“Well, he sure chose not to come today even though I asked him to,” he countered, angrily clenching his bedsheets. “He sure chose to not come to our performance even though I asked him to! And he sure chose to send me away no matter how much I practically begged him not to!”
“Gallus—” Ocellus tried to begin but was unfortunately cut off.
“I’m still not even sure why I care,” he moaned weakly. “I mean, what do I care if he doesn’t care about me! He never has, and he never will…! So what!? So what if he doesn’t care about me! I don’t need him to care about me!” Gallus declared as his eyes watered.
“Gallus, stop,” she said gently.
“What do I care if he thinks I rocked that play!” Gallus continued on anyway. “What do I care if he thinks I’d make a good professor!? What do I care if he’s proud of me!? He isn’t, so I should just accept that, right!? I should just move on and accept that I’m just not good enough for
“Gallus! Stop!” Ocellus commanded, planting her hoof squarely against his beak.
They both sat there, staring into each other’s eyes until Ocellus slowly leaned in and kissed Gallus, holding him close before breaking the kiss, leaving him in a stunned stupor.
“You are good enough, Gallus,” she spoke in a soft tone. “You’re kind, smart, brave, and so caring! I know this was out of the blue, but working with you these past few months, I… I couldn’t help but fall for you, and I just couldn’t take you belittling and degrading yourself again not when I know how amazing you are.”
She held him close again, wiping the tears from his eyes as well as her own and whispered, “I love you, Gallus.”
“Wh-What!?” Gallus mumbled, barely able to process what just happened. “Why though!? Why me, Ocellus!? You know I’m with Silverstream, so why did you just…!? Y-You know I can’t hide this from her!”
“I know,” she said, hugging him gently.
OH, PECK! OH, PECK! OH, PECK! Gallus thought in a blind panic. HOW DO I FIX THIS!? SILVERSTREAM IS GOING TO BE SO UPSET! HOW COULD SHE TRUST ME OR OCELLUS AGAIN AFTER THIS!?
“It’s okay, Gallus. I’ll tell her myself it was my mistake that I made,” Ocellus offered looking rather pained as she said it. “But in the moment, I couldn’t think of anything that would get though to you! You’re good enough for anyone…”
Ocellus carefully stood up and broke the hug, sniffling and wiping her eyes once again. She then turned to leave, only to see a teary-eyed Silverstream standing in the doorway.
“Uhh…?” Ocellus groaned, taking a frightened step back. Gallus looked practically petrified. “Silver!? I know this looks bad, but—” she started to say.
“Save it,” Silver sobbed weakly. “I heard what you said.”
“H-How much of w-what I said?”
“Enough,” she answered, wings drooping. “…I trusted you. Both of you! A-And you kissed—” Silverstream took a deep, calming breath. “Tell me. How long has this been going on for!?”
"Silver, nothing's been going on. This is the first time anything has happened and it's my fault not Gallus' - I'm the one that kissed him.”
Ocellus tried to look Silverstream in the eyes but failed to do so out of shame.
“And if you heard what he was saying before, you would know why! so don't be upset with him over my actions he loves y—"
"Don't you dare try to lie to me!" Silverstream said, fury replacing the sadness in her eyes.
"I think I want to be alone just now."
After saying that, Silverstream ran away with tears in her eyes as she pushed past Smolder who had been hiding behind her door, listening in She then looked into the room and muttered under her breath, "Ocellus, what have you done?"1
"I-I-I'M so sor—"
Ocellus tries to apologize to Gallus, but he cut her off.
"Shut up! Just, shut up! You have done enough damage; just leave me alone! This one mistake just hurt the one that I love, and all-but took away her trust! So save your PECKING EXCUSES AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"GA—"
"JUST! GO! Please just go! I need some time alone; we all do."
"But, Gallus—" she said, reaching out to him worriedly.
"JUST GO please just go i need some time alone we all do."
Furious and ashamed at himself Gallus whimpers and moves back from Ocellus as Cozy Glow appears before him taunting him.
"Oh boohoohoo look at you a little screw up already hurting your friends again why don't you save them the trouble and just end it."
"JUST SHUT UP COZY AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Gallus lashes out at the apperation of cozy glow with a talon outstratched only for her to be replaced by Ocellus his talon cutting her cheek drawing a faint droplet of blood and a cry of pain from Ocellus as she flees the room bleeding green blood faintly onto the carpet.
"Ocellus, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! WAIT! COME BACK! PLEASE DONT LEAVE ME ALONE! please i dont want to be alone anymore" Gallus pleaded, slumping down on the floor and crying.
STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! he berated himself in his head. OF COURSE I WOULD HURT TWO OF THOSE CLOSEST TO ME! I'M SUCH A PECKING MESS! MAYBE COZY GLOW WAS RIGHT ABOUT ME!
"Gee it sure took you long enough to realize i was right boy you are a slow bird."
The fake Cozy says as she looks at him smirking evily.
"I mean first you break your girlfrinds heart and now your last friend in the world to truly love you is scared of you becuase attacked her just look at your claws."
Gallus looked down at his sharp talons. Upon seeing the blood clinging to his claws he grew more distressed, loudly crying out, "I'M NOT WORTH IT! I'M NOT WORTH ANY OF THIS! ... M-MAYBE THE LAST CREATURE I HURT SHOULD BE ME!? A-AND THEN NO ONE ELSE WOULD BE HURT?"
Gallus hears cozy glows mockong voice again louder drowning out anyone elses
"Go on gallus you know its the right thing to do one brief moment of pain and it will all be over i just wish i coukd be there when they find your body"
Before he could do anything rash to himself an orange, scaled fist connected with his beak, knocking him down as a furious Smolder held him down, her eyes brimming with pain.
"I wanted to believe you was getting better, Gallus! I truly did," she said, ignoring the tears falling down her cheek and onto Gallus.
"But I heard what you said, and I won't let you do something like that!" Smolder declared, clenching her claws in anger. "You're wrong!
And if I have to drag you, unconscious, to Starlight's office just so you don't do anything when my back is turned, I will! But we are both going there, right now, and telling her what happened!"
"WHY DO YOU CARE!? YOU HAVE BEEN AVOIDING ME FOR MONTHS AND SUDDENLY, YOU WANT TO BE THERE FOR ME!? JUST PECK OFF AND LEAVE ME LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HAS!" Gallus shouted back, unable to keep his emotions in check any more. "LET ME GO SO NO ONE GETS HURT ANYMORE!"
Smolder said nothing, refusing to move.
"Why!?" he sobbed, openly crying. "Just why can't I do anything right!? All I end up doing is hurting the ones that care about me. O-Or I just drive them away! So why!?" Gallus continued crying while Smolder pulled him into a tight hug. "Why, after everything, did you stop me!? I'd be better off dead! Then I'd no longer be a burden...! Sure, it'd hurt for a while, but you would all forget about me!
"YOU'RE WRONG, GALLUS!"
Someone shouted from the doorway