“Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve!” Silverstream shouted loudly to any creature that cared to hear in the busy bar.
Sandbar couldn’t help but laugh at his friend, “I think it’s pretty funny that you’re overjoyed about this holiday, and yet you had no idea what it was a few hours ago.”
Seated next to the pony at the table, Yona smiled, “Friend Silverstream just happy to be out and celebrating pony holiday!”
“Can’t say I blame her,” Smolder said from across the table, “I never thought our extra friendship lessons would take so long today. Was it me or did that lesson that Princess Twilight Sparkle was teaching seem to go on forever?”
“It’s Hearth’s Warming Eve, even Princess Twilight isn’t that heartless that she would lock us in the school for the night,” Gallus replied before taking a drink of his cider.
“Actually, I think she just wants to go and visit her family,” Ocellus corrected.
“Yeah, that’s more like it,” the griffon admitted.
The six friends were all seated at a table at the local pub in Ponyville, the Salt Lick. Winter had come to Equestria and blanketed snow across Ponyville for Hearth’s Warming Eve. For the winter break, all six creatures were to stay for extra lessons at the School of Friendship. While they were missing their individual homes, they were more than overjoyed to stay with their friends during holidays. At the suggestion of Gallus, the six decided to visit the bar to have a small celebration for Hearth’s Warming Eve. The bar itself had a number of patrons also celebrating the holiday, along with a live band playing.
“We have the next two days off, right?” Ocellus asked before taking a sip of her cider, “Does this mean we can do our gift exchange tomorrow then? I really can’t wait for it!”
Smolder smirked, “I have to agree. I don’t think I was going to be as excited as I am for my match. Not to brag, but I think I got the best gift out of all of you.”
“Oh really? Even better than Silverstream’s? We already know what she got Yona,” Gallus smirked.
The hippogriff had a guilty look as she looked to her yak friend, “I’m so sorry again, Yona! I just couldn’t keep it a secret for much longer!”
As they all laughed, Yona pulled her cider mug in closer as she smiled, “No need to be sorry, Friend Silverstream! Yona really likes the quilt that Silverstream made, it nice and warm!”
“So, we’re not going to talk about how Silverstream knows how to sew a quilt?” Sandbar asked with a bit of puzzlement.
Before he could get an answer from any of his friends, the door of the bar was opened and a group of griffons entered. They seemed to be a gruff and quite tough. In the front of the group, there was one who seemed to be a sort of leader of the five. His feathers were green with a pale yellow tint on his body.
That griffon ordered as they made their way into the bar. “Oi, barkeep! Five ciders, and pick it up!” he called out as they made their way to the bar. Their volume was loud enough to cause just about every eye to fall on them. Despite the bit of confusion, the bartender did begin to fulfill the order.
Back at the table, Smolder asked as she pointed to the newest additions in the bar, “Hey, you know them?”
“Not all griffons know each other,” Gallus stated with a bit of annoyance, “That would be like me asking if you know that weird dragon that pretended to be Spike’s dad.”
“Fair enough.”
Ocellus looked toward the bar, seeing that the griffons were already loudly indulging in their drinks. “They certainly are enjoying their cider quite a bit.”
“Speaking of cider, isn’t it your turn to get us a refill, Gallus?” Sandbar asked as he lightly tapped his empty cider mug with his hoof.
“Ah, it is? Could have sworn it was Yona’s turn.”
“Not Yona’s turn!” the yak interjected.
Gallus shrugged, “Alright, alright. Every creature needs one, right?”
After double checking with his friends, Gallus made his way up to the bar to get the next round of drinks. There, he gave the order to the bartender as he stood next to the green-feathered griffon. As much as Gallus didn’t want to engage, he wasn’t getting his wish.
“Wasn’t expectin’ to see another griffon out this far. What’cha doin’ here in the ponylands?” the green griffon asked, his breath already reflecting his beverage of choice.
Gallus answered, trying his best to not pay attention, “Just celebrating the holidays with my friends, nothing special.”
“‘Friends?’ What sort of griffon is friends with ponies, yaks, dragons, and….what is that?” he looked back at the table, “Some sort of turkey?”
As the first two drinks were placed in front of him, Gallus took them and turned to take them back to the table, “I’m the sort of griffon who is, and she’s a hippogriff.” He then returned to the table and placed the drinks down for Ocellus and Yona.
He then returned to the bar to get another set of drinks. Unfortunately for him, the other griffon was waiting for him.
“Still doesn’t explain why ya are out this far from Griffonstone,” he said to Gallus.
He really didn't want to answer, but he still did, “I’m out here for school. Don’t worry about it.” Thankfully, the next two drinks arrived.
“School? What kinda schoolin’ ya gettin’ out here that ya can’t get back home?” he asked.
Gallus ignored him as he took the two drinks back to the table. He placed them down for Smolder and Sandbar.
As he returned back to the bar one last time, he was greeted again by the griffon, who was becoming louder. “Oi! Don’t ignore yer elders when they’re talkin’ to ya!”
Finally, Gallus had enough. He spoke calmly, “Look, it’s Hearth’s Warming Eve. I’m just trying to enjoy it with my friends. And I’m sure you want to enjoy your time here with your friends, right mister….” Gallus led on.
“It’s Gavin!”
“Right, Mister Gavin. Let’s just enjoy our evenings and not have any problems, alright?” Gallus asked. He didn’t wait for an answer as his last two drinks arrived. “Happy Holidays,” is what he finished with as he took them and began to head back to the table.
It seemed that Gallus’ attitude didn’t sit well with Gavin. With a sour look on his face, he gave a shove to Gallus, causing him to spill both of the drinks in his talons. Gallus turned around to see that Gavin had a smug look on his face, proud he was causing problems.
“Hey, what was that for?!” Gallus asked in shock.
“What, you got a problem with me, youngster?” Gavin stood up from his stool and drew closer to Gallus. It was more apparent just how much bigger he was compared to Gallus, taller by at least a head.
“It’s the Blue Moon Festival back home in Griffonstone, right?” Gallus asked, also closing the distance, “why can’t we just ignore any issues we have in accordance with the time of year it is? ‘Tis the season and all of that, right?” Gallus asked, extending a free talon to shake with the other griffon.
Gavin didn’t agree, “All of that is out the window if you’re celebratin’ Hearth’s Warmin’!” In a single fluid motion, Gavin raised up a talon and punched Gallus square in his face.
From the punch, Gallus flew back and crash landed up against the table that he and his friends had claimed for the evening. All of his friends had watched the lead up to the punch and were in shock. The entire bar had their eyes on the scene, with even the band providing the music stopping their playing.
“Oh my goodness!” Yona stood up in worry.
“Whoa, Gallus!” Ocellus stood up as well.
“Are you alright?” Silverstream got up to check on her friend.
Gallus was a bit dazed but quickly shook it off. He raised a talon to where he was punched, right next to his eye. It was tender to the touch, and he felt that there was some blood coming from his nostril.
“Oh geez, that’s a shiner,” Sandbar came around to inspect his injuries.
Wiping the blood away, Gallus got back up and glared right back at Gavin, “Oh, it is on.”
A wicked smirk appeared on Smolder’s face as she cracked the knuckles in her claws, “A bar fight on Hearth’s Warming Eve? I can get behind this!”
“Does sort of thing happen during all pony holidays?” Yona asked.
“Sometimes during St. Paddock’s Day,” Sandbar answered before talking out loud to any creature who would listen, “but I don’t think we should be doing this.”
“What’s the matter, pony? Scared I’m gonna mop the floor with ya?” Gavin taunted. He then turned around and called back to his fellow griffons, “Oi, mates! We got a brawl goin’ on!” With his invitation, the other four griffons stood by Gavin, ready for a barroom brawl.
“Yona won’t let friends fight alone!” Yona stepped forward next to Gallus and Smolder.
Ocellus trotted up to between the two standoff groups and pleaded, “Please, we don’t have to fight, really!”
She was then joined by Silverstream who agreed, “It’s true, I don’t see why we have to fight. Can’t we forgive and forget?”
Smolder spoke up, “They said you look like a dork, Silverstream.”
This apparently didn’t sit well with the hippogriff. “What?! They look like dorks!” she loudly and angrily claimed. Out of seemingly nowhere, she pulled out a pair of nunchucks and started twirling them.
“Wait, where did you get those?” Ocellus asked in puzzlement.
“I don’t know!” Silverstream answered, still angry.
“Last chance, kid,” Gavin said, “ya can still back down.”
“I was going to say the same to you,” Gallus said with a bit of a smirk. “Just apologize and we can forget about all of this.”
Gavin gave a smirk right back, “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”
Ocellus hurried away from her position between both of groups. She quickly went to find shelter, “Oh we are so going to get killed, or maybe even expelled.”
The rest of the bar patrons and workers had the same thought as the changeling as they rushed for cover from the imminent fight.
Gavin was the first to rush in as the fight began. Flurries of strikes were exchanged between each of the griffons and each of the students (except for Ocellus who was hiding under a table against the wall). There were a few particularly unique forms of fighting amongst the students. This included Sandbar using a chair against one of the griffons, Silverstream using her nunchucks (with a fair amount of skill to every creature’s surprise), Smolder was able to knock her opponent out with a series of headbutts, and Yona performing what is known as a senton bomb. As for Gallus, he went head-to-head with Gavin, which eventually led to Gallus being thrown through a window and out into the snowy street.
The sound of broken glass got his friend’s attention who rushed to Gallus’ side outside. Gavin and his fellow griffons also followed outside into the snow.
“Gallus, are you okay?” Smolder hurried up to him along with the rest of the fighting students.
“You look really bad, dude,” Sandbar said with concern. He was right too, as Gallus had taken about the same amount of damage as he gave to Gavin. Amazingly, it seemed that Gallus hadn’t been cut up from being thrown through the glass window.
“Not as bad as he’s gonna look,” Gallus growled as he tried to get back up in the snow.
The five students stood their ground on the snowy street with the five griffons standing their line as well. Each and every single one of them seemed to have taken quite a few blows from one another, but all of them seemed ready to stand up for their friends and keep on fighting.
“Still want some more, eh?” Gavin taunted, his face with a few new bruises to it courtesy of Gallus.
Before Gallus could answer either verbally or with another punch, Ocellus rushed out into the snow and stood between both parties. “Wait, please stop!”
“Ocellus! You want to join in the fight?” Smolder asked with a bit of approval.
“No! Not at all! Look, there’s no need to be fighting at all! It’s Hearth’s Warming Eve! And not only that, it’s also the Blue Moon Festival is it not?” Ocellus asked both sides. “There’s so many wonderful events this time of year. Not only Hearth’s Warming Eve for ponies and the Blue Moon Festival for the griffons, but Snilldar Fest for the yaks, the Feast of Fire for dragons, and the Three Days of Freedom Celebration for hippogriffs.”
“What’cha yappin’ about?” Gavin called out in frustration, itching to start fighting again.
Silverstrean also chimed in, “Yeah, Michelangelo and Lefty want to keep fighting!”
Yona raised an eyebrow in confusion,“Michelangelo and Lefty?”
“That’s what I call my nunchucks!” she said as she continued to twirl them.
Ocellus continued, “Each of these celebrations are just about celebrating the season or some particular event, these events are also about spending time with one another. It’s something every creature enjoys about this season: enjoying the time with those you love. Family and friends, both new and old.”
The changeling’s words seemed to reach each of the creatures. All of their faces seemed to ease up as they Ocellus continued.
“There is so much more in common with all of us than there is different. We all might be different species from different backgrounds, but we all really want the same thing: happiness for ourselves and others. Is that not right?”
“Friend Ocellus is right, it is season for coming together,” Yona was the first to speak up in agreement.
“That changeling is right, we don’t gotta do this,” one of the griffons next to Gavin stated. A few others chimed in agreement.
“I guess that’s something we should have known by now, especially after being at the School of Friendship all year,” Smolder commented, lowering her fists.
Finally, Gavin spoke up and moved forward, “Crickey, you lot are right. I guess I just unrightly took out some of my problems on ya. So sorry about it.”
Gallus sighed with relief at the truce, “Don’t worry too much about it. If you were also raised by Grandpa Gruff, I think I know where it all came from,” he joked.
Gavin let out a big hearty laugh and wrapped one of his front limbs around Gallus for a side hug. “Aye, you certainly are a griffon! Come now, let’s go back in and get some cider, on me!”
“Ha, now that’s the right way to celebrate any holiday!” Gallus agreed.
“Perhaps we should have a fight every Hearth’s Warming Eve? It would be a nice addition to it, don’t ya think?” Gavin asked.
“That wouldn’t be the craziest idea ever!” the blue griffon laughed as all of the creatures started to enter back into the bar.
As Sandbar was having a friendly chat with one of the griffons he had been previously fighting, he was tapped on by Silverstream. “Here Sandbar, I found your tooth,” the hippogriff held it out to him.
“Oh, thanks Silverstream,” he said as he took the tooth and put it in his mouth. After a short moment of it inside, he spit it back out into his hoof. “Wait, this isn’t mine. It looks more like a fang.”
“That would be mine,” Smolder interjected as she took the fang from Sandbar’s hoof. “Lemme know if you find three more,” she added before putting it in her mouth.
Yona and Ocellus were bringing up the tail end of the whole group as they trotted towards the bar, “So, tell Yona: how did friend Ocellus know words would stop fight?”
Smiling at the newly formed group of friends, Ocellus answered, “If you look for the good in others, I’m always sure you can find it. This world can be a bit frightening and sad, but being kind to one another makes it a lot less scary. And sometimes, we all just need to be reminded that we all can use a little love from one another.”
END
