Home.

The word had been wedged in my mind since the meeting with the Princesses, and swirling around it were a small number of powerful realizations that I'd been subconciously pushing aside for far longer than was healthy. Firstly, judging by the ponies' calendar- which had an eerie resemblance to the one I was familiar with- I'd been here on Equus for a bit longer than four months, assuming that time flowed the same here; four months since I'd vanished from Earth. It was likely that I'd been declared legally missing, no longer had a job or a home, and had a family still wondering what had happened to me. They only know that I disappeared somewhere along the highway along with my car, if the police tracked down how far I'd gotten by cell-phone tower records. Did they perform a search? If so, how long? Or did they just assume I'd gotten bored with my life and ditched everything I cared about to go start over somewhere?

“Hey.”

Sveti's voice broke through my mental fog, and I glanced back at her; she was standing at my door, looking at me with a clear expression of concern. “I knew you'd need a little time alone to think things over,” she told me. “I just... wanted to be sure you know that I'm here to talk to, if you need it.”

“I know.” I nodded, going quiet for a moment before I motioned towards the other chair in my room, just across from the one I was in.

She gave me a smile, making her way to the chair and taking a seat. “That news got dropped on you pretty abruptly,” she commented. “That had to take the wind out from under your wings a bit, so to speak.”

“Yeah.” I sighed. “I'm just wondering what's been going on back home since I ended up here.”

She nodded. “You've never told me about your family,” she said. “I have to imagine they were devastated when you vanished. I don't doubt that you want to get back to them.” She paused for a moment. “I... don't think you ever told me if you have a mate.”

I shook my head. “No. I was living alone when I was brought here. I was lucky not to have pets or anything depending on me, either... though my houseplants probably didn't survive.”

“Their loss will be mourned.” She chuckled. “But... parents? Siblings? I'd love to hear about them.”

And so I found myself telling the gryphon about my family- my mother, a former police officer who'd lost an eye during a drug bust and now owned a gardening shop; my father, a mechanic who loved restoring vintage motorcycles and going sailboating; and my kid brother, who'd been a hellion growing up and seemed destined for a life on the wrong side of the law until he'd pulled himself together, and now spent much of his time doing volunteer social work in poorer countries. By the time I'd finished, I had tears in my eyes... but it had also been cathartic in a way, a release valve on a lot of repressed emotions and worries that'd been sitting on the back of my mind like a lead weight.

Sveti reached over to put a claw on my knee. “Your family is just as interesting as you are,” she chuckled. “I could wish to have the chance to meet them myself.”

“That'd be something,” I laughed. “Though I think they'd like you, after they got over you being a gryphon.”

She nodded, her expression becoming contemplative. “...yeah, I suppose I would be a strange sight to someone on your world,” she said. “I can only assume I'd get about the same reaction that you would've gotten if you'd ended up in the Empire... and believe me, Peter, as bad as things went for you here in Equestria, you should be thanking your ancestors that you didn't wind up there instead.” She looked away for a moment, letting out a sigh. “But still... more than anything else, I want to get you home. Back to your life, back to your family, back to a world that doesn't seem to have it in for you. Even if I'd miss you.”

The brief look of shock that crossed her face after her last sentence told me that she hadn't meant to actually say it aloud. I put my hand on her claw comfortingly. “I would miss you too, you know,” I told her. “And if I'm being honest, part of me wishes I'd be able to bring you with me. It just... really wouldn't work out- either I'd have to keep you hidden, or risk you being spotted and potentially attacked or captured. There's enough humans back home who'd want to exploit you for me to not even remotely want to take the chance.”

“They can't all be like that, though.” Her eyes looked into mine. “No species with you in its number could.”

I felt myself blushing a bit. “No, not all of us. I think a lot of humans would love to meet you. It's just that there's enough of us who'd do anything and hurt anyone to get their hands on you for their own benefit....” I shook my head. “I'm not going to see you in another cage, Sveti. Not a pony's cage, and not a human's cage.”

She let out a deep sigh. “Not really fair, is it?” she murmured. “Don't get me wrong, Peter; I'm thrilled that we might be able to get you home, but....”

“Yeah. I know.” I ran my fingers through her crest. “I just don't want to think about it for a little while. Twilight said it'd take her some time to research the whole thing, so there's no point in worrying about it too much anyway.” I got out of the chair and helped her to her paws. “Why don't we move up the decoration timetable a little and get it started now? It'll give us extra time to wrap Ensemble's presents.”

“You know what? That is a superb idea.” She smiled up at me as we headed for the staircase.

(-)

“Happy early Hearth's Warming Eve, Ensemble.”

She opened her eyes to see a number of familiar shapes standing around her bed. The entire embassy staff had gathered around her, each one of them holding a small, colorfully-wrapped gift. “Oh... hey,” she murmured weakly, giving them the best smile she could manage. “It's great to see all of you.”

“It's good to see you, too,” Sveti said quietly. “We were all worried about you. How are you feeling?”

“Really, really sore.” She laid her head back down on her pillow. “But I'm lucky to be alive, aren't I? The doctors said so.”

“I know.” A sad frown crossed the griffin's beak. “Ensemble, I'm sorry that this happened to you. We almost lost you because of something you had nothing to do with. I don't-”

“Miss Windwhisper... no.” She shook her head. “I don't want you to blame yourself. This was nopony's fault except those griffins who wanted to take Mister Collins from us.”

She felt long, slender fingers stroke her mane, and turned her head to see Peter gazing down at her. “I still angry you were hurt,” he told her. “Not going to let happen again. Us, the Princesses all doing things to secure the embassy. Also going to protect your family, just in case.”

She blinked, feeling a cold pit of fear form in her stomach. “They're... not in danger, are they?”

“No. We being careful, just in case.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “I like your parents. Good ponies.”

“Oh, you all got to meet them? That's nice. Where are they now?”

“They're in the guest wing, resting,” Sveti answered. “They told us they'd been in here with you since you got out of surgery. We told them we'd spend some time with you so that they could go get some sleep without having to worry.” The hen smiled. “Since it looks like you won't get to come to our Hearth's Warming Eve party, we decided to bring one to you!”

She felt tears spring from the corners of her eyes. “That's... that's so good of all of you. Thank you.”

The hospital woudn't allow them to bring in any food for her, which meant that she'd miss out on the wonderful dinner they'd had planned, but the rest of the staff seemed determined to make it up to her with gifts. She wasn't sure who'd let slip that she was an amateur painter- though she suspected Welder had gotten wise after having to scrub spilled paint off a wooden floor a time or two- but she now had an easel, a selection of quality brushes, and even a little wooden pose figurine; she'd also received a nice new bathrobe, some bath sponges and soaps, and a pretty silver locket. None of her friends would tell her which of them had chosen what gift, which was okay with her; she appreciated the group sentiment more than she could say.

Eventually, though, they had to leave, and each said their goodbyes and gave well-wishes before heading. Quick Service was the last to go, and before he headed out, he turned towards her. “You know, Ennie,” he said quietly, “Peter actually took off his pants to use as a bandage for you before he went to get the medical supplies.”

“Wow.” She blinked in shock; the human was almost ridiculously body-shy, and it was a rare thing to see him without both a shirt and pants; even at bedtime he was always covered from the waist down. “He... actually went nude for me?”

“Not quite; he was wearing some undershorts beneath them. But they didn't leave too much to the imagination.”

“And I didn't even get to see?! And you did?!” She glared at him. “I am so jealous of you right now.”

The smug grin he gave her made her wish she had the strength to throw a pillow at him.

(-)

“So how did you two enjoy the play?”

Cadance trotted alongside Peter and Sveti as they made their way out of the theater. “I loved it,” the griffin answered. “I mean, I've heard the story plenty of times, but to see it portrayed like that made it feel more 'real'. And that was some powerful illusion magic at work there to make it look so believable.”

“Not believe my eyes,” Peter chuckled. “Felt like I was there. Glad I not somehow disrupt magic.”

“Twilight was right to tell you not to worry about that.” Cadance smiled. “The magic only surrounds the audience; it doesn't touch them.”

“Should know trust Princess Twilight about magic.” The human grinned; Cadance didn't find herself nearly as disturbed at the show of teeth as she would have expected from some descriptions... they were sharp, yes, but after having seen the fangs of changelings far too closely for her comfort, the squared-off incisors he bore were hardly intimidating to her. “I do have question, though,” he continued. “This story, Hearth's Warming Eve, is it....” He seemed to consider for a moment. “Need word, means 'story that stands for way of life'.”

“An allegory?” Cadance volunteered.

Peter glanced askance at Sveti, who nodded. “That sounds about right,” she told him.

“Okay. Allegory. Sorry, Princess Cadance, but Sveti learned how read my mind, so I check with her on new words.” He gave the hen a playful grin before turning back to her with an eyebrow raised. “Is this story that?”

Cadance gave a slight shrug. “Truth be told, it could be. The Unification happened thousands of years ago, even before the Princesses came to power, and there aren't many records from that age remaining. We do know that windigoes are a real thing, though.” She shuddered. “The Hearth's Warming Eve fable could just be a cautionary tale to not let hatred and strife rule your heart.”

“Huh. Sort of like holiday story from home.”

“Really? I'd love to hear about that sometime. Learning about other cultures is a hobby of mine.”

“I tell you it, then. Maybe at dinner?”

“That sounds like-”

Cadance paused at the sound of rapidly-approaching hoofbeats, and looked behind her to see a member of the Night Guard cantering purposefully towards them; the bat-winged stallion stopped before her, bowed respectfully and then whispered three sentences into her ear... and her eyes went wide. “I understand, Corporal,” she said. “Thank you.”

He nodded and turned to leave, quickly vanishing into the crowd. Both of her friends had looks of confusion on their faces. “Do we want to know?” Sveti asked.

“Yes, you definitely do. This is something I'd prefer to leave until after dinner, but since it concerns you....”

The hen let out a deep sigh. “Don't tell me someone has it out for Peter again.”

“No, Sveti. Not Peter. You.”

That brought the hen up short. “Me? What about me?”

“Follow me. This shouldn't be discussed in public.” She led the pair away from the crowds and into a small lounge that was fortunately empty; she sealed the door against intrusion and eavesdropping. “The guard was sent by Aunt Luna to alert me that there was a resolution introduced in Parliament that concerns you specifically, Sveti.”

Somehow the griffin managed to grow pale even through her plumage, which was quite a trick. “How does it concern me, Princess?”

“A contingent of senators has gotten word of the intrusion into the Embassy and are demanding an investigation... and they're also demanding that you be charged with aiding and abetting a foreign power to attack Equestrian soil.” She saw the griffin stare at her in disbelief. “Now I'm certain that this demand is completely without merit; they have no evidence that you were in any way complicit with the attack.”

Peter raised a hand. “Princess Cadance... what happen, anyway, if Sveti called guilty?”

“Peter, I assure you that it wouldn't happen-”

He spread the fingers of his hand in an apparent gesture to hear him out. “Please. Just say.”

“She... she could either be imprisoned, or deported and magically forbidden to ever set paw on Equestrian soil again.” She saw his hand immediately move to press gently against the back of Sveti's neck. “But Peter, please, realize that the chances of that actually happening are almost zero. I'm sure that Aunt Luna and Aunt Celestia are already drafting a response and mobilizing friendly senators to counter the motion. It's obvious that Aunt Luna wanted me to tell you now so that the news didn't blindside you later.”

Peter lowered his head, his face contorting into a grimace. “I tired of this,” he murmured. “Why they attack us, Princess Cadance? Who out there feel so in danger from me that they need do all this?”

“I don't think it's directed at just either you or Sveti, Peter. There's something more going on... politics has never been my strong suit, but there's without a doubt something happening behind the scenes. You two just happen to be pawns in it all.” She reached up to pat his forearm comfortingly. “Please... don't let it ruin the holiday for you. Parliament has Hearth's Warming Day off anyway, so it's not like anypony can do anything.”

“Glad for government slowness for once,” the human muttered, the slightest of smirks crossing his lips. Next to him, Sveti chuckled, and Cadance herself couldn't quite suppress a giggle. “Okay. Guess it make sense, not worry too much. Can't do anything about, anyway. Sveti... we just not think about for now, okay? I want enjoy today, not worry.”

The hen gave him a slow nod. “You're right. I trust Princesses Celestia and Luna to be able to handle this. Ancestors, you'd think I'd be used to political intrigue by now... but being on the receiving end of it? Not really all it's cracked up to be.”

“That's why I gave up reading those silly Con Mane books. Unfortunately, in reality there's a serious lack of well-dressed secret agents to swoop in, solve the problem and trot off with the mare in distress.” She giggled. “So come on, or we'll miss the cast party.”

She ushered the two out of the lounge, following them back out into the halls and towards the backstage area. And as she watched them walk together, how easily their paces matched and how close they stayed to each other, she felt lucky that they couldn't see the silly grin that crossed her face. Shining was right, she thought. They do make a nice couple.

(-)

“So, hang on, lemme get this straight.” Rainbow Dash set her sandwich down. “This guy, this 'Santa Claus'-” she had a bit of trouble with the foreign name- “gets on a sleigh with nine reindeer, who can fly. Without wings. And he literally flies around the world giving presents to human foals, all on one night.” She snickered. “And you say that our world is weird.”

“Dash, he did say it was jes' a story,” Applejack reminded her. “Kind've a weird story, sure... I mean, an overweight feller in a red suit makin' toys up at the top of th' world?”

“Well I, for one, find it to be a marvelous tale,” Rarity said. “Such an exemplar of generosity and kindness this 'Claus' fellow is!”

Fluttershy smiled. “I couldn't agree more, Rarity. I wish I could do something like that to make others happy.”

“Yeah, it sounds super-duper fun!” Pinkie Pie was bouncing in her seat. “I mean, imagine it! Woosh! Here's a toy for you, little human! Woosh! And one for you too! I don't think I'd be able to limit myself to one day a year for that!”

“So this 'Santa' guy gives stuff besides books? Whoa, what a concept.” Spike shot Twilight a look, getting a sheepish grin in return.

“Oh, Spike. Reading is good for you!” The alicorn gave Peter an appreciative look. “You know, I would really love to hear more human stories and fables. They're always a great way to look inside a culture.” She turned a thoughtful gaze towards Sveti. “And I could say that about griffins as well. We don't see many in Equestria, even here in Canterlot, and your common pony doesn't know much about the Empire or its citizens at all.”

“Yeah, and apparently there's some places here that think griffins are animals.” A scowl crossed Dash's face.

Twilight blinked in surprise. “Dash-”

“Twilight, just a moment.” Rarity raised a hoof. “I daresay that I understand Dash's sentiment completely, given what happened to dear Sveti before we made her acquaintance. The treatment she and Peter have received from some ponies is utterly shameful.” She gazed down at the table for a moment. “And I will freely admit that I am not without my own biases. When I read of the White Plains War, or the minotaur clan conflicts, a little voice in the back of my head says 'at least we ponies are above all that'... but I think that little voice has been shamed into silence as of late.”

“An' I'll admit that the way some ponies have been actin' has made me flat-out disgusted.” Applejacked looked over towards Twilight. “There's gotta be somethin' we can do 'bout it.”

“Girls, please.” Rarity blinked in surprise when Sveti spoke up. “I appreciate the thoughts, honestly, but I don't want to see today brought down. It's a holiday to spend with family and friends, after all, and since... and since I don't have family to be with, it makes my friends that much more important to me. So let's just focus on the good things today, alright?”

“Oh my goodness.” Rarity had never felt so low. “Sveti, you are absolutely right, of course. This isn't the time or place for such a discussion.”

“Yeah....” Dash looked just as upset as Rarity felt. “Not cool of me to bring that up here. I'm really sorry.”

“Me too,” Applejack put in. “Y'all deserve this, you an' Peter both.”

Spike got out of his chair and walked over to the griffin. “Hey... I'm really sorry about what happened with your dad, Miss Windwhisper. I never got to know my parents; my egg was found abandoned, and nopony even knew it was hatchable until Twilight went magi-crazy during her entrance exam-”

“Spike!”

“...heh heh, but anyway.” Spike didn't look back at his caretaker's aggravated glare. “I'm not gonna say I really know what either of you are going through, but I just want you to know that these ponies here-” he waved a claw at the others at the table- “are practically a family to me now. So, y'know, don't be afraid to talk to your friends if you're feeling down, you know?”

“That's right!” Pinkie had somehow gone from her seat to hanging a foreleg over Peter's shoulders without Rarity having seen her move; to his credit, the human looked only mildly surprised. “One of the biggest things to learn from Hearth's Warming Eve is that we all need each other! So just remember who means the most to you and be there for them, and they'll be there for you too!”

The glance that Peter and Sveti shared would've been missed by most ponies, and likely escaped the notice of nearly everypony else at the table, but Rarity had an eye for such things. And that glance told Rarity that, at least between the two of them, they already knew what Pinkie Pie had told them.

The amount of willpower it took her to not outright squee at the sight was staggering, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cadance give her a split-second smile that all but shouted "I know, right?!".

(-)

“Sveti, before the two of you head back to the Embassy, could I speak to you alone privately for a moment?”

Sveti turned, caught by surprise by Twilight's words. “Um... sure, Princess,” she said uncertainly. “Peter?”

The human gave her a smile. “I wait by door.”

Once he'd left, Twilight approached the griffin with what seemed to be a reluctant expression. “Sveti,” she said quietly, “I was informed just a few minutes ago about that motion in Parliament. I'm honestly sorry that this is even happening; sorry, and angry.”

“I appreciate it, Princess. We're just trying to get through it, just like everything else.”

“I admire the both of you for that.” Twilight leaned in conspiratorially. “I still have a couple of aces under my mane that I have yet to play. One of them I don't want to talk about just yet... but another involves something I can do for you.”

“What is it?”

“Sveti, what I'm about to do could very well be illegal, and would certainly put our cause in a bad light if it were to get out, so I need you to be discrete about this. And by 'discrete' I mean that I absolutely do not mind if you lie about it if asked.”

Sveti blinked in shock; she never would've expected to hear something like that from her. “What is it you want to do, Princess?”

“We've finished a translation of Peter's language, and have constructed a magical translation matrix based upon it. I can imprint that matrix on your mind and give you a working knowledge of that language. Now, the matrix isn't entirely polished, so you'll probably have to work with him a bit to iron out things like proper pronunciation, and I can't guarantee that every sound will be reproducable easily with your vocal structure, but... I think that you and him being able to speak in his language could be a benefit, given the situation.”

The hen didn't even know what to say for a moment. She had to agree with Twilight, though- it was both something best kept secret, and a significant advantage. “That's... extremely generous of you, Princess. Are there any drawbacks to the spell?”

“The imprint itself is only a temporary construct; it'll fade after a month or so. But your brain will build upon the framework as you use the language so that you remember it. The more you practice and speak the language, the better the learning will take hold.” Twilight smiled. “Aside from that, however, the spell will have no adverse affects. It's the sheer complexity of the spell that keeps us from using it more commonly.”

“So I suppose it'll be Peter's turn to give me language lessons.” Sveti grinned. “Thank you, Princess. I truly appreciate this; I understand the risks you're taking here.”

“I trust you, Sveti. Much more than that snake pit of nobles in Parliament who are pushing this measure of theirs.” Twilight's expression softened. “Also... consider it my Hearth's Warming Eve gift to the two of you. I know I've made a lot of mistakes since all of this started, and I'd like this to be a way to make up for them.”

“We've all made mistakes since this started, Princess. But I won't turn down a gift like this.” She considered for a moment. “Does this take long?”

“No, not at all, barely more than a minute. It's just that the spellform is complex and multi-layered.”

“To be honest, I think Peter knows more about unicorn magic than I do at this point, so I'll have to take your word for it.” She grinned. “What do you need me to do?”

“Just hold still, close your eyes and do your best to clear your mind. It's going to feel a little unusual, so I'll need you to remain calm.”

“Okay.” She did her best to follow Twilight's instructions, and after a moment she saw the dim glow of magic through her eyelids. And then something strange happened- knowledge began to simply appear in her mind, as if she were recalling something she'd learned without remembering the act of actually learning it. The process didn't take long at all, but she knew when she opened her eyes again that it was going to take a little while to get used to the sudden expertise.

Twilight had a wide smile on her lips. “There, done. Give it a try.”

“Okay. Let's see, then. This is me, giving it a try....” She blinked, one claw reflexively reaching towards her throat. Peter's language sounded weird coming out of her beak; a couple parts of it were sounds she'd never made before in her life. It took a bit of effort to get her mind to switch back to Equish. “I think this'll take some getting used to,” she murmured.

“But still, nicely done for a first try!” Twilight gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Let me know how you do. I'd love to have language lessons myself, but my schedule really doesn't permit it right now. Maybe sometime next spring, depending on how things are going, if Peter's amenable?”

“I'll ask him how he feels about it, if you like.”

“I'd appreciate that.” Twilight leaned forward and gave her a light hug. “Happy Hearth's Warming Eve to the both of you, Sveti, and to your staff as well. I hope Ensemble has a quick recovery and is back in the embassy soon.”

A broad smile crossed her beak as she returned the embrace. “Thanks. You too, Princess, and thank you for everything you've done. As we griffins like to say, health to you, kin and clan.”

It was actually difficult for Sveti to keep to a normal, casual pace as she made her way to the main entrance, where Peter waited for her. She couldn't wait to start speaking to the human in his own language.

She quickly found out, though, that it would have to wait a little while.

(-)

“To our first Hearth's Warming Eve in Canterlot.” Wisk raised her glass. “A time for us to rely on each other and face the future together.”

Four glasses of cider clinked together over the center of the table. Stout Hooves took a long gulp from his, then glanced across the table. “You know, colt,” he said, “your spirits have definitely improved since you got your new job.”

“Well, I can't help it. I feel like I've finally found what I've been missing in my life.” Farris Wheel set his glass down. “Though I kind of feel like a foal because of how long it actually took me. All that time I wasted with... you know who.”

“Sweetie, we agreed that we ain't going to think about him anymore. It's just us, what we did, and what we're gonna do. And what we're gonna do right now is order.” Wisk set her drink down and closed her menu, signalling for a nearby waiter.

“Are you ready to order?” he asked in a voice that was friendly enough, if a bit haggard.

“We sure are,” she replied. “I'll have the broiled beet platter with alfalfa and passagedale cheese, and a side of haysticks.”

The waiter scribbled the order down on his pad. “And you, sir?” he asked Wheel.

“Um... I'll have the double soyburger with La Marena cheese and red peppers, with hayfries.”

“You like it with a bit of a bite, I see!” The waiter looked towards Stout. “You, sir?”

“I'll have the alfredo with broccoli and baked bread as the side; my brother will have the egg flower soup with dandelion and also baked bread.”

“Oh, I'm sorry, we're out of the egg flower soup. You must have come in just before we put that up on the notice board. Can I interest you in something else?”

Strong's ears flicked around a few times, his lips moving silently. “What?” Stout asked. “I thought that stuff gives you gas.” When Strong snorted and gave him a look, Stout laughed. “Okay, okay. He'll have the Prench onion soup and pumpernickel bread.”

“Very well.” The waiter finished taking the order and removed the menus, then trotted off.

Wheel fiddled a bit with his drink coaster. “So, um, Stout,” he said. “Y'know, I always meant to ask about....” He gave Strong an aside glance.

“About Strong being mute?” Stout shrugged. “It's not as if it's some taboo subject, colt. He was born without vocal chords, that's all. Magic can heal a lot of wounds, but it can't replace something you weren't born with.”

“Well, if we're talking about it... how long did it take you two to come up with that little ear-language?” Wisk asked.

“Four years. Mom and Dad both had to work long hours to keep a roof over our head, so I spent most of my free time watching Strong; since he couldn't speak or cry, we had to be extra careful to keep him away from anything harmful, because we probably wouldn't know right away if he got hurt. I had the idea for him to flick his left ear for 'no' and his right ear for 'yes', and it just grew from there. Of course, his ears aren't the only part of it.”

“Yeah, I've seen his mouth moving too,” Wheel said. “So I guess you're sort of reading his lips?”

“Sort of, right. Ears alone can only express so much.”

Wheel smiled. “Yeah. I never paid much attention to it before, but... it's really interesting.”

Eventually dinner was served, and Wisk basked in the quiet camraderie, enjoying her meal with her friends. Wheel told them more about his newborn acting career, how he was already starting up classes to help him with various types of acting, from drama to comedy. “Mister Revue says that I've got a pretty good singing voice,” he said, “though I do need some training to make it as good as it can be.”

“You know, all the years I've known you, I ain't heard you sing once. Not even while taking a shower.” Wisk grinned.

“I never thought to try!”

“Well, maybe we'll get a performance out of you soon, hm?”

He gave her a bashful smile. “...maybe after a couple of those classes.”

“Attacolt.”

With their meal finished and paid for, and a fairly generous tip left for the waiter, the group trotted back out into the cold Canterlot streets... only to run into a sizable crowd streaming towards the Arts District. “What the hay is going on?” Wisk wondered.

“Protest!” somepony nearby answered.

“Another one? They were going on for a week a while back; I thought that was all over and done with!”

“This one's different!” The pony disappeared into the crowd.

Next to Wisk, Wheel frowned. “They're heading towards the theater,” he said, barely audible above the noise of the crowd.

“Well, colt.” Stout craned his neck to see over the crowds. “I know you wanted to avoid that area tonight, but if you want to find out what's going on....” He flicked an ear in that direction meaningfully.

“I, um....” Wisk could see an internal battle being played out through the young stallion's expressions. “Oh, rut it all,” he muttered after a moment. “Let's go see. We can just stay with the crowds so we don't stand out.”

So the four of them melded into the steady stream of ponies heading along the street. It was hard for Wisk to make out any individual conversations in the crowd, but she picked up the words “griffin” and “attack” a few times. Her confusion only grew until she reached Equinox Square, one block away from the theater, and saw a number of ponies standing on the edge of the fountain there, holding up newspapers and shouting.

“GRIFFIN ATTACK LEAVES PONY IN HOSPITAL”, read the headline.

“...and this is why our treaty with the Empire is a farce!” one of the ponies on the fountain's edge called out. “We've done everything we could for them shy of getting involved in their terrible war, and how do they thank us? By almost killing one of us!”

“Close the Embassy again!” another shouted. “Send all the griffins back to their homeland until they agree to end their war! Show the Emperor that we won't stand back and let him harm our families!”

“This mare could've been your daughter, your wife, your mother!” yelled a third. “Who's to say it won't happen again? Will you let a bunch of warmongering hybrids endanger your loved ones?!”

A number of ponies in the crowd began calling out in response.

“I heard that griffins used to eat ponies!”

“You can't ever trust a predator!”

“They've got no business being in our country!”

“What... what the hay is this...?” Wisk murmured. “Are they really doing this on Hearth's Warming Eve?”

“I don't like the look of that crowd.” Stout fixed his gaze on a rather large group of ponies who were growing increasingly agitated at the words of those on the fountain.

“You ain't kidding. They almost look like they're ready to riot.” And it almost looks like those ponies up there are trying to get them to do just that, she added mentally.

Ahead of them, Wheel seemed to almost be lost in a trance, slowly making his way through the crowd. “This... this is wrong,” he said. “I have to do something.”

“Wheel? Sweetie, what are you doing? I don't think it's a good idea to get too close....” She tried to go after him, but the crowd proved impenetrable to her, frustrating her attempts to catch up to him even as he seemingly nonchalantly wound his way between the milling ponies. “Wheel!” she called after him.

“What's gotten into that colt's head?” Stout wondered.

“I don't know! I....” Something made her come to a halt, her words dying in her throat as her attention locked on to the young stallion. She was hardly alone; Stout, Strong, the crowd and even the rabblerousers on the fountain had similarly gone quiet as Wheel climbed up on a nearby pedestal, opened his mouth...

...and began to sing.

“I've only ever seen the world
Through this pair of eyes
But even though, there's certain things
I've come to realize

“Because what I see is you and me
No two faces are the same
Each of us a separate one
In mind, spirit and name

But I won't let that stop me from
Being friends with anyone
I know that the form you see
Is just a single part of me”

He hopped down from the pedestal, approaching the crowd, and stopped in front of a pair of ponies- a unicorn mare and a pegasus stallion- and began to sing directly at them.

“Long ago, the pony tribes
Had fear and hate between us all
But Hearth's Warming Eve has taught us that
We needed to tear down that wall

In this big world, there's many places
A thousand different kinds of faces
But look behind their eyes and see
They're so much just like you and me”

He began to trot along the line of ponies at the front of the crowd, and from somewhere Wisk swore she began to hear music as the sea-colored stallion continued his song.

“And everyone deserves to be a friend
Open up your mind and see
How someone else's world can be

Everyone deserves to be a friend
My heart tells me it's just unfair
To judge you by the form you wear”

Wisk found herself swaying to the strange, sourceless music that she was certain she heard. Wheel turned away from the crowd to face the ponies still standing on the fountain, all of whom were staring at them in shock, one of two of them not even aware that their mouths were hanging open.

“Ponies have a special place
In this world we've come to call our own
But there's others who are also proud
To call this shining jewel their home

Zebras, griffins, minotaurs
Donkeys, cows, buffalo too
They've all come to Equestria
To make their fondest dreams come true

It's up to us to help them grow
And every one of us should know
To not let the bad outweigh the good
And welcome them as ponies should”

Wheel moved back towards the crowd, and several of the ponies stepped out to encircle him.

“Because everyone deserves to be a friend
I won't let distrust or fear
Decide the ones that I keep near

Everyone deserves to be a friend
Stand with me, we'll start today
And show them the true pony way”

The stallion reared up on his hind legs, forelegs spread out in a wide stance.

“Let your bad feelings disappear
And say it now for all to hear
If you want, then I will be your frieeeeeeeend”

The music that Wisk wasn't quite hearing faded as Wheel dropped back down to all fours, and everything went utterly silent for a moment as everypony recovered. It was one of the ponies still standing on the fountain's edge who dared break the stillness. “...well, that still doesn't mean we should trust griffins-”

“No, he's right!” somepony in the crowd shouted. “We should be better than this! Celestia trusts griffins to be good visitors; otherwise she wouldn't let them into Equestria!”

“Yeah, we can't judge all griffins on a few! What if others judged us based on King Sombra?!”

“Ponies are nothing like griffins!”

“And then I said 'Oatmeal? Are you crazy?'”

The cacaphony that rose up within the crowd went mostly unnoticed by Wisk as she cantered up to a dazed-looking Wheel. “Sweetie, are you okay?” she asked him, gently pressing her shoulder to his to support him.

“I... I'm not sure....” The sea-colored stallion shook his head as if to clear it. “That was... really strange.”

Then he looked back towards the square and froze in place, his body beginning to shiver against hers. She followed his gaze and saw something that made her breath catch in her throat for a moment- Sveti and Peter were standing at the far end of the square, mostly unnoticed by the crowd, both of them staring directly at Wheel. At that distance she couldn't make out their expressions. “Um... Wheelie?” she said quietly. “Maybe... maybe you ought to go talk to them now. I'm pretty sure they saw what just happened.”

His shivering only increased, and he broke the gaze to stare down at the ground. “I... I can't, Wisk. Not now, not... not like this. I can't, I just....” He shook his head slowly. “I can't.”

“Go easy, colt.” Stout came up to Wheel's other side to support him as well. “It's fine. Some other time, then.” He glanced over at Wisk. “Guards'll likely be here soon, checking out the disturbance,” he told her. “Might be for the best if we all head home.”

“Yeah... I guess you're right.” Gently, she helped guide Wheel away from the square and back towards their rented rooms.

(-)

“Damn it all, Farris. I waited for years to see you finally grow a spine... and you choose here and now to do it.”

Next to him, the stuffy noblestallion sniffed disdainfully. “I could have told Summer Breeze that leaking the story right before Hearth's Warming Day was ill-thought at best.”

“Well, the saying is true. Make something idiot-proof and somepony will come along with an improved model of idiot.” He shrugged. “I'm tired of playing foal's games. It's time to get more direct.”

His “partner”, for lack of a better term, flinched. “I'm still not sure I like your plan. Blueblood may be a coward who leaves behind more yellow puddles than a leaky cider keg, but he's still a member of the upper crust. Using him in this operation of yours feels as though it crosses a line.”

“Relax. What would the Princesses do to him? If they had the hocks to seriously punish him, they'd have done so for nearly spearing our dear visitor.” He looked out the window at the crowd, already being dispersed by a squad of insistent Royal Guards. “Have you ever noticed how easily ponies overlook things that are in plain view?”

“All the time! Why, just last weekend, one of my servants left out a perfectly good pot of tea....”

He easily tuned out the noble's moronic chatter, letting it become background noise as he considered his next move.