Chapter 6
It had been several weeks since they left Valhalla, and they were in the mood to go someplace warmer. So packing up their home, the two went southward towards the warm currents and gentle breezes of Austallia. West of Sydneigh, they stopped by a beach town called Woombie that was nearest to the Kangaroo Islands. It was a place where the water was warm but still breezy enough to set sail between the town and the tiny islands.
As far as Sandbar was concerned, it was the perfect place to teach Gallus the basics of sailing.
"You're doing great," Sandbar told his friend as he was at the bow of their small sailing yacht. "But get ready to turn to starboard in a minute."
Gallus was behind the ship’s wheel. "Uh… Which way is starboard again?"
"Port is left, starboard is right," Sandbar reminded him. "And stern is behind you."
"So turn right then?"
"Yes, but wait a minute." Sandbar looked over to the side. "Turn when I tell you to."
Gallus watched for Sandbars to give the signal. His eyes drifted from his friend's foreleg to somewhere more south, specifically towards the curvy rump of his best friend. Gallus shook his head as soon as he realized what he was doing and felt ashamed that he was staring at Sandbar's flank. Yes, it has been about a month or so since they entered paradise, and he still remembered Silverstream's promise. However, it alarmed him that when Sandbar wasn't looking, Gallus would get a few glimpses here and there. In some ways, he felt embarrassed that he lusted for his friend, even in Heaven. A friend that, as far as he knew, still wouldn't feel the same way back.
Of course, during their travels this past month, there were times that Gallus came dangerously close to telling Sandbar something. Even after speaking with Silverstream for the last time and telling himself that he should move on too, there were times that he wanted to say to him that he was that first crush. However, before he could get a word out, just when he was about to tell Sandbar the truth, it would die instantly on his beak. He knew what he wanted to say to him, but when push came to shove, he had no words to-
"Starboard! Starboard!"
"Huh?"
"Turn right-" The sailing boat came to a sudden halt as it ran aground; the jerk threw Sandbar off the ship.
"Sandbar!" Gallus rushed over to the front of the ship, "Sandbar, you okay?!" Looking over the spot that the pony fell off from, he found him, his back on the sand, the waves lapping over him.
"Considering that getting stomped over by a herd of elephants wouldn't do anything to me, I'd say I'm dandy." Sandbar sat up, shaking the sand and water out of his mane. "Dude, what happened back there? I told you to turn, didn't I?"
"Sorry, I guess my mind was somewhere else," Gallus said, jumping over to help him up. "Are we okay?"
"It's just gonna take some pushing to get back out to sea," Sandbar told him. "That, or wait until high tide to get anywhere."
"Ah, shit…" Gallus cursed under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck, looking at the boat he marooned. "So should we call in for help or…?"
"What time is it?"
"Noon… ish…" Gallus looked up at the sun. "I guess since we're stuck here for a while, we might as well have lunch."
"Yeah. Too bad we left our house at Woombie, and it would take forever to fly over there." Brushing the sand off him, Sandbar looked up to the sea and spotted something drifting towards them. "Hey, what's that?"
Gallus looked up too. "I'm not sure. Let me go get it." Spreading his white wings, the griffon flew out to sea a little bit until he hovered over a tiny raft. Inside this small, yellow inflatable toy boat was a picnic basket, wrapped in a red and white checkered beach towel, with a card that read “For Sandbar and Gallus” in curvy hoofwriting.
On any other day and outside of Heaven, Gallus would consider this the mother of all coincidences. But being in the afterlife for roughly a month, he had to remind himself that Heaven was full of such coincidences. So picking up the basket, he flew back over to the island.
"What did you find?" Sandbar inquired.
"Lunch." Gallus landed towards the dryer sand on the beach. He pulled out the towel and laid it out.
Shrugging, Sandbar, still dripping wet, walked over to the oversized beach towel to dry his mane while Gallus started pulling out their meal. There were hayburgers with fries, a salad, a couple of bottles of coke, and - "What the…?" Sandbar looked up at his friend's confusion as he pulled out a birthday cake. It was primarily blue with an island on top, with lit candles that look like tiki torches in the edible sand, and it was complete with a sugar palm tree.
"What's with the cake?" Sandbar asked, getting a closer look. "Hey, what's this on the side?"
Gallus turned it, and there, written in white icing, it read: Happy Birthday Sandbar!
Sandbar blinked before he looked at the tiki candles and counted them to eighteen.
"Wait, today's your birthday?" Gallus asked.
"I…" Sandbar rubbed the side of his head. "How did I forget? What day is it?"
"It's…" Gallus blinked, ".... I don't know. We've been so caught up going around that I didn't take notice of what day it was." He then looked back in the basket. "Wait, there's something else in here too." Reaching down, he picked up something flat and covered in brightly colored gift wrap. "And it looks like you got a present too."
"Who's it from?"
Gallus flipped it around. It was no bigger than a card and just as flat. "There's nothing on it. But I guess it must be for you."
Curious, Sandbar took hold of his gift and tore the wrapping off. He uncovered a birthday card that had the usual congratulations on turning eighteen. Then upon opening it, a blue ticket fell out onto the beach towel, along with a drawing of a cupid with red hearts around. A red hot pink pegasus waved at him.
"Hello!" Said the drawing, "And happy eighteenth birthday!"
"Uh… thanks?"
"Well, first thing's first, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Eros, the C.E.O. of the Big V Pop Company, and that ticket you have is the key to help you lose your virginity!"
If either of them were drinking something when they heard that, they'd spit it out of their mouths. However, still taken aback, both Sandbar and Gallus said in unison. "What!?"
"Not if you really want to, of course," Eros said. "That ticket is all part of a program here in Heaven to assist virgins such as yourself in experiencing the pleasures of sex that you never got the chance to do when you were alive. As you have turned eighteen, this is an exciting opportunity for you, I'm sure. That ticket will provide you with a partner and a private pocket dimension to have your first time for one, passion-filled night."
Sandbar picked up the fallen ticket: a blue paper that had a red cherry in the middle. "So… how does it work?"
"Well, when you feel ready for that big moment, just lick the ticket, and you'll have one of our many assistants to escort you to that exclusive place and bring a willing partner to help you out."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that." Eros nodded.
Sandbar looked at the ticket in thought. "Okay… I don't think I want to use it now as I'm not exactly… ready yet."
"Of course," Eros nodded in understatement.
"But I do have a question. Suppose sometime later I find someone that I want to lose it to. Would that be okay?"
"Oh absolutely!" The drawing replied in a cherry tone. "Our program is open for those who find a willing partner to have that magical night with. However, it does need to be consensual if your partner wants to go with it."
"Okay," Sandbar nodded, a blush forming on his cheeks, "That's a relief to hear."
"There's no time limit on that ticket, by the way. So you have all the time in eternity to use it. We hope you enjoy your gift. And happy birthday, Sandbar!"
"Well, thanks." Sandbar said before Eros stopped moving and became a regular drawing that didn't move. "Huh, I wonder why that appeared with the cake?"
Gallus had a sneaking suspicion why but he kept his mouth shut. It seemed even Heaven likes being a tease as well to those with 'hidden and repressed' desires. However, with the silence growing as they dug into their lunch, Gallus asked, "So…"
"Hm?"
"Are you gonna use that ticket? I get it's your present and all but… are you?"
Biting down on his hayburger, Sandbar blushed, and after a swallow, answered. "Well… eventually, I guess. This is just unexpected, and I'm not sure if I'm… ya know… ready for that yet."
Gallus hummed over a hay fry, "Well if it's anything like what Silverstream and I did… you're going to enjoy it."
"Huh? Wait, you and Silverstream? How- oh yeah, that's right, I forgot. You two did it in her dream that night," Sandbar said, blushing as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I guess if I need advice, I can always ask you. Did you do… anything... you know?"
"Kinky?" Gallus asked, which made Sandbar blush harder and nod. "Nah, nothing super unusual..." Sandbar nodded and made for his coke to drink. That's when Gallus smirked and muttered, "Unless you count the anal we did at the end."
This nearly made Sandbar spit out his drink like an elephant as Gallus laughed so hard he collapsed against his back. "Gah, ugh, it went up to my nose!"
"Gahahahaha! The look on your face!" Gallus shouted as he pounded the sand.
"Dude, seriously?" Sandbar looked at him with awe. "You did that with her?"
"Yeah, surprised me too when she didn't mind when I was… you know… touched her there," Gallus said, grinning.
"Damn, Silverstream has a perverted side to her. Who would have thought?"
"Must have been all those years underwater," Gallus suggested with a shrug. "I mean, I don't know how you can do it with those fins and tails they have. So I bet once the hippogriffs were free to become their bird forms again, they were very excited to try a few new things in bed."
"Alicorns, I can't believe we're talking about this," Sandbar muttered, rubbing his temples.
"Come on, we're guys. We're already in the afterlife. I'm sure orgies are happening somewhere right now," Gallus pointed out with a grin. "What's wrong with a little pervert talk?”
“Can we not talk about this? It’s kinda embarrassing. I mean you didn’t talk about this stuff with the girls, right?” Sandbar asked.
“Have you met Smolder?”
“.... Good point.” Sandbar sighed. “Well, either way, if I’m going to do this, I’m going to save it if I find someone here that I love. And if I don’t? Well, I’ll save it for Yona when she comes over.”
“So, you and Yona are also agreeing to you both finding new loves too, right?” Gallus asked, turning away to hide his blush.
“Yeah, don’t know if I will find them, but if I do I hope they’re like my friends, including you,” Sandbar said which made Gallus snap his head to him.
“W-What are you talking about?”
“I’m just saying that if I meet someone here in the afterlife I want them to be kind like the friends I have back home. Maybe someone as kind and sweet as Yona? Or as happy and cheerful as Silverstream? With you? Someone brave and strong-minded,” Sandbar pointed out, not knowing that it was making Gallus blush redder.
“Come on, dude. Don’t say stuff like that?” Gallus whispered. ‘Seriously, do you want me to fall for you?’
“What? We’re just two guys who happen to like girls and guys talking about who we would want as our partners,” Sandbar responded with a cheeky grin. “Besides, I’m curious. Who are you going to look for a partner up here?”
‘I think I might have already found one,’ Gallus thought but instead he just got up, much to Sandbar’s confusion. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Huh? Okay, but be back soon,” Sandbar said as he took another bite of the cake. “But when you do, I wanna talk about where we should go next. I was thinking about going to see what Griffonstone is like in Heaven.”
‘Yeah, and I’m not looking forward to it…’ Gallus thought.
".... And another thing," Gallus said as he and Sandbar flew, "if anygriff comes to you and offers you a tour of the place for a small fee, don't. It's a scam. If you say yes, then you'll be held hostage until they drain you dry of your bits like a vampire."
Below them were the Himalamas, in particular, within the borders of the Griffon Kingdom. Ever since Sandbar had made up his mind to visit the "What If Library '' that his grandmother spoke about, Gallus had spent most of the trip north giving the stallion advice of what to do when they got near Griffonstone. For hours, Gallus told him to be extra careful when they got there. Saying things like: don't eat street food, don't trust strangers even if they act friendly, and don't drink the water.
"Oh! Also, don't use any of the alleyways as shortcuts." Gallus added, "Trust me, if it looks dark and unsafe, that's because it is."
"You do know that this Griffonstone we're going to is in Heaven, right?" Sandbar deadpanned.
"Well, yeah, but we'll have to go through it. Take it from someone who spent a good chunk of his life there. If you don't know what to expect, you might as well walk through a minefield blindfolded."
"Again, we're in Heaven, a place where everything's pretty much improved."
Gallus shook his head, "Coming from an orphan who was practically homeless in one of the worst places ever to exist, I highly doubt it. Just whatever you do when we get there, do not go wandering off where I can't see you."
"Dude, I'm eighteen now. I don't think I need to be foalsat. Besides, it's not like I can end up dying a second time."
"Maybe not. But I know my way around and know what to look out for."
Sandbar sighed. "So how close are we to Griffonstone?"
"It's over this mountain," Gallus pointed but stopped suddenly. Sandbar noticed this to look over at him. "Look," he said, sighing, "I know I'm being a control freak, but given where we're going… I have a good reason to be. The last thing I want is for you to be taken advantage of here. Or worse. I'm just trying to protect you is all."
Sandbar flew over and patted his friend on the back. "Do you want to go somewhere else?"
"No, we've already come this far. It's just I have bad memories of this place, and I want to be sure that you wouldn't have to go through any of the stuff that I did. Okay? We'll still go, just… stay close to me."
Nodding in understanding, Sandbar and Gallus began their accent over a snow-capped mountain. Pushing through the clouds, going higher and higher into the cold, thin air. Although it was by no means uncomfortable to either of them, they could still feel the chill on their fur like gliding through a crisp winter morning. They broke through the gray clouds to catapult themselves over the sharp peaks of the mountain.
Yet, midway over, Gallus froze.
"Hey," Sandbar noticed his friend's surprise, "What's wrong?"
At the roof of Heaven itself, the angelic griffon looked down to a clearing below where the clouds didn't cover. On the edge of a cliff were the familiar branches of a place he once knew. The tall tree that made up Griffonstone was there, yes. However, it was neither the only tree nor how he remembered it. Along the mountainous cliff, there was a forest of lively, sky-reaching pines that grew. Yet, what drew his attention more was the one at the top. Not only was it bigger and its branches stronger, but on its branches were held up palaces, temples, libraries, theaters, and countless homes. It was a proper city, yet still balanced by the nature that supported it all.
"Gallus?" Sandbar waved a hoof in his face, "You okay?"
"Huh?" Gallus shook his head.
"You looked surprised back there. I take it that this isn't Griffonstone?"
"No… It is," Gallus answered. "This was Griffonstone."
"What do you mean ‘was’?"
"Dude," he waved a claw, "this is what Griffonstone looked like during its golden age. What it looked like centuries ago."
If Gallus had any doubts that this was the afterlife, they were long gone now. Only in Heaven could the worst place in the world, a place of misery and hate, end up looking like such a paradise. Griffins everywhere were smiling and acting polite to one another while the streets were filled to the brim with traders, markets, stores, restaurants, and children having fun. Up in the skies, griffins were flying with each other, and a couple of couples were on clouds making out and having fun.
"Dude, you okay?" Sandbar asked, getting the blue griffin's attention.
"Uh, yeah," Gallus whispered as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm just shocked… I mean..."
"Was Griffinstone really that bad?" Sandbar asked, seriously.
".... Yeah," Gallus said and left it at that. The two continued to travel, using their map to find their way around town towards the library. While a part of Gallus did kinda want to explore his home during its golden years, he still found it far too creepy to even look at it. The streets and locations he recognized looked polished and shined in the sunlight, unlike their usual bleak appearance. 'Maybe I can check this place out another time, but for now…'
For now, it was still too painful to see this place as nothing but a hellhole. Even if this was Heaven.
The two soon found an air-taxi service that would take them to the library—free of charge of course—and they sat in the coach while their fliers took off into the sky. Gallus took a moment to stare at the shining palace that held Griffinstone's government: The Council of Kings. According to their driver, it held the wisest and greatest rulers in Griffinstone's past since its founding. When one of the leaders died in the mortal world and made it into Heaven, they were judged to see if they were worthy enough to join the council. Sadly, there hadn't been a new member to join the council for a long time. It showed just how far the griffins had fallen from grace.
"Hey, Gallus?" Gallus turned around to face Sandbar. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, what is it?" Gallus asked.
"How long do you think we should be at the library for? I mean, technically, we could stay for eternity and ask every question ever, but I think we should set a time limit for how long we stay."
Gallus rubbed his chin. "Good point. I'd hate to get so lost looking at all the choices I could have made in life and find out a thousand years have passed. Hmm... how about three hours?"
"Yeah, that sounds good," Sandbar said, nodding in agreement. "What kind of questions do you think you'll ask?"
"Well, besides finding out what my life would have been like if I hadn't died?" Gallus took a moment to think about it. "Maybe ask questions about what if my upbringing had been different. Or if I was born as something or someone else. You?"
"Hmm, I don't know. I guess I'll find out when I get there," Sandbar answered.
They didn't have to wait long as soon they saw a building even bigger than the Royal Castle at Canterlot. It was a grand masterpiece of a three hundred floor building that extended as big as a mountain with hundreds if not thousands of souls flying towards it and leaving it at the same time. It was golden in appearance with giant angelic wings that held strange words on each feather with glowing colored runes. The two were mesmerized by the sight of it and felt their jaws drop.
“Woah,” Sandbar said in awe. "If Princess Twilight were here, she would have a heart attack."
"Dude, if Ocellus was here, she'd never leave!"
The best way one could describe the interior of the library would be something of a monastery. Instead of having bald monks meditating, there were rows upon rows of shelves that preserved scrolls and books of nearly every size, shape, and description. All around, there were lit candles, statues of ancient griffon gods that even Gallus didn't recognize. Yet, there were tables and chairs in this library; even couches in which one could recline while looking through the tomes. Perhaps it was the burning incense that was hinted in the air, or maybe the ancient stone that made up the library, but the place felt more like a monastery than a library. Regardless, when they walked in to look up at the hundreds of floors and bridges that crisscrossed one another, it was as if they had entered into a forgotten temple.
"Just a moment," Gallus and Sandbar were brought back into reality by that quiet, monotone voice. Over by a nearby shelf, a griffon with the head of a falcon and robes of orange and yellow, something like a monk, was shelving the last few books back into place. "Yes, I know you two were standing there gawking for the past five minutes, but these books need to be put back."
Turning around, the monk walked over to them. "Are you two new? I don't think I've seen your faces here in the library."
"Well yeah," Sandbar answered, "it's our first time here."
"Ah." Nodding, the monk started to walk away from them, but bid for them to follow. "In that case, I should show you two to your books."
Gallus blinked. "Come again?"
"Well, that's what you're here for, isn't it? Both of you are here for your books. So I'm going to show you where they are."
"Sir, I don't think I understand," Sandbar said, walking up to the monk. "You make it sound like you were expecting us."
"Of course I didn't. But those who come to the library often ask questions that tend to relate to themselves. If you ask me, this place should be called the 'What If I…' library. It's all a matter of self-interest, you see."
"So how do you know where to look for-" Gallus began to ask but was quickly interrupted.
"I don't have to be a detective to deduce that both of you are new souls. And new souls would mean that they would have new books. Being added daily with all those creatures dying, you see."
The monk walked them over to a library section where the book bindings became newer as they passed. He stopped at a particular section where they could see books being self-made on the shelf, where the binding and paper were being put together before creating the next one.
"So what are your names?"
"Gallus Skyflight."
"Sandbar Oceanvale."
Humming, the monk started walking down. "Let's see… O… O… Oa… Ob… Oc… Oce… Ocean… Ah! Here we go." He pulled out a glossy green book that had Sandbar's cutie mark on it. "This is your book."
Handing it to the stallion, the monk walked further, "Now for you… The S's should be over here…. Sc… Se… Sh… Sky… Found it." Pulling it out, he gave Gallus a book that was as blue as he was with three feathers on the cover.
"Hey," Sandbar said, flipping open his book, "There's nothing in here."
The monk rolled his eyes, "Turn to the first page."
Curious, both of them flipped open their books to the front. It too was blank except at the top were the words: What if…
"All you need to do," the monk explained, "is write in a question of what you wanted to know. From there, the book will show you."
Gallus tilted his head. "That's it?"
"We're a library, not a bureaucracy. If you want something that's needlessly overcomplicated, you'll find it in the lowest depths of Hell. Now, if you will excuse me, I still have a good set of books that need to be returned to their shelves." And before he left, he added, "Oh, before I forget, unless you're checking those out, do put those books back where I showed you. It would make my job much easier." From there, he left the two alone with their books.
"Okay…" Sandbar looked at his book, "So… now what?"
"I don't know about you…" Gallus eyed over to a nearby burning hearth with a low table, a quill and inkwell, and a cozy colorful rug underneath it. "But there's some stuff I want to know, alone. So I'll see you later then."
"Okay," Sandbar waved to his friend as he walked off, "See ya." Looking around for a place to sit down, he spotted a padded armchair, one that was covered over with a woolen blanket. Next to it was a thin table with enough room for a quill and inkwell. Then, walking over with the book in hoof, he hopped onto the comfy chair and thought about what he wanted to know first.
Gallus looked over his shoulder. Sandbar had sat down in a place where he wouldn't be able to see what he wanted to find out. Given the nature of the questions he had in mind, especially how personal they are to him, he thought it best that he needed all the privacy to find out. With the book laying flat on the low table, he opened the first page to the words: What if… Picking up the quill and dipping it in ink, he meditated on what sort of question he should ask first. Yes, there were a million things he wanted to know if certain things had gone a different way. However, guiding his claw over to the page, one question did come to mind as he filled in the blank.
What if… I was never sent to the School of Friendship?
Before his eyes, all the ink on the paper vanished. What was appearing, however, were lines and watercolors that were painted on both pages. The illustration showed a gray, wintery-cold alleyway filled with filth, garbage, and a depressed, head-lowered griffon. It pictured none other than Gallus himself, missing a few feathers and carrying a rope over his shoulder.
"The last bits I've ever spent was on a piece of rope." The book narrated aloud, thereby setting the illustration into motion with the downtrodden Gallus entering the alleyway. However, for the real Gallus seeing this, what surprised him wasn't that the picture started to move, but the voice he heard narrating was his own. "A twenty-foot rope, strong enough to hold a full-grown griffon that cost me forty-five bits - ironically the most expensive thing I've ever bought in my life."
Like watching a film, the illustration panned back as his counterpart walked forward. His drawing duplicate looked up as if searching for something. "As you could probably guess by now, this isn't the story of my life. I mean… what's there to tell? If you were to ask anyone in Griffonstone, they wouldn't tell you who I was. Because really, I'm a nobody. Nobodies have grown up in orphanages. Nobodies have to fend for themselves at the ripe age of twelve. Nobodies have to beg for everything just to see another tomorrow. And as far as Griffonstone is concerned, nobodies have no friends to tell their story to."
His illustration stopped, looking between whatever was up ahead and the rope. Then, spreading his wings, he flew up to a beam and began to tie the rope around it.
"I've heard somewhere that good things come to those who wait. For me, I have spent all my life doing just that… waiting. Waiting for an excuse to get out of this hellhole. Waiting for someone to show me the smallest amount of kindness. Waiting for my luck to finally turn around so I could have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, hot food, clean water, and maybe, someone that cares to tell me that everything's going to be alright."
Once one end of the beam was secured, his copy began to tie the other end in an elaborate knot. The real Gallus watched on, dreading what was to come next.
"However… that opportunity came and went years ago when Grandpa Gruff decided to send somegriff named Gabby to the School of Friendship. Of course, she was the first pick as she was the most friendly griffon in town. Any chance for a second chance had left when the smiley, happy-go-lucky griff flew away. But now…"
Gallus's eyes widened when he saw what his illustration held up a noose and put it around his neck. "Winter is coming. That means I will have to spend another three or so months in the snow and ice. Several more weeks on a diet of garbage if I could find anything edible. And another Blue Moon festival without having to celebrate it with a family."
In horror, Gallus watched his double standing on his hind legs on the beam. Although the book didn't show his face, it showed his breathing was quickening. Trembling at what he was about to do. "So really..." the narrator of the books said before his illustration jumped off. Gallus covered his beak in shock. Although the book thankfully didn't show the body, it did show the rope suddenly tightened on the beam. "This is a story... of my death."
Gallus nearly closed the book right there and then. Seeing him hang himself was shocking enough, but at the same time, it did confirm something that he had suspected all along. If he never went to the School of Friendship, he would have died a good deal sooner. A large part of him wanted to slam the book shut for showing him this. Yet, perhaps it was because of the shock that he allowed it to play out as a morbid curiosity to see where this dark tale was going.
"I don't blame you for cutting this short and closing the book on me," his counterpart of a narrator told him. "Just like how quick it was for me to go. And like my death, this story isn't pleasant by any means. However… if you're one of those weirdos that are into that sort of thing… then what's to stop you from sticking around?"
Gallus watched the illustration back away to show his swinging corpse, lifeless as a rag doll on a string. As unpleasant and morbid as it was, part of him wonders if someone were to come across something so gruesome. Unfortunately, it didn't take long.
A door opened behind the swinging body, and a crossed griffon carrying a trash can dragged it out into the alleyway. "Why can't the bastard just drag the garbage out once in a while?" she complained, not taking notice of Gallus just above her. "Sure, cooking takes a priority when it comes to customers, but still, does he expect me to do everything?" Placing the trash down, she huffed and swiftly turned around; taking a step, she bumped into the dead griffon's paws. "Gah! What the?" She looked up. Instead of the expression of horror, she looked even more irritated. "Oh, come on- again?!" She threw her claws up, "Seriously, what's up with griffons these days!? This is the fifth time this week! Agh!"
With anger, she walked around and marched over to the open door. "George! Get out here now!"
"Can it wait?" an equally irritated voice called back, "I'm in the middle of my smo-"
"No, it can't," she spat back, "we got another one."
A moment later, a gray griffon walked out with the other pointed at the body. Although Gallus didn't recognize the female that found his corpse, he did realize who the other one was. He was the cook of a soup shop, not that he ever ate there, but he recognized the face and the always present cigarette that hung from the corner of his beak. George, the cook, looked up and spotted the hanging griffon. "Ah geez… Glinda, how long has that been there?"
"I don't know," Glinda replied, "I just walked out here and found 'em like this."
George sighed, running a claw over his head, "Well, that's just great, now I got close up shop and buried this one… somewhere."
"Or we could-"
"No!" George snapped at her, "I'm still not going with that Sweeny Trot crap idea."
"Says the guy who puts dog treats in some bowls of soup."
"Well, that's because there are a few griffs in this town that deserve it. But serving them bits of a dead guy? Now that's just poor taste." Spreading his wings, he flew up to the rope and used a talon to cut it until Gallus's counterpart fell to the ground.
Glinda huffed, "Fine, but where are we gonna bury Don Joe here?"
George thought about this for a moment. "There's the ruins if we can wait until nightfall… Or the simplest thing we can do is just shove 'em off a cliff. Course, we gotta wrap him up in something so it wouldn't draw too much attention."
The real Gallus groaned, it was one thing to see himself die, but there was something distasteful about having these complete strangers figuring out how to throw him away like a piece of garbage.
He watched on as these strangers wrapped him up in a dirty sheet before placing him in a wheelbarrow. Next, they piled on garbage from rotten food and open cans. Gallus wasn't sure if he should feel insulted by how they were treating him or impressed by how they're hiding a dead body in plain sight.
From there, the illustration followed the couple out of the alleyway and through Griffonstone. Nervously passing every griffon they pass by, trying to be careful that the rickety wheelbarrow doesn't lose its wheel.
Soon, George and Glinda walked away, out of sight from any prying eyes towards the cliff. When they were sure that they weren't being watched or followed, they set the wheelbarrow down.
George wiped the sweat from his brow. "Phew… We've got to stop doing this."
"What? Carrying suicides away or serving your crappy soup."
George frowned, "I mean, just living here. I don't want to carry off bodies every Thursday or be in a place that's been driving guys like 'em to do so." He sighed, "I want to leave."
Glinda scoffed, "Yeah? And go where? Namby-pamby Equestria or getting-yourself-barbequed Dragonlands?"
"At this point, I don't care. I just want out of this. And you should too."
"What good would that do?" Glinda pinched the bridge of her beak. "Besides, we don't have the bits to get out of here. Unless you become a student of friendship or whatever, otherwise, we can't go." With a frustrated grunt, she added, "So what are you waiting for? Let's dump this and go home."
"Shouldn't we… I don't know… say something first?"
"Like what? We don't know him. For all we know, he could be some homeless guy."
"A homeless guy that had a life. Even if we don't know what's up with him," George said as he then removed the part of the wrap that had Gallus' face on it. It was already starting to pale due to the blood flow stopping, but upon seeing his face, George also turned pale as well before closing his eyes and letting out a few curses. "Gods dammit. He's a kid."
"What?!" Glinda shouted, taking a closer look before turning away in horror. "Shit..."
".... Gods, I hate this place," George said, closing the wraps again. "It's bad enough adults are killing themselves, but we got kids now? He looks barely into his teens."
".... I take back what I said," Glinda said, shaking her head in disgust. "I want out of here too."
"Poor kid, I wonder why he did it," George said.
For a moment, neither of them said anything. Glenda looked over to Griffonstone. "As frustrating as this is right now… there's some part of me that can't blame him."
"In what way?"
"Hon, we're in Griffonstone. It's pretty much, let's face it, a prototype of Hell. No one wants to be here, yet here we are. Everygriff is just frustrated for existing here. So we have to take it out on someone else ourselves just for getting the short end of the stick." Snorting, she shook her head. "I still don't know who this kid is. Maybe he was slapped around one too many times by his parents. Maybe he couldn't take it being in such a gray place as this. Or maybe he would rather kill himself quickly than starve again. If I was any less strong, I might have too."
George put a claw over her shoulder, "Maybe we should take this as a sign to get out of here finally. Today it's this kid, and part of me is afraid that tomorrow it might be one of us. I don't want to keep doing this, and I know you don't want to either. I mean, even if we don't go and have a chick, how long do you think our child will last out here?"
Glinda, trying to hold back the tears, took in some intense breaths. "As much as I doubt we could… we should. We really should." She turned back to the corpse. "But what about him? I know he's a kid, but now… just tossing 'em off doesn't sit well with me."
Humming in thought, George looked around the desolate ground and spotted a black, barren tree. "Over there. We can try burying him over there. It's not much, but it's better than the cliff."
So the couple set out to work, using their claws and flat stones to dig a shallow grave for Gallus's double. Finally, they dragged the body out from the filth with a deep enough hole and laid him in the cold earth.
"Ya know Glinda," George commented to her, "between you and me, I do hope there really is an afterlife. Maybe his ghost could go off somewhere that's better than here."
"I think he'll get into Heaven easily."
George tilted his head, "You sound confident with that. Last I checked, suicide was considered a sin, isn't it? So what makes you so sure?"
"Anygriff probably should get into Heaven because they've already spent a lifetime in this Hell."
While Gallus watched them cover his body, a part of him almost agreed with them. He wondered if what Glinda said had merit with memories of his childhood from the bullies at the orphanage to spending those wintery nights alone, hungry, tired, and cold. How many griffons in Heaven got here because they had suffered the most?
Then again, suicide was considered a sin worthy of going to Hell. Considering Gallus was an atheist until he died, he most likely wouldn't have believed such a thing existed when he did himself in. What would have been his afterlife fate in this timeline if he had gone through with it? Would he be up here in Heaven still? Or joining his parents in the burning flames?
With the last piece of dirt being put on his face, the couple stood up. George went over to Glinda, hugging her tightly. Although neither of them said a word, Gallus can see pity, fear, and vulnerability etched in their faces. Perhaps they decided at that moment that they should get out while they still can.
It was here that Gallus closed the book. He didn't care if this grim tale of his death would continue. For now, his first question was answered. After something like that, he felt that he needed a break.
Sandbar wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to write as his first choice. This was the chance he had to figure out what his life could have been like if anything different happened. Like what if he was born a pegasus or a unicorn? Or what if he got chosen to be Princess Celestia's apprentice instead of Twilight? What if Cozy Glow won? So many choices were available to him, and he didn't know which one to choose.
He wondered what Gallus had picked already but figured it was best not to bother him. Most likely, he was asking a lot of personal questions that Sandbar had no right in snooping on, even if they had become closer. In fact, in some ways, Sandbar was the only one Gallus had in the afterlife that he really could call a friend or family member due to his parents being in the other place.
"Actually… I wonder..." Sandbar rubbed his chin. "Yeah, why not?" He then took his pen and wrote in his first question:
What if… my family adopted Gallus?
Just as soon as he finished the question, all the ink on the paper vanished like magic. The book started drawing itself by becoming a set of lines and colors while forming pictures that seemed to be moving like a movie. He saw snow everywhere in the School of Friendship, and he could see several students all playing with each other. That was when the art moved and showed Sandbar, only a few years younger now, walking side by side with Silverstream as they talked to each other.
"Well, everything seems to be fine. It kinda looks like this is my first year at the school." Sandbar smiled as he saw him and Silverstream talking until he noticed something. Something that he never did with her, and it made his jaw drop. His tail was wrapped around Silverstream's. As in, something that couples did. "W-What?! Wait a minute… am I dating… Silverstream?"
His question was confirmed when, out of nowhere, Smolder appeared above their heads with a mistletoe from above. The two were blushing as three creatures came out of the bushes laughing at the state the two were in. They were Ocellus, Yona, and a… Diamond Dog?
"But… there wasn't a Diamond Dog at school… not until this year at least," Sandbar recalled. Every race in the world had been invited to send a student to the Friendship Academy, but only five races accepted it; it was just after the Terrible Trio incident that more species agreed to attend, such as the Kirin, Buffalo, Abyssinians, and later on Diamond Dogs.
Sandbar looked closer at this black-furred Diamond Dog, who seemed to be more of a wolfish creature than anything by how wild his mane was. He dwarfed the others with his size by being a few inches taller than Silverstream. He was wearing a long black coat with paw prints on it and had a handsome face, yet there was a scar over his eye along with a black eyepatch. If it weren't for the fact he was smiling with the others, Sandbar would have been sure he was some kind of thug. But this didn't make sense to him. Where was Gallus?
However, his attention was then turned to his alternate self and Silverstream making out as the others continued to snicker. Sighing, Sandbar was really glad Gallus wasn't watching right now. "I know this isn't real… then why do I feel so guilty? And how did the two of us end up together?"
His pondering was on hold as the six walked inside and began making for the school's big student lounge, where they soon sat down at the big fire roasting in the far end of the room. "Ugh, I can't understand why creatures like snow so much," Smolder said, shivering as she warmed herself by the fire. "It's so cold, wet, and weird."
"You're just saying that because the first time you saw it, you thought the sky had fallen, and the end of the world was happening," the Diamond Dog said with a chuckle.
"Shut up, Rexis. At least I didn't roll around in it like a puppy," Smolder argued, to which the Diamond Dog blushed. "Anyway, so tomorrow we're going to your place for that holiday party your parents are hosting, right, Sandbar?"
"Yeah, I figured since we're all going to be doing our own holiday celebrations in a few days, I thought it would be nice to do one together at my place," Sandbar said while cozying up to Silverstream with a heavy blush. "Plus… I kinda want to introduce them to Silvey."
"Ah, I look forward to seeing your parents too, Sandy!" Silver said before kissing him on the face.
Ocellus glowed a bit which made everyone stare at her before she rubbed the back of her neck. "S-sorry! Feeling the love from you guys is making me hungry."
"Aww, Yona wishes she had boyfriend," Yona whimpered before stomping her hoof on the floor. "Yak find future mate this year when returning home!"
"Geez, Yona," Rexis said with a smirk. "They only just started dating after that whole underground trials thing. They're not ready to go into the sheets yet." He then raised his eyebrows. "Unless there is something they aren't telling us."
"We haven't done anything!" Both Sandbar and Silverstream said at the same time.
"The underground trials? When the Tree of Harmony tested our friendship? Now that I think about it, that is when Gallus and Silverstream did become closer. Could it be that I was the one who helped Silverstream, and she fell for me and I for her?" Sandbar wondered, rubbing his head. "So where is Gallus in all this? Isn't he a student like me?"
"Anyway, I'm really excited for you guys to meet my folks," Alternate Sandbar said as his smile got bigger. "Plus, my brother is coming over from Military School! So you get to meet him too!"
"You have a brother?" Everyone asked in surprise.
"Yeah, Gallus. I don't think I've told you about him, have I?" They shook their heads, "He's actually my adopted brother. My father took in when he went to travel in Griffinstone awhile back," Sandbar explained. "He saw him living on his own and felt sorry for him. So he took him home and officially adopted him. Gallus and I grew up as the best of friends, and he was always protecting me from bullies and keeping me safe. It's one of the reasons why he became so interested in the military growing up. Prince Shining Armor is his biggest hero!"
"Wait, you said he came from Griffinstone," Ocellus pointed out, tilting her head. "Does that mean he's a griffin?"
"Yeah, he is. Born in Griffinstone but raised right here in Ponyville."
Real Sandbar was surprised. Gallus had grown up with him? Now that he thought about it, his Dad did go to Griffinstone one time when he was six for something, but he didn't know what. Did that mean that if his father noticed Gallus living on his own at that time, then he could have avoided that horrible life and lived with him as a big brother? "Woah, that's like… far out..." Sandbar wondered out loud.
"I've never seen a griffin before," Silverstream said with excitement. "What's he like? Will he like me? I hope all your family likes me!"
"Well, he acts tough, but he's a complete kitten on the inside. He's always looking out for those smaller or weaker, like with me when we were growing up. He's got a sarcastic mouth to him that can cut steel, but he's pretty funny. And he'll never back down from a challenge. One time, we kinda did something stupid in the Everfree forest when we were ten, and I broke my leg. Gallus carried me all the way home on his back despite his own bruises," Sandbar explained with a sheepish smile.
"He sounds like a cool creature," Smolder said, nodding in approval.
"Oh, and uh, he's kind of a major flirt," Sandbar said, blushing. "Like seriously. He was hitting on ponies older than us since he was thirteen."
"Does this mean we have to keep our guard up?" Ocellus asked, smiling nervously.
"No, the only one that has to worry about that is Rexis here," Sandbar said, surprising the Diamond Dog. "He's into guys. So that's something you both have in common, Rex."
"O-Oh," Rexis said, blushing as his tail twitched. "Um, that's… cool..."
Yona walked over and nuzzled Rexis. "Friend Rexis needs to start dating now that he accepts real self. No need to be afraid."
"Y-yeah," Rexis said while moving his paw to his eye. The actual Sandbar wondered if there was a story to this. "A-Anyway, I guess we'll meet him at the party. So what do you guys want to do until then?"
Sandbar then saw the entire scene disappear, much to his confusion. When it reappeared, Sandbar soon saw that it was now the exterior of his house with all the decorations of Hearth's Warming Eve on display. It soon moved to his living room, where he saw himself, his friends, and his family all enjoying themselves. Sandbar's heart tightened upon seeing his parents and little Coral dancing to some music on the phonograph and did his best to prevent himself from crying. He could see him and Silverstream dancing side by side while Smolder and Rexis seemed to be having some kind of cookie-eating contest. Ocellus and Yona were merely talking to each other about something Sandbar couldn't hear.
That's when the door knocked, and Sandbar gasped as he and his family soon rushed towards the door. "He's here!"
Opening the door, it turned out to be none other than Gallus, dressed in a military uniform and opening his wings out. "Hey, gang! I'm home!"
"Gally!" Coral said as she jumped into her adopted brother's arms. Gallus took her into his embrace for a hug before twirling him around. "Weee!"
"Hey, Coral! Wow, you got bigger since I last saw you, little sis!" Gallus said as he then put her down and walked over to Sandbar's parents and hugged them. "Hey, Mom and Dad! Miss you both at the academy."
"We missed you too, Son," Sandbar's Mom said before kissing him on the cheek. She then took a look at Gallus's buffed body and giggled. "My, you look so muscled! You must get a few guys looking at you during drills."
"What can I say," Gallus said, showing off his muscles. "The boys love a buff griff in uniform."
"I guess this Gallus is fully gay rather than being bisexual," Sandbar thought aloud, wondering what caused him to be so.
"Hey, what about some love for your brother!" Sandbar said before the two embraced and messed with each other's hair. For the real Sandbar, it was a surprise not only to see Gallus so touchy-feely but also looking so… well… handsome.
Sandbar blushed upon getting a good look at Gallus's muscles. His chest was perfectly cliched, and his wings were broad and powerful. Plus, if Sandbar was honest, the military made Gallus' rear end look like that of an Ancient Pegasi God. Rexis seemed to be thinking the same thing as he was staring at Gallus with a fully dropped jaw, with drool coming out.
"Close your mouth, or you're gonna swallow a fly," Smolder joked, which the Diamond Dog quickly did.
Sandbar then guided his adopted brother to his five best friends, who lined up together for introductions. "Everycreature, I'd like you to meet my big brother, Gallus Oceanvale. Gallus, these are my best friends at the Friendship Academy."
"On behalf of the entire Oceanvale family, I'd like to apologize for you having to put up with my silly little brother," Gallus said, winking. "Celestia knows that he's a bit of a dunce in the common sense area."
"Oh, ha-ha," Sandbar said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not the one who failed math in the third grade."
"Dude, you try learning numbers while living on a street when you’re six," Gallus said, sticking his tongue out. "I got an excuse."
Gallus walked over to Silverstream, who grabbed Gallus's hand and started shaking it rapidly. "Nice to meet you, Gallus! I really am glad to meet a griffin! I've never met one before! I've been underwater! But you look so similar to a hippogriff! Are our races related to each other?! Are we cousins?! I'd like to have a cousin! I mean, I already do have a cousin. She's a princess, but not a boy cousin!"
"I take it by your hyperactive behavior that you're Silverstream? My brother's future ball and chain?" Gallus said with a grin.
"Ball and chain? I don't have a ball and chain on me? Do I?" Silverstream asked as she started checking herself out.
Gallus laughed a bit before nudging Sandbar. "Oh, I can see why you two are dating."
"Lay off!"
Gallus then walked over to Smolder, and the two shook hands. "So, Gallus says you're training to be in the military, huh? Are you doing any good?"
"You mean besides the fact that I'm currently matching you in strength as you test my grip?" Gallus said, grinning with a competitive smirk. "The Equestrian Military knows how to fight dragons. I know all your weak spots."
"Oh, is that a challenge?" Smolder asks, puffing some smoke.
"Guys, save killing each other for when we're in a real war," Sandbar said, rolling his eyes.
Ocellus was next as she nodded her head nervously. "Um, hi? I'm Ocellus. I hope you aren't afraid of me being a changeling."
"No worries, we're friends now," Gallus said as he wrapped her arm around her. "Although you do look tasty."
"T-tasty?!" Ocellus said with horror.
"Yeah, bugs are common food back in Griffinstone. Gather a bunch of beetles, ants, centipedes, and a few flies, and you got yourself a nice lunch," Gallus said with a lick of his lips which made Ocellus faint. "Uh, whoops?"
"Nice one, bro," Sandbar replied, rolling his eyes.
"Yona next!" Yona proclaimed as she jumped forward. "Yona want to meet Sandbar's bird brother!"
"I'm also part lion," Gallus pointed out as he lifted his rear end and then, much to Sandbar's embarrassment, pointed it to Rexus, who was blushing. "Which is the better part, hmm? The handsome bird face or the nice toned rear of my feline genes?"
"Wow, six minutes of not flirting with a guy," Sandbar said, facehoofing himself. "New record."
"What's wrong with showing off what's good about me? Besides, you did say your friend recently accepted himself and came out as gay, right?" Gallus said, walking over to a blushing Rexis while ignoring a confused Yona. He started walking around him and examining him with a nod of approval. "Yeah, not bad. I've never considered a canine approach, being feline and all, but I think I can let you bark around with me if you want."
"I… I… I..." Rexis soon couldn't handle it anymore and fainted right next to Ocellus.
"Son, could you please stop making your brother's friends faint?" Sandbar's father requested with a sigh.
"Sorry, Dad," Gallus said sheepishly. "Fratization isn't allowed at HQ. I gotta let out some steam, you know."
"This is why I'm with a steady girlfriend, and the longest relationship you had was three weeks," Sandbar said.
"Three weeks and four days."
The scene then changed again to show it being nighttime as Gallus and Sandbar were still up, but in a room that seemed to be designed for the two of them as there were two beds with each side filled with stuff that reminded the real Sandbar of the dorm the two shared. The ones in the book were drinking hot chocolate while talking outside their home's balcony while the stars were shining at night.
"So, you give Silverstream some courage, and all of a sudden, she's all over you like a hungry dog for steak," Gallus said before drinking from his mug. "Wish I could get a guy that fast."
"It wasn't fast!" Sandbar said, rolling his eyes. "It took me three months to finally ask her out and confess my feelings for her. I honestly didn't think she'd want to date a nopony like me since she's royalty and all."
"Oh yeah, she's related to a queen, right? Wow, I'm really going to have to step it up," Gallus said before asking. "Say, is Rexis a long-lost prince or related to a noble or something? I wouldn't mind dating him. He's got a cute smile and a nice butt."
"One, ew, that's one of my friends you are talking about," Sandbar said, sticking his tongue out before sighing. "Second… no… actually, his father's a total asshole, and that's coming from me being nice!" After another sip, he added, "…. It's the reason why he's got that eyepatch."
".... Rejected him for being gay?" Gallus asked, his mood turning sour.
"Yeah, but like… worse than normal," Sandbar said, shaking his head. "He's actually staying with Professor Twilight since his family pretty much refuses him. Hay, the only reason he's here is that Diamond Dog society rejects homosexuals and wants to get rid of him, or else he might have been stoned to death. It was pretty much a nightmare and a blessing for him to come here. He was so terrified of letting us know he was gay that it took all five of us to help him with his trial in that underground test thing."
"Shit," Gallus said with a heavy sigh. "Kinda reminds me of what little I remember of Griffinstone. Glad I don't live there anymore."
"Yeah, me too," Sandbar said as he touched his brother's shoulder. "I really did miss you, Gallus. I know being a soldier is your dream and all, but sometimes I wish you were there with me at the Academy. I mean, you've been my best friend since we were six. I was kinda afraid I wouldn't find anyone else to hang out with."
"Well, it worked out, didn't it?" Gallus said, smiling. "You got five cool friends, dude. And I can see how much you all care for each other. I've got my own group of friends as well back in Canterlot. But no matter what happens to us in the future, we're always going to be brothers."
"Got that right!" Sandbar said as the two wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders and continued to watch the moon.
"Okay, I think I've seen enough," the real Sandbar said before shutting the book. "Wow… who would have thought..." Still, this did beg the question. "What happened to Rexis in our real-time?"
"Excuse me?"
Sandbar turned around and saw a messenger pony angel, dressed as a mailpony, with a letter. "Letter for you from a Mr. Rexis."
"How did… you know what? I think I should stop being surprised by now," Sandbar said as he accepted the letter before the angel pony flew away.
Opening it, he quickly read what it said:
Dear Sandbar,
Chances are, by the time you are reading this, you've seen an alternative timeline in which we became friends, and your brother was Gallus. If you wonder why I know this, I too looked at my book. Just like you are doing, I asked what would have happened if I went to the School of Friendship, and it showed me a few futures - such as the one you saw. I was later informed that you would be asking such a question about me one day, and you would start feeling guilty about what my fate was.
Well, I guess the fact that I'm writing to you in Heaven is kind of a clear picture. I didn't have a happy life. After it was found out that I was gay, I got stoned to death by my clan. Not all Diamond Dogs do this, but mine was an honest group of assholes. But that was years ago, and before you ask, I'm over it now. I'm living with my boyfriend in the Diamond Lands, and I've got a job as a stone cutter.
Please don't feel any guilt or such that my fate wasn't for us to be best friends like we both saw in our books. What's done is done, and nothing can change that. Still, I wouldn't mind us getting to know each other, so feel free to drop a letter, and I'll come by to visit.
Sincerely, Rexis
P.S. Gallus does have a great butt.
P.S.S. Yeah, we did become boyfriends in that timeline. But I can't date him now because not only do I have my own boyfriend, who I love very much, but also… well… you'll find out.
Sandbar just sighed and smiled. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to find a new friend." He then paused and wondered. "I wonder what he meant when he said I'll find out..."
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"I wonder what he meant when he said I'll find out..."
(sigh)
As Rick Sanchez once said, "Let me get my whiteboard. This has been a long time coming."
Well.... this was quite a chapter
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Believe it or not, this chapter was so long that it was cut in half. Soon you'll see that second half.
10949314
I was referring to how dark it got with the "what if" scenarios.
priorities, Gallus! as in, yes, you have the correct priorities here, carry on
both love and hate how clueless they are
oh hey it’s that thing from earlier from the afterlife intake! that was foreshadowing this part all along!
but wait, cloacas? oh, right, they have horse bodies, that works
ooh, an entire city supported by one giant tree! that is a very cool idea, and a fitting home for the birds
and augh, of course she would be the griffon that was sent if Gallus had not gone! that would have made for a very different dynamic in the friendship group. two Silverstreams…
and dang, this just raises all sorts of questions. are these alternate Galluses alive in a way, with their afterlives being narrating their lives to the Galluses who ask the What-If book about them?
now there’s a fic idea!
aww, do love this bit. feels like i’m getting a dramatic play in the middle of the story
and oof. also getting an AU story-within-a-story here! this definitely fits in with my idea of Diamond Dog society being oppressive and outcast, which is why we only see them in that one episode
wow Sandbar really, truly is the very, very, very last person to figure this out, huh? amazing