The search for the not-meat turkey, or: The Story of Equestria's First Thanksgivingby TheEighthDayofNightChaptersDid I not tell them?The Hunt BeginsThe Chase Chickens (Except it's a turkey)The Chase Ends (with a stunning lack of wild geese at the end)Did I not tell them?Author's Note Ready for a spur of the moment story I wrote in a morning? This will be updating steadily throughout the day, happy Thanksgiving ya'll! Did I not tell them? James smiled as he took a deep whiff of the air. It was fall, that much was clear to him. The morning held a slight chill, the trees were painted in a stunning array of oranges, yellows, and reds that reminded him of his former home on Earth. It was rare for him to think back to the human planet with thoughts of happiness, but perhaps that was because it was of a place unmarred by human contact. Anon didn’t care, he was in far too good a mood. His favorite holiday was coming up, and he couldn’t wait to see what everybody had planned. He’d been living in Ponyville for two months shy of a year, and he had of course made many friends. His personal favorites were the princesses. He, Celestia and Luna routinely held drinking nights in Canterlot, while he, Cadence and Shining Armor held a weekly D&D session (they called it Ogres and Oubliettes, even though they used his D&D modules). Still, names aside, every session was amazing with Starlight as the DM. It had taken a lot of convincing and begging on his half, but after telling the unicorn that she would have to maintain control of the session using her own cunning and ingenuity, she had hopped on board. That left Twilight, who, if James was being honest with himself, he had a huge crush on. The purple ball of friendship had been the first pony to give him a real shot (and a job as a library helper) when he had dropped into Equestria in a flash of obnoxious rainbow-colored light, and after becoming close friends, James had started just enjoying her presence. He smiled a blew a thick cloud of fog into the morning air. That was a thought for later though. Hearth’s Warming maybe, for now, they were just really good friends. James did his best to avoid skipping through the leaves as he made his way back into town. Though the ponies thought him odd, he loved taking early morning walks, mostly because it gave him an excuse to take early afternoon naps. He was up at a dark four in the morning, and after lunch, he retired to the couch in the castle library, usually with a certain purple alicorn resting on his back with a stack of school papers. He loved when Twilight would try to be sneaky as she crawled atop him and settled in. She always tried to notice when his naps ended to slip away again, but James was always faster, and he’d snatch the pony up and tickle her belly until she was a laughing mess. Though she always pouted afterwards, they always laughed about it, usually going to dinner together with Spike and Starlight. Dinner. The word brought an even wider smile to his face as he made his way toward the castle. Today was a very good day for dinner, and he couldn’t wait to see what the pony equivalent for Thanksgiving was. They had a holiday for everything. Valentine’s day? Hearts and Hooves day. Christmas? Hearth’s Warming. Halloween? Nightmare Night. It stood to reason that Thanksgiving had its own pony version (probably lacking turkey, but hey). James hit the doors at a jog, and as soon as he crossed the castle threshold, he took a deep breath, ready for the smell of a cooking dinner. He was met by nothing. Not just no smells, but no sounds, no light! Everything was dark as it always was when he got back. Anon didn’t let a frown slip on his face just yet. It was still early, and the kitchen was really good about trapping smells, he just needed to check with Spike. The little dragon always knew what was going on when it came to food. James moved at a leisurely pace, giving the ponies plenty of time to keep prepping… He opened the large kitchen doors to find it largely empty save for Spike, who sat at the counter, crunching away at a bowl of gems while reading a Power Ponies comic. There were no smells, no early morning dinner preparations. James gasped softly and turned on his heel, making a beeline for the castle doors. Perhaps he had never mentioned the wonder that was Thanksgiving, and on further thought, he realized that Equestria wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving equivalent. They had not traveled to a new world, had not met with a new people and shared a feast with them. OF course, they didn’t have Thanksgiving! HE needed to be the one to establish the tradition, to show them why it was important to get together with friends and family (and food) to be thankful for another good year! He made a slight diversion to his room to grab his reserve stash of bits, then he set off toward the marketplace, furrowing his brow as he tried to think of an appropriate turkey substitute. ***** Twilight poked her head out of the oven at Spike. “Did he take the bait?” The dragon nodded and scooped up another spoonful of gems. “Yup, he’s going to the market, just like you planned.” Twilight let out a sigh of relief and dispelled the complex illusion she had been maintaining. The kitchen exploded with the sights and smells of half a dozen ponies toiling away over hot stoves. Twilight crawled free of the oven, then set it to preheat as she smiled to her friends. “Great! Operation Turkey Hunt is a go!” A cheer went up amongst the ponies, and Fluttershy slipped out with Pinkie Pie, their direction; the marketplace. Twilight giggled as she looked over Applejacks shoulder at the pumpkin pie. “That looks great AJ! Thanks for holding with the traditional pie flavor.” The orange farm pony smiled at her. “Ah shucks Twi’, apples are the best fruit out there, but if ya can’t enjoy a different kind o’ pie every now and then, ya ain’t livin’!” Twilight nodded in agreement as she moved out of the earth pony’s way. She took a back seat on the meal prep, planning was her forte after all, not cooking. She giggled again as she watched her plan slowly fall into place. “This is going to be the best Thanksgiving James has ever had!” ***** James was not having a good day. He needed to be back at the castle by noon if he wanted to get everything prepped in time. Sure the kitchen had three ovens, but preparation would take an hour by itself, if not longer. He needed to have everything in by one if he had a chance in hell of having dinner around six. That meant no nap, but it was a worthy sacrifice in the name of Thanksgiving. James stopped in his tracks and paled. Sonofabitch, he needed to invite everyone! All the thoughts of food were for naught if nobody actually showed! James let out a yelp as Pinkie Pie appeared in the stand of green beans he had been staring at. The party pony grinned widely at him “Hiya Jamie! Whatca need Pinkie to do for you?” James blinked. “I… how did you know I needed help?” Pinkie Pie giggled. “Cause silly, scratchy hoof means Jamie needs help! Also you’ve been standing here muttering about tofu to the green beans for almost five minutes, and ponies are starting to stare.” James looked around to find most of the town staring at him silently, looking more than a bit concerned. He chuckled nervously, and gave them a wave, before turning back to Pinkie and sighing. “Well, as usual, you aren’t wrong. I completely forgot to tell everyone what today is, and now I’ve got to make everything perfect! Thanksgiving needs to make a good first impression if it’s going to catch on.” Pinkie’s smile didn’t diminish as she wiggled free of the green beans. She face planted at his feet, then snapped up and gave him a phony salute. “Party Planer Pinkie Pie reporting for duty Jamie! How can I make this day super fantastic?” James felt a bit of nervousness ease from his shoulders. “Could you send out invitations for dinner to all of my friends? I can write you a list real quick so that-…” Pinkie giggled again and pulled out a thin book from her hair. “Silly Jamie, I already know all of your friends! The Apples, The Princesses, half of Ponyville, Twilight’s parents from your last date…” James sputtered and flushed red. “I… that wasn’t a date!” Pinkie gave him a mischievous side-eye. “Sure Jamie, going out to the most exclusive restaurant in Canterlot to meet the parents wasn’t a date. Yep. I believe that about as much as the audience does.” “What?” “Nothing!” Pinkie replied with a bounce. “I’ll make sure everypony shows up by six! Don’t beat the bird for too long!” James blinked, and she was gone. He saw a flash of pink disappear in the direction of the castle, and he shook his head in exasperation. He looked back to his shopping list with a slightly calmer mind though. Invitations were out of the way, now he just had to finish getting the ingredients…. James felt a light tap on his shoulder and turned to find Fluttershy flapping lightly behind him. He smiled and extended his arms for a hug, which the yellow pegasus quickly accepted. She nuzzled his neck, then flapped backward and gave him her usual kind smile. “H-how are you today James?” she asked softly. He sighed and looked back to his list. “I’m a bit down, but if I can get everything done, I’ll be just dandy. You’re the resident animal expert, you wouldn’t happen to know where I could get a turkey substitute, could you?” Fluttershy smiled brightly. “I can actually! I used to care for a fuzzy little pack of wolves that were picky eaters. I used to have a garden full of the turkey plant, which tastes and smells just like the real thing, except, you know, it isn’t a feathery little friend.” She sighed and looked at the ground. “But I stopped growing it when they moved on. The only one I know that’s left grows in the Everfree, and only I’m allowed to see it, but I can’t take it you see.” James cocked his head. “That seems… weird. You can look at the plant, but can’t touch it?” Fluttershy nodded. “When I took the original crop, I made a Pinkie Promise to not take anymore from the grove, and I promised not to show anypony where it was. I can go there as much as I’d like, but I can’t take anymore.” She sniffled and her hair fell over her face. “I’m sorry James, I don’t know why I mentioned it.” The solution was dangled like a carrot in front of his nose, and James knew he could find a way to bite down on it. He thought hard for a minute, then snapped his fingers. “What if you blindfolded me, then lead me to the grove! I can pick a single plant and take it home, then you keep your promise!” Fluttershy’s sad demeanor dissipated instantly and she smiled brightly at him. “You’re so smart James! Let’s do it as soon as you’ve taken care of the rest of your grocery list!” James nodded, and turned to the green bean stand again, ready to finally select the best picks, only to find Rainbow Dash already there, paying the salespony. With his bits. And his grocery list in her mouth! James opened his mouth to protest, but quickly found himself blind. Fluttershy cooed in his ear softly as she alighted on his shoulders. “Oh, thank you Rainbow Dash for taking care of that for us. It’s going to take a while to get to the turkey grove, and I want to make sure we take the longer, safer route.” “ish no prblm,” the blue pegasus mumbled back, no doubt through the bag of green beans she had just purchased with his bits. James jabbed a finger at where he thought she was still standing. “No going off list Dash. I don’t need a repeat of my birthday.” He heard the sound of a bag being set down. “I won’t spend all your bits again dude, besides, you loved that drinking contest! You totally drank me and Princess Luna under the table!” James sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I did. Speaking of drinking, I forgot to add apple cider onto the list. Can you get three bottles? Two are for dinner, and the thirds for you for helping me out like this.” “Really?” Rainbow Dash said breathlessly. “A Whole bottle just for me?” James nodded again. “Yep, you two are a godsend right now, and if it weren’t for your help, I probably wouldn’t get dinner done in time. Thanks for everything you’re doing.” James felt a pair of hooves wrap around his lower half, and he felt Rainbow nuzzle his belly. “Thanks Jamie, can’t wait for this Thanksgiving of yours.” James blinked under his blindfold for a moment. “You know about Thanksgiving? Did I tell you about it sometime?” A thick silence hung in the air for a moment, then Dash chuckled nervously. “Uh, nope! Pinkie just ran by, and she gave me an invitation. Yup, that’s totally what happened. Gotogogetthestuffhaveagoodtripbye!” James felt the wind kick up in his face, and he could tell that the blue pegasus was gone. He snorted and looked up with blind eyes to Fluttershy. “So, where to?” The Hunt BeginsRainbow Dash let out a long breath as she closed the window she had just barely avoided crashing through. That had been far too close. Twilight trotted up to her with a concerned expression on her face. “Are you alright? Something didn’t go wrong with James, did it?” Dash shook her head and trotted forward, dropping off the still-full bag of bits on the counter with the bottles of cider and the green beans. “Well… almost. I accidentally mentioned Thanksgiving by name.” She chuckled nervously as Twiligth shot her a glare. “But I did cover it up!” she added in her defense. “I told him Pinkie had given me the invitation, and since he had told her…” “She would tell you,” Twilight finished with a nod. She stared at the ground for a moment, then smiled. “Great job Rainbow! I knew we could count on you for getting the diversion moving. Have they already left?” Rainbow nodded. “Yep, Flutters put the blindfold on as I took the grocery list, and last I saw, she’s leading him toward stage two.” Twilight clapped her hooves together. “Excellent! We have all the time in the world now!” She looked over Dash’s shoulder to the green beans and cider. “Beans? Why do we need beans?” Dash shrugged. “I dunno, I think we just make them plain.” She snatched of James’ grocery list and pointed at the green beans with her hoof. “The list has everything broken down by dish, so I think green beans are just a side or something.” Twilight scanned the list and gasped. “Stuffing? What’s stuffing?!? He never talked about stuffing!” Applejack trotted over and looked through the ingredients listed under stuffing. “Ah’m pretty sure he always talked about stuffing. Usually came right after talkin bout the turkey leftovers.” She frowned. “But ah don’t rightly know what stuffing is for. Maybe Granny Smith would know?” Twilight let out a strangled grunt of panic. “I’ll look something up while you go ask. We can’t well make a perfect Thanksgiving dinner if there isn’t this stuffing!” She moaned and let her head fall to the table. “What kind of friend am I if I can’t make a single genuine human dinner for my coltfriend?” She squeaked when she realized the words she said. Applejack and Rainbow Dash both just sighed. Applejack slid off her hat and passed Rainbow a bag of bits, while the pegasus smiled smugly at Twilight. “Finally!” Dash said. “It is about time you fessed up! AJ and I have had a bet going for months about James and you!” Twilight buried her head in her hooves, failing miserably at hiding her embarrassment. “You’re not gonna tell, are you?” Dash snorted. “Course not, I know you have some plan to get him in bed during Hearth’s Warming.” She looked to Applejack, who hid her face behind her stetson. “Unlike AJ here, who thought you were holding out for the princesses.” Twilight squeaked. “Both?” Applejack’s blush was easily visible from beneath her hat. “Well, ya always seem so happy when yer with em, and yer always goin to Canterlot to visit, I just thought… ya know.” Twilight let out another squeak while Dash held her belly and fell to the floor laughing. Twilight rolled up a newspaper and swatted at the pegasus. "Stop laughing at me and go get Granny Smith! We need to make this perfect!" Rainbow rolled over and gave Twilight a mock salute before she and Applejack raced out of the castle. ***** James bit his tongue as he stubbed his toe on another tree root. Fluttershy was humming happily in his ear, stroking his hair as she tapped his shoulders with her hooves, indicating which way he needed to adjust his walking. They had been moving for the better part of an hour, and though it had been a bit of a stumbling start, James had adapted well enough to being blind. They had stopped needing words after a while, and so Fluttershy had created her system for telling him where to walk. He just wished she would warn him more often when an obstacle was on the path. “Are we almost there yet?” James asked as he tripped over a rock. Fluttershy clicked her tongue. “Yes, I do believe we are. Everything looks a little different from up here, but I know we’ve been on the right path. Shouldn’t be much… oh no!” James cast his blind eyes about. “What? Have we been going to wrong way?” Fluttershy shuffled on his shoulders. “I… think I have some bad news James. Move forward a few more steps so I can read the sign.” James did so nervously, and he waited while Fluttershy read the sign. “Well? Is this a bust?” Fluttershy sighed. “That depends if you’re willing to go to Canterlot. Apparently, the turkey plants were endangered, so they’ve been taken to the Royal Canterlot Gardens by Princess Celestia.” James smiled. “Celly’s invited to dinner anyway! All I need to do is talk to her, and then we’ll be good! Let me just take off the blindfold and write her a letter…” Fluttershy swiped his hand away from the blindfold, then hugged his face. “NO!” she shouted. “I- I mean, you can’t. It says here that any appeals have to be taken up with the princess directly. We have to go to Canterlot.” James sighed, and reached for the blindfold again. “Then let me take this silly thing off so that I can run us back to the train station.” Fluttershy swatted his hand away again a second time. “There’s no need for that James, look! A chariot is coming!” James gave her a blind, deadpan look. “Did you just point to something oyu very well know I can’t see?” Fluttershy giggled. “Maybe, but we’re having fun right? Come, let’s go with these fine stallions and get your turkey plant.” James sighed, then shrugged. “Alright, just so long as I don’t stub my toe again.” Fluttershy hummed happily and led him to the chariot, sitting him down before settling like a cat in his lap. “I’m not losing this blindfold before the end of today, am I?” Fluttershy snuggled into his belly. “Nope.” James sighed as they lifted off. He had an idea of what was actually going on, but still, he’d play along. Just so long as he got the turkey substitute cooked and eaten before the end of the day, he’d be happy. Thanksgiving would reign in Equestria if it was the last thing he’d do! The Chase Chickens (Except it's a turkey)Author's Note You ever black out for four hours and not remember what you did in the morning? The Chase Chickens (Except it's a turkey) James jolted awake as a pair of giggling alicorns prodded his side, or was it a trio? He couldn’t tell due to the infernal blindfold over his eyes, which Fluttershy still refused to let him take off. Since she was still technically “leading” him to the source of the turkey plant, she had claimed she didn’t want to break her Pinkie Promise by letting him see. So the flight had been blind, and now he was being dragged from the chariot and into the hooves of three fluffy pony princesses. “Well well well,” Cadence said with a smile. “I didn’t think it was Wednesday yet, what’s the occasion?” Luna scoffed. “Perhaps our drinking buddy came to visit us, rather than you. Have you considered about that dear niece?” The two alicorns growled, then yelped as Celestia swatted at them with her wings. “Enough of your hug-gression, the two of you, I believe James has come with a question for us, and I believe, an invitation?” James frowned. “The first part is right, but I don’t think…” He felt somepony slip a quartet of what felt like envelopes into his hands. Pinkie whispered in his ear. “See you in a few Jamie!” Then she vanished like a whisper in the wind. James chuckled nervously and held up the envelopes. “I guess these are for you?” The alicorns all chuckled and took an envelope each, leaving one in his hand. James frowned and looked back to where he imagined Fluttershy was. “Flutters, did you get an invitation yet?” “That I did James,” she responded softly. “Pinkie gave me mine before she left.” “Then who’s is…?” “Mine!” Shining Armor shouted as he pounced into the circle of mares. The stallion drove James to the ground, seizing the invitation from his hand. He then did a little dance on James’ chest while everyone watched with smiles. Save for James, who sat in blind silence as the stallion perched upon his chest. “Shining?” “Yep?” “What are you doing?” James could almost hear the stallion blink as he thought about his sudden, out of the blue actions, then he felt the stallion creep backward. “Heh, see you at dinner?” James sighed as he sat up. “If I can get this dang turkey plant. Princess, do you…?” Celestia chuckled as she passed him a large bundle. “Already ahead of you James.” It felt incredibly leafy, but it shuffled in his arms. One of its… stalks? Seemed to act like a neck as it gobbled. James looked with blind confusion to the alicorns around him. “This is a plant?” Celestia sighed. “Indeed it is. One created by Discord in fact. He planted it in the Everfree, then slipped them into the population. Quite soon, most ponies had acquired a taste, and when we finally found the bird plant, we were too late.” Luna matched her sister’s sigh. “Twas a shame too, they are so delectable. It is likely that only your “Thanksgiving” will find use for such rare plants. Otherwise they will stay here, safe from the hungry ponies of Equestria.” James frowned and stroked what he thought was the plant’s back. “Well now I kind of feel bad that I’m getting special treatment.” James felt himself lift into the air, turkey plant in hand, and float back toward Fluttershy. “Do not feel bad James,” Celestia said as she set him back in the chariot. “You have made more than a few sacrifices concerning your diet to live among ponies, and we would be remiss if we didn’t give you the opportunity to relive a human holiday that you think the world of. Besides, you are a special human, it is quite alright to give you a special treat every once in awhile.” The other alicorns (and Shining Armor) filed into the carriage, leaning against James and his barely earned prize. It was clear that this had all been planned, and that he had been baited away from the castle so that Twilight could prep the meal, but he didn’t mind overly much. He just really hoped everyone would be there to celebrate. Thanksgiving was nothing if not about being surrounded by family and friends. The turkey plant gobbled again as somepony rubbed against his back. Taking the silent cue, James leaned into their chest fluff and looked toward who he thought was Celestia. “So Princess, how bad do you think Twilight’s doing right now?” Celestia smiled. “I am sure she is doing just fine.” ***** “Rainbow, how did you set the water on fire?!?” Twilight screamed as she scrambled to find a pot lid. The pegasus kicked the rain cloud she had flown into the kitchen. A lightning bolt ricocheted off the stovetop and lit the carpet in the hallway aflame. “I don’t know! Why is this thing so bucking wild? It’s supposed to be producing rain, rain!” “Stop kicking it!” Twilight cried as another bolt zipped over her head, threatening to set her mane alight. At that moment, the kitchen doors opened to reveal Applejack and Granny Smith. The orange farm pony’s mouth dropped open. “What in tarnation is goin’ on in here? I’ve been gone fer ten minutes!” Rainbow Dash moved the cloud, finally producing rain, toward the nearest open door. It swiftly drenched both Applejack and Granny Smith, and as the blue pegasus kicked it to make it cease its water production, another bolt of lightning sprang free. Twilight groaned as the third lightning bolt finally struck, and her tail vanished in a bright flare of fire. ***** Celestia felt a nervous twitch, a motion that wasn’t lost on anyone. “Just fine.” James chuckled and shook his head. “If I know her, something’s on fire, one of the dishes is in another dimension, and the rest is actually really good, she just believes it isn’t. Ah Twilight, you silly pony.” Cadence saddled up to his side, and the human imagined she was wiggling her eyebrows at him. “My offer still stands James.” “I know Cadence,” he replied, “but I’ve already got a plan in place. Trust me, if things go awry, you will be the first to know. Now, are we going to get going or what?” “Indeed!” Luna called. “Away guards! The bird plant needs cooked, and I for one wish to feast upon its planty goodness!” A small cheer went up from the other ponies. Surprisingly, the turkey plant agreed. As they took off, the thing escaped, and a wild scramble broke out to catch it as it leapt from the chariot. The Chase Ends (with a stunning lack of wild geese at the end)James felt the chariot touch down, and from the sounds of his fellow passengers, they were in Ponyville, just outside of Twilight’s castle. The landing was as soft as always, the royal guards were quite good at their jobs, and with the help of all three princesses, the prince, and Fluttershy, James found himself guided to the castle doors, with the turkey plant safely back in his arms. Cadence had ended up being the one to catch the falling bird-plant, with the other two, larger alicorns having to catch the blind James as he ended up brushed out of the chariot. He had surprised himself by not panicking when he felt himself dropping. He supposed it was the complete trust he had in the trio of immortal alicorns, combined with the fact that as soon as they brought him back to the chariot, Luna had burst into tears and begged forgiveness. He managed to calm her down quite easily with a hug, but it had taken over half of the ride before her hooves weren’t locked around his ribcage. James couldn’t be mad at them though. Honest mistakes happened, they hadn’t let him fall to his death, and they were going to Thanksgiving dinner! He already had a speech planned, with a few jokes now! He felt in the spirit of things, and he knew that he was going to be thankful for a whole lot more before the day was out. They lead him up the stares, keeping the blindfold on the whole while. Fluttershy still insisted he keep it on for the “surprise” affect, and James was inclined to let the ponies finish out their little plan. The goose chase had been sort of fun, and he got to meet up with most of his friends. Just so long as the turkey plant tasted as promised, it was going to be a good day. As soon as they opened the door, smells started drifting out. The first to hit James’ nose was something burning, and Celestia clicked her tongue as she advanced first. “Oh my, it seems the entry way sustained some sort of fire damage. Aren’t the kitchens further in?” Fluttershy alighted on James’ shoulders and steered his steps. “I did see a rather nasty looking cloud as we flew in, and I can’t help but feel that it had something to do with Rainbow Dash.” James could feel as Luna frowned at his side, clutching him tighter. “Step clear friend James, there seems to be some water damage as well. I shudder to think what the kitchens look like.” Cadence trotted to the front of their little formation. “Quite being dramatic Auntie, I’m sure everything is fine, and that Twilight has prepared a lovely meal.” They moved on, with the two elder alicorns taking the lead, commenting about the occasional scorch mark or water stain. It took them slightly longer than usual to reach the dining room doors, but when they did, James could tell that everything was going to be just fine. He could smell it, could smell pure happiness on the other side of the door. All it needed was the scent of cooked turkey. The blindfold was finally removed, with his trio of alicorn escorts smiled at him as they prodded him forward. James took one last whiff of feast smells, then pushed the doors open. ***** James was in heaven. The hall was lined with candles, providing a soft enough light to see by, while also retaining that fireplace like glow that just made the room seem cozy. Twilight sat beside him, shooting him the occasional nervous glance. Why she was nervous, he did not know. Despite the damage on the way in, everything had turned out brilliantly. The pumpkin pie, the fresh green beans, the mashed potatoes, and even surprisingly, the stuffing. He hadn’t left any instructions on how to make it, yet they were exactly what they should have been, soft and moist, without being soaking wet. They almost made the apple cider seem bland by comparison. Almost. The turkey plant had turned out remarkably well. To James at least, it tasted just like the real thing in every way save for texture. There was no escaping the leafy quality it had to it, but he enjoyed it anyway. It was all perfect. What made it even better was the smiling faces and happy talk from all of his friends. Pinkie had been throughout, and everyone James wanted at the table was there, arranged in a random order, save for one notable pony. Twilight was next to him. That was particularly special, and it only strengthened his resolve for what would come before Hearth’s Warming. That was later however, and Thanksgiving was a time to be thankful about what was. Speaking of… James got to his feet and tapped his fork against his cider glass, drawing everyone’s attention. They all stared expectantly as he smiled. “I just wanted to say thank you all, both for coming to this celebration, and for your help in making it happen. I know Equestria has no reason to celebrate Thanksgiving, but it was one of my favorite things back on Earth, so I’m glad that I get to celebrate it here.” He smiled wistfully. “Thanksgiving is a bit of a weird holiday, and while I won’t go into the details, it isn’t always perfect, but this… this was perfect. Tradition dictates that everyone say what they’re thankful for, but I don’t think we need to do that, because I am more than thankful enough for all of us. I’d like to thank you all for coming, and I would like to thank you all for being my close friends. I am thankful to have come to Equestria, and am thankful that I met the best group of ponies alive. You are each and everyone, smart, kind, and just overall wonderful ponies. I thank you, and with this toast, I wanted to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.” The ponies cheered, and after taking a drink together, they set about celebrating anew. James sat back down and leaned over to Twilight. “Thanks for this, really. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but you made it an excellent day.” The purple alicorn blushed. “Just helping out a friend. You’d do the same for me.” “Maybe, but thank you anyway. Happy Thanksgiving Twilight.” “Happy Thanksgiving James,” she replied, leaning over to give him a hug. James returned it easily, and they sat like that for a while, watching the end to a glorious day. Author's Note A very meh story, if I'm being honest. Still, I kept my goal, finished in a day, and now am going to go drink myself to sleep. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Did I not tell them?Author's Note Ready for a spur of the moment story I wrote in a morning? This will be updating steadily throughout the day, happy Thanksgiving ya'll! Did I not tell them? James smiled as he took a deep whiff of the air. It was fall, that much was clear to him. The morning held a slight chill, the trees were painted in a stunning array of oranges, yellows, and reds that reminded him of his former home on Earth. It was rare for him to think back to the human planet with thoughts of happiness, but perhaps that was because it was of a place unmarred by human contact. Anon didn’t care, he was in far too good a mood. His favorite holiday was coming up, and he couldn’t wait to see what everybody had planned. He’d been living in Ponyville for two months shy of a year, and he had of course made many friends. His personal favorites were the princesses. He, Celestia and Luna routinely held drinking nights in Canterlot, while he, Cadence and Shining Armor held a weekly D&D session (they called it Ogres and Oubliettes, even though they used his D&D modules). Still, names aside, every session was amazing with Starlight as the DM. It had taken a lot of convincing and begging on his half, but after telling the unicorn that she would have to maintain control of the session using her own cunning and ingenuity, she had hopped on board. That left Twilight, who, if James was being honest with himself, he had a huge crush on. The purple ball of friendship had been the first pony to give him a real shot (and a job as a library helper) when he had dropped into Equestria in a flash of obnoxious rainbow-colored light, and after becoming close friends, James had started just enjoying her presence. He smiled a blew a thick cloud of fog into the morning air. That was a thought for later though. Hearth’s Warming maybe, for now, they were just really good friends. James did his best to avoid skipping through the leaves as he made his way back into town. Though the ponies thought him odd, he loved taking early morning walks, mostly because it gave him an excuse to take early afternoon naps. He was up at a dark four in the morning, and after lunch, he retired to the couch in the castle library, usually with a certain purple alicorn resting on his back with a stack of school papers. He loved when Twilight would try to be sneaky as she crawled atop him and settled in. She always tried to notice when his naps ended to slip away again, but James was always faster, and he’d snatch the pony up and tickle her belly until she was a laughing mess. Though she always pouted afterwards, they always laughed about it, usually going to dinner together with Spike and Starlight. Dinner. The word brought an even wider smile to his face as he made his way toward the castle. Today was a very good day for dinner, and he couldn’t wait to see what the pony equivalent for Thanksgiving was. They had a holiday for everything. Valentine’s day? Hearts and Hooves day. Christmas? Hearth’s Warming. Halloween? Nightmare Night. It stood to reason that Thanksgiving had its own pony version (probably lacking turkey, but hey). James hit the doors at a jog, and as soon as he crossed the castle threshold, he took a deep breath, ready for the smell of a cooking dinner. He was met by nothing. Not just no smells, but no sounds, no light! Everything was dark as it always was when he got back. Anon didn’t let a frown slip on his face just yet. It was still early, and the kitchen was really good about trapping smells, he just needed to check with Spike. The little dragon always knew what was going on when it came to food. James moved at a leisurely pace, giving the ponies plenty of time to keep prepping… He opened the large kitchen doors to find it largely empty save for Spike, who sat at the counter, crunching away at a bowl of gems while reading a Power Ponies comic. There were no smells, no early morning dinner preparations. James gasped softly and turned on his heel, making a beeline for the castle doors. Perhaps he had never mentioned the wonder that was Thanksgiving, and on further thought, he realized that Equestria wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving equivalent. They had not traveled to a new world, had not met with a new people and shared a feast with them. OF course, they didn’t have Thanksgiving! HE needed to be the one to establish the tradition, to show them why it was important to get together with friends and family (and food) to be thankful for another good year! He made a slight diversion to his room to grab his reserve stash of bits, then he set off toward the marketplace, furrowing his brow as he tried to think of an appropriate turkey substitute. ***** Twilight poked her head out of the oven at Spike. “Did he take the bait?” The dragon nodded and scooped up another spoonful of gems. “Yup, he’s going to the market, just like you planned.” Twilight let out a sigh of relief and dispelled the complex illusion she had been maintaining. The kitchen exploded with the sights and smells of half a dozen ponies toiling away over hot stoves. Twilight crawled free of the oven, then set it to preheat as she smiled to her friends. “Great! Operation Turkey Hunt is a go!” A cheer went up amongst the ponies, and Fluttershy slipped out with Pinkie Pie, their direction; the marketplace. Twilight giggled as she looked over Applejacks shoulder at the pumpkin pie. “That looks great AJ! Thanks for holding with the traditional pie flavor.” The orange farm pony smiled at her. “Ah shucks Twi’, apples are the best fruit out there, but if ya can’t enjoy a different kind o’ pie every now and then, ya ain’t livin’!” Twilight nodded in agreement as she moved out of the earth pony’s way. She took a back seat on the meal prep, planning was her forte after all, not cooking. She giggled again as she watched her plan slowly fall into place. “This is going to be the best Thanksgiving James has ever had!” ***** James was not having a good day. He needed to be back at the castle by noon if he wanted to get everything prepped in time. Sure the kitchen had three ovens, but preparation would take an hour by itself, if not longer. He needed to have everything in by one if he had a chance in hell of having dinner around six. That meant no nap, but it was a worthy sacrifice in the name of Thanksgiving. James stopped in his tracks and paled. Sonofabitch, he needed to invite everyone! All the thoughts of food were for naught if nobody actually showed! James let out a yelp as Pinkie Pie appeared in the stand of green beans he had been staring at. The party pony grinned widely at him “Hiya Jamie! Whatca need Pinkie to do for you?” James blinked. “I… how did you know I needed help?” Pinkie Pie giggled. “Cause silly, scratchy hoof means Jamie needs help! Also you’ve been standing here muttering about tofu to the green beans for almost five minutes, and ponies are starting to stare.” James looked around to find most of the town staring at him silently, looking more than a bit concerned. He chuckled nervously, and gave them a wave, before turning back to Pinkie and sighing. “Well, as usual, you aren’t wrong. I completely forgot to tell everyone what today is, and now I’ve got to make everything perfect! Thanksgiving needs to make a good first impression if it’s going to catch on.” Pinkie’s smile didn’t diminish as she wiggled free of the green beans. She face planted at his feet, then snapped up and gave him a phony salute. “Party Planer Pinkie Pie reporting for duty Jamie! How can I make this day super fantastic?” James felt a bit of nervousness ease from his shoulders. “Could you send out invitations for dinner to all of my friends? I can write you a list real quick so that-…” Pinkie giggled again and pulled out a thin book from her hair. “Silly Jamie, I already know all of your friends! The Apples, The Princesses, half of Ponyville, Twilight’s parents from your last date…” James sputtered and flushed red. “I… that wasn’t a date!” Pinkie gave him a mischievous side-eye. “Sure Jamie, going out to the most exclusive restaurant in Canterlot to meet the parents wasn’t a date. Yep. I believe that about as much as the audience does.” “What?” “Nothing!” Pinkie replied with a bounce. “I’ll make sure everypony shows up by six! Don’t beat the bird for too long!” James blinked, and she was gone. He saw a flash of pink disappear in the direction of the castle, and he shook his head in exasperation. He looked back to his shopping list with a slightly calmer mind though. Invitations were out of the way, now he just had to finish getting the ingredients…. James felt a light tap on his shoulder and turned to find Fluttershy flapping lightly behind him. He smiled and extended his arms for a hug, which the yellow pegasus quickly accepted. She nuzzled his neck, then flapped backward and gave him her usual kind smile. “H-how are you today James?” she asked softly. He sighed and looked back to his list. “I’m a bit down, but if I can get everything done, I’ll be just dandy. You’re the resident animal expert, you wouldn’t happen to know where I could get a turkey substitute, could you?” Fluttershy smiled brightly. “I can actually! I used to care for a fuzzy little pack of wolves that were picky eaters. I used to have a garden full of the turkey plant, which tastes and smells just like the real thing, except, you know, it isn’t a feathery little friend.” She sighed and looked at the ground. “But I stopped growing it when they moved on. The only one I know that’s left grows in the Everfree, and only I’m allowed to see it, but I can’t take it you see.” James cocked his head. “That seems… weird. You can look at the plant, but can’t touch it?” Fluttershy nodded. “When I took the original crop, I made a Pinkie Promise to not take anymore from the grove, and I promised not to show anypony where it was. I can go there as much as I’d like, but I can’t take anymore.” She sniffled and her hair fell over her face. “I’m sorry James, I don’t know why I mentioned it.” The solution was dangled like a carrot in front of his nose, and James knew he could find a way to bite down on it. He thought hard for a minute, then snapped his fingers. “What if you blindfolded me, then lead me to the grove! I can pick a single plant and take it home, then you keep your promise!” Fluttershy’s sad demeanor dissipated instantly and she smiled brightly at him. “You’re so smart James! Let’s do it as soon as you’ve taken care of the rest of your grocery list!” James nodded, and turned to the green bean stand again, ready to finally select the best picks, only to find Rainbow Dash already there, paying the salespony. With his bits. And his grocery list in her mouth! James opened his mouth to protest, but quickly found himself blind. Fluttershy cooed in his ear softly as she alighted on his shoulders. “Oh, thank you Rainbow Dash for taking care of that for us. It’s going to take a while to get to the turkey grove, and I want to make sure we take the longer, safer route.” “ish no prblm,” the blue pegasus mumbled back, no doubt through the bag of green beans she had just purchased with his bits. James jabbed a finger at where he thought she was still standing. “No going off list Dash. I don’t need a repeat of my birthday.” He heard the sound of a bag being set down. “I won’t spend all your bits again dude, besides, you loved that drinking contest! You totally drank me and Princess Luna under the table!” James sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I did. Speaking of drinking, I forgot to add apple cider onto the list. Can you get three bottles? Two are for dinner, and the thirds for you for helping me out like this.” “Really?” Rainbow Dash said breathlessly. “A Whole bottle just for me?” James nodded again. “Yep, you two are a godsend right now, and if it weren’t for your help, I probably wouldn’t get dinner done in time. Thanks for everything you’re doing.” James felt a pair of hooves wrap around his lower half, and he felt Rainbow nuzzle his belly. “Thanks Jamie, can’t wait for this Thanksgiving of yours.” James blinked under his blindfold for a moment. “You know about Thanksgiving? Did I tell you about it sometime?” A thick silence hung in the air for a moment, then Dash chuckled nervously. “Uh, nope! Pinkie just ran by, and she gave me an invitation. Yup, that’s totally what happened. Gotogogetthestuffhaveagoodtripbye!” James felt the wind kick up in his face, and he could tell that the blue pegasus was gone. He snorted and looked up with blind eyes to Fluttershy. “So, where to?”
The Hunt BeginsRainbow Dash let out a long breath as she closed the window she had just barely avoided crashing through. That had been far too close. Twilight trotted up to her with a concerned expression on her face. “Are you alright? Something didn’t go wrong with James, did it?” Dash shook her head and trotted forward, dropping off the still-full bag of bits on the counter with the bottles of cider and the green beans. “Well… almost. I accidentally mentioned Thanksgiving by name.” She chuckled nervously as Twiligth shot her a glare. “But I did cover it up!” she added in her defense. “I told him Pinkie had given me the invitation, and since he had told her…” “She would tell you,” Twilight finished with a nod. She stared at the ground for a moment, then smiled. “Great job Rainbow! I knew we could count on you for getting the diversion moving. Have they already left?” Rainbow nodded. “Yep, Flutters put the blindfold on as I took the grocery list, and last I saw, she’s leading him toward stage two.” Twilight clapped her hooves together. “Excellent! We have all the time in the world now!” She looked over Dash’s shoulder to the green beans and cider. “Beans? Why do we need beans?” Dash shrugged. “I dunno, I think we just make them plain.” She snatched of James’ grocery list and pointed at the green beans with her hoof. “The list has everything broken down by dish, so I think green beans are just a side or something.” Twilight scanned the list and gasped. “Stuffing? What’s stuffing?!? He never talked about stuffing!” Applejack trotted over and looked through the ingredients listed under stuffing. “Ah’m pretty sure he always talked about stuffing. Usually came right after talkin bout the turkey leftovers.” She frowned. “But ah don’t rightly know what stuffing is for. Maybe Granny Smith would know?” Twilight let out a strangled grunt of panic. “I’ll look something up while you go ask. We can’t well make a perfect Thanksgiving dinner if there isn’t this stuffing!” She moaned and let her head fall to the table. “What kind of friend am I if I can’t make a single genuine human dinner for my coltfriend?” She squeaked when she realized the words she said. Applejack and Rainbow Dash both just sighed. Applejack slid off her hat and passed Rainbow a bag of bits, while the pegasus smiled smugly at Twilight. “Finally!” Dash said. “It is about time you fessed up! AJ and I have had a bet going for months about James and you!” Twilight buried her head in her hooves, failing miserably at hiding her embarrassment. “You’re not gonna tell, are you?” Dash snorted. “Course not, I know you have some plan to get him in bed during Hearth’s Warming.” She looked to Applejack, who hid her face behind her stetson. “Unlike AJ here, who thought you were holding out for the princesses.” Twilight squeaked. “Both?” Applejack’s blush was easily visible from beneath her hat. “Well, ya always seem so happy when yer with em, and yer always goin to Canterlot to visit, I just thought… ya know.” Twilight let out another squeak while Dash held her belly and fell to the floor laughing. Twilight rolled up a newspaper and swatted at the pegasus. "Stop laughing at me and go get Granny Smith! We need to make this perfect!" Rainbow rolled over and gave Twilight a mock salute before she and Applejack raced out of the castle. ***** James bit his tongue as he stubbed his toe on another tree root. Fluttershy was humming happily in his ear, stroking his hair as she tapped his shoulders with her hooves, indicating which way he needed to adjust his walking. They had been moving for the better part of an hour, and though it had been a bit of a stumbling start, James had adapted well enough to being blind. They had stopped needing words after a while, and so Fluttershy had created her system for telling him where to walk. He just wished she would warn him more often when an obstacle was on the path. “Are we almost there yet?” James asked as he tripped over a rock. Fluttershy clicked her tongue. “Yes, I do believe we are. Everything looks a little different from up here, but I know we’ve been on the right path. Shouldn’t be much… oh no!” James cast his blind eyes about. “What? Have we been going to wrong way?” Fluttershy shuffled on his shoulders. “I… think I have some bad news James. Move forward a few more steps so I can read the sign.” James did so nervously, and he waited while Fluttershy read the sign. “Well? Is this a bust?” Fluttershy sighed. “That depends if you’re willing to go to Canterlot. Apparently, the turkey plants were endangered, so they’ve been taken to the Royal Canterlot Gardens by Princess Celestia.” James smiled. “Celly’s invited to dinner anyway! All I need to do is talk to her, and then we’ll be good! Let me just take off the blindfold and write her a letter…” Fluttershy swiped his hand away from the blindfold, then hugged his face. “NO!” she shouted. “I- I mean, you can’t. It says here that any appeals have to be taken up with the princess directly. We have to go to Canterlot.” James sighed, and reached for the blindfold again. “Then let me take this silly thing off so that I can run us back to the train station.” Fluttershy swatted his hand away again a second time. “There’s no need for that James, look! A chariot is coming!” James gave her a blind, deadpan look. “Did you just point to something oyu very well know I can’t see?” Fluttershy giggled. “Maybe, but we’re having fun right? Come, let’s go with these fine stallions and get your turkey plant.” James sighed, then shrugged. “Alright, just so long as I don’t stub my toe again.” Fluttershy hummed happily and led him to the chariot, sitting him down before settling like a cat in his lap. “I’m not losing this blindfold before the end of today, am I?” Fluttershy snuggled into his belly. “Nope.” James sighed as they lifted off. He had an idea of what was actually going on, but still, he’d play along. Just so long as he got the turkey substitute cooked and eaten before the end of the day, he’d be happy. Thanksgiving would reign in Equestria if it was the last thing he’d do!
The Chase Chickens (Except it's a turkey)Author's Note You ever black out for four hours and not remember what you did in the morning? The Chase Chickens (Except it's a turkey) James jolted awake as a pair of giggling alicorns prodded his side, or was it a trio? He couldn’t tell due to the infernal blindfold over his eyes, which Fluttershy still refused to let him take off. Since she was still technically “leading” him to the source of the turkey plant, she had claimed she didn’t want to break her Pinkie Promise by letting him see. So the flight had been blind, and now he was being dragged from the chariot and into the hooves of three fluffy pony princesses. “Well well well,” Cadence said with a smile. “I didn’t think it was Wednesday yet, what’s the occasion?” Luna scoffed. “Perhaps our drinking buddy came to visit us, rather than you. Have you considered about that dear niece?” The two alicorns growled, then yelped as Celestia swatted at them with her wings. “Enough of your hug-gression, the two of you, I believe James has come with a question for us, and I believe, an invitation?” James frowned. “The first part is right, but I don’t think…” He felt somepony slip a quartet of what felt like envelopes into his hands. Pinkie whispered in his ear. “See you in a few Jamie!” Then she vanished like a whisper in the wind. James chuckled nervously and held up the envelopes. “I guess these are for you?” The alicorns all chuckled and took an envelope each, leaving one in his hand. James frowned and looked back to where he imagined Fluttershy was. “Flutters, did you get an invitation yet?” “That I did James,” she responded softly. “Pinkie gave me mine before she left.” “Then who’s is…?” “Mine!” Shining Armor shouted as he pounced into the circle of mares. The stallion drove James to the ground, seizing the invitation from his hand. He then did a little dance on James’ chest while everyone watched with smiles. Save for James, who sat in blind silence as the stallion perched upon his chest. “Shining?” “Yep?” “What are you doing?” James could almost hear the stallion blink as he thought about his sudden, out of the blue actions, then he felt the stallion creep backward. “Heh, see you at dinner?” James sighed as he sat up. “If I can get this dang turkey plant. Princess, do you…?” Celestia chuckled as she passed him a large bundle. “Already ahead of you James.” It felt incredibly leafy, but it shuffled in his arms. One of its… stalks? Seemed to act like a neck as it gobbled. James looked with blind confusion to the alicorns around him. “This is a plant?” Celestia sighed. “Indeed it is. One created by Discord in fact. He planted it in the Everfree, then slipped them into the population. Quite soon, most ponies had acquired a taste, and when we finally found the bird plant, we were too late.” Luna matched her sister’s sigh. “Twas a shame too, they are so delectable. It is likely that only your “Thanksgiving” will find use for such rare plants. Otherwise they will stay here, safe from the hungry ponies of Equestria.” James frowned and stroked what he thought was the plant’s back. “Well now I kind of feel bad that I’m getting special treatment.” James felt himself lift into the air, turkey plant in hand, and float back toward Fluttershy. “Do not feel bad James,” Celestia said as she set him back in the chariot. “You have made more than a few sacrifices concerning your diet to live among ponies, and we would be remiss if we didn’t give you the opportunity to relive a human holiday that you think the world of. Besides, you are a special human, it is quite alright to give you a special treat every once in awhile.” The other alicorns (and Shining Armor) filed into the carriage, leaning against James and his barely earned prize. It was clear that this had all been planned, and that he had been baited away from the castle so that Twilight could prep the meal, but he didn’t mind overly much. He just really hoped everyone would be there to celebrate. Thanksgiving was nothing if not about being surrounded by family and friends. The turkey plant gobbled again as somepony rubbed against his back. Taking the silent cue, James leaned into their chest fluff and looked toward who he thought was Celestia. “So Princess, how bad do you think Twilight’s doing right now?” Celestia smiled. “I am sure she is doing just fine.” ***** “Rainbow, how did you set the water on fire?!?” Twilight screamed as she scrambled to find a pot lid. The pegasus kicked the rain cloud she had flown into the kitchen. A lightning bolt ricocheted off the stovetop and lit the carpet in the hallway aflame. “I don’t know! Why is this thing so bucking wild? It’s supposed to be producing rain, rain!” “Stop kicking it!” Twilight cried as another bolt zipped over her head, threatening to set her mane alight. At that moment, the kitchen doors opened to reveal Applejack and Granny Smith. The orange farm pony’s mouth dropped open. “What in tarnation is goin’ on in here? I’ve been gone fer ten minutes!” Rainbow Dash moved the cloud, finally producing rain, toward the nearest open door. It swiftly drenched both Applejack and Granny Smith, and as the blue pegasus kicked it to make it cease its water production, another bolt of lightning sprang free. Twilight groaned as the third lightning bolt finally struck, and her tail vanished in a bright flare of fire. ***** Celestia felt a nervous twitch, a motion that wasn’t lost on anyone. “Just fine.” James chuckled and shook his head. “If I know her, something’s on fire, one of the dishes is in another dimension, and the rest is actually really good, she just believes it isn’t. Ah Twilight, you silly pony.” Cadence saddled up to his side, and the human imagined she was wiggling her eyebrows at him. “My offer still stands James.” “I know Cadence,” he replied, “but I’ve already got a plan in place. Trust me, if things go awry, you will be the first to know. Now, are we going to get going or what?” “Indeed!” Luna called. “Away guards! The bird plant needs cooked, and I for one wish to feast upon its planty goodness!” A small cheer went up from the other ponies. Surprisingly, the turkey plant agreed. As they took off, the thing escaped, and a wild scramble broke out to catch it as it leapt from the chariot.
The Chase Ends (with a stunning lack of wild geese at the end)James felt the chariot touch down, and from the sounds of his fellow passengers, they were in Ponyville, just outside of Twilight’s castle. The landing was as soft as always, the royal guards were quite good at their jobs, and with the help of all three princesses, the prince, and Fluttershy, James found himself guided to the castle doors, with the turkey plant safely back in his arms. Cadence had ended up being the one to catch the falling bird-plant, with the other two, larger alicorns having to catch the blind James as he ended up brushed out of the chariot. He had surprised himself by not panicking when he felt himself dropping. He supposed it was the complete trust he had in the trio of immortal alicorns, combined with the fact that as soon as they brought him back to the chariot, Luna had burst into tears and begged forgiveness. He managed to calm her down quite easily with a hug, but it had taken over half of the ride before her hooves weren’t locked around his ribcage. James couldn’t be mad at them though. Honest mistakes happened, they hadn’t let him fall to his death, and they were going to Thanksgiving dinner! He already had a speech planned, with a few jokes now! He felt in the spirit of things, and he knew that he was going to be thankful for a whole lot more before the day was out. They lead him up the stares, keeping the blindfold on the whole while. Fluttershy still insisted he keep it on for the “surprise” affect, and James was inclined to let the ponies finish out their little plan. The goose chase had been sort of fun, and he got to meet up with most of his friends. Just so long as the turkey plant tasted as promised, it was going to be a good day. As soon as they opened the door, smells started drifting out. The first to hit James’ nose was something burning, and Celestia clicked her tongue as she advanced first. “Oh my, it seems the entry way sustained some sort of fire damage. Aren’t the kitchens further in?” Fluttershy alighted on James’ shoulders and steered his steps. “I did see a rather nasty looking cloud as we flew in, and I can’t help but feel that it had something to do with Rainbow Dash.” James could feel as Luna frowned at his side, clutching him tighter. “Step clear friend James, there seems to be some water damage as well. I shudder to think what the kitchens look like.” Cadence trotted to the front of their little formation. “Quite being dramatic Auntie, I’m sure everything is fine, and that Twilight has prepared a lovely meal.” They moved on, with the two elder alicorns taking the lead, commenting about the occasional scorch mark or water stain. It took them slightly longer than usual to reach the dining room doors, but when they did, James could tell that everything was going to be just fine. He could smell it, could smell pure happiness on the other side of the door. All it needed was the scent of cooked turkey. The blindfold was finally removed, with his trio of alicorn escorts smiled at him as they prodded him forward. James took one last whiff of feast smells, then pushed the doors open. ***** James was in heaven. The hall was lined with candles, providing a soft enough light to see by, while also retaining that fireplace like glow that just made the room seem cozy. Twilight sat beside him, shooting him the occasional nervous glance. Why she was nervous, he did not know. Despite the damage on the way in, everything had turned out brilliantly. The pumpkin pie, the fresh green beans, the mashed potatoes, and even surprisingly, the stuffing. He hadn’t left any instructions on how to make it, yet they were exactly what they should have been, soft and moist, without being soaking wet. They almost made the apple cider seem bland by comparison. Almost. The turkey plant had turned out remarkably well. To James at least, it tasted just like the real thing in every way save for texture. There was no escaping the leafy quality it had to it, but he enjoyed it anyway. It was all perfect. What made it even better was the smiling faces and happy talk from all of his friends. Pinkie had been throughout, and everyone James wanted at the table was there, arranged in a random order, save for one notable pony. Twilight was next to him. That was particularly special, and it only strengthened his resolve for what would come before Hearth’s Warming. That was later however, and Thanksgiving was a time to be thankful about what was. Speaking of… James got to his feet and tapped his fork against his cider glass, drawing everyone’s attention. They all stared expectantly as he smiled. “I just wanted to say thank you all, both for coming to this celebration, and for your help in making it happen. I know Equestria has no reason to celebrate Thanksgiving, but it was one of my favorite things back on Earth, so I’m glad that I get to celebrate it here.” He smiled wistfully. “Thanksgiving is a bit of a weird holiday, and while I won’t go into the details, it isn’t always perfect, but this… this was perfect. Tradition dictates that everyone say what they’re thankful for, but I don’t think we need to do that, because I am more than thankful enough for all of us. I’d like to thank you all for coming, and I would like to thank you all for being my close friends. I am thankful to have come to Equestria, and am thankful that I met the best group of ponies alive. You are each and everyone, smart, kind, and just overall wonderful ponies. I thank you, and with this toast, I wanted to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.” The ponies cheered, and after taking a drink together, they set about celebrating anew. James sat back down and leaned over to Twilight. “Thanks for this, really. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but you made it an excellent day.” The purple alicorn blushed. “Just helping out a friend. You’d do the same for me.” “Maybe, but thank you anyway. Happy Thanksgiving Twilight.” “Happy Thanksgiving James,” she replied, leaning over to give him a hug. James returned it easily, and they sat like that for a while, watching the end to a glorious day. Author's Note A very meh story, if I'm being honest. Still, I kept my goal, finished in a day, and now am going to go drink myself to sleep. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
