The Best Gift Of All

“So… may I open my eyes now?” asked Gallent.

“Mm hmm! Sure as sugar!” replied AJ, and took her hooves away from Gallent’s eyes. What the birthday mare was greeted with was a small but admirable crowd of ponies all gathered round, underneath a banner reading:

“Happy Birthday Gallent Rage!”

Gallent was awestruck, to say the least. “Um, er… everypony!” she greeted them. She looked a little closer in the crowds and her eyes caught out a face she had seen only today. “Winter Ice!” Her friend was leading the crowd. Lightning Blade, was near her.

“Yes, Gallent, it's me,” Winter greeted her. “And I've got a little special something prepared just for you.”

“Winter…” said Gallent. “What did I tell you?”

But Winter took no notice. She simply said, “Now, who would like to go first?”

At this point, a young filly eagerly hopped in front of everypony. “Ooh! Miss Gallent helped me learn how to ride a bike!”

Gallent inspected the filly, then smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I remember that,” she said. “I wanted to jump for joy when I saw you doing it all by yourself…”

She was taken by surprise when the filly clung to her leg and nuzzled. “Thank you!”

Gallent looked up from her to see a casual friend of hers, Fluttershy, approaching in a shy manner. “You helped me find Nephy when nopony else would,” she said appreciatively.

“Well, sure!” said Gallent. “What part of “non-poisonous” did they not understand? If it’s not poisonous, then I don’t see a reason to be afra - GAH!” She fell back in surprise when the familiar face of Nephy, one of Fluttershy’s pet snakes, looked at her with its head inches away from Gallent’s.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle at the spectacle slightly as she motioned for Nephy to come back to her. The vermilion and cream-colored snake obeyed, slithering back to Fluttershy and nestling in her mane.

“Remind me to only talk to that mare after she’s had a manecut…” came a voice in the crowd.

An elderly stallion slowly made his way out towards Gallent. “This here filly helped me with my shopping,” he said, motioning at her with his cane.

“You’re quite welcome, Mr., uuummmmm… Derrick,” said Gallent, vaguely remembering this from admittedly quite a while back. “I couldn’t just leave you straining with all that stuff.”

This went on for a few minutes more. More members of the group gathered in this spot of Ponyville came out and recalled sometimes even the most minor helpful and good deeds Gallent Rage had done for them in the past. Some of them, Gallent had even forgotten about, and others, she was wondering why they warranted a huge thanking like this so long after the deed had been done. Just being a little helpful every once in a while was easy. You don’t get a medal for it, right?

Soon, Winter Ice approached, followed by Lightning Blade. “This mare here,” said Winter, “has been loyal and faithful for as long as I can remember. She’s the kind of person we need more of.”

“Things haven’t exactly been panning out well for me recently…” she went on. “But Gallent Rage? She’s had my back all throughout it. Why, she’s even helped with financial troubles. I’ve never known anything she wouldn’t do if it meant helping those who needed it.”

“Winter, if I may?” put in Gallent, standing next to her friend. “You and I are best friends. Helping each other out is just something you’re supposed to do. You really don’t have to give me a big huge speech of thanks for it in front of everypony…” She looked at the crowd.

“So? Does that mean it’s not a good thing when you do?” questioned Lightning.

“I don’t know many other ponies who would put in the time and effort to be such a great companion to stand by,” Winter told Gallent appreciatively. “I was starting to get used to being spat on and scorned. But you have shown me the light at the end of every tunnel. And for that, I think you deserve to be properly known for what and who you are.”

Gallent looked at her friend with eyes of understanding, and knew that she was right.

"Thank you for this," said Gallent happily and embraced with Winter in a BFF hug.

As the two held each other close, Winter could think of nopony she would rather have for a best friend than Gallent Rage herself.

Gallent was just the same.

And that was just how they liked it.