"Okay, what's wrong?" Spring River asked, setting a plate of cookies down.
"Huh?" Both Gallus and Sandbar looked up from their dining room table.
"It's just after a week from giving you the tour, I can't help but notice that you boys seemed… well, distant. Did something happen?"
"Kinda," Sandbar replied, picking up a chocolate chip cookie. He hesitated for a moment before explaining further. "It's just… we've found a way to make peace with the fact that we're… you know."
"Yes, dead, Sandy. It's not a taboo subject."
"Sorry, we're still new to this."
"I know, but that's not what's gotten you boys down, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Gallus mindlessly munched on a cookie. "So, question for you: what did you do after you ended up here?"
"Oh." Spring River blinking, "Is that what this is about?"
"Well, the thing is-” Gallus took a moment to swallow "-all that stuff we were so concerned about in life? Well, its kinda pointless now. I mean one day, we’re turning in assignments on time, passing a test, defeating the monster of the week. And suddenly we get killed in one fell swoop, and even after coming to terms of pushing up daisies… well, now what? I know that for many, just getting here is the end goal. But when you do get here, what do you do with the rest of eternity?"
Spring sat down next to them. "Well, whatever you want. Just because you're dead doesn't mean that you can't keep on living. I mean, there are folks in this town alone that continue what they're familiar with in life. For example, down in Sweet Apple Acres, the family doesn't need to tend to the apples or harvest them. Yet, they do it because it's what they know and love to do. Sandbar, your grandfather never attended college after we got married, but here, he was able to graduate."
"Sure but…" Sandbar sighed, "it doesn't exactly feel like home without our friends being here. Besides, the school isn't here. And since we don't need to fight any monsters or mad super villains, there's not much for us to do here."
His grandmother hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe there is."
"What?" both Sandbar and Gallus tilted their heads.
"As it so happens, there's a tradition here in Heaven. That those newly arrived would be set off on their own to travel wherever they roam, to find a new meaning in the afterlife. Think of it as a rite of passage."
"Wait," Sandbar raised a hoof, "I thought you've already given us the tour?"
"Around Equestria, yes. Even then, it doesn't begin to cover what's here. Or outside of Equestria, for that matter. After all, the world - especially in Heaven - is a vast place."
"But where would we go?" Gallus questioned. "And wouldn't we need to pack for something that big and expensive?"
The grandmother laughed, "Dearie, you don't need to pack. Don't you know you can take this home with you? There's a way that you can fold all of this up and carry it around in your pocket. But I'm getting off track. The point is that you'll be free to go anywhere. Carry yourselves by the winds and waters, roam in a forest, explore the deserts, climb mountains, or sail across oceans. Perhaps you'll take up fishing, become a monk, finish your schooling, or find someone to settle down with. You'll cease being Wandering Spirits when you find out what you want to do with your afterlife."
"Wandering Spirits?" Sandbar blinked in confusion.
"It's the name for those who undergo the tradition," she smiled. "In a way, it's like a glorified road trip, but I would encourage both of you to undergo it. I think it’ll be good for you. Why it's the first thing my husband and I did when we got back together. And the places we went to! Southern Prance, the Fillypine Islands, Istanbull, Casaflanka, Griffonstone, Shangha-"
Gallus's ears perked up, "Sorry, what was that part?"
"Shanghay?"
"No, the one before that. Did you go to Griffonstone? Why? That place is a dump. I should know. I lived there."
"Maybe in the mortal world, but not here. You see, in Heaven, all those ancient civilizations like Southern Equestria or the Pegasi Empire - not only are they still around, but they've thrived. With Griffonstone, they say it looked better than it did at its height. It's a beautiful place to go to.
"But even then, there are so many things you could do on this journey. There're festivals you can see, battles you can fight without dying, go to concerts from musicians that have passed on. Maybe visit the more truly unique places in Heaven. Like the What If library in Griffonstone. Or visit the Past Lives museum where, if you were reincarnated, you could see what you did from long ago. I think that one's in... Shire Lanka? Perhaps you might come across Life and Death in their office if you want to know what the meaning of existence is."
Sandbar blinked, "Life and Death?"
His grandmother nodded, "They're a married couple. Life could tell you endless stories where you'll never get bored, and Death, she has a wicked dry sense of humor." She said before taking a cookie. "Oh, and by the way, all of that stuff is just from the top of my head. There's so much more in Heaven than what's on the surface."
Sandbar looked over to his friend, "I think we should do this."
"What? This Wandering Spirits thing? You heard what your grandma said. We could put our lives back together, go back to school without saving the world all the time. But you wanna do that?"
"Why not? There's nothing really to tie us down anyway. We don't have to go to school or get a job unless we want to. Nothing is making us, and we could go wherever, do whatever. It'll be like the ultimate vacation where we can travel anywhere and carry this place with us. So c'mon, where do you wanna go?"
"You're serious?"
"Yeah! Where have you always wanted to go but never got the chance? Mexicolt? Istally? The Frozen North? Just name a place, and let's go there."
Gallus let out an exhausted sigh, running a claw over his head. "Dude, I mean… if Heaven's roughly the same size as our world, just getting to any of those places will take a while."
"As the old saying goes," Spring commented after eating another cookie. "Sometimes, it's not just the destination, but the journey that makes travel so meaningful. Even if it takes years, I recommend both of you should still go. It'll be good for you. In fact, we'll throw a going away party before you set off to this wide world."
"Please…" Sandbar begged as a foal would to a parent. Gallus stared back at those sea emerald, puppy eyes. The griffon could swear that those eyes shone like diamonds. This look of innocence, this modest plea for a new kind of adventure, warmed his heart. It's not easy to say no to something like that.
"Alright, you've twisted my arm. We'll head out tomorrow."
"Yes!" Sandbar hugged his friend tightly. "This is gonna be so much fun!"
In that moment of his friend's embrace, Gallus could swear that his cheeks were feeling warm. Not that he wasn't happy for Sandbar - he was - especially to be this up close to the excited pony. At the same time, that haunting feeling returned, where his heart pumped something anxiously welcoming. It was as if in that moment when Sandbar was tightening his hug, that Gallus could almost hear the whisper of Silverstream's promise in his ear.
Spring applauded. "Wonderful! I must get the family together for the big send-off. In the meantime, how about you two start figuring out where you're going to be heading off first?” Getting up to steal a few more cookies, she added, "Sandbar, your grandfather is gonna be so proud of you!"
"You're leaving?" Sandbar asked. "Right now?"
"Well, there's so much to do in such little time. But I'll worry about that while you boys come up with some idea where you're going," she kissed her grandson's forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow."
After they said goodbye and his grandmother left, Sandbar turned to Gallus. "You haven't answered my question. Where do you like to go?"
Gallus munched on another cookie in thought. Upon swallowing, he replied, "Probably a sandy beach with no one on it."
The memory of the farewell party was still fresh in Gallus and Sandbar's minds. A family gathering that wished them luck with their wanderings through Heaven. But if they were being honest, their memories of it were somewhat blurry. There were hugs and hoofshakes, along with countless suggestions of where they might go in case they ran out of ideas. Before they left, they were gifted with a compass that guided them towards the destination they're heading towards instead of pointing north.
As for packing, it was less of a hassle than they thought. Next to the crystal front door, there was an imprint of a leaf that looked identical to their home's leaves. So plucking one of the leaves and inserting it into the imprint, they watched with amazement the branches, windows, and trunk of the treehouse shrunk before their eyes. All of it was getting smaller and smaller, folding itself ever more compact until their home reverted into a walnut. They found it was light and that they could carry their home with everything in it anywhere with them.
After the final goodbye from Sandbar's family, the two set off flying towards their first of many destinations - the Fillypines. They set up their home a short trot away from a beach that looked like the kind they have often seen on advertisements and postcards. A clean, white sandy beach that stretched for miles without any sign of another soul around. The sand was powdery but never hot to the touch. Above them, the sun shined down with a warm but never baking light. Now and then, a straying cloud hovers by. A gentle breeze carried the distant scent of banana, coconut, orange blossom, and sea salt in the air. The waves of the sea were soft, and the horizon beyond being flat. And by the beach, a line of palms swayed with the breeze.
It was on these palms that Gallus and Sandbar lay in hammocks, their heads resting on pillows, a freshly made smoothie in coconuts in their hoof and claw. All the while, a small radio played soft love songs in the Fillypinian language. Neither of them understood what the singers were saying, but it sounded nice.
"Ya know," Gallus commented, looking straight up at the twin palms that held him, watching the leaves sway, "I don't think I've ever been to a beach like this when I was alive."
"No?" Sandbar looked over to him. "Not even at Mount Aris?"
"I mean, I've never been to a tropical one before, especially when the water isn't cold when you step in. Unless you're a seapony, the water there is icy. I guess it has its charms but nothing like this place."
"That makes sense," Sandbar nodded. "Back when I was growing up, my parents would take me along the Equestrian beaches up and down, both east and west coast. Every time I went, I was struck by how different the beaches were. Like near the south, it's kinda like this with sand and warmer water. But up north, they tend to get more rocky and cold."
"Wait, why did your parents drag you along?"
"Partly because I've always had a soft spot for the sea, and partly because it was my parents job at the time. Marine biologists. I've learned a lot from them, like how to swim, what sea creatures were safe and which weren't, how to build sandcastles, and even how to sail at one point. Kinda sad that we stopped doing that."
Gallus looked over to Sandbar, "Do you miss it?"
"On some days, yeah. But then when I went to the School of Friendship, I ended up finding you guys. Sure, I'll miss those days by the sea; but weirdly, I think I value being around you guys near the lake more. I guess just being with the friends you care about makes a whole world of difference."
"Yeah…" Gallus looked away towards the waves that ebbed to and fro. "Hey Sandbar? Mind if I ask you something personal?"
Sandbar shifted in his hammock. "How personal is personal?"
"Close enough, I guess, but I was thinking about how you said that you're… Pansexual? Isn't it?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, how come you didn't say anything like that when we were alive?"
Sandbar raised an eyebrow. "I thought I did."
"Have you?"
"I… Yeah. Yeah, I did. I came out with it last year."
"When?"
"I don't know… I think before summer break last year. Don't you remember? That time when we went camping near the Castle of the Two Sisters. When we were roasting marshmallows that night, I came out to you guys. As I recall, Smolder was confused as she never heard of the term before. She thought that it meant that I was attracted to pots and pans." He chuckled.
"Huh…" Gallus blinked. "All I remember was listening to a story from Silverstream all night. Something about the history of the Hippogriff Kingdom, I think? Chances are I was probably distracted, and that piece of info went over my head." Then after a beat, he added, "Uh… dumb question. What does Pansexual mean again?"
"Well, I like the one that Starlight gave - she was the one that helped piece it together."
'Of course, she did.' Gallus thought, but he heard his friend answer.
"It means that I'm capable of having an emotional, sexual (or both) attraction to any sex and gender of another, regardless of who it is. That on some level, I can find nearly anyone appealing and appreciate someone for who they are. Mind you, that's the oversimplified explanation."
"Is that right…"
"What about you?"
"Huh?"
"With you just coming out as bisexual, how come you didn't come out when we were alive?" For a long time, he didn't hear a response from his friend. All heard were the breeze and the call of seagulls. "Gallus?"
"It's… complicated."
Sandbar sat up a bit. "How come?"
Gallus didn’t reply for a long, awkward pause. "You might think it's stupid."
"Well, what is it?"
The griffon breathed deeply, "For the most part… I was afraid… and embarrassed."
"Why?"
"Oh, where do I begin? Where do I end?" Gallus rolled over to look at Sandbar. "For starters, in Griffonstone where I grew up, the whole being gay thing, like being flamboyant, being interested in stuff girls were into, or just being a little too… friendly with someone the same sex as you... Let's just say that it wasn't a tolerable place. And you know what? For a long, long time, I bought into that. I had believed that being gay was the worst thing ever. In Griffonstone, if you were even suspected of having that kind of attraction... Well, you're not gonna live very long."
Laying down to look overhead, he continued. "So by the time when I entered school, I've always thought I was straight. I mean, I liked girls before, so I had no reason to be thinking otherwise…"
Sandbar raised an eyebrow, "But…?"
Gallus sighed, "Let's just say… that before I got to know Silver a little better… there was a student there that threw me into doubt. Turned my world upside-down while giving it a good shake."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Gallus nodded, looking away to hide his blush, pausing for a moment to think of his next words carefully, "the guy… as embarrassing as this is to admit it... he was my first real crush, y-he unintentionally for me put two and two together. Of course, my heart still went to Silverstream, but ever since, I kept in mind that I wasn't entirely… straight."
"But why didn't you tell any of us before? I mean, does Starlight know?"
Gallus shook his head, "It's a secret that I took to the grave. I didn't say anything because if I did, I thought I might not have friends anymore. I thought I might not have a decent education if they knew. Or if I went back to Griffonstone with everygriff knowing that I liked guys too, I might as well paint a target on my chest. I know not being able to come out is soul-crushing, but it's the price I'm willing to pay for things like safety, food, shelter, education, friendship… even love itself. I thought it would be worth it."
"Dude, we wouldn't have minded. Even if someone like Silverstream knew, I'd bet she wouldn't have seen it as a deal-breaker. I mean, when I came out a year ago, did you ever see any of the girls acting any differently towards me?"
"Well… no."
"We would still have accepted you for who you are. You're our friend, and even finding yourself liking dudes wouldn't change that." Gallus muttered something under his breath, but Sandbar didn't hear it. "By the way, who was it?"
"Who?"
"That first crush of yours." Gallus's face turned bright red. "Is it someone we know?"
".... Well… maybe."
Sandbar smirked, "Handsome?"
Gallus didn't reply.
"C'mon dude, you can tell me."
"It wouldn't have mattered," Gallus grumbled. "Because uh… I found out later he liked someone else."
"Oh…" Sandbar's ears folded flat against his head. "I'm sorry."
"No… I never got the chance to tell 'em either. It wouldn't have worked out anyway. Wouldn't… like me back."
"Okay, now you're just being unfair with yourself."
Gallus rolled over on his side to face his friend. "What does that mean?"
"Well, I think you are lovable, probably more than you give yourself credit for. If not Silverstream, then any creature else would have been lucky to have you."
"Over what?" Gallus questioned with a cocked eyebrow. "What about me that anyone insane enough would see me as lovable?"
Sandbar swung his hindlegs to sit on the edge of the hammock without falling out. "Let's see… For starters - and to be blunt - maybe it's because I don't know many griffons, but you have a body to die for."
Gallus's eyebrow remained as high as his skepticism. "Are you referring to the movie theater incident?"
"Hey, I'm just saying," Sandbar held up his forehooves. "Your feline butt aside, you uh… (how do I put this…?) You're overall… fit."
"Fit?"
"Yeah, I mean you've always kept yourself healthy and have a good amount of muscles that makes you so well balanced. Sure, you're no bodybuilder, but I like how strong you get. But you never go crazy with it. Your claws could easily break something, but you're always gentle with them, even when you could do otherwise. And your eyes? Well, they're the same color as the ocean, but I can see that they're the kind where it could be vulnerable with you if you let it."
Gallus blushed but tried to hide it, "Yeah? Is that all?"
"No. There are other things too, besides the physical stuff. Now I can't speak for everyone, but personally, I like how resourceful you are when the occasion calls for it. I like how you tried to keep all of us together, even when we don't always agree. In a way, we've always felt safe around you when we were in trouble. That you told us the truth about ourselves, regardless if we wanted to hear it. You are in some ways mature, but not so much that you're a stick-in-the-mud. I know you wanted to present yourself as this tough guy, but really, it's during those times when you trust us enough to be vulnerable that really says a lot more.
"Point being," he smiled, "if I can pick out all of those traits that I find loveable, surely someone else would too."
"Would…" Gallus started to ask but trailed off. "Forget it."
"What?"
"Nevermind," Gallus sat up from his hammock. "I'm starting to think we might start thinking about where to go next."
Sandbar raised an eyebrow, "Changing the subject, are we? Well, it sounds like you're trying to avoid-"
"Can we please figure out where we're going next?" Gallus interrupted.
A thought came to Sandbar before he replied back. It was clear from his friend's body language that he seemed uncomfortable. For the most part, he realized that Gallus couldn't look at him in the eye while he explained his friend's lovable side. He was hiding something, Sandbar realized. On the other hoof, it wasn’t out of character for Gallus as he was the more mysterious type. Someone who wouldn’t reveal all his cards at once, so to speak. However, it didn’t prevent Sandbar from wondering what was eating him.
".... Sure." Sandbar finally said, hopping out of the hammock and onto the sand. "Where would you like to go next?"
"Where's the map?"
"In your claw."
"Huh?" Gallus looked down to see that he was holding the Heavenly pamphlet. "I swear the laws of reality are broken some days…" He muttered as he unfolded it. "Maybe we should do something interesting."
"Yeah? What do you have in mind?"
Humming, Gallus eyed over the map of Heaven. There were exotic places they could go to, but the griffon was in the mood for something thrilling. Not like going on a roller coaster nor being pushed over in a barrel down Neighegra Falls. Something where the danger is great, but the concern is low.
Then, up north between Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom's lands, Gallus spotted the territory of the Old Helm. There near the snowy ground, he spotted the name of a place that filled him with ideas. Smiling, he folded up the pamphlet and got off the hammock. "Let's pack up the house. We're heading North-West."
"Why?" Sandbar questioned, "Where are we going?"
Gallus looked back at him, his mischievous grin growing more expansive, "Oh, to a little place called... Valhalla."
To the east of Trottingham and north of the old Griffon Kingdom where the land meets the sea, the dry grassland meets the snow, lays a battlefield. Gallus and Sandbar flew near and were struck by how massive this land was fenced off. It was a single land area encompassing portions of the sea, a mountain, parts of forests, hills, and grassland. It was the size of a city, yet it lay barren save for the noticeable creators, broken weapons and armor, and war machines that were unguarded.
Above this was a massive storm cloud that hovered over this piece of land. Connected between it and the ground was a rainbow bridge where souls were escorted upwards. So flying just above the bridge, they were led to a floating island above the storm. The first thing they noticed was a tall, golden tree with bright red leaves that shaded a massive hall with a scally roof made up of hundreds of thousands of golden shields. Eventually, they found themselves in an enormous hall with hundreds of doors and gates. Entering inside, they saw that all around them was constructed and pieces together from weapons from its walls to the doorknobs. The columns from the eastern gate were made out of cannons, the titanic twin doors were forged with thousands of swords, and even the floor they entered was covered with spear staffs and arrows.
"I gotta admit," Sandbar commented as they entered the great hall, "Valhalla is so metal. I could think of so many punk bands that would kill to perform here."
"Tell me about it," Gallus agreed, "This place is like every war nut's dream come true."
Upon entering the vast hall, there wasn't a part of Valhalla that wasn't decorated with the instruments of war. Such as a hearth of raring fire made out of cannonballs or chandeliers welded together with bayonets. On the ceiling, crossbows served as rafters to hold up the shields along with bows of every kind, size, and description. There were tables and benches made of armor that were flattened out with chain mail strewn over like tablecloths.
Yet, all around, they saw soldiers from different places and periods of time. Even historical enemies who not only were in the same room but they played games together, drank in contests, and even engaged in some roughhousing with whatever weapons they'd picked up. It was, in a way, very surreal, and that was saying something considering what they've seen in the afterlife so far. They saw Neighpoleon in the middle of an intense game of chess with Julius Kaiser. Over by one of the mammoth barrels of mead, a unicorn knight was toasting his drink with a dragon. And on one of the tables, armed with a spear and an eye-shamed shield, a Zebra spar off with a tomahawk wielding buffalo.
"Looks like we found out what Smolder's idea of Heaven is," Gallus joked.
"I've noticed." Sandbar observed, stopping just in time as an ax flew past him and hit one of the columns. "So remind me why we're here again?"
"Because of something I've wanted to do ever since I found out this place is real, something about what I heard about Vallhalla."
"Isn't this supposed to be the resting place for fallen warriors?"
"That, but from what I've heard, there's a story behind this place. It's said that between now and Ragnarok, these guys have ways of training themselves when it happens by having a battle every day."
"Not on Wednesdays because that's our movie night," spoke a new voice. The two of them looked behind them to see an old but strong griffon. Twice the size of Gallus, this silvery red griff had on heavy Viking armor made of heavy chainmail with a leathery outer layer. On his head was a silvery helmet that fused with a light, winged crown. However, most noticeable of all was the two ravens perched on his shoulders and a scar that forever closed one eye. "And it's a real treat when we get to make fun of a poorly made film that depicts war." He chuckled, "That 300 movie never stood a chance."
Gallus blinked, ".… You're not-"
"Odin?" The gigantic griffon replied with a chirp. "All-Father of the Gods, Husband of Frigg, life-giver, God of War and Knowledge, Mr. One-Eye… I could go on, but yup! That's me." He patted them on the back. "I was beginning to wonder when either of you would show up."
"You were expecting us?" Sandbar asked, taken aback.
"Well, from what I've gathered, you two are warriors with a common cause. Frankly, I'm shocked neither of you entered these gates sooner." He turned to Gallus, "You, while being cornered, fended off foes in those caves with nothing more than your wits, and you," he turned to Sandbar, "Got your friends out to safety and not abandoning him. Such deeds have earned a place of honor."
Sandbar blinked. "How did you know-"
"The ravens," Gallus interrupted with a snap of his talons. "I almost forgot, in mythology, the ravens tend to act as spies for Odin."
"In a sense," Odin replied matter-of-factly. "They also tell me that you've taken up the journey of Wandering Spirits and that you were heading this way." He patted them on the back. "Your timing is most excellent because soon, we are about to begin our war games. Today's capture the flag. Would either of you care to join in?"
"Wait, neither of us has had any official martial trai-"
Before Gallus could finish, Odin snapped his talons. Instantly, memories of fighting in armed combat entered their heads as if a book got crammed inside. There was a brief moment where the two had a headache, but soon that faded.
"Um... how do I suddenly know how to kill a pony in sixteen different ways with just my hooves alone?" Sandbar asked.
"And why do I know ancient sword techniques from the Warlords Era?" Gallus asked.
Odin chuckled before answering. "'Tiss nothing more than a small boost of knowledge I have given you. A simple handicap to help you in the fight. Over time you'll develop your own skills the more you come here, but for now, I'd like your first experience to be fun. Now then!" With a wave of his claw, Sandbar found himself wearing red knight-like armor similar to the guards at Canterlot, while Gallus wore a set of blue leather armor and cape. "What weapons would you like to have?"
".... Um, a spear, I guess?" Gallus said before, out of the skies, a spear landed in front of him like a bolt of lighting. It was bright gold with a jeweled encrusted blade. Taking it into his claws, Gallus swung it around and did some air jabs like he had been training with the weapon since birth. "Woah, cool!"
"And for you, Sandbar?" Odin asked.
"Hmm, I suppose the classic sword and shield?" A flash of white light appeared before Sandbar, and he found his front right hoof holding a silver shield with his cutie mark on it while sheathed around his waist was a blue-handled sword with an angel-like wing design for the handle. Pulling it out with his teeth, the sword was also silver with some runes on it.
"Now that you are both armed and ready, are there any other questions before you begin your first battle?" Odin asked.
"Um, I guess one," Sandbar asked. "We're already dead, so what happens if you… get killed in battle?"
"Oh, you shall be placed in a death-like sleep until the match is over. Don't worry. You won't feel anything serious. Just a pinch, and then you'll be out like a candle," Odin said before raising his claws. "Now, let us begin our glorious combat!"
Strikes of lightning smite both of heaven's new residents along with several others and warped them away before Odin himself disappeared in a flash.
Both armies stood, waiting for that signal that would begin the fight. Blue and Red stood across from one another, separated by a grassy field. These armies were made up of every kind of warrior throughout history. A collage of soldiers stood ready, from cave ponies with bone clubs to the more modern snipers that waited in the threes. Here a legion of plated Pegsi from the old Empire positioned above. There, a cavalry of Samurai was contemplating strategy.
Behind these armies, proudly presented on hills, were the flags of each respecting army. At the foot of each hill, they were heavily guarded by those who had gunpowder-based weapons. Standing in position behind a trench, with cannons loaded and bayonets fixed. The final line of defense if those with more ancient weapons fail.
In the Red Army, Sandbar scanned the field, wondering where Gallus might be. Yet, so many were participating in this battle that he couldn't easily pick out where among hundreds, perhaps thousands, he was. All he knew was that this battle's goal was simple - capture the enemy's flag, and you win the game.
Then, somewhere from above, a trumpet sounded, singling for both armies to charge. Knights galloped towards a militia of musket welding hoof soldiers. Dragons were flying towards Ancient Southern Equestrian archers. It was a confusion of clanging swords, exploding cannons, twinging of arrows, shouts of orders, banging of shields, roars of fire and gas. Limbs were chopped, rows of soldiers shot, explosions created holes in the ground, and yet, neither side gave way to the other.
Among the fury, Sandbar charged. He followed their example of unsheathing their swords with the other warriors beside him, galloping at full speed towards the oncoming army. Tunnel-visioned, he galloped straight through the clashes of tumbling bodies, over the fire, and swords towards the hill. There were many close calls now and then among the chaos. Blades that came dangerously close to his neck, cannonballs almost tossed him aside, and arrows that nearly hit their target. Fortunately, the other soldiers provided tremendous help as they either took the hit or blocked those blows when he didn't notice them.
It was a whirlwind of confusion as weapons, bodies, and earth seemed to rain down. Time has become lost amongst the fighting, as each side clashes, trying to pass the other to get to the hills. Bullets, cannonballs, arrows from every direction whizzed and banged - in front, behind, the left, and the right. It was like trying to run during an earthquake. Although Sandbar wasn't too sure if he saw blood, he saw limbs and heads being chopped and cleaved. At times he could swear that he saw limbs beneath him. But he wasn't confident as one thought ruled above all else - get to the other side.
Even among this intense fighting, Sandbar kept his eyes peeled for Gallus. Perhaps he'd been hit already, or maybe he could attempt to ambush him at any moment.
Then, as he got close enough towards the enemy's hill, just enough that he could see the wall of sandbags, he saw him. With a section of the trench blown into a creator, Gallus bravely stood his ground, desperately doing all he could to keep the Red Army back. With the spear in his claws, he jabbed, spun, and stabbed anyone who dared to come near. Sandbar could see that his friend was heaving as if he was doing this for hours, fending off waves upon waves of warriors without taking a breath.
Clenching onto his weapons, Sandbar charged at the nearly exhausted griffon. He was screaming out a warcry with the shield in front and sword raised. It didn't catch Gallus off guard, but he acted quickly. The griffon swiftly ducked while swinging his spear, thus tripping the young stallion. But before he could be killed, Sandbar, thinking fast, raised his shield in time. The spear was stopped, but the tip went straight through the protection. So Sandbar pulled the shield off, taking the spear away and leaving Gallus unarmed. Once he was up, the stallion charged with his sword about to hack at the griffon's head.
But Gallus wasn't ready to give up. His talons felt the dirt beneath him and tossed it in Sandbar's face. Now blinded, Gallus got out of the way to disarm his friend, knocking the sword to the ground. Sandbar, with dirt in his eye and at full gallop, ran into the sandbag wall. While the stallion tried to whip the soil from his eyes quickly, Gallus took hold of the sword and jumped at his friend. One claw at Sandbar's neck, and the other pointing the blade at his face.
Wide-eyed, Sandbar knew what was coming next. In this battle, he was about to be killed by his friend. And yet, among the chaos and the thought that all was lost, something curious happened.
Gallus hesitated. Although it would have been so easy just to end him right there, the griffon froze. In all the times that Sandbar knew him, especially when it came to things like saving the world, Gallus wasn't the kind to shy away defending his friends, yet now...
However, before either of them could react, Gallus cried out in pain as two arrows from somewhere in the battle hit him right in the spine. On instinct, Sandbar grabbed Gallus before he could fall and held him as the griffin began to cough. Despite feeling no blood in the wound, Sandbar could tell the arrows were deep as Gallus' eyes slowly began to close.
Even though he knew that Gallus wouldn't be dead for real, seeing such a realistic rendition of death made Sandbar flashback to the cave. The bolts of energy that burned the flesh of his friend as he lay dying on Sandbar's back. Gallus' eyes finally closed as he let out one last breath before going limp in Sandbar's hooves. A single tear dripped down Sandbar's cheek, despite the idea of knowing this was a game. Yet, for some reason, it didn't feel like a game anymore.
Sandbar didn't think long afterward as something went right through his own back and through his chest. Looking down, he saw a sharp spear going right through where his heart was before blacking out. Sandbar's limp body fell on top of Gallus' as the bloody conflict continued around them without caring for their lifeless bodies.
So the battle raged on for another two hours until, at last, the blue army claimed the red flag on the other hill. A trumpet sounded, and it was over. In an instant, Gallus woke up and felt something sitting on top of his stomach. Groaning, his eyes opened before winding as he felt his breath-hold. There, inches before him, was Sandbar's face all pale and lifeless with his lips close to his own. The griffin blushed upon seeing just how close he had come to kissing Sandbar, or rather Sandbar still in his death state.
Seeing the pony's color returning to his face and slowly waking up, Gallus gently helped them both up as Sandbar shook his head. "Wait, is it over?"
"Yeah, looks like we got killed," Gallus said as he saw other soldiers from both sides congratulating and saluting each other as if they just finished a sport. "You know, it was kinda fun… until we had to face each other."
"Well, I'm kinda surprised," Sandbar said as the two walked off the battlefield. "You had me right there, and you didn't kill me. Why?"
".... I just couldn't do it," Gallus admitted, shrugging. "I mean, I know you would have been fine, but still… I kinda feel like I let my team down now."
"Well, if it helps, I think I kinda would have hesitated as well," Sandbar admitted with a smile. "Still, despite that happening, I really got a sense of adrenaline. Do you… want to do another round?"
".... If we do, then we need to be ready to kill the other one," Gallus pointed out. "We can't hesitate… so..."
"So what?" Sandbar asked.
"What do you say we duel a few times? To the death? At least until we've killed each other at least once," Gallus suggested. "That way, we can get used to the idea of fighting and murdering the other on the battlefield. 'Cause I kinda want to give it my all both to the team and to you."
"Hmm, okay!" Sandbar chirped. "Let's find Odin and see if he can give us a place to duel for a bit."
The two nodded to each other and proceeded to look for the ancient god.
As it turns out, in Valhalla, there is a room meant for dueling. Odin led Gallus and Sandbar to a large room wherein there was a deep hole with sand in the bottom.
"I partially got the idea from the Pegasi," Odin explained, "with the gladiatorial games, it made me think we could use them for more one-on-one fights."
"Okay," Gallus raised an eyebrow, "So why the hole?"
"With Valhalla being made entirely out of weapons, I prefer to keep this great hall standing without everyone disassembling it. Besides, the pit will make it so that both of you will have only your weapons, and it wouldn't make such a big mess."
"Kinda weird considering what we've been through today," Sandbar pointed out.
"To be fair, the pit was my wife's idea. So," he turned to them. "What will be your weapons? The blade, the bullet, or by your own hooves and claws?"
Looking about the room, they saw that, like the rest of the great hall, it too was made of weapons. As they eyed the countless firearms, shields, and armor built-in, Gallus eyed the door they entered through. "What about these?" From it, he pulled out a rapier with a sharpened point at the end.
"Ah, the gentlecolt's weapon." Odin commented, "Flimsy for my tastes, but they do provide some entertaining fights."
Gallus pulled out another from the door and handed one to Sandbar. Now armed, the two jumped into the sandy pit, with Odin looking over from above.
"Just remember young ones," the god told them, "when you see the moment to strike, do not hesitate."
Positioning themselves from one another, they crossed swords.
"You ready?" Sandbar asked.
Gallus tapped his blade. "Yeah. No holding back now."
Odin raised his claw. "And… fight!"
There was a beat as they both anticipated the other to make the first move. Sandbar jabbed first, but Gallus dodged out of the way. Although their blades were thin, they rang out in the pit as they hit one another as quickly as lightning. Rapiers blocked and slapped the other away, yet neither side could get that vulnerable spot to make the kill.
"You know, dude," Sandbar commented, "I thought you would be better at this."
"Funny," Gallus smirked, "I was gonna say the same thing about you."
Gallus brought his sword down, but Sandbar blocked the move. The two moved around the sandy pit, each trying to get ahold of the other yet unable to give way. Each was trying to think ahead of the other and yet defending themselves from each jab and slash.
Both sides knew that they couldn't keep this up. Eventually, one of them would make a mistake.
It took a while, but Gallus did spot that mistake. Several times, his friend would try to hack at him from above, leaving him unguarded below. Gallus fell forward, bringing his blade from underneath with that momentum, he couldn't stop himself from stabbing Sandbar - even if he wanted to.
Sandbar's breath was cut short, and looking down, the rapier had buried itself deep in a lung. Gallus even seemed shocked to see that he had actually done it. Dragging the blade out, Sandbar held the area where he was stabbed, stumbling back a bit before collapsing on his side. His eyes slowly shut, and he went limp with even his angel wings stopped fluttering.
For a minute, Gallus just stood there and stared at the body of his friend. "S-Sandbar? Y-You're just faking, rig-"
Suddenly, a heavenly glow coming from the body as slowly a spirit-like appearance of Sandbar emerged from the motionless body. It landed on the ground before a final sputter of light made what appeared to be a perfect clone of the earth pony stand there in confusion. Gallus, wide-eyed, slowly walked over and poked an equally stunned Sandbar with his talon. "Um, what the living Hell just happened?"
"I… don't know," Sandbar admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. "I suddenly felt cold, collapsed, and was in a dark void before a bright light shined, and I found myself here again."
"Okay, if you are here, then who's that?" Gallus asked, pointing to the dead body of his friend.
"Is that… me? Am I dead? Again?" Sandbar asked. He walked over to the body and inspected every part of it from the head to the flank. He even lifted his rear legs and let them plop to the floor-like stone. Poking his clone's cutie mark, Sandbar turned the other Sandbar onto his back and pressed his head against the chest. "No heartbeat. I think he is dead."
"But you already died," Gallus pointed out. "How can you be dead twice?"
"Oh, I see you discovered that little feature," Odin shouted from above. The two looked up and saw him waving from above. "Yeah, it's a neat little gizmo the angels made for a laugh a while ago. Previously, if you got stabbed or shot or something on you, you would just heal up. But sometimes, your previous body will drop dead for real before a new one of you is made. And before you ask, no, you are still the same, soul and all. You just got reborn again."
"Why would anyone want that?" Sandbar asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Eh, creatures develop some weird morbid sense of humor up here," Odin said before leaving. "I have to go check up on something. You boys can just fly your way out when you're done."
The two looked at each other and then at the now-dead Sandbar clone. Upon hearing the words "morbid humor," Gallus snorted. "Hey, check this out." He picked up Dead Sandbar and placed his claw under the jaw, and started to open the mouth open and close. Using his best impression of Sandbar's voice, he said, "Hi, I'm Sandbar. I totally like to catch the waves and get in tune with mother nature and all that jazz, man."
"One, I do not say stuff like that," Sandbar said, but even he couldn't help but smirk. "And two, that's just creepy. I feel violated seeing you do that to me… or the dead me, I should say."
"Oh, come on," Gallus said, dropping the body. "We're already dead. What's wrong with a little grim humor? I'd let you do it to me."
Sandbar grinned as he grabbed his sword. "Really?" Before Gallus could react, Sandbar quickly cut with his blade against Gallus' throat. The griffin gasped and held his neck despite no blood coming out. He slowly fell onto his stomach, breathing his last gasp before his eyes closed. A few seconds later, his body also began to glow before a clone of him appeared soon after from the corpse.
Sandbar, getting the dead body of the griffin, propped him up and started moving his beak. "Hello! I'm Gallus! I'm loud, crude, rude, and have an ego the size of Canterlot. I also like to smell my own farts because that's how much I'm in love with myself."
"Oh, ha-ha," Gallus said, rolling his eyes. "For the record, I at least can mimic your voice. Plus, I look more handsome than you, alive or dead."
The two looked at each other before looking at their now dead angel versions of themselves. "So, what should we do? Odin didn't tell us how to get rid of them."
"Well, I don't think they'd be happy if we leave them here so... let's bring them out of this hole," Gallus suggested as he grabbed Dead Sandbar while Sandbar grabbed Dead Gallus. Flying upwards, the two reached the top and placed them on the floor next to each other.
"So now what do we do?" Gallus asked, making his way to the door. "Want to do another match or… Sandbar?"
He looked back and saw Sandbar staring at the two dead copies of themselves, who lay there silently in an almost peaceful manner. Walking over to his friend, Gallus asked, "You okay, buddy?"
"Huh? Yeah, it's just… still kinda hitting me that I'm dead and all," Sandbar said as he gazed over at his dead copy. "A bit unreal, really."
"Yeah," Gallus said with a heavy sigh. "But… there isn't much we can do about it."
".... You know what we haven't done?" Sandbar said with a severe expression. "We've said our goodbyes back home. We even saw those we loved back home say their farewells to us. But you know who we haven't said it to? Ourselves."
"Ourselves?"
Sandbar sighed and pointed to the dead copies. "Look, this is gonna sound a bit… weird, but I kinda think we should give these guys… our own farewell to them."
"You want to give a funeral to ourselves?" Gallus questioned, eyebrow raised.
"Nothing so dramatic like a full-on service, just some kinda send-off. To say something to both of us, you and me, to the old Sandbar and Gallus," Sandbar answered. "Look, we've accepted that our past lives are over. It would be a good way to get everything off our shoulders if we just say what needs to be said to ourselves and each other. A final farewell to who we once were and to look at what we'll become here in the afterlife." Sighing, he rubbed the back of his leg. "Maybe it's just stupid, but..."
"No," Gallus said as he walked over and slowly hugged his friend. "It's not stupid. I… I get what you're saying, and there are some things… I guess I kinda need to get off my chest too..."
".... How about we go find Odin and find a private place to do this? We can even do it Viking-style with a funeral pyre and all."
The two nodded as they both took their deceased copies and carried them on their backs while looking for the god.
South of Valhalla, next to the Griffon Kingdom's borders, two souls were putting together a funeral. In an isolated field where the grass is greener with summer flowers while the stoic mountains stand in the background, Gallus and Sandbar gathered whatever scraps of wood they could find. Their cold bodies lay on a stony bed before they piled the wood up methodically. Structuring it so that it didn't look like they were just thrown on, each piece was laid and propped up like an open coffin. For good measure, they then turned to the field itself to stuff those empty spaces with dried grass and wildflowers.
However, the final touch was that after getting some paint from the house they've been carrying, they took the last pieces of wood to mark the other's pyre. Sandbar painted feathers in a light blue color while Gallus three sea turtles in green.
A further search of the house and they found the last two things they needed before the funeral - lamp oil and a box of matches.
Once they doused the pyres in the flammable oil, they stood back. Although they knew what was to come next, neither was ready to strike a match just yet.
".... So uh…" Gallus looked over to Sandbar, who spoke up, his voice quiet and dry. After a cough, he asked, "Should we… say something first?"
"I… I think so…" Gallus scratched his head. "Not gonna lie, this is the most surreal thing in my life… afterlife - whatever this is. I…" He sighed, "Strangely, this is probably the hardest thing I've ever done."
"In what way?"
"Well," he waved at the pyres. "That, for one. And… I get to do something that I've been dreading to do."
Sandbar tilted his head, "Burying us?"
"Saying goodbye. I know it's not exactly you underneath all that wood but…"
Looking between him and the pyres, he asked, "Do you want me to go first?"
Gallus nodded.
"Okay…" Sandbar paused for a long time, trying to come up with the words. "At first… I thought Gallus was a jerk."
This got a look from his friend as if to say, "Seriously?"
"Hear me out. When I bumped into him, I thought he was this rude griffon who didn't want to be at the School of Friendship yet, for one reason or another, he did. When I found out that we're going to be in the same dorm for most of the school year... yeah, I wasn't looking forward to that either. Even with the early days of school when they didn't know what they were doing, I thought it would just suck.
"That was… until the day that we just decided to skip it. Not just with him, but with the girls too. Take some time away from those boring lessons and just… lighten up a bit. On that day by the lake, I found out that those creatures, Gallus included, may be different in all sorts of ways, but if you took the time, you'd find that all of them have good hearts. Yeah, Gallus may be the kind that acts tough, and nothing in the world gets to him. He may have a sense of humor that could cut the world in half if you piss him off enough," this made Gallus smirk, "and out of all of us, he was a real mystery. For a while, none of us knew what he was going through. Maybe we'll never know the full extent of what happened to him before he became our friend.
"But for the Gallus, I got to know, he turned my idea of what Griffons were like upside-down. He wasn't the greedy, self-centered creature that some make him out to be. No, the Gallus I came to know was someone who used his creativity to get us out in a jam. That at the end of the day, and maybe he wouldn't admit it, but he always put his friends first. He was complicated. He didn't show us everything, but what we saw was enough. Now that he's gone… my only regret was that I didn't get to know him better."
Gallus was silent, yet he turned away so that his friend wouldn't see the blush from the mountains of compliments he was hearing.
"My friend is many things," Sandbar continued, "a smart guy, a great friend, a hero. I don't know how long the world would remember him and all the things he's done. Even what I have to say will more than likely be over looked years and years from now. But what he's done was to sacrifice himself to keep the world safe and free so that countless innocents wouldn't have to."
Sandbar finished, the wind passing by them in the silence.
However, the stallion's ears perked up, hearing quiet, suppressed sobs from his friend. "Dude, are you crying?"
"N-No!" Gallus furiously rubbed his eyes. "Just… give me a minute."
"Was that too much?"
Sniffing, Gallus turned to face him. "No, I just… didn't think I would hear that."
"Well… do you want to have your say? Or should we go ahead and-"
"Wait, hold on." Gallus cleared his throat, "Yeah, I have something to say."
He took a moment to think before opening his beak. "When I was younger, I used to think that there was no happy future for me. I had no parents. No friends. Nobody even cared about me. I sometimes wondered if my life was even worth living. When I learned I had been chosen to go to the Friendship Academy. I thought it was going to be a waste of time." He chuckled. "Turns out it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got to meet so many new friends that became more than just buddies of mine. They became the family I never had, and one of them was someone I ended up caring for a lot. That was Sandbar." He gazed over to his blushing pony friend. "He didn't care who you were, where you were from, or what your past was. He was just kind and gentle to you and wanted to be your friend. I admit I didn't give the best first impressions, but slowly the two of us managed to become friends, and in some ways… he became the closest thing to a brother I ever had."
Gallus closed his eyes, smiling at all the happy memories they had. He felt about his best friend and how much Gallus wished they were more but content with what they were currently. "Saving the world and doing homework was cool and all, but it was better with Sandbar. In some ways, he was kind of the glue that held our gang together. Whenever a problem was going on between us, he would always make sure to bring us back together. He was the most loyal friend you could ask for. He even died trying to save my sorry butt… even though it got him killed in the end."
Sighing, Gallus looked down. "In some ways, I kinda wished I died alone and that he lived. The world needs guys like Sandbar more often and, while I know he doesn't blame me, I can't help but blame myself for his death."
"Dude, you know that's-" Gallus put his claw up.
"Yet, I can't change what's happened. So at the very least, I'm glad that I didn't die alone. I died with one of my best friends. One that I'm glad to have known both in life and in death. And I promise that, so long as eternity exists, I'm going to do everything to make him smile here in the afterlife. The same way he made me smile back home among the living."
Sandbar smiled, "At least I know I would be in good claws."
"Yeah," Gallus nodded, looking down at the box of matches he was holding. "So… You want to do the honors or should I?"
After giving it some thought, Sandbar told him that he should do it.
So pulling out a match from the box and striking it, Gallus first went over to Sandbar's pyre. "Goodbye, Sandbar." He said before dropping the match between the wooden spaces and onto the dried grass. Stepping back, they watched as smoke began to spew out between the wood.
Gallus pulled out another match, "Your turn."
Taking the match in his teeth, his friend held the box steady to strike it. Once lit, Sandbar walked over to Gallus's pyre to drop it. "I'll see you later, dude." He stepped back as smoke rose from it.
With the sun going down in Heaven, two friends watched the fire consume their old bodies. In a solemn moment, side by side, they felt the warmth of the flames, witnessing the past being destroyed. Of course, they know that, in a way, they have given birth to a new start. Whatever demons that had haunted them, whatever problem and secrets they thought were essential to keep. It, too, was going up in flames. Strangely, before they left those fields for good, they were indeed given a second chance at life, even in death. Whatever may happen in the future, they can go forward knowing that they're now cut off from the past.
Though their journey to their future will be a long one, they went to bed that night knowing they had taken the first step.