“Heh, another hor dourve, Sandy?” Gallus asked
“Mm, yes please!” Sandbar reached for one, smiling as he ate it. “Mm, Gallus, this is amazing!”
Gallus giggled and blushed. “I’m glad you like it.”
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever had!”
Gallus smiled and leaned over to nuzzle him. Sandbar chuckled.
“How long did this take you? Three days?”
“Heh, don’t even ask me, I don’t know.” Gallus chuckled, and Sandbar snuggled up against him.
“Thank you for this. It means a lot you did this for me. Especially with all the crazy stuff we’ve gone through.” Sandbar murmured
Gallus gulped nervously, feeling guilty. “Y-Yeah…”
Sandbar giggled and kissed his cheek. Gallus held him tight, smiling as the nerves disappeared.
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“Where is she?” Pharynx muttered, pacing around. Maybe the class had run long or something, or he was early because he’d ended the practice early.
As Pharynx paced around the room, he tripped over a bag. He sat up and shook himself, then noticed something tucked under Tempest’s bed.
“What the…?” Pharynx lit up his horn and pulled it out. “Tempest’s spellbook?”
“Phar, I’m here, sorry I’m late, I-” Tempest broke off as she saw him standing up with the book.
Pharynx glared up at her. “I thought you weren’t using this.”
“Phar, I-I’m not!”
Pharynx opened it to some of the marked pages.
“Blonde mane spell. Speed reading spell… cooking spell?” Pharynx tossed the book onto the bed. “And I thought you were fitting in perfectly.”
“Th-The cooking spell was for Gallus, he asked me to-”
“Look at you, you’re using any excuse to cast spells!”
Tempest sighed and took a breath. She closed her eyes and her horn sparked. “Take back this moment as it passes. Return it, reverse it-”
“Tempest are you seriously trying to spell me right now?!”
“Pharynx this has been so hard for me!”
“It’s been hard for me too Temp! Some things are hard, that’s just life!” Pharynx shouted “I thought we were getting through this together…”
“Phar, we… we are in this together.”
“We’re not.” Pharynx snarled. “You’ve been keeping secrets and lying to me, just like… just like back there. I thought we were done with that part of our life. This isn’t the Hidden Isle, Temp.”
“Believe me, I know that!” Tempest shouted
“Then why are you doing this? Any of this?” Pharynx stepped closer and flicked her blonde mane. “This isn’t you, why are you acting like it is?!”
“Because I have to! I have to, I’m not a pretty pink princess and I never will be!” Tempest screamed. “But everyone expects me to be! To fit in, to act like one of them! Well, I’m not, I’m a fake!”
“Yes. You are.” Pharynx grabbed the book and shoved it at her before stalking out.
“Ph-Pharynx?” Tempest asked softly.
“Come find me when you figure out who the real you is.” Pharynx spat, leaving and slamming the door.
Tempest gasped, then grabbed her spellbook. Tears began dripping down her face as she gathered her things. Pencils, notebooks, and a photo of her and her friends during the coronation afterparty went into her bag. She slung it over her back and headed for the door, then muttered a spell.
“Take the feast, the sumptuous meal, and change it back to what was real.”
Tempest looked around.
“I don’t belong here anymore… I never did.” she muttered.
Then, she was out the door, and gone.
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As Gallus and Sandbar were talking, something flashed, and when they looked back, Sandbar’s jaw fell open.
“G-Gal…”
Gallus let go of Sandbar and backed away. Sandbar reached and picked up the single daisy sandwich and looked at the glass of lemonade beside it.
“Gal, what is this? What happened to the… wait, did you-”
Gallus hung his head. “I… I’m sorry Sandy…”
“You… you tricked me?” Sandbar asked
“I didn’t mean to…” Gallus looked up with tears in his eyes. “There’s just so much to remember and I completely forgot about today and then Tempest offered to help me and… and…”
Sandbar took a bite of the sandwich, then smiled. “It’s still good.”
“What?”
“The sandwich. It’s good.” Sandbar set it down and went to Gallus. “I get it. It’s not easy having to learn all these things and keep track of everything. I nearly forgot about today too, until the order for your goggles came in.”
Gallus wiped his eyes. “But I still… I lied…”
“For a good reason.” Sandbar hugged him. “It’s okay. Now how about we just try to enjoy the rest of today?”
Gallus sniffled and nodded. Sandbar kissed his forehead gently.
“I love you Gally.”
Gallus hesitated. “I… Sand, I…”
“Guys!” Luna ran up. “Tempest is gone!”
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Tempest took a breath. She was standing on the edge of a cliff, wearing her cloak again. She held up the spellbook.
“I stand here, proud and fair. I can go anywhere.” she spoke aloud.
Tempest tucked the book away and reached out a foreleg, stepping onto the air. Her hoof hit the air and a small glow emerged. She kept her horn charged up and took another step. It was giving her a solid-but invisible-bridge. She smiled and ran over the water, heading for the Isle in the distance.
She made it there and galloped into the marketplace, pulling up the hood on her cloak. She smirked as she saw a poster of her and her friends, which had been vandalized. She blasted it with her horn, leaving a scorch mark in its place.
“That’s better…” she sighed, though she knew the blast itself would be the last she’d make for a while. Tempest could already feel the barrier blocking her powerful magic.
Tempest headed down an alley, finding a familiar sign. Beware: Flying rocks. She chuckled and lifted one in her crackling magic, launching it at the sign. The sign was pushed back and caused a door to open. Tempest smirked and headed into the opening, beginning to climb the stairs behind it.