Gallus returned to his room. He couldn’t blame Gilda for not cutting her holiday short just to help him. Still didn’t stop him from wishing she had. Realistically, waiting a few days for her to come with wouldn’t change anything about what he would or could find out but if he didn’t leave before then he was sure to run into Ocellus and knowing her, she’d ask a simple question. And when he answered 'no' she’d ask a not so simple question. And then another and another. All the while he was still in love with her... kinda-sorta-maybe.
When he got there he didn’t really think much of the chair he’d left Sandbar under being righted, figuring he’d flipped it before leaving. He grabbed a small saddle bag and put a few snacks in it. It was a two day trip after all and a bag of chips seemed enough. Which meant the extra pretzels where an extravagance. In all Gallus didn’t pack much. Just the food, a few bits and a rubber band and paper clip incase of emergency.
He’d spent a decent amount of time, nearly an hour, but it was still early enough in the morning and if he left now, he could probably knock it down to get there before midnight if he powered through it a little. He’d then sleep in his own bed back home, which thinking about it was nowhere near as comfortable as the one he had here. Arguable he felt more at home here than back in Gryphonstone. A thought about being more comfortable around ponies came to mind but it wasn’t quite right. The ones he felt most comfortable around only one of them was a pony. Though, they still weren't gryphons either.
Gallus; packed, went to his door and opened it only to nearly get punched in the face by Silverstream. “Wow, that’s like the third time today…” she said with a lack of chuckle he’d expect from something like that from her. “Only the second miss though. Mind if I come in for a moment?”
“Uh, actually, I was just about to head out.”
“W’where you going? [that was not a ‘w-where’, that was an abbreviated ‘well where’] I could tag along.”
“I’m just going out for a bit. I may be some time.” he said, dodging the question. “But sure, you can tag along… for a bit.”
“Yippy.” she replied as more of an acknowledgement than in excitement like how the word's normally used. Either Gallus was off more than he thought and somehow affecting others or how he saw others, or Silverstream had something on her chest too. The two of them took off, flying at a slow pace, roughly matching the speed of the ponies around them walking. School rules for indoors. “So what where you and Sandbar talking about last night?” she asked as they got outside and sped up to a regular flying speed.
“Oh… you know. Guy stuff.”
“I bet.”
“What was that?”
“I said ‘So what where you and Sandbar talking about last night?’.”
“No, after that.”
“Well… after that I said… ‘I said ‘So what where you and Sandbar talking about last night?’.’.”
“Zhhh… nevermind. Yeah. Guy stuff. Hoofball, O'n'O, hens… parties! Uh… school work.” he tried to quickly recovered from letting the actual truth slip. Of course it was all technically true. They’d spoken about all those things briefly at least. Some more than others is all.
“Hens? Something wrong between him and Yona?” she replied. Even with his ‘masterful’ recovery, most of his friends wouldn’t have picked up on that part. Unfortunately for him, hippogryphs, though often using the term ‘girls’ on occasion used ‘hens’ too.
“No! No, it’s definitely not about Yona.” Gallsu answered, trying not to worry her friend that something might be bad between their friend’s relationship. Of course it had the opposite effect and only made her suspicions escalate. Their relationship talk didn’t involve Yona at all and just the two cocks. A phrase that hippogryphs also used on occasion.
“Oh, don’t tell me there’s someone you like? Who is it?” she asked with her usual enthusiasm but still something wasn’t 'usual' about it. Maybe a lack of excitement. Gallus, not having any reason to suspect anything was different in her, instead assumed it was with him. After all, he was sure he had been acting cool and calm, his usual aloof self and yet two ponies so far had picked up on it within seconds of talking.
Which made him realise that if he said anything more, she’d surely pick up on it too. “No… it’s…” but then again, why hide it? “It is. But for their sake, I’d rather not say who.” he said, trying to look stern. He mostly succeeded but there was a tiny bit of sad little puppy mixed in with it still. Only a tiny bit.
“Ok… I understand.” ‘SANDBAR IS CLOSITED!!!’ “Ooo, what’s in the bag?”
He thought for a moment before answering. The direction they were heading, she’d realise sooner or later they were heading out of Ponyville. “It’s a travelbag.” he answered. He waited not quite long enough for her to ask a follow up question, but just long enough, though unintentionally, to start talking again just a fraction of a second before she did. “I’m heading back home for a bit.”
“Home? You mean Gryphon...stock?” she tried to remember where he lived outside of the school.
“Yeah.” he didn’t correct her, and kinda got a laugh out of it. “You know how I said I liked some… one.” he tried to not say ‘somecreature’ like he did for them because that would really narrow it down. Of course she thought he was doing that but with ‘somepony’. “Well, something happened between us yesterday and it made me ask a few questions about myself. And I shouldn’t be around that… ‘person’.” a rarely used phrase by any race. “At least not until I figure this out about myself.”
“Ok… I understand.” ‘THEY”RE BOTH CLOSITED!!!’ “Gallus.” she put a claw on his shoulder, pulled him to a stop. She looked him straight in the eyes and said “I just want you to know that no matter what you are, none of us would think any differently of you.” and suddenly all her usual unusualness was back. Gallus thought it must’ve been her positive words making him feel better and lifting whatever sad veil was hanging over him long enough to see her normally again.
“Even if I was a hippogryph?”
“Even if you were a hippogryph.” she assured, having absolutely no idea what that actually meant.
“Thanks. It helps.”
“That’s what friends do.”
“Heh, yeah.” he laughed oddly getting pleasure out of words that had been so soul crushing last time he’d used them hismelf. “As much as I’d love [poor choice of words] some company all the way to Gryphonsto-stock, I think we should part ways about here. I should probably head there by myself.”
Silverstream made a confused look as he said it. He had after all just asked for help and then said he’d solo it. But that wasn’t what she scrunched her face over. An instant after she did so, she shifted over to the side a bit and narrowed her eyes, looking past Gallus into the distance. “Is that a...nother gryphon?”
Gallus turned and looked off to see in the distance Gilda hovering in place. A long off, echoey shout came from her direction. She was far enough away that what little of her mouth movement they could see didn’t sync up as they heard “Sup dweeb. Don’t ask why but I'm coming with you!”
Whereas Silverstream wore a confused look, Gallus’ was equal parts confused and annoyed. He took off towards her fast. “Do you know h-ey wait up!” Silverstream asked/called out as he left her. He had a few second start on her before she started up too yet she managed to catch up, and could’ve easily passed him before he made it the noticeable distance to her.
Gallus flared his wings and flapped a few times [Silverstream only flapped once] to bring himself to a stop in front of her. After all that, she was coming with him now? “Why?” he asked. Her answer was predictable....
“What did I just say to you?!”