Chapter 7
Finally, Gallus opened up his book. Closing his eyes in the hope that maybe the nightmarish scene he saw wouldn’t be there. Cautiously, he pried an eye open to find - much to his relief - that the pages were blank again. So flipping back to the first page, he stared at the words What if… and tried to figure out what else he wanted to know.
He could have asked the book what would have happened if he had been raised by his parents but he immediately turned it down. Knowing that they were criminals who had abandoned him at the orphanage, there was a part of him that knew his life might have been far worse than what he had to face growing up. Besides, if for some reason they did raise him, he might have become a monster in such conditions.
Letting his mind wander, he tried to focus on something else. Something that would give a much-needed palate cleanser after what he’d witnessed. Then it came to him. So picking up the quill and dipping it into the ink, he wrote out:
What if… me and Sandbar didn’t die in the Diamond Dog caves?
Watching the ink disappear, he braced himself as lines and colors began to form a new picture. To his confusion, it showed Carousel Boutique. For a moment, he wondered why the book was showing him this. Then the door opened.
“You two are lifesavers,” a pony complimented as she walked out the door carrying a wedding dress. “Again, thank you both so much.”
Following an unrecognized pegasus mare behind them were Yona and Sandbar, who waved at her while encouraging her to come back again. Gallus was taken aback; his friends looked older, probably by a good fifteen years or so. At first, the griffon thought that this alternative reality was showing them working for Rarity after they might have graduated. But as the book followed the two into the shop, he noticed that Rarity was nowhere to be seen. Did they take over the boutique, maybe?
“Has Sandbar seen Yuna lately?” Yona asked, starting to put the bundles of fabric away.
“By now she probably just got out of school.” Sandbar replied, rolling up a piece of measuring tape. “So she’s more than likely on her way back.”
“Good.” Yona nodded, “And Sandbar invited friends over?”
“Of course, and they wrote me back telling how excited they are to hear if she’s been accepted by the academy.”
“Will.” Yona corrected, “Yuna has been accepted.”
Sandbar raised an eyebrow, “How do you know?”
“Starlight told Yona. But Yuna and rest don’t know yet. Best not ruin surprise.”
It was then that they heard the bell from the shop’s door. In rushed a young yak that Gallus had never seen before. A sandy brown yak with braided locks in her mane, complete with a light green poncho similar to Yona’s, came rushing in with a mile-long smile and a scroll in her horn. “It’s here! It’s here!” Yuna cried in excitement.
‘Oh, so this must be their daughter,’ thought Gallus, but paused for a moment, ‘For a future that might have taken place a good twenty-five, maybe thirty years from now, she must be… what? Fifteen years old.’ While he watched the wholesome scene of his friends congratulating Yuna, the more he wondered… ‘Did they… adopt?’
“Can I open it?” Yuna asked, her eyes begging her parents.
“Later tonight,” Sandbar patted her back. “We need to have everyone else be here before we find out.”
“Including Uncle Gallus and Aunt Silverstream?”
Yona nodded, “And the kids too.”
This Gallus didn’t expect, ‘Me and Silver had kids? So in this, that would mean that if I never died, I might have married Silver.’ He sighed at this melancholy thought.
“Not to mention that Ocellus is coming too with Kiki,” Sandbar added, “and I think Smolder is coming too with Spike and Cinder. Which reminds me, we need to get some gems for them to snack on when they get here.”
“But dad,” Yuna took the scroll off her horn, “Couldn’t I just take a little peek? Just in case that this might be a rejection letter.”
“No peek,” Yona shook her head, “not until everyone gets here.”
Then the picture changed. Colors faded and bent, the lines rearranging to form a new scene. This time, it was a dinner table, all of Gallus' friends sitting around it. In the middle, he spotted himself. He looked older, had more muscles on him, and, much to his surprise, wore a military dress uniform he had seen a few times before - one meant for the Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard. Between him and Silverstream (who, despite her age, was still as beautiful as ever) were two children, a boy, and a girl, both probably no older than ten. They looked the exact same age, though the twins weren’t identical; the boy had a pink coat, similar to his mother’s, yet had his father's eyes, while the girl was a lighter shade of blue with eyes like her mother’s.
Next to Silver was Spike who munched on gems with Smolder. Next to her in a highchair was the youngest of the group. The hatchling, whose scales were purple and had small, round spikes, was being fed by her mother, spooning a paste that looked like grounded turquoise.
On his counterpart’s end, Ocellus sat next to a small, yellow changeling. Someone who was older than the twins, yet in some ways had carried one particular trait from her - that at the dinner table, the Changeling had a book.
Then at one end of the table next to Ocellus and her kid, were Sandbar and Yona with theirs. With Yuna almost vibrating in her seat.
At first, there was a confusing chatter that Gallus couldn’t make out. That was until Yona stomped on the table a few times, getting everyone’s attention with their dishes being shocked.
“Friends quiet down,” Yona began, “we have something special to show everyone.”
“Well, we know that,” Silverstream commented, “You sent us the letter for something special but didn’t say what it was. Is this supposed to be a surprise party? Because if so, I don’t think that’s going well.”
The table laughed and Sandbar waved. “No no, it’s not that kind of surprise. However, it is something very special.” He patted his daughter’s back, “Today’s the last day our Yuna will be going to the schoolhouse. And lately, we’ve been applying to get her into a particular school.”
“Sandbar, I’m disappointed in you,” Gallus’s counterpart shook his head but joked, “if you want her to attend military school, you just have to ask.”
“Not that kind of school ya featherbrain,” Sandbar chuckled before holding up the sealed scroll. “We’re here to have Yuna open this letter that I think will change her life, as it had with ours.” Handing it over to her, Sandbar told her daughter to go ahead and open it.
Breaking the wax seal, Yuna unrolled the scroll. “It says: ‘Dear Yuna Oceanvale, we are happy to inform you that after reviewing your academic credits and you have been accepted to attend the Friendship Academy beginning this August!’” Yuna squealed in delight. “Yes! I got in!”
The table erupted in applause, cheers of congratulations from all around.
“It’s about time,” the young Changeling next to Ocellus beamed, “maybe by the fall semester, we might attend classes together.”
“You think so Mantis?” Yuna asked, “Didn’t you say that there are so many classes at the academy now?”
“‘Course there is,” Smolder informed, spooning another mouthful to her hatchling, “But knowing you, I think you and point-dexter will be in at least a few dozen classes from now on.” Then after a beat and a wicked smile, she added, “Although, I would recommend taking a class from me. I offer field trips.”
“Mostly camping,” Spike quickly added, “it wouldn’t be like the volcano incident, I assure you.”
Ocellus laughs, “Yeah, I can still remember how loud Starlight was after the fact. Some say you could hear her from all the way from Saddle Arabia.”
“What can you do?” Smolder shrugged, “Yeah, I get yelled at most often. But can you blame me for wanting to teach something fun?”
The real Gallus chuckled at this, ‘Yeah, Smolder would do something like that.’
“Hey Yuna,” Silverstream said, “why not start out taking Ocellus’s class? Last I’ve heard, the students over there love her.”
“Only if you want to,” Ocellus told Yuna, “but if you do, then you’ll have to dedicate yourself to a lot of reading in Creature Studies.”
At this point, one of the twins, the pink hippogriff, leaned forward. “Yuna, why are you so excited to go to school? It’s boring.”
Yuna shrugged. “If it were any other school, then yes, you might have a point. But this is the Friendship Academy, Greg. This isn’t just all tests and books. It’s more than that.”
“It is?” the other twin inquired. “How?”
Yuna tilted her head. “You mean you two don’t know? Not even you, Athena?”
“They’re still in elementary school.” Gallus’s copy said. “Remember, they’re a few grades behind you so they don’t know yet.”
“Oh,” Yuna nodded in understanding. “Well, the thing is, Greg and Athena, the academy isn’t like most schools because they teach things differently. Not only can you learn about whatever you want, but it teaches you on how to be a better friend. How to grow a community, how to help one another, I can go on, but it’s a place where you can learn while having fun doing so.”
“Does it have games?” Athena asked.
“Well, I have them for my class,” Smolder smirked, “I require it.”
“And treats?” Greg inquired.
“I will bring some in if the class is doing well at the end of the week.” Ocellus answered.
From there, the twins tugged on their parents’ feathers begging, “Mom and Dad! Mom and Dad! Can we go to that school?”
“You will,” Silver rubbed her daughter’s head, “but try getting through elementary school first, and then we’ll get you two in.”
“But I wanna go now!” Greg objected.
The other Gallus patted his head, “Well you’re not gonna get in by being impatient. In a few years, you’ll start learning there. You’ll just have to wait.”
At this point, the real Gallus had seen enough and closed the book; and gave a melancholic sigh. Not because of what might have happened, but as it started to sink in… but what he lost. Yes, what he saw was a happy occasion, witnessing the beginning of a new chapter for another generation. However, he had to remind himself that everything that he saw could have happened if he and Sandbar were still alive. He could have married Silverstream and had those two children.
But he was dead, and despite what he knew what could have been, Gallus still remembered Silverstream’s promise to move on. Sure, what he saw was what could have been, but it won’t help what might be possible now. Maybe someday, he could be a father and marry someone he loves. Perhaps, not with Silverstream. But maybe…
Gallus looked over his shoulder, eyeing Sandbar with his book who seemed to be having the time of his afterlife from the laughter he was giving. In his mind, a question began to form but shook his head. “It’s unlikely… but then again…” Looking at the book, he flipped open to the first page. After a thoughtful hum, he muttered, “I could probably ask later…”
“Hmmm, what should I ask next,” Sandbar wondered out loud. He scratched his head and grumbled upon realizing just how short of imagination he had in his brain. He could ask anything in the world about himself and yet here he was still blank as the sheets of paper before him.
“There has to be something I can ask. What if I was born a girl? Nah, that's a bit too freaky. What if the Cozy Glow won? Actually, I think I might get disturbed by a world where that happens. What if I asked someone else to the dance? Well, I just saw myself with Silverstream not too long ago so I guess that already counts the fact I could have been with any of my friends.” Sandbar sighed and rested his head on the desk. “Man, if Princess Twilight was here she would be able to figure out what to write… Princess Twilight...” Sandbar’s eyes lit up. “Hey, there’s an idea!”
He quickly grabbed the book and started writing into it:
What if... I was an alicorn?
Just like last time, the book began to take the shape of moving pictures and sketches. The form of the scene was, however, pure darkness much to Sandbar’s surprise as he wondered what was going on. Then, to his surprise, there was a narration that he could hear in his head.
“How long have I been asleep? It feels like forever since I have seen the sun or the moon. Am I even still alive after thousands of years? Have I joined my fellow alicorns in death and failed my mission? Had the statis spell failed and I am trapped in the void for eternity? We sacrificed everything for this chance to save the future of our world… Yet was I… a failure? Father. Mother. I wish you were here.”
“Is this… me?” Sandbar asked, tilting his head.
Suddenly, a light began to appear on the page as the sound of crumbling stones and voices could be heard. The narrator started to speak again. “Light? Light! I have to… reach out...”
With a loud grunt, a figure burst through the stone tomb that had laid still for thousands of years as the figure emerged from its rock coffin. Groaning, the figure slowly raised its body up while spreading its grand emerald wings and lighting up its glowing green and white horn to let the familiar feeling of magic spread through him. The dust soon settled and Sandbar gasped upon seeing… himself. Or rather his alicorn self.
He was much taller than Princess Luna but still shorter than Princess Celestia and he looked far older than he was currently in the afterlife. Then again, considering how long alicorns could live, it was possible that he was even older than the princesses if the dialogue of the narrator was correct. He was also very, very handsome to the point that any mare or stallion who saw him would easily turn red. His mane was also longer but was no longer two shades of green. While his darker green tone remained, the lighter green tone was replaced with a pure white look and his coat was a pristine and regal emerald. The most noticeable thing, however, was his cutie mark. It wasn’t the three turtles that proudly stood on the real Sandbar’s rump, but rather was a strange swirling symbol of water, air, and sand in a vortex.
As Alicorn Sandbar got his bearings straight, a voice talked over the dust. “Um, Yona? I think you woke up an ancient alicorn.”
The dust finally settled as the images changed to show his five friends, all in some kind of ancient-looking tomb, but also an ash-colored earth pony with a beanie on top of his head that covered his mane. His cutie mark was a skateboard and a ramp. All six of them were staring at the Alicorn Sandbar like he was a ghost or something as the male alicorn shook his head to get the last of the rocks in his mane out. “W-Who are you children? Wait, Griffins? Changelings? Yaks? Hippogriffs? Dragons?! Run, little pony, I will protect you!”
The five non-ponies seemed to be frightened as Alicorn Sandbar summoned his magic to his horn and glared. Before anything could happen the earth pony got in front of his friends with his arms stretched out. “Woah! Chill dude! These guys are my friends!”
“You’re… friends?” Sandbar asked, tilting his head as he slowly lowered his magic. “You mean to tell me that the enemies of Ponykind are… allies with us?”
“Uh, yeah,” The ash pony said with a small grin. “We’ve been friends for a while now. Ever since Princess Twilight Sparkle started the Friendship Academy we’ve been all working together to promote the magic of friendship.”
“I… I see...” Alicorn Sandbar whispered, confused but calm. “I guess I should have expected our races to be allies in the future. In fact, this works to our advantage to prepare ourselves for their coming.”
“Who are you talking about?” The earth pony asked.
“Actually, a better question would be who is he,” Ocellus stated as he pointed to the large male alicorn. “I thought Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and Princess Twilight were the only alicorns?”
“I’m more surprised by the fact he’s a male alicorn,” Gallus said, crossing his arms. “I was under the impression only girls could become them.”
“Wait, there are other alicorns?!” Alicorn Sandbar asked with shock and glee. “I… I thought I was the last! Take me to them! I must see them at once!”
“Um, okay,” The Earth Pony said as he turned to Silverstream. “Hey, Silver? Better let Headmaster Starlight and Somnambula know about this.”
“On it, Ashburn!” Silverstream started with a salute as she gave the name of Sandbar’s replacement of the six.
Apparently, in order for Sandbar to be an alicorn the entire timeline of reality had to be rewritten so that he was born way before there was even an Equestria. 'Really shows how things can change if something is different.'
The scene then changed again, only this time it showed someplace familiar: The Front Halls of the Friendship Academy. Alicorn Sandbar was looking around in interest as the six students and Starlight Glimmer lead the confused male alicorn into their school. “So, this place promotes the teachings of… friendship?”
“Yup,” Starlight said with a smile. “We’ve managed to bring more students from all over the world here to learn to work together in harmony. We do teach things like math, science, and history here as well, but the primary purpose is to let other races come together to learn from one another and be united by the bonds they make.”
“I see,” Alicorn Sandbar stated as flapped his wings a bit. “I must admit, it reminds me of the Grand College of Lathia. Only it had just Alicorns attending with the occasional non-alicorn pony allowed if they showed promise.”
“I never heard of any place called Lathia in Equestria.” Ocellus said, raising her eyebrow.
“That is because it was once in the land of Avalon,” Alicorn Sandbar stated, which made the others stare at him in confusion. “You… have you ever heard of Avalon? Home of the Alicorn race? The first was created by the Goddess along with the other first races such as the Dragons, Kitsune, Lupans, Humans, Elves, and Dwarves?”
“Ummm, one of those we know,” Gallus said, pointing to a waving Smolder.
“Why yak not included in ancient races?” Yona asked, upset. “We old race too! We trace our history very far back and proudly!”
“S-Sorry, but I’ve never heard of those races. Well, except humans, but they live in an entirely different dimension,” Starlight pointed out.
“Dimension?” Alicorn Sandbar stated as he rubbed his chin in thought. “So the rumors of the Imperial Mages discovering the means to bend time and space were true? Did they use such a power to escape… them?"
“Again with the them! What is so mysterious about these guys?” Smolder asked, annoyed.
However, before Alicorn Sandbar could answer, four figures appeared from the other end of the hall that made him gasp. The group turned to find an equally shocked Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and Princess Twilight all standing still with shocked expressions, and… were they blushing?!
“Wait, what?!” the real Sandbar asked, nearly knocking his chair over as he inched closer. Indeed, all four of the princesses were staring at Sandbar with deep red cheeks. “Um, are the princesses… checking me out? I honestly don’t know how to feel about that. Wait a minute, isn’t Princess Cadence supposed to be married?”
The group then turned to Alicorn Sandbar who was looking at the four with tears in his eyes and a bright smile. Rushing forward, he stood before the four. “So it’s true… you are alicorns… our race survives!” He soon knelt before them. “It’s an honor to meet you nobles of my kin. I am Prince Sandbar Vos Oceanvale, son of King Ventwind vos Oceanvale and Queen Shora vos Oceanvale. Heir to the Nyabbin Sealand Kingdoms. Protector of the Sky and Waves. Lord of the Waters. And Guardian of the Realm in the name of our Glorious Goddess, Faustilia. May she forever be praised!” He smiled at them and asked, “From which of the lands do you hail from or are descended from? Illora Republic? Corano Empire? The Nightwinter Realm? Or the Kingdom of Everstar?”
“.... Um, Canterlot?” Twilight asked, nervously.
“I… have never heard of it,” Alicorn Sandbar said nervously, but still continued to smile. “Nevertheless, I must know, how did you survive after ten thousand years like me? Did the Grand Wizards also give you the stasis spell? Or are you descendants of those who survived? Oh, are you all related?”
“My sister, Luna, and I are related,” Princess Celestia said, getting her bearings straight. “Perhaps we should introduce ourselves. I am former Princess Celestia, raiser of the sun. This is my sister, Princess Luna, raiser of the moon.” She then turned to Twilight. “This is the current ruler of the Equestria, raisers of both the sun and moon, and my former apprentice, Princess Twilight Sparkle. And this is the ruler of the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence.”
“You are a raiser of the sun and moon?! I… I had no idea you were the descendants of the High King and Queen!” Alicorn Sandbar shouted in shock before bowing so low he almost touched the ground. “Your graces! Forgive me. I did not know. I am yours to command.”
“Okay, hold up!” Twilight shouted, flaring her wings. “Just… who the hay are you?! What are these places?! And we’re not descendants of alicorns! We were turned this way by destiny!”
“.... What?”
As the scene began to change again, the real Sandbar began to rub his face. “This is so confusing. This is all sounding like a really bad fanfic.”
The entire scene had now shown the five alicorns to be alone in the library with Alicorn Sandbar looking depressed while the four others were looking at him with sympathy. It seemed that they must have told him the truth in between the scenes. Sighing, Alicorn Sandbar looked at the ground with misty eyes. “I see… a method that allows one to become an alicorn… but not born as one... you were all regular ponies before?”
“Yes, Cadence and Luna were pegasi while Twilight and myself were unicorns,” Princess Celestia answered with sympathy. “We have all turned at a very young age thanks to destiny and the discovery of new magic such as raising the sun or moon. Twilight is the youngest of us, but she has proven to be more powerful than all three of us with her actions.”
“Yes, these tales you’ve told me of your adventures against these evils,” Prince Sandbar stated as he turned to Cadence and bowed. “I am sorry for the loss of your husband in the battle against King Sombra. I too have lost many I cared about in the war.”
Princess Cadence shed a tear before wiping it away with her wing. “Thank you… I just hope Shining is… at peace.” Twilight nuzzled her sister-in-law before Princess Luna stepped forward.
“We have told our story, but I am afraid we have yet to hear yours,” Princess Luna stated. “We have never seen a male alicorn before and you claim to be one born from two alicorn parents? Such a thing is almost unheard of.”
“Yes, I am. I suppose in a way this makes me the last trueborn alicorn in the world,” Prince Sandbar stated as he sighed and turned away. “Not that any of you don’t deserve such a title. You have done great deeds that are worthy of our race, but still… you must understand… I had hoped...”
“.... What happened?” Princess Cadence asked.
“.... Long ago, we alicorns were one of the most powerful races along with the Humans, Elves, and Dragons on equal footing while the other races. The Dwarves, Lupans, and Kitsunes were right behind us. We each ruled our own kingdoms and realms. Sometimes there was peace and other times there was war. It was why I was so surprised to see so many races working together when I first awoke. The only ones who had ever treated us kindly were Humans, Elves, and Dwarves. All the other races were our rivals.” He turned around and faced the four who saw hatred and fear in his eyes. “Then, a great evil came into our lands. Creatures of horror and terror who brought nothing but death and destruction. All kingdoms were felled one by one. These beings were called… the Necronai. The undead unholy abominations of the Dark One. The Forsaken God of The Void: Yazaboth.”
The four alicorns shivered as his name was mentioned. Even real Sandbar did so, but couldn’t help but get really into this story.
“The Necronai were relentless. They butchered everyone and anything in their path no matter how old or young. They desired the entire extermination of all lives in our world. Some races fled while others were slaughtered to the last. The Alicorn Race was of the former. At that time, I was a Guardian. A warrior chosen by the Goddess to protect our people even as my family was killed, my lands raided, and my people suffered. I fought and fought with no fear of death. Only a desire to see this nightmare end.”
“How… horrible...” Princess Cadence whispered as tears began to appear not just in her eyes but all four of them. “What stopped them?”
“I do not know, but I assumed the last alliance did it.” Alicorn Sandbar answered with a heavy sigh. “The last thing I remembered, the Dragons had gathered what remained of the living to form an army to find the Death King, their leader, and prophet, to end the nightmare once and for all. However, there was a fear that even if we did succeed in ending the reign of the Necrotani, it would only be enviable that the Dark One would try again. So I was preserved, along with others, to see to it that future generations would know of the possible rise of the Dark One’s army once again. And should the worst have happened, as I assumed it came to be for our people, then some of us could survive and rebuild in the ashes of a new world. It seems, however, that while my race… died, along with many others, the last alliance succeeded for still there is life in this world.”
“But the tomb you were in has been searched many times before,” Twilight pointed out. “The only reason we discovered you now was because there were glowing seals in the wall you were in.”
“My seals were too weak and the spell to release me, should it be sensed a new Death King had emerged. However, that was many years ago, but I still remained trapped. The last kingdom, Oberan, was where the Grand Wizards preserved me in a stasis spell with the hopes that I could warn future races of the dangers of the undead,” Alicorn Sandbar stated as he glared at the four. “I am here to warn and prepare you all for the threat that ended the great and noble races of the gods’ first era. For if you do not prepare yourselves, I fear that all you love and treasure will die in a sea of blood and flame.”
A long silence stood as all four alicorns stared at Alicorn Sandbar until a loud growl was heard. They turned their attention to the blushing prince’s stomach as he rubbed the back of his head with a nervous smile. “F-Forgive me. Having been asleep for ten millennia… I fear I am hungry.”
Princess Celestia smiled. “Perhaps Twilight and Cadence can get you something to eat. We can discuss this matter some other time. This is a… lot to think about. Plus, I’m sure Twilight has hundreds of questions she wishes to know about your time.”
Twilight’s eyes nearly burst into stars as she quickly grabbed the surprised prince and started asking numerous questions while Princess Cadence followed her with an amused smirk. While also, keeping her gaze upon that toned flank of his. Once they were gone, Princess Luna turned to her sister. “Sister, do you believe him?”
“I do,” Princess Celestia said with a heavy sigh before turning to her sister with a serious expression. “The eyes he holds speak not only of ancient experience but pain and loss, Sister. This stallion… he speaks the truth.”
“.... How can we hope to contend against an army of monsters strong enough to wipe out the ancient races of our world?” Princess Luna muttered with a cold shiver before her sister nuzzled her.
“We will find a way, Sister. We are not alone in this now. Thanks to Twilight’s efforts we are closer to the other nations than ever before. We will warn them of the danger to come and prepare ourselves for these demons who seek to ruin our world. I believe destiny sent Prince Sandbar to us in order to help us. We will help him adjust to our world, and in return, he will help us deal with these Necronai.” Princess Celestia then tapped her chin with a smile. “Plus, it is nice to have a handsome-looking stallion around our height for once, isn’t it?”
The real Sandbar covered his face with his hooves. “Oh… no...”
“S-Sister!” Princess Luna shouted, puffing her cheeks. “We are talking about the end of the world and you are thinking of flirting with our possible savior?!”
“Oh come on, Lulu,” Princess Celestia said, rolling her eyes. “You cannot tell me you don’t find him attractive? Twilight was certainly staring at him with ogling eyes and I did see Cadence check out his bum a few minutes ago.”
“Is she not still mourning over Shining’s death?” Luna asked.
“It was years ago, Luna,” Princess Celestia said with a sigh. “Perhaps this is a sign she is ready to move on and find new love… unless I get him first.”
“W-what?! Sister, whose side are you on? Twilights?! Cadence?! Or yourself?!” Princess Luna demanded.
Celestia smirked as she turned away and made for the door. “All’s fair in love and war, Sister. I love those two as my own daughters, but I’m not going to miss a chance to finally be with someone who can live just as long as me.” She then grinned at Luna. “If you are not interested in him either, that’s fine. One less opponent for me.”
Just as she left, Luna growled and stomped her hoof. “‘Tis a challenge you want, Sister, I shall accept! We shall see who wins his heart!”
“Okay, I had enough!” Sandbar said, closing the book. “Ugh, so if I was born an alicorn now only do I live through a war against a race of monsters while arriving ten thousand years into the future with all my loved ones are dead, but I also get all four Princesses, one of which is a widow, who has an interest in me as a romantic partner?!”
He shook his head and decided to take a breather. And maybe find a mini-bar somewhere.
Gallus hummed and tried to figure out what he should ask in the book next. Sure, he already thought of one but he felt that since he still had enough time, he might as well think of something else. However, for a long time, he wasn’t sure what exactly. He could inquire what if he dated someone else, but he wasn’t sold on it. Maybe he could ask what it would be like if Twilight or probably Starlight had adopted him. Or he could ask what would happen if in the past he and his friends had secretly tried doing something like smoking poison joke. But those didn’t quite stick out.
However, remembering what part of Heaven he was in, a question did come to him. Which prompted him to fill in the blank:
What if… I found out I was the last King of the Griffons when I was alive?
Gallus braced himself for what he was about to see as the ink faded away and the lines were being drawn. On those pages, he saw the student lounge which connected the dorm rooms. With color being added, it showed his friends lying about on the couch or on the floor in the middle of a study session. But before the illustration moved, he noticed that he was missing from all of this.
When it did move, there was a loud bang, and the book showed his double. Just slammed the door, panting in a panic. Heaving, the other Gallus darted his eyes about the room.
“What’s gotten into you?” Smolder asked looking up.
“Quick!” his counterpart rushed over to grab a nearby table, “Barricade the doors! Shut up the windows!” Frantic, the other Gallus took whatever he could get his claws on and threw them at the door. “They’re coming for me!”
“Who’s coming?” Yona stood up, just in time for Gallus to yank the carpet underneath her. “Why griffon afraid?”
“The army!” Gallus took hold of the couch that Silverstream, Smolder, and Ocellus were sitting on. “The Griffon army is coming to take me away-” he was suddenly cut off when Smolder smacked him across the face.
“Dude! Snap out of it!” Smolder hopped off the couch, “What’s going on?” She held up a claw to his beak, “And please explain without screaming your head off.”
Gallus stepped back, rubbing the side of his face. “Sorry just… if they take me, I’ll never come to Equestria again.”
“What for?” Sandbar asked, “Did you do something wrong?”
“Oh-ho, I wish!” Gallus walked past them to go into his and Sandbar’s room. There were sounds of him moving something around and coming back with a shoebox. “They’re coming for me for uh… two very important reasons. The first is I have something they thought was lost. Something that until much later I realized what this… thing is.”
His friends gathered around, he opened the lid and showed the remains of a broken cup that had a jewel that barely held onto one of the gold pieces. “Guys… do you know what this was?” Gallus asked.
“I was gonna say junk,” Smolder replied, “but with the army coming, I take it it's more than that.”
“Oh yeah,” he nodded, “What you’re seeing is all of the pieces of the Idol of Boreas. The very thing that held the Griffon kingdom together.”
“Wait,” Silverstream raised a talon, “didn’t it fall off a cliff where it’s so super duper windy that no one was able to get it?”
“If you tried to fly down, then yeah. Guess nogriff has thought about going in from the side. Just walk into the canyon to find it. At the time, I thought I could probably melt it down and get enough bits for a meal. But I kept it around when I realized what this actually was.”
“So if the Griffon army is coming here for the Idol,” Ocellus inquired, “why not just simply give it back to them?”
“That leads to the uh…” he closed the box, “second thing. Recently, I found a family tree that went back to the last King. Turns out, he had a few kids, and those kids had kids, and… let’s just say I found a connection.”
“How?”
“I stupidly asked Grandpa Gruff if anyone at the orphanage had a note or something when they found me. Turns out, the last name that they found me, was the same one with one of the last griffons that were thought to be the end of the bloodline. Which means-”
“You’re royalty too!” Silverstream exclaimed, “This is incredible! Gallus, if that’s true, then that means you’re a king!”
“But that’s the problem,” the other Gallus tossed the box aside, landing with a noticeable crash, “now that they put two-and-two together, they’re coming to take me back to Griffonstone! Don’t any of you get it? They’re going to drag me back kicking and screaming to a dumpy kingdom that’s beyond redeeming - and they’ll never let me go until I somehow fix everything! That means I’ll never see any of you again!”
There was a knock on the door, Gallus watched his other self, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. He rushed out, “Hide me! Hide me!” There was a crash from his and Sandbar’s room before slamming it shut.
Another knock, “Hello?” Starlight’s voice was heard, jiggling the door handle. “Is Gallus in here?”
“Give us a sec,” Smolder went over to move the furniture that was blocking the door. Her friends came to help clear it enough to open it. “Sorry about that, Gallus is being more panicky than usual.”
“Uh-huh,” Starlight nodded, “I was wondering if you knew where he was. Because I need to ask him why there’s a whole legion of armed Griffons just outside of school grounds.”
“Armed?” Yona asked, “With what?”
“Armor, crossbows, a catapult, and a general that won’t shut up.”
“Tell them I’m not here!” the other Gallus called out from his room.
Starlight rolled her eyes. She marched past the students and headed towards the door that Gallus was behind. “You need to get out of there and deal with that army outside.”
“No offense to you, but are you mental?! I’m not going with them. Not now or ever!”
“And if you don’t do something right this instant, I’m pretty sure we might have an international crisis on our hooves.”
“I’d rather die than go with them…” then after a beat, he added, “If I can figure what to kill myself with.”
“Oh for the love of…” Frustrated, Starlight pointed her horn down at the doorknob and blasted it away, leaving a gaping hole behind. Kicking it open, she immediately spotted Gallus’s tail underneath the bed. She used her magic to pull him out. “I know you didn’t ask for this,” Starlight pulled him out of the room and down the hall, and kept pulling his tail hard when he reached for something to grab on. “But this is your mess, and you need to clean it up.”
“Starlight you traitor!” Gallus clawed at the walls, leaving scratch marks as he was pulled into the student lounge. “You can’t make me go out there!”
“Yes I can, and I think there is a way for you to make them go away.”
“How?”
She lifted him up upside-down but looked him in the eye. “Let me spell this out to you - you’re the king, dumb-dumb, you can do whatever you want.”
“.... And how do you know they’ll listen to me?”
“I don’t, but unless you do something, they'll leave boulder-size holes in our school in a few minutes.”
Gallus looked around and spotted the shoebox he tossed. Seeing the thoughtful look on his face, Starlight sat him down where he went over to pick the box up.
“So I take it you have something in mind?” Sandbar asked.
“I have an idea,” he replied. “It’s a long shot, but it’s all I got to work with.” Holding the box close, he walked out of the room, with his friends and Starlight following him.
The next scene showed the outside of the school and surrounding it was the army that had gathered in the thousands. Carrying banners, spears, crossbows, swords, and a catapult in the back. Between them and the drawn-up drawbridge was Grandpa Gruff in rusty armor, still making a long-winded speech.
“.... Today is the day we finally rise from the ashes!” He declared, “Inside of that school is our future! The King and the Idol are just waiting for us to come and rescue them to make our kingdom great aga-” His speech was cut off when they heard a loud clicking noise coming from inside the school. They turned to see the drawbridge was coming down. There was hesitation, but the army took hold of their weapons to make themselves ready for the fight of their lives.
Instead, Gallus walked out. With determination on his face and the shoebox under his arm, he marched over the bridge.
“That’s him!” Grandpa Gruff called out, “All Hail King Gal-”
“Oh shut the living Hell up!”
The army gasped.
The real Gallus’s jaw dropped to the floor. He watched his counterpart walk up to the army, not afraid, but pissed off. “What do all of you think you’re doing?” He demanded, “No seriously, all of you here, have you all lost your damn minds! All of you were just about to storm a school… a place that’s unarmed for- what? This thing?!”
He tossed the box to the ground, the lid popping off and the fragments of the artifact bounced on the grass.
“All of you were willing to lay siege to this place,” he pointed at the academy, “foalnap me,” he pointed at himself, “and take me back to fix all of your problems? Are all of you insane!? You’re asking a teenager to put the monarchy back together; fix Griffonstone; fix everygriff’s bitter, there’s-no-possible-way-of-fixing-this attitude; and do all of that complicated government stuff when I have no clue how to do any of that!”
“B-But,” Grandpa Gruff raised a shaky claw, “Your Highness-”
“Oh don’t give me any of that ‘Your Highness’ crap! Up until I sent you that letter, you didn’t want anything to do with me! None of you did! I still haven’t forgotten how I had to survive every single damn day just to get by! I still haven’t forgotten how all of you turned your backs when I begged for a crust of bread, a cup of water, or a place to spend the night! If that’s how you treat someone who isn’t important, then I’m terrified to imagine what you’re going to do with someone who is!”
“But… the Idol-”
“It’s just junk!” Gallus screamed at him. “Yeah it united all of us, but doing so over a faulty cup is kinda stupid, don’t you think? I mean, I may not be that great as a history student, but compared to how other kingdoms built theirs, what they rally around, having our whole identity centered around a cup is pretty idiotic, isn’t it?”
The whole army went dead quiet.
“Hey! Here’s an idea! How about forming a kingdom on the basis that - oh I don’t know - that we should have a better life rather than just stealing it from everyone else we say hello to!? Maybe, we should build a society on being kind, being humble, and maybe giving others a break for not having as many bits as you do? But maybe as King, I’m asking way too much, am I? Would it be so hard to be selfless for once? Hell, how else can you explain how a namby-pamby Kingdom like Equestria managed to stick around for so long?
“But what do I know? I’m still a kid. And at least I’m smart enough to know I’m too dumb to run anything without having it set on fire! I still got a lot to learn from this place, and by the looks of it, so do all of you! Now, if all please excuse me, I have a life to live, and friends to be with. So unless you absolutely want to spark a world war, then do as your king says and GO HOME!”
Gallus watched his double heave after a royal rant like that, seemingly to wait for that one idiot to make an objection and take him on the spot. Looking around at the slack-jawed army, none of them, not even Grandpa Gruff, made a move. After taking some deep, calming breaths, Gallus added, “So if any of you want to see our Kingdom come back, here’s a bit of advice: take a good, long look at it, and do the opposite. Now, you’ll excuse me, I have classes to attend.” He turned around and walked away.
On the other end of the drawbridge, his friends plus Starlight stood there. Their jaws too hung loosely from what they’ve heard.
Smolder was the first to speak, “I’d never thought I’d say this, but holy shit.”
Starlight narrowed her eyes at her, “Language aside, I have to agree. Looks like they’re leaving.”
Indeed they were; the proud Griffon Army was turning around, taking their weapons with them. Their army was going away like a foal being told to go to bed.
“So with that being taken care of,” Starlight said, “you’re all free to go back to whatever you were doing.”
One by one, they started to leave Gallus. All except for Silverstream who remarked, “Gallus, I just noticed something.”
“What?”
“That with all your ranting… you never said you were stepping down as king.”
“Well…” Gallus’s counterpart folded his arms, “I still need some authority to tell them off.”
“Yes, but technically, you’re still royalty. Now we have more in common! I can’t wait to tell my Aunt about this.”
“Why would- oh duh,” he facepalmed, “that’s right, she’s a queen.”
“Yep! And you’re a king! A lost king, but a king nonetheless!” She hugged him, “You’re gonna like being a royal, that means you’ll have servants, a plot of land, you getting to date me, and a crown-”
“What was that?” the other Gallus blinked.
Silverstream stopped herself, letting Gallus go from her hug, her cheeks turned red and coughed into her claw. “What I mean is that we just have more in common now, and that’s a good thing.”
“I get that, but what did say about-”
“Oh look at the time! I’m going to be late for the… Plumbers club. Yep! I’ll see you around, Your Majesty!” With that, Silverstream took flight.
Alone, Gallus took a moment to process what he heard, “She… likes me…” A goofy smile spread across his face. “Yes!” he pumped his claw in the air victoriously.
Closing the book, Gallus felt he had enough of that story. At least this time the scenario didn’t leave him feeling down. Looking back at that rant, it was something that he almost always wanted to tell his Griffons for years but never had the courage to say it. In an odd way, it was… strangely satisfying. For now, he felt that he needed a drink from somewhere.
For some reason, the library did have a bar and that’s where Gallus saw Sandbar upon arriving at it. Noticing him, Sandbar lifted his drink and smiled. “Hey, Gallus. How’s reading all your possible timelines?”
“Emotionally exhausting and confusing,” Gallus answered as he turned to the bartender. “Give me something not too strong, but it will give me a good kick in the head.” A few minutes later, he got a heavy-looking blue drink and took it down in one gulp which made him feel a nice chill down his spine. Sighing in relief, he turned to Sandbar and asked, “So, anything interesting?”
“Well, I found out if I was born an Alicorn then I would be having all four princesses trying to be in a romantic relationship with me,” Sandbar said with a chuckle which made Gallus stare at him in awe.
“Dude, seriously? I’ll admit that would be kinda awesome. I guess since I’m dead I can say this but I’ve always thought Princess Luna had one helluva flank.” He then blinked before pointing out, “Wait a minute, isn’t Princess Cadence married?”
“Apparently, Shining Armor died during that whole incident in the Crystal Empire against Sombra,” Sandbar said, wincing. “That… wasn’t nice to hear. Hope yours has been better.”
Deciding it was better to not mention his suicide, Gallus shrugged and said, “Well, I can say this right now, being king of the griffins is something I never hope to be.”
“Even if it would have made you and Silverstream possible as a couple? She being royalty and all,” Sandbar asked, eyebrows raised.
“Well, I didn’t say it was all bad,” Gallus shrugged before glancing at a clock nearby. “Wow, we’ve been here a while. We should probably just do one more and head out of here. Much as I like to see myself in various other situations, we have all of eternity to do that and I want to explore Heaven more.”
“Sure, meet here when we’re done?” Sandbar asked.
Nodding, Gallus walked back the way he came but paused to look back at Sandbar who didn’t notice him. He thought about a question from earlier that made him wonder just what if… well… what if it wasn’t Yona and Silverstream who were their objects of desire… but rather...
‘You know what? Screw it! Might as well go ask it,’ Gallus thought with a heavy sigh while he tried to ignore the nervousness in his heart.
‘Hmm, what do I ask? What do I ask?’ Sandbar wondered as he sat back in his reading chair with his book in front of him. He bit into the pen he was using as ideas continued to warp around in his head. ‘What if I was born rich? Nah, never really cared about wealth. What if I was born into a different race? Hmm, maybe. What if Nightmare Moon had won against Princess Celestia? Actually, I think Princess Twilight told us about that in one class. I could always ask what would happen if I was a serial killer and murdered my friends… okay, maybe I should hold off asking such evil questions until I’m sure you can’t get kicked out of Heaven.’
Rubbing his temple, Sandbar tried to think of something-anything-that could be a good third question. Finally, he decided to just randomly write down the next idea in his head:
What if… My friends and I were some kind of superhero group?
Just like before, the page started to turn into a moving set of art pieces, but unlike the previous ones, these were in a style that he didn’t recognize until it dawned on him. A few months after Princess Twilight ascended to the throne Equestria had come into contact with a new race called the Kitsune from Kyubiokitusne. They had a strange comic method that they called “manga” and what was appearing in the book was very similar to that style.
When the drawing was finished, the focus was on the Friendship Academy, but interesting enough in a room that Sandbar had never seen before. It was like a hangout place but with a juice bar, seats, some gym equipment, and a boxing ring. A sign said “Spike’s Juice Bar” and various students were chatting or eating while Spike was mixing shakes. At the boxing ring, Smolder, in a red jacket, could be seen training Ocellus, who had pink sweatbands on, with what appeared to be martial arts while Gallus, in a blue jacket, was watching them.
“Kick! Punch! And spin kick!” Smolder shouted with an impressive array of combat training.
Ocellus tried to follow suit, but during the spin kick she went too far and ended up landing on her face. “Ow...”
“Well, if the mat ever becomes your enemy, Ocellus, I’m sure you’ll knock it out in one blow,” Gallus joked with a chuckle.
Smolder helped Ocellus up while smiling at her. “Ignore him, Ocellus. You’re doing great.”
“Easy for you to say,” Ocellus said as she wiped the sweat off her face. “I still don’t know why Zelona chose me to be a Harmony Ranger. I mean, without my morpher, I’m not that useful.”
“You kidding? Who was it that invented that anti-brainwashing machine when we had one of Grogar’s monsters nearly turning the entire town into mindless slaves?” Gallus said, getting into the ring and patting her on the back. “You’re useful on the team, morphed or non-morphed.”
Blushing, Ocellus rubbed the back of her head. “Thanks guys.”
The focus then shifted to nearby where Yona, in a yellow jacket, was trying to do her homework with the aid of none other than Rexus from the first What if that Sandbar saw. Rexus, in a black jacket, gave a sympathetic smile to the yak before pointing at one of their papers. “Come on, Yona. You’ve been studying for an hour straight. The test isn’t until Friday and you could use a break.”
“Yona needs to study! Yona not doing well in science class,” she answered, turning the paper in a different direction. “Yona not understand why electrons not releasing energy and electricity except in certain manners. Yona produces such when Yona fights.”
“I think there the difference is that you are using magic while the electrons Professor Twilight is talking about is natural,” Rexus answered as he got up. “Come on, let’s get dinner and think later?”
Yona was about to get up when she noticed Sandbar and Silverstream, in a green and white jacket each, entering with disappointing faces. “Look! Friends back from the eco fight!”
“Eco disaster is more like it,” Silverstream complained as she tossed aside a protest sign along with Sandbar. Everyone started to group up as the two looked defeated and without hope. “Our pleas fell on deaf ears. That section of Whitetail Forest is going to get turned into a condo resort.”
“Can’t they see that they’re just hurting all the animals and plant life by doing this?!” Sandbar grumbled as the real one watching nodded his head in agreement. It was a good thing to see that, regardless of what world or timeline, he was still a supporter of protecting nature. “We tried asking for help from Professor Fluttershy and Twilight, but they said everything is purely legal. We can’t do anything.”
“That sucks,” Gallus said, shaking his head. “It’s actually a nice place to relax too.”
“Well, you shouldn’t give up,” Smolder said, crossing her arms. “Why don’t we all go there tomorrow after class and protest together?”
Everyone seemed pleased with the idea, but soon the image started to fade to show a dark and sinister castle high up on a tall mountain where a lightning storm was happening overhead. The book showed the inside where Grogar the Cruel - which Sandbar assumed was the real one and not Discord in disguise - was staring at his mirror pool with Queen Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, King Sombra, and Tirek by his side as his minions.
The image before him showed a large series of destructive bulldozing equipment that was huge in scale and very powerful as they ripped apart tree by tree. One of them, the biggest, not only had a giant bulldozer, but also buzzsaw blades on the side and even a flamethrower on top.
“Hmm, so it seems even the ponies of Equestria are not always friendly with their own land,” Grogar started with an amused smirk.
“Hypocrites,” Queen Chrysalis snorted. “Quite frankly, I see no use of nature myself.”
“Neither do I,” Tirek said.
“It’s only good to fuel your army for war,” King Sombra stated.
“I think it's nice to stroll around a park or two on a nice clear day,” Cozy Glow stated which earned her the angry glare of her fellow villains save for Grogar. “What? Can’t I have a difference of opinion here?”
“Hmm, that machine seems to be quite powerful in tearing down trees,” Grogar stated as he summoned dark yellow energy into his hoof. “I wonder how it will be to see it tear down the homes of Ponyville and rip their residents to pieces?”
Shooting the energy sphere into the portal, it managed to travel through space and time before appearing in another portal right over the machine just as it was being turned off. Upon hitting the bulldozer, it began to glow as the energy completely consumed it much to the shock of the nearby workers. Slowly, it began to morph and take on a new humanoid form of a giant bulldozing monster with buzzsaw hands and pipes coming out of its shoulders and back.
With a loud roar, it cried out, “Grah! This wood is nothing! Let’s try to break things up that are tougher! Such as you weaklings!”
The workers screamed and ran away while its buzzsaws began glowing before it swiped them in the air. Energy blades then sliced through the other machines which caused them to get clearly sliced in half before exploding. Laughing mechanically, the bulldozer monster began to make its way towards Ponyville.
“Woah, this is so cheesy and yet I love it!” the real Sandbar said as he leaned further.
Back in the book, the group was leaving the juice bar when a beeping noise came from the watches all seven of them were wearing on their wrists. Looking around to make sure there was nobody around, Smolder pressed a button and talked to it. “Go ahead, Zelora.”
“Rangers! We have trouble! Come to the Command Club at once!”
“We’re on it,” Smolder answered before nodding to the others. They all pressed their communicators and vanished into streaks of various colors. Soon enough, they appeared in what looked like the Clubhouse that the real Sandbar and his friends hung out at, but it was more mystical with a glowing set of crystals in various colors in the middle. The group appeared in a flash of light just as a pure silver alicorn with multi-colored hair similar to Princess Celestia, floated down from a balcony above to greet the seven.
“We got your message, Zelora,” Rexus said, walking forward with the others. “Is Grogar at it again?”
“I’m afraid so, Rexus,” Zelora stated as she used her horn to activate the crystals which showed an image of the bulldozer monster rampaging towards Ponyville. “One of the machines that were being used in the construction site near the forest has been turned into a monster by Grogar’s magic. If it isn’t stopped before it reaches Ponyville, I fear there will be many ruined homes or worse, lost lives.”
“Great, so not only was that thing keen enough to destroy nature it's got to destroy civilization too? That thing is going down hard!” Silverstream growled with passion.
“Don’t worry, Zelora,” Smolder said with a thumbs up. “We’ll take that thing out of commission. Ready guys?” They all nodded. “It’s morphin’ time!”
Appearing around their necks were what appeared to be necklaces similar to the Elements of Harmony but in different jewel shapes and colors. Each of them all pressed against their respective crystals and called out.
“Courage!” screamed Rexus pressing the black onyx in the shape of a paw.
“Generocity!” screamed Ocellus pressing the pink quartz in the shape of a butterfly.
“Kindness!” shouted Yona pressing the yellow garnet in the shape of a yak horn.
“Laughter!” shouted Silverstream pressing a white opal in the shape of a fishtail.
“Loyalty!” shouted Sandbar pressing a green emerald in the shape of a horseshoe.
“Honesty!” shouted Gallus pressing the blue sapphire in the shape of an eagle’s wing.
“Friendship!” shouted Smolder pressing the red diamond in the shape of a dragon’s claw.
The seven were soon transformed and real Sandbar felt his jaw drop upon seeing all his friends standing tall with what appeared to be a combination of colored spandex and cybernetic armor that covered them head to tail. Each of them colored based on the color of their jewel which was shining brightly in the middle. Suddenly, the seven were transported in a flash of light.
The scene was then redrawn to show the bulldozer monster making his way closer and closer to Ponyville, but stopped upon seeing seven figures appear in a bright light. “What the?! Who are you?!”
“The Hound of Courage that braves the darkness!” Rexus cried out, posing first. “Black Harmony Ranger!”
“The Changeling of Generosity that sacrifices all for the future!” Ocellus cried out, posing second. “Pink Harmony Ranger!”
“The Yak of Kindness who protects the weak from bullies!” Yona shouted, posing third. “Yellow Harmony Ranger!”
“The Hippogriff of Laughter who shines with hope in the sky!” Silverstream shouted, posing fourth. “White Harmony Ranger!”
“The Pony of Loyalty who is the shield of the innocent!” Sandbar shouted, posing fifth. “Green Harmony Ranger.”
‘Note to self, use that one day as an introduction,’ Real Sandbar thought with a smile.
“The Griffin of Honestly who seeks to make a better world!” Gallus shouted, posing sixth. “Blue Harmony Ranger!”
“The Dragon of Friendship that unites all as one mighty team of power!” Smolder shouted, posing last. “Red Harmony Ranger.”
“Shining forth in our crusade to bring peace and justice! Magical Sentai Harmony Rangers!”
“Pause!” Sandbar said which caused the book to freeze. Grinning, Sandbar closed the book and reopened it for a peek. Satisfied, he closed it again and looked at it. “Good, it’s still there. Oh man, I have to show Gallus this! He’ll love it!”
Even before Gallus could pen in his question, his mind already was filled with at least a hundred scenarios. If things had gone differently, would he have been able to come out when he was alive? Would he and Sandbar have a relationship? Would it have worked? Would his professors accept him? Would Grandpa Gruff want him removed from the school? Killed? Would he have taken Sandbar’s virginity early?
For a long time, Gallus hesitated to fill in the blank. Looking over his shoulder to make absolutely sure that no one would peek at what he wanted to know. Even double checking if Sandbar was still at that comfy chair - he was.
Taking in a deep breath, he dipped the pen in the ink. ‘Just do it. Quickly, like you would do with an extra-sticky band-aid.’ So with one last look over his shoulder, he jotted down his question.
What if… Sandbar had asked me to the dance?
He braced himself, watching the ink fade and the illustrations drew up the scene. Almost immediately, he recognized it as the foyer from the school. Where it showed Twilight putting up posters for the Amity Ball, and explaining to some of the nearby students that this was the first dance where multiple creatures will be attending.
Gallus remembered this vaguely, where at the time he rolled his eyes and about an hour later, would hear that his then crush had asked Yona. But as the illustration moved, it did show himself doing just that and walking away. However, this time he saw Sandbar walking up to him.
“H-Hey, Gallus?” Sandbar asked, and noticeably, his cheeks had turned red.
“Hm?” his counterpart stopped to look over at him, “What is it?”
“So…” Sandbar rubbed the side of his leg, his head nervously looking down, “You haven’t asked anyone out for the Amity Ball, have you?”
“I don’t think I’m going.”
His friend blinked, “No? Why not?”
“It’s kinda pointless to go to a dance when you got no one to dance with.” He raised an eyebrow, “Why?”
“Well… I think I have a pretty good idea who I want to ask out. F-For the dance, I mean!” Sandbar quickly added.
“Are you feeling okay?” The other Gallus tilted his head.
“Y-Yeah I… oh boy, give me a sec…” Sandbar, on the edge of a panic attack, took in several calming breaths. “Sorry, this… this is new for me.”
“Why? What are you trying to…” Gallus watched his double’s eyes widen. ‘No way…’ he heard his counterpart’s thoughts, ‘He’s not… Not in a million years! But he’s super nervous and has an idea who he wants to take to that dance and… Oh dear Gods, it’s happening!’
“So…” Sandbar regained some of his composure, “I don’t know if you would want to if you say no then that’s… that’s okay. But I’m curious if you… crap, I’ve messed it up, have I?”
‘But he won’t… he can’t be-’
“Gallus,” Sandbar smiled widely and nervously, “you… wanna go out to the dance with me?”
No response. If anything, his double froze when he was asked that. Even Sandbar waved a hoof in front of his face, “Hello? Are you there?”
“What did you say?” his twin asked quietly, full of disbelief.
“I just asked you out to the dance.”
From the look of his own face, he heard it, but he couldn’t believe it.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, Gallus flew off.
“Gallus, wait!” Sandbar went galloping after him.
The scene redrew itself. This time showing their dorm room, with blinds drawn and he saw himself, huddled in a ball and back against the door. Behind the door, there was knocking.
“Gallus, I just wanna talk.”
His double shook his head, ‘No. H-He’s lying! That’s gotta be it! There’s no way in the deepest part of Hell that he would suddenly take any interest in me! Seriously, is he blind? Does he have brain damage? He just asked me - ME! - to that dance thing!’
Another knock, “C’mon, open up! You can be mad at me all you want, just talk to me.”
‘What the Hell is going on? Does he know that I’ve had a crush on him this whole time? Does everyone else? No, no that can’t be, I was so careful. They couldn’t have known and yet… Yet… He asked me. Sandbar asked me to the dance! So… why do I feel like it’s not earned?’
“Dude, if you don’t open this door, then I’m gonna get Yona and have her use her horns as a battering ram.” Another beat. “You asked for it. Hey Yon-” The other Gallus unlatched the lock, moving away from the door so Sandbar could peak in. “You okay?”
Gallus didn’t answer. Sandbar pushed his way into their room and sat down next to him.
“Look,” Sandbar explained, “I wasn’t sure if you… you know… swing that way. But I thought that out of all of our friends, you were someone that I could have a good time with at the ball. You’re not mad at me, are you?”
The other Gallus shook his head.
“So… I take it you don’t like guys, huh?”
Instead of answering, Gallus watched his double blush heavily. “Why?” he questioned. “Just… Why me?”
“Well… why not?” Sandbar scooted closer. “I mean, good looks aside, you’re always fun to be around with. Maybe the most snarky out of all of us, more than Smolder I think. Yet, getting to know you as a friend, I found how loyal you are, how brave you are, and even resourceful when none of us could think of anything better. So I just thought I would ask you… Because maybe,” he blushed, “we could one day become more than just friends.”
‘He’s lying…’ a cynical, hate-filled whisper was heard in his counterpart’s ears.
“I don’t know what else to tell you,” continued Sandbar, “you’re a good guy and as… unbelievably corny as it sounds… you complete me.”
‘Your parents never loved you.’
“You’re never a bore to talk to, and I could go on for hours by your side.”
‘No one in Griffonstone ever loved you.’
“Even on boring days, you always make them so much better for me.”
‘What chance do you ever think, a griffon so worthless as you would ever receive the love you’ve been chasing after?’
“I just wanna ask you out to the dance to maybe get to know you bet-”
“Shut up!” the other Gallus covered his head, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Just please, stop lying to me! I-I don’t… You can’t…” He started shaking, “T-Tell me you’re…” he couldn’t finish, tears leaked out from his eyes, his voice stopped up in utter shame.
For a long minute, Sandbar hugged the crying griffon tightly, comforting him. Refusing to leave until all tears had run down the griffon’s face. Yet with every tear, Sandbar used a free hoof to wipe them away. Although neither of them said anything at that moment, the real Gallus saw how much love that Sandbar was showing. A genuine love that he never got when he was alive, not on a level like this.
There was a time skip as they were shown on the mountainside above the academy. Underneath the moonlight and the twinkling stars, the two sat close to one another on a rock, looking over Ponyville.
“.... so, yeah,” his counterpart nodded, “I didn’t say anything before because I wasn’t sure if you felt that way.”
“Holy crap dude,” Sandbar’s hoof brushed against his mane. “I never guessed how… bigoted Griffonstone was. But I can see why you were afraid to say anything before.”
“Yeah…” he rubbed his talons, looking up at the moon he added, “You’re the first I’ve ever come out to. Especially knowing that you won’t lynch me for it either.”
Sandbar patted his back, “Dude, Equestria is a lot more tolerable place than you think. I mean, speciesism aside, there aren’t that many ponies here that would care what you happened to like. You know, I’d bet even the girls wouldn’t mind you either.”
“You really think so?”
“Are you kidding?” Sandbar laughed, “We’re as different as we could get! We’re friends with a yak, a changeling, a dragon, and a hippogriff that could change into a seapony - I don’t think that this,” he waved a hoof at his friend, “would be a deal-breaker.”
His double hummed, “Let’s not say anything, at least, not until the dance. I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready yet to let them know about this side of me yet.”
“Well, we still need to get ready anyway.” Sandbar agreed, “We still got to pick out what to wear, what our pot-luck baskets will have, even getting the dances hammered down. But after that, we should totally go to the dance and surprise them.”
“Yeah…” his duplicate nodded, “I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces. Which one do you think will have their jaw hit the floor first?”
This got a chuckle out of Sandbar, “No idea, but I don’t know about you, I’m ecstatic for it.”
“Well sure,” with a deepening blush, his other self asked, “hey Sandbar?”
“Yeah?”
“Would you…” Gallus watched his other self shift uncomfortably. “Forget it.”
“What?”
“Just forget I said anything.”
“Well, what were you gonna say?”
Taking a deep breath, he asked, “So… have you ever uh…” he double-tapped the tips of his talons together, “have you ever kissed anyone before?”
“Like from my mom?”
“What? No! I mean… like romantically, fully on the lips.”
“Oh? Oh!” Sandbar blushed, “Oh that… well… not, really?” He tilted his head, “Why?”
“You know I have a crush on you, right?”
“You just told me ten minutes ago.”
“Right, but… I don’t know if I’m skipping a few steps or whatever but… now that I know that I like you and you like me that maybe you might wanna…”
The real Gallus saw Sandbar gently place a hoof on his double’s face, turning over to face him. “Y-You know… I’m nervous too.” They blushed, “I never kissed anyone like that, let alone a dude. But… Do you wanna try?”
“Like here… now?”
“Hey, I trust you. So… will you?”
The other Gallus cups his friend’s face, adoring his face and shining eyes in the moonlight. “I…” he drew closer, “I think…” and closer, “I wanna-”
“What are you watching?”
“GAH!” Gallus was snapped back into reality, slamming his book, earning the ire of nearby readers. A fist clenching his chest, he twisted around to find Sandbar who was… uncomfortably close over his shoulder. He almost came close to having a heart attack right there and then. “Dude, don’t sneak up to me like that!” Then after a beat, he added, “What did you see?”
“Nothing, I just got here,” Sandbar lifted his hooves defensively. Then noticing how red his friend’s face was, he added, “You weren’t watching porn in a library, were you?”
“Wha- no! Of course not!” Then after taking in a calming breath he said, “So, what is it?”
“Well I found that librarian we’ve met and it turns out we can check out our books. So I was just gonna ask if you want to check these babies out and maybe check out the rest of Griffonstone.”
Taking in a deep breath, Gallus got up with his book, “Yeah. Sure… let’s do that.”
“By the way, what was happening in your book? It looked like you and me were about-”
“You know what,” Gallus quickly changed the subject, taking Sandbar’s book, “I’m just gonna take these and get ‘em checked out.”
“But I’ve already checked mine-” and before he could finish, Gallus had spread his wings and quickly went off to find the check-out desk. Left behind, Sandbar scratched his head. “What’s gotten into him?” he asked before shrugging and following his friend.
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Sandbar, you cannot be this oblivious forever, get the griff already!
Anyway, great chapter!
This is better than Marvel's What If.
At first I thought this while story would be pretty corny since depicting heaven always tends to go towards that direction, but it's been great. It had great funny moments, very dramatic ones and the romance has been getting very interesting.
There are some things that I didn't like but honestly it's not even worth criticizing, it's been great overall.
Thanks for writing this awesome fic! ^^
oof...
aww it's like those OC ship-children fanart things! also love that this is essentially the future we see in the canon, going by where Sandbar and Yona are
ooh, an AU fanfic inside a fanfic!
well that certainly raises a lot of questions!
that is a really great name for off-brand Sandbar
really makes you think about how ponies work
this also raises a lot of questions
ahaha love it
i am with real Sandbar there reaction-wise
commentary!
ok definitely agreeing with the "bad fanfic" line from earlier lol. i assume this is what a "harem animé" is like?
oof, normally people would be jazzed to find out they are royalty!
this is so the way Starlight would behave in this situation so true
ahaha
damn Gallus, go off king!
love that this is Silverstream's takeaway from this
love that this is Gallus's takeaway from this
oh wow, this really is mini-AU fics within the fic!
aww, Rexus is in this! these what-if answers really are maintaining a continuity here!
no Yona don't question the science behind the superpowers!
love the Captain Planet thing
hehe nice
oof, poor counterpart-Gallus... that self-doubting, self-hating voice in your head sucks
ahaha what timing!
A really bad fanfic within a really good one lol