It was the day after Hearts and Hooves Day in Equestria, but since Hearts and Hooves Day landed on a Friday this year, the students at the School of Friendship were treated to a three-day weekend, and Corn and Peg knew just how to spend the weekend…watch Captain Thunderhoof, of course! This episode was a special episode as it was a half-hour Hearts and Hooves Day special, which Corn didn't like so much.
"Wow! They have a whole half hour they could work with, and that's all they could do? Lame!" Corn complained.
"I don't know, Corn. I liked it." Peg replied.
"Yeah, cause you're a girl and girls like lovey-dovey things." Corn replied.
"Well, I don't really like the stuff you boys are into! Monster trucks, barf balls, dolls that burp and fart, eugh!" Peg retorted.
"For your information, Margaret, we boys don't play with dolls! The correct term is action figures!" Corn retorted.
"Action figures, dolls, same thing. Also, I told you not to use my real name!" Peg replied.
"They're not the same thing! Action figures are cooler! Like this Captain Thunderhoof action figure!" Corn retorted as he waved his Captain Thunderhoof action figure (or doll, pick your side) in Peg's face.
"Okay! It's an action figure! Stop being annoying!" Peg yelled.
"Thank you, Peg. I knew you'd see things my way." Corn replied nonchalantly.
Peg facepalmed and said "Sometimes, I wish Gallus were my roommate instead of you."
"Speaking of Gallus, did you hear about what happened with him and Silverstream yesterday?" Corn added.
"Oh yeah. They got stuck in the Lovey-Dovey Tunnel and the animatronics turned evil. Sandbar told me. He had to help get them out. I wonder how they're doing now." Peg replied.
"Yeah. I'd like to hear every single detail. Wanna go check on Gallus?" Corn asked.
"Sure." Peg agreed as the two went over to Gallus's room. Corn knocked on the door and Sandbar responded.
"Hey, Corn and Peg!" Sandbar greeted the two foals.
"Hi, Sandbar! Is Gallus here? I wanna know more about what happened yesterday at the theme park." Corn asked.
"Yeah, Gallus is here, but now's not a good time. He's very upset." Sandbar replied.
"Why? What happened?" Peg asked.
"He just received a very hurtful letter from Grampa Gruff. Seeing as how Hearts and Hooves Day was yesterday and Gallus goes here, he pretty much mocked him. He said that nobody wanted anything to do with him and called him a good-for-nothing pony and a failure. He even told him that the world would be better if he was gone." Sandbar explained.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" Corn and Peg asked in unison.
"Well, that's Grampa Gruff. Always has to say something to put poor Gallus down. *sigh* I feel so bad for him, I feel like crying myself. I think it's best if you leave us be." Sandbar said.
"I think we should. We'll let you go back to comforting Gallus and we'll think of a way to make him feel better about himself. Come on, Peg." Corn replied.
"Sounds good. See you later." Sandbar said as the two foals walked away. As soon as Sandbar closed the door, Gallus began bawling. It was muffled, but still very audible.
"There, there, Gallus. Everything's gonna be okay. I'm there for you." Sandbar, whose voice is also muffled, assured the poor griffon.
"Poor Gallus! It's awful what that bully Grampa Gruff thinks of him!" Peg said as she and Corn walked back to their room.
"Yeah, if only we cold do something to cheer him up." Corn added.
Suddenly, an idea hatched into Peg's head. She let out a gasp and said "Corn, that's it! We can throw a surprise party to show how much we care for him!"
"That's a great idea! What do we do?" Corn asked.
"We do good! Do-gooders unite! Here we go!" Corn and Peg said in unison before the two of them sang their trademark Do-Good Song.
The next morning, Corn and Peg gathered their friends (sans Gallus) to discuss their plan.
"A surprise party? How very thoughtful!" Ocellus commented.
"Gallus could really use some cheering up after what happened yesterday." Silverstream added.
"So, what's the plan?" Smolder asked.
"We spend the whole day planning the party. We've already told Headmare Starlight, Vice-Headstallion Sunburst, and Counselor Trixie and they're all on board! Now for your roles: Silverstream and Yona, you two bake the cake. Smolder and Ocellus, you'll work with Professor Pinkie in decorating the gym, Corn and I will shop for gifts, and Sandbar, you make sure you keep Gallus busy and stay away from the gym until we say so." Peg announced.
"Okay, everyone! Let Operation Gallustine's Day begin!" Corn announced, thus ending the pre-mortem.
"Gallustine's Day. I like that! Did you come up with that name yourself?" Peg asked Corn.
"Yeah. Thought this event could use a clever name. Now let's get to the mall, and quick. We don't have much time!" Corn replied as the two went off to the mall.
While everyone is hard at work on their tasks, Sandbar went to his shared room to see that Gallus was already awake.
"Oh, you're up." Sandbar said.
"Yeah, I'm up. What did you have to do just now?" Gallus asked.
"Weekly church mass." Sandbar replied.
"We have a church here now?" Gallus asked, confused.
"Yeah, Headmare Starlight just started it today." Sandbar replied.
"Hmm-hmm. What religion?" Gallus asked.
"Uhh, it's the, err, the Tom and Jerry religion. We Tom and Jerry fans meet up every Sunday and talk about what we like about Tom and Jerry." Sandbar explained, part of him knows that Gallus probably won't buy it.
"Interesting. What's Tom and Jerry?" Gallus asked.
"It's a cartoon from the real world. It's about a cat and mouse chasing each other." Sandbar replied.
"And that's something that so many people adore? Sounds lame. How could so many people like a stupid cartoon where all a cat does is chase a mouse? I do that in my spare time! Where's my cartoon?" Gallus retorted.
"That's not all that happens. The mouse always foils the cat's plans in the most creative of ways. It's interesting. Let's watch some episodes." Sandbar said as he put on some classic Tom and Jerry episodes for him and Gallus to watch.
Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie met Ocellus and Smolder inside the gym.
"Morning, girls! All the decorations are in boxes outside the gym. Can you help me bring them in?" Pinkie requested as Ocellus and Smolder helped put the boxes inside the gym.
"Oki doki loki, now that the boxes are in the gym, let's decorate!" Pinkie announced.
"I have a question first. Do you want us to decorate a certain way or just do it how we see fit?" Smolder asked.
"Feel free to decorate any way you want. I'll be here watching if you need any help." Pinkie replied.
"Alright, Ocellus. Let's hang up these streamers. You do that side of the gym and I do this side. Ready, go!" Smolder said as she and Ocellus flew across the gym hanging up streamers.
While Smolder and Ocellus were sprucing up the gym, Silverstream and Yona were about to bake Gallus's cake.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I'm so excited! Gallus is gonna love this!" Silverstream chanted.
"Yona love baking cakes! Yona bake best cakes in Yakyakistan for Yona little brother birthday party!" Yona added.
"Okay, let's get baking! First, we need to get the ingredients. Three cups of flour, one teaspoon of baking soda, two cups of milk, two cups of sugar, two eggs, one stick of butter, and the cake mix." Silverstream explained.
"Yona got all ingredients in bowl!" Yona exclaimed.
"Good job, Yona! Now we mix it all up!" Silverstream said as she mixed all the ingredients together.
"Now that the ingredients are mixed together, let's put it in the oven." Silverstream said as she put the cake in the oven.
"Ok, Yona. The cake will take a while to bake. What do you want to do?" Silverstream asked.
"Baking cake make Yona hungry. Yona want snack." Yona responded.
"I'm getting hungry too. Let's go to my room for PB&J sandwiches." Silverstream replied.
"Yes! Yona love PBJ!" Yona chanted as the two made their way to Silverstream's room.
Meanwhile, Corn and Peg have made it to the mall. It was a very big mall: six stories, thousands of stores, four food courts, a play center for little foals, and even a Ferris wheel.
"Wow, this place is huge!" Corn exclaimed.
"It sure is. And it's very easy to get lost. Make sure you know your way around the mall and once you're finished, meet me in front of the pretzel shop, call me, and I'll be there. We each have 50 bits to spend on a gift for Gallus. Spend wisely and get him something you know he would like." Peg explained.
"Gotcha, Peg!" Corn replied.
"Okay. I'll meet you at the pretzel shop in one hour." Peg said before she walked off.
"Okay, what should I get for Gallus? What does he like?" Corn thought to himself.
Suddenly, an advertisement for a new Captain Thunderhoof video game caught Corn's attention. "Oh, my Thunderhoof! The new Captain Thunderhoof video game is out today! I just gotta get it!" he chanted as he ran into the store.
"Hey! Great choice, kid! This just came out today and this just happens to be the last copy! 50 bits, please!" the cashier said.
Corn presented the 50 bits to the cashier in exchange for the video game.
"Thank you, sir!" Corn said as he left the store.
Once Corn arrived at the pretzel shop, he gave Peg a call. Peg promptly met Corn.
"You already bought a gift? What did you get?" Peg asked.
"The new Captain Thunderhoof video game. It was the last copy they had." Corn replied.
"Does Gallus even like Captain Thunderhoof?" Peg asked.
"Beats me, but I can't wait to play this game! I've always wanted to play it!" Corn replied.
"Corn, you were supposed to get a gift for Gallus, not for yourself!" Peg retorted.
"Sorry, Peg. But I really wanted this game. If you ask me, I'd say it was worth the 50 bits!" Corn replied.
"You only had 50 bits to spend! And that was meant for buying Gallus something!" Peg retorted.
"Did you get him something?" Corn asked.
"No, not yet. There are so many stores to choose from. Come on, let's go." Peg replied.
While Corn and Peg were in search of a gift for Gallus, the griffon in question and Sandbar had just watched the final episode in Sandbar's classic Tom and Jerry collection.
Gallus laughed and said "Wow, you were right, Sandbar. This show was hilarious!"
"Thought you'd might like it. My parents actually grew up watching cartoons like this and they raised my sister and I on them too." Sandbar explained.
"I could see why. For a show that's 80 years old, it's really aged well." Gallus replied.
"Yeah, it sure has. Anyway, I gotta use the restroom. I'll be right back. Feel free to browse my cartoon collection. So many real-world classics worth watching!" Sandbar said as he exited the room.
"There are more cartoons than just that one show? Hmm, let's find something cool." Gallus said as he picked a random videotape. "Scooby-Doo. Sounds interesting."
Meanwhile, back in the gym, all the streamers and party decorations were set up.
"Well done, you two! Your teamwork made decoration so much quicker and fun!" Pinkie praised Ocellus and Smolder.
"Yeah. Decorating is kinda fun, even if it's not much of a thing we would do in the Dragon Lands." Smolder added.
Suddenly, Sandbar walked into the gym. "Hey, guys. How's everything going?"
"Everything's great, Sandbar! We've just finished decorating the whole gym for Gallus's party. Streamers are up, tables are set up, party games are set up, the gym's ready!" Ocellus reported.
"That's good. I'm gonna check on Silverstream and Yona and their cake. Be right back." Sandbar said before walking out of the gym.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee! This cake looks delicious! It makes me want to eat it!" Silverstream chanted.
"No! Silverstream can't eat cake! Cake for party!" Yona replied.
"I know, but it looks so yummy! I bet it'll look better when we put the frosting on." Silverstream said as Sandbar walked in.
"Hey, guys! *sniff* Mmm, smells good in here! How's the cake?" Sandbar asked.
"It's almost ready! Now we just have to put the frosting on! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Silverstream replied.
"Yona put frosting on!" Yona said.
"Ok, Yona. But remember to do it carefully." Silverstream replied.
"Yona bake cakes before. Yona know be careful!" Yona replied as she carefully put the frosting on the cake.
"Nice job, Yona! Now the cake's ready!" Sandbar said. "Now, we just have to wait on Corn and Peg. I'll call them."
At the mall, Corn and Peg were at the check-out stand, purchasing a Ponyblox set for Gallus. Suddenly, Peg's phone began to ring.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Peg, it's Sandbar." Sandbar replied.
"Hi, Sandbar. How's everything going with the party?" Peg asked.
"Excellent. The gym's decorated and the cake's done. Did you get a gift for Gallus?" Sandbar asked.
"We sure did. We're just now in the check-out line ready to go. Keep Gallus away from the gym for a little while longer." Peg replied.
"Okay. See you later." Sandbar said as the conversation ended.
"Ok, Corn. Everything's ready. We just have to get back to the school as soon as possible." Peg told Corn.
"Great! No time to waste! Let's go!" Corn said as the two made their way back to the school.
Meanwhile, Gallus decided that he wasn't interested in Scooby-Doo and just shut the TV off.
"Eh. That show wasn't as interesting and funny as Tom and Jerry was. Pretty boring, actually." Gallus thought to himself.
"Sandbar's been in the bathroom for quite a while now. Hope he's okay. Maybe I should go check." Gallus went up, stretched a little, and went out to check on Sandbar.
As he walked out of his room, he saw Corn and Peg carrying a gift bag.
"Hi, guys! Nice to see you today!" Gallus greeted the two.
"Nice to see you too! Gotta go! Bye!" Corn and Peg said as they raced off.
"Was it something I said?" Gallus thought to himself. "That's odd. Why did Corn and Peg just run off like that?"
Suddenly, his thoughts became sad. "What if…Grampa Gruff was right? What if everyone did want nothing to do with me?" This question made Gallus sad and he began to drop to the floor and cry.
"Alright, everyone. Cake's done, gym's decorated, and Peg and I bought a gift. Looks like everything's ready for the party. Sandbar, can you go get Gallus and bring him over here?" Corn announced.
"Roger that!" Sandbar replied as he raced out of the gym, only to find Gallus on the hallway floor, crying.
Sandbar let out a gasp and asked Gallus what was wrong.
"I'm starting to think Grampa Gruff is right, Sandbar. Nobody wants to be friends with me anymore!" Gallus cried.
Sandbar held onto Gallus's talon and said "Gallus, you know that isn't true. Come on, let's go for a walk. It'll help you calm down."
Gallus sniffled and said "Okay."
The two walked over to the gym and Sandbar walked in and held the door for Gallus.
"SURPRISE!" everyone screamed.
"Wow! What's this?!" a surprised Gallus asked Sandbar.
"Corn and Peg heard that you were upset yesterday, so they planned this surprise party to show how much we care for you!" Sandbar replied.
Corn and Peg walked over to Gallus and said in unison "Happy Gallustine's Day, Gallus!"
Gallus was so happy, his eyes flowed with tears of happiness. "Aww, thanks, guys! You're the best do-gooders a griffon could ever ask for!" he said as he hugged the two foals.
"We love you too, Gallus!" Peg said.
"Yeah, you're very important to us. We can't imagine life without you around. You're always there with a good joke or two if we need it. Plus, you give the best griffon hugs!" Corn added.
"I could never forget the time you helped me overcome my fear of the Storm King! That was very brave of you!" Silverstream chimed in.
"You're also very smart! You seem to know a lot about royal friendship! Maybe you could be a royal guard one day!" Ocellus remarked.
"You make our secret tea parties fun!" Smolder said before realizing what she had just said out loud.
"Gallus best griffon friend in whole world!" Yona added.
"You're also there comforting me when I've had a bad day or just cracking jokes to make me laugh. I'm glad you're our friend, Gallus, and we love you." Sandbar chimed in before the eight students shared a group hug.
Starlight walked over to Gallus, holding a special plaque.
"Gallus, of all the students I've encountered since replacing Twilight as headmare, you're special. I've never seen a student make as much progress as you have. A transition from standoffish rebel to diligent student isn't common, but you've transitioned so well. I've enjoyed having you participate in class, as the whole class lights up in your presence. Congratulations, Gallus. You've earned the title of 'Outstanding Friendship Student'" Starlight said as he handed the plaque to Gallus.
Gallus became the happiest griffon in Equestria that day, as he now has a group of friends that are not friends, but rather, a family.