It has been a slow day for the three student journalists: Gus, Emerald, and Sunshine. They were flying and wandering around Ponyville attempting to search for something interesting for their school newspaper, but they weren’t able to find it. After a while of searching, they stopped.
“Hey, Emma, Sunny,” Gus called, “You think we should call it quits for today?”
“Yeah,” Sunshine answered. “We should go back. I’m feeling kind of bored right now. And also, we haven’t found a good story for our newspaper yet, nothing interesting happened here in this town.”
“It’s alright, you two,” Emerald added. “We’ll find it soon or later. Let’s go.”
And so, the trio decided to head back to school. As they’re walking, there is something that caught the attention of the green dragon’s eye. “Hey, check that out!” she called. The griffs both glanced over to where their friend was pointing and can see two griffons struggling to pull up a sign onto the front of a dilapidated building.
“Hey, isn’t that the new restaurant that’ll be opening soon?” Sunshine asked.
“Yea, I’m pretty sure it is,” Gus verified, and then came up with an idea. “Maybe we should give them some advertisements. And… I guess we found something interesting to report, because why not. We’ve got to report about something.”
“Indeed…, you’re right!” Sunshine exclaimed. “Let’s do this!”
“Yeah!” Emerald and Gus replied with enthusiasm.
The three young reporters ran down to where the currently-on-construction restaurant was. The two griffons, who were trying to hang up the sign, were using a pulley system until they could lock them in place and secure the sign.
“Um, excuse us…,” Emerald called. Both griffons looked down at the students.
“Sorry, kids, we’re not open yet!” one called. “This building is still under construction.”
“That’s not what we’re here for. We’re here just looking for a story to report,” Sunshine noted. “It’s a slow day for us.”
“Wait? Like a newspaper.” Both looked at each other, both having the same idea. “Wait here, I’ll call the boss.” The griffon quickly flew inside, leaving Emerald, Sunshine, and Gus outside as she took a picture of the sign. It read “Gimme Some Grub.”
A few seconds later, the doors opened to reveal a female griffon with white and red feathers wearing a blue chef’s hat. “So, where are these reporters you’re talking about?”
“Right there, boss.” She then looked at where the worker was pointing at.
“Okay then. Go back to work.” He did so and the red-and-white female Griffin walked over to them. “So… I see that you’re working for the town’s press, am I correct?” she inquired.
“Actually, madam, we’re reporting for our school’s newspaper,” Emerald noted. “although we’ve been sending a few copies to other ponies in Ponyville.”
“Well, if you guys are reporting to your friends back at school, then I’m all for it. My name’s Gimme Moore.” The griffon held out her talon, which Emerald shook. “Nice to meet you.”
“My pleasure. I’m Emerald, and that’s Sunshine and Gus. We’re from the School of Friendship’s Journalists Club, working for the school newspapers.”
“Alright, another fellow griffon helping to inform other creatures about my new business. Come inside, we’ll have a chat.” Gimme led them into the building, leaving the two griffons to finish up with the sign.
“So, Miss Gimme,” Gus started, “I see that this is your first time here in Ponyville, am I right?”
“Indeed,” Gimme replied. “This place is neat and the ponies living here are sympathetic.”
“I can agree and the same for all of us.” Emerald and Sunshine nodded in agreement. “And the question we wanna ask is: is there a purpose for you to begin opening this restaurant in Ponyville?”
“I do. Recently, I’ve heard about this young chick-cub that has been adopted by a pony couple in a place called Cloudsdale, I think his name is Peter if I’m correct. And some other griffons in Griffonstone are saying they might move elsewhere in Equestria like Ponyville. But… I had a feeling that they’d get stuck eating plants for all their lives since ponies are herbivores and are not prone to eating meat. Griffons like me and you, or a hippogriff or dragon, need to have that source of protein in order to stay strong. That’s where we come in.”
Gimme Moore then led the students past some other griffons, who were struggling to move the furniture. The students were led into the kitchen where they could see some scoops sitting beside some machines there filled with some kind of oil.
“What are those?” Sunshine asked.
“Our deep fryers,” Gimme explained. “It’s one of the ways we’ll have our delicious fried chicken.”
“Cool!” Emerald took a picture of the fryers as she had a question. “And… where are you getting the chicken from?” she asked.
“I know one guy from Griffonstone who now owns a chicken farm. In any case, if we’re low on butchered chicken, I can just pay him a fee to deliver them here and I’ve got food for my business. Of course, we’re not just selling fried chicken, I’m also going to include ham and bacon in our menu to expand.”
“Nice. Thinking about that makes me feel hungry now,” Sunshine said.
“Me too,” Emerald added, “even though I had a little snack a while ago.”
“Another question. Since you’re going to serve meat here, are you going to include seafood as well like lobsters or oysters?”
“Oh yeah… Now that you mentioned it; if this diner becomes successful, I’d love to add seafood to the menu.”
“Oh boy, can’t wait!” Sunshine exclaimed as he licked his beak in delight.
“Continuing on, the deep fryers aren’t the only ones we’re going to be using,” Gimme continued, “we’ve also got our stoves, pots, and pans too.” She pointed to the said appliances that had been set up recently. “We’ve also got beverage dispensers, which they’ll be coming by later today.”
“And uhh… about the menu,” Emerald called, “do you have any information on what’ll be on there?”
“Hmmm… Let me see… we got chicken wings, chicken strips, BLT sandwiches, creamy pot pies, bacon-wrapped bagels, chicken lollipops, chicken nuggets, beef skewers, and others. And of course, I could also include onion rings, potato fries, and stir-fried vegetables to balance the meal.” She then gazed at the students writing down the info onto their notepads with their pencils. “You got all of it?”
“Every last word, madam,” Gus responded.
“Very well, aside from what I’ve shown you, we don’t have much else to show.”
“No need to worry,” Emerald commented. “I think we have everything we need for a good story. Thanks for giving us a quick tour of your new restaurant, Miss. We’ll be looking forward to your opening.”
“Don’t mention it. Make sure that as many creatures hear about this story you’ve made. And feel free to bring some of your friends over for food samples. I’d love to hear their feedback on the dishes I’m going to make.”
“Will do,” Gus said.
“I’d love to try your dishes,” Sunshine added.
“Anytime,” Emerald also added. “We’ll see you later.”
So, Emerald, Sunshine, and Gus left the building, heading back to their school to post the story in the School of Friendship’s newspaper.
The next day, the students heard about the new restaurant and its menu. Many of them like griffons, hippogriffs, and dragons hadn’t had meat since they enrolled at the school. They even had their own opinions on this.
“Boy, every time I look at that menu, it makes me wanna eat all of them down,” Garry said with pleasure.
“Me too,” Gale proclaimed. “I wish I could have a bacon-wrapped bagel right now, that thing looks tasty. How about you guys?”
“I’ve been dying to have chicken again,” Genna said.
“Same here,” Garry agreed. “I’ll have dark meat!”
“Then I get white meat!” Both friends chuckled as Lighthoof walked into the room.
“Uhh… What’s the difference between dark and white meat?” the cheerleader asked.
“Oh, the dark meat comes from the muscles that require more oxygen,” Geena explained. “Garry says it’s chewier than white meat.”
“Uh-huh.” Lighthoof didn’t fully understand a carnivore’s appetite so she just rolled with it. “Do our professors know about this?”
“They’ll find out soon,” Gale guessed. “Emma said that the papers are going into town.”
Speaking of the dragon, Emerald walked into the room and was happy to see the griffons. “Hey there, I’m glad I found you,” she informed, “Miss Gimme said she wanted us to bring some friends to her new restaurant today to taste test some of her treats. Anyone up for it?”
“I’m in,” Geena and Garry proclaimed.
“Can I tag along?” Gale asked.
“Sure thing, Gale. I already have Pearl and my sis, Perri, joining us.”
“Oookay… You guys have fun,” Lighthoof said, “while I’m going to… do something else instead.” Emerald and the griffons left the pony to do her own thing as Lighthoof was still confused about white and dark meat.
Emerald met up with Sunshine and Gus, along with the other two creatures she mentioned. “Okay, I think that five taste testers will work,” Gus commented.
“That’ll be enough, should we get going?” Sunshine asked.
“I’d say yes,” Garry proclaimed. “Can’t wait to have that delicious meat in my beak. Let’s go!” The orange griffon quickly flew out of the school.
“You better save some for us!” Geena shouted, chasing after him with the rest of the students following behind.
Gimme Moore was checking a couple of things around her new business when she could see the students racing towards her. “Hey-hey, you’re back,” she proclaimed. “And I see you’ve brought some of your friends too.”
“Exactly, you said we’d bring back some taste testers, and here they are,” Gus responded. “So where’s the grub we’re gonna taste?”
“I’ve already got some meals ready for your friends inside. Come in before it gets cold.” Gimme opened the doors, letting the students walk into her restaurant, which was looking more complete.
“Well, this place is almost completely furnished,” Emerald commented. “Even more convenient than yesterday.”
“I agree,” Sunshine consented.
A griffon then carried out a tray containing three bagels wrapped in bacon, a chicken hamburger, beef, pork, and chicken skewers, a bowl of soup, and fried chicken. “Wow!” Geena gasped. “They look so good!”
“Very appetizing to my eyes too,” Gleaming Pearl added.
“Is it just me or my mouth is oozing out a waterfall?” Gale said while covering his beak with his claws feeling like his saliva is pouring out.
The students sat at a table with the meat tray standing in front of them. Peridot, Gleaming Pearl, Geena, Garry, and Gale each grabbed some dishes and started digging in. Taking big bites of the meat, the five creatures were enjoying their meal.
“Oh my, this is delicious,” Gale commented through a mouthful of chicken sandwich. “I feel like I’m in paradise now.”
“I’m lovin’ this bagel too,” Geena remarked in full satisfaction.
Peridot took a bite off the pork skewer, trying to savor the flavoring… but something was off. She stood up and walked over to her sister, grabbing a beef skewer. “Hey, sis, try one of these,” she recommended.
Emerald took a bite out of the skewer she was given and started to see why her sister was so impressed by it. “This tastes bland,” she commented.
“I know, right? Even the pork one is bland too.”
“Eh, some of these things can’t be winners,” Gimme scoffed. “Anyhow, how does the rest of the food taste for all of you?”
“Gotta be honest, I’m loving this bacon bagel,” Garry commented before taking another bite of the said meal.
Geena quickly grabbed one of the pieces of fried chicken. When she bit into it, she noticed that the breading peeled off very loosely. “Um… This chicken is fresh, right?” she asked.
“Of course, it is,” Gimme responded. “You can’t expect perfection on the first try. I’ll do my best to tell our chefs to improve before we open. How’s the rest of it?”
“They taste pretty good to me,” Gale commented. “I’ll remember to bring my friends here when this place opens up.”
“Good to hear. The more the merrier.”
Geena showed one of the fried chicken pieces to Gus, who easily managed to peel the breading off of it, like a used sticker. “You know… I think she’s more quantity-over-quality griffon,” Gus whispered, making Geena snicker a little bit.
“By the way, do you think we could get a menu when we come back here?” Gale asked.
“Sure thing. I get them right away.” Gimme walked away to get the menu for them as Emerald decided to talk with her friends about the quality of the food.
“Does any of you think she’s using the best equipment she has?” the dragoness asked.
“Maybe. I’ve heard about Miss Gimme Moore before,” Gus commented, “She often cuts corners wherever she can to get more money out of customers.”
“You thought she’d try pulling that after Her Majesty (Queen Gilda) took charge?” Garry questioned.
“Eh, old habits die hard anyways… and pretend we didn’t talk about her, she’s coming back.” The students dropped the topic as the female griffon returned with a menu.
“Here you go,” Gimme said, handing the menu to Gale. “Remember not to miss the grand opening. I’ll look forward to seeing you there.”
“Will do,” Gale replied while giving a thumbs-up as he was also handed a piece of paper, along with the other taste testers. It was a list of the meals they had been served that had a slash and the number 10 on the right of them.
“What’s this for?” Gleaming Pearl asked.
“I’d just like you guys to rate these meals out of 10, then I’ll know which ones my chefs will enhance on.” She then gave them a red ballpen for each of the 5 students to write down their ranking on the taste of her food. Those they didn’t eat were just left blank.
When Gimme looked at the results, she wasn’t too impressed with some of them. “Is something wrong?” Gale asked.
Gimme just looked at the students and sighed. “I’ll work this out. Go and tell your friends, I’ll see if there are any issues that need fixing. You can leave now.”
“…Right,” Emerald said. “See you later then.” She and her friends soon made their way to the exit and started to talk about their meal on the way back to school.
“They didn’t season that skewer,” Peridot commented. “It lacks salt and pepper too.”
“I know… dull.”
“That fried chicken had something wrong with it, I admit,” Geena added.
“Yea… It’s either something to do with the breading or the fryers they’re using,” Gus guessed. “Since Gimme tries to save bits wherever she can, I bet it’s the fryers themselves.”
“I don’t know about you guys, but the bacon-wrapped bagels were delightful,” Garry commented. “That was something I’ve never tried before.”
“And I’ve got a menu with me,” Gale added. “When we get back, we’ll know what to order in advance. Let me see here.” He opened it up and was amazed at the number of choices there were. “Ahh, there are a lot of choices to choose from.” He then gave the menu to Sunshine for him to see the choices. “Here, have a look.”
The text was relatively small, allowing a lot to be written on one page, such as the prices. One look at them was enough to surprise him. “What!?” Sunshine exclaimed with shock.
“What is it?” Gus asked.
“6 bits for a chicken sandwich?!”
“How much?” Sunshine then show Gus the prices on the menu, which he quickly took a disliking to. “You got to be kidding, these costs are outrageous. Look here, 7 bits for a bowl of chicken soup.”
“A pot pie for 9 bits?” Sunshine added. “That’s a lot!”
Emerald took a look and couldn’t believe what she could see. “Yeesh! There’s no way she would be able to make a good profit with these prices,” she commented.
“Why not?” Garry asked. “Big prices mean more money, right?”
“Garry, would you ever pay for these high prices just for a small meal like this?” The young griffon looked at how much each meal cost.
“Um… Maybe not.”
“You think we should tell her about this?” Sunshine asked.
“Given the quality of her food,” Gus stated, “We should let her learn the hard way.”
“But this restaurant could be the only place in Ponyville where we could have meat,” Geena said.
“She’s right,” Emerald noted. “Plus, if it’s successful, more creatures could move to Ponyville, including dragons or hippogriffs.”
“Gallus’s parents are moving here from what I’ve heard from Gallus himself,” Sunshine noted. “And what about Peter?”
“You’re right,” Gus proclaimed, “He’s also a good example of why that restaurant needs to be successful because every young growing griffon needs fresh meat.”
“But with the quality of the ingredients, I don’t think that place is going to last long,” Emerald commented.
“What about the ponies?” Peridot asked. “They’d not be happy about us eating animals since they are caring for small creatures.”
“Yeah…, they kind of overreact sometimes,” Geena commented. “Even the tiniest of things occasionally.”
“They do,” Gleaming Pearl agreed. “Our pony classmates did the same most of the time, especially Princess Twilight being afraid of ladybugs, which I don’t understand why.”
“Maybe it’s best for us to linger for a while until Miss Gimmie offers us more info,” Emerald thought, “…or until the grand opening arrives. We’ll see.” Everyone nodded. With the only real option being able to play the waiting game, the students walked off to do their own activities.
Later that day, Emerald went around the school to find her friends and ask their opinion about the restaurant, Gimme Some Grub. They sounded excited about it, but some of them changed their opinion once they were told about the experience by the test tasters. Many of them were skeptical, especially when they were given a preview of the menu’s prices. Sunshine, meanwhile, decided to speak with Gallus’s parents, Glynn & Gadget, since they were the first non-pony creatures moving into Ponyville.
Outside, the hippogriff had to wander around Ponyville for a little bit to look for them, until suddenly, he could hear disgruntled voices trying to talk over one another. Knowing something was wrong, he followed the voice since it was clamorous enough for him to hear. To his surprise, after reaching the scene, he can see Gallus and his parents being hounded by a bunch of ponies.
“We eat meat all the time, it’s natural!” Gadget screamed.
“Would you eat a dog too?” one stallion blurted.
“They’re predators too, they don’t have that much meat on them!” The family of three tried flying away, only to be met by a group of pegasi. Gadget was losing her patient so Glynn quickly decided to step in.
“Hear me out, I apologize if this offends you,” he spoke, “eating meat is a natural part of life. Animals like manticores and timberwolves eat meat all the time.”
“You want my son to know about creatures eating animals?” a mare questioned.
“Then you should tell him how life works,” Gallus retorted bluntly.
“Gallus,” Glynn groaned.
“What? They need a reality check.”
“He has a point,” Gadget commented. “You’ve got to know how the real world works.” They both heard the sound of a hippogriff trying to clear their throat. The griffon family looked over to Sunshine, who was holding his notepad and pencil.
“Do you guys have a minute for an interview?” he asked while tapping the lead of the pencil onto his notepad indicating that he wanted to interview him.
“If you can get us away from them, I’ll give you my life story,” Gallus explained. Gallus and his family tried flying away again, but the pegasi wouldn’t let them leave.
Eventually, Gadget had enough. “BUGBEAR!” she cried pointing behind the pegasi. The moment they looked to see where the creature was, the griffons flew away with Sunshine flying away to get away from them.
Once they were somewhere alone, Sunshine began interviewing the family about not just the new restaurant, but also the ponies’ treatment of them. “So… did they start acting like that after the news was posted about that newly established restaurant that serves freshly-cut meat?” the hippogriff asked.
“Probably,” Gallus responded. “I don’t get why they’re upset. I mean, they’ve got cats and dogs, so they had to be eating some kind of meat.”
“I haven’t been in this town for long,” Glynn noted, “though I think they have their own methods of making food for their pets.”
“Regardless, there’s a chance of other creatures that could move to Ponyville or other pony cities and towns like Canterlot,” Gadget added. “It baffles me that the school has been here for two years, and these creatures are surprised that other creatures eat meat.”
“You know, that does raise a question I’ve been worried about,” Gallus added. “Does Professor Fluttershy know about this?”
Sunshine stopped writing as he thought about this question. “I don’t think so,” he commented. “It’d be a bad thing if she did.”
“No kidding.”
“It would be better if she finds out now instead of having the truth hidden longer from her,” Glynn stated.
“And yet, that does not mean telling her that reality will be easy.”
“I know it won’t, but it’s for the best.” Sunshine knew they were right and felt concerned like Gallus. Not to mention, the current backlash of the ponies was another factor they would have to worry about. Just then, the griffs saw a blurred figure flash past them in a second, before turning around a corner as an angry mob ran past them. From behind the corner, Gabby the mail griffon poked her head out before leaving her hiding spot. She looked and saw Gallus waving over to her.
“Oh, hey there,” she said. “Have you been treated like that too?”
“Sadly, yes,” Gadget sighed. “They know how life works, right?”
“Nah,” Gallus replied with a nod. “Maybe some.”
“I was delivering the mail from Griffonstone to Ponyville,” Gabby explained. “I didn’t even know about this new meat restaurant here.”
“Let’s hope that Mayor Mare has more common sense than other ponies,” Glynn noted. “Gabby, do you need any help with your mail runs?”
“No, I’ve got all the letters I need to bring to Griffonstone,” Gabby responded.
“Tell the queen about this,” Gadget noted, “We need somebody to make these ponies see sense.” The mail griffon nodded and took off to get back home. Sunshine and the griffon family were now concerned about this new business.
At the new restaurant, Gimme Moore was checking over all of the equipment. The stoves had been hooked up and were frying some bacon. They were doing fine, unlike the fryers. The deep fryers were bubbly like mad and the chicken that was pulled out didn’t look like it was finished. One of the griffons got a knife and cut one of the chicken pieces in half, seeing some pinkness inside of it.
“Um, boss,” he reported, “This chicken is still raw.”
“Then toss it back and cook it a little longer,” Gimme ordered.
“Hey, Ms. Moore,” called a voice, “The drink dispenser’s here!” The restaurant owner flew over to where her new machine was, hoping to get it set up immediately, only to find it was outside with a crowd of angry ponies.
The stallion delivering the drink dispenser was being held back by the other ponies and was getting angry. “Hey, I’m no fan of meat either, but could you let me do my job?!” he cried.
Gimme opened the door and instructed the delivery pony to get inside. The stallion did so, having to help push some of the ponies back to do so. “Geez, what is wrong with these ponies?” Gimme appallingly uttered.
“It’s an ordinary Saturday in Ponyville when everypony overreacts.” He quickly helped unload the machine and then asked for his payment. Gimme rolled her eyes and handed over the bits. The stallion then made his way outside, struggling to get past the mob of ponies.
“Can’t believe I had to pay for the delivery fee.” Gimme groaned as she went to install her new equipment.
Outside, Sunshine was flying alongside Gallus’s family, who had Mayor Mare with them. Ponyville’s mayor saw the mob of ponies talking over each trying to get the griffons to come outside. “Everypony, quiet down!” she boomed. The ponies stopped speaking and looked toward Mayor Mare, allowing the stallion to walk away and continue with his work. “Now, tell me. What’s the meaning of this?”
“What do you think? They’re serving bloody meat inside,” Carrot Top cried.
“Good to know,” Gallus remarked. “In other news, I’m blue.” A quick glance from both of the griffon’s parents made him stay quiet.
“I understand your concerns,” Mayor Mare spoke, “But from what I can tell, creatures such as griffons and dragons are natural carnivores. Meat is a part of their diet.”
“But we can’t have a business that involves eating animals,” Berry Punch proclaimed.
“If I were to suggest a solution,” Glynn proclaimed, “Perhaps a town meeting would be in order to help resolve this.”
“Hmm, that’s a great idea,” Mayor Mare commented. “First thing tomorrow, we’ll all discuss this new restaurant and the carnivores.” The ponies conversed with each other for a minute before they all started agreeing to this meeting. “I’ll have a letter sent to Princess Twilight, so she can help give her opinion.”
“I have a suspicion that Queen Gilda might also get involved,” Glynn added.
“Hopefully, this conflict will be sorted out shortly.” The griffons looked at the ponies’ expressions, feeling that a couple of them were going to become sticks in the mud.
Gimme had overheard what was spoken and got annoyed. “I’m not going to delay my business because some creatures can’t accept changes,” she grumbled. She went back to work to finish setting up the new drink dispenser, picking up the pace in case she would be forced to join the meeting.
Later that day, in Griffonstone, Queen Gilda was in The Great Geque Castle sitting on her throne, checking a couple of names off a list. “Okay, so I doubt Ember would be available,” she said to herself. “Hmm, maybe I could ask Thorax if he can…”
“Your Highness,” interpreted a voice.
Looking up from her list, she can see her royal advisor, Greta, entering the room. “Greta?”
“Pardon me for the intrusion,” she apologized, “Gabby has stopped by to report on a new restaurant in Ponyville that is going to be serving meat.”
“Meat, you say? Huh, I say it’s about time.”
“Yeah, I’m excited too. Can’t say the same about the ponies.”
Gilda placed her list down and crossed her arms with an aggrieved sigh. “Let me guess… they’re overreacting?”
“If by that, you mean them chasing Gabby, Gallus, and his parents, then yes. They said they want you to help them put an end to this conflict. Glynn and Gadget can’t live in Ponyville like that with all of the war-like commotions happening.”
“Hmmm… That’ll be difficult. Right now, I’m still figuring out how to keep Griffonstone onto its feet,” the queen said as she stood up from her throne and walked towards her royal advisor. “and yet this is my first week as ruler.”
“If that’s the case, Your Majesty, I’ll go. Those ponies need to learn something this basic isn’t worth your time.”
“I appreciate it. By the way, do you have an idea of who the owner of that new eatery is?”
“Gabby said she didn’t know, but what she does knows is that restaurant is named Gimme Some Grub.” The name Gimme sounded familiar to the queen.
“Gimme, huh?” Queen Gilda said in her mind. “That sounded familiar to me.” She then came back to her senses and spoke to Greta. “Hmm, if we’re going to be dealing with edibles, I have a feeling we must bring the assistant along.”
“And who do you have in mind, Your Majesty?”
The next day, Fluttershy was having her breakfast at her cottage as she talked with Angel. “Discord was acting strangely yesterday,” the yellow pegasus commented. She handed her pet rabbit some carrots, which Angel quickly started chewing. “He wanted to see some of the new trainees at the Wonderbolt Headquarters. He said I’d be his moral support, but we were hiding most of the time.”
When the pegasus went to pick up a tea kettle when a certain draconequus popped his head out of the top. “Good morning,” he proclaimed. Fluttershy just set the kettle down and rose an eyebrow. “What? I’m feeling like doing some more activities today.” Discord snapped his fingers and returned to his normal size, now wearing a diving suit. “How about we head to Mount Aris for a swim in the sea, and see how the seaponies are doing?”
“Discord, I know you want to have fun, but I need to head into town later today. I ought to buy more food and supplies for the animal sanctuary.” Fluttershy filled her teapot with water before grabbing some teabags.
“Oh, forget about the sanctuary, I can take care of it.”
“Discord, the last time you were left in charge, the beavers flooded Rarity’s home with chocolate milk.”
“...Oh. Right. Still have no idea how they got a hold of one of my clouds.” Just then, Rainbow Dash flew in and saw Fluttershy. She was just placing the tea kettle as Discord looked to be in a panicked state. Dash quickly started to play along once Fluttershy turned to see her.
“Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here so early?” Fluttershy asked.
“Oh… I’m…” Dash tried to think of something fast as Discord was looking for something to mess with and add a couple of seconds to Fluttershy’s time. “Um… Spitfire said I had the day off and I thought… I help you bring supplies for your animal sanctuary.”
“I appreciate that, Rainbow Dash, but it won’t be that hard.” Fluttershy tried to get her breakfast made, but it seemed that her friends were doing everything they could to make her day longer.
“Say, Dashy,” Discord spoke, “How about you come with us to Seaquestria? I’m sure the princess would love to have a race with someone like you.”
“Yeah, that’s a great idea!” Rainbow Dash commented. “Say, Fluttershy, you…?”
“I feel like you two aren’t telling me something,” Fluttershy interrupted. She took the kettle off the stove and grabbed her saddlebags. “Why don’t you want me going into town?” Dashie and Discord both glanced at each other, not too sure how to tell their friend the truth.
“There’s… a crazed pony in town,” Dash fibbed. “Yeah, he’s… he’s causing a lot of trouble.”
“What kind of trouble you’re talking about?”
“He’s running around and taking bites out all of the ponies’ produce,” Discord informed. “Those poor cabbages.”
Fluttershy gave a low brow and simply walked outside of the cottage. Her friends followed her, trying to convince the pegasus to just stay at home. Fluttershy didn’t listen and just kept walking. Discord looked around and saw a mare pulling a cart loaded with cabbages. Wanting to keep up with their first plan, Discord flew over to the cart and took a bite out of each cabbage.
When the mare stopped to check on what the crunching noises were and looked back to see each one of her cabbages had a bite mark on them. “…AHH! My cabbages!” she cried in horror.
Fluttershy looked back and saw the ruined produce and the distraught mare. “See, we told you!” DIscord cried pointing at the cabbages. “The mad stallion is still on the loose!”
Fluttershy looked up at the draconequus and simply said, “You have a cabbage leaf between your teeth.” Discord paused and picked his teeth, seeing that his friend was right.
“...I’m living a double life.”
“Why are you lying?” Fluttershy doubted. “Please be honest.”
Dash and Discord both glanced at each other and knew the beans would have to be spilled now.
“There’s… a good reason for this…” Discord sighed and summoned a newspaper that had been printed yesterday with a snap of his claw, handing it to Fluttershy. “Here. This was from your school’s newspaper. Read the headline, you’ll find out why.”
She grabbed the tabloid from him and read the headline. The mare read the paper and was horrified with what she read. “WHAAA!? The new building is going to serve meat?”
“I’m afraid so,” Dash sighed. “You can see why didn’t want to tell you.”
Fluttershy’s ears drooped as Discord kept trying to think of a way to cheer her up. “Look, there’s a way we can make this work,” he said. “Like this one idea where I could use my magic so you wouldn’t even see the place. I just had to use some memory magic and…”
“No, Discord,” Fluttershy said. “I can… Deal with this.” The pegasus sighed as she walked away with this thought now stuck on her mind.
Dash and Discord looked at each, feeling disappointed. “You can’t say we didn’t try,” the draconequus shrugged. Dash could only agree with a nod.
“I should get going,” the mare admitted. “There’s a meeting going on at Town Hall.” With that, Rainbow Dash flew away, leaving Discord to ponder how he’d cheer Fluttershy up.
Dash was thinking about the meeting they would be attending. She didn’t tell Fluttershy because of the fact of the meeting, since the topic she was trying to keep secret, but now that the cat was out of the bag, she might as well bring her along.
Flying down, the pegasus flew alongside her friend. “Hey, there’s a meeting downtown,” Dash informed. “You think you should attend it?”
Fluttershy thought about this for about a minute before she responded. “I guess so,” she sighed. The two pegasi continued into town now to where the meeting was being held.
At the town hall, practically every pony in Ponyville was there debating whether or not the meat restaurant, or meat for that matter, would be allowed in town. While some ponies tried to see the reason for the other creature’s carnivore diets, others were standing their ground about the food being vegetarian. There was a bit of chaos as Spike flew in from Canterlot.
He landed next to Mayor Mare, who had just gotten a gavel ready. “Oh, good,” she sighed with relief, “You made it.”
“Twilight said since dragons are carnivores and I’m a dragon that hasn't eaten meat before,” Spike noted, “I’d probably be a good choice for finding a middle ground. You said in your letter that Gilda would be here.”
“That was a possibility. Though I wasn’t going to hold my breath.” The two then looked up to see three griffons flying toward them. The griffons were Gabby, Greta, and surprising Gustave le Grand. Greta landed beside Spike and Mayor Mare.
“Miss Mayor Mare, The Majesty Queen Gilda has sent me here as her representative,” Greta explained. “She can’t come because she is busy at the moment back at her kingdom. She still has her other duties to do.”
“Understandable,” Mayor Mare commented, “But why is he here?” She pointed to Gustave, who was looking around for somebody.
“Gustave le Grand? I see. The Majesty said because of his skilled cooking, he would be a good choice to make sure the restaurant is successful. That is… if ponies will allow it to run long enough.” Greta looked at the crowd of angry ponies, who weren’t looking very kind to griffons.
“This is very unsettling…” Gabby, who sat beside Gustave, murmured while shivering in discomfort and unease.
“Well, you’re here now,” Spike noted, “Hopefully we can explain to them why other creatures need meat. Although the concern I have is…” Spike paused when he saw Fluttershy enter the crowd. She didn’t look happy at all, and Rainbow Dash looked. “Oh boy. This might not go well.”
“There’s no time like the present,” Mayor Mare proclaimed. She banged down her gavel, drawing the attention of the crowd of creatures. “Order! Order!” she cried and then cleared her throat. “As you all know, that new restaurant called ‘Gimme Some Grub’, which will be opening soon, has caused a stir from ponies around this town. The reason… is that the restaurant is serving fresh meat. I am aware that there will be creatures from The Beyond planning to move to cities and towns like ours, and most creatures that might be moving here are carnivores, of which meat is part of their diet, like griffons and dragons, even hippogriffs. You may be asking yourself: why do they eat them? For explaining the significance, I may now bring your attention to the representative of Griffonstone and royal advisor of Queen Gilda, Miss Greta.” The mayor then faced her. “Miss Greta, the floor is yours.”
“Thank you very much,” Griffonstone’s royal advisor responded, and began her speech. “Now then, for those who aren’t aware, meat is very important to species like us, especially to other carnivores in nature like snakes and vultures. An average griffon like me can eat wheat, fruits, and vegetables like you, but a growing griff at a very young age needs good and fresh meat for its muscles to grow and develop properly. Although I’m no scientist or anything, trying my best not to be a full egghead now, in Health Science, from what I’ve learned, meat from any animal… NOT YOU NOR YOUR PETS LIKE CATS AND DOGS… or sometimes rabbits… is one of the main sources of Vitamin B-12, which helps keep the blood and nerve cells healthy, and can also help create DNA, you know… these curly ladder-shaped things that make up your appearance. Not just Vitamin B-12, it also has Iron and Zinc which is good for the growth, development, and care of the immune system. That makes meat a great source of protein for a young griffon or any other young carnivore. That goes without saying, without meat, a griffon would be weak and frail, and likely wouldn’t have a prolonged lifespan. I, Gabby, and Gustave wouldn’t be here alive if we don’t eat meat at a young age. You can’t force us to eat only plants because it’s unpleasing for your eyes. It’s like a dragon forcing a young mare to eat a big fish because they wanted it to be like them.” She then finished her speech. “That is all. I may now pass it back to Mayor Mare.”
“Thank you for the remarkably informative speech you made.” Upon hearing this, several of the ponies started murmuring among one another. Still, some of them were still sticking their ground. “Now, would anypony here like to say anything about this?” Mayor Mare asked.
“I do,” called a voice. A young filly known as Scottaloo stepped forward. “My parents are very daring when it comes to wild animals, they often hunt them before they can harm anypony. From what my dad said, some creatures ate non-meat foods, but this was often rare and the plants weren’t as filling as meat gained from hunted animals.”
“Thank you for pointing that out, young one,” Greta said to Scootaloo. “That’s another reason why meat is important to our biology,” Greta noted. “I know you all don’t feel too good about eating it, but it is part of life.”
Gus, who was on the balcony of the town hall hearing the gathering together with the other student journalists, including Emerald and Sunshine, who are writing down everything they’ve heard, leaned closer to Emerald so he could whisper to her. “Should I bring out my circle of life report, Emma?” the griffon asked.
“Not yet, Gus,” Emerald responded. “I’ll let you know when’s a good time to do that.” Gus held up his report along with a couple of sketches he had made.
“If I can’t use them here, remind me to turn these in for an extra credit assignment.” Emerald just nodded as she and Sunshine paid attention to the meeting, writing information down for the school’s news report.
“If these creatures could eat plants, what’s stopping them from living off that?” a pony questioned.
Greta was about to respond before Spike spoke up. “How about we put it into a perspective?” he asked. “Let’s say you have a pony who makes a living delivering products. She got two products she can choose to deliver; flowers and rocks. The rocks are what are usually used in town, but the flowers have given her better profit. The only trouble is that there are some creatures that are annoyed with the flowers the mare has picked that ruin the scene of wild nature. So the ponies get annoyed and start only delivering rocks, but after some time, the rocks aren’t making enough of a profit. What do they do?”
“Ignore what the crowd says and pick the flowers!” Gus cried. While most creatures couldn’t hear it, Emerald hit the griffon hard right in the gut with her elbow, trying to him his beak shut, making him yelp in pain.
“...Well, yes, kinda. What I’m saying here is that if meat is part of their diet, then they’ll need it to be healthy. And trust me, that’s coming from a dragon that’s been on the vegetarian diet his whole life.” The ponies had seen Spike in pupils before he moved back to Canterlot, and not once did they see him eat any meat.
“A very valid argument,” Mayor Mare commented.
“I agree,” Greta added. “Have you ever seen a griffon who hadn’t eaten meat? It’s not a pretty sight.”
“I think we’re okay not knowing,” Spike whispered.
While the meeting carried on, there was some whispering going on in the crowd. A mare known as Daisy looked over to Fluttershy and decided to get her opinion on meat. “Psst, Fluttershy,” Daisy whispered. “How do you feel knowing these creatures eat animals?”
Fluttershy was still unsure of what to think since just found out about what was going on. “Um…. I’ve dealt with some animals that…. that are predators,” she explained. “I try to convince them to be vegetarian but… it’s harder than it sounds.”
“I’m guessing they’re right,” Rainbow Dash commented while pointing to Spike and Greta. “I mean, forcing a predator to be a vegetarian is like giving a plant chocolate milk to grow.”
Fluttershy had a feeling that her friend was right, but Daisy, like most of the ponies, was still being a little stubborn. She looked to Roseluck, who was a little conflicted with what she was hearing. “Rose, what do you think will happen with those meat eaters around that new restaurant?” Daisy asked.
“I mean…. I don’t think it’ll be that bad,” Roseluck admitted. “I won’t be eating there, so it doesn’t sound like a bad thing.” Daisy was still fairly annoyed. She then thought about Fluttershy’s claim about putting animals on a vegetarian diet. She saw Carrot Top and whispered what she had heard. The ponies were starting to put a plan into action.
After the discussion carried on for a little bit longer, Mayor Mare came to a conclusion. “I like to conclude that we’re all creatures with common sense,” she proclaimed. “Thus, we can agree to keep the restaurant in business after it opens. Thank you to everypony here who gave their opinion. The meeting is now adjourned.” With that, Mayor Mare banged her gavel, ending the meeting.
Ponies started walking away to do other things, some were still mad that meat was going to be around. Spike walked over to where Dash and Fluttershy were, seeing the yellow pegasus looking upset. “How are you guys handling this?” the dragon asked.
Dash looked at Fluttershy, who was still a bit upset. “I don’t think I have a real answer to this,” Dash admitted.
“Um, right,” Spike commented. “Well, it’ll be nice for the other students to have a variety of meals.”
“True.” Both looked at Fluttershy, who was still feeling uneasy.
“I… I think I’ll just get supplies for the animal sanctuary,” she stated. The kind mare walked away, leaving her friends to talk among themselves.
“This is really upsetting her,” Dash commented.
“I was afraid of something like this,” Spike admitted. He held his claws as he was looking for something to change the subject. “Oh, look there’s Smolder. I’m going to ask what she thinks about this.” The dragon walked off to his friend trying to avoid any awkwardness.
While he did that, Greta flew around as she was looking for someone. However, that someone wasn’t there. She landed to talk with Glynn, who had stopped to adjust his wings when he saw the royal advisor. “Hello, Greta,” he spoke, “How’s Gilda doing right now?”
“Doing alright,” Greta responded. “Griffonstone’s getting better since she took the throne. Just a quick question, I’m looking for a griffon by the name of Gimme, have you seen her?”
“Oh, I don’t think she’s here.”
“Wait, why? That meeting at the town hall happened because of her business.”
“If you’re looking for her, she might be at her building still setting things up for her grand opening.”
Greta held her claw to her face and sighed. “She’s still in her old ways,” she groaned. “Okay, show me where that restaurant is. Queen Gilda said she had somebody who would likely help get that place set up properly.”
“Will do.” The two griffons then found Gustave, who was busy making himself known to the other ponies before they left for Gimme Some Grub.