The Alternative Holidays
[Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Auditorium - October 31st]
“So, what’s this movie called again?” Smolder asked. She and a lot of other students and some faculty of the school were all sitting down in front of a big screen and movie projector in front.
Gregory was busily setting up said projector and connecting it and a few large speakers that Sunset had brought from the human world to his laptop. Outside of the darkened room, a heavy rainfall had just begun and according to some pegasi and griffins who had flown above said storm, it was going to last for a few days at least. It might have been October 31st, but being so far north, wintery weather had already started, with the possibility for snow in the upcoming week or two. “It’s an older movie from my world called The Thing. It’s a mix of science fiction and horror. Fair warning, this movie is not for the faint of heart.”
“Pfft, oh please. With the amount of crazy we used to deal with on a weekly basis, I doubt any old movie can make us lose our nerve,” Rainbow Dash stated confidently.
“It’s rated R for a reason,” Gregory said. “Remember when I talked about movie ratings?”
“Hey, let her find out the hard way. Let’s see if the hardened Wonderbolt can keep that same energy. I know I’ll be winning that bet we got,” Jaason said from his position near the front right next to a human shaped Chrysalis. He held a bowl of popcorn in his hand which he was sharing with his fiancée. The bet he was referring to was one that came from an argument on who among the school was the most fearless. It was actually Jason’s idea to show a horror movie marathon and he’d gone to Gregory to see what sort of movies he had. It was just lucky that he’d downloaded a bunch of scary movies. They’d gone through the list of movies Gregory had until Jason pointed out a few terrifying human horror movies, including The Thing by John Carpenter. Gregory was a bit hesitant to show this particular one, but when he saw that the people were not gonna back down, he reluctantly agreed.
“Oh yeah?” Rainbow said in a challenging tone. “I bet you all the candy I’m going to score on Nightmare Night that this scary film is all hype.”
Jason smirked as he ate his popcorn. “Your funeral.”
Gregory smirked. “It’s just a good thing Fluttershy’s not here. She would not have a good time. I should have done The Nightmare Before Christmas, but you older people wanted true horror.”
“I do wonder how science will play into something with such an auspicious title,” Twilight said.
“I must agree that naming a movie ‘The Thing’ hardly seems imaginative,” Rarity said.
“It’s science fiction, my dear Twilight,” Gregory said, “so it’s best to suspend your disbelief. And Rarity, sometimes the simplest titles of human media are the best.” He finally finished setting things up, and the screen popped up on the large projector, showing his desktop, which showed an image of a very famous science fiction spaceship and several icons. “Okay, and we are up and running.” He stood and turned back. “If any of you for any reason want to leave, I won’t stop you. Like I said, this is a horror movie and not one for anyone who is easily frightened to watch.” When nobody stood, he sighed and hit play before walking over to Ember, sitting next to his girlfriend and sharing a bowl of their own popcorn among them.
The movie begins with a group of men standing on the continent of Antarctica. They were bewildered when a husky wolf ran up to them clearly distressed. “Ah, look at the cute little doggie. It’s too bad Fluttershy is missing this,” Pinkie said.
“I wouldn’t want her watching this movie,” Gregory replied, “now hush and watch.”
The scene continued as a helicopter landed in front of them as more human males came out with weapons trained on the wayward dog. “Ah don’t like the looks of ‘em. And what in Sam Hill is the thing they came out of?” Applejack asked.
“It looks like my bichopper but with more metal,” Pinkie said.
“Say, what kind of weapons are those? They’re longer than your pistols Gregory,” Starlight asked,
“Those are assault rifles,” Gregory explained., “and I’ll explain what they are later. Now hush and watch.”
Back in the movie, the men broke out into an argument that ultimately led to the humans defending the husky to kill the disgruntled men in self defense. Many in the assembly flinched in shock at the violent death in clear display. But, the real shock came when two of the researchers left for the Norwegian facility. There, the two men found an abnormally large ice tomb that appeared to have contained something ancient. The men also discovered a horribly disfigured corpse. The sight of the body made more than half the audience squeamish as a few more left the movie. The two men brought the corpse back for an autopsy.
“I should remind you, nothing you’re seeing has really happened to them,” Gregory said. “It’s all special effects.”
“W-Well, I give credit to the prop designer for their realistic effects…” Rarity gulped.
“Why were they trying to hurt that little dog? I take it back. I’m glad Fluttershy isn’t here,” Pinkie said.
Gregory sighed. He had been afraid of this. The movie had just begun, and the constant talking and questions was starting to get to him. Still, he remained patient as he said, “Just watch and maybe you’ll find out.”
“You might as well save your breath. Ponies are probably more curious than us. Just let them enjoy it how they want. We already saw the movie. I’m just here for the reactions,” Jason said as he noted several of the audience looking queasy.
“Yes, we have a standing bet to see who's left standing after this horror show,” Chrysalis said.
“Here for the lulz, got it,” Gregory said as he reached into the popcorn bowl only to touch Ember’s claw which was already reaching for popcorn of her own. He gave her a small embarrassed smile. “Sorry,” he whispered to her.
“What? Are you so scared that you need to hold my claw?” Ember teased. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
Gregory rolled his eyes at this and stuck out his tongue at her playfully as he continued watching. The movie continues as the Americans placed the husky dog in a pen with the others. The audience noticed how the husky sat motionless in the center while the other dogs gave it a wide berth. In fact, as the scene dragged on, the other dogs became increasingly more upset and afraid as they started barking wildly.
“I wonder what’s got them all upset?” Gallus pondered.
“I don’t think they like their new roommate,” Silverstream said.
Hidden from them all, Jason grinned in anticipation at what would be revealed soon enough. His smile grew as all the occupants let out a shriek of surprise when the lone husky’s face split apart. More screams erupted at the image of the bleeding and tearing flesh of the dog as it twitched in an unnatural manner. Some ponies fainted while others ran out of the room looking like they were about to hurl. The creature began spraying the other dog in strange fluids before tendrils shot out of its body and wrapped around the other dogs. The pen doors made escape impossible as the creature grew spider-like legs. One of the humans came to investigate only for one of the distressed dogs to knock him down. The man got back up to see something trying to escape. He quickly locked the pen before the alarm went off and alerted the other researchers. The humans converged to behold the horror of a disfigured dog glaring and roaring at them with an unnatural squeal.
“What manner of creature is that?” Celestia asked. Never in her long years of life had she ever encountered such a thing.
“I don’t know, but it stole our whole motif!” Chrysalis said in outrage. “At least changelings take other forms with more finesse.”
“Oh, it gets better, honey,” Jason said deviously.
“You’re evil, Jason,” Gregory said teasingly.
Back to the movie, the humans got over their shock and began firing their weapons at the monster with little effect. A stray shot killed a dog wrapped in tentacles before another human tackled the gun wielder down. Before an argument could break out, the monster sprouted arms from its back and attempted to escape through the ceiling. Finally, the segment ended with another human wielding a flame thrower and burning the creature alive.
“I think after this, I’ll show them a ridiculous comedy video,” Gregory said to Jason. “A palette cleanser, if you will.”
“W-What? Why? D-Do you think we’re wimps or something? This is–” Rainbow paused as she suppressed a gag and a shudder. “This is a monster movie marathon. We’re not some scared little fillies.”
“I’m feeling pretty scared right now…!” Sunburst trembled.
Gregory looked over to where Sunset was seated beside Celestia. She was just leaning against the wall in a remarkably human way, looking unperturbed. He locked eyes with his new rival in gaming and gave her a grin. She grinned back, then went back to watching the movie. The men take the new corpse to the autopsy room and discover that the thing was trying to replicate and copy the dog. Twilight took an interest in that as she spoke.
“Amazing,” Twilight said, taking some notes in her notebook. “It can replicate the mass of another organism. Its cells and genetic make up must be completely malleable.”
“Too bad it kills the creature it's trying to mimic. Another point to changelings being the superior shapeshifters,” Chrysalis stated smugly as Jason rolled his eyes.
Jason rolled his eyes. “This is a movie viewing, not an ego trip, Chryssi,” Jason said flatly. “Besides, I’d say the thing is better at causing dissension in the ranks.”
Jason was right, of course. The movie continued and displayed the growing distrust between the human researchers. The men soon found what the Norwegians dug up through their video logs and set out to the site. Once there, the audience gasped at the unusual circular structure buried in the snow. “WHOA! Is that a spaceship?!” Spike exclaimed. “So the thing is an alien?!”
“I did say it was a science fiction movie, didn’t I?” Gregory chuckled. “Now let’s watch, little drake. You and your girlfriend.” He smirked at Spike and Gabby who were sitting next to each other.
After deducing how the Norwegians found the Thing, one scientist played a simulation of how the Thing assimilated its prey with the computer reading a 75% chance of the researchers crew being infected. The more intelligent ponies in the room recoiled in shock at the implication of those readings, but then, everyone gasped out in horror at the number displaying how long it would take for the Thing to infect the entire planet.
“27000 hours! That’s just a little over three years!!!” Starlight shrieked.
“And I thought I was fast…” Rainbow squealed out.
“It still surprises me that Gaia years and Earth years are identical,” Gregory said quietly, “including leap years…”
The movie continued with a pair of men moving the corpse into storage. “Ah think they outta burn that thing and be done with it. There’s no way ah’d feel safe otherwise,” Applejack commented. Sure enough, as one man temporarily leaves the room and comes back inside, he sees the thing assimilating its next victim. “What the hay?!?!”
“I thought that thing was dead!” Gallus hollered.
“Why did it have to be tentacles?” Sunset said squeamishly.
“Yeah, that’s not the kind of hugs I like or endorse,” Pinkie gagged.
“For that reason exactly,” Gregory said.
“I’ve seen enough hentai to know where this is going,” Jason joked.
Gregory gave Jason a narrow eyed stare before he took off one of the slippers he was wearing and pointed it at Jason as he said, “I will send you to Jesus.”
The scene continued with the infected crewmate running out into the snow. It fell to its knees as the researchers surrounded it. The creature looked back at the men as it lifted its horribly disfigured and bloody hands. It released an unholy wail that no creature this side of Earth and Gaia would ever make. Taking action, a man burned the creature as it squealed in pain. The sound caused more of the audience members to run out as the creature collapsed to the ground and another man threw a stick of dynamite at it and blew it up. It was then that the crew gathered all the other corpses and burned them as well.
“Good. Given this creature's nature, it would be best to destroy all remnants of it,” Celestia praised.
“They should’ve done that from the beginning thus preventing the loss of their friends,” Ember said.
“But then we wouldn’t have a movie,” Gregory chuckled.
However, the distrust between the men grew as one of the scientists seemingly became unhinged and began sabotaging the equipment. He destroyed the helicopter and radios and killed the surviving dogs. Things escalated further when the mad scientist began firing upon his fellow crewmates, forcing the other men to place him in a makeshift prison. However, the man stated how he can’t trust anyone and told another to watch out for the others.
“Goodness! This situation is driving everyone mad!” Rarity noted.
“Put yourself in their position,” Gregory said. “Would you be able to fully trust anyone if this creature was imitating someone in your friend group?”
“Uh, didn’t we go through the exact same thing with the changelings?” Trixie reminded everyone.
“I wasn’t about to say anything,” Gregory said.
“You implied it,” Chrysalis said, “and like I said, changelings have more finesse in our disguises. Killing our targets tends to complicate matters.” Chrysalis noticed the odd stares she was getting. “What? We haven’t practiced those methods in thousands of years. At least during my mother’s tenure.”
“Wow, I wanna hear about that later,” Gregory said.
Back with the film, a doctor suggested a way to discern who was an imposter by gathering blood samples and comparing it to an untainted batch. However, the test never happened as the backup blood supply was drained away. Accusations began to fly amongst the men as only certain individuals could have ruined the samples given their access to the key and safe. One man became so distraught that he attempted to arm himself with a weapon, but was stopped and they relegated the authority to one man. They burned the blood and the newly appointed leader gives a logical speech about how not all of the crewmates are compromised.
“I can’t believe how bad it’s gotten so quickly,” Sunburst said.
“Fear and paranoia are powerful tools. I’ve seen kingdoms collapse from these very same feelings,” Celestia said. “At the very least, these men are approaching this with critical and sound thinking so as not to be too overwhelmed. Panic is dangerous as well.”
“It’s too bad we didn’t get to see that test play out. I wonder how they would’ve gotten everyone to agree to it. I doubt the Thing would submit to something that would expose its treachery,” Twilight hypothesized.
The movie continued with them noticing someone going outside until he found an article of clothing. They form a search party while asking the captive man if he’s seen anyone. The audience is then shown a morbid scene of a noose hanging from the ceiling while the prisoner casually asking to go back inside.
“Is that a noose?!” Smolder asked.
“Maybe he wants to play jump rope?” Sandbar offered weakly.
“I think it's best if we don’t read too much into this,” Ocellus shuddered.
Sadly, the search ended with the missing man found in the snow burnt to a crisp. The men offered theories as to what happened, but nothing was ultimately concluded. “Wait, does the thing know how to work the explosive now?” Spike asked.
“I think that human might’ve made a mistake. You’re supposed to handle those things with caution,” Gabby said.
“So, which is it?” Rainbow asked her human friends.
“I don’t know,” Jason gave a noncommittal shrug. “The filmmakers wanted their audience to come up with their own ideas about what's happening. That’s why this is a classic.”
“It is a pretty good film,” Gregory nodded, “and the best scene still hasn’t come up yet.”
The movie went on with two men investigating a shack with the lights on. However, only one of them came back when they discovered more clothing out in the open, thus making the rest of the crew suspicious of the now missing leader. The other men began arguing about leaving the leader to freeze outside when he came back. Eventually, the leader found another way inside and held up three sticks of dynamite before his other crewmates.
“No! Don’t turn on each other. That’s what the Thing wants!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“I think at this point any one of them could be the monster,” Starlight said.
“So what are they going to do? Are they going to fight each other?” Rainbow asked.
“Ah think it’s a mite more serious than a simple tussle,” Applejack said grimly.
The ensuing fight led to one of the men dying from a heart attack. The others got him to the medical bay and attempted to bring him back to life. However, right when a man was about to use the defibrillator, the formerly dead man’s chest cavity opened up to reveal razor sharp teeth. It chomped down on the man’s arms and bit them off as he screamed in agony. The Thing revealed another horrific transformation as the severed head of the man sat on a pillar of flesh and moved around like a snake. The sounds of vomiting and hoofsteps echo throughout the showing as more ponies left.
“Best…scene…ever,” Gregory said as the Thing transformed. He then turned to Ember, holding up the popcorn. “Want some more?”
Ember looked slightly put off at the scene but regained her composure. “Yeah, give it here!” She took the bowl and poured the whole thing into her maw.
Gregory smirked as he took a sip of his soda. He looked around the room, noticing that the auditorium was quickly becoming emptier. “At this rate, it’ll be a marathon of one movie,” he chuckled.
“As long as I win the bet, then I’m cool,” Jason said.
“F-Fat chance!!!” Rainbow said with resolve. “It will take more than some creepy, freaky head growing out of a stomach to scare us off!” As if to challenge her words, the scene continued with the original body’s head detaching itself from the rest as a man burns it. It grew spider-like appendages from its neck stump and tried to flee, but the leader burned it as well. Rainbow now looks thoroughly disturbed by this. “...Um…”
“And we’re still only at the midway point,” Jason chuckles.
“There’s more of this gruesome parade of body horror?” Chrysalis asked. “I am seriously considering getting your head checked out.”
“What, does that include me?” Gregory asked. “This is my copy of the movie, you know?”
“You both can share a room in the looney bin after this,” Sunset giggled.
“Bite me, Sunny,” Gregory snarked back at his gaming buddy.
Finally, the leader attempted to regain some order by proposing a new blood test, but only after everyone was restrained. When one man refused, the leader threatened him with a gun. One man attempts to attack the leader from behind with a scalpel. This caused the leader to spin around and fire, killing his crewmate with a headshot. The audience all looked on in dismay.
“Nooooo! Human Fluttershy!!!!” Pinkie wailed.
“Now you know why I refuse to share my weapon technology with the world,” Gregory said.
“...I don’t think a friendship lesson is going to fix this, Twilight,” Starlight said solemnly.
“I think you might be right,” Twilight agreed. “I hope they come up with some kind of solution before anyone else is hurt.”
Gregory was suddenly aware of a new weight on his lap. Looking down, he saw a trembling Pinkie Pie now curled up on his lap. Feeling a bit bad for her, he began stroking her mane reassuringly. “It’s only a movie, Pinkie,” he said softly.
“I know. I’m playing it up a bit, but it’s still so sad. Plus, I like my headpats,” Pinkie smiled.
Gregory smirked and ran his hand through her soft mane. “And I like giving them. It’s relaxing.”
Ember snorted in anger and pulled Gregory closer to her while giving Pinkie the stink eye. The pink mare seemed to get the message and went back to her seat with an awkward chuckle. “Hehe, sorry.”
“Relax, Ember,” Gregory whispered as he put an arm around her, pulling her close. “She’s just a friend.”
Back on screen, the leader finally began the test now that the crew and the dead bodies are properly tied up. The next few minutes were filled with nothing but pure suspense as the leader explained his idea. “I get it!” Twilight stated. “If the Thing’s components act independently from each other then it makes sense that any individual part doesn’t want to be destroyed. It’s a test designed to play against one's own survival instincts!” Twilight finished while clapping her hooves excitedly.
“Leave it to the book horse to look at this horrorfest scientifically,” Sunset chuckled.
“Shush! The test is starting!”
The leader then goes to each man and collects a blood sample. “Does he have to take that much?” Silverstream asked as she turned green.
“You can never be too thorough. I guess,” Gallus said.
With the samples collected, the leader heated up a copper wire. He took his sample first and stabbed the wire into the blood. Everyone sighed in relief when there was no reaction. The leader got to the man he’d shot and tested his blood, only for there to be no reaction, prompting one of the other men to snidely call him a murderer.
“I wouldn’t say that it was murder,” Ember said.
“Why’s that? He clearly shot the other guy,” Spike said.
“He shot the guy attempting to attack him from behind. Self defense.”
‘That’s true,” Smolder agreed.
“But he only did that because he was threatening everyone else with a weapon. And, he thought he was a thing.” Gabby reminded them.
“And the leader thought the others were the Thing since they tried to leave him in the cold. So, I’d say he’s justified,” Ember said.
“Regardless, a tragic misunderstanding can cost you dearly. Let’s hope the conclusion of this test will finally end this madness,” Celestia said.
“I don’t know about this test though. He’s already gone through half of them and there’s been no reaction. What if this doesn’t work?” Rarity asked.
“Wait for iiiit,” Gregory smirked.
One of the men seemed to recite Rarity’s concerns as he said the whole test is a waste of time and didn’t prove anything. The leader rebuked him and responded that the man was the only one that had access to the blood samples in the safe. By now, the audience understood the pattern to identify who was safe. The camera always showed the leader heating up the wire. Then, it panned to the target in question. The leader poked the blood sample. There was no reaction and the man was safe. All these steps were in its own shot. The audience relaxed a bit and figured that the man that tried to dismiss the test was the Thing. However, no one was prepared when the leader poked another sample that was in his hand and the blood let out a hiss of pain and shot out of the dish. Everyone save for Jason and Gregory jumped back in surprise before the now exposed thing shapeshifted again.
“No way! It was him!?” Rainbow shrieked.
“I thought for sure it was the doctor!” Starlight said.
“That’s what I love about this movie,” Gregory said, “it keeps you guessing.”
Once again, the transformation was a gruesome one. The man’s head began to swell as his eyeballs popped out of their sockets. Its skull cracked open and protruded outward. Blood flowed out like a river before the Thing burst out of its restraints. The leader fumbled with the flamethrower as it wouldn’t light while the Thing shot up to the ceiling. Another man tried to burn it, but he froze up when the Thing jumped back down in front of him. Its head split open like a Venus flytrap and a tentacle wraps around the man's neck and pulls him into its maw. The man screamed in pain as the thing hoisted him off his feet while biting his cranium. Finally, he tossed the man aside while the leader finally got his weapon to work and torched the Thing. It tried to flee by bursting through the walls, but it collapsed from the fire and the leader blew it up.
“Well - hehe - the test worked,” Twilight said while feeling conflicted.
“Why the hay did he freeze up like that?” Rainbow said.
“Cut them some slack, RD. This ain’t normal circumstances! The man’s head was just chewed up like Wynnona’s chew toy by another man’s head!” Applejack said.
“I’m just saying he could’ve done something other than stand there!”
“It’s called shock, Rainbow,” Gregory explained. “It can happen to anyone.”
“It wouldn’t happen to me,” Ember stated.
“I didn’t say it would happen to everyone,” Gregory chuckled, pulling Ember even closer and rubbing her shoulder affectionately.
After destroying the Thing, the leader proceeded to burn his wounded crewmate, knowing full well that he was infected and there was no saving him. The remaining audience members were saddened by this but didn’t leave despite there being only a third of the original occupancy.
“Wow, there’s more here than I expected,” Gregory said softly to Jason.
“Hmm, yeah, but they’ll be gone during the last legs,” Jason said confidently.
The test finally concluded with the remaining humans being cleared of infection, however, they soon realized that the prisoner they left in the shack. When three of them went to check on him, they discovered that he was missing. To make matters worse, he was attempting to build an escape spacecraft.
“You mean that guy was the Thing too!?” Smolder gasped. “When did that happen?”
“Maybe the same time the mysterious shadow figure drew that scientist outside,” Sandbar suggested.
“Yona doesn't like all these twists,” the teenage yak said, “It’s making her head hurt.”
“He definitely had to change sometime when they burned the first human Thing,” Gallus said.
As the men began to prepare more dynamite, one of the men spotted the escaped Thing running outside before the power in the facility went out. The generator was completely shot thus threatening to freeze everyone remaining. The leader quickly deduced that the Thing wanted to freeze itself so that it could be discovered by a different research team. The dire implications donned on each man as they realized there was no escape. They realized then that they had to ensure that the Thing didn't escape either.
“I must admire this creature’s cunning and adaptability. In a few short hours, it’s driven a wedge between these humans and claimed a few lives. I shudder to think what would happen if such a being was real and free upon Gaia,” Celestia said with a shake of her head. “At the very least, these men are intent on stopping the creature from causing more harm. I’ve only seen such valor within the royal guards of old.”
Gregory almost made a quip to Chrysalis about how this creature was more like a changeling than she thought, but thought better of it. Instead, he said, “This movie is good at showing the best and worst of us.”
“It’s just a shame,” Twilight said as the scene showed the men destroying the facility. “Imagine all the research they discovered, only to have to destroy because of an alien monster! Why did this Thing choose to harm anyone? They could’ve learned so much from each other.”
“Why do Timberwolves harm anyone?” Gregory countered. “We don’t know if this creature is sapient like us or if it’s more like an advanced form of animal.”
“To be fair, Timberwolves are mostly mindless. This Thing has shown to be just as intelligent if not more so than the humans. It has the ability to make conscious and cognitive choices. Yet, it chose violence. That makes it malevolent,” Chrysalis said. “Or, to repeat my original point, it has no class.”
“No class? When did you turn into Rarity?” Gregory teased.
“Oh, please. I am a queen, remember? It comes with the crown.”
The men moved to a sub basement with a number of explosives to finally put an end to everything. However, the Thing managed to ambush the doctor and proceeded to assimilate him without anyone the wiser. The last two humans put the finishing touches on the explosive until one of the men got distracted and walked away, leaving the leader by himself.
“Welp, he’s dead,” Sunset said bluntly.
“What? You don’t know that,” Rainbow said.
“Ah don’t know, RD. Every time someone is by themselves or goes sightseein’, that Thing gets ‘em,” Applejack said.
“Sunset’s seen enough human movies to see where this trope is going, I’m sure,” Gregory smirked, fistbumping his friend’s hoof.
“It honestly makes little sense to even separate at this point.” Rarity abolished. “I mean, they should know it's a death sentence by now.”
“Says one of the ponies who asked Twilight to stay behind when trying to deal with the Everfree attacking?” Gregory jabbed playfully, referring to one of the episodes of the show where Twilight got her new castle
“Pfft. She was in the safety of Ponyville with a good number of capable ponies. It’s hardly the same.”
“Capable like…let’s see…ah never mind, not worth it to list all the names I know,” Gregory smirked.
“Now hold on a minute there, partner. You can’t go comparin’ that show of yers tah real life. Are ya sayin’ mah brother can't handle an overgrown weed?” Applejack asked.
“Remind me to show you those two episodes, but I think he’s one of the more capable ponies I know,” Gregory replied.
When the leader noticed that he was all alone now, the floorboards began to shake and burst from the ground as something headed toward him. The leader managed to evade it, but a tentacle grabbed the detonator, pulling it away. As the movie began to reach its climax, the final form of the Thing emerged. It towered over the man with a head devoid of any eyes, but still possessing razor sharp teeth. It had three arms - one on the right side and two on the left - while a disfigured dog-like head burst from its chest. All the while it let out an inhuman roar. This revelation was enough to scare off the remaining audience members as more hoofsteps scurried out the room. The only ones still there were Celestia, Sunset, the school faculty, the students, the former bearers. Chrysalis and the humans.
“I guess the Thing is done with the disguises,” Starlight noted in a queasy tone.
“Why bother when there’s only one human left?” Ember said.
“Hey, the doggy-thing makes a comeback,” Pinkie said.
“Yes, and it’s somehow even uglier,” Spike gagged.
“And it looks like it's just us for the rest of the ride,” Sunburst stated, noticing the empty seats.
“Just a few more scenes to go,” Jason said.
Back to the film, the leader shouted back at the Thing in defiance with a final “Yeah, fuck you too!” before using a stick of dynamite to detonate the others, thus destroying the facility. After a massive explosion, the leader stumbled on a piece of debris, thoroughly exhausted from the whole ordeal. However, another researcher that went missing returned in full snow gear. He took a seat next to the leader who questioned where he went. The man responded by saying that he saw the Thing running outside and gave chase, but he lost him. The leader eyed the man with suspicion as he took a drink. Both men were now wary of each other before the leader suggested that they sit down in the rising heat and nearby fire. The film finally cut to black and ended.
“Ah, what!? That’s it? It ends like that?! But who's the thing?” Rainbow exclaimed,
“I think that newcomer is the Thing,” Sunset said. “Did you notice that the remaining guy’s breath could be seen, but the other guy had no breath shown?”
“He might be sitting in a warmer spot,” Pinkie offered.
“And didn’t that thing in the snow have frost breath?” Rarity reminded them.
“Ah, drake! I hate cliffhanger endings!” Spike said.
“And how dumb is it that they were just going to sit there in the fire!” Smolder said.
“Yeah, if it were me, I’d probably just burn the other man. Why bother playing when I'm in top form and he’s not,” Gallus said.
“I doubt that would be so simple since he supposedly got lost in the storm and had to make his way back,” Sunburst stated.
“I found it to be a fitting end, since it upheld the themes of mystery and suspense quite well,” Celestia praised.
“Well, we have more movies to watch,” Gregory said as he stood and walked to his computer.
“Hey, that’s right! Ha!” Rainbow shot out of her seat and pointed a triumphant hoof at Jason. “We’re still here after that horror show! I bet you’ve got nothing left to scare us now!”
“Let’s take a little break to stretch our legs and go to the bathroom first, though,” Gregory said. “And don’t underestimate the horror genre, Rainbow. You’re lucky I didn’t bring The Human Centipede series with me.”
“Yeah, next up is the Alien franchise,” Jason said with a devilish grin.
“Hehehe, this is gonna be fuuuun,” Gregory said in a singsong tone. As if to make his point, a loud crash of thunder could be heard from outside the darkened auditorium, causing most of the ponies in the room to jump. “But for now, take a break, stretch your legs, and we’ll get right back into it.”
[Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Late November That Same Year]
Cozy Glow woke up to one of the most delicious smells she’d ever experienced. Rubbing her eyes with her forehooves, she sat up, stretched, and yawned. Outside her window, she could see that snow had piled up a bit on her private balcony. Ever since she’d moved in with her new daddy, Head Mistress Starlight had authorized a brand new room to be built in her daddy’s teacher’s apartment, a room all her own. It was large, too, with a bed that she’d never outgrow, a desk in a corner, a closet for clothes she might need, and a private bathroom. She also had a balcony with a couple of chairs and a table that faced east. And now, that balcony was covered with freshly fallen snow.
She trotted over to her bathroom, got onto the stool in said bathroom, got in front of the sink, and began to brush her teeth. Her daddy had instilled into her a good habit of brushing her teeth every morning and every evening. After her required time, she rinsed her mouth out, washed her face, then began to brush her mane. Over the past few months, she’d been changing her mane style from the curls she had sported for years. She was now experimenting with wavy manes instead. She’d gone to see Professor Rarity a few times. The flamboyant mare was all too happy to show her some different styling choices, and for the months following Cozy had experimented. She’d found her latest choice to be the best one yet, and even better than that, her daddy loved it. He said something about her not looking like humans named Darla Dimple or Baby Doll.
Finally, she was finished styling her unruly mane. She cleaned the sink, put the stool away, and walked out of her room into the main apartment. The smell from before assaulted her nostrils and made her mouth water. She saw her daddy standing at the kitchenette busily making something. When he heard her, he turned and waved at her with a smile. “Morning, sleepyhead,” he greeted. He gestured to the kitchen table. “Breakfast is almost ready. Sit down and I’ll get you your plate.”
Of course, when she sat down and looked back at her daddy, she noticed he was cooking a lot more than either of them could eat, and that included a bunch of meat products. “Um, daddy, why are you cooking so much meat?” she asked.
“Oh, that’s for later tonight. It’s Thanksgiving after all. All this meat isn’t bothering you too bad, is it?” Gregory asked with concern.
“No, I was just curious. What’s Thanksgiving?”
“It’s a holiday from my home country,” he said, “and it celebrates the harvest. Ponies don’t seem to have a harvest festival, and I wanted to share this tradition with the world. Plus, I know Jason hasn’t had a traditional Thanksgiving meal since he came to Gaia. Oh, that reminds me, I’ve gotta thank Sunset for buying me a turkey from the human world.” He brought her a plate with scrambled eggs, toast with jam, and a few slices of hay bacon along with orange juice in a chilled glass. “Eat up.”
“Thank you.” Cozy beamed. “So, what do you do on Thanksgiving?”
“Basically, spend a big meal with those you love, say what you’re thankful for, maybe play some games afterwards, and go into a delightful food coma.” He chuckled. “But you need to get ready for school. I asked Ember to pick you up today since I asked for today and tomorrow off.” He smiled. “Tomorrow, I’m gonna fix this room up for the holidays.”
“Oh, don’t forget your double date.”
Gregory looked at Cozy and smirked. “That’s not until New Year’s, sweetie, but I won’t forget it.” He ruffled her wavy loose mane. “Now you’d better eat up and get to class.”
Cozy finished up her breakfast and headed for the door. “Bye, daddy, don’t forget to tell me all the juicy details and carry protection.” Cozy left the door before hearing a response.
“How do you even know about all that?!” Gregory exclaimed as he quickly chased after her. The tower’s large and wide stairwell was filled with the laughter of a filly and disgruntled human’s yelling after his adopted daughter.
Hours later, right as school was letting out, Gregory was setting a massive table in the main room of his and Cozy’s apartment. He had everything he needed for Thanksgiving all prepped and ready. The plates and tablecloth were custom made and themed for the holiday. He had a cornucopia on the table for decoration along with several candles for light and ambiance. He had a calming music playlist all set up as well.
He believed he’d made more than enough food for everyone, and he was exhausted. There were three large turkeys, several platters of mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and for a main course for the herbivores, a surprisingly delicious tofurkey. Somehow, the tofu from Gaia was different. He’d also made several pies, including pumpkin, pecan, and apple pie. He hoped that the last one wouldn’t insult Applejack, but he wanted to play the part of a good host. He also had two barrels of New Acres cider he’d bought during cider season back in early autumn along with some various wines from the human world.
Finally, just as he was placing the last of the silverware down, he heard a knocking on the door. He straightened, fixed his hair and his shirt (he was wearing more formal attire, but not a suit) and went to the door, opening it. “Hello there,” he said with a warm smile as he stepped aside. “Please, come in.”
“The hell are you all dressed up for? It’s Thanksgiving, not a reservation,” Jason said. He was decidedly less dressed for the occasion. Chrysalis came in behind him holding a bowl.
Gregory smirked. “It’s my first Thanksgiving that’s not me sitting at home alone eating KFC,” he said. “I wanted it to be special.”
“Well, you’re in luck,” Chrysalis said. “Jason told me that you can bring dishes of your own. I brought my special recipe.” She opened the lid to show large slime coated grub worms.
He saw the bowl Chrysalis was holding. He then looked back up at her and accepted the bowl. “I’ll put it on the table, thanks,” he said while suppressing the urge to gag. “Do come in! You’re the first ones to show up.”
“Come on, Chryssi. The seats at the edge of the table are the best ones.” Jason said as they sat down.
Gregory placed the bowl down near the two, covering it back up so it was both not visible and so it didn’t lose any extra heat. Just as he stood back up, the door burst open and Ember strode in, tall and proud. He turned and saw that Cozy was flying in from behind, panting hard as she put her bags down. “Sorry, Daddy,” she said, “she flew all the way here.”
“Were you racing Chrysalis again?” Gregory asked his girlfriend.
“What do you take me for, a hatchling?” Ember huffed before she leaned in and whispered quietly, “She isn't here though, right?”
“Yes, I am, and I’ve already taken the best seat, so too bad for you, slowpoke,” Chrysalis called out as Ember growled.
Gregory and Jason exchanged smirks as they watched the two devolve into yet another argument. There was a knock at the door again, and Gregory went to answer it. This time, it was a group of ponies. Celestia, Princess Luna, Empress Cadance, Emperor Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, Sunset, and Prince Blueblood were all standing there. “Come on in!”
“Urgh, the commute here was dreadful,” Prince Blueblood complained.
“Nephew, I have told you already that using the royal escort would’ve cause too much of a scene,” Luna said in exasperation.
“Are you still acting like a royal snob?” Gregory asked in confusion.
‘What? I can’t travel comfortably to an important social gathering and leave a good impression? I see you are still uncivilized.”
Gregory opened his mouth, then closed it again. He sighed and smiled as he said, “Get in here, Bluey.”
“Thank you for the invitation. I am rather curious about this harvest holiday you humans practice,” Celestia said.
“Translation: She can’t wait to eat all the desserts.” Sunset whispered.
He smirked and nodded. “I made sure to make a lot of it.”
“We brought a specialty from the Crystal Empire,” Cadence said. She held out a basket of crystals of varying colors. “These are crystal bites. They are eidbile crystals with each color representing a different flavor.”
He took the basket. “Would you consider this a part of the main meal or dessert, then?” he asked.
“Hmm, I’d say it’s more of an appetizer.” Shining pondered.
“Then on the table it goes.” He turned, then looked over at them. “I do have some meat on the table, so sorry if that might be off putting.”
“We serve carnivorous delegates often, Sir Gregory. A little meat will not bother us.” Luna said.
“Glad to hear it.” He turned to Sunset. “Again, thank you for going to the human world and buying things for me. I appreciate it.”
“What’s Thanksgiving without a bird?” Sunset said as the royal entourage took their seats.
A soft knock at the door revealed the former elements, Spike, Gabby, Starlight, Sunburst, Trixie and Discord arriving next. “Hello, I hope we’re not too late,” Twilight said.
“Nope, you’re right on time,” Gregory said. “Come on in. We’re just about to get started. There’s only one more group of people I invited.”
“Oh, this is amazing! My first Thanksgiving! I brought some of Gilda’s scones! She’d like to know how much you like them!” Gabby said in excitement.
“I’ll let you know when I try them,” he said as he took the basket of warm scones from her claws. “Find a seat anywhere. I made sure there was enough room so that there wouldn't need to be a kid’s table.”
Discord felt someone jab his leg as he looked down. Fluttershy was gesturing to the bowl in his hands to Gregory. The spirit of chaos gulped nervously as he stepped forward. “I, uh, brought something to this little shindig as well. A simple quiche.”
Gregory looked at the bowl, then smiled at him. “Why, Q, who’d have thought you’d go for simple? Thanks for the dish. Come on in!”
Last, but certainly not least, the new elements of harmony showed up along with some of Cozy Glow’s new friends, more specifically the CMC. Gregory had invited the rest, but they couldn’t make it. It was a shame, since he was looking forward to seeing the two ponies named suspiciously after Gravity Falls characters. “Good afternoon, you guys.”
“Hey, so where’s the food?” Gallus asked.
“Gallus, don’t be rude.” Silverstream said.
“It’s already set up on the table, big guy,” Gregory said. “Take a seat anywhere you’d like.”
As everyone sat down, everyone couldn’t help but notice the blank stare Jason was sending Discord. The draconequus gulped under his scrutiny as he tried to make small talk. “So, how’s the weather by the hive?”
“Warmer and drier than here,” Jason said, pointing out of the large windows. Being so far north, Yggdrasil was already experiencing snowfall, and today was no exception. Heavy snow was falling outside as the day continued, and it was expected to continue throughout the week.
Gregory saw this, and took his spot at the head of the table, Ember on one side of him and Cozy on the other. “Before we begin eating, there’s actually a tradition some families have that I think would be a great way to start. Some families say something called grace, which is basically a prayer of thanks to God for the bounty before us. I know a lot of you believe in a goddess named Faust, so that would work. Anyone here want to do that?”
“I’ll do it,” Jason said. “Everyone bow your heads.” Everyone did as instructed as Jason began. “Dear gods above. We thank all of you for this meal we’re about to eat. We give thanks for mending fences.” Jason looked at the former elements with a smile. “We give thanks for new friendships.” He looks to Chrysalis and the other occupants before his gaze falls on Discord. The spirit of chaos started sweating profusely as he continued. “...We give thanks for second chances as they are few and far between, but necessary for peace of mind.” Discord let out a choke sob as a smile matched Jason’s own. “Amen.”
Gregory looked up, and smiled at Jason. “Good solid prayer,” he said. “Nice and short.”
“Leaves more time for eating and drinking!” Cozy shouted with a cheeky grin.
Gregory sighed. “Why the hell did I let you watch Lord of the Rings…?”
“Language!” the CMC all said.
He snorted, then gestured to the various dishes on the table. “Welp, don’t be shy. I made enough for everyone, I hope…”
“Hey, what’s that?” Spike asked, pointing to the worms.
“Meal Worms,” Ocellus said as she levitated a couple of worms to her plate. “They’re a changeling delicacy.”
Spike looked a bit apprehensive until Jason reached over and took a big bite of the worm. He looked at the dragon with a shrug, encouraging him to try it. Spike picked one up, looked it over and took a bite. After chewing slowly for a bit, he perked up and put a few more onto his plate. “Wow, this is good!”
“What do they taste like?” Gregory asked.
“Like chicken nuggets without the chicken,” Jason deadpanned.
“So basically chicken nugget batter?” Gregory asked.
“Just try it.”
Gregory shrugged, reached out with his hand, and a small ice plate formed underneath some. It floated over to him where he placed the small bit of grubs on his real plate. “I feel like I’m about to eat Klingon Gagh,” he said as he took a bite. His eyes widened in surprise as he chewed on them. “Well damn, these are pretty good. They taste nothing like chicken, but they’re definitely tasty.”
“Whoa, wait a moment, you made this all yourself??” Sunset asked incredulously. “Man, you must be seriously wiped out!”
“Well, I didn’t make all of it, since some of the guests brought food,” Gregory admitted, “but I did prepare most of it, but it’s all worth it.”
Over on the other side of the table, Gallus had a full plate of everything and was shoveling it down his throat. “Gallus, you might want to slow down a bit,” Silverstream said.
“Just remember, wine is for anyone over twenty one,” Gregory said as he popped one bottle open and poured some into Ember’s goblet.
“Ha. Is that in human years, dragon years, or pony years?” Ember said, sliding a goblet to Spike.
Spike reached for it only for Twilight to take it away. “No!”
“A year on Gaia and a year on Earth are the same length,” Gregory said, “and I won’t be responsible for getting children drunk.”
“Not physical years, you goof. I’m talking about biology. Dragons age slower, but mature faster.”
Gregory pursed his lips thoughtfully as he looked at Spike, who looked a bit upset at not being able to taste his first sip of alcohol. “Well…”
“Technically speaking, dragons can’t get drunk,” Discord said. “Their fire breath burns away at any toxins they may suffer. The worst that’ll happen is that little Spikey will hit the hay faster than any of us.”
“All the fun of drinking without the consequences? I call hax.” Jason mock pouted.
“Yeah, I’ve noticed I don’t get as drunk as I did before I got my Windigo magic,” Gregory said, “but I still get affected. Still, if what Discord says is true, I don’t see why Spike can’t have some wine. Although I doubt you’ll like the taste. Besides, I have two barrels of New Acres Cider.”
Twilight sighed before placing the goblet back in front of Spike. “Just remember to drink responsibly, young drake.”
“Yeah, sure, thanks,” Spike said rapidly as he licked his maw and downed the goblet in one go.
“Oh, yeah! Chug it down!” Rainbow cheered.
“Go Spike!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“When did Thanksgiving become a drinking contest?” Gregory sighed as he facepalmed.
“Oh, this is just the prelude for later on,” Pinkie said.
Gregory held up his hand and created small ice cubes. “Anyone want some enchanted ice that doesn’t melt in their drinks?”
“I’ll take some,” Celestia said. “I must say that this salad is scrumptious.”
“Yes, it is dear sister,” Luna said as Gregory floated ice over to Celestia’s cup, “but I believe you are looking forward to something much more sugary.” She turned to Gregory. “Tell us, Sir Gregory, what manner of desserts have you prepared?”
“Some traditional stuff, such as pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple pie, along with some cakes and ice cream.” He waited for the inevitable from Applejack.
Sure enough, Applejack stamped her hooves on the table. “How good would you say yer apple pie is compared to ours?”
“Seeing as I made some with New Acres apples and some with zapp apples, I’d say they’re alright,” Gregory replied. “I doubt I can compare with yours.”
“Uh huh. Applebloom!”
Applebloom zipped over to her sister's side. “Yeah, sis?”
“Mah tastin’ spoon, if you please?”
“We just started the main meal,” Gregory replied, “dessert comes later.”
“Uh bup bup bup!” Applejack was having none of it. “Bring it here, now! Iffin’ we’re gonna have this big shindig, we gotta make sure everything is up to snuff. Them’s our zapp apples after all.”
Gregory sighed. “Jesus save me,” he said as he grabbed two of the pies sitting on a nearby table. One looked like a normal apple pie, but the other had a hint of a rainbow color poking out from the crust. He could see Celestia looking at them with longing, but placed them in front of Applejack. “Thine pies, fair maiden.”
“Hmm, it looks alright, sis.” Applebloom said.
“Lookin’ and tastin’ are more different than a scarecrow and a dummy, sugarcube.” Applejack stated.
“I’ve gotta learn to keep my mouth shut,” Gregory sighed as he cut two slices for her, one from the normal pie and the other from the zapp apple pie.
Everyone waited with baited breath as Applejack scooped up a sizable chunk of pie and ate it. She chewed slowly, getting a sense of the flavor before swallowing and crossing her hooves. There was a pregnant pause as the farm mare sat there with her eyes closed. She turned to Gregory while opening her eyes and saying one word. “Acceptable!”
Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief. “While we are on the topic of dessert, I’d say I would like some of the sweet confections you’ve prepared. Oh, and a piece of that pie as well,” Celestia smiled.
“Great mother, here she goes,” Luna shook her head.
Gregory threw up his hands in defeat. “I might as well bring all the pies, cakes and ice cream to the table now.” He stood and began placing each dessert item on the table. “I bet all of you are gonna fall asleep during the movie later.”
“What movie?” Pinkie asked curiously.
Gregory chuckled. “Well, I have an entire library we can pick from. I have an idea, but we can discuss it.”
“We can choose a movie later,” Celestia said, her plate already piled high with desserts, “for now, let’s just eat!”
[Seeds Of Yggdrasil - Mid December That Same Year]
Gregory smiled proudly as he stepped back from his not so little project, wiping his brow as he did so. To his left, Theophilus looked back at the brand new custom built cutter sleigh with curiosity. Beside him, Big Mac stood and looked over the sleigh as well. The sleigh was built of freshly cut applewood and had been painted a dark but festive red with evergreen trim and white spiral designs painted on the sides. Inside, the cushions of the two person seat were made of strong but comfortable hydra leather and had very good back support. In front was a built-in tray with drink holders. The sleigh was already attached to Theophilus. There were sleigh bells attached to the corners, all silver.
“Thank you for your help, Big Mac,” Gregory said as he approached and climbed in, closing the door behind until he heard the satisfying click of the latch.
Big Mac nodded. “Eeyup,” he said. “Ain’t seen one of these around here fer a while.”
“Well, I’ve actually never ridden in one,” Gregory admitted as he tested out the seats for a bit before standing and getting out. “I’ve always wanted to, and now that I have a horse companion, I thought it might be cool.”
Big Mac nodded again. “I remember ridin’ with Ma and Applejack in one before Applebloom was born,” he said. “Pa would pull.”
“Sounds like a nice memory,” Gregory said. “I hope I can make similar memories with my loved ones.”
Big Mac smiled. “Wish ya luck,” he said. “I’ve gotta go back home. Lots of chores to do.”
“Thanks again,” Gregory said as he opened the large doors leading outside of the warehouse where he and Big Mac had been secretly building the cutter.
“Eeyup,” was all Big Mac said as he turned and headed out into the snowy midmorning day.
After he was gone, Gregory got back into the cutter, picked up the reins, and gently urged Theophilus forward. The large white stallion bobbed his head and moved out into the snow. Gregory felt his ride jostle a bit as the cutter hit the snow, but soon it felt much smoother, and he began his first ride in the sleigh.
Outside, the entire landscape was blanketed in a thick layer of white snow, only broken by the joyful sounds of laughter and children playing nearby. It was winter break for Yggdrasil and while some students had gone home for their holiday break others stayed behind, playing with their friends and family in the massive open space the school owned. He caught a glimpse of the CMC and Spike having a snowball fight with several other children, including Smolder. Thankfully, the dragons he saw were bundled up in thick warm clothes since they had less resistance to the cold. That had been one of Rarity’s busiest weeks, preparing clothes for the dragon students before the winter storms came.
Gregory rode around for a while, earning him some stares of curiosity as he tested the sleigh and how well it turned. He also paid attention to how Theophilus reacted, making sure he wasn’t hurt or anything. However, the pure white stallion didn’t seem bothered, so Gregory encouraged him to go at a leisurely trot.
A half hour later, he returned the sleigh to its resting place and unhooked his horse. As the two walked back to the stables where Theophilus normally slept, Gregory grinned. He had such a cool surprise in store for his girlfriend…
Several hours later, he was standing out next to the sleigh, waiting for Ember to show up. He had a nice big thermos of hot chocolate and two mugs in the sleigh waiting since he knew dragons didn’t do as well in the snow. He also had some thick warm blankets on the seat, along with a small wrapped box with his present inside. He adjusted his overcoat, a bright red ensemble with white fringe, a very festive look. He wore thick snowboots, a pair of black pants for cold weather, and a festive green Christmas sweater with a Christmas tree on the front and the words Merry Christmas sewn both above and below the tree.
Above him, he saw a bright blue speck begin flying out from the snow clouds. The snow had let up a bit, but it was still coming down. He smiled as Ember landed, seeing that she was wearing a thick overcoat and gloves. “You look cozy,” he chuckled.
“How do all you warm blooded creatures stand this cold?” Ember asked with a yawn. “I feel like I want to drop asleep right now.”
“Plenty and plenty of layers,” Gregory said as he gestured to the blankets. “And lots of hot liquid. I have hot chocolate in that thermos.”
“Tch. I’d rather drink a handful of lava. That’ll heat me up better.”
“True, but this thermos would be destroyed otherwise,” Gregory replied as he stepped into the sleigh and held out his hand for her to take. “Besides, hot chocolate tastes better. And just for you, I made it as scalding hot as I could.”
Ember snatched the thermos and drank its contents before getting in the sleigh. “So, this sledding is like lava surfing?”
He sat down, patting the seat next to him as he lifted up a few of the heavy blankets. “It’s a bit more leisurely,” he said. “Humans enjoy doing this during the holiday season. Come on, get under the blanket.”
“I’m not a hatchling. How do you think my subject would react to me snuggling in some sheet?” Ember huffed before she shivered.
“Well, unless you want to freeze, you’d best get under and get close to me,” he smirked, opening up the blanket for her.
“If you breathe a word of this to anycreature, I will end you!” She hissed before compiling.
Gregory chuckled, put one arm around his girlfriend, and covered the two of them in warm blankets. He grabbed the reins, turned to Theophilus, and gave a firm snap of the reins. Theophilus began trotting through the snow, letting the jingle bells on the corners of the cutter ring out their melodious sound. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” he admitted excitedly.
“What’s with the bells?” she asked, looking at the nearest corner at the silver bells.
“They’re called sleigh bells,” he explained. “They’re used to let other people know that you’re coming, especially if there’s a blizzard and a fog. Although it’s also a Christmas tradition now.”
“Seems pointless,” Ember said. “You’d have to be blind not to see the big horse pulling this contraption.”
Gregory held up his hand. The snow around them started to whip up and soon they were temporarily blinded by a brief storm before he released the spell, letting the snow fall normally again. “Like I said, it’s for communicating with others, and for safety reasons. Besides, can you hear anything else from our sleigh other than the bells? Snow has a unique effect of dampening sound.”
He then felt the same warm feeling coming from his heart, the same one that he felt before he sang to Ember. Suddenly, a few random creatures were prancing around his sleigh, harmonizing as music began to swell around them “Jing-a-ling-a-ling! Aaah aaah aah! Jing-a-ling-a-ling! Aaah aaah aah! ”
Gregory smiled as he began to sing.
“Dashing through the snow,
“in a one-horse open sleigh.
“O'er the fields we go,
laughing all the way!”
“Bells on bobtail ring,
“making spirits bright!
“What fun it is to ride and sing
“a sleighing song tonight!”
The creatures beside him harmonized with him as he sang the chorus.
“Jingle bells! Jingle bells!
“Jingle all the way!
“Oh, what fun it is to ride
“in a one-horse open sleigh!”
“Jingle bells! Jingle bells!
“Jingle all the way!
“Oh, what fun it is to ride
“in a one-horse open sleigh!”
Nearby, the same creatures, most of whom were flying reindeer, harmonized again, “Jing-a-ling-a-ling! Aaah aaah aah! Jing-a-ling-a-ling! Aaah aaah aah!”
Gregory began singing again.
“Now the ground is white,
“so go it while you’re young.
“Take your girl tonight
“and sing a sleighing song!”
“Just get a bob tailed nag,
“two-forty for his speed.
“Then hitch him to an open sleigh
“and crack! We’ll take the lead!”
“Jingle bells! Jingle bells!
“Jingle all the way!
“Oh, what fun it is to ride
“in a one-horse open sleigh!”
“Jingle bells! Jingle bells!
“Jingle all the way!
“Oh, what fun it is to ride
“in a one-horse open sleigh!”
He finished with a bright smile as the music around them faded away and the flying reindeer harmonized along with him one final time before flying away into the snow. He was panting a bit from the exertion. “Who knew that the magic of Gaia knew Jim Reeves?” he laughed.
Ember chuckled as she responded, “I will never get your silly human phrases. But, warn me next you decide to pull a pony spontaneous sing-a-long.”
“Hey, I love to sing. Can’t help it. But I’ll try.”
“Halt!” A voice suddenly said as Pinkie strolled up to the sleigh in a bulky uniform. “You’re trespassing on Sugarcube Territory. Let me see some identification.”
Gregory raised his hand and made a sweeping motion. “You don’t need to see my identification.”
Pinkie stared blankly at the gesture before smiling. “Alighty then, carry on, Obi-Wan. I’d just be careful continuing down this path.”
“Duly noted.” He turned the sleigh away, smirking as they headed towards a less populated section of the landscape.
“There they are, fire!” Another voice called out as the sleigh was bombard by snowballs.
Gregory lifted up his hand and created a shield that looked awfully similar to the diamond shaped shields that the human Rarity could create. “You have entered the territory of the Ice Republic, Sugarcube swine. Prepare to face immediate pelting!” Gregory and Ember looked passed the shield to see the former elements with several students behind them. Starlight was the one who address them.
Gregory smirked. “You do realize I hold dominion over ice and snow, right?” He raised his hand towards the sky. “And you have dared to attack my queen.”
“Ha! You are a mere novice at magic. I was born in it, molded by it. By the time I was six, I was a full fledge mage. You and your queen shall fall to our might!!!” Starlight retorted. Her horn glowed as several balls of snow levitated behind her.
He stood, looming over them. The sky above them began darkening with snow clouds. The wind began picking up and snow began falling harder. “For daring to attack my queen and I, I sentence you, to fall before the wrath of my storm!” He held out his hand towards them, and the wind struck them hard, but not hard enough to actually hurt them. The snowflakes blasted everyone else back several feet as he leaped out of the sleigh, landing in the snow which seemed to part before him. There was a smirk on his face.
Starlight returned fire by lobbying the boulders of snow at Gregory’s and Ember’s position. Ember was a bit sluggish from the cold weather and couldn’t dodge effectively. She wound up taking several shots that were quickly pinning her down. “Little help, ice man!”
Gregory brought his shield up between her and the attackers. He reached out and crafted a sword made of snow which he used to deftly block the incoming snowballs. He leaped up into the sleigh again as he shouted, “I have the high ground!”
“Yes, but we have an alicorn!” Starlight smirked.
“Oh shi-” he said before Celestia dumped a large snowball on Gregory’s unprotected head. “You’re dead, Sunbutt!” he shouted with a laugh.
“Many have made that same declaration and none have succeeded,” Celestia retorted with a smile.
“Thank you, mistress of the obvious,” Gregory laughed harder as he created a large wave of snow to direct towards the alabaster alicorn.
“Hold on, Gregory!” Pinkie said. She came sliding in on a surfboard while holding a modified leaf blower. She shot out snowballs like a grenade launcher to temporarily push Celestia back. “I told you to mind the path. You probably should’ve waited to hear the rest of my warning before pulling the Jedi mind trick. The Sugarcubes and Ice Republic have been waging war since noon. Anyone that comes along this path gets instantly drafted.”
Gregory looked at Ember. “Damn, guess we’re a part of this war now,” he said.
Ember got up as she scoops up some snow and formed it into a ball. Once done, it was the size of two beach balls that she effortlessly lifted above her head. “I want you to know I blame your singing for this!”
He crafted a snow sword for her, giving it to her, then held his own out. “For Narnia!” He laughed as he charged, making snowballs with his magic and shooting them at the Ice Republic and the Sugarcubes. “My Queen and I are our own team and will dominate you all!”
Pinkie gasped at this. “You would betray me? Then, you have chosen death!” She said with a mock glare before turning her snow blower on them.” What followed was a massive three way battle that left many creatures covered in snow.
At one point, Cozy came and joined Gregory and Ember’s team, using her small height and wings to dodge and weave while throwing. Soon, however, the sun began setting, and the battle was over. Gregory drove the sleigh back to its storage area, then after making sure Cozy was situated with her sleepover at New Acres, he carried an exhausted Ember back to his apartment.
Soon, both sat in front of a roaring fire, warming up after their long battle. Both of them held large mugs of piping hot apple cider in their hands. Gregory had placed Ember in his lap and both were underneath a thick warm blanket. Near the window, Gregory had placed a large well-lit Christmas tree, which was the only other source of light in the large room. He ran his hand up and down her back as he said, “Sorry about getting you involved in the snowball fight. I just wanted a relaxing sleigh ride.”
“It was fun, I guess…” Ember said softly.
He pulled her closer onto his lap, caressing her gently. “By the way, I have a Christmas present for you.” He pulled out the small wrapped box and handed it to her.
“What is it?” Ember said, shaking the present.
“Open it and find out,” he chuckled.
Ember did as instructed and opened the gift. “What’s this?”
Inside, was a small black box which, when opened, displayed a dark silver ring with a glowing blue gem on it. “It’s a teleportation and communication ring,” he explained. “I had it made with the help of some of the more magical friends. Hopefully, it’ll help make the journey from the Dragon Lands to here a lot more efficient.” He held up his hand displaying an identical ring on his ring finger. “If you want to see me or even communicate with me, just touch the gem and think of me, and you’ll be teleported within a meter of me. Or if you just want to talk to me, think about communicating and I’ll see my gem glowing and answer. The same goes for my ring. I can teleport to within a meter of you. I figure this is much faster than you flying all the way from the Dragon Lands.”
“Huh, I– thank you.” Ember looked down in contemplation before a sly smile adorned her features. “I suppose I have to give you something as well. But, first, where’s the bedroom~?”
He pointed to the loft where his bed was. “Right up there,” he said.
Ember slid off of Gregory’s lap and headed upstairs to the loft. After a bit, Ember called down, “Are you coming or what?”
He smiled, stood, and walked up to his bedroom, wondering just what Ember was planning. When he entered the room, he saw that Ember had her back to him before slowly and seductively took off her clothing. The moonlight highlighted her sensual curves as her dark red eyes seemed to glow with desire for him.
Gregory swallowed, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. The two of them had actually never gotten too intimate yet, and he was a bit scared. But his fear started to dissipate when Ember slowly walked up and began removing his hoodie. “Ember…”
“What? Don’t tell me you're this dense?”
He shook his head. “Oh, I read you loud and clear,” he said as Ember continued to remove his clothes with surprising gentleness.
That quickly ended as a predatory grin appeared on Ember’s face and she tossed Gregory on the bed. “Good. It’s a good thing Cozy is gone because I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.”
He swallowed nervously. “Oh, fuck…”
“Exactly.” She tore off the rest of his clothes and locked lips with him for a good ten seconds before breaking the kiss, looking into his eyes with lustful desire. “You and I aren’t sleeping tonight. I’ve been patient enough, and it’s time to claim what’s mine.”
And with that, their long night began.
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I said this out loud in His Voice and took emotional damage.
The only meaning that comes with the crown is what meaning you bring to it.
The Thing is always a win. Fun fact, actual Antarctic research teams have a tradition of watching it together.
When? The night after the last plane leaves.
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What the hail you say?
When I was your age, I was twenty five!
When I went to school, I walked for twenty miles, up hill, both ways, on one foot! The other food was starting a business making Beijing Corn!
I feel like something bad is gonna happen and I know all this wholesomeness is gonna make it hit harder.
Bring it on
"Jackeline. Didn't your parents teach you there's a time and place for everything?"
Applejack: !
"I thought so."
You know... l kinda wanna see Ember's, Spike's and Smolder's reaction if he showed them DRAGONHEART
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Man been years since someone has mentioned this movie
As for the marathon horror why did you leave us hanging like that i want to see how long RD lasted with the Alien franchise an while you are at it put the Predators ones and what other movies hasa he in store? Like hellrising series, friday the 13, Nightmare in elm street would pull Luna in a loop considering dreams are her turf, Phantasm, zombie movies and who could forget most of the Stephen king movies
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oh yeah... l would love to see their reactions to the Alien and Predator movie series... l think Rarity would enjoy the Cats musical... the old one, NOT the new one... think Twilight would love the Star Wars movies, (the good ones, NOT the disney crap-verse ones) the Star Trek movies and series... or maybe even Stargate (Movie, SG1 and Atlantis)
11784659
NIce selection, for musicals and fairy tails Disneys is the good choice (most of the animated ones) Cats dont dance, The last Unicorn for obvious reasons, as for musicals live action Vaselina, Annie, Phantom of the opera, Wizard of oz, Into the woods (Not the disney one), The count of Monte Cristo, Little shop of horrors, Sweeney Todd, Les miserables and so on
The Thing and the Alien series. Not to mention The Nightmare Before Christmas.
You have good tastes.
As humorous as this is, I want to see more of Jason and his healing with the mane 6.
Awesome story