Cold...
Bitterly cold...
I must be crazy to even think about doing this...
These thoughts circled round and round within Smolder's mind as she trudged through the soft but thick layers of snow covering the land. Sub-zero gales of wind constantly battered her stocky frame, breezing over her orange-hued scales and through the spines along her back and tail. At certain points, the wind would whip and howl so fiercely, sending the powdery ground cover flying through the air, that she could barely see her own claws directly in front of her face. She fluttered her leathery wings briefly in a futile attempt to bring some semblance of warmth back into the bony appendages. She did not dare attempt a flight in such conditions as both visibility and her will to expend any excess energy were severely limited. Smolder thought all her time spent wandering around the town of Ponyville around this time of year would help her anticipate the wintry weather, but she quickly realized upon her arrival that nothing could have prepared her for the harsh reality of the situation plaguing Equestia's frozen northern regions.
“This is why we dragons usually stick to the Badlands!” She said aloud, shivering as another icy gust of wintry air battered her sides while she carried along on her journey through the freezing conditions.
Through the blustering wintry haze, she could just make out a towering structure consisting of two gigantic yak statues, each holding a battle shield and a torch, flanking a set of large wooden gates not too far from her current position. Given the complete lack of any other discernible signs of civilization in the surrounding area, Smolder surmised that this structure must be the entrance to the yak's regional territory, and just beyond the gates lay their ancestral home: the village of Yakyakistan,
When her close friend Yona initially approached her with a possible invitation of spending the Hearth's Warming break in Yakyakistan with her celebrating her annual holiday tradition, Snilldar Fest, Smolder agreed not necessarily out of keen interest, but rather from a lack of any other plans she had scheduled. Since the rest of their friends were returning to their respective homelands for this year's break and Smolder was not planning on visiting the Badlands this year, she figured she had nothing to lose in accepting the yak's invitation. After hearing Yona describe some of the Snilldar Fest activities and events in greater detail, however, Smolder found herself developing some genuine interest in attending the week-long festival of yaken traditions, a feeling which had only intensified throughout her train ride to the Frozen North. Needless to say, Smolder was looking forward to celebrating the holiday with Yona and her family.
She just hadn't expected that the entrance fee for Snilldar Fest would be hypothermia and some frost-bitten toes!
I'll really need to thank Professor Rarity for this coat when I get back, Smolder thought to herself as she approached the tall gated entrance, huddling further within the faux fur-lined interior of the winter jacket that currently shielded her upper body. Shortly before departing Ponyville for Yakyakistan, her alabaster unicorn professor Rarity had approached Smolder with a magnificent winter coat, sporting multiple layers of thick, warming fabric and faux fur decoration along the edges, and an additional insulated winter cap. She was surprised by the amount of time an effort the Element of Generosity put into fitting the coat to her dragonish features, such as adding a bit more material along the back to account for her spines, cutting slits in the back to allow her wings to poke through, and implementing a smooth and silky interior that would not tug at her scales. Despite harboring slight reservations about taking something for free, at the urging of Rarity herself, Smolder had accepted the generous gift, even though she did not believe it would see much use during her time away in Yakyakistan.
Now, though, she saw the coat as her ultimate saving grace given the rough and icy conditions of the Frozen North. A dragon's scales were typically very strong, somewhat lightweight, and highly resistant to heat, but they were notoriously lacking one particular but crucial characteristic: natural insulation. Such a flaw was not much of an issue in the Badlands, where the underground lava floe kept all aspects of the environment comfortably warm for its reptilian inhabitants, but in cooler environments, especially as extreme as the Frozen North, it became an even more evident and obvious problem for dragons. While Smolder did not harbor any resentment or disdain for her species itself, she was eternally grateful for the extra layers of protection the winter coat offered her.
Welp, here goes nothing! she thought to herself and rapped her fist loudly against the heavy wooden door; she took a few steps back in anticipation of her admittance within the village's protective walls. A few seconds passed before the doors began to swing outward, creaking and groaning loudly on their hinges. Satisfied by the yak's show of hospitality, Smolder began walking in through the opening...
...and got sent flying back outside by a large mass of fur and braids tackling her to the ground!
Shaking off her surprised shock and some excess snow from her scales, Smolder stood up and was immediately wrapped up in a giant bear hug from who she could only assume was the yak who invited her out here in the first place.
"Smolder! Yona glad dragon friend able to come for Snilldar Fest!" Yona exclaimed in elation and squeezed the dragon even harder, further constricting her ability to speak.
"Mrph! Mmmph!" Smolder tried to offer her own greeting, which was severely muffled due to a mouthful of Yona's fur covering her mouth. Realizing her friend's plight, Yona released Smolder from her spine-crushing embrace long enough for her to say something. Before being liberated from her furry hug, she noted how much warmer and comfier she felt just being encased by Yona's fur coat; upon her release, the surrounding coldness crept its way back into her being, relinquishing her of her temporary reprieve from the weather. Man, what I wouldn't do to get a fur coat like that, Smolder thought to herself, a twinge of jealousy passing through her as she tried greeting the eager yak properly.
"Hey Yona, thanks for having me," she greeted, "Though I wish it could've been under, ahem, warmer conditions," she added, shivering slightly to emphasize her point.
Yona chuckled, "Silly Smolder, Yakyakistan always covered in snow! Yaks no mind, though; yaks best at surviving cold weather." She stood proudly, putting her thick fur coat on full display.
"Yeah, you guys sure got it made." Smolder said dryly, once again thinking back to the brief warmth she shared with being enveloped by Yona's fur.
"Anyway, yak and dragon better go or miss beginning of Snilldar Fest! Smolder follow!" Yona stated before trotting towards Yakyakistan with Smolder following close behind. As they approached, Smolder was able to see the details of the yaks' simple mud and straw huts adorned with some decorations, presumably in the spirit of the festival. She noted that while the decorations were fairly crude and simple, the intentions behind them strangely added a bit more depth and warmth to the overall scene. As they passed by several homes and families, most of the yaks offered a simple greeting to the duo, which they accepted and offered their own in return.
Eventually, Yona led the two of them straight into the heart of the village, which was a large common space with an even bigger hoof-built fire pit in the direct middle. Several yaks had already congregated in the village square, most of which were in the process of gathering small wooden objects and trinkets, ranging from old lamps and knickknacks to small furniture and even an old throne, into a steadily growing pile right in the fire pit. Smolder had a feeling she knew exactly what the pile was going to be used for, and she was all for it.
"YONA!" A booming voice rang out among the white noise of the other yaks; Smolder looked over and saw the well-decorated Prince Rutherford trotting over to the pair. "Yaks about to start Snilldar Fest, and Yona go running off? What meaning of this?" he commanded.
"Sorry Prince Rutherford, but Yona getting dragon friend Smolder from front gates," Yona explained cheerfully despite the yak prince's intimidating stature. "She visiting from pony school!"
Prince Rutherford looked Smolder up and down, seeming to silently judge her. Smolder considered herself as someone who was not so easily intimidated; she constantly had to put up with her brother and his friends' putting her down for various reasons. Regardless, she would be remiss to say that the size difference alone between her and Prince Rutherford would be enough to send even the most hardened of resolves into a nervous fit. Still, she stood her ground as best as she could without being daunted too much by his rather immense shadow.
Suddenly, Prince Rutherford pulled Smolder into an even bigger greeting hug than Yona's, which had already nearly crushed her.
"Any friend of Yona’s, friend to all yaks" he bellowed loud enough for the entire square to hear, "On behalf of all yaks present, Prince Rutherford welcomes Smolder to Yakyakistan!" He added, releasing Smolder from their embrace.
"G-Good to…know, your…H-Highness," Smolder wheezed and coughed, trying to get her breath and voice back. Prince Rutherford nodded in acknowledgement before turning to address the crowd of yaks gathered.
"Prince Rutherford, invites yaks – and dragon friend Smolder," he started, looking at everyone across the square, "to join in starting this year’s Snilldar Fest with honorary yak stomp!"
All the gathered yaks cheered merrily and, with a mighty collective roar, began pounding the ground violently in applause, throwing snow and dirt all over the place. While Yona and the other yaks joined in the activity, Smolder could do nothing but brace herself against the vibrations as the ground beneath her undulated to the yaks' powerful stomping, causing her to nearly stumble and lose her balance several times throughout. After about a straight minute of ground pounding, Prince Rutherford held up a cloven hoof, prompting the other yaks to stop and listen for a moment.
"And now, Prince Rutherford give honorary Snilldar Fest opening speech," he paused dramatically, leaving Smolder and the yaks to fall silent in anticipation of such a noteworthy speech. Finally, he cleared his throat and continued, "Last Snilldar Fest great, but yaks make this year’s Snilldar Fest even better!"
Really? That's it? That speech was shorter than Gallus' last book report, Smolder thought to herself. Despite the rather lackluster speech, however, all the yaks in the square cheered and offered nods of approval before surrounding the large pile in the pit.
"So, I take it yaks aren’t all that concerned about giving deep or rousing speeches, are they?" She asked Yona sarcastically, commenting on Rutherford's blunt yet somehow rousing speech deliverance.
"Why need to?" Yona stated, chuckling, "Yaks best at giving speeches, whether long or short! Now come, Smolder join in Snilldar fun!"
Smolder supposed she would concede to Yona's point for the time being, and instead decided to focus her energy and effort into the more exciting task at hoof. After quickly shedding her comfortable winter coat to prevent it from getting torn, Smolder zipped up into the air, took aim at the pile, and promptly dive-bombed right into the center of the destruction!
Ever since Yona first told her and their friends about the traditions of Snilldar Fest, Smolder's excitement only grew whenever smashing and destruction was mentioned in Yona's descriptions. While Smolder would not outwardly describe herself as a major supporter of destroying random objects and heirlooms for the sake of smashing, she figured she could make an exception considering the yaks created Snilldar Fest specifically to celebrate and revel in one of their favorite pastimes: smashing! She could not fully describe it, but there was just something so - satisfying - about the action of smashing tangible items that simply could not be replaced in any other destructive scenario. Sure, she'd crushed and stomped plenty of rocks and boulders in the Badlands with the other dragons, but those smashfests had only yielded rubble and debris that still resembled their original form. Here, they were taking common items such as chairs, tables, even full beds and irreversibly reducing them into dust and splinters, never to be useful ever again. There was only one way Smolder could describe the sensations she was feeling at the moment:
Pure, unadulterated euphoria.
After about an hour or so, the sizable stack of objects was swiftly reduced to a pitiful pile of thousands of splinters and small chunks; not a single item was left completely intact in the wake of their destruction. Despite this, Smolder knew they were nowhere near finished with the activity; upon Prince Rutherford providing the signal to the group, everyone gleefully dove right back into the fray and worked to pulverize the rubble even further. Smolder was more than eager to get her claws dirty once more, ignoring the intensifying feeling of soreness spreading throughout her claws and feet from the amount of smashing. She and Yona relished in the fact that their scales and fur were filling with hundreds of splinters which would most likely take forever to locate and remove; for now, everyone focused on smashing to their heart's content.
When the sun began its daily descent below the horizon line and the light of day started to dull and fade, the last of the day's smashing had completed, and Smolder and the gathered yaks stepped back to admire the results of the day's work. They had broken down the splinters, twigs, and chunks left from their first wreckfest into even finer particles to the point the pile somewhat resembled grains of sand from the beach. As the yaks chatted amongst themselves for a few minutes after the last wood chunk had been reduced to dust, Prince Rutherford stood in front of the group to address them once more.
"Prince Rutherford declares first day of Snilldar smashing a success!" he called out, "Yaks rest now and celebrate with families; more smashing and stomping soon." With that said, all the yaks began to exit the square headed to their homes to retire for the night. Smolder eventually caught up with Yona and together they shared the day's festivities with each other.
"Woo, smashing always fun!" Yona exclaimed, "How Smolder enjoy first time smashing pile?"
"Oh, it was awesome!" Smolder divulged, "The destruction, the chaos…I think I’m starting to see why you yaks like smashing so much! I loved every second of it, I've never been so happy to be so sore, sweaty, and covered in splinters!
"Yes, yaks best at holiday celebrations – and smashing, of course!" Yona agreed.
"Totally!" Smolder exclaimed, pumping her fists in the air with excitement and adrenaline. "Man, that was so satisfying to see everything get crushed into dust! Dare I say, it even felt rather…therapeutic, if you know what I mean."
Yona laughed in agreement, "Smolder describe Snilldar smashing perfectly! Now Smolder meet Yona family, this way!"
Smolder followed Yona out of the village square and back through several huts and homes where other yak families were either settling in for the night or enjoying one another's company for a little while longer. The further out of town they walked, the more spread out and sparse the collection of buildings became until only a few remained within the walled borders of Yakyakistan. One such hut, located just on the outskirts of the village, appeared to be their destination and what Smolder assumed was where Yona grew up. As they approached, the young dragon could see several yaks milling around in the snowy patch that could be considered their front yard. There were two couples standing off to the side, one looking significantly older than the other, with two yak calves chasing each other around the yard. As soon as Yona saw the yaks, she broke into an all-out sprint towards the group, calling out to the two younger yaks.
"Brother Yuri! Sister Yula!" Yona shouted across the way, immediately grabbing their attention.
"Look Yula, Yona home!" one of the calves exclaimed as he started running towards Yona.
"Yona, Yona!" the other calf called out as she followed after her brother. The three yaks raced towards each other a seemingly top speed for yaks and, given Yona's history with running at full speed with her braids, Smolder knew something bad was about to happen. Sure enough, with how much Yona was bobbing her head while running, one of her tied-up lengths of hair fell loose towards the ground and got caught up around her leg, tripping her up. This sent Yona flying through the air as she hit the ground rolling - straight towards the younger yaks!
Smolder could do nothing but watch as Yona's tumbling form rolled right over and through the other yaks, picking them up and becoming a conglomerate rolling ball of fur in the process. Geez, that didn't look good, she thought as she glided over to help the trio.
Instead of hearing cries of pain, however, Smolder could have sworn she heard laughter! Sure enough, as she got closer, their laughter became more evident and loud as they relished in the silliness of their situation and wrestled with each other for a few minutes while the rest of her family caught up to them.
"Haha, big sister Yona got yaks good!" one of the calves exclaimed.
"Yona very happy to see yak family after so long!" Yona smiled as the rest of her family gathered around her in greeting.
"All yaks happy to have Yona home for Snilldar Fest this year," one of the elder yaks stated.
"Who Yona's friend?" the other elder yak asked, peering at Smolder with keen curiosity.
"Oh, right. Family meet dragon friend Smolder," Yona explained, introducing Smolder to her family and vice versa, "Smolder meet Grandpa Rangvald, Grandma Freyja, Mother Ronja, Father Elfnar, brother Yuri, and sister Yula," she said, gesturing to each family member in turn.
"Um, hey, nice to meet you," she greeted, lifting a claw and waving politely. She was suddenly pulled into yet another bone-causing hug, but instead of one yak providing it, the entire family got in on the action, with Smolder gasping for air in the very center.
"Yaks happy to meet dragon friend Smolder from pony school," Ronja said warmly as every member of the family offered their own individual greetings.
"Hngh, erm…l-likewise," Smolder finally managed to peep as the group hug fully disbanded. "Sheesh, you yaks seem to like hugging just as much as smashing!"
"But of course," Freyja explained, "Dragon friend has been welcoming to Yona at pony school, so proper of yaks to return favor to dragon friend."
Smolder blushed slightly at this comment, not knowing exactly how to respond. Sure, she did not think Yona's family would turn her away, but she certainly did not expect such an endearing and heartfelt compliment to come from complete strangers she had only just met a few minutes ago. "Oh, w-well, um…d-don’t mention it." she finally replied.
"Yes, yaks best at welcoming dragon friend Smolder!" Yuri squeaked as he and Yula danced around Smolder excitedly, causing the dragon to chuckle at their innocence.
"Okay, yaks and dragon friend Smolder come inside," Elfnar called out to the group, "Much food and stories to share with new dragon friend." And with that said, Smolder followed Yona and her family into their humble abode.
Once inside, Smolder realized that the hut, while not the smallest she had seen in the village, was somewhat tight inside. Comprised of a simple living room, kitchen, and three average-sized bedrooms, she could have sworn it looked a lot bigger from outside. While the yaks jostled against each other for space, Smolder wondered exactly how so many yaks were able to fit within the hut's cozy confines and still feel comfortable with being practically shoulder to shoulder with one another. Grandpa Rangvald seemed to read her face and deduce her train of thought because he suddenly spoke up to her.
"Yaks very conservative and efficient with space in hut," he explained, "Nothing wasted in Yakyakistan."
"Ah, I see-oof!" Smolder said before promptly being squished against the far wall by Father Elfnar making his way through the room towards the kitchen.
"Ooh, Elfnar sorry to dragon friend Smolder," he said, apologizing profusely, "Elfnar not see dragon friend in middle of room."
"I-It's okay," Smolder said assuredly.
"Dragon friend come, food in kitchen, guest eat first," Elfnar guided Smolder through the room and into the kitchen.
Once they arrived, Smolder gaped at the sight before her eyes; in the middle of the kitchen stood a massive wooden table, big enough to stretch from the front of the hut all the way to the back, with benches lining each of the long sides. The table itself was not what initially drew her attention, though; it was the seemingly endless plates and platters of rather strange-looking food dishes placed on top of the table. Smolder figured they were traditional yak holiday treats and recipes, and although certain dishes seemed to resemble meals commonly prepared by ponies during their winter holidays, she was unable to identify many of the potential ingredients used in said dishes. Not wanting to hurt her hosts' feelings by rejecting the meal, however, Smolder decided to at least nibble and try some of the exotic yak dishes with the intention of snacking on some gemstones she had stored in her travel pack for emergencies.
It did not take long, however, for Smolder to completely forget about the gems in her pack!
As she and the yaks tucked into the meal laid out before them, Smolder found herself genuinely enjoying several of the dishes, even returning to previous dishes and diving in for seconds and thirds! The food overall tasted nothing like what Smolder was used to back in Ponyville, and especially nothing from the Badlands, but it was passably delicious in its own regard.
For the rest of the night, while the large group continued to feast, Yona and her family went around the table and shared all sorts of different stories. Tales of old and new acquaintances, stories of great conquest and mild failure, fantastical fables from their yester-years, and even stories learned and absorbed from other cultures. Yona and Smolder told the family about all the wondrous and exciting adventures they and their friends had experienced at the School of Friendship while Yona's family shared stories about the experiences they went through in their own youth. This sharing of stories reminded Smolder of the holiday tradition her fellow dragons would usually take part in during this time of year, the Feast of Fire; even without the competitive edge the dragons took with their story-telling, Smolder still enjoyed listening to the tales of her friend's heritage. Despite being so far removed from the familiar environments of the Badlands and Ponyville, she felt strangely comfortable and at-home sharing in the company of Yona and her family.
Later that night, as the fun-filled sensations of the day's activities were winding down, all the yaks in Yakyakistan began preparing for the night's slumber. Mother Ronja and Father Elfnar busied themselves with tucking the snoring forms of Yuri and Yula (who had fallen asleep shortly after finishing their meal) while Yona led Smolder to her own room which she had graciously offered to share with the visiting dragon. As the schoolmates settled in for the night, they shared their experiences from the day with each other.
"…and I gotta admit, the food was a bit weird at first, but turned out a lot better than I thought it would be," Smolder explained, sharing her opinion on the food her family had prepared. "That’s probably not saying much, though, considering my diet primarily consists of gems and sweets from Sugarcube Corner."
"No worries, yaks appreciate dragon honesty," Yona said consolingly, "All food only grown here in Yakyakistan, no imports, so Yona understand if yak food not look good compared to pony and dragon food." She paused as she laid out a rather lumpy-looking mattress for Smolder to sleep on, some bits of straw poking their way out through a couple of open seams, "What else Smolder think about Snilldar Fest?"
"Well, I'd say it’s been pretty good so far," Smolder answered, thinking back to the day's activities as she settled onto the strangely comfortable straw mattress, "To be honest, dragons aren’t all that festive or celebratory - well, unless you count the Feast of Fire or the occasional selection of a new dragon lord, but even then, there's not much else to go off for comparison of holiday events. Still, though, I had fun today. From what I've seen and heard of Snilldar Fest up to this point, you yaks sure know how to put together one heck of a good time!"
Yona beamed at Smolder's compliment, "Yona grateful for extra dragon company! What favorite part of day today?"
Smolder did not have to think long or hard about her answer to this particular question.
"Oh, the smashing by a landslide!" she exclaimed, recalling how liberating it felt to dive straight into the pile and smash away at her surroundings to her heart's desire, "Like I said earlier, I can really see why you enjoy it so much, it’s so satisfying!"
"Yes, yaks best at smashing and getting satisfied!" Yona agreed, "And tomorrow be even better!"
Smolder raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued, "Oh, really? How so?" she asked.
Yona simply yawned her reply, but not before winking slyly at the puzzled dragon, "Smolder wait and see. Now rest, busy day tomorrow." And with that, Yona settled into her bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep, no doubt brought on by the intensity of the day's smashing activity. Given the lack of detail provided with regard to their plans for the next day, Smolder simply shrugged, turned over on her mattress, and decided to get some rest before their "busy day" tomorrow.
She might not know exactly what was in store, but she had a pretty strong feeling that more smashing would be involved in one way or another!