty said, shrugging. “The guy takes on different forms. I mean, he’s a bunny here in our world, and in others he’s a giant old bearded man, a giant twenty-sided dice, a female chicken with steel wings, and a black guy in a white suit.” “I... didn’t understand half of that,” Sandbar admitted. “Look, just accept he can transform himself into anything. Also, when you can, get Interdimensional Cable TV; you’ll educate yourself much faster that way,” Gusty answered. “Anyway, you probably already know about my adventures, the friends I made, the trails I had to go through until I was finally able to banish him... Of course, I died right after from the wounds he gave me, but I was glad that I was able to stop him at last.” “But were you… unhappy?” Sandbar asked. “Yeah, kinda,” Gusty sighed as she leaned back. “My parents weren’t good ponies, let’s just leave it at that. And like you, I had friends and loved ones that I left behind when I died. I didn’t have anyone, and despite being in Heaven, I was unable to share any of the happy moments I made here with anyone truly important to me. Meanwhile, my friends were getting married, finding dream jobs, having children, and enjoying the peace I sacrificed my life for. I was glad they were happy, but, well, I couldn’t help but be jealous that they were together and I… wasn’t...” She then smiled at Sandbar and giggled. “I guess it’s kinda sad of me, huh?” “N-Not at all! I kinda feel the same way sometimes,” Sandbar answered before sighing. “I just feel guilty more than anything. Especially since I saw my own funeral and… seeing my sister so sad like that… deep down… a part of me wonders if it would have been better to have not saved Gallus...” Sandbar then closed his eyes and pounded his hoof to the floor. “I know that’s selfish of me, but... whenever I do think of something like that, I just want to kick my own butt. I never could live with myself if I didn’t do something… Even if it meant that I was going to die… I’d be so miserable and hateful of myself that life would just be so… unbearable.” “Hmm, yeah. Sounds familiar alright,” Gusty said as she wrapped her arm around him. “You know, I looked at my What If book to see what would happen if I didn’t go through with that final attack on Grogar. Do you know what would have happened? I would have died, my friends would have died, and it would’ve taken a good three hundred years for a new hero to come around and finish him off. My fate really was sealed on that day. Either I was going to die a hero or die a failure, but at least I was able to do the former before I kicked the bucket.” “How did you get over it?” Sandbar asked. “I talked to someone,” Gusty answered with a bright smile. “Someone who knew what I was feeling: Cú Chewainn.” “Who's that?” Sandbar asked, tilting his head. “He’s a hero of the Diamond Dogs from Doglin,” Gusty answered. “He told me that heroes like us might have died young, but what we did will never be forgotten. That we died for a greater purpose. Not just for those we loved, but for those who will see us in the future. There is always going to be evil in the world. It’s sadly the fate of life itself, but there will always be heroes who will stand up for what is right because they are inspired by creatures like us. Plus, there are a lot of us heroes who died young and look after one another. Just because we aren’t able to reconnect with those we left behind, it doesn’t mean we should stop making connections. Being dead is no excuse to not have a friend, after all.” Sandbar felt that was something Twilight would say if she was dead. He thought back to what God said about him and Gallus inspiring others in the future and wondered if this was what Gusty meant. “Plus, you came here with a friend. You both share a bond, in life and in death,” Gusty pointed out as she smiled at him. “Is he important to you?” “Gallus? Of course, he is!” Sandbar nearly yelled. “He’s been the best friend I’ve ever had! Half of Heaven wouldn’t be as fun if he wasn’t around. The two of us are all we have, save for my deceased relatives and we know how the other is feeling. I think… I think he really does care a lot about me...” Sandbar whispered with a sigh. “Problem is, I think he’s hiding something from me. Personally, I think he still feels guilty that I died trying to save him, but that’s not true. I’d do it a thousand times for him. Even if I knew that I was going to go to Hell if I died.” “I think he’s lucky to have a friend like you,” Gusty said with a bright smile. “And I think you both need to show that to each other so you can feel better. But don’t worry, your friends and family will be here someday, and you can share new memories together.” “Thanks, Gusty. I think I’ll go find him now,” Sandbar said with a smile as he got up. However, he paused and turned around. “Do you know what will happen to Equestria in the future? I mean, things were pretty good when I died, but you said that evil will always exist. How?” Gusty frowned and shook her head. “It’s not a pretty sight from what I hear. I forget how long from now, but a terrible event is going to happen that will see Equestria lose its current golden age. Fear and hatred will ripple through the world to kickstart a dark age. The three pony races will split apart and the other races will revert back to being isolated again as well.” “No...” Sandbar replied with horror. “H-How? After everything Princess Twilight did…? After everything we did…?” “Nothing sadly stays the same forever, and there will always be those who ruin what is good in life,” Gusty said before she stood up and smiled. “However, there is always hope. Four special mares and a stallion are going to fix the future. They will be those who rebuild the bonds between not just ponies but other creatures as well. They will bring back the Equestria we know and love. It will be hard, they will have trials, and there will be those seeking to stop them. But, if there is one thing I have learned from my fellow heroes, and from watching things back on the mortal realm, is that the power of friendship and harmony lives on in the hearts of those then, now, and forever.” “.... Well, I guess all I can do is wish those future heroes the best,” Sandbar said with a smile. “Thanks, Gusty. See ya around.” “No problem, Sandbar.” She waved farewell as the earth pony went back into the crowd. For Sandbar, trying to find where his friend went was like looking for a needle in a haystack, if said haystack suddenly and unexpectedly rearranged itself every so often. As the clock had ticked ever closer to midnight, his costume had changed several times. After the turtle ninja outfit, it turned into a weirdly fitted suit with a long multi-colored scarf, to which guests playfully called him “Doctor.” Then it changed to something that a superhero would wear - all green and black, with a mysterious ring on his hoof that showed a lantern. Then, just about half an hour before midnight, it changed for the last time in a knight in shining armor, complete with a helmet he could barely see through. But, to add to the confusion, regardless of where he went or the guests he talked with, no one had any idea who Sandbar was talking about. It got to the point that a worrying thought entered Sandbar’s mind: maybe Gallus had slipped away from the party without letting anyone know where he was going. He wandered around the universe that was God’s home, going down the hallways in the hope that maybe he could still find him somewhere. Of course, there were other masked guests that he passed by, but they were of no help in finding Gallus either. By the time he’d entered an observatory-like room, complete with a telescope and a glass dome overhead, Sandbar was just about ready to give up. However, underneath the firework sky, in those flashes of multi-colors, something that caught his attention. At the other end of the room, someone was pacing back and forth, nervously muttering to himself (at least, Sandbar assumed it was a he, as the nervous individual was dressed in the guise of a king: crowned, red-caped, and jewel masked) all the while. Although the mask had a long beak, the cape covered his body up, so Sandbar couldn’t tell if it was a pegasus or a griffon. Sandbar’s curiosity compelled him to draw nearer, picking up on what this stranger was saying. “.... No, that’s stupid… Hey, you wanna know something...? Who starts a conversation like that? So, I thought about it, and I think it’s time that I… No, that’s way too corny. Uh… Has anyone ever told you that you’ve got a sweet ass-” The stranger facepalmed, hard enough for his crown to fall off- “Dammit! This shouldn’t be that hard!” Sandbar watched the crown roll across the marble floor towards him. He stopped it and picked it up. “Hey, I think you dropped this,” Sandbar said, noticing that his voice had changed along with his costume. It came out as something deeper, almost aristocratic in tone. “What?” The one in the king outfit looked up, completely off guard and not expecting that anyone would be around. “H-How long have you been standing there?” Sandbar noted that the voice sounded… off. Like an old stallion, perhaps someone’s grandpa but with something about it that wasn’t convincing enough. “What did you hear?” the king demanded. “Easy, I just got here,” Sandbar said, walking over and offering the fallen crown. After the king took it back and put it on his head, Sandbar inquired, “So… what are you doing up here?” “Nothing I just…” The king folded his arms. “…. needed some time alone is all.” “So, like, you needed a breather from the party downstairs?” “.... Something like that.” “Okay…” Sandbar rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I was looking around for someone.” “Who?” “I’m looking for a griffon. I’d say he’s about your height and-” “I haven’t seen anyone,” the king interrupted. “You’re the first creature I’ve seen up here.” “Oh… Okay…” Sandbar slowly walked backward. “I guess I can just… go…” However, just as Sandbar started to turn around, he heard a sigh from the king. “Wait… Before you go,” he began to ask, “are you someone I know?” “I kinda doubt it. I mean, there are thousands here so… probably not? Why?” “I just…” Another sigh. “I’m stuck with something huge and I don’t know what to do.” “Yeah?” Sandbar tilted his head. “About what?” The king paused and looked around the observatory, making sure that they were alone. “Can I trust you with something… personal? You don’t need to do anything, I guess. I… well… need a second opinion on something.” Sandbar sat down on his hunches. “Okay. What’s up?” “Well before I get to that, let me ask you a personal question.” The king too sat down, then rubbed the back of his head. “Have you ever fallen in love with someone?” Sandbar nodded. “With a friend?” “Well yeah. I used to have a marefriend when I was alive.” That wasn’t the full extent of it, Sandbar thought to himself, but it would suffice for now. “Oh, I see…” Rubbing underneath his beak, the king added, “And… have you ever had a crush on someone that, on some level, you know might not work at all?” “That’s… oddly specific.” “Okay, uh… Sorry, this is just complicated, even for me.” “So I’m just gonna take a shot in the dark and say that you like someone, a friend, but you don’t know how to tell ‘em?” “I… well, yes, that’s part of it.” The king looked down sheepishly, rubbing an arm. “I’ve spent so many months trying to figure this out and… Yes, I think I’m in love with my best friend.” “Oh?” The king nodded. “There’s more to it, obviously, but overall… I have so many doubts if I should tell him at all.” “How come?” “Well, the main thing is I’m weirdly scared about it. Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but I am. I mean… it’s not that I’m afraid of telling him, but I’m more scared that he says he does love me back.” Sandbar blinked, “I don’t follow. Why is that a problem?” “Hey, it’s one thing to tell someone that you love ‘em, but for some reason… the idea that he would say he loves me back is… scary. I know, I know, it sounds completely irrational, but… The thing is, I’m terrified that I might… I don’t know… disappoint him, or maybe I’ll come off as distant, or cold, or cruel, or anything else that could sabotage it when he might genuinely love me back.” “But why would you do that? I mean, if whoever it is loves you back, then why be afraid of it?” “Because… you know one of those What if books from the library at Griffonstone?” Sandbar nodded. “I looked into a scenario where my best friend did love me. And you know what I found? When I was offered it, I got scared, and I heard my personal demons tell me that, deep down… I don’t deserve it. I mean, growing up, I didn’t have parents or anyone who cared if I lived or died. But the thing is, I don’t want to come off as weak or pathetic to him. At the same time, since I’m so used to not having that… I don’t know what I’d do if I was given that kind of love back.” “I mean… Wow, that’s heavy,” Sandbar remarked. “But this friend of yours, do you think he would like you back?” “.... I don’t know.” The King sighed again, but paused to look up at the exploding fireworks of purple and blue, “I don’t know how he would feel about me. But the last thing I want is to think of me as a coward.” “But I don’t think you’re a coward.” The king tilted his head at him, “What makes you say that? You just met me.” “Yeah, but admitting that stuff... I don’t know if I would be able to do that. It takes a lot of courage to say all that without being hysterical.” “.... You think so?” “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being a little weak now and then. I don’t know about you, but even if your friend doesn’t love you back, I think that sort of stuff is something he should know about. Maybe help you if you let him.” “And if he says that he does love me back?” “Well… maybe you two have a great starting point to work from. And who knows, if things do work out, being open about this sort of thing could help prepare you for whatever comes next.” The king got up. “You know… I think that might be the best advice I’ve heard all night… I just hope I can find him and be brave enough to say something to him.” “If you want, I could help out a little.” He shook his head. “No, this is something that I need to do alone.” Just then, echoing through the halls, they heard crowds counting down. “Fifteen… Fourteen… Thirteen…” “But you know what?” the king said. “Before I go, I’d like to know who has helped me out tonight.” Sandbar placed his hooves on his helmet. “At the same time?” The king nodded as he grabbed the mask covering his own face. “Five… Four… Three… Two… One…” At the same time, they pulled off their disguises. Their eyes widened in recognition. “Happy New Year!” As the cascade of colorful fireworks reached their crescendo above them, Sandbar’s jaw dropped... as did Gallus’s. Both of them realized what just happened. Gallus had, without knowing, admitted that he loved him. The shock made the griffon drop his mask. “I… I-I…” Before Gallus could flee, he was grabbed by Sandbar in a bear hug. While downstairs, they heard the tune of “Auld Lang Syne”, Sandbar softly said, “It’s okay… It’s okay…” Gallus didn’t know if it was the horror that he just told Sandbar everything, or relief that he wasn’t rejecting him outright, or the million other mixed emotions that pinned him there. Even as he tried to shut his eyes to put on a brave face, it too fell apart when tears started streaming down. He knew that from now on, things wouldn’t be the same again. For better or for worse, Sandbar knew the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. “Hey dude,” Sandbar said, letting Gallus out of his hug but staying by his side, “let’s go home.” Chapter 10Gallus was beyond humiliated, and Sandbar knew it. Many times on the way back to the golden elevator, the griffon had tried to say something to Sandbar, but clearly didn’t know how to start. Deep down, Sandbar couldn’t entirely blame him. After all, his friend had unknowingly told him his biggest secret in detail. His friend looked immensely apologetic as if he had confessed to a murder. Sandbar knew how fragile his friend could be. At the same time, upon reflection… a lot of things now made sense. It explained why Gallus had been so distant, why he’d been so careful around him, why he’d gotten jealous when someone flirted with him, and why he was muzzled from telling him the truth sooner. It explained the subtle comments, the borderline perverted conversations, and even the questions of what he would do if he did find someone. It was all because his best friend was falling for him. Now that Sandbar knew the truth about his shamed, blushing friend, what was he going to do next? After exiting the Keter palace and walking across the great bridge, they entered the golden elevator with Michael waiting. “Happy New Year.” He tipped his hat to them as they entered. “Not going to stick around for the rest of the night?” “No,” Sandbar answered, “I think we’re done.” “Very well.” After throwing a switch and closing the folded doors, he inquired, “So, where to?” “If you don’t mind, could you drop us off in Ponyville?” “I can.” Michael nodded and threw another switch. “Going down.” The elevator made its descent back to the heavenly realm. In the small space, Sandbar and Gallus stood side by side, the griffon trying his best not to make eye contact with his friend. For a while, the two of them didn’t say anything. However, Sandbar rubbed his back in the stillness, trying to get him to relax from the sheer awkwardness. Finally, Gallus did say something. “Uh… S-Sandbar?” “Hm?” “I…” He rubbed his blushing face. “Are you… mad at me?” “What?” Sandbar tilted his head. “Why would I be mad?” “Because of… what I said.” He sighed. “You probably think I’m such a loser.” “No I don’t.” “That you must think I’m a huge coward.” “No I don’t.” “That you don’t even want to be friends any-” “Gallus, stop,” Sandbar said firmly. “I’m not mad at you. Okay? You got nothing to apologize for.” “But-” “Stop apologizing.” Sandbar took in a deep breath, “You didn’t do anything wrong, okay? I’m not mad. I’m not even upset. Just when we get home, we should talk.” Michael looked between the two. “Not to pry into something that’s none of my business, but did something bad happen?” “Oh no,” Sandbar shook his head, “quite the opposite, actually.” Gallus raised an eyebrow. What did Sandbar mean by that? “Well, if you say so,” Michael said. A moment later, they heard a ding, and he threw a switch, opening the folding doors. “Here we are. Heavenly plain, Ponyville.” Before the three of them was the town’s marketplace, the same place Gallus and Sandbar had appeared when they’d first entered Heaven. It was crowded with its parting residence that welcomed the New Year. The two walked out onto the white ground. Above, fireworks illuminated the snowflakes gently floating down. After thanking Michael for the ride and watching the elevator disappear into the night sky, Gallus and Sandbar walked down a familiar route. Going past the cheering crowd and towards the quieter part of town. They kept walking until they could no longer hear the tune of Auld Lang Syne or even the booming of the fireworks. Eventually, in the chilly air of Heaven, with snowflakes landing on their coats and glowing street lamps lit up the streets like lone stars, Sandbar finally spoke. “Did you really mean what you said back there?” “I…” Gallus trailed off, and bowed his head, nodding. “Yeah… I did.” “Okay. So I want to ask you something.” “What?” “Look at me,” Sandbar said, to which Gallus did just that. “Gallus, why were you afraid I’d reject you?” At first, the griffon was taken aback at this question, “I thought I just told you why.” “No, I mean what did you think I would’ve done if I knew how you felt?” “Well… I don’t know,” Gallus admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I’d expected you to say you were flattered, but just want to stay friends. That it would be too weird if we ever dated or… whatever. Maybe you’d give the whole ‘there are plenty of fish in the sea,’ speech. But… even if that weren’t the case, there’s a part of me that thinks that if we ever did get into a relationship - like a serious relationship - I would still find some way to burn it down before… you… could...” “So in other words, even if we become a couple, you’re afraid you might disappoint me?” “I…” Gallus nodded. “Yeah…” he said quietly. After a brief pause, Sandbar raised a hoof to him. “Gallus, give me your claw.” The griffon obliged, and the pony placed another hoof on top of the claw. Looking his friend in the eye, he said, “Do you remember that time when all of us went under the school and got tested by the Tree of Harmony?” “Well, yeah.” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “What about it?” “At the time, I was afraid of a couple of things. I was torn between disappointing the teachers I had looked up to, and letting all of you down. The tree had forced me to make a choice between becoming a hero to save Equestria with the teachers that have done it countless times - or abandoning all of you. At the time, I had to figure out what I valued more - saving the world or saving my friends. And even when those illusions of Rainbow and Rarity kept pressuring me to do otherwise, I had to take a stand. To this day, I still remember what I told them.” Closing his eyes, Sandbar recited, “‘I’ve always looked up to you. You would never turn your back on each other, and that’s what makes you strong. Now I have a group of friends that I think is every bit as amazing as yours. If I had to give up on them to make you proud, then you aren’t the ponies I thought you were. I don’t care if I disappoint you. You disappoint me.’” “Is there a rest stop between now and the point?” “My point-” He opened his eyes- “is that even if things don’t work out as you hoped, that even if you know it wouldn’t turn out great, and even if you did disappoint me, you’d still be okay. You don’t need my approval to make you think that you’re loved. What I learned that day under the school is something that you should take to heart now - you can disappoint everyone, but never compromise it for what you know is right.” Gallus reflected on Sandbar’s words for a moment. “You’re not telling me no, aren’t you?” “How can I give an answer if you never asked the question?” Sandbar smirked. Letting go of his claw, he continued on, gesturing to his friend to follow. “What are you talking about?” “Hmm, no, that’s not it,” Sandbar said, his grin growing wider and - was that a blush? Gallus couldn’t tell from the lighting. “I think it’s on the very tip of your tongue. Right there, just sticking out of your beak. You want to ask me something important, but I haven’t heard what you want to say all night.” Gallus gulped. “But you already know how I feel.” “That’s not what I mean and you know it.” Sandbar punched his shoulder playfully. “C’mon, just say it.” “What? Now?” “No, next Hearth’s Warming.” He laughed. “Yes now! I can almost hear it.” “But you know what I’m gonna say.” “So? I still want to hear it, straight from the griffon’s beak.” “I…” Gallus blushed, avoiding his gaze, “just never had a coltfriend before.” “C’mon dude, all I’m hearing is excuses! Just say it.” “Fine!” He grabbed Sandbar’s foreleg. As he did so, the two of them noticed where exactly in Ponyville they were. They had stopped on the same field where the Academy was on in the mortal realm. Here, it was still empty, covered in snow that glowed blue under the moon above. In the wintery air, Gallus let out a deep breath, letting a fog escape his mouth. “It’s… not easy for me to say this because… I still can’t believe what’s gonna come out.” He took in another deep breath. “And I still expect you to say no to this, but… I do want to ask you something; something I’ve spent months wrestling over. So… Sandbar? Do you… would you…” Gallus’s face turned red, even in his hesitation, he asked as quiet as a frosted breeze. “.... Would you want to be my coltfriend?” Gallus anticipated almost half a million different reactions from Sandbar. Of course, knowing his personality, he wouldn’t respond with a punch to the eye or a laugh to his face. If anything, there was still a part of him that believed Sandbar would - at best - try to defuse the start of a serious relationship with kind words and sympathies. Or, at worst, maybe he’d do well… nothing. Probably just write what had passed since midnight off as a weird dream. There were very low expectations of finally… finally, asking Sandbar for that kind of relationship. Least of all, standing in the January snow in the middle of the night in a field, he didn’t expect Sandbar to say: “Yes.” But he did. It took the griffon aback. “You’re serious?” “Yup.” Gallus tilted his head. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with Sand- mmph!” The rest of his snarky comment died on his beak as Sandbar unexpectedly leaned his head out and kissed him. The griffon’s eyes went wide, the daydreams of long ago suddenly made real. Now that it was happening, it was as if he died again and was granted salvation. As if his demon of self-hatred was silenced from this cleansing of affection. It lasted only a few seconds, but every moment of it was just as holy as when he made love to Silverstream. He felt a warmth in the winter snow. When Sandbar pulled away, wiping the saliva from his mouth, he chuckled, “Wow… I didn’t know I was that good of a kisser.” “Huh?” “Your uh… wings.” Gallus looked behind him, they were unfolded, proudly presenting their angelic white plume. But the griffon looked back at his friend - or rather, coltfriend - and saw that his wings were up too. “So, to answer your question,” Sandbar said, looking through his things to pull out the seed that held their home. “Yes, I’m serious. I do want to be your coltfriend. As a matter of fact…” He pressed on the seed and tossed it to the ground. The two of them watched the seed unfold itself, growing larger and larger until their tree-home stood tall. Sandbar smiled at him with a blush on his cheeks. “.... I’m going to prove it.” Before Gallus could ask him what he meant, Sandbar had walked through the front door. Following him, he watched the pony go through a junk drawer. “What are you doing?” the griffon asked. “I kinda figured that since mere words to tell you that I do want to be in a relationship wouldn’t be enough.” Sandbar said, pulling out a small slip of paper. “So I thought maybe you need something more… concrete to leave you without any doubt.” “Oh yeah?” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “How?” He watched as Sandbar licked the slip of paper, upon which it folded itself into a butterfly and flew out the door. “Huh,” Sandbar remarked to himself, “it really does taste like cherries.” “What was that about?” “Do you remember months ago when on my birthday I got a little something?” “Yeah, that was when you were given a ticket to losing your…” Gallus trailed off, suddenly realizing what was going on. “Y-You mean… you’re gonna do it…?” He nodded. “With… You want… me?” “Hey,” Sandbar trotted over, nuzzling him under his chin. “I’m only doing this because I trust you absolutely.” “But… don’t you want to save it for someone…” “Special?” Sandbar let a hoof slide down Gallus’s chest. “I already have, and that someone’s right in front of me.” Before Gallus could make a reply, both their ears perked up at the sound of fluttering wings coming towards them. Then, turning to the door, they found a zebra in a flowing robe with a bow and a quiver of arrows. “Give me… a minute…” She panted, “Had to… rush over…” “Who are you?” She walked in, kicking the door with a hind leg. “Just wait for me to… catch my breath…” She sat down to rest for a moment, panting. “Sorry, we’re busy tonight and stretched thin.” Another breath. “I’m a representative for Eros, by the way.” “Why are you here?” Gallus questioned. “Because someone has licked the ticket for Bonetown.” she replied, now that her breath was regained. “So who was it?” Sandbar raised a hoof. “Okay, look, I’ve got a long night ahead of me, and I’m kinda behind with a bunch of other virgins that are trying to get their cherries popped too, so let’s skip over the bla bla bla and go straight to business. Got it? Good. So, do you need assistance with your virginity or have you found a willing partner to help you with?” Sandbar reached out and held onto the claw of his friend and smiled up at him. “I see. So, seeing as you two will be given your own temporary pocket dimension so that you’ll have all the uninterrupted privacy you’ll want for the night, do you have a particular theme in mind?” Sandbar blinked, “Theme?” “Well, yeah. Most virgins tend to have something in mind when they want to give it up. Like alone on a tropical island, or in a fancy suite in Paris, or in a sex dungeon at the center of the world - stuff like that.” “Why would-” “I don’t ask about anyone’s fetishes,” she deadpanned. “I just work here.” “Okay…?” Sandbar thought for a moment, “So any place I want to lose it at?” With a confirming nod from the zebra, Sandbar walked over to her and whispered it in her ear. She looked at him confused. “Well, yeah I can do that but… why?” “Let’s say that it’s a place we’re familiar with.” “Sure, whatever,” the zebra shrugged, grabbing an arrow from her quiver and stringing it to her bow. The arrow itself, of course, was heart-shaped. “You’re the boss.” She pulled it back and fired it at a wall. The three of them watched the arrow embedded itself in the wall, shrink, and contort into a doorknob. Then they saw lines of gold etch out a door that was… familiar. It was made of wood where the top came to a point like a gothic arch. And in the wood, there were three red hearts. This was a door that Sandbar and Gallus knew all too well. “Allow me.” The zebra trotted over to open the newly-made door, and what was behind it nearly took Gallus’s breath away. It was his dorm room. And somehow, it looked exactly as it did when he last left it. From the desk that was right underneath a window with the curtains drawn, to the bed that had its white sheets and blue comforter. Sandbar wanted to lose his virginity… in his old room? “Just as a heads up,” the zebra archer said, “once you’re inside and close this door behind you - it will lock you in for the next eight hours. Once shut, no one will be able to come in, or you two to come out until then. As this is a pocket dimension, you don’t have to worry about making any loud noises. Oh, and before you ask, yes, pretty much anything you’d need for sexy times is in there.” Adjusting the quiver on her back, she walked over to the front door. “So, happy humping!” she said before she exited, flying swiftly into the night. Now inside their home with the magical door wide open, Sandbar and Gallus looked at one another, the griffon blushing much more than his friend. “So…?” Sandbar waved over to him with a sly smile. “Shall we?” “I mean… wow…” Gallus let out an uneasy breath. “Just… are you sure?” “Until tonight dude, I had no idea that you loved me. Now… Obviously, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I know I’m ready for it. Even if nothing comes out of this, at least let me offer you the chance to show me how much you love me.” He kissed him on the cheek. “And I meant it when I said I trust you. So… for tonight, anything you want to do to me, I will allow it.” Gallus felt like his head was going to burst into flames. “You… anything?” “Top or bottom, you have full access to every inch - for now… I’m yours.” “Well… I never did it with a guy so…” he said, eyeballing a particular drawer from his desk. “If at any time it becomes too much… could we stop?” Sandbar kissed him, this time on the lips. “Of course. But for now, all I ask is to love me.” Taking Sandbar’s hoof, Gallus led him inside and closed the door behind them. It would have been mistaken for a dream if either of them had slept. The morning light peeked through the cracks of the curtain to dimly illuminate the room. On the unkempt bed where the sheets resembled a Pollack painting, Sandbar and Gallus lay side by side. Their aftermath of love was hours ago, and they would need a shower after last night. But at the moment, the two of them were in each other’s arms, sharing the warmth and feeling the other’s heartbeats. They had rested their eyes, at peace in a Heaven that was unique to them. For a while, they felt like they were home again. Eventually, the light of dawn shined on Sandbar’s face, forcing him to open them. And the first thing he saw was Gallus’s face with feathers askew yet tranquil at the same time. Of course, Sandbar blushed with memories of what he did to the griffon… and what the griffon did to him was still fresh. What happened for hours last night was not lost to his senses. The sight of Gallus' reddened face as he thought about the touch of that warm body… Gallus groaned. “What time is it?” Sandbar looked over at the alarm clock on the nightstand. “Just past eight. I think we should be getting out of here in an hour or so.” The griffon held him closer. Sandbar petted his head and finally saw his tired eyes. “Still,” Sandbar inquired, “after what happened last night, are you sure you’re okay?” Gallus chuckled weakly. “I’ll be fine. Sure, I might be walking funny for a while,” he added with a wicked smirk. “Unless… you want me to return the favor.” “I’ll think about it.” The pony rubbed his back. For a while, they fell into silence to enjoy the moment. However, this stillness didn’t last long. “Hey, Gallus?” “Hm?” “So… where do we go from here?” “What do you mean?” “Like, so we’re a couple, but now what?” “You tell me. I haven’t thought of it this far.” Sandbar chuckled. “Yeah, but are we still gonna be Wandering Spirits, just keep going around Heaven forever?” “I don’t know. But one thing’s for sure is that I don’t want to be reincarnated.” “Yeah?” Sandbar raised an eyebrow, “How come?” “Because for the first time ever - I finally got it good. If we were to be reborn… I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back to this point ever again. If what God said was true, there’s no guarantee we would be together - if at all. If we did go for the reincarnation route… I just think there’s too much to lose.” “I can see where you’re coming from,” Sandbar nuzzled him, “but what about our future? Even if we stay in Heaven, do you think we should do something?” “I don’t know. Why?” “Well, last night at the party, I ran into Gusty the Great.” Gallus blinked. “As in the one that banished Grogar?” “The same. She told me that she foresaw something in Equestria’s future that it will eventually fall into a dark age. Don’t ask me how, but she said that eventually, all the pony tribes will separate and magic will be lost.” “Seriously? We did all of that for nothing?” “Not quite. She also mentioned that this won’t last forever, as ponies will have to relearn about the magic of friendship. But I was thinking, until that happens… there's gonna be plenty of souls in Heaven that’ll forget what we’ve built.” Gallus sat up, “So where are you going with this?” “What if our purpose for eternity was staring at us in the face?” Sandbar gave a knowing smile. “When we got to the Ponyville side of Heaven, did you notice what was missing?” “Amongst other things, that crystal castle and the…” it suddenly clicked in Gallus what Sandbar was talking about. “The Academy doesn’t exist in Heaven.” “Exactly!” Sandbar too sat up. “Someday, something will happen to the school and all that knowledge about friendship is going to be lost for a while. So how about we prepare those future souls by establishing the academy here? We’ll teach students about the lessons we’ve learned so, in a way, it won’t be lost. That way, while the mortal realm goes through its dark age, we’ll still keep the fire of friendship lit up here. So when the time comes, we, or maybe even our students could use that Dream Club to get in touch with someone in the living world and help rekindle it.” “That…” Gallus blinked. “Is so crazy it just might work. Although I don’t know how long it will take to rebuild the Academy, or even get students to attend.” “Hey, if six mares could do it, so can we.” “True…” Then a thought came to the griffon’s head. “But if we’re really gonna do it, first thing’s first - who’s going to run it?” “Well, how about you?” This took Gallus by surprise, “Me?” “Yeah, why not? I can totally see you as a Headmare.” Gallus frowned. “We might need to come up with a better name. Still,” he ran a claw, caressing Sandbar, feeling lower and lower until he groped his flank, “I wouldn’t mind teaching.” “Oooh?” Sandbar blushed. “And what does Professor Gallus want to teach me?” he asked with a flirtatious wink. He grinned wickedly, “Let’s say I can show you how to tie a knot.” It would be a long morning before either of them get out of bed and plan out their future. There would be plenty of things that they would need to do, from building the school from memory to finding teachers that would be qualified, and even figuring out how to get students to attend. But all of that was a long way off. For now, Gallus was focused on Sandbar, and making him feel as loved as he did last night. (731 Years Later) “So when do you think she’ll be here?” Sandbar asked as he sat on the bench, snuggling next to his handsome rugged husband of a griff. He had long stopped being eighteen years old in terms of appearance and was now a fully grown adult with nothing really changing except for his hair. It had gotten so long, he had decided to try and tie it into a ponytail after a suggestion from his sister and Ocellus. Gallus and Yona both thought he looked quite handsome, and so he’d kept it for the past four hundred years. Gallus, meanwhile, had gotten quite buff to the point that he often made plenty of heads turn and whistle when they thought he wasn’t looking. He also started growing a light blond beard around their sixth hundred and seventeenth anniversary of being dead. At first, it was awkward to see, but it grew on everyone after a few years. The students at their academy all thought he looked pretty cool. Checking his watch, Gallus smirked. “I’d say she’d be here at any time now. We know she got accepted into Heaven so it won’t be long now... At least she’s not as long as Pinkie Pie did when she died.” “Yeah, I still think the angels there have no idea how she managed to turn the entire waiting area into a big rave party. Isn’t it supposed to be endless?” Sandbar asked, tilting his head. “It’s Pinkie Pie. Not even God can answer that one,” Gallus chuckled, thinking of how the almighty creator of everything was still stumped by that pink pony regardless of what universe she was in. The two continued to watch as various creatures came out of the gate, looking shocked or happy at the sight of Heaven, while some had family and friends already waiting with warm and tearful reunions. It reminded the two lovers of how they first arrived, and later on stood at the gates each time someone they knew came to Heaven when their lives ended. From Princess Celestia and Luna, who died a few years after they died of natural causes, to Ocellus’s last grandson, who died at the old age of a hundred and six. Pretty much everyone they knew was now in Heaven with them, save for only two: Spike and Smolder. They had lasted this long, even after the great disaster that caused Equestria to split up. That was a hard time for everyone, especially Princess Twilight, but after a long talk with God himself, she was able to accept that, despite creating a golden age, nothing could last forever. Besides, she had seen the heroes who would reunite their people together once more, and she was confident that they would achieve success. ‘After all, it’s Sunny that has that book of hers even after all these years.’ “Hey, check it out,” Gallus said, pointing to a confused dragon, who looked as she did during their final school year before the day they died. “Let’s go!” The two smirked and walked over to the gate where it took Smolder a few minutes to see them and her jaw dropped. “S-Sandbar? G-Gallus?” “Hey, smoke breath!” Gallus said, winking with gun fingers. “You look like you've seen a ghost.” Smolder just laughed before launching herself at her two best friends and hugged them tightly. The two smiled and hugged her back, even if they were a bit taller than her, it still felt like they were teens again back at the academy. Now all six of the group were here in the afterlife and nothing was going to separate them ever again. Smolder sniffed before wiping her eyes. “This isn’t a dream right… I’m… dead? For real?” “Yup, died in your sleep,” Sandbar said with a sad smile. “And… Spike?” The two sighed and looked at Smolder with sympathy. “I’m sorry, Smolder. Spike is alive and he’s still needed down there. He’s going to help Sunny and the rest save Equestria.” “Wait, Equestria can be saved?” Smolder asked in awe. “We… we gave up on it so long ago… we thought we failed...” “Don’t think of it like that,” Gallus said, shaking his head. “Trust me, we’ve all had to deal with it. But we didn’t fail. It’s just… not our task anymore to save the day. We’ve done all we could, and now it's time for the future generations to save it.” “.... After so long?” Smolder asked. “These things take time. It took Luna a thousand years to come around, right?” Sandbar pointed out to which Smolder had to nod her head in agreement. “But he’ll come back soon. He and your kids… In fact, one of them is waiting for you at the party.” Smolder gasped and covered her mouth in shock. Neither of them could blame her; losing her youngest son to a congenital disorder only fourteen years after his birth had been a devastating blow to her, Spike, and the rest of her family. Tears began to leak from her eyes as she whispered, “My… my s-son... S-S-Spines… he’s...” Gallus put a comforting claw on her shoulder. “He’s here, Smolder. We’ve been taking care of him ever since he got here. Us, the princesses, our friends, their families. We’re all one big happy clan that’s been taken care of by each other. Me and Sandbar kinda adopted him as his second parents when he arrived.” Smolder started clearing her eyes as she whispered. “My boy… my baby… wait a damn minute.” She lifted her head in disbelief. “‘Parents?’ ‘Adopted?’ What are you guys talking about?” “Oh, right? I guess we should tell you the news,” Sandbar said as he wrapped his arm around a smirking and blushing Gallus. Even after all these years, it was cute to see his hubby still embarrassed over the fact that they were married. “Gallus is my husband! We married six years after we got here in Heaven.” “.... What the literal fuck?!” Smolder shouted in disbelief. “You two are gay?! Gallus, I thought you were straight this whole time! What was all that about Yona and Silverstream?! What do they think about this?!” “Actually, I’m bisexual and Sandbar is pansexual, remember?” Gallus corrected her before smirking. “And we’re actually married to them as well. Turns out polyamory is legal in Heaven so long as it can be proven you love each other and the spouses are okay with it. Silverstream and Yona’s husbands were more than happy to share them with us and… well… let’s say the sex is amazing!” “.... I’m going to find a lot of weird changes among my friends, aren’t I?” Smolder asked in disbelief. “Next you’ll be telling me that God is a bunny.” “.... ehhh,” the two said, leering their eyes back a bit with nervous smiles. “.... I need a drink. Please tell me there’s alcohol in Heaven.” “We got booze at the house,” Gallus said, pointing in the direction of home. “The welcome party is all set up with everyone there already.” Smolder took a deep breath and smiled. “Everyone, huh? The whole gang? Our teachers? Their… families?” “Everycreature. Including Spines,” Sandbar said with a smirk. “Alright, let’s go. I’d say I’m dying to see them, but I think the halo above my head already kinda makes that a moot point.” The three laughed as they flew in the clouds, side by side with smiles on their faces. Sandbar and Gallus looked at each other with happiness in their hearts, knowing that the entire gang was back together at last. There was a lot to show Smolder, from the Academy to all the other wondrous locations Heaven had to offer. But for now? It was just time to celebrate the six of them being united once again; this time, for eternity. The End. Author's Note At last! It's finally done! I cannot express how much of a ride this was. Not to mention that this was a unique experiment on my part as this is the first story where the whole story was written out from start to finish, and only released after thorough proofreading by a couple of editors. And since we are at the end, I do want to give credit where credit is due. First, a special thank you to my friend and co-writer: Rated Ponystar for help woven this unique, rich, and complex story. Secondly, I also want to thank TheAncientPolitzanian and Babroniedad for taking the time and effort to get this story polished up for our readers. Thirdly, I also want to thank LupiArts for the magnificent cover art. Finally, I also want to thank you, the reader. On behalf of everyone, we hoped that you enjoyed this story and happy holidays to you wonderful people.
Chapter 1Earth hath no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal. -St. Thomas More "Somehow… I shouldn't be shocked by any of this." Gallus muttered with a claw holding up his head on the iron bars, but his comment went unnoticed. For the last hour or so, he, Silverstream, Sandbar, and Yona had been prisoners deep underground. Somewhere above them, their captor had persuaded his fellow Diamond Dogs to join him in world domination. Something that the griffon felt was almost routine by now. Of course, that didn't mean he liked it. Stopping the Looney Toon of the week while trying to balance studying at school did take a toll. Not only did the students have to deal with their everyday problems, but they now had to take care of the world too. Bringing down Cozy Glow was the start. For the past few years, they had to take down a cursed artifact, a plague of world-eating locus, a fiery monster, the real Grogar, a communist dragon and his revolutionary army, an undead army, all while trying to study to get a passing grade on their tests. On some days, Gallus thought that he and his group of friends had gone on more adventures than even their predecessors: Twilight Sparkle and her friends. "Did you say something?" Sandbar asked. Gallus shook his head, "Forget it." Several years at the school had Gallus recognized that life as he had known it had taken countless twists that he couldn't foresee from the start of his days at Friendship Academy. From having no plan in life to juggling a billion issues at once, it was amazing how things had changed in such a short amount of time! A single afternoon could be nothing but him and his friends expressing their dreams of what they may do once they graduate to studying battle strategies at night in case the next villain might come along. Hell, they were close to graduating soon, and all of his friends had goals they aimed to accomplish after school. Silverstream wanted to become the Hippogriff's ambassador for Equestria. Yona and Sandbar thought of going into the fashion industry with Professor Rarity as her apprentices. To nobody's surprise, Ocellus thought of becoming a professor, and Smolder had recently thought about doing monster hunting (although that one was up in the air). Gallus himself was even thinking of getting a job as a Royal Guard since saving the world had become such a norm for him that he might as well make money off of it. Yet, even with all of these accomplishments, there was a part of Gallus that felt like he hadn't begun to fully live. Looking over his shoulder, Sandbar and Yona were huddled together in the corner of their cell. To a degree, he envied them for gaining the courage to date each other. Nothing serious as far as Sandbar had told him, but they were noticeably close. Not that he wasn't happy for the two. There was a part of him that was glad that at least Sandbar was delighted in having a special creature that loved him. 'And yet, he still has no idea.’ Gallus thought with a heavy sigh as his inner feelings began to nag him more and more. The griffon had many secrets - one of them being that Sandbar was his first crush. Not love at first sight, but the more he got to know the pony, the more he noticed his friend in a different light. It wasn't that hard either, since they were the only two guys in their group (if one didn't count Spike hanging out with them once in a while). Sandbar was a loyal friend and was a great listener whenever Gallus had something to grip about, and that happened a lot. Plus, although the griffin hated to admit it, Sandbar did have kind of a cute smile. He even debated over the early weeks whether he should say something to Sandbar and see if something between them could work out. However, by the time Sandbar had asked Yona out to that fateful dance - it was too late. Not that Gallus was upset too much. He was happy his friend found someone he was very fond of and supported him throughout their relationship. However, his feelings soon paled in comparison to another creature that caught his eye. For a long time, Gallus didn't know if he was into boys or girls since he had found himself initially liking girls, then Sandbar, though finally he set his eyes on a special one: Silverstream. After all, that hug during their friendship trials from Silverstream helped him realize that he had a growing attraction to her too. Unlike Sandbar, Silverstream in his eyes didn't seem so out of reach, especially when he started hanging out with her more. Silverstream quickly filled the gap by always inviting Gallus to hang out with her, even taking him back home to spend Hearth's Warming Eve one time. For years, he longed to tell her how he felt about her, but he didn't say anything in case she fancied someone else - like what Sandbar did. Glancing at Silverstream, who was at the other end of the cell, her attention wasn't on any of them but the Diamond Dog across from them, standing guard. He was under no illusions that their adventures could result in one of them not coming home alive. While this wasn't the worst outcome they had ever been in, things were looking pretty grim. Was it better to say something just in case? 'Do you really think this is the right time to bring it up?' he silently asked himself. 'None of us know where Smolder or Ocellus are. They could be dead for all we know, and maybe the nutcase might do the same to us any moment now. You could just go ahead and say it while you still can. They would understand... Right?' Gallus took a moment to reposition himself to where his back was against the iron bars. 'But what if you do get out of this? What if you told them - Silverstream most of all - about what you've always wanted to tell her? I mean, if Sandbar could tell Yona, surely you could do the same here.' He took a deep breath. "Hey uh… Silver?" "Huh?" Silverstream snapped out of her concentration, turning her attention towards him. "What is it?" "I was just thinking…" He took a moment to form his words, "If we… don't get out-" "We will," she immediately told him, "Smolder and Ocellus are still out there. Don't lose hope. They'll help us any minute now." "Sure, but… if we don't, I uh…" He swallowed and took a deep breath, "I thought I'd let you know something." "Yeah?" She blinked, "What is it?" Gallus opened his beak, but before he could gain the courage to spit out what was on his mind, he was interrupted by a sudden cling. They looked around the dungeon for the source until another Diamond Dog with a plate of sliced bread and a bowl of soup came near. Their guard raised an eyebrow, "I thought changing posts were supposed to be later. Why are you here?" The other Diamond Dog held up the plate. "Dinner for the uh… prisoners." "Oh?" The guard blinked, "It's dinner time already? I must have been here longer than I thought." "Uh… yes, you have." "Hey, since you're here, did they find the other two yet? I was told they were going to bring them here forever ago." "Well… no, I heard they're still looking for them." "Rumor has it that one of them is a Changeling." The guard scoffed, "I heard they're impossible to find." "Yeah…" The Diamond Dog holding the plate looked over to Gallus, "You have no idea," and winked at him. Gallus raised an eyebrow. "Well, regardless, give it to them and go." "Can't," the Diamond Dog picked up the bowl and tapped it against the bars. "The bowl won't fit." The guard gave a grunted sigh, grumbling about something. "Alright, fine." He pointed his spear at Gallus and Silverstream, "You two, back to the wall over there." They obeyed. The guard reached for the keys on his belt. "Now where did I put that - here it is." He said. He walked up to the lock and picked out the right key to stick in the lock. "Say if it's dinner, do you mind bringing me-" Crash! Before the guard could do anything, a plate was quickly bashed over the head, knocking him out. "What the-" Sandbar looked up from the sudden crash. Everyone in the cell was taken aback by the other Diamond Dog in surprise. Acting quickly, the dog turned the key in the lock. "About time he got distracted," they heard the dog say. But when the cell door was opened, the dog was suddenly engulfed in green fire, leaving a blue Changeling in its place. "Did you guys miss me?" "Ocellus!" Silverstream rushed over to hug her. "I knew you'd come to save us." "I'm glad you're all safe," She hugged back, "I tried to get here as fast as I can, but I'm afraid we don't have much time. The Sorcerer is about to perform the ritual at any moment now. We have to go up there now!" "Finally!" Yona joyfully got up and out of the cell, galloping down the halls of the dungeon while yelling. "Yak smash!" "C'mon!" Ocellus ordered, getting Sandbar, Silverstream, and Gallus to follow after her. "Where's Smolder?" Sandbar asked as they hurried down the dark halls. "Right above us, Smolder's going to try to get close enough to get the artifact, but she's going to need our help to make our escape." "Stop!" Looking over their shoulders, the guard they knocked out was awake, "Prisoner escape!" He then started blowing a loud whistle that echoed in the halls. Out from the passageways and narrow holes in the underground tunnel, Diamond Dogs in armor rushed out, grabbing whatever weapons they could at the last moment to confront them. In front of them, many more guards with spears and diamond swords rushed over towards them. From behind, a group was unfurling a net to catch them in. And from the sides, the dogs tossed whatever they could get their paws on to slow them down. Yona, screaming out a battle-cry, charged forward with her head down and horns pointed at them. She aimed low at the legs, knocking and tripping them in her way. Silverstream, Gallus, Sandbar, and Ocellus grabbed whatever weapons that dropped to defend themselves. With adrenaline pumping through her, Silverstream took a spear and quickly turned around to slash the net before it could be used on them. It had been a surprise to the group when they first found out that Silverstream had martial training, but she said her Aunt wanted her to learn at a young age just in case. It only made her hotter in Gallus' eyes. Meanwhile, with a sword in his teeth, Sandbar helped clear the way for them to escape. Ocellus turned into a shield for Gallus, who also had a sword, and started to fly around the tunnel to block arrows and rocks from the Diamond Dogs attacking from range. One thing that Gallus had found out about himself was that he was very good at fighting. He chalked it up to being a griffin, a race that once held a mighty military empire, but according to Prince Shining Armor, he had a natural talent. It was helpful when fighting against that horde of the undead invading the Crystal Empire last year, and the prince even recommended trying out for the Royal Guard after graduation. Using that talent, Gallus had managed to block a blow from a Diamond Dog before pushing him back and striking hard enough at another to cut his arm and get him to drop his weapon. He had no intention of killing them if it was possible, but if something wasn't going to change soon, he might have to change that tactic. "There's too many!" Silverstream called out, noticing even more Diamond Dogs that were coming up from behind. Yona looked around and noticed the beams that held up part of the tunnel. "Make cave-in!" She told them. "Smash beams!" Sandbar, Silverstream, and Gallus, who carried Ocellus, went behind Yona as she went as hard and fast as she could to break one of the wooden beams. She charged, and upon impact, there was a loud but noticeable Crack! Just as quickly, she pulled away in time before the dirt and rocks from above fell into the tunnel. In a matter of seconds, they were cut off from the Diamond Dogs by a wall of dirt. Ocellus changed back into herself again. "Good thinking Yona! That should slow them down, but we need to get up there now." They raced through the halls and up the winding stairs into the great hall where the Sorcerer was conducting the ritual. Before their eyes stood the clay army that had taken the Diamond Dogs' form in armor in the thousands, each one had a marked engraving in their chest, no doubt part of the spell that will help bring them to life. On the other side was the Sorcerer Diamond Dog in a black robe, chanting the phrase, "Enital suoivbo enoitatnacni acigam ni ilam madiuq." over and over. His arms reached out to the glowing green orb just above him. "Where's Smolder?" Silverstream asked, looking around and seeing no sign of the dragoness. The Sorcerer took notice of them. "What? How did you…?" Taking off his hood, the dark-furred Diamond Dog with an eyepatch was puzzled at first but shook his head. "It doesn't matter. You're all too late! All I have to do is carry out the final part of the ritual, and my army of clay will rise to overthrow Equestria! I, Sirius the Conqueror, will be the lone ruler of-" "Oh, put a tennis ball in it!" "Pardon?" He looked around, "Who said that?" "Me!" Unexpectedly, Smolder came swinging in on a root vine. A free claw reached out and snatched the glowing orb from its position before she swung herself over to a nearby cavern. "Yes!" She held the ball up triumphantly, "Looks like you're out of luck, scruffy!" "What do you think you're doing!" Sirius screamed in terror. "You idiot! You've killed us all!" "What are you-" Smolder inquired, but before she could finish, a beam of pale, greenish light darted from the orb into the middle of the clay army. First, the symbols on the chests lit up, then their eyes. All at once, the army turned to look at her. "Uh-oh." "It's everycreature for themselves!" Sirius ran as quickly as he could out of the chamber. However, the would-be conqueror didn't get far as the clay soldiers took notice. One of them raised their paws and fired a bright green light. A scream was heard, and the sorcerer fell onto the floor, crying out in agony as his back was smoldering. Even his black cloak was melting into his flesh. Dozens of clay soldiers raised their paws aimed at him. "No! Wait!" But his plea went underheard as dozens of bright beams were fired upon the Diamond Dog. They didn't stop firing until all that was left was a skeleton that resembled freshly burned charcoal. "Holy sh-" Was as far as Smolder got before the army quickly noticed her, and she too was fired upon. However, thinking fast, she ducked back into the cavern before the beams could touch her. "Guys! Get out of here!" She called out. "Scatter!" Sandbar yelled, thus getting the attention of the army. Now, they had to run. Sandbar and Yona spotted a nearby cavern, galloping as fast as they could down it while Gallus and Silverstream took flight in the opposite direction. Ocellus spotted Smolder from above, and she flew up there to join her. She barely managed to get out of the way in time before the deadly beams could hit her. The worst part of getting lost in the Diamond Dogs' mines was that unless you knew where you're going, running down the twisting, turning tunnels was confusing. Gallus and Silverstream hurried through the tight corridors, the oddly shaped tunnels, and the countless deadends in the dark. "Which way? Which way!" Gallus asked frantically, trying to remember the way they came in. "Here! I think it's this way!" Silverstream grabbed his arm, pointing down towards one of the tunnels. "You sure?" "Maybe," Silverstream said, leading Gallus down one of the tunnels. However, when they entered, they quickly realized that they had made a wrong turn. They didn't remember a place where there were wooden crates everywhere in such a small space. "Wait, I think it might be the other-" Silverstream tried to lead him back out - only to be fired upon by the clay soldiers. Instinctively, they had no choice but to flee behind the crates. However, it made no difference to the soldiers as they began to fire their beams into the small room—one of the boxes that was hit quickly splintered into tiny pieces. The two students had to run to the very back of the room with the most crates to avoid the death ray barrage. "We're done for! There's no way out!" Silverstream panicked. With blasts of the deadly green light cutting and banging away at them, Gallus shut his eyes to try to think of something - anything to get out of this alive. The only way out is through those soldiers that won't stop until they're - his eyes opened. "I got an idea. It's stupid, but it's the best we got." "What is it?" He looked at her in the eye, "You trust me on this?" A blast fired over their heads. "I don't think there's much of a choice here!" Silverstream replied, "What do we do?" "Play dead." ".... What?" "They won't stop until we're dead. So maybe we need to convince them. Just pretend we got shot and don't move afterward. Their heads were made from clay, so hopefully, they wouldn't overthink about it." "How do you know that would work?" Silverstream questioned before another blast missed her. "You got any better ideas?" She shook her head. "Here, I'll go first so you'll have an idea how to do it." "Wait before you do." Before Gallus could ask what, Silverstream leaned in and kissed him on the beak. Although caught entirely off guard, Gallus wasn't complaining at the moment, even when she pulled away, blushing, "Well… just in case…" Gallus grinned, filling him with parts of hope and confidence. He placed a claw over his heart and cried out loud enough for the soldiers to hear him. "Ah! Oh no! They got me!" This seemed to catch the clay army's attention as their blasts died down. So standing up, Gallus wheezed and stumbled around. "Owie my chest, it burns!" Catching on what Gallus was doing, Silverstream clutched her stomach and stood up. "Ouch, they got me too. Ow," she stumbled over to a nearby shattered box. "I'm seriously hurt." Gallus labored his breathing, reaching out with a free claw in the air. "Everything's going cold! I-" he coughs, "but what's this? There's a light coming here. Silver, do you see that?" "I think we're dying Gallus," Silverstream replied, her back against the broken wood. "But I can't die, I'm too young, and there's so much I wanted to do." "Hey," Gallus reached out his free claw as if to try to grab something, "I think I can hear my parents calling to me." He stepped forward towards the army, but he was still looking up. "Gallus, don't leave me," Silverstream went over to lean on him. "I feel so cold." "Goodbye, Silver," Gallus said, his hindlegs buckling, "I'm just gonna lay here - dead." He fell over and rolled on his back, his arms crossed his chest, his hindlegs up, and his tongue hanging on the side. Now the army looked over to Silverstream. Melodramatically, she used a free arm over her forehead. "Thus die I, thus, thus, thus-" "Silver, get on with it," Gallus whispered. "Oh, sorry," she cleared her throat, turning to the army, "Now I am dead, now I am fled; my soul is in the sky: tongue, lose thy light; moon, take thy flight; Now die, die, die, die, die." She fell over onto the ground, hind hooves sticking straight up and tongue sticking out. For a moment, the clay soldiers looked at one another. Then after shrugging, they left the small room, leaving the two of them behind. As soon as the last soldier was gone, they rolled over to applaud one another. "Wonderfully done!" Silverstream clapped, "I didn't think that would work for a moment." "And I didn't think you would use that lame line from Shakespur, but here we are." Gallus chuckled. "Still, we should get out of here." "Right," Silverstream nodded, "I think I have an idea how to get back." With that, she took the lead. In another part of the catacombs, Yona and Sandbar were making a full gallop, heaving along the way. Lost in near darkness, the two ran for their lives as a few of the clay soldiers were still after them, still shooting at them. Neither of them had time to think about which way they were going and hoped that the other had some idea. They hurried around in the snake-like tunnels, very narrowly dodging the deadly blasts from the soldiers. It was becoming harder to breathe, with every step they came closer to collapsing to exhaustion. To Sandbar's alarm, he was getting slower with every passing second, falling behind Yona a little at a time. He wanted to call out to her, but all the air in his lungs was too busy being used on running. And with every blast that was getting closer, Sandbar became very aware of how much closer to death was coming towards him. They rushed out from the twisting tunnel and into an enormous cavern where the only thing connecting the other side was a stone bridge. Sandbar dreadfully knew that it was only a matter of time until the soldiers got a clear shot of them. While they ran, he heard something coming from above; only he couldn't be sure in his exhausted tunnel-vision. All he was trying to do was try to catch up to Yona, who was getting further away. Suddenly, a bolder from above fell in between him and her that ended up smashing a portion of the bridge, leaving nothing but a gaping abyss. The unexpected crash nearly gave the stallion a heart attack while he tried to stop himself. With the rushing momentum, Sandbar came within inches of falling into the darkness. "Sandbar!" Yona screamed, turning around to find that her special someone was on the other side with a few clay soldiers rushing at him. Sandbar turned around in horror across the other side as he realized that he had no way to escape. The soldiers raised their paws, and they aimed at the pony with their deadly green light becoming brighter. Yona screamed again, louder than before, followed by another rumble with rocks and dirt falling from the ceiling. The clay soldiers noticed this too and looked up - only to find a boulder to come down at them, crushing them and a part of the bridge, yet leaving Sandbar unharmed. Out of his near-death experience, Sandbar sat on his hunches, a hoof over his withers, taking a moment to catch his breath. His breathing was erratic, eyes wide, and he could feel his heart beating at an insane pace. "Sandbar!" Yona called out, "Is pony okay?" He nodded. "Yeah… Yeah, I almost died twice today, so I'm wonderful." He breathed deeply. "Can Sandbar jump?" It took a glance to conclude that between him and her, it was too far to make that leap without falling into nothing. However, looking the other way, the gap where the soldiers were was narrow enough for him to get across as long as he makes a head start. As soon as he was able to talk, Sandbar said to her, "Yona, I hate to do this, but you've got to go on without me." She stomped her hoof. "Yona not leaving without Sandbar." "Yona, I can't make the jump over to you. I have to find another way out on my own." "But-" Another boulder fell between them, followed by falling dirt from above. "I don't know how much longer this place is going to hold up." Sandbar told her, "Go meet up with the others; I'll join you on the other side." "Sandbar, just-" dirt and dust fell on Yona before she could finish. "I'll be fine." Sandbar turned around, galloped as fast as he could to leap over to the other end of the cavern. "Get yourself out. I'll be okay." Yona hesitated but nodded, "Hurry back, Sandbar." "I will." Sandbar nodded as he returned to the twisting tunnel while Yona went the other way. "Look! I see the way out!" Silverstream pointed, dragging Gallus along towards the exit. The two Griffs rushed out towards the light of day at the end of the labyrinth. Running out into the empty dirt fields, they spotted Smolder and Ocellus, who were trying to catch their breaths. "Ocellus! Smolder!" Silverstream rushed over to them, embracing them in a tight hug. "Thank the gods! You're safe!" Gallus looked around and then asked, "Where's Yona and Sandbar?" "Wait," Smolder freed herself from Silverstream's arm, "they're not with you?" "I thought they were with you." Before the dragoness could respond, they felt the ground tremble and shake underneath them. "What was that?" Ocellus asked, "An earthquake?" "No…" Gallus looked around, "that was too small to be an-". The ground shook again, and, to his alarm, there were immediate cracks in the ground that started to sink. "Cave in!" Grabbing his friends, Gallus used his wings to fly them towards the entrance as parts of the ground buckled and fell. Fortunately, this lasted for a moment. But the thought of what they saw alarmed them. "Yona and Sandbar are still down there!" Ocellus exclaimed, "We got to go back and find…" She trailed off as she and her friends heard galloping hooves coming from the cave. Much to their relief, Yona emerged from the darkness. But that was all they saw. "Yona, where's Sandbar?" "He not here?" She asked, almost out of breath. "With friends?" "Oh gods, he's still down there!" Silverstream said in alarm. "We got to do something!" Gallus stared down the inky abyss where Sandbar was. Although they completed their mission and the clay army will undoubtedly be trapped underground, he could not leave. Not until all of them were together. "Guys, I'm going to go in." "You don't know where he is!" Smolder yelled at him, "You saw what just happened. He might not-" "But you don't know he's dead!" Gallus spread his wings, "I'm going to go look for him. All of you, get to Ponyville to put that orb back where it belongs. And Silver?" He looked at her, "Thanks for the first kiss." Despite the protests of the girls, he flew back into the darkness. Flying almost blindly, the griffon rushed back into the labyrinth, calling out his friend's name. He hoped that maybe he was still alive somewhere and in a different part of this underground network where the cave-ins didn't hit. "Sandbar!" he screamed into one of the tunnels. "Where are you!" "Help!" Without giving another thought, Gallus flew down into an increasingly tight tunnel. Despite being in a place where it became smaller to fly in, where he could feel his shoulders rubbing against the cold walls that felt were pressing him and even snuff him out - his fear of losing Sandbar outweighed his claustrophobia. He pushed himself further and further into the depths until he fell out from the other side. There, trapped at a dead-end of the cave with falling rocks and debris, Sandbar was backed up against a wall with three of the clay soldiers having a clear shot at him. Without thinking, Gallus picked up whatever rocks he could grab and took flight. Using a free claw, he threw a stone at the head of one of the soldiers. It stuck to its head, thus getting it and the other two's attention. "Hey! Why don't you pick on a flying target for once!" Now distracted, the soldiers fired their green blasts at the griffon. But Gallus, being airborne, dodged and weaved between the stalactites and the deadly light. Almost dancing, twisting, and somersaulting through the air. But with each blast, the soldiers came closer to him - which was what he was hoping for. As they missed, they hit the ceiling, chipping it away until the boulders loosened up and fell. The first soldier was squished, the second was buried under a pile of debris, and the third had its legs trapped underneath the huge rocks. Then Gallus flew in to scoop his friend up. "Gallus?" Sandbar asked as he was carried, "What are you doing? This place is gonna fall apart!" "What does it look like, numbnuts?" he smirked, "I'm here to save your sorry green butt from being fried." Quickly, he flew over towards the tunnel that he came in. "The way out is through here and up the-" Gallus let out a scream as he felt something hot burn his back, so painful was this that he dropped Sandbar. Hitting the ground, Sandbar saw that his friend's back was smoking while he was screaming in agony. The stallion found the source behind him: it was from the third soldier that used its remaining half to fire at the griffon. However, before it could do the same for him, the chamber further collapsed, and the clay soldier was destroyed underneath the heavy rock. "Gallus!" Sandbar rushed over to his friend. He found a smoldering black spot just underneath the wings, yet Gallus clutched at his chest, and moving one of them away, he found out why. A dark wound in the middle of his chest was growing, slowly burning away the feathers. The blast hadn't just hit him. It had gone right through him. "C'mon, I need to get you out." "I-I can't," Gallus stuttered, breathing heavily as if all the air was deflated from his lungs, "breathe." "You're gonna be okay," Sandbar lifted his friend on his back, "just stay with me. I'm gonna get us out." "No…" Gallus breathed deeply again, "Leave… me…" But Sandbar ignored him. As fast yet carefully as he could, he carried him through the narrow passageway and began to make the trip back to the surface. All around, echoes of the labyrinth banged against the walls in seemingly every direction. Yet, Sandbar kept moving. The smell of the burning feathers was sickening, but he still pressed forward. He listened to his friend's heavy breathing and told him to hold on just a little longer. That he would get him to a hospital, and everything was going to be okay. Then he saw the light at the end of the cave. He could make out the shadowy outline of his friends that were just waiting. "See, dude," Sandbar told him, "We're almost there." "I can't… go on…" "Yes, you can. We're almost ther-" a loud cracking sound knifed Sandbar with dread as he looked up. The rocks above him were becoming loose. Gallus noticed this too, and using what energy he had, he slipped off of Sandbar and pushed him towards the exit. "Run!" he breathlessly screamed, "Run, idiot!" Another loud crack, and before either of them could react, the ceiling came down on them. "Sandbar! Can you hear me?!" Although he could not move, Sandbar felt pain all around. No, this was more than just pain - he felt broken. Everywhere he was bruised, crushed, and shattered. Even if he tried to move slightly, it was worthy enough to let out a feral scream. "Sandbar, wake up!" It was like being asleep and awake simultaneously - he couldn't tell where his awake agony began and his blacking out ended. He wasn't sure if he heard the rocks being moved or the girls' cries calling out their names. "C'mon, stay with me." But somehow, he heard Gallus's voice. It was full of fear and desperation. Despite the other voices, his came in the clear. "Please don't go, just hold on." Sandbar wasn't sure how long he laid there, nor was he aware of the rocks that were being lifted. He wasn't certain if he was being carried or still in the cave. At one point, he tried to open his eyes, only it wasn't clear at first. The girls' voices, though frantic, were still unintelligible. "It's gonna be okay, Sand, you're going to be okay." It was altogether strange. Even Sandbar's sense of time became fluid. He wasn't sure if it had been minutes or hours. Every time he opened his eyes, he would glimpse at the changing landscapes, blots of color moving in and out of his vision, and at times it would become clear while others were muddy. One moment it seemed he was outside, and the next, he was inside. "Don't go asleep! Stay awake!" ".... emergency room, now!" Now he heard new voices, unfamiliar voices. Opening his eyes, he saw the lights being rushed by while nurses in surgical masks looked down at him. "Red, where's that anesthetic? This guy needs surgery here!" Sandbar tried to open his mouth, but even his jaw refused to move as if wired shut by the splintered jaw itself. He wanted to know what was going on. Where was he? Where were his friends? What were they doing? "Sandbar! Don't leave me!" And where was Gallus? ".... blacking out more and more." He heard a nurse say. "What happened to this guy?" "I don't know," another nurse replied. "Something about a group of friends being in the Diamond Dog caves where boulders and such fell on them. As far as I know, one of their friends, a griffon, I think, was crushed and died pretty much immediately." Sandbar's weak eyes opened. He tried his best to open his mouth to get some answers, but something wet was in his throat, and he coughed. He couldn't breathe. He felt he was drowning. The nurses above him pulled away, but he saw what he coughed up that landed on one of the nurse's uniforms to his horror. Blood. He was coughing up blood. He wanted to scream, but his blood drowned his vocal cords. This had to be a nightmare. Gallus couldn’t be dead. He’d just heard him! "We're ready for him," Sandbar heard another voice, and the lights above were moving while the nurses put a thin tube and a mask over his muzzle. "Sandbar, for the love of all that's holy, wake up!" Sandbar briefly opened his eyes again. He could have sworn that he heard his friend scream in his ear that time. Only he couldn't see the source of where it was coming from. The only thing he could see was a ring of light above him with half a dozen heads silhouetted in the glow. "Hurry! Hurry!" A demanding, impatient voice called out. "We're losing him over here!" He was choking, trying to gasp for air that never came. In his brittle chest, he felt something was collapsing. As scared as he was, he couldn't move, couldn't do anything; yet, he felt talons gripping his hoof tightly. As if Gallus was still there, refusing to let go. "Please... don't go." What happened next was something so surreal that Sandbar could barely comprehend it. In his vision, everything became darker - yet lighter. That everything became unbearably painful but somehow relieved. He was more afraid than he ever was in his life, yet something was there to comfort him. He felt cold and warm at the same time. And as the surgeons above him faded out, Gallus faded in.
Chapter 2"Sandbar! Are you okay?" "Huh?" Sandbar blinked. Above him, Gallus had placed his talons on his shoulders, as if he'd been trying to wake him from a deep sleep. The stallion was taken aback by the tears in the griffon's eyes, yet there was tremendous relief in them. "Gallus?" "Oh, thank gods," Gallus nearly crushed him in a tight hug, sighing. But a moment later, he pulled away to slap him across the face. "Ow!" Sandbar rubbed his cheek, "What was that for?" "That was for scaring the crap out of me! You were a bloody mess a moment ago, and you kept fading in and out, and you didn't wake up, and…" Gallus rubbed his eyes, breathing deeply. "Don't ever do that again!" While rubbing his cheek, Sandbar looked around. "Hey, dude… where-" "No idea," Gallus interrupted. "It was like this when we got here." Regardless of what direction they looked, there was nothing. Sure, they felt the ground beneath them, but it was nothing but a clean, blank world. It looked like an endless white canvas where the only things to exist were them. "How long have you been here?" Sandbar asked while getting up. "I'm… not sure. I was so scared that I didn't think about it." Gallus looked at him. "But what happened to you? You looked like a ghost for a long time." "In what way?" "As in see-through, completely beaten and broken. Now you're… well… not." Sandbar looked down and around himself. Despite having rocks fallen on him, he was whole again. There were no cuts, bruises, or blood. It was as if nothing had happened to him. "To be honest, I'm not one hundred percent sure," he scratched the back of his neck. "It was really confusing. I… I think I was taken somewhere. Maybe a hospital? I remember something about an emergency room, along with surgery, and you…" "What?" Gallus tilted his head. "I think… somepony said that you died. But that can't be. You're right here." "Well, of course I am! I'm not dead. I'm…" he trailed off as Gallus' eyes started to go wide. Looking around, he asked, "Hang on… where… are we?" "You said you didn't-" "Not that, I mean… If what you're saying is right… we were crushed back there. We should have died right there and then, but we're okay now. None of this is making sense Sandbar, how did we-" Before Gallus could finish his conclusion, there was a sudden rip that got their attention. At a stone's throw away, a very sharp scythe blade punctured through the void. It was then pulled down towards the ground, tearing the white nothing like fabric. Instinctively, Gallus placed himself between Sandbar and whatever was coming. The blade disappeared for a moment, and out from that torn portal, a figure wrapped in black stepped out, carrying a scythe. "Sandbar! Make a run for-" Gallus shouted but was quickly interrupted. "Hold on! Hold on!" the dark figure said in an impatient tone. "Let me get this thing off me." Setting the scythe aside, which was in the air on its own, the figure pulled the black cloak's hood off. The being had the head of a stallion, the claws and wings of a griffon, and a pony's flank. The unique-looking hippogriff was also all white except for the black dress shirt, suit, and gray tie. "That's better," the thing said, adjusting his tie. "I barely got back from up north where the chill has forced me to dress warmly than usual. Sorry if I startled you two." "Uh…" Sandbar was about to say something but couldn't find the words. "So, my apologies for getting here late — I'm afraid we're a bit understaffed at the moment — but I'm here now." "Are you…" Gallus gulped, "Death?" "You're thinking of my boss, who, between you and me, is a cosmic migraine to work with. So no, I'm more of a Reaper, you see. Think of me as a glorified chauffeur of sorts that's overworked and underpaid." ".... Uh-huh…" Sandbar walked around Gallus. "So are you an angel or something?" "Unfortunately, yes," he deadpanned. "One that's stuck doing this for the next couple thousand years. So look, I'm going to make this quick. You two come with me, and we'll get you sorted out where you needed to go. Okay?" "Wait, hold on!" Sandbar asked, taking a deep breath as he stepped forward. "Does this mean… that we're..." "Dead as a flock of birds near a firework? Yep." The Grim Reaper Angel said, pointing his scythe to Gallus. "You got crushed to death and died instantly about two hours ago. And you..." He pointed to Sandbar, "faded in and out, but ended up dying of your wounds just about five minutes ago." "W-Well then I chall-" "Challenging Death to a game for your soul back is a rumor. In practice, it doesn't work. Trust me. Even angels can't win. How else do you think I got this job?" The Grim Reaper finished as Sandbar lowered his head. "Anything else? No? Good, let's go." "Where are we going?" Gallus asked. "I told you, to get you two sorted out," the Reaper opened the ripped portal wider. "Well, c'mon! You don't want to spend eternal boredom in here, do you?" "We don't have much of a choice, do we?" The Reaper shook his head. Seeing that they have no other option, Sandbar and Gallus followed the Reaper through the portal. Neither of them knew what to expect when they crossed over. They followed the Reaper to a place that looked like a waiting area one would see at an airship port. It was the size of a city block with hundreds of benches in the middle. Above them were a glass and silver skylight, while around the walls, there were stands made into the brick walls. You could see them from the food court to the gift shop between golden columns. Around them, creatures of every kind were waiting. Here, Ponies were making small talk with Yaks. Griffons paced about near a gift shop while the Hippogriffs were scarfing down seafood near a vendor. They spotted Reindeer and Buffalos debating politics on the benches while a few Dragons were lying down on the benches, trying to sleep among the lively chatter. Meanwhile, some Zebras noticed them for a moment before returning to their crossword puzzles while a few bored Changelings flew to the ceiling to see if there was an opening. "What's this place?" Sandbar inquired. "This is one of many waiting rooms for the afterlife." The Reaper explained. "I didn't know there were waiting rooms." "Well, with creatures dying more and more every day, we got to have someplace to at least process them all." "So what do we do now?" Gallus asked the Reaper. "Welp, the two of you wait," reaching into his breast coat pocket, the Reaper pulled out a couple of tickets with numbers on them, "when they call up your number, go over there." He pointed over towards a section in the back of the room where there was a line where angels guarded it in security outfits. They stood in front of a metal detector-looking device made out of a unique silverish-white glass. One by one, creatures would step in the middle of the device in which it would light up as blue at first. But after a moment or two, it would change colors from either green or red. "That's where you get processed." The Reaper explained, "You step through that detector, and from there, the staff will take you to your destination." "What does the thing detect?" Sandbar questioned. The two of them looked over to the detector where a Hippogriff stepped through. The device had a blue glow for a moment before it turned green. There was a relieved joy from the creature from what they could see as it hopped up and down. The nearby staff placed a glowing halo on its head, thereby turning its wings a snowy white. One of the angels then guided the Hippogriff down a hall to the right where a glowing light was at the end of it. "Well, the good news is that it doesn't pick up on what gods you believe. However, it weighs up to see if you were an overall good enough being. If in life you didn't do anything hurtful and did what you could to cause the least amount of suffering, or at least made an effort to reverse it, then you should be okay." Suddenly, there was a commotion, and they looked over to the detector. A mare was horrified to see the glass device had turned red. But before she could flee, the other hall that had a burning light had several red hot chains that came out like snakes and, as quick as lightning, wrapped around the struggling mare, picked her up, and was taken away despite her screaming protests. Gallus swallowed, "And… if not?" "Let's just say you're not going to have a fun time." A beeping sound was heard, and the Reaper pulled on his sleeve to look at his watch. He let out a grunt. "Oh joy, another mass murder. God, I hate my boss sometimes." He muttered. "Look, I gotta go. If I miss this one, my boss will have me work overtime." "But what do we do?" Sandbar asked. "I don't know, wait? There's enough stuff in here to keep you occupied until your number gets called up." Using his scythe, the Reaper opened a portal. "Good luck," he said before stepping through the portal, closing it behind. A voice announced over the intercom system: "Would the following numbers please line up: 781 to 800. I repeat, numbers 781 through 800. Please come line up for judgment. Thank you." "So… We're dead." Gallus finally said. "Yep." Another long pause. Neither of them had any idea how long they'd been sitting on the benches. It could have been two minutes or perhaps an eternity - neither of them has noticed. The two of them sat there, letting the gravity of what just happened to sink in. Both of them spent a long time figuring out how to respond to all of this, but nothing was coming to them. How do you just suddenly react to knowing you were dead? "Um… y-you know," Gallus began again, "I'm a bit shocked none of us got here sooner." "Huh?" Sandbar finally looked up. "Well, looking back at the idiotic things we've done over the years and that’s not including the times we had to save the world we didn’t die sooner. I mean it's kinda amazing that out of all the pranks and stupid moments we’ve done, like the one time all of us got drunk and hung out on the school's roof, that we did all die earlier. Yet, it was falling rocks that did us in. How embarrassing!" Sandbar chuckled. "Now that you've pointed it out, yeah, I'm surprised that death didn't come sooner." But his laughter morphed to concern. "But… we did die. For real this time. Goddesses… I can't imagine what it must be like for them." "Who?" "Our friends, they must be balling their eyes out by now… and my family, they must be devastated. My mom cried for months after Grandma passed. Just imagine what she and Dad and my little Sis must be going through. How are they going to cope with me gone? And Yona… I don't remember if I said goodbye to her." Gallus sighed, "Tell me about it. But what can we do now?" He shook his head. "Still… I told you to run back there." "What?" "The cave. You should have saved yourself. I mean, even if you did drag me out, I probably would have died from that death beam thing." "But I couldn't do that. I mean, what was I supposed to do? Just leave you there? I couldn't do that knowing that I might have saved you. I just…" Sandbar trailed off, harrumphing in his seat. "Maybe I couldn't prevent you from dying, but I could at least try. I couldn't leave you alone in the dark with no chance." Gallus took in a deep breath and sighed. "Okay, I get it. Even though I didn't ask for it, I'm at least grateful that with all things considering, I didn't die alone." "Yeah?" "Well, back in that void… purgatory… place, thing, when I woke up, I saw that you were kinda there with me. Sure, you were see-through, but I was so scared to see you so… broken. But now that I think of it, even just seeing you would be better than being alone in that nothing space. At least you took my mind off of being alone." He glanced over at Sandbar. "If that makes sense." "Totally," Sandbar nodded. "I think I've heard somewhere that death is the last great adventure - but now I think it's more bearable when you have a friend like you to be with." They heard another scream coming from the gates, meaning that someone wasn't so lucky. "I just hope that wherever we end up, we could still be together." Gallus nervously nodded, "Yeah… I hope so too." Another awkward pause. Above them, the intercom system called: "Would the following numbers please line up: 801 to 820. I repeat numbers 801 through 820. Please come line up for judgment. Thank you." "I'm gonna see if I can get a snack," Sandbar hopped off the bench, "You want anything?" "Nah, I'll just sit here." While Sandbar maneuvered his way over to the food court, Gallus sat there in thought, his claws holding up his head. So deep in thinking that he failed to notice someone with a broom sweeping towards his direction. "Lift your legs, please." "Huh," this snapped Gallus out of his thoughts, looking up to a larger griffon that was gray, piercing eyes and a glowing red collar around his neck. "Just need to sweep under you." Gallus paused, "Have I seen you before?" "Doubt it, legs please," he pointed a talon upward. While Gallus did obey and the griffon swept under him, he remarked, "I think I've seen you before - in a book." "So?" "Yeah, you look like…" His eyes went wide. "No…" He stood up. "I think I know who you are! King Guto, the last-" "King of the Griffons before the Idol of Boreas was taken, I know. I was there." He turned his back, continue to sweep. "Wait a minute!" Gallus flew around him, "What are you doing here? I'd thought you might be-" "In Hell?" Guto finished his sentence. "Why yes, yes I have been sent there. You see this collar," he pointed, "this keeps me trapped." "Okay, but why are you sweeping in here? Shouldn't you be… you know…" He sighed, "It's part of my punishment. For the crime of selfishness, greed, and nearsightedness for not using my power to improve the lives of griffons and destroying the kingdom in the process, I was sentenced to be a slave for all eternity. Which, between you and me, is a bunch of crap. Well, since the waiting rooms have been a bit understaffed when it comes to janitorial duty, I have to sweep this place over and over and over again." "Huh, and here I thought it would be worse." "You don't get about the concept of damnation, do you?" Guto questioned. "So here's some inside information for you. Over there, not everyone gets the same punishment. They're tailor-made depending on what you did. For example, since I absolutely hate doing things like… Oh, I don't know… cleaning, or charity work, or anything that doesn't equal fun - I'm stuck with this. I've been doing this for who-knows-how-many-moons. Now, if you please excuse me, I have work to do." Walking around Gallus, the ex-king continued to sweep. Meanwhile, Sandbar got behind a line for freshly fried potato chips. There were only a few in front of him (a few Ponies, a Yak, and a Zebra). Eventually, a Changeling got in line behind Sandbar. "Uh… so…" Sandbar turned his head over to the Changeling, who he noticed was shaking nervously. "You uh… been here long?" "No, I just got in line-" "I mean, being here…" the Changeling looked around, "I think I've been here for hours, and they still haven't called up my number yet." "What's your name?" "Anteni." "Sandbar," he gave a friendly smile, "yeah, I just got here too with a friend of mine. Truthfully, I don't know how long we've been here." "Oh…" The Changeling looked back to the gates where the souls were being judged. "S-Sorry, I'm just really nervous." "How come?" "Well, aside from me dying, I don't know what's going to happen to me. I think I'll be terrified by the time my number is called up. I mean… What if they make a mistake?" "That's unlikely." Said a new voice. Sandbar and Anteni looked over to the Angel at the stand. A bored-looking dragon with blue scales and a white apron. "So, how many do you want?" "Well, two…" Sandbar answered, "but what do you mean by unlikely that they'll make a mistake?" "You see that detector over there?" He nodded as he scooped up some potato chips from the fryer. "That thing has been crafted to perfection. You see, what it does is that it looks at your life, see your actions in terms of how much pain you caused to others, your overall character, and how much you put in the effort to make amends. There's more to that, but essentially, it would see if you're alright." "But you only allow the good into paradise, right?" Anteni asked, and the Angel nodded. "So how would I know if I'm good enough?" "Well, truthfully, it's not my place to judge," he said, dumping a few spoonfuls of chips into a few paper trays. "So let me ask you this simple question that might help somewhat - do you overall consider yourself good?" "I…" Anteni hesitated, "I don't… think so…" she looked down and quietly answered, "no." The Angel hummed, "Then I can safely say you have nothing to worry about." "Huh?" Sandbar questioned, "Why's that?" "Because, even we noticed that the worst kind of creatures that ever lived: the cruelest kings, the informants that sent hundreds of innocent groups to prison, the bigots that burned books and kept entire communities segregated, etc... they have done all of this and more simply because they believed that they were doing the right thing. Ask any monster that question, and they would tell you with a straight face that they're blameless, that they didn't do anything wrong because it's always someone else that should be punished. They're convinced that they were on the side of angels. But the key to getting into Heaven, from what I'm told, is to be self-aware of the evil one is capable of. Here you go." He offered Sandbar the two trays of chips. "In other words, I think you're gonna be fine. So how much do you want?" Looking back at the detector again, the Changeling replied, "Actually… I think I'll be okay," and walked away. Sandbar carried the potato chips on his back and returned to the bench where Gallus was. "Well… that was interesting," Gallus said. "What?" "I just saw the last King of Griffonstone-" Gallus was interrupted as a voice over the intercom system called out: "Would the following numbers please line up: 821 to 840. I repeat numbers 821 through 840. Please come line up for judgment. Thank you." Sandbar and Gallus looked at the tickets that the Reaper had given them. They were being called up. "You know what," Gallus took hold of the trays, "I think I might need this after all. Because I think they're gonna be my last meal." "What's wrong?" Sandbar asked as he and Gallus started to head towards the detector. "Oh nothing, I think that I might be judged as crappy enough to be dragged by red hot chains to do who-knows-what for all eternity while probably getting separated, but other than that..." Gallus started stuffing his beak with chips. ".... I'm perfectly fine." "Dude, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about." "Easy for you to say, but I don't think I'm gonna make it." He said after swallowing a mouthful before doing another. Sandbar patted his back, "Then trust me on this, everything's gonna be okay." Gallus wished he could say the same. Once Gallus had fully scarfed down the chips, he and Sandbar got in line for their souls to be processed. The line itself wasn't very long, yet the closer they got to the glass detector, the longer time seems to drag on. One by one, various creatures' souls would step through and would either be deemed worthy of paradise - or eternal suffering. At least for Gallus, the worst part was that he's going to be judged first between the two. "We have done enough," Sandbar said, in an attempt to comfort him. "We've saved the world plenty of times and learned about friendship and kindness in ways we didn't know existed. I still think we'll be okay." In front of him, a confident Hippogriff stepped into the glass detector, where it went blue for a moment before turning red. "What! No!" he yelled as the chains swiftly wrapped around his legs, "I tried to create paradise on Equis! You can't take me!" but the chains did. "Next," An Angel who was a deer called out and turned to Gallus. "Yes, it's your turn, c'mon now." Gallus gulped but looked back at Sandbar, who smiled up at him. Turning to the detector, the griffon felt as if he was walking to the platform of the gallows. His execution seemed imminent. "All the way," the Angel told him, "step all the way in, please." Gallus took another step. "Hold still, please." Inside the glass, everything turned blue, and yet, he saw in his reflection everything in his life being played back all at once. Every memory that he remembered and forgot about came at once. The orphanage, begging in the streets, Grandpa Gruff sending him to school, his friends, his teachers, the adventures, his crushes, and his death; all in the exact moment. Then, just as quickly, they stopped, and the blue light was replaced with green. Gallus blinked. "Wait, what?" "See, I told you! You have nothing to worry about!" Sandbar clapped his hooves. "Step out, please," the Angel instructed. From there, he was pointed over to a dispassionate pegasus in white next to a box of halos. "Here you go," the stallion took out one of the halos and put it over his head. Gallus looked behind him, where he spread his wings in time to see them turn white. "I… I made it?" Gallus said in dumbfounded amazement, "I actually made it?" "Told you everything's gonna be fine," he looked over as Sandbar said that, noticing that the detector turned green for him as well. "So now what?" "Here," the pegasus gave him his halo, and Gallus watched as his friend's back started to glow brightly before it sprouted wings. "Go down to the end of the hall where you'll need to fill out a few things." The two of them looked down at the gate marked as Heaven, towards the light at the very end of it. Together, they walked towards the near blinding light. As they walked further in (although they couldn't be sure), the hall around them seemed to change. With every step, the blue walls became paler and paler until they were pure white. The ceiling was sloping upwards, and the walls were expanding further apart until the space around them resembled the void they entered earlier. But this too lasted for a moment. With every step, their eyes were adjusting to where they started to see more details around them. They saw columns of white marble along with windows that each looked out to extraordinary vistas from different parts of the world. Above them were murals that depicted the seasons where the trees were swaying in a breeze, and below were tiles made of solid pieces of huge opals. The further they went, the more this unfamiliar, fantastical place resembled a palace. Even the light that they walked towards was mercifully getting dimmer to where they could see what was ahead of them. When it was gone, the two found a desk with an Angel who looked like he barely slept, sitting behind it in the middle of the light. The desk itself was simple, if not modest, as it was made of oak. On it was piles of books, including one that the Angel was using as a pillow. Behind the Angel was the source of the light - a door that was as humble as the desk, yet around the tiny gaps where the streams of light that moved and flickered about like a candle flame. When Gallus and Sandbar reached the desk, they saw in detail what kind of creature the sleepy Angel behind the desk was. It was a dragon. One that resembled and was the size of a teenager. Yellow scales with white spikes on his back, both of them were intrigued by how this Angel had two different sets of wings - the left was the leathery kind while the other was made of feathers and above the dragon's head was a halo that silently floated over. "Uh… hi?" Sandbar began, but the dragon kept softly snoring. "Hello?" With no response, Gallus frowned. So turning to one of the heavier-looking books, he picked one of them up and, using his wings, flew up a little before letting the book drop. The book hit the desk with a noticeably loud bang. "Gah!" the dragon jumped from his seat, grabbing his chest. "Okay, I'm up! I'm up!" After taking in a few calming breaths, the dragon rubbed his eyes. "What is it? What do you want?" "You tell us, we just got here," Gallus replied. "Huh?" he looked up, "Oh, new arrivals…" "You okay?" Sandbar asked. "Sorry, I'm just," the dragon yawned, "I didn't sleep well - or at all for the past couple hundred years. What time is it?" Reaching for a drawer, he pulled out a grandfather clock. "How do you like that? I should have had my coffee break five months ago. Okay," Clearing his throat, he turned to them, "Tell you guys what, I'll get you two all set up, and I can finally get on with my break? Good? Great. Now, where did I - there it is." From a drawer, he pulled out a quill pen. "I'm just gonna ask you two some questions, and then I'll let you in there. Okay?" They nodded. Turning a page from his open book, the dragon asked with a dull tone. "Name?" "Sandbar Oceanvale." “Gallus of Griffonstone.” "Uh-huh…" He scribbled a bit. "Age?" "I'm eighteen." Gallus answered, "Sandbar would be turning eighteen in August." The dragon hummed, "Birthday?" "Mine is August 29th." Sandbar said. "February 18th," Gallus said while adding, "I think." This raised the dragon's eyebrow, "You think?" "Coming from someone that doesn't know when I was born, I'm only going off when I was given to the orphanage." ".... I see…" the dragon jotted it down. "Cause of death?" "The Reaper guy said that I died from a cave-in." "And I died from my wounds on the operating table." The dragon shook his head but didn't give any remark. "Orientation in religion or faith?" "Does New Age count?" Sandbar asked. "Yeah, sure," the Angel wrote it down. "And you?" He pointed at Gallus. "Well… none actually, which is partly why I'm surprised I'm here." "Atheist?" Gallus nodded. "To be fair, the universe as a whole runs on the forces of good and evil. So if you were overall trying to be good, you end up at this desk. If you were bad, well... you get the idea. I'm asking this because depending on what you worship, we'll still give you benefits, as well as meeting up with your gods. I guess that neither of you has much to worry about. But we're getting off-topic." After scribbling down, he further asked: "If given a chance, would either of you want to be reincarnated?" Sandbar and Gallus looked at one another. "That's an option?" Sandbar asked. "It's more of a preference thing, like saying someone isn't ready for Heaven yet. However, if you do go for that option, your memory will have to be deleted and start from scratch again. Kinda a big gamble if you ask me. We ask that to give the rest of us an expectation, you see. Just in case if we need to make any accommodations or not." Both Gallus and Sandbar stood there, silent and uncertain. The Angel spoke up, "How about I put that under 'Undecided.' That way, it should give you all the time in the cosmos. Anyways…" After writing that, he asked, "Were either of you in a romantic relationship with anyone before coming here?" "I… yeah." Sandbar nodded. "Was." Gallus shook his head. For a moment while the dragon wrote down their answers, he remembered his last memory of Silverstream before saving Sandbar. He realized that he didn't so much as say goodbye to her in those last moments he had with her. "Okay, last question here," the dragon looked up from his book and asked with a straight face, "are either of you virgins?" This caught them off guard. "Excuse me!?" Sandbar questioned, his cheeks turning pink. "To put it in plain Equestrian, have either of you ever had a sexual experience with someone else?" Gallus turned to Sandbar, seeing him shook his head. "Seriously? Never?" Gallus asked, taken aback, "Not with Yona? I thought you guys were really close." "Yeah, but I didn't exactly… well…" his cheeks turned a darker tone of red. "I didn't feel… r-ready." "How about you?" the dragon asked Gallus. Gallus folded his arms and sighed, "No, and not by choice either. I was never given the opportunity." "In that case, I got some good news for both of you." The dragon informed. "While the only downside is that you'll have to wait until eighteen, there is a program to help out virgins like yourselves have that experience when they weren't able or didn't feel ready when they were alive. From what I've heard, it's a pretty fun experience." "Um… okay?" Gallus replied with a raised eyebrow. "One last thing before I set you two loose," The dragon pulled upon another drawer to pull out a folded-up pamphlet. "This thing is gonna be your best friend. This is your map, your idiot's guide to knowing how stuff works, and it points in the direction to the stuff you want to do. And there's a whole bunch of other stuff too that you'll find out." He handed the pamphlet over to them. The cover was a sky-blue background with clouds floating across with the title of "Heaven" on it. Unfolding it, Gallus looked between it and the dragon, "There's nothing on it." "Of course there isn't. You're not on the other side of the door yet." Placing a bookmark, he closed the massive tome. "Now, with all of that out of the way, Welcome to Paradise full of eternal peace, blah, blah, blah. Okay, let's get you in so I can have my coffee break." Getting out of his seat, the dragon waved a claw until a key appeared. Walking over to the door, he unlocked it and turned the knob. "If you have any questions or concerns, just ring up the Angel Customer Service Station, and a poor sucker- I mean, a helpful representative will help ya. Got it? Good?" He pulled open the door, bathing the two souls in its brilliant light, "Welcome to Heaven." Side by side, Gallus and Sandbar walked around the desk and entered into the light. As soon as the door was shut behind them, they blinked in the blinding light until they began to see figures moving about. Rubbing their eyes, things around them became unblurred, colors, shapes, sounds, and smells faded in until they were able to see with clarity. When everything came into focus, they blinked once more in confusion. Neither of them had any idea what to expect from Heaven. But if they didn't know any better, they might have said that they came back to Ponyville. They almost expected this paradise to resemble something like Cloudsdale, yet there they were, standing in the marketplace where the sky was blue, the grass was green, and the buildings at first glance looked similar to home. But at the same time… it almost wasn't. There were statues and stands, shops and houses, trees and lampposts that were more or less in the same places as Ponyville. Yet it wasn't. It was as if every flaw from the cracks in the plastered walls to the crooked cobblestones was corrected. There was something, even in the air, that felt more vibrant than usual. As they circled around, they began to notice that there were buildings that they never saw before or were destroyed long ago. From a shop that sold inventions that they never saw before to an oak tree down the road that had a sign that said "Golden Oaks Library." Of course, this second, seemingly-perfected Ponyville had its pony residence too, along with other creatures and Angels that went by with their day. Some were doing jobs like carrying mail or selling their goods by the stands. A yellow stallion with a red mane could be seen placing apple pies on a stand while a purple pegasus with a blue mane moved a cloud while humming a tune. The only thing that was out of place was the gate they came through. It was framed in snow-white marble with columns on each side and capped with an arch with a large chunk of gold as a keystone. This gate stood out from the rest of the town as it looked like it was part of a temple, yet it stood alone. But what was unique about it was the bright light that illuminated from it. Sandbar and Gallus came through it, but the light was as solid as a wall when they touched it. Even though the gate was open, they could not go back. A fact that took both of them several minutes to let their situation genuinely sink in. "So…" Gallus finally said. "We're in Heaven." "Yep." Sandbar replied matter of factly. After looking this way and that, Gallus wondered aloud, "Now what?" "I don't know. Should we ask for something?" A ringing sound caught their attention, and both of them looked over to the pamphlet that Gallus was holding. Curious, he unfolded it. "There are words here." "What does it say?" "It's kinda vague. 'Ask, and ye shall receive.' What do you think that means?" "Maybe if we ask aloud for something, we'll get it." "Hey, the words are changing." "It is? What does it say now?" Sandbar looked over his friend's shoulder and read aloud: "'Yep, pretty much.' Huh…" After looking around again, a thought came to him, "I'm gonna try something." "What?" "I guess something small to start with? You know, to see how this works." Clearing his throat, he asked aloud, "Can I uh… get a chocolate peanut butter milkshake? That has whipped cream, chopped peanuts, edible gold flakes, and a candied cherry on top… please?" Their ears perked up when down the road, there was the unmistakable sound of a bell that followed by a mare pulling an ice cream cart. She pulled up in front of them. "Excuse me, you're Sandbar, right?" "Uh… yeah?" "I got an order for a milkshake, so let me get it out." Unhitching herself, the mare trotted to the back of her cart and opened a door that both Sandbar and Gallus saw a blizzard pouring out. "Here it is!" She stepped back, pulling out a tall glass of the very milkshake Sandbar had described; cherry, golden-flakes, and all. "Would you want spoons and straws with this?" ".... Sure." Sandbar was handed the milkshake in which the mare placed a couple of long spoons and bendy straws. Hitching herself back to the cart, the mare waved at them, "Have a nice day!" and trotted away. Blinking, Sandbar placed the milkshake down and used one of the straws to sip it up. His eyes widened, "Holy-" he covered his mouth. "What? Is something wrong with it?" Sandbar shook his head, "Taste it." "Why?" "Just taste it." Curious, Gallus took the other straw to his beak and sucked up a little bit of the ice cream. "That's… actually really good." "That's the best milkshake I've ever had." Sandbar commented, proceeding to consume the dessert. "Ask for something." "Like what?" "I don't know… maybe a cake or whatever. Do you have a favorite?" Gallus folded his arms, "Well, I do remember this one time that Professor Pinkie brought in this cake for… some reason. I kinda wish I had more of it. It was an ice cream cake with cookies and cream, while the cake itself was dark chocolate and covered all over with vanilla frosting. I wonder if this place could make that?" "Oh hey!" the ice cream mare came back to them, "I'm so sorry, I knew I forgot something." Quickly unhitching herself, she went around the wagon and pulled out the cake that Gallus recalled not too long ago. "Usually, I'm not this careless, and I'm always on top of stuff like this." "No… problem…" Gallus took hold of the cake in his paws. "Next time, I'll be sure not to forget your order. Bye!" Once again, she walked away with the ice cream wagon in tow. "Hm… Could have at least given us a knife." He muttered. "Free knives! Get your free knives!" A vendor called out from one of the stalls, "Perfect to cut your ice cream cake with!" "This place is full of coincidences." Sandbar remarked. "It's like we're given all the good luck." Gallus walked over to the stall which he was handed a knife. After spending a moment cutting a small slice to extract from the cake, he took a good look at it. "This even looks like what Pinkie made." He took a bite. His eyes widened in amazement, and he looked in disbelief at the cake. "Dude! It tastes just like it!" For the next minute, Gallus devoured the cake like a starved animal that captured its first meal in weeks. Sandbar merely shrugged and tended to his milkshake. "Ya know, as pretty as this place is," Gallus pointed out, "I realize that we're homeless at the moment." By the time Gallus had said this, he and Sandbar had looked around this alternative Ponyville. As similar as it was, a few landmarks were missing - mainly the Academy along with Twilight's crystal castle. There were the familiar shops, the town hall, and the cafes that they knew in life, yet when it came to looking for a place to stay when they had nothing… it dawned on them that they had no place to sleep for the night. And when Gallus made this remark, they wandered about on the same land where the school should be, yet all they found was nothing but grass, some rocky hills, and a stream that ran through it. Sandbar sat on his hunches, "What do you think we should do? We just got here, and as far as I'm aware, we don't have any money… Does Heaven have money?" Gallus shrugged. "Don't know… but it's getting dark soon. I wonder if there's some way to find a place to stay." A moment later, the pamphlet that he was carrying around started to ring. Opening it up, and Gallus tilted his head. "Talk about convenient. Hey Sandbar, take a look at this." Sandbar moved behind his friend to look over his shoulder. The pamphlet now showed rows of houses from the traditional cottage to a few modern creations. Each house had a little arrow pointing down at them, all of them saying the same thing: "Touch Me." "Mind if I try something?" Sandbar asked, and he reached a hoof towards one of the houses. As soon as he did, they were taken aback that a cubist two-story house suddenly appeared on the field. "Where did that come from?" Gallus looked between the open pamphlet and the suddenly materialized house. Curious, he picked another place at random, and instantly the house was replaced with a stone castle - drawbridge and all. Blinking, he chose a hut that reminded him of the ones in Griffonstone, and lo and behold, it appeared. "I think this thing is giving us a place to live," Gallus said, "and by the looks of it, we got a lot to choose from." "Let me see." Sandbar took the pamphlet in his hooves. "So how about… this one?" Upon tapping on the paper, a beach house materialized, complete with sand, black shingles, and light blue walls with a white door. "I prefer not to get sand in every orifice, so how about…" Gallus ran his talon across the folded-up pages. "What about this one?" Upon tapping it, a palace with golden onion domes, purple tiles, and a few guards stood at the gate. The building looked like it would be the setting for 1,001 Saddle Arabian Nights. "I don't like it," Sandbar shook his head. "Why? What's wrong with it?" "It looks so… gaudy." "Well, forgive me if the idea of living in a hut is something I find unappealing." Gallus deadpanned. Sandbar put a hoof under his chin in thought. "What about something that we could compromise?" "Like what?" "Maybe…" Sandbar looked through the options until one caught his eye. "This one." With a tap, a new structure took its place. It resembled an ancient oak tree in its form and color, yet it was made out of crystal. Beside the front door were twin staircases that lead up to the branches with its shining leaves that glittered in the sunset. Like a real tree, the upper branches sway gently in the breeze, yet there were balconies, windows, and an observatory at the top. It appeared both as a natural treehouse and yet an artificial place to live in. "That…" Gallus walked towards it, "doesn't it kinda remind you of the clubhouse at the Castle of the Two Sisters? It's like that only more-" "Natural?" Sandbar nodded, "I like it." Gallus flew over to the front door, "Let's go see what's inside!" Flinging the door open, the griffon stepped in. "Holy crap! Sandbar, get in here!" Sandbar galloped in, he had no idea what to expect, but he was taken aback by how massive it was inside. As soon as he walked in, a swimming pool resembled the watering hole that he and his friend used to go to on hot days. If anything, the interior was almost like being outside in a forest, but there were plenty inside aspects as well. The hallway was covered with various paintings that showed Gallus or Sandbar at multiple aspects of their lives, including some with their friends. The various hallways led to other rooms, but a grand staircase went up two more floors. Finally, the smell was like a fresh minty smell that reminded Sandbar of the forests back at home. With his hooves clopping against the warm red rug, Sandbar walked inside as he and Gallus looked around in awe. Turning to each other, they grinned and decided without speaking to check the place out. After all, if this was their new home for eternity, they might as well spend time looking at it. The first thing they did was look through what was behind these near countless doors that all seemed to be bigger on the inside than on the outside. One door opened to a gym, another to an arcade room, a theater room, an aquarium, a bowling alley, a library that had comic books, an armory complete with suits of armor from around the world, a sauna, a stage, a carnival including a rollercoaster, and more. It was as if an eccentric kid designed the house - not that either of them minded. Eventually, Sandbar opened a door that showed a bathroom. It had a walk-in shower where water would fall like rain, a tub that was more like a bubbling hot spring, a sink, and something else that caught the pony's eye - a toilet. "Hey, what's this one?" Gallus popped his head in. "This is nice!" "Hang on a minute," Sandbar pointed at the toilet, "you see that, right?" "Yeah? So?" "Don't you think it's a little odd to have that around?" Gallus blinked, "What do you mean?" "Well, we've been in Heaven for hours, and never once did I ever feel like using that. I mean… does anyone here need a toilet?" "I…" Gallus paused for a moment, "Now that I think of it, I never felt the need to go ever since we uh… died. But if there's a toilet here, does that mean…?" "Don't know," Sandbar walked in and put a hoof to the door, "I guess there's one way to find out." With that, he shut the door. "Gross," Gallus rolled his eyes. "I'm just gonna keep looking around." After going through a few more doors, eventually, he found one of the rooms that he was more curious about - the kitchen. Or at least, he found an area that combined the kitchen and dining room. All around the walls were the cabinets, drawers, fridge, freezer, stove, and pantry. But in the center was a table with six chairs but could easily fit several times that amount. On the table was a grassy-green tablecloth with fine white china, silverware, carved crystal glasses, and a centerpiece that resembled a garden with branches that held out thin candles. But the table wasn't what Gallus was after. Opening the drawers and cabinets, he searched until he found the pantry. His jaw dropped what he saw. It was the size of a small bedroom, and all around, there were shelves upon shelves of every kind of food that could be put into jars, smoked, boxed, and bagged - and some with stuff he had never seen before. But there were jars of pasta, smoked sausages, cookies, chips, jams, rare candied fruits, and chocolate. He then went to the fridge, where he found cheeses that would cost a goldmine, a row of fruits and vegetables that looked like they were just picked and cleaned, and various meats all nicely cut up in various sizes. The freezer even had ice cream just made from scratch. Then turning to a cabinet, he found enough bread and pastries to open a bakery. "Well, at least I know where the goodies are," Gallus smirked as he continued to open more drawers and cabinets. Then between the sink and the oven, and just underneath a wooden chopping board, he found a row of knives—dozens of blades for different uses. Before Gallus moved on, a thought came to him. His claw grabbed hold of a heavy chef's knife and looked at his reflection in it. "I wonder…" he muttered. Eyeing the cutting board, he placed his left claw on it. 'I know this is Heaven, but… what happens if you're chopping veggies away and you accidentally slip?' So he thought he should try something small at first. Carefully guiding the tip of the blade to one of his fingers, Gallus hesitated for a moment and tried to give himself a very shallow cut. What resulted was something… odd. Not that he couldn't feel the blade, but it didn't hurt. If anything, when he pulled away to look at his talon, he didn't see anything. So placing his claw back on again, he steadied himself with his right claw, lifted it high, took a deep breath to brace himself, and brought it down on his wrist. Again, he felt the knife that made contact with his bones, but it didn't hurt. Even more shocking was the fact that that there was no blood or searing pain. So when he pulled away, he watched the wound pull itself back together again like a thread pulling two pieces of fabric to one. Even the scar sealed up to make it look like nothing had happened. "So in Heaven, I have regeneration powers… neat!" Looking around with a smirk, he asked aloud, "Now I wonder where the skewers are?" For several minutes, Gallus went around the kitchen, trying to stab himself with whatever pointy thing he could find. He jabbed a fork into his neck, a steak knife in his arm, a corkscrew to his heart, a spork into his flank. Whatever that Gallus could find that was sharp, he stuck it into his body - and he felt no pain. If anything, without the feeling of his nerves were in agony, it kinda tickled when those pieces of metal scraped his bones to the point that he was giggling. "So it turns out we can go to the bathroom," Sandbar said as he walked through the door, "but all that came out was - WHAT THE HAY ARE YOU DOING!?" "Dude! This is incredible!" Gallus exclaimed with a good chunk of kitchen tools being in him. "It doesn't even hurt! I'm like a living pincushion. Watch!" He then grabbed a steak knife and jabbed it in his belly. "See, I'm not even screaming!" Sandbar blinked. "Woah… With all of this stuff sticking out, you look like a hedgehog." He chuckled, "Stab yourself anymore, and I think I should call you Gallus the Hedgehog- Hey!" Gallus took out the chief's knife and stabbed him in the chest. "Huh… you're right, it doesn't hurt." "That joke was terrible, and you should feel terrible." "Yeah, but I got a big knife in my chest." Sandbar blinked. A moment later, he stumbled back dramatically. "Oh, ech! Et Tu, Gallus?" He fell backward on the floor, convulsing his legs this way and that. "Oh, what a world, what a world," then he went limp, "eh…" and let his tongue out to the side. "Oh, brother," Gallus rolled his eyes, pulling a skewer out from his hindleg. "C'mon dude, I want to see the rest of the house." "Can't. I'm trying to be dead." "You're already dead. We're already dead." "Well, I wanna be… deader." "That makes no sense!" "So does having a house that's bigger on the-" Sandbar was cut off by the sound of a doorbell. "Who can be here?" "You didn't ask for anything, did you?" Gallus asked, pulling his friend up off the floor. "No, and I take you didn't either?" Gallus shook his head. Curious who could be at their newly made home, the two of them, without so much as taking out the kitchenware still stabbed in them, went to the front door. Sandbar was the first to reach the knob and turn it, and after pulling it open, there was a mare that neither of them recognized. She looked to be in her thirties, a deep pink mane tied back in a bun, copper framed glasses in front of light artic blue eyes, and a coat of spring green. "Uh… hi?" Sandbar greeted, but the mare's jaw dropped, partly in shock and partly in amazement. At first, Sandbar thought it was from the big knife sticking out of his withers. "Oh! I forgot that was there!" He pulled it out in which the wound healed. "Sorry about that, we were fooling around and-" "Sandbar!" the mare unexpectedly dragged him into a bone-popping hug, "I've missed you so much! It's so good to see you finally!" Despite being dead, Sandbar fascinatingly found it hard to breathe. His forelegs waved about for air. "Oh! Sorry," the mare let go of him, "I forgot that I'm stronger than you remembered." "Yeah," Sandbar heaved, "who… are you again?" For a brief moment, the mare had a hurt expression in her eyes, "You mean you don't - Oh!" She suddenly realized, "That's right, you don't remember me being like this. Some days I wonder if I left my head somewhere else if it wasn't screwed on. Hold on a second…" Before their eyes, the mare closed her eyes, and they saw wrinkles forming on her face, her coat fade, her mane grew ever-increasing strands of gray. In a matter of seconds, they watched this mare aged into her forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, and then she stopped to open her eyes. "Ring any bells?" She asked in a shaky voice. Gallus saw in Sandbar something he hadn't seen him do in years - the stallion's eyes watered up, threatened to burst. "G-Grandma!" Sandbar hugged her back, letting the tears trail down his face. "I thought I would never see you again!" "There there," Sandbar's grandmother patted him on the back, "I'm here now. It's all right." "Wait, how did you find us?" Gallus asked, "In fact, how did you know we're here?" "It's a policy in Heaven, you see," she explained, while stroking her grandson's back, "you know how they asked your names earlier? It makes it easier for relatives on this side of the veil to be reunited so they wouldn't be alone." Pulling Sandbar away, she wiped the tears from his eyes, "So young… but we have plenty to catch up on." "Excuse me, ma'am," Gallus inquired, "I get you're his grandma and all, but what's your name?" "Spring River, and you?" "Gallus, I'm his friend and was with him when we… you know." "Dear, just say it, we're dead. There's nothing taboo about it, kinda pointless to be at this point." Pulling away from her grandson, she added, "Besides, we have much to catch up on with the rest of the family." "The rest?" Sandbar sniffed, "You mean...?" "Those slowpokes should be here by now. We would have met you earlier, but your passing was so unexpected. The rest of the family ought to be if only they - ah! There they are!" Looking out into the twilight sky, they spot a flock of ponies heading their way. Touching down before the stream and folding their wings, one of them called out, "Spring, I thought we were gonna greet 'em together." "Well, forgive me if I happen to miss my grandson." "Who was tha-" Sandbar asked but was quickly answered. "That's your grandfather. I don't think you know him. He passed away when you were just a baby. Everyone else is your uncles, aunts, a few cousins, and even some of your ancestors." Gallus hummed as he pulled a few more knives out of him, "Hey, since we're all here, why don't we have an impromptu party?" "Now?" Sandbar inquired. "Why not? We got a new house with pretty much everything, a good chunk of your family's here, plus we still haven't explored the rest of the house." He poked his head out, "Hey! You guys gonna stand there or what? Let's party!" Gallus barely made it out of the way from the stampede of ancestors that came in. It wouldn't be until dawn that the ancestors finally decided to go home. They ate, played games, rode the rides, swam, and told stories of their lives throughout the night. Gallus was impressed by how fascinating Sandbar's family was. He didn't know that Comment, Sandbar's great-great-great-grand uncle, was a monster hunter in the Everfree Forest who once battled with a hydra. Or Grace, his friend's great-grandaunt, pioneered civil rights for non-ponies in Equestria, including griffons. Even his friend's second cousin twenty-fifth times removed, Peanut, was interesting, dying in an experiment involving a combination of cherry trees, crystals, gunpowder, and a hill of salt. There were plenty of things that the two of them were surprised to find out. They were taken aback that a good chunk of Sandbar's ancestors were married to more than one pony. Spring had taken them aside to explained that in Heaven, it was considered okay to be in a relationship with more than one spouse. Given how some of them had married more than once when they were alive, it made sense. There was also the interesting fact that you could marry a different creature in Heaven, provided you did love each other and your other spouses gave their permission. Polyamory was prevalent in the afterlife. However, only in Heaven could you marry and love one another. In Hell - as they were told - everyone was a demon's bitch. Yet, as the night went on, something about this gathering didn't suit well for Gallus. Not that these were terrible ponies (they were in Heaven after all). But from what Sandbar's grandma had mentioned about finding them… Gallus wondered where his family was. "Sandbar, you make sure you come around to visit." Spring told her grandson, "I'll be happy to give you the grand tour of this Equestria while making a plate of cookies with your name on it." "Thanks a lot, grandma!" Sandbar smiled, "I think we'll come by later today." After saying their farewells, Sandbar closed the front door. "You know Gallus, I never knew that the afterlife could be this wild! Especially with the family I never knew I had." "Tell me about it." Gallus nodded, "I guess that since we've kicked the bucket off a cliff, maybe we could see if we could find anyone famous up here?" "Yeah, that's right! Everyone that's in our history books or old movies and such might be here. Maybe we might run into all sorts of dead guys - Beethooven, Da Vinci, Dawn Lemon, the Wright Brothers… I wonder if they're in Heaven or not." "Speaking of which," Gallus said, looking out of a window. "Did you notice that it was all your family that came to see us?" "Well yeah," Sandbar tilted his head. "Why'd you ask?" "I guess," rubbing the back of his neck, Gallus told him, "I was wondering something. If your family's in Heaven, where are mine? I didn't think about it for a while, but since last night… Where do you think they could be? This place is probably bigger than the world we knew so..." "I see…" Sandbar looked around, "where did that brochure thing go?" His question was answered by a ring that was coming from a drawer that was under a mirror. After pulling it out and unfolding it, the pamphlet showed a simple instruction manual on how to get in contact with the Angel Customer Service Station. "It just said to touch a mirror where some numbers would show up," Sandbar told him, "press 4-1-1, and it would get an Angel to help with whatever questions we have." "I guess it's worth a try. Let's do it," Gallus said as he and Sandbar walked over to a nearby oval mirror. Putting his paw on the glass, he watched as it glowed a golden aura before a set of numbers appeared. Gallus pressed the proper number combo that Sandbar told him about, each press letting out a small beeping noise. The numbers washed away, and a few minutes later, the mirror went static for a second before a female Griffin Angel appeared, using a nail file on her claw. She was in some cubicle with papers around and looked bored out of her mind. "Thank you for calling Angel Customer Service Station. My name is Glinda. What do you want?" She asked in a dull tone. Raising an eyebrow at the remark, Gallus just pushed his annoyance aside and spoke, "Um hi, my name is Gallus. I recently died, and I was wondering if my parents were also dead or if they were still back on Equis." "Last name?" Glinda asked, taking out a book from her desk. "I uh... don't have one," Gallus said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was orphaned… that's why I want to know..." "Uh-huh," Glinda said, without looking up. "Hang on, let's see what I can dig up." She tossed the nail file away and started flipping through the book for a few minutes. Gallus and Sandbar just stood there patiently as they waited for some kind of response. He did his best to hide it well, but Gallus could feel his heart beating from anxiety. All his life, he just wondered about his origins, and now he was going to learn about them at last. Since his parents weren't here with Sandbar's family, considering they had all got notified, it probably meant that they were still alive. Even if that was true, just knowing even a bit about them would be enough. "Well, congratulations. Your last name is Skyflight," Glinda said, which made Gallus blink. "Gallus Skyflight… not of a bad name," Gallus said, letting roll off the tip of his tongue. "Yeah, I can dig that." "I like it," Sandbar said, smiling. "Sounds cool." "And my parents?" Gallus asked eagerly. "Victor Skyflight and Ginny Skyflight died about thirteen years ago. Father died from a blade to the heart, and an arrow to the face and chest caused your mother's death," Glinda said. "Wait… thirteen years ago?" Gallus was stunned. He was still alive back then? Where were his parents all this time? "Hang on, a blade to the heart? Arrows?!" Gallus pressed against the mirror with his talons. "Were they… were they murdered?!" "Well, I don't know if being killed by Griffin Rangers for crimes of theft, murder, and outlaw-related violence counts as murder, but if you want to call it that, sure," Glinda responded with a shrug. For the first time since Gallus found out he was dead, he felt a dark and sinking pit of horror in his stomach. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped slightly as the revelation echoed in his head. "O-Outlaws?" "Oh yeah. Both your parents were wanted in several Griffin providences for running with some outlaw gang," Glinda responded, not even bothering to act sympathetic at all as she read a few pages. "Says here they gave birth to you and left you in some town they were passing by. A few years later, the Griffin Rangers caught the bandit group they were a part of and killed them all when they resisted arrest." Gallus slowly backed away as he silently lowered his head. Sandbar looked at his friend with horror upon hearing this. It was bad enough to learn your parents were also dead but were criminals? Not to mention that they abandoned Gallus without a care? Heaven suddenly wasn't all bright and shining anymore. Turning to the mirror with some vain hope, Sandbar asked, "Are they in Heaven?" That caused the Angel to snort. "Yeah, right! Those two are in the pits of Hell, kid. Rotting there with the other criminals. Let's see…" "What happened to them?" Gallus asked, trying as hard as he could to hold it together. "Hold on, I know that's somewhere… Here it is. Apparently, they both got the same punishment. Since they went around without a heart, they have been given a shared sentence of reliving the lives of everyone they've ever robbed, killed, exploited, and - especially in your case - abandoned. Nasty stuff if you ask me." She then closed the book and asked, "So anything else?" Gallus didn't say anything. He just kept his head down with his feathers hiding his expression while Sandbar walked over to touch his friend on the shoulder. Only for Gallus to just walk away without saying anything. Taking this as her cue, Glinda ended the call, and the mirror turned back into a regular mirror as Sandbar quickly followed his best friend. "Hey, Gallus?" "I'm fine." "But, your parents-" "It's fine." "No, it's not!" Sandbar went around to face him. "This is not fine." Gallus looked at him, his eyes holding back the explosive anger, the horror, and the deep sadness of the truth he's learned. "Sand," Gallus said sternly, "I know you want to help. And before you say anything, don't. I'm not in the mood to listen right now. Because right now, nothing is fine, and I need time away before I could listen to whatever you're gonna say. So I'm going to ask you this once, and as nicely as I can without screaming: please, let, me, be." Gallus walked around Sandbar and walked out of the front door before slamming it. Sandbar went over to a window to watch his friend fly up to a nearby cloud. There were a million thoughts that the stallion had pondered all at once. Despite Heaven being a paradise, it now was a lonely place. Sandbar looked up to the cloud, imagining what his friend must be feeling right now. It was a situation that was enough to make him cry, make him want to do something, say something to ease the pain that Gallus was going through. It pained him that for the second time in his friend's life, he was alone again. Up in the cloud, Gallus curled up and sobbed softly.
Chapter 3"Here's your salmon," the waiter said, placing a plate down in front of Gallus, "and your pasta," he put the other plate down before Sandbar. "So will that be everything?" "I think so," Sandbar nodded. With that, the waiter went away. It had been three days since they arrived in Heaven. Sandbar's family had given them the introductory tour of some of the towns and cities in Equestria. On some level, it had been interesting to see what a better Manehattan, Applewood, even Vanhoover were like in Paradise. There were similar monuments here and there that they had seen in travel books, while others had older buildings along with structures that they had never seen before. Canterlot especially was elevated. It had parks, theaters, observatories, shops, and restaurants that both of them were certain didn't exist when they were alive. They were astonished to find a princess who lives at the palace - an alicorn no less - who they had never heard of before: Princess Faust. But as puzzling as it was to hear about a long-lost princess before Celestia and Luna were born, they didn't pay too much attention because their thoughts were on other things. Fortunately, Sandbar's family took the hint, and they allowed them to roam free in Canterlot, with Spring River promising them that she'd check on them in a few days. In the corner of Canterlot, Sandbar and Gallus were sitting down at an outdoor table by a place called The Copper Pot Cafe. For the moment, the two of them were silent with their meal. Gallus picked his fish with a fork brushed with herb butter and a squeeze of lemon on top before glancing at Sandbar munching on an angel hair pasta that had shredded carrots and an alfredo sauce. They either ate or picked at their food for several minutes, waiting for the other to interrupt the silence. "You feeling okay?" Sandbar finally asked. "Huh?" Gallus looked up from his plate. "Just that… you've been feeling down for a while." "Oh… Yeah, I…" Gallus thought about what to say, jabbing into the pinkish meat. "I guess I'm still adjusting or something." There was an awkward pause for a moment. "Do you…" Sandbar began again, "want to talk about it?" "What?" "Your parents." Gallus put his fork down. "I'm just… disappointed." "Really?" Sandbar raised an eyebrow. "Among many things…" Gallus muttered. "Look… in my life, I never once heard anything from them - ever. When I got dropped off at the orphanage, there wasn't even so much as a note for why they couldn't take care of me. For years, I tried to come up with… something to explain why. That maybe they were too poor, or Mom was a teenager that got knocked up. Maybe they died somewhere, got lost, had a mixed-up at the hospital, just something ya know? The one thought I had tried so hard to avoid was that they simply didn't want me. That they were monsters. Now that I know what really happened…" He snorted. "I take it you must be angry at them." "Well, no duh, Sherlock!" Gallus breathed in deeply through his nostrils. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, just…" "We're just stressed and worried." Sandbar sighed. "For me, I'm still wondering if my family and our friends are doing okay." After taking a quick sip of his soda, he added, "All I'm saying is you're not the only one that finds this whole being dead thing to be sucky." "Yeah…" Gallus nodded, "If I knew what was to happen, I would have said something different to them. Maybe done things to help… I don't know… move on or what have ya." "I know that feeling." Gallus raised an eyebrow, "How?" "Well, if I knew that I would have ended up dead that day - like I can't change the outcome and all that - I would have at least told my folks, my little sis, too, that I loved them. I would have taken Yona out on the best date ever and let her do whatever she wanted. If things were a little different, I would do one last big hang out with all of you guys. Maybe tell each of them what I honestly thought of them or… something." "I see…" Gallus nodded. "Gods, Sandbar… I have so many regrets. So many things I wanted to do, wanted to say. I guess if I knew what would happen in that cave… I don't know what I would have done. But I do know what I would have done." "Like what?" "Like uh…" Gallus' eyes shifted, choosing his following words carefully. "Maybe I would have uh…" Gallus trailed off to a low murmur. "What was that?" "That I… may or may not have a crush on a few..." "Really? Like who?" Gallus touched his talons together. "Silverstream." Sandbar clopped his hooves. "I knew it!" "W-What!?" "Dude, almost all of us were betting that something was going on between you two!" Sandbar said, giggling. "Seriously, the way you were always blushing in her direction and the way Silverstream stared at your butt when you were working up a sweat? We were wondering what it was going to take to get you two to say something." Gallus's eyes widened, and his cheeks turned red. "She… she was checking out my butt?" He wrapped his tail around his rear end. "Yup! Though, it's not hard to see why," Sandbar said, shrugging. "You do have a good butt." ".... What?" Gallus stared at Sandbar with wide eyes. "What?" Sandbar asked. "Did… did you just compliment my butt?" Gallus asked, blushing even redder now. "Well, yeah," Sandbar sighed as he sipped his drink. "To be honest, I think all of my friend's butts are pretty good in their own way. I thought you were all interesting to try and date." "You're bisexual?" Gallus asked, tilting his head. "Pansexual is the best way to describe me," Sandbar admitted with a curved smile. "I kinda had an interest in all of you to a degree, but I went with Yona because she won me over with her heart and kindness. Not that I wouldn't have dated any of you guys either if given a chance. Silverstream is a joy to be around, but I knew she had her heart set on you. Ocellus, I came close to asking out, but I kinda felt like I screwed that up when I thought she caused that mess with the Hearth's Warming Eve scenario-" "Please don't remind me," Gallus grumbled, covering his face. He felt guilty about doing that even to this day. "Smolder told me she was interested in dragons rather than interspecies dating, so that left you and Yona," Sandbar said, shrugging. This made Gallus blink a bit. Thoughts of his early crush on Sandbar echoed in his heart and head as he wondered what would have happened if, instead of Yona asked to the dance, it was him. Leaning a bit forward, he asked, "And why didn't you choose me?" "Because you're not gay," Sandbar answered as if he was asked the obvious. His eyebrow raised. "I didn't ask because I assumed that you…" Sandbar trailed off when his friend's question settled in. "Wait… are you…?" "Both ways, at least I think," Gallus admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "But I liked Silverstream, so… well, I guess maybe I like girls more? But… yeah..." "Huh," Sandbar said as a deep silence between them made things awkward. "Okay, so that's something new we learned about us." "Yeah…" Chuckling, Gallus said, "Being dead kinda makes secrets pointless now, huh? I guess whatever we did or thought wasn't bad enough to send us to the other place so we can speak or do whatever our hearts desire or something like that." ".... You know what," Sandbar said, his face lit up. "You're right! And that's one thing you can put over your jerkbutt parents!" "Huh?" Gallus asked, eyebrows raised. "Think about it. You're up here in Heaven! You got into Paradise! Eternal happiness, and what do your parents have? Everything opposite of it for eternity," Sandbar said, smiling with satisfaction. "You know what that proves? That you're better than them. That you managed to get to the heavens without them." "....Yeah," Gallus said, as a smile crept onto his face. "Yeah, you're right! I didn't need them! And knowing what they really were? I don't want them! I had a family at the end of my life, and that was you, our friends, and everyone at school! I'm here in heaven! I'm set for eternity, baby!" He then turned to Sandbar and held out his claw. "And I'm not alone. I got my best bud with me." "Yup!" Sandbar said, hoof bumping him. "We're best dead buddies!" "Dude, never say that again," Gallus said, deadpan before leaning back in his chair. "Besides, now that we know Heaven is real, we’ve got all the time in the world to wait for everyone else. Eventually, Silverstream, Smolder, Yona, Ocellus, and everyone else we know will pass on one day. So we can be there to greet them and show them around." ".... You're going to prank them, aren't you?" Sandbar asked with a knowing smile. "Damn straight!" Gallus grinned. "I wonder if I can get a job as a Reaper and scare the living daylights out of them when they die." "Still, I kinda wish we did more with them," Sandbar said, sighing. "Want to know something? Yona and I were seriously thinking of moving in together after graduation." "Woah, really?" Gallus said, leaning back forward. "Hmm, I wonder if we were always destined to always fall for one of our friends?" "Well, I think we were most likely going to," Sandbar said, nodding. "Don't get me wrong, but I had my suspicions that eventually you, me, or any of us might have started dating each other the moment we all became friends. It was just a question of who. I mean, with us being so close, you'd think that one of these days, we might have asked someone out. Why do you think I started to like Yona?" ".... Good point…" Gallus frowned, "Still… Now that you brought it up, I do wonder how they're taking our deaths?" "What do you mean?" "Well, like what you said, we've been dead for a good three days now, so you'd think that maybe they might be holding the funeral or wake or whatever they put for us by now. Morbidly, I kinda want to know what's happening over there." While they were talking, across the street, a deer carrying the mail cart was looking around. With a blue hat and pouch, heavy with letters, the deer brought out a list and looked about as if lost. However, after checking the list a few times, the mail-carrying deer crossed the street. "Hey, excuse me!" the deer called out, "I'm looking for a Sandbar and Gallus? Do you know where they are?" "That's us." Sandbar answered. "Oh finally," sitting down, the deer reached into the bag, "you have no idea how tricky it was to find you." He pulled out from it two small envelopes, white with a gold leaf around the edges that had their names on it. "So, here's your mail." "Huh?" Gallus grabbed the envelopes, "How could we get mail? We just got here a few days ago." "Hey, my job is to deliver the mail, not question it." Tipping his hat, the deer gave a small smile, "Have a nice day!" and went away. Sandbar took hold of his letter and began to open it. Gallus did the same. He joked: "What, are they sending us bills already?" Ripping one edge with a claw, he looked inside where there were only two things: a theater ticket and a small, rolled-up poster. Unrolling it, Gallus thought that someone had sent him a movie poster by mistake - until he saw his picture. It showed a funeral wreath that was next to a black coffin with a white lily on it. On the wreath was a picture of him - in the casket, eyes closed, and his face fixed from the cave-in. It was cropped into an oval shape, and it was in black-and-white. Above the picture was a black ribbon with white letters of "R.I.P.," and under it was another ribbon with his birth and death year. And like a movie poster, it had a title at the top. In bold, giant white letters, it read: "The Funeral of Gallus Skyflight," and just under it in slightly smaller type: "Staring Gallus Skyflight." At the bottom of the poster, it read that the premiere was at the Magic Lantern Theater. A place that both he and Sandbar had passed by not too long ago. It was to hold only one showing at 3:30. And underneath that with small lettering, it says: "Private Screening. Tickets Only. Refreshments Free!" Looking up from the poster, he and Sandbar shared the same expression - bewilderment. "Well, I did dream that I would be in the movies once." Sandbar said, "But I didn't think it would be for this." "Yeah… You know, a couple of days ago, if I saw this, I would be seriously weirded out. Especially when a movie poster has my name on it." "Mine does too." "Huh?" "Yeah, see," Sandbar flipped his poster around. It was similar to Gallus's, be it that the names were changed and the picture on the wreath was Sandbar laying in the coffin. Gallus looked closely at his friend's poster, "Hey, yours is showing the same time as mine." "Huh," Sandbar looked at him again, "Do you think it's like a double feature or something?" "I don't know… what time is it?" Sandbar looked at the clock that was inside the cafe. "Three-twelve." Humming, Gallus looked back at his fish, "You wanna finish up real quick and go check out what this is about?" Sandbar picked up his fork to get more pasta on it, "Partly because I'm morbidly curious and partly because I can't think of anything better to do - so why not?" The Magic Lantern Theater was something out of the golden age of cinema. It was small, but it stood proud with lightbulbs, a neon name in cursive, and even had a ticket booth with a pony in a scarlet uniform at attention. Even when they stepped up to it, they could smell the popcorn as they drew near it, walking past movie posters of old movies that they’d never heard of before. "Hi there!" Their attention was snapped back into reality as the ticket taker behind the glass spoke up. The gray earth pony pulled his short red hat before snapping back. "Are you here for the 3:30 or some other show?" "We got this in the mail." Gallus pulled out the tickets from the envelopes. "Any idea what this is about?" Slipping them under the glass, the ticket taker "Ooh'd" in admiration. "The Funeral Show? Oh, you guys are so lucky. I hear it's quite the tear-jerker. I think they got that one guy who directed Ran to film it." Gallus and Sandbar's jaw dropped, "Ran?" Sandbar questioned, "As in… Kurosawa? Directing our funeral?" "Apparently, he got bored and wanted to take up film again." After carefully ripping the tickets in half, he handed them back to them. "Your show is the first on the left." ".... Thanks…" Gallus took the tickets back. "Enjoy the show!" the ticket taker grinned as they walked past him and through the glass doors. The lobby they entered was small, and behind a counter with rows of candy bars, cotton candy, a popcorn machine, soda, and a pizza oven was a buffalo reclining on a chair, reading a newspaper. On the left and right of the counter were stairs that went off in opposite directions. On the right, there was a poster that showed a robot with the title of "Maretropolis." And on the left, there was a poster that made Gallus and Sandbar do a triple take. Unlike the posters they got in the mail, this one showed them in their coffins, yet it was on a stage complete with lights overhead, curtains on the side, and even theater lights below. There were mourners dressed in black in all sorts of exaggerated poses around the coffins. From holding a handkerchief over their faces to waving their arms about in grief, they were familiar faces such as family and friends all in mourning. They also noticed a little detail that in their coffins, each of them held a single white lily that was sticking straight up. Although it was a painting, the longer they looked at it, the more they noticed that the image was moving. Above it, the poster was simply titled "The Funeral." "No way! It's you guys!" They looked over to see who was talking to them, but they were blinded for a moment by a bright flash of light. After blinking a few times, they were able to see who took their picture. It was a pale green changeling who wore a similar uniform as the guy in the ticket booth. Next to him was a lidless casket and some funeral wreaths that read "Rest In Peace" on them. They were next to a giant cardboard cutout of a stage, similar to the poster at their funeral. "Sorry about that," the changeling said, "I'm just so excited to meet the actual stars that I…" he erupted in excited giggles, "Sorry, I'm just so star-struck right now!" “Uh…” Sandbar blinked. “Who are you?” "Yakov," he said, racing his hoof to shake theirs, "I work here. I, uh, take pictures for like momentos and stuff for various movies. You know, take your picture next to the serial killer or standing on a rock in the background of an adventure movie. That kind of thing!" "I take it that this one is ours?" Sandbar asked, pointing it out. "Yeah, we haven't had anyone come in yet, so we had to set this up in a hurry," Yakov added before gasping. "Hey, you want to get your photos? You can be my first customer! Don't worry, it's free, and I'll let you take as many as you want!" After looking at one another, Sandbar shrugged, "Well, we are early, so… why not?" "Yeah," Gallus grinned, "ya know, I'm getting a few ideas already." "I'd be happy to take them," Yakov grinned. "You got any other props?" "Absolutely!" Yakov pulled a few random items out from the casket. Out of it, he pulled out a fake lily, a knife, a pair of plastic vampire teeth, and a banana. "Help yourself. If you need anything specific, just think about it, and it will appear." "We're going to have fun with this, aren't we?" Sandbar asked with a grin. "Oh, yeah..." Gallus Van Helsing, the vampire slayer, carefully made his way towards his arch-enemy’s resting place: Count Dracubar. Shivering with both fear and excitement, he steadied himself as he inched closer and looked into the coffin. The vampire pony was sleeping peacefully, looking like any other corpse save for the fanged teeth in his mouth. It was time to end this monster once and for all. Holding the stake right above the vampire's heart, Gallus let out a cry and hammered into the chest the wooden instrument of God. The moment it pierced his chest, Count Dracubar screamed and hissed in pain, his body thrashing before his eyes landed on Gallus Van Helsing. Gallus didn't stop as he pounded in the stake one more time, forcing the vampire pony to moan and groan as his undeath was soon turning into the proper send-off he should have had years ago. A final strike and Count Dracubar let out one last wail with his hoof in the air before it went limp over the casket as his eyes slowly closed until they would open no more. Gallus sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow before turning to the camera bug. "Got it?" "Got it!" Yakov said with a smile, showing some of the photos. "Good thing I can't feel this thing in my chest," Sandbar said as he popped the fake vampire teeth out of his mouth. "Think you can get it off me now?" "Sure, let me get the large pliers." Something was charming about being on a desert island. The sun. The swaying palm trees. And the hot tub that the locals provided for our heroes. "Ah, this is the life," Sandbar sighed, letting the bubbles in the cauldron relax him. "We should have crash-landed here a long time ago," Gallus nodded as the natives returned with herbs and vegetables. While one of them was cutting up an onion, Gallus pulled his claw out of the water to lick it. "Hey, this needs more salt." The native nodded happily and went off to fetch the salt. More came with large spoons to stir up the cauldron, while a few more carried a couple of coconuts and offered them to the duo. Taking hold of their drinks, Sandbar looked over to Yakov, "You got it?" "Yep!" The Changeling grinned, "Are there any others you want to do?" Gallus looked over the sand below them. "I think I got an idea." It had taken months of digging in the sands of Southern Equestria, but the archeologist Dr. Gallus had finally found it! He slipped into the lost tomb of Sandhotep III, carefully avoiding the boobytraps and the giant scorpions, making his way deeper into the tunnels until he came across what he was looking for. "Well, Sandhotep," Dr. Gallus grinned as he neared the sarcophagus, adjusting his safari hat, "it was pretty smart to hide your tomb underneath the river. But not smart enough to keep me from finding the secret entrance." So taking out a crowbar, he struggled to wedge the lid off the stony casket. Inch by inch, the top moved until he could finally see the mummy that lay inside. He shined his flashlight into the coffin with the opening wide enough to illuminate what he had been searching for. There it was! The forgotten pharaoh, Sandhotep III, laying there in his ancient wrappings for the past three thousand years! And in its crossed forelegs was the charm of eternal life—the Ankh of Osiris, one that was made of pure gold. "Come to papa," Gallus reached for the artifact when suddenly a dried hoof clenched around his arm. "What!" He recoiled in shock as the mummy moved. Its eyes were opening, moths escaping its maw and a grip that could crush bones. Sandbar coughed, "You got it?" "Uh-huh," Yakov nodded, "The Mummy option is always a classic! So do you want to do any more?" "Yeah," Gallus said, "I got another idea." Flying up to perch on the edge of the casket, Gallus faced Yakov. "How about the next one we go for something out of Pegasi mythology? We can have marble columns and stuff, something like a ruin. Maybe it could be like that minotaur myth - no! That snake lady that turns you into stone just by looking at her, what was she called?" While Gallus continued to spin his idea, Sandbar sat up a little from the casket. However, as he adjusted himself, getting ready to get out, he realized that where his friend had perched was close to his face. In fact, from the low angle he was at, Sandbar blushed as from there he could see… everything that the griffon's posterior usually hid under his tail. "Uh… dude," Sandbar tries to speak up. "Just a sec, I'm thinking here," Gallus interrupted him, oblivious to what Sandbar was seeing. "Oh! How about sand here can come in with a spear, and I would be pinned down-" "G-Gallus-" "Hold your horses. I'm almost through. So anyway…" The problem for Sandbar wasn't that he didn't like the view he was seeing. Sure he may or may not have sneaked a few glances here and there in the past (especially in the locker room for Rainbow's P.E. Class), but it was always from a distance. However, given that he was so near to this perfectly crafted rump, along with seeing how… alluring his friend's nether regions were - that was precisely the problem. The longer Gallus sat there, talking about the next photo, the more Sandbar felt the bandages lower down were tightening up. Sandbar felt that he needed to get out of the casket and fast. But given the awkward positioning (in more ways than one) he was in, he felt around for something to get a grip on. And unfortunately, he gripped Gallus's hindleg. ".... So in a way," Gallus continued, "it would be like holding up a hunting troph- WOAH!" Unexpectedly, the griffon felt something pulling him back, and he lost his balance. His wings spread and flapped on instinct, but that didn't stop him from landing on Sandbar. "Dude! What's the big ide-" Rip! "What the...?" Gallus looked over to the sound source and saw something that made his face turn bright red. While the griffon was almost sitting on his friend's face, there was another part of Sandbar that was… up. It didn't take long to piece together how awkward a position both of them were in. Then to make this embarrassing moment worse, Gallus saw a flash from the corner of his eye, finding that Yakov had just taken another picture. "Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to take that. Hoof slipped." While the two were trying to scramble out of the casket, Yakov dispersed the illusion. Sand, hieroglyphs, and the tomb dissolved back into the theater's lobby. The Changeling rushed over to pull Gallus out, but in doing so, the casket tipped over on its side. The three of them tumbled onto the floor, with Sandbar quickly reaching out for the safari hat that Gallus was wearing to cover himself. Gallus, as thoroughly embarrassed as Sandbar was, couldn't look his friend in the eye while he scrambled to get up. Yakov pushed the empty casket back up, "Are you guys okay?" he asked with concern. "Y-Yeah, yeah," Gallus nodded, his cheeks flustered so much that they were burning. "Ya know what, I'm gonna go ahead and see that movie." "But your photos-" "Justburnthelastone, bye!" Gallus abruptly said, half running and half flying up the stairs into the theater. Yakov blinked and turned over to Sandbar, who was still covering up. "Is there a, uh… bathroom anywhere?" Sandbar asked, his eyes shifting. Gallus sat alone while the screen ran trailers of upcoming movies. In truth, he wasn't fully paying attention. A few promoted some dramas, a romantic comedy, an animated movie about spaceships, and one about... humans? He wasn't sure, nor was his mind focused on them. He wasn't even contemplating the screening room he was in either. In any other circumstances, he would have wondered if this was a movie theater at all. There were hardwood floors. A bar that was stocked in candy, nachos, popcorn, soda, and ice cream. And the only seating in the room were two big chairs that were heavily padded, covered in velvety black fleece, and it had buttons on one armrest to recline it so much that it could turn into a bed and even vibrate to massage one's back. In any normal circumstances, he would be easily wowed by the sheer luxury of it all. However, his mind was elsewhere, and it all focused on Sandbar. On some level, he was deeply embarrassed that he had accidentally flashed his friend without realizing it. If his friends were here, they would make it worse and probably tease him about it until the day he died. As far as he saw it, Heaven for the next several days (perhaps the next few months) was going to be awkward. Yet… a small part of him held complicated feelings ranging from flattery to confusion and everything else in between. For the first time, he was able to (for lack of better words) turn someone on like that. It was unbelievably humiliating, yet… seeing his friend get so… aroused like that was almost something to be proud of in a way. Yet, pride wasn't the right word either. For a long time, Gallus sat there, struggling to come to terms with what just happened. It was shocking, but he knew that he shouldn't be, considering that Sandbar just came out as Pan. 'Maybe it's… hope?' Gallus wondered. 'Nah, it can't be that. But what else could it be? I haven't felt like this since I realized that I had a crush on him. Not to mention that I unintentionally gave the guy a boner. Hell, he wasn't fully hard, and yet he was hu-' He shook his head. 'C'mon! That doesn't mean anything! So the guy got… excited, that doesn't mean that he's suddenly in love with me.’ He sighed, 'Then again… if I had known before, maybe I could stop being afraid and just ask if he would go out sometime. Perhaps, if he said yes, things might have been different. I don't know how the girls would have taken it, but now… they're not here. Probably for a long time. And not only might it be possible here, but it's clear that he found me… yeah. I mean, I lived and died waiting to see if either Sandbar or Silverstream could feel that same way back. Well, now, I finally got my answer - not only might it be possible, but he's turned on too. 'So… maybe…' His ears perked up from the hoofsteps that walked up the stairs that Sandbar appeared. Even when he heard his friend had walked in, Gallus didn't dare look him in the eye, and unbeknownst to him, Sandbar was doing the same as he simply sat down in the other chair. Although both of them knew that at least one of them should say something… perhaps it was best to wait until after the movie. Not that they had to wait long as soon after Sandbar sat down, the movie began. On the screen, at first, it showed the sky with a few passing clouds. At first, it was quiet except for birds chirping in the distance. But as the camera moved back, something strange happened. At first, Sandbar and Gallus thought it was their imagination, but the screen was getting broader and taller, revealing more and more of the sky, the mountains around Ponyville, a tree, and Yona with her back against them underneath that said tree. Even when it focused on this still image of a calm day, the screen kept on expanding further into the theater. "What the…?" Gallus exclaimed as the screen moved past them, enveloping them in their seats until the screening room was gone. It was replaced entirely by the film. Sandbar looked around, "Wait… what's going on? Where…?" He looked over his seat at the grass below. So he stretched his hoof down to touch it. "Dude," Sandbar said, getting out of his chair. "I think… I think we're back." Gallus sat up and spread his wings to fly out of his seat. If this was an illusion, it was a convincing one. The breeze felt real, it smelled real, and it looked real too. Even the sun's warmth even felt real. "Are we really…?" He then turned his back and froze for a second. His wings were still white and not blue. He looked over his friend's head and saw that he still had his halo. It was then that Gallus knew they were still dead. "But if we're back then… Yona!" Sandbar cried out with joy as they turned to the yak, her back still to them. She was dressed in some kind of black poncho with green gems on it. She was sobbing and pretty hard too. Neither had seen Yona cry so much, not even when she broke her leg one time by accident. "Yona?" Sandbar called out as he approached her, "Yona, it's me, Sandbar!" Gallus reached out to stop him, but Sandbar rushed over to his special creature and smiled at her. A part of him felt some sinking pain seeing such a happy expression on Yona's face. Sandbar cried out her name again, but Yona wasn't looking at him. "Yona, what's wrong?" Sandbar reached out to lay a comforting hoof on her, but it went through. "What the…" He moved his hoof around on her, but he couldn't feel anything. "Dude," Gallus said, walking over as he placed his head on Sandbar's wings. He freaked out for a moment until he saw them and his halo. "We're still dead." "Then… are we ghosts, or is this an illusion?" Sandbar asked, looking at Yona, who was wiping the tears from her eyes. "I don't know..." Gallus said as he and Sandbar just continued to watch. "Yona?" The three of them turned to the left and saw Ocellus walking towards them. She too was dressed in black, but she wore some jewelry and makeup on her face. "We've been looking all over for you. Everything is almost set up at the funeral home. They'll be opening it up for visitors in an hour. We thought… we thought we'd go together." "....Yona don't want to go," the yak muttered, closing her eyes. "Yona don't want to say goodbye." Ocellus, frowning, walked over and placed a wing on Yona's back and nuzzled her. "I know… I don't want to either." She sighed. "But it's the least we can do for them. Sandbar and Gallus were our friends... I miss them too, but we have to honor them by-" "Yona don't want to honor Sandbar and Gallus as dead! Yona… Yona wants to hold Sandbar… tell Sandbar that Yona loves him..." "Yona," Sandbar whispered as a few tears dripped from his face. Gallus placed a wing over his friend and continued to listen. "You can still tell him," Ocellus said with a sad smile. "Don't yaks believe the dead are with us at the funerals before going to the afterlife?" "Ocellus not believe in afterlife," Yona pointed out. "Just because I doubt that anything happens to us when we die doesn't mean I don't think it's wrong to say something may happen to those we love when they are gone," Ocellus said, sighing. "Besides, if there is a better place after we die, I can't think of two creatures who deserve to be there more than them." Yona was quiet for a while before she slowly got up. "Promise to be with me?" "All of us will," Ocellus said as the two hugged and began to walk away. "....Well," Gallus said with a shrug. "I know Ocellus is gonna be surprised when it's her turn to come to the hereafter." "Yeah but…" Sandbar sighed, "I couldn't do anything. Yona was in tears, and I couldn't make it better." "I know." Gallus held a claw up and, swiping at the tree, it went right through, "Whatever this is, I think we're only here to watch. So if we're in a movie about our own funeral, is that where we need to go next?" "And Ocellus said something about a funeral parlor in town…" His eyes lit up in realization. "I know where it's at!" Turning to the town, Sandbar made a full gallop, "Follow me!" "You have wings now!" Gallus shouted back, "You can fly!" But Sandbar was too far away to hear, so with a disgruntled grunt, he spread his wings and flew towards his friend's direction. The two of them made their way back into Ponyville. Through the streets, and behind city hall, Sandbar led his friend to a solemn-looking place. A two-floor building in black with a sign hanging above a pair of double doors called "Sarcophagus and Sons." For Ponyville, it was the only place in town that made coffins and the only funeral parlor in town. And next to the door was a chalkboard where, written in white, were the various services it would be hosting. Halfway down the list, they saw the message: "Gallus & Sandbar - 4:30." "So, do we just go in?" Sandbar asked, putting a hoof through a wall. "I mean, we are early." "I don't see why not," Gallus shrugged. "If we're ghosts or something, I don't see why we couldn't have a peek." So sticking his face through the plaster, the griffon walked through the wall. Sandbar followed after him. The two found themselves in a lobby where ponies and a few other creatures walked around or looked to be workers. Sandbar and Gallus watched as creatures phased through them, including a big husky crying earth pony muttering something about his mother. "Busy day?" Gallus wondered aloud as they quickly noticed a unicorn levitating a green and red-flowered funeral wreath with Sandbar's cutie mark designed in flowers on it and a banner at the bottom that read: "Goodbye Sandbar. We Love You." on it. "Hey, boss?" the female unicorn asked the aging earth pony stallion. "What number is the room for the two teenagers? The griffin and earth pony?" "Room Six," he answered before going back to his papers. The two invisible souls didn't bother to wait and followed the unicorn, staying right behind her. They passed a few other rooms where services were going on or ending before arriving at room six, where their names were up in front, as well as their birth and death dates. When they walked in, it looked like they were still setting up. Chairs were being unfolded and placed in rows. Black silk banners were being pinned up, florists at work on bouquets to make some finishing touches, and a podium was placed behind the two coffins. Their attention lay directly ahead as the unicorn they followed walked up to put the wreath on a tri-stand next to one of the caskets. "And here's the other one," another unicorn, a younger stallion, went to the mare. The two ghosts noticed that he was carrying a wreath that was similar to Sandbar's, but it had light blue roses, and the bottom had a ribbon where it was written: "Farewell Gallus. We Love You." "Good to hear they got it done on time," the mare commented, "Put it up on the other stand, then go get the rest for the Hippogriff's farewell in Room Nine." After placing the wreath on the other stand, the younger stallion rushed out. "Alright," the mare then opened Sandbar's casket and frowned, "Looks like you need a flower." She then went over to Gallus's and opened it, "No, both of you do. Glad nopony bothered to do their job." Muttering, she walked past the invisible souls. They couldn't withhold their morbid curiosity any longer. Gallus and Sandbar walked down towards their caskets, peeking over to come face to face with themselves. It was surreal that in these velvet-lined coffins that they looked at their lifeless bodies. Yet, if they didn't know any better, they might have mistaken them for doppelgangers being asleep. Gallus was impressed that he couldn't pick out anything that made him look broken, considering how he died. His face was frozen in a stoic calm. However, he was taken aback by what his corpse was wearing. It was a white robe, silk by its look, and stitched together with golden thread. His claws clenched on a sword, highly decorated with sapphires and diamonds on a silver hilt. It wasn't that he was being buried in a traditional griffon robe that surprised him, but that he was a robe designed for nobility — something for a king. Sandbar looked at his body that lay there. He looked at the face of someone that might be having a happy dream of some kind. There was even a smile. His heart almost broke at what he was wearing: a white dress shirt with a tie-dyed tie and suit that his parents no doubt requested. He noticed that on the bottom of the casket was a layer of sand, the kind that would be from a beach, complete with seashells placed around the body. Sandbar also noticed that his tie had a pin in it of a peace sign. Gallus gave a low whistle, "Ya know, from someone that got crushed from a cave-in, I look good for a dead guy." "At least they cleaned up the blood," Sandbar commented, rubbing a hoof over his mouth. "I almost can't believe they would do all of this for us." "That's a huge understatement. You see what I have on?" Gallus pointed out, "The last known griffon to ever be buried like this was meant for royalty. And given that I was born from nothing, I'm shocked they decided to do this." "Excuse me, but we're not ready yet!" This new voice got their attention. Looking behind them, they saw the mare that carried Sandbar's wreath enter with Silverstream and Queen Novo. Silverstream, wearing a black cloak with the hood covering her head, walked past the mare. Her face looked as if it was barely holding together and her eyes wet marched towards the caskets. "Ma'am, we're not ready for-," The mare protested, but the Queen, who wore an elaborately stitched vail that blurred her face, craned down to face her. "I know you're not ready," Novo told her, "but right now, my niece needs this. It's… part of how we show respect to our dead. The last rite if you'd like to call it." "What do you mean?" "Just watch." Silverstream stopped before the coffins, lifting her hood. Gallus saw her up close, doing what she could to not burst into tears at that moment—even taking in a few deep uneasy breaths to steady herself. Then, gently, she walked over to his coffin and leaned forward as if to whisper something in his ear. Curious, Gallus went around to listen to what she had to say. "The way you walked has changed, through no fault of your own," she said softly like a prayer, "As the rain follows back into the sea, so too shall you return to where you were made. Your many tears, your endless anguishes, your countless fears, and your continuous pains are behind you. Your toil has finished. Your slavish work has come to an end. Sleep now, and go off to where you may dream of tranquility. Rest now, forever now. You are at peace." Gallus had never had believed in religion or gods or any of that stuff because no creature on this earth prayed for him. He had never even gotten an amen. Yet, now that his mortal life was done, someone had given him his first prayer. And regardless of being so short, it was the most beautiful one he had ever heard. So much so he was already leaking tears and doing his best not to sob. He slowly reached for Silverstream only to phase through her as a bitter reminder of his fate. Silverstream slowly inched closer to Gallus' forehead with her beak trembling and lay a kiss on it. Then she couldn't hold it in anymore and fell to her knees. She let out a wail as the tears finally came unleashed in a dual set of waterfalls that couldn't stop. Queen Novo was quickly there for her niece as she scooped her up and held her against her chest. The room workers looked at each other awkwardly before slowly leaving one by one and closed the door behind them out of courtesy. Silverstream continued to cry, pounding her aunt's chest over and over again. Gallus was crying just as much, and he didn't even bother hiding it from Sandbar. He just sat down and sobbed. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Silverstream..." For the first time, Gallus really wished he wasn't dead. That Silverstream or any of their friends would have to suffer like this. He didn't want to be dead anymore. He wanted to be with her. "I..." Silverstream whimpered as she slowly calmed down. "I loved him… Gods help me, I loved him!" ".... I loved you too," Gallus muttered, but it was an echo in the wind. "I know," Queen Novo whispered, much to her niece's shock. "You didn't think I would approve?" ".... I thought..." "That because he was an orphan of no noble blood that I would not allow you to see him as a special partner?" Queen Novo placed her claws on Silverstream's cheeks and kissed her forehead. "Perhaps, at first, I would have been against it. But as you told me more and more about him. I realized just how much in love you were. It reminded me of my husband even - long may he rest." She gave a soft smile. "So, yes, Silverstream. I would have approved of him and you." "Not that it matters," Silverstream muttered, turning away to face the casket. "The gods took him from me." "I know that you are hurt and cursing them," Queen Novo said, putting her claw on her shoulder. "I was that way for many years after my husband died. The gods have plans we do not understand. Perhaps we never will. But take comfort in knowing that in those last moments you had together, you had a chance to express that love you both had. Rather than never having it at all." Silverstream wiped her tears away before sighing. "I… I want to be with my friends now." "Of course, we still have thirty minutes until the funeral starts," Queen Novo said, slowly guiding Silverstream towards the door. Once it was opened and left, the workers quietly went back to work, but with even more silence. Unbeknownst to the funeral attendees, Sandbar and Gallus stood at the very back of the room. Being as crowded as it was with mourners, the invisible souls were side by side in a corner, watching familiar faces make their march to the caskets underneath the black banners. Some stopped before the bodies to let out a few words, lay a flower on the lid, and either took a seat or walked over to the table that had a montage of photos of them when they were alive (mostly taken during their time at the academy). That table was on the other side of where they stood. A simple black tablecloth with dozens of pictures taped on some cardboard pieces, along with three lit candles and two white roses. All the while, melancholic nocturnes of Horseshoepin played softly from another room while small talk arose from the mourners. Before the funeral began, some familiar faces walked through in sober black. There were their professors and Headmare Starlight who entered together. Rarity was the only one among them to dress up for the occasion, a black dress with touches of gold, a modestly feathered hat, and a dark veil. Next came Princess Twilight with Spike, her closest adviser. They were then followed by their friends with Queen Novo, who accompanied Silverstream. Following them behind was Smolder. Unlike her friends, she wasn't wearing black clothes, but noticeably, her head was covered and dusted in ash. Sandbar and Gallus told themselves that maybe this was a dragon's way of showing that they were in mourning since they can see tear stains underneath her eyes. Minutes later, Sandbar's parents came in with his little sister. But it didn't stop there. Before the funeral started, others came to fill up space in the room. The kind that neither of them expected to show up. There were students from the school who came to pay their respects, many they didn't recognize. Shining Armor had entered and pinned metals on their bodies - they went over to see that they were given purple hearts; something only reserved for Equestrian heroes who have died in combat. Yet, the most surprising of all to pay their last respects was from someone they expected the least to come. Ex-Chancellor Neighsay walked in among the whispered attendees and, without saying a word, placed a rose on each of the caskets before sitting down. Then the funeral began with Twilight getting up before the podium. "If I can have every creature's attention, please? Thank you. Before we start, I want to thank everyone here that came out to honor these two remarkable students. More than that, these fallen heroes gave their lives so that Equestria and the world remain safe and free. Although they were never asked to take the call of action, we are now thankful for standing up against the darkness of the world. "As I knew them, Sandbar and Gallus were outstanding students when I was then Headmare at the School of Friendship. They excelled in their studies and did what they could to learn and excel with whatever projects, tests, quizzes, and assignments they were given. Like their friends, they had the desire to grow and better themselves. When last I spoke to them, they were planning a future where they could make a name for themselves in some small way. "When they grew older, they and their friends became guardians on behalf of their nations and each other — forming a bond that has brought down foes that threaten tyranny, to divide and to destroy the harmony that unites us. In this fight to preserve what is good in the world, it was that even when facing danger, they gave their friends and each other their last full measure of devotion. "Today, under sad circumstances, we are gathered here to preserve the memory of these remarkable individuals. So I invite you to come up to bring your stories, your thoughts, your testimony to be laid out. The podium is open for everyone if you wish to speak." To the surprise of the deceased and those in attendance, Smolder was the first to get up. The dragon had done her best to hide away any tears from the moment she arrived at the room, but now she was no longer hiding them. They were mixing with the ashes on her face, but she did nothing to stop them until Twilight gave her a tissue to wipe herself with gently. Clearing her throat, Smolder looked at the two caskets before turning to the audience. "Look, I'm not going to say something dramatic or long. Don't expect me to be sappy. That's not who I am, and I think both Gallus and Sandbar would like me to talk about them the way I normally do." She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "You know, I always dreaded this day in my heart. My best friends were short-lived creatures compared to dragons like me. I knew that one day, I would have to say goodbye to them in a casket, one by one. I just figured that it would be… so much later. Like when they're old and grey, and I still have a good eight hundred or so years left to go around kicking, you know?" She shook her head. "But this… this shouldn't happen. Not so quickly and not so soon. I remember the lessons we had about when it was time to say goodbye to our friends. I failed those tests every time because I didn't want to think about saying goodbye. I honestly still can't. I just want to smack both of them awake and punch them in the face for getting killed like that." Both Gallus and Sandbar snorted. Smolder would do that if she could. "Still, I think both would be happy to know they died saving Equestria one last time… and that the rest of us made it out alive," Smolder whispered, wiping her tears. "You know how they say best friends forever? Well, I hope that's true even in death because they'll always be my best friends. Be it in life or death." She walked over to where the two caskets were and gave a sad smile. "Wait for us, eh, guys? And don't start any parties without me." Gallus felt Sandbar wrap his arms around the griffin and started crying openly on his chest. Gallus wanted to as well, but he just stood still and watched Smolder sit down. Soon enough, someone else quickly got up and made their way to the podium. Sandbar only sobbed harder upon seeing who it was. Coral had finally stopped crying. She had been crying ever since she entered the funeral home, and it looked like she was ready to burst again at any moment. She walked over to Sandbar's coffin, where her older brother's body lay at peace. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead and whispered something to his ear before making her way to the podium. "My big brother… he was a pretty cool guy," Coral said with a sad smile. "I always wanted to be like him when I was growing up. Saving the day from bad guys and hanging out with friends from all over the world. Just going to school and being taught by the greatest heroes of our generation. It just seemed like the perfect life." She took a deep breath. "I didn't know Gallus too well, but from the few times I met him, I got the impression he was awesome in his own right. I could see why my brother liked him a lot." Gallus could feel his cheeks blushing but did his best not to look at Sandbar, who didn't notice "It's funny," Coral said as she looked at her brother in the casket again. "They always say that the hero comes back after an adventure. My brother was a hero. Gallus was a hero. But they… they didn't come back this time. It's a hard reality to learn life isn't a storybook, but I guess we all have to learn that growing up." "Coral… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry, sis," Sandbar muttered. "I want to believe that my brother and Gallus are up there in Heaven. Happy and at peace," Coral said, smiling. "I can't think of two creatures who deserve it more. So, big brother? If you and Gallus are looking down at us? Please don't cry. We miss you, but we'll always love you." "I can't… I can't anymore..." Sandbar said, turning away. Gallus didn't answer, but he agreed as well. The two slowly left the funeral home before the following speech. The funeral went on for two hours before Gallus and Sandbar saw them moving their coffins in a hearse through town. Those who attended were following, singing what sounded like songs of mourning and passing. Even Gallus, despite not being a pony, was being treated as if he was one of them. The hearse came to a stop at the "Final Fields Cemetery," where workers carried both caskets from the funeral home until they reached a spot with two open holes and two gravestones: Here Lies Gallus The Griffin Born 989 E.F - Died 1007 E.F Beloved Friend to All Rest Forever In Peace Here Lies Sandbar Oceanvale Born 990 E.F -Died 1007 E.F Beloved Friend, Son, and Brother To All Rest Forever In Peace. The two watched as their caskets were lowered into the dirt as everyone mourned one last time, a few throwing flowers into the graves. When the loud 'thud' was heard, that was it. It was official. Gallus and Sandbar had been placed in their earthy beds. The two just stared at the graves for a long time, even after everyone left and the holes were filled up. Eventually, everything went black, and the two found themselves soon back in the theater room with two words on the screen: "The End." In the lobby, Yakov was waiting. After he cleaned up the mess that Gallus and Sandbar left behind and had the pictures developed, he sat on the edge of the open casket. His hindlegs swinging, he held onto the camera in his lap while holding a hoof down on the developed photos. Humming an improvised tune quietly, and his ears perked up to listen for them to come down the stairs. Yakov was looking forward to seeing both their reactions to their movie and the pictures he'd taken. He couldn't wait to see their awed expressions and maybe impress them with these amusing photos. Perhaps, if he's lucky, he might get their autograph too. Finally, he heard them coming down the steps. This was it! Leaping off the casket with the photos, he rushed over to greet them. "Hey there! Did you guys enjoy the… show?" His excitement died on his lips when he saw them. On their faces, they looked as if they had been drained of every tear they could shed. Tired, yet defeat and heartbreak were hacked, carved, and chiseled on their faces. It left them in a glassy-eyed, heavy-hearted depressed state. It was as if they had watched a genocide in which they had no way of interfering. They walked past Yakov, not paying him much attention. "Hey, what's wrong? Didn't you like the movie?" "Yeah…" Sandbar muttered softly, "It was… something…" "Now, wait a minute," Yakov walked in front of them. "Was there something wrong with the movie? I thought it was brilliant." "Something… wrong?" Gallus deadpanned in a heavily sarcastic tone, "Oh gee, what gave that away? Could it possibly be that we've witnessed our funeral where everyone we loved and cared for is crying entire oceans' worth of tears that there's not a damn thing we could do about it? Maybe it's witnessing our friends and family wishing that we haven't died? Or perhaps there's no way to get in touch with them to comfort them in their time of grief? Nah, I'm sure it's something else." "Oh… Oh…" Yakov's ears laid flat against his head. "I'm so sorry. I thought that since it was about you two, you might have liked it." "All it did was make us realize how much it sucks being dead." Sandbar said, moving towards the glass doors. "And wish even harder that we can go home." Gallus sighed as he followed Sandbar behind him. However, before they could reach the door, they heard, "That's not… entirely out of reach." This got their attention. "What do you mean?" Sandbar questioned. Looking over his shoulder to make sure that the Buffalo wasn't listening, Yakov said quietly. "Look… I'm not supposed to say this..." "Why?" Gallus inquired and was hushed. "Shh! Keep your voice down." Yakov looked over his shoulder, seeing the buffalo flipping over to the next page. "This is something that most souls - well, even a majority of angels don't know about. Because if they did, many would likely abuse it or shut it down completely." "How come?" Sandbar asked. Yakov waved a hoof for them to come closer. "Let me get straight to the point - there is a way for us to contact the living. There are strict rules, mind you, but it's the only line of communication there is. In fact, I'm breaking the rule of secrecy just letting you know about it." Gallus grabbed him by the shoulders and held him up to his eye-level. "How and where?" He said in a low voice. "In a nutshell, through dreams. And as to where…" After conjuring up a pen, Yakov scribbled an address and some instructions on the back of one of the photos. "But uh… before I do. Could I at least have your autographs? I'll trade you this if you sign my little book." After agreeing to this, Yakov took out a small black book underneath the cloth and opened it. Gallus and Sandbar scribbled their names into the blank spaces, next to the signatures of dozens that neither of them recognized. After thanking them, Yakov gave them the photos and wished them a good day before leaving the theater's doors.
Chapter 4At first, Sandbar and Gallus thought they had been pranked. They followed the instructions on the back of the photo to go to the back of Cloudsdale’s Weather Factory at eleven at night. It was an odd location, even in Heaven. There wasn't anything to indicate a hint of an entrance to the club. If anything, the instructions said to stand underneath a lamppost at eleven at night right behind the factory. The rest was a phrase, some kind of password, that they had to give to enter. The two waited for a good fifteen minutes or so without anything happening. For a long time, they didn't see another being. It was quiet, if not dull. "How much longer do you want to wait?" Gallus asked, eyeing the moon. "I'm almost tempted to go home at this point." "Maybe it's some kind of test?" Sandbar suggested, but there was uncertainty in his tone. "I guess we'll stay for… maybe ten more minutes?" "Funny, that's what you said ten minutes ago." Gallus folded his arms. "And we're still waiting." There was an awkward silence between them. For a while, both wanted to make small talk, yet the options they had were the depressing funeral or the… embarrassing moment that came before that. Even when one of them almost brought up the latter, they stopped before they could begin. After all, how would one bring up such a topic? Sandbar gave it a try. "So…" "Hm?" "Well, uh…" He swallowed. "Look… about what happened this afternoon…" Sandbar felt his cheeks turning red. "I didn't mean-" Gallus held up a paw but didn't look at him. "It’s not your fault. What happened was an accident. If anyone's to blame for the… you-know-what, it's me." "But-" "I didn't realize where I was and what you were…" Gallus cleared his throat, "I should have been more self-aware." "No, I should be the one apologizing." "Why?" "Well… yeah, I… did see something I probably shouldn't. But I was eyeing you and… I'm so sorry." "But you shouldn't." "Says who? It was still wrong of me." This caught Gallus's attention. "How come?" "Because you love Silverstream. I mean it's one thing to uh… like someone that’s free, but it's different when you already love someone else, and they have their eye on somecreature that isn't… well… you…" Sandbar pawed at the cloud below them. "Ya know, if Yona was here, she would have been angry with me." “Would she?” “I’m just guessing but… it’s almost like cheating, isn’t it?” After a beat, he added, “Besides, you’re technically a year older than me so… there’s still like a couple of months before I turn eighteen - ya know?” "Okay, but would it make any difference if I wasn’t either of those?" Gallus asked. "I… I don't know…" Gallus didn't say anything. That same awkward yet hopeful feeling from before came back to haunt him. Here from the lips of his own best friend, he heard that if he wasn't seeing anyone, Sandbar may consider him as someone who could be more than friends with. At the same time, however, Sandbar was also right. Both about Silverstream and his age - at least to a degree. It was true that he pined for her, and she did for him for who-knows-how-long. If things were different, he might have had a girlfriend by now. That, and he was also correct about that age difference. He was, after all, eighteen while Sandbar was seventeen. Then again, the pony’s birthday is a couple of months away. However, Gallus wasn’t the kind to jump right in unless there was a guarantee. There were still too many uncertainties, too many factors that haven’t been considered to make that leap of faith. ‘Then again…’ Gallus thought, ‘do you want to spend eternity waiting, like how you did in life?’ Fortunately, something finally did happen among the awkward silence. Their ears perked up as they heard the sound of hoofsteps and someone humming in the distance. In the dim moonlight, they spotted a figure in a white trench coat approaching them. Whoever they were, they looked like they were having a casual stroll and were going to pass them. However, just as the figure took a few steps away from them, they suddenly stopped. "We are such stuff as dreams are made on," spoke a female voice. Blinking, Gallus looked at the back of the photo and read aloud: "And our little life is rounded with a sleep." Now the mare turned to look at them, lifting her wide-brim hat. "My, it's about time we got some new faces." In the light of the street post, a short yellow mane with a blue face smiled at them. "I figure you two are here for the club?" "As in the Dream-" Sandbar was about to say but was interrupted. "Yes, yes, yes," she nodded. "Sorry, we're just trying to be careful and all." After looking around, she held out her hoof. "Call me Lullaby. I'm more or less the official scout of the group." Sandbar and Gallus introduced themselves and shook her hoof. "So since you're here for it," Lullaby said, "I'll show you guys the way in. But follow closely. We do want to keep our club a secret after all." "Where are we going?" Gallus inquired. "There's a place that's right underneath the factory, but I have to show you how to get in." Before the two could question her, she jumped up and dived right through the cloud below them. The two friends looked at each other before shrugging and followed suit. After shaking the bits of cloud off of them, they spotted Lullaby waving to follow. They flew under the cloud, silent as the night itself, but didn't have to soar long as Lullaby stopped right directly under the middle of the factory. Narrowing his eyes, Gallus could faintly stare at the spot and realized that there were tiny cracks that, when connected, made an upside-down jagged tricked door. She knocked on the bottom of the cloudy surface before a small section opened up. "Password?" "Winter delight." A few locks were heard unlocking before a section of the cloud opened up just wide enough to fit all three in one by one. The room they entered was dark and small, with just another door behind a bulky blue hippogriff guard. Lullaby smiled and high-fived the bouncer. "Hey, Art. Got some fresh blood for the club." "They give the right phrase?" He asked. "What do you take me for? Of course they did," Lullaby answered, rolling her eyes. She stepped back to introduce the new bloods. “This is Gallus and Sandbar. Guys, this is Art. Short for Arthur. He was a prince of hippogriffs about four hundred years ago until he died in an accident." "Yeah,” Art grumbled, “if you call getting stung by a king-sized killer jellyfish and drowning while paralyzed an accident." "Wait, really?" Gallus asked with his eyebrow raised. "What's a prince doing as a bodyguard for a club? Shouldn't you be, I don't know, in some kind of official position?" "You'd think that, but after doing that for twenty years up here, I felt like I was dying again, but this time of boredom," He answered with a shrug. "Trust me, doing jobs like these is a breath of fresh air." "I don't suppose you're related to the current royal family of the hippogriffs?" Sandbar asked, curious. "Nah, my family lineage died out shortly after my death from a civil war. To put it very nicely, let's just say my older brother was a prick and an idiot at ruling," Art said, shaking his head. "Anyway, just head on in and enjoy yourselves." "But first things first," Lullaby said, "There's someone you gotta meet." Gallus and Sandbar followed Lullaby down a short hallway to another door. On it, they noticed that it had a crescent moon, almost similar to the Ex-Princess Luna. Pushing on the door, Lullaby let them in and got a good look at the club's main room. Far from being a dead, factory-like setting, the lobby alone was as large as a house. A rotunda with cloud pillars, a dark dome that twinkled with stars. Yet from it, some of them fell like snowflakes. If neither of them knew any better, they might have mistaken this as the entrance to some grand hotel. Or, judging by the center's fountain, the small bridges, and the ponds of water, a faithful recreation of an ancient Pegasi bathhouse. "C'mon, you guys," Lullaby nudged them, "the sooner you meet her, the sooner you can get down to business." "Sorry, who?" Sandbar asked. "My boss, the owner of the club. So c'mon, I'll take you guys to her office." Lullaby took the lead, and the two of them followed her deeper into the club. As they passed by the fountains and walked over bridges, they noticed many souls interacting with each other like any other club. While others were getting into the small ponds before they dove right underneath the waters. As they walked on, Gallus spied a Yak who sank into a pool. He noticed that when the waters became still enough, he saw Yakyakistan's gates that the yak had swum towards. In another pool, a Hippogriff was under the water, having a meal with an old seapony. "Hey Lullaby," Gallus spoke up, "are these pools-" "Dreams? Yeah, at least dreams of the living. They take forever to set them up for each client, but at least they give you a direct line to whoever you're trying to get in contact with." Sandbar looked over where a doe came up from one of the ponds. "How many members are there?" "Roughly under five or six hundred, but don’t quote me on that. We don't even get more than fifty a night, and for a good reason as my boss will explain." "You know you've been very vague about that," Gallus pointed out. "To be fair, I kinda doubt you would believe me if I told you." "Why?" Sandbar and Gallus asked. "Well… let's just say that in the living world, she's considered as a tall tale, but she's genuinely real." “So was Rockhoof,” Sandbar commented. "Besides, there's her office." She pointed up to a balcony that was next to a spiral staircase. On the railing, there was a snowflake pattern that stretched across, obscuring any view from below. Lullaby climbed the staircase with Sandbar and Gallus following behind. At the top, the office they found wasn't what they expected it to be. There wasn't a desk to greet them, nor were there any filing cabinets or anything to suggest an office. It was more of a studio with all the scraps of cut paper laying around. In the center of the office was a light blue mare with a white mane, her eyes looking down at a cutting board with a scalpel in her teeth. On the panel was a piece of paper that she carefully cut shapes from. A circle here, a triangle there, a slash, a jab, and a cut resulted in a paper snowflake that was perfectly symmetrical and proportional in every way. Lullaby cleared her throat. "Ma'am?" The mare's ears perked up before setting the scalpel down and looking up. When Sandbar and Gallus looked at her in the eyes - a pair of blank eyeballs that showed she was blind - it suddenly clicked who this was. "Yes, Lullaby?" "We've got some new members I've picked up. Their names are Sandbar and Gallus," she turned to them, smirked at their taken aback faces, "I suppose you've heard about Snowdrop?" "Well, of course, I've heard of her," Sandbar answered in awe. "The first pony to have made a snowflake." Gallus raised an eyebrow, "So why is she here in a club that's about dreams?" "I founded the club," Snowdrop replied. "I was very good friends with Princess Luna back when I was alive. She and I used to do so much together until, well..." She sighed heavily before smiling. "Well, she's back from the moon, so I guess things worked out in the end. Anyway, Princess Luna used to tell me about the sort of dreams she used to help comfort ponies. After I passed away, I just worked here in the weather factory. However, I always found that ponies often wished they could communicate with their loved ones from the great beyond to let them know they were okay." "Yeah, we kinda experienced that," Gallus said grimly. Getting up from her chair, Snowdrop walked over to the two with a smile. "That's when I remembered one of the things Princess Luna used to do. It was to comfort those who lost their loved ones in their dreams. I wondered if such a thing was possible to do here in Heaven. So I spent a long time finding mages from ages past who knew about dream magic, and together we created this place to help the souls of the living and the dead move on. As for the design, I thought of it as a way to honor my friend." "So, can we really visit our friends and family in these dreams?" Sandbar asked with a hopeful smile. Snowdrop nodded but then frowned. "Yes, but you can only see three creatures each." "Why just three?" Gallus asked. "Because going into a dream is hard on the soul. We've found out that those who go in too many times without a period of rest can end up in comas. What we're doing is very illegal and could get us all in big trouble, so we not only limit the number of times you can come into the club, but the number of dreams you can enter," Snowdrop said in a stern tone. "Understand?" The two nodded as Sandbar then raised a question. "Um, I'm just curious about something. Why are you still blind? I mean, not to be insensitive, but shouldn't you be able to see in Heaven?" "Oh, I can, but… well, this is kind of embarrassing." Snowdrop slowly closed her eyes before a glow emitted from them. Once she opened them again, the two young creatures were surprised to find a standard set of light blue eyes staring at them. "I can't make snowflakes without my hearing being enhanced. So I made myself blind on purpose to do it again." "And why all the paper?" "Well, to put it simply," she lifted the freshly made paper snowflake, "the pools are the lock, and these are the keys. Do you see this space in the middle? That's where you write the name of whoever you're trying to talk to in their sleep. All you have to do is write down the name, toss it in one of the pools, and jump in." "That sounds easy enough," Gallus reached out a claw, "we'll take three each then." "Hold on, before you do," Snowdrop withdrew the paper snowflake, "how did you two find out about the club?" "Honestly?" Sandbar answered, "We ran into a Changeling that's working in a theater in Canterlot. Said he could help us out." "Yakov…" Snowdrop mused thoughtfully, then nodded, "I see. At least I know for a fact that he's a member and wouldn't let anyone know about us unless there was a good reason behind it. Very well, but before I give either of you these, both of you must promise me a few things." "And what's that?" Sandbar inquired. "First, this club must be kept a secret. Do not spread the word of this place to anyone else unless you know they wouldn’t tell anyone." They nodded, "Second, once you've used all three of your paper keys, both of you will not be allowed back in for another ten years." "Ten years?" Gallus blinked. Snowdrop nodded, "Given how much others would abuse this establishment, and of course, for safety reasons, we have to keep it at a minimum. You'll be given three keys, and once you've used all of them up, you will not be allowed back in for ten years. Trust me. This will prevent you from blacking out for a very long time." "That makes sense," Sandbar said, "Anything else?" "Well, this one isn't much of a rule as a heads up. Each of these keys allows you to be in the dream for twenty minutes and no more. Also, one key each to one dream, so you can't reuse them on the same individual unless you want whoever you're trying to get a hold of to go into a coma. Do you understand?" They nodded. "Very well," Snowdrop turned to a small pile of paper snowflakes and pulled out six from it. "Just remember, regardless of who you try to reach out to, make every second count." They were each given a pen before Sandbar and Gallus dismissed themselves from Snowdrop's office. For a long time, neither of them did anything to their paper snowflakes. It wasn't that neither of them knew who they wanted to talk to. Rather, their lists went far and beyond the limited three keys they were given. Plus, the choice became more complicated to make knowing when they’ll get the next opportunity to do this again. "This is a lot harder than I thought," Sandbar remarked, looking at his blank snowflakes. "There were so many at the funeral… so many that were hurt." "Yeah… But we can only call three. Well, two for me because I know who I need to talk to first." Sandbar held up one of the paper flakes. "This one will go to Yona. But what about everyone else? Our friends, my family… and we only have twenty minutes each." Gallus hummed. "Maybe we should get a hold of those that are the most important to us. Perhaps we could use two of these things to get in touch with the girls and the third for whoever." "Maybe…" Sandbar trailed off in thought. "I think I should get a hold of my sister." "Why? Don't you want to talk to your parents?" "Of course I do. But when we were at our funeral… Coral was grieving the most, and if there's anyone that needs comfort, it's her." "I see," Gallus nodded, looking at his options. "So if you're going to talk to Yona and your sis, while I talk to Silver and… maybe Starlight. That just leaves Ocellus and Smolder." After a humming thought, he added, "So how about you tackle Ocellus?" "Well, I guess I can, but why?" "Between the two of us when Smolder is grieving, maybe it's best to send in someone that would make it a little difficult for her to make us extra crispy if she gets upset. Besides, I can handle her grudge if she has one. Ocellus, I think might need a more gentle approach." "That makes sense." Sandbar looked up to the nearby empty ponds. Where in one, he watched a dragon write down a name to a snowflake. Then tossing it into the water, the pond shimmered with a light underneath of an orange glow. So the dragon took a few steps back before swan diving headfirst into the water. "How do you think they would react to us?" asked Sandbar, "I mean, having us in their dreams." "Truthfully, no idea." Gallus began to scribble one name at a time on his snowflakes. "Either they might freak out or cry uncontrollably. I don't know if they'll remember us when they wake up, but we still got to try." Eyeing the name of Silverstream, he added, "I just hope they'll be willing to listen." As Gallus walked up to an empty pond, he heard Sandbar ask, "So what are you going to tell Silver?" Tossing the paper snowflake that had Silversream's name into the water, he watched the ripples expand, opening up to a blurry scene below like an iris lens to a place that he couldn't see. "Well, I don't know about you," Gallus replied, "but I think I should go tell someone something that I should have said a long time ago." "And what's that?" Gallus looked back into the water. He could barely see something moving there. A blurry light pink thing that he knew had to be Silverstream. "The truth. The whole truth. And nothing but the truth." Glancing back at his friend, he added, "I have a feeling we owe everyone that." Sticking a claw into the water, Gallus braced himself. Taking in a deep breath, he pushed himself into the dream. There was a bright light, and for a few moments, Gallus felt like he would go blind. Eventually, it faded, and he was able to see his surroundings slowly. The scene in front of him shouldn't have come as a surprise to Gallus, but the fact that the griffin could smell the ocean air, feel the sand in his toes, and feel his lungs breathing in the air was stunning. He had been dead for so long he had already forgotten such things. The place was easily recognizable. Silverstream took Gallus here one time when he visited for the holidays. It was her favorite place on the entire island to relax and think to herself. Turning to his right, he saw Silverstream, sitting on a smooth rock while watching the ocean with the sun setting before them. It was like seeing the entire sea burning in flames, and yet it held a sense of sorrow and finite to it. Knowing he couldn't stay around just to admire the view, Gallus slowly walked forward until he was inches away from the rock with his friend's back still turned to him. "Silverstream?" A small gasp and slowly Silverstream turned around. Upon seeing Gallus standing there, her eyes began to water. "G-Gallus." A soft smile decorated his lips before nodding. "Hey, Silver." "Gallus!" Silverstream cried before diving into him. She brought him down to the sand and hugged him so hard, yet he felt no pain, only a sense of familiarity and longing. She had hugged him so many times, yet Gallus never realized just how much he took those hugs for granted. "Is it… am I… am I dead?" "No, you're dreaming," Gallus whispered as he put his arms around her back, stroking her feathery wings while nuzzling her neck. "Then I don't want to wake up," Silverstream whispered before lifting her head and seeing him eye to eye. "I don't want to leave you..." "Silver… I can't stay for long," Gallus said as he slowly lifted himself, yet never once let go of his friend. "I'm here because… well… a lot of things… but first of which is that I'm sorry." "S-Sorry?" Silverstream asked, rubbing her eyes. "For dying. For leaving you with so much pain," Gallus lowered his head in shame. "I… I was there… at the funeral… I heard your last rite thing and..." He sighed before just figuring it was best to get it over with. He slowly leaned his head forward and pressed his beak against her own. Silverstream closed her eyes and let Gallus guide her lips into pure bliss. The two of them embraced one another as gently set her down. He didn't need to say anything after that, but he wanted to. He needed to say it. Gallus ended the kiss as he got on top of Silverstream and smiled. "Silverstream. I love you. I've always loved you. I'm sorry that we never got a chance to make it work out. I want you to know the truth finally. The truth is that I've never felt happier than all the times I was with you. Even in my final moments." Silverstream gently shed some tears, but her smile never faltered as she pressed her palm against his cheeks. "I love you too, Gallus." The two kissed again, this time with more passion. Gallus was surprised that Silverstream allowed her tongue inside his mouth, but he didn't complain. The waves slowly began to wash over them from the high tide, getting their bodies wet as they slowly pressed against one another. Gallus could feel his loins burning despite being dampened by ocean water, but he didn't care, and from the look that Silverstream was giving him, she didn't either. The two slowly bumped heads as neither spoke for a moment before Silverstream slowly placed her hand on Gallus' chest and stroked him down. "Will you… always be in my dreams?" "Like this? No, after this I can't come back for another ten years," Gallus said, which caused Silverstream to tilt her head. "Don't ask. It's a long story." "Then… will I ever see you again?" Silverstream whimpered. "When you die, I guess, but I want that to happen when you're old and in bed," Gallus said before taking a deep breath. "Which is why I want you to move on, Silver." "W-What?" Silverstream asked, her voice expressing shock. "Silver, I'm dead," Gallus said plainly, despite the hurt in his heart. "I can't come back. Neither can Sandbar. We're… we're gone, Silverstream. I don't want you wasting your life waiting for something that isn't possible anymore." "B-But I love you!" Silverstream cried out. "And I love you too, but loving a dead griffin like me won't help anything," Gallus said, holding her hand. "I love you too much to let you stay forever mourning for me. I want you to have a life. Find someone who will love you, that you will love equally back, and have a family with them. When you finally cross over, we can see what happens. But until then, please don't stop yourself from having a life because I died." He kissed her on the lips again. "Promise me." "I…" tears in Silverstream's eyes began to form. "Gallus, I don't know if I can." "Listen to me," Gallus looked her in the eye. "I've wasted my life waiting. Do you understand that? I've spent my life waiting around for something better to come along. I've waited and double guessed and triple guessed if I would find any happiness with anyone. And you know why I've waited? Because I was - and still am afraid that if I didn't play this right, this might blow up in my face. Silverstream, I'm begging you. Don't waste your time waiting for that fairytale moment that might not happen. The last thing I want is for you to die without getting the chance to live. Please, promise me that." "I… I promise..." Silverstream whispered with her eyes misty. She then pulled Gallus close to her and whispered. "But only if you do the same." "Huh?" Gallus asked. "Gallus… I don't want you to wait for me either," Silverstream smiled as she placed her hand over his heart. "You said you regretted not finding such happiness in life. Well, if you're up there in Heaven, then maybe you can find it in death? Someone who will love you as much as I do. I won't be angry if you do. Surely, you can find someone besides me over there, right?" For a split second, Gallus' thoughts turned to a particular light green pony who was currently saying farewell to his special creature. His first real crush before Silverstream. But could it happen? Or was he just deluding himself? "Alright, I'll try," Gallus whispered, smiling. "Plus, if this works out for the both of us, we can always have an orgy. Apparently, harems are a thing in Heaven." "Speaking of which, I want one thing." She blushed, "One final thing from you." "What's that?" Gallus asked before she kissed him on the cheeks. "Make love to me." Gallus felt his cheeks blush as Silverstream smiled at him. "If this is a dream… and the last time we speak… I want to remember it both in my heart and in my soul. Please, Gallus. Love me." Gallus slowly took her into his arms and gently laid her down. "How can I say no?" It felt like a dream within a dream. The way they touched, moved, and humped. Neither screamed their names but whispered them with passion and care. He treated her like the princess she was to him, and he let her explore him in every place for the first and last time. He was fierce like a lion and yet gentle like a cat when needed. The waves continued to come right between them with each thrust and swallow. Red dying sunlight reflected off their rumps as both claimed each other as their own in this midnight fantasy. Silverstream made him finally scream her name as he dominated her on top, owning her very soul from the inside with each push and prod until his final burst. When it was all said and done, the two lovers lay side by side, snuggling with the scent of hot romance between them. Nothing needed to be said. No more goodbyes. No more farewells. The sun finally began to set as the two looked at each other one last time before silently bidding their lover farewell. When Silverstream blinked, the moon had risen, and Gallus was gone. For a split second, she thought about joining him in death. To wake up and make her end to be with him forever. But then the echoes of their promise came, and she banished those thoughts for good. Silver would find love again. Even if it took years, she would learn to live without him. But this dream would be hers to own forever. When Sandbar tossed the snowflake with Yona's name on it, he didn't know what to expect going into a dream. At first, everything was too bright to see, too blinding to make out what was going on. But soon, things came into focus as his senses were registering what was around him. The first thing he saw was the colorful lights on bare branches overhead, underneath a dark sky. Then his hooves felt icy. He was standing in the snow. In his ears, there was the sound of laughter and distant tunes of Hearths Warming. Even in the cold air, he can smell the hot chocolate, pine, and cinnamon. Shapes and colors became clear that he could see where he was. It was an ice rink, where part of a pond had solidified in ice, and ponies were skating happily this way and that. But as he looked, he couldn't see Yona. "Hey, aren't you coming?" Sandbar was taken aback to hear Smolder asking that question, and he turned to find her talking to Yona. Underneath an ice-covered weeping willow, Yona sat with her back against the bark of the tree. Smolder had seemed to pause for a reply from her. She knelt down a bit. "C'mon, the girls are hoping you'd be up here by now." "No thanks," Yona said softly, melancholically. "Yona, don't want to." "You sure I can't talk you into it?" Yona shook her head, and with that, Smolder shrugged and skated away. Sandbar walked over, softly, quietly towards Yona so that he could hear her weeping softly. In the twinkling of the colored lights above, he spotted the tears that were running down her face. He sat down next to her, lifting a hoof to brush away a tear. "Yona?" He asked, "Are you okay?" Yona was startled, nearly jumped out from where she sat. She looked over to him, a cloven hoof over her heart. Her jaw hangs loose for a moment. "S… S-Sandbar?" There were tears in her eyes, and there was shock yet a tremendous joy to see him there. "Sandbar!" Quick as lightning, she enveloped him in a crushing hug. Although Sandbar didn't feel pain in the constrictor-like hug, he felt that familiar warmth that he loved. "Sandbar came back! Sandbar alive! Is Sandbar okay?" "Yona… air." Sandbar said to get her attention. Although he didn't need to breathe pre-se, it did get the desired effect to have her let go of him so they could talk. "Sorry, Yona just…" She wiped the tears from her eyes, "happy Sandbar be back." "Well… yes," Sandbar's ears flatten flat against his head. "At least for a visit." Yona blinked. "What does pony mean?" "Yona, I don't have much time. You're still dreaming and… it's a long story, but basically, there's so much I want to say to you, and I have so little time to do it." "Wait…" Yona took a step back. "Is Sandbar…?" He nodded, "I’m dead. But I wanted to come back to you while I still can. And I won't get this chance again for another ten years. So while I'm here, there are some things I want to tell you." Yona glanced over to the ice rink at the skaters' slow pace, the music, and the magical lights that reflected over the scratched ice. "Well…" She held out a hoof to him. "May Yona have this dance?" With a gentle smile, he took her hoof and stepped onto the ice. Side by side, they gently skated in the cold night air. "Well, first of all," Sandbar began, "I thought I'd come back to at least apologize to you." "Why?" Yona tilted your head. "Sandbar didn't do anything wrong." "But… I did." He looked her in the eye. "Me and Gallus, we were at the funeral. We were there when you cried over us and said your goodbyes. And I was there when…" Sandbar felt a lump in his throat, "you were crying and… I couldn't do anything. You were in so much pain that I caused that..." "No," Yona stopped, carefully placing a hoof on his face, "pony shouldn’t say such things. It's not Sandbar’s fault." "It still hurts to see you cry." Sandbar tried to withhold his tears that threatened to come out. "You know I love you too much to see you cry." They stopped. This time Sandbar felt Yona's hoof wiping the tears from his face. "It does hurt," Yona said, "but it's worse to know that Sandbar in pain too." "Why?" Sandbar gave a weak smile. "I'm dead." "But Sandbar should be happy. Yona can't be happy if Sandbar not." She kissed him on the forehead. "How can Yona be better?" Sandbar sighed, "Just hear me out, okay?" She nodded, "First off, everything that has happened to Gallus and me, it's not your or any of the girls' fault. Second, and understand this most of all, I still love you no matter what. Even if that means you moving on without me." Yona's eyes widened. "But… Yona can't move on. If Yona did, it like Yona betraying Sandbar." "You won't. Yona, I don't want you to be miserable forever. And don't you think of killing yourself for me. Because you still have a beautiful life ahead of you. The last thing I want is to hold you down from being happy." "But Yona won't find anyone like Sandbar." He sighed, "Maybe not, but put yourself in my horseshoes. If you died, do you want me to go around for the rest of my life never finding love? Or happiness? Or finding something fulfilling?" Yona sniffed, "No." "Forgive me for putting it like this, but you don't need my permission to be happy. Yona, out of everyone I know, you deserve love. You deserve a life—a long one with someone that can love you back and maybe have a family with you someday. Yona, look me in the eye and promise me that I wouldn't hold you down. Promise me that when you do find someone, don't let me stop you from being loved." Yona took a deep breath and let it out into the frosty air. "It… won't be easy." "I know. But please, don't do this just for me. Do it for yourself." She let out an uneasy breath. "Yona promises to try." Then after a beat, she added. "On one condition." "Name it." Yona leaned forward to kiss Sandbar. Deeply, allowing the warmth of her lips to melt into his. Allowing sweet surrender of her tongue inside his mouth. The sensation was as if she was more intimate to touch his very soul. But upon withdrawing, she told him, "Sandbar… promise Yona that pony moves on too." This took Sandbar aback. "What?" "Not fair if pony goes around afterlife being mopey ghost. Yona wants Sandbar have peace. Yona wants pony find same love Sandbar gave Yona in life. It matters not how long or with whom, Yona wants Sandbar be happy." Sandbar paused. Deep down, he knew she was right. Just because he was dead doesn't mean that he couldn't move on too. After a beat, Yona added, "Even if with Gallus." "What?!" Sandbar asked, surprised, his cheeks darkening. “Sandbar did tell Yona that pony was Pan. Yes?" He nodded, "If Gallus could love Sandbar back, Yona will approve." "Now wait, Yona! I know you have your shipping glasses on but, c’mon, this is Gallus you’re talking about. I don't know if he would. I-I mean sure, he just came out as bi but-" "None of that." Yona silenced him with a hoof. "Yona moves on if Sandbar moves on. Agree?" A few times, Sandbar tried to say something back, but his jaw kept opening and closing with nothing to respond on. So, after a sigh, he nodded. "How long does pony have?" Yona inquired. "Donno, I wanna say about… fifteen or so minutes." Yona held his hoof tightly. "Stay with Yona?" Sandbar smiled and nuzzled her. "I will." His ear perked up as a Hearth's Warming Waltz began to play with the plucking of strings. "Yona, may I have this dance, one last time?" It may have been fifteen minutes, even in a dream, but every second was an eternity as they held one another. Savoring moment to moment as they twisted and swerved, laughed, and fell over the ice. The two of them sharing their warmth underneath the colored lights was a memory neither would forget. It was a bittersweet moment that they skated this way and clinging on so that the other wouldn't disappear so soon. They weren't paying attention to the music anymore but to each other. Letting minute after minute be spent in the other's company. Then, somewhere in the distance, a bell chime was heard, and Sandbar began to fade. In the eyes of Yona, Sandbar didn't see devastation. Although in tears, they were relieved. With a smile, she said, "Goodbye, Sandbar. Be happy for Yona." Sandbar reached out to kiss her for a final time. "Goodbye, Yona. I love you." In her arms, she felt Sandbar fade out to where there was nothing but air. While she was sad to see him go, she did feel something that she welcomed in her empty arms. Peace. Of all the scenes that Gallus had been expecting to see in Smolder's dream, a graveyard was not on the top of his list. He felt the pouring rain come down on his feathers and shivered from their cold touch. He passed by, grave after grave, all unmarked until he saw a familiar figure in a black tux holding an umbrella in one claw and a shovel in the other. While standing in front of six graves close to each other. Five of them were filled with dirt and grass, but one was still open and fresh, ready to be filled with a coffin. Getting closer, Gallus saw familiar names on the graves. They were the names of him, Sandbar, and all of his friends. It wasn't until he got to the one that Smolder was standing next to that he saw that she was looking into her own grave. He was about to say something when, to his surprise, Smolder spoke first. "You're late." "E-Excuse me?" Gallus asked. Turning around, a smirking Smolder looked at him as if she was expecting Gallus to arrive. "I've been hoping you'd find that club and visit me in my dream. I'm guessing you and Sandbar are also visiting the others?" "Wait, you know about it?" Gallus asked, pointing to her. "How did you-" "My grandmother died five years ago and visited me, my brother, and my dad in our dreams shortly after she died," Smolder said, shrugging, letting go of the shovel to let it fall on the soggy ground. "She told me about old Snowdrop's club for visiting dreams, and I got to spend some time with her before she left. I was hoping you guys would find it too." "Why didn't you tell anyone that at the funeral?" Gallus said before adding. "Also, nice speech, by the way." "Thanks," Smolder said with a nod. "Because I doubt anyone would’ve believed me, and I didn't know if you guys would find it. So I figured I'd keep quiet. Still, I'm glad and relieved you're here. So now I can do this!" Smolder's free fist made contact with Gallus's jaw, which sent him to the ground. "Ow! What the Hell was that for?!" "That was getting your stupid butts killed!" Smolder screamed, tossing the umbrella at him as tears began to leak from her eyes. She dragged Gallus up and glared at him despite her crying. "I've always been prepared to lose you guys! I thought I was ready when the time came - but no! You went and died too soon! I mean really?! Now?! Thanks to you, I can't spend any time alone by myself or I’ll fall into a bunch of tears like a baby! You stupid assholes! If anyone should have died among the six of us, I should have been the one to go!" ".... Is that why we're in a graveyard?" Gallus asked, slowly pushing himself off. "Do you think you should have died?" ".... If there was a choice, yeah," Smolder grumbled as she stared at the six graves. "Look, before you say anything, I'm not suicidal. I don't want to die… but living without you five was always my biggest fear. I even thought about going through that race-changing spell thing and becoming something that wasn't a dragon a few times." She kicked a rock nearby and cursed. "I didn't want to lose any of you. Even if I found other friends, a lover, or a family, or whatever… I didn't want to lose them too and not be able to see you all again for hundreds of years!" Gallus sighed and slowly made his way to Smolder, wrapping his arms around her with a hug. "I know. I can't think of the idea of life without any of you either. Or an afterlife without all my friends beside me. I mean, at least I got Sandbar, but that's it." "What? Your parents aren't dead either?" "Oh, they're dead alright," Gallus snarled. "But they not in Heaven." ".... Shit," Smolder said, shaking her head. "I guess Heaven isn't always a happy place." "Considering Sandbar and I just saw a movie about our funerals where all our loved ones cried and mourned for us? Making us feel guilty that we died early and left you guys to suffer and there’s nothing we could do about it? Yeah, it's not all sunshine and rainbows," Gallus answered, which made Smolder raise her eyebrow. "A movie?" "Don't ask," Gallus said, rolling his eyes. "It's a long story." "Did they at least get my good side?" Smolder asked with a smirk. "Well, you do look ten pounds heavier on the big screen," Gallus joked as the two laughed. Taking a deep breath, Gallus looked at Smolder in the eyes. "Smolder, I just told Silverstream I wanted her to live despite losing me. I'm saying the same to you as well." "How can I live knowing that you're all going to die before me?" Smolder grumbled. ".... By protecting them," Gallus said as he forced her to turn around and glare at her. "And those that come after them.' "Huh?" Smolder asked, confused. "Silverstream. Ocellus. Yona. They're all going to have kids someday. Families of their own. And those families are going to have families as well," Gallus continued. "If there is one thing I've learned, it's that dying young sucks. Think about it, I'm never going to graduate, find my purpose in life, get married, have kids, and all that. My life ended before it really could begin. I don't want the others to go through that. I want them to live life to the fullest before it's their time to die. Regardless of how long that might be." He stared at the graves that held both his and Sandbar's name. "Hell, I'd give anything even to have Sandbar live his life again. It's my fault he died saving my stupid butt, and he ended up six feet under with me. I don't want to see that happen to our friends or anyone." Gallus smiled at Smolder, who looked to be in shock. "That's why there is no creature in the world I trust to protect them but you. You've always been the strongest, bravest, and fiercest of us all. You said once that we were like your horde, right? Well, protect that horde from anything that will make it unhappy. You want a purpose? I've given you one. Make it even my last request." He took her claw and held it up in hers. "Smolder, I ask you to protect Silverstream, Ocellus, Yona, their families, their friends, their children, and grandchildren, and all those after them. Make them live their lives to the fullest until it's your time to go. Don't let what happened to Sandbar and me happen to them." ".... Heh, when you put it like that..." Smolder chuckled before laughing with a smile. "Ah, screw it! I'll do it! I protect them so badly that Death itself will curse my name!" Smolder looked at the graves and closed her eyes. A split second later, as if by magic, they were all gone. Instead of a graveyard, it was a simple green field with statues of her and the rest of the gang looking happy and content. Gallus sighed in relief as he and Smolder just looked at the statues in silence. "So what now? I still got some time." ".... Hey, Gallus?" Smolder asked. "Yeah?" ".... Do you think Spike likes me?" Smolder asked. "Wait, what?!" Gallus asked, pointing at her. "You and Spike?" "W-Well," Smolder crossed her arms. "You had Silverstream. Yona had Sandbar. I kinda always wanted to have someone and… Spike's been really supportive ever since you two… died… I mean, I don't think anything can happen in a few years, but… you know?" ".... Huh, and here I thought you like Ocellus," Gallus said with a smirk. "Hey, I'm not gay. That's my brother," Smolder grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, why does everyone think that with me?" Shaking his head, Gallus put his claw on Smolder's shoulder and smirked. "Look, you want my advice? Give it a shot. Sandbar and I already missed our chance with Silverstream and Yona. Don't be the third of us to not find love because who knows what might happen." "I guess we can have lunch together and see where it goes," Smolder said with a slight blush and smile. Gallus soon started to feel himself fading away, just like last time. Smolder recognized it too as she soon wrapped her arms and wings around Gallus. "I'm going to miss you, dude." "Same," Gallus said, smiling. "I promise I'll look after everyone. Just… wait for me, okay?" "I will, I promise." By the time Smolder opened her eyes, Gallus was already gone, but instead of sorrow, she felt content for the first time in days. When Sandbar entered Ocellus's dream, the first thing he saw after the bright lights had dimmed was that he was in a forest of aspens. There were tall thin trees with white bark and thinner black lines that had formed an outline of eyes in every direction. By the looks of it, it was autumn in the dream as there were leaves on the ground in multiple colors. What stood out the most was that from his perspective, stepping inside this dream was like being inside a painting that moved. Above him, the leaves were mere dots that swayed in the branches. He saw shades of reds, purple, orange, white, gold, yellow, and pink. The components and trees looked as if they were painted with hurried brushstrokes, with shades of gray, purple, and light blue clinging onto the bark-like shadows. On the ground were dots of yellow, orange, and red leaves that seemed to be flung there by the wind. Even the sky overhead was brushed with paint. Sandbar squinted at the sun's light that was merely a white dot with yellow and silver lines that surrounded it like a basket pattern. As impressive, if not beautiful as this dream was, Sandbar still needed to find Ocellus. "How am I supposed to find her in a place like this?" He asked himself aloud, looking about until he spotted the angel wings on his back. "Oh yeah, that's right, I can fly now." So spreading his wings, he started to hover upward towards the painted canopy. Within moments, he flew through an opening and got a view of the forest from a bird's eye view. Up in the air, he saw a sea of autumn leaves that stretched in nearly every direction, with mountains rising above them like islands. Although painted, the canopy realistically moved in the wind like waves. Still, he looked around in hopes of finding something that might stand out, so it would lead him to his friend. Fortunately, it didn't take long as he spotted some trees disappearing, leaving a river behind. Whatever was doing that, he reasoned, it had to be her. Gliding over through the trees, he came closer to the river until he was right over it. The water reflected and blurred the forest and himself back to him while it flowed out elsewhere. Yet, he followed upriver to where the trees were disappearing. Then he found her. With a brush in her mouth and her neck bowed low to the ground, she painted the river. Stroke by chaotic stroke, the leaves and grass gave way to the water. As he got closer, Sandbar's ears picked up on the unmistakable sound of sobbing. He got close enough to see that Ocellus was blinded by her tears that rolled down her face. "Ocellus?" Sandbar called out, "Where are you doing?" This sudden voice snapped the changeling out from whatever she was doing. The brush fell out of her mouth, landing with a plop into the stylized water. She gasped, "What?! Sandbar? You're…?" Sandbar gently landed near her. "Still not alive, as you can see." He folded up his wings and pointed at his halo. "What about you? Are you okay?" "I…" Ocellus sniffed, shutting her eyes tightly. "I'm in a dream, am I? N-None of this is…" The tears returned to her face. Sandbar, overcome with compassion, hugged her tightly. "You… You feel real, but… you're not here." Ocellus said, her voice becoming hoarse. "But I hurt you." Sandbar nuzzled her. "Gallus and I hurt you." Ocellus pushed him away. "No, you…" she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yes, I'm sad about all this. Only because… this is my fault." "Why?" "Because if… if things had gone differently. If we had stayed together in those caves, you and Gallus would still be alive. Or maybe if we let our Professors know of what the Diamond Dogs were doing. Or maybe if we-" "But it's not your fault." Sandbar reached out to her, "None of you had anything to-" "Yes I did!" Ocellus stepped back, slapping his hoof away. "It should have been me that died! This was my plan to save the world again, and this time it got two of my best friends killed!" "By an unexpected cave-in?" Sandbar questioned. Taking in a deep breath, he sighed, "Ocellus, how do you think I feel? Even if you doubt there's an afterlife, do you honestly think I went to my grave with a clear conscience?" Ocellus blinked, and after a sniff, she inquired, "W-What do you mean?" "Ocellus…" Sitting down on his haunches on the leafy paint-covered ground, he said, "Yes, I was terrified when I died. I was more scared than anytime I had been in my life. I didn't know what was happening, and I was in pain. I was wondering if everyone else got out okay. Then when I did die, my thoughts turned to all of you. How this unexpected thing has caused so much pain to you and the girls, my family..." He paused and sighed. "Growing up, I tried everything I could to cause the least amount of harm… and I failed… I failed you… I'm sorry, Ocellus." Wiping the tears from her eyes, Ocellus inched closer. "Don't beat yourself up for me. I know you didn't do this on purpose. Just… having you and Gallus go like that… It's painful because it was so unexpected. And now that you're gone for good… It's like everything feels so… empty now. Like a piece of a masterpiece had been broken off and destroyed forever." "I know it’s hard to hear this, but I know what that feels like." Sandbar nodded and once again tried to reach out to her. This time, he successfully got his hoof on her shoulder. “I don't know if this helps, but if it did happen to you instead of me or Gallus, I would be devastated too. I would have wished I could go back and do something - anything - just so that we're all together at the end of the day. It's hard. While I doubt I would ever get over it, I don't think I should let my grief control my life either." Ocellus tilted her head. "Why do you say that? Don’t you miss us?" "Of course I do. I miss my friends, my family, the school, Yona… But just because I'll miss them doesn't mean that I shouldn't keep on growing. Maybe use that loss as a powerful tool to do something… I don’t know, incredible with it. I mean, look what you've done with the place." Sandbar used his free hoof to wave at the forest. "Even in a dream, even in your grief, you made something stunning. Makes me wonder what you could do awake?" Blinking, Ocellus looked around at the landscape she made. From the river to the trees, even the multicolored leaves above. "I… I did this?" "Uh-huh," Sandbar nodded. "Look, I know when things are so painful that you just can't see another way around it. But give yourself some time and open up your imagination, you can find all sorts of ways to make your life around you better - even if only a little bit. I mean," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Out of all of us, we always looked to you for guidance. Even I looked up to you because you were so imaginative when it came to finding solutions. A voice of reason at times. I can imagine that the girls need you now more than ever for something like that." "It's… but your passing, it's going to be so big to overcome." "Well, it's not like we're trying to save the world again." Sandbar joked. This finally got a giggle out of her. "I guess I see your point." After a sniff, she added, "You know, part of me wishes that you really are Sandbar." The stallion raised an eyebrow. "Hey, for all I know, this dream is just my mind trying to cope or something. But I still wish you were here, because if I had known what was to happen, then I might have said a few things." "Yeah," Sandbar nodded, his ears folded back. "And I wanted to reach out to let you know that I still feel guilty for saying those things to you." "What are you talking about?" "Remember that one time before Hearth's Warming that Gallus had sabotaged the tree, but I accused you of doing it?" Sandbar shook his head. "I had no excuse for saying those things. I thought I had gotten over that way of thinking when I met you, but that night? I realized how big of a jerk I was." "Sandbar, come here," Ocellus wrapped him in her hooves, pulling him in a tight hug. "You've changed since then and for the better. I've already forgiven you for that because of how you treated me since." Pulling away, she smiled, "Even now, I can still sense your conflicting emotions." "Yeah?" "Sandbar, I'm a Changeling. I can read your and everyone's emotions like an open book. I sensed that you'd made peace, but you're still going to miss us. That you wished that you had enriched your love when you were alive." "You have no idea," Sandbar frowned but nodded in agreement. "Hey, look, if it helps… and if there's an afterlife, maybe you have a second chance with that." "Huh?" Blinking in confusion, he asked her what she meant. "What are ya talking about?" Ocellus smiled slyly, "Let's just say that Yona wasn't the first to have feelings for you," she put a hoof to Sandbar's mouth before he could say anything, "and I'll give you a hint, it's not me. But maybe someone closer to you than you think." "Really?" Sandbar stepped back. "Who?" Her smirk grew. "Oh no, I think you'll have to figure this one out for yourself." Before Sandbar could inquire further, he noticed that he was starting to fade. "Sandbar? What's happening?" Ocellus asked, concerned. "I think my time's about up," He looked at her with a smile. "Goodbye, Ocellus, and remember to be kind to yourself." "Sandbar?" Ocellus reached out to him, but her hoof went through. She was helpless to see her friend fade away into nothing. Her focus was on his caring eyes and calm smile as he disappeared. Even if it was a dream, she told herself that the strange encounter brought her tranquility that she had a hard time finding for several days. Perhaps her mind made it up, but she couldn't argue that sense of catharsis she so desperately needed. Sandbar might be gone, but Ocellus felt that she was done crying. Her friends still need her, and she'll do what she can to make the lives of her remaining friends better. Gallus wasn't surprised to learn that Starlight was dreaming about herself in her office, nor with the rain pouring heavily from outside. The droplets were like the sizes of apples, and they reflected the mood that Starlight had on her face. However, when she saw Gallus appear before her desk, she quickly leached back with a surprised look on her face. "G-Gallus?! But… oh… wait a second..." Starlight shook her head and held a hoof to her forehead. "I'm dreaming. Of course, why else would one of my dead students appear before me?" "Well, you are dreaming, but it's not a normal one," Gallus answered as he leaned back against the seat he was sitting on. "Huh?" Starlight asked, raising her head. "Of course, this is a normal dream. I've lost one of my best students, and my mind is in grief, so you're a manifestation of it." "Not this time Dr. Freud, I'm the real Gallus coming to you live from the afterlife to talk to you in your dreams," Gallus answered with a shake of the head. "Yeah, I know it sounds like a joke, but I'm being serious. And to prove it?" He leaned over and bonked Starlight on the head, which caused her to rub it in pain before her eyes widened. "Remember how you can't get hurt in dreams? Kind of a special case here." ".... Gallus?" Starlight asked, her voice filled with uncertainty. "Is that… you?" "Well I'd say in the flesh, but I think my flesh is getting feasted on by worms by now," Gallus joked. "Actually, Twilight requested you and Sandbar be given stasis spells, so your bodies are preserved for hundreds of years," Starlight pointed out before shaking your head. "But that's not important right now! How are you able to do this?! Wait, you came from the afterlife?! What is it like?! And where is Sandbar?!" "In a nutshell?” Gallus shrugged, “It's nice if a bit weird at times. Look, the reason I'm here is Sandbar and I met somepony who could help us say our final goodbyes to those we love in their dreams. Just three each, though. I already talked to Silverstream and Smolder. You're my last one." Starlight tilted her head. "While I am honored, I'm kinda confused. Silverstream and Smolder I understand, and I take it Sandbar is with Yona and Ocellus, but why me?" "Because..." Gallus took a deep breath. "You remember all the times we talked? About me and… my parents..." Just like it was another council session, Starlight positioned herself to listen and nodded. "I do. It was a difficult topic, but I thought we were able to deal with a lot of your issues when… when you were alive, did we?" There was silence between the two for a moment before Gallus cleared his throat. "Yeah… I… I finally found out what happened to them. Who they were and all." Gallus closed his eyes and did his best to hold back the tears. "They were criminals. They were utter scum. They killed, and robbed, and… they're in the other place right now. They didn't care about me or wanted me. They just abandoned me in Griffinstone before going on their next heist." Gallus sighed before looking up at the ceiling. "The answers I wanted to know my whole life turned out to be ones I never wanted to hear. I'm the product of two utter buttholes who were scum and deserve their fate. I guess I should be lucky they did abandon me, so I didn't follow in their wake." "Gallus," Starlight slowly got up and walked over Gallus before wrapping her forelegs around him. "I'm so sorry." "Thanks, Starlight," Gallus said, hugging back. The two looked at each other as Gallus gave a small smile. "You know? Out of all the adults I had in my life, you were the closest to a Mom I ever had. You were always willing to listen to me and hug me when I talked about my problems. My friends are like family too, but more of the brother and sister type. You, however, were the closest parent figure I had." "I'm glad you thought of me as such, Gallus," Starlight said, with tears in her eyes. "I just wish… I wish I was there to save you… both you and Sandbar." "I know, but nothing can be done about it now," Gallus said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Being dead kinda sucks, but at least I'm not alone. Besides, I know we're all going to meet up again, and I'm going to make the most of the afterlife while I am here." He got up and smiled at Starlight. "Just tell everyone back at the school we're okay. That we love them and… we'll see them again." "I promise," Starlight said, nodding her head. "So… what now?" "Well, I got some time. Want me to tell you about the afterlife?" "Sure, I'm actually kinda curious," Starlight said as she summoned some tea for the both of them. For the rest of his time, Gallus talked about what he and Sandbar had seen and done in the afterlife. Everything from the judgment process to getting their own house to meeting all of Sandbar's deceased family. Although Starlight did chastise Gallus for stabbing himself with knives, only to laugh later when he told her about Sandbar's lame performance. Before the two knew it, Gallus was starting to fade from his last dream. The two just silently looked at each other with a smile. "Guess it's time to go… see ya around," Gallus said as he faded away. "Goodbye, Gallus," Starlight said with tears in her eyes. "Go rest in peace." By the time he left, Starlight had looked out the window and saw that the rain had stopped. It was now bright and sunny. The first thing that Sandbar could register was the thunder. At first, he slipped on the slick floor, feeling the cold rain hit his fur before falling in the other direction. His hooves reached out and grabbed on the first solid thing he could hold on to. Pulling himself up, he looked around his surroundings. He was on a sailboat in the worst spot one could be - a storm in the middle of the sea. It was hard to see from the inky clouds overhead that he couldn't tell if it was day or night. The only sources of light were from a few lanterns and the sudden flashes of lightning overhead. This small ship was being tossed among the waves this way and that, where Sandbar thought this little boat would capsize into the threatening, icy waters. His ears were being pained by the constant roar of the wind and thunder of the storm. He spotted his sister, trying to take hold of the ship's wheel that fought against her. Dread stabbed at Sandbar's heart as he realized that his sister wasn’t having a dream; it was a nightmare. Remembering to use his wings, Sandbar flew over to her. "Coral! What do you think you're doing?!" Coral tried to wipe the rain out of her eyes, "Who's there? I can't see you!" "You shouldn't be sailing in a storm!" Sandbar called out. Instinctively flew next to his sister, taking hold of the wheel. "Are the sails drawn up?" "I did that a long time ago, but I still need to get to the harbor!" "You won't be in this weather!" In a lightning flash, Sandbar saw a rope nearby. So he tied one of the spokes of the wheel to hold it in place. "Come on down." "What?" "I said get below deck!" Sandbar grabbed her hoof, "You need to get out of the storm!" "Who are you?" Coral called out in the roar of the wind. Sandbar didn't answer. Even in a dream, he needed to get her to safety. Finding a hatch that opened to a steep flight of stairs, he dragged her down into the dark, closing the trapdoor behind them. "Okay, now I can hear," Coral said, searching for something in the darkness. "Who are you? How did you get on board?" "Didn't you see me up there?" "I was sailing blind out there with all the rain hitting my face. And the wind and thunder were so loud that I could barely hear. Now, where is that- Ah! Found it!" There was the sound of clinking glass and a match trying to ignite. Finally, there was a small light that illuminated Coral's dripping face. She guided the tiny flame to a lantern. "There we go. Now we can see," she turned the flame up, and the cramp, dark cabin lit up. "So who are yo…" She saw the face of her brother, dripping wet with a halo overhead and a pair of wings. Her free hoof covered her mouth, her eyes tearing up. "Hi, Sis," Sandbar weakly waved, "so I think I owe you an explanation, huh?" "Is… Is that really…" Coral couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Setting the lantern down, she rushed to hug her big brother. Sandbar hugged her back, stroking her mane as she cried on his shoulder. "It's okay. I'm here now." He pulled her away to dry her tears. "Hopefully, things will be alright now." After a sniff, Coral pushed him away. "Coral! What was that-" "I thought you were dead!" Coral lashed out at him. "Do you have any idea how hard I cried when mom and dad told me what happened?! I was at your funeral and every…" She trailed off at the sudden realization. "Wait… No, you are dead. I saw your body, and your friend, and-" "Yeah," Sandbar nodded. "Long story short, I saw. And yeah, I've already kicked the bucket." "So how-" "There's a way to reach out to the living through dreams. But that's not important right now." Sandbar reached out to put a hoof on her shoulder. "I have so much I wanted to say, and there's so little time. And the funny thing is, I don't know where to start." "Did you hear what I said about you at the funeral?" Sandbar nodded. "I meant every word of it. Sand, I know we haven't been close, but I did look up to you because you're always the big hero. I do want to be what you ar- were." Coral corrected herself. "You were so cool, like you're one of those heroes from my storybooks that just came to life. Having you save the world and all that. Then… when I found out you died, suddenly all that came crashing down." She rubbed her foreleg, "I almost didn't want to believe that someone as good as you could end up like that. When mom and dad told me, I thought they were lying. Heros always come back. Only… you didn't." Sandbar let out a deep breath. As the ship still rocked, the angel propped himself against a wall, trying to think of a response. "Did you know that I used to look up to someone? That I had a hero that was a role model of mine once?" "I… don't think so?" "Yeah, Rockhoof." Sandbar nodded. "When I was little, I wanted to be like him because of his bravery and determination to keep everypony safe. Defend them from whatever dangers that came their way, even when some didn't think he could do it. I had read quite a bit of the legend surrounding him, but there was one that stuck out to me. It was the story where he and the Pillars had to sacrifice themselves to seal away the Pony of Shadows. At first, I couldn't understand why someone like Rockhoof would voluntarily choose to give up his life. As a colt, I thought all heroes return after doing a good deed. But slowly, I began to learn about what sacrifice was - the whole concept, I mean." "What does that have to do with anything?" "It means that sometimes when you're fighting for something bigger than yourself, that if it means putting yourself before others so they could be protected, then you go headfirst into danger. Not for glory, but do so that you, mom and dad, and the world would still be free at least one more day. I died so that others wouldn't have to. It's sad, I know, but maybe there's honor in fighting for a noble cause, even if I don't come back. I'm no soldier, just a pony that tries to do the right thing. And personally, Coral, I don't consider myself as a hero, just a guy that's trying to protect those that I care for." "And that's why you're a hero." Coral nuzzled him. "It's gonna be okay in the end. Someday I'll see you guys again. It may take a while, and I'll have to wait, but as long as I know that you and mom and dad are going to be alright, then I'll have nothing to worry about." Coral's ears perked up, her head turned this way and that as she tried to listen for something. "Hey, you hear that?" "What?" "It's quiet now. I think the storm is over." She went up the steep stairs and pushed open the trap door, letting in the sun's rays in. Stepping out onto the deck, they saw that the sea had calmed, and the waves were gentle. They looked up to find the storm clouds were moving away. "This reminds me of a quote from Dawn Lemon," Sandbar said, "Everything will be alright in the end. And if it's not, then it's not the end." Looking down at his hoof, he noticed that he was starting to fade. "Sandbar?" Coral waved a hoof at him, only for it to go right through. "What's happening?" "My time’s up, Coral. When you wake up, can you tell mom and dad I love them?" She nodded, "I will. Love you, big bro." "Love you, little sis." Sandbar smiled as he slowly disappeared. "I'll see you guys later." A moment later, Sandbar was gone. Strangely, Coral wasn't overcome with grief but a relief in knowing that her brother, although dead, will be alright. "We'll see you later." Gallus and Sandbar had left the club soon after Sandbar returned from his dream with Coral. They were offered a free round at the bar, but the two were just too tired and wanted to head to bed. Arriving back at home, the two slowly entered inside and made their way to the stairs where their bedrooms lay. "So... you had sex with Silverstream?" Sandbar asked. "Yeah, I guess it just kinda happened. I didn't expect to give Silver a wet dream, but..." Gallus admitted as he blushed. "I'm just saying, you should have done it with Yona when you had the chance." "Nah, I think what we did with our last moments together was more than enough," Sandbar said as he made his way to his room. "Well, I guess we better-" "Can I sleep with you?" Sandbar's eyes widened as Gallus blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "N-No! Not like what Silverstream and I did… but… just…” He breathed in, “I think tonight… I want to sleep beside a friend. Just with all that happened today… I don't feel like being alone." Sandbar sighed in relief before smiling. "Sure, I think I could use a cuddle buddy too." "Don't say that ever again," Gallus said but smiled nonetheless as he walked inside. The two silently lay down together, holding one another both in sorrow and at peace. While their lives may have ended, they both felt more relaxed that everything was now going to work out. Their friends and family were now given the strength to finally move on. As for the two of them? Well, eternity awaits for them tomorrow morning.
Chapter 5"Okay, what's wrong?" Spring River asked, setting a plate of cookies down. "Huh?" Both Gallus and Sandbar looked up from their dining room table. "It's just after a week from giving you the tour, I can't help but notice that you boys seemed… well, distant. Did something happen?" "Kinda," Sandbar replied, picking up a chocolate chip cookie. He hesitated for a moment before explaining further. "It's just… we've found a way to make peace with the fact that we're… you know." "Yes, dead, Sandy. It's not a taboo subject." "Sorry, we're still new to this." "I know, but that's not what's gotten you boys down, isn't it?" "Yeah." Gallus mindlessly munched on a cookie. "So, question for you: what did you do after you ended up here?" "Oh." Spring River blinking, "Is that what this is about?" "Well, the thing is-” Gallus took a moment to swallow "-all that stuff we were so concerned about in life? Well, its kinda pointless now. I mean one day, we’re turning in assignments on time, passing a test, defeating the monster of the week. And suddenly we get killed in one fell swoop, and even after coming to terms of pushing up daisies… well, now what? I know that for many, just getting here is the end goal. But when you do get here, what do you do with the rest of eternity?" Spring sat down next to them. "Well, whatever you want. Just because you're dead doesn't mean that you can't keep on living. I mean, there are folks in this town alone that continue what they're familiar with in life. For example, down in Sweet Apple Acres, the family doesn't need to tend to the apples or harvest them. Yet, they do it because it's what they know and love to do. Sandbar, your grandfather never attended college after we got married, but here, he was able to graduate." "Sure but…" Sandbar sighed, "it doesn't exactly feel like home without our friends being here. Besides, the school isn't here. And since we don't need to fight any monsters or mad super villains, there's not much for us to do here." His grandmother hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe there is." "What?" both Sandbar and Gallus tilted their heads. "As it so happens, there's a tradition here in Heaven. That those newly arrived would be set off on their own to travel wherever they roam, to find a new meaning in the afterlife. Think of it as a rite of passage." "Wait," Sandbar raised a hoof, "I thought you've already given us the tour?" "Around Equestria, yes. Even then, it doesn't begin to cover what's here. Or outside of Equestria, for that matter. After all, the world - especially in Heaven - is a vast place." "But where would we go?" Gallus questioned. "And wouldn't we need to pack for something that big and expensive?" The grandmother laughed, "Dearie, you don't need to pack. Don't you know you can take this home with you? There's a way that you can fold all of this up and carry it around in your pocket. But I'm getting off track. The point is that you'll be free to go anywhere. Carry yourselves by the winds and waters, roam in a forest, explore the deserts, climb mountains, or sail across oceans. Perhaps you'll take up fishing, become a monk, finish your schooling, or find someone to settle down with. You'll cease being Wandering Spirits when you find out what you want to do with your afterlife." "Wandering Spirits?" Sandbar blinked in confusion. "It's the name for those who undergo the tradition," she smiled. "In a way, it's like a glorified road trip, but I would encourage both of you to undergo it. I think it’ll be good for you. Why it's the first thing my husband and I did when we got back together. And the places we went to! Southern Prance, the Fillypine Islands, Istanbull, Casaflanka, Griffonstone, Shangha-" Gallus's ears perked up, "Sorry, what was that part?" "Shanghay?" "No, the one before that. Did you go to Griffonstone? Why? That place is a dump. I should know. I lived there." "Maybe in the mortal world, but not here. You see, in Heaven, all those ancient civilizations like Southern Equestria or the Pegasi Empire - not only are they still around, but they've thrived. With Griffonstone, they say it looked better than it did at its height. It's a beautiful place to go to. "But even then, there are so many things you could do on this journey. There're festivals you can see, battles you can fight without dying, go to concerts from musicians that have passed on. Maybe visit the more truly unique places in Heaven. Like the What If library in Griffonstone. Or visit the Past Lives museum where, if you were reincarnated, you could see what you did from long ago. I think that one's in... Shire Lanka? Perhaps you might come across Life and Death in their office if you want to know what the meaning of existence is." Sandbar blinked, "Life and Death?" His grandmother nodded, "They're a married couple. Life could tell you endless stories where you'll never get bored, and Death, she has a wicked dry sense of humor." She said before taking a cookie. "Oh, and by the way, all of that stuff is just from the top of my head. There's so much more in Heaven than what's on the surface." Sandbar looked over to his friend, "I think we should do this." "What? This Wandering Spirits thing? You heard what your grandma said. We could put our lives back together, go back to school without saving the world all the time. But you wanna do that?" "Why not? There's nothing really to tie us down anyway. We don't have to go to school or get a job unless we want to. Nothing is making us, and we could go wherever, do whatever. It'll be like the ultimate vacation where we can travel anywhere and carry this place with us. So c'mon, where do you wanna go?" "You're serious?" "Yeah! Where have you always wanted to go but never got the chance? Mexicolt? Istally? The Frozen North? Just name a place, and let's go there." Gallus let out an exhausted sigh, running a claw over his head. "Dude, I mean… if Heaven's roughly the same size as our world, just getting to any of those places will take a while." "As the old saying goes," Spring commented after eating another cookie. "Sometimes, it's not just the destination, but the journey that makes travel so meaningful. Even if it takes years, I recommend both of you should still go. It'll be good for you. In fact, we'll throw a going away party before you set off to this wide world." "Please…" Sandbar begged as a foal would to a parent. Gallus stared back at those sea emerald, puppy eyes. The griffon could swear that those eyes shone like diamonds. This look of innocence, this modest plea for a new kind of adventure, warmed his heart. It's not easy to say no to something like that. "Alright, you've twisted my arm. We'll head out tomorrow." "Yes!" Sandbar hugged his friend tightly. "This is gonna be so much fun!" In that moment of his friend's embrace, Gallus could swear that his cheeks were feeling warm. Not that he wasn't happy for Sandbar - he was - especially to be this up close to the excited pony. At the same time, that haunting feeling returned, where his heart pumped something anxiously welcoming. It was as if in that moment when Sandbar was tightening his hug, that Gallus could almost hear the whisper of Silverstream's promise in his ear. Spring applauded. "Wonderful! I must get the family together for the big send-off. In the meantime, how about you two start figuring out where you're going to be heading off first?” Getting up to steal a few more cookies, she added, "Sandbar, your grandfather is gonna be so proud of you!" "You're leaving?" Sandbar asked. "Right now?" "Well, there's so much to do in such little time. But I'll worry about that while you boys come up with some idea where you're going," she kissed her grandson's forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow." After they said goodbye and his grandmother left, Sandbar turned to Gallus. "You haven't answered my question. Where do you like to go?" Gallus munched on another cookie in thought. Upon swallowing, he replied, "Probably a sandy beach with no one on it." The memory of the farewell party was still fresh in Gallus and Sandbar's minds. A family gathering that wished them luck with their wanderings through Heaven. But if they were being honest, their memories of it were somewhat blurry. There were hugs and hoofshakes, along with countless suggestions of where they might go in case they ran out of ideas. Before they left, they were gifted with a compass that guided them towards the destination they're heading towards instead of pointing north. As for packing, it was less of a hassle than they thought. Next to the crystal front door, there was an imprint of a leaf that looked identical to their home's leaves. So plucking one of the leaves and inserting it into the imprint, they watched with amazement the branches, windows, and trunk of the treehouse shrunk before their eyes. All of it was getting smaller and smaller, folding itself ever more compact until their home reverted into a walnut. They found it was light and that they could carry their home with everything in it anywhere with them. After the final goodbye from Sandbar's family, the two set off flying towards their first of many destinations - the Fillypines. They set up their home a short trot away from a beach that looked like the kind they have often seen on advertisements and postcards. A clean, white sandy beach that stretched for miles without any sign of another soul around. The sand was powdery but never hot to the touch. Above them, the sun shined down with a warm but never baking light. Now and then, a straying cloud hovers by. A gentle breeze carried the distant scent of banana, coconut, orange blossom, and sea salt in the air. The waves of the sea were soft, and the horizon beyond being flat. And by the beach, a line of palms swayed with the breeze. It was on these palms that Gallus and Sandbar lay in hammocks, their heads resting on pillows, a freshly made smoothie in coconuts in their hoof and claw. All the while, a small radio played soft love songs in the Fillypinian language. Neither of them understood what the singers were saying, but it sounded nice. "Ya know," Gallus commented, looking straight up at the twin palms that held him, watching the leaves sway, "I don't think I've ever been to a beach like this when I was alive." "No?" Sandbar looked over to him. "Not even at Mount Aris?" "I mean, I've never been to a tropical one before, especially when the water isn't cold when you step in. Unless you're a seapony, the water there is icy. I guess it has its charms but nothing like this place." "That makes sense," Sandbar nodded. "Back when I was growing up, my parents would take me along the Equestrian beaches up and down, both east and west coast. Every time I went, I was struck by how different the beaches were. Like near the south, it's kinda like this with sand and warmer water. But up north, they tend to get more rocky and cold." "Wait, why did your parents drag you along?" "Partly because I've always had a soft spot for the sea, and partly because it was my parents job at the time. Marine biologists. I've learned a lot from them, like how to swim, what sea creatures were safe and which weren't, how to build sandcastles, and even how to sail at one point. Kinda sad that we stopped doing that." Gallus looked over to Sandbar, "Do you miss it?" "On some days, yeah. But then when I went to the School of Friendship, I ended up finding you guys. Sure, I'll miss those days by the sea; but weirdly, I think I value being around you guys near the lake more. I guess just being with the friends you care about makes a whole world of difference." "Yeah…" Gallus looked away towards the waves that ebbed to and fro. "Hey Sandbar? Mind if I ask you something personal?" Sandbar shifted in his hammock. "How personal is personal?" "Close enough, I guess, but I was thinking about how you said that you're… Pansexual? Isn't it?" "Yeah, why?" "Well, how come you didn't say anything like that when we were alive?" Sandbar raised an eyebrow. "I thought I did." "Have you?" "I… Yeah. Yeah, I did. I came out with it last year." "When?" "I don't know… I think before summer break last year. Don't you remember? That time when we went camping near the Castle of the Two Sisters. When we were roasting marshmallows that night, I came out to you guys. As I recall, Smolder was confused as she never heard of the term before. She thought that it meant that I was attracted to pots and pans." He chuckled. "Huh…" Gallus blinked. "All I remember was listening to a story from Silverstream all night. Something about the history of the Hippogriff Kingdom, I think? Chances are I was probably distracted, and that piece of info went over my head." Then after a beat, he added, "Uh… dumb question. What does Pansexual mean again?" "Well, I like the one that Starlight gave - she was the one that helped piece it together." 'Of course, she did.' Gallus thought, but he heard his friend answer. "It means that I'm capable of having an emotional, sexual (or both) attraction to any sex and gender of another, regardless of who it is. That on some level, I can find nearly anyone appealing and appreciate someone for who they are. Mind you, that's the oversimplified explanation." "Is that right…" "What about you?" "Huh?" "With you just coming out as bisexual, how come you didn't come out when we were alive?" For a long time, he didn't hear a response from his friend. All heard were the breeze and the call of seagulls. "Gallus?" "It's… complicated." Sandbar sat up a bit. "How come?" Gallus didn’t reply for a long, awkward pause. "You might think it's stupid." "Well, what is it?" The griffon breathed deeply, "For the most part… I was afraid… and embarrassed." "Why?" "Oh, where do I begin? Where do I end?" Gallus rolled over to look at Sandbar. "For starters, in Griffonstone where I grew up, the whole being gay thing, like being flamboyant, being interested in stuff girls were into, or just being a little too… friendly with someone the same sex as you... Let's just say that it wasn't a tolerable place. And you know what? For a long, long time, I bought into that. I had believed that being gay was the worst thing ever. In Griffonstone, if you were even suspected of having that kind of attraction... Well, you're not gonna live very long." Laying down to look overhead, he continued. "So by the time when I entered school, I've always thought I was straight. I mean, I liked girls before, so I had no reason to be thinking otherwise…" Sandbar raised an eyebrow, "But…?" Gallus sighed, "Let's just say… that before I got to know Silver a little better… there was a student there that threw me into doubt. Turned my world upside-down while giving it a good shake." "Really?" "Yeah," Gallus nodded, looking away to hide his blush, pausing for a moment to think of his next words carefully, "the guy… as embarrassing as this is to admit it... he was my first real crush, y-he unintentionally for me put two and two together. Of course, my heart still went to Silverstream, but ever since, I kept in mind that I wasn't entirely… straight." "But why didn't you tell any of us before? I mean, does Starlight know?" Gallus shook his head, "It's a secret that I took to the grave. I didn't say anything because if I did, I thought I might not have friends anymore. I thought I might not have a decent education if they knew. Or if I went back to Griffonstone with everygriff knowing that I liked guys too, I might as well paint a target on my chest. I know not being able to come out is soul-crushing, but it's the price I'm willing to pay for things like safety, food, shelter, education, friendship… even love itself. I thought it would be worth it." "Dude, we wouldn't have minded. Even if someone like Silverstream knew, I'd bet she wouldn't have seen it as a deal-breaker. I mean, when I came out a year ago, did you ever see any of the girls acting any differently towards me?" "Well… no." "We would still have accepted you for who you are. You're our friend, and even finding yourself liking dudes wouldn't change that." Gallus muttered something under his breath, but Sandbar didn't hear it. "By the way, who was it?" "Who?" "That first crush of yours." Gallus's face turned bright red. "Is it someone we know?" ".... Well… maybe." Sandbar smirked, "Handsome?" Gallus didn't reply. "C'mon dude, you can tell me." "It wouldn't have mattered," Gallus grumbled. "Because uh… I found out later he liked someone else." "Oh…" Sandbar's ears folded flat against his head. "I'm sorry." "No… I never got the chance to tell 'em either. It wouldn't have worked out anyway. Wouldn't… like me back." "Okay, now you're just being unfair with yourself." Gallus rolled over on his side to face his friend. "What does that mean?" "Well, I think you are lovable, probably more than you give yourself credit for. If not Silverstream, then any creature else would have been lucky to have you." "Over what?" Gallus questioned with a cocked eyebrow. "What about me that anyone insane enough would see me as lovable?" Sandbar swung his hindlegs to sit on the edge of the hammock without falling out. "Let's see… For starters - and to be blunt - maybe it's because I don't know many griffons, but you have a body to die for." Gallus's eyebrow remained as high as his skepticism. "Are you referring to the movie theater incident?" "Hey, I'm just saying," Sandbar held up his forehooves. "Your feline butt aside, you uh… (how do I put this…?) You're overall… fit." "Fit?" "Yeah, I mean you've always kept yourself healthy and have a good amount of muscles that makes you so well balanced. Sure, you're no bodybuilder, but I like how strong you get. But you never go crazy with it. Your claws could easily break something, but you're always gentle with them, even when you could do otherwise. And your eyes? Well, they're the same color as the ocean, but I can see that they're the kind where it could be vulnerable with you if you let it." Gallus blushed but tried to hide it, "Yeah? Is that all?" "No. There are other things too, besides the physical stuff. Now I can't speak for everyone, but personally, I like how resourceful you are when the occasion calls for it. I like how you tried to keep all of us together, even when we don't always agree. In a way, we've always felt safe around you when we were in trouble. That you told us the truth about ourselves, regardless if we wanted to hear it. You are in some ways mature, but not so much that you're a stick-in-the-mud. I know you wanted to present yourself as this tough guy, but really, it's during those times when you trust us enough to be vulnerable that really says a lot more. "Point being," he smiled, "if I can pick out all of those traits that I find loveable, surely someone else would too." "Would…" Gallus started to ask but trailed off. "Forget it." "What?" "Nevermind," Gallus sat up from his hammock. "I'm starting to think we might start thinking about where to go next." Sandbar raised an eyebrow, "Changing the subject, are we? Well, it sounds like you're trying to avoid-" "Can we please figure out where we're going next?" Gallus interrupted. A thought came to Sandbar before he replied back. It was clear from his friend's body language that he seemed uncomfortable. For the most part, he realized that Gallus couldn't look at him in the eye while he explained his friend's lovable side. He was hiding something, Sandbar realized. On the other hoof, it wasn’t out of character for Gallus as he was the more mysterious type. Someone who wouldn’t reveal all his cards at once, so to speak. However, it didn’t prevent Sandbar from wondering what was eating him. ".... Sure." Sandbar finally said, hopping out of the hammock and onto the sand. "Where would you like to go next?" "Where's the map?" "In your claw." "Huh?" Gallus looked down to see that he was holding the Heavenly pamphlet. "I swear the laws of reality are broken some days…" He muttered as he unfolded it. "Maybe we should do something interesting." "Yeah? What do you have in mind?" Humming, Gallus eyed over the map of Heaven. There were exotic places they could go to, but the griffon was in the mood for something thrilling. Not like going on a roller coaster nor being pushed over in a barrel down Neighegra Falls. Something where the danger is great, but the concern is low. Then, up north between Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom's lands, Gallus spotted the territory of the Old Helm. There near the snowy ground, he spotted the name of a place that filled him with ideas. Smiling, he folded up the pamphlet and got off the hammock. "Let's pack up the house. We're heading North-West." "Why?" Sandbar questioned, "Where are we going?" Gallus looked back at him, his mischievous grin growing more expansive, "Oh, to a little place called... Valhalla." To the east of Trottingham and north of the old Griffon Kingdom where the land meets the sea, the dry grassland meets the snow, lays a battlefield. Gallus and Sandbar flew near and were struck by how massive this land was fenced off. It was a single land area encompassing portions of the sea, a mountain, parts of forests, hills, and grassland. It was the size of a city, yet it lay barren save for the noticeable creators, broken weapons and armor, and war machines that were unguarded. Above this was a massive storm cloud that hovered over this piece of land. Connected between it and the ground was a rainbow bridge where souls were escorted upwards. So flying just above the bridge, they were led to a floating island above the storm. The first thing they noticed was a tall, golden tree with bright red leaves that shaded a massive hall with a scally roof made up of hundreds of thousands of golden shields. Eventually, they found themselves in an enormous hall with hundreds of doors and gates. Entering inside, they saw that all around them was constructed and pieces together from weapons from its walls to the doorknobs. The columns from the eastern gate were made out of cannons, the titanic twin doors were forged with thousands of swords, and even the floor they entered was covered with spear staffs and arrows. "I gotta admit," Sandbar commented as they entered the great hall, "Valhalla is so metal. I could think of so many punk bands that would kill to perform here." "Tell me about it," Gallus agreed, "This place is like every war nut's dream come true." Upon entering the vast hall, there wasn't a part of Valhalla that wasn't decorated with the instruments of war. Such as a hearth of raring fire made out of cannonballs or chandeliers welded together with bayonets. On the ceiling, crossbows served as rafters to hold up the shields along with bows of every kind, size, and description. There were tables and benches made of armor that were flattened out with chain mail strewn over like tablecloths. Yet, all around, they saw soldiers from different places and periods of time. Even historical enemies who not only were in the same room but they played games together, drank in contests, and even engaged in some roughhousing with whatever weapons they'd picked up. It was, in a way, very surreal, and that was saying something considering what they've seen in the afterlife so far. They saw Neighpoleon in the middle of an intense game of chess with Julius Kaiser. Over by one of the mammoth barrels of mead, a unicorn knight was toasting his drink with a dragon. And on one of the tables, armed with a spear and an eye-shamed shield, a Zebra spar off with a tomahawk wielding buffalo. "Looks like we found out what Smolder's idea of Heaven is," Gallus joked. "I've noticed." Sandbar observed, stopping just in time as an ax flew past him and hit one of the columns. "So remind me why we're here again?" "Because of something I've wanted to do ever since I found out this place is real, something about what I heard about Vallhalla." "Isn't this supposed to be the resting place for fallen warriors?" "That, but from what I've heard, there's a story behind this place. It's said that between now and Ragnarok, these guys have ways of training themselves when it happens by having a battle every day." "Not on Wednesdays because that's our movie night," spoke a new voice. The two of them looked behind them to see an old but strong griffon. Twice the size of Gallus, this silvery red griff had on heavy Viking armor made of heavy chainmail with a leathery outer layer. On his head was a silvery helmet that fused with a light, winged crown. However, most noticeable of all was the two ravens perched on his shoulders and a scar that forever closed one eye. "And it's a real treat when we get to make fun of a poorly made film that depicts war." He chuckled, "That 300 movie never stood a chance." Gallus blinked, ".… You're not-" "Odin?" The gigantic griffon replied with a chirp. "All-Father of the Gods, Husband of Frigg, life-giver, God of War and Knowledge, Mr. One-Eye… I could go on, but yup! That's me." He patted them on the back. "I was beginning to wonder when either of you would show up." "You were expecting us?" Sandbar asked, taken aback. "Well, from what I've gathered, you two are warriors with a common cause. Frankly, I'm shocked neither of you entered these gates sooner." He turned to Gallus, "You, while being cornered, fended off foes in those caves with nothing more than your wits, and you," he turned to Sandbar, "Got your friends out to safety and not abandoning him. Such deeds have earned a place of honor." Sandbar blinked. "How did you know-" "The ravens," Gallus interrupted with a snap of his talons. "I almost forgot, in mythology, the ravens tend to act as spies for Odin." "In a sense," Odin replied matter-of-factly. "They also tell me that you've taken up the journey of Wandering Spirits and that you were heading this way." He patted them on the back. "Your timing is most excellent because soon, we are about to begin our war games. Today's capture the flag. Would either of you care to join in?" "Wait, neither of us has had any official martial trai-" Before Gallus could finish, Odin snapped his talons. Instantly, memories of fighting in armed combat entered their heads as if a book got crammed inside. There was a brief moment where the two had a headache, but soon that faded. "Um... how do I suddenly know how to kill a pony in sixteen different ways with just my hooves alone?" Sandbar asked. "And why do I know ancient sword techniques from the Warlords Era?" Gallus asked. Odin chuckled before answering. "'Tiss nothing more than a small boost of knowledge I have given you. A simple handicap to help you in the fight. Over time you'll develop your own skills the more you come here, but for now, I'd like your first experience to be fun. Now then!" With a wave of his claw, Sandbar found himself wearing red knight-like armor similar to the guards at Canterlot, while Gallus wore a set of blue leather armor and cape. "What weapons would you like to have?" ".... Um, a spear, I guess?" Gallus said before, out of the skies, a spear landed in front of him like a bolt of lighting. It was bright gold with a jeweled encrusted blade. Taking it into his claws, Gallus swung it around and did some air jabs like he had been training with the weapon since birth. "Woah, cool!" "And for you, Sandbar?" Odin asked. "Hmm, I suppose the classic sword and shield?" A flash of white light appeared before Sandbar, and he found his front right hoof holding a silver shield with his cutie mark on it while sheathed around his waist was a blue-handled sword with an angel-like wing design for the handle. Pulling it out with his teeth, the sword was also silver with some runes on it. "Now that you are both armed and ready, are there any other questions before you begin your first battle?" Odin asked. "Um, I guess one," Sandbar asked. "We're already dead, so what happens if you… get killed in battle?" "Oh, you shall be placed in a death-like sleep until the match is over. Don't worry. You won't feel anything serious. Just a pinch, and then you'll be out like a candle," Odin said before raising his claws. "Now, let us begin our glorious combat!" Strikes of lightning smite both of heaven's new residents along with several others and warped them away before Odin himself disappeared in a flash. Both armies stood, waiting for that signal that would begin the fight. Blue and Red stood across from one another, separated by a grassy field. These armies were made up of every kind of warrior throughout history. A collage of soldiers stood ready, from cave ponies with bone clubs to the more modern snipers that waited in the threes. Here a legion of plated Pegsi from the old Empire positioned above. There, a cavalry of Samurai was contemplating strategy. Behind these armies, proudly presented on hills, were the flags of each respecting army. At the foot of each hill, they were heavily guarded by those who had gunpowder-based weapons. Standing in position behind a trench, with cannons loaded and bayonets fixed. The final line of defense if those with more ancient weapons fail. In the Red Army, Sandbar scanned the field, wondering where Gallus might be. Yet, so many were participating in this battle that he couldn't easily pick out where among hundreds, perhaps thousands, he was. All he knew was that this battle's goal was simple - capture the enemy's flag, and you win the game. Then, somewhere from above, a trumpet sounded, singling for both armies to charge. Knights galloped towards a militia of musket welding hoof soldiers. Dragons were flying towards Ancient Southern Equestrian archers. It was a confusion of clanging swords, exploding cannons, twinging of arrows, shouts of orders, banging of shields, roars of fire and gas. Limbs were chopped, rows of soldiers shot, explosions created holes in the ground, and yet, neither side gave way to the other. Among the fury, Sandbar charged. He followed their example of unsheathing their swords with the other warriors beside him, galloping at full speed towards the oncoming army. Tunnel-visioned, he galloped straight through the clashes of tumbling bodies, over the fire, and swords towards the hill. There were many close calls now and then among the chaos. Blades that came dangerously close to his neck, cannonballs almost tossed him aside, and arrows that nearly hit their target. Fortunately, the other soldiers provided tremendous help as they either took the hit or blocked those blows when he didn't notice them. It was a whirlwind of confusion as weapons, bodies, and earth seemed to rain down. Time has become lost amongst the fighting, as each side clashes, trying to pass the other to get to the hills. Bullets, cannonballs, arrows from every direction whizzed and banged - in front, behind, the left, and the right. It was like trying to run during an earthquake. Although Sandbar wasn't too sure if he saw blood, he saw limbs and heads being chopped and cleaved. At times he could swear that he saw limbs beneath him. But he wasn't confident as one thought ruled above all else - get to the other side. Even among this intense fighting, Sandbar kept his eyes peeled for Gallus. Perhaps he'd been hit already, or maybe he could attempt to ambush him at any moment. Then, as he got close enough towards the enemy's hill, just enough that he could see the wall of sandbags, he saw him. With a section of the trench blown into a creator, Gallus bravely stood his ground, desperately doing all he could to keep the Red Army back. With the spear in his claws, he jabbed, spun, and stabbed anyone who dared to come near. Sandbar could see that his friend was heaving as if he was doing this for hours, fending off waves upon waves of warriors without taking a breath. Clenching onto his weapons, Sandbar charged at the nearly exhausted griffon. He was screaming out a warcry with the shield in front and sword raised. It didn't catch Gallus off guard, but he acted quickly. The griffon swiftly ducked while swinging his spear, thus tripping the young stallion. But before he could be killed, Sandbar, thinking fast, raised his shield in time. The spear was stopped, but the tip went straight through the protection. So Sandbar pulled the shield off, taking the spear away and leaving Gallus unarmed. Once he was up, the stallion charged with his sword about to hack at the griffon's head. But Gallus wasn't ready to give up. His talons felt the dirt beneath him and tossed it in Sandbar's face. Now blinded, Gallus got out of the way to disarm his friend, knocking the sword to the ground. Sandbar, with dirt in his eye and at full gallop, ran into the sandbag wall. While the stallion tried to whip the soil from his eyes quickly, Gallus took hold of the sword and jumped at his friend. One claw at Sandbar's neck, and the other pointing the blade at his face. Wide-eyed, Sandbar knew what was coming next. In this battle, he was about to be killed by his friend. And yet, among the chaos and the thought that all was lost, something curious happened. Gallus hesitated. Although it would have been so easy just to end him right there, the griffon froze. In all the times that Sandbar knew him, especially when it came to things like saving the world, Gallus wasn't the kind to shy away defending his friends, yet now... However, before either of them could react, Gallus cried out in pain as two arrows from somewhere in the battle hit him right in the spine. On instinct, Sandbar grabbed Gallus before he could fall and held him as the griffin began to cough. Despite feeling no blood in the wound, Sandbar could tell the arrows were deep as Gallus' eyes slowly began to close. Even though he knew that Gallus wouldn't be dead for real, seeing such a realistic rendition of death made Sandbar flashback to the cave. The bolts of energy that burned the flesh of his friend as he lay dying on Sandbar's back. Gallus' eyes finally closed as he let out one last breath before going limp in Sandbar's hooves. A single tear dripped down Sandbar's cheek, despite the idea of knowing this was a game. Yet, for some reason, it didn't feel like a game anymore. Sandbar didn't think long afterward as something went right through his own back and through his chest. Looking down, he saw a sharp spear going right through where his heart was before blacking out. Sandbar's limp body fell on top of Gallus' as the bloody conflict continued around them without caring for their lifeless bodies. So the battle raged on for another two hours until, at last, the blue army claimed the red flag on the other hill. A trumpet sounded, and it was over. In an instant, Gallus woke up and felt something sitting on top of his stomach. Groaning, his eyes opened before winding as he felt his breath-hold. There, inches before him, was Sandbar's face all pale and lifeless with his lips close to his own. The griffin blushed upon seeing just how close he had come to kissing Sandbar, or rather Sandbar still in his death state. Seeing the pony's color returning to his face and slowly waking up, Gallus gently helped them both up as Sandbar shook his head. "Wait, is it over?" "Yeah, looks like we got killed," Gallus said as he saw other soldiers from both sides congratulating and saluting each other as if they just finished a sport. "You know, it was kinda fun… until we had to face each other." "Well, I'm kinda surprised," Sandbar said as the two walked off the battlefield. "You had me right there, and you didn't kill me. Why?" ".... I just couldn't do it," Gallus admitted, shrugging. "I mean, I know you would have been fine, but still… I kinda feel like I let my team down now." "Well, if it helps, I think I kinda would have hesitated as well," Sandbar admitted with a smile. "Still, despite that happening, I really got a sense of adrenaline. Do you… want to do another round?" ".... If we do, then we need to be ready to kill the other one," Gallus pointed out. "We can't hesitate… so..." "So what?" Sandbar asked. "What do you say we duel a few times? To the death? At least until we've killed each other at least once," Gallus suggested. "That way, we can get used to the idea of fighting and murdering the other on the battlefield. 'Cause I kinda want to give it my all both to the team and to you." "Hmm, okay!" Sandbar chirped. "Let's find Odin and see if he can give us a place to duel for a bit." The two nodded to each other and proceeded to look for the ancient god. As it turns out, in Valhalla, there is a room meant for dueling. Odin led Gallus and Sandbar to a large room wherein there was a deep hole with sand in the bottom. "I partially got the idea from the Pegasi," Odin explained, "with the gladiatorial games, it made me think we could use them for more one-on-one fights." "Okay," Gallus raised an eyebrow, "So why the hole?" "With Valhalla being made entirely out of weapons, I prefer to keep this great hall standing without everyone disassembling it. Besides, the pit will make it so that both of you will have only your weapons, and it wouldn't make such a big mess." "Kinda weird considering what we've been through today," Sandbar pointed out. "To be fair, the pit was my wife's idea. So," he turned to them. "What will be your weapons? The blade, the bullet, or by your own hooves and claws?" Looking about the room, they saw that, like the rest of the great hall, it too was made of weapons. As they eyed the countless firearms, shields, and armor built-in, Gallus eyed the door they entered through. "What about these?" From it, he pulled out a rapier with a sharpened point at the end. "Ah, the gentlecolt's weapon." Odin commented, "Flimsy for my tastes, but they do provide some entertaining fights." Gallus pulled out another from the door and handed one to Sandbar. Now armed, the two jumped into the sandy pit, with Odin looking over from above. "Just remember young ones," the god told them, "when you see the moment to strike, do not hesitate." Positioning themselves from one another, they crossed swords. "You ready?" Sandbar asked. Gallus tapped his blade. "Yeah. No holding back now." Odin raised his claw. "And… fight!" There was a beat as they both anticipated the other to make the first move. Sandbar jabbed first, but Gallus dodged out of the way. Although their blades were thin, they rang out in the pit as they hit one another as quickly as lightning. Rapiers blocked and slapped the other away, yet neither side could get that vulnerable spot to make the kill. "You know, dude," Sandbar commented, "I thought you would be better at this." "Funny," Gallus smirked, "I was gonna say the same thing about you." Gallus brought his sword down, but Sandbar blocked the move. The two moved around the sandy pit, each trying to get ahold of the other yet unable to give way. Each was trying to think ahead of the other and yet defending themselves from each jab and slash. Both sides knew that they couldn't keep this up. Eventually, one of them would make a mistake. It took a while, but Gallus did spot that mistake. Several times, his friend would try to hack at him from above, leaving him unguarded below. Gallus fell forward, bringing his blade from underneath with that momentum, he couldn't stop himself from stabbing Sandbar - even if he wanted to. Sandbar's breath was cut short, and looking down, the rapier had buried itself deep in a lung. Gallus even seemed shocked to see that he had actually done it. Dragging the blade out, Sandbar held the area where he was stabbed, stumbling back a bit before collapsing on his side. His eyes slowly shut, and he went limp with even his angel wings stopped fluttering. For a minute, Gallus just stood there and stared at the body of his friend. "S-Sandbar? Y-You're just faking, rig-" Suddenly, a heavenly glow coming from the body as slowly a spirit-like appearance of Sandbar emerged from the motionless body. It landed on the ground before a final sputter of light made what appeared to be a perfect clone of the earth pony stand there in confusion. Gallus, wide-eyed, slowly walked over and poked an equally stunned Sandbar with his talon. "Um, what the living Hell just happened?" "I… don't know," Sandbar admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. "I suddenly felt cold, collapsed, and was in a dark void before a bright light shined, and I found myself here again." "Okay, if you are here, then who's that?" Gallus asked, pointing to the dead body of his friend. "Is that… me? Am I dead? Again?" Sandbar asked. He walked over to the body and inspected every part of it from the head to the flank. He even lifted his rear legs and let them plop to the floor-like stone. Poking his clone's cutie mark, Sandbar turned the other Sandbar onto his back and pressed his head against the chest. "No heartbeat. I think he is dead." "But you already died," Gallus pointed out. "How can you be dead twice?" "Oh, I see you discovered that little feature," Odin shouted from above. The two looked up and saw him waving from above. "Yeah, it's a neat little gizmo the angels made for a laugh a while ago. Previously, if you got stabbed or shot or something on you, you would just heal up. But sometimes, your previous body will drop dead for real before a new one of you is made. And before you ask, no, you are still the same, soul and all. You just got reborn again." "Why would anyone want that?" Sandbar asked, raising an eyebrow. "Eh, creatures develop some weird morbid sense of humor up here," Odin said before leaving. "I have to go check up on something. You boys can just fly your way out when you're done." The two looked at each other and then at the now-dead Sandbar clone. Upon hearing the words "morbid humor," Gallus snorted. "Hey, check this out." He picked up Dead Sandbar and placed his claw under the jaw, and started to open the mouth open and close. Using his best impression of Sandbar's voice, he said, "Hi, I'm Sandbar. I totally like to catch the waves and get in tune with mother nature and all that jazz, man." "One, I do not say stuff like that," Sandbar said, but even he couldn't help but smirk. "And two, that's just creepy. I feel violated seeing you do that to me… or the dead me, I should say." "Oh, come on," Gallus said, dropping the body. "We're already dead. What's wrong with a little grim humor? I'd let you do it to me." Sandbar grinned as he grabbed his sword. "Really?" Before Gallus could react, Sandbar quickly cut with his blade against Gallus' throat. The griffin gasped and held his neck despite no blood coming out. He slowly fell onto his stomach, breathing his last gasp before his eyes closed. A few seconds later, his body also began to glow before a clone of him appeared soon after from the corpse. Sandbar, getting the dead body of the griffin, propped him up and started moving his beak. "Hello! I'm Gallus! I'm loud, crude, rude, and have an ego the size of Canterlot. I also like to smell my own farts because that's how much I'm in love with myself." "Oh, ha-ha," Gallus said, rolling his eyes. "For the record, I at least can mimic your voice. Plus, I look more handsome than you, alive or dead." The two looked at each other before looking at their now dead angel versions of themselves. "So, what should we do? Odin didn't tell us how to get rid of them." "Well, I don't think they'd be happy if we leave them here so... let's bring them out of this hole," Gallus suggested as he grabbed Dead Sandbar while Sandbar grabbed Dead Gallus. Flying upwards, the two reached the top and placed them on the floor next to each other. "So now what do we do?" Gallus asked, making his way to the door. "Want to do another match or… Sandbar?" He looked back and saw Sandbar staring at the two dead copies of themselves, who lay there silently in an almost peaceful manner. Walking over to his friend, Gallus asked, "You okay, buddy?" "Huh? Yeah, it's just… still kinda hitting me that I'm dead and all," Sandbar said as he gazed over at his dead copy. "A bit unreal, really." "Yeah," Gallus said with a heavy sigh. "But… there isn't much we can do about it." ".... You know what we haven't done?" Sandbar said with a severe expression. "We've said our goodbyes back home. We even saw those we loved back home say their farewells to us. But you know who we haven't said it to? Ourselves." "Ourselves?" Sandbar sighed and pointed to the dead copies. "Look, this is gonna sound a bit… weird, but I kinda think we should give these guys… our own farewell to them." "You want to give a funeral to ourselves?" Gallus questioned, eyebrow raised. "Nothing so dramatic like a full-on service, just some kinda send-off. To say something to both of us, you and me, to the old Sandbar and Gallus," Sandbar answered. "Look, we've accepted that our past lives are over. It would be a good way to get everything off our shoulders if we just say what needs to be said to ourselves and each other. A final farewell to who we once were and to look at what we'll become here in the afterlife." Sighing, he rubbed the back of his leg. "Maybe it's just stupid, but..." "No," Gallus said as he walked over and slowly hugged his friend. "It's not stupid. I… I get what you're saying, and there are some things… I guess I kinda need to get off my chest too..." ".... How about we go find Odin and find a private place to do this? We can even do it Viking-style with a funeral pyre and all." The two nodded as they both took their deceased copies and carried them on their backs while looking for the god. South of Valhalla, next to the Griffon Kingdom's borders, two souls were putting together a funeral. In an isolated field where the grass is greener with summer flowers while the stoic mountains stand in the background, Gallus and Sandbar gathered whatever scraps of wood they could find. Their cold bodies lay on a stony bed before they piled the wood up methodically. Structuring it so that it didn't look like they were just thrown on, each piece was laid and propped up like an open coffin. For good measure, they then turned to the field itself to stuff those empty spaces with dried grass and wildflowers. However, the final touch was that after getting some paint from the house they've been carrying, they took the last pieces of wood to mark the other's pyre. Sandbar painted feathers in a light blue color while Gallus three sea turtles in green. A further search of the house and they found the last two things they needed before the funeral - lamp oil and a box of matches. Once they doused the pyres in the flammable oil, they stood back. Although they knew what was to come next, neither was ready to strike a match just yet. ".... So uh…" Gallus looked over to Sandbar, who spoke up, his voice quiet and dry. After a cough, he asked, "Should we… say something first?" "I… I think so…" Gallus scratched his head. "Not gonna lie, this is the most surreal thing in my life… afterlife - whatever this is. I…" He sighed, "Strangely, this is probably the hardest thing I've ever done." "In what way?" "Well," he waved at the pyres. "That, for one. And… I get to do something that I've been dreading to do." Sandbar tilted his head, "Burying us?" "Saying goodbye. I know it's not exactly you underneath all that wood but…" Looking between him and the pyres, he asked, "Do you want me to go first?" Gallus nodded. "Okay…" Sandbar paused for a long time, trying to come up with the words. "At first… I thought Gallus was a jerk." This got a look from his friend as if to say, "Seriously?" "Hear me out. When I bumped into him, I thought he was this rude griffon who didn't want to be at the School of Friendship yet, for one reason or another, he did. When I found out that we're going to be in the same dorm for most of the school year... yeah, I wasn't looking forward to that either. Even with the early days of school when they didn't know what they were doing, I thought it would just suck. "That was… until the day that we just decided to skip it. Not just with him, but with the girls too. Take some time away from those boring lessons and just… lighten up a bit. On that day by the lake, I found out that those creatures, Gallus included, may be different in all sorts of ways, but if you took the time, you'd find that all of them have good hearts. Yeah, Gallus may be the kind that acts tough, and nothing in the world gets to him. He may have a sense of humor that could cut the world in half if you piss him off enough," this made Gallus smirk, "and out of all of us, he was a real mystery. For a while, none of us knew what he was going through. Maybe we'll never know the full extent of what happened to him before he became our friend. "But for the Gallus, I got to know, he turned my idea of what Griffons were like upside-down. He wasn't the greedy, self-centered creature that some make him out to be. No, the Gallus I came to know was someone who used his creativity to get us out in a jam. That at the end of the day, and maybe he wouldn't admit it, but he always put his friends first. He was complicated. He didn't show us everything, but what we saw was enough. Now that he's gone… my only regret was that I didn't get to know him better." Gallus was silent, yet he turned away so that his friend wouldn't see the blush from the mountains of compliments he was hearing. "My friend is many things," Sandbar continued, "a smart guy, a great friend, a hero. I don't know how long the world would remember him and all the things he's done. Even what I have to say will more than likely be over looked years and years from now. But what he's done was to sacrifice himself to keep the world safe and free so that countless innocents wouldn't have to." Sandbar finished, the wind passing by them in the silence. However, the stallion's ears perked up, hearing quiet, suppressed sobs from his friend. "Dude, are you crying?" "N-No!" Gallus furiously rubbed his eyes. "Just… give me a minute." "Was that too much?" Sniffing, Gallus turned to face him. "No, I just… didn't think I would hear that." "Well… do you want to have your say? Or should we go ahead and-" "Wait, hold on." Gallus cleared his throat, "Yeah, I have something to say." He took a moment to think before opening his beak. "When I was younger, I used to think that there was no happy future for me. I had no parents. No friends. Nobody even cared about me. I sometimes wondered if my life was even worth living. When I learned I had been chosen to go to the Friendship Academy. I thought it was going to be a waste of time." He chuckled. "Turns out it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got to meet so many new friends that became more than just buddies of mine. They became the family I never had, and one of them was someone I ended up caring for a lot. That was Sandbar." He gazed over to his blushing pony friend. "He didn't care who you were, where you were from, or what your past was. He was just kind and gentle to you and wanted to be your friend. I admit I didn't give the best first impressions, but slowly the two of us managed to become friends, and in some ways… he became the closest thing to a brother I ever had." Gallus closed his eyes, smiling at all the happy memories they had. He felt about his best friend and how much Gallus wished they were more but content with what they were currently. "Saving the world and doing homework was cool and all, but it was better with Sandbar. In some ways, he was kind of the glue that held our gang together. Whenever a problem was going on between us, he would always make sure to bring us back together. He was the most loyal friend you could ask for. He even died trying to save my sorry butt… even though it got him killed in the end." Sighing, Gallus looked down. "In some ways, I kinda wished I died alone and that he lived. The world needs guys like Sandbar more often and, while I know he doesn't blame me, I can't help but blame myself for his death." "Dude, you know that's-" Gallus put his claw up. "Yet, I can't change what's happened. So at the very least, I'm glad that I didn't die alone. I died with one of my best friends. One that I'm glad to have known both in life and in death. And I promise that, so long as eternity exists, I'm going to do everything to make him smile here in the afterlife. The same way he made me smile back home among the living." Sandbar smiled, "At least I know I would be in good claws." "Yeah," Gallus nodded, looking down at the box of matches he was holding. "So… You want to do the honors or should I?" After giving it some thought, Sandbar told him that he should do it. So pulling out a match from the box and striking it, Gallus first went over to Sandbar's pyre. "Goodbye, Sandbar." He said before dropping the match between the wooden spaces and onto the dried grass. Stepping back, they watched as smoke began to spew out between the wood. Gallus pulled out another match, "Your turn." Taking the match in his teeth, his friend held the box steady to strike it. Once lit, Sandbar walked over to Gallus's pyre to drop it. "I'll see you later, dude." He stepped back as smoke rose from it. With the sun going down in Heaven, two friends watched the fire consume their old bodies. In a solemn moment, side by side, they felt the warmth of the flames, witnessing the past being destroyed. Of course, they know that, in a way, they have given birth to a new start. Whatever demons that had haunted them, whatever problem and secrets they thought were essential to keep. It, too, was going up in flames. Strangely, before they left those fields for good, they were indeed given a second chance at life, even in death. Whatever may happen in the future, they can go forward knowing that they're now cut off from the past. Though their journey to their future will be a long one, they went to bed that night knowing they had taken the first step. Author's Note Yea! We're only halfway through!
Chapter 6It had been several weeks since they left Valhalla, and they were in the mood to go someplace warmer. So packing up their home, the two went southward towards the warm currents and gentle breezes of Austallia. West of Sydneigh, they stopped by a beach town called Woombie that was nearest to the Kangaroo Islands. It was a place where the water was warm but still breezy enough to set sail between the town and the tiny islands. As far as Sandbar was concerned, it was the perfect place to teach Gallus the basics of sailing. "You're doing great," Sandbar told his friend as he was at the bow of their small sailing yacht. "But get ready to turn to starboard in a minute." Gallus was behind the ship’s wheel. "Uh… Which way is starboard again?" "Port is left, starboard is right," Sandbar reminded him. "And stern is behind you." "So turn right then?" "Yes, but wait a minute." Sandbar looked over to the side. "Turn when I tell you to." Gallus watched for Sandbars to give the signal. His eyes drifted from his friend's foreleg to somewhere more south, specifically towards the curvy rump of his best friend. Gallus shook his head as soon as he realized what he was doing and felt ashamed that he was staring at Sandbar's flank. Yes, it has been about a month or so since they entered paradise, and he still remembered Silverstream's promise. However, it alarmed him that when Sandbar wasn't looking, Gallus would get a few glimpses here and there. In some ways, he felt embarrassed that he lusted for his friend, even in Heaven. A friend that, as far as he knew, still wouldn't feel the same way back. Of course, during their travels this past month, there were times that Gallus came dangerously close to telling Sandbar something. Even after speaking with Silverstream for the last time and telling himself that he should move on too, there were times that he wanted to say to him that he was that first crush. However, before he could get a word out, just when he was about to tell Sandbar the truth, it would die instantly on his beak. He knew what he wanted to say to him, but when push came to shove, he had no words to- "Starboard! Starboard!" "Huh?" "Turn right-" The sailing boat came to a sudden halt as it ran aground; the jerk threw Sandbar off the ship. "Sandbar!" Gallus rushed over to the front of the ship, "Sandbar, you okay?!" Looking over the spot that the pony fell off from, he found him, his back on the sand, the waves lapping over him. "Considering that getting stomped over by a herd of elephants wouldn't do anything to me, I'd say I'm dandy." Sandbar sat up, shaking the sand and water out of his mane. "Dude, what happened back there? I told you to turn, didn't I?" "Sorry, I guess my mind was somewhere else," Gallus said, jumping over to help him up. "Are we okay?" "It's just gonna take some pushing to get back out to sea," Sandbar told him. "That, or wait until high tide to get anywhere." "Ah, shit…" Gallus cursed under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck, looking at the boat he marooned. "So should we call in for help or…?" "What time is it?" "Noon… ish…" Gallus looked up at the sun. "I guess since we're stuck here for a while, we might as well have lunch." "Yeah. Too bad we left our house at Woombie, and it would take forever to fly over there." Brushing the sand off him, Sandbar looked up to the sea and spotted something drifting towards them. "Hey, what's that?" Gallus looked up too. "I'm not sure. Let me go get it." Spreading his white wings, the griffon flew out to sea a little bit until he hovered over a tiny raft. Inside this small, yellow inflatable toy boat was a picnic basket, wrapped in a red and white checkered beach towel, with a card that read “For Sandbar and Gallus” in curvy hoofwriting. On any other day and outside of Heaven, Gallus would consider this the mother of all coincidences. But being in the afterlife for roughly a month, he had to remind himself that Heaven was full of such coincidences. So picking up the basket, he flew back over to the island. "What did you find?" Sandbar inquired. "Lunch." Gallus landed towards the dryer sand on the beach. He pulled out the towel and laid it out. Shrugging, Sandbar, still dripping wet, walked over to the oversized beach towel to dry his mane while Gallus started pulling out their meal. There were hayburgers with fries, a salad, a couple of bottles of coke, and - "What the…?" Sandbar looked up at his friend's confusion as he pulled out a birthday cake. It was primarily blue with an island on top, with lit candles that look like tiki torches in the edible sand, and it was complete with a sugar palm tree. "What's with the cake?" Sandbar asked, getting a closer look. "Hey, what's this on the side?" Gallus turned it, and there, written in white icing, it read: Happy Birthday Sandbar! Sandbar blinked before he looked at the tiki candles and counted them to eighteen. "Wait, today's your birthday?" Gallus asked. "I…" Sandbar rubbed the side of his head. "How did I forget? What day is it?" "It's…" Gallus blinked, ".... I don't know. We've been so caught up going around that I didn't take notice of what day it was." He then looked back in the basket. "Wait, there's something else in here too." Reaching down, he picked up something flat and covered in brightly colored gift wrap. "And it looks like you got a present too." "Who's it from?" Gallus flipped it around. It was no bigger than a card and just as flat. "There's nothing on it. But I guess it must be for you." Curious, Sandbar took hold of his gift and tore the wrapping off. He uncovered a birthday card that had the usual congratulations on turning eighteen. Then upon opening it, a blue ticket fell out onto the beach towel, along with a drawing of a cupid with red hearts around. A red hot pink pegasus waved at him. "Hello!" Said the drawing, "And happy eighteenth birthday!" "Uh… thanks?" "Well, first thing's first, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Eros, the C.E.O. of the Big V Pop Company, and that ticket you have is the key to help you lose your virginity!" If either of them were drinking something when they heard that, they'd spit it out of their mouths. However, still taken aback, both Sandbar and Gallus said in unison. "What!?" "Not if you really want to, of course," Eros said. "That ticket is all part of a program here in Heaven to assist virgins such as yourself in experiencing the pleasures of sex that you never got the chance to do when you were alive. As you have turned eighteen, this is an exciting opportunity for you, I'm sure. That ticket will provide you with a partner and a private pocket dimension to have your first time for one, passion-filled night." Sandbar picked up the fallen ticket: a blue paper that had a red cherry in the middle. "So… how does it work?" "Well, when you feel ready for that big moment, just lick the ticket, and you'll have one of our many assistants to escort you to that exclusive place and bring a willing partner to help you out." "Just like that?" "Just like that." Eros nodded. Sandbar looked at the ticket in thought. "Okay… I don't think I want to use it now as I'm not exactly… ready yet." "Of course," Eros nodded in understatement. "But I do have a question. Suppose sometime later I find someone that I want to lose it to. Would that be okay?" "Oh absolutely!" The drawing replied in a cherry tone. "Our program is open for those who find a willing partner to have that magical night with. However, it does need to be consensual if your partner wants to go with it." "Okay," Sandbar nodded, a blush forming on his cheeks, "That's a relief to hear." "There's no time limit on that ticket, by the way. So you have all the time in eternity to use it. We hope you enjoy your gift. And happy birthday, Sandbar!" "Well, thanks." Sandbar said before Eros stopped moving and became a regular drawing that didn't move. "Huh, I wonder why that appeared with the cake?" Gallus had a sneaking suspicion why but he kept his mouth shut. It seemed even Heaven likes being a tease as well to those with 'hidden and repressed' desires. However, with the silence growing as they dug into their lunch, Gallus asked, "So…" "Hm?" "Are you gonna use that ticket? I get it's your present and all but… are you?" Biting down on his hayburger, Sandbar blushed, and after a swallow, answered. "Well… eventually, I guess. This is just unexpected, and I'm not sure if I'm… ya know… ready for that yet." Gallus hummed over a hay fry, "Well if it's anything like what Silverstream and I did… you're going to enjoy it." "Huh? Wait, you and Silverstream? How- oh yeah, that's right, I forgot. You two did it in her dream that night," Sandbar said, blushing as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I guess if I need advice, I can always ask you. Did you do… anything... you know?" "Kinky?" Gallus asked, which made Sandbar blush harder and nod. "Nah, nothing super unusual..." Sandbar nodded and made for his coke to drink. That's when Gallus smirked and muttered, "Unless you count the anal we did at the end." This nearly made Sandbar spit out his drink like an elephant as Gallus laughed so hard he collapsed against his back. "Gah, ugh, it went up to my nose!" "Gahahahaha! The look on your face!" Gallus shouted as he pounded the sand. "Dude, seriously?" Sandbar looked at him with awe. "You did that with her?" "Yeah, surprised me too when she didn't mind when I was… you know… touched her there," Gallus said, grinning. "Damn, Silverstream has a perverted side to her. Who would have thought?" "Must have been all those years underwater," Gallus suggested with a shrug. "I mean, I don't know how you can do it with those fins and tails they have. So I bet once the hippogriffs were free to become their bird forms again, they were very excited to try a few new things in bed." "Alicorns, I can't believe we're talking about this," Sandbar muttered, rubbing his temples. "Come on, we're guys. We're already in the afterlife. I'm sure orgies are happening somewhere right now," Gallus pointed out with a grin. "What's wrong with a little pervert talk?” “Can we not talk about this? It’s kinda embarrassing. I mean you didn’t talk about this stuff with the girls, right?” Sandbar asked. “Have you met Smolder?” “.... Good point.” Sandbar sighed. “Well, either way, if I’m going to do this, I’m going to save it if I find someone here that I love. And if I don’t? Well, I’ll save it for Yona when she comes over.” “So, you and Yona are also agreeing to you both finding new loves too, right?” Gallus asked, turning away to hide his blush. “Yeah, don’t know if I will find them, but if I do I hope they’re like my friends, including you,” Sandbar said which made Gallus snap his head to him. “W-What are you talking about?” “I’m just saying that if I meet someone here in the afterlife I want them to be kind like the friends I have back home. Maybe someone as kind and sweet as Yona? Or as happy and cheerful as Silverstream? With you? Someone brave and strong-minded,” Sandbar pointed out, not knowing that it was making Gallus blush redder. “Come on, dude. Don’t say stuff like that?” Gallus whispered. ‘Seriously, do you want me to fall for you?’ “What? We’re just two guys who happen to like girls and guys talking about who we would want as our partners,” Sandbar responded with a cheeky grin. “Besides, I’m curious. Who are you going to look for a partner up here?” ‘I think I might have already found one,’ Gallus thought but instead he just got up, much to Sandbar’s confusion. “I’m going for a walk.” “Huh? Okay, but be back soon,” Sandbar said as he took another bite of the cake. “But when you do, I wanna talk about where we should go next. I was thinking about going to see what Griffonstone is like in Heaven.” ‘Yeah, and I’m not looking forward to it…’ Gallus thought. ".... And another thing," Gallus said as he and Sandbar flew, "if anygriff comes to you and offers you a tour of the place for a small fee, don't. It's a scam. If you say yes, then you'll be held hostage until they drain you dry of your bits like a vampire." Below them were the Himalamas, in particular, within the borders of the Griffon Kingdom. Ever since Sandbar had made up his mind to visit the "What If Library '' that his grandmother spoke about, Gallus had spent most of the trip north giving the stallion advice of what to do when they got near Griffonstone. For hours, Gallus told him to be extra careful when they got there. Saying things like: don't eat street food, don't trust strangers even if they act friendly, and don't drink the water. "Oh! Also, don't use any of the alleyways as shortcuts." Gallus added, "Trust me, if it looks dark and unsafe, that's because it is." "You do know that this Griffonstone we're going to is in Heaven, right?" Sandbar deadpanned. "Well, yeah, but we'll have to go through it. Take it from someone who spent a good chunk of his life there. If you don't know what to expect, you might as well walk through a minefield blindfolded." "Again, we're in Heaven, a place where everything's pretty much improved." Gallus shook his head, "Coming from an orphan who was practically homeless in one of the worst places ever to exist, I highly doubt it. Just whatever you do when we get there, do not go wandering off where I can't see you." "Dude, I'm eighteen now. I don't think I need to be foalsat. Besides, it's not like I can end up dying a second time." "Maybe not. But I know my way around and know what to look out for." Sandbar sighed. "So how close are we to Griffonstone?" "It's over this mountain," Gallus pointed but stopped suddenly. Sandbar noticed this to look over at him. "Look," he said, sighing, "I know I'm being a control freak, but given where we're going… I have a good reason to be. The last thing I want is for you to be taken advantage of here. Or worse. I'm just trying to protect you is all." Sandbar flew over and patted his friend on the back. "Do you want to go somewhere else?" "No, we've already come this far. It's just I have bad memories of this place, and I want to be sure that you wouldn't have to go through any of the stuff that I did. Okay? We'll still go, just… stay close to me." Nodding in understanding, Sandbar and Gallus began their accent over a snow-capped mountain. Pushing through the clouds, going higher and higher into the cold, thin air. Although it was by no means uncomfortable to either of them, they could still feel the chill on their fur like gliding through a crisp winter morning. They broke through the gray clouds to catapult themselves over the sharp peaks of the mountain. Yet, midway over, Gallus froze. "Hey," Sandbar noticed his friend's surprise, "What's wrong?" At the roof of Heaven itself, the angelic griffon looked down to a clearing below where the clouds didn't cover. On the edge of a cliff were the familiar branches of a place he once knew. The tall tree that made up Griffonstone was there, yes. However, it was neither the only tree nor how he remembered it. Along the mountainous cliff, there was a forest of lively, sky-reaching pines that grew. Yet, what drew his attention more was the one at the top. Not only was it bigger and its branches stronger, but on its branches were held up palaces, temples, libraries, theaters, and countless homes. It was a proper city, yet still balanced by the nature that supported it all. "Gallus?" Sandbar waved a hoof in his face, "You okay?" "Huh?" Gallus shook his head. "You looked surprised back there. I take it that this isn't Griffonstone?" "No… It is," Gallus answered. "This was Griffonstone." "What do you mean ‘was’?" "Dude," he waved a claw, "this is what Griffonstone looked like during its golden age. What it looked like centuries ago." If Gallus had any doubts that this was the afterlife, they were long gone now. Only in Heaven could the worst place in the world, a place of misery and hate, end up looking like such a paradise. Griffins everywhere were smiling and acting polite to one another while the streets were filled to the brim with traders, markets, stores, restaurants, and children having fun. Up in the skies, griffins were flying with each other, and a couple of couples were on clouds making out and having fun. "Dude, you okay?" Sandbar asked, getting the blue griffin's attention. "Uh, yeah," Gallus whispered as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm just shocked… I mean..." "Was Griffinstone really that bad?" Sandbar asked, seriously. ".... Yeah," Gallus said and left it at that. The two continued to travel, using their map to find their way around town towards the library. While a part of Gallus did kinda want to explore his home during its golden years, he still found it far too creepy to even look at it. The streets and locations he recognized looked polished and shined in the sunlight, unlike their usual bleak appearance. 'Maybe I can check this place out another time, but for now…' For now, it was still too painful to see this place as nothing but a hellhole. Even if this was Heaven. The two soon found an air-taxi service that would take them to the library—free of charge of course—and they sat in the coach while their fliers took off into the sky. Gallus took a moment to stare at the shining palace that held Griffinstone's government: The Council of Kings. According to their driver, it held the wisest and greatest rulers in Griffinstone's past since its founding. When one of the leaders died in the mortal world and made it into Heaven, they were judged to see if they were worthy enough to join the council. Sadly, there hadn't been a new member to join the council for a long time. It showed just how far the griffins had fallen from grace. "Hey, Gallus?" Gallus turned around to face Sandbar. "Can I ask you something?" "Yeah, what is it?" Gallus asked. "How long do you think we should be at the library for? I mean, technically, we could stay for eternity and ask every question ever, but I think we should set a time limit for how long we stay." Gallus rubbed his chin. "Good point. I'd hate to get so lost looking at all the choices I could have made in life and find out a thousand years have passed. Hmm... how about three hours?" "Yeah, that sounds good," Sandbar said, nodding in agreement. "What kind of questions do you think you'll ask?" "Well, besides finding out what my life would have been like if I hadn't died?" Gallus took a moment to think about it. "Maybe ask questions about what if my upbringing had been different. Or if I was born as something or someone else. You?" "Hmm, I don't know. I guess I'll find out when I get there," Sandbar answered. They didn't have to wait long as soon they saw a building even bigger than the Royal Castle at Canterlot. It was a grand masterpiece of a three hundred floor building that extended as big as a mountain with hundreds if not thousands of souls flying towards it and leaving it at the same time. It was golden in appearance with giant angelic wings that held strange words on each feather with glowing colored runes. The two were mesmerized by the sight of it and felt their jaws drop. “Woah,” Sandbar said in awe. "If Princess Twilight were here, she would have a heart attack." "Dude, if Ocellus was here, she'd never leave!" The best way one could describe the interior of the library would be something of a monastery. Instead of having bald monks meditating, there were rows upon rows of shelves that preserved scrolls and books of nearly every size, shape, and description. All around, there were lit candles, statues of ancient griffon gods that even Gallus didn't recognize. Yet, there were tables and chairs in this library; even couches in which one could recline while looking through the tomes. Perhaps it was the burning incense that was hinted in the air, or maybe the ancient stone that made up the library, but the place felt more like a monastery than a library. Regardless, when they walked in to look up at the hundreds of floors and bridges that crisscrossed one another, it was as if they had entered into a forgotten temple. "Just a moment," Gallus and Sandbar were brought back into reality by that quiet, monotone voice. Over by a nearby shelf, a griffon with the head of a falcon and robes of orange and yellow, something like a monk, was shelving the last few books back into place. "Yes, I know you two were standing there gawking for the past five minutes, but these books need to be put back." Turning around, the monk walked over to them. "Are you two new? I don't think I've seen your faces here in the library." "Well yeah," Sandbar answered, "it's our first time here." "Ah." Nodding, the monk started to walk away from them, but bid for them to follow. "In that case, I should show you two to your books." Gallus blinked. "Come again?" "Well, that's what you're here for, isn't it? Both of you are here for your books. So I'm going to show you where they are." "Sir, I don't think I understand," Sandbar said, walking up to the monk. "You make it sound like you were expecting us." "Of course I didn't. But those who come to the library often ask questions that tend to relate to themselves. If you ask me, this place should be called the 'What If I…' library. It's all a matter of self-interest, you see." "So how do you know where to look for-" Gallus began to ask but was quickly interrupted. "I don't have to be a detective to deduce that both of you are new souls. And new souls would mean that they would have new books. Being added daily with all those creatures dying, you see." The monk walked them over to a library section where the book bindings became newer as they passed. He stopped at a particular section where they could see books being self-made on the shelf, where the binding and paper were being put together before creating the next one. "So what are your names?" "Gallus Skyflight." "Sandbar Oceanvale." Humming, the monk started walking down. "Let's see… O… O… Oa… Ob… Oc… Oce… Ocean… Ah! Here we go." He pulled out a glossy green book that had Sandbar's cutie mark on it. "This is your book." Handing it to the stallion, the monk walked further, "Now for you… The S's should be over here…. Sc… Se… Sh… Sky… Found it." Pulling it out, he gave Gallus a book that was as blue as he was with three feathers on the cover. "Hey," Sandbar said, flipping open his book, "There's nothing in here." The monk rolled his eyes, "Turn to the first page." Curious, both of them flipped open their books to the front. It too was blank except at the top were the words: What if… "All you need to do," the monk explained, "is write in a question of what you wanted to know. From there, the book will show you." Gallus tilted his head. "That's it?" "We're a library, not a bureaucracy. If you want something that's needlessly overcomplicated, you'll find it in the lowest depths of Hell. Now, if you will excuse me, I still have a good set of books that need to be returned to their shelves." And before he left, he added, "Oh, before I forget, unless you're checking those out, do put those books back where I showed you. It would make my job much easier." From there, he left the two alone with their books. "Okay…" Sandbar looked at his book, "So… now what?" "I don't know about you…" Gallus eyed over to a nearby burning hearth with a low table, a quill and inkwell, and a cozy colorful rug underneath it. "But there's some stuff I want to know, alone. So I'll see you later then." "Okay," Sandbar waved to his friend as he walked off, "See ya." Looking around for a place to sit down, he spotted a padded armchair, one that was covered over with a woolen blanket. Next to it was a thin table with enough room for a quill and inkwell. Then, walking over with the book in hoof, he hopped onto the comfy chair and thought about what he wanted to know first. Gallus looked over his shoulder. Sandbar had sat down in a place where he wouldn't be able to see what he wanted to find out. Given the nature of the questions he had in mind, especially how personal they are to him, he thought it best that he needed all the privacy to find out. With the book laying flat on the low table, he opened the first page to the words: What if… Picking up the quill and dipping it in ink, he meditated on what sort of question he should ask first. Yes, there were a million things he wanted to know if certain things had gone a different way. However, guiding his claw over to the page, one question did come to mind as he filled in the blank. What if… I was never sent to the School of Friendship? Before his eyes, all the ink on the paper vanished. What was appearing, however, were lines and watercolors that were painted on both pages. The illustration showed a gray, wintery-cold alleyway filled with filth, garbage, and a depressed, head-lowered griffon. It pictured none other than Gallus himself, missing a few feathers and carrying a rope over his shoulder. "The last bits I've ever spent was on a piece of rope." The book narrated aloud, thereby setting the illustration into motion with the downtrodden Gallus entering the alleyway. However, for the real Gallus seeing this, what surprised him wasn't that the picture started to move, but the voice he heard narrating was his own. "A twenty-foot rope, strong enough to hold a full-grown griffon that cost me forty-five bits - ironically the most expensive thing I've ever bought in my life." Like watching a film, the illustration panned back as his counterpart walked forward. His drawing duplicate looked up as if searching for something. "As you could probably guess by now, this isn't the story of my life. I mean… what's there to tell? If you were to ask anyone in Griffonstone, they wouldn't tell you who I was. Because really, I'm a nobody. Nobodies have grown up in orphanages. Nobodies have to fend for themselves at the ripe age of twelve. Nobodies have to beg for everything just to see another tomorrow. And as far as Griffonstone is concerned, nobodies have no friends to tell their story to." His illustration stopped, looking between whatever was up ahead and the rope. Then, spreading his wings, he flew up to a beam and began to tie the rope around it. "I've heard somewhere that good things come to those who wait. For me, I have spent all my life doing just that… waiting. Waiting for an excuse to get out of this hellhole. Waiting for someone to show me the smallest amount of kindness. Waiting for my luck to finally turn around so I could have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, hot food, clean water, and maybe, someone that cares to tell me that everything's going to be alright." Once one end of the beam was secured, his copy began to tie the other end in an elaborate knot. The real Gallus watched on, dreading what was to come next. "However… that opportunity came and went years ago when Grandpa Gruff decided to send somegriff named Gabby to the School of Friendship. Of course, she was the first pick as she was the most friendly griffon in town. Any chance for a second chance had left when the smiley, happy-go-lucky griff flew away. But now…" Gallus's eyes widened when he saw what his illustration held up a noose and put it around his neck. "Winter is coming. That means I will have to spend another three or so months in the snow and ice. Several more weeks on a diet of garbage if I could find anything edible. And another Blue Moon festival without having to celebrate it with a family." In horror, Gallus watched his double standing on his hind legs on the beam. Although the book didn't show his face, it showed his breathing was quickening. Trembling at what he was about to do. "So really..." the narrator of the books said before his illustration jumped off. Gallus covered his beak in shock. Although the book thankfully didn't show the body, it did show the rope suddenly tightened on the beam. "This is a story... of my death." Gallus nearly closed the book right there and then. Seeing him hang himself was shocking enough, but at the same time, it did confirm something that he had suspected all along. If he never went to the School of Friendship, he would have died a good deal sooner. A large part of him wanted to slam the book shut for showing him this. Yet, perhaps it was because of the shock that he allowed it to play out as a morbid curiosity to see where this dark tale was going. "I don't blame you for cutting this short and closing the book on me," his counterpart of a narrator told him. "Just like how quick it was for me to go. And like my death, this story isn't pleasant by any means. However… if you're one of those weirdos that are into that sort of thing… then what's to stop you from sticking around?" Gallus watched the illustration back away to show his swinging corpse, lifeless as a rag doll on a string. As unpleasant and morbid as it was, part of him wonders if someone were to come across something so gruesome. Unfortunately, it didn't take long. A door opened behind the swinging body, and a crossed griffon carrying a trash can dragged it out into the alleyway. "Why can't the bastard just drag the garbage out once in a while?" she complained, not taking notice of Gallus just above her. "Sure, cooking takes a priority when it comes to customers, but still, does he expect me to do everything?" Placing the trash down, she huffed and swiftly turned around; taking a step, she bumped into the dead griffon's paws. "Gah! What the?" She looked up. Instead of the expression of horror, she looked even more irritated. "Oh, come on- again?!" She threw her claws up, "Seriously, what's up with griffons these days!? This is the fifth time this week! Agh!" With anger, she walked around and marched over to the open door. "George! Get out here now!" "Can it wait?" an equally irritated voice called back, "I'm in the middle of my smo-" "No, it can't," she spat back, "we got another one." A moment later, a gray griffon walked out with the other pointed at the body. Although Gallus didn't recognize the female that found his corpse, he did realize who the other one was. He was the cook of a soup shop, not that he ever ate there, but he recognized the face and the always present cigarette that hung from the corner of his beak. George, the cook, looked up and spotted the hanging griffon. "Ah geez… Glinda, how long has that been there?" "I don't know," Glinda replied, "I just walked out here and found 'em like this." George sighed, running a claw over his head, "Well, that's just great, now I got close up shop and buried this one… somewhere." "Or we could-" "No!" George snapped at her, "I'm still not going with that Sweeny Trot crap idea." "Says the guy who puts dog treats in some bowls of soup." "Well, that's because there are a few griffs in this town that deserve it. But serving them bits of a dead guy? Now that's just poor taste." Spreading his wings, he flew up to the rope and used a talon to cut it until Gallus's counterpart fell to the ground. Glinda huffed, "Fine, but where are we gonna bury Don Joe here?" George thought about this for a moment. "There's the ruins if we can wait until nightfall… Or the simplest thing we can do is just shove 'em off a cliff. Course, we gotta wrap him up in something so it wouldn't draw too much attention." The real Gallus groaned, it was one thing to see himself die, but there was something distasteful about having these complete strangers figuring out how to throw him away like a piece of garbage. He watched on as these strangers wrapped him up in a dirty sheet before placing him in a wheelbarrow. Next, they piled on garbage from rotten food and open cans. Gallus wasn't sure if he should feel insulted by how they were treating him or impressed by how they're hiding a dead body in plain sight. From there, the illustration followed the couple out of the alleyway and through Griffonstone. Nervously passing every griffon they pass by, trying to be careful that the rickety wheelbarrow doesn't lose its wheel. Soon, George and Glinda walked away, out of sight from any prying eyes towards the cliff. When they were sure that they weren't being watched or followed, they set the wheelbarrow down. George wiped the sweat from his brow. "Phew… We've got to stop doing this." "What? Carrying suicides away or serving your crappy soup." George frowned, "I mean, just living here. I don't want to carry off bodies every Thursday or be in a place that's been driving guys like 'em to do so." He sighed, "I want to leave." Glinda scoffed, "Yeah? And go where? Namby-pamby Equestria or getting-yourself-barbequed Dragonlands?" "At this point, I don't care. I just want out of this. And you should too." "What good would that do?" Glinda pinched the bridge of her beak. "Besides, we don't have the bits to get out of here. Unless you become a student of friendship or whatever, otherwise, we can't go." With a frustrated grunt, she added, "So what are you waiting for? Let's dump this and go home." "Shouldn't we… I don't know… say something first?" "Like what? We don't know him. For all we know, he could be some homeless guy." "A homeless guy that had a life. Even if we don't know what's up with him," George said as he then removed the part of the wrap that had Gallus' face on it. It was already starting to pale due to the blood flow stopping, but upon seeing his face, George also turned pale as well before closing his eyes and letting out a few curses. "Gods dammit. He's a kid." "What?!" Glinda shouted, taking a closer look before turning away in horror. "Shit..." ".... Gods, I hate this place," George said, closing the wraps again. "It's bad enough adults are killing themselves, but we got kids now? He looks barely into his teens." ".... I take back what I said," Glinda said, shaking her head in disgust. "I want out of here too." "Poor kid, I wonder why he did it," George said. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Glenda looked over to Griffonstone. "As frustrating as this is right now… there's some part of me that can't blame him." "In what way?" "Hon, we're in Griffonstone. It's pretty much, let's face it, a prototype of Hell. No one wants to be here, yet here we are. Everygriff is just frustrated for existing here. So we have to take it out on someone else ourselves just for getting the short end of the stick." Snorting, she shook her head. "I still don't know who this kid is. Maybe he was slapped around one too many times by his parents. Maybe he couldn't take it being in such a gray place as this. Or maybe he would rather kill himself quickly than starve again. If I was any less strong, I might have too." George put a claw over her shoulder, "Maybe we should take this as a sign to get out of here finally. Today it's this kid, and part of me is afraid that tomorrow it might be one of us. I don't want to keep doing this, and I know you don't want to either. I mean, even if we don't go and have a chick, how long do you think our child will last out here?" Glinda, trying to hold back the tears, took in some intense breaths. "As much as I doubt we could… we should. We really should." She turned back to the corpse. "But what about him? I know he's a kid, but now… just tossing 'em off doesn't sit well with me." Humming in thought, George looked around the desolate ground and spotted a black, barren tree. "Over there. We can try burying him over there. It's not much, but it's better than the cliff." So the couple set out to work, using their claws and flat stones to dig a shallow grave for Gallus's double. Finally, they dragged the body out from the filth with a deep enough hole and laid him in the cold earth. "Ya know Glinda," George commented to her, "between you and me, I do hope there really is an afterlife. Maybe his ghost could go off somewhere that's better than here." "I think he'll get into Heaven easily." George tilted his head, "You sound confident with that. Last I checked, suicide was considered a sin, isn't it? So what makes you so sure?" "Anygriff probably should get into Heaven because they've already spent a lifetime in this Hell." While Gallus watched them cover his body, a part of him almost agreed with them. He wondered if what Glinda said had merit with memories of his childhood from the bullies at the orphanage to spending those wintery nights alone, hungry, tired, and cold. How many griffons in Heaven got here because they had suffered the most? Then again, suicide was considered a sin worthy of going to Hell. Considering Gallus was an atheist until he died, he most likely wouldn't have believed such a thing existed when he did himself in. What would have been his afterlife fate in this timeline if he had gone through with it? Would he be up here in Heaven still? Or joining his parents in the burning flames? With the last piece of dirt being put on his face, the couple stood up. George went over to Glinda, hugging her tightly. Although neither of them said a word, Gallus can see pity, fear, and vulnerability etched in their faces. Perhaps they decided at that moment that they should get out while they still can. It was here that Gallus closed the book. He didn't care if this grim tale of his death would continue. For now, his first question was answered. After something like that, he felt that he needed a break. Sandbar wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to write as his first choice. This was the chance he had to figure out what his life could have been like if anything different happened. Like what if he was born a pegasus or a unicorn? Or what if he got chosen to be Princess Celestia's apprentice instead of Twilight? What if Cozy Glow won? So many choices were available to him, and he didn't know which one to choose. He wondered what Gallus had picked already but figured it was best not to bother him. Most likely, he was asking a lot of personal questions that Sandbar had no right in snooping on, even if they had become closer. In fact, in some ways, Sandbar was the only one Gallus had in the afterlife that he really could call a friend or family member due to his parents being in the other place. "Actually… I wonder..." Sandbar rubbed his chin. "Yeah, why not?" He then took his pen and wrote in his first question: What if… my family adopted Gallus? Just as soon as he finished the question, all the ink on the paper vanished like magic. The book started drawing itself by becoming a set of lines and colors while forming pictures that seemed to be moving like a movie. He saw snow everywhere in the School of Friendship, and he could see several students all playing with each other. That was when the art moved and showed Sandbar, only a few years younger now, walking side by side with Silverstream as they talked to each other. "Well, everything seems to be fine. It kinda looks like this is my first year at the school." Sandbar smiled as he saw him and Silverstream talking until he noticed something. Something that he never did with her, and it made his jaw drop. His tail was wrapped around Silverstream's. As in, something that couples did. "W-What?! Wait a minute… am I dating… Silverstream?" His question was confirmed when, out of nowhere, Smolder appeared above their heads with a mistletoe from above. The two were blushing as three creatures came out of the bushes laughing at the state the two were in. They were Ocellus, Yona, and a… Diamond Dog? "But… there wasn't a Diamond Dog at school… not until this year at least," Sandbar recalled. Every race in the world had been invited to send a student to the Friendship Academy, but only five races accepted it; it was just after the Terrible Trio incident that more species agreed to attend, such as the Kirin, Buffalo, Abyssinians, and later on Diamond Dogs. Sandbar looked closer at this black-furred Diamond Dog, who seemed to be more of a wolfish creature than anything by how wild his mane was. He dwarfed the others with his size by being a few inches taller than Silverstream. He was wearing a long black coat with paw prints on it and had a handsome face, yet there was a scar over his eye along with a black eyepatch. If it weren't for the fact he was smiling with the others, Sandbar would have been sure he was some kind of thug. But this didn't make sense to him. Where was Gallus? However, his attention was then turned to his alternate self and Silverstream making out as the others continued to snicker. Sighing, Sandbar was really glad Gallus wasn't watching right now. "I know this isn't real… then why do I feel so guilty? And how did the two of us end up together?" His pondering was on hold as the six walked inside and began making for the school's big student lounge, where they soon sat down at the big fire roasting in the far end of the room. "Ugh, I can't understand why creatures like snow so much," Smolder said, shivering as she warmed herself by the fire. "It's so cold, wet, and weird." "You're just saying that because the first time you saw it, you thought the sky had fallen, and the end of the world was happening," the Diamond Dog said with a chuckle. "Shut up, Rexis. At least I didn't roll around in it like a puppy," Smolder argued, to which the Diamond Dog blushed. "Anyway, so tomorrow we're going to your place for that holiday party your parents are hosting, right, Sandbar?" "Yeah, I figured since we're all going to be doing our own holiday celebrations in a few days, I thought it would be nice to do one together at my place," Sandbar said while cozying up to Silverstream with a heavy blush. "Plus… I kinda want to introduce them to Silvey." "Ah, I look forward to seeing your parents too, Sandy!" Silver said before kissing him on the face. Ocellus glowed a bit which made everyone stare at her before she rubbed the back of her neck. "S-sorry! Feeling the love from you guys is making me hungry." "Aww, Yona wishes she had boyfriend," Yona whimpered before stomping her hoof on the floor. "Yak find future mate this year when returning home!" "Geez, Yona," Rexis said with a smirk. "They only just started dating after that whole underground trials thing. They're not ready to go into the sheets yet." He then raised his eyebrows. "Unless there is something they aren't telling us." "We haven't done anything!" Both Sandbar and Silverstream said at the same time. "The underground trials? When the Tree of Harmony tested our friendship? Now that I think about it, that is when Gallus and Silverstream did become closer. Could it be that I was the one who helped Silverstream, and she fell for me and I for her?" Sandbar wondered, rubbing his head. "So where is Gallus in all this? Isn't he a student like me?" "Anyway, I'm really excited for you guys to meet my folks," Alternate Sandbar said as his smile got bigger. "Plus, my brother is coming over from Military School! So you get to meet him too!" "You have a brother?" Everyone asked in surprise. "Yeah, Gallus. I don't think I've told you about him, have I?" They shook their heads, "He's actually my adopted brother. My father took in when he went to travel in Griffinstone awhile back," Sandbar explained. "He saw him living on his own and felt sorry for him. So he took him home and officially adopted him. Gallus and I grew up as the best of friends, and he was always protecting me from bullies and keeping me safe. It's one of the reasons why he became so interested in the military growing up. Prince Shining Armor is his biggest hero!" "Wait, you said he came from Griffinstone," Ocellus pointed out, tilting her head. "Does that mean he's a griffin?" "Yeah, he is. Born in Griffinstone but raised right here in Ponyville." Real Sandbar was surprised. Gallus had grown up with him? Now that he thought about it, his Dad did go to Griffinstone one time when he was six for something, but he didn't know what. Did that mean that if his father noticed Gallus living on his own at that time, then he could have avoided that horrible life and lived with him as a big brother? "Woah, that's like… far out..." Sandbar wondered out loud. "I've never seen a griffin before," Silverstream said with excitement. "What's he like? Will he like me? I hope all your family likes me!" "Well, he acts tough, but he's a complete kitten on the inside. He's always looking out for those smaller or weaker, like with me when we were growing up. He's got a sarcastic mouth to him that can cut steel, but he's pretty funny. And he'll never back down from a challenge. One time, we kinda did something stupid in the Everfree forest when we were ten, and I broke my leg. Gallus carried me all the way home on his back despite his own bruises," Sandbar explained with a sheepish smile. "He sounds like a cool creature," Smolder said, nodding in approval. "Oh, and uh, he's kind of a major flirt," Sandbar said, blushing. "Like seriously. He was hitting on ponies older than us since he was thirteen." "Does this mean we have to keep our guard up?" Ocellus asked, smiling nervously. "No, the only one that has to worry about that is Rexis here," Sandbar said, surprising the Diamond Dog. "He's into guys. So that's something you both have in common, Rex." "O-Oh," Rexis said, blushing as his tail twitched. "Um, that's… cool..." Yona walked over and nuzzled Rexis. "Friend Rexis needs to start dating now that he accepts real self. No need to be afraid." "Y-yeah," Rexis said while moving his paw to his eye. The actual Sandbar wondered if there was a story to this. "A-Anyway, I guess we'll meet him at the party. So what do you guys want to do until then?" Sandbar then saw the entire scene disappear, much to his confusion. When it reappeared, Sandbar soon saw that it was now the exterior of his house with all the decorations of Hearth's Warming Eve on display. It soon moved to his living room, where he saw himself, his friends, and his family all enjoying themselves. Sandbar's heart tightened upon seeing his parents and little Coral dancing to some music on the phonograph and did his best to prevent himself from crying. He could see him and Silverstream dancing side by side while Smolder and Rexis seemed to be having some kind of cookie-eating contest. Ocellus and Yona were merely talking to each other about something Sandbar couldn't hear. That's when the door knocked, and Sandbar gasped as he and his family soon rushed towards the door. "He's here!" Opening the door, it turned out to be none other than Gallus, dressed in a military uniform and opening his wings out. "Hey, gang! I'm home!" "Gally!" Coral said as she jumped into her adopted brother's arms. Gallus took her into his embrace for a hug before twirling him around. "Weee!" "Hey, Coral! Wow, you got bigger since I last saw you, little sis!" Gallus said as he then put her down and walked over to Sandbar's parents and hugged them. "Hey, Mom and Dad! Miss you both at the academy." "We missed you too, Son," Sandbar's Mom said before kissing him on the cheek. She then took a look at Gallus's buffed body and giggled. "My, you look so muscled! You must get a few guys looking at you during drills." "What can I say," Gallus said, showing off his muscles. "The boys love a buff griff in uniform." "I guess this Gallus is fully gay rather than being bisexual," Sandbar thought aloud, wondering what caused him to be so. "Hey, what about some love for your brother!" Sandbar said before the two embraced and messed with each other's hair. For the real Sandbar, it was a surprise not only to see Gallus so touchy-feely but also looking so… well… handsome. Sandbar blushed upon getting a good look at Gallus's muscles. His chest was perfectly cliched, and his wings were broad and powerful. Plus, if Sandbar was honest, the military made Gallus' rear end look like that of an Ancient Pegasi God. Rexis seemed to be thinking the same thing as he was staring at Gallus with a fully dropped jaw, with drool coming out. "Close your mouth, or you're gonna swallow a fly," Smolder joked, which the Diamond Dog quickly did. Sandbar then guided his adopted brother to his five best friends, who lined up together for introductions. "Everycreature, I'd like you to meet my big brother, Gallus Oceanvale. Gallus, these are my best friends at the Friendship Academy." "On behalf of the entire Oceanvale family, I'd like to apologize for you having to put up with my silly little brother," Gallus said, winking. "Celestia knows that he's a bit of a dunce in the common sense area." "Oh, ha-ha," Sandbar said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not the one who failed math in the third grade." "Dude, you try learning numbers while living on a street when you’re six," Gallus said, sticking his tongue out. "I got an excuse." Gallus walked over to Silverstream, who grabbed Gallus's hand and started shaking it rapidly. "Nice to meet you, Gallus! I really am glad to meet a griffin! I've never met one before! I've been underwater! But you look so similar to a hippogriff! Are our races related to each other?! Are we cousins?! I'd like to have a cousin! I mean, I already do have a cousin. She's a princess, but not a boy cousin!" "I take it by your hyperactive behavior that you're Silverstream? My brother's future ball and chain?" Gallus said with a grin. "Ball and chain? I don't have a ball and chain on me? Do I?" Silverstream asked as she started checking herself out. Gallus laughed a bit before nudging Sandbar. "Oh, I can see why you two are dating." "Lay off!" Gallus then walked over to Smolder, and the two shook hands. "So, Gallus says you're training to be in the military, huh? Are you doing any good?" "You mean besides the fact that I'm currently matching you in strength as you test my grip?" Gallus said, grinning with a competitive smirk. "The Equestrian Military knows how to fight dragons. I know all your weak spots." "Oh, is that a challenge?" Smolder asks, puffing some smoke. "Guys, save killing each other for when we're in a real war," Sandbar said, rolling his eyes. Ocellus was next as she nodded her head nervously. "Um, hi? I'm Ocellus. I hope you aren't afraid of me being a changeling." "No worries, we're friends now," Gallus said as he wrapped her arm around her. "Although you do look tasty." "T-tasty?!" Ocellus said with horror. "Yeah, bugs are common food back in Griffinstone. Gather a bunch of beetles, ants, centipedes, and a few flies, and you got yourself a nice lunch," Gallus said with a lick of his lips which made Ocellus faint. "Uh, whoops?" "Nice one, bro," Sandbar replied, rolling his eyes. "Yona next!" Yona proclaimed as she jumped forward. "Yona want to meet Sandbar's bird brother!" "I'm also part lion," Gallus pointed out as he lifted his rear end and then, much to Sandbar's embarrassment, pointed it to Rexus, who was blushing. "Which is the better part, hmm? The handsome bird face or the nice toned rear of my feline genes?" "Wow, six minutes of not flirting with a guy," Sandbar said, facehoofing himself. "New record." "What's wrong with showing off what's good about me? Besides, you did say your friend recently accepted himself and came out as gay, right?" Gallus said, walking over to a blushing Rexis while ignoring a confused Yona. He started walking around him and examining him with a nod of approval. "Yeah, not bad. I've never considered a canine approach, being feline and all, but I think I can let you bark around with me if you want." "I… I… I..." Rexis soon couldn't handle it anymore and fainted right next to Ocellus. "Son, could you please stop making your brother's friends faint?" Sandbar's father requested with a sigh. "Sorry, Dad," Gallus said sheepishly. "Fratization isn't allowed at HQ. I gotta let out some steam, you know." "This is why I'm with a steady girlfriend, and the longest relationship you had was three weeks," Sandbar said. "Three weeks and four days." The scene then changed again to show it being nighttime as Gallus and Sandbar were still up, but in a room that seemed to be designed for the two of them as there were two beds with each side filled with stuff that reminded the real Sandbar of the dorm the two shared. The ones in the book were drinking hot chocolate while talking outside their home's balcony while the stars were shining at night. "So, you give Silverstream some courage, and all of a sudden, she's all over you like a hungry dog for steak," Gallus said before drinking from his mug. "Wish I could get a guy that fast." "It wasn't fast!" Sandbar said, rolling his eyes. "It took me three months to finally ask her out and confess my feelings for her. I honestly didn't think she'd want to date a nopony like me since she's royalty and all." "Oh yeah, she's related to a queen, right? Wow, I'm really going to have to step it up," Gallus said before asking. "Say, is Rexis a long-lost prince or related to a noble or something? I wouldn't mind dating him. He's got a cute smile and a nice butt." "One, ew, that's one of my friends you are talking about," Sandbar said, sticking his tongue out before sighing. "Second… no… actually, his father's a total asshole, and that's coming from me being nice!" After another sip, he added, "…. It's the reason why he's got that eyepatch." ".... Rejected him for being gay?" Gallus asked, his mood turning sour. "Yeah, but like… worse than normal," Sandbar said, shaking his head. "He's actually staying with Professor Twilight since his family pretty much refuses him. Hay, the only reason he's here is that Diamond Dog society rejects homosexuals and wants to get rid of him, or else he might have been stoned to death. It was pretty much a nightmare and a blessing for him to come here. He was so terrified of letting us know he was gay that it took all five of us to help him with his trial in that underground test thing." "Shit," Gallus said with a heavy sigh. "Kinda reminds me of what little I remember of Griffinstone. Glad I don't live there anymore." "Yeah, me too," Sandbar said as he touched his brother's shoulder. "I really did miss you, Gallus. I know being a soldier is your dream and all, but sometimes I wish you were there with me at the Academy. I mean, you've been my best friend since we were six. I was kinda afraid I wouldn't find anyone else to hang out with." "Well, it worked out, didn't it?" Gallus said, smiling. "You got five cool friends, dude. And I can see how much you all care for each other. I've got my own group of friends as well back in Canterlot. But no matter what happens to us in the future, we're always going to be brothers." "Got that right!" Sandbar said as the two wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders and continued to watch the moon. "Okay, I think I've seen enough," the real Sandbar said before shutting the book. "Wow… who would have thought..." Still, this did beg the question. "What happened to Rexis in our real-time?" "Excuse me?" Sandbar turned around and saw a messenger pony angel, dressed as a mailpony, with a letter. "Letter for you from a Mr. Rexis." "How did… you know what? I think I should stop being surprised by now," Sandbar said as he accepted the letter before the angel pony flew away. Opening it, he quickly read what it said: Dear Sandbar, Chances are, by the time you are reading this, you've seen an alternative timeline in which we became friends, and your brother was Gallus. If you wonder why I know this, I too looked at my book. Just like you are doing, I asked what would have happened if I went to the School of Friendship, and it showed me a few futures - such as the one you saw. I was later informed that you would be asking such a question about me one day, and you would start feeling guilty about what my fate was. Well, I guess the fact that I'm writing to you in Heaven is kind of a clear picture. I didn't have a happy life. After it was found out that I was gay, I got stoned to death by my clan. Not all Diamond Dogs do this, but mine was an honest group of assholes. But that was years ago, and before you ask, I'm over it now. I'm living with my boyfriend in the Diamond Lands, and I've got a job as a stone cutter. Please don't feel any guilt or such that my fate wasn't for us to be best friends like we both saw in our books. What's done is done, and nothing can change that. Still, I wouldn't mind us getting to know each other, so feel free to drop a letter, and I'll come by to visit. Sincerely, Rexis P.S. Gallus does have a great butt. P.S.S. Yeah, we did become boyfriends in that timeline. But I can't date him now because not only do I have my own boyfriend, who I love very much, but also… well… you'll find out. Sandbar just sighed and smiled. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to find a new friend." He then paused and wondered. "I wonder what he meant when he said I'll find out..."
Chapter 7Finally, Gallus opened up his book. Closing his eyes in the hope that maybe the nightmarish scene he saw wouldn’t be there. Cautiously, he pried an eye open to find - much to his relief - that the pages were blank again. So flipping back to the first page, he stared at the words What if… and tried to figure out what else he wanted to know. He could have asked the book what would have happened if he had been raised by his parents but he immediately turned it down. Knowing that they were criminals who had abandoned him at the orphanage, there was a part of him that knew his life might have been far worse than what he had to face growing up. Besides, if for some reason they did raise him, he might have become a monster in such conditions. Letting his mind wander, he tried to focus on something else. Something that would give a much-needed palate cleanser after what he’d witnessed. Then it came to him. So picking up the quill and dipping it into the ink, he wrote out: What if… me and Sandbar didn’t die in the Diamond Dog caves? Watching the ink disappear, he braced himself as lines and colors began to form a new picture. To his confusion, it showed Carousel Boutique. For a moment, he wondered why the book was showing him this. Then the door opened. “You two are lifesavers,” a pony complimented as she walked out the door carrying a wedding dress. “Again, thank you both so much.” Following an unrecognized pegasus mare behind them were Yona and Sandbar, who waved at her while encouraging her to come back again. Gallus was taken aback; his friends looked older, probably by a good fifteen years or so. At first, the griffon thought that this alternative reality was showing them working for Rarity after they might have graduated. But as the book followed the two into the shop, he noticed that Rarity was nowhere to be seen. Did they take over the boutique, maybe? “Has Sandbar seen Yuna lately?” Yona asked, starting to put the bundles of fabric away. “By now she probably just got out of school.” Sandbar replied, rolling up a piece of measuring tape. “So she’s more than likely on her way back.” “Good.” Yona nodded, “And Sandbar invited friends over?” “Of course, and they wrote me back telling how excited they are to hear if she’s been accepted by the academy.” “Will.” Yona corrected, “Yuna has been accepted.” Sandbar raised an eyebrow, “How do you know?” “Starlight told Yona. But Yuna and rest don’t know yet. Best not ruin surprise.” It was then that they heard the bell from the shop’s door. In rushed a young yak that Gallus had never seen before. A sandy brown yak with braided locks in her mane, complete with a light green poncho similar to Yona’s, came rushing in with a mile-long smile and a scroll in her horn. “It’s here! It’s here!” Yuna cried in excitement. ‘Oh, so this must be their daughter,’ thought Gallus, but paused for a moment, ‘For a future that might have taken place a good twenty-five, maybe thirty years from now, she must be… what? Fifteen years old.’ While he watched the wholesome scene of his friends congratulating Yuna, the more he wondered… ‘Did they… adopt?’ “Can I open it?” Yuna asked, her eyes begging her parents. “Later tonight,” Sandbar patted her back. “We need to have everyone else be here before we find out.” “Including Uncle Gallus and Aunt Silverstream?” Yona nodded, “And the kids too.” This Gallus didn’t expect, ‘Me and Silver had kids? So in this, that would mean that if I never died, I might have married Silver.’ He sighed at this melancholy thought. “Not to mention that Ocellus is coming too with Kiki,” Sandbar added, “and I think Smolder is coming too with Spike and Cinder. Which reminds me, we need to get some gems for them to snack on when they get here.” “But dad,” Yuna took the scroll off her horn, “Couldn’t I just take a little peek? Just in case that this might be a rejection letter.” “No peek,” Yona shook her head, “not until everyone gets here.” Then the picture changed. Colors faded and bent, the lines rearranging to form a new scene. This time, it was a dinner table, all of Gallus' friends sitting around it. In the middle, he spotted himself. He looked older, had more muscles on him, and, much to his surprise, wore a military dress uniform he had seen a few times before - one meant for the Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard. Between him and Silverstream (who, despite her age, was still as beautiful as ever) were two children, a boy, and a girl, both probably no older than ten. They looked the exact same age, though the twins weren’t identical; the boy had a pink coat, similar to his mother’s, yet had his father's eyes, while the girl was a lighter shade of blue with eyes like her mother’s. Next to Silver was Spike who munched on gems with Smolder. Next to her in a highchair was the youngest of the group. The hatchling, whose scales were purple and had small, round spikes, was being fed by her mother, spooning a paste that looked like grounded turquoise. On his counterpart’s end, Ocellus sat next to a small, yellow changeling. Someone who was older than the twins, yet in some ways had carried one particular trait from her - that at the dinner table, the Changeling had a book. Then at one end of the table next to Ocellus and her kid, were Sandbar and Yona with theirs. With Yuna almost vibrating in her seat. At first, there was a confusing chatter that Gallus couldn’t make out. That was until Yona stomped on the table a few times, getting everyone’s attention with their dishes being shocked. “Friends quiet down,” Yona began, “we have something special to show everyone.” “Well, we know that,” Silverstream commented, “You sent us the letter for something special but didn’t say what it was. Is this supposed to be a surprise party? Because if so, I don’t think that’s going well.” The table laughed and Sandbar waved. “No no, it’s not that kind of surprise. However, it is something very special.” He patted his daughter’s back, “Today’s the last day our Yuna will be going to the schoolhouse. And lately, we’ve been applying to get her into a particular school.” “Sandbar, I’m disappointed in you,” Gallus’s counterpart shook his head but joked, “if you want her to attend military school, you just have to ask.” “Not that kind of school ya featherbrain,” Sandbar chuckled before holding up the sealed scroll. “We’re here to have Yuna open this letter that I think will change her life, as it had with ours.” Handing it over to her, Sandbar told her daughter to go ahead and open it. Breaking the wax seal, Yuna unrolled the scroll. “It says: ‘Dear Yuna Oceanvale, we are happy to inform you that after reviewing your academic credits and you have been accepted to attend the Friendship Academy beginning this August!’” Yuna squealed in delight. “Yes! I got in!” The table erupted in applause, cheers of congratulations from all around. “It’s about time,” the young Changeling next to Ocellus beamed, “maybe by the fall semester, we might attend classes together.” “You think so Mantis?” Yuna asked, “Didn’t you say that there are so many classes at the academy now?” “‘Course there is,” Smolder informed, spooning another mouthful to her hatchling, “But knowing you, I think you and point-dexter will be in at least a few dozen classes from now on.” Then after a beat and a wicked smile, she added, “Although, I would recommend taking a class from me. I offer field trips.” “Mostly camping,” Spike quickly added, “it wouldn’t be like the volcano incident, I assure you.” Ocellus laughs, “Yeah, I can still remember how loud Starlight was after the fact. Some say you could hear her from all the way from Saddle Arabia.” “What can you do?” Smolder shrugged, “Yeah, I get yelled at most often. But can you blame me for wanting to teach something fun?” The real Gallus chuckled at this, ‘Yeah, Smolder would do something like that.’ “Hey Yuna,” Silverstream said, “why not start out taking Ocellus’s class? Last I’ve heard, the students over there love her.” “Only if you want to,” Ocellus told Yuna, “but if you do, then you’ll have to dedicate yourself to a lot of reading in Creature Studies.” At this point, one of the twins, the pink hippogriff, leaned forward. “Yuna, why are you so excited to go to school? It’s boring.” Yuna shrugged. “If it were any other school, then yes, you might have a point. But this is the Friendship Academy, Greg. This isn’t just all tests and books. It’s more than that.” “It is?” the other twin inquired. “How?” Yuna tilted her head. “You mean you two don’t know? Not even you, Athena?” “They’re still in elementary school.” Gallus’s copy said. “Remember, they’re a few grades behind you so they don’t know yet.” “Oh,” Yuna nodded in understanding. “Well, the thing is, Greg and Athena, the academy isn’t like most schools because they teach things differently. Not only can you learn about whatever you want, but it teaches you on how to be a better friend. How to grow a community, how to help one another, I can go on, but it’s a place where you can learn while having fun doing so.” “Does it have games?” Athena asked. “Well, I have them for my class,” Smolder smirked, “I require it.” “And treats?” Greg inquired. “I will bring some in if the class is doing well at the end of the week.” Ocellus answered. From there, the twins tugged on their parents’ feathers begging, “Mom and Dad! Mom and Dad! Can we go to that school?” “You will,” Silver rubbed her daughter’s head, “but try getting through elementary school first, and then we’ll get you two in.” “But I wanna go now!” Greg objected. The other Gallus patted his head, “Well you’re not gonna get in by being impatient. In a few years, you’ll start learning there. You’ll just have to wait.” At this point, the real Gallus had seen enough and closed the book; and gave a melancholic sigh. Not because of what might have happened, but as it started to sink in… but what he lost. Yes, what he saw was a happy occasion, witnessing the beginning of a new chapter for another generation. However, he had to remind himself that everything that he saw could have happened if he and Sandbar were still alive. He could have married Silverstream and had those two children. But he was dead, and despite what he knew what could have been, Gallus still remembered Silverstream’s promise to move on. Sure, what he saw was what could have been, but it won’t help what might be possible now. Maybe someday, he could be a father and marry someone he loves. Perhaps, not with Silverstream. But maybe… Gallus looked over his shoulder, eyeing Sandbar with his book who seemed to be having the time of his afterlife from the laughter he was giving. In his mind, a question began to form but shook his head. “It’s unlikely… but then again…” Looking at the book, he flipped open to the first page. After a thoughtful hum, he muttered, “I could probably ask later…” “Hmmm, what should I ask next,” Sandbar wondered out loud. He scratched his head and grumbled upon realizing just how short of imagination he had in his brain. He could ask anything in the world about himself and yet here he was still blank as the sheets of paper before him. “There has to be something I can ask. What if I was born a girl? Nah, that's a bit too freaky. What if the Cozy Glow won? Actually, I think I might get disturbed by a world where that happens. What if I asked someone else to the dance? Well, I just saw myself with Silverstream not too long ago so I guess that already counts the fact I could have been with any of my friends.” Sandbar sighed and rested his head on the desk. “Man, if Princess Twilight was here she would be able to figure out what to write… Princess Twilight...” Sandbar’s eyes lit up. “Hey, there’s an idea!” He quickly grabbed the book and started writing into it: What if... I was an alicorn? Just like last time, the book began to take the shape of moving pictures and sketches. The form of the scene was, however, pure darkness much to Sandbar’s surprise as he wondered what was going on. Then, to his surprise, there was a narration that he could hear in his head. “How long have I been asleep? It feels like forever since I have seen the sun or the moon. Am I even still alive after thousands of years? Have I joined my fellow alicorns in death and failed my mission? Had the statis spell failed and I am trapped in the void for eternity? We sacrificed everything for this chance to save the future of our world… Yet was I… a failure? Father. Mother. I wish you were here.” “Is this… me?” Sandbar asked, tilting his head. Suddenly, a light began to appear on the page as the sound of crumbling stones and voices could be heard. The narrator started to speak again. “Light? Light! I have to… reach out...” With a loud grunt, a figure burst through the stone tomb that had laid still for thousands of years as the figure emerged from its rock coffin. Groaning, the figure slowly raised its body up while spreading its grand emerald wings and lighting up its glowing green and white horn to let the familiar feeling of magic spread through him. The dust soon settled and Sandbar gasped upon seeing… himself. Or rather his alicorn self. He was much taller than Princess Luna but still shorter than Princess Celestia and he looked far older than he was currently in the afterlife. Then again, considering how long alicorns could live, it was possible that he was even older than the princesses if the dialogue of the narrator was correct. He was also very, very handsome to the point that any mare or stallion who saw him would easily turn red. His mane was also longer but was no longer two shades of green. While his darker green tone remained, the lighter green tone was replaced with a pure white look and his coat was a pristine and regal emerald. The most noticeable thing, however, was his cutie mark. It wasn’t the three turtles that proudly stood on the real Sandbar’s rump, but rather was a strange swirling symbol of water, air, and sand in a vortex. As Alicorn Sandbar got his bearings straight, a voice talked over the dust. “Um, Yona? I think you woke up an ancient alicorn.” The dust finally settled as the images changed to show his five friends, all in some kind of ancient-looking tomb, but also an ash-colored earth pony with a beanie on top of his head that covered his mane. His cutie mark was a skateboard and a ramp. All six of them were staring at the Alicorn Sandbar like he was a ghost or something as the male alicorn shook his head to get the last of the rocks in his mane out. “W-Who are you children? Wait, Griffins? Changelings? Yaks? Hippogriffs? Dragons?! Run, little pony, I will protect you!” The five non-ponies seemed to be frightened as Alicorn Sandbar summoned his magic to his horn and glared. Before anything could happen the earth pony got in front of his friends with his arms stretched out. “Woah! Chill dude! These guys are my friends!” “You’re… friends?” Sandbar asked, tilting his head as he slowly lowered his magic. “You mean to tell me that the enemies of Ponykind are… allies with us?” “Uh, yeah,” The ash pony said with a small grin. “We’ve been friends for a while now. Ever since Princess Twilight Sparkle started the Friendship Academy we’ve been all working together to promote the magic of friendship.” “I… I see...” Alicorn Sandbar whispered, confused but calm. “I guess I should have expected our races to be allies in the future. In fact, this works to our advantage to prepare ourselves for their coming.” “Who are you talking about?” The earth pony asked. “Actually, a better question would be who is he,” Ocellus stated as he pointed to the large male alicorn. “I thought Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and Princess Twilight were the only alicorns?” “I’m more surprised by the fact he’s a male alicorn,” Gallus said, crossing his arms. “I was under the impression only girls could become them.” “Wait, there are other alicorns?!” Alicorn Sandbar asked with shock and glee. “I… I thought I was the last! Take me to them! I must see them at once!” “Um, okay,” The Earth Pony said as he turned to Silverstream. “Hey, Silver? Better let Headmaster Starlight and Somnambula know about this.” “On it, Ashburn!” Silverstream started with a salute as she gave the name of Sandbar’s replacement of the six. Apparently, in order for Sandbar to be an alicorn the entire timeline of reality had to be rewritten so that he was born way before there was even an Equestria. 'Really shows how things can change if something is different.' The scene then changed again, only this time it showed someplace familiar: The Front Halls of the Friendship Academy. Alicorn Sandbar was looking around in interest as the six students and Starlight Glimmer lead the confused male alicorn into their school. “So, this place promotes the teachings of… friendship?” “Yup,” Starlight said with a smile. “We’ve managed to bring more students from all over the world here to learn to work together in harmony. We do teach things like math, science, and history here as well, but the primary purpose is to let other races come together to learn from one another and be united by the bonds they make.” “I see,” Alicorn Sandbar stated as flapped his wings a bit. “I must admit, it reminds me of the Grand College of Lathia. Only it had just Alicorns attending with the occasional non-alicorn pony allowed if they showed promise.” “I never heard of any place called Lathia in Equestria.” Ocellus said, raising her eyebrow. “That is because it was once in the land of Avalon,” Alicorn Sandbar stated, which made the others stare at him in confusion. “You… have you ever heard of Avalon? Home of the Alicorn race? The first was created by the Goddess along with the other first races such as the Dragons, Kitsune, Lupans, Humans, Elves, and Dwarves?” “Ummm, one of those we know,” Gallus said, pointing to a waving Smolder. “Why yak not included in ancient races?” Yona asked, upset. “We old race too! We trace our history very far back and proudly!” “S-Sorry, but I’ve never heard of those races. Well, except humans, but they live in an entirely different dimension,” Starlight pointed out. “Dimension?” Alicorn Sandbar stated as he rubbed his chin in thought. “So the rumors of the Imperial Mages discovering the means to bend time and space were true? Did they use such a power to escape… them?" “Again with the them! What is so mysterious about these guys?” Smolder asked, annoyed. However, before Alicorn Sandbar could answer, four figures appeared from the other end of the hall that made him gasp. The group turned to find an equally shocked Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and Princess Twilight all standing still with shocked expressions, and… were they blushing?! “Wait, what?!” the real Sandbar asked, nearly knocking his chair over as he inched closer. Indeed, all four of the princesses were staring at Sandbar with deep red cheeks. “Um, are the princesses… checking me out? I honestly don’t know how to feel about that. Wait a minute, isn’t Princess Cadence supposed to be married?” The group then turned to Alicorn Sandbar who was looking at the four with tears in his eyes and a bright smile. Rushing forward, he stood before the four. “So it’s true… you are alicorns… our race survives!” He soon knelt before them. “It’s an honor to meet you nobles of my kin. I am Prince Sandbar Vos Oceanvale, son of King Ventwind vos Oceanvale and Queen Shora vos Oceanvale. Heir to the Nyabbin Sealand Kingdoms. Protector of the Sky and Waves. Lord of the Waters. And Guardian of the Realm in the name of our Glorious Goddess, Faustilia. May she forever be praised!” He smiled at them and asked, “From which of the lands do you hail from or are descended from? Illora Republic? Corano Empire? The Nightwinter Realm? Or the Kingdom of Everstar?” “.... Um, Canterlot?” Twilight asked, nervously. “I… have never heard of it,” Alicorn Sandbar said nervously, but still continued to smile. “Nevertheless, I must know, how did you survive after ten thousand years like me? Did the Grand Wizards also give you the stasis spell? Or are you descendants of those who survived? Oh, are you all related?” “My sister, Luna, and I are related,” Princess Celestia said, getting her bearings straight. “Perhaps we should introduce ourselves. I am former Princess Celestia, raiser of the sun. This is my sister, Princess Luna, raiser of the moon.” She then turned to Twilight. “This is the current ruler of the Equestria, raisers of both the sun and moon, and my former apprentice, Princess Twilight Sparkle. And this is the ruler of the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence.” “You are a raiser of the sun and moon?! I… I had no idea you were the descendants of the High King and Queen!” Alicorn Sandbar shouted in shock before bowing so low he almost touched the ground. “Your graces! Forgive me. I did not know. I am yours to command.” “Okay, hold up!” Twilight shouted, flaring her wings. “Just… who the hay are you?! What are these places?! And we’re not descendants of alicorns! We were turned this way by destiny!” “.... What?” As the scene began to change again, the real Sandbar began to rub his face. “This is so confusing. This is all sounding like a really bad fanfic.” The entire scene had now shown the five alicorns to be alone in the library with Alicorn Sandbar looking depressed while the four others were looking at him with sympathy. It seemed that they must have told him the truth in between the scenes. Sighing, Alicorn Sandbar looked at the ground with misty eyes. “I see… a method that allows one to become an alicorn… but not born as one... you were all regular ponies before?” “Yes, Cadence and Luna were pegasi while Twilight and myself were unicorns,” Princess Celestia answered with sympathy. “We have all turned at a very young age thanks to destiny and the discovery of new magic such as raising the sun or moon. Twilight is the youngest of us, but she has proven to be more powerful than all three of us with her actions.” “Yes, these tales you’ve told me of your adventures against these evils,” Prince Sandbar stated as he turned to Cadence and bowed. “I am sorry for the loss of your husband in the battle against King Sombra. I too have lost many I cared about in the war.” Princess Cadence shed a tear before wiping it away with her wing. “Thank you… I just hope Shining is… at peace.” Twilight nuzzled her sister-in-law before Princess Luna stepped forward. “We have told our story, but I am afraid we have yet to hear yours,” Princess Luna stated. “We have never seen a male alicorn before and you claim to be one born from two alicorn parents? Such a thing is almost unheard of.” “Yes, I am. I suppose in a way this makes me the last trueborn alicorn in the world,” Prince Sandbar stated as he sighed and turned away. “Not that any of you don’t deserve such a title. You have done great deeds that are worthy of our race, but still… you must understand… I had hoped...” “.... What happened?” Princess Cadence asked. “.... Long ago, we alicorns were one of the most powerful races along with the Humans, Elves, and Dragons on equal footing while the other races. The Dwarves, Lupans, and Kitsunes were right behind us. We each ruled our own kingdoms and realms. Sometimes there was peace and other times there was war. It was why I was so surprised to see so many races working together when I first awoke. The only ones who had ever treated us kindly were Humans, Elves, and Dwarves. All the other races were our rivals.” He turned around and faced the four who saw hatred and fear in his eyes. “Then, a great evil came into our lands. Creatures of horror and terror who brought nothing but death and destruction. All kingdoms were felled one by one. These beings were called… the Necronai. The undead unholy abominations of the Dark One. The Forsaken God of The Void: Yazaboth.” The four alicorns shivered as his name was mentioned. Even real Sandbar did so, but couldn’t help but get really into this story. “The Necronai were relentless. They butchered everyone and anything in their path no matter how old or young. They desired the entire extermination of all lives in our world. Some races fled while others were slaughtered to the last. The Alicorn Race was of the former. At that time, I was a Guardian. A warrior chosen by the Goddess to protect our people even as my family was killed, my lands raided, and my people suffered. I fought and fought with no fear of death. Only a desire to see this nightmare end.” “How… horrible...” Princess Cadence whispered as tears began to appear not just in her eyes but all four of them. “What stopped them?” “I do not know, but I assumed the last alliance did it.” Alicorn Sandbar answered with a heavy sigh. “The last thing I remembered, the Dragons had gathered what remained of the living to form an army to find the Death King, their leader, and prophet, to end the nightmare once and for all. However, there was a fear that even if we did succeed in ending the reign of the Necrotani, it would only be enviable that the Dark One would try again. So I was preserved, along with others, to see to it that future generations would know of the possible rise of the Dark One’s army once again. And should the worst have happened, as I assumed it came to be for our people, then some of us could survive and rebuild in the ashes of a new world. It seems, however, that while my race… died, along with many others, the last alliance succeeded for still there is life in this world.” “But the tomb you were in has been searched many times before,” Twilight pointed out. “The only reason we discovered you now was because there were glowing seals in the wall you were in.” “My seals were too weak and the spell to release me, should it be sensed a new Death King had emerged. However, that was many years ago, but I still remained trapped. The last kingdom, Oberan, was where the Grand Wizards preserved me in a stasis spell with the hopes that I could warn future races of the dangers of the undead,” Alicorn Sandbar stated as he glared at the four. “I am here to warn and prepare you all for the threat that ended the great and noble races of the gods’ first era. For if you do not prepare yourselves, I fear that all you love and treasure will die in a sea of blood and flame.” A long silence stood as all four alicorns stared at Alicorn Sandbar until a loud growl was heard. They turned their attention to the blushing prince’s stomach as he rubbed the back of his head with a nervous smile. “F-Forgive me. Having been asleep for ten millennia… I fear I am hungry.” Princess Celestia smiled. “Perhaps Twilight and Cadence can get you something to eat. We can discuss this matter some other time. This is a… lot to think about. Plus, I’m sure Twilight has hundreds of questions she wishes to know about your time.” Twilight’s eyes nearly burst into stars as she quickly grabbed the surprised prince and started asking numerous questions while Princess Cadence followed her with an amused smirk. While also, keeping her gaze upon that toned flank of his. Once they were gone, Princess Luna turned to her sister. “Sister, do you believe him?” “I do,” Princess Celestia said with a heavy sigh before turning to her sister with a serious expression. “The eyes he holds speak not only of ancient experience but pain and loss, Sister. This stallion… he speaks the truth.” “.... How can we hope to contend against an army of monsters strong enough to wipe out the ancient races of our world?” Princess Luna muttered with a cold shiver before her sister nuzzled her. “We will find a way, Sister. We are not alone in this now. Thanks to Twilight’s efforts we are closer to the other nations than ever before. We will warn them of the danger to come and prepare ourselves for these demons who seek to ruin our world. I believe destiny sent Prince Sandbar to us in order to help us. We will help him adjust to our world, and in return, he will help us deal with these Necronai.” Princess Celestia then tapped her chin with a smile. “Plus, it is nice to have a handsome-looking stallion around our height for once, isn’t it?” The real Sandbar covered his face with his hooves. “Oh… no...” “S-Sister!” Princess Luna shouted, puffing her cheeks. “We are talking about the end of the world and you are thinking of flirting with our possible savior?!” “Oh come on, Lulu,” Princess Celestia said, rolling her eyes. “You cannot tell me you don’t find him attractive? Twilight was certainly staring at him with ogling eyes and I did see Cadence check out his bum a few minutes ago.” “Is she not still mourning over Shining’s death?” Luna asked. “It was years ago, Luna,” Princess Celestia said with a sigh. “Perhaps this is a sign she is ready to move on and find new love… unless I get him first.” “W-what?! Sister, whose side are you on? Twilights?! Cadence?! Or yourself?!” Princess Luna demanded. Celestia smirked as she turned away and made for the door. “All’s fair in love and war, Sister. I love those two as my own daughters, but I’m not going to miss a chance to finally be with someone who can live just as long as me.” She then grinned at Luna. “If you are not interested in him either, that’s fine. One less opponent for me.” Just as she left, Luna growled and stomped her hoof. “‘Tis a challenge you want, Sister, I shall accept! We shall see who wins his heart!” “Okay, I had enough!” Sandbar said, closing the book. “Ugh, so if I was born an alicorn now only do I live through a war against a race of monsters while arriving ten thousand years into the future with all my loved ones are dead, but I also get all four Princesses, one of which is a widow, who has an interest in me as a romantic partner?!” He shook his head and decided to take a breather. And maybe find a mini-bar somewhere. Gallus hummed and tried to figure out what he should ask in the book next. Sure, he already thought of one but he felt that since he still had enough time, he might as well think of something else. However, for a long time, he wasn’t sure what exactly. He could inquire what if he dated someone else, but he wasn’t sold on it. Maybe he could ask what it would be like if Twilight or probably Starlight had adopted him. Or he could ask what would happen if in the past he and his friends had secretly tried doing something like smoking poison joke. But those didn’t quite stick out. However, remembering what part of Heaven he was in, a question did come to him. Which prompted him to fill in the blank: What if… I found out I was the last King of the Griffons when I was alive? Gallus braced himself for what he was about to see as the ink faded away and the lines were being drawn. On those pages, he saw the student lounge which connected the dorm rooms. With color being added, it showed his friends lying about on the couch or on the floor in the middle of a study session. But before the illustration moved, he noticed that he was missing from all of this. When it did move, there was a loud bang, and the book showed his double. Just slammed the door, panting in a panic. Heaving, the other Gallus darted his eyes about the room. “What’s gotten into you?” Smolder asked looking up. “Quick!” his counterpart rushed over to grab a nearby table, “Barricade the doors! Shut up the windows!” Frantic, the other Gallus took whatever he could get his claws on and threw them at the door. “They’re coming for me!” “Who’s coming?” Yona stood up, just in time for Gallus to yank the carpet underneath her. “Why griffon afraid?” “The army!” Gallus took hold of the couch that Silverstream, Smolder, and Ocellus were sitting on. “The Griffon army is coming to take me away-” he was suddenly cut off when Smolder smacked him across the face. “Dude! Snap out of it!” Smolder hopped off the couch, “What’s going on?” She held up a claw to his beak, “And please explain without screaming your head off.” Gallus stepped back, rubbing the side of his face. “Sorry just… if they take me, I’ll never come to Equestria again.” “What for?” Sandbar asked, “Did you do something wrong?” “Oh-ho, I wish!” Gallus walked past them to go into his and Sandbar’s room. There were sounds of him moving something around and coming back with a shoebox. “They’re coming for me for uh… two very important reasons. The first is I have something they thought was lost. Something that until much later I realized what this… thing is.” His friends gathered around, he opened the lid and showed the remains of a broken cup that had a jewel that barely held onto one of the gold pieces. “Guys… do you know what this was?” Gallus asked. “I was gonna say junk,” Smolder replied, “but with the army coming, I take it it's more than that.” “Oh yeah,” he nodded, “What you’re seeing is all of the pieces of the Idol of Boreas. The very thing that held the Griffon kingdom together.” “Wait,” Silverstream raised a talon, “didn’t it fall off a cliff where it’s so super duper windy that no one was able to get it?” “If you tried to fly down, then yeah. Guess nogriff has thought about going in from the side. Just walk into the canyon to find it. At the time, I thought I could probably melt it down and get enough bits for a meal. But I kept it around when I realized what this actually was.” “So if the Griffon army is coming here for the Idol,” Ocellus inquired, “why not just simply give it back to them?” “That leads to the uh…” he closed the box, “second thing. Recently, I found a family tree that went back to the last King. Turns out, he had a few kids, and those kids had kids, and… let’s just say I found a connection.” “How?” “I stupidly asked Grandpa Gruff if anyone at the orphanage had a note or something when they found me. Turns out, the last name that they found me, was the same one with one of the last griffons that were thought to be the end of the bloodline. Which means-” “You’re royalty too!” Silverstream exclaimed, “This is incredible! Gallus, if that’s true, then that means you’re a king!” “But that’s the problem,” the other Gallus tossed the box aside, landing with a noticeable crash, “now that they put two-and-two together, they’re coming to take me back to Griffonstone! Don’t any of you get it? They’re going to drag me back kicking and screaming to a dumpy kingdom that’s beyond redeeming - and they’ll never let me go until I somehow fix everything! That means I’ll never see any of you again!” There was a knock on the door, Gallus watched his other self, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. He rushed out, “Hide me! Hide me!” There was a crash from his and Sandbar’s room before slamming it shut. Another knock, “Hello?” Starlight’s voice was heard, jiggling the door handle. “Is Gallus in here?” “Give us a sec,” Smolder went over to move the furniture that was blocking the door. Her friends came to help clear it enough to open it. “Sorry about that, Gallus is being more panicky than usual.” “Uh-huh,” Starlight nodded, “I was wondering if you knew where he was. Because I need to ask him why there’s a whole legion of armed Griffons just outside of school grounds.” “Armed?” Yona asked, “With what?” “Armor, crossbows, a catapult, and a general that won’t shut up.” “Tell them I’m not here!” the other Gallus called out from his room. Starlight rolled her eyes. She marched past the students and headed towards the door that Gallus was behind. “You need to get out of there and deal with that army outside.” “No offense to you, but are you mental?! I’m not going with them. Not now or ever!” “And if you don’t do something right this instant, I’m pretty sure we might have an international crisis on our hooves.” “I’d rather die than go with them…” then after a beat, he added, “If I can figure what to kill myself with.” “Oh for the love of…” Frustrated, Starlight pointed her horn down at the doorknob and blasted it away, leaving a gaping hole behind. Kicking it open, she immediately spotted Gallus’s tail underneath the bed. She used her magic to pull him out. “I know you didn’t ask for this,” Starlight pulled him out of the room and down the hall, and kept pulling his tail hard when he reached for something to grab on. “But this is your mess, and you need to clean it up.” “Starlight you traitor!” Gallus clawed at the walls, leaving scratch marks as he was pulled into the student lounge. “You can’t make me go out there!” “Yes I can, and I think there is a way for you to make them go away.” “How?” She lifted him up upside-down but looked him in the eye. “Let me spell this out to you - you’re the king, dumb-dumb, you can do whatever you want.” “.... And how do you know they’ll listen to me?” “I don’t, but unless you do something, they'll leave boulder-size holes in our school in a few minutes.” Gallus looked around and spotted the shoebox he tossed. Seeing the thoughtful look on his face, Starlight sat him down where he went over to pick the box up. “So I take it you have something in mind?” Sandbar asked. “I have an idea,” he replied. “It’s a long shot, but it’s all I got to work with.” Holding the box close, he walked out of the room, with his friends and Starlight following him. The next scene showed the outside of the school and surrounding it was the army that had gathered in the thousands. Carrying banners, spears, crossbows, swords, and a catapult in the back. Between them and the drawn-up drawbridge was Grandpa Gruff in rusty armor, still making a long-winded speech. “.... Today is the day we finally rise from the ashes!” He declared, “Inside of that school is our future! The King and the Idol are just waiting for us to come and rescue them to make our kingdom great aga-” His speech was cut off when they heard a loud clicking noise coming from inside the school. They turned to see the drawbridge was coming down. There was hesitation, but the army took hold of their weapons to make themselves ready for the fight of their lives. Instead, Gallus walked out. With determination on his face and the shoebox under his arm, he marched over the bridge. “That’s him!” Grandpa Gruff called out, “All Hail King Gal-” “Oh shut the living Hell up!” The army gasped. The real Gallus’s jaw dropped to the floor. He watched his counterpart walk up to the army, not afraid, but pissed off. “What do all of you think you’re doing?” He demanded, “No seriously, all of you here, have you all lost your damn minds! All of you were just about to storm a school… a place that’s unarmed for- what? This thing?!” He tossed the box to the ground, the lid popping off and the fragments of the artifact bounced on the grass. “All of you were willing to lay siege to this place,” he pointed at the academy, “foalnap me,” he pointed at himself, “and take me back to fix all of your problems? Are all of you insane!? You’re asking a teenager to put the monarchy back together; fix Griffonstone; fix everygriff’s bitter, there’s-no-possible-way-of-fixing-this attitude; and do all of that complicated government stuff when I have no clue how to do any of that!” “B-But,” Grandpa Gruff raised a shaky claw, “Your Highness-” “Oh don’t give me any of that ‘Your Highness’ crap! Up until I sent you that letter, you didn’t want anything to do with me! None of you did! I still haven’t forgotten how I had to survive every single damn day just to get by! I still haven’t forgotten how all of you turned your backs when I begged for a crust of bread, a cup of water, or a place to spend the night! If that’s how you treat someone who isn’t important, then I’m terrified to imagine what you’re going to do with someone who is!” “But… the Idol-” “It’s just junk!” Gallus screamed at him. “Yeah it united all of us, but doing so over a faulty cup is kinda stupid, don’t you think? I mean, I may not be that great as a history student, but compared to how other kingdoms built theirs, what they rally around, having our whole identity centered around a cup is pretty idiotic, isn’t it?” The whole army went dead quiet. “Hey! Here’s an idea! How about forming a kingdom on the basis that - oh I don’t know - that we should have a better life rather than just stealing it from everyone else we say hello to!? Maybe, we should build a society on being kind, being humble, and maybe giving others a break for not having as many bits as you do? But maybe as King, I’m asking way too much, am I? Would it be so hard to be selfless for once? Hell, how else can you explain how a namby-pamby Kingdom like Equestria managed to stick around for so long? “But what do I know? I’m still a kid. And at least I’m smart enough to know I’m too dumb to run anything without having it set on fire! I still got a lot to learn from this place, and by the looks of it, so do all of you! Now, if all please excuse me, I have a life to live, and friends to be with. So unless you absolutely want to spark a world war, then do as your king says and GO HOME!” Gallus watched his double heave after a royal rant like that, seemingly to wait for that one idiot to make an objection and take him on the spot. Looking around at the slack-jawed army, none of them, not even Grandpa Gruff, made a move. After taking some deep, calming breaths, Gallus added, “So if any of you want to see our Kingdom come back, here’s a bit of advice: take a good, long look at it, and do the opposite. Now, you’ll excuse me, I have classes to attend.” He turned around and walked away. On the other end of the drawbridge, his friends plus Starlight stood there. Their jaws too hung loosely from what they’ve heard. Smolder was the first to speak, “I’d never thought I’d say this, but holy shit.” Starlight narrowed her eyes at her, “Language aside, I have to agree. Looks like they’re leaving.” Indeed they were; the proud Griffon Army was turning around, taking their weapons with them. Their army was going away like a foal being told to go to bed. “So with that being taken care of,” Starlight said, “you’re all free to go back to whatever you were doing.” One by one, they started to leave Gallus. All except for Silverstream who remarked, “Gallus, I just noticed something.” “What?” “That with all your ranting… you never said you were stepping down as king.” “Well…” Gallus’s counterpart folded his arms, “I still need some authority to tell them off.” “Yes, but technically, you’re still royalty. Now we have more in common! I can’t wait to tell my Aunt about this.” “Why would- oh duh,” he facepalmed, “that’s right, she’s a queen.” “Yep! And you’re a king! A lost king, but a king nonetheless!” She hugged him, “You’re gonna like being a royal, that means you’ll have servants, a plot of land, you getting to date me, and a crown-” “What was that?” the other Gallus blinked. Silverstream stopped herself, letting Gallus go from her hug, her cheeks turned red and coughed into her claw. “What I mean is that we just have more in common now, and that’s a good thing.” “I get that, but what did say about-” “Oh look at the time! I’m going to be late for the… Plumbers club. Yep! I’ll see you around, Your Majesty!” With that, Silverstream took flight. Alone, Gallus took a moment to process what he heard, “She… likes me…” A goofy smile spread across his face. “Yes!” he pumped his claw in the air victoriously. Closing the book, Gallus felt he had enough of that story. At least this time the scenario didn’t leave him feeling down. Looking back at that rant, it was something that he almost always wanted to tell his Griffons for years but never had the courage to say it. In an odd way, it was… strangely satisfying. For now, he felt that he needed a drink from somewhere. For some reason, the library did have a bar and that’s where Gallus saw Sandbar upon arriving at it. Noticing him, Sandbar lifted his drink and smiled. “Hey, Gallus. How’s reading all your possible timelines?” “Emotionally exhausting and confusing,” Gallus answered as he turned to the bartender. “Give me something not too strong, but it will give me a good kick in the head.” A few minutes later, he got a heavy-looking blue drink and took it down in one gulp which made him feel a nice chill down his spine. Sighing in relief, he turned to Sandbar and asked, “So, anything interesting?” “Well, I found out if I was born an Alicorn then I would be having all four princesses trying to be in a romantic relationship with me,” Sandbar said with a chuckle which made Gallus stare at him in awe. “Dude, seriously? I’ll admit that would be kinda awesome. I guess since I’m dead I can say this but I’ve always thought Princess Luna had one helluva flank.” He then blinked before pointing out, “Wait a minute, isn’t Princess Cadence married?” “Apparently, Shining Armor died during that whole incident in the Crystal Empire against Sombra,” Sandbar said, wincing. “That… wasn’t nice to hear. Hope yours has been better.” Deciding it was better to not mention his suicide, Gallus shrugged and said, “Well, I can say this right now, being king of the griffins is something I never hope to be.” “Even if it would have made you and Silverstream possible as a couple? She being royalty and all,” Sandbar asked, eyebrows raised. “Well, I didn’t say it was all bad,” Gallus shrugged before glancing at a clock nearby. “Wow, we’ve been here a while. We should probably just do one more and head out of here. Much as I like to see myself in various other situations, we have all of eternity to do that and I want to explore Heaven more.” “Sure, meet here when we’re done?” Sandbar asked. Nodding, Gallus walked back the way he came but paused to look back at Sandbar who didn’t notice him. He thought about a question from earlier that made him wonder just what if… well… what if it wasn’t Yona and Silverstream who were their objects of desire… but rather... ‘You know what? Screw it! Might as well go ask it,’ Gallus thought with a heavy sigh while he tried to ignore the nervousness in his heart. ‘Hmm, what do I ask? What do I ask?’ Sandbar wondered as he sat back in his reading chair with his book in front of him. He bit into the pen he was using as ideas continued to warp around in his head. ‘What if I was born rich? Nah, never really cared about wealth. What if I was born into a different race? Hmm, maybe. What if Nightmare Moon had won against Princess Celestia? Actually, I think Princess Twilight told us about that in one class. I could always ask what would happen if I was a serial killer and murdered my friends… okay, maybe I should hold off asking such evil questions until I’m sure you can’t get kicked out of Heaven.’ Rubbing his temple, Sandbar tried to think of something-anything-that could be a good third question. Finally, he decided to just randomly write down the next idea in his head: What if… My friends and I were some kind of superhero group? Just like before, the page started to turn into a moving set of art pieces, but unlike the previous ones, these were in a style that he didn’t recognize until it dawned on him. A few months after Princess Twilight ascended to the throne Equestria had come into contact with a new race called the Kitsune from Kyubiokitusne. They had a strange comic method that they called “manga” and what was appearing in the book was very similar to that style. When the drawing was finished, the focus was on the Friendship Academy, but interesting enough in a room that Sandbar had never seen before. It was like a hangout place but with a juice bar, seats, some gym equipment, and a boxing ring. A sign said “Spike’s Juice Bar” and various students were chatting or eating while Spike was mixing shakes. At the boxing ring, Smolder, in a red jacket, could be seen training Ocellus, who had pink sweatbands on, with what appeared to be martial arts while Gallus, in a blue jacket, was watching them. “Kick! Punch! And spin kick!” Smolder shouted with an impressive array of combat training. Ocellus tried to follow suit, but during the spin kick she went too far and ended up landing on her face. “Ow...” “Well, if the mat ever becomes your enemy, Ocellus, I’m sure you’ll knock it out in one blow,” Gallus joked with a chuckle. Smolder helped Ocellus up while smiling at her. “Ignore him, Ocellus. You’re doing great.” “Easy for you to say,” Ocellus said as she wiped the sweat off her face. “I still don’t know why Zelona chose me to be a Harmony Ranger. I mean, without my morpher, I’m not that useful.” “You kidding? Who was it that invented that anti-brainwashing machine when we had one of Grogar’s monsters nearly turning the entire town into mindless slaves?” Gallus said, getting into the ring and patting her on the back. “You’re useful on the team, morphed or non-morphed.” Blushing, Ocellus rubbed the back of her head. “Thanks guys.” The focus then shifted to nearby where Yona, in a yellow jacket, was trying to do her homework with the aid of none other than Rexus from the first What if that Sandbar saw. Rexus, in a black jacket, gave a sympathetic smile to the yak before pointing at one of their papers. “Come on, Yona. You’ve been studying for an hour straight. The test isn’t until Friday and you could use a break.” “Yona needs to study! Yona not doing well in science class,” she answered, turning the paper in a different direction. “Yona not understand why electrons not releasing energy and electricity except in certain manners. Yona produces such when Yona fights.” “I think there the difference is that you are using magic while the electrons Professor Twilight is talking about is natural,” Rexus answered as he got up. “Come on, let’s get dinner and think later?” Yona was about to get up when she noticed Sandbar and Silverstream, in a green and white jacket each, entering with disappointing faces. “Look! Friends back from the eco fight!” “Eco disaster is more like it,” Silverstream complained as she tossed aside a protest sign along with Sandbar. Everyone started to group up as the two looked defeated and without hope. “Our pleas fell on deaf ears. That section of Whitetail Forest is going to get turned into a condo resort.” “Can’t they see that they’re just hurting all the animals and plant life by doing this?!” Sandbar grumbled as the real one watching nodded his head in agreement. It was a good thing to see that, regardless of what world or timeline, he was still a supporter of protecting nature. “We tried asking for help from Professor Fluttershy and Twilight, but they said everything is purely legal. We can’t do anything.” “That sucks,” Gallus said, shaking his head. “It’s actually a nice place to relax too.” “Well, you shouldn’t give up,” Smolder said, crossing her arms. “Why don’t we all go there tomorrow after class and protest together?” Everyone seemed pleased with the idea, but soon the image started to fade to show a dark and sinister castle high up on a tall mountain where a lightning storm was happening overhead. The book showed the inside where Grogar the Cruel - which Sandbar assumed was the real one and not Discord in disguise - was staring at his mirror pool with Queen Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, King Sombra, and Tirek by his side as his minions. The image before him showed a large series of destructive bulldozing equipment that was huge in scale and very powerful as they ripped apart tree by tree. One of them, the biggest, not only had a giant bulldozer, but also buzzsaw blades on the side and even a flamethrower on top. “Hmm, so it seems even the ponies of Equestria are not always friendly with their own land,” Grogar started with an amused smirk. “Hypocrites,” Queen Chrysalis snorted. “Quite frankly, I see no use of nature myself.” “Neither do I,” Tirek said. “It’s only good to fuel your army for war,” King Sombra stated. “I think it's nice to stroll around a park or two on a nice clear day,” Cozy Glow stated which earned her the angry glare of her fellow villains save for Grogar. “What? Can’t I have a difference of opinion here?” “Hmm, that machine seems to be quite powerful in tearing down trees,” Grogar stated as he summoned dark yellow energy into his hoof. “I wonder how it will be to see it tear down the homes of Ponyville and rip their residents to pieces?” Shooting the energy sphere into the portal, it managed to travel through space and time before appearing in another portal right over the machine just as it was being turned off. Upon hitting the bulldozer, it began to glow as the energy completely consumed it much to the shock of the nearby workers. Slowly, it began to morph and take on a new humanoid form of a giant bulldozing monster with buzzsaw hands and pipes coming out of its shoulders and back. With a loud roar, it cried out, “Grah! This wood is nothing! Let’s try to break things up that are tougher! Such as you weaklings!” The workers screamed and ran away while its buzzsaws began glowing before it swiped them in the air. Energy blades then sliced through the other machines which caused them to get clearly sliced in half before exploding. Laughing mechanically, the bulldozer monster began to make its way towards Ponyville. “Woah, this is so cheesy and yet I love it!” the real Sandbar said as he leaned further. Back in the book, the group was leaving the juice bar when a beeping noise came from the watches all seven of them were wearing on their wrists. Looking around to make sure there was nobody around, Smolder pressed a button and talked to it. “Go ahead, Zelora.” “Rangers! We have trouble! Come to the Command Club at once!” “We’re on it,” Smolder answered before nodding to the others. They all pressed their communicators and vanished into streaks of various colors. Soon enough, they appeared in what looked like the Clubhouse that the real Sandbar and his friends hung out at, but it was more mystical with a glowing set of crystals in various colors in the middle. The group appeared in a flash of light just as a pure silver alicorn with multi-colored hair similar to Princess Celestia, floated down from a balcony above to greet the seven. “We got your message, Zelora,” Rexus said, walking forward with the others. “Is Grogar at it again?” “I’m afraid so, Rexus,” Zelora stated as she used her horn to activate the crystals which showed an image of the bulldozer monster rampaging towards Ponyville. “One of the machines that were being used in the construction site near the forest has been turned into a monster by Grogar’s magic. If it isn’t stopped before it reaches Ponyville, I fear there will be many ruined homes or worse, lost lives.” “Great, so not only was that thing keen enough to destroy nature it's got to destroy civilization too? That thing is going down hard!” Silverstream growled with passion. “Don’t worry, Zelora,” Smolder said with a thumbs up. “We’ll take that thing out of commission. Ready guys?” They all nodded. “It’s morphin’ time!” Appearing around their necks were what appeared to be necklaces similar to the Elements of Harmony but in different jewel shapes and colors. Each of them all pressed against their respective crystals and called out. “Courage!” screamed Rexus pressing the black onyx in the shape of a paw. “Generocity!” screamed Ocellus pressing the pink quartz in the shape of a butterfly. “Kindness!” shouted Yona pressing the yellow garnet in the shape of a yak horn. “Laughter!” shouted Silverstream pressing a white opal in the shape of a fishtail. “Loyalty!” shouted Sandbar pressing a green emerald in the shape of a horseshoe. “Honesty!” shouted Gallus pressing the blue sapphire in the shape of an eagle’s wing. “Friendship!” shouted Smolder pressing the red diamond in the shape of a dragon’s claw. The seven were soon transformed and real Sandbar felt his jaw drop upon seeing all his friends standing tall with what appeared to be a combination of colored spandex and cybernetic armor that covered them head to tail. Each of them colored based on the color of their jewel which was shining brightly in the middle. Suddenly, the seven were transported in a flash of light. The scene was then redrawn to show the bulldozer monster making his way closer and closer to Ponyville, but stopped upon seeing seven figures appear in a bright light. “What the?! Who are you?!” “The Hound of Courage that braves the darkness!” Rexus cried out, posing first. “Black Harmony Ranger!” “The Changeling of Generosity that sacrifices all for the future!” Ocellus cried out, posing second. “Pink Harmony Ranger!” “The Yak of Kindness who protects the weak from bullies!” Yona shouted, posing third. “Yellow Harmony Ranger!” “The Hippogriff of Laughter who shines with hope in the sky!” Silverstream shouted, posing fourth. “White Harmony Ranger!” “The Pony of Loyalty who is the shield of the innocent!” Sandbar shouted, posing fifth. “Green Harmony Ranger.” ‘Note to self, use that one day as an introduction,’ Real Sandbar thought with a smile. “The Griffin of Honestly who seeks to make a better world!” Gallus shouted, posing sixth. “Blue Harmony Ranger!” “The Dragon of Friendship that unites all as one mighty team of power!” Smolder shouted, posing last. “Red Harmony Ranger.” “Shining forth in our crusade to bring peace and justice! Magical Sentai Harmony Rangers!” “Pause!” Sandbar said which caused the book to freeze. Grinning, Sandbar closed the book and reopened it for a peek. Satisfied, he closed it again and looked at it. “Good, it’s still there. Oh man, I have to show Gallus this! He’ll love it!” Even before Gallus could pen in his question, his mind already was filled with at least a hundred scenarios. If things had gone differently, would he have been able to come out when he was alive? Would he and Sandbar have a relationship? Would it have worked? Would his professors accept him? Would Grandpa Gruff want him removed from the school? Killed? Would he have taken Sandbar’s virginity early? For a long time, Gallus hesitated to fill in the blank. Looking over his shoulder to make absolutely sure that no one would peek at what he wanted to know. Even double checking if Sandbar was still at that comfy chair - he was. Taking in a deep breath, he dipped the pen in the ink. ‘Just do it. Quickly, like you would do with an extra-sticky band-aid.’ So with one last look over his shoulder, he jotted down his question. What if… Sandbar had asked me to the dance? He braced himself, watching the ink fade and the illustrations drew up the scene. Almost immediately, he recognized it as the foyer from the school. Where it showed Twilight putting up posters for the Amity Ball, and explaining to some of the nearby students that this was the first dance where multiple creatures will be attending. Gallus remembered this vaguely, where at the time he rolled his eyes and about an hour later, would hear that his then crush had asked Yona. But as the illustration moved, it did show himself doing just that and walking away. However, this time he saw Sandbar walking up to him. “H-Hey, Gallus?” Sandbar asked, and noticeably, his cheeks had turned red. “Hm?” his counterpart stopped to look over at him, “What is it?” “So…” Sandbar rubbed the side of his leg, his head nervously looking down, “You haven’t asked anyone out for the Amity Ball, have you?” “I don’t think I’m going.” His friend blinked, “No? Why not?” “It’s kinda pointless to go to a dance when you got no one to dance with.” He raised an eyebrow, “Why?” “Well… I think I have a pretty good idea who I want to ask out. F-For the dance, I mean!” Sandbar quickly added. “Are you feeling okay?” The other Gallus tilted his head. “Y-Yeah I… oh boy, give me a sec…” Sandbar, on the edge of a panic attack, took in several calming breaths. “Sorry, this… this is new for me.” “Why? What are you trying to…” Gallus watched his double’s eyes widen. ‘No way…’ he heard his counterpart’s thoughts, ‘He’s not… Not in a million years! But he’s super nervous and has an idea who he wants to take to that dance and… Oh dear Gods, it’s happening!’ “So…” Sandbar regained some of his composure, “I don’t know if you would want to if you say no then that’s… that’s okay. But I’m curious if you… crap, I’ve messed it up, have I?” ‘But he won’t… he can’t be-’ “Gallus,” Sandbar smiled widely and nervously, “you… wanna go out to the dance with me?” No response. If anything, his double froze when he was asked that. Even Sandbar waved a hoof in front of his face, “Hello? Are you there?” “What did you say?” his twin asked quietly, full of disbelief. “I just asked you out to the dance.” From the look of his own face, he heard it, but he couldn’t believe it. Suddenly, unexpectedly, Gallus flew off. “Gallus, wait!” Sandbar went galloping after him. The scene redrew itself. This time showing their dorm room, with blinds drawn and he saw himself, huddled in a ball and back against the door. Behind the door, there was knocking. “Gallus, I just wanna talk.” His double shook his head, ‘No. H-He’s lying! That’s gotta be it! There’s no way in the deepest part of Hell that he would suddenly take any interest in me! Seriously, is he blind? Does he have brain damage? He just asked me - ME! - to that dance thing!’ Another knock, “C’mon, open up! You can be mad at me all you want, just talk to me.” ‘What the Hell is going on? Does he know that I’ve had a crush on him this whole time? Does everyone else? No, no that can’t be, I was so careful. They couldn’t have known and yet… Yet… He asked me. Sandbar asked me to the dance! So… why do I feel like it’s not earned?’ “Dude, if you don’t open this door, then I’m gonna get Yona and have her use her horns as a battering ram.” Another beat. “You asked for it. Hey Yon-” The other Gallus unlatched the lock, moving away from the door so Sandbar could peak in. “You okay?” Gallus didn’t answer. Sandbar pushed his way into their room and sat down next to him. “Look,” Sandbar explained, “I wasn’t sure if you… you know… swing that way. But I thought that out of all of our friends, you were someone that I could have a good time with at the ball. You’re not mad at me, are you?” The other Gallus shook his head. “So… I take it you don’t like guys, huh?” Instead of answering, Gallus watched his double blush heavily. “Why?” he questioned. “Just… Why me?” “Well… why not?” Sandbar scooted closer. “I mean, good looks aside, you’re always fun to be around with. Maybe the most snarky out of all of us, more than Smolder I think. Yet, getting to know you as a friend, I found how loyal you are, how brave you are, and even resourceful when none of us could think of anything better. So I just thought I would ask you… Because maybe,” he blushed, “we could one day become more than just friends.” ‘He’s lying…’ a cynical, hate-filled whisper was heard in his counterpart’s ears. “I don’t know what else to tell you,” continued Sandbar, “you’re a good guy and as… unbelievably corny as it sounds… you complete me.” ‘Your parents never loved you.’ “You’re never a bore to talk to, and I could go on for hours by your side.” ‘No one in Griffonstone ever loved you.’ “Even on boring days, you always make them so much better for me.” ‘What chance do you ever think, a griffon so worthless as you would ever receive the love you’ve been chasing after?’ “I just wanna ask you out to the dance to maybe get to know you bet-” “Shut up!” the other Gallus covered his head, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Just please, stop lying to me! I-I don’t… You can’t…” He started shaking, “T-Tell me you’re…” he couldn’t finish, tears leaked out from his eyes, his voice stopped up in utter shame. For a long minute, Sandbar hugged the crying griffon tightly, comforting him. Refusing to leave until all tears had run down the griffon’s face. Yet with every tear, Sandbar used a free hoof to wipe them away. Although neither of them said anything at that moment, the real Gallus saw how much love that Sandbar was showing. A genuine love that he never got when he was alive, not on a level like this. There was a time skip as they were shown on the mountainside above the academy. Underneath the moonlight and the twinkling stars, the two sat close to one another on a rock, looking over Ponyville. “.... so, yeah,” his counterpart nodded, “I didn’t say anything before because I wasn’t sure if you felt that way.” “Holy crap dude,” Sandbar’s hoof brushed against his mane. “I never guessed how… bigoted Griffonstone was. But I can see why you were afraid to say anything before.” “Yeah…” he rubbed his talons, looking up at the moon he added, “You’re the first I’ve ever come out to. Especially knowing that you won’t lynch me for it either.” Sandbar patted his back, “Dude, Equestria is a lot more tolerable place than you think. I mean, speciesism aside, there aren’t that many ponies here that would care what you happened to like. You know, I’d bet even the girls wouldn’t mind you either.” “You really think so?” “Are you kidding?” Sandbar laughed, “We’re as different as we could get! We’re friends with a yak, a changeling, a dragon, and a hippogriff that could change into a seapony - I don’t think that this,” he waved a hoof at his friend, “would be a deal-breaker.” His double hummed, “Let’s not say anything, at least, not until the dance. I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready yet to let them know about this side of me yet.” “Well, we still need to get ready anyway.” Sandbar agreed, “We still got to pick out what to wear, what our pot-luck baskets will have, even getting the dances hammered down. But after that, we should totally go to the dance and surprise them.” “Yeah…” his duplicate nodded, “I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces. Which one do you think will have their jaw hit the floor first?” This got a chuckle out of Sandbar, “No idea, but I don’t know about you, I’m ecstatic for it.” “Well sure,” with a deepening blush, his other self asked, “hey Sandbar?” “Yeah?” “Would you…” Gallus watched his other self shift uncomfortably. “Forget it.” “What?” “Just forget I said anything.” “Well, what were you gonna say?” Taking a deep breath, he asked, “So… have you ever uh…” he double-tapped the tips of his talons together, “have you ever kissed anyone before?” “Like from my mom?” “What? No! I mean… like romantically, fully on the lips.” “Oh? Oh!” Sandbar blushed, “Oh that… well… not, really?” He tilted his head, “Why?” “You know I have a crush on you, right?” “You just told me ten minutes ago.” “Right, but… I don’t know if I’m skipping a few steps or whatever but… now that I know that I like you and you like me that maybe you might wanna…” The real Gallus saw Sandbar gently place a hoof on his double’s face, turning over to face him. “Y-You know… I’m nervous too.” They blushed, “I never kissed anyone like that, let alone a dude. But… Do you wanna try?” “Like here… now?” “Hey, I trust you. So… will you?” The other Gallus cups his friend’s face, adoring his face and shining eyes in the moonlight. “I…” he drew closer, “I think…” and closer, “I wanna-” “What are you watching?” “GAH!” Gallus was snapped back into reality, slamming his book, earning the ire of nearby readers. A fist clenching his chest, he twisted around to find Sandbar who was… uncomfortably close over his shoulder. He almost came close to having a heart attack right there and then. “Dude, don’t sneak up to me like that!” Then after a beat, he added, “What did you see?” “Nothing, I just got here,” Sandbar lifted his hooves defensively. Then noticing how red his friend’s face was, he added, “You weren’t watching porn in a library, were you?” “Wha- no! Of course not!” Then after taking in a calming breath he said, “So, what is it?” “Well I found that librarian we’ve met and it turns out we can check out our books. So I was just gonna ask if you want to check these babies out and maybe check out the rest of Griffonstone.” Taking in a deep breath, Gallus got up with his book, “Yeah. Sure… let’s do that.” “By the way, what was happening in your book? It looked like you and me were about-” “You know what,” Gallus quickly changed the subject, taking Sandbar’s book, “I’m just gonna take these and get ‘em checked out.” “But I’ve already checked mine-” and before he could finish, Gallus had spread his wings and quickly went off to find the check-out desk. Left behind, Sandbar scratched his head. “What’s gotten into him?” he asked before shrugging and following his friend.
Chapter 8Sandbar couldn’t put his hoof on it, but something about Gallus had seemed off ever since they’d left Griffonstone. He didn’t know why, but after they’d left the library, the griffon had been… distant. It was as if Gallus was becoming somewhat avoidant. For a long time, he didn’t bring it up, simply assuming he just had something on his mind. Surely, that had to be what it was, right? Whatever it was, he’d eventually get over it and be back to his snarky self in no time. Even so, on some days he wondered why it was that his friend couldn’t bring himself to look him in the eye. So when it was his turn to pick their next destination, he wanted to choose a place that could maybe help get his friend out of whatever funk he was in. Maybe a place that wasn’t as intense as Valhalla, nor as easygoing as the beaches they’d visited. Something that would surely distract the griffon in a fun way. So, when looking through the map of Heaven, there was one place in particular that caught his eye; partly because he knew that, when he’d been alive, that place was nothing more than a desert wasteland with a dumpy town in the middle of it. In Heaven, however, there was no Klugetown. In its place, however, was a town known by a different name: Monte Catlo. “Are you sure this is the place?” Gallus looked between the map and their destination. For the past several hours, the two had flown over the sandy dunes sandwiched between Southern Equestria and the borders of the Hippogriff Kingdom. When they finally found the place they were headed towards, it wasn’t the dumpy, trash-constructed, slave-owning town underneath the scorching sun. What they found was an oasis. It wasn’t big as a city, and yet, they thrived. Monte Catlo had the grace of Paris, yet it was as colorful as a Saddle Arabian market. It was paved in cobblestones, shaded in palm trees, and watered by elegant lotus-shaped fountains of stone. As the two entered, they found it crowded by creatures from Hippogriffs to Zebras, Syrans to two-legged cats that spoke, complained, and sung in dozens of languages. They passed by restaurants, cafes, and bakeries that perfumed the air with spices, freshly baked bread, and promising meals if only they stepped in. At corners, they heard street orchestras and solo musicians playing on instruments that have been lost to time. Yet, it was not this elegant town that they came for. Towards the center was a building that was big as an opera house and just as beautiful. Carved marble, cast iron, and gold leaf stood proud and shining in the sun like a crown. It was here that Sandbar wanted to take Gallus. For, over the door, etched in masterful calligraphy in stone and iron, were the words: Monte Catlo Casino and Hotel. “Here we are!” Sandbar grinned, waving a hoof at the building as if he was presenting his friend with an expensive Hearth's Warming present. “What do you think?” “Huh…” Gallus blinked. “A casino? This… doesn’t sound like you.” “I know; I had you in mind.” “Uh-” Gallus was taken aback, slightly blushing- “Excuse me?” “I mean, I thought that maybe you needed some cheering up. I wasn’t gonna bring it up, but lately, you’ve seemed... down in the dumps. So I kinda figured I should take you to someplace that you might find fun. I mean, remember those game nights we had when we were alive?” “Well yeah, I remember whipping your flanks,” he chuckled. “Do you remember when I won that poker game, and Smolder got so mad that she flipped the table?” Sandbar laughed. “Yeah, and you had to spend days trying to prove that you didn’t cheat. I remembered how much enjoyment you got out of that game, so I thought maybe I should take you somewhere where we could experience something like that again.” “That’s…” Gallus rubbed the back of his neck. “.... actually really sweet of you.” “Now c’mon!” Sandbar trotted through the huge iron and glass doors. “Let’s get ourselves checked into our room.” “Why?” Gallus walked behind him. “I mean, we’ve got our house in our saddlebag. So why would we want to check in a hotel?” “Well, don’t you just want to know what it’s like to be in a fancy hotel that you don’t have to pay for?” Gallus couldn’t think of a comeback to that. Walking into the lobby, the two paused for a moment to be in a place that should have been part of a palace. On the floor, there was a marble mosaic of the initials “M.C.” Columns made out of solid amber reached up to the dome, a glassy-blue ceiling with a crystal chandelier hanging in the middle. It was decked out in the baroque style, complete with monumental paintings, gold leafing that encompassed the whole room, and even cherubs that peeked down from above. In front of them was a desk, and between it and the wall of key hooks was a feline that was focused on a novel. It was one of those tuxedo cats that had black and white fur, complete with a tuxedo and a nametag. When they approached, they saw a name on it - Monte. The two walked up to the desk, where there was a little sign that pointed to a silver hoof-bell. Sandbar tapped it to get the feline’s attention. Stoically, the cat closed the book and looked up at them. “Good afternoon,” he spoke in a soothing, deep voice that would almost put one to sleep. “welcome to the Monte Catlo Casino and Hotel. My name is Monte. Are we checking in or gambling today?” “Well, both,” Sandbar answered. “Do you guys have a room?” Monte looked behind at the wall of keys, “We always have a vacancy here. Is there a particular kind of room you wish to stay in?” Sandbar smiled. “Surprise us.” “Very well.” Nodding, Monte turned around and pulled up a ladder from the floor. He climbed up a few steps and reached out for a key that had the number 473 on it. “If I may ask, how long do you gentlecolts plan to stay at our establishment?” “Maybe for a day or two.” Sandbar looked over to Gallus. “Unless you wanna stay here a bit longer?” “Meh, we’ll probably move on tomorrow. I’ve never been here, so I don’t know what else there is to do.” “Oh there’s plenty,” Monte explained, climbing down back to the floor. “For example, there are a good number of places to eat as well as some entertainment of sorts. There’s a good improv theater that’s just down the block from here. Now,” he then pulled out a book and a fountain pen, “if I may get your signatures please just so you’ve been registered.” Sandbar and Gallus signed their names. The book then filled out the rest, including the date and time when they checked in. However, they were taken aback by the date: December 24th. Today was Hearth's Warming Eve, and by the looks of the other, they both seemed to have forgotten what day it was. “Uh, excuse us?” Gallus raised a talon. “Is today Hearth’s Warming Eve?” Monte looked at his watch. “Last time I checked, it’s the twenty-fourth of December. Why?” “Oh crap!” Sandbar exclaimed. “We’ve been so busy going around we didn’t realize… I didn’t get you anything.” “I know…” Gallus groaned. “I feel so stupid.” Monte coughed into his small paw. “If it helps, gentlecolts, you might not have to worry about that.” He held the key out to them. “It’s already been taken care of.” “Hang on,” Gallus objected, “what do you mean by that?” “As I said, it’s all been taken care of.” He jingled the key, “Everything you need is in your room.” The two just stared at each other before shrugging. So far, Heaven hadn’t let them down yet. It took a while to reach their rooms, but while doing so, they rode the glass elevators and got a good look of the entire place, including a big outdoor pool that they both agreed to try out later. Once they reached their floor, they were fortunate enough to find their shared room right in front of them. Upon unlocking it the two were amazed by what they saw. It wasn’t just a room; it was an entire penthouse! The entire front room had four soft sofa chairs and two velvet black couches with two glass coffee tables with magazines on top. Nearby on the left, there was an actual wooden bar filled with dozens of drinks, a fresh ice maker, and glasses from wine to shots. There were three small platinum chairs to sit in front of the bar, while behind the bar were two medium-size television screens with the logo of the hotel on them. Further in the back, a giant grand dining room table with six chairs and silverware all sorted out, with fresh fruit and spring water already prepared for them. Walking further inside, they saw two hallways that they each took to explore further. For Gallus, he found a large recreational center with a billiard room, a gaming couch with a plasma screen TV, and dozens of video games. There was also a mini-library with a set of popular board games that Gallus remembered playing with all his friends from their time at the academy. Next to it was a smaller room that led to a hot jacuzzi with a tub as big as an elephant. Sandbar, meanwhile, found himself entering the bedroom, where two king-sized beds awaited them with green and blue covers, pillows, and velvet shades around their beds. A mini-bar was set up as well as a fridge filled with ice cream. There were even separate bathrooms for them. “How could they fit all of this in here?” Gallus asked as the two met up back in the living room. “Maybe it’s just bigger on the inside than it is on the outside?” Sandbar suggested. “I guess,” Gallus said as he looked around. “So where is this thing that’s supposed to help us with Hearth’s-” A knock on the door alerted the two of company as they walked over and opened it. A bellhop pony bowed and came in with a large red and green box. “For you, gentlecolts. Good day.” He bowed again and left as quickly as he came. The two looked at the box before opening it. Sandbar gasped as he pulled out a small but easily movable Hearth's Warming Eve tree that shouldn’t have fit in the box, but he soon chalked it up to the imagination. “Woah! This tree is huge!” “There are other decorations inside too,” Gallus said, pulling out tinsel. “Hey! Let’s decorate the place!” Sandbar said with a smile. “My folks and I used to love doing that. Since you and I are pretty much together- ” Gallus went wide-eyed upon hearing that word- “let’s celebrate it together!” “Still, we should do something special for each other. I mean, what can you give in a place that can give everything?” Gallus asked, which made Sandbar rub his chin. “Hmm,” Sandbar hummed to himself before clopping his hooves together. “I got it! Let’s find each other a date!” “Whawhawhat?!” Gallus shouted, blushing red. “Yeah, I mean we’re both technically single, and we did promise the girls we’d find someone new to love,” Sandbar said with a smile. “Plus, this is technically a romantic holiday. Let’s find a date for each other.” ‘I’d rather just go out with you,’ Gallus thought in his head, but he slowly nodded anyway. “Great! Let’s first set everything up and we can go on Operation Babe Hunt!” Sandbar said, pumping his hoof in the air. Gallus raised his eyebrow. “‘Operation Babe Hunt?’” “Eh, I just picked what sounded good in my head the first time,” he shrugged. “Besides, we can start here at the casino. Maybe if we’re lucky, we might get lucky.” Gallus groaned at that joke. “C’mon!” Sandbar hopped out the door. “Let’s see who we can find!” “What about the decorations…? Ah, forget it!” Begrudgingly, Gallus followed behind. The casino itself was just as beautiful and elaborate as the rest of the building. Rows upon rows of games promised fortune and excitement. There were the kind of games they expected from a casino, from poker to blackjack, but there were others that they didn’t consider to be gambling-related. In one part of the casino floor, there was an arcade with a wide range of games, from dance-offs to shooters - only, instead of the tickets one would see from those who won, casino chips would be distributed. “So,” Sandbar chirped, “if we’re gonna get ourselves back into the dating pool, we got to choose a game.” “Sure but uh…” Gallus hesitated, looking around at the gamblers. “What kind of game? I mean, there’s just so many to choose from.” “Well we’ve got to go for one that draws a crowd, so…” Sandbar scanned the floor and spotted one that had a good size group around it. “What about that one? Roulette, isn’t it?” “I uh… yeah,” Gallus said meekly. “At least that’s a game that has no chance of being rigged.” “C’mon, let’s see what’s going on over there.” Sandbar happily trotted off towards the table. Gallus sighed, dragging himself behind. Pushing themselves through the crowd, they found that there were only two players. One was a thin deer in a white suit, while across him was a mare with a mane as gold as the sun, an orange coat, and a sparkling red dress. When the two got closer, they saw that between the two, the mare was clearly winning by the huge number of chips. “Okay, place your bets,” a changeling standing behind the roulette wheel called out. The deer hummed. “I think…” He pushed what little chips he had left. “Two-hundred on black. Twelve, black.” The mare smirked, pushing all of her chips. “Sixteen red.” “Last chance to change your minds,” the changeling warned. Neither of them backed down. Nodding, the changeling spun the wheel and tossed the ball in the opposite direction. All eyes were on the ball as it went round and round the colored wheel, jumping when it started to slow down. The deer held his breath while the pony with great confidence simply smiled. A moment later, the wheel slowed down and so did the ball as it rested on... “Sixteen red!” the changeling called out. “Yes!” the mare cheered in her victory, and the crowd cheered along with her. “That was a close call, but what do you say?” She reached out her hoof. “Good game, Mitos?” “Yeah,” he shook her hoof. “You won this fair and square.” With that, the deer got up from his seat. The mare playfully tapped a few of her chips together. “So, who wants to try their luck?” “Oh! We would!” Sandbar raised his hoof, “We’ll play!” “Dude,” Gallus asked in a harsh whisper, “what do you think you’re doing?!” “We are gonna play a game-” He sat down at the table- “and hopefully, one of us will win.” He winked. Frowning, Gallus sat down next to him. “Well, well, well.” The mare rubbed her hooves. “It’s been a while since I’ve faced some brave souls.” She held out her hoof. “The name is Chanceuse.” “Sandbar.” He shook her hoof. “Gallus.” He reluctantly did the same. “Welcome. I hope you two understand the nature of the game?” “You basically bet on a color or a number,” Gallus said dryly. “Whoever gets it right wins.” “That is oversimplified, but yes.” She paused for a moment. “But I noticed neither of you have anything to bet with. If you’re interested in playing me, here.” She pushed a small portion to the two. “I suggest starting small and working your way up.” “Thanks.” Sandbar smiled, while Gallus’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll go first,” Chanceuse said, placing a few chips on the table. “Thirty on three black.” “Ten on red fourteen.” Sandbar placed his chip down, then elbowed his friend to do the same. Gallus sighed. “Twenty on black.” “Ah, smart move,” Chanceuse smiled and winked at Gallus, only to receive an eye-roll. “Last minute to change your minds?” the changeling asked. When none of them did, he spun the wheel and tossed the ball in. They watched the wheel and the ball slowly slow down and eventually land on - “Seven black.” “Looks like you win.” Chanceuse smiled. With the chips being pushed in Gallus’s direction, she began, “So, when are you two from?” “Don’t you mean where?” Gallus questioned. “Well that, but when as well. Although given that answer, I take it you haven’t been in the afterlife that long. No, I’m referring to when you passed away.” “About six months ago,” said Sandbar. “I’m from Equestria and he’s from Griffonstone, by-the-way.” “Prance,” she said, picking out a fifty-bit chip and placing it on eight black. “I passed away during the revolution.” “Really?” Gallus tilted his head, “Which one? I know there was at least more than one.” “The one that overthrew the monarchy,” she replied, watching Sandbar place a five bit chip on fourteen-black. “I was in the mare’s march to the palace when we moved them to Paris.” “Wow,” Sandbar leaned forward, “So… uh…” “Mhm?” “If it’s not rude to ask but… if you died during the Prench Revolution… did you… you know…” He motioned with a hoof across his neck. She nodded. “That I found ironic. I played an important part in overthrowing the monarchy, and a year later I was guillotined for saying I felt sorry for the queen. But it doesn’t bother me now; I’ve moved on since then.” Gallus put a ten-bit chip on red. The changeling did the last call for further bets, spun the wheel, and tossed the ball. It landed on fourteen-black. Sandbar won that round. “Thank you,” he said as the chips were pushed in his direction. “So miss, or should I say, Madame, what is someone so charming as you doing in a place like this?” Gallus took hold of the edge of the table and tightened his grip. “For the same reasons as you are, no doubt.” Chanceuse placed a fifty-bit clip on red. “I’m a wandering spirit, going this way and that to see where the winds take me. Exploring this world and getting to know a few handsome stallions out there.” “Yeah?” Sandbar smirked. “Are you still on the lookout?” She hummed, watching the pony across from her placed a fifteen chip on seven red. “That depends, are you?” “Oh definitely!” Sandbar grinned wider, and the grip from Gallus got tighter. “We’re just some best buds going around to have fun and maybe, find someone special.” Gallus grabbed a five-bit chip and tossed it on black. Chanceuse raised an eyebrow. “The gentlegriff seems stressed, yes?” “What?” Gallus shook his head, as if he had fallen asleep. “I’m not stressed.” “No? Then why are you making a dent in the table?” Gallus looked down at what his claw was gripping and blinked. He didn’t realize that the wood underneath his claw was bending and splintering. “You okay, dude?” Sandbar asked. “Uh… y-yeah.” He got up. “Would you hold my seat? I’m gonna find a bathroom real quick.” “Sure thing.” Sandbar watched his friend fly off before looking down at the indent in the wood. “What’s gotten into him?” “Has the Monsour offended him in any way?” Chanceuse inquired. “No, I didn’t do anything.” He blinked. “What makes you say that?” “When you get to be my age, you tend to pick up on certain things. Body language, for instance. You probably weren’t aware, but your friend seemed cross. But I don’t know why. He was tense, grumbled a good deal, didn’t want to make eye contact, and there’s also that.” She pointed to the damaged side of the table. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that he was bitter.” “But that doesn’t make sense.” Sandbar scratched his head. “I mean, I was honest about how we’re here to have fun. But also to maybe pick up someone. Ya know, for like a date.” “Ah-ha!” Chanceuse smirked. “Now the plot thickens! Is that what you were trying to do? Flirt with little old me?” “W-Well uh…” Sandbar gave an embarrassed smile, and his blush betrayed his intention to be cool. “Is it… working?” She laughed. “Oh, you have much to learn about flattery before you try to earn a date.” “So… is that a no…?” “Monsour, you are a sweet stallion. However, I have a feeling that you may have more pressing matters to attend to first.” “I do?” Sandbar blinked. “Like what?” “For starters, your friend seems to have lied,” she said, pointing to the front doors, “because that is not the bathroom, but the exit outside. So, whatever you might have done, I suggest you go and try to fix it quickly while you still can.” “Really?” Sandbar got up from the table. Looking between him and the door, it took him a moment before he pressed all the chips to her. “Thanks for the game, but I think I need to go.” He galloped off. Chanceuse waved. “Hope to see you again.” Gallus didn’t know how long it would take for anyone to catch on with his lie. No, he needed more than a restroom - he needed air. Just someplace away to catch his breath and calm down before he exploded. He sat on the edge of a stone fountain that was just outside of the casino, his back against the brightly lit water. Of course, he planned on going back to the gambling floor, playing along with Gallus until the Prench mare ended up seducing him. But it was that thought that made him step outside. He knew that he shouldn’t be miffed by any of this. Sandbar wouldn’t ever consider him as a possible… whatever. So, by all means, he should be cheering him on to be the first to get a date. But for now, he wasn’t ready. Not yet… Not now. “Hey, you okay?” Gallus looked up, seeing Sandbar walking over to him. “Uh, yeah…” He breathed in deeply. “I’m fine. Really.” “You sure?” “Yeah. I’m okay. See?” He pulled a fake grin. “It’s all honky-dory!” Sandbar raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. Gallus let his grin down. “Sorry, just… I’ll be okay, I just needed a minute.” Walking up to the fountain, Sandbar sat down next to him. “So why were you kinda angry back there? I thought you’d be thrilled with finding a special somecreature.” “Sure, but…” Gallus cupped his face in his claws, and sighed. “I don’t know. Okay? I didn’t feel comfortable back there.” “So… maybe we should find a dude?” “.... Can I be straight with you?” He looked up, “I don’t know if I’m ready to… you know… date anybody now.” “Oh…” Sandbar rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, so I pushed you into something you weren’t ready for. Crap, I’m so sorry dude.” “No.” Gallus shook his head. “You clearly want this. And I guess you were ready to fall in love with… what’s-her-name.” “Dude, we just met. We didn’t have much of a connection if you could call it that.” Rubbing his chin in thought, he asked, “So… do you wanna do something else?” “Like what?” “Well… I don’t know. We could go back and play some other game. Or hay, we’re in this new, fancy town. Maybe we can go see what’s here.” “What about our game?” “I called it quits.” Sandbar got up, offering a hoof to him. “So how about this - we won’t find ourselves any dates tonight. Alright? Let’s just go and have fun somewhere. I mean, I brought you here so we could have a good time, so let’s actually go and have a good time. Okay?” Gallus looked between Sandbar’s outstretched hoof and his face. There was so much in that moment that he could say or do. After all, Sandbar was changing his plans and tossing out a potential date just so he could have as much fun as he was. He came out here to check to see if he was doing alright, and was making the effort to mend a spoiled moment. He grabbed Sandbar’s leg and was pulled up. “So what do you wanna do?” Gallus asked, looking around. “It’s too early to eat dinner and too late to win our bets back. Any ideas?” “.... Bet I can kick your butt that billiards table we got back at the penthouse.” “You’re on!” Gallus said as the two dashed away to their hotel room. “And that’s 4-3, Sandbar!” Gallus grumbled as he began to rack up the balls again. “How does a creature who uses hooves become so good at billiards? You don’t even have digits!” “I think Professor Twilight said something about how earth pony magic is connected to our hooves, and thus some kind of gravity-like spell allows us to hold things for a short time, similar to how pegasi use their wings and unicorns use their horn,” Sandbar said, shrugging. “That has to be a bunch of bullshit if you ask me,” Gallus said, shaking his head. “How does that even work?” “I don’t know. I’m not Ocellus,” Sandbar pointed out before pausing. “You know… I just realized. It’s Hearth's Warming Eve and all the other celebrations down back home. How do you think the others are doing?” Gallus looked down and sighed. “Well, I hope they’re keeping the tradition of us all celebrating it together. That was honestly one of my favorite parts of the year.” “And to think,” Sandbar said as he walked over and wrapped his hoof around Gallus. “We started that tradition in our first year thanks to you keeping us there to clean the decorations up.” “Ugh, don’t remind me. I still feel guilty that I did that. Plus, those were one of the worst detentions I had to serve afterward,” Gallus grumbled. “Worse than the time you and Smolder put cherry bombs in the septic tanks and-” “Okay, not as bad as that! Plus, I’m pretty sure the only reason I wasn’t expelled was because Professor Rainbow Dash admitted to doing that prank at school once too!” Gallus rubbed his neck. “Still, I just hope they’re having a good holiday without us. Your family as well.” “Yeah... I hope my sister is going to be happy despite me not being there. Of course, she’d want me to be happy celebrating up here too, or else she’d kick my butt,” Sandbar chuckled while shaking his head. “Well, you were her hero,” Gallus said, remembering her words at their funeral. “I’d think even heroes need a break or two.” Sandbar’s eyes widened as a grin appeared on his face. “Oh yeah! Dude, thanks for reminding me! I gotta show you this What If I didn’t finish!” He rushed into his room and flew back seconds later with his book from the library. “I asked what would happen if we were superheroes and it showed me this corny and yet awesome looking timeline about us! You have to watch it, dude.” Shrugging, Gallus walked into the living room and sat on the couch. “Got nothing else to do. Show me away.” “Well, first let me restart it so you can see what’s going on...” ***20 Minutes Later*** “.... I SOUND LIKE A DORK!” Gallus shouted in disbelief as he stared at the book with cringed eyes. “Seriously? ‘The Griffin of Honestly who seeks to make a better world?!’ In what world would I say that?!” “Apparently in this one,” Sandbar said, grinning. “And another thing!” Gallus pointed out as he poked himself. “I’m the one the Tree of Harmony said was closest to representing the Element of Magic! Not Honesty! I should be the leader of this team! Why is Smolder the leader?!” “I think it's because you’re not red,” Sandbar pointed out. “What does color have to do with being the leader of a group?” Gallus asked. “Princess Twilight is purple.” “Ugh, let’s just watch what happens already,” Sandbar said, rolling his eyes and he got the book to continue showing the alternate timeline. The manga-drawn pages showed the seven transformed heroes standing ready to fight against the Bulldozer Monster who was growling at the seven. “You think you rainbow-colored freaks are gonna stop me?! I’m gonna wreck that town and everything in it!” “Not if we stop you first!” Rexis cried out as he launched himself forward. “Hi-ya!” He delivered a solid punch upon the metal monster followed by a kick and another punch, but the metal monstrosity didn’t even flinch. He just laughed before back-fisting Rexis away, sending him sailing. “Pathetic! I didn’t even feel that!” “Rexis! You’ll pay for that, jerk!” Silverstream shouted as she flew towards the monster, Gallus and Sandbar right behind her. The three charged and dived at the monster, delivering various karate moves that normally would have hurt something, but the bulldozer monster was unphased. He smashed his bladed arms into Gallus’s chest, causing the griffin to get sent back with sparks flying out of his spandex armor. Sandbar was next as the monster headbutted him, bashed him in the helmet, and backhanded him to a tree with sparks also flying out. Silverstream tried to dive-bomb him, but he unleashed a powerful smoke from his mouth that filled up the hippogriff’s vision. “Can’t see!” Silverstream said before she was grabbed by the monster and thrown to the ground. The big mechanical beast slammed his foot on her stomach, causing her to scream in pain as it tried to crush her in two. However, rescue came in the form of Yona, who charged forward while glowing yellow with lightning bolts coming out of her body. “Lighting Charge!” This actually managed to make the monster scream in pain as Yona impacted him and sent him flying before he landed in a small crater nearby. Yona turned to Silverstream and helped her up. “Friend Silverstream okay?” “Yeah, just winded… and I think I don’t need to worry about losing weight now...” Silverstream winced as she rubbed her chest. “Our turn!” Smolder shouted as she and Ocellus took to the air and aimed towards the monster. It growled and fired energy cuts from its buzzsaws. “Energy Shield!” Ocellus shouted as her horn glowed and protected both her and Smolder with a pink barrier. “Dragon Burst Ignite!” Smolder shouted, letting out a ray of flames from her body that had the head of a dragon upfront. Before it could hit the bulldozer, he laughed and activated his pipes which started to suck up all the fire like a vacuum much to the shock of the girls. “Here, you can have this back!” It then reversed its flow of air and blew the flames out which hit both girls. While Smolder took the heat with little damage, Ocellus' entire suit was sparking from the fire until she was grabbed out by Smolder. “Is that even scientifically possible?” Real Gallus asked, turning to Real Sandbar. “Don’t ask me, I sucked at science save for marine biology and animals,” Real Sandbar answered. The seven heroes united and began to grunt from the damage they took. “This guy is tough,” Sandbar said. “And super strong, ow,” Rexis muttered as he winced from his blow. “Let’s take him at long range then!” Smolder shouted as she took out what appeared to be some kind of laser pistol. Everyone soon took theirs from their belts, even Yona was holding one that seemed to be comically too small for her, and aimed at the monster. “Fire!” The Bulldozer monster curled himself up into a ball as the laser blasts fired at him, but each ray shot bounced off his steel body like light from a mirror. The seven were shocked, but this didn’t stop the Bulldozer monster from laughing and glowing red hot in the center where his bulldozer blade was located. “Now let me show you what I can do by mowing you all down!” It began to roar like an angry machine before charging even faster than the seven could react. It rammed right through them, sending them into the air and screaming in pain while small explosions appeared from where they were once sitting and even around them. Time seemed to slow down as they flailed around in the air before landing back on the ground, weakened and groaning. The Bulldozer monster laughed and waved them off. “So long, losers! I’m gonna destroy that town!” “For a bunch of super suited beings, we sure super suck,” Real Gallus snorted. “Oh, please, this is when we get our second wind and kick the monster’s butt,” Real Sandbar said, rolling his eyes, but still having his goofy smile on. As the monster waved off, the gang slowly got up and looked at each other with worry. “What are we going to do? He’s too tough and strong to beat!” Sandbar pointed out. “We have to do something or else everyone in town is going to lose their homes!” Ocellus shouted. “If only there was some way to get him to stop moving! Something to jam up his gears!” Rexis shouted, which caused Smolder to lift her head up in realization. “Rexis! That’s it! If we can plug up his pipes he’ll be unable to work properly! Here’s the plan...” The pages then transformed to show that the Bulldozer monster was just a few feet away from arriving in Ponyville. “Aw, look at all the nice buildings. Well-managed streets. And the peaceful atmosphere… I HATE IT! LET’S TEAR IT ALL DOWN!” “No so fast!” The Bulldozer monster turned its head only to get nailed in the head by both Ocellus and Silverstream who dived, kicked him in the head and knocked him down. Growling, he glared at the flying creatures and stomped his foot in frustration. “You again?!” “Try and get us, ugly!” Silverstream said, mocking him as she shook her rump at him. “Ugly! Oh, I’m gonna bury you six feet under for that!” The Bulldozer monster shouted as he rushed after the two while firing energy cuts from his buzzsaw. The two fliers were able to skillfully dodge and weave from the blasts while leading the monster further and further away from Ponyville. Suddenly, it found itself unable to move and looked around. “Wha-What?! Why can’t I move?!” Hidden from behind a nearby tree, Rexis was using his Harmony power of the shadows to extend his shadow and merge it with the shadow of the monster, freezing it in place. Activating the communicator in his head, Rexis said, “I got him trapped in my Shadow Link! Go!” Smolder and Sandbar then charged forward as each had their claws/hooves glowing. The monster growled before unleashing the smokescreen from before in an effort to blind the two. However, he didn’t expect Gallus to dive down with his wings glowing blue and shout, “Air Blast!” With a powerful flap of his wings, a mighty gust of air roared through the sky and quickly dissipated the smokescreen. This allowed Smolder and Sandbar a free chance to attack without losing focus. Both of them shot out their forelimbs with the dragon shooting out magma and the earth pony shooting out water. “Magma Rage!” “Water Spray!” “Wait a minute, if I’m wearing green, why is my power water?” Real Sandbar asked, eyebrows raised. “Should it be air or earth or something? Or better yet, why isn’t Silverstream using water? She lives in it!” “That’s the last question I have,” Real Gallus pointed out. “I’m wondering how the Hell Smolder is able to spray magma from her claws, and how connecting your shadows together freezes someone in place? What is this, some kind of lame-ass ninja technique or something?” Regardless, the blasts of magma and water managed to hit the pipes together and turned them rock solid. The Bulldozer monster eventually broke free from the shadowy grip and growled. “Ha?! What was that… ugh… gah… ughhh!” He started holding his stomach as his pipes began to get bigger, and his body was glowing red. Parts of him were coming off as he struggled to maintain himself. “W-What’s going on?!” “Just as I thought!” Smolder said, crossing her arms. “Without that energy of yours able to escape, it’s building up too much inside of you like a bad case of gas.” Both Real Sandbar and Gallus agreed that Smolder was not smart enough to come up with something like that in real life. “Plus,” Ocellus said, landing next to Smolder, “all that energy building up will just cause the need to be expanding to add more pressure to your body. Unless something was to cause an external amount of force to make it happen sooner! Now Yona!” “Lighting Charge!” Yona shouted as she rushed towards the monster from the right. It turned around and gasped only to get a full-frontal assault of a thunder-powered yak tackle. The charges of the lightning went straight into the monster’s body causing it to explode a great amount of energy from its body and sending it sailing in sparks and broken parts to the ground. It coughed out smoke and moaned before slowly getting up, but it was clearly disoriented. “Damn, that was awesome!” Real Sandbar cheered “I admit, the effects were nice, but I’m not sure if that’s how energy works,” Real Gallus said, shrugging. “Alright!” Smolder shouted, pumping up her first in the air. “Let’s finish him off!” “Right!” said everyone as they lined up and placed their paws/talons/claws/hooves on their glowing Elements. The seven began to glow with their respective color energy before each of them held a ball of a different element: Fire for Smolder, Air for Gallus, Water for Sandbar, Ice for Silverstream, Light for Ocellus, Lighting for Yona, and Darkness for Rexis. Putting their forelegs to the right side of their bodies while keeping one foot behind them and positioned in stance. The seven all shouted, “Final Harmonic Blast!” At once, all seven of them shot the powerful energy beams into the monster who screamed until he was vaporized in a powerful explosion of multi-colored light. When it faded, all that remained was a single pile of ashes. “Wait, why didn’t they attack him with that the first time?” Real Gallus asked. “‘Cause we wouldn’t get the awesome fight scene, duh,” Real Sandbar pointed out. The seven began to cheer, but far off in the distance, watching from his portal, Grogar just muttered to himself as his eyes began to glow. A few seconds later, a mysterious magical pentagram appeared under the ashes which caused them to reform. A flash of dark light later and Real Gallus and Sandbar had their jaws drop upon seeing the now gigantic-sized monster back to life and roaring in the air. “Graah! Now I can not just crush the town, but the mountains nearby as well! Gahahaha!” The others looked up at the monster before nodding to each other. Smolder activated her communicator inside her head. “Zelora! We need the Zords now!” “The what?” Real Gallus and Sandbar asked, raising an eyebrow. Their answer came when the book started showing a sequence of events that made the boys’ jaws drop. It turned out the Zords were giant mecha versions of the respective races of the Harmony Rangers hidden in various places around Ponyville. From the woods of the Everfree Forest emerged a black mechanical wolf that howled so loud the birds scattered before it ran out of the forest. Upon the mountains near Canterlot City, a blue griffin mecha was screeching into the air before taking flight to aid in the battle. Under the giant lake rose a bird-like mermaid that looked like a hippogriff that splashed in the water before it started defying physics right up the butt by swimming in the air. Bursting out of Ghastly Gorge was a yellow and brown giant yak that let out a war cry before bouncing off the canyon walls to reach the surface and charge forward. A small section of the earth slowly opened up and bursting out of the ground was a green earth pony who galloped and neighed along the way. Coming down from the bright sun, buzzing around, was a giant mecha beetle-like creature that had to be a representative of a changeling. Finally, bursting out of a volcano, which made no sense since no volcanoes were even near Ponyville, was a red dragon robot who roared out flames before flying off. Suddenly, the scene showed all seven mechanical creatures running or flying side by side as one by one the rangers jumped into their robots from near impossible heights of distance. Each landed inside a cockpit before pressing a few buttons. “Megazord Unification Activate!” Each of the respective mechs roared as the wolf and pony Zords started transforming themselves into shaping like legs and feet with their respective bodies with the heads acting as the latter. They soon connected to the yak, who pulled in all their limbs, including their head, to act as the body while the two other Zords connected below. The changeling and hippogriff ones did the same as the pony and wolf one except they were made to be like hands with the griffin’s claws soon coming off its body and connecting with the arms to become the hands while the rest of it went to the back, transformed, and connected to the yak’s spine while spreading out its wings. Finally, the dragon robot landed on top and connected its body to have wings make a second set while the body entered the yak’s neck before the head remained on top. Its tail also came apart and turned into a long-spined blade shaped like a katana sword. It poised in the air before landing with a thud as the page to the left showed all seven in some kind of advanced cockpit and poised with their left limb out. “Megazord Formation Complete!” The eye from the real Gallus twitched, “They had… a giant robot that they could have called on at any time… and they didn’t think of using it first?!” “But… the fights…” “This battle could have been over in two seconds!” Real Gallus folded his arms. “This is why I should have been the leader,” he muttered. Ignoring his friend, Sandbar went back to focusing on the fight as the two giant monstrosities rushed at each other and started exchanging blows that each blocked. The Megazord used the dragon tail sword while the Bulldozer monster used his buzzsaws. The Megazord then went for a downward chop only to have the Bulldozer monster grab the blade and mock them with laughter. However, they didn’t expect the Megazord to kick them in the gut before pushing them back and slicing them with the blade as sparks came out. “Gah! Oh yeah?! Eat this!” the Bulldozer monster shouted as he fired missiles from his pipes which hit the Megazord repeatedly. “GAH! AH! UGH! WAH!” the seven cried as they flailed their limbs around in the sparking cockpit that the two watchers didn’t know if they were being tossed around or having a stroke. “I got you now!” the Bulldozer monster cried out as it tried to charge, but suddenly golden arrows made of energy hit it from the side and caused it to slip and fall in pain. “What the?!” Silverstream gasped. “Those arrows!” The Megazord turned to see, up on Princess Twilight’s castle, was a creature that neither Gallus or Sandbar had ever seen before, but knew about. It was a fox, but it had five tails behind it, making it one of the Kitsune from the far east. He was dressed in a similar outfit like the rest of the Harmony Rangers, but was gold and had a cloak and hood with strange eastern writing on it. In his hands was a sparkling gold and white bow that it lowered upon seeing that its attack had hit. “Now, Rangers. Get him while he’s down,” the Golden Ranger said before he vanished with a swift flap of his cloak. “Wait!” Silverstream said, reaching out as if she wanted to grab him. This made both Real Gallus and Ranger Gallus growl at the same time before Smolder alerted Silverstream to focus. “R-Right!” The dragon sword began to glow bright orange with white flames as they circled it above their head. The seven heroes then shouted, “Divine Cut of Justice!” With super speed, the Megazord brought its glowing sword down and sliced the monster in two. It barely had time to fall down before exploding for good this time as the Megazord raised its sword in victory. “Soooo, who was the golden guy?” Real Gallus asked, eyebrow raised. “Probably a mysterious ranger who's going to hide in the shadows, aiding when needed, until the team finally has him join them full time,” Real Sandbar pointed out. “At least, if my knowledge of superheroes is accurate.” “You’re such a nerd,” Gallus chuckled. ‘Gods, do I love you for it.’ The story didn’t seem to end there, as it showed Spike’s Juice Bar again, but apparently the next day as Ocellus was going on a one-on-one sparring match with Gallus. The two were evenly matched as they exchanged blows for blows and counters for counters until Ocellus managed to get in a sweep kick that knocked Gallus to his back just for him to get a fist inches from his face from a smiling changeling. “Seriously? I lost to Ocellus in a fight?” Real Gallus moaned. “Wow, I’m glad I’m already dead, or I’d die of embarrassment from that.” Smirking, the two shook hands before getting up as Smolder clapped for the performance. “Nice work, Ocellus. Told ya you’d get the hang of it.” “Yeah, I guess I just needed to believe in myself like you said,” Ocellus replied as she and Gallus drank from their water bottles. “Plus it helps that Gallus likes to lean on his right rear foot a lot when he fights.” “Noted,” Gallus chuckled as Yona and Rexis walked over. He noticed the former was smiling brightly while the latter was depressed. “What’s with you two?” “Yona got B+ on Test! All thanks to friend Rexis help!” Yona said, giving a friendly nuzzle to the diamond dog who sighed. “Isn’t that good news?” Smolder asked, tilting her head at Rexis’s behavior. “Yeah, but the problem is that I was so busy helping Yona I forgot to study by myself! I got a C+,” he answered, which made the others chuckle. “Ah well, at least it’s not that bad.” Just then, Silverstream and Sandbar rushed in with big smiles on their faces. “Guys! Guess what! It’s amazing!” Silverstream said as she shook with excitement. “Thanks to what happened yesterday, they decided to stop construction! The forest is going to be left alone!” “Wow, guess that monster did do something good, huh?” Gallus said, grinning. “Yeah, but I’m glad we were able to beat it regardless,” Sandbar said with a nod. “With a little help from the Gold Ranger.” “I wonder who he is...?” Silverstream whispered as a blush appeared on her cheeks. “I... I still never got a chance to thank him for saving me...” “Uh, hey!” Gallus said, interrupting her train of thought. “Why don’t we hang out in the forest since it's no longer being torn down?!” The others all nodded and soon left the Juice Bar, not knowing that in the corner, a yellow fox with five tails was watching them while reading a book under his hoodie. The words “To Be Continued” appeared in the book as both Sandbar and Gallus closed it and sat down. “Wow, that was intense!” Sandbar grinned. Gallus shrugged. “Some of the fights were cool, but… I don’t know, there were parts that just got too cheesy for me.” “Oh, don’t be such a sour puss!” Sandbar got up. “Besides, there’s something else we still need to do.” “Like what?” “Well it is Hearth’s Warming Eve.” Sandbar walked out of the bedroom. “So c’mon, we haven’t finished decorating yet.” “Yeah about that,” Gallus got up and filled his friend behind. “Have you noticed that there’s no hearth anywhere in this place? How can we have a Hearth's Warming without a…” His point died on his beak as they entered the living room, where they found a new feature next to the open Hearth’s Warming box - a large fireplace. Made out of marble and gilded iron, it was already burning brightly with several logs, bathing the room in an orange glow. “How the… Oh right, Heaven.” Gallus facepalmed. Sandbar went over to the open box. “I remembered that we hadn't decorated since we left earlier. So come help me pull this stuff out.” For a while, the two pulled out and kept pulling out more decorations. There, they found more ornaments for the tree, along with bows and freshly-made pine wreaths to hang up around the room. They pulled up strings of colored lights, candles, and even trays of ginger and sugar cookies. “Talk about the gift that keeps on giving,” Gallus remarked, stringing up a holly wreath over the fireplace. “Do you think if you turn the thing upside down we might be flooded with Hearth’s Warming stuff?” “Hey, what’s this?” Sandbar asked, reaching into the box and pulled out a few long boxes with bows on them. Taking a moment to untie them, he let out a gasp. “Dude! Come look at these!” Gallus flew over next to him. In those long boxes, were rows of hoof-sewn dolls - the kind that ponies traditionally placed over the hearth. But what they found wasn’t just copies of them - it also contained their friends, Sandbar’s family, and even Starlight in doll, button-eyed form. Yet, that wasn’t all. In the hooves/claws of their friends, they held onto rolls of short slips of paper. Gallus took the one that looked like Silverstream and unrolled the paper. It had a short little message: We have not forgotten you. - Silverstream. Then he picked up Smolder’s in which it read: Thank you for being in my life. - Smolder. It was the same with the other dolls, each of them had a short but heartfelt message from their loved ones. Yona loves you both. - Yona Please be happy up there and at peace. - Ocellus You will always be my precious students. - Starlight Son, we love you. One day we will see you. Gallus, you were like a part of the family. Happy Hearth's Warming - Mr. and Mrs. Oceanvale I wanna be you when I grow up, Big Bro. I know you are here with me. I love you. - Coral Deeper inside they found those from their former professors and Spike. I’m proud to have taught you both. - Twilight Sparkle Say hi to my folks for me. Tell Mama to make her special pie. - Applejack. When I get up there you better have a party ready for me! - Pinkie Pie I’m not really religious, but if there is a Heaven out there, it better have let you two in or I’ll kick angel butt. - Rainbow Dash I’m always praying for you. Be at peace. - Fluttershy. I bet you both look ravishing in white wings and halo. We miss you. - Rarity You were both good friends. Might be awhile before I join you, but I’ll look after everyone for you. - Spike Much to their shock, there were even more dolls. But from ponies they didn’t recognize at first until they remembered them as their fellow students from the school. You two are the school's heroes. We’ll miss you. I always had a crush on you, Gallus. I hope you find peace. Sandbar, thanks for helping me with my homework on those study lessons. We’ll look after Smolder, Silverstream, Yona, and Ocellus for you. We Academy Students are always a family, even in death. Pray for our petition to make one of the rooms named get passed. We want to make it happen in your honor. Hope you guys are happy up there. No creatures deserve it more than you two. It was at that moment that two big smiles appeared on Sandbar and Gallus’s faces as they looked at each other’s teary-eyed expressions and hugged. At that moment, surrounded by these dolls which held so much love, it felt like being back home. One by one, they’d put every doll in some place in any of the rooms. But for now, it suddenly felt like the penthouse was occupied, not just by themselves, but with everyone who they knew in their lives. “Damn…” Gallus wiped the tears from his eyes. “That’s one helluva Hearth’s Warming present.” “I know,” Sandbar did the same. “That was the most thoughtful gift I didn’t know I wanted.” He looked back into the box and blinked. “Huh?” He turned it upside-down, and the only thing that came out was an envelope addressed to them. Sandbar opened it up and quickly read it. “What is it?” Asked Gallus. “It basically says that that’s it for the decorations - but there’ll be more gifts in the morning. But…” He shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe who it’s signed by.” “Oh what,” Gallus joked, “Saddle Clause?” “Actually… yeah.” The griffon paused. “You’re joking.” “No, seriously, it’s signed by Saddle Clause. I don’t know if it's a joke or, being Heaven, it might be real.” He looked over at the now-empty box. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.” “Okay…” Gallus looked around at the dolls they took out. “Hey, I think we’re almost done. You wanna put all of these up on the hearth?” Saying it would be a good idea, he and Gallus began to place the dolls on the mantle - one by one with as much love and care that they gave them. As they did so, an idea popped in Sandbar’s head. “Hey, Gallus? Can I ask you a personal question?” “I don’t see why not,” he said, placing the dolls of Yona and Silverstream up. “What is it?” “Well, with what happened earlier, it got me thinking,” Sandbar continued after he placed the dolls of his parents up. “Ideally speaking, who do you want your special somecreature to be?” Gallus nearly dropped the dolls into the fire. “U-Uh…” Gallus felt his cheeks growing warmer. “Sorry?” “Too personal? Sorry just… you know, after you said goodbye to Silverstream and all that. It just made me curious to know what you’re looking for as a romantic partner, that’s all.” “No, no…” He turned away so he could hide his blush. “It’s just I didn’t expect to hear that is all.” “So… Do you wanna talk about it?” “I… guess?” “Okay, great!” Sandbar reached over to put up the dolls of the students from the academy. “So paint me a picture. Let’s say you just found that special someone and they agreed to go on a dinner date with you.” “That’s a bit cliche, isn’t it?” “Hey, it’s just a what if, ya know? So anyway, they agreed to the date. So what would they be ideally like?” “Oh…” Gallus exhaled. “Big question... Well…” “Are they male or female?” “.... Let’s pretend that they’re… male.” “Okay,” Sandbar nodded. “And what would you be looking for - besides being hot, of course?” Gallus scratched the back of his neck, his wings flustering. “Well…” He gulped, “Ideally? If it were a guy, I can see him as being mature… but not being a stick in the mud.” “So mature to be an adult, but young at heart enough to be immature in the best ways, right?” “Yeah… He uh… would be someone that’s… caring, of course. That he would be flexible-” Sandbar snerked. “Not like that!... Okay, that too, but I mean someone that’s… easy-going. Who’s open minded?” Gallus couldn’t tell if it was the fireplace, or this discussion that was making him feel warmer than usual. “He would uh… be patient with me. Understanding that I’m not exactly easy to be around with on some days. Maybe someone that I could be vulnerable with and not be afraid I would be made fun of for doing so.” “Well okay,” Sandbar smirked, “But what do you expect this Mr. Perfect to be?” “What do you mean?” “Like what kind of job would he have? Hobbies? His taste in stuff - things like that.” ‘Wow you’re not making this any easier on me, aren’t ya?’ Gallus thought. “Okay uh… If I had my way… I’d have my date to be… kinda a nerd. But not the embarrassed to be around with kind. I mean the sort that would love one or two things I like but know much more about so I can learn from ‘em. I would… well, wouldn’t mind what job he had as long as he doesn’t become too overly obsessed with it. Ya know?” “Sure.” “But as weird as it may sound, while I would like him to have a few things in common with me, I also would like him to be a sort of a challenge.” Sandbar tilted his head, “Huh?” “Well, realistically, I don’t want him to agree with me all the time. If he did, things would get boring pretty fast, ya know? I want someone who could at certain points hold his ground without being a jerk about it. Someone that wouldn’t be afraid to challenge me on certain points that, maybe in hindsight I would need to rethink about. Yeah, I know that’s weird but, hey we’re talking about the ideal date, aren’t we?” “Okay, final question,” Sandbar said dramatically before he pointed to Gallus with a perverted grin. “Would you be the one getting pounded in the butt or you pounding him with your co-?” “Oh, jeez, you’re turning into such a pervert,” Gallus groaned, blushing his cheeks as sets of perverted images came to his mind. “I guess… I’d let him do me.” “Really? I thought you’d be the dominant kind, being a predator and all?” Sandbar said in surprise. “Well, what about you?” Gallus asked back, which made Sandbar blush. “Well… if given the chance, I guess I’d want to do it on top...” Sandbar admitted. “Why? Because you’re bigger or something?” Gallus blinked, “That came out wrong.” “Why, wanna see it again?” Sandbar joked but it took all of Gallus’s willpower not to nod. “Anyway, let’s finish this up. I’m going to take a shower in my bathroom after this.” “Y-yeah… I want to use my bathroom too...” Gallus asked. ‘Though I’m going to get dirty instead of clean.’ Half an hour after their showers, the two of them went straight to bed - Gallus trying his best not to make eye-contact from the sheer awkwardness by the time they lay in their separate beds and turned off the lights. Yet, even in the dark, neither of them fell asleep. Sandbar, with the memory of his friend so flustered still fresh in his mind, asked aloud: “Hey Gallus? Are you still awake?” “Hm?” “Well… joking aside, I do hope you do find someone special here.” Gallus rolled over to face him. “Yeah?” “Yeah. I know that your life wasn’t easy. And your love life was pretty much non-existent. I was hoping that maybe I could help change that. Maybe be a wingman for ya and when you do find someone you like, I could help get the ball rolling.” “Dude, you don’t have to do that.” “Maybe not, but I do think you deserve to be happy with someone - for real this time. Not just some distant crush or whatever, I mean for real. I was happy with Yona when I was alive, and… you hardly got the chance to do that. To have that long, deep relationship with someone. I just want ya to know that if you do find someone, I wanna help out to make it last. Okay?” Gallus pulled the covers closer to his head. “Yeah… sure.” “You’re a good griffon, dude,” Sandbar shifted in his bed, getting comfortable, “you deserve to be happy.” “.... Thanks.” Gallus rolled back, closing his eyes, and focused on his breathing to make his heart slow down a little bit.
Chapter 9“Gallus wake up!” Whatever pleasant dream the griffon was having was rudely interrupted by Sandbar. “Dude, get up!” Gallus groaned. “What time is it?” “Early, but seriously, get up right now!” The warm covers of the bed were pulled off, leaving Gallus to wince at the sudden chill. “Can it wait?” he grumbled. “No, it can’t!” Sandbar’s voice sounded more excited than panicky. Almost like a foal on Hearth’s Warming mor… oh yeah. Slumping up, Gallus rubbed his eyes. “This better be important,” he mumbled under his breath. “Of course it’s important! You’re not gonna believe it, but I think there is a Saddle Clause!” Gallus blinked. “You do realize what just came out of your-” “C’mon!” Sandbar grabbed his hand, practically dragging him out of bed and into the living room. “See! I told you he came!” It took the griffon about a minute or two to process what he was seeing. Around the room, from under the tree to the stockings that hung from the Hearth, were presents in every shape, size, and color imaginable. Some in shiny wrapping paper of silver and gold, others tied up in bows with great care. There were candies and sweets that were added to the tree. And on a small table were two silvery domes with their names engraved on them. Gallus went over to his and uncovered it. Whoever it was that set all of this up, they’d also included breakfast: cinnamon rolls that perfumed the air in cinnamon, clove, and cardamom. Even if it was the hotel staff that had done all this, even he had to admit that it was a nice gesture. Meanwhile, Sandbar went over to the tree and pulled out a few of the presents. “Hey, these have our names on them.” He handed Gallus a silver-wrapped box. Taking hold of the gift, Gallus flipped it at every angle, finding nothing else but his name. He wasn’t sure where Sandbar came to the conclusion that this was a gift from Saddle Clause himself, but hey, he had gifts now. He wasn’t one to turn it down if it was free. So the two unwrapped their presents. Underneath the shiny paper was a thick book. Made of black leather, the cover had, in gilded letterings, the year they died. “Is this a photo album?” Gallus questioned. “Why would someone give us these?” Sandbar opened it up, and his eyes went wide. “What the…? When was this taken?” “Huh?” “Open your book.” Curious, Gallus did. At first glance, there were a few photos with a short inscription underneath them. Hoofwritten in black ink. It was laid out like how a grandparent would with their photos that tried to preserve their cherished memories. Yet, the first few photos he saw were of events neither of them remembered. But at a closer look, they saw why. Wherever these photos came from, they were taken after they died. In one photo, it showed the girls - Smolder, Ocellus, Yona, and Silverstream - out in the student’s lounge being swamped with other students bringing pots of soup, trays of biscuits, cookies, and other comfort foods. Underneath it was inscribed: Academe students came to show support after their loss. August 20th, 1016. Another photo showed Silverstream and Yona. Behind them was a fox with several tails, crouching by a wall, apparently hurt. And before the girls who stood valiant before a group of other students. Underneath it was written: Today Yona and Silverstream stood up to bullies for the new kid from Kyubiokitusne. After this, the Kitsune became a friend. His name is Inari. September 29th, 1016. “Hey, look at this one!” Sandbar said, showing Gallus a picture of Smolder holding claws with a blushing Spike. Behind them in a bush were several eyes peering out. Smolder finally asked Spike out on a date today. And of course, we had to follow them around to see how it went. October 4, 1016. “It’s about time Smolder started going out with someone.” Gallus flipped through his book and stopped when one picture caught his eye. “She’s not the only one.” He pointed to a picture of Inari, looking at the floor and blushing out of embarrassment with Silverstream, wide-eyed and a claw over her mouth. Inari fesses up and tells Silverstream that he’s developed a crush on her after she saved him from his bullies. Silverstream is flattered but doesn’t feel the same way - saying that she still needs time. October 13, 1016. Gallus then turned the page and saw, to his surprise, Inari and Ocellus kissing under a mistletoe just outside the academy. Inari is surprised to learn Ocellus has a crush on him. Inari and Ocellus have their first kiss under the mistletoe. Ocellus also doesn’t need to eat for three days. December 12, 1016 “At least she found someone,” Sandbar said as he scooted over and smiled upon seeing the next picture. “Guess we aren’t the only ones missing each other on Hearth's Warming Eve.” He showed a photo of his and Gallus’ graves with a big Hearth's Warming Eve tree behind the graves and protecting them. It was decorated and had flowers around their tombstones with their friends, family, and others all singing carols together. Some with tears in their eyes. Spike organizes a Hearth's Warming Carol concert in memory of their lost friends Gallus and Sandbar. December 23, 1016. Gallus flipped over to the last photo. “Hey, dude look at this,” he pointed to a picture that was starting to develop. “I think this one is being taken right now.” “Really? Let me see.” Side by side, they watched the black photo slowly being created with lines and colors becoming clearer. At first, they couldn’t make out what they were looking at. However, it soon showed the student’s lounge with its yearly Hearth’s Warming tree. At the foot of it were their friends and many other students opening presents. Gallus and Sandbar spotted Smolder, who had just opened up a box that had a large ruby (undoubtedly from Spike, who was next to her, relieved that it was being received well). They spotted Yona handing a crudely wrapped gift to Ocellus and Inari, who both smiled back at her. Silverstream wiped a tear from her eye because she unwrapped her gift that had Yona’s name on it - it was a wool knit blanket that had Gallus and Sandbar on it. Nearby, Starlight was handing freshly baked gingerbread cookies out to the other students. A record number of students volunteered to stay for Hearth’s Warming this year for Smolder, Yona, Silverstream, and Ocellus. Just so they wouldn’t be alone for this year. December 25, 1016. Gallus and Sandbar smiled. Even though they were gone, at least they knew that those they cared for were still being taken care of. There wasn't a gloom like from their funerals, but smiles from their friends. From these pictures, it showed that their friends still remembered them, but had taken the steps to move on. “You know,” Gallus wiped a tear from his eye, “I’m glad they’re doing okay over there.” “Yeah. And they’ve made a new friend too,” Sandbar agreed. “Hopefully things will get better for them from here.” “Something tells me we don’t have to worry about that.” Gallus closed his photo album. “If this is just the first thing we’ve opened, I wanna see what other stuff we got.” He eyed one of the cinnamon rolls and picked one of them up. “That is… after breakfast first.” After about an hour of unwrapping presents and piling up a mound of wrapping paper, Gallus and Sandbar moved their gifts inside their home, going back and forth most of the morning to load up what they gained. While they were doing so, a thought came to Sandbar’s mind. “Hey Gallus, I just realized something.” “Yeah?” His friend walked out back into the living room to grab another armful of his stuff. “What’s that?” “What do you think we should do for New Year’s? I mean, sure, it’s still about a week away, but where do you think we should go?” Gallus shrugged. “I don’t know. We could probably go back to Equestria for the fireworks. But outside of that… I’ve no idea. I mean, we don’t have anything planned for it, do we?” “No, but I just think we should do something.” “Yeah?” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “Like what?” Sandbar was about to answer when a knock on the door alerted them that they had company. Since he was the nearest to the door, Sandbar walked over and opened it revealing a dragon dressed in a royal blue silk trench coat with a fancy white dress-shirt and frill. He was wearing a pair of glasses and stood proud with his back straight and still. “Mr. Oceanvale and Mr. Skyflight?” “Yes?” Sandbar asked, raising an eyebrow. “Can we help you?” “My name is Azuma. I am here to present to you these invitations on behalf of The Creator,” he said as he revealed two black-and-purple-leathered envelopes with dark pink wrapping bows. Curious, Sandbar took them and handed the one with Gallus’ name on it to his friend. “What do you mean by ‘The Creator?’” “The Creator. As in Creator of All,” Azuma answered, which made both teens nearly turn white as they stared at the smirking dragon. “Also known as God, Supreme Heavenly One, Big G Boy, Master of Life, The First Angel, The Prime Good, and a bunch of other titles he’s been called over the ages, including The Boss.” “.... The Creator...” Gallus whispered. “As in… the guy who created the Heavens, Hells, worlds, space and time, all of reality, and us included?” “Pretty much for a short list,” Azura said with a shrug. This was too much for Gallus and he fainted on the floor, his rear legs twitching in the air. “That always happens to first comers.” “Why would God want to invite us?!” Sandbar asked in disbelief. “I mean, I know this is Heaven and you get pretty much treated like a prince all the time, but seriously, this can’t be normal!” “It’s not,” Azura said as he smirked. “Only a select hundred or so are allowed to attend God’s annual New Year’s Eve Party. It’s a big event and one of the most sought after here in Paradise. He only chooses those he wants, and it seems he wants you.” He then pointed to the invitation in Sandbar’s hooves. Quickly, he ripped open one of them and read: Dear Sandbar Oceanvale, You have been invited to the annual God’s New Year’s Eve Party. This is an event where I, your Almighty and Awesome Creator, invite specific creatures to a special night of games, food, and merriment. You are perhaps wondering why you and your friend Gallus have been chosen to attend. Especially since this is your first year being dead and all. Well, the truth is, we owe you and your friends a lot for saving the world more than once. Pretty much like Twilight’s group, but not as big or epic. Still, without you stopping certain events and villains, I’m afraid Heaven and Hell would be having a bigger count than usual. And before you ask, no, I didn’t plan you two dying back there in the caves, but your choices sadly led you to an early grave. My deepest apologies, but there was nothing I could do, since I made a choice long ago to let free will dictate the lives of mortal beings. I may have set everything up, but I have no control over whatever comes after. Still, think of this not only as a reward for all your good deeds when you were alive, but also as an apology for your lives ending as they did. Don’t worry about figuring out what to wear or anything like that. I’ve already sent you some costumes. These include masks that will hide your identity for the Masquerade, as part of the celebration that will be this year’s special event. I hope you enjoy it, as well as Gallus when he wakes up from fainting. (I know what you’re thinking: “How does he know that?” Duh, I’m God!) Sincerely, Big G P.S. I love that timeline where you are superheroes too! Season 3 is my favorite! “.... Is it me, or does he seem a bit…?” Sandbar tried to find the right word. “Normal?” Azuma asked, which got a nod. “Yeah, they always expect either a fire-and-brimstone kind of guy or some wise old being with a fatherly voice from His Holiness. He can be those things depending on his mood, but most of the time he’s just… an average Joe.” “What did he mean by outfits?” Sandbar asked, and was soon answered by two boxes that were handed over to him. “The invites are the key to getting into the Keter Palace. Just say the name and you’ll be there. Please arrive around 4 PM on December 31st. Thank you,” Azuma said as bowed before walking away. Sandbar slowly shut the door as Gallus slowly got up, moaning as he held his head. “What happened? I had a weird dream where some guy said that the Creator God invited us to a party.” “Well, it wasn’t a dream. Also, guess who also likes cheesy superhero worlds?” Gallus’s eyes narrowed at the map in frustration. Over the past week, no matter how many times he’d tried, the map had refused to give the exact location of the home of the creator. Every time he tried, all he would get was “This Address Not Known”. “How are we supposed to get to that New Year’s Party if we have no idea where it is?!” Gallus threw the pamphlet on the sandy ground. By this point, he and Sandbar had finally left Monte Catlo in the desert. With the new year just hours away and both of them dressed in their given costumes, neither had any idea what to do. Gallus sat on his haunches on top of a sand dune. “Kinda defeats the purpose of going anywhere at this point.” Sandbar took off his tricorn hat at the invitations. He took extra care to sit down next to his friend given the delicate costume. He had a red overcoat that, to him, looked like it belonged to a ringmaster of a circus, or perhaps an old uniform for a general, given the gold buttons and loops that hang from his shoulders. He set his mask down in the sand - like Gallus’, it was made out of white porcelain, yet had painted features, like eyebrows that moved with the face. As for Gallus, he was dressed in black and white, almost resembling a harlequin in many ways, from the flurry cuffs at the end of his sleeves to the thick starch collar around his neck. Over his face was a mask that fit him well with a long curved beak - Sandbar had joked that the mask made him look like a plague doctor, but the clown outfit just made him look ridiculous. “You know, I’ve read this so many times,” Sandbar said, scratching his head. “All it says is to say the name of the place and we should be there. But I don’t understand why you can’t just go there.” “Maybe we’ve been pranked.” Humming, Sandbar looked up to the stars, “Or maybe… Nah, forget it.” “What?” “Well… It’s just a crazy idea but… what if this place where The Creator lives isn’t in Heaven itself?” Gallus’s mask showed a raised eyebrow. “How does that make sense?” “I mean, what if the guy lives in a different dimension from here? Like, above Heaven or something?” Rolling his eyes, Gallus stood up. “Well, I think that looking for a place called Keter is a waste of time,” he said, beginning to walk away. “I think it makes more sense to go back to the casin- OW!” Gallus was cut off as he ran face-first into something solid, nearly making him fall and roll off the sand dune. “What the...?” Rubbing his beak, he looked at what he ran into. Clearly, neither of them remembered a gilded elevator being there before. They didn’t hear it fall from the sky, nor were they even aware of its existence until Gallus ran into it. Regardless, it was startling to find an old-fashioned elevator to come out of nowhere. The sliding doors folded open to show a deer in a blue silk bellhop uniform. He tipped his small hat to them. “Going up?” He asked. “How…?” Sandbar looked around, “Where did you-” “You two are here for the masquerade? For the New Year’s Eve Party that His Holiness is throwing?” “How did you know that?” Gallus asked, still rubbing his face while he got back up. “You called. Here I am.” The deer gestured a cloven hoof inside. “Shall we go?” As strange as it was, the two climbed aboard the gilded elevator. They watched the deer turn a switch, upon which the doors folded shut and they began to fly upwards to the stars. For a while, the three of them didn’t say anything. Sandbar coughed into his hoof. “So…” he asked, getting the deer’s attention, “do you uh… have a name?” “Call me Michael,” he said. “Cool. So, uh… Michael, where are we going?” The bellhop chuckled. “To the top floor, of course. That’s where the party is.” “Right…” Gallus tilted his head. “But where we’re going, is it still in Heaven or…?” “My, what easy riddles you two ask,” Michael replied. “Not exactly. The home of His Holiness is above all creation, just above Paradise.” “So that’s why we couldn’t find it!” Gallus slapped the floor. “I thought we were pranked.” “You know, you’re the fifth person to have mentioned that.” “Yeah?” Sandbar tilted his head. “I’m aware that the instructions to get to Keter are… somewhat confusing. Not many know that getting there requires a password.” “What password?” both Sandbar and Gallus asked. “Keter.” Gallus frowned. “That’s a lame password.” “Hey, I don’t make the rules, I just follow along and work the elevator.” There was the sound of a bell above them, a noticeable ding that made the elevator stop. “Here we are,” Michael said, pulling a switch to open the doors. “Welcome to Keter Palace.” The two masked friends stepped out of the elevator and onto a stone bridge. What was in front of them was like stepping into an illustration of a fantasy epic. Before them, underneath a rainbow of fireworks, was a structure that was part city, and part temple. They saw towers, domes, arches, and columns, all standing proudly. It was made of white marble, opal roofs, and moving stained glass windows. In a way, it was like a collage of all the best architecture of all the great marvels of the world - and yet, not at the same time. All around it were forests, mountains, seas, and gardens full of spring flowers, autumn trees, snow-covered pines, and summer fruits. One thing that really stood out, however, was the giant platinum dragon that was almost as big as the entire building that was flying above the sky. Gallus and Sandbar had seen many dragons ever since they’d befriended Smolder, including the previous Dragon Lord Scorch, the biggest dragon in the world. This guy, however, made him look like a newborn kitten. It flew lower and rested on one of the mountains nearby, letting out a roar while scratching its neck. Because of its size, it was big enough to be seen in detail. It was as shiny as a star made out of crystal, glimmering in the dusk as light reflected off of its scales into a rainbow. Its wings were pure platinum as well, but had angelic feathers that were silvery-white. Its tail was huge, with large sharp spikes that could cut through the very mountain it was resting on, and its glowing silver eyes were like two moons side by side. “That’s… a big… dragon...” Gallus muttered with a gulp. “Is… Is that God?” “You wish!” Michael snorted. “That’s Bahumat.” “Wait, THE Bahumat?! As in the God-King of All Dragon Kind?!” Sandbar shouted in surprise. “The Platinum Dragon of Justice?! The Lord of The North Wing?! Paladin of the Shining Light of Mercuria?!” “And biggest lover of oatmeal cookies. Seriously, he eats those like mice to cheese,” Michael said with a smile. “He’s not a god. Well, kinda... In some other worlds, he is, but in others, he’s not. It’s complex to explain. But in your world, he is the father of dragons, due to God taking some of his scales and using them to create dragonkind. So I guess it's no surprise that they worship him as their God-King. However, in reality, he’s God’s pet.” “.... As in a dog?” Gallus asked in utter disbelief. “Yup! He does the cutest tricks too! Like beg, fetch, play dead, and flip,” Michael said with a snicker. “Well, I think I’ve lost all sense of disbelief in my life,” Gallus said with a heavy sigh. “Anything else from here is going to be all dull.” “Wait, so if Bahumat is real, what about his sister? Tiamat?” Sandbar asked, remembering Smolder’s essay on the Dragon Pantheon in school. “Oh, she does exist alright, but she’s not Bahumat’s sister. That’s a mistranslation,” Michael said while waving a hoof. “She’s actually his cousin twice removed. And she’s not really evil. She’s… How do I put this elegantly…? Continuously on her period. That’s why she’s such a bitch all the time. Literally and figuratively.” “.... She nearly destroyed the world three times in the last four thousand years,” Sandbar pointed out. “Can you blame her? She’s got five heads. One session of PMS for each one. You’d be pretty much a goddess of destruction if you had to deal with that. There’s a reason why His Holiness has to give each of them a candy bar and tell each head that they’re very pretty now and then.” “.... Let’s head inside before we lose more of our sanity,” Gallus said, to which Sandbar nodded as Michael waved goodbye before shutting the elevator. As they approached the massive doors, Gallus and Sandbar now took notice of the other guests that were on the bridge with them. They too were wearing masks like theirs, in a range of costumes that one would see from a Venetian carnival. There were elaborate ones that were made up of lights or snow. Others paraded as characters like a jester, a king, a samurai, a million-armed Manedian god, and so on. Both strange and fantastical that they wondered if the Creator God too had given each one of them their costumes. Then they entered through the double doors towards the kaleidoscope of light and the sounds of lively chatter, laughter, and music that was a mashup of baroque violin with jazz rhythms remixed with modern dubstep. When they went inside the palace, it was like stepping inside another universe entirely. Not that there weren’t things they expected, like doors, walls, and ceilings - there were, but at the same time… there weren’t. It was almost too surreal to describe the inside of The Creator’s home. It was like walking through a galaxy of stars. Everything inside seemed titanically huge, from the rollercoaster that twisted around and through the walls to the Jupiter-size disco ball that lit up the vaulted ceiling. It felt more like stepping inside the foalhood home of Discord than that of the God of Creation. Yet, somehow in this space, it wasn’t by any means empty. As they walked in, gawking at the surreal splendor of the space; there were other guests in nearly every direction laughing, dancing, talking, and playing games from the enormous board game of chess that was so big that they used plants as pieces, to the mountains of horderves, forests of desserts, and rivers of every drink imaginable running through. But even still, as far as they could see, this was only a small portion of the party that was further inside. “Now this is a house,” Gallus gawked. “Tell me about it.” Sandbar nodded dumbly, “Maybe the Creator God is a more interesting guy than I thought.” “Yeah…” Gallus looked around for a moment. “So… now what?” “Well I don’t know about you-” Sandbar pointed over to the food land nearby- “but I wanna get a taste of that chocolate geyser over there.” However, before he could move, he felt a hoof on his shoulder. He turned to see a unicorn there. “Wait,” the unicorn said. They noticed that this one was in a uniform, silver in color, and held himself of high importance. “Stay here for a moment.” “Why?” Gallus asked. “Who are you?” “Herald for His Holiness,” he said, taking a few steps in front of them, “Before either of you go off, He wishes to talk to you.” Underneath their masks, Gallus and Sandbar turned white. “W-Wait, what?” Gallus stuttered, “You mean that God wants to…” The Herald nodded and turned to the rest of the party. He stomped on the floor three times, letting out a thunderous bang each time. For a moment, the halls of creation went silent. “Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! Presenting the Great I Am, the Alpha and the Omega, Lord of Creation, the First Angel, All Praise the One, the End and the Beginning, here he is, His Holiness - God!” He then pointed to the ceiling, where everyone looked up and saw that a section of it was slowly opening up like a garage door. Slowly, descending down, was a golden hot air balloon that was being guided by half a dozen angel wings on the balloon itself. Loud trumpeting music began to play as a chorus of angels echoed across the room and even throughout the Heavens themselves. Nearly everyone felt such powerful compassion and love that some were moved to tears while everyone else slowly bowed. Gallus and Sandbar as well felt an everlasting light burning inside their souls. The sorrows, regrets, guilts, fears, and anger that still lingered inside them from the tears - from seeing their friends mourn for them to Gallus learning of his parents’ true actions - they seemed to burn away from the deepest parts of their hearts. It was such an experience that made them fall to their knees. The hot air balloon continued to slowly descend until it was in the middle of the room, just a few feet away from where Gallus and Sandbar were kneeling. The opening to the basket of the hot air balloon slowly parted as smoke came out of it, while a figure slowly emerged… or rather hopped gracefully. “What up bitches! Big G back in the crib y’all!” A tiny white rabbit, dressed in a yellow basketball jersey with the numbers “777” on his front and back and the words “G.O.D” on the top back. He had blue sweats on and a pair of shades resting on his long ears as he hopped around as others got up and began applauding, save for a confused Gallus and Sandbar. “Wait… where’s God?” Sandbar asked. “He is right there,” The Herald proclaimed. “What?” Gallus asked, craning his neck over. “Behind the rabbit?” “It is the rabbit,” The Herald answered. “.... WHAT THE ACTUAL GODDAMN FUCK?!” Sandbar and Gallus shouted. “I heard that!” “Lifestyles of the Rich and Holy” “Hello and welcome back to Lifestyles of the Rich and Holy!” a blue pony with a fancy red suit and black mullet spoke into his microphone, talking towards a ram angel who was holding a TV camera. “Hi, I’m Dick Flankus speaking to you all live from the Keter Palace, where the big man himself, God Almighty, has arrived in style! The angels are singing it up tonight and we got guests from every sphere of the Heavens coming in to celebrate the New Year. Including celebrities long dead and buried!” Dick Flankus turned his head and pointed to the entrance, where walking on the red carpet were a series of griffins and pegasi soldiers in formation, their shields out and spears ready. “Oh, look like the Praetorian Guard have arrived, and you know what that means, folks!” Entering behind the guard, waving their paws to the cheering crowd, were two figures smiling side by side. One was a white and light brown griffin in a fancy toga with a purple cape wrapped around his neck and a golden wreath for a crown. On the cape was a golden eagle spread out holding a scroll with two thunderbolts on it while another wreath was surrounding it. The one beside him was an Abyssinian Cat dressed in golden regal and silk dress along with a fancy crown on her head with golden beads going down her long black mane. Males and even a few females were all whistling at one of the most gorgeous creatures to have ever walked the mortal realms. “Yup, it’s Julius Kaiser and his lovely date Catapatra. Once again, the lovely Queen of the Nyah River has every guy acting like they got struck by cupid!” Dick Flankus then gasped as more Praetorian Guards arrived with them carrying a big salad bowl and one of them holding a big pepper shaker. “Oh, and they brought us a salad for the party. How wonderful is that?” Dick Flankus then turned his head and gasped upon pointing over to what appeared to be a tall eight-headed snake that was wearing bow ties and a different colored hat for each serpent head. “Oh, there’s Orochi! Oh, Orochi?! Can we get a few words for the audience?!” One of the heads leaned down and grinned. “Sure, I’d be happy to-” “Hey, he was talking about me, jerk!” another head shouted. “No, he was talking about me!” a third said. The eight heads soon started arguing with each other as Dick Flankus looked at the camera, shrugged, and soon saw a lot of creatures in the crowd making way for someone coming through. Dick Flankus put his hoof over his head. “Oh, wow! I don’t believe it! This is a treat! Parting the crowd, making his return from the last party four hundred years ago, the pony who's been God’s BFF since the whole Mountain and Commandments thing...” An elderly-looking earth pony in a bright red and white robe and sporting the longest of white beard parted the crowd with his staff as he poised for the camera. “It’s Moses!” A lot of people started clapping and welcoming him back as he bowed over and over again. Dick Flankus was one of them until he saw a big dragon fellow in a Viking outfit, red beard, and holding a hammer on his shoulder that was shooting out lightning. “What do you have to say about such a grand return, Thor Drakenson?!” “I have to pee. Where are the bathrooms?” “What a show it’s been, people!” Dick Flankus said, talking back to the camera. “Once again, we’d like to remind our viewers in Heaven that this show is brought to you by... “CLOUDS!” “They’re everywhere!” (Get used to it) God was a rabbit. The Creator of All Creation. The Father of Life. The Supreme Being of the Universe… was a rabbit. And Sandbar and Gallus were walking behind him as he hopped around, smoking a cigar while accepting a martini glass. The rabbit had requested them to follow him to one of the many bars in his house before they took a seat at a mini-bar stand table. Sipping his martini, God let out a relieved sigh and turned to the silently stunned Gallus and Sandbar. “So, let me guess? Didn’t expect me to look like this?” “Among other things, but yes,” Gallus nodded. “But… why a rabbit?” “Because I thought it would be funny. Technically, I can take any form I want, and I often switch it depending on what universe I’m hanging out in, but for this one, I take a rabbit ‘cause the idea of a supreme being having unlimited power in the body of a fluffy cute bunny is hilarious.” “I guess God does have a sense of humor,” Sandbar pointed out with a shrug. “Of course I do. Why do you think I gave creatures the ability to fart awkwardly in public?” God said before tossing his glass away, having it shatter and form into a flutter of butterflies. “I’m still in a bit of disbelief here,” Gallus said before God rolled his eyes. Suddenly, there was a voice in Gallus’ head. ‘You want me to be blunt? Alrighty, you asked for it! You’ve masturbated to Sandbar’s butt over the course of forty-six times while here in Heaven and two-hundred-and-eighty-two times when you were alive - at minimum. Your personal sex dream is to have Silverstream be Sleeping Beauty and you’re the brave knight who can only wake up the princess by having sex with her. Also, you like to shove Diamond Dog shaped dildos into your asshole, among your favorite collection; which is in your desk, third drawer on the right, sitting under a false bottom that’s currently in your dorm room. And yes, Smolder does eventually find those and will use them for her own needs later on.’ “.... Never mind, I’m convinced.” “So, I guess you’re wondering why I invented you guys to my little shindig?” God asked, leaning back on his chair. “I was kinda wondering that,” Sandbar said. “I mean, I get that you’re thankful that we saved the world so many times, but I’m sure a lot of creatures in Heaven have done that. Hay, Princess Twilight and her friends I’m guessing are gonna be saints when they end up here.” “Well, it’s partly that, but it’s also that I feel bad you guys drew the short stick for dying so young; so to speak,” God said with a shrug. “I actually kinda like you guys in this world. I mean, I like you guys in other worlds too. Well, except in that one where you guys joined the Storm King and sold out Silverstream. Seriously, you guys in that world are so going to Hell when you get your asses kicked by the New Elements.” “Joined the Storm King? Worlds?” Sandbar asked, confused. “Like fuck we’d ever sell out Silverstream!” Gallus growled as God held up his paws. “Easy, I wasn’t talking about you. I said other yous,” God answered. “Like I said in those invites. There are near-infinite versions of you in different timelines and universes.” “Wait, if that’s so, shouldn’t you be checking on them?” Sandbar asked. “I am,” God answered. “But… you’re here.” “Yeah, and I’m also, at this very moment, in all the other worlds and timelines as well, doing my duties as the Creator. Don’t think about it too much; trust me, your heads will explode trying to figure it out. Just accept that I’m everywhere and leave it at that.” Sandbar and Gallus looked at each other before shrugging. “Alright,” Gallus said before narrowing his eyes. “There is something I gotta ask. Why did you-” “Let you two die?” God asked, interrupting Gallus as he rolled his eyes. “I get asked that question all the time. Seriously, if I had a nickel-” “Just answer it!” Gallus demanded. Narrowing his eyes, God took his cigar and put it on an ashtray before looking at both of them square in the eye. “Alright, let's get this question out of the way. And for sake of convenience, I’m gonna give you two the oversimplified explanation. First off, free will does exist (at least in this universe). If I didn't give you mortals the ability to do that, you'd be nothing more than slaves that obey my every will, and I don't want that for my creations. Seeing you explore and choose your own fates - save for moments that I do need to interfere for the sake of the cosmos - is the reason you've been able to advance yourselves from brainless animals to what you are now. Your choices lead you to ending up dead, and I can't play favorites when it comes to things like that, otherwise, it'll be unfair to everyone.” He took a moment to puff on his cigar before continuing. “Yes, everyone has a destined time to die, but not all destinies are fulfilled. Did you know that in this universe, if I solely controlled everything, this world would have been completely different? My original plan didn’t include stuff like the Renaissance, the light bulb, or The Beatles. Hell, originally, you two were meant to be the bad guys. Yet, I decided to set the game up and leave you all be.” “Wait, how were we meant to be the bad guys?” Sandbar and Gallus asked in confusion. “Well, let’s say that originally, in the distant past, a different Alicorn was going to find the Elements of Harmony, defeat Discord, get worshiped as a living god, take over the world, and turn it into a military theocracy dictatorship. And guess who was her cruel, sadistic generals? Eventually, after finding the means to travel in space, and start a galactic conquest until The Doctor of your universe stopped you all. However-” he took another puff of his cigar- “that so-called Alicorn decided it would be a smart idea to try climbing a tree when she was a little filly and broke their neck when she fell. Boom! Dead. So that kick-started a brand new timeline and Princess Celestia and Luna got the Elements instead.” “So because one creature died before they could step into power, our world had become what it is?” Sandbar asked in awe. “Among a trillion other things, yes,” God answered after another puff. “The choices you and countless others have made with the circumstances you were given decided what fates are played out in the end. Secondly, you are dead in this timeline, but there are other timelines, dimensions, worlds, and so on where you are alive. Remember those What If books you guys got from the library in Griffonstone; and when they start, almost no two stories are alike?” They nodded and he puffed another lungful of smoke. “They show you all the endless realities that could have happened to you based on your choices and the choices of those before you. There are timelines where you lived happily ever after and ones where you died horribly. You're not the first Gallus and Sandbar to end up dead before old age, nor are you going to be the last. And third, just because you died, it doesn't mean they didn't have any meaning. The legacy you leave behind is going to inspire countless others in the future to rise up and become heroes that will save the world.” He turned to Sandbar, after breathing into his cigar. “Sandbar, your sister is going to become one of the greatest adventurers on earth and save the world at least once if she plays her cards right.” Then he turned to Gallus. “Gallus, you inspired a younger generation of griffins to slowly make some necessary changes to their society. So, in about a hundred and fifty years, your nation will once again be whole and complete. You might have died young, and I am genuinely sorry about that, but you've done so much good in your lives that it will be remembered for ages to come." The two deceased heroes had their jaws dropped before looking at each other. A sense of uneasiness that had been on their backs seemed to have been lifted. “Wow, all of that happens?” Sandbar asked. “More or less if things stay as they are, but like I said,” God pointed out, “a single choice can change anything.” He took a moment to take a deep breath with the cigar, breathing in the smoke before letting it out. “Ya know, as much as my angels keep telling me this… I still feel responsible for you two.” “What are ya talking about?” Gallus tilted his head. “Well, when you set up everything, and when a bunch of stuff goes wrong like wars, or massacres, corruptions, or the harm of the innocent - I know that at the end of the day, I’m responsible because I was the first cause that did it. And yeah, I have plenty of angels telling me every day that it wasn’t my fault, but… it still doesn’t excuse that. The thing is Gallus, you have every right to hold me accountable for what happened to you both. So…” After another puff, he reached into his ear and pulled out two files that had their names on them. “I looked through these and I noticed something.” “About what?” Sandbar asked. God let go of the folders, and instead of dropping them, they levitated in the air, opening up to him. “Both of these say that when you two got here, you were asked the question regarding reincarnation. And it says that both of you were uncertain about it.” Closing them up, he lay the files on the bar. “So look, I don’t expect either of you to accept this, but I just want you two to know that if you really want, I can send you back to the mortal world in a different body.” Sandbar blinked, “You could do that?” “Hang on there,” God pointed at him, “unlike my mongoose opposite, at least let me give you all the details about this before you say yes to anything. Okay? Good.” After tapping the ash from his cigar off and giving another lungful of smoke, he explained: “Because here’s the deal, if you want, I can have you guys reincarnated into lives that are better than the ones you had. Perhaps I could have you be royalty, or live a life as someone who’ll become a legend one day... Or something like that. I mean, given what both of you went through, even I think you two deserve better. “However,” he added after a puff of his cigar, “if you do say yes, then you’ll go back to the mortal realm, having your minds wiped completely clean. That would mean you’ll have no memory of what happened before. You’ll forget the friends and family you’ve made - you’ll even forget that you two are friends. What’s more, being given a second chance at life would be quite the gamble, as there won’t be any guarantee that you’ll come back here.” “Woah…” Gallus heaved a weary sigh. “That sounds like a huge risk.” God nodded. “There are those that do take it and they end up back here. Sure, I could help make it so that you’ll have a pretty good setup. But after that, it’s out of my paws - so to speak. As much as I want to help here, I just think that you two should know about what you might be getting into before either of you agree to this.” He said, finishing out his cigar and summoning another one. He snapped his fuzzy fingers to light it. Sandbar took off his hat, running a hoof through his mane, “That’s… a whole lot to think about.” “Hey, you don’t have to decide tonight. Understand? Hell, you don’t even have to agree to this at all. I get it, but I just felt that I should do something here.” “Sure…” Sandbar nodded. Getting up and putting his hat back on, he said to Gallus, “Hey I’m gonna go get a snack over there. I’ll see ya around.” “Later dude,” he waved, watching Sandbar walk away. “Ya know,” God said, letting the smoke leave his lungs, “if I remember right… Tonight's the night, isn’t it?” Gallus tensed up. “W-What?” “If I’m right,” he said after taking a puff, “this is the night that you tell ‘em the truth. The whole truth. And nothing except the truth.” “You don’t mean…” God nodded. “I just… I don’t plan to-” “You don’t?” God raised an eyebrow. Then taking out a thick script from behind, with a cover that read Love After Life, he flipped through until he stopped at a certain point. “That’s funny, because it says right here that you tell him everything at the party.” Gallus narrowed his eyes on the front page. “Who are CrackedInkWell and Rated Ponystar?” “One is a gay guy that writes fluffy surreal fanfics, and the other is someone who's way too obsessed with funerals for his own good. A weird combination if you ask me, but hey, if it works, it works.” “Waitwaitwait, hold on!” Gallus objected, waving his arms. “You mean that I’m gonna…” God nodded. “But… I-I can’t!” “No? Why not?” he asked, puffing on his cigar. “I just… I can’t just… he won’t…” It took God a moment, but his eyes widened and snapped his fuzzy fingers. “Oooh, I get it! You’re afraid of telling him because you think he’ll do more than just reject you. Okay, this I can handle.” This response put Gallus on edge. “What are you talking about?” God had a wicked grin on his face. “Gallus, I’d like to play a game.” He raised his small arm in the air and snapped. At first, Gallus didn’t notice anything, but he felt something powerful being echoed throughout the enormous palace. “Wait, what did you just do?” “Look down.” He did. Gallus was startled that he was wearing a different costume. Gone was the jester outfit, and it was instead replaced by a samurai suit of armor. He felt around his face and found there was a different mask there. “What did you-” he covered his mouth. “My voice!” He exclaimed in a deeper tone. “What did you do?” “Ah-ah, not just you,” he chuckled, pointed out to the other partiers. “It’s everyone.” Gallus looked and saw that there was a moment of confusion among the guests that they had changed costumes. “Every half hour or so,” God explained after another puff, “you and everyone at this party will change outfits. Plus, to make things more interesting, you and Sandbar will have disguised voices; so that way, you two won’t recognize each other. That is, of course, until the unmasking tonight.” “So…” Gallus looked around the party, “how would I know which is Sandbar?” “You don’t. This is a game of trust. If I were you, I might go see some advice from someone about your… predicament. I find that confining your issues to a complete stranger is… curiously reassuring.” “How is this supposed to help?!” God smiled warmly, “Just trust me on this. And believe me when I say that after tonight, everything is going to get better.” Gallus wasn’t sure how wise it was for God to do this to them, but it certainly left him in a near paranoid state. Being set free to roam around this universe of a party, he maneuvered around crowds of masks and costumes with the thought that any one of them could be Sandbar. Even with what God said that this would be the night that he tells him everything. Only he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how that would be possible. He didn’t feel ready to let him know about it, and even if he did, he had no idea how he would bring it up without having it be blown up in his face. He walked past the kingdom of snacks, around the ocean of dancers that moved to the psychedelic beats of Vinyl Scratch, aka DJ Pon-3. It only took a minute for Gallus to remember the famous DJ had tragically died young breaking her neck down a staircase last year. He headed towards the outskirts of another bar. Perhaps what he needed was something to calm him down a little. So he walked up to a bar that resembled the Milky Way and asked the bartender for something strong but palatable. Something that wouldn’t get him tipsy right away, but with just enough to let go of his stresses for a bit. While he wanted for the bartender to mix up his drink, Gallus was joined by a stranger in an odd costume. It looked like something for a foal’s birthday party that had gone wrong. He was in a furry suit with flippers at the end of his tail and had on a mask of a walrus. The bartender asked the stranger what it would be. “Give me a sec,” a voice answered, trying to pry the mask off, “I can barely hear in here. Let me get this thing off…” Finally, the heavy thing was pulled off, and Gallas saw underneath an oddly familiar face that he couldn’t put a talon on. He didn’t know why, but there was something about this stranger that reminded him of something. The stallion next to him was an earth pony, green as grass, and had a long chocolate brown mane and mustache. “Now I can hear,” he said in a Trotingham accent. “So would you mind gettin’ me a scotch? Just a shot will do.” The bartender said he’d have it up in a minute. While he waited, the stranger noticed Gallus was staring. “Can I help you?” “No, just…” Gallus tilted his head, “I don’t think we’ve met, but your face and voice sound so familiar, but I can’t figure out why.” “Hang on,” he said, reaching into his suit, “let me pull out me glasses.” After unzipping a little and pulling out a pair of round, granny-like glasses, Gallus shook his head in disbelief. He didn’t realize it until the pony put on the old glasses but with them, he recognized the face. The stranger offered a hoof out to him. “Name’s Dawn. Dawn Lemon.” Gallus, despite his jaw-dropping to the floor, dumbfoundedly reached out to shake it. “As in… The Beatles Dawn Lemon!?” “Was last time I checked.” He chucked. “I don’t recall bein’ anyone else.” “Just… holy Hell,” Gallus looked at his talons that shook with the dead musician. “I didn’t expect to meet you of all ponies here.” “To be fair, I didn’t expect to run into Moztrot either, but here we are. Turns out there was a Heaven despite me putting it in me song.” The bartender laid down his shot of scotch, “Thanks,” then turning back to Gallus he inquired, “And just who might you be?” “No one you would know. I was born way after you died. But my best friend has heard of you.” “Yeah?” “Sandbar, he’s… he’s a huge Beatles fan. Next to Pull, you were his favorite.” Gallus blinked. “Hey, Forge isn’t around, is he?” “Yeah he’s… somewhere, out there.” Dawn waved a careless hoof out to the crowd. “Honestly, I think he might steal the stage at any moment now. Knowing him, he’d probably play that Here Comes the Sun bit, now that one’s a crowd-pleaser, let me tell you.” “Uh-huh…” “Here you go,” the bartender said, placing a cocktail down by Gallus. The griffon, although he held the drink in his claw, didn’t drink it right away. If anything, he hesitated for a long time, mindlessly looking out to the crowd, almost expecting to see some sign of his friend somewhere. “You doin’ okay?” “Huh?” Gallus snapped back to reality. “Ya drifted off there,” Dawn sipped a little of his shot. “It’s like something’s really bothering ya.” “Oh no no no I…” Gallus lied but trailed off when he saw Dawn raising a skeptical eyebrow. Then he set his drink aside. “Oh, who am I kidding. No, I’m… not fine.” “Really now?” Dawn set his shot on the bar. “How come?” “It’s…” He waved a dismissive claw. “It’s kinda stupid.” “Must be major enough for ya to come get a drink. Trust me, I’ve seen a thing or two.” “Don’t you have someplace to be?” Dawn shrugged, “I’ve been shot years ago, where else do I need ta be?” he joked. “But all kidding aside, I got nothing planned. And you seemed to have quite a bit on your mind. Why don’t ya talk to me about it?” Gallus looked over his shoulder one last time, to make sure they wouldn’t be listened to. “It’s just… I think I came to realize something… huge.” Dawn nodded. “I think I…” He took a deep breath. “I think I’m in love with my best friend.” “Okay…” Dawn nodded. “And…?” “.... That’s it. Well, that really oversimplifies it, but essentially, my problem is that I think I love him but I don’t think it would ever work and-” “So?” Gallus blinked. “What?” “Well, so what? You love your friend. That’s beautiful, mate.” “Dude, how can you say… oh right,” Gallus facepalmed. “I forgot I’m talking to the guy who co-wrote All you Need is Love.” “Well not that,” Dawn waved a hoof. “I mean that you finally found someone to love is a beautiful thing.” “Even when doing so might be difficult?” “Look, it matters not who you love, where you love, why you love, when you love, or how you love - it matters only that you love. Trust me, I oughta know.” Gallus rolled his eyes. “What? About the whole thing with… what’s her name, Yoko?” “Partly that,” he nodded, “but you’re not the only one I know of who was a homosexual when I was alive.” “Huh? What are you talking about? No one in The Beatles was gay… right?” “Well, back when the fellas and I got started, we needed a manager. Brain E, was the name. And I found out later on that he was gay. In fact, he only told me about it because he had a crush on me. Now, mind you, we didn’t do anything, but it did give me some insight about how diverse and strange, and yet, how beautiful the nature of love can be. In fact, in one of our albums, I wrote a song as a kind of dedication to him as a form of solidarity to ‘em, You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away. I wrote it specifically for ‘em, knowing all the hardships he was goin’ through. So believe me when I say I know a thing or two.” “Okay. I never knew that.” “Neither did the other fellas until much later. So while I don’t think I can fully know what you’re goin’ through completely, at least let me try to help a little.” He downed the rest of his scotch. “Like this best mate of yours, how come you haven’t told ‘em yet? I take it he’s not into other fellas too?” “Well… not exactly, turns out he does swing that way.” “But if ya knew, then why all the hush-hush?” Gallus went quiet for a minute, “I’m just… scared is all.” “Yeah? Of what?” He sighed, “Well… suppose that maybe he does accept it, and does like me back. What if… I end up disappointing him.” “In what way?” “Well… for a while I wasn’t sure why but, I think it’s because in the past… I never understood or got that unconditional love that everyone else got. Things like loving parents weren’t a thing when I was growing up. I know that sounds unrelated, but I can’t help but think that while it’s possible that I could love someone… I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle being loved back. Hell, I’m so used to chasing after crushes that have been so out of reach that I guess I didn’t think I’ll be able to get it. And if I did… I’m scared I’ll just ruin it somehow. What if I become a huge jerk or avoid him at every turn when he needs me? It’s not that I’m evil, but it’s like…” “Like a language you don’t fully know how to speak?” “I…” he nodded. “Yeah.” “Ya know, in a strange way, I could relate.” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “How?” “Well, to tell you the truth, given my past, I’m shocked I ended up here at all.” “Why’s that?” Dawn sighed deeply. “I’m not… what I considered… a good pony. If ya asked me first wife and son, they would tell you that I’m awful... and really, I was. I used to hit me wife when I got angry and ignored me son entirely. Back then, I couldn’t express how much I was hurting that I hit. Now, mind you, I have tried to become better, with Yoko and my other son. In a way, that’s why I’m on so much about peace and love, you know? I figure that it’s the most violent ponies that go for stuff like that. It’s the opposite, you see.” He shook his head. “I don’t look back at any of the stuff I did with pride. If anything, I have to be a good deal older to confront the stuff that I did as a young stallion.” “I mean, that’s really heavy stuff, but what does that have to do with me?” “The point I want to make here is that I get it. The pain in your past can haunt you in the present. Maybe what you’re afraid of is that you don’t want your friend to suffer as you did. Trust me, I get it. But sometimes, when you’re offered that chance to be loved back - and I mean genuinely be loved back - well…” he chucked, “it’s as the old song says: ‘Love is all you need’.” “I don’t know…” “You want to know what I’ve learned about life? It had taken me about forty years of it to figure it out.” “Sure, what?” “Ya want a good life? It’s not hard. Tell the friend that you love, that you love ‘em. And always speak the truth.” Gallus stood up from the bar and started to walk away. “Oi,” Dawn called out, “are ya gonna finish that drink of yours?” “No…” He shook his head. “I don’t think I’ll need it… I just need some time alone.” “You’ll be alright?” “I will.” He nodded. “Just need some time. And thanks for the advice. I got a lot of stuff to think about.” “If you say so.” Shrugging, Dawn took hold of the cocktail. “Happy New Year, stranger!” Sandbar didn’t know what happened. He had gone out for just a few minutes and suddenly he was wearing a strange turtle costume with two katanas on his back and a blue mask with eye holes. He wasn’t the only one who suddenly found themselves looking different, as the entire palace turned into some kind of cosplay event as the music began playing that reminded him of DJ Pon-3. Then again, considering she died last year, it was possible that she was playing here. Looking around, Sandbar tried to find some hint of where Gallus might be but realized it would be harder than normal since his friend most likely was disguised for the masquerade as well. He was so focused on finding his friend that he ended up bumping into someone’s flank and nearly fell off his hooves. “S-Sorry! Didn’t see where I was… Grogar?!” “Huh? Where?” a mare’s voice shouted as she looked around, before realizing that Sandbar was talking about her costume. It was like looking at a big mascot suit one would see in a professional sports team or theme park, only this Grogar costume had silly eyes and a tongue sticking out. “Oh, sorry. One sec.” She took off the head, revealing a unicorn who appeared to be just about two or three years older than Sandbar. Her youthful palish-yellow furred expression displayed a hyper sense of joy and nervousness at the same time. “Sorry about that,” the unicorn said as she pushed aside her green, red-striped mane. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.” “No, that was me,” Sandbar said, taking off his mask. “Say, you look familiar...” “I would hope so. Last time I checked they made books about me,” The mare said with a giggle as she looked at her costume. “Here’s a hint. The costume I’m wearing? I sent him to Hell about a thousand or so years ago.” “Woah,” Sandbar said in awe. “You’re... Gusty the Great?! The Legendary Hero who banished Grogar? My mom used to read me your story all the time as a little colt!” “Yeah, trust me,” Gusty said with a heavy sigh, “that’s the friendly version of my trials dealing with that bastard. It was a lot worse, let me tell ya.” She then tilted her head and hummed. “You know, I think I’ve seen your photo too. Yeah, in Afterlife's Heroes and Villains Magazine. You saved the world too, right?” “Mostly Equestria, but once or twice, yeah,” Sandbar said, blushing as he found himself honored to be noticed by such an esteemed legend back home. “I actually kinda died while doing it...” “Yeah, me too,” Gusty said with a shrug. “Sucks, huh? You manage to save the world, but instead of living happily ever after, you find yourself going to the great beyond. Funny enough, I was an atheist until I found myself here.” “You too? That’s kinda funny since my friend Gallus was one as well until we died,” Sandbar pointed out. “Oh, you died with someone? Wow, lucky you,” Gusty said as she motioned for them to take a seat nearby on some pillows. “Not that you dying so young was lucky. I mean, you got to have a friend with you when you passed on. I was stuck on my own for years until my friends finally started dying of old age and joined me here. Even the stallion I loved took over seventy years for him to croak, but he had gotten married and had kids while I was dead. We never got back together after he arrived with his wife, but I did find someone else eventually while I was here.” Sandbar bit his lip and sighed. “Do you… regret it?” Gusty tilted her head. “Sacrificing yourself I mean? I tried to save Gallus from dying, and that only ended up getting us both killed. We left behind our friends, and I left behind my family. I just feel… I feel like sometimes I wish...” “That you got to enjoy life more?” Gusty whispered with a sad smile. “I know how you feel. I never wanted to be a hero to begin with. I was just a normal filly trying to get adopted by someone until Grogar burned everything to the ground. After that, I just found myself always having him in my life to the point where I just wanted him gone so bad that I was willing to do anything to stop him. So when God came to me in a dream, saying it was my destiny to fight him, I agreed.” “Wait, I thought you were chosen by Harmony itself?” Sandbar asked. “Harmony, God, it’s basically the same thing,” Gusty said, shrugging. “The guy takes on different forms. I mean, he’s a bunny here in our world, and in others he’s a giant old bearded man, a giant twenty-sided dice, a female chicken with steel wings, and a black guy in a white suit.” “I... didn’t understand half of that,” Sandbar admitted. “Look, just accept he can transform himself into anything. Also, when you can, get Interdimensional Cable TV; you’ll educate yourself much faster that way,” Gusty answered. “Anyway, you probably already know about my adventures, the friends I made, the trails I had to go through until I was finally able to banish him... Of course, I died right after from the wounds he gave me, but I was glad that I was able to stop him at last.” “But were you… unhappy?” Sandbar asked. “Yeah, kinda,” Gusty sighed as she leaned back. “My parents weren’t good ponies, let’s just leave it at that. And like you, I had friends and loved ones that I left behind when I died. I didn’t have anyone, and despite being in Heaven, I was unable to share any of the happy moments I made here with anyone truly important to me. Meanwhile, my friends were getting married, finding dream jobs, having children, and enjoying the peace I sacrificed my life for. I was glad they were happy, but, well, I couldn’t help but be jealous that they were together and I… wasn’t...” She then smiled at Sandbar and giggled. “I guess it’s kinda sad of me, huh?” “N-Not at all! I kinda feel the same way sometimes,” Sandbar answered before sighing. “I just feel guilty more than anything. Especially since I saw my own funeral and… seeing my sister so sad like that… deep down… a part of me wonders if it would have been better to have not saved Gallus...” Sandbar then closed his eyes and pounded his hoof to the floor. “I know that’s selfish of me, but... whenever I do think of something like that, I just want to kick my own butt. I never could live with myself if I didn’t do something… Even if it meant that I was going to die… I’d be so miserable and hateful of myself that life would just be so… unbearable.” “Hmm, yeah. Sounds familiar alright,” Gusty said as she wrapped her arm around him. “You know, I looked at my What If book to see what would happen if I didn’t go through with that final attack on Grogar. Do you know what would have happened? I would have died, my friends would have died, and it would’ve taken a good three hundred years for a new hero to come around and finish him off. My fate really was sealed on that day. Either I was going to die a hero or die a failure, but at least I was able to do the former before I kicked the bucket.” “How did you get over it?” Sandbar asked. “I talked to someone,” Gusty answered with a bright smile. “Someone who knew what I was feeling: Cú Chewainn.” “Who's that?” Sandbar asked, tilting his head. “He’s a hero of the Diamond Dogs from Doglin,” Gusty answered. “He told me that heroes like us might have died young, but what we did will never be forgotten. That we died for a greater purpose. Not just for those we loved, but for those who will see us in the future. There is always going to be evil in the world. It’s sadly the fate of life itself, but there will always be heroes who will stand up for what is right because they are inspired by creatures like us. Plus, there are a lot of us heroes who died young and look after one another. Just because we aren’t able to reconnect with those we left behind, it doesn’t mean we should stop making connections. Being dead is no excuse to not have a friend, after all.” Sandbar felt that was something Twilight would say if she was dead. He thought back to what God said about him and Gallus inspiring others in the future and wondered if this was what Gusty meant. “Plus, you came here with a friend. You both share a bond, in life and in death,” Gusty pointed out as she smiled at him. “Is he important to you?” “Gallus? Of course, he is!” Sandbar nearly yelled. “He’s been the best friend I’ve ever had! Half of Heaven wouldn’t be as fun if he wasn’t around. The two of us are all we have, save for my deceased relatives and we know how the other is feeling. I think… I think he really does care a lot about me...” Sandbar whispered with a sigh. “Problem is, I think he’s hiding something from me. Personally, I think he still feels guilty that I died trying to save him, but that’s not true. I’d do it a thousand times for him. Even if I knew that I was going to go to Hell if I died.” “I think he’s lucky to have a friend like you,” Gusty said with a bright smile. “And I think you both need to show that to each other so you can feel better. But don’t worry, your friends and family will be here someday, and you can share new memories together.” “Thanks, Gusty. I think I’ll go find him now,” Sandbar said with a smile as he got up. However, he paused and turned around. “Do you know what will happen to Equestria in the future? I mean, things were pretty good when I died, but you said that evil will always exist. How?” Gusty frowned and shook her head. “It’s not a pretty sight from what I hear. I forget how long from now, but a terrible event is going to happen that will see Equestria lose its current golden age. Fear and hatred will ripple through the world to kickstart a dark age. The three pony races will split apart and the other races will revert back to being isolated again as well.” “No...” Sandbar replied with horror. “H-How? After everything Princess Twilight did…? After everything we did…?” “Nothing sadly stays the same forever, and there will always be those who ruin what is good in life,” Gusty said before she stood up and smiled. “However, there is always hope. Four special mares and a stallion are going to fix the future. They will be those who rebuild the bonds between not just ponies but other creatures as well. They will bring back the Equestria we know and love. It will be hard, they will have trials, and there will be those seeking to stop them. But, if there is one thing I have learned from my fellow heroes, and from watching things back on the mortal realm, is that the power of friendship and harmony lives on in the hearts of those then, now, and forever.” “.... Well, I guess all I can do is wish those future heroes the best,” Sandbar said with a smile. “Thanks, Gusty. See ya around.” “No problem, Sandbar.” She waved farewell as the earth pony went back into the crowd. For Sandbar, trying to find where his friend went was like looking for a needle in a haystack, if said haystack suddenly and unexpectedly rearranged itself every so often. As the clock had ticked ever closer to midnight, his costume had changed several times. After the turtle ninja outfit, it turned into a weirdly fitted suit with a long multi-colored scarf, to which guests playfully called him “Doctor.” Then it changed to something that a superhero would wear - all green and black, with a mysterious ring on his hoof that showed a lantern. Then, just about half an hour before midnight, it changed for the last time in a knight in shining armor, complete with a helmet he could barely see through. But, to add to the confusion, regardless of where he went or the guests he talked with, no one had any idea who Sandbar was talking about. It got to the point that a worrying thought entered Sandbar’s mind: maybe Gallus had slipped away from the party without letting anyone know where he was going. He wandered around the universe that was God’s home, going down the hallways in the hope that maybe he could still find him somewhere. Of course, there were other masked guests that he passed by, but they were of no help in finding Gallus either. By the time he’d entered an observatory-like room, complete with a telescope and a glass dome overhead, Sandbar was just about ready to give up. However, underneath the firework sky, in those flashes of multi-colors, something that caught his attention. At the other end of the room, someone was pacing back and forth, nervously muttering to himself (at least, Sandbar assumed it was a he, as the nervous individual was dressed in the guise of a king: crowned, red-caped, and jewel masked) all the while. Although the mask had a long beak, the cape covered his body up, so Sandbar couldn’t tell if it was a pegasus or a griffon. Sandbar’s curiosity compelled him to draw nearer, picking up on what this stranger was saying. “.... No, that’s stupid… Hey, you wanna know something...? Who starts a conversation like that? So, I thought about it, and I think it’s time that I… No, that’s way too corny. Uh… Has anyone ever told you that you’ve got a sweet ass-” The stranger facepalmed, hard enough for his crown to fall off- “Dammit! This shouldn’t be that hard!” Sandbar watched the crown roll across the marble floor towards him. He stopped it and picked it up. “Hey, I think you dropped this,” Sandbar said, noticing that his voice had changed along with his costume. It came out as something deeper, almost aristocratic in tone. “What?” The one in the king outfit looked up, completely off guard and not expecting that anyone would be around. “H-How long have you been standing there?” Sandbar noted that the voice sounded… off. Like an old stallion, perhaps someone’s grandpa but with something about it that wasn’t convincing enough. “What did you hear?” the king demanded. “Easy, I just got here,” Sandbar said, walking over and offering the fallen crown. After the king took it back and put it on his head, Sandbar inquired, “So… what are you doing up here?” “Nothing I just…” The king folded his arms. “…. needed some time alone is all.” “So, like, you needed a breather from the party downstairs?” “.... Something like that.” “Okay…” Sandbar rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I was looking around for someone.” “Who?” “I’m looking for a griffon. I’d say he’s about your height and-” “I haven’t seen anyone,” the king interrupted. “You’re the first creature I’ve seen up here.” “Oh… Okay…” Sandbar slowly walked backward. “I guess I can just… go…” However, just as Sandbar started to turn around, he heard a sigh from the king. “Wait… Before you go,” he began to ask, “are you someone I know?” “I kinda doubt it. I mean, there are thousands here so… probably not? Why?” “I just…” Another sigh. “I’m stuck with something huge and I don’t know what to do.” “Yeah?” Sandbar tilted his head. “About what?” The king paused and looked around the observatory, making sure that they were alone. “Can I trust you with something… personal? You don’t need to do anything, I guess. I… well… need a second opinion on something.” Sandbar sat down on his hunches. “Okay. What’s up?” “Well before I get to that, let me ask you a personal question.” The king too sat down, then rubbed the back of his head. “Have you ever fallen in love with someone?” Sandbar nodded. “With a friend?” “Well yeah. I used to have a marefriend when I was alive.” That wasn’t the full extent of it, Sandbar thought to himself, but it would suffice for now. “Oh, I see…” Rubbing underneath his beak, the king added, “And… have you ever had a crush on someone that, on some level, you know might not work at all?” “That’s… oddly specific.” “Okay, uh… Sorry, this is just complicated, even for me.” “So I’m just gonna take a shot in the dark and say that you like someone, a friend, but you don’t know how to tell ‘em?” “I… well, yes, that’s part of it.” The king looked down sheepishly, rubbing an arm. “I’ve spent so many months trying to figure this out and… Yes, I think I’m in love with my best friend.” “Oh?” The king nodded. “There’s more to it, obviously, but overall… I have so many doubts if I should tell him at all.” “How come?” “Well, the main thing is I’m weirdly scared about it. Yeah, I know that sounds weird, but I am. I mean… it’s not that I’m afraid of telling him, but I’m more scared that he says he does love me back.” Sandbar blinked, “I don’t follow. Why is that a problem?” “Hey, it’s one thing to tell someone that you love ‘em, but for some reason… the idea that he would say he loves me back is… scary. I know, I know, it sounds completely irrational, but… The thing is, I’m terrified that I might… I don’t know… disappoint him, or maybe I’ll come off as distant, or cold, or cruel, or anything else that could sabotage it when he might genuinely love me back.” “But why would you do that? I mean, if whoever it is loves you back, then why be afraid of it?” “Because… you know one of those What if books from the library at Griffonstone?” Sandbar nodded. “I looked into a scenario where my best friend did love me. And you know what I found? When I was offered it, I got scared, and I heard my personal demons tell me that, deep down… I don’t deserve it. I mean, growing up, I didn’t have parents or anyone who cared if I lived or died. But the thing is, I don’t want to come off as weak or pathetic to him. At the same time, since I’m so used to not having that… I don’t know what I’d do if I was given that kind of love back.” “I mean… Wow, that’s heavy,” Sandbar remarked. “But this friend of yours, do you think he would like you back?” “.... I don’t know.” The King sighed again, but paused to look up at the exploding fireworks of purple and blue, “I don’t know how he would feel about me. But the last thing I want is to think of me as a coward.” “But I don’t think you’re a coward.” The king tilted his head at him, “What makes you say that? You just met me.” “Yeah, but admitting that stuff... I don’t know if I would be able to do that. It takes a lot of courage to say all that without being hysterical.” “.... You think so?” “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being a little weak now and then. I don’t know about you, but even if your friend doesn’t love you back, I think that sort of stuff is something he should know about. Maybe help you if you let him.” “And if he says that he does love me back?” “Well… maybe you two have a great starting point to work from. And who knows, if things do work out, being open about this sort of thing could help prepare you for whatever comes next.” The king got up. “You know… I think that might be the best advice I’ve heard all night… I just hope I can find him and be brave enough to say something to him.” “If you want, I could help out a little.” He shook his head. “No, this is something that I need to do alone.” Just then, echoing through the halls, they heard crowds counting down. “Fifteen… Fourteen… Thirteen…” “But you know what?” the king said. “Before I go, I’d like to know who has helped me out tonight.” Sandbar placed his hooves on his helmet. “At the same time?” The king nodded as he grabbed the mask covering his own face. “Five… Four… Three… Two… One…” At the same time, they pulled off their disguises. Their eyes widened in recognition. “Happy New Year!” As the cascade of colorful fireworks reached their crescendo above them, Sandbar’s jaw dropped... as did Gallus’s. Both of them realized what just happened. Gallus had, without knowing, admitted that he loved him. The shock made the griffon drop his mask. “I… I-I…” Before Gallus could flee, he was grabbed by Sandbar in a bear hug. While downstairs, they heard the tune of “Auld Lang Syne”, Sandbar softly said, “It’s okay… It’s okay…” Gallus didn’t know if it was the horror that he just told Sandbar everything, or relief that he wasn’t rejecting him outright, or the million other mixed emotions that pinned him there. Even as he tried to shut his eyes to put on a brave face, it too fell apart when tears started streaming down. He knew that from now on, things wouldn’t be the same again. For better or for worse, Sandbar knew the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. “Hey dude,” Sandbar said, letting Gallus out of his hug but staying by his side, “let’s go home.”
Chapter 10Gallus was beyond humiliated, and Sandbar knew it. Many times on the way back to the golden elevator, the griffon had tried to say something to Sandbar, but clearly didn’t know how to start. Deep down, Sandbar couldn’t entirely blame him. After all, his friend had unknowingly told him his biggest secret in detail. His friend looked immensely apologetic as if he had confessed to a murder. Sandbar knew how fragile his friend could be. At the same time, upon reflection… a lot of things now made sense. It explained why Gallus had been so distant, why he’d been so careful around him, why he’d gotten jealous when someone flirted with him, and why he was muzzled from telling him the truth sooner. It explained the subtle comments, the borderline perverted conversations, and even the questions of what he would do if he did find someone. It was all because his best friend was falling for him. Now that Sandbar knew the truth about his shamed, blushing friend, what was he going to do next? After exiting the Keter palace and walking across the great bridge, they entered the golden elevator with Michael waiting. “Happy New Year.” He tipped his hat to them as they entered. “Not going to stick around for the rest of the night?” “No,” Sandbar answered, “I think we’re done.” “Very well.” After throwing a switch and closing the folded doors, he inquired, “So, where to?” “If you don’t mind, could you drop us off in Ponyville?” “I can.” Michael nodded and threw another switch. “Going down.” The elevator made its descent back to the heavenly realm. In the small space, Sandbar and Gallus stood side by side, the griffon trying his best not to make eye contact with his friend. For a while, the two of them didn’t say anything. However, Sandbar rubbed his back in the stillness, trying to get him to relax from the sheer awkwardness. Finally, Gallus did say something. “Uh… S-Sandbar?” “Hm?” “I…” He rubbed his blushing face. “Are you… mad at me?” “What?” Sandbar tilted his head. “Why would I be mad?” “Because of… what I said.” He sighed. “You probably think I’m such a loser.” “No I don’t.” “That you must think I’m a huge coward.” “No I don’t.” “That you don’t even want to be friends any-” “Gallus, stop,” Sandbar said firmly. “I’m not mad at you. Okay? You got nothing to apologize for.” “But-” “Stop apologizing.” Sandbar took in a deep breath, “You didn’t do anything wrong, okay? I’m not mad. I’m not even upset. Just when we get home, we should talk.” Michael looked between the two. “Not to pry into something that’s none of my business, but did something bad happen?” “Oh no,” Sandbar shook his head, “quite the opposite, actually.” Gallus raised an eyebrow. What did Sandbar mean by that? “Well, if you say so,” Michael said. A moment later, they heard a ding, and he threw a switch, opening the folding doors. “Here we are. Heavenly plain, Ponyville.” Before the three of them was the town’s marketplace, the same place Gallus and Sandbar had appeared when they’d first entered Heaven. It was crowded with its parting residence that welcomed the New Year. The two walked out onto the white ground. Above, fireworks illuminated the snowflakes gently floating down. After thanking Michael for the ride and watching the elevator disappear into the night sky, Gallus and Sandbar walked down a familiar route. Going past the cheering crowd and towards the quieter part of town. They kept walking until they could no longer hear the tune of Auld Lang Syne or even the booming of the fireworks. Eventually, in the chilly air of Heaven, with snowflakes landing on their coats and glowing street lamps lit up the streets like lone stars, Sandbar finally spoke. “Did you really mean what you said back there?” “I…” Gallus trailed off, and bowed his head, nodding. “Yeah… I did.” “Okay. So I want to ask you something.” “What?” “Look at me,” Sandbar said, to which Gallus did just that. “Gallus, why were you afraid I’d reject you?” At first, the griffon was taken aback at this question, “I thought I just told you why.” “No, I mean what did you think I would’ve done if I knew how you felt?” “Well… I don’t know,” Gallus admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I’d expected you to say you were flattered, but just want to stay friends. That it would be too weird if we ever dated or… whatever. Maybe you’d give the whole ‘there are plenty of fish in the sea,’ speech. But… even if that weren’t the case, there’s a part of me that thinks that if we ever did get into a relationship - like a serious relationship - I would still find some way to burn it down before… you… could...” “So in other words, even if we become a couple, you’re afraid you might disappoint me?” “I…” Gallus nodded. “Yeah…” he said quietly. After a brief pause, Sandbar raised a hoof to him. “Gallus, give me your claw.” The griffon obliged, and the pony placed another hoof on top of the claw. Looking his friend in the eye, he said, “Do you remember that time when all of us went under the school and got tested by the Tree of Harmony?” “Well, yeah.” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “What about it?” “At the time, I was afraid of a couple of things. I was torn between disappointing the teachers I had looked up to, and letting all of you down. The tree had forced me to make a choice between becoming a hero to save Equestria with the teachers that have done it countless times - or abandoning all of you. At the time, I had to figure out what I valued more - saving the world or saving my friends. And even when those illusions of Rainbow and Rarity kept pressuring me to do otherwise, I had to take a stand. To this day, I still remember what I told them.” Closing his eyes, Sandbar recited, “‘I’ve always looked up to you. You would never turn your back on each other, and that’s what makes you strong. Now I have a group of friends that I think is every bit as amazing as yours. If I had to give up on them to make you proud, then you aren’t the ponies I thought you were. I don’t care if I disappoint you. You disappoint me.’” “Is there a rest stop between now and the point?” “My point-” He opened his eyes- “is that even if things don’t work out as you hoped, that even if you know it wouldn’t turn out great, and even if you did disappoint me, you’d still be okay. You don’t need my approval to make you think that you’re loved. What I learned that day under the school is something that you should take to heart now - you can disappoint everyone, but never compromise it for what you know is right.” Gallus reflected on Sandbar’s words for a moment. “You’re not telling me no, aren’t you?” “How can I give an answer if you never asked the question?” Sandbar smirked. Letting go of his claw, he continued on, gesturing to his friend to follow. “What are you talking about?” “Hmm, no, that’s not it,” Sandbar said, his grin growing wider and - was that a blush? Gallus couldn’t tell from the lighting. “I think it’s on the very tip of your tongue. Right there, just sticking out of your beak. You want to ask me something important, but I haven’t heard what you want to say all night.” Gallus gulped. “But you already know how I feel.” “That’s not what I mean and you know it.” Sandbar punched his shoulder playfully. “C’mon, just say it.” “What? Now?” “No, next Hearth’s Warming.” He laughed. “Yes now! I can almost hear it.” “But you know what I’m gonna say.” “So? I still want to hear it, straight from the griffon’s beak.” “I…” Gallus blushed, avoiding his gaze, “just never had a coltfriend before.” “C’mon dude, all I’m hearing is excuses! Just say it.” “Fine!” He grabbed Sandbar’s foreleg. As he did so, the two of them noticed where exactly in Ponyville they were. They had stopped on the same field where the Academy was on in the mortal realm. Here, it was still empty, covered in snow that glowed blue under the moon above. In the wintery air, Gallus let out a deep breath, letting a fog escape his mouth. “It’s… not easy for me to say this because… I still can’t believe what’s gonna come out.” He took in another deep breath. “And I still expect you to say no to this, but… I do want to ask you something; something I’ve spent months wrestling over. So… Sandbar? Do you… would you…” Gallus’s face turned red, even in his hesitation, he asked as quiet as a frosted breeze. “.... Would you want to be my coltfriend?” Gallus anticipated almost half a million different reactions from Sandbar. Of course, knowing his personality, he wouldn’t respond with a punch to the eye or a laugh to his face. If anything, there was still a part of him that believed Sandbar would - at best - try to defuse the start of a serious relationship with kind words and sympathies. Or, at worst, maybe he’d do well… nothing. Probably just write what had passed since midnight off as a weird dream. There were very low expectations of finally… finally, asking Sandbar for that kind of relationship. Least of all, standing in the January snow in the middle of the night in a field, he didn’t expect Sandbar to say: “Yes.” But he did. It took the griffon aback. “You’re serious?” “Yup.” Gallus tilted his head. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with Sand- mmph!” The rest of his snarky comment died on his beak as Sandbar unexpectedly leaned his head out and kissed him. The griffon’s eyes went wide, the daydreams of long ago suddenly made real. Now that it was happening, it was as if he died again and was granted salvation. As if his demon of self-hatred was silenced from this cleansing of affection. It lasted only a few seconds, but every moment of it was just as holy as when he made love to Silverstream. He felt a warmth in the winter snow. When Sandbar pulled away, wiping the saliva from his mouth, he chuckled, “Wow… I didn’t know I was that good of a kisser.” “Huh?” “Your uh… wings.” Gallus looked behind him, they were unfolded, proudly presenting their angelic white plume. But the griffon looked back at his friend - or rather, coltfriend - and saw that his wings were up too. “So, to answer your question,” Sandbar said, looking through his things to pull out the seed that held their home. “Yes, I’m serious. I do want to be your coltfriend. As a matter of fact…” He pressed on the seed and tossed it to the ground. The two of them watched the seed unfold itself, growing larger and larger until their tree-home stood tall. Sandbar smiled at him with a blush on his cheeks. “.... I’m going to prove it.” Before Gallus could ask him what he meant, Sandbar had walked through the front door. Following him, he watched the pony go through a junk drawer. “What are you doing?” the griffon asked. “I kinda figured that since mere words to tell you that I do want to be in a relationship wouldn’t be enough.” Sandbar said, pulling out a small slip of paper. “So I thought maybe you need something more… concrete to leave you without any doubt.” “Oh yeah?” Gallus raised an eyebrow. “How?” He watched as Sandbar licked the slip of paper, upon which it folded itself into a butterfly and flew out the door. “Huh,” Sandbar remarked to himself, “it really does taste like cherries.” “What was that about?” “Do you remember months ago when on my birthday I got a little something?” “Yeah, that was when you were given a ticket to losing your…” Gallus trailed off, suddenly realizing what was going on. “Y-You mean… you’re gonna do it…?” He nodded. “With… You want… me?” “Hey,” Sandbar trotted over, nuzzling him under his chin. “I’m only doing this because I trust you absolutely.” “But… don’t you want to save it for someone…” “Special?” Sandbar let a hoof slide down Gallus’s chest. “I already have, and that someone’s right in front of me.” Before Gallus could make a reply, both their ears perked up at the sound of fluttering wings coming towards them. Then, turning to the door, they found a zebra in a flowing robe with a bow and a quiver of arrows. “Give me… a minute…” She panted, “Had to… rush over…” “Who are you?” She walked in, kicking the door with a hind leg. “Just wait for me to… catch my breath…” She sat down to rest for a moment, panting. “Sorry, we’re busy tonight and stretched thin.” Another breath. “I’m a representative for Eros, by the way.” “Why are you here?” Gallus questioned. “Because someone has licked the ticket for Bonetown.” she replied, now that her breath was regained. “So who was it?” Sandbar raised a hoof. “Okay, look, I’ve got a long night ahead of me, and I’m kinda behind with a bunch of other virgins that are trying to get their cherries popped too, so let’s skip over the bla bla bla and go straight to business. Got it? Good. So, do you need assistance with your virginity or have you found a willing partner to help you with?” Sandbar reached out and held onto the claw of his friend and smiled up at him. “I see. So, seeing as you two will be given your own temporary pocket dimension so that you’ll have all the uninterrupted privacy you’ll want for the night, do you have a particular theme in mind?” Sandbar blinked, “Theme?” “Well, yeah. Most virgins tend to have something in mind when they want to give it up. Like alone on a tropical island, or in a fancy suite in Paris, or in a sex dungeon at the center of the world - stuff like that.” “Why would-” “I don’t ask about anyone’s fetishes,” she deadpanned. “I just work here.” “Okay…?” Sandbar thought for a moment, “So any place I want to lose it at?” With a confirming nod from the zebra, Sandbar walked over to her and whispered it in her ear. She looked at him confused. “Well, yeah I can do that but… why?” “Let’s say that it’s a place we’re familiar with.” “Sure, whatever,” the zebra shrugged, grabbing an arrow from her quiver and stringing it to her bow. The arrow itself, of course, was heart-shaped. “You’re the boss.” She pulled it back and fired it at a wall. The three of them watched the arrow embedded itself in the wall, shrink, and contort into a doorknob. Then they saw lines of gold etch out a door that was… familiar. It was made of wood where the top came to a point like a gothic arch. And in the wood, there were three red hearts. This was a door that Sandbar and Gallus knew all too well. “Allow me.” The zebra trotted over to open the newly-made door, and what was behind it nearly took Gallus’s breath away. It was his dorm room. And somehow, it looked exactly as it did when he last left it. From the desk that was right underneath a window with the curtains drawn, to the bed that had its white sheets and blue comforter. Sandbar wanted to lose his virginity… in his old room? “Just as a heads up,” the zebra archer said, “once you’re inside and close this door behind you - it will lock you in for the next eight hours. Once shut, no one will be able to come in, or you two to come out until then. As this is a pocket dimension, you don’t have to worry about making any loud noises. Oh, and before you ask, yes, pretty much anything you’d need for sexy times is in there.” Adjusting the quiver on her back, she walked over to the front door. “So, happy humping!” she said before she exited, flying swiftly into the night. Now inside their home with the magical door wide open, Sandbar and Gallus looked at one another, the griffon blushing much more than his friend. “So…?” Sandbar waved over to him with a sly smile. “Shall we?” “I mean… wow…” Gallus let out an uneasy breath. “Just… are you sure?” “Until tonight dude, I had no idea that you loved me. Now… Obviously, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I know I’m ready for it. Even if nothing comes out of this, at least let me offer you the chance to show me how much you love me.” He kissed him on the cheek. “And I meant it when I said I trust you. So… for tonight, anything you want to do to me, I will allow it.” Gallus felt like his head was going to burst into flames. “You… anything?” “Top or bottom, you have full access to every inch - for now… I’m yours.” “Well… I never did it with a guy so…” he said, eyeballing a particular drawer from his desk. “If at any time it becomes too much… could we stop?” Sandbar kissed him, this time on the lips. “Of course. But for now, all I ask is to love me.” Taking Sandbar’s hoof, Gallus led him inside and closed the door behind them. It would have been mistaken for a dream if either of them had slept. The morning light peeked through the cracks of the curtain to dimly illuminate the room. On the unkempt bed where the sheets resembled a Pollack painting, Sandbar and Gallus lay side by side. Their aftermath of love was hours ago, and they would need a shower after last night. But at the moment, the two of them were in each other’s arms, sharing the warmth and feeling the other’s heartbeats. They had rested their eyes, at peace in a Heaven that was unique to them. For a while, they felt like they were home again. Eventually, the light of dawn shined on Sandbar’s face, forcing him to open them. And the first thing he saw was Gallus’s face with feathers askew yet tranquil at the same time. Of course, Sandbar blushed with memories of what he did to the griffon… and what the griffon did to him was still fresh. What happened for hours last night was not lost to his senses. The sight of Gallus' reddened face as he thought about the touch of that warm body… Gallus groaned. “What time is it?” Sandbar looked over at the alarm clock on the nightstand. “Just past eight. I think we should be getting out of here in an hour or so.” The griffon held him closer. Sandbar petted his head and finally saw his tired eyes. “Still,” Sandbar inquired, “after what happened last night, are you sure you’re okay?” Gallus chuckled weakly. “I’ll be fine. Sure, I might be walking funny for a while,” he added with a wicked smirk. “Unless… you want me to return the favor.” “I’ll think about it.” The pony rubbed his back. For a while, they fell into silence to enjoy the moment. However, this stillness didn’t last long. “Hey, Gallus?” “Hm?” “So… where do we go from here?” “What do you mean?” “Like, so we’re a couple, but now what?” “You tell me. I haven’t thought of it this far.” Sandbar chuckled. “Yeah, but are we still gonna be Wandering Spirits, just keep going around Heaven forever?” “I don’t know. But one thing’s for sure is that I don’t want to be reincarnated.” “Yeah?” Sandbar raised an eyebrow, “How come?” “Because for the first time ever - I finally got it good. If we were to be reborn… I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back to this point ever again. If what God said was true, there’s no guarantee we would be together - if at all. If we did go for the reincarnation route… I just think there’s too much to lose.” “I can see where you’re coming from,” Sandbar nuzzled him, “but what about our future? Even if we stay in Heaven, do you think we should do something?” “I don’t know. Why?” “Well, last night at the party, I ran into Gusty the Great.” Gallus blinked. “As in the one that banished Grogar?” “The same. She told me that she foresaw something in Equestria’s future that it will eventually fall into a dark age. Don’t ask me how, but she said that eventually, all the pony tribes will separate and magic will be lost.” “Seriously? We did all of that for nothing?” “Not quite. She also mentioned that this won’t last forever, as ponies will have to relearn about the magic of friendship. But I was thinking, until that happens… there's gonna be plenty of souls in Heaven that’ll forget what we’ve built.” Gallus sat up, “So where are you going with this?” “What if our purpose for eternity was staring at us in the face?” Sandbar gave a knowing smile. “When we got to the Ponyville side of Heaven, did you notice what was missing?” “Amongst other things, that crystal castle and the…” it suddenly clicked in Gallus what Sandbar was talking about. “The Academy doesn’t exist in Heaven.” “Exactly!” Sandbar too sat up. “Someday, something will happen to the school and all that knowledge about friendship is going to be lost for a while. So how about we prepare those future souls by establishing the academy here? We’ll teach students about the lessons we’ve learned so, in a way, it won’t be lost. That way, while the mortal realm goes through its dark age, we’ll still keep the fire of friendship lit up here. So when the time comes, we, or maybe even our students could use that Dream Club to get in touch with someone in the living world and help rekindle it.” “That…” Gallus blinked. “Is so crazy it just might work. Although I don’t know how long it will take to rebuild the Academy, or even get students to attend.” “Hey, if six mares could do it, so can we.” “True…” Then a thought came to the griffon’s head. “But if we’re really gonna do it, first thing’s first - who’s going to run it?” “Well, how about you?” This took Gallus by surprise, “Me?” “Yeah, why not? I can totally see you as a Headmare.” Gallus frowned. “We might need to come up with a better name. Still,” he ran a claw, caressing Sandbar, feeling lower and lower until he groped his flank, “I wouldn’t mind teaching.” “Oooh?” Sandbar blushed. “And what does Professor Gallus want to teach me?” he asked with a flirtatious wink. He grinned wickedly, “Let’s say I can show you how to tie a knot.” It would be a long morning before either of them get out of bed and plan out their future. There would be plenty of things that they would need to do, from building the school from memory to finding teachers that would be qualified, and even figuring out how to get students to attend. But all of that was a long way off. For now, Gallus was focused on Sandbar, and making him feel as loved as he did last night. (731 Years Later) “So when do you think she’ll be here?” Sandbar asked as he sat on the bench, snuggling next to his handsome rugged husband of a griff. He had long stopped being eighteen years old in terms of appearance and was now a fully grown adult with nothing really changing except for his hair. It had gotten so long, he had decided to try and tie it into a ponytail after a suggestion from his sister and Ocellus. Gallus and Yona both thought he looked quite handsome, and so he’d kept it for the past four hundred years. Gallus, meanwhile, had gotten quite buff to the point that he often made plenty of heads turn and whistle when they thought he wasn’t looking. He also started growing a light blond beard around their sixth hundred and seventeenth anniversary of being dead. At first, it was awkward to see, but it grew on everyone after a few years. The students at their academy all thought he looked pretty cool. Checking his watch, Gallus smirked. “I’d say she’d be here at any time now. We know she got accepted into Heaven so it won’t be long now... At least she’s not as long as Pinkie Pie did when she died.” “Yeah, I still think the angels there have no idea how she managed to turn the entire waiting area into a big rave party. Isn’t it supposed to be endless?” Sandbar asked, tilting his head. “It’s Pinkie Pie. Not even God can answer that one,” Gallus chuckled, thinking of how the almighty creator of everything was still stumped by that pink pony regardless of what universe she was in. The two continued to watch as various creatures came out of the gate, looking shocked or happy at the sight of Heaven, while some had family and friends already waiting with warm and tearful reunions. It reminded the two lovers of how they first arrived, and later on stood at the gates each time someone they knew came to Heaven when their lives ended. From Princess Celestia and Luna, who died a few years after they died of natural causes, to Ocellus’s last grandson, who died at the old age of a hundred and six. Pretty much everyone they knew was now in Heaven with them, save for only two: Spike and Smolder. They had lasted this long, even after the great disaster that caused Equestria to split up. That was a hard time for everyone, especially Princess Twilight, but after a long talk with God himself, she was able to accept that, despite creating a golden age, nothing could last forever. Besides, she had seen the heroes who would reunite their people together once more, and she was confident that they would achieve success. ‘After all, it’s Sunny that has that book of hers even after all these years.’ “Hey, check it out,” Gallus said, pointing to a confused dragon, who looked as she did during their final school year before the day they died. “Let’s go!” The two smirked and walked over to the gate where it took Smolder a few minutes to see them and her jaw dropped. “S-Sandbar? G-Gallus?” “Hey, smoke breath!” Gallus said, winking with gun fingers. “You look like you've seen a ghost.” Smolder just laughed before launching herself at her two best friends and hugged them tightly. The two smiled and hugged her back, even if they were a bit taller than her, it still felt like they were teens again back at the academy. Now all six of the group were here in the afterlife and nothing was going to separate them ever again. Smolder sniffed before wiping her eyes. “This isn’t a dream right… I’m… dead? For real?” “Yup, died in your sleep,” Sandbar said with a sad smile. “And… Spike?” The two sighed and looked at Smolder with sympathy. “I’m sorry, Smolder. Spike is alive and he’s still needed down there. He’s going to help Sunny and the rest save Equestria.” “Wait, Equestria can be saved?” Smolder asked in awe. “We… we gave up on it so long ago… we thought we failed...” “Don’t think of it like that,” Gallus said, shaking his head. “Trust me, we’ve all had to deal with it. But we didn’t fail. It’s just… not our task anymore to save the day. We’ve done all we could, and now it's time for the future generations to save it.” “.... After so long?” Smolder asked. “These things take time. It took Luna a thousand years to come around, right?” Sandbar pointed out to which Smolder had to nod her head in agreement. “But he’ll come back soon. He and your kids… In fact, one of them is waiting for you at the party.” Smolder gasped and covered her mouth in shock. Neither of them could blame her; losing her youngest son to a congenital disorder only fourteen years after his birth had been a devastating blow to her, Spike, and the rest of her family. Tears began to leak from her eyes as she whispered, “My… my s-son... S-S-Spines… he’s...” Gallus put a comforting claw on her shoulder. “He’s here, Smolder. We’ve been taking care of him ever since he got here. Us, the princesses, our friends, their families. We’re all one big happy clan that’s been taken care of by each other. Me and Sandbar kinda adopted him as his second parents when he arrived.” Smolder started clearing her eyes as she whispered. “My boy… my baby… wait a damn minute.” She lifted her head in disbelief. “‘Parents?’ ‘Adopted?’ What are you guys talking about?” “Oh, right? I guess we should tell you the news,” Sandbar said as he wrapped his arm around a smirking and blushing Gallus. Even after all these years, it was cute to see his hubby still embarrassed over the fact that they were married. “Gallus is my husband! We married six years after we got here in Heaven.” “.... What the literal fuck?!” Smolder shouted in disbelief. “You two are gay?! Gallus, I thought you were straight this whole time! What was all that about Yona and Silverstream?! What do they think about this?!” “Actually, I’m bisexual and Sandbar is pansexual, remember?” Gallus corrected her before smirking. “And we’re actually married to them as well. Turns out polyamory is legal in Heaven so long as it can be proven you love each other and the spouses are okay with it. Silverstream and Yona’s husbands were more than happy to share them with us and… well… let’s say the sex is amazing!” “.... I’m going to find a lot of weird changes among my friends, aren’t I?” Smolder asked in disbelief. “Next you’ll be telling me that God is a bunny.” “.... ehhh,” the two said, leering their eyes back a bit with nervous smiles. “.... I need a drink. Please tell me there’s alcohol in Heaven.” “We got booze at the house,” Gallus said, pointing in the direction of home. “The welcome party is all set up with everyone there already.” Smolder took a deep breath and smiled. “Everyone, huh? The whole gang? Our teachers? Their… families?” “Everycreature. Including Spines,” Sandbar said with a smirk. “Alright, let’s go. I’d say I’m dying to see them, but I think the halo above my head already kinda makes that a moot point.” The three laughed as they flew in the clouds, side by side with smiles on their faces. Sandbar and Gallus looked at each other with happiness in their hearts, knowing that the entire gang was back together at last. There was a lot to show Smolder, from the Academy to all the other wondrous locations Heaven had to offer. But for now? It was just time to celebrate the six of them being united once again; this time, for eternity. The End. Author's Note At last! It's finally done! I cannot express how much of a ride this was. Not to mention that this was a unique experiment on my part as this is the first story where the whole story was written out from start to finish, and only released after thorough proofreading by a couple of editors. And since we are at the end, I do want to give credit where credit is due. First, a special thank you to my friend and co-writer: Rated Ponystar for help woven this unique, rich, and complex story. Secondly, I also want to thank TheAncientPolitzanian and Babroniedad for taking the time and effort to get this story polished up for our readers. Thirdly, I also want to thank LupiArts for the magnificent cover art. Finally, I also want to thank you, the reader. On behalf of everyone, we hoped that you enjoyed this story and happy holidays to you wonderful people.
