Chapter 4
At first, Sandbar and Gallus thought they had been pranked. They followed the instructions on the back of the photo to go to the back of Cloudsdale’s Weather Factory at eleven at night. It was an odd location, even in Heaven. There wasn't anything to indicate a hint of an entrance to the club. If anything, the instructions said to stand underneath a lamppost at eleven at night right behind the factory. The rest was a phrase, some kind of password, that they had to give to enter.
The two waited for a good fifteen minutes or so without anything happening. For a long time, they didn't see another being. It was quiet, if not dull.
"How much longer do you want to wait?" Gallus asked, eyeing the moon. "I'm almost tempted to go home at this point."
"Maybe it's some kind of test?" Sandbar suggested, but there was uncertainty in his tone. "I guess we'll stay for… maybe ten more minutes?"
"Funny, that's what you said ten minutes ago." Gallus folded his arms. "And we're still waiting."
There was an awkward silence between them. For a while, both wanted to make small talk, yet the options they had were the depressing funeral or the… embarrassing moment that came before that. Even when one of them almost brought up the latter, they stopped before they could begin. After all, how would one bring up such a topic?
Sandbar gave it a try. "So…"
"Hm?"
"Well, uh…" He swallowed. "Look… about what happened this afternoon…" Sandbar felt his cheeks turning red. "I didn't mean-"
Gallus held up a paw but didn't look at him. "It’s not your fault. What happened was an accident. If anyone's to blame for the… you-know-what, it's me."
"But-"
"I didn't realize where I was and what you were…" Gallus cleared his throat, "I should have been more self-aware."
"No, I should be the one apologizing."
"Why?"
"Well… yeah, I… did see something I probably shouldn't. But I was eyeing you and… I'm so sorry."
"But you shouldn't."
"Says who? It was still wrong of me."
This caught Gallus's attention. "How come?"
"Because you love Silverstream. I mean it's one thing to uh… like someone that’s free, but it's different when you already love someone else, and they have their eye on somecreature that isn't… well… you…" Sandbar pawed at the cloud below them. "Ya know, if Yona was here, she would have been angry with me."
“Would she?”
“I’m just guessing but… it’s almost like cheating, isn’t it?” After a beat, he added, “Besides, you’re technically a year older than me so… there’s still like a couple of months before I turn eighteen - ya know?”
"Okay, but would it make any difference if I wasn’t either of those?" Gallus asked.
"I… I don't know…"
Gallus didn't say anything. That same awkward yet hopeful feeling from before came back to haunt him. Here from the lips of his own best friend, he heard that if he wasn't seeing anyone, Sandbar may consider him as someone who could be more than friends with. At the same time, however, Sandbar was also right. Both about Silverstream and his age - at least to a degree. It was true that he pined for her, and she did for him for who-knows-how-long. If things were different, he might have had a girlfriend by now. That, and he was also correct about that age difference. He was, after all, eighteen while Sandbar was seventeen. Then again, the pony’s birthday is a couple of months away. However, Gallus wasn’t the kind to jump right in unless there was a guarantee. There were still too many uncertainties, too many factors that haven’t been considered to make that leap of faith.
‘Then again…’ Gallus thought, ‘do you want to spend eternity waiting, like how you did in life?’
Fortunately, something finally did happen among the awkward silence. Their ears perked up as they heard the sound of hoofsteps and someone humming in the distance. In the dim moonlight, they spotted a figure in a white trench coat approaching them. Whoever they were, they looked like they were having a casual stroll and were going to pass them. However, just as the figure took a few steps away from them, they suddenly stopped. "We are such stuff as dreams are made on," spoke a female voice.
Blinking, Gallus looked at the back of the photo and read aloud: "And our little life is rounded with a sleep."
Now the mare turned to look at them, lifting her wide-brim hat. "My, it's about time we got some new faces." In the light of the street post, a short yellow mane with a blue face smiled at them. "I figure you two are here for the club?"
"As in the Dream-" Sandbar was about to say but was interrupted.
"Yes, yes, yes," she nodded. "Sorry, we're just trying to be careful and all." After looking around, she held out her hoof. "Call me Lullaby. I'm more or less the official scout of the group."
Sandbar and Gallus introduced themselves and shook her hoof.
"So since you're here for it," Lullaby said, "I'll show you guys the way in. But follow closely. We do want to keep our club a secret after all."
"Where are we going?" Gallus inquired.
"There's a place that's right underneath the factory, but I have to show you how to get in."
Before the two could question her, she jumped up and dived right through the cloud below them. The two friends looked at each other before shrugging and followed suit. After shaking the bits of cloud off of them, they spotted Lullaby waving to follow. They flew under the cloud, silent as the night itself, but didn't have to soar long as Lullaby stopped right directly under the middle of the factory. Narrowing his eyes, Gallus could faintly stare at the spot and realized that there were tiny cracks that, when connected, made an upside-down jagged tricked door.
She knocked on the bottom of the cloudy surface before a small section opened up. "Password?"
"Winter delight."
A few locks were heard unlocking before a section of the cloud opened up just wide enough to fit all three in one by one. The room they entered was dark and small, with just another door behind a bulky blue hippogriff guard. Lullaby smiled and high-fived the bouncer. "Hey, Art. Got some fresh blood for the club."
"They give the right phrase?" He asked.
"What do you take me for? Of course they did," Lullaby answered, rolling her eyes. She stepped back to introduce the new bloods. “This is Gallus and Sandbar. Guys, this is Art. Short for Arthur. He was a prince of hippogriffs about four hundred years ago until he died in an accident."
"Yeah,” Art grumbled, “if you call getting stung by a king-sized killer jellyfish and drowning while paralyzed an accident."
"Wait, really?" Gallus asked with his eyebrow raised. "What's a prince doing as a bodyguard for a club? Shouldn't you be, I don't know, in some kind of official position?"
"You'd think that, but after doing that for twenty years up here, I felt like I was dying again, but this time of boredom," He answered with a shrug. "Trust me, doing jobs like these is a breath of fresh air."
"I don't suppose you're related to the current royal family of the hippogriffs?" Sandbar asked, curious.
"Nah, my family lineage died out shortly after my death from a civil war. To put it very nicely, let's just say my older brother was a prick and an idiot at ruling," Art said, shaking his head. "Anyway, just head on in and enjoy yourselves."
"But first things first," Lullaby said, "There's someone you gotta meet."
Gallus and Sandbar followed Lullaby down a short hallway to another door. On it, they noticed that it had a crescent moon, almost similar to the Ex-Princess Luna. Pushing on the door, Lullaby let them in and got a good look at the club's main room.
Far from being a dead, factory-like setting, the lobby alone was as large as a house. A rotunda with cloud pillars, a dark dome that twinkled with stars. Yet from it, some of them fell like snowflakes. If neither of them knew any better, they might have mistaken this as the entrance to some grand hotel. Or, judging by the center's fountain, the small bridges, and the ponds of water, a faithful recreation of an ancient Pegasi bathhouse.
"C'mon, you guys," Lullaby nudged them, "the sooner you meet her, the sooner you can get down to business."
"Sorry, who?" Sandbar asked.
"My boss, the owner of the club. So c'mon, I'll take you guys to her office."
Lullaby took the lead, and the two of them followed her deeper into the club. As they passed by the fountains and walked over bridges, they noticed many souls interacting with each other like any other club. While others were getting into the small ponds before they dove right underneath the waters. As they walked on, Gallus spied a Yak who sank into a pool. He noticed that when the waters became still enough, he saw Yakyakistan's gates that the yak had swum towards. In another pool, a Hippogriff was under the water, having a meal with an old seapony.
"Hey Lullaby," Gallus spoke up, "are these pools-"
"Dreams? Yeah, at least dreams of the living. They take forever to set them up for each client, but at least they give you a direct line to whoever you're trying to get in contact with."
Sandbar looked over where a doe came up from one of the ponds. "How many members are there?"
"Roughly under five or six hundred, but don’t quote me on that. We don't even get more than fifty a night, and for a good reason as my boss will explain."
"You know you've been very vague about that," Gallus pointed out.
"To be fair, I kinda doubt you would believe me if I told you."
"Why?" Sandbar and Gallus asked.
"Well… let's just say that in the living world, she's considered as a tall tale, but she's genuinely real."
“So was Rockhoof,” Sandbar commented.
"Besides, there's her office." She pointed up to a balcony that was next to a spiral staircase. On the railing, there was a snowflake pattern that stretched across, obscuring any view from below.
Lullaby climbed the staircase with Sandbar and Gallus following behind. At the top, the office they found wasn't what they expected it to be. There wasn't a desk to greet them, nor were there any filing cabinets or anything to suggest an office. It was more of a studio with all the scraps of cut paper laying around. In the center of the office was a light blue mare with a white mane, her eyes looking down at a cutting board with a scalpel in her teeth. On the panel was a piece of paper that she carefully cut shapes from. A circle here, a triangle there, a slash, a jab, and a cut resulted in a paper snowflake that was perfectly symmetrical and proportional in every way.
Lullaby cleared her throat. "Ma'am?"
The mare's ears perked up before setting the scalpel down and looking up. When Sandbar and Gallus looked at her in the eyes - a pair of blank eyeballs that showed she was blind - it suddenly clicked who this was. "Yes, Lullaby?"
"We've got some new members I've picked up. Their names are Sandbar and Gallus," she turned to them, smirked at their taken aback faces, "I suppose you've heard about Snowdrop?"
"Well, of course, I've heard of her," Sandbar answered in awe. "The first pony to have made a snowflake."
Gallus raised an eyebrow, "So why is she here in a club that's about dreams?"
"I founded the club," Snowdrop replied. "I was very good friends with Princess Luna back when I was alive. She and I used to do so much together until, well..." She sighed heavily before smiling. "Well, she's back from the moon, so I guess things worked out in the end. Anyway, Princess Luna used to tell me about the sort of dreams she used to help comfort ponies. After I passed away, I just worked here in the weather factory. However, I always found that ponies often wished they could communicate with their loved ones from the great beyond to let them know they were okay."
"Yeah, we kinda experienced that," Gallus said grimly.
Getting up from her chair, Snowdrop walked over to the two with a smile. "That's when I remembered one of the things Princess Luna used to do. It was to comfort those who lost their loved ones in their dreams. I wondered if such a thing was possible to do here in Heaven. So I spent a long time finding mages from ages past who knew about dream magic, and together we created this place to help the souls of the living and the dead move on. As for the design, I thought of it as a way to honor my friend."
"So, can we really visit our friends and family in these dreams?" Sandbar asked with a hopeful smile.
Snowdrop nodded but then frowned. "Yes, but you can only see three creatures each."
"Why just three?" Gallus asked.
"Because going into a dream is hard on the soul. We've found out that those who go in too many times without a period of rest can end up in comas. What we're doing is very illegal and could get us all in big trouble, so we not only limit the number of times you can come into the club, but the number of dreams you can enter," Snowdrop said in a stern tone. "Understand?"
The two nodded as Sandbar then raised a question. "Um, I'm just curious about something. Why are you still blind? I mean, not to be insensitive, but shouldn't you be able to see in Heaven?"
"Oh, I can, but… well, this is kind of embarrassing." Snowdrop slowly closed her eyes before a glow emitted from them. Once she opened them again, the two young creatures were surprised to find a standard set of light blue eyes staring at them. "I can't make snowflakes without my hearing being enhanced. So I made myself blind on purpose to do it again."
"And why all the paper?"
"Well, to put it simply," she lifted the freshly made paper snowflake, "the pools are the lock, and these are the keys. Do you see this space in the middle? That's where you write the name of whoever you're trying to talk to in their sleep. All you have to do is write down the name, toss it in one of the pools, and jump in."
"That sounds easy enough," Gallus reached out a claw, "we'll take three each then."
"Hold on, before you do," Snowdrop withdrew the paper snowflake, "how did you two find out about the club?"
"Honestly?" Sandbar answered, "We ran into a Changeling that's working in a theater in Canterlot. Said he could help us out."
"Yakov…" Snowdrop mused thoughtfully, then nodded, "I see. At least I know for a fact that he's a member and wouldn't let anyone know about us unless there was a good reason behind it. Very well, but before I give either of you these, both of you must promise me a few things."
"And what's that?" Sandbar inquired.
"First, this club must be kept a secret. Do not spread the word of this place to anyone else unless you know they wouldn’t tell anyone." They nodded, "Second, once you've used all three of your paper keys, both of you will not be allowed back in for another ten years."
"Ten years?" Gallus blinked.
Snowdrop nodded, "Given how much others would abuse this establishment, and of course, for safety reasons, we have to keep it at a minimum. You'll be given three keys, and once you've used all of them up, you will not be allowed back in for ten years. Trust me. This will prevent you from blacking out for a very long time."
"That makes sense," Sandbar said, "Anything else?"
"Well, this one isn't much of a rule as a heads up. Each of these keys allows you to be in the dream for twenty minutes and no more. Also, one key each to one dream, so you can't reuse them on the same individual unless you want whoever you're trying to get a hold of to go into a coma. Do you understand?"
They nodded.
"Very well," Snowdrop turned to a small pile of paper snowflakes and pulled out six from it. "Just remember, regardless of who you try to reach out to, make every second count."
They were each given a pen before Sandbar and Gallus dismissed themselves from Snowdrop's office. For a long time, neither of them did anything to their paper snowflakes. It wasn't that neither of them knew who they wanted to talk to. Rather, their lists went far and beyond the limited three keys they were given. Plus, the choice became more complicated to make knowing when they’ll get the next opportunity to do this again.
"This is a lot harder than I thought," Sandbar remarked, looking at his blank snowflakes. "There were so many at the funeral… so many that were hurt."
"Yeah… But we can only call three. Well, two for me because I know who I need to talk to first."
Sandbar held up one of the paper flakes. "This one will go to Yona. But what about everyone else? Our friends, my family… and we only have twenty minutes each."
Gallus hummed. "Maybe we should get a hold of those that are the most important to us. Perhaps we could use two of these things to get in touch with the girls and the third for whoever."
"Maybe…" Sandbar trailed off in thought. "I think I should get a hold of my sister."
"Why? Don't you want to talk to your parents?"
"Of course I do. But when we were at our funeral… Coral was grieving the most, and if there's anyone that needs comfort, it's her."
"I see," Gallus nodded, looking at his options. "So if you're going to talk to Yona and your sis, while I talk to Silver and… maybe Starlight. That just leaves Ocellus and Smolder." After a humming thought, he added, "So how about you tackle Ocellus?"
"Well, I guess I can, but why?"
"Between the two of us when Smolder is grieving, maybe it's best to send in someone that would make it a little difficult for her to make us extra crispy if she gets upset. Besides, I can handle her grudge if she has one. Ocellus, I think might need a more gentle approach."
"That makes sense." Sandbar looked up to the nearby empty ponds. Where in one, he watched a dragon write down a name to a snowflake. Then tossing it into the water, the pond shimmered with a light underneath of an orange glow. So the dragon took a few steps back before swan diving headfirst into the water. "How do you think they would react to us?" asked Sandbar, "I mean, having us in their dreams."
"Truthfully, no idea." Gallus began to scribble one name at a time on his snowflakes. "Either they might freak out or cry uncontrollably. I don't know if they'll remember us when they wake up, but we still got to try." Eyeing the name of Silverstream, he added, "I just hope they'll be willing to listen."
As Gallus walked up to an empty pond, he heard Sandbar ask, "So what are you going to tell Silver?"
Tossing the paper snowflake that had Silversream's name into the water, he watched the ripples expand, opening up to a blurry scene below like an iris lens to a place that he couldn't see. "Well, I don't know about you," Gallus replied, "but I think I should go tell someone something that I should have said a long time ago."
"And what's that?"
Gallus looked back into the water. He could barely see something moving there. A blurry light pink thing that he knew had to be Silverstream. "The truth. The whole truth. And nothing but the truth." Glancing back at his friend, he added, "I have a feeling we owe everyone that." Sticking a claw into the water, Gallus braced himself. Taking in a deep breath, he pushed himself into the dream.
There was a bright light, and for a few moments, Gallus felt like he would go blind. Eventually, it faded, and he was able to see his surroundings slowly. The scene in front of him shouldn't have come as a surprise to Gallus, but the fact that the griffin could smell the ocean air, feel the sand in his toes, and feel his lungs breathing in the air was stunning. He had been dead for so long he had already forgotten such things. The place was easily recognizable. Silverstream took Gallus here one time when he visited for the holidays. It was her favorite place on the entire island to relax and think to herself.
Turning to his right, he saw Silverstream, sitting on a smooth rock while watching the ocean with the sun setting before them. It was like seeing the entire sea burning in flames, and yet it held a sense of sorrow and finite to it. Knowing he couldn't stay around just to admire the view, Gallus slowly walked forward until he was inches away from the rock with his friend's back still turned to him.
"Silverstream?"
A small gasp and slowly Silverstream turned around. Upon seeing Gallus standing there, her eyes began to water. "G-Gallus."
A soft smile decorated his lips before nodding. "Hey, Silver."
"Gallus!" Silverstream cried before diving into him. She brought him down to the sand and hugged him so hard, yet he felt no pain, only a sense of familiarity and longing. She had hugged him so many times, yet Gallus never realized just how much he took those hugs for granted. "Is it… am I… am I dead?"
"No, you're dreaming," Gallus whispered as he put his arms around her back, stroking her feathery wings while nuzzling her neck.
"Then I don't want to wake up," Silverstream whispered before lifting her head and seeing him eye to eye. "I don't want to leave you..."
"Silver… I can't stay for long," Gallus said as he slowly lifted himself, yet never once let go of his friend. "I'm here because… well… a lot of things… but first of which is that I'm sorry."
"S-Sorry?" Silverstream asked, rubbing her eyes.
"For dying. For leaving you with so much pain," Gallus lowered his head in shame. "I… I was there… at the funeral… I heard your last rite thing and..." He sighed before just figuring it was best to get it over with. He slowly leaned his head forward and pressed his beak against her own. Silverstream closed her eyes and let Gallus guide her lips into pure bliss. The two of them embraced one another as gently set her down.
He didn't need to say anything after that, but he wanted to. He needed to say it. Gallus ended the kiss as he got on top of Silverstream and smiled. "Silverstream. I love you. I've always loved you. I'm sorry that we never got a chance to make it work out. I want you to know the truth finally. The truth is that I've never felt happier than all the times I was with you. Even in my final moments."
Silverstream gently shed some tears, but her smile never faltered as she pressed her palm against his cheeks. "I love you too, Gallus." The two kissed again, this time with more passion. Gallus was surprised that Silverstream allowed her tongue inside his mouth, but he didn't complain.
The waves slowly began to wash over them from the high tide, getting their bodies wet as they slowly pressed against one another. Gallus could feel his loins burning despite being dampened by ocean water, but he didn't care, and from the look that Silverstream was giving him, she didn't either.
The two slowly bumped heads as neither spoke for a moment before Silverstream slowly placed her hand on Gallus' chest and stroked him down. "Will you… always be in my dreams?"
"Like this? No, after this I can't come back for another ten years," Gallus said, which caused Silverstream to tilt her head. "Don't ask. It's a long story."
"Then… will I ever see you again?" Silverstream whimpered.
"When you die, I guess, but I want that to happen when you're old and in bed," Gallus said before taking a deep breath. "Which is why I want you to move on, Silver."
"W-What?" Silverstream asked, her voice expressing shock.
"Silver, I'm dead," Gallus said plainly, despite the hurt in his heart. "I can't come back. Neither can Sandbar. We're… we're gone, Silverstream. I don't want you wasting your life waiting for something that isn't possible anymore."
"B-But I love you!" Silverstream cried out.
"And I love you too, but loving a dead griffin like me won't help anything," Gallus said, holding her hand. "I love you too much to let you stay forever mourning for me. I want you to have a life. Find someone who will love you, that you will love equally back, and have a family with them. When you finally cross over, we can see what happens. But until then, please don't stop yourself from having a life because I died." He kissed her on the lips again. "Promise me."
"I…" tears in Silverstream's eyes began to form. "Gallus, I don't know if I can."
"Listen to me," Gallus looked her in the eye. "I've wasted my life waiting. Do you understand that? I've spent my life waiting around for something better to come along. I've waited and double guessed and triple guessed if I would find any happiness with anyone. And you know why I've waited? Because I was - and still am afraid that if I didn't play this right, this might blow up in my face. Silverstream, I'm begging you. Don't waste your time waiting for that fairytale moment that might not happen. The last thing I want is for you to die without getting the chance to live. Please, promise me that."
"I… I promise..." Silverstream whispered with her eyes misty. She then pulled Gallus close to her and whispered. "But only if you do the same."
"Huh?" Gallus asked.
"Gallus… I don't want you to wait for me either," Silverstream smiled as she placed her hand over his heart. "You said you regretted not finding such happiness in life. Well, if you're up there in Heaven, then maybe you can find it in death? Someone who will love you as much as I do. I won't be angry if you do. Surely, you can find someone besides me over there, right?"
For a split second, Gallus' thoughts turned to a particular light green pony who was currently saying farewell to his special creature. His first real crush before Silverstream. But could it happen? Or was he just deluding himself?
"Alright, I'll try," Gallus whispered, smiling. "Plus, if this works out for the both of us, we can always have an orgy. Apparently, harems are a thing in Heaven."
"Speaking of which, I want one thing." She blushed, "One final thing from you."
"What's that?" Gallus asked before she kissed him on the cheeks.
"Make love to me." Gallus felt his cheeks blush as Silverstream smiled at him. "If this is a dream… and the last time we speak… I want to remember it both in my heart and in my soul. Please, Gallus. Love me."
Gallus slowly took her into his arms and gently laid her down. "How can I say no?"
It felt like a dream within a dream. The way they touched, moved, and humped. Neither screamed their names but whispered them with passion and care. He treated her like the princess she was to him, and he let her explore him in every place for the first and last time. He was fierce like a lion and yet gentle like a cat when needed. The waves continued to come right between them with each thrust and swallow.
Red dying sunlight reflected off their rumps as both claimed each other as their own in this midnight fantasy. Silverstream made him finally scream her name as he dominated her on top, owning her very soul from the inside with each push and prod until his final burst. When it was all said and done, the two lovers lay side by side, snuggling with the scent of hot romance between them. Nothing needed to be said. No more goodbyes. No more farewells.
The sun finally began to set as the two looked at each other one last time before silently bidding their lover farewell. When Silverstream blinked, the moon had risen, and Gallus was gone. For a split second, she thought about joining him in death. To wake up and make her end to be with him forever. But then the echoes of their promise came, and she banished those thoughts for good.
Silver would find love again. Even if it took years, she would learn to live without him. But this dream would be hers to own forever.
When Sandbar tossed the snowflake with Yona's name on it, he didn't know what to expect going into a dream. At first, everything was too bright to see, too blinding to make out what was going on. But soon, things came into focus as his senses were registering what was around him. The first thing he saw was the colorful lights on bare branches overhead, underneath a dark sky. Then his hooves felt icy. He was standing in the snow. In his ears, there was the sound of laughter and distant tunes of Hearths Warming. Even in the cold air, he can smell the hot chocolate, pine, and cinnamon.
Shapes and colors became clear that he could see where he was. It was an ice rink, where part of a pond had solidified in ice, and ponies were skating happily this way and that. But as he looked, he couldn't see Yona.
"Hey, aren't you coming?" Sandbar was taken aback to hear Smolder asking that question, and he turned to find her talking to Yona. Underneath an ice-covered weeping willow, Yona sat with her back against the bark of the tree. Smolder had seemed to pause for a reply from her. She knelt down a bit. "C'mon, the girls are hoping you'd be up here by now."
"No thanks," Yona said softly, melancholically. "Yona, don't want to."
"You sure I can't talk you into it?" Yona shook her head, and with that, Smolder shrugged and skated away.
Sandbar walked over, softly, quietly towards Yona so that he could hear her weeping softly. In the twinkling of the colored lights above, he spotted the tears that were running down her face. He sat down next to her, lifting a hoof to brush away a tear. "Yona?" He asked, "Are you okay?"
Yona was startled, nearly jumped out from where she sat. She looked over to him, a cloven hoof over her heart. Her jaw hangs loose for a moment. "S… S-Sandbar?" There were tears in her eyes, and there was shock yet a tremendous joy to see him there. "Sandbar!" Quick as lightning, she enveloped him in a crushing hug. Although Sandbar didn't feel pain in the constrictor-like hug, he felt that familiar warmth that he loved. "Sandbar came back! Sandbar alive! Is Sandbar okay?"
"Yona… air." Sandbar said to get her attention. Although he didn't need to breathe pre-se, it did get the desired effect to have her let go of him so they could talk.
"Sorry, Yona just…" She wiped the tears from her eyes, "happy Sandbar be back."
"Well… yes," Sandbar's ears flatten flat against his head. "At least for a visit."
Yona blinked. "What does pony mean?"
"Yona, I don't have much time. You're still dreaming and… it's a long story, but basically, there's so much I want to say to you, and I have so little time to do it."
"Wait…" Yona took a step back. "Is Sandbar…?"
He nodded, "I’m dead. But I wanted to come back to you while I still can. And I won't get this chance again for another ten years. So while I'm here, there are some things I want to tell you."
Yona glanced over to the ice rink at the skaters' slow pace, the music, and the magical lights that reflected over the scratched ice. "Well…" She held out a hoof to him. "May Yona have this dance?"
With a gentle smile, he took her hoof and stepped onto the ice. Side by side, they gently skated in the cold night air.
"Well, first of all," Sandbar began, "I thought I'd come back to at least apologize to you."
"Why?" Yona tilted your head. "Sandbar didn't do anything wrong."
"But… I did." He looked her in the eye. "Me and Gallus, we were at the funeral. We were there when you cried over us and said your goodbyes. And I was there when…" Sandbar felt a lump in his throat, "you were crying and… I couldn't do anything. You were in so much pain that I caused that..."
"No," Yona stopped, carefully placing a hoof on his face, "pony shouldn’t say such things. It's not Sandbar’s fault."
"It still hurts to see you cry." Sandbar tried to withhold his tears that threatened to come out. "You know I love you too much to see you cry."
They stopped. This time Sandbar felt Yona's hoof wiping the tears from his face. "It does hurt," Yona said, "but it's worse to know that Sandbar in pain too."
"Why?" Sandbar gave a weak smile. "I'm dead."
"But Sandbar should be happy. Yona can't be happy if Sandbar not." She kissed him on the forehead. "How can Yona be better?"
Sandbar sighed, "Just hear me out, okay?" She nodded, "First off, everything that has happened to Gallus and me, it's not your or any of the girls' fault. Second, and understand this most of all, I still love you no matter what. Even if that means you moving on without me."
Yona's eyes widened. "But… Yona can't move on. If Yona did, it like Yona betraying Sandbar."
"You won't. Yona, I don't want you to be miserable forever. And don't you think of killing yourself for me. Because you still have a beautiful life ahead of you. The last thing I want is to hold you down from being happy."
"But Yona won't find anyone like Sandbar."
He sighed, "Maybe not, but put yourself in my horseshoes. If you died, do you want me to go around for the rest of my life never finding love? Or happiness? Or finding something fulfilling?"
Yona sniffed, "No."
"Forgive me for putting it like this, but you don't need my permission to be happy. Yona, out of everyone I know, you deserve love. You deserve a life—a long one with someone that can love you back and maybe have a family with you someday. Yona, look me in the eye and promise me that I wouldn't hold you down. Promise me that when you do find someone, don't let me stop you from being loved."
Yona took a deep breath and let it out into the frosty air. "It… won't be easy."
"I know. But please, don't do this just for me. Do it for yourself."
She let out an uneasy breath. "Yona promises to try." Then after a beat, she added. "On one condition."
"Name it."
Yona leaned forward to kiss Sandbar. Deeply, allowing the warmth of her lips to melt into his. Allowing sweet surrender of her tongue inside his mouth. The sensation was as if she was more intimate to touch his very soul. But upon withdrawing, she told him, "Sandbar… promise Yona that pony moves on too."
This took Sandbar aback. "What?"
"Not fair if pony goes around afterlife being mopey ghost. Yona wants Sandbar have peace. Yona wants pony find same love Sandbar gave Yona in life. It matters not how long or with whom, Yona wants Sandbar be happy."
Sandbar paused. Deep down, he knew she was right. Just because he was dead doesn't mean that he couldn't move on too.
After a beat, Yona added, "Even if with Gallus."
"What?!" Sandbar asked, surprised, his cheeks darkening.
“Sandbar did tell Yona that pony was Pan. Yes?" He nodded, "If Gallus could love Sandbar back, Yona will approve."
"Now wait, Yona! I know you have your shipping glasses on but, c’mon, this is Gallus you’re talking about. I don't know if he would. I-I mean sure, he just came out as bi but-"
"None of that." Yona silenced him with a hoof. "Yona moves on if Sandbar moves on. Agree?"
A few times, Sandbar tried to say something back, but his jaw kept opening and closing with nothing to respond on. So, after a sigh, he nodded.
"How long does pony have?" Yona inquired.
"Donno, I wanna say about… fifteen or so minutes."
Yona held his hoof tightly. "Stay with Yona?"
Sandbar smiled and nuzzled her. "I will." His ear perked up as a Hearth's Warming Waltz began to play with the plucking of strings. "Yona, may I have this dance, one last time?"
It may have been fifteen minutes, even in a dream, but every second was an eternity as they held one another. Savoring moment to moment as they twisted and swerved, laughed, and fell over the ice. The two of them sharing their warmth underneath the colored lights was a memory neither would forget. It was a bittersweet moment that they skated this way and clinging on so that the other wouldn't disappear so soon. They weren't paying attention to the music anymore but to each other. Letting minute after minute be spent in the other's company.
Then, somewhere in the distance, a bell chime was heard, and Sandbar began to fade.
In the eyes of Yona, Sandbar didn't see devastation. Although in tears, they were relieved. With a smile, she said, "Goodbye, Sandbar. Be happy for Yona."
Sandbar reached out to kiss her for a final time. "Goodbye, Yona. I love you."
In her arms, she felt Sandbar fade out to where there was nothing but air. While she was sad to see him go, she did feel something that she welcomed in her empty arms.
Peace.
Of all the scenes that Gallus had been expecting to see in Smolder's dream, a graveyard was not on the top of his list. He felt the pouring rain come down on his feathers and shivered from their cold touch. He passed by, grave after grave, all unmarked until he saw a familiar figure in a black tux holding an umbrella in one claw and a shovel in the other. While standing in front of six graves close to each other. Five of them were filled with dirt and grass, but one was still open and fresh, ready to be filled with a coffin.
Getting closer, Gallus saw familiar names on the graves. They were the names of him, Sandbar, and all of his friends. It wasn't until he got to the one that Smolder was standing next to that he saw that she was looking into her own grave.
He was about to say something when, to his surprise, Smolder spoke first. "You're late."
"E-Excuse me?" Gallus asked.
Turning around, a smirking Smolder looked at him as if she was expecting Gallus to arrive. "I've been hoping you'd find that club and visit me in my dream. I'm guessing you and Sandbar are also visiting the others?"
"Wait, you know about it?" Gallus asked, pointing to her. "How did you-"
"My grandmother died five years ago and visited me, my brother, and my dad in our dreams shortly after she died," Smolder said, shrugging, letting go of the shovel to let it fall on the soggy ground. "She told me about old Snowdrop's club for visiting dreams, and I got to spend some time with her before she left. I was hoping you guys would find it too."
"Why didn't you tell anyone that at the funeral?" Gallus said before adding. "Also, nice speech, by the way."
"Thanks," Smolder said with a nod. "Because I doubt anyone would’ve believed me, and I didn't know if you guys would find it. So I figured I'd keep quiet. Still, I'm glad and relieved you're here. So now I can do this!"
Smolder's free fist made contact with Gallus's jaw, which sent him to the ground. "Ow! What the Hell was that for?!"
"That was getting your stupid butts killed!" Smolder screamed, tossing the umbrella at him as tears began to leak from her eyes. She dragged Gallus up and glared at him despite her crying. "I've always been prepared to lose you guys! I thought I was ready when the time came - but no! You went and died too soon! I mean really?! Now?! Thanks to you, I can't spend any time alone by myself or I’ll fall into a bunch of tears like a baby! You stupid assholes! If anyone should have died among the six of us, I should have been the one to go!"
".... Is that why we're in a graveyard?" Gallus asked, slowly pushing himself off. "Do you think you should have died?"
".... If there was a choice, yeah," Smolder grumbled as she stared at the six graves. "Look, before you say anything, I'm not suicidal. I don't want to die… but living without you five was always my biggest fear. I even thought about going through that race-changing spell thing and becoming something that wasn't a dragon a few times." She kicked a rock nearby and cursed. "I didn't want to lose any of you. Even if I found other friends, a lover, or a family, or whatever… I didn't want to lose them too and not be able to see you all again for hundreds of years!"
Gallus sighed and slowly made his way to Smolder, wrapping his arms around her with a hug. "I know. I can't think of the idea of life without any of you either. Or an afterlife without all my friends beside me. I mean, at least I got Sandbar, but that's it."
"What? Your parents aren't dead either?"
"Oh, they're dead alright," Gallus snarled. "But they not in Heaven."
".... Shit," Smolder said, shaking her head. "I guess Heaven isn't always a happy place."
"Considering Sandbar and I just saw a movie about our funerals where all our loved ones cried and mourned for us? Making us feel guilty that we died early and left you guys to suffer and there’s nothing we could do about it? Yeah, it's not all sunshine and rainbows," Gallus answered, which made Smolder raise her eyebrow.
"A movie?"
"Don't ask," Gallus said, rolling his eyes. "It's a long story."
"Did they at least get my good side?" Smolder asked with a smirk.
"Well, you do look ten pounds heavier on the big screen," Gallus joked as the two laughed. Taking a deep breath, Gallus looked at Smolder in the eyes. "Smolder, I just told Silverstream I wanted her to live despite losing me. I'm saying the same to you as well."
"How can I live knowing that you're all going to die before me?" Smolder grumbled.
".... By protecting them," Gallus said as he forced her to turn around and glare at her. "And those that come after them.'
"Huh?" Smolder asked, confused.
"Silverstream. Ocellus. Yona. They're all going to have kids someday. Families of their own. And those families are going to have families as well," Gallus continued. "If there is one thing I've learned, it's that dying young sucks. Think about it, I'm never going to graduate, find my purpose in life, get married, have kids, and all that. My life ended before it really could begin. I don't want the others to go through that. I want them to live life to the fullest before it's their time to die. Regardless of how long that might be."
He stared at the graves that held both his and Sandbar's name. "Hell, I'd give anything even to have Sandbar live his life again. It's my fault he died saving my stupid butt, and he ended up six feet under with me. I don't want to see that happen to our friends or anyone."
Gallus smiled at Smolder, who looked to be in shock. "That's why there is no creature in the world I trust to protect them but you. You've always been the strongest, bravest, and fiercest of us all. You said once that we were like your horde, right? Well, protect that horde from anything that will make it unhappy. You want a purpose? I've given you one. Make it even my last request." He took her claw and held it up in hers. "Smolder, I ask you to protect Silverstream, Ocellus, Yona, their families, their friends, their children, and grandchildren, and all those after them. Make them live their lives to the fullest until it's your time to go. Don't let what happened to Sandbar and me happen to them."
".... Heh, when you put it like that..." Smolder chuckled before laughing with a smile. "Ah, screw it! I'll do it! I protect them so badly that Death itself will curse my name!"
Smolder looked at the graves and closed her eyes. A split second later, as if by magic, they were all gone. Instead of a graveyard, it was a simple green field with statues of her and the rest of the gang looking happy and content.
Gallus sighed in relief as he and Smolder just looked at the statues in silence. "So what now? I still got some time."
".... Hey, Gallus?" Smolder asked.
"Yeah?"
".... Do you think Spike likes me?" Smolder asked.
"Wait, what?!" Gallus asked, pointing at her. "You and Spike?"
"W-Well," Smolder crossed her arms. "You had Silverstream. Yona had Sandbar. I kinda always wanted to have someone and… Spike's been really supportive ever since you two… died… I mean, I don't think anything can happen in a few years, but… you know?"
".... Huh, and here I thought you like Ocellus," Gallus said with a smirk.
"Hey, I'm not gay. That's my brother," Smolder grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, why does everyone think that with me?"
Shaking his head, Gallus put his claw on Smolder's shoulder and smirked. "Look, you want my advice? Give it a shot. Sandbar and I already missed our chance with Silverstream and Yona. Don't be the third of us to not find love because who knows what might happen."
"I guess we can have lunch together and see where it goes," Smolder said with a slight blush and smile.
Gallus soon started to feel himself fading away, just like last time. Smolder recognized it too as she soon wrapped her arms and wings around Gallus. "I'm going to miss you, dude."
"Same," Gallus said, smiling.
"I promise I'll look after everyone. Just… wait for me, okay?"
"I will, I promise."
By the time Smolder opened her eyes, Gallus was already gone, but instead of sorrow, she felt content for the first time in days.
When Sandbar entered Ocellus's dream, the first thing he saw after the bright lights had dimmed was that he was in a forest of aspens. There were tall thin trees with white bark and thinner black lines that had formed an outline of eyes in every direction. By the looks of it, it was autumn in the dream as there were leaves on the ground in multiple colors. What stood out the most was that from his perspective, stepping inside this dream was like being inside a painting that moved. Above him, the leaves were mere dots that swayed in the branches. He saw shades of reds, purple, orange, white, gold, yellow, and pink. The components and trees looked as if they were painted with hurried brushstrokes, with shades of gray, purple, and light blue clinging onto the bark-like shadows. On the ground were dots of yellow, orange, and red leaves that seemed to be flung there by the wind. Even the sky overhead was brushed with paint. Sandbar squinted at the sun's light that was merely a white dot with yellow and silver lines that surrounded it like a basket pattern.
As impressive, if not beautiful as this dream was, Sandbar still needed to find Ocellus.
"How am I supposed to find her in a place like this?" He asked himself aloud, looking about until he spotted the angel wings on his back. "Oh yeah, that's right, I can fly now." So spreading his wings, he started to hover upward towards the painted canopy. Within moments, he flew through an opening and got a view of the forest from a bird's eye view. Up in the air, he saw a sea of autumn leaves that stretched in nearly every direction, with mountains rising above them like islands. Although painted, the canopy realistically moved in the wind like waves.
Still, he looked around in hopes of finding something that might stand out, so it would lead him to his friend. Fortunately, it didn't take long as he spotted some trees disappearing, leaving a river behind. Whatever was doing that, he reasoned, it had to be her. Gliding over through the trees, he came closer to the river until he was right over it. The water reflected and blurred the forest and himself back to him while it flowed out elsewhere. Yet, he followed upriver to where the trees were disappearing.
Then he found her. With a brush in her mouth and her neck bowed low to the ground, she painted the river. Stroke by chaotic stroke, the leaves and grass gave way to the water. As he got closer, Sandbar's ears picked up on the unmistakable sound of sobbing. He got close enough to see that Ocellus was blinded by her tears that rolled down her face.
"Ocellus?" Sandbar called out, "Where are you doing?"
This sudden voice snapped the changeling out from whatever she was doing. The brush fell out of her mouth, landing with a plop into the stylized water. She gasped, "What?! Sandbar? You're…?"
Sandbar gently landed near her. "Still not alive, as you can see." He folded up his wings and pointed at his halo. "What about you? Are you okay?"
"I…" Ocellus sniffed, shutting her eyes tightly. "I'm in a dream, am I? N-None of this is…" The tears returned to her face. Sandbar, overcome with compassion, hugged her tightly. "You… You feel real, but… you're not here." Ocellus said, her voice becoming hoarse.
"But I hurt you." Sandbar nuzzled her. "Gallus and I hurt you."
Ocellus pushed him away. "No, you…" she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yes, I'm sad about all this. Only because… this is my fault."
"Why?"
"Because if… if things had gone differently. If we had stayed together in those caves, you and Gallus would still be alive. Or maybe if we let our Professors know of what the Diamond Dogs were doing. Or maybe if we-"
"But it's not your fault." Sandbar reached out to her, "None of you had anything to-"
"Yes I did!" Ocellus stepped back, slapping his hoof away. "It should have been me that died! This was my plan to save the world again, and this time it got two of my best friends killed!"
"By an unexpected cave-in?" Sandbar questioned. Taking in a deep breath, he sighed, "Ocellus, how do you think I feel? Even if you doubt there's an afterlife, do you honestly think I went to my grave with a clear conscience?"
Ocellus blinked, and after a sniff, she inquired, "W-What do you mean?"
"Ocellus…" Sitting down on his haunches on the leafy paint-covered ground, he said, "Yes, I was terrified when I died. I was more scared than anytime I had been in my life. I didn't know what was happening, and I was in pain. I was wondering if everyone else got out okay. Then when I did die, my thoughts turned to all of you. How this unexpected thing has caused so much pain to you and the girls, my family..." He paused and sighed. "Growing up, I tried everything I could to cause the least amount of harm… and I failed… I failed you… I'm sorry, Ocellus."
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Ocellus inched closer. "Don't beat yourself up for me. I know you didn't do this on purpose. Just… having you and Gallus go like that… It's painful because it was so unexpected. And now that you're gone for good… It's like everything feels so… empty now. Like a piece of a masterpiece had been broken off and destroyed forever."
"I know it’s hard to hear this, but I know what that feels like." Sandbar nodded and once again tried to reach out to her. This time, he successfully got his hoof on her shoulder. “I don't know if this helps, but if it did happen to you instead of me or Gallus, I would be devastated too. I would have wished I could go back and do something - anything - just so that we're all together at the end of the day. It's hard. While I doubt I would ever get over it, I don't think I should let my grief control my life either."
Ocellus tilted her head. "Why do you say that? Don’t you miss us?"
"Of course I do. I miss my friends, my family, the school, Yona… But just because I'll miss them doesn't mean that I shouldn't keep on growing. Maybe use that loss as a powerful tool to do something… I don’t know, incredible with it. I mean, look what you've done with the place." Sandbar used his free hoof to wave at the forest. "Even in a dream, even in your grief, you made something stunning. Makes me wonder what you could do awake?"
Blinking, Ocellus looked around at the landscape she made. From the river to the trees, even the multicolored leaves above. "I… I did this?"
"Uh-huh," Sandbar nodded. "Look, I know when things are so painful that you just can't see another way around it. But give yourself some time and open up your imagination, you can find all sorts of ways to make your life around you better - even if only a little bit. I mean," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Out of all of us, we always looked to you for guidance. Even I looked up to you because you were so imaginative when it came to finding solutions. A voice of reason at times. I can imagine that the girls need you now more than ever for something like that."
"It's… but your passing, it's going to be so big to overcome."
"Well, it's not like we're trying to save the world again." Sandbar joked.
This finally got a giggle out of her. "I guess I see your point." After a sniff, she added, "You know, part of me wishes that you really are Sandbar." The stallion raised an eyebrow. "Hey, for all I know, this dream is just my mind trying to cope or something. But I still wish you were here, because if I had known what was to happen, then I might have said a few things."
"Yeah," Sandbar nodded, his ears folded back. "And I wanted to reach out to let you know that I still feel guilty for saying those things to you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Remember that one time before Hearth's Warming that Gallus had sabotaged the tree, but I accused you of doing it?" Sandbar shook his head. "I had no excuse for saying those things. I thought I had gotten over that way of thinking when I met you, but that night? I realized how big of a jerk I was."
"Sandbar, come here," Ocellus wrapped him in her hooves, pulling him in a tight hug. "You've changed since then and for the better. I've already forgiven you for that because of how you treated me since." Pulling away, she smiled, "Even now, I can still sense your conflicting emotions."
"Yeah?"
"Sandbar, I'm a Changeling. I can read your and everyone's emotions like an open book. I sensed that you'd made peace, but you're still going to miss us. That you wished that you had enriched your love when you were alive."
"You have no idea," Sandbar frowned but nodded in agreement.
"Hey, look, if it helps… and if there's an afterlife, maybe you have a second chance with that."
"Huh?" Blinking in confusion, he asked her what she meant. "What are ya talking about?"
Ocellus smiled slyly, "Let's just say that Yona wasn't the first to have feelings for you," she put a hoof to Sandbar's mouth before he could say anything, "and I'll give you a hint, it's not me. But maybe someone closer to you than you think."
"Really?" Sandbar stepped back. "Who?"
Her smirk grew. "Oh no, I think you'll have to figure this one out for yourself."
Before Sandbar could inquire further, he noticed that he was starting to fade.
"Sandbar? What's happening?" Ocellus asked, concerned.
"I think my time's about up," He looked at her with a smile. "Goodbye, Ocellus, and remember to be kind to yourself."
"Sandbar?" Ocellus reached out to him, but her hoof went through. She was helpless to see her friend fade away into nothing. Her focus was on his caring eyes and calm smile as he disappeared.
Even if it was a dream, she told herself that the strange encounter brought her tranquility that she had a hard time finding for several days. Perhaps her mind made it up, but she couldn't argue that sense of catharsis she so desperately needed. Sandbar might be gone, but Ocellus felt that she was done crying. Her friends still need her, and she'll do what she can to make the lives of her remaining friends better.
Gallus wasn't surprised to learn that Starlight was dreaming about herself in her office, nor with the rain pouring heavily from outside. The droplets were like the sizes of apples, and they reflected the mood that Starlight had on her face. However, when she saw Gallus appear before her desk, she quickly leached back with a surprised look on her face. "G-Gallus?! But… oh… wait a second..." Starlight shook her head and held a hoof to her forehead. "I'm dreaming. Of course, why else would one of my dead students appear before me?"
"Well, you are dreaming, but it's not a normal one," Gallus answered as he leaned back against the seat he was sitting on.
"Huh?" Starlight asked, raising her head. "Of course, this is a normal dream. I've lost one of my best students, and my mind is in grief, so you're a manifestation of it."
"Not this time Dr. Freud, I'm the real Gallus coming to you live from the afterlife to talk to you in your dreams," Gallus answered with a shake of the head. "Yeah, I know it sounds like a joke, but I'm being serious. And to prove it?" He leaned over and bonked Starlight on the head, which caused her to rub it in pain before her eyes widened. "Remember how you can't get hurt in dreams? Kind of a special case here."
".... Gallus?" Starlight asked, her voice filled with uncertainty. "Is that… you?"
"Well I'd say in the flesh, but I think my flesh is getting feasted on by worms by now," Gallus joked.
"Actually, Twilight requested you and Sandbar be given stasis spells, so your bodies are preserved for hundreds of years," Starlight pointed out before shaking your head. "But that's not important right now! How are you able to do this?! Wait, you came from the afterlife?! What is it like?! And where is Sandbar?!"
"In a nutshell?” Gallus shrugged, “It's nice if a bit weird at times. Look, the reason I'm here is Sandbar and I met somepony who could help us say our final goodbyes to those we love in their dreams. Just three each, though. I already talked to Silverstream and Smolder. You're my last one."
Starlight tilted her head. "While I am honored, I'm kinda confused. Silverstream and Smolder I understand, and I take it Sandbar is with Yona and Ocellus, but why me?"
"Because..." Gallus took a deep breath. "You remember all the times we talked? About me and… my parents..."
Just like it was another council session, Starlight positioned herself to listen and nodded. "I do. It was a difficult topic, but I thought we were able to deal with a lot of your issues when… when you were alive, did we?"
There was silence between the two for a moment before Gallus cleared his throat. "Yeah… I… I finally found out what happened to them. Who they were and all." Gallus closed his eyes and did his best to hold back the tears. "They were criminals. They were utter scum. They killed, and robbed, and… they're in the other place right now. They didn't care about me or wanted me. They just abandoned me in Griffinstone before going on their next heist." Gallus sighed before looking up at the ceiling. "The answers I wanted to know my whole life turned out to be ones I never wanted to hear. I'm the product of two utter buttholes who were scum and deserve their fate. I guess I should be lucky they did abandon me, so I didn't follow in their wake."
"Gallus," Starlight slowly got up and walked over Gallus before wrapping her forelegs around him. "I'm so sorry."
"Thanks, Starlight," Gallus said, hugging back. The two looked at each other as Gallus gave a small smile. "You know? Out of all the adults I had in my life, you were the closest to a Mom I ever had. You were always willing to listen to me and hug me when I talked about my problems. My friends are like family too, but more of the brother and sister type. You, however, were the closest parent figure I had."
"I'm glad you thought of me as such, Gallus," Starlight said, with tears in her eyes. "I just wish… I wish I was there to save you… both you and Sandbar."
"I know, but nothing can be done about it now," Gallus said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Being dead kinda sucks, but at least I'm not alone. Besides, I know we're all going to meet up again, and I'm going to make the most of the afterlife while I am here." He got up and smiled at Starlight. "Just tell everyone back at the school we're okay. That we love them and… we'll see them again."
"I promise," Starlight said, nodding her head. "So… what now?"
"Well, I got some time. Want me to tell you about the afterlife?"
"Sure, I'm actually kinda curious," Starlight said as she summoned some tea for the both of them.
For the rest of his time, Gallus talked about what he and Sandbar had seen and done in the afterlife. Everything from the judgment process to getting their own house to meeting all of Sandbar's deceased family. Although Starlight did chastise Gallus for stabbing himself with knives, only to laugh later when he told her about Sandbar's lame performance. Before the two knew it, Gallus was starting to fade from his last dream. The two just silently looked at each other with a smile.
"Guess it's time to go… see ya around," Gallus said as he faded away.
"Goodbye, Gallus," Starlight said with tears in her eyes. "Go rest in peace."
By the time he left, Starlight had looked out the window and saw that the rain had stopped. It was now bright and sunny.
The first thing that Sandbar could register was the thunder. At first, he slipped on the slick floor, feeling the cold rain hit his fur before falling in the other direction. His hooves reached out and grabbed on the first solid thing he could hold on to. Pulling himself up, he looked around his surroundings. He was on a sailboat in the worst spot one could be - a storm in the middle of the sea. It was hard to see from the inky clouds overhead that he couldn't tell if it was day or night. The only sources of light were from a few lanterns and the sudden flashes of lightning overhead. This small ship was being tossed among the waves this way and that, where Sandbar thought this little boat would capsize into the threatening, icy waters. His ears were being pained by the constant roar of the wind and thunder of the storm.
He spotted his sister, trying to take hold of the ship's wheel that fought against her. Dread stabbed at Sandbar's heart as he realized that his sister wasn’t having a dream; it was a nightmare.
Remembering to use his wings, Sandbar flew over to her. "Coral! What do you think you're doing?!"
Coral tried to wipe the rain out of her eyes, "Who's there? I can't see you!"
"You shouldn't be sailing in a storm!" Sandbar called out. Instinctively flew next to his sister, taking hold of the wheel. "Are the sails drawn up?"
"I did that a long time ago, but I still need to get to the harbor!"
"You won't be in this weather!" In a lightning flash, Sandbar saw a rope nearby. So he tied one of the spokes of the wheel to hold it in place. "Come on down."
"What?"
"I said get below deck!" Sandbar grabbed her hoof, "You need to get out of the storm!"
"Who are you?" Coral called out in the roar of the wind.
Sandbar didn't answer. Even in a dream, he needed to get her to safety. Finding a hatch that opened to a steep flight of stairs, he dragged her down into the dark, closing the trapdoor behind them.
"Okay, now I can hear," Coral said, searching for something in the darkness. "Who are you? How did you get on board?"
"Didn't you see me up there?"
"I was sailing blind out there with all the rain hitting my face. And the wind and thunder were so loud that I could barely hear. Now, where is that- Ah! Found it!" There was the sound of clinking glass and a match trying to ignite. Finally, there was a small light that illuminated Coral's dripping face. She guided the tiny flame to a lantern. "There we go. Now we can see," she turned the flame up, and the cramp, dark cabin lit up. "So who are yo…"
She saw the face of her brother, dripping wet with a halo overhead and a pair of wings. Her free hoof covered her mouth, her eyes tearing up. "Hi, Sis," Sandbar weakly waved, "so I think I owe you an explanation, huh?"
"Is… Is that really…" Coral couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Setting the lantern down, she rushed to hug her big brother.
Sandbar hugged her back, stroking her mane as she cried on his shoulder. "It's okay. I'm here now." He pulled her away to dry her tears. "Hopefully, things will be alright now."
After a sniff, Coral pushed him away.
"Coral! What was that-"
"I thought you were dead!" Coral lashed out at him. "Do you have any idea how hard I cried when mom and dad told me what happened?! I was at your funeral and every…" She trailed off at the sudden realization. "Wait… No, you are dead. I saw your body, and your friend, and-"
"Yeah," Sandbar nodded. "Long story short, I saw. And yeah, I've already kicked the bucket."
"So how-"
"There's a way to reach out to the living through dreams. But that's not important right now." Sandbar reached out to put a hoof on her shoulder. "I have so much I wanted to say, and there's so little time. And the funny thing is, I don't know where to start."
"Did you hear what I said about you at the funeral?" Sandbar nodded. "I meant every word of it. Sand, I know we haven't been close, but I did look up to you because you're always the big hero. I do want to be what you ar- were." Coral corrected herself. "You were so cool, like you're one of those heroes from my storybooks that just came to life. Having you save the world and all that. Then… when I found out you died, suddenly all that came crashing down." She rubbed her foreleg, "I almost didn't want to believe that someone as good as you could end up like that. When mom and dad told me, I thought they were lying. Heros always come back. Only… you didn't."
Sandbar let out a deep breath. As the ship still rocked, the angel propped himself against a wall, trying to think of a response. "Did you know that I used to look up to someone? That I had a hero that was a role model of mine once?"
"I… don't think so?"
"Yeah, Rockhoof." Sandbar nodded. "When I was little, I wanted to be like him because of his bravery and determination to keep everypony safe. Defend them from whatever dangers that came their way, even when some didn't think he could do it. I had read quite a bit of the legend surrounding him, but there was one that stuck out to me. It was the story where he and the Pillars had to sacrifice themselves to seal away the Pony of Shadows. At first, I couldn't understand why someone like Rockhoof would voluntarily choose to give up his life. As a colt, I thought all heroes return after doing a good deed. But slowly, I began to learn about what sacrifice was - the whole concept, I mean."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"It means that sometimes when you're fighting for something bigger than yourself, that if it means putting yourself before others so they could be protected, then you go headfirst into danger. Not for glory, but do so that you, mom and dad, and the world would still be free at least one more day. I died so that others wouldn't have to. It's sad, I know, but maybe there's honor in fighting for a noble cause, even if I don't come back. I'm no soldier, just a pony that tries to do the right thing. And personally, Coral, I don't consider myself as a hero, just a guy that's trying to protect those that I care for."
"And that's why you're a hero." Coral nuzzled him.
"It's gonna be okay in the end. Someday I'll see you guys again. It may take a while, and I'll have to wait, but as long as I know that you and mom and dad are going to be alright, then I'll have nothing to worry about."
Coral's ears perked up, her head turned this way and that as she tried to listen for something. "Hey, you hear that?"
"What?"
"It's quiet now. I think the storm is over." She went up the steep stairs and pushed open the trap door, letting in the sun's rays in.
Stepping out onto the deck, they saw that the sea had calmed, and the waves were gentle. They looked up to find the storm clouds were moving away.
"This reminds me of a quote from Dawn Lemon," Sandbar said, "Everything will be alright in the end. And if it's not, then it's not the end." Looking down at his hoof, he noticed that he was starting to fade.
"Sandbar?" Coral waved a hoof at him, only for it to go right through. "What's happening?"
"My time’s up, Coral. When you wake up, can you tell mom and dad I love them?"
She nodded, "I will. Love you, big bro."
"Love you, little sis." Sandbar smiled as he slowly disappeared. "I'll see you guys later."
A moment later, Sandbar was gone.
Strangely, Coral wasn't overcome with grief but a relief in knowing that her brother, although dead, will be alright. "We'll see you later."
Gallus and Sandbar had left the club soon after Sandbar returned from his dream with Coral. They were offered a free round at the bar, but the two were just too tired and wanted to head to bed. Arriving back at home, the two slowly entered inside and made their way to the stairs where their bedrooms lay.
"So... you had sex with Silverstream?" Sandbar asked.
"Yeah, I guess it just kinda happened. I didn't expect to give Silver a wet dream, but..." Gallus admitted as he blushed. "I'm just saying, you should have done it with Yona when you had the chance."
"Nah, I think what we did with our last moments together was more than enough," Sandbar said as he made his way to his room. "Well, I guess we better-"
"Can I sleep with you?" Sandbar's eyes widened as Gallus blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "N-No! Not like what Silverstream and I did… but… just…” He breathed in, “I think tonight… I want to sleep beside a friend. Just with all that happened today… I don't feel like being alone."
Sandbar sighed in relief before smiling. "Sure, I think I could use a cuddle buddy too."
"Don't say that ever again," Gallus said but smiled nonetheless as he walked inside.
The two silently lay down together, holding one another both in sorrow and at peace. While their lives may have ended, they both felt more relaxed that everything was now going to work out. Their friends and family were now given the strength to finally move on.
As for the two of them?
Well, eternity awaits for them tomorrow morning.
Stats
Page generated in 0.031 seconds
Total duration
946 users online
232,823 hits today, 2,782,760 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I'm not crying, you're crying! Shut up!
Daaaawww.
Can't wait for more
Marvelous work. Keep it up!
What a sweet chapter
kind of an inversion of Guto from earlier, and may explain the ice cream mare et al.
now that is a fandom reference!
oh wow ableism much, Sandbar?
oh i guess my suspicions were unfounded after all. but still, Yakov just met these two teenagers, who literally just got to heaven! what makes them so special?
ooh definitely some juicy dramatic possibilities here, with this plot device
an interesting thing for Gallus to bring up at this point
classic use of environmental metaphor
and yes, the yearning for this shared moment of closure from earlier!
looks like Yona had this figured out better than Sandbar and Gallus did about themselves!
ahahaha, also, wow that grandma just did not care at all about Snowdrop’s rules! which, given what Smolder herself is like, makes sense i guess
ooh, Changeling emotion-sensing works even on a dream-projection of a dead person, that is fascinating
oh yeah Sandbar is definitely the last one to have figured this out, which is perfect
very Starlight first reaction, you have got her down
also feels like something that will come up later…
augh i love this! definitely giving me an idea for a story with these two
augh so true
and a very sweet way to give the creatures most important in their lives some closure! the ten years mechanism does feel like something that will be important later