Equestria's First Thanksgiving

by Golden Flare

Equestria's First Thanksgiving

It's been almost a year since you arrived in Equestria, almost a year since you've been accepted into their culture, found a place to call "home" with a lavender alicorn princess in the town of Ponyville, and you couldn't be happier. You remember it like it was yesterday...

You awoke one morning to find the sun shining in your face, you raise your hand up to shield yourself from the blinding light.

Ugh, couldn't mom leave the blinds closed for a little longer? You thought.

You feel the area you slept on below you, but the weird thing is that it isn't your mattress... it's grass. You snap your eyes open and whip yourself up into a sitting position. You carefully view your surroundings and find yourself in an empty field.

"Where's my house?! Where's my parents?! Where am I!?!"

"Hurry! I think it came from over here!"

You silence yourself as you hear a voice, could it be a rescue party? With that hope in mind you turn to see where the voice came from... only to find six colorful horses.

"GAH!!" You yelped.

"What is that thing, Twilight?" The blue winged horse asked.

"I think he's from the human world." the winged and horned horse named Twilight answered.

"W-W-What?!" You stammered.

"Listen," Twilight began slowly, "I know this must be very confusing and scary for you, but it's okay, we're harmless."

You're still freaked out by all this, soothing words wouldn't calm you down.

"We can get you back home."

That got your attention. "Y-You can!?"

"Yes, if could just follow me..."

You chuckled at that memory; you also remember anxiously jumping through the mirror-portal thing, but instantly regretting it once you realized that it wasn't your world. Maybe the Multiverse Theory isn't complete nonsense. At least you've made great friends here, otherwise you'd have been lonely. You remember the issue with socializing with other ponies...

You had just gotten out of Town Hall after your conversation with Mayor Mare and Princess Celestia, during which you had to register yourself for Equestrian Citizenship. This was a huge change and it was going to take a lot of getting used to, but Princess Celestia said that she and her most powerful mages in her court would work on finding a way to return you to your original world, so for now, you had to get accustomed to this new society. The Princess suggested for you to make friends, but come on, with all the weird stares you're getting right now, who in their right mind would be your friend? Well, besides Princess Twilight, her assistant, and the other Elements of Harmony.

"Um, excuse me?"

You turned around to see two mares; a cream colored Earth Pony with a pink and blue mane and tail and three wrapped up candies as her, "Cutie Mark", if you remember the name correctly, the other is a mint green Unicorn with a two toned mane and tail like the Earth Pony, which consists of slightly darker green and white and has a lyre as her Cutie Mark.

"My friend here would like to talk to you." Continued the cream Earth Pony as the mint Unicorn glared at her.

Well, that answers that question. You thought.

"Bon Bon!" The Unicorn whined.

"Lyra, the creature you've wanted to meet for looooong time is right there! Everypony thought you were crazy, don't you wanna prove them wrong?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then speak to him!"

Lyra tried to retort, but realized that Bon Bon had a point and quietly groaned. She walked up to you and said, "H-Hi."

"Hey."

"Um, this is gonna sound weird, but-"

"She wants to ask you out." Bon Bon intercepted.

"Wha-No! That's not it!" Lyra defended with a blush as Bon Bon laughed at her friend's expense.

"Um, well, even so, I'm still new to this whole 'Other World' biz, so I don't think I'm ready to cross that barrier yet." You state.

Lyra regained her composure after you said that and spoke again, "Okay, but that's not what I was going to say, I was going to ask if you and I could be friends."

You stop and think for a second; a world full of talking ponies is still weird to you, also the fact that some of them can fly and use magic made it even weirder, but that doesn't mean you can't be friends with them. Besides, to these ponies, you probably seem just as weird as them. And the Princess DID say to make friends, so...

"Yeah," you smiled, "I'd like that."

Lyra smiled brightly at your response while Bon Bon just rolled her eyes.

You smiled at that memory; you and Lyra were practically inseparable and you later found that she was and still is dating Bon Bon.

You raised your hand up and lifted a feather duster in a magical hue that was the same color as your eyes and began dusting. You remember how you were able to use magic like any Unicorn...

Ever since you came to Equestria, you've taken residence in Twilight's castle, occupying one of the vacant rooms. You had the basic necessities of a bedroom; a dresser, a wardrobe, a work desk, a nightstand, and, of course, a bed. Apparently, the ponies here are smaller than you, so you had to have your bed custom made, which cost more, but it was worth it. One day, Twilight and all of her friends came into your room to speak with you.

"Hey, um, do you have a minute?" Twilight spoke first.

"Maybe, do you have a stopwatch so I can time you?" You joked.

You, Spike, and the girls all shared a good laugh, but it quickly died down and Twilight spoke once more.

"It's amazing that you've adapted here so easily."

"Well, I wouldn't say easy, but..."

"You've come a long way from when we found you. I'm sorry that we couldn't send you home. The Princesses are still working on-"

"Twilight." You interjected, "It's okay. I've actually grown really fond of this place, and..."

"And...?" Twilight pressed.

"If I was given the chance to go back home, it would really hurt, cause I'm gonna miss you guys. A lot."

Twilight and her friends gave you faint smiles as you continued, "You guys took me in when I had nowhere else to go, I had to start from scratch and you were all there every step of the way, and I'm grateful for that. So..."

A tear began to glide your face as you smiled, "...Thank you. Thank you all so much."

You noticed Twilight beginning to cry and pulled her into a genuine hug. It was at that moment that you felt your hands tingling and you felt as if you were floating.

"Uh, Twilight?" Spike said with worry.

"What's wrong, Spi-WHOA!"

You opened your eyes and saw Twilight and yourself floating.

"How in the-!" You stopped yourself when you saw your hands.

"You can use magic?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Well... that's new."

After that day, Twilight theorized that the Magic of Friendship must have given you the ability to use magic yourself. You never understood how that was possible, but you hardly cared, you had friends and that's all that mattered. You continued to clean your room, until you laid eyes on the calendar and read what date it was:

November 2014

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It's November 26, 2014. One day away from Thanksgiving. You remembered that Thanksgiving was during the last Thursday of the month, so you made sure to highlight it. Then you realized...

It's almost Thanksgiving.

Your first Thanksgiving without your family.

Your happy mood from reminiscing had shifted into a depressing one. I wonder how they're doing without me...

Your thoughts were interrupted when you heard your door open, predictably, it was Twilight.

"Hey, I just wanted to check on you, and-" she stopped when she saw your face, "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing." You hesitated.

"You face tells me something different, what's the matter?"

You didn't want to just lay your feelings out right then and there, but you had to get it out before it hurt even worse. Knowing that piece of knowledge hurt you even more because that's one of the many things your mom has taught you.

"Well... in my world, there this holiday we have called Thanksgiving..."

"Go on."

"It's on the last Thursday of November... when all of our families come together and have a big feast... and we all tell each other what we are grateful for..."

"Why do you do that?"

"Because a lot of people like us don't have a lot of stuff, making us feel like we're lowly and poor, but Thanksgiving is a way we can proudly say that we are grateful for what we have now..."

"And?"

You stopped for moment. You knew this next part was going to strike you in the heart.

"...This is my first Thanksgiving without my family."

Twilight put a hoof over her mouth in shock, she couldn't believe that one thought of a nearby holiday could instantly make someone homesick. She recollected herself and tried to speak.

"Um... what exactly did you have for a feast... if you don't mind me asking?"

You sighed deeply, "Stuffing, mashed potatoes, peas, corn, turkey, pie for dessert-"

"Wait, wait! What was that last one?!"

"Turkey- Oh."

Twilight looked a little panicked.

"Um, yeah, humans eat plants and meat; we're Omnivores. But don't get me wrong! I don't eat all kinds of meat, especially pony meat, so, no, I'm not going to eat you or your friends or any other pony in Equestria!"

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. "Is there... anything else?"

"Well..."

In 5 minutes, you explained every food (vegetable, of course), and every dessert used in Thanksgiving dinner.

"I see."

"If that's all, I wanna be alone right now."

"I understand." With that, Twilight left your bedroom.

She walked down the hall and into the Throne Room, where Spike sat on his own throne next to Twilight's.

"Spike!" Twilight called.

He hopped off of his seat and waddled over to his friend, "Yes, Twilight?" He asked.

"I'm gonna go get our friends, in the meantime, I want you to write a letter to somepony."

Spike pulled out a quill and parchment, "Okay, to whom?"

Twilight whispered in his ear, telling him who to send it to.

"Oh, okay then!"

Twilight smiled and nodded, and proceeded to make her way to the door.

"May I ask why, though?"

Twilight craned her head to him with her smile still present, "You'll see."

You woke up in a grouchy mood; you knew exactly what today is and you dreaded it since yesterday. You got into a sitting position on your bed, stretching your arms and scratching... yourself.

This is gonna suck... You thought. Maybe if I spend some time with my friends, I could get my mind off of this.

It was somewhat of a false hope, but it's all you've got. Suddenly, your bedroom door opens...

"Hey, Two Legs!"

Speak of the devil, Rainbow Dash hovers into your room, calling you by the nickname she gave you; honestly, you weren't sure whether to be offended or amused, that nickname, to you, felt like the pony equivalent of a racist, or, "speciest" as you called it. I spend way too much time with ponies. You thought in the back of your mind. While you were thinking, you failed to notice Applejack walk, or trot, in your room, as well.

"Morning, Sugar Cube!" There's a nickname you can't judge. "Sorry, if were intrudin', but Rainbow an' Ah wanted ta' take y'all out fer breakfast, if yer up fer it."

That was... oddly convient.

You put your open palm into your mouth and yawn into it, afterwards you say, "Sure. Wasn't gonna make my own breakfast, anyway."

Rainbow beamed, "Awesome! Let's go!"

You shot her an annoyed look, "Can I at least get dressed first?"

Rainbow turned and saw that you were still in your pajamas, "Ah-heh-heh, sorry."

After getting dressed, You, Rainbow, and Applejack stroll through town and into Sugarcube Corner. You all sit in a booth as Mrs. Cake take your orders; Rainbow orders a stack of blueberry pancakes, Applejack an apple-cinnamon muffin, and you...

You order a dozen banana nut muffins with chocolate chips baked into them, and an extra large chocolate milkshake with a hint of vanilla and strawberry.

She was confused on why you made such a large order, but quickly dismissed the thought and said, "Coming right up!" And trotted back in the kitchen. If you're going to deal with today, you might as well drown your sorrows in sweets.

"Uh, you okay? That's WAAAAAY too big a breakfast, even for you." Rainbow questioned.

You fold your arms on the table and place your chin on top of them, "...Twilight seriously didn't tell you?"

"Tell us what, Sugar Cube?" Applejack asked.

You sighed deeply and recapped everything you and Twilight talked about the pervious day; as you tell your tale, Mrs. Cake returns with your food and you all dig in as you continued.

"Aaaaaand, that's pretty much it."

Rainbow and Applejack were shocked at your sad story, never in all of their lives have they heard about somepony spending the holidays without their family, even if it's a holiday they've never heard of. They gave you sympathetic gazes as you ate. Soon Mrs. Cake returned to your booth.

"Will there be anything else?"

You slurped whatever remained of your milkshake and slid it over to the other side of the table to her, "Yeah, another round and keep 'em coming."

"Oh, um, okay." With that she left.

Rainbow gave you a disapproving glare, "Dude, if you scarf down so much sweets just to make yourself feel better, your body's gonna quit on you!"

You combated her glare with a deadpan look, "It's my body and I'll eat myself sick if I want."

"Now, now, let's not say or do anythang we all might regret." Applejack intervened.

You two stared at each other for a moment longer until you sigh, "I'm sorry, I'm just depressed."

It was Rainbow's turn to sigh, "It's fine, we're just worried about you."

You and your friends finished the rest of your breakfast in silence and made your way back to the castle.

You all stepped through front doors of the castle, you were ready to retire for the day, despite the fact that it was only 12PM. You began the trek to your room—

"Whoa there, dude!" Rainbow stopped you, "This way!"

Rainbow started pulling you toward the dining room with Applejack following suit.

"Rainbow, I already ate." You protested.

"Relax, just trust us."

You were guided into the dining room and you were shocked at what stood before you; your Ponyville friends and a long table with ten chairs, piled with food. Mashed potatoes, apple stuffing, corn on the cob, peas with butter, and a... turkey? No, it just looks like a turkey; a watermelon for the body, cabbage leaves for the tail feathers and wings, a carrot for the neck, a head of lettuce for the head, and a baby carrot for the beak.

"What... What is all this?" You ask.

"We wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving with you." Twilight answered. "I know that it isn't the same as it is back where you're from, but we did the best we could. What do you think?"

You looked around, taking everything in. These girls, your greatest friends, did all of this for you. Even Lyra and Bon Bon were here, you knew that they were out of town for their month-long vacation, but they came back to celebrate with you. You slightly hang your head and let a tear glide down your face. You bring your head back up and give a grateful smile.

"...It's perfect."

Everyone cheered at your answer while you cried tears of joy.

"I know what you're thinking," Bon Bon began, "'How come you two are back so soon?' Well, Twilight sent us a letter to come home, cause you were down in the dumps, so we rushed over as fast as we could and she filled us in on what was going on."

Lyra walked up to you, "I'm sorry you couldn't celebrate your human holiday with your family."

"It's okay." Your smile never wavered. "Besides, ever since you guys took me when I had nowhere else to go, I've always felt you guys were my family."

Your words brought tears of joy to everyone's eyes. You never thought you'd open up like this to your friends.

"Come on, let's dig in!" Spike declared.

With that, everyone took their seats and passed their plates full of food. You and Twilight sat at both ends of the table with Lyra at your left and Bon Bon at your right. You all ate the make-shift Thanksgiving dinner, even the lookalike turkey, which tasted surprisingly good. Before dinner was finished, you took your glass of apple cider and your spoon in your hands and tapped it on, making a dinging sound.

"Everybod- Ahem, I mean, everypony, I'd like to propose a toast, to you, my friends. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me, and not just all of this," You motioned to the table, "when I was lost and confused, you all took care of me, you did everything in your power to find a way for me to go back home, and I couldn't be anymore grateful than I already am." Tears of joy began to flow again, "You guys really are the best friends a guy could ever have... Thank you all, for everything."

"Awww!" Your friends cooed.

"You know," Twilight spoke up, "maybe we could do this every year, as a tradition, I could bring Shining Armor and Cadence to celebrate, even my parents!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie chimed in, "I could invite Mr. and Mrs. Cake and the twins! And my mom and my dad and my sisters, especially Maud!"

"Ah guess would be a good idea ta have some o' the Apple family for this next year." Applejack suggested.

"While we're on the subject, maybe mother and father could come and join us next time, I could even bring Sweetie Belle along." Rarity added.

"Yeah! And I'll bring Scoots! Next Thanksgiving's gonna be the biggest, greatest, most awesomest bash EVER!" Rainbow declared.

You watched as your friends conversed with each other, making plans for your next Thanksgiving and their newest tradition. You're sure that you'll have many great Thanksgivings from now on, but there's one thing you know about all this, no matter how many you have or how awesome or cool anyone makes it in the future...

This was the best Thanksgiving ever.