Hey everycreature! What's up!?
Before we get to the next part, I would like to make a note that Rose's family are not going to adopt Gallus as a family member, but like treating him like a family member, if that makes sense at all.
I think that's it for now, so lets get going!
Honorary Family Member Part 3
As Rose's family and Gallus arrived at the royal palace, a crowd of ponies were already filing inside to go to the auditorium where the Hearth's Warming play would take place. As Rose, her family, and Gallus joined the line, they had to pass through a checkpoint where several guards were, one of whom noticed the family right away.
"Hello Bluebell, nice to see you again." The guard who was a brown pegasus greeted the unicorn mare.
"Oh hello Arrowtip." Bluebell replied. "Where's my husband?"
"Oh, he got assigned inside the actual auditorium, lucky guard, doesn't have to stand out in the cold like me." Arrowtip answered.
"Well maybe next year you'll be inside." Bluebell chuckled back.
After exchanging greetinfs withe Pen and Tune, and Rose sharing a hug with the guard, the group finally moved on into the auditorium.
"So, who was he again?" Gallus asked.
"Oh, that's one of my dad's friends, Arrowtip, he's kinda of like an uncle to me." Rose answered.
The family and Gallus trotted down the alley in between the rows of seats until they came to the front, where there was a bunch of reserved seats for the family. As the family sat down, they noticed Sword standing guard by the end of the row of seats where they were sitting, the red unicorn winking at his family quickly before resuming his attention and statue like pose. The play has yet to start as everypony was talking along themselves, looking froward to the play, Gallus of course was lost since he, well, never attended one of these plays.
"So Rose, what exactly is this play about?" Gallus asked.
"Oh, it's about the very first Hearth's Warming, where the Earth, Unicorn, and Pegasus ponies came together and used the magic of friendship to defeat the windigos." Rose answered. "Just like how we just learned in class…" Rose teasing Gallus.
"Well maybe I'll learn it now." Gallus retorted as the play began, the auditorium lights dimming as the stage lights lit up brighter and the curtains were lifted up to reveal a fireplace much like the one back at Rose's home, with a Hearth's Warming wreath above it, as the first scene played out a pony, the narrator, came trotting up.
"Once upon a time, long before the peaceful rule of Celestia, and before ponies discovered our beautiful land of Equestria, ponies did not know harmony. It was a strange and dark time. A time when ponies were torn apart... by hatred…" The narrator began as Gallus so far was unimpressed.
The next scenes showing how the ponies in the past lived, having to relay on one another, but it was a very bitter relationship, eventually blizzards came and with it food shortages. It was then decided that the three different pony groups would attend a summit to decide what to do, only for it to fall apart and the situation growing worse.
"Wait, so despite nopony having any food, Chancellor Puddinghead wears a hat made of pudding?" Gallus whispered to Rose, confused by the actress' outfit.
"I don't know, I wasn't there when it actually happened." Rose answered back quickly before turning her attention to the play.
As the three pony leaders from the summit went back to their lands, they then decided to go out and seek a new land in which to live on. Little did they know that they would come across one another, growing bitter towards each other as they began to argue who arrived first. And yet again the blizzards seemed to follow them. This was the point where Gallus really got interested as the story went on to the three leaders and their companions being forced to stay together in a cave, fighting over the space.
"Wow… So those are windigos…" Gallus commented as he only seen them in drawings Headmare Twilight drew on the chalkboard. "These props are better than Headmare Twilight's drawings."
"Better not tell her that." Rose added as she softly chuckled before returning her attention back to the play.
As the leaders were frozen by the expending ice, their companions were the ones who got together in friendship and with the magic of friendship, chased away the windigos, fueling the fire of friendship which began to melt the ice and snow and not only that but melted the bitterness inside the leaders' hearts. As the entrance to the cave was unblocked, they stepped outside to find the land once again in its beautiful state, and calling the land…
"Equestria!" The cast shouted as everypony in the audience cheered and Gallus… Well he found that he had tears in his eyes, when that came out he didn't know, but Rose noticed.
"So I guess that melted your heart too?" Rose teased.
"Don't tell the others." Gallus requested, referring to the rest of their friends.
The curtain lowered down before lifting back up, the cast in a line as they sang a carol while bells rang and red and green confetti pieces shot out…
"The fire of friendship lives in our hearts
As long as it burns, we cannot drift apart
Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few
Laughter and singing will see us through (will see us through)
We are a circle of pony friends
A circle of friends we'll be to the very end"
Gallus wiped his tears from his eyes with a wing as the cheering went on before dying down and the auditorium lights came back on, signaling the end of the play was the stage curtains lifted back up, the cast returning backstage to undress and head back home for the rest of the holiday. Meanwhile Rose and her family, along with Gallus joined the crowd as they made their way out of the palace, but unlike everypony else, waited for Sword to be dismissed to join his family.
They were waiting just outside the palace entrance when Sword came, with a smile as he was happy to finally be off duty for the rest of the holiday.
"Thank goodness that's over." Sword said in relief as he rejoined his family, sharing a quick kiss with his wife while his kids and Gallus had a face of disgust.
"Seriously dad?" Rose asked.
"Sorry sweetie." Sword chuckled as he looked at Gallus. "So enjoyed the play Gallus?"
"Yeah, it was pretty good, nothing I ever seen before." Gallus answered, not mentioning his tears.
"That's good to hear, well lets get back home so we can all wake up bright and early tomorrow for the real celebration." Sword told his family as they began the trip back home.
As the family was making their way back to the house, Gallus just realized… Where was he going to sleep?
"Rose, where exactly am I going to sleep tonight?" Gallus softly spoke to Rose.
"I never thought of that…" Rose also now realizing that fact. "Well I guess mom and dad will let you sleep on the couch in the living room."
As the family and Gallus arrived back home, that was the case as Sword held the door until his family and Gallus came inside before going inside himself.
"Well goodnight everyone." Sword yawned as he was tired.
"Mom, Where is Gallus going to sleep tonight?" Rose asked.
"He can sleep on the couch in the living room sweetie." Bluebell answered as she turned to Gallus. "I'll get a blanket for you." Bluebell told Gallus as the griffon was quite surprised by the added gesture.
"Thank you ma'am." Gallus politely thanked Rose's mom.
With everyone more than ready to hit the hay, Sword taking off his armor and helmet before settling down in his bed, Pen and Tune going to their rooms and laying down, they fell asleep right away. Rose stayed with Gallus a bit more as Bluebell found a spare blanket and brought it over, Bluebell even started another fire in the fireplace to keep Gallus warm during the night.
"Thanks mom." Rose thanked her mom as Bluebell gave her daughter a quick kiss on the cheek.
"You're welcome sweetie, now I better get to bed with your dad before he misses me." Bluebell replied as Rose had to roll her eyes at that comment.
Bluebell left, leaving Gallus and Rose alone.
"Well I should also get to bed, tomorrow morning's a big day." Rose told Gallus.
"Yeah, thanks Rose for convincing me to come with you, this is the best holiday I ever had so far." Gallus smiled.
"You're welcome Gallus and tomorrow's going to be even better." Rose said back before she left to go sleep in her old room, turning off the lights so Gallus could sleep.
However since the fire in the fireplace still lit up the room, casting its orange light on the tree, presents, and the decorated living room, bringing warmth to the darkness, Gallus felt at peace as everything was quiet. Staying up a little longer just to admire the scene, he slowly closed his eyes, falling asleep quite comfortably to rest for the big day tomorrow.
And that's it for that! Next part's going to be the last of this short story before we get to the next!
See everycreature later!