//------------------------------// // ...In A Much Better Way // Story: Coming Out // by Melody Song //------------------------------// "There they are..." a colt whispered as Smolder passed him, Ocellus by her side. Gallus and Sandbar were walking beside them. "Isn't that the ones who..." "Woah, they actually showed up for class..." Smolder grunted in annoyance and clenched her fists. Ocellus rubbed her back. "It's okay Smoldie." Ocellus whispered Smolder ignored her and stormed into the library. Gallus huffed as he sat beside her, pulling Sandbar down beside him. Ocellus snuggled against Smolder. "W-Well at least we can be public about our relationships now..." Sandbar said quietly. "I guess." Gallus muttered. Smolder crossed her arms in frustration. "Kids! Silverstream said you'd be here!" Twilight trotted up to them. "I have some good news!" "You invented a memory wiping spell that'll make everyone forget we shouted our sexualities and our relationships to the whole school?" Smolder asked "What? No!" Twilight shook her head. "I know the other students have been making it hard on you. But I figured out a way for you to properly explain and announce." "How?" "I was thinking that maybe you could announce it to the school as a whole." Twilight explained "What?" Smolder and Gallus hissed "Now just a minute, hear me out for a bit, okay?" Smolder and Gallus crossed their forelegs but stayed silent. Twilight took a breath. "I know that what happened during Friends and Family Day was not the way any of you wanted to come out. But the solution might be letting them know as much as you wish them to know about your relationships." "I don't see how it's going to help." Smolder muttered "They already know." "True. But this time, you're coming out to them on your terms." Twilight replied, smiling slightly. "Our terms, huh?" Gallus asked, seeming interested. "Yes, your terms. Do I have your attention now?" Twilight asked, raising a brow. "Yeah. So what you got for us teach?" Gallus asked "A school assembly." Twilight said simply. "I'd advise you to prepare a speech but this might be a better situation for you to speak from the heart." "And we wouldn't bother writing one anyway." Gallus shrugged "So you'll do it?" Smolder hesitated. "We'll... uh... consider it. Now we have homework to do, Headmare, so if you wouldn't mind...?" "Oh... of course. I'll let you get back to work." Twilight said, leaving. "What was that for?" Sandbar asked Smolder once Twilight had gone. "What? I told her we'd think about it!" "Yeah, but I'm pretty sure we were all on board!" Sandbar said "Smoldie, is something wrong?" Ocellus asked, putting a hoof on her claw. "You taste upset..." "I just..." Smolder sighed "It's nothing." "It's not nothing." Ocellus said "You're upset about the idea of it. But why?" "B-Because... I... they're just going to laugh at us more, that's why!" Smolder slammed a fist down on the table. "Shh!" a few students nearby hissed. Smolder growled and lowered her voice. "You saw them this morning guys. We couldn't even go to class without them talking about us. How is officially coming out to the whole school going to help?" Smolder whispered "Smoldie, you heard Headmare Twilight. She's offering us a chance to come out on our own terms." Ocellus said "And what does she even mean by that?" Smolder threw up her claws in frustration. "She means that it'll all be up to us." Gallus said, smirking. "It's pretty popular as a Griffon thing. We'll be the ones deciding what they will know and what they won't know. For example, you get to decide whether or not you want to tell them about your... heh, hobby." Smolder blushed, burying her face in her claws to avoid showing him the embarrassment. "G-Gallus, not in public." "Whatever. Point is, if you want to tell them, you can. And you get to decide how much to tell them. Like, if you just want to tell them you enjoy an unusual hobby and leave it at that, you can." "So... we get to decide what to go into detail on?" Smolder asked, lifting her head. "Yep." "Okay..." "So you'll do it?" Sandbar asked, smiling. "Heheh, yep." Smolder agreed, grasping Ocellus' hoof. "Come on then, let's go find Headmare Twilight." Gallus said, standing. The group headed off, and Smolder glanced down at Ocellus. "This will be okay, right...?" "Of course it will Smoldie." Ocellus assured her, giving her a quick nuzzle. Smolder let out a very girlish giggle and blushed. "Thanks Celly..." Ocellus blushed and smiled, pressing close against the taller creature. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "May I have your attention everycreature?" Twilight Sparkle called. The Headmare of the School of Friendship hovered in the air above a podium, the entire student body before her. On the podium below her, were four familiar creatures. Sandbar, Gallus, Smolder, and Ocellus. Ocellus and Sandbar looked characteristically nervous and a bit shy, while Gallus stood proudly and Smolder shifted uneasily. "We are here today so that these four creatures may provide a bit of explaining on the... rumors that have been going around the school." Twilight said "They're not rumors, they're true!" a unicorn called "Shut up and let them talk, Orchid!" a pegasus snapped, wings flaring. "Thank you." Twilight nodded to the pegasus, who nodded back. "Now, I'll let these four students take it from here." Twilight then flew down to join her friends, standing at their sides. Gallus stepped forwards. "Hey, so, uh... I know that this has already been made pretty clear by now, but... we wanted a chance to do this on our terms, instead of like what happened at Friends and Family Day." he spoke. The students remained silent, and Gallus took that as permission to continue. "So here it goes..." Gallus took a breath. "When the four of us came to Friendship School, I don't think any of us were expecting to find love. Much less among our own little circle of friends. But now, here we are, with the greatest partners we could ask for. So yes, it's true, Sandbar and I are a thing, as are Smolder and Ocellus. And we each may have started out as friends, but we've grown to be so much more than that to each other." Gallus then looked to Ocellus, who nodded and took his place. "I for one, w-would like to say that... that I know that interspecies relationships are fairly new and not very common. But... well, a year ago, I would have been beaten terribly by my queen for even suggesting that friendship with other creatures was an option. And now, I'm standing here with my girlfriend, in a school for interspecies friendship." she said, smiling. "And I, a worthless griffon orphan, now have someplace to call home." Gallus added "And if the rest of you don't like that we're dating, then that's your problem." Smolder finally spoke up. "Because we love our partners. And despite never expecting to find love here, we'd never want to spend another day without them." Sandbar finished, slipping his hooves around Gallus' neck. The room was silent for a moment. "So you're really proud of this?" the unicorn from before, Orchid, sneered. "I mean, I guess the bug-pony's to be expected, all her kind are probably like that, what other examples does she have? But you, Sandbar? You know better." Ocellus and Sandbar both visibly flinched. "Well I, for one, think they're very brave." the pegasus that had spoken against Orchid now strode forwards, smiling. "They spoke their truth, and weren't afraid to admit it. And hey, haters gonna hate. But that doesn't mean we have to listen." "Hey!" Orchid cried "Oh what, so like you're going to deny it?" the pegasus filly asked, smirking at her. They now recognized the purple stripe in her mane. Orchid huffed and stormed off. The pegasus smiled kindly at the four creatures, nodding at them to continue. "Thanks Melody." Gallus whispered, then raised his voice. "So yeah. To sum it up... I'm Gallus Griffon, and I'm Gay." Gallus announced, then looked to Sandbar. "I'm Sandbar Kelp, and I'm Bisexual." The focus went to Ocellus. "I-I'm O-Ocellus Iris, and I'm Lesbian." Finally, the attention of the crowd went to Smolder. She took a breath. "I am Smolder Dragonwing, and I'm Lesbian."