Naturally, Silverstream was excited about Hearth’s Warming. She listened attentively as other students talked about the preparations, the history, the pageant, the unity, the friendship, the gifts.
“We didn’t have anything like Hearth’s Warming,” she gushed. “On account of being under the sea.”
“Griffons don’t celebrate Hearth’s Warming, either.”
Silverstream spun in the air. “Really?”
“Dragons don’t, either,” Smolder said.
“Or changelings,” Ocellus added. “Well, not like ponies do. Historically, we learned about it because . . . well, because there was a lot of love to be had over Hearth’s Warming, and, um, if you wanted to integrate with a pony family, posing as a distant relative for Hearth’s Warming was a good way to get in.”
“That’s kind of disturbing.” Sandbar looked at the changeling nervously. “Maybe my uncle Spray was actually a changeling.”
“Weddings were good, too. Lots of ponies, they’re all happy, nopony knows if you’re related to the bride or the groom.”
“Yaks have Yule, which is like Hearth’s Warming.” Yona frowned. “Except ponies not have julbock.”
“What’s a julbock?” Silverstream landed in front of Yona. “Can we get one?”
“A goat made out of straw.”
“Those are the ones that you burn, right?” Ocellus grinned. “I’ve heard about them.”
“Burn or smash.”
Gallus frowned. “Changelings learned that to infiltrate yak society, didn’t you?”
Ocellus nodded. “We know a lot about all the species that we imitated.”
“So what do you know about griffons?”
“Not to waste our time. And that went for dragons, too.”
“Hey!”
“It’s a fair point,” Gallus said. “They feed on love, remember.”
“We didn’t know about hippogriffs at all. There were some old legends, but since no one knew where any were. . . .”
“I think this is an opportunity,” Sandbar said. “For all of us. The pageant is coming soon and that’s important, we’ll all want to watch that. And I think we can all agree that exchanging presents is fun.”
Several heads nodded.
“But why stop there? We can do all the pony stuff, and we can have a julbock to smash, and Ocellus, you must know all sorts of weird midwinter things that some creature does. As for the rest, maybe some other tradition you have? The holiday’s about unity, and not just pony unity.”
“One of the teachers didn’t put that idea in your head, did they?” Smolder ruffled Sandbar’s mane. “Maybe Starlight, or Princess Twilight?”
“Honest, I just thought of it on my own. When Ocellus said how many different traditions other creatures have.”
“It sounds like a great idea to me.”
“Yeah, me, too!” Silverstream’s tail was practically wagging with excitement.