Descendants of the Isle 2: Back Among The Hidden

by Melody Song

Doubts and Magic Doses

The next morning, outside of Equus Prep, a familiar blue and yellow griffon was standing before a crowd. He was surrounded by reporters, and clearly on edge.

“Gallus, please, over here! Gallus!”

“Only three days until the Royal Cotillion, ever think a boy like you would be a member of the court?”

“How does it feel to be the most envied creature in Equus?”

“Is your grandfather still on the Hidden Isle?”

“Okay, alright, that’s enough.” a cool voice came, and a light green earth pony trotted through the crowd, slipping a foreleg over Gallus’ shoulders. “We will let you know if and when that particular situation changes.”

Prince Sandbar! Did you ever think you’d be with a villain creature?”

“Okay, we’re done here.” Sandbar kissed Gallus on the cheek and they made to leave. Their efforts were aided by the arrival of a tall and regal alicorn.

“Hello! Everycreature, may I have your attention?” Rising Dawn strode up to the crowd. “Now, this is a school, so if you’re here without authorization, you’re skipping class or trespassing.”

“One quick question?”

“Shoo now, off to other things.” Rising Dawn encouraged

“Rising Dawn!”

“Go, go on now.” Rising Dawn waved her wings at them, and the reporters scattered

“Thank you ma’am.” Sandbar said

“Yeah, thank you, so much.” Gallus breathed, leaning heavily against Sandbar.

“It’s no trouble, Gallus, Sandbar.”

They bowed to her politely, then left.

“Phew, I’m glad that’s over…” Gallus sighed, and Sandbar chuckled, nuzzling him.

“Don’t pay any attention to them, okay?”

“Easier said than done…” Gallus mumbled

“Heh, true… maybe you and I should do something together. Go somewhere, just the two of us.” Sandbar suggested, pressing a light kiss to Gallus’ beak.

Gallus giggled and wrapped a wing over him. “Yeah, maybe.”

Sandbar then looked up at a clock nearby. “Oh no. I have a council meeting, I’m gonna be late!”

“Heh, don’t let me keep you.” Gallus nuzzled him. “Go, I’ll be fine.”

“We-We’ll do something sometime.”

“I know. I can’t wai-”

“Gallus!” Luna raced up and grabbed his claw. “If we don’t do a fitting for your suit right this minute, you will be dancing in nothing, I guarantee it.”

Gallus sighed. “Okay, okay, I’m coming. Bye Sandy.”

“Bye.” Sandbar said, racing off to his own meeting as Gallus was pulled away by Luna.

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Gallus stood on the platform in Luna and Tempest’s dorm. Tempest was looking at a couple drawings, with Monarch curled up beside her, as Gallus was being fitted for his suit by Luna.

“Ah! Luna, I can’t breathe!”

“Well, you can breathe after Cotillion.”

“I genuinely doubt that. I have about twenty more events directly after and I can’t remember what a single one is.” Gallus muttered

Luna ignored this, but gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. She finished whatever she was fussing over, then stepped back.

“Perfect.”

Tempest looked up, watching them. “Lu…?”

“Hm?”

“Do you ever… wonder what we’d be doing right now if we were back on the Isle?”

“Heh, you’re funny.” Luna giggled, then looked over. “Ooh, look who’s on TV~!”

“Lu…” Gallus moaned, blushing in embarrassment as Luna turned up the volume.

“As the royal couple continues their tour of Equus, they dined with Princess Amore… Six months ago…”

“Right, I remember that…” Gallus chuckled.

As Gallus and Luna watched the screen, Tempest slid off her bed and dug through her drawers, searching for something.

“No one thought King Sandbar and his boyfriend from the wrong side of the bridge would last…”

“No kidding.” Gallus muttered, shuddering as they all recalled the bullying.

“Gallus must be counting down the days until the Royal Cotillion, where he’ll become a member of the Royal Court.”

Monarch mewed softly, looming over Tempest curiously. At the cat’s noise, Gallus and Luna both noticed Tempest hunched over by her dresser. Luna sighed, striding over.

“Read it fast at lightning speed, remember everything I need.” Tempest murmured, her broken horn sparking.

“Well, I know Temp’s secret to fitting in.” Luna snatched the book from Tempest

“Hey!”

“-And I know Pharynx wouldn’t like it one bit.” Luna continued, tossing the book to Gallus. “Don’t you think you two have hidden enough from each other?”

Tempest ran a hoof through her blonde mane. “Come on Lu, you know what I was like before I started using the magic…”

“Well, personally, as your best friend, I strongly believe that this spellbook…” Luna looked at the book in Gallus’ claws. “Belongs in the museum, Temp, like my moon crystal.”

Tempest frowned, flopping onto her bed and fidgeting with the blankets. She no longer wore her cloak, not feeling as self conscious with her new cutie mark. Though she still denied Luna the chance to make her a dress for anything except the Cotillion coming up.

“Lu, it’s just a quick spell for studying. Like Gallus said, we have about twenty-something things to do now, I need it to keep up.”

“Now, don’t give me that. You know I’m right.”

Tempest sighed. “Don’t you two ever miss running wild and just breaking all the rules?”

“You mean like stealing and lying and fighting?” Gallus asked

“Yeah!”

“No!” Luna cried

“Of course not!” Gallus exclaimed

“But… but why?”

“Why would we miss it?” Luna reached and pulled Tempest up. “T, come here. Look at where we are. We’re in Equus! And we’re Equus kids now.”

“Since Gallus revealed his secret passion for mangos, he’s received hundreds of bushels of the fruit from admirers. Here he is with King Sandbar, enjoying a bite…”

Gallus rolled his eyes and turned off the TV, looking at the girls.

“This is the land of opportunity, Temp. We can be whoever we want to be here. Please, let’s just put the past in the past.” Luna said

Tempest hesitated, then nodded, flicking her blonde mane. Luna smiled.

“Thank you, and plus, I mean…” Luna lifted up some royal shoes she was designing for herself. “I mean, look at these, look at them.”

Tempest snickered. “Heh, very nice.”