//------------------------------// // An Actress's attention // Story: The Way of the Play // by PonyPixel //------------------------------// The next day arrived, and everyone was already at the cafeteria to get some breakfast. The students were very excited about it, especially creatures from beyond, for they get to experience it for the first time. When it comes to rehearsals, it’s a lot of hard work. As Coral grabbed her tray of food, she carried it and met up with Pyther, who was still covered in green dye. She then sat down beside her. “Good morning,” Coral greeted. “Mornin’,” Pyther greeted back “How's the dye on your scales?” Coral asked. “Doing fine,” the dragoness responded. "Emma said that I should be careful not to get it wet, or else it’ll be wiped away." “You've got spare dye, right?” “Of course. You thought I would try and go weeks without showers? I'd smell worse than a muddy yak.” While the two friends were feeling cheery, Gallus wasn’t. He rested his head on his talons while stirring his cereal. Sandbar sat beside him as he was a little concerned. “Good morning, Gallus,” Sandbar greeted. The blue griffon turned to see him sitting. “Oh, hey there,” he replied with a gloomy tone. “Are you okay?” the colt asked. The griffon just glanced at his friend again before going back to staring at his cereal. “I choked last night,” he sighed. “I had a good chance to have a nice talk with Silverstream, but I blew it.” “How bad?” “She just… left… to do homework.” The griffon sighed as he held a spoonful of his cereal up to his face. “This is soggy now.” He placed his spoon in his bowl and left it on the table to see if he could get anything else to eat. Silverstream watched him walk by and felt too awkward to talk with him. She simply flew over to where she saw the cheer squad and sat with him. The girls could see their friend’s long face and Shimmy Shake decided to speak first. “What's wrong, Silverstream?” she asked. The bubbly hippogriff who looked rather still took a deep breath before responded. “It’s just… uhh… Do you think I could have some… dating advice?” she asked. This was surprising to some of them, except for Smolder, Yona, and Ocellus, who already knew the predicament. Shimmy Shake smiled as she continued. “I see. I can help out. Meet me in my dorm after breakfast and we'll talk.” This managed to bring a smile to Silverstream's face. After eating, the girls met up in Shimmy Shake's dorm room to talk privately. “Okay, so how long do we have before rehearsals start?” Smolder asked. “Only a few hours,” Shimmy Shake responded. “Anyways, Silver, who's the boy you're having trouble with?” “It's… It’s Gallus,” the hippogriff muttered. “Gallus!?” the girls gasped. “It's true,” Ocellus confirmed. “He even told me that he was feeling the same way.” “That's… interesting,” Shimmy Shake commented. “So, what should Silver do?” Grace the griffon asked. “A date... or hang out.” “We already tried that,” Silverstream stated. “It got awkward, so I just bailed.” The hippogriff sighed at her mistake, though her friends were still supporting her. “Yona remembers mess up at Pony Pal Dance,” Yona reminded. “Disaster then Yona and Sandbar get alone better.” “That's true,” Smolder commented. “I mean, you saw what happened before Celly and I started dating.” The dragoness rubbed her head as she didn't exactly enjoy remembering ‘certain’ events. “And I remember my first date with Pate,” Shimmy Shake added. “First time doesn't seem to be everything.” Silverstream could see that her friends were right. “Yeah, I should try talking with Gallus again,” she said. “Maybe we can have a proper hangout.” “After classes, of course,” Ocellus noted. “Oh, I'm sure I'll be able to talk with him before they're over. Thanks, girls.” Silverstream smiled and quickly flew out of the dorm room as Lighthoof had a curious question. “So, I know that half of us are dating,” Lighthoof spoke, “but what about you guys?” Peridot, Dotta, and Grace simply shrugged. During their classes, Silverstream tried to talk with Gallus. However, the blue griffon was awfully silent and wouldn't respond. Silverstream thought he was just focusing on his lessons, though she had a feeling this wasn't the case. Most of the time, Gallus wouldn't even look at her. When it was time for rehearsals, Gallus flew off backstage and got himself dressed up as the monster. Sandbar was also with him getting into his outfit as Light Touch as he had to ask why his friend was so down. “Look, you and Silver could've had it worse,” he noted. “How?” Gallus questioned. “You could’ve caused damage as Yona or Smolder did. I'm not trying to make them sound bad, but you get the idea, right?” The griffon nodded as he put on his fake wings over his real ones. Sandbar only had to put on his fake horn, gloves, and vest, as the rest of his costume wasn't finished. Rarity ran past them as she looked like she was in a hurry. “Um, Professor Rarity…” “Sorry, Sandbar” the mare apologized. “I've been sent a letter that one of my employees in Canterlot has reported ill. Now, I have to come in and help out.” “But… what about the costumes?" “I've put Yona in charge of them. I've also told her to ask one of the other professors just in case she needs help. Now, I have to go.” Without another word, Rarity ran off to the train station, hoping to catch the next ride to Canterlot. Hearing Rarity said that Yona was in charge made Sandbar worried, so he walked over to the sewing station, where Yona was a little stressed. “Are you okay?” the colt asked his girlfriend. “Yona didn’t have luck last time,” the yak responded with a stressed tone. “Maybe, Yona just wait for Rare Pony to get back?” “That could take a long time. Surely, you have to remember what she taught you.” The yak didn't seem to have a lot of confidence. “Let's start with something simple. How about something like a pair of pants, like for my costume.” Yona could see what he meant, looking at the unfinished costume. “Yona will try.” “That's more I like it. I'm going to check to see if I'm needed on stage. I’ll be back.” Sandbar walked away, leaving Yona to her work, which she wasn't wanting to do by herself. Meanwhile, Pate was talking with Sulcus, who hadn't been on stage that much. “I haven't gotten that much practice,” the pink changeling said. “I'm sure it'll be your turn soon,” Pate reassured. “Although I'm still having issues remembering my lines.” “Well, I think I have the character, Flake, down. I just need my costume, and that’s it.” “Same here.” Both had seen Rarity running towards the train station, so they would probably be in for a long wait. “It’s going to be a long wait, isn’t it?” “Maybe.” Ocellus walked over to them. “Hey, Sulcus, it's time,” she called. The pink changeling smiled as he quickly flew to the stage, where Ocellus caught up with him. They doubled checked their lines before placing the scripts away. “You two ready?” Starlight asked. “Ready,” both changelings responded. The two changelings got into their spots. Smolder and Silverstream were waiting for them to get ready. Silverstream rested her head on the unfinished bed and pretended that she had been crying. A knock at the door could be heard. Wiping her tears away, she went to answer it. Opening the door, Ocellus and Sulcus walked in, though they didn't have their outfits, Silverstream pretended they were a teapot and teacup, respectively. “Oh... What?” “We're sorry for the poor hospitality, dear,” Ocellus apologized. “It's been a while since we've had guests.” Since they were playing like a living tea set, the hippogriff was surprised. “This isn't possible.” She ended up backing up into Smolder, who was once again dressed as a living wardrobe. “It probably shouldn't, yet here we are,” the dragoness spoke. The hippogriff nearly bumped into a wall when Sulcus, playing as Flake, spoke up. “I told you she'd freak out mom,” the changeling playing a teacup responded. “Flake, I told you that attitude will never do.” While they performed, Yona was still trying to make an outfit. She looked to be making progress on Sandbar's pants when she accidentally stitched one of the pant legs closed. The yak groaned in frustration as she didn't want to start over so she just grabbed some scissors and cut the stitching to reopen the hole. Sandbar, who was waiting for one of his scenes, could see the yak bringing over the finished pants. Sandbar slipped them on and could see something was missing. “Um... Yona, I think Professor Rarity said there were supposed to be cutie marks on these,” Sandbar informed. Realizing her mistake, Yona rammed into a nearby tree with a grunt of anger. “Calm down, Yona, it’s an easy fix.” The two walked over to the sewing machine to fix this when they saw Diamond Shine muttering to herself. “What Diamond Pony doing?” Yona asked. “I'm waiting for my costume,” Diamond Shine replied. “I played as the old mare, remember?” Yona gave a low brow as she wasn't liking the tone. “Pony could say 'please'.” Diamond Shine just groaned before she showed a picture of what the old mare looked like. It was with another pony that appeared to be a glowing alicorn. “This is the mare’s true form,” Sandbar commented. The designs of their dresses were a little complex, more than Yona had made. “Maybe we should postpone the outfit first until Rarity gets back.” “No, Yona can handle it,” the yak proclaimed. “Are you sure?” “Yona sure!” She picked up the pictures that Diamond Shine had left her and looked for the rolls of materials that matched the colors of the outfit. Diamond Shine decided to inspect how the others were doing. Silverstream was enjoying playing the role of Golden Aura. She knew she wouldn't stop now, but the crystal pony wanted that part desperately. She looked around for anything that could get her out of the play. She could see Gus heading backstage with a couple of snacks, along with Ravi. “You sure it's okay to spend those bits on these snacks?” the buffalo questioned. “Hey, I was the one who got those bits,” Gus responded. “Besides, we volunteered for this, so this junk food will count as payment.” Diamond Shine went to investigate and met up with the boys. Gus simply looked at her before speaking. “Before you ask, we couldn't find anything that was priced in triple digits.” “It's not that,” Diamond Shine said. “Why did you buy all of these snacks?” “I bought these for the students going out of their way to put on a show for all the creatures coming over here.” He placed the snacks he was carrying down on a table as Ravi did the same thing. Diamond took a look at the variety of snacks they had to offer. The crystal pony thought for a minute before making a plan. “You sure our professors won't be mad?” Ravi questioned. “I think they'd be mad at me instead of you.” The boys walked away, leaving Diamond to pick up some of the goods they left behind and looked for an extra ingredient. Later, Silverstream and her friends finished their scene and went to grab something to drink. Most of them got some water, though Silverstream took notice of the variety of snacks that Gus and Ravi had bought. “Guys, look at all of these!” the hippogriff cheered. The students gathered around the snacks on the table and all took a piece. “Oh boy!” Sulcus exclaimed. “After all of that practice, I need to have a quick snack.” “Me too,” Smolder added with a grin. The hippogriff was having a hard time picking which snack she would pick. Diamond Shine tapped her shoulder and Silverstream looked towards the crystal pony, who was holding a chocolate bar. “Hi, Silver,” Diamond Shine said. “Hello, Diamond,” Silverstream replied. “What is it?” “I know you're not going to drop off, so I'm just going to leave this for you, and I'll try and be the best witch I can.” She gave the chocolate bar to Silverstream, then walked away. Silverstream was a little confused as she didn't know Diamond Shine would just ‘give up’ like this. Then again, she knew the professors wouldn't let her away easily. Instead, she just took a bite out of the chocolate bar, which she would find out would be a mistake. The chocolate bar was a little thick and she found out that the filling was peanuts. This promptly made the hippogriff panic. Silverstream was allergic to nuts. “Celly!” she called loudly. Silverstream began wheezing as she could feel herself swelling up. Ocellus saw the bar her friend had taken a bite off and turned into a cheetah to grab her EpiPen. As she did this, Sulcus and Smolder witnessed Silverstream collapse to the floor. “Silverstream, hold on,” Smolder cried. “Sulcus, get one of the professors! QUICK!” The changeling nodded and flew off to get help. Many students saw Ocellus ran by them and Applejack was informed about Silverstream's allergic reaction. The hippogriff was struggling to breathe as Ocellus returned with the EpiPen. She transformed back into herself and she jabbed right into her friend's arm. “Smolder, help me get her into a cart,” Applejack ordered. The dragoness listened, picking up her friend and following her professor to a cart. While Silverstream was loaded up, Applejack hitched herself to the cart before racing off to the hospital. Gallus witnessed what happened and asked about the bar that Silverstream had eaten. Sulcus explained that he saw Diamond Shine give the chocolate peanut bar to Silverstream, which in turn made Gallus angry. Diamond Shine was just walking around when Gallus came out of nowhere and picked her up by the tail. “Hey!” the crystal pony cried. “Wh…” “No talking!” Gallus ordered. He carried her towards Starlight's office, but Diamond Shine was still confused. “Why are you...?” Gallus dragged the mare's head on the ground for a few seconds. “I said, shut up! I know what you did.” Not another word was spoken until they got to Starlight's office, where the headmare and all the remaining professors were waiting. “She’s here.” “Thank you, Gallus,” the headmare said. “You may go now.” The griffon listened and flew out of the office, closing the door behind him. Diamond Shine looked at the professors and headmare, who didn't look pleased with her. “Do you mind explaining what you've been doing recently?” “What do you mean?” the crystal pony lied. “You gave that peanut chocolate bar to Silverstream,” Fluttershy informed. "And peanuts are what she is allergic to." “How was I supposed to know?” “You would know about the powder you put on the bottom of the bar,” Pinkie Pie said. She showed the bar that Silverstream took a bite out of and it had a dark blue powder on the bottom of this. The pink pony sniffled when she gave the bar a whiff. “This is sneezing... powder.” She placed the bar on Starlight's desk before letting out a sneeze. “Were you trying to poison Silverstream?” Dash questioned. Diamond Shine wanted to say something, but she didn't have a valid excuse. “Diamond Shine, this is very inexcusable,” Starlight noted. "Because of this, you're being taken out of the play for good.” The crystal pony felt heartbroken even though she had done this to herself. “Plus, I think we know who messed with those sandbags.” That made the crystal pony feel worse. “You're lucky we're letting you out with a warning and the fact those sandbags didn't land on anycreature.” Diamond Shine remained respectively silent. Later that day, Gallus had gotten rid of his outfit and flew swiftly to the hospital to check with Silverstream. Most of his friends were already there except Yona and Sandbar, and the doctors managed to help her recover from her allergic reaction and she was doing much better. Lying on the hospital bed, she heard the knock on the door. “May I come in? I’m one of her friends.” “Come in,” the doctor replied. She saw the griffon walk in. “Hello, Gallus,” the hippogriff called. “Are you okay?” “Feeling better,” she replied with a sigh of relief. “And you?” “Better as well,” he said and then explained the situation, “knowing that the professors are ripping into Diamond Shine.” “Yep, I hope she gets what she deserves,” Smolder muttered. “We're just glad that you're okay,” Ocellus said to Silverstream, and she smiled. Nurse Redheart checked Silverstream's chart. “Miss Silverstream, I have good news: since it’s only an allergic reaction and you’re able to recover quickly, you should be able to leave later in a minute.” “Okay. That's good. Thanks, nurse.” As the right time came, Silverstream's started leaving the hospital, going back to the school to continue the rehearsals. Others followed until Gallus was the last student left. “Silver, I think this might be a little harsh, but…” He was then interrupted by her. “I know,” Silverstream responded, “I should've checked the ingredients label first before eating it. I don't think that Diamond knew about my peanut allergy.” "Then, I guess I should've let her off with a warning. You still want to play the role of Golden Aura?" “Of course. I'll be fine. Just need to do whatever the doctors and nurses need me to do.” “Right. Since she’s out of the play, who do you think is going to play Diamond’s role?” Silverstream simply shrugged as she didn't have a clue. “Hopefully it's somebody who deserves it.” Coral was informed about the change in plans and she was surprised that she’ll be the new actress for the old mare. “Me?” she questioned in shock, “as the old mare?!” “Yep. You do seem good for the role,” Sunburst informed. “Are there any concerns?” “No. I'm honored. Will I still have time to rehearse?” “Plenty of time. Just check with one of us if you’re having any trouble.” “Okay. Thank you, sir.” Sunburst smiled before handing a copy of the script to Coral, which now had different lines highlighted. Excited about her new role, she flew off to find Pyther, who was with the twins at the sewing station, where Yona was struggling a little bit. “Yona, you should wait for Professor Rarity,” Emerald suggested. “She can help you.” “Yona getting the hang of this,” the yak protested. Pyther was about to give her opinion until she saw Coral trying to get their attention. “Hey there, Coral,” the dyed dragoness said. “What’s up?” “Good news! I've got Diamond Shine’s part now,” the hippogriff answered with glee. “No way!” Pyther said with a surprised gasp, same goes with Emerald and Peridot. “Yes, way! You think I'll make a good witch?” “Oh, I'm pretty sure. From what I heard about the character, I think you'd be more fitting instead of Diamond Shine.” No question was true. Coral looked over to Yona, who looked very stressed. "What's going on with her?" the hippogriff asked. “She's been trying to do Rarity's work while she's away,” Pyther informed. “She keeps trying even though she probably shouldn't.” Looking at the yak trying to keep the machine at a constant speed and struggling to do so, Coral decided to speak up. “We should help her. She can’t do it alone.” “That's what Emma said. Still, Yona's…” She paused as there was a screeching sound, similar to a cat getting its tail stepped on. They covered their ears, including Yona, who was in the middle of sewing. When it stopped, they uncovered their ears. “What was that?” “I don’t know,” Peridot replied, “that sounded like a cat getting his tail stepped on.” Pyther wasn't the only one who heard it. Many of the students, professors, and even some of the townsfolk could see the screeches that could be mistaken for a banshee. Starlight walked out of the school and then took some earplugs out of her ears. Emerald quickly approached her to ask about the noise. “That’s Diamond Shine,” the headmare explained. “The sound of a spoiled princess whose boundaries have been set and she isn't liking them.” “So, she's trying to rip her throat apart?” Pyther questioned. “While trashing her dorm room, which she will clean up and not her roommate.” Pyther whispered to Coral, “Who I'm betting will move in with someone else.” Both girls giggled about this before focusing on Yona and giving her some help. Meanwhile, Gallus and Silverstream were making their way from the hospital and could hear Diamond Shine's tantrum, which was still going. “Did somebody step on a cat’s tail?” Silverstream questioned. “Sounds more like a brat,” Gallus admitted with a chuckle. “Anyways, I'm glad you're feeling better.” “Me too. But... did you have to drag her body along to get her to be quiet?” Gallus thought before he responded. He wasn't too sure why he explained this to his friend. “She just needed to be put in her place.” “But that was our headmare's job.” “Then... Then think of it as giving karma a boost.” Silverstream didn't fully understand this but just kept moving back to the school with her friend. When they got back, they could see things were getting back on track for the play. Gallus went to find his outfit as Silverstream saw Shimmy Shake, who was talking with Pate, who looked to be rather upset. “I don't understand why I keep forgetting my lines,” the changeling vented. “You should try flashcards,” Shimmy suggested. “You can write a part of the line in case you forget.” Both looked over to Silverstream, who was approaching them. “Silver, you're back. How are you feeling?” “Much better, thank you,” the hippogriff responded. "Are you guys doing better?" “I'm trying to just remember what I have to say,” Pate responded. He gave a frustrated grunt since he was struggling to do something so simple. Silverstream looked towards the school, where Diamond Shine's tantrum could still be heard. “Do you think Diamond has gills?” “Why do you say that?” Shimmy asked. “She should've run out of breath by now.” The tantrum was just becoming white noise for most of the students, though the length was still impressive. Sandbar was helping Gallus back into his costume when the griffon had something to say. "You know what I’m thinking?" Gallus said. "What's that?" Sandbar asked. “Diamond's aging faster than us psychically than the rest of us and she's still a filly in her head.” The griffon chuckled to himself as he had his bat wings slipped on. He looked over to the dress that Silverstream would be wearing, which was on a mannequin. It still needed some adjustments as there were some loose threads visible. Coral flew past the dress and was impressed by it. “Wow! Professor Rarity is doing a great job,” she commented. “Tell me about it,” Pyther agreed. They both stopped by Yona, who was at her wit's end. “… Yak quit,” she admitted in defeat. “And this is where we help. Did she explain how these machines work?” Yona took a deep breath before remember Rarity's instructions. Pyther and Coral listened to what Yona had to say and learned how the sewing machine worked. Now that Silverstream was feeling better, she got on stage where Gallus was waiting. The next scene they were going to act out was the one where Golden Aura was patching up the monster after fighting off the wolves. “Silverstream, you sure you’re ready to continue?” Gallus asked. “The doctors said I was fine,” Silverstream responded. “Can’t we start already?” Gallus sat down on the throne that was only half-built as Silverstream stood beside him with some bandages. Once Starlight called for them to start, the two griffs got into character. Golden Aura started wrapping up the monster’s arm, which he was growling from the pain. “Watch it!” he growled. “Sorry, just stay still, it’d be easier,” Silverstream stated. “You didn’t have to fight those wolves.” “You should’ve kept on flying.” “The winds were too strong.” “Then you should’ve stayed in the castle!” “I would’ve if you didn’t scream at me to get out!” Gallus would’ve responded except he couldn’t think of a good excuse. Sandbar, Tanzanite, and Ocellus were watching around the corner watching the two griffs interact. “Are you sure this is going to work,” the dragon playing the part of clockwork asked. “If the prince didn’t see something in Goldie, he wouldn’t put himself in danger,” Ocellus noted while playing the part of Sweet Tea. “Besides, he knows she’s the key to breaking the curse,” Sandbar said playing as Light Touch. “Light, you know there’s more than that.” They watched Silverstream finish up bandaging the monster’s arm. “There,” she said. “Now, I don’t see why else I need to stay here.” She began to walk towards the exit, only to stop at a window to see the snowstorm was getting worse. She sighed knowing it would be a hard trip home. Light Touch quickly raced over to her. “Madam,” he said, “Please, you don't think you're it's safe to leave during this storm.” The hippogriff took another look out the window as the wind sounded worst than before. “Come on, I'm sure that Well Dress will be happy to have you stay a little longer.” Silverstream just sighed as she followed the sentient candle stand upstairs back to her room. Gallus sighed, feeling that he had messed up. Ocellus and Tanz walked over to him. “What caused her to leave in the first place?” the changeling questioned. “I lost it when she saw the west side,” the monster admitted. Both staff members gasped after hearing this. “Did she saw the rose?” Tanz asked. The curse prince just nodded. “… How can I fix this?” Ocellus put on a brave face before speaking up. “The best thing you can do is give her something special,” she asserted. "If you listened to her, then you would get to know her better. Like her favorite hobby.” “What hobby?” The changeling playing as Sweet Tea explained what the monster needed to know Meanwhile, Light Touch and Golden Aura were back in the guest room. “Why do you put up with him?” she asked. “You must understand, Miss Aura,” Light Touch responded, "The prince hasn't been the same ever since we've been cursed. He keeps blaming himself for what's happened to all of us. And when that last petal falls off the rose... well... we’ll be like this… forever.” The hippogriff looked at how upset Light Touch was. Looking over to the sentient wardrobe, even Well Dressed looked depressed. “You're... not going to be inanimate, will you?” “Of course not. The witch who cursed isn't a sociopath. Depending on your definition.” “I'm... I'm sorry for what happened to you.” “It's alright. You probably didn't know about our castle even existing. If you have to travel home, we won't let you stay any longer than you want. Either case, it's been a pleasure serving you.” This managed to bring a smile to Goldie's face. Thank you for the service.” Light Touch felt happy knowing he helped do a good job. Well, Dressed even gave the hippogriff a bigger coat to help with the cold. What they weren't expecting was the monster knocking on the door. “Uh... Goldie,” he said bashfully. “I was hoping I could show you something before you go.” “And what would that be?” the guest questioned. The cursed prince took a deep breath before leading the hippogriff down the hall. “I've heard from Sweet Tea that you're a bit of a bookworm." "Of course. You'd be surprised how much you learn from one." "Maybe I could learn some if you're willing to stay a little longer." The two made to a door, which opened up to reveal a large library. Goldie was amazed. "This was here the whole time?" "Yes. Sorry, I haven't been the best host. However… since this is your last night here, I figured I might help make it the best.” He tried putting on a warm smile that seemed to work with Goldie, who was trying not to be distracted by the vast number of books. The cursed prince looked back at the staff members, who looking please he took their advice. The scene ended and Starlight was impressed. “Cut,” she called. “Well done. I can see that you are improving.” This made the students feel proud. Eventually, rehearsals were done for the day. Gallus returned his outfit to where Yona was working. Pyther and Coral had been told how the sewing machine worked. “So, you finally got some help?” the griffon asked. “Yes,” Yona confirmed. “Less stress, more dress.” Both of them looked over to Silverstream, who was looking for an activity to do. “Gallus going to spend time with Silverstream?” The griffon looked down while he responded. “I don’t even know anymore,” he muttered. Yona didn’t like the sound of that. “Gallus need confidence. Try dating Silver.” “Seriously?” “You two kiss in play. You’ve been friends for almost two years. Yona and Sandbar are dating, so are Smolder and Ocellus.” “Yeah, I get what you’re saying. I’ll just… brace myself for the worst.” The blue griffon flew over to the hippogriff, who didn’t see him approaching her. “Hey… Silver.” The hippogriff jumped when she heard her friend call her name and then saw how close he was. “Oh, Gallus,” she responded, “What’s up?” Gallus sighed. “I was wondering… if you want to… hang out again. Just the two of us.” Silverstream thought for a minute before she responded. “Sure…Where do you want to go?” The two griffs pondered a little bit until Gallus concluded, “Our treehouse.” “Good idea. It’s already been a while since we were there.” The two flew away to the Everfree Forest where they could hopefully spend some time alone. They arrived at the treehouse. The crystals of the treehouse shine their light from the sun’s rays, making it the most amusing thing they’ve seen. They want in, and the two sat down by the balcony and got comfy. It was all silent until Silverstream decided to start a conversation. “You know, Gallus,” she said, “we’re better actors than I thought,” “You think so?” “Yeah. I mean, you put so much effort into the role of the monster. It almost sounded like you were him.” “Well, you do have a lot of energy for Golden Aura. Though I honestly think you would’ve been a better Well Dressed.” “You think so?” “Her character is chatty and enjoys helping others get dressed up. That definitely sounds like you.” “Hmm, I don’t know if I can swap roles now. We’re already getting good at our parts, and I don’t know who else could take my place.” “You have point. How do you think everyone else is doing?” “Sandbar and Ocellus are doing great. Though, I think Tanz is needing a little work on the tone. Did he sound flat to you?” “You mean like he’s talking out of boredom?” “Yeah, it sounds like that. Plus, Sunshine and Pate might need some more confidence. Pate keeps forgetting his line and Sunshine, from what I’ve heard, has stage fright.” “How do you help him with that?” “Beats me.” The two griffs sat around a little bit until Silverstream spoke up again. “Did you know any of the griffons before they came to the school?” the hippogriff asked. Gallus thought for a minute before he answered the question. “Oh… umm… I’m pretty sure I saw some of them before,” he responded, “They were taken to the school, though I’m not a hundred percent sure. How about you and the hippogriffs?” “Oh, I knew a lot of them. I’ve seen Gleaming Pearl swimming with the dolphins. Coral often makes her scales and feathers clean, depending on whether she was a hippogriff or a seapony. Not too sure about Deep Sea, I didn’t see him that much.” “You know he doesn’t like being others. He’s an introvert, remember?” Silverstream nodded as she knew this was right. “What about Sunshine? Did you ever meet him before you came back?” “...I don’t think so. His parents were pretty protective over him since he’s got bad vision. My parents were kind of similar. We barely would leave our homes and our parents would only leave to help gather food.” Gallus was surprised to hear this. “What... What about after the Storm King’s defeat?” He was a little hesitant to ask this, considering Silverstream’s history with him. After some awkward silence, most of that time remembering what the infamous king did. Finally, Silverstream found her voice. “It was a celebration for everyone at Mount Aris, ” she spoke. “Seaponies started moving back to Hippogriffia. Though, most preferred to stay in Seaquestria. Like my mom.” “Didn’t your dad go back to being a hippogriff?” “Yeah. That's when my brother and I started having some conflict. Terry managed to get used to moving back and forth but... I don't know what I'll do when I get back home in the summer.” The conversation seemed to have taken a turn for the worst. Gallus was starting to regret bringing up the infamous king. “Silver, I'm sorry I reminded you of that. I...” “No, it's okay. I mean... You... Griffonstone...” Judging by her face and those words, Gallus could tell what she was going to say next. “That I probably have it worse?” Silverstream looked away, knowing the griffon didn't like his heritage. “You’re not wrong. Though, things were different during the last Blue Moon Festival. We didn't have to be back at school for about two weeks. Griffons usually are only nice to each other once a year but during the last festival, we had a lot more fun.” “I see… What did you do?” “First, we checked to see how fast we could get on Grandpa Gruff’s nerves, that was Gus’s idea.” Silverstream chuckled. “Second, Garry and Geena had a couple of races. We joined in a couple of those. I only won once. Gregoria tried to learn more about other cultures with Gabby’s help. Heck, Grace even managed to find some spots to sing privately. Never understood why singing was banned in Griffonstone.” This bit of information helped Silverstream feel better. “I guess this school does work.” “Even if we have a couple of spoiled students.” Gallus chuckled as he wondered if Diamond Shine was still having a temper tantrum. “I’m glad I came here. I got to meet you and the others.” The hippogriff just smiled as she embraced him with a warm. “I'm glad I met you too.” Gallus just simply embraced his friend's hug. He had a feeling their relationship was getting stronger now.