Merry Thanksgiving
The pidgey scattered as she dashed through the flock scratching at the ground.
She let out a whoop of joy as she pushed past the fence gate and raced down the hill to the pastures.
She slid to a stop at the fence line.
"Anna! Romeo! The food is ready! Come on!"
She leaned over the fence, looking for her best friend.
There!
A small orange puppy bounded through the tall grass, the pale, creamy fluff on the top of her head bobbing along as it ran.
On its heels was an odd looking creature. His mane of flames trashed and spun in the air as small sparks fell onto its creamy fur.
He kicked up his heels and charged ahead of the little puppy.
The pony slid to a halt much like his trainer, panting for breath.
The young girl that had called out to her two friends reached over and rubbed the Ponyta's velvety nose. He pushed his nose further into her hand and whinnied in pleasure.
Finally catching up, the puppy, Anna, collapsed by a fence post in her bigger friends' shadows.
"You guys ready to eat?" The girl asked.
The Ponyta shook his head excitedly and pranced over to the pasture gate.
His owner laughed and walked over to join him, Anna whined and followed them and their shadows.
"Well, come on out! We had better hurry, Mama said to be back in ten minutes." The girl grinned and shook a loose strand of fiery red hair out of her eyes. She slowly unlatched the gate and very cautiously, she slid inside the gate.
Slowly, she walked over to the Ponyta that stared at her with deep brown eyes.
Cupping his ear in her hand, she whispered, "Ready to run?"
He snorted and pulled out of her grip. He bobbed his head and turned so that his side was facing her.
She clambered onto his strong, wiry back.
Clapping her heels to his side, he took off.
His mane blew and twisted in the wind and his precious passenger clung to his withers.
The forgotten puppy whined and trotted off to find her owner, the girl's younger brother Ethan.
Ahead of her, the duo ran on.
The girl, Lyra, raised her head and smiled as the wind rushed through her hair, tangling it and undoing to sloppy ponytail. Her deep blue eyes gleamed with happiness as she felt the strong, confident stride of her Ponyta.
The hair tie was lost in the rattle of hoofbeats as the two partners rushed onward.
They charged past the front gate and startled the now calm Pidgies, sending them into yet another frenzy.
The pony braced his fore legs and stirred up dust as they stopped infront of the porch of a battered ranch house.
A welcoming light flowed from a candle inside the house on a window sill, lighting up the porch as the sun slid behind the horizon.
Lyra slid off of her companion and gave him a hug.
"Go and graze, just stay inside the fence. I'm bringing a whole salad out for you."
The Ponyta whinnied in joy and trotted off to inside a nearby barn. The barn's red paint was faded and now looked for grey then red. He joined the herd of Miltank eating inside their stalls and dug into his own meal, searching for the apple that he knew Lyra had slipped into his hay. He found it, but he munched it in sadness. He had lived with Lyra since he had been foaled, five years ago. But he had never been allowed inside.
Going inside the house was one of his greatest desires, but he was denied every time he tried. So he stopped. Sighing, he returned to his lonely meal listening to the Miltank moo to each other and the three Tauros down the aisle bellow at each other.
Lyra smiled as she watched him go, the smile faded as she thought of something. Then she turned and rushed up the steps, as hyper as a Pikachu.
"Mom! Dad! I need to ask you something!" She called out into the empty hallway.
Kicking off her untied sneakers, she ran down the hall, pictures shaking as she passed by.
Finding her parents in the kitchen, she asked them a question.
And this year, they said yes.
Whooping with joy, she hurried past her brother walking in with his little Growlithe, and ran out to the barn where she found her Ponyta Romeo waiting.
He lifted his head and cocked it as if to ask, Is there a problem? But there wasn't a problem. She grinned at him and walked down the aisle, petting the muzzles of Miltanks that stuck their heads out of their stalls.
Stepping into the tack room, she spotted Romeo's leather halter at once. Lyra quickly grabbed it and walked back down to Romeo's open stall.
Patting his head, she slipped the halter on and guided him out of the barn and onto the porch of the house. Just as they reached the shade of its overhanging roof, Lyra spotted something falling softly from the dark clouds above.
It had been cold that morning when Lyra's parents had started on Thanksgiving dinner, but she had never expected for it to snow!
She laughed and bounced off the porch. Sticking out her tongue, she tried to catch a snowflake or two.
Then she tripped on a Pidgey, sending him into a panic attack.
He crowed and set off the rest of the flock. They flapped around in a panic until they finally settled down on a pile of logs, ready to be thrown into the fireplace after dinner.
Lyra laughed once more and hurried inside. The snow could wait, dinner could not.
Taking Romeo's halter once more, she led him into the house and to the dining room.
He was shocked never before had he been inside in his life!
It was so different from anything he'd ever seen!
Lyra moved a chair out of the way and settled into her own chair, leaving a space for Romeo next to her.
Her parents made their way to their seats as well, her brother sat opposite her with Anna wagging her tail on his lap.
The fried Pidgey sat on the table in front of them, side dishes spread from either side of it.
"It's snowing!" Lyra exclaimed. Her family nodded, they had seen the snow out the kitchen window.
"That makes Christmas even closer!" She said logically. "So, I guess it's now merry Thanksgiving! Yeah! That's it!"
"Merry Thanksgiving!"