There was a knock on the office door after closing. "Come in," I absently said as I worked on the worst part of running the Carne Den: the paperwork. I'd put the computer from the expedition away since it didn't actually help that much. Why I hadn't picked up a printer while I was beyond me, but I didn't let it bother me.

Searing entered. "Hey, what do we do for the Fall Feast Festival here?"

"Officially, we're closed the day before, of, and after it. That being said, there's going to be a big feast here anyways. It happened last year, though not as I'd planned."

"What happened last year?"

"You know the griffons that work here? All of them are from the Griffon Empire, before King Gaston died. They came here for a better life and they got it. Very quickly. I was going to make a big meal for the occasion last year, but the cold weather made me forget about it. They pulled through and provided the food themselves and forgave me for my mistake. I made a Thanksgiving speech, everyone said something they were thankful for, and then the meal was on. Do you want to help this year?"

"Sure," she happily said before her expression dropped a bit. "Are you expecting any royalty this time?"

"No. But if they show up, we won't turn them away. And this year, I will definitely provide something for the meal."

On the morning before the Fall Feast Festival/Thanksgiving meal, I found Searing behind the bar. "Morning," I said.

"Good morning, Yang," Searing replied. "I already made us some breakfast." She pointed towards a pair of plates on the serving window with her horn, each one sporting toast, bacon, hash browns, and eggs. All of it looked a bit overcooked.

"Oh. Well, thanks." I sat down as Searing served up the meal and utensils. "So, what's the plan for today?" I asked as I scraped some of the eggs onto the toast.

"I was thinking of doing some cooking for tomorrow with you, but there isn't much to work with right now. How do you keep everything so well stocked around here?"

"Well-" A series of knocks from the front door interrupted me. "Could you get that? I'm not dressed for that kind of chill."

"Sure." Searing left the bar and went to the entrance. "Hello?"

"Delivery for Miss Yang Xiao. . . No, wait, Searing Victory," the familiar delivery stallion said. "Odd. Are you Searing Victory?"

"Yyyyyyyes?"

"Sign, please." The sound of a pen on paper on a clipboard floated through for a few seconds. "Thank you. We'll have these in for you shortly."

"Uhh, thanks." Searing returned with a concerned face. "Yang, I didn't order anything. What's going on?"

"I think that's our part of the Thanksgiving feast," I said. "And it looks like I'm going to put your name on the order forms."

She moved a hoof around as she tried to figure out my explanation. "I still don't get it."

"When the post office in town says, 'any time delivery,' they mean it." I got up and started helping with the boxes as they came in, setting them on the ground near the bar.

"How does that work?"

"I get the shipping manifests, copy them onto order forms, and send them off to when the order arrived in the past. They fulfill the order and send it here the normal way with the manifest."

Searing seemed to understand as the last crate was brought in. "That seems a bit. . . I think the word is Paradoxical?"

"Yeah, a bit, but nothing is stuck in the loop. Reality isn't crashing, so it's fine. Now then, let's see what we've got." I found the manifest and started reading off the list. "Ten turkeys, fifteen pounds of thick bacon strips, 25 full racks of ribs, and thirty pounds of ham chunks."

"That's a lot of meat," Searing noted. "Should I go get someone to help us cook it all?"

"No, but I don't see how even a hundred griffons could eat all that and more in one meal. We are definitely going to eat well tomorrow." Once we finished our breakfast together, it was time to start planning everything out, starting with the turkeys. "So, what should we stuff in these birds?" Thankfully, they were already gutted and cleaned, so we wouldn't have to go through that mess.

"Do we have any stuffing?" Searing asked as she started getting ingredients out.

"No, we don't." I grabbed a pen and notepad and started taking notes. "We can probably get enough cornbread for that at Sugarcube Corner."

"You mean, I can go get enough cornbread for that at Sugarcube Corner."

"Good point. So that's the turkey. Do you think we should make the bacon in the morning?"

"Cold bacon is not good bacon. Can you do anything with the grease, though?"

"Hmmm. . . There's going to be a lot of it. I'm sure I'll think of something. That leaves the ribs and ham chunks."

Searing looked at the turkey. "We could put some of the ham chunks in the turkey."

I clapped and wrote it down. "I have no beef with that idea."

"Do you have any beef with the ribs, though?"

"Yes, and I have a bone to pick with them too." I looked up at Searing when I didn't get an immediate response. "You missed your barbecue."

"Sweet Celestia, I love those puns."

"Huh?"

Searing became flustered. "Oh, uhh. . . I'll just go get that cornbread now I'll be back soon bye!" She ran out and I heard the front doors close a moment later.

I went back to my planning with a smile. "That was cute."

Some time later, Searing returned. "I'm back," she announced with no fanfare after the front door closed.

"Welcome back!" I replied from the bar. She floated the package on her back onto the bar. "You get the cornbread?"

"Yeah." She started floating some other things out of the package, and the first thing was a box with my emblem on it. "And. . . I got you something."

I accepted the box and opened it up. Inside was a slice of cheesecake, topped with orange, pineapple, and strawberry pieces. "Aww, thanks. That's sweet."

"I'll put the cornbread in the kitchen." Before she started on that task, she levitated a fork to me.

"Thanks!" I took a bite of the dessert and it was delicious. The fruits blended perfectly with the creaminess of the cheesecake, and I was in flavor heaven.

Searing came out of the kitchen as I was savoring the second bite. "Hey, I'm going to go upstairs for a bit. I don't want to mess anything up in the kitchen."

"Okay," I said around the dessert I was chewing on. It was really good.

Searing, with the utmost of caution, went into Yang's room. "Mei?" She quietly asked.

"On the nightstand." Mei's avatar came on, lighting the room with a blue glow. "How can I help you, Searing?"

"Well. . . I don't know." Searing pulled out the desk chair and took a seat. "I just. . ." She let out a sigh of frustration.

"You want to know how to tell Yang you've got feelings for her?"

"Yes! That. I think she knows by now, but. . . Has she said anything about me?"

"Plenty." Mei produced a scroll and started reading from it. "She likes how willing you are to fight with her, especially since you have armor and weapons."

"Well. . . Who wouldn't?"

"A fair point. She also likes your earnest work ethic at the bar. Hmm. . ." Mei looked up from the list for a moment and scratched her chin in thought. "Put me on."

"Huh?"

"The glasses. Put them on." Searing carefully did as Mei asked, the avatar not moving. "Hmm. . . Huh. . . That's interesting."

"What is?"

"You have an aura like Yang does. It's very different, but I think I'm seeing trace amounts of hers in yours. Is there a story behind that?"

"That. . . I think I'd rather save that story for later."

"Alright."

I looked at the empty box my cheesecake slice came in with sad violin sounds. I had finished it, and it was gone. "Well, time to get to work." I cut the music, checked the clock, and saw that I'd spent twenty minutes enjoying the dessert. "Wow. Hey, Searing!"

"Yes, Yang?" Came her voice after a moment.

"It's cooking time!"

"Coming!" Seconds later, she came down the stairs with a bit more pep to her step than before. "So, what's the plan?"

By noon, the Carne Den was packed with everyone that worked for me, along with their families. There were some new faces in the group, most under a year old. The baby griffons were adorable, especially since they combined the aspects of baby birds and cats. I quickly learned that their beaks, even at such a young age, were sharp. Thankfully, they didn't have very much jaw strength and I had my aura, so the effect was a negligible strength boost.

Just like the year before, every family brought something to the table. Potatoes, breads, fruit toppings, vegetables, egg dishes, and desserts. Every bit of it looked and smelled delicious. The spread was so neatly varied, it almost felt coordinated.

Searing found me as I was playing with the baby griffons. "Hey, Yang. Do you think you should put something nice on before we have our feast?"

"That sounds like a good idea," I conceded. "There's only one problem."

"We can wait a few minutes for you."

"No, there's a cub laying on my lap and he's using his feline gravity powers to keep me pinned."

"Oh." Searing looked at my lap and saw the cub in question. "How about I take over?"

"Alright." As soon as Searing sat down, I gently, and with great (maybe slightly exaggerated) effort, picked the cub up and set him between Searing's forelegs. He seemed okay with the change of comforters. "I'll be back."

When I got to my wardrobe, I was faced with a tough decision on dresses. As much as I loved Victory, it wasn't an appropriate choice for the event. After a minute of rifling through the selection, I found one that I'd nearly forgotten about, the name coming back in a flash: Molten Spirit. The warm amber top half, the coppery red skirt, golden filigree, and silver waist wrap all drew my attention, and I decided to go with it.

After admiring the look of Molten Spirit and picking Mei up, I came back downstairs. "If I may have everyone's attention?" The room went quiet, aside from a few baby griffons. Searing didn't look at me for long before going back to the cubs and chicks. Asada had shown up while I was upstairs, and some griffon children were with her. "It's time for our second Thanksgiving here, first for some of you. If we could all gather around the tables?"

As everyone gathered around and sat down, I couldn't help but notice that, wherever Searing went, someone claimed the spot she was going for, until the only spot left was between my spot at the head of the largest table and Asada's spot. "Before we start-" I shot a glance at a chick that was a bit eager to start and she withdrew her talons. "Let's each name something we're thankful for. As with last year, I'll start." I thought for a moment and really wished that I'd thought about it earlier. "I'm thankful. . . Ah, I'm thankful that the nobles who were after me have been taken care of and that their replacements seem fairly level headed. I haven't kept up on the matter." I sat down and turned to my right. "Gilda?"

Gilda stood up. "Thank you. Well, I'm thankful that King Gaston is gone. Ever since his death, it's felt like a weight's been lifted off my wings." Nods of agreement went around the tables. "Next."

As soon as Gilda sat down, Honey Suckle stood up. "Well, I'm thankful for the Carne Den's popularity making it so easy to gather love. Who would have thought that serving others would be so fulfilling?"

Aegir was next. "I'm thankful for the regulars that tip well. I've taken up woodworking in my spare time with the bits."

Fuzz eagerly stood up for her turn. "I'm thankful for the friendships I've been making. They feel. . . Really good."

Honey Suckle reached over with a hoof. "You know it!" The hoof was returned with a fist.

Ají was next. "I'm thankful that Fuzz isn't a scary dragon." Fuzz noogied the petite mare's head. "Hey, stop that!" A few seconds later, Fuzz stopped. "Thank you."

Cloverleaf was next. "I'm thankful that I've been able to make friends around town as easily as I have been. I even have a date with Sunny Scoop next weekend."

Brew Binary stood up. "I'm thankful that Yang and Gilda use the restaurant's finances responsibly, and not as a personal bank account. I've seen other places go to ruin because of that, and I'm glad the Carne Den isn't on that path."

Silver went next. "I'm thankful for. . . Hmm. . ."

"It's okay to say something someone else already has," I assured him. "No competition."

"Alright. Well, I guess I'd have to say the Carne Den itself. It's a nice place and everyone's so friendly."

Sylvia stood up. "Believe it or not, I'm thankful for the apparently inherent strangeness of Ponyville. It keeps things interesting."

Gavan took his turn. "I'm thankful for the same thing as last year: the business here helping keep my family in business back in the Griffon Empire." After Gavan, it was almost all griffons, thankful for their better life, their families, their new family members, and me.

When Asada's turn came, she didn't say anything, since she was still a bear. Instead, she gave Searing a bear hug, which was met with sounds of adoration.

Mei appeared on the table before Searing could say anything. "I'm thankful that I can help Yang and Searing whenever they need it."

Then, it was Searing's turn. "I'm thankful for. . . Well, I'm thankful that my turn is done and we can finally start eating."

As soon as the chuckles died down, I addressed the tables. "You heard her. Have at it, everyone!" A moment later, the sounds of eating filled the room. Compliments about the food flew left and right, and it looked like everyone was enjoying the turkeys. Mei even had a holographic meal of her own.

While I was enjoying some mashed potatoes, I spared a sideways glance at Searing. She was tearing into her meat with almost reckless abandon, more so than any pony I'd seen yet and more savagely than the literal bear sitting right next to her. I smiled at the sight of her enjoying herself before going back to my meal.

"Ohhhh. . ." Searing groaned after the meal was done. "This sucks."

"You eat too much?" I asked as I sat down next to her in the guest room.

"And I enjoyed every bit of it."

"So you're feeling. . . Pain-full?"

A simulated facepalm sounded out. "And things were going so well until that pun," Mei groused.

Searing let out a soft laugh. "That's one thing I love about you, Yang."

I looked at the unicorn. "Hm?"

"Well. . . Uhh. . ."

"If I may?" Mei interjected, catching our attention. "I've been talking with and watching you two, and it seems you have some good chemistry. You both care and worry for each other in your own ways, beyond being battle buddies. Haven't seen you fight anything, though."

"Well, it's been quiet," I pointed out. "Thankfully."

"I can't deny that. Let's hope the peace continues. Now, I'm going to tell Yang a few things Searing has told me that I believe to be very important."

"What things?" Searing asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"Your aura, for starters."

I turned to the unicorn. "You have an aura too?"

"And a semblance," Searing answered. "I call it Determination. The greater the odds against me, the tougher my aura becomes. It was during my time at Signal Academy. I was nigh invulnerable in an encounter with the Grimm as well."

"That's cool," I said with a smile. "Did someone unlock your aura?"

"It. . ." Searing looked away. "It was Yang. She looked and sounded just like you. She even had the Ember Celica."

Mei chimed in. "Based on what I know about aura, which is only what Yang's told me, I think the fact that she unlocked Searing's aura is part of what's driving Searing to lo-"

Searing was suddenly in Mei's face. "You finish that sentence and I. . . I. . . I will speak to you exclusively in puns for a week."

Mei gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"

"You think I'm joking?"

Mei's expression dropped. "You are serious."

"No, I'm Searing."

Mei turned to me. "Yang, please help! Your girlfriend is punishing me!"

I gave Mei an inquisitive look. "Pun-ishing, you say?"

She sighed. "I concede."

Searing got back in her bed with a sigh. "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag now. Yes, Yang. I think I have feelings for you, and I'm kind of confused about them. I blame Discord and that trip."

I sat down next to the unicorn. "Well, if it's any consolation, I think something similar is going on with me. Maybe it started when you were telling me about your trip in my office?"

"It could be. Maybe it's the aura thing? I don't know. I'll just wait for Luna to show up."

"Alright. Sweet dreams." I picked Mei up and left to see if my guests would allow me to help with the cleanup process.

They didn't.

Author's Notes:

This was going to be a Nightmare Night chapter, but that would have thrown the timing off like nothing else. But if it was a Nightmare Night chapter, Yang would have worn the action firefighter costume from before and Searing would have gone with her pirate set.