//------------------------------// // Path 1: Birds of different Feathers can still fall in Love // Story: Studying (with) You // by PonyPlays2014 //------------------------------// S-S-Sandy!? What is he doing here? What's the stuff in the box for? When did he get in and how? I didn't hear the door... I closed the door, right? Shoot, I don't think so! Or maybe I did? I don't remember! And why... is he looking at me like tha-a-a-AHHHH! Did he hear me? Was I that loud? Of course he did! That's a disaster! How... How much did he hear? Not all of it, right? Yeah, I'm sure he heard only parts of it! Or maybe he really heard nothing. Calm down! Nothing to worry about, nothing to worry about Gallus... No, I'm doomed! Okay, okay... We can fix it, we can fix it! Just play it cool... Actually, no. I. am. doomed. As the thoughts flood his brain like water floods a valley after the local dam broke, his body completely tenses up, leaving him almost paralyzed as the only movement he is able to show is a faint quivering as his mind begins to drift into more uncomfortable territory. As a result of that loss of control and the slight shaking, the object between his talons slowly escapes his grip and drops to the floor. It ricochets a bit before suddenly rolling slowly but surely across the room until it bumps into the stallion's hoof, killing its momentum entirely. During its entire journey, the eyes of the two males are glued to it, following it all the way from start to finish. Upon reaching the pony, Gallus immediately averts his eyes again, focusing on the plant in front of him. The other seed remains in his now clenched fist. Sandbar, who was completely still ever since dropping the box, eventually picks the little object up with his hoof and brings it closer to his face. He stares at it for moment, takes in the colors and the different hues it portrays, before refocusing his eyes on the griffon across from him. His mind is busier than a rain cloud that tries to replant a dessert and keep it green. With an inconspicuous smile, Sandbar slowly but steadily moves closer and closer to the griffon, who is just about to wrap up his inner planning session, ready to go along with whatever he came up with. A few steps away Sandbar stops, seemingly arguing with himself how he wants to start a conversation. "H-Hey Gallus, didn't mean to startle you." Upon hearing the pony's voice, he turns around with an obviously put-on surprised reaction. "Oh! Sandy, when did you get here? I totally didn't notice you come in or being here or anything. I was too busy taking care of... some things. Like... watering the flower! Gotta drink to stay healthy and green, right?" Okay... Distracting him from something he could have possibly heard was the plan but babbling nonsense was not what I had in mind. Anyway, let's just hope it works! A bit put off by the griffon's strange reaction, Sandbar just disregards it as his head making it look more unusual than it really sounds and looks and, with a nervous chuckle, he agrees with his friend. "Well... Yeah, a flower's gotta drink to stay green and bloomy... Speaking of that! Here, I found it on the floor." He holds out the hoof with the seed, trying to return it to the male who lost it. "Oh yeah! That pretty San- seed, seed! Such nice colors, right? It must have fallen fo- I mean, it must have fallen down and roll around a bit. Thanks", Gallus says with a slightly shaky voice as he stares a bit at the seed before taking it and putting both of them back in the pot. Damn it! Keep it together Gallus! Distract him, not remind him! "Hey... um", the pony attempts to say something but his volume turns into a quiet mumble as soon as he started, making the rest that he says completely incomprehensible. "Huh?", the griffon reacts to the voice behind him and he takes a peek over his shoulder, "Did you say something?" The stallion's face shows a hint of nervousness as he takes a few seconds to collect his thoughts and weighs the risks and the reward of asking. The risk seem low as the worst thing he can think of is Gallus just saying no. "I promise I didn't mean to eavesdropping or anything but", he asks as he scratches the back of his head with his hoof, "were you, by any chance, talking about something a moment ago? I could have sworn I heard you." Hearing this verifies the griffon's fear, who immediately begins to panic and, almost with a jump, turns around to face his classmate. "I-I-I-I wasn't talking, not at all! Maybe you heard me whistling. I do that sometimes when I'm busy. See." Out of sheer panic, the griffon tries to demonstrate what he meant but... completely forgot that he can't pipe at all. One would think that someone with a beak would be able to do that... but no. Birds are good at it, griffons, or at least this griffon, not so much apparently. Stop! No whistling! He immediately stops and scratches the back of his head, embarrassed and a bit red around the beak. "Or maybe you heard me humming. It can sound like mumbling but it's not." "Hmm but I... I guess... Maybe I just heard wrong", the stallion gives up in defeat as he lowers his head a bit, realizing that his mind must have played a trick on him. The voice he heard was pretty quiet after all. Maybe he was really just humming and his mind created the sounds he wanted to hear. At least that is the explanation his mind is coming up with. Gallus, glad that he was able to get out of this dilemma, is caught off-guard when he hears a hint of disappointment in the earth-stallion's voice. Not the usual kind of disappointment one has when getting something wrong. It sounds like he is really sad about something. What is wrong? Why is he so bummed out? Maybe... no! That's impossible... right? "Yeah, that must have been it. Sorry for that weird misunderstanding... Anyway, I brought something for you. You said you wanted to sew something so I searched and brought you a few things that could be helpful. Let me just get them." Sandbar, hoping to move on from that incident, turns around and trots towards the box on the floor. There, he kneels down and begins to put the reels of thread back where they belong. Gallus is too busy thinking about the possibility this situation provides and the idea of a sign springs back into his memory. He heard me, I'm sure of it! And his reaction... as if he was disappointed it did not happen. It sounds completely insane but maybe... that's the sign I was waiting for! Sandbar randomly showing up and overhearing my confession must mean something. This gotta be it! Now or never, Gallus! Stop being a chicken and start being a griffon, at least once in your life! But I should ease into it before getting to the point. I could be wrong after all. Baby steps... baby steps... And I think I already have an idea how to... After finishing this thought, he joins the now kneeling pony and begins to help him packing the box again. "Say... Just out of curiosity. What did you think I said? You got me a bit curious there", Gallus tries to revive the topic as he stands next to him and also takes on the of the reels into his claw. "Oh! N-Nothing big! Just something silly, not worth mentioning", Sandbar tries to dodge the topic by increasing his speed of picking up things, his cheeks now colored in a deep red. "If it were that you wouldn't have asked. Come on, I want to know... Here's a deal. Lets do it this way. I will tell you something in return. I'll even start, okay?" Without even giving a time window big enough to think about it and answer, the griffon begins to admit something he tried to keep hidden the entire time, hoping that he made the right choice and understood the signs correctly. "I... lied. About sewing something. And you were right... Maybe I was talking to myself a little bit... But I want to know what you heard." Hearing those words gives the pony a glimmer of hope, one that can be seen glistering in the green eyes as they grow a bit bigger. Not knowing what to say or think now, he stays silent for a moment before swallowing the stone in his throat and finally speaking up. "It's probably stupid and completely wrong but I thought I heard you... mention me and... well... How much you enjoy spending time with me and stuff. Crazy, right?" It is quite obvious that talking about that embarrasses the pony, who with each pause lowers his head more and more, averting his eyes until the only thing they can hear is the ground. The redness of his cheek has now taken over his entire face and ears, making it impossible to miss. "Huh... Really? Interesting... Anything else?", Gallus acts as if he has no idea what the pony is talking about. "Well... there was something else but... that must have been my imagination...", the stallion answers but he stops and falls silent so Gallus´decides it's time to take over and reveal the last piece of the already revealed puzzle. I guess he heard it anyway so let's not play around anymore and get to the point. This is even more torture than it was to keep it hidden! "That I had no other chance but to fall for you?" After the last word was spoken, the equine's face abruptly turns, facing the griffon who lowered himself to be on the exact same level, looking straight into the pony's eyes. "Was that what you heard?", the griffon asks and receives a weak nod, one that is barely noticeable but thanks to the lack of distant the movement is obvious enough. "Guess no misunderstandings after all. You missed the part where I was created a plan to ask you to go the Dance with me though. And since that didn't turn out the way I thought it would ...I'll ask you now. Sandy, do you want to go to the Dance with me... together?" Okay... That's it. Now he will either hate and avoid me or... the impossible will happen. The pony in front of him doesn't move a bit or react in any way. If It weren't for the blinking, one could think that he got replaced by a wax figure. Getting no reaction makes the griffon, who just used all of his courage to go this far, more and more nervous, causing his heart to beat faster and harder than it already did. "Us... two...", Sandbar begins to mumble as his eyes, once again, lose focus and move towards the ground, "Me and Y... Together? Together together?" "I mean... Y-Yes?", Gallus answers, not knowing if the question was targeted at him or just a question thrown out with no real destination at all. The focus of the eyes return and, when looking closer, he notices how they begin to sparkle... but not the usual sparkle he sees in them. A sparkle similar to sunlight being reflected by a water surface. W..water? Is he... oh no! "Hey, hey, hey! Sandy, no need to cry! If you can't do that, that's fine, really. I shouldn't have put you in that" "... yes..." "stupid situation in the first place. No wonder you feel pressured and uncomfortable. It's just a stupid Dance anyway! Let us just for" "Yes... yes..." "get about it and pretend like all of this never happened, oka-" Suddenly, one hoof covers the griffon boy's beak and the other one moves behind his head to pull him a bit closer, finally getting him to shut up an listen." "Gallus! … Yes." W...What... did he just say... "Y...Yes?" "Yes... I'd like that. I mean, going to the Dance... with you" That, in his eyes, pretty unlikely outcome, even though he hoped for it to be true, catches the griffon by surprise, making it incomprehensible at the moment. He said... yes. He said yes... "That's... cool. Yeah, cool." It takes a bit before the information is completely analyzed and stored in his brain but, the moment it is completed, his real emotions burst out. "Yes! He said yes!", Gallus shouts as he spreads his wings and soars around a bit, even leaving his room for a moment to shout out a loud and joyful cheer... that gains him a few funny looks from the ponies who are walking by or just standing around. He answers those with an awkward grin as he disappears in his room again, closing the door this time. The moment the door is closed, he rushes to the giggling pony and hugs him tightly, a hug that the pony answers immediately. "That stuff about signs and stuff is actually true! I can't believe the flower was right!", the griffon mumbles to himself, not realizing that the pony right next to him can hear every single word. "Um... what does that mean?" "Oh nothing! I'm just talking nonsense because I can't believe that this is actually happening. So... How does it work? Do we meet up before? Should I come to your room to get you or do you want to get me? That's important because what happens if we miss each other on our way to get the oth-" "Don't overthink it", Sandbar tries to calm his date down as he lets go of him and looks into his eyes with a gentle smile, "I'll come here and get you and then we can go to the Dance." "Okay" "Great! I'm really looking forward to it... Oh! I need to talk to Silverstream." "Silverstream? What for?" "Didn't I tell you? I met her in the cafeteria and talked about all of us going as a group and it sounded like a good plan. But this is way better! So I need to tell her about this so she can tell the others that we're going together and not with them. See you tomorrow, okay?" Wait! No! It was difficult enough to let him know about this. I'm not ready for others to know about this as well! The pony gives the griffon a peck on his cheek before making his way towards the exit but, thanks to someone holding his tail, he can't quite reach it. "W-W-Wait! Is that really necessary? I mean, we can still go with them and go together, right?" That idea confuses the stallion quite a lot. "I... can't really follow. You just asked me to be your date for the Dance, right? Because you have a crush on me." The griffon nods. "And I said yes because... well, you know. I like you too so we should tell the others about it, right?" Gallus, who is busy thinking about it all, does not react to that question which worries the pony, who asks again. "Right? Gallus? Is... something wrong?" "Well", the feather-covered creature tries to explain but falls silent again. That's dumb! Here I am thinking about being brave and to stand by my feelings but in reality I am terrified! Get a hold of yourself Gallus! Who cares what other creature think! … Me, I do... No, I just can't do it... "Don't you want to tell them?" Gallus nods, ashamed of what he just admitted but, surprisingly, the pony asking the questions does not seem a bit upset. "Oh... Well", Sandbar thinks about it for a second and, after taking a second look at the sulking griffon, tries to cheer him up, "That's okay, really. To be honest, I had no idea how I would have brought it up anyway. I can barely understand what happened right now! My brain is a complete mess but in a good way! Maybe we should really wait with announcing it and all. After all, this is a big change for both of us." Hearing that helps Gallusa lot and the fear and shame he felt completely disappears, creating a smile on his face. Sandbar answers this smile but it disappears when his brain notices something really interesting. "With that in mind, choosing the Dance, one of the school's most public events, as our first date is... a really strange choice." I... never thought of that... but now that he mentions it I see the problem... I should have thought about that a bit more but it sounded so important and just perfect!At least Sandy feels the same way about making it public this early... That makes me feel a bit better about myself. "So", the griffon asks, "You would be okay with keeping it to ourselves for now? If not, you can tell me." "I told you already that I don't mind", the stallion responds as he comes closer, "The only thing that matters is the thought and, for me, that means I get to go with you, as my date, to the Dance... So don't worry about it, okay? I'll see you tomorrow." Once again, he gives the griffon a peck but this time on the other cheek before heading for the door. Gallus, unlike the first time, does not try to stop him, instead he just gazes after him until the door closes. The moment it falls shut, he leaps into the air and lands back-first on his bed, taking in the entire scene that just played out in his head, in reality and his heart. I... can't believe it... I'm having a date with Sandy... Just thinking about it feels like he was dreaming it all. All of it was completely overwhelming. For the rest of the day he can't get the conversation, and the feeling of stress, fear, relief and pure happiness he felt during it, out of his head. Over and over the scene plays in his mind, sometimes skipping parts and sometimes, for whatever reason, adding something he wished he had said but in the end the original always returns, burning itself deeper and deeper into his long-term memory. Even in the night he finds himself thinking about it, not managing to get any rest for at least half of the time he could spend in dreamland but, eventually, the exhaustion, that built up throughout the day, reaches its peak and forces the griffon into a deep slumber. The griffon's body, which spends most of the time completely under the sheets, begins to break out of its self-made cocoon until the face is completely visible again. Slowly, but steadily, his azure eyes open and, unwillingly, let in rays of light, which, upon reaching his rod cells, cause an unpleasant sensation. Another factor that plays into his unwanted awakening is the sound of hooves running across the hallway and several different voices reaching into his room in different volumes. After grunting a bit and rolling over, he pulls the bed sheets back over his head and tries to fall asleep again but his body already agreed to the idea of waking up and, shortly after realizing that, his mind surrenders as well. With another, louder grunt he completely uncovers himself and gets up. Luckily, it does not take long for him to remember what day it is and his moody self gets replaced by anticipation with a hint of nervousness. He tries his best to forget his worries and, like every day, decides to take care of his botanic friends. "Hey little buddies", he greets the flower and the two seeds inside of the pot and, upon closer observation, notices something interesting. The flower's petals seem to look more vibrant than before. He is not sure completely sure about that though. Then again, it wouldn't surprise him. Sandbar mentioned something like that yesterday as well. He does not pay enough attention to it though because the things that really catch him off-guard are the two seeds which, in comparison to yesterday, seem way bigger. Before the were the same size as jelly beans but now they come close to the kidney beans they sometimes serve in the cafeteria. Wow! What happened here? How did they grow that much? Maybe it was the water yesterday? But there wasn't anything different with it... Something must have happened thought! I mean- Gallus thinks to himself as he carefully grabs the blue-yellow bean and places it between two of his talons. It is bigger, no doubt. Yeah... Something happened for sure. But I got no time to worry about that as long as they don't grow any bigger or else I'll need to find them a place to stay in. Now that I think about it... I should bury them soon so they can sprout. He places the object back where it belongs and grabs the bottle next to the pot, the same one he used yesterday, to fill it with water. After leaving his room he notices quite a few ponies loitering around in the hallway, laughing or talking to each other. Some of them are already wearing clothing appropriate for an event like the Dance and, upon entering the restroom, he finds two more stallions who are busy styling their mane. One of them uses his magic to tie his dark-green mane into braids while the other one tries to straighten his usually curly teal and golden tail so it matches his now straightened manestyle. While walking past them to get to a free tap, Gallus thinks about how he could style his own feathers for the night or if he should even style them in the first place. Maybe I could push them down a bit? Or I could... I have no idea. I'll think about it later? Still surprised that some ponies are already doing that in the morning though. Strange way but who am I to judge. Maybe that's a pony thing or something like that." He fills the bottle and immediately returns to his room. "I'm back! Here", the griffon greets his plant as he slowly showers the three in the crystal clear fluid but, upon emptying it completely, something else catches his attention. His stomach begins to growl and he remembers that he barely ate yesterday. He visited the cafeteria but he was only able to eat an apple before his body became sick of it. Who could blame him though. A lot has happened after all. But now his body aches for it and he surely doesn't mind. After saying goodbye to his friends and opening the window a bit to let some fresh air into the room, he rushes down the stairs and out of the building. On his way he meets a few of the classmates he saw during their exams but no one he talks to on a regular basis. The garden area is empty and the cafeteria itself isn't that crowded either. Only five or six ponies are eating something while two more are standing in line to pay for the food they picked out. After a bit of thinking, he snatches one of the sandwiches, one of his beloved griffonscones as well as a cup of apple juice. After paying for it he sits down and enjoys the meal, thinking about how the Dance will be and, once again, pondering what he should do with his feathers. Without really paying much attention to anything, his eyes wander across the room and inspect the things he sees like a group of stallions, who are returning their empty trays, or Coconut Shell, who is preparing more sandwiches. The last thing he sets his eyes on is the clock that hangs on the wall, and, upon noticing the hands, stops everything he does and hurries to return the empty plate, the half-eaten apple and the empty cup. The short hand barely left the five while the longer one just passed the two. Only 50 minutes left until the whole thing starts and panic begins to take effect. Immediately after placing the tray down, he speeds out of the school-building and through the garden area, aiming for the dorms. How can it be that late already? I just woke up! Most likely because I had problems falling asleep last night... But waking up THIS late? With only 50 minutes? I have to get ready, style my feathers, get dressed AND get to the location. Not to mention Sandbar wanted to get me so he will come even earlier. No time to waste! A soon as he enters the dorm building, he takes flight and soars up the stairs and through the hallway, dodging ponies left and right. After landing in front of and opening his door, he enters his room. Immediately after that, he closes the door again and heads for the closet, opening it with a powerful pull. He scans the inside for a black shirt he knows he stores here, perfect for something like that and, after searching for a bit he finds it buried under the winter coat he never used. Okay, a bit wrinkly but I can fix that in notime. Now... I need a jacket or something like that and a tie! I'm sure I had stuff like that around here somewhere... He continues his search but, much to his annoyance, the jacket remains lost. He even begins to doubt that he even packed it in the first place. I think... maybe I left it with Grandpa Gruff back at Griffonstone. It was old anyway and... dusty. But what now? I have nothing else here except for that winter coat and that thing is way too uncomfortable! I will sweat to death before even making it there. But what else can I do? He grabs the other two pieces of clothing and takes them with him to his bed, upon which he lays them. That's when he notices something peeking out from under his covers and his eyes begin to glow as he remembers. Of course! The jacket! How could I even forget that? Overtaken by joy, he removes the covers and takes the piece of clothing, which looks just as good as it did the day he got it, into his claws. Guess Sandy must have really good intuition. He saved me! That jacket will look so good with the rest. But before that- He carefully places the dark-gray piece of clothing next to the others. I should get ready. With a goal in mind, Gallus grabs his toothbrush, leaves his room again and heads for the restroom, which is a bit more crowded than before but luckily there are enough tabs so he can begin to wash his face and brush his teeth. After that he begins to focus on the feathers on his head and begins to imagine ways of styling them. He has a few ideas and tries them out but none of them are to his liking and, to save a bit of time, he decides to keep them for now and get busy with his clothing. He can come back later and take care of them when he has an idea. After entering his room again, he begins to unbutton the shirt while he asks himself how much time must have passed by now. Then again, he did not see Sandbar outside when he came in or left the restroom so it shouldn't be that late yet. In no time his upper body is concealed in the soft fabric of the shirt. The next thing on his plan is the white and black striped tie he found and after that the jacket follows suit. The moment he begins to button up, a knock on the door can be heard and the voice of his stallion enters his room. "Hey Gallus! I'm here! Are you ready to go?" He's here! And I'm not done yet! Just calm down and tell him that you're almost done. No panic. "Almost! Give me a few minutes." "S-Sure! No problem but could I come in? Standing out here just waiting is a bit... awkward." "Of course. It's not locked, just come in." Immediately after saying those words, he hears the door opening and close accompanied by the sound of steps. Gallus, who is still busy with the last two buttons, is completely focused on his task but, suddenly, he hears the stallion's voice mumbling something, though he doesn't let that distract him. After finishing up, he turns his attention towards the pony and, upon scanning him quickly, looks at him with wide eyes and a slightly dropped jar. The pony in front of him is wearing a dark gray jacket with a matching a white shirt and a dark greenish bow tie that completes the look. He looks... amazing... "You look great!", the griffon comments on his partner's look at the same time as Sandbar compliments him. "You look great!" The two males blush after noticing the awkwardness in their exchange and both chuckle a bit before Gallus goes more into detail. "That jacket looks really good on you! And your mane looks great!" The usually slightly messy mane looks a bit more neat, not much but enough for Gallus to notice and that means something. Even Sandbar is a bit surprised by that. "Oh come on. I just combed it a bit and all that. Nothing big but thanks", Sandbar thanks him as he blushes, "I like how your feathers look too." My... feathers? Gallus touches the longer feathers on his head and ruffles them a bit while explaining. "Oh, I didn't do them yet. I thought about combing them back or flattening them a bit or-" "I... like them this way." Attention please! Cancel all plans! Everything stays the way it is. "Oh", the griffon-boy stammers as he moves his claws downwards until he reaches the back of his neck, scratching it, "In that case, I'm done." A bigger smile appears on the pony's face as he hears that, a smile that makes the other creature's heart skip a beat. To hide his nervousness, Gallus begins to pull and tug at the jacket, trying to fix it and make it look as neat as possible. "I... You look really good in that", the earth-pony acknowledges the griffon's pleasing appearance and, hearing that, Gallus stops and looks at him. "You know what they say. Fine feathers make a fine bird", he returns the praise in a way that causes the pony to giggle. "More than fine...", the pony mumbles under his breath before snapping out of his trance and, a bit embarrassed, begins a new topic, "Should we get going? I promised Silverstream we would meet her and the girls at the bridge so we can all go together." "Just a moment." The pony watches his date go towards the windowsill and spend a few seconds there before returning to him. "Do you need to water it?", he asks upon his return. "Already done that." "Then what did you do? Say goodbye?" Yes. Yes, I did The griffon does not answer. Instead, he grabs the door handle and pulls it wide open, holding it so his partner can pass through. "After you." The hallway is completely empty now, most likely because most of the ponies already left to get to the party while the remaining few are still getting ready. Maybe dressing and everything took longer than I thought. But... I could use that chance before we meet the others. The griffon takes a quick look around and, after making sure they are the only creatures on the hallway, spreads one of his wings and gently puts it on the pony's back, who is a bit surprised by that. Was... was that okay? Was that too abrupt? He looks at Sandbar's face, who takes a quick glance at his back before sneaking a peak at the creature to his right, whose face is colored in a dark shade of red. He doesn't say anything except smiling with rosy cheeks, which soothes Gallus' worried mind. He enjoys the feeling of the pony's body and the way his coat brushes against his feathers but, upon reaching the staircase he pulls it back, leaving both of them with an aftertaste of disappointment. He can't risk anyone being down there and seeing it. His worries are justified as a few ponies stand near the entrance of the building, most likely waiting for somepony. As the two males passes them, Sandbar greets the group and they greet him back. After exiting the building, they make their way to the school building and, eventually, they reach the bridge. Four figures of completely different sizes and shapes can be seen standing on the other side of it. Suddenly, one of them begins to move. "There they are!", Silverstream's voice erupts and the Hippogriff takes to the sky before dashing into their direction. Out of fear of being tackled to the ground, Gallus spreads his wings and grabs the pony next to him, raising him into the sky the same way he carried him when they went on that picnic. The female, who is completely surprised by that, dashes past their former location but eventually slows down. The griffon lowers himself and his friend again, carefully putting him down to not mess up his look, who thanks him in return. "Sorry, I guess I got a bit too excited", Silverstream apologizes with an awkward laughter and the three of them join the rest of the group at the end of the bridge. The female hippogriff is wearing a pale turquoise one shoulder dress with a pale lilac wave design and a similarly colored shawl covering her shoulders . "Pony and griffon!", Yona, who is wearing a black ball gown with matching ribbons in her hair, greets the two as they arrive. "You are just in time." "Great, great, they are here. Now can we please get going? The less time I need to spend in this rags the better." Ocellus, who is wearing a pink and orange strapless dress, and Smolder, who looks quite displeased in her dark red jumpsuit with a matching black belt and jacket, also join the conversation. "Getting there early does not shorten the time you will spend in this outfit", the Changeling comments her reptilian friend's remark but she does not seem to care. "In public, it does!" "And in front of the school is better?" "I think you look good in it", Sandbar compliments the dragon, who is caught up in her verbal argument with Ocellus, and Gallus agrees with him on that. "It suits you. I couldn't imagine you in a dress anyway." The scaly female, embarrassed by her friends' words, turns away and begins to walk, setting her target on Town Hall while ordering the rest of the group to follow. "Come on already! We don't want to be late." The other five laugh as they also begin their decently long walk. It takes them about fifteen minutes to get there but when they arrive, they notice that many other ponies just arrived as well and the clock on the tower nearby shows that they still have three minutes to spare. "Looks like the entire school is here!", Silverstream shouts out in joy as she sees the ponies walking up the stairs and entering the building. "Yona sees far less", the Yak challenges her friend's comment but an argument secures the hippogriff the win. "Of course not out here. But imagine how many are already inside! The whole school!" "Only one way to find out. Let's head inside", Sandbar proposes and, after agreeing, the group walks up the stairs and passes through the open double door. The interior is beautifully decorated with balloons, streamers and garlands in green, red and gold, which are the typical Hearth's Warming Eve colors. A few balloons of different colors are also present, most likely to either give a bit more variety or maybe there were no more green, red or gold ones left. The first thing that the group notice is a row of tables with red tablecloths and a stack of plates on the far left side. The remaining space is covered by dozens of delicious looking dishes reaching from vegetables and fruits to sandwiches to cupcakes, pies and other treats. The rightmost table seems to be solely for drinks as multiple jugs filled with different liquids were placed in a row behind stacks of white paper cups and a can filled with red and green drinking straws. Right next to them is a big glass bowl with something that could be fruit punch. The next thing that catches their eyes is a fairly small but festively decorated stage with a curtain that makes it look even smaller than one would expect and two microphone stands with microphones already attached to them. "What's that for?", Gallus asks and Ocellus quickly answers. "Knowing Principal Twilight, she will most likely hold a quick speech before the Dance officially begin so I guess that's what this is for." "Makes sense", Yona agrees and the six of them lose interest in the unexpected structure. They take a quick look around and find an open space, which will most likely be used as a dance floor, as well as many round tables with different amount of chairs around them, ranging from three to eight. A few of them are already taken but more than enough are still vacant so the group claims one of the ones with six chairs for themselves. Gallus grabs the one next to Sandbar and Smolder, who is sitting next to Yona. Silverstream sits down next Yona as well and Ocellus, who takes the remaining seat between Silverstream and Sandbar. "Hall looks so pretty!", Yona praises the work of the students who decorated the place and Sandbar agrees with her. "Must have been a lot of work! Usually none of these tables are here so they must have brought them here one by one." "Really? That's unbelievable! And look at all that food! I can't wait to dig in." Silverstream licks the top of her beak and rubs her belly, implying that hunger is slowly building up inside of her. "Yona soooo hungry", the female Yak agrees, also licking her lips as she eyes the tables. In the meantime, more and more ponies enter the building and a few different groups form. One of them is busy looking at the decoration while a different one is splitting into smaller groups as they look for tables with enough chairs. The biggest one, almost double as big as the other two, is busy taking in the prepared feast, one dish at a time. Gallus takes a look around and notices that the latest guest really made the room look more crowded and now it really comes close to what Silverstream said before. "The whole school must be here now", he says without really meaning to say anything at all but, after a very short pause, he receives an affirmation from the stallion next to him. "Yeah, so many familiar faces and they are all wearing such great outfits!" Gallus leans over as he hears those words and whispers just loud enough for the pony to hear. "The still can't hold a candle to you." "Says the griffon who can", Sandbar, who blushes, replies in the same matter and those words manage to get the griffon to mimic him. Luckily the dim lights in the hall die only a few seconds later, making it impossible for the other creatures at the table to see the reddish hues. I seems like the hosts of this event had the same impression of the situation because those eight creature are climbing up the stairs and appear on the stage, ready to start the party. A spotlight bathes the seven mares and the one dragon in pleasant warm white light. Principal Twilight Sparkle, Secretary Spike and Guidance Counselor Starlight Glimmer build the front line while the remaining five mares stand behind them. The horns of the two unicorn mares begin to glow in their respective color and each of them begins to detach one of the two microphones and brings them closer to their mouths. "Welcome to our school's first ever Hearth's Warming Dance, a tradition we wish to repeat every year from now on!", the alicorn mare greets her students, who answer with a hearty applause. "We hope the months you spend here brought all of you closer together and taught you important life lessons but also gave you time to experience that Friendship is not something one can learn by simply reading a book about it." "She should know best. She tried it", Spike uses the little pause to add something to the mix. The crowd of students laugh and even Twilight can't help but giggle. "I sure did but I soon realized that it was impossible. And not only just Friendship! In fact, none of the Elements of Harmony can be mastered without making your own experience with them." "The last few months", Starlight Glimmer takes over, "I've seen friendships form and blossom and it reminded me of the second chance my friends gave me when I wasn't that knowledgeable about Friendship myself. As your Guidance Counselor, I also saw the difficult times you, our dear students, had to go through and we were not always able to solve the problem in our first try. But seeing you fight for it by bettering yourself every single day and forgiving others without holding grudges" She pauses as she begins to sniffle a bit, trying her best to hold herself together. She gains a sympathetic aww from he crowd which causes the unicorn mare to chuckle a bit. "Hehe, sorry every creature. It's just so beautiful to see how well you embrace the idea of friendship and your will to uphold it is inspiring. It makes me wish I had someone who taught me about it when I was your age... but I guess I am living proof that it's never to late to change for the better as long as someone believes in you and helps you along the way." After finishing the sentence, Twilight gives her friend a hug as they both shed a tear, resulting in another aww from the mass of students. The other six mares now trade places with the the creatues and Rarity uses her magic to take the microphone from Twilight, changing the color of the magic aura that surrounds the object in the process. "Thank you Spike, Twilight and Starlight for those lovely words", the unicorn with the white coat begins, "We, as your teachers, had the pleasure and the honor of watching you change into the creatures that are standing here today. We all know that no one is ever finished with learning as a whole and Friendship is no exception to that but we, the whole faculty, are certain that all of you are on the best way of becoming outstanding examples for the generation to come! We could not be prouder of all of you, no matter how the results will be." Many of the students feel how joy and sentimentality builds up in their hearts as they listen to her teacher's lovely words. Suddenly, Pinkie Pie snatches the microphone and reveals some information about the results of the exams and when the students can expect the results. "We will try our best to grade all of your papers as fast as possible so you can expect them to be handed back to you within the next four days, early enough for all of you to go home and spend the holiday with your family without worrying about whether you failed or passed. Do not worry, we are sure none of you failed in the first place so cheer up! Back to you, Rar!" After finishing her part, she puts the microphone back into the magic aura, which still hangs in the air where the microphone was snatched from, and, a bit baffled, the unicorn continues. "Y... Yeah, that was something we wanted to talk about as well. But let us not waste any more time with talking and let's start having fun! Miss Applejack here will help with the catering and get more when a plate in empty so do not worry, we have enough for all of you! Miss Fluttershy will help you with the drinks and will do the same when there is nothing left, and Miss Pinkie Pie will be working together with our guest DJ Pon3 and take care of the music." Rarity points at her co-workers when she calls their name but, after mentioning the DJ of the night, pauses and turns towards the curtain behind her, which gets removed by Twilight and Starlight to reveal the famous DJ Pon-3, whose real name is Vinyl Scratch, sitting behind her mixing table and surrounded by multiple speakers, ready to get the party started. "That is all for now so do not hold back and enjoy the night!" The crowd cheers one final time as the lights turn on again but more dim than before and the first song begins to play in the perfect volume, loud enough to be heard but not obstructive, which would make talking very difficult. This is why DJ Pon-3 is a professional and one of the best in Equestria. The first two to disappear from the table are Yona and Silverstream but it's no real riddle where they headed for. The two females join a group of ponies at the buffet and, a bit later, Sandbar and Smolder follow suit with the goal of getting themselves a drink. That leaves Ocellus and Gallus all alone at the table. "That was a beautiful speech, don't you think?", the Changeling asks the griffon, who nods. "Really good. They must have spend a lot of time thinking about it. I wouldn't mind this being an annual thing, it's nice." "For sure! We all barely saw each other ever since we started studying for the exams so it's really nice to hang out with everyone like that. Oh yeah, I completely forget before but I wanted to tell you that I really like your outfit. I'd never would have took you for the kind of person who wears suits. I actually thought you would just put a shirt on and maybe a tie." Hmm... She's not wrong actually... I've only wore a suit once and it was the worst! "To be honest, I'm not. They look good and all but it's usually not my style. I guess I am a bit like Smolder. She doesn't like dresses but that jumpsuit looks good on her... even if she doesn't like that one either." Ocellus laughs when she hears the comment about their dragon friend, knowing first hand how she reacted when she tried her first dress on when they helped each other pick out outfits. "Trust me, she was way unhappier with the dress Silverstream picked for her. That was her favorite by far. I guess she's just not a big fan of events like this. But if you don't like suits, why are you still wearing it? You could just take it off. Silverstream took her shawl off too." She points at the piece of clothing the Hippogriff tossed over the back of the chair. "It's a bit complicated I guess... This jacket is special and I actually like wearing it." "I get that. It does look really good with the gems and all that. Were did you-" "Here", a familiar female voice interrupts the female as a white cup appears in front of her on the table and, at the same time, another one in front of Gallus. "We thought you might want some as well", a male voice explains as the creature it belongs to sits down next to the griffon. Sandbar and Smolder return from their mission, both equipped with a cup of their own. Sandbar's cup is also on the table with a red drinking straw while the dragon holds her cup in her claw. "It's the fruit punch. Miss Applejack and Miss Fluttershy made them together. It's really good", she explains before taking another sip from her cup. "Thank you! That's really kind of you", Ocellus thanks her friends before taking her first sip and their griffon-friend does the same. "Yeah, thanks!" The four of them talk for a bit and, eventually, Silverstream and Yona return, each carrying a plate filled with delicious goods. They give each of their friends a cupcake they brought from the buffet to celebrate the ending of their first semester together. Like other would clink glasses, they bump their pastries together before wishing for the next semester to be just like the first, if not even better. They continue to talk about various different topics until Yona, who hears a song that is really to her liking, suddenly gets up with a sparkle in her eyes. "Yona love this song! Make Yak wanna dance! Friends wanna dance too?" "Yes, yes, yes!", Silverstream answers, also getting up from her seat, and Ocellus, who silently nods, joins her immediately. Together, the three smile at each other before heading for the dance floor together. "Nah, not in the mood",the griffon declines the offer but it looks like Smolder is the only who shares his opinion because the stallion next to him also gets up from his chair. "Come on guys. A little bit of dancing never hurt anyone." Sandbar tries to convince the two remaining creatures but, almost immediately, Smolder shakes her head, signalizing that there is no way of changing her mind. With a shrug of his shoulder, Sandbar focuses solely on the griffon next to him. "Oh... okay. What about you, Gallus? Want to rock the dance floor with me and the others?" I'm usually not a fan of dancing but... I want to dance when it's with him. The griffon sighs in defeat as he also rises from his chair, which gains him a smile from the earth-pony and together they walk to the dance floor to join the others. The moment they get there Yona, Ocellus and Silverstream make some room to include the two males in their unique choreography... which isn't really a choreography at all since each creature dances in their own way. Yona is jumping up and down, trying her best to not hit any pony near her which is even harder than it looks like. Silverstream and Ocellus dances are way less risky and contain no jumping at all. From time to time, Silverstream lifts of and continues to dance in the air for a moment before landing again. Gallus, a bit overwhelmed by the different styles, decides to simply stomp his feet to the rhythm of the movie while bobbing his head at the same time. Sandbar, in contrast to his griffon friend, goes all out and joins Yona in her jump-dance and so the five friends spend a few songs dancing. The songs vary in speed, beat, genre. Others are loud, fast and wild while others are more calm, focused and designed for slower dances. From time to time, mostly when the song changes, the friends change things up a bit and try different ways of dancing but, eventually, Gallus focus begins to drift off and he begins to look around, getting an overview of the crowd of ponies dancing around them. He notices a few groups similar to his, doing their own thing and each having a different style, coming to the conclusion that those must be friends that came together. A few other ponies are dancing alone, maybe they came alone or the rest of their group left to get something to drink or eat, or maybe they are the only one who were in the mood to dance right now. And then there is the third group, a group he does and at the same time does not belong to. The pair of ponies who saw this chance as a date, something he and Sandbar did as well. The way they dance is completely different from the rest, their eyes are constantly switching between looking at each and their environment and their way of dances matches together, almost as if they spend hours rehearsing it. Somehow... it's not the same, the feather-covered creature begins to ask himself and, slowly, the tapping he did with his feet stops as he focuses his attention on his equine friend, who is currently mimicking Ocellus' dance as the two laugh. It really isn't, Gallus realizes and, without his friends noticing it, he leaves the dance floor and goes back to their table, which is now empty. Without even thinking about where his dragon-friend could be, Gallus sits down on his seat and takes a sip from his half-empty cup when someone suddenly calls his name. "Gallus, here you are! You were suddenly gone so I was a bit worried. Why didn't you say anything?" "Sorry, I wasn't feeling so well so I wanted to sit down for moment. Probably just a headache or something like that so don't worry Sandy, I'll be fine. Just go back and have fun with the others." I must sound pathetic right now... Gallus takes another look at the dance floor, aiming his sight at a dancing couple not far from them before refocusing the stallion standing in front of him, who looks in the direction before turning his head around again. Sandbar ogles the sitting griffon for a bit before he turns around and disappears in the dancing crowd. But before he turned around, Gallus saw a look in his eyes he couldn't really interpret but he does not have much time to think about it because, much to his surprise, the stallion returns and quickly grabs him by his claw, pulling him along as he aims for the exit. "Sa-Sa-Sandbar! What are you doing? Where are we going?" "Out for a short walk. You said you were not feeling well and fresh air always helps", the earth-pony explains without even looking at him. "What about the others? Won't they get worried when we are suddenly missing?" "I told Ocellus about it and also that I would accompany you to make sure you're doing okay so don't worry about that." He seems... different than usual. His voice sounds more stern and his grip is way more firm than usual. The two of them traverse the room, neither of them thinking about letting go of the other, and, eventually, they reach the exit through which they leave the building. It got a bit colder which is not surprising, considering that the dance has been going on for at least two hours by now, maybe ten to twenty minutes more. The two males go down the little stairway and, upon reaching the bottom end of it, the pressure around his claw ceases as the pony lets go of him. Before Gallus can even form a word, Sandbar looks at him with the same expression he had the last time he saw his face and begins to take the first step leading away from the building. "There's a park not far from here we could go to. Usually no one goes there this late, especially in winter, so we are alone and there are benches to sit on. How does that sound?" Gallus can't think straight right now. He is completely confused by how the evening developed but the idea pitched to him sounds promising, especially the part of being alone with his date. Though, something in the pony's voice worries him. It has a faint trace of either anger or, even worse, sadness to it and this makes him question the whole idea a bit but not enough to turn it down. "O...Okay, sure", the griffon eventually gives in and, next to each other, the two begin their little walk. The way isn't long, maybe five minutes or so, but the silence that lingers over them every step of the way makes it seem so much longer. Eventually they reach a wooden bridge, which marks the end of their journey, and the two males use it to cross a still brook. The park Sandbar mentioned is, just like he predicted, empty and only a few street light shine their light and bath parts of the trail surrounding the green area in pleasant golden light. It seems like they put a light next to each of the three wooden benches, most likely to make those places more comfortable and inviting. "Here, let's take this one", the pale lime-green coated earth-pony suggest as he points his hoof at the closest bench only a few meters away from their current position. Gallus nods and, as soon as they reach it, Sandbar sits down and pats the spot next to him, signalizing the griffon to do the same, who complies. Again, silence seems to be encasing them but, eventually, Sandbar breaks through it. "Are you feeling better?", the pony asks the griffon, who remains silent for a moment, not really sure what to answer as he completely forgot what he said to cover up the truth. "Yeah", the griffon decides to improvises, "My... erm... stomach is feeling a lot be-" "Come on Gallus", Sandbar interrupts his friend as he turns his face towards him, showing a serious expression on his face, "I can tell something is bothering you. Why did you think I brought you all the way out here? We could have stayed by Town Hall if you really only needed some fresh air but... that's not it. Something happened! You were acting completely different from one second to the next and I want to know why. I want to help you..." Busted... Should have known something was up. That explains his completely different behavior... He went out of his way and brought me here so I should just get it over with. "Okay", the griffon admits his defeat and slumps back, resting his back against the backrest of the bench and starring into the night sky, "You're right... Something did happen. When we were dancing with the others I looked around a bit and saw how the others danced. I guess it just got to me a bit that we were dancing like normal friends, like so many other groups of friends, and not... well..." "A couple? I mean, I thought it was obvious. Keeping it a secret means that we have to act like normal friends when others are around. "... I guess you're right... It's just frustrating to see others like that..." Suddenly, Gallus feels how his shoulder gets heavier and the feeling of something soft tickles him a bit. He checks and sees Sandbar's head resting on it, also looking up at the sky. "Trust me, you weren't the only one who thought about that. It can be hard but do you remember what I told you?" What he told me? Wait... there was something... Ah! "You mean... that the thought is the only thing that matters?" "Yeah... Don't let the other couples make you feel bad. They are no different than us and we are not different from them. They just show it publicly while we are saving it for when we are alone. But look at us now... We are just like them.Hmm... Gallus' attention disappears in his sea of thoughts for a moment before it returns with an idea, something he wanted to do ever since seeing it and now is the perfect time for it. Gently he pushes the stallion's head off his shoulder, which leaves him a bit confused, and gets up before turning around and holding out one of his claws. "May I have this dance?", he asks Sandbar who, upon realizing what is going on, blushes before accepting the griffon's invitation with a beatific smile. The two males raise to their hind legs and, while staying connected, begin to move. Their dance resembles a waltz rookies would learn in their first few lessons, that means without any difficult and additional steps or twirls, but neither of them mind. Knowing that this could be the only dance they share like that, both of them enjoy it to the fullest and take every little misstep and offbeat action as something special and not a mistake. When their movement begin to get slower and slower, the two of them look into each others eyes and, with their minds in a completely different place and their hearts in complete control of their body, lean in until the distance between them is close to none, making it possible for them to share their first kiss. Everyone knows what one says about the first kiss in a relationship, how high the expectations are and how much importance it holds. This kiss surpasses any expectation the two could have had. It is almost as if their heartbeat adapts to the other ones so they can create a harmony that could rival the song of the nightingale. Their kiss stays alive for several seconds before the two pull back a bit so they can revive the eye contact that got lost. Neither of them say a word, they just stare into the depths of each others eyes, knowing exactly how great it felt and, from the look of their partner, how much they enjoyed it as well. They once again cut the contact when they embrace each other, enjoying the heat their bodies share and the faint but soothing harmonious beat that erupts from their chests. After parting once more, the two males turn towards the bridge they came from, setting the Town Hall as their goal, now that all the doubt and worry the two creatures haunted vanished into something far more powerful and far more pleasant. Almost three-quarters of the way Gallus keeps his wing on his boyfriend's back, the same way he did back in the dorms, but eventually he removes it but this time neither of them feel the disappointment that haunted them before. The moment they come close to their target, a female Changeling, who just left the building, notices them and waves at them before coming closer. "Perfect timing! I was just looking for you two. Did the walk help? Are you feeling better? " She asks after positioning herself next to the griffon, who first smiles at Sandbar before showing it to her. "Better than ever", he answers her second question first, which causes her to smile as well. "I'm relieved to hear that." "Why were you looking for us? I told you what we were doing", the stallion adds himself to the conversation and Ocellus quickly answers that question. "Shortly after you left, Principal Twilight Sparkle announced that they would take a class picture at nine with all the students here and the teachers. I was worried you wouldn't make it so I came here to search for and get you two." "That's a cool idea! But why nine? A bit early, don't you think?", the griffon comments but his friend has an answer for that too. "Miss Rarity blames herself for that. The event in Canterlot was a lot more stressful than she expected. She and her staff had to work all night to satisfy all of her customers' needs and to uphold the store's good reputation. They managed it but with the train ride back and the help with the preparation she barely had any time to sleep so she would excuse herself after that." Ouch... I never thought about how much she had to carry these days. But you couldn't tell, not even a bit! I guess that's what makes her a true professional. Still, we shouldn't make it even harder for her. "That makes sense... I feel sorry for her. Even after all of that she still comes here because she wants us to have a great party and to give us her nice speech", Gallus commends the unicorn's sacrifice and Sandbar can only agree with him on that. "Generosity through and through... What time is it?" The three of them reach the staircase and Ocellus already climbs it as she answers. "They are already preparing everything and getting into position so it can't be that much longer. Come!" "We'll be right there! Go ahead and tell them that, okay?" The Changeling hesitates when he hears the griffon's request but, instead of asking for his reason, she simply nods and disappears inside. The moment she is out of sight, Gallus pulls Sandbar next to the staircase, which gives them complete cover thanks to the shadow it casts. "Gallus, what are we do-" The earth-stallion tries to ask but he is cut off when his mouth is being covered by the yellow beak, coming together in another shorter kiss. "Sorry, I just really needed to do that once more before we go ba-" The same thing happens again except for the roles to be reversed. "And that was just because I felt like it." That completely casual reason makes the griffon snicker a bit as his cheeks turn rosy. "Come", Sandbar, whose face took on a reddish hue, proposes, "let's make this night the best night! A date we will never forget!" The griffon nods as the two of them leave their hiding spot, climb up the stairs and enter the building. Those last words echo in both of their heads over and over again. They echo when they sit next to each other while the picture is being taken, when they are at their table chatting with the rest of their friends, when they dance just like any other group of friends and even, after hours and hours of fun, when they are on their way to their dorms. The entire time a thought accompanies this echo in each of their heads. It already is...