Episode 25: "Code of Gallus"
…
…
Gallus took a deep breath as he stood in front of the Treehouse of Friendship holding a bow and arrow. In front of him was a very nervous Cherry Tomato with an apple on top of his head.
"Are you sure about this, Gallus?" Cherry Tomato gulped nervously while the rest of their friends watched. "I've never heard of anycreature using a bow and arrow before."
"Me too, but Spike said it was awesome!" Gallus replied while trying to keep his focus steady. "Besides, I've got to try and make a good first impression for when we kick Grogar's butt!"
"He still intends to fight, doesn't he?" Ocellus whispered to Silverstream. "When is he going to learn that fighting Grogar is dangerous? He's already doing enough as it is training under Tempest."
But Silverstream didn't answer.
"Now hold still, Cherry!" Gallus ordered as he aimed the arrow at the apple. "If you don't move, you won't be at risk of being struck in the head!"Taking a deep breath, Gallus fired his arrow and Cherry Tomato held his own breath as the arrow struck the apple, slicing it in half before hitting the tree's bark.
Opening his eyes, Cherry Tomato could see that he was still alive…barely. "Oh, thank Celestia!" he gasped as Luster Dawn went over to him.
"Well, at least your aim is spot on, Gallus." Luster Dawn remarked, looking over at Gallus as he removed his helmet.
"Obviously," Gallus crowed while flexing his wings. "Wings are ready, claws are ready to kick me some goat flank! What do you think, Silverstream?"
But Silverstream still didn't answer. Undaunted, Gallus brushed it off. "Aw come on, Silverstream!" He protested, flying in front of her. "I've got to be ready to fight when the time comes. Captain Tempest said so."
"Gallus, we both know that you're still too young to enlist in the army," Silverstream finally said, sighing deeply. "When are you going to see things differently? You don't have anything left to prove."
Silverstream then proceeded to walk back into the treehouse, leaving Gallus feeling dumbfounded. "To put it simply, you still haven't learned anything from fighting that timberwolf." She added, before walking back up the stairs.
"I don't get it," Gallus thought to himself. "Yes, I know that they say we can't fight. But I want to fight! I want to make a difference!"Picking the arrow out of the tree's bark, Gallus walked back into the treehouse still holding onto the feelings of attempting to impress the love of his life.
Meanwhile, up in the treehouse, Silverstream deeply sighed as she went into her workroom where her pet cockatrice was waiting for her. "When's he going to listen to reason, Edith?" Silverstream asked. "Can't he realize that going to fight in the war is dangerous? I love him and I don't want anything to happen to him! If it did I… well, I don't know what I'd do."
The purple cockatrice clucked and gently placed her wing on Silverstream's cheek, wiping away a single tear from the hippogriff's eye. "Yeah yeah, I guess you have a point there, Edith," Silverstream sighed. "Gallus wants to do his part as do the rest of us. But I want to do it safely, Edith. If he still won't listen to reason, who else can we turn to?" Silverstream and the rest of her friends would find out who soon enough.
…
…
Leaving the Maximal base behind them, the former Predacons Dinobot and Waspinator were accompanied by the Maximal Rattrap to carry out the request that had been made of them.
"Okay, so does anyone have any idea where this School of Friendship is?" Rattrap asked as he looked at a holograph map. "It would have been nice for what their names are to give us directions."
"Waspinator not so good with directions," The former Predacon remarked. "Waspinator…"
"-You never were good with directions," Dinobot groaned. "Now give me the map, vermin!" Snatching the map, Dinobot looked it over and studied it carefully. He then proceeded to direct his comrades to the left along a small dirt road. "We go this way!" He declared. "Beast Mode!"
Transforming back from robot to a velociraptor, Dinobot continued to follow along the road. Suddenly, he turned back around to face his comrades. "Well, do you want to be taken from someone else or not?" He asked Rattrap, who rolled his eyes and complied with Dinobot's order, transforming into a rat. "That's better. Now, come on."
"Sometimes, there are times when I kind of wish he was still dead." Rattrap muttered under his breath.
…
At the School of Friendship, Silverstream continued to feel as if Gallus had learned nothing from his previous attempt to join the Royal Guard. For the rest of the day, she continued to harbor these feelings in the back of her mind. And so later that day, she went to Trixie's office to air out her feelings.
"He just doesn't understand, Counselor Trixie," Silverstream protested as the tears spilled out again. "When is he going to realize that fighting in the war is dangerous?!"
"I've got to be honest with you, Silverstream," Trixie replied as she took a sip of hot cocoa. "There are going to be those who are so far up their 'you know what' that they are beyond reasoning. Gallus may unfortunately be one of them."
"I refuse to believe that, Counselor Trixie!" Silverstream cried, holding her claws up in frustration. "Gallus needs to understand, but how?! He won't listen to me or any of his friends!"
"Well, there is a way," Trixie suggested, much to Silverstream's relief. "We happen to have invited a group of robots to the school recently."
"Is it those…whatever their names are?" Silverstream blinked in confusion.
"-Maximals? Yes," Trixie answered with a nod. "Apparently, your boyfriend isn't the only one wishing to join the fight against Grogar. There have been others wanting to abandon their studies and enlist. Between you and me, Silverstream, I only fight using my magic shows and raising bits for various organizations. Trixie is not cut out for combat."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Counselor Trixie has a student in her office!" Trixie called, but the door opened anyway to reveal a green female earth pony with a purple bow in her mane. "What is it, Peppermint?"
"Sorry to interrupt, Counselor Trixie," The earth pony replied. "But, there's a metallic looking dinosaur, rat and wasp right outside the entrance."
"I'm sure that Headmare Sunset is already on the job," Trixie reassured, uninterested in the sudden interruption as she used her magic to shut the door. "Sorry about that, Silverstream. But it looks like our guests are here. Perhaps they can help you."
At that very moment, Sunset made her way down to the front lobby of the school and saw the three Maximals standing right outside. "Finally, the cavalry has arrived," She thought to herself before using her magic to open the door, only to be met with a snarling growl from Dinobot. "Umm, hi Mr. Dinobot, Sir. Remember me?"
"Of course I remember you," Dinobot replied as he gestured for Rattrap and Waspinator to follow him inside. "You visited our base not too long ago. I do not forget faces."
Sunset couldn't help but feel somewhat intimidated by Dinobot, especially with his warm breath breathing on her headmare's uniform.
Dinobot then growled. "Names are another thing. What was your name again?"
"Sunset Shimmer," Sunset gulped as she tried not to look intimidated. "Acting headmare of the School of Friendship."
"Indeed." Dinobot murmured.
"Hey, will youse cut down on the intimidation, Chopper Face?" Rattrap asked his comrade. "We happen to be on something of a mission here."
Doing as he was told, Dinobot backed away just as Sunburst came into the lobby. "Oh, you must be the guest speakers," He blinked in realization. "The uh, Maximals, is it?"
"Yeah," Rattrap casually replied. "And uh, who might you be?"
"Oh… uh… V-Vice Headstallion Sunburst," Sunburst replied while trying to sound polite. "Nice to…m-meet you." He couldn't believe that he was talking to a rat.
"Do all you equines have that fur on your face or is it just you?" Rattrap inquired.
"Oh? This happens to be a goatee," Sunburst countered, trying to defend his personal appearance. "No one's ever complained about it before…except my mother."
"Okay," Sunset chuckled, eager to change the subject. "Shall we go in?"
Looking at each other, Dinobot, Rattrap and Waspinator followed Sunset into the school just as Silverstream was leaving Trixie's office.
"Who is that?" Dinobot asked while growling slightly at Silverstream, who froze as she heard Dinobot's low growling sounds behind her. "Are you a student?"
With the growling continuing behind her, Silverstream turned around and saw the velociraptor, rat and wasp with Sunset and Sunburst. Terrified, Silverstream ran back to class!
"No running in the hallway, Silverstream!" Sunburst called in a loud voice and Silverstream stopped. Now at a safe distance, she walked back to class at her own pace.
"Sorry about that," Sunburst nervously chuckled. "It's not every day we have a dinosaur, a rat and a bee in the School of Friendship, even if you are more robots than… creatures."
"Waspinator is a wasp," Waspinator corrected as Trixie came out of her office, having heard Silverstream's scream only to discover the Maximals behind her and getting scared herself! Before she could scream, Sunset immediately casted a bubble spell to silence Trixie. "Waspinator was only being honest."
…
…
Going into Trixie's office, Sunset and Sunburst were determined to make the students planning to fight in the war see sense.
"Trixie, if I promise to let you out, will you not scream?" Sunset asked and Trixie complied, allowing Sunset to remove the bubble from Trixie.
"And who is this?" Dinobot asked, glaring down at Trixie.
"Um, the Great…and Powerful…Trixie," Trixie nervously answered while getting back onto her hooves. "Please don't eat me."
"She's our school counselor," Sunset explained to the Maximals. "Anyway, thank you again for coming to our school, Dinobot."
"Dinobot?" Trixie stammered while still nervous. "And... who are these two?"
"Name's Rattrap," Rattrap greeted. "And bug boy here is Waspinator. He used to be a Pred like Dinobot, but now he's on our side just like Dinobot."
"Waspinator nice to meet blue pony." Waspinator remarked, causing Trixie to gulp.
"If you say so," Trixie whispered. "I'm sorry, it's just not everyday that Trixie sees robots that look like a dinosaur, a rat and a wasp…"
"I don't think we need to hear that again," Sunburst protested. "Care to sit down?"
"Delighted," Dinobot declared. "Dinobot, Maximize!" Letting out a screech, Dinobot transformed into his robot mode much to the amazement of the administration. Looking over at Rattrap and Waspinator, Dinobot silently ordered them to transform, and they did:
"Rattrap, Maximize!"
"Waspinator, Maximize!"
With his comrades transformed, Dinobot sat in front of Trixie's desk with Rattrap and Waspinator following suit.
"Now then," Sunset began. "I'm sure Optimus already told you this, our homeland is at war with Grogar and his Legion of Doom. And it seems some of our students are more than eager to contribute by fighting in the war, despite their age."
"Yes, you must want to convince them to think otherwise," Dinobot pondered. "You want to teach them that there is another way to fight."
"Yes," Sunburst explained. "Some of our students are beyond reasoning and don't seem to understand the consequences of what they want to do. They don't seem to know or care about how horrific war can be."
"Can't say I blame them, Rip Van Pony," Rattrap replied. "Doing what we do is dangerous, if you get what I mean."
"Waspinator understands well," Waspinator added, remembering all of the times he'd been blown to pieces and damaged during the Beast Wars. "Waspinator repaired easily, not as easily as other creatures. Other creatures more fragile."
"That's what we're trying to get across here," Sunset firmly declared, placing her hooves on Trixie's desk. "Some of these students are so caught up in their desire to fight that they don't seem to understand what's really at stake…their own lives."
Just then, Trixie began to think of a creature that they could start with. A creature that just so happened to have been scared off by the presence of the Maximals. "There is one you can start off with. One who would really benefit from your presence here." Trixie suggested, catching the attention of everypony in her office.
…
In the library, Silverstream struggled to do her homework with her mind filled with anxiety over Gallus being stubborn along with her recent encounter.
"Hey Silverstream," Gallus replied, joining his girlfriend at the table. "Mind if I join you?"
"Oh, sure…why not?" Silverstream offered in a sheepish tone. "I have nothing else going on…"
Sitting next to Silverstream, Gallus tried to see why the love of his life was being so hesitant on what he wanted to do. "Look, uh, Silverstream," He began while fidgeting with his claws. "About yesterday at the treehouse, I really wasn't trying to hurt Cherry Tomato or anything like that…"
"-It's not about that, Gallus," Silverstream interrupted as one of her claws pounded the table. "Why are you being so dead set on joining the ranks of the royal guard now?! We still have a long life in front of us. Why throw it away?!"
Sighing deeply, Gallus felt that his girlfriend didn't seem to understand his true intentions.
"I mean, when are you going to realize that we can contribute to the war effort in different ways?" Silverstream asked, slamming her quill down on the table. "Gallus, I love you, but sometimes you go too far! This is one of them! I can't stand seeing you do this!"
"You're in a library, lower your voice!" Gallus remarked at Silverstream's sudden rise in tone.
"Is that it?!" Silverstream cried. "I love you just as you are, Gallus! I don't wanna see you get killed in battle!"
"Do you want us to get kicked out?!" Gallus asked, trying to concentrate on his schoolwork as all the other students were watching. "You're starting to attract attention, Silverstream!"
"Is that so?!" Silverstream asked in a shocked tone. "Well maybe they can all see what a stubborn little griffon you really are! I don't understand how you can do this to me! It's not heroic, it's reckless!"
Grabbing her materials, Silverstream flew out of the library while trying to hold her emotions in check.
"Stubborn little griffon?" Gallus remarked, feeling insulted by Silverstream's sudden outburst. "I am not a stubborn little griffon. I'm just trying to give something back to the country that's given me so much."
As he looked down at his homework, Gallus instead began to draw a picture of himself holding a sword, trying to picture himself in the Royal Guard. "This is for her, this is for our future! I have to do this!" He whispered to himself and at that moment, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Sunset and Sunburst standing behind him. "Um, yeah?"
"Gallus, I need you to come with us," Sunburst firmly declared. "There's something you need to see."
"Um, are you sure it can't wait?" Gallus hopefully asked.
"No, Gallus," Sunset firmly answered. "Follow us, please."
Gathering up his materials, Gallus followed Sunset and Sunburst out of the library while the rest of the students inside watched. Sunset and Sunburst then led Gallus towards Trixie's office much to the confusion of the young griffon.
"What's going on here?" Gallus asked as the door opened to reveal Luster Dawn, Cherry Tomato, Silverstream, Trixie, Celestia and Luna waiting for him along with Starlight Glimmer. "What are you all doing here?"
"Have a seat, Gallus," Starlight offered, gesturing for him to sit next to Silverstream. "There's something very important that we need to discuss."
Confused, Gallus sat down next to his girlfriend. He had no idea what was happening or what to expect.
"Apparently," Celestia began, catching Gallus' attention. "You're still holding onto the idea that joining the Royal Guard at your age is the best way to participate in the ongoing war against Grogar."
"It's…it's the only way, isn't it?" Gallus questioned.
"No, there are other ways, Gallus," Luna added. "You just don't want to follow them."
"It seems," Starlight spoke up. "That we need to bring in someone to give you a firsthand account of what you might find yourself in if you keep going down this path. And hopefully it will shock some sense into you before it's too late."
Just then, Gallus could hear the sounds of growling coming from behind him and the sounds of footsteps creeping closer and closer. Turning around, he saw Dinobot coming towards him and Gallus began to feel a sense of dread.
…
…
Looking at the beast known as Dinobot, Gallus took an enormous gulp at the thought of possibly becoming Dinobot's meal. "Why is there a dinosaur in my face?!" Gallus asked, his voice filled with anxiety. "Is he hungry?! He'd better not be!"
"Ehh, he's not gonna eat ya kid," Rattrap chortled as he emerged from the closet in his beast mode and walked over to the couch. "He's just gonna scare ya silly."
"Waspinator thinks kid is foolish," Waspinator said as he flew over the couch. "Waspinator feels sorry for birdie."
"I'm not a birdie!" Gallus snapped, looking up at Waspinator. "I happened to be a griffon for your information!"
"A griffon…" Dinobot remarked, still growling at Gallus. "That doesn't understand the consequences of the actions he so desires." Letting out a loud screech, Dinobot transformed into his robot mode with Rattrap and Waspinator following suit.
"Wow!" Luster Dawn gasped! "Amazing! You guys do that all the time?!" But she received no reply.
"L-look," Gallus stammered. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but was this your idea, Headmare Sunset?"
"Perhaps," Sunset remarked with a sly smile. "Sometimes we need a little shock to set our minds straight."
"Name's Rattrap, kid," Rattrap said, extending his hand out to Gallus. "This here's Waspinator and Chopperface here is Dinobot. We're Maximals."
"Maximals?! You're the guys helping us to fight in the war!" Gallus cried.
"Yes," Dinobot answered, pointing the tip of his sword at the back of Gallus' head, causing him to turn around. "Warriors that are highly trained in the dangers of war."
"Well, I've been in training too," Gallus cried, trying to defend his actions. "Captain Tempest has taken me on! Remember, guys? You saw me!"
"No, Gallus," Silverstream protested. "You were trying to be somecreature you're not! Just as you are now! It wasn't so bad when you were just getting your talon in the door but this is different!"
Gallus couldn't believe what he was hearing! "Silverstream, I…I'm trying to be somecreature who-!"
"But all you're really becoming is a griffon that still cannot escape from the shadow of his father," Luna declared, walking over to Gallus. "Must you let your obsessions take over you completely, young griffon?"
"Professor Luna, this is my passion!" Gallus cried, hovering over the couch. "You know that I had a father that wanted to do things right! But he was in denial! Do you think I'm becoming like that? Do you?!"
But Luna merely shook her head and instead began to activate her magic. "Wait, what's going on?"
"We are going to the past," Dinobot declared. "To see what happens to those who are affected by war! Then you will understand what war is really like!"
From the other end of the office, Luster Dawn held Cherry Tomato's hoof as Luna transported them all to a valley that was engulfed in flames as brown, humanoid creatures fled for their lives.
"Whoa!" Trixie cried, jumping over a shot fired by Rampage. "What's going on here?"
"The moment…" Dinobot said as they watched him charge into battle against the attacking Predacons. "Where I obtained my greatest victory, at great cost."
Gallus and the others watched as Dinobot singlehandedly fought each Predacon, taking blow after blow and becoming severely damaged. Finally, the moment came when he stared down Megatron, holding a protohuman hostage.
"One more step," Megatron warned, holding his weapon at a bound and captured protohuman. "And it's raining bits and pieces of early anthropoid."
Gallus watched and felt like urging Dinobot on, but he didn't.
"I don't understand," Gallus cried, looking up at Dinobot. "Why did you stop?"
"Watch." Dinobot declared with his arms folded.
"Oh, please! Face it, Dinobot!" Megatron laughed. "You're old technology, obsolete. What could you possibly do?"
"Improvise." Dinobot answered. And taking a stick and attaching it to a rock, Dinobot struck Megatron and snatched what appeared to be a golden disk out of him. Letting out a loud roar, he destroyed the disk and then collapsed, badly injured.
Using her magic again, Luna fast forwarded the vision to when Dinobot was in his dying moments, with all of the Maximals surrounding him.
"Well fought, my friend," Optimus declared. "You saved the valley. You saved the lives of those who live here... and of those who are still to come."
"Then... there is nothing to regret." Dinobot weakly answered, his voice even raspier than normal.
"Like I said, you're just a blasted, slag-spouting saurian, but... it's nice to know where you stand," Rattrap cried, clutching Dinobot's claw. Seeing him relive the moment again made Rattrap look away in sadness.
"Upwind of you, for preference, vermin. …," Dinobot began as the next words struggled to leave his mouth. "Tell my tale to those who ask. Tell it truly, the ill deeds along with the good, and let me be judged accordingly. The rest... is silence."
As he watched Dinobot die, Gallus immediately began to picture himself in a similar situation. For the first time, he was beginning to see that what he was trying to do…was dangerous. Suddenly, he fell to his knees and felt his eyes still locked on the vision that was played out.
Teleporting the vision away, everyone found themselves back in Trixie's office with Gallus seemingly frozen in fear of what just happened.
"So you see, young creature," Dinobot declared, walking besides Gallus and placing a hand on his shoulder. "War is honorable. But not everyone who goes into war…ends up living through it. You are of young blood and must live like one of young blood. A soldier's life is not for you, not yet."
"What…what am I thinking of becoming?!" Gallus gasped, looking down at his claws. "Could that…could what I've seen be me if I choose to…?"
"Yes, Gallus," Sunset Shimmer declared, causing him to turn around to face her and the other school staff. "It's like what Dinobot said, those who fight in war may not survive it until the end."
"And Professor Luna and I attended many funerals during our reign of Equestria," Celestia declared in a firm but caring voice. "The last thing that I want to have happen is attend the funeral of one of my students, Gallus!"
The firm voice of one of his professors made Gallus turn over to Silverstream who dashed over to him and hugged him tightly. "Neither do I, Gallus, neither do I!" She cried. "I love you Gallus and I can't live my life without you!"
Hearing his girlfriend's cries finally made Gallus drop his guard and he embraced her tightly while they all watched.
"Do you think that might do it?" Sunset asked Dinobot.
"Yes, I think it might," Dinobot declared. "War is more than what we all think of it to be, which is why we need young minds to learn the dangers of it."
Looking out the window, Dinobot could see that the sun was beginning to set and that he and his comrades needed to return to base. "We must return to base," Dinobot declared, looking over to Rattrap and Waspinator. "Let us go."
Without saying another word, Dinobot and his comrades left the office, but not before having one final look at Gallus and Silverstream.
As he left the School of Friendship, Dinobot turned around and began to think to himself of what he had done. Turning back to beast mode with his comrades, he could only wonder if his words of wisdom could have truly made Gallus give up his intentions.
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Okay, I like this story so far but I feel this was a bit rushed. Gallus didn't get a chance to even explain to them why he wanted to do this, they just took it as him being stubborn and acted. Maybe if they'd heard his reasoning, him wanting to give back to the one place that gave him friends, family, and a home, then they'd have acted in a different manner. But to me, the scene just before the flashback honestly sounded like they were just yelling at him.
I don't mean any offense, by the way. I enjoyed the chapter, and enjoy the story, just thought I'd voice this.
REALLY good job on the exchanges, characterizations, general wrap-up and future chapter set-up in all the right places. The points on both sides were pretty well made. I mean, yeah, the students ARE too young to be joining in on the war on the front lines, but them knowing how to fight in the event of the war coming to them is also something that could come in handy (if only to increase their odds of surviving long enough for experienced professionals to arrive). And I can see why Silverstream and some of the others could be so worried about Gallus and some of the others who wish to enlist, but I did like the little nods to things the students could do to help the war effort without being on the front lines. Of course, the irony of Gallus, unfortunately, becoming more like his father than he cares to admit is certainly not lost on me. At least Dinobot, Rattrap and Waspinator made an honest effort to explain the dangers of the war.
At any rate, certainly looking forward to more of this.
I finally managed to catch up on this fic.(Took me about 5 months or so due to my nervousness, eh..
)
I liked seeing how Luna uses her magic in this there.
Though I feel like this plan to shock Gallus might backfire.
Like some villain pushing the right spots and the right words to make things worse for Gallus.
Maybe something like Silverstream getting hurt badly might send him over the edge.
Hope my all my comments weren't bothersome.(Especially the frequency given how I am trying to catch up).
Wonder if everyone saw all of my comments there..?