Hearths Warming Sympathy

by Melody Song

You're Home

Gallus went out to the courtyard of the Friendship School, looking out at the gently falling snow. He could see the castle from here. The place's windows were glowing, showing the warmth and light. Gallus could hear the faint noise of ponies singing in the castle. Gallus sighed and turned back to the cold, empty dorms.

"Gallus?" Starlight Glimmer came up to him, wearing a scarf and boots.

"Y-yes Counselor Starlight?" Gallus asked

"Gallus, you know you don't have to stay in the student dorms. You can always come stay in the castle with us. I know Spike would love the company in his winter Ogres and Oubliettes tournament." Starlight offered.

"N-no, it's okay Counselor Starlight. I'm used to being alone, and I wouldn't want to intrude. I'll probably just break one of Professor Rarity's decorations or mess up one of your Hearths Warming carols." Gallus replied, waving a claw in dismissal.

"You wouldn't be any sort of intrusion Gallus, we'd all be glad to have you-"

"It's okay. I'm just gonna...turn in early tonight." Gallus replied, turning and heading back inside.

"Alright then. Goodnight Gallus. Happy Hearths Warming."

Gallus ignored Starlight's words and went back into the cold, unwelcoming dorms. He looked around and remembered when the hallway, like the castle, used to be full of light and activity. When he and his friends ran through them and talked, laughing and chattering. Now they were empty, all the students had gone home for the holidays. And Gallus didn't want to keep his friends from their families. Thinking of the families they had made Gallus' heart ache.

"I bet Yona's smashing stuff with her family, and Silverstream is probably jumping around between land and sea with her little brother." Gallus murmured, a smile flickering across his face. "Ocellus 'n her family are probably hanging lanterns under an upside-down tree."

"Yeah, I should probably have explained those instructions to her so they didn't mess up again. But I guess it's their own tradition now." Gallus turned to see Sandbar behind him.

"S-Sandbar? What are you doing here?" Gallus asked, flustered

"I just wanted to see if you were coming to the party." Sandbar replied

"Well, I'm not, so you can go now." Gallus told him

"Aw, why not? Everyone else in town is coming." Sandbar whined.

"Yeah, well, I'm not everyone."

"Gallus, come on! We're going to be singing and playing and laughing all night! You know, like this:" Sandbar cleared his throat.

"On the coldest day of winter
Snowflakes dance and play
Everypony joins in on the fun
Of our favorite holiday!

Hearths Warming Eve is here!
The most magical time of the year
When all are filled with cheer
It's Hearthswarming-"

"Stop it Sandbar!" Gallus covered his ears with his claws. "You just don't get it! Nobody will!"

"Why not Gallus?" Sandbar asked

"Because you have a family!" Gallus yelled.

"Gallus..."

"You all have one! You don't know what it's like to have no one! You all have families!"

"Gal-"

"Ponies have families! Hippogriffs are split between land and sea and they have families! Yaks think that stomping matters more than anything and they have families!"

"Gallus-"

"Dragons only care about their hoards and they have families! Changelings used to feed off of love stolen from innocent creatures and they have families!" Gallus' voice broke and his haunches hit the floor.

"Gallus..." Sandbar tried again

"You don't get how hard it is...to see you all go back to your own families and have NOONE there for you! I can't take it Sandbar! I just can't!" Gallus' chest heaved as his gasping sobs echoed around the still hallway.

"Gallus...I'm here." Sandbar trotted over and put his hoof on Gallus' shoulder. "We all are."

"But...you can't be my family." Gallus objected, looking up, tears falling down his cheeks.

Sandbar leaned in and touched his muzzle to Gallus' forehead.

"We're your friends, and we're here for you, even when we aren't really here." Sandbar said.

Gallus pulled Sandbar in for a hug. Gallus hugged him close and buried his head into the pony's mane. Gallus began crying, it felt like his heart was breaking.

"S-Sandbar...you don't know what it's like to have your family gone."

"Gallus, if you don't mind me asking...what happened to them? I promise I won't tell anyone, not if you don't want me to." Sandbar pledged

"They..." Gallus trailed off and closed his eyes. "It was years ago Sand. I was just a little chick, I don't remember everything."

"What do you remember?"

"The last thing I remember...was being all alone...and really, really cold. I don't know if I ever had a family to begin with. For as long as I've known, I've always been by myself. That's why I don't like Hearths Warming, it just reminds me of how I nearly froze on the streets. And no one ever cared enough to take me in."

"You're not in Griffonstone anymore Gallus. You're in Ponyville. Plenty of ponies here care about you, and would be happy to take you in, if only for the winter. I know my family, for one, would love to help you."

"Really? Your family?" Gallus asked

"Well, yeah. I've told them a lot about you." Sandbar replied, blushing.

Gallus began blushing as well, and hugged Sandbar tighter. Gallus buried his head into the pony's neck. Sandbar hugged him back, just as tight. They let go of each other to look each other in the eye. Gallus suddenly leaned in, pressing his beak to Sandbar's muzzle. The two boys kissed for a minute, then broke apart.

"So...that just happened." Sandbar said, breaking the silence.

Gallus snickered, then pressed his head to Sandbar's.

"D-did you really mean it? About your family wanting to help me?"

"Of course. If you'll let us." Sandbar gently kissed the top of Gallus' head, pressing his head into the Griffon's feathers.

"I-I think I'll let you." Gallus replied, touching his beak to Sandbar's muzzle in a light kiss.

"Then let's go...Gally?" Sandbar tried

"Okay...Sandy." Gallus responded

They headed back out, where Sandbar led him to the Friendship Castle.

"Like I said, everyone's here for the party, including my parents. You have to meet my little sister Gal, she'll love you." Sandbar told him.

"Well, okay." Gallus sighed, following him in.

Everypony was gathered around the tree, talking and exchanging presents. Headmare Twilight and a few of their professors saw them. Counselor Starlight saw them and smiled, waving. Gallus was led to Sandbar's parents, who, like Sandbar had promised, were very happy to finally meet him.

Gallus was holding Sandbar's little sister, Coral Reef. He watched Sandbar chat eagerly with his parents, then looked down at the little green filly with the aqua and pink mane. She looked up at him with her dark green-blue eyes and beamed. Gallus smiled down at the little filly, and Sandbar came over.

"Hey Gallus. How's Coral acting to you?"

"She's...cute." Gallus replied, smiling at Sandbar hesitantly.

"I know. Oh, they're about to start the caroling. Come on Gal." Sandbar passed Coral back to his parents, then tugged Gallus over to their Professors.

"Hey you two." Rainbow said, taking a sip of the non-alcoholic cider she had in her grasp.

"Glad you changed your mind." Starlight murmured to Gallus, who chuckled.

"Me too." Gallus replied

Headmare Twilight stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"I would like to thank everycreature for joining us tonight. Now, let's start the caroling!" Twilight called, then she and Starlight began, everyone else soon joining in.

"The firelight is shining bright
While the snow blows cold outside

Friendly faces, warm embraces
Surround us all tonight"

Gallus and Sandbar leaned into each other, Gallus putting a wing around Sandbar. They began singing together.

"So we'll make this
One simple wish

For every girl and boy
May the holiday bring you peace and joy~

From those, who we love
To the stars up above~

May the holiday bring you
Peace and joy~

Peace and joy!

From those whom we love
To the stars up above

May the holiday bring you
Peace and joy~"

As the others began a new song, Gallus and Sandbar looked to each other.

"You okay now?" Sandbar asked

"Y-yeah. Thanks Sandy." Gallus said

"Anything for you Gally. You're home now."

Author's Note:

The two songs are from a show called Sofia the First, both from the episode Holiday in Enchancia. I fudged the lyrics a little on the first song, but the lyrics from the second one are the same as in the show.

~Melody Song

Comments

[MJP]

While I still ship these two Gallus still almost took away everyone's Christmas because he was felling a little blue that year

[Melody Song]

10093735
Well, true, but remember, they volunteered of their own free will to stay behind with him in the end. And even if they hadn't told all about their traditions, I get the feeling Gallus would still have fessed up, if only for seeing how angry they all got (because that still would have happened) and sad when they found out they'd have to stay behind.

[MJP]

10093740
I've just seen a lot of people who really hate the young six point to to Gallus as the most toxic member and that episode in particular.

Like how most people who hate starlight point to "every little thing she does"

[Melody Song]

10094016
That is true. I'm glad you enjoyed this one though. And personally, I don't think there's any one episode fans should be judging off of. I mean, if you think about it, at least one episode antagonizes each of the mane 6, so you really can't say they're bad characters unless they continuously make the same mistakes they did in the episode.

[MJP]

10094229
Hey I am writing a anthology story of sorts about EG galbar romantic fluff

And I'm wondering if there's any hobbies, activities or interests that Gallus would realistically be interested in and share with sandy.,
Cause of the way I write EQG real world things like Gameboys and Amazon.com are on the table

[Melody Song]

10094284
What about sports?

[MJP]

10094332
I've thought about that

Gallus gives sandbar a letterman jacket leading to sandbar winding if he should be doing things that 'normal' couples do or if that would come across as weird and/or offensive. (I've seen some Steven universe fans get riled up if a gay couple is portrayed doing the same things and behaving the same way as a herterosexual couple.)

[Melody Song]

10094356
I think that would be more something Gallus would worry about. Seeing as how he didn't have a family to tell him what couples do or that being homosexual was okay, it seems like a concern he would experience.

[MJP]

10094406
Yeah that makes sense.

[MJP]

10094406
I'd also imagine him trying to find a hobby after watching sandbar obsess over the greatful dead or something and wanting to impress him by showing he can be passionate too, but going a little overboard with it

My first thought was video games cause I haven't written button mash in a while and no one's really used him since Jan and Shady put him on a bus a couple of years ago

[Melody Song]

10094416
Maybe Gallus can find out Sandbar likes a band or book series, and tries to impress Sandy by convincing Ocellus and Smolder to tell him as much about it as possible, only Sandbar sees through it and calms him down.

[MJP]

10094422
I'd also like to imagine that Gallus is unknowingly a really talented singer, due in part to being a counterpart of someone who is part bird.

(I actually imagine all griffons as great singers due to the fact they have avian vocal cords and the no-singing rule in griffonstone is just situational irony)

[Melody Song]

10094589
Yeah, I mean, he is part bird, and we've seen Silverstream display musical interest before, and she's part bird too...