Rarity wove together a final touch on a dress fit for any proud hippogryph to wear. She marveled at it, turning it in the light for her personal inspection. She knew it would look fine; nodding with satisfaction as she floated it to hang gently on a hook. She knocked gently on the door of the dorm. Ariel peeked out a second later, eyes falling on the dress with a sudden widening.

Ariel threw open the door, eyes still fixated on the dress. "Wow, that somehow looks even prettier than the others I've seen you make, and you make so many!" Ariel shifted, dancing from foot to foot as Rarity let her eyes soak it up for another long moment.

Rarity floated it towards Ariel, holding it up just over Ariel as if she were already wearing it. "It's for you, dear, as I promised." Rarity knew when to keep quiet, for the moment anyway. She watched as Ariel tried it on. "You look radiant."

Ariel did a little twirl, her blushing smile refusing to go away. "I never wore a dress before." She didn't mention she had a compelling reason not to, being a guy not that horribly long ago. But she was a hippogriffon, a female. And she felt amazing in that dress. "It's gorgeous! What do I owe you?" Ariel giggled as she caressed her sides where the material touched her. It was just soft enough and firm enough. "Thank you so much. Is my hair okay with this dress?"

"Darling." Rarity fluttered her lashes. "You are positively glowing. I'm happy to say that everything about you is, at the very least, 'okay', with that dress." She sat on her haunches and waved the question off. "As for price, no no no! You can consider this a gift for a new student." She considered Ariel in that beautiful dress once more, patting her mane fondly. "Now, I had to improvise with some parts, being designed for a hippogryph. I would appreciate it if you let me know how you feel in it, or if there are any adjustments needed."

Ariel turned left and right. "N-No. I mean, It feels so great. I don't think I'll know much more without just wearing it a while."

Rarity tittered gently. "I had a feeling. You know where to find me, darling. So come running when you do notice anything. Otherwise, enjoy it, as it appears you're already doing."

Ariel embraced Rarity tightly, giving her a hearty squeeze. "Thank you!" She blushed. "Thanks so much." She touched her beak to each of Rarity's cheek. "You are just the best." With a trail of laughter, she fled back into her dorm room. She twirled around, dancing in front of the others in that lovely dress. They seemed quite happy for her.

Rarity smiled, patting a few pieces of dust away as she walked back home. She felt a strange sense of pride for helping yet another girl find something pretty to wear. In fact, she stopped smiling only long enough to sleep soundly that evening.

The others were clapping and admiring Ariel's new dress. Silverstream nuzzled up to her happily. "You look pretty! Not gonna lie." She watched as Ariel did a spin in the air, hovering with her wings and spreading the fluff of her feathers. "Rarity can make some amazing dresses."

Gallus wasn't saying anything, just staring with wide, blinking eyes. He swallowed thickly. "You really do look good." A compliment from Gallus meant a lot more, since he gave them so rarely. "Um." He fought for words, eyes locked on Ariel as she showed off her fabulous gown. "Rarity knows fashion."

"Sure does!" Ariel agreed enthusiastically. She landed on her back legs, standing upright as if to make it easier to see her. "And she worked for me. I owe her. But what do you get a rich professor who's already so amazing?" Ariel stroked her beak thoughtfully. "Maybe she'd like a book, or I can paint her a picture."

Yona nodded firmly. "Picture you paint sound good. Can you paint?"

Ariel put her hands on her hips. "Hey! I'll have you know I'm a pretty good painter." She wiggled in place, giggles escaping her. "I'm so happy right now! I love it here, even if, um, the learning part takes a while." She sat heavily on her bunk with a smile.

Gallus wandered over to her side. "Hey, Ariel? I've been wanting to talk to you in private for a bit. Could you, um, follow me for a minute or three?"

Ariel perked at that. "Hm? Sure." She hopped right back out of her bunk and followed along after him. Out they went into the hallway. Ariel expected a side room to follow, but Gallus had other plans. He led her through hallways and down stairwells until they were outside, with the starlight pouring over them and bathing them in a silvery glow.

He finally turned to her, there with no other creatures around. "Ariel." He reached for her shoulder, just to hesitate and abort the motion. "I know you and Silver sometimes get the wrong idea, or express yourself kinda funny, so I'll just ask. You care about me? More than you do the others?" His breath quickened slightly, pulse elevating at that dangerously vulnerable question.

Ariel looked confused a moment before something clicked. "Of course I care about you, my fellow beak haver." She went in, touching her beck to his with the softest tap. "You've been here for me. That means a lot. You've also done what you could for Yona, when we were having troubles."

"Y-yeah, you're welcome for that." He rubbed behind his head. "But it's more than that. Look." He glanced away and back. "Being subtle doesn't work on either of you." He laughed, at least half at himself. "Do you like me? Like like? You keep, um. I keep thinking you're trying to get my attention." He waved over her dress. "And now this?! Is it about impressing me? I mean, you look great in it, don't get me wrong, but. Come clean with me."

Ariel froze there, beak parted as if her brain hadn't yet started again. Her eyes widened fractionally. What Gallus was shooting for became crystal clear for her at last. "Gallus." She reached for him with both hands. One cupped his face gently and the other lay flat on his chest. "You think I have a crush on you?" That was when she really thought about her feelings on that griffon. She smiled tenderly, then drew closer. Her voice went quieter. "You've been such a good friend."

Gallus was stiff. "Friends are good!" he squeaked out a bit tenser than he had planned. "But is it just friends or not? Just be honest with me. I'm a grown griffon. I can handle it!" He clenched his talons into fists.

"Gallus." She grabbed his hands. "There is so much to admire about you, you know?" She trailed a hand down along his trembling arm, clasping one of his clenched fists in her hand, squeezing softly. "When you were there for me when I needed somecreature." She reached up for his face, thumb rubbing gentle circles on his cheek. "You're such a special creature. Gallus." She trailed off a moment.

Following an intense, if brief, impulse, she leaned in and touched her beak to his cheek, then the corner of his beak. It was soft. Both of their hearts picked up speed at that little touch of skin and beaks. "I never dated anyone, to be honest."

Gallus trembled at that admission. "I haven't either, you know." He glanced aside. "Doesn't matter anyway."

"Sure it does." She lifted his hand, no longer clenched, and brought it to her chest. "Because I want to try it. Gallus, will you date me?" She felt hot, excited, nervous. All these things and more coursed through her. "If you say no, I won't hold it against you."

"That's a lie." But he was smiling, many of the same emotions running through his frazzled form. "But, uh, yeah, okay. Look, we're both new at this. Let's, uh, try it. We'll make mistakes. Let's, uh, try." He took a breath, gathering himself and stepping back enough to be free of Ariel's touches. "Yes." He sat on his haunches. "I'm saying yes."

Ariel squealed with joy and dove on top of him. Her forelimbs wrapped around him as she snuggled close. "First boyfriend! Wow!"

Gallus didn't hesitate this time to embrace her back, letting their body warmth mingle. "First girlfriend?" He hugged her close. "So, um. I've watched Yona and Sandbar just do stuff. Are we like that now? Does that mean I can kiss you whenever?" He looked thoughtful for a moment, considering all those times where he really wanted to steal a peck from her lips. At the time, he had thought those were random intrusive thoughts, but they felt very different looking back.

"I'm down with that." She slipped from his grasp. "Do you need help with the dating thing too? I mean, I'm new too, but we'll work it out." She burst into fresh giggles. "This has been the best day ever!"

"It really has been." Gallus nipped playfully at her shoulder before heading back inside, and she followed after him.

Back inside the dorm room, things had gotten quite comfortable. Ocellus was busy studying by the looks of her, leaning over her desk with an assortment of books.

Silverstream flew to land beside Ariel and Gallus. "What were you two doing secret talks about?! Also, yay! Ariel! Dress!"

Gallus pressed closer to Ariel's side, slipping a wing possessively over her shoulders. He was quiet a moment, considering if he should say. Announcing won out. A griffon had to claim what belonged to them, or others might think it's unclaimed. "So, Ariel and me." He looked at her. "We're a thing now." A small pause. "Together." He nodded once. "Yeah."

Ocellus let out a low whistle from across the room. She paused her studies to gaze on the new couple. "Congratulations!" She was still distracted, mostly watching the others, and only half-reading. "Don't suppose you could teach a changeling how to date?"

Ariel blinked at that. "I'm still learning myself! Don't changelings know how to date already? I mean, aren't you all about getting along with others, learning about their desires, and stuff like that?"

Ocellus colored at that. "Well, yeah. My parents managed it. I guess it's just a me thing, thinking about it." She slumped forward a little bit, antennae drooping. "Changelings learn it. But that's all other changelings and, well."

Gallus went over to punch Ocellus in the shoulder. "Relax. Me and Ariel are new at this too. I think everycreature is until they actually do it. Nothing to be ashamed of. Oh!" An idea struck him. "And, oh, wait, you want someone right now too?"

Ocellus' wings buzzed behind her. "I didn't say that!" She shrank back, blushing furiously.

"No no no. Look at me!" Gallus gestured sharply. "Look. If I'm going to help you learn this dating junk, you've got to be able to admit stuff that feels super embarrassing."

Smolder broke into laughter from her bunk. "Wow, asking Gallus for dating tips. Ocellus, go back to your homework."

Silverstream bobbed her head rapidly. "Yeah! Totally! Great advice! Homework. Got lots of my own." She aborted the conversation about dates and returned to a desk of her own to busily read.

Ariel nudged against Gallus. "Stop scaring her. Ocellus looks ready to explode. She'll come if she has more questions." Ariel found herself snuggling close, a wing draped over his shoulder and an arm around him, just below his wing joint. Having somecreature to passively snuggle was already feeling pretty great.

Gallus enjoyed the snuggle, but was trying not to show that so openly. Griffons, after all, liked to seem aloof and independent, even when it was patently untrue. "Yeah, okay." He looked to the bunks, realizing Ariel would have to separate from him, the two bunks not at all next to one another. "Think we should ask for a double bunk?"

Smolder landed next to him, already shoving him away from Ariel. "Nuh-uh. Back off. You two are not sharing bunks." She crossed her arms. "Not happening."

Ariel held up her hands placatingly. "I wasn't planning to jump straight into bed with him." Her cheeks felt like they were on fire at the idea. "That was his idea."

"Way to throw me in front of the cart." Gallus rolled his eyes, but backed away towards his own, separate, bunk. "I liked the holding is all. No harm meant or whatever."

"Oh." Smolder relaxed slightly. "Well. Uh. Okay?" She looked puzzled, gazing between them a few times. "You two can cuddle while you're awake and standing. Sheesh, when did I become the chaperone of this room?" She rolled her eyes dramatically, trudging back towards her own bunk. She couldn't stay annoyed when Silverstream shot her a winning smile.

Author's Note

Date time! This can only end well. Gallus and Ariel, a natural match? Is this doomed, or the start of something great?

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