The downstairs main hall was decked out in ribbons, festive lights, tinsel and enough evergreen that you might assume a small forest had been desecrated to supply it all. There were people absolutely everywhere, mingling and laughing, exchanging gifts and singing songs. Most were ponies, but there were also plenty of storm creatures lingering near the walls, a bit uncomfortable with the large crowd, griffons flew above the hubbub, and there were probably more changelings in the crowd than just a glance could tell. A buffé of sweets, punch and bite-sized food lined one wall, and a giant tree stood proudly over a huge pile of Hearth's Warming gifts. To top the entire thing off, a large magical fire had been set up in a fake fireplace along another wall, burning a bright pink.

But despite the merry creatures and pretty decorations all around her, Moonstone was bored.

Almost everyone there was either an adult, or an older kid —and those tended not to want to have Moony around, she knew from experience. Spike was in the dragonlands, Her cousins were staying home, Disco was at his grandparents' and… Moony wasn't sure where anyone else was, aside from them not being where she currently was. Stuck at a party he wasn't allowed to leave yet, with a bunch of boring grown ups. Bleh.

She was currently trying to entertain herself by singing loudly off-key while jingeling the collar of bells she was wearing, making the choir glare at her out of the corner of their eyes.

"…that's (PLING-DING) filled (DING) with so(PLINGA-DING-PING)-ongs tooo-”

"Moony!"

Fun was over. Mama Rarity came trotting over, shooting the choir a fake wide smile as she grabbed Moony with her magic, tugging her along towards a corner. Moony didn't react, just letting her hooves slide across the floor. …It was actually kinda fun! She giggled as she moved her hooves as if she was skating on the shiny surface, as her mom's magic dragged her along.

Too soon the ride was over though, and they'd arrived at the relative privacy of the corner. Mama turned to face her.

"Moony, we talked about this earlier," Mama started. "You have to behave yourself tonight, darling. I know you're feeling bored, but you can't go around purposefully annoying other people because of it."

"Then why can't I just go home? I can stay in my room, I promise I won't do anything I'm not s'posed to!"

Mama Rarity just shook her head, a tired expression on her face. "No, you know we don't want you without supervision with so many people coming and going in the castle." She gave Moony a pitying look. "And I'm sorry darling, but your mother and I need to be here and be good hosts. We can't just leave to go with you, it'll make our guests think we don't care about them being here."

"I don't care about them being here!"

"Moony…" Mama rubbed her head. "Darling, don't say that here. You can think it, and you can say it when we're alone later, okay? But there are many ponies here whose opinion on the crown can be affected by it, and some of them can make life very difficult. We don't want them to have any reason for that, you understand?"

“…Yes, Mama," Moony said, grumpily. At her age, it seemed like 'representing the crown' was just another thing adults said to make her do what they wanted. But she also knew Mama Rarity was impossible to argue with once she used it. Mama Twilight could sometimes be brought around, but not Rarity.

A guard passed them, giving the duo a nod, as they both shut up until he was out of hearing range.

“…what if one of our guards stayed with me in the apartment? I’d be safe then!”

Rarity just shook her head. “Since it’s Hearth’s Warming, we’re only running a minimum staff —and they’re all needed here. I’m sorry Moony, but this isn’t debatable. You have to stay here.”

Moony just pouted in response.

“Just a few hours more darling. Then I promise we’ll do something fun, okay?” She kissed Moony’s forehead. “I must go back to mingling, but tell you what? If you behave, you can even stay up late today, how does that sound?”

Staying up late doing something fun with her moms did sound nice, Moony had to admit. So she reluctantly nodded. “Okay, mama. I’ll be good.”

Mama smiled, smoothed down Moony’s mane and went back to the party.

…

…Moony was bored again.

…breargh.

—-

Moony was just considering seeing how far she could slide across the floor, when something relatively light smacked down onto her face. Quickly pulling it off, she realised it was a package! With her name on it! Glancing up for the culprit, she saw someone which made her smile widely.

“Gallus!” she cheered, subconsciously clacking her teeth together in excitement. “What’s this? Presents aren’t until tomorrow morning!”

Gallus landed, his armor clanking noisily together as he did, but it was mostly drowned out by the rest of the party. He swiftly removed his helmet, and jokingly saluted while snapping his wings and legs in, standing at attention. “Apologies, princess!”

Moony giggled. Gallus was always such a goof. “At ease, guard Gallus!”

He relaxed, giving her a griffon grin —the feathers on his head rose slightly as his eyes crinkled, and the corners of his mouth rose as much as they could with the beak remaining immobile.

“So, you gonna open that or what? …unless you absolutely want to get it first tomorrow…”

“No!” Moony hugged it to her chest, the flat package crinkling loudly as she did. “No take-backsies!”

Quickly ripping the paper off with her teeth before he could change his mind, she came face to face with—

“New comics,” she whispered, reverently, as soon as she’d spat the wrapping paper out. Six comic books with titles she’d never seen before stared back at her.

“Well, wouldn’t exactly call them ‘new’, ” Gallus said, and rubbed the back of his head. “I found them when looking through some old boxes. They’re from when I was a kid.”

“I still haven’t read them, so to me they’re new!” She bounced over and hugged him. “Thank you!”

His armor was hard and not very nice to hug, but she did anyway because hugging someone meant that she liked them which she did. He laughed and put a careful claw on her back, ensuring that his talons didn't scratch her.

Fear suddenly gripped her heart, and she pushed herself away —Gallus had to fling his front leg out so she didn't accidentally stab herself.

"I'm not supposed to be reading this where someone can see me! It's disrespectful!"

Her mamas were going to ground her forever!

"Oh, no," Gallus drawled. He didn't sound very sincere; Moony gave him a suspicious glare. He held up two claws placingly.

"Don't worry, princess. If you want a place that’s technically still in the room where you can read in peace, I have a plan.”

She nodded hesitantly.

He nodded back, picked up his helmet and motioned for her to follow. She held the comics close to her, under her barrel so nobody could see them, while she followed after him on three legs.

They walked along the walls, keeping outside of the main clusters of partying people, as they approached the large evergreen tree. It stood tall and proud in a corner —having been moved from the center a few years back when it'd fallen on half the attendees after Rainbow Dash crashed into it. It was covered in glitter and light, dazzling anyone who dared stare at it for too long; such as Moony, who squinted in response.

"Here we go," Gallus said, putting down his hamlet on the floor and turning to gesture at the giant tree. "Noone will notice you here.”

"…everyone will look at the tree at some point."

"And that's why you're not going to be in front of it…" he dramatically walked to the side of it, pushing some branches aside. "You're going to be behind it! There's a ton of room here."

Before Moony could even consider the possibility, a small voice called out from behind the tree, on the griffon's other side. "Gallus?"

Gallus turned to look; a yellow head with a purple bobble-hat peered out from the shadows, looking at him.

"Oh, hey Felix! Didn't know you were there." Gallus reached out with a claw and ruffled Felix' hat, making it flop into his face. "What are you hiding for?"

Felix shot Moony a nervous look, before turning back to Gallus with a small smile. "I'm not hiding! Just…. there's a lot of people everywhere else…" His eyes lit up suddenly. "But you're here! That's great, d'ya have time to play with me?!" Felix' ears rose as his eyes crinkled and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

"Nah, sorry kit, I've gotta get back to actually working. Where's your moms?"

"Dunno. Somewhere in the party —I'm just s'posed to stay on this floor and yell if something hurts.”

Gallus glanced around. "Preeetty sure you're also supposed to be somewhere people can see if something happens to ya'.”

Felix' ears lowered again, and Moony could hear a faint scraping sound from his talons dragged along the floor as he clenched and unclenched his claws. "Please, uncle Gallus? I don't wanna be with so many people-"

"Wait!" Moony couldn't stop herself from interrupting. She knew it was rude but… " You're Gallus' nephew? Ms. Gilda is Gallus' sister?"

"Oh. Yeah? So's Gabby too, if you didn't know that either." Gallus shrugged.

Moony's mind was blown. Ms. Gilda and Spike's friend were Gallus' sisters? "You don't look like them at all."

"You've never heard of adoption, princess? Grandpa Gruff adopted, like, every orphan grifflet he saw."

"Mum has a looot of siblings. I have… 21… no, 22 cousins," Felix helpfully added. "Uncle Gedric's egg hatched two weeks ago!"

"Right, still gotta get a stupid gift, uuughh…" Gallus put a claw to his forehead.

"But but why weren't you at his birthday party?!" Moony asked, indignant. She'd been to Felix' birthday party a week ago -along with Disco, Zap, Amber and a few other kids their age. "I know you were here, I saw you working the day before!"

"I was at his party," Gallus said, amused. "Just not the one you went to."

Moony turned to Felix. "You had two parties?"

"Yeah, 'cause there'd be too many people if my family visited at the same time as you guys.” Felix shrugged.

"I wish I had two parties…"

"Yeah, well, at least your birthday's not on Hearth's Warming." Felix frowned. "Lotsa people only get me one gift 'cause they say it's both birthday and holiday gift."

Moony gasped. “It’s your birthday right now? Happy Birthday!” She gasped again. "But you only get one present? That's horrible!" Okay, maybe he deserved to have two parties then. She turned to glare at Gallus. "Did you at least give him two?"

Gallus held up both claws, as he and Felix spoke at the same time. "Ye, he did!" "Hey, I got him two presents!"

"It was a puzzle and a-"

Gallus reached out and delicately pinched Felix' muzzle shut. "Also, would you two kits stop talking and distracting me for a second?"
"I'm not a kit!" Moony protested. Gallus pinched her muzzle shut too. "I need to figure out what to do with you. Moony, you can stay here and read your comics if you want, but I think Felix' parents really want him to be where someone can see him if something happens…"

Felix’ face drooped.

Moony shoved Gallus' claw away. "If we're both there, I can see him!"

He gave her a sceptical look. She tried to look reassuring. "I can! What'd even happen that I'd need to look for?"

Gallus pinched the top of his beak. "Most likely nothing at all. But Gilda is a bit..

Felix also pulled out of Gallus' grip. "Mum gets scared 'cause I get sick easy. One time my immnomune.. sys-tem decided that strawberries are bad and made me throw up all over the couch."

"Ew." Moonstone's muzzle wrinkled. "But, I can definitely see if that happens!"

Gallus lifted his claw to stare down at the two children. They stared back at him, pleading eyes so big they really shouldn't fit in their heads. He looked away, out at the party, before glancing back. Their eyes had somehow gotten even bigger and even more pleading.

"Ugh, okay, fine! But-" he quickly continued before they could cheer. "I'll tell the guards and we're coming by to check on you every now and again. If your moms discover you’re avoiding the party 'cause of that, well, then they do.”

Moony nodded solemnly.

"And if anything happens, anything at all —even if you think it's nothing- Moony gets an adult immediately. Got it?"

They both nodded solemnly.

Gallus sighed. "Don't make me regret this you two," he said, and lifted his helmet up from the floor, plopping it down onto his head. "I need to go tell the others, you kits have fun."

"Still not a kit!" Moony snarked back. Gallus glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, paused—

—and pounced, ruffling her mane and Felix' hat until she looked like she'd been in a hurricane, and Felix' hat fell off.

"Hey!" she yelled, but Gallus leapt into the air before she could retaliate, stuck his tongue out and flew away cackling.


—-


Behind the tree, it was very dark. Since it was in a corner, they'd only put lights on the front of the tree. She was a bit worried that it’d be too dark to see the text -unless Felix knew how to cast Light? It was —supposedly- the easiest spell to do, as all it took was pouring magic into your horn, but not everypony their age could do that without difficulty…

Luckily she didn’t have to try and ask him since she soon realised the shadow was only dark compared to the rest of the party; it is perfectly serviceable for reading comics in.

So she settled down on the floor, the cold surface against her barrel making her shiver, and pulled out the first of the comics…

…and looked up towards where Felix was sitting, trying to not stare at her.

“D’you wanna read it with me?”

His eyes widened, and he shuffled his feet a little. “Oh, um. I’m not very good at… reading stuff.”

She beamed. “Me neither! I mean, I can do a little, but when the text is too long it makes my head hurt.” She poked at the comic. “That’s why comics are great, ‘cause they’re mostly pictures.”

He looked away, fidgeting even more. “No, uh… I mean, I can’t….” He hunched his shoulders. “I can’t read yet, I haven’t learned it.”

Oh. Well, he was a year younger than her, so Moony supposed he maybe hadn’t started school yet. Or, she thought he was a year younger; they hadn’t played together as much as she had with Disco or Zap, so she honestly didn’t know him that well. The only times she could remember playing with him had been at times like these, when their entire families visited one another.

“That’s okay,” Moony assured him. “It took me a little while to learn too. You can still at least look at the pictures? If you wanna.”

Felix finally nodded, and carefully moved over to lie down next to her. Alright, maybe not next-next to her; you could still fit another foal in between them. But he was at least close enough to see the comic.

An obvious thought struck her: “Oh, how ‘bout I read it out loud!”

“…You’d do that?” Felix sounded so confused. Moony gave him her biggest grin.

“Yeah! I can do voices, it’ll be fun!”

After Felix’ nodded his agreement, Moony clacked her teeth together in excitement and dove headfirst into the first page.

It wasn’t a series she’d read before, and it wasn’t her usual fare; normally she read superhero comics, as that’s what Spike had first read to her before she could read herself. This appeared to be a science fiction series though, with carriages that ran faster than a pony could gallop and giant metal birds made from lightning and magic. Still, it was very fun! It provided her with a bunch of different people to voice, and she made sure to try and give them all very different ones. At one point though, a character spoke through a futuristic telephone they carried with them, and she’d given the answering pony a light voice —only to realise a few pages later that the character was, in fact, a giant horse. She kept the voice anyway, making Felix actually react for the first time; a small, breathy, giggle.

After that, the wall was broken. Felix crept closer to her and leaned over to stare at the illustrations with sparkling eyes; gasping at plot twists, giggling every time the horse returned with their high-pitched voice, commenting on what happened in the story softly when they turned the page.

Once the comic had ended, they mutually reached for the next one.