A Funeral in Griffonstone

by SuperPinkBrony12

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Gallus, Silverstream, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Gilda, Other, Romance, Tragedy, Gabby
Length: 5568

(Takes place within the universe of "A Tale of Two Lovebirds" and "The Griffon Who Came to Mount Aris". Familiarity is encouraged but not required.) Gallus learns that Grampa Gruff has died, and Silverstream accompanies him back to Griffonstone.

(Takes place within the same universe as A Tale of Two Lovebirds, The Griffon Who Came to Mount Aris and Long Live The Queen. Familiarity with those works is encouraged but not required.)

Gallus' life is suddenly and abruptly altered one day when he receives a visit from Gilda and Gabby. They bring with them tragic news: Grandpa Gruff has died, Gallus is now orphaned once again.

Shocked to learn that the closest thing he had to a father figure could die without even telling him, Gallus struggles to process his complicated emotions as he prepares to leave for Grandpa Gruff's funeral in Griffonstone.

Silverstream, for her part, is determined to make sure that Gallus won't go through the heartbreak alone. Even if she doesn't have the experience of losing someone close to her, she wants to be there for her boyfriend.

Published 2023-03-21 15:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2023-03-21 15:20:02 UTC

A Life Changed

"Wow! That Power Ponies movie was so much fun!" Silverstream chirped in excitement as she and Gallus left the theater in Ponyville together.

Gallus shrugged his claws (or rather, the one claw of his he wasn't using for walking or holding Silverstream's paw). "Eh, I guess it was alright. I mean, I knew you'd like it. And I had nothing better to do, so I figured 'Why not?'."

The hippogriff with a lovely pink coat smiled, leaning into Gallus' chest ever so slightly as she not so subtly tried to nuzzle him. "It was really sweet of you to get the tickets and invite me. I can't think of a better way to have an official first date."

At that Gallus' cheeks flushed a shade of crimson red. "H-hold on, now," He sheepishly insisted. "Who said anything about a date?"

Silverstream's smile grew brighter. "Gallus, there's no need to hide it. We're a couple. Everyone knows about us, even my family. I'm sure even Grandpa Gruff knows about it. I mean, you have to have written to him about us, right?"

The young griffon let out a deep sigh. "Honestly, I don't think he'd care either way. He barely cares about me as it is. Gilda and Gabby have been far more of a family to me than he ever was or ever will be." It was difficult for him to contain the anger welling up inside him, causing him to clench his one free claw and growl ever so slightly.

The young hippogriff quickly used one of her paws to stroke Gallus' back, calming him down. "Hey, it's okay. So Grandpa Gruff's not much of a family member. So what? He let you come here and stay here multiple times. And he even showed up for parent/teacher conferences once. That has to count for something, right?"

"I guess," Gallus replied with indifference. "I'd rather not think about him. That's pretty much the reason why I'm not in a rush to go back to Griffonstone. Anything's better than listening to that old gezer ramble on all day and night."

Silverstream couldn't help but comment. "Is that why you haven't invited me to see your place even though you've been with me to Mount Aris and Seaquestria?"

Gallus nodded quite slowly. "Yeah, that's pretty much it. Trust me, you're not missing much. Griffonstone's a mess. It's been that way for as long as I can remember, and I don't see it changing anytime soon. We don't even have a ruler, really. Every griffon just minds their own business and that's that. Supposedly, it used to be different way back when, but only Grandpa Gruff knows anything about that."

"Well I don't care what it's like, a home is still a home," Silverstream pointed out. "I'm not taking no for an answer, Gallus. You've got to take me to Griffonstone the next time you have to go back. I'm sure even Grandpa Gruff would be happy to know that you and I are a couple. It's not much different from having friends, it means you have creatures who care about you and what happens to you."

Reluctantly, the griffon with brilliant light blue feathers sighed anew. That was Silverstream for you, she could be quite pushy when she wanted to be. But he wouldn't have her any other way, it was what had drawn him to her in the first place (once he'd learned that she could be more than just a bubbly chatterbox, anyway). "Okay, fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you when we do go there."

Silverstream waved a paw. "Can't be any worse than the state Mount Aris was in after we had to abandon it. We had to rebuild the whole kingdom from scratch, even down to things like the plumbing and roads."

"Well, it's getting kind of late," Gallus commented as he looked up and noticed the sun setting off to the west. "We've got school tomorrow."

"Just one more quarter, though," Silverstream pointed out. "And all our professors say we're almost at the halfway point of it. Oh, just thinking about what we're gonna do together has me all excited, Gallus!" Her eyes lit up with wonder as she could already picture her and Gallus touring Griffonstone together, Gallus showing her all the sights and sounds that there were to see.

The next day, Gallus and Silverstream were in class along with the rest of their friends and fellow students. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. It was just another lecture from one of their professors, in this case a lecture from Professor Rarity about the importance (and values) of generosity. Out of all the subjects at the School of Friendship, generosity was the subject Gallus struggled the most with. The only act of generosity he could ever remember being shown in his life had been when Grandpa Gruff had taken him off the streets, and even then it was clear the old griffon had more or less been "forced" to do so.

It felt so strange to Gallus to be thinking so much about Grandpa Gruff lately. He sincerely doubted that Grandpa Gruff gave him even a single passing thought throughout the day, aside from whenever he could be bothered to send a letter through Gabby.

Suddenly, Gallus' thoughts were interrupted when his ears picked up the sound of the school's loudspeakers crackling to life. "Will Gallus Griffon please report to the headmare's office?" The familiar voice of the school's guidance counselor could be heard saying. "Repeat: Gallus Griffon, please report to the headmare's office."

With a long, drawn out sigh the young griffon rose from his desk and departed Professor Rarity's class. He hated being called into the headmare's office, it always drew attention to him even when it was the last thing he wanted. "What have I done wrong this time?" He unhappily thought to himself as he headed to the headmare's office.

The griffon with loosely styled light blue feathers soon reached his destination. He brought up a claw against the office doors and knocked rather hesitantly.

"Come on in, Gallus." The voice of Headmare Starlight called from the other side. It didn't sound like the kind of voice that would be used to deliver a scolding for bad behavior. But then again it didn't sound like the sort of voice that had good news to share.

Still, Gallus pushed open the doors and strolled in. His eyes immediately caught sight of not only Headmare Starlight, but also Vice Headstallion Sunburst and Guidance Counselor Trixie. And much to his surprise, Gabby and Gilda were also in the office, apparently having been waiting for him for quite some time.

As the office doors slammed shut, Headmare Starlight looked straight into Gallus' eyes. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Gallus," Then she seemed to sigh. "I wish there were an easier way for you to learn about the news you're about to be told."

The young griffon stepped back a bit. He didn't like the sound of that speech at all. "What do you mean? Did I do something bad? Whatever it is, you've got the wrong griffon!"

But Vice Headstallion Sunburst shook his head from side to side. "You're not in any trouble, Gallus. If you were, do you think we'd have Gilda and Gabby here? They came here specifically to talk to you, they said it was urgent. And... well..." His lips quivered as he turned away, appearing to take off his glasses.

Gilda more or less took over from there. Was it Gallus' imagination, or did she and Gabby seem rather upset for some reason? They seemed unusually withdrawn, and their eyes seemed to reflect looks of deep sadness. "It's about Grandpa Gruff, Gallus. He's... well he's..."

Without being prompted to, Gabby blurted out. "He's dead, Gallus! He's been dead for a few days now."

The response from the griffon with feathers of light blue was not what anycreature was expecting. He immediately threw back his head and started laughing hysterically. "Okay, that's a good one!" He exclaimed as he tried to hold back tears. "You guys really had me going there for a moment. Grandpa Gruff's not even sick. If he was, I think I would've known about it."

Yet as Gallus' laughter started to die down, an awkward and uncomfortable silence filled the room. The expressions on everycreature's face didn't change in the slightest, even when Gallus expected them to. "C-come on now," He nervously insisted as he started to twitch ever so slightly. "H-he's not actually dead, right? Right? I... I mean... he was pretty old. But there's no way he could just up and drop dead without me knowing about it. Right? Right?! Tell me I'm right!" And he immediately rushed up to Headmare Starlight, furiously shaking her!

Headmare Starlight simply used her magic to push Gallus gently away from her. "I'm sorry, Gallus," She sincerely and sympathetically replied. "It's official. Gilda and Gabby came here and broke the news to me, and they insisted that I call you in here so they could break the news. Apparently, it happened all of a sudden."

Tearing up a bit, Gabby started to whimper. "It's true. I started thinking something was up when I came by to deliver Grandpa Gruff's mail, and his mailbox was still full from the previous day. It wasn't like him to just leave it like that," She seemed to be recalling her own memories as she added with a shudder. "So I went inside his house to check on him and..." She closed her eyes and shivered. "I found him just lying there, right in the middle of the floor. I... I didn't know what to do!"

"And you just left him there?!" Gallus shrieked as he glared at Gabby!

Gabby opened her eyes, the tears flowing freely from them. "No, Gallus! I rushed out and got help! But apparently, it was already too late. When Grandpa Gruff got to the hospital, they said he'd been dead for at least an hour. Heart attack, they assume," She then flew over and pulled Gallus close, draping her wings over him. "I'm so sorry, Gallus. This is the kind of news I wish I didn't have to deliver."

"Yeah, what Gabby said," Gilda commented as she fidgeted with her claws. "Always figured the old coot would kick the bucket eventually. Doesn't mean it was any less shocking when it did happen. Just sort of got used to him always being around, always being there whether you wanted him to be there or not. And if it hadn't been for Gabby," She gulped. "Who knows how long it would've been before any of us would've even suspected Grandpa Gruff was dead?"

Surprisingly, Gallus himself didn't seem to be on the verge of tears. He did seem a bit... unsettled by the news if the change in his overall posture was anything to go on. However, he didn't convey it when he simply said. "So, he's dead, huh? Well, why break the news to me like this? Couldn't Gabby have just sent a letter or something?"

Guidance Counselor Trixie arched an eyebrow upward. "That was what Trixie said when these two... griffons," It seemed like she had briefly considered using some other term. "Came here and told us what they've told you. It seems they wanted to tell you personally, straight from the griffon's beak."

Vice Headstallion Sunburst, meanwhile, turned back around. By now he had regained his composure more or less. "You have our condolences, Gallus. It's never easy losing someone close to you, especially so suddenly."

But the young griffon only replied with an apparent indifference. "So what? He was barely in my life to begin with. Really doesn't make much of a difference to me whether he was alive or dead."

Headmare Starlight was quick to protest. "Gallus, you shouldn't bottle up your emotions just for the sake of trying to be tough."

"I'm not trying to be tough! I really don't care either way!" Gallus growled in an unconvincing fashion! "I appreciate your concerns, but as you can see I'm doing just fine! And I was doing just fine before I knew this! So stop trying to feel sorry for me! If the roles were reversed and I was the one who was dead, I highly doubt Grandpa Gruff would care at all!"

"Gallus!" Gilda and Gabby both exclaimed in mutual shock!

Gallus simply snorted, turning his back to everyone as he prepared to depart the office. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to generosity class, and I intend to carry on with my life just like it was before!"

However, Gilda spoke up. "Don't you at least wanna come back to Griffonstone for the funeral? They were already making preparations when Gabby and I left," Though she added. "Of course, I reckon it won't be a particular lavish or long funeral. Not a whole lot of griffons will really be there besides you, Gabby and myself."

And Gabby all but pleaded. "Come on, Gallus. At least you should pay your respects. Grandpa Gruff did more or less raise you and keep you off the streets. Don't you owe him at least a proper farewell?"

Looking to his fellow griffons, Gallus relaxed his shoulders and overall posture just slightly. "If only because I know it's the right thing to do. But don't expect me to feel sad or sorry about his sudden death. He might as well have been dead all along as far as I'm concerned. Him being dead really doesn't change much. It just means he can't force me to come back to Griffonstone whenever he feels like it."

When Gallus returned to generosity class a short time later, he briefly stopped to talk to Professor Rarity so as to explain why he wouldn't be coming to her class, or any classes at all by any of his professors (at least for the next few days). Aside from that, however, he dwelt very little upon the news he'd been given that had turned his world upside down. Part of him wondered whether this meant Gabby and Gilda would now more or less take over as his legal guardians, or if he was once again truly an orphan with no place to call his own. But those were thoughts for another time and place.

However, after generosity class was over, Silverstream practically insisted on pulling Gallus aside and getting some answers from him. "You were gone a long time, Gallus. Why did Headmare Starlight want to meet with you in her office?"

Gallus dismissively replied. "It was nothing, Silverstream. I'm just not going to be coming to class for a few days because something's come up in Griffonstone. But it's none of your business, or anycreature else's!"

Silverstream was anything but convinced by that argument. "Gallus, come on! We both agreed not to keep secrets from each other when we entered into a relationship!" She desperately pleaded as she locked eyes with him. "If something's wrong, I want to help."

The young griffon snorted. "But you can't help, Silverstream. You can't go back in time or bring back the dead, and I wouldn't want you to even if you could."

The young hippogriff blinked in surprise and confusion. "Gallus, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense."

Gallus had to groan. As much as he loved Silverstream, sometimes he could really get annoyed with how nosey she was. "Grandpa Gruff's dead! Apparently, he's been dead for days and I never knew! Guess I shouldn't have been surprised, though. He didn't even care enough about me to let me know he was sick, probably thought I'd drop everything and come rushing back to Griffonstone just for him. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't do that. But it just goes to show how much of an afterthought I was to him! Aside from the day he took me in, and aside from when he let me stay at this school, he never really cared about me or my well being!"

Silverstream's response was most unexpected. She just drapped a wing over Gallus and began to lightly stroke his back with her paws. "Gallus, I know what you're going through. I know what it can feel like to lose someone close to you unexpectedly."

"Shut up!" Gallus remarked in an unconvincing tone of voice, even as he found himself leaning into the embrace more.

The hippogriff with a lovely pink coat just explained. "My cousin Skystar's dad died unexpectedly while fighting the Storm King. That was part of what led my Aunt Novo to the decision to abandon Mount Aris and have us all hide in Seaquestria. The invasion that happened afterward was just what convinced her it was the right decision to make. But it happened when Skystar and I were still young. Heck, Terramar hadn't even been born yet, Mom had only just laid his egg when we got the terrible news."

"So what?" Gallus asked even though his tone of voice betrayed the indifference he was trying to convey.

"So, how do you think we all felt losing my uncle?" Silverstream questioned. "How do you think my cousin Skystar felt having to grow up without a dad? In fact, for years she never even knew why she couldn't see him, she didn't find out the truth until after the Storm King was defeated. Mom, Dad and I knew, and our Aunt Novo made us all swear to secrecy. How do you think that made us all feel? To be denied a chance to grieve and to process our loss? It hurt, just like I'm sure you're hurting right now," Then she sweetly added. "But you don't have to go through it alone. You have me now. And no matter what, I'll always be here for you."

Gallus found himself at a loss for words. "S-Silverstream."

Silverstream just brought up a paw to shush Gallus. "I'm going with you to Griffonstone for the funeral. I don't care what you say. You need me! I'll be there for you for however long it takes for you to process all the feelings you're feeling right now," And she added. "And you have a right to be mad with Grandpa Gruff, but don't let that anger prevent you from feeling sad that you lost him. I'm sure that in his own way, he did care about you, even if he never showed it."

And just like that, everything had been set into motion.

Just a day later, Gallus and Silverstream made their way to Griffonstone alongside Gabby and Gilda. The train ride to the station closest to Griffonstone passed more or less in silence. Silverstream kept trying to get Gallus to talk and to open up. But Gallus just spent the entire train ride looking out the window, a look of sadness and uncertainty reflected in his eyes. Almost like he was asking himself "Why?".

At last, the train slowed down to a stop at the station near Griffonstone, and the griffons and hippogriff departed without fanfare. "Come on," Gilda spoke up. "Griffonstone's just a short flight from here."

Silverstream could barely contain her excitement as she took to the air with Gallus by her side! "Ooh! At very long last, I'm gonna get to see Griffonstone! I'll get to see where you grew up, Gallus!"

Gallus, for his part, had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "You'll change your tune pretty quick when you see what Griffonstone's like. Trust me, it's not pretty."

"Hey, we're there!" Gabby shouted soon afterward, and all four flying creatures touched down in front of what appeared to be a more or less wide open path that led to a series of houses: Some built on nests and others on the ground.

Silverstream's eyes became filled with a strange sense of wonder, wonder that did not fade even as she beheld how impoverished and run down Griffonstone really was. "Wow, Gallus," She tried to whisper, only for her excitement to make her words echo everywhere. "You weren't kidding about Griffonstone. It's... a mess."

The griffon with feathers of light blue unhappily sighed and hung his head. "Hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. Doesn't seem like anything's really changed since I was here last."

"Hey, buck up, will ya?!" Gilda ribbed Gallus. "We've been rebuilding, it's just been slow. We actually have a library now. And someone," She not so secretly gestured a claw to Gabby. "Finally got around to fixing up that old King Grover statue. Surprising what a little spit and polish can do if you put your back into it."

"And Gallus," Gabby pointed out. "Griffonstone is getting better. We have something to be proud of, now. You and your friends are heroes: Not just to Equestria, but to nations and kingdoms everywhere. It's not every day you can say a griffon managed to help ponies defeat bad guys and get a statue built in his honor. You could practically take over the whole town if you wanted to."

Gallus wasn't convinced. "Very funny, Gabby. No griffon in their right mind would ever trust me. I wouldn't know the first thing about running a kingdom. Besides, I wouldn't be caught dead wearing some stuffy grown and some itchy robes. It's not for me."

Silverstream chirped! "Oh, but you'd look so good in them, Gallus!"

The young griffon only replied. "I'd rather stay in Equestria, where I know I'm wanted."

"But you'll always be a griffon from Griffonstone, that's never gonna change," Silverstream protested. "You can't deny who you are!"

Gallus shook his head from side to side. "If you've taught me anything, Silverstream, it's that we're more than just where we come from or who we were. If your family and cousins didn't think anything of me dating you despite you being related to royalty, then it doesn't really matter to me where I came from. Gilda and Gabby can spend all their time trying to make Griffonstone better, they're more attached to it than I am. I've seen enough to believe that it'll be a long time before Griffonstone ever changes."

Gabby smiled. "Don't be so sure, Gallus. After all, now that Grandpa Gruff's gone, somegriffon has to step up and be the leader. We're finally going to have another king, or maybe a queen. There's already debates about who should lead us, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to be part of that. I think I could do a lot of good if I were queen of Griffonstone."

Gilda seemed to smirk. "Honestly, Gabby, nothing you do surprises me anymore," Then she changed the subject. "But we can worry about all that after we bury Grandpa Gruff. Now come on, we need to get going and sign off on the funeral arrangements! Plus, we still have to attend the reading of Grandpa Gruff's will. Don't really see why, he has no family, friends or loved ones he could pass anything on to."

Later that day, Gallus and Silverstream were with Gilda and Gabby inside of the old, worn down and clearly neglected house that had belonged to Grandpa Gruff. It was clear the old griffon had done the bare minimum in maintaining it and keeping it safe for occupancy: Doors creeked on their hinges, looking ready to fall off at a moment's notice. Many windows were broken or so filled with dust that seeing out of them was useless. And until a small fire could be made in the fireplace, cold breezes blew through the interior through many gaps and holes.

The four flying creatures gathered around a table in the dining room, the same table Gallus could remember many a blue moon festivals passing by with Gilda and Gabby doing their best to tolerate Grandpa Gruff, all of the sake of trying to make Gallus happy (if only because Gilda insisted it wouldn't do Gallus any good to see the only griffons who cared at all about him fighting).

A griffon seemingly as old as Grandpa Gruff had been was seated at table with them. He had gray feathers along his entire body, there was not a trace of color anywhere except for his talons and beak (and they seemed to be fading in color from gold to a dull yellow). His blackish-brown eyes bore signs of possible blindness starting to occur, and it was clear from the way this griffon carried himself that his best days were behind him. He spoke in a slow, raspy and wheezy tone of voice. "I shall now proceed with the reading of Grandpa Gruff's last will and testament," Clearing his throat, he began. "I, Grandpa Gruff, being of sound mind and body, do hereby divide up my estate as follows."

Silverstream held Gallus' claw with her paw, all the while Gallus just looked away and seemed to feign interest in anything this old griffon had to say.

The reading was short. Like Gilda had said, Grandpa Gruff had no friends or family, and no loved ones. Thus, there was really no one for him to bestow his estate upon.

Yet suddenly, the old grey-feathered griffon held up the parchment on which the will had been written and drew everycreature's attention as he pointed a ways down the scroll. "Seems like there was something written here hastily. But no one was around to see him write it. Must've written it himself when he realized his death was imminent."

"What?!" Gallus, Gabby, Gilda and Silverstream all collectively gasped! Gallus in particular was now focusing his full attention to the will and its reading!

The old griffon just read to the best of his ability. "Says here that since he has no kinfolk or loved ones, he opted to leave behind this house for Gallus. At least, once Gallus is of legal age, anyway. Until then, no griffon's allowed to touch it, not even if they just want to fix up the place."

Gilda immediately chirped. "Hear that, Gallus? Seems like Grandpa Griffon left you something after all. Guess even the old geezer was hoping you'd want to come back to Griffonstone someday."

"I really hope you will, Gallus," Gabby pleaded. "Even if you're planning to make Ponyville your adopted hometown, Griffonstone won't be the same without you. You have Gilda and I to watch over you, we'll always try to be there for you."

Gallus, however, just replied with indifference. "I guess if the house is legally mine, I have to at least respect Grandpa Gruff's wishes and take care of it once it becomes mine. I'll probably turn it into a museum or something, put it to good use. But it's not gonna be enough to lure me back to Griffonstone full time. I have a life in Ponyville, I barely have a life here. I'd rather stay where I know I wanted, maybe settle down and see the world."

Silverstream felt her heart flutter. "Oh, Gallus!" She leaned into him and hugged him tightly. "I wish our friends were here to hear you say that! You're so sweet when you care!"

The griffon with feathers of light blue did his best to play it off. "It's not like it matters. Gilda and Gabby can't drag me back to Griffonstone, and I know they won't do so. Grandpa Gruff's the only one who could ever do that, and he would've lost that right when I graduated anyway. His death just means I'm finally free to decide for myself what I want to be and where I want to go," Then he looked at Silverstream. "And I have a pretty good feeling at this point that such a life will at least partially be spent in your company. I'm glad I have someone like you to count on for support when I need it."

Silverstream blushed. "Hey, isn't that what a girlfriend is supposed to do for her boyfriend?"

The funeral the next day came and went without fanfare. Like Gilda had said, there weren't a lot of griffons who showed up to bid their final farewells to Grandpa Gruff. The eulogy given was short, the whole thing lasted only minutes at most. And after that one speech, that was it. No other griffons came forward to say anything about Grandpa Gruff.

The casket bearing the old griffon's body was subsequently taken from his house where the funeral had been held, led in a somber procession by those who had attended the funeral. It was a relatively short procession, the cemetery that would serve as Grandpa Gruff's final resting place was only a few short blocks from his house. Even in death, griffons could be cheap.

A quick burial was carried out once the casket reached the designated grave plot. And when it was finished, most of the griffons turned and walked away. It really did seem like no one cared about the passing of such an old griffon, to them it seemed to be just another day in Griffonstone.

Gallus, Silverstream, Gabby and Gilda were now alone next to the small, sad looking tombstone that Grandpa Gruff was buried underneath. Yet none of them could find the courage to speak, none seemed to know what to say or what could be said.

At last, however, Gallus seemed to pluck up courage as he looked at the already worn tombstone. He sighed, took a deep breath, and spoke freely from his heart. "I think I get it now," He said out loud. "I think I get why he didn't wanna tell me he was sick and probably dying. In his own way, he didn't want to bother me or make me worry. He didn't want to upend my life and make me feel guilty for not coming to see him so I could say goodbye."

Gilda could only shrug her claws. "Who knows what he was thinking? He probably only just realized he was dying a short time ago. How else do you explain him hastily changing his will to include you?"

The young griffon just replied. "Maybe he knew, and maybe a part of him was hoping he'd come out of it okay. I suppose I can't blame him. He died as he lived, alone. And I think that's what he wanted. He didn't want a whole bunch of griffons fussing over him, trying to save his life even if there was little they could do for him. He was always a loner, and that suited him just fine."

"I'm really sorry you had to find out the way you did, Gallus," Gabby sympathetically reached out a claw to him. "It must've been like when you lost your parents."

But Gallus just shook his head quite firmly. "I made my peace with that a long time ago, Gabby. My mom and dad either died or abandoned me before I ever had a chance to get attached to them. And Grandpa Gruff, he sure went out of his way to make sure I'd never get attached to him: Either in life or in death. He may have given me a place to live, but the kindest, most generous thing he ever did was let me go to Ponyville to attend the School of Friendship, and then letting me stay there. Because of that, I found a life beyond him. A life actually worth living. For that, I'll be grateful. Otherwise, I'm not really going to waste my time thinking about him, wishing he were still around."

Gilda reached out a claw as well, and looked Gallus deep in the eyes as she told him. "Listen, Gallus. If you ever feel like you need somegriffon to talk to about all of this at any point, you just let Gabby or I know. We griffons don't have to think only about ourselves and live lives of bitterness. We know there's a better way now, and Gabby and I want you to remember that."

Gallus nodded, then stood up. "I will. I'm glad I came back here, so I could put this all behind me. I'll move on as best I can. And I know that even when I struggle," He looked to Silverstream before continuing. "I have those who do care about me, and that's something I know won't change."

Author's Note

I had originally planned to do this fic back in 2022 in early fall. Then, after Queen Elizabeth II's death, I decided to shelf this idea for the time being since felt I inspired to write "Long Live The Queen".

Still, I knew I wanted to come back to this. We know that Gallus presumably never went back to Griffonstone by the time of "The Last Problem" and its time skip, but I feel like it's unfortunate that that meant we never got to see Griffonstone rebuild the way Mount Aris and the changeling hive got to rebuild.

Yes, I know I've done a YonaBar and a GallusStream fic already this year. And yes, I am planning to do something with SmolderxOcellus (really wish there was a good name for that ship). But that won't be for several months, still.