//------------------------------//
// Chapter Eight: Tension 
// Story: The Bonds of Love 
// by Summer Script 
//------------------------------//

“Okay then,” Ocellus sighed, setting aside one set of notecards in exchange for another. “How about weather management? Griffons can manipulate weather as well, right?”

“Yep.”

“Ooh! That sounds pretty good,” Silverstream squealed excitedly. “What do you think, Gallus? Does that sound like something you’re interested in trying out?”

“Yeah, it’s a pretty good job,” Gallus acknowledged. “The ponies are nice, the job is pretty simple; the pay is absolutely fantastic…!”

“You make it sound like you’ve done it before?” Ocellus accused, raising an eyebrow.

He chuckled awkwardly and revealed, “That, uh, might be because I have.”

“Wait, really?”

“Mhmm. It’s a pretty recent thing though.”

“Ohhh. Well, that’s really nice of you, Gallus,” Silver praised. “I bet Professor Dash appreciates your help.” Considering how many jobs she has, I’m surprised she even has time to be our teacher.

“So she tells me,” he confirmed, trying and failing to sound humble. “Of course, if there are any serious downsides to the gig, I don’t know about them yet,” he ended, looking to Ocellus.

“Mmm,” she hummed. “None that I can see. Unless you’re like Professor Dash and think—” Ocellus shape-shifted into the mare and quoted, “‘Bucking and gathering clouds is awesome and all, but it gets super boring after a while. Especially when you can get the skies clear as fast as me!’”

“Yep, that sounds like Rainbow Dash,” Gallus said as Ocellus changed back. “Really though. Why would she think cloud gathering is boring? It’s pretty relaxing to me,” he admitted nonchalantly.

“You think cloud gathering is relaxing?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe, Silver!” he exclaimed, beaming. “It certainly helps that it’s pretty quiet up there in the air, so you can actually hear yourself think when you’re doing the job.”

“Hmm. Sounds nice,” Silver agreed, grinning brightly. “Maybe I should try it out too.”

Gallus blinked in surprise then smiled, saying, “Maybe. You probably would enjoy it.”

“Oh, I’m certain I would.” Especially if you were with me, she thought, winking.

Ocellus coughed politely, drawing their attention to her knowing smirk. “I suppose I’ll just put this in the ‘Yes’ pile then?”

“Definitely,” Gallus answered with a nod.

She did just that, muttering, “Okay, that’s twenty-three.” Ocellus then pulled a new card and stated, “Alright. Next up: Politics.”

“Ughhh!” he loudly groaned, earning two confused stares.

“Judging from that reaction, I assume you’re not interested in the field?” Ocellus guessed.

“Not really,” he stated, shaking his head. “As far as I’m concerned, politics is just a race to see who can make the most believable campaign. Not something I really care to participate in.”

“That’s not what politics is about!” she protested indignantly.

“Then what is it about?”

“Ooh! Ooh! I know this one!” Silverstream announced, bouncing in her chair enthusiastically. “It’s about determining who would best lead a nation while invoking the most beneficial change in said nation.”

“That’s a rather simplified take on it, but it is technically correct.”

“Yay, I got it right!” she celebrated, smiling gleefully. And Auntie Novo said Skystar and I never paid attention to our lessons, she laughed quietly.

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure the best leader for Equestria is Princess Twilight,” Gallus argued.

“True. But she’s the sovereign ruler of Equestria as a whole, not the leader of any its individual cities,” Ocellus counter-argued. “Manehatten, Fillydelphia, and Ponyville for example…”

“How about it, Gallus? You wanna be the mayor of Ponyville when Mayor Mare retires?”

“Nah, too much responsibility,” he whined, leaning back in his chair. “And don’t get me started on the amount of paperwork I’d have to put up with!”

“But you like doing paperwork,” Silverstream deadpanned.

“N-No, I don’t!”

“Really?” Ocellus joined in. “I recall seeing quite the huge smile on your face anytime you had to write something for our teleportation report.”

“…No, you didn’t…”

The girls shared a playful grin.

Fighting off an ominous chill, Gallus sat up and said, “Okay, okay! Stop smirking. Look, I seriously don’t want to do something like that.”

“It’s okay, Gallus. We understand,” Silver assured. “But why don’t you want that kind of position? You really would make a great leader,” she promised softly, hoping that wasn’t the problem.

“And I know that,” he said without any hesitation.

“Kindness Lesson Forty-eight…”

“It’s not a matter of confidence, Ocellus; I just don’t want that kind of pressure. I’m more than willing to help my friends out if they have a problem, but managing everything in an entire town? No way,” Gallus declared firmly. “If you want somegriff to do that, go ask Gilda.”

Ocellus sighed and conceded, “Fair enough. Should I label that as a ‘No’ then?”

“Well?” Gallus hummed thoughtfully before slowly relenting, “I suppose I could go into that field if I needed to, but I really don’t want to if I don’t have to… What do you think, Silverstream?” he suddenly asked.

W-What!? Why is he asking me; this is his future we’re figuring out, not mine! “I-I don’t know, Gallus,” she stuttered. “I know you’d make a great leader, but if it’s not what you want to be…?”

After some contemplation, he ultimately decided, “Put it under ‘No,’ Ocellus.”

“Got it,” she replied, crossing the notecard out and placing it with the appropriate pile. She then yawned and acknowledged, “And that makes fourteen…”

Gallus groaned and stretched life back into his limbs. “It’s getting late, girls,” he realized after glancing out the window at the setting sun. “One more, then I think we should call it quits for tonight.”

“Got it,” Ocellus replied, turning her attention to the next card. However, before she could resume speaking, a new pair of voices flitted into the empty library.

“Thanks again for helping me, Shimmy. I know I haven’t been, er, you know… But thanks.”

Oh no! Silver dreaded, noticing Gallus also looked mildly apprehensive.

“Hey, don’t—Agh! D-Don’t sweat it, Smolder! Oh geez! These things are h-heavy!”

“Do you need help!?”

“N-No! I think I got it! Whoa-whoa-whoa! No, I don’t! No, I don’t!”

Upon that exclamation, Shimmy Shake charged into the library and haphazardly dumped her leaning tower of books onto the nearest table. She then moaned painfully and slumped to the ground.

Smolder deposited her books onto the same table, flinching once she noticed her audience. “O-Oh! Hey, guys,” she greeted as casually as she could. “Didn’t see you there. How are you all doing?”

“Hi, Smolder, we’re good,” Gallus slowly responded. He then turned his attention to Shimmy and called out, “Uh, Shimmy Shake? Are you okay?”

“No.”

“Did you want help up?” Silver inquired worriedly.

“No. No… Just let me lie here and die!” she pleaded melodramatically.

“That’s not funny, Shimmy!” Smolder barked, clenching her claws.

“Yeah, yeah, I know!” Shimmy fired back, rising to her hooves. “It’s just a figure of speech…” she muttered, trotting over to a nearby chair and collapsing into it.

“And it’s still not funny,” she huffed. Smolder then shook her head and strode over to her friends. “Sorry for barging in on you guys; we didn’t think we’d be interrupting anyone.”

“No worries. You weren’t interrupting anything anyway,” Gallus comforted.

“Oh. So, were you guys studying or something?” Smolder inquired. “Nightmare Night’s this weekend; the teachers didn’t give us any homework. … Did they?” she asked, grimacing in panic.

“Not unless Professor Applejack has another pop quiz planned,” he suggested fiendishly.

Smolder shuddered and begged, “Please don’t put that thought in my head.”

“Nor mine!” Shimmy shouted, stroking her mane soothingly. “Her pop quizzes are evil! Evil!”

“Heh-heh. Sorry.”

“All jokes aside,” Ocellus began. “No. There shouldn’t be any quizzes or tests with Nightmare Night coming up.” Seeing that Smolder didn’t seem convinced, she added, “Our teachers are preparing Ponyville for the holiday too, so they wouldn’t have time to plan any out.”

“Makes sense,” Smolder supposed. “But if you guys aren’t studying, what are you doing?”

“We’re trying to help Gallus figure out what he wants to do after Graduation,” Silver explained, giving Smolder a friendly smile. Everything is fine, Silver; don’t be paranoid that it’s not!

“Wait! You mean you don’t know?” Shimmy asked bluntly.

Silver struggled not to face-claw while Gallus simply shrugged.

“Huh. Not gonna lie. I totally thought you’d go for the whole Wonderbolt thing. Especially since a certain somegriff said she was thinking of joining up too,” she added, giving Silver a sly grin.

“If that’s what Gallus wants to do then that’s what he’s going to do,” Silver replied, unable to hide her annoyance. “But if not, I’m not going to pressure him into it just because I might do it too.”

“Oooh! I see somecreature finally read Two Hundred and Nineteen!”

“Oh, be quiet!”

“Never!” she retorted, blowing a raspberry.

Smolder rolled her eyes at Shimmy’s antics, but her smile slowly returned as she cautiously asked, “So, uh, Gallus? If you’re still trying to make plans for after Graduation, does that mean you didn’t want to be a scientist either?”

“Nope,” he confirmed neutrally. “I’d look amazing in a lab coat for sure, but I don’t really care for that particular career path. Even if I did…mostly…enjoy the Science Fair.”

“…Gallus also wanted Gruff here today too,” Silverstream remembered Yona revealing that day. And he never did show up… she realized, irked.

“So, you don’t want to be an actor or a scientist, huh?”

“Shimmy!” Smolder yelped rebukingly.

“What!?”

“Just, ughhh!” she groaned, face-clawing. “Were you making any progress then? Any ideas for what you do want to be?” she asked Gallus.

“Some. Nothing concrete yet, unfortunately. But weather management seems pretty promising,” he answered, perking up.

Smolder seemed almost relieved as she said, “Oh. Weather management…? Yeah, that sounds pretty cool. It’s nice, relaxing; safe… Yeah, you should totally try that!” she advised.

“Thanks for the encouragement,” Gallus said appreciatively. “I’ll keep that in mind. … What were you and Shimmy up to, by the way?”

“Well, uh, I kinda checked out a few too many books from the library, and I needed help returning them all,” she admitted, chuckling sheepishly.

Ocellus jumped out of her chair and rushed over to check the titles of Smolder’s books. She then rounded back on the very confused dragon and shouted, “It was you!?”

“Uh…? What?”

Oh sea kelp! Silver fretted, realizing what Ocellus was about to do. “Hey, Smolder!” she called out, drawing her attention away from the changeling. “If you needed help, we’d be happy to lend a talon.”

“U-Uh, no! No! It’s totally fine!” Smolder assuaged, waving her claws dismissively. “Shimmy and I can totally do it ourselves.”

“We can?” the mare mewled disbelievingly. She then winced at the glare Smolder shot her way and quickly stammered, “I mean! Y-Yes! We can totally get it all by ourselves! And, uh, if not, I can just call in a favor with End Zone, heh-heh-heh…”

“Yeah! See? We’re good; promise,” Smolder concluded for the both of them.

Gallus and Silver shared a quick glance, silently agreeing not to inquire further. Ocellus luckily caught on as well and ignited her horn, saying, “Here. I’ll at least put these books back for you. Maybe then I can see if you had any of the ones I was meaning to reread…” she murmured angrily.

Smolder flinched, looking uncharacteristically timid as she mumbled, “Sorry.”

“No problem, it’s fine,” Ocellus said, magically returning almost all of the books to their proper places, much to Shimmy’s relief. She then pocketed the remainder into her saddlebags.

Wishing to change the subject, Silver calmly asked, “So, Smolder? What are you going to do for this year’s Nightmare Night?”

“Well, duh!” she exclaimed, equally happy for the subject change. “Go to Shimmy and Professor Pie’s party; that’s what everycreature else is doing, right?”

“Pretty much,” Gallus stated, breathing a quiet sigh of relief at Smolder’s smile. “Although, that reminds me… How exactly did you get roped into helping Professor Pie with this year’s Nightmare Night party, anyway?” he asked Shimmy Shake.

“I, uh, got caught reading in Laughter class,” she answered, chuckling in embarrassment.

“What were you reading?” Ocellus asked, furrowing her brow. “Professor Pie is usually more lenient when it comes to that sort of thing.”

“Let me guess: It was one Princess Cadence’s letters,” Gallus deduced, smirking knowingly.

“Hey! It was worth it!” she proclaimed, pumping a hoof into the air. “Besides, planning the party was a lot of fun too. Speaking of… What costumes were you all planning to wear?”

“Oh, I have the perfect form,” Ocellus answered. “I wonder how many of you are going to know where it’s from?” she said challengingly.

“Uh, Ocellus? Not to bring you down, but you remember what happened last year, right?” Gallus bluntly inquired.

“I’ll make sure to bring my student identification this time!” she squeaked, flushing brightly. “I might even shape-shift when I get there just so you’ll all know it’s me.”

“Good. None of us want a repeat of what happened last time.”

“Yes. I know,” she growled through gritted teeth.

Stifling her giggles, Silver said, “Well, I’m planning to go as a Wonderbolt.”

“No surprise there,” Smolder quipped, smirking. “Wasn’t that what you wore last year too?”

“N-No! I went as Professor Dash!”

“But Professor Dash is a Wonderbolt? So, technically, you were a Wonderbolt last year too.”

“Yeah, s-so? If I want to do it again, I’ll do it again!”

“Yeah, but why don’t you change it up this year, Silverstream?” Shimmy Shake suggested slyly. “I’m sure Professor Rarity still has that zombie costume of yours.”

“And I will never wear that thing ever again, Shimmy!” Silver declared, twitching angrily. “Nor will we ever speak of it again! Got it!?”

She saluted in terror, swearing, “Understood, ma’am!”

“Good. … How about you, Shimmy? What costume were you going to wear?”

“Pfft! Unlike the rest of you, I intend to keep mine a surprise!” she boasted. “But enough about me, what about you, Smolder? What’re you going as?”

“Eh, nothing special,” she said, shrugging. “I just plan on wearing one of my dresses and going as some generic princess or whatever.”

“Oh. Not even any princess in particular?”

“Nightmare Night sorta sneaked up on me,” she elaborated, rubbing her neck self-consciously.

“You’re not the only one,” Gallus consoled. “I still haven’t figured out what costume I’m going to wear, assuming I wear anything at all.”

“Now don’t talk like that, Gallus!” Shimmy reprimanded harshly. “Wearing a cool or scary costume is part of the fun of Nightmare Night; you can’t just not dress as something!”

“Well, unless I find anything to go as, I’m just going tape a cup to my head and say I’m a unicorn. That work?” he asked sardonically.

“…Silverstream? For the love of Celestia, take him backstage to the prop department and get him something that’s not that!”

“Don’t worry, Shimmy, I will.” Third time’s the charm, right? she exasperatedly wondered, giving Gallus a blunt stare. “Let’s just hope we find something he likes.”

“Well, I could always put on a crown and go as the Lord of All Things Sweet.” he proposed. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Silver?”

Don’t fall for the bait! Silver commanded herself, blushing faintly. “S-Something tells me no one would get that! But thanks for thinking of me.”

“No thanks necessary. I’m always thinking of you,” he whispered, making her blush harder.

Ocellus rolled her eyes at the display while Shimmy smiled widely. Smolder, however, stared at the two with an unreadable expression until she finally grinned, saying, “I’m glad you two are happy.”

“Aww, thanks, Smolder!” Gallus replied, beaming. “I’m glad we’re happy too.”

You and me both; we’ve had enough drama for a lifetime, Silver thought tiredly.

“Yeah. You two seem really good for each other.”

“Now if only they would finally go on their second date,” Shimmy lamented, crossing her hooves grumpily.

I wish we would too, Shimmy; I wish we would too…

“Yeah, unfortunately, I’m still planning it out. But!” Gallus exclaimed, turning to Silver and finishing, “I do have almost everything ready. Promise.”

Uh-huh. I’ve heard that before. “Don’t worry, Gallus,” she requested, maintaining her smile. “I told you that I have no problem waiting. Take as much time as you need to figure things out.”

“Wait, you’re not helping him plan the date out?” Smolder asked, nonplussed.

“Oh, believe me, I have tried,” Silver stressed. “But he won’t let me.” Neither will Scoop, Patty, or Yona to be honest, she barely stopped herself from adding.

“It’s my responsibility to plan out the date, and I want to make certain it’s absolutely perfect!” Gallus explained.

“You don’t have to go out of your way to make it perfect, Gallus,” she said flatly.

“But you deserve it,” he stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Silverstream could only smile, feeling a warmth spread throughout her chest. Shimmy Shake, meanwhile, cooed giddily and said, “That’s so sweet! Dang it, Silver, you’re so lucky!”

“I thought we already established that I was the lucky one,” Gallus joked.

“You are,” she agreed simply. “But you’re far from the only one.”

“Well, uh,” Smolder started again. “If you, er, ever need any help… You know, with the date stuff and all that… You can, uh, always come to me?” she offered. “I may not know much about how romance works, but I’ll help if I can.”

“Th-Thanks, Smolder,” Gallus said, blinking in surprise. “I will.”

Smolder’s smile became far less strained, and far more serene. Eventually, she clicked her tongue and said, “Whelp, it was nice seeing you guys, but Shimmy and I still have a lot of books to return. So I’ll catch you later; c’mon, Shimmy!” she beckoned, marching for the door.

Shimmy let out a pained whimper and quickly followed suite, muttering, “You so owe me for this, Smolder… Bye, guys.”

“See you both later,” Silver said for them all. Once the pair’s steps had faded into the distance, she and Gallus both sighed heavily. “I hope this doesn’t sound too bad, but…” she warily began. “Am I the only one who still feels a teeny bit awkward around Smolder?”

“Only a ‘teeny bit’?” Gallus scoffed. “I keep feeling like I’m walking on glass whenever I’m in the same room as her! Still… I can deal with a bit of lingering awkwardness if it means we’re talking again.”

“Agreed. Plus, it wasn’t even that bad this time!” She didn’t even look paranoid today! Silver celebrated quietly. I guess everything really is fine after all.

“Yeah. It only took two-and-a-half months, but things are finally, properly normal,” he rejoiced.

Two-and-a-half months!? Has it really been that long? she pondered in total shock. Yeesh! Felt so much longer…

“Speaking of normal,” Ocellus spoke up, gesturing to the piles of cards held in her magic. “Should we leave things here for now? Like you said earlier, it’s getting late. Plus, we may not have any tests or quizzes to study for, but we do still have homework,” she reminded them.

Gallus rubbed his eyes, mumbling, “I almost forgot about that Generosity report.”

“Did you need help finishing it?”

“Thanks, Silver, but I’ve got it. Just need to write the conclusion,” he elaborated confidently.

“Are you sure? Last time we had a lesson on creative expressions, I distinctly remember you had no idea what to do,” she teased amicably.

“And I remember you tried to teach me how to do it, but the end result was a giant waste of paint,” he joked back.

“Your painting wasn’t that bad!”

“Yes, it was. Okay, for a first attempt? Yeah, it was pretty good, but looking back on it now? Ugh!” Gallus groaned in embarrassment. “Grover’s Treasure, what was I thinking at the time!?”

“You know? I’m not sure, but it was certainly something. At least you’re better now!” she complimented. “A bit more practice and maybe one of your works will get into Silver Frames’ Gallery.”

“Oh please! Just because I no longer get paint on the roof, doesn’t mean I’m good at painting. You will always be better at that than me,” he praised sweetly.

“Hold on! What!?” she yelped, stifling a giggle. “You got paint on the roof? When!? How!?”

“I didn’t try to get it on the roof!” he protested while Ocellus snickered behind his back. “All I did was try to paint without your supervision, and it just…sorta happened.”

“Oh, you should have seen his face, Silverstream,” Ocellus began deviously. “He was covered head-to-talon in paint, and his room was no better! It was as hilarious as it was confusing.”

After a moment spent gawking at the mental image, Silver bluntly confessed, “I believe it.”

“Yep. Good thing you knew Cleanse Alpha, Ocellus,” Gallus said, pretending that his face wasn’t glowing crimson. “But that reminds me. Did you ever finish that painting of yours, Silver?”

“Hmm?” The image of a flower surviving against a merciless monsoon flashed in her mind and she gasped, “Oh! The flower painting? Yeah, I finished it ages ago. Didn’t I ever show it to you?”

“No. I, uh, don’t think you did…”

Oops. “Sorry, Gallus. Don’t worry though, I still have it, so I can show you later.” An idea suddenly sparked to life in her mind and she gasped. “In fact! I can show you all of my other paintings too! Would you… Would you like that?”

“Are you kidding!? I’d love it!” Gallus exclaimed excitedly.

I love him so much! she thought, grinning blissfully.

He smiled back, and after a moment, said, “Well, thanks again for helping me out, girls.”

“It was no trouble at all, Gallus,” Ocellus assured, hoisting her bags onto her back. “Same time tomorrow?” she asked, marching toward the door.

“Yep. See you later, Ocellus,” he said, waving goodbye.

After Silverstream and Gallus finished gathering up their own things, they followed after Ocellus, trotting down the hall side-by-side. At first, they were content to walk in silence, but Gallus soon shot Silver a sly grin that made her blush and stammer, “W-What? What?”

“Nothing,” he sang suspiciously, still smiling.

“Oh-ho, no! C’mon, Gallus. What is it?”

“…I’m glad Smolder’s talking to us again,” he expressed, coming to a stop. “I know things are still a bit awkward, but I really missed hanging out with her, you know?”

“Yeah. Honestly? I’m glad things are just awkward, instead of something…worse,” Silver ended, recalling that encounter with Smolder and shivering.

Gallus wrapped a wing around her and pulled her into a warm hug. “Me too.”

As Silver snuggled against his feathers, relishing the embrace, she found herself thinking, This is nice. … Everything really is okay, Silver, she told herself. I really didn’t need to be afraid after all. Not for him. Not for Smolder. Not for anyone else, Silver determined, sneaking in a quick kiss to his cheek and giggling as he reddened instantly “Hee-hee! Gotcha!”

“Yeah, yeah, you got me,” he pouted melodramatically. “But just you wait! I’ll make sure to return the favor,” Gallus promised, winking teasingly.

Oooh! When is our second date!? Silver wondered, almost exploding in excitement. That excitement slowly faded when she remembered, Oh, right. Not until it’s all perfect… Right.

Her annoyance must have shown because Gallus gently asked, “Hey, Silver? Are you okay?”

I want to go on our second date already! But other than that? “Yeah, I’m fine. You’re just really, really amazing, you know that?”

Gallus blushed even more as he stuttered, “Aw, th-thanks, Silver. You’re amazing too, don’t forget! Seriously, I really can’t thank you or Ocellus enough for helping me figure out my future.”

“You keep thanking us, Gallus, but you know you don’t need to,” she argued, chuckling.

“Yes, I do. And even if I didn’t, I want to. Because I want you girls to know how much I really appreciate all of your help,” Gallus admitted, giving her a happy nuzzle.

Silverstream nuzzled him back, giggling. “Awww! You’re so sweet!”

“I try my best.”

“And you succeed brilliantly,” she marveled, leaning back to give him a content smile. Sadly, it didn’t last long as she worked up the courage to say, “There’s something I wanted to ask you about.”

“Oh?”

“Y-Yeah. About the whole ‘future plans’ thing? Have you… Talked to Grandpa Gruff about it?”

Gallus blinked, completely blindsided by the question. He quickly recollected himself, however, and answered, “No. I haven’t. Tch, not like he would respond even if I did,” he ended, looking away.

“…Are you okay?”

“Honestly? Yes and no,” Gallus said pensively. “I’m still angry that he didn’t show up for the Science Fair, but…? At this point, I don’t care what he thinks. It’s like you said, Silver. I can be whatever I want to be,” he boasted, cheering back up.

Silverstream gave him another gentle kiss. “Yes, you can, Gallus. Yes, you can.”

Not even Pinkie Pie could match how happy Gallus looked in that moment.


***


“And that was how that went,” Silver concluded. “No awkwardness, no fighting; no silent treatment… Just an ordinary conversation with a friend.” And two really nice kisses with my boyfriend!

“Yay!” Yona squealed, beaming in absolute joy. “Yona not lie, Yona expected talking to Smolder be harder, but Yona relieved to hear otherwise,” she whispered behind a hoof.

“You and me both.” Silver then held up a green wizard costume, calling out, “Hey, Gallus! What about this one?”

“Huh!” He turned around and gave the outfit a scrutinizing look, saying, “Nah. That’s not exactly my color. But thanks anyway, Silver.”

Don’t roll your eyes! she had to repeat to herself for the fifth time. “No worries, Gallus. Maybe the next one then?” she suggested hopefully.

“Yeah! Definitely the next one.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Silver echoed. She then looked away and groaned.

“Silverstream alright? Friend seem annoyed by something.”

“What? Nooo! I’m not annoyed; I’m never annoyed,” she protested despite putting no effort into it. “…Okay, fine!” Silverstream yelped softly, checking that Gallus wasn’t listening. “I am a little annoyed. But just a little!”

“Gallus?”

“I’ve been trying to help him find a costume for tomorrow all weekend! But nothing we find is ‘good enough’ for him, or something,” she elaborated, looking into the depths of the costume bin before her. Silver then laughed wearily and said, “I know it’s a pretty silly thing to be annoyed by, but…”

“It’s my responsibility to plan out the date. And I want to make certain that it’s absolutely perfect,” she remembered, wincing slightly.

“If Silver mad at Gallus, Silver should talk to him about it,” Yona bluntly stated, pulling her from her musings. “Princess Cadence advise something similar, yes?”

“Yeah, she did. But I’m not really ‘mad.’ Just…worried.”

“That Gallus would be upset?” Yona pondered, frowning. “Because Yona doubt Gallus would be upset about—” She froze, shot her own glance at Gallus, then turned back, muttering, “Nevermind.”

Silverstream sighed and grumbled, “Actually? It’s not really the costume that’s bothering me. … I just want to finally go on another date with him!”

“If that what Silver worried about, Silver just let Gallus know friend ready for next date.”

“I wish it were that simple, Yona,” she said, shaking her head. “But Gallus wants everything to be ‘perfect’ before he so much as considers a date and time! And if how picky he is about a silly costume is any indication…” Silver ended, knowing Yona would understand.

And understand, she did. “Yona highly doubt Gallus will keep Silver waiting too much longer. So long as nothing unexpected happen, Silver should remain hopeful.”

“I know, I know. And I am hopeful!” Silver quickly affirmed. “Aside from some, er, lingering awkwardness… Everything is finally back to normal.”

“Yes, but if Silverstream really want to go on second date with Gallus, she should tell him,” Yona advised wisely. “Yona not think it good idea to wait longer than Silver have to.”

“I know. But? With everything finally settling down, and all of us being happy again…? I don’t want to ‘start’ anything, you know?”

“Yona can understand that,” she said softly, running her hoof across the costumes in search of something Gallus would like. “But has Gallus seriously not talked to Silver about second date at all?”

“No, and it’s been months! Months, Yona!”

“W-Well, what about when Gallus and Silver explored art gallery in Canterlot?”

“Yeah, that was fun,” Silver admitted, sighing happily. “Of course, then we got kicked out of that place thanks to Scoop…” she growled.

Yona coughed uncomfortably, mumbling, “Yona remember that. But friends have certainly done similar things since then, right?”

“Oh, yes, we have. But whenever we do do something like that, he just calls it a ‘pseudo-date’ for some reason. And whenever I try bringing up our second ‘proper’ date, he dodges the question.”

“So, if Gallus not finished, how long till he is?”

“I don’t know; he’s the one the planning the thing!” she grumbled. “And no matter how many times I offer to help, I just get the whole ‘It’s my responsibility, and I want it to be perfect’ spiel!”

“Well, Yona do think it sweet that Gallus want that.”

“I do too! I really appreciate that he cares so much, but I… I just want to spend time with him,” Silver stated simply. “I don’t care how good or bad the date is, so long as I can spend it with him.”

Yona just smiled widely and said, “Yona happy to hear that. But? If Silver upset that Gallus not ready for second date yet, why does Silver not confront him?”

“Because I don’t know why he isn’t ready!” she explained, hanging her head. “Maybe I’m overreacting, and he really hasn’t finished planning it out yet. Or maybe he’s just waiting for the right time. Or m-maybe it has something to do with me…?” she mumbled, wincing at the prospect.

“Okay, Yona gonna stop Silver right there,” she deadpanned, placing a hoof firmly against Silver’s heart. “Gallus love Silverstream. Silver never need to fear otherwise.”

Silver raised her head, saying, “You’re right. Of all the things I can be paranoid about, that’s definitely not one of them,” she concluded, feeling a tad ashamed at having momentarily suspected otherwise.

“No! It! Is! Not!”

“Heh-heh-heh. And I love him too,” Silver declared, smiling happily. “But that’s just another reason why I don’t want to push him. I mean… Look at him, Yona!” she urged, pointing at him.

Following her gaze, Yona looked at Gallus as he held a piece of fake armor up to himself, seeing if it would fit and grinning delightedly when it did.

“He’s happy again,” Silver continued, elated. “Really happy! I don’t want to ruin that. Honestly, I can wait if I need to, I just wish I didn’t have to.”

“Yona understand,” she said, turning back to Silver. “But Yona also remember what happened last time Silver hid feelings… Yona really not want to see friend like that again.”

“You won’t!” Silver promised. “This isn’t like last time, Yona; I’m not afraid the universe is going to strike Gallus down or something. I just…want to keep seeing him smile,” she concluded, smiling herself as she watched Gallus joyfully don the rest of the ensemble.

Seeing Silver’s dopey grin, Yona nudged her.

“W-What?”

“Nothing,” Yona claimed teasingly. “…Silverstream does have a point though,” she continued. “If even Smolder is talking to Gallus and friends again, maybe everything really is okay again. And if everything okay… Maybe friends shouldn’t—What ponies say?—‘rock boat’?”

“Ha! For once it’s pony wisdom coming out of your muzzle and not yak wisdom,” Silver pointed out, smirking at Yona’s angered huff.

“Yes, well! Yak wisdom may be best, but yak wisdom not only wisdom. Sandbar’s parents have ton of wisdom too,” she confided, beaming.

Silverstream giggled. “So you’ve met his parents, huh? Has he met yours yet?”

“Sadly, no,” Yona bemoaned, clearly disappointed by that fact. “But hopefully, Yona’s parents can come down here for Hearth’s Warming.”

“Or maybe he can go up there for Snilldar Fest?”

“Hmm, maybe. But what about Gallus? Has Silver introduced Gallus to her parents yet?”

“Uh, eh-heh-heh,” Silver laughed awkwardly, looking everywhere but at Yona. “I don’t want him to meet my family just yet. He and Terramar would get along, but Dad can be…excessive. And, well, Mom is a whole different problem,” she snarled under her breath.

Before Yona could inquire further, Gallus cried out, “Hey, girls, check this one out!” He then grunted loudly as he put the last of the costume on, saying, “How do I look?”

Phew! Arrow dodged! Silver celebrated, replying, “Ooh! I like it!”

“Yona does too,” she said, trotting over to examine him. “Armor need serious polishing, and Gallus need pieces for paws and talons, but Yona can make those. Overall, Gallus look nice!” she praised.

“Thanks. So, what do you think, Silver?” he hummed shrewdly. “I look pretty awesome, right?”

She snorted. “You always look awesome, Gallus,” she complimented, relishing the faint blush that rose in his cheeks. “Is this the costume you want to wear then?”

Gallus looked himself over and grinned. “Yeah. Yeah, I think this is the one.”

Finally! “Good! Because you do look really dashing in it.” she said encouragingly, winking. “I bet everycreature else will think so too.”

“Thanks, Silverstream,” Gallus whispered, smiling serenely.

“Yeah! Now, come with Yona!” she beckoned, pushing Gallus toward the door. “Let’s get Gallus to Carousel Boutique so Yona can make friend look absolute best!”

“Alright, alright! Just stop shoving me, please!” he pleaded.

Silver slowly shook her head, chuckling. I’m so glad everything is okay again. “Hold on, guys! Wait for me!” she called out, chasing after them.


***


“Okay, how do I look?”

“I’ve already told you that you look amazing, Gallus,” Silver answered, giggling when he proudly raised his head even higher. “Now, how about me?” she asked, unfurling her wings and twirling about gracefully.

“I think you look great too,” he praised. Gallus then pointed to a spot on her back and addressed, “I do see a bit of leftover blue though.”

“What!? Where!? Ugh, I swear I got it all!” she exclaimed, twisting her neck to see one final remaining splotch of sky blue amid a sea of black and green. “Pass me the spray can.”

“Uh, sure?” he said, giving her said item. “Careful not to spray yourself.”

“Thanks for the warning, but I’ve done this before,” Silver mentioned, spraying over the spot.

“Spray painted yourself?”

“Made a last-minute costume adjustment,” she clarified, sighing in satisfaction once the last bit of blue was gone. “Good! That takes care of that. So, tell me. How do I look now?”

“As beautiful as ever.”

“…Thank you,” she muttered, not even trying to hide her blush. “You look really handsome too,” Silver added in hopes of evening the playing field.

“I thanketh thee for thine kind words, milady,” he joked, bowing.

“Likewise, milord,” she said, curtsying back.

The two shared a small laugh.

“So,” Gallus resumed. “I thought you said you were going as a Wonderbolt this year? What inspired the sudden paint job?”

“You know what.”

“What? Oh, don’t tell me you changed costumes because we reminded you of your Professor Dash costume,” he guessed.

“Caught red-taloned,” she sighed wistfully. “I really did want to go as a Wonderbolt again, but I figured I probably shouldn’t make the same choice as last year. Otherwise, I doubt I would ever live it down.”

“Hey, don’t worry, I get it. What I don’t get is the choice you settled on,” he ended, gesturing to her recolored uniform.

“The Wonderbolt outfit was the only thing I had,” Silver droned, embarrassed. “And I didn’t really want it to go to waste, nor did I feel like hunting through the Drama Club’s costumes again.” I’ve spent enough time doing that with you this week, she stopped herself from adding. “So I figured I’d just whip out the ole clothing dye and go as the next best thing.”

“A Washout?”

“Yep!”

“…Right. Well, you’d best stay away from Rainbow Dash then,” Gallus warned, adjusting a piece of his own costume. “You and I both know what she’ll do if she catches you ‘supporting’ them.”

“Freak out and give me a lecture on why safety protocol is awesome?”

“Now you’re learning,” he congratulated, tapping her beak playfully.

“Pfft! As if I didn’t already know that,” she huffed, grinning slyly. “I haven’t forgotten what happened when she found out you and Smolder had Lightning Dust’s autograph.”

“Oh Grover’s Treasure!” he groaned, shivering at the memory but laughing all the same. “I haven’t forgotten that speech yet either, heh-heh. … The autograph was still worth it though.”

“Even if the pony who gave it to you wasn’t the best pony?” Silver asked, tilting her head in curiosity. “Don’t you remember what Rainbow Dash told us about her in Loyalty Lesson Fifty-six?”

“Eh, you can be a terrible creature but still do some cool stuff,” Gallus remarked neutrally. “Besides, I know she and her Wonderbolt rip-offs ignore safety procedures and whatnot, but that doesn’t mean their performances aren’t awesome!”

“Can’t disagree with that,” she conceded, awestruck by the mere memory of some of the stunts those ponies had pulled off. “But still. I think the Wonderbolts are definitely the cooler team.”

“Oh, definitely! Speaking of the Wonderbolts…?” Gallus hesitantly began, his tail giving a slight flick. “I was wondering if you might want to go to one of their performances with me?”

Holy—! Is this it!? Silver wondered, feeling her heart violently beat in her chest. Unfortunately, before she could say anything, Gallus clarified, “You know, for a pseudo-date?”	

Of course, she lamented, not bothering to hide her frustration. “O-Oh. Another pseudo-date plan? I mean, I’d absolutely love to go with you, Gallus!”

“Are you sure?” he mumbled, wincing. “You sound a little…disappointed?”

Out with it, Silverstream; you know better than to hide it. “Well? That’s because I am a little disappointed,” Silver admitted timidly. “I really would love to go to a Wonderbolts show with you, Gallus, but not as a pseudo-date.” Don’t worry, it will be okay if I say it. She then looked him straight in the eye and asked, “Gallus, when are we going on our second date?”

After a stretch of awkward silence, he replied, “W-Well, I still need to finish planning it out.”

“I know, and I promise I’m not trying to push you or anything!” she swore. “It’s just… I’m ready.”

“And I’m almost ready too!” Gallus squeaked out. “I just need to finish up the final touches so that everything will be perfect for the day! That’s all! Promise!”

There’s that word again, Silver thought angrily. “I know, and I’m beyond grateful you’re putting so much thought and work into it. I think that’s really sweet of you, Gallus,” she said, giving him a happy smile that he returned in kind. “But you know it doesn’t have to be perfect, right?”

“I know, but I can at least try to make it as perfect as possible, right?”

Silver had to fight to keep in a bitter sigh. “Fair enough. But please remember, Gallus, I’m not asking for everything to be perfect. That’s all.”

Gallus kept his beak shut for a moment until he nodded, saying, “Don’t worry, Silver, I hear you loud and clear. And I promise I really am almost done.”

“And don’t you worry either,” she said, giving him a small nuzzle. “No need to rush, I’m perfectly happy to keep waiting for when you’re certain you’re ready.” Sorry, Professor Applejack.

“Grover’s Treasure, I do not deserve you,” he exclaimed, nuzzling her back.

“Yes, you do.”

“Eh, debatable,” he joked. “But you know what we both do deserve, without question?”

“Peace and tranquility?”

“Technically true, but not what I was specifically referring too,” Gallus replied much to Silver’s amusement. “No. What we deserve is a night spent having fun with the rest of our friends,” he elaborated, gesturing to the door. “C’mon! We don’t want to be late, right?”

“The party doesn’t start for another ten minutes!”

“Better fashionably early than fashionably late.”

“Oh really? Since when have you ever viewed it that way?”

“Since always!” he claimed.

“Mhmm. Nice try, Gallus, but we both know you only want to get there first so you can take half the candy before anyone can stop you,” she accused, smirking.

Gallus sighed and bemoaned, “Silverstream! How could you!? How could you believe I would ever do such a horrendous thing!?” he asked, opening his door and striding through it.

“Because you did it last year too,” Silver deadpanned, following him into the hallway.

“Nocreature could prove that I did that.”

“That’s because nocreature needed to prove that you did it. We all already knew it was you.”

“And where was the evidence, hmm!? Hmm!?” he asked smugly.

“All unnecessary when the culprit is already known,” she argued.

“The law would very much like to talk to you about that.”

“Well, unfortunately for the law, I’m unavailable. I’ve got a party with my boyfriend to attend.”

“In that case, I think the law can wait up this one time.”

Silver rolled her eyes as Gallus chuckled at his own joke. And as they continued along their way to the Nightmare Night party, she gently leaned against him, drawing a blush from both of their cheeks.


***


Barely half an hour had passed, but by then the party was in full-swing.

Practically every wall had been plastered with spiderwebs, bats, and glowering eyes, and thanks to November Rain, the entire school was permeated by a dark, swirling fog as well.

Inside the school, a veritable banquet of desserts had been erected, consisting of an overload of holiday candy, pies, cakes, and a chocolate fountain. And in the center of it all was a giant statue of Nightmare Moon sculpted out of blueberry rock candy, courtesy of Berry Bliss and Citrine Spark.

Outside, the front courtyard was littered with a variety of Nightmare Night games, from an apple-bobbing arena to even a miniature hedge maze. It was here that most of the students had gone after having retrieved all the candy they could handle, including one group in particular…

“Seriously!? None of you know where she’s from!?” questioned a dark gray unicorn, tossing her black-and-magenta mane.

The others all shook their heads.

“Ugh! Oh well. Not a lot of creatures know about the game, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised,” she told herself, clearly annoyed. “I just didn’t think no one would know it.”

“Sorry, Ocellus,” Silverstream apologized.

“Nah, it’s fine,” she sighed, perking up slightly. “At least I didn’t waste time making a copy of the Unicornomicon and binding a demon to it for nothing. Heh-heh-heh.”

“…What?”

“N-Nothing!” Ocellus shrieked fearfully. “So, uh, w-what about you two!?” she hurriedly deflected, nodding to Yona and Sandbar. “How long have you had your costumes planned?”

“A while,” Sandbar stated, sipping at his fruit punch.

“Yona and Sandbar decide to do couple’s costume long time ago,” Yona continued. “Now, finding perfect couple to dress as…” she trailed off, looking to Sandbar.

“Heh-heh, yeah. That took a while,” he finished, grinning weakly.

“Well, you two look fantastic!” Ocellus praised. “Your costumes are both so detailed!”

Yona wore a beautiful red dress of a distinctly eastern design as well as a set of black high-heeled shoes that matched her wig. Why she also had a fake crossbow was anycreature’s guess.

Sandbar, meanwhile, was dressed in an ordinary police uniform. Although, wrapped around his torso was a set of bloody bandages that frankly made the whole ensemble seem goofy since they were placed on the outside of the uniform.

Still, the sheer abundance of care Yona had put into their outfits was impossible to ignore, so much so that many other students had quietly agreed to go to her for any future costume needs. A fact the yak was very much aware of.

“Aww, thank you, Ocellus!” Yona cheered, beaming in unadulterated pride. “Yona glad to know friends like Yona and Sandbar’s costumes.”

“And we’re happy you liked ours,” Gallus said, happier by that than he was letting on.

“Besides, why wouldn’t we love your costumes?” Silverstream asked, raising an eyebrow. “They’re absolutely beautiful, Yona!”

“Thank you again. What about Ocellus?” she inquired, turning to the disguised changeling. “Was it hard coming up with new form?”

“Not really,” Ocellus said, shaking her head. “It’s a lot easier to change into something if you know what it looks like. It’s when you’re turning into an original form that things get a bit harder.”

“Whoa!” Sandbar gasped in shock. “Guys! Ocellus just explained a bit about how changeling magic works! It took her over two years, but she finally did it!”

“Shut up, Sandbar!” she rebuked, scowling as the others all tittered at her expense. Once they had quieted down, Ocellus asked, “Anyway, what exactly should we do first?”

“Let’s try to find Smolder,” Gallus suggested, looking around for the dragon. “I haven’t seen her anywhere tonight; have any of you?”

“Pretty sure she was helping Shimmy Shake finish setting up the party,” Sandbar suspected. “So by now, she’s probably somewhere out here. Either that, or she’s in Ponyville trying to score a second round of Nightmare Night candy.”

“I doubt that, Sandbar,” Ocellus deadpanned. “Somehow, I get the feeling she learned her lesson after the last time she tried that. After all, Gallus clearly did,” she ended, shooting him a smirk.

“Yeah, well? Spending the night with you guys is way more fun than getting a lecture about cavities from Professor Fluttershy,” Gallus grumbled, finishing off his lollipop.

“I bet,” Silver said, smirking teasingly.

“Whelp!” he groaned, stuffing the rest of his candy into his costume’s pockets. “Smolder’s gotta be around here somewhere, so let’s go find her. Then this party can really get start—”

“Found her,” Sandbar announced flatly, pointing a hoof toward the dragon in question.

The others followed his gaze and saw Smolder standing alongside a mahogany-maned earth pony in a green-and-yellow striped sweater, a mare dressed in a courageous-looking green tunic and hat with a fishing rod at her side, and a midnight black batpony alicorn with a blood-red mane.

“Is that… Shimmy Shake?” Silverstream asked uncertainly, staring at the last pony in particular.

“And Vellum and Scoop from what Yona see. Costumes not half-bad,” she complimented, nodding approvingly.

“What’s with Shimmy’s costume though?” Ocellus wondered aloud. “Batponies can’t become alicorns…can they?”

Yona and Silver were both floored by how not even Ocellus knew the answer to that. Meanwhile, Gallus and Sandbar exchanged an equally exasperated look, both contemplating the same thing.

“One of her ‘attempts’ at an original character?”

“Yep.”

“Thought so.”

“The color scheme?”

“The color scheme.”

“What was that, Gallus?” Silver inquired, returning her attention to the boys.

“Eh, nothing, just thinking out loud. C’mon, let’s go!” Gallus beckoned, continuing further into the courtyard with the others following close behind.

It didn’t take long before they could start hearing the other group’s ongoing conversation…

“Excuse me!” Shimmy Shake cried out indignantly. “Tenebris Stellarum is too a flawed character! He’s the villain for crying out loud!”

“Just because you make him the antagonist doesn’t mean he’s a flawed character!” Vellum argued reproachfully. “And even still! Whatever flaws you gave him need to make him compelling! If you just gave him arbitrary flaws for the sake of giving him arbitrary flaws then that changes nothing!”

“Oh!? Like you know anything about compelling writing!” she challenged.

“I like to think I’ve picked up a thing or two from reading all of our scripts!” he harrumphed, frowning at her. “At least, I’ve read enough to know when a character is an obvious Mary—”

“Oh, look!” Scoop shouted, jerking their heads to stare in the opposite direction. “Silverstream and the others are here! Yaaay!” she sang through a pained smile.

“Yes, Scoop,” Vellum groaned uncomfortably. “I see them. Can you let go of my head now?”

As Scoop reluctantly did as he requested, Smolder turned to her friends and greeted, “Hey, everyone! Happy Nightmare Night!”

“Happy Nightmare Night!” they all echoed back. As the rest of the group finished approaching, Silverstream darted forward and gave Smolder a quick hug.

“Whoa! Careful, Silver, I have a drink!” Smolder yelped, holding the cup up and returning the hug with the other claw. “You okay?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at Silver’s sudden embrace.

“I’m great!” she answered truthfully. “How about you? You still doing alright?”

“I’m fine,” she promised after being freed from her friend. “Sorry about not meeting up with you guys sooner, but Shimmy asked for my help with the party.” Smolder then took a closer look at Silver’s costume and asked, “Uh, are you supposed to be a Washout?”

“Mhmm!”

“Guess you didn’t want to go as a Wonderbolt again after all, huh?”

“Eh-heh-heh, yeah. Professor Dash isn’t here, right?”

“Not that I know. But anyway, how about the rest of you?” Smolder said, turning to properly inspect the others’ costumes. “How are you all…doing?” she ended abruptly, focusing her gaze on Gallus.

“We’re all dressed up, stocked up on candy, and ready for some ‘terrifying times,’” the griffon answered eagerly. “Although, I get the feeling there will never be anything more terrifying than listening to Vellum and Shimmy argue about random junk.”

“We were not arguing about ‘junk’!” Shimmy Shake admonished, outraged. “If you must know, we were arguing about—”

“I don’t need to know,” he interrupted bluntly. “And if I ever do, I can just ask Scoop. She looks like she’s had your conversation seared into her brain,” he half-joked, pointing at the mare.

“Oh please, griffon-boy! As if I were actually paying attention to even half of what they were saying,” Scoop laughed, counting down till Vellum’s response.

“You were still likely paying more attention to my words than Shimmy was.”

“And there it is,” she sighed, disappointed but unsurprised.

“So, you’re a guard, huh?” Smolder suddenly blurted out, cutting off Shimmy’s enraged response.

“Hmm? Oh! Not just a guard! I’m a Royal Guard!” Gallus proclaimed, pride practically radiating from his every feather. “I figured since I’m a big-time hero of Equestria, I might as well look the part.”

“And you certainly succeeded at that,” Scoop casually commented. “I bet Silverstream must love having her own personal knight in shining armor,” she added, shooting the hippogriff a smirk.

“Scoop!” Silver squawked, reddening furiously.

“Why thank you, Scoop,” he said joyfully. “Silver is a princess, so I’m happy to be her knight.”

“Gallus, I keep telling you Skystar is the princess, not me!”

“Well, you’re a princess to me, so…” Gallus countered, grinning as her blush intensified.

“Celestia dang it!” Shimmy pouted vehemently. “How did you do it, Silverstream!? How did you manage to wrangle one of the sweetest guys in the school!?”

“I don’t know. But I do appreciate his sweetness.”

“And I appreciate the compliment,” he said, clearly pleased with himself.

“Oh. Well, do you have any ideas for how I can nab myself somepony as sweet as him?”

“No, Shimmy,” she denied, trying to ignore everycreature else’s snickering. “I don’t.”

“Dang it!”

“I swear, I will never understand romance,” Vellum muttered to himself.

“You’re not the only one,” Ocellus said, stepping around the others. “So, how about you? Anyone know where your costume is from?”

“Not really. You?”

“Nope.”

“Ooh! Let me guess! Let me guess!” Scoop requested excitedly. “You’re… You’re that necromancer guy Gallus said you were a fan of, right?”

Ocellus slowly hid her face in her hooves, groaning in frustration.

“Somehow, I don’t think that was the right answer,” Shimmy said, joining in.

While those four entered into their own discussion off to the side, the others resumed their previous conversation.

“So, Smolder? I see you dressed up as a princess like you said you would,” Gallus observed calmly. “Nice dress too by the way; Yona make it for you?”

Smolder shook her head, never taking her eyes off of him.

“Yona and Professor Rarity not make every dress in Equestria,” Yona refuted, laughing at the idea. “Gallus know that.”

“It really is a nice dress though,” Silver admired. “Must be one of your favorites?”

“Uh-huh…” Smolder answered, barely paying attention. She then shifted her gaze to Yona and Sandbar, visibly paling upon seeing the latter. “A-And you’re an officer too, Sandy?”

“Well, yes. But only because the guy was one in the franchise he belongs too. Yona really outdid herself with the costume though,” he celebrated, nuzzling the yak in question.

“Yeah. Yeah, she did,” Smolder agreed, staring at the bloody bandages wrapped around him. She then shook her head and nervously finished, “Yeah, Yona! Your costumes are awesome!”

“Thank you, Smolder,” she said, giving the dragon a bright smile. “Yona would have been happy to make Smolder her own costume too if friend wanted.”

“Thanks. Sorry that I didn’t go to you; my dress was a bit of a last-minute decision.”

“Smolder not need to apologize; Yona understand completely. In fact, Yona almost run out of time to finish costumes too,” she conspiratorially confided.

“Really? How come?”

“Nothing. Yona just had to make costumes from scratch as well as tend to other things,” she explained, giving Silver a wink. “Yona had just finished one week before Gallus need help.”

“Wait!” Smolder exclaimed, giving Gallus a panicked look. “You needed help!? W-With what!? What did you need help with, Gallus!?” she asked as her wings twitched irritably.

Gallus shared an apprehensive look with Silver before clarifying, “I just needed some help finding a costume is all. Nothing more.”

“O-Oh. Okay,” she murmured, switching her gaze back to Sandbar’s costume before returning it to Gallus and adding, “And you settled on a Royal Guard…?”

“Yep,” he answered, maintaining his collected composure in spite of his growing worry.

“Huh. Seems like a… A peculiar choice for ya,” Smolder laughed strangely. “I would think you’d want to dress up as a Wonderbolt like Silver or something, but a Royal Guard? Heh-heh. So, uh, how long did it take you to settle on that one?”

“Not too long. I found it hiding at the bottom of one of the Drama Club costume bins, and it just kinda clicked. And I’d say I look pretty cool in a set of armor, don’t ya think?” he asked, struggling not to fret over Smolder’s sudden change in disposition.

“Y-Yeah! Very cool!” she said on reflex. “Just, uh…” Smolder blinked, appearing to have just realized something. “Just be careful not to get any dust on it while you stand around in the Royal Palace doing absolutely nothing!” she declared, snorting.

Gallus was taken aback by her sudden joke, but he soon felt emboldened by it, scoffing, “Pfft! As if! There’s no way I would be stuck watching a boring hallway for hours on end! I’d rather be out there, fighting monsters, saving villages; rescuing princesses…!” he concluded, smirking at Silver once again.

“Ugh! I get it, Gallus; I get it! I’m just glad we found a costume for you,” Silver mumbled, struggling to not panic at Smolder’s smoking nostrils.

“You and me both. I would not want to be the only one here without a costume, that’s for sure.”

“And you could totally be wearing a lot worse!” Smolder supposed in a strained voice, unconsciously crushing the cup in her claws.

“You don’t know the half of it, Smolder! Sandbar here suggested I put a white sheet over me and go as a ghost,” Gallus revealed, rolling his eyes at the idea.

Yona gave Sandbar a look of deepest disappointment that prompted him to ask, “What?”

“Sandbar. Honey. No,” she said, shaking her head slowly.

“Huh?”

“Nevermind. Yona just glad Gallus found something decidedly better than that.”

“Yeah. No offense, Sandy, but I’d rather dress up as one of Shimmy Shake’s ‘original characters’ than throw a blanket over myself and pretend to be a ghost.”

“Hey!” Shimmy barked, scowling at what she overheard.

“Sorry, but it’s true. Your characters are more terrifying than the spirits of the dead,” Gallus teased, rekindling her previous outrage. He then turned his attention back on Smolder and flinched back at her sickened expression. “Hey, Smolder? Are you okay?”

“H-Huh!?” she gasped, snapping out of a daze. “Yeah, I’m fine! Totally fine! Don’t worry about me, I just zoned out! Heh-heh-heh.”

Yona, Gallus, and Silver all shared a worried look. Unfortunately, Smolder noticed it and demanded, “What!? What’s wrong!?”

“N-Nothing’s wrong, Smolder!” Gallus reflexively answered, gulping fearfully when it only seemed to make her angrier.

“Then what are you guys staring at each other like that for!?”

“Yona and friends not—”

“We were just sharing a concerned look is all,” Silver explained, reaching out and gently placing a talon on Smolder’s shoulder.

She immediately jerked away from Silver and protested, “And I said I’m fine! Why are you so afraid that I’m not, huh!?”

“Y-You just… You just look kind of pale, so I—”

“So you what!? So you what, Silver!? I’m fine! Unless you’re paranoid that I’m not!” Smolder accused, staring intently at Gallus. “Which… Why would you be…?”

“Uh, Smolder?” Sandbar began in a neutral tone. “I’m pretty nocreature is saying that.”

“Then what are you all saying!?”

“Uh… Nothing? You guys weren’t saying anything like that, were you?” he asked the others.

Smolder froze and looked around her, realizing that everycreature else was staring at her with various looks of confusion and concern. She gulped and started backing away from the crowd.

“Smolder…? Is something wrong?” Shimmy asked as softly as she could.

“No!” Smolder snapped. “Nothing is wrong! I j-just, uh… I, er, I need to use the bathroom!” she deflected, taking another few steps away. “So, uh, if you guys could e-excuse me for a minute…!”

“Smolder, wait! Are you sure you’re okay?” Gallus asked, intending to follow after her.

“Absolutely fine!” she swore, turning around and motioning for him to stop. “You guys stay here; I’ll be back in a jiffy! Promise!”

Gallus paused and slowly stepped back. “O-Okay. But if you need anything just holler.”

Smolder just gave him a claws-up then bolted off toward the school.

After a moment, Scoop voiced the thought on all of their minds, “What the hay was that about?”

“Scoop, don’t be rude!”

“Oh, you’re one to talk, Vellum! Don’t tell me you weren’t asking yourself the same thing!”

“I was, but at least I didn’t actually say it.”

As the two ponies continued to bicker, Ocellus approached her friends and asked, “I missed what happened. Is Smolder alright?”

“Yona think Smolder is… Is…” Yona couldn’t think of an actual answer to the question, so she tried saying, “Yona think Smolder okay. L-Like friend said, Smolder just needed bathroom…?”

“Y-Yeah,” Gallus concurred shakily. “She’s fine. Smolder would let us know if she weren’t, wouldn’t she?” he proposed, turning to Silverstream.

Silver remained silent, trying and failing to stay positive. She had that look again, she recognized, swallowing nervously. The same one Gallus had when…

“I-I don’t know, guys,” Shimmy Shake whispered as she continued to stare after Smolder. “She— She looked really freaked out.”

With one single sentence, everyone’s feeble attempts to remain optimistic shattered completely.

Yona shared an anxious look with Sandbar, debating, “Should Yona and friends go check on her?”

“We probably should,” he agreed. “But what if she freaks out again? Or… What if she really is alright? I wouldn’t want to say something and accidentally make things worse,” he admitted, glancing at Gallus. “Sh-Should we… Should we get…” Sandbar fell silent, leaving his thought unfinished.

“I trust Smolder,” Gallus affirmed. “But yeah. Even if it is nothing, I think we should go make sure she’s alright.”

Ocellus bit her lip for a second before hesitantly whispering, “Gallus? Should I…?” She then looked up at her horn.

As he contemplated her suggestion, Silver stepped forward, stating, “I’ll go check on her.”

“Silverstream?” Gallus whispered uncertainly.

“I-I’m sure it’s nothing,” she assuaged unconvincingly. “But like you said, Gallus, I want to make sure she’s okay too,” she said, trotting away while hiding how afraid she really was.

“Silver, wait. Do you want me to come with you?”

“No! No. Don’t worry, Gallus, everything’s fine, I’m sure!”

They all shared another glance; although, most of their fear had been alleviated. After all, if Silverstream was checking on Smolder then surely nothing would go wrong…right?

“…Okay,” Gallus soon conceded, nodding encouragingly. “See you in a bit then?”

“Of course! See you in a bit!”

Silver then followed after Smolder.


***


Breathe, Silverstream, breathe! she commanded herself as she trotted through the school halls. Everything is fine; I’m just overreacting again! That’s it! Nothing is wrong, so what could Smolder possibly be so upset about? she asked herself, racking her brain for any answer and eventually recalling her “conversation” with the dragon.

It’s because she’s still paranoid… Isn’t it? Silver considered, horrified by that possibility. “But nothing bad has happened lately, so why would she still be paranoid?” she asked, stopping outside the bathroom to mull the question over.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” her memories repeated yet again.

“Ugh! For the last time, yes! Now go have fun on your dates, or whatever it you’re going to go do. I’ll be fine.”

“Alright then. See you later.”

“See ya.”

“No. You weren’t okay, Smolder,” Silver realized, fighting off a terrified shiver. “I knew you weren’t, and I still left you! This— This is all my fault; I should have stayed and helped you!” she whimpered, struggling not to break down into tears.

After taking a moment to regain her composure, Silver gulped and resolved, If this really is my fault then it’s time I fix it! She then quietly opened the door and peered inside, spotting Smolder hunched over the sink, merely washing her face.

Silver took one last deep breath before softly knocking on the door. “Smolder? It’s me. Are you okay?” she gently murmured, stepping into the bathroom. Slow and steady, Silverstream…

Smolder’s body went rigid, and she slowly turned to face her. A cold shiver went down Silver’s spine at the sight of her friend’s reptilian gaze, but she held fast and repeated, “Are you okay?”

Smoke began billowing out of Smolder’s nostrils again as she turned away and growled, “I told you I’m fine! What are you doing here?”

Okay, Silver, be optimistic; we can fix this! We can help her! Everything will be fine! “I wanted to make sure you were okay,” she said, slowly approaching her friend. “And not sick or something.”

“Well, I’m not! I’m still alive, and I’m still perfectly healthy!” Smolder snarled, rinsing her face off again. “Even if you apparently think otherwise.”

Even if Silver wanted to combat that accusation, she knew full-well she couldn’t. Instead, she opted to say, “I’m just worried about you… That’s all.”

“Don’t be!” Smolder ordered, shooting Silverstream another frightening glare. She then turned back to the sink and added, “I’m not the one you should be worried about…”

Please don’t mean what I’m afraid you mean! Silver silently pleaded. “You’re my friend, Smolder. If you’re not okay, then I want to help you if I can.”

“Uh-huh. Sure, you do,” she grumbled, letting the faucet run as she stared into the mirror.

J-Just stay optimistic, she repeated to herself, feeling her stomach churn in worry. “Yes. I really do, Smolder. So, please…! If something’s wrong, please tell me,” she implored.

…

…

…

Smolder took a shuddering breath and uncertainly began, “Have you and Gallus… Have you guys made any progress yet? On his whole ‘future’ thing?”

Okay, she’s talking to me; that’s good! I don’t know why she’s asking that all of the sudden, but at least she’s talking to me! Silver celebrated, nodding. “Yes. He is still trying to decide exactly what he wants to do, but we’ve found a lot of things he’d like to try.”

“Like what?” she inquired, sounding almost afraid.

Managing to remain calm, Silver answered, “Well, like he said, Gallus really has been thinking about joining the Ponyville weather management team. He’s helped them out before and really enjoyed the job; he found it very relaxing.”

For a moment, Smolder was too stunned by that response to speak. Eventually, she regained her voice and urgently asked, “And!? What else!?”

“U-Um? He’s also thinking about helping Headmare Starlight around Princess Twilight’s castle,” she said. “It’s a pretty huge place to keep tidy; plus, it’s kind of Ponyville’s main library since—you know—Tirek blew the other one up,” she ended, grimacing at that recollection.

“So, Gallus wants to be a librarian?” Smolder pondered, cocking her head to one side.

“Like I said, he’s still undecided,” Silver stated honestly.

“Th-Then what is he really considering then!?”

Why is she so hung up on this? I thought she was afraid that Gallus wasn’t okay, so… I don’t understand… “Well, there’s the librarian and weather team. But he’s also considering writing, baseball, the Wonderbolts of course… And recently, he’s been giving baking some serious consideration!” Silver revealed, ecstatic.

“‘Baking’!? Gallus!?” Smolder exclaimed, unable to believe it.

“Yep!” she confirmed, nodding joyfully. She then cupped her beak in her talon and whispered, “Gallus may not look like it, but he makes some fantastic muffins!”

A small chuckle escaped Smolder as she replied, “Speaking of… Weren’t you guys practicing your baking together a while back?”

“Uh-huh! We still do from time-to-time, and Gallus always enjoys himself when we do.” After some hesitation, Silverstream cautiously asked, “Why do you ask?”

“J-Just wondering,” Smolder said, frowning again.

“Oh. … Did you want to practice baking with us too?” she offered hopefully.

Smolder didn’t respond as she was busy drying her face and shutting off the faucet. Afterward, she turned to Silver and wondered, “So, what does he really want to be?”

D-Does she not believe me? “What? Wh-What do you mean?”

“I asked what Gallus wants to be!” she repeated hotly.

“I-I don’t know,” she confessed, taking a step back. “Gallus hasn’t made a decision yet—”

“C’mon, Silver, I’m not an idiot! I know you know, so tell me what he really wants to do!” Smolder demanded. “Don’t lie to me!”

“I’m not lying to you, Smolder! I would never lie to you!” Silver promised, aghast at the mere notion. “I know what Gallus is considering being, but I really don’t know what he truly wants to be!”

Smolder just stared into the mirror again, refusing to look at Silver any longer.

Why does she care so much about this? I don’t understand what’s wrong, Silver lamented, biting her tongue in worry. “S-Sorry that I don’t have a real answer for you.”

“That— That’s not what you should be apologizing for,” Smolder reprimanded ominously, turning back around to glare at her. “What you should be sorry for is letting Gallus wear that stupid getup!”

What? Silver blinked in confusion, inquiring, “You mean his Royal Guard costume?”

“Yes! That thing!”

“Uh…? I don’t understand, Smolder; what’s wrong with his costume choice?”

Smolder ignored the question and stated, “You said you knew some of the things Gallus was considering being.” Silver nodded uncertainly, so Smolder continued, “Okay! Well, if that’s the case… Is one of the things he’s considering the Guard?” she asked, watching Silverstream intently.

“Huh?”

“Don’t play dumb, Silver!” Smolder snapped at her, stepping closer to the hippogriff. “Is Gallus thinking about joining the Royal Guard!?”

What— I— You— What— Silver stammered, failing to follow Smolder’s line of logic. What’s wrong with her!? “U-Uh, yes. I think so…? Why do you—”

Slowly, Smolder reached out and grabbed Silverstream’s shoulders, leaning her face closer until all Silver could see was her slit pupils. “Why?”

Silverstream was scared now; Smolder had never acted like this even at her angriest. Something must have been seriously, undeniably wrong for her to be acting so terrifying. Unfortunately, whatever the issue was, Silver wasn’t privy to it.

Seeking to change that fact, she softly inquired, “Smolder, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t. Dodge. The question,” Smolder commanded as calmly as she possibly could, which wasn’t much. “Why is Gallus considering joining the Guard!?”

Thinking back to that particular day, Silver remembered, “Gallus said it seemed like a good career from what Sandbar and Princess Cadence told him. He thought it might even be fun.”

Smolder’s eye twitched dangerously, and she angrily sneered, “So it was Sandbar and Cadence that made him think joining the Guard would be a good idea, huh!?”

“N-No! No, Gallus thought about joining the Guard entirely on his own!” Silver immediately clarified. “All they did was tell him what being one was like, and he thought he’d be really good at it.”

“Well, he wouldn’t be!”

A part of Silver tried to remind her that she shouldn’t further antagonize the already-enraged Smolder, but the other part urged her to defend her boyfriend. In the end, the latter was victorious.

Silverstream shrugged off Smolder’s grip and rebuked, “Now that was uncalled for, Smolder. Gallus can be whatever he wants to be, and he’d be amazing at whatever he eventually chooses to be!”

“But he shouldn’t be that!” Smolder argued wildly. “He should not be a Royal Guard, and you and the others should not be encouraging him to be one!”

“I didn’t say I was,” Silver pointed out coolly. “Ocellus and I are only helping Gallus figure things out, but his future is ultimately his decision. And I’m going to support him regardless of what choice he makes. … You should do the same.”

“Excuse me?” she muttered unnervingly. “You want me… To what!?” Smolder screamed, leering at Silverstream with her fangs shown in full display.

Silver didn’t remotely back down as she said, “To support him! You’re his friend, Smolder; you should be happy for him no matter what he chooses to be!”

“Are you insane!?” she shouted furiously. “How could I—no! How could you ever be happy that Gallus is considering the freaking Guard!? I thought you loved him!”

After gasping in shock, Silver yelled back, “I do love him!”

“Then why would you ever—EVER!—just sit back and let him join those idiots!”

“The Royal Guards aren’t idiots!”

“You know what I mean!”

“No, Smolder! Frankly, I don’t know what you mean!” Silver acknowledged, intending to find out. “Why does it matter so much to you if he wants to join the Royal Guard!?”

“Why doesn’t it matter to you!? If you ‘love’ him so much, then how could you let him think he needs to— To— To go out there, and— And fight some stupid war!”

“What are you even talking about!? What ‘war’!?”

Smolder stuttered for a second, but she quickly doubled down, roaring, “It doesn’t matter! What matters is that you’re letting him consider joining the Guard!”

“What’s so wrong that!?”

“What’s wrong is that Gallus isn’t some stupid soldier, but you’re just letting him think that he is!” she shrieked, lashing her tail out in frustration. “How could you, Silver!?”

“How could I what!? Let him decide his own future!? Because it’s his future we’re talking about!”

“That’s exactly the point!” she yelled, throwing her claws into the air in frustration. “This isn’t something he should be considering for his future, but you’re letting him consider it anyway!”

“It’s his future!” she emphasized yet again. “Not mine! Nor yours! If he wants to be a Royal Guard, then who am I to tell him ‘no’!?”

“His friend!”

“And what kind of friend would I be if I tried to dictate what Gallus wants for his life!?”

“The kind that actually cares about his life!”

“What does that even mean!?” Silver groaned, running her talons through her mane in frustration. “Of course I care about his life, Smolder! What would make you think I didn’t!”

“Because if you did, you would be talking him out of throwing it away!” Smolder screamed as her eyes watered.

An uncomfortable silence descended on the room as both friends stared at each other.

“What…?” Silver eventually whispered. “What do you mean, Smolder?”

Smolder ignored her and moved toward the door; however, Silver quickly stepped in her way and shakily beseeched, “N-No! No, Smolder, not this time! Please just talk to—”

“Get out of my way!”

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong! Please, Smolder!” she pleaded frantically. “It’s not okay to bottle up your feelings, so please just— Just tell me what’s wrong!”

Something in Smolder seemed to snap because tears finally broke free from her eyes as she answered, “You! That’s what’s wrong! You!”

Completely stupefied by the accusation, Silverstream uselessly whimpered, “W-What?”

“You just had to let him to think that being a warrior was something he should do! Well, now look at him!” Smolder screeched hysterically. “He’s already talking about going to war, and fighting monsters, and being a hero…! Is that why you really let him consider being a Guard?” she questioned as her gaze darkened alarmingly. “So you could think of him as some personal knight in shining armor!?”

“WHAT!?” Silver bellowed, appalled by the insinuation. “I would never— How dare— How could you even— What!?”

“You can’t even admit it!? Tch! You know… I was happy for you two. I thought that you were good for each other,” Smolder growled in a cracked voice. “But no! You’re not! You want to know what kind of friend you are!? You’re the friend that’s willing to let Gallus go out to war and die!”

As her eyes widened in terror, Smolder flung her claws over her maw desperately struggled to figure out what to do next.

Silverstream, meanwhile, just stood there, gaping in shock as she felt every last shred of anger she had accrued drain away. In place of said anger, was a fresh wave of regret and terror.

“Smolder…?” she soon whispered, just barely lifting her claw to reach out to her friend.

With relative ease, Smolder shoved her aside and sprinted out the bathroom door, shouting in a cracked voice, “Just leave me alone!”

“Smolder, wait!” Silver called out, quickly giving chase.


***


“—Well, duh! It means she wants you to buck up and finally take her out for your second date!” Shimmy Shake exclaimed. “You seriously didn’t get that!?”

“No, Shimmy, I didn’t have the faintest idea,” Gallus deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “Of course I knew what Silver meant, but I haven’t finished setting everything up yet!”

“Gallus, we’ve had this conversation before,” Ocellus stated gently. “You know you shouldn’t expect perfection of yourself,” she rebuked, giving him a mildly worried look.

“Yeah, yeah! I know I sound like a hypocrite,” he said dismissively. “But Silverstream deserves perfection, so even if I shouldn’t expect it, I should at least aim for it, shouldn’t I?” For her…

“Gallus, Gallus; Gallus…” Scoop mumbled as she shook her head in disappointment. “It’s not about whether the date is perfect or not. Silverstream literally couldn’t care less.”

Yona nodded in agreement and vouched, “Scoop right. Silver told Yona herself that she not care if date terrible so long as she spend time with Gallus.”

“She said that!?” Gallus and Shimmy asked simultaneously.

“Mhmm!”

“That’s Silverstream for ya,” Scoop said proudly while Gallus gulped. “So, what’s it gonna be griffon boy?” she continued, frowning sternly. “You gonna keep making the hippogriff of your dreams suffer in silence, waiting on your scrawny flank, or are you gonna buckle down and give her the time of her life?”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to— I am trying to give her the best night I can, but— I mean—” Gallus said, too flustered to finish his thoughts fully.

“Okay, okay!” Sandbar interrupted, giving Gallus a reassuring pat on the back. “C’mon, guys, give him a chance to think.”

Gallus gave him a grateful smile and took a deep breath, recollecting his thoughts. “Look,” he began solemnly. “I know I’m dragging my paws on this, and believe me! I don’t like it either…”

“If that’s the case, why are you taking so long?” Shimmy asked far more gently.

“Or better yet? Why not ask Silver to assist you?” Vellum proposed. “You need help, and she’d enjoy having a talon in the planning process,” he ended, receiving a validating nod from Scoop.

“Actually, I do plan to talk to her once I’ve finished everything,” he clarified.

“I see you remembered Advice Number Eighteen,” Scoop acknowledged bluntly. “Smart.”

“Yeah, I know. As for what the problem is…?” Gallus trailed off, looking away uncomfortably. It’s okay, Gallus, he told himself, hesitantly confessing, “I’m still trying to get the Bits for everything.”

Everycreature shared a surprised look before staring back at him sympathetically.

“What? Dude, I thought you said you were almost done saving up for the restaurant?”

“And I am, Sandbar. Turns out, if you do a lot of odd jobs around Ponyville you can really rack up the coins,” he said, shrugging. “Who knew?”

“That’s why you started helping out the weather management team…” Ocellus whispered in realization.

“Hold on! You just said that you didn’t have all the Bits for the date,” Scoop said, befuddled. “But now you’re saying you do?”

“For the second date? Yes,” Gallus confirmed. “For the third, fourth, and however many else? No. Right now, I can’t even afford tickets to a Wonderbolt show,” he sighed, sounding almost ashamed. “And she did say she’d like to go to one when I asked…”

Scoop cursed under breath. “Sorry, Gallus. I didn’t know you were hurting for Bits. … I-I have some allowance saved up if you need it,” she offered.

“Thanks, but no,” he politely refused. “I appreciate it, but I’d prefer earning the Bits myself.”

“Gallus certain? Yona and friends more than willing to help if Gallus ask!”

“I’m certain. But thanks anyway, guys.”

“Of course. Just let us know if that changes,” Vellum requested neutrally. “I respect that you wish to earn your own keep, but you shouldn’t deny yourself aid should you need it,” he advised.

Gallus was as shocked as everycreature else by Vellum’s words, but he quickly smiled and said, “Thanks, Vellum. I will.”

“I should hope so. But, if I may? There is one thing I’d like to ask?” Gallus nodded, so Vellum tentatively inquired, “Why are you preparing for all these future dates? You’ve only been together for a few months and have yet to go on your second official date. I’m simply curious as to why you’re putting so much thought and effort into a rather far-off future?”

“Dude!” Scoop barked, scowling at Vellum.

“What?” he asked innocently.

She just groaned at his romance-related ineptitude; whereas, Gallus chuckled nervously. “The truth is, Vellum…? I’ve been thinking about my future a lot lately. What I want to do after we all graduate, who I want to be… You know, that sort of thing.”

“Okay. And?”

“And every time I think about it, I realize that I want Silverstream there with me,” Gallus explained happily. “Wherever I am or whatever I’m doing… I want to be there with her.”

His declaration was met with stunned silence.

“W-What? Was that too corny or something?”

“Sweet! Celestia!” Shimmy shouted as her eyes twinkled in glee. “Are you seriously planning out not just a bunch of future dates, but an entire future life with Silverstream!?”

“W-Well, I have a lot of other stuff I need to sort out first before I can, but when I get that done? … Yeah. Yeah, I would like to do that,” he admitted bashfully.

“And you genuinely mean that?” Vellum asked, raising an eyebrow. “You’re being entirely honest right now?”

“Yes. I am.”

“You sly griffon!” Scoop bellowed, slapping him across the back. “First you get relationship advice from Princess Cadence! Then you remember to take her to Silver Frames’ Gallery on our trip to Canterlot! And now you’re saving up for a possible life with her!? Hot damn is Silverstream lucky!”

“Scoop, watch your language!”

“Oh, shut up! You’ve said worse!”

“You’ve no proof of such slanderous accusations!” Vellum harrumphed indignantly, turning his gaze away from Scoop and toward the school.

“Okay, but seriously!” Shimmy sang, hopping excitedly. “Like! Can we take a moment and talk about the fact that Gallus is actually considering a long-term commitment with Silver!? Seriously, that is the most adorable thing ever!”

“Heh-heh-heh,” Gallus laughed, blushing faintly.

“Oh Celestia! He’s blushing too!” Scoop acknowledged. “Oh my goodness! Silver is… Oh, she’s just the luckiest girl in the world!”

“Well, she’s certainly the prettiest,” he said serenely. And the kindest. And the best. And the—

Yona wrapped a hoof around him, pulling him out of his thoughts and into her joyful hug as she proclaimed, “Gallus and Silverstream will be fantastic couple! Yona know that for sure!”

“I think we all know that,” Ocellus agreed as Sandbar nodded. “But still… Gallus?”

“You don’t have to say anything, Ocellus,” Gallus assured, sighing in defeat. “I know I can’t expect everything to go perfectly; I just… I really want to give her the best time I can, you know?”

“Don’t worry, Gallus, I understand,” she promised, placing a comforting hoof on his shoulder. “But don’t forget that you don’t have to be perfect,” Ocellus requested, giving him a knowing stare.

“I won’t. Besides, you’re right,” he recognized, resolute. “As much as I really want everything to go smoothly, I can’t keep her waiting. So, unless some unforeseen disaster strikes? I think it’s time I finally get the second date ready.”

“That’s our boy!” Scoop yelled, giving him a friendly nudge. “Now, come on! Tell us what you’ve got planned so we can help you out!”

“Well, the first thing I’m planning to do is not tell you anything, Scoop, since I know you’ll just spoil it for Silver,” Gallus acknowledged, smirking evilly.

“Dang it! What’s it gonna take to make you spill the beans, griffon-boy!?”

Before Gallus could retort, Vellum suddenly blurted out, “Guys!” Once he had their attention, he pointed toward the Friendship School. “They’re back!”

All eyes turned to see Smolder sprint out of the school and come to a stop in the middle of the courtyard, panting and frantically wiping at her eyes.

“Smolder!?” Gallus cried out, already taking a step toward her.

She flinched and locked eyes with him, hurriedly backing away from the group; however, she immediately froze as her name was called out yet again.

“Smolder! Smolder, wait!” Silverstream begged, coming to a stop just behind the disheveled dragon and quickly gasping for breath. “Please, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Just talk to—”

Smolder rounded on Silver and screamed, “LEAVE! ME! ALONE!” at the top of her lungs. Not even waiting for a response, she spread her wings and disappeared into the dark sky above.

Scoop and Vellum both cussed as Gallus ran toward his petrified girlfriend.

“Silver!?” Gallus shouted, reaching out and holding her as she sank to the ground, staring after Smolder. “Silverstream, what happened!? Are you alright!?”

“I-I-I… I just w-wanted to make s-sure she was okay,” Silver whimpered, turning to Gallus with tears in her eyes. “B-B-But she— Sh-She— She w-wasn’t— She wouldn’t—”

“Hey, hey, hey! It’s okay, Silver,” he reassured, pulling her into a comforting hug. Hearing the others approach, Gallus turned and silently shook his head, requesting their silence. Luckily, they all understood the message, so Gallus turned back and nuzzled Silver closely as she wept into his shoulder. “It’s okay, Silverstream,” he whispered soothingly. “I’m here. I’m here, Silver…”

What the peck happened!?