December, Year 999 in the Reign of Celestia
Winter had come to Ponyville.
A light snow cascaded from the sky, drifting across the thatched rooftops of the town. Ponies bustled to and fro as festive decorations lined the storefronts and streetlights, complimenting the subtle blanket of white covering the earth.
Trotting down the street came a wall-eyed, grey pegasus mare by the name Derpy Hooves, with her daughter Dinky balanced on her back. Derpy’s messy blonde mane bobbed up and down as she walked, and she giggled at a small joke shared between her and her daughter. Dinky was happily laughing along as she ate a candy cane on the mare’s back, wrapped snugly in a wool scarf and cap.
“-and then we all got to take the ornaments we made home! Isn’t that cool?” Dinky finished her story excitedly, holding on as the two made their way through town.
“Super cool! You made the prettiest ornament I’ve ever seen muffin! I’ve never in my life gotten a gift as beautiful as the one you for made me!” Derpy said cheerfully, a big smile on her face.
“It looks really nice on the mantle! I bet it will look even better on the tree, won’t it?”
Derpy’s smile fell away slightly, and she responded carefully, “We’ll have to see about the tree. It’s so tough to get one this close to Hearth’s Warming, I’m not sure if we still have time.”
“But mom! You promised we’d get a tree this year!” Dinky protested.
Derpy smacked herself internally. Of course she remembered. Kids always remember. “Okay Dinks, first thing after I get off work tomorrow, you and I are getting that tree. I promised, didn’t I?”
“Yep! And you said to always keep our promises! Right?”
“That’s right. You’re such a good filly. That means you’re gonna remember to finish your project, right? You promised.” Derpy grinned back at her daughter, who smiled nervously.
“I did? Uh, right! I promised so I’m gonna do it! Dinky spoke proudly, and nodded her head.
“That’s my girl.”
“Hey, Derpy!”
The two of them could see a familiar earth pony trotting down the road toward them. She had a yellow coat and golden hair, but most notable was her cutie mark of three carrots. “Carrot Top! It’s nice to see you!” Derpy warmly greeted her.
Carrot Top smiled as she came to a stop, “I thought that was you! How’re you and the brat doing?”
Dinky pouted a bit from her mother’s back, “I’m not a brat!” She retorted.
“Hey, just messing with you kiddo. In fact, I’ve got a little treat for you two.” She rummaged around in her saddlebag, before producing a small bundle. “Ta-da! Some of my famous Hearth’s Warming carrot cake! The best cake you’ll ever eat, I guarantee!”
Derpy happily accepted the gift and passed it to her daughter, “Thanks Carrot! I’m not really sure how festive carrot cake is though.” She chuckled a bit.
“It’s festive because I make it during the holidays!” Carrot Top said brightly, flashing a grin. “So Dinky, decided on what you want for Hearth’s Warming this year? Let me guess… A skateboard! I bet you’re the type. No wait, a slingshot! You’re already such a troublemaker, it’d fit you perfectly. Or a new dress? You look so nice already, I doubt you need one.”
Dinky giggled a bit at Carrot Top’s badgering, “Nope! Santa’s gonna bring me a Penny Pegasus doll this year! I’ve been wanting one so bad! It’s gonna be the best thing ever!" Dinky said excitedly.
Carrot Top laughed at Dinky’s antics, “Well then, I’m sure Santa-” She looked Derpy in the eye as she said this, “Will be stopping by! Don’t forget the milk and cookies!”
“We won’t! Mom makes the best cookies ever, Santa will love em!” Dinky said with a smile.
Derpy rubbed the back of her head and blushed nervously.
❄ ❄ ❄
“What about this one? No, this one!”
Dinky dashed back and forth, going from tree to tree. The tree lot that her and Derpy were visiting was rather empty, both in trees and ponies, only ten days away from Hearth’s Warming. Still, there were a few fresh looking trees propped up across the plaza, and Derpy followed pulling a small wooded cart. She couldn’t help but smile at Dinky’s enthusiasm, “First things first muffin, we need one that fits in our house, remember?”
Dinky came to a halt, and turned back to her mother, “Oh, right! Um… What about this one?” She ran over to a massive fir, which Derpy could immediately tell was at least twenty five percent too tall to fit in her living room.
“It’s a beautiful tree. But let’s look for one that’s, well, about half that tall. Okay?” Derpy gently suggested.
Dinky’s ears drooped a bit, “Okay… What about this one? Or this one? This one is huge! But we need a smaller one right? What about this one over here? This one’s all brown, yuck! And this one smells funny. Can we get one of these really small ones too? What if we just get a whole lot of tiny trees?”
Eventually the two of them settled on a relatively short Douglass Fir, and brought it to the rickety checkout counter. An elderly mare sat on a stool, punching a few number into a calculator. “Well dear, that’ll be 40 bits.”
Derpy reached into her coin purse, fiddling around with the bits within. She eventually pulled out enough and hoofed it over. She sighed, staring down the bag at the 2 bits she had left. Still, without missing a beat they loaded the tree onto her cart and made toward home.
“Yipee! This is so great! I bet we got the best tree here! I mean, there were a lot of cool trees, but this one is ours, so it must be the best! Who’s this Douglass guy anyway, and why did they name the tree after him?”
❄ ❄ ❄
“For the last time, no.”
Derpy glumly trotted after her boss as they wormed their way through the post office. It was the busiest time of the year, and ponies frantically danced back and forth, trying to sort out what goes where. The boss himself was a brown pegasus stallion with a crew cut mane and a short mustache, sporting the same postmare uniform as Derpy herself.
“Please! All I’m asking for is a little overtime!” Derpy pleaded as she and her boss continued weaving through the holiday chaos. “Things have just been getting a little tight for me lately, but you know I’m a hard worker! Anything that needs doing, I’ll do!” Eventually the boss turned around and met Derpy’s mismatched gaze with his tired eyes.
“Look, Hooves. You’re a good postmare, but you know this branch has been hard up for a while. It’s real busy right now, which is good. But not good enough to make up for how deep in the red we are. Celestia knows we could use some of our best ponies putting in some overtime, but we just can’t afford it. I’ve been picking up the slack in my off hours just to keep this place running, and believe me, I’m not getting paid no overtime.” He walked up to Derpy and set a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I really am. I know you’ve got a foal to look after, but I really can’t do any more for you kid.”
He walked away, leaving Derpy standing in the mail room with a shattered spirit.
❄ ❄ ❄
“I just don’t know what to do.”
“You could do more reps. That always makes me feel better!”
Derpy was currently spending some time at the local gym, at the behest of her friend Bulk Biceps. She had just barely manage to set down her barbell, and lay on a weight bench in agony. Bulk, a huge mass of over-sized pegasus muscles, was standing behind the bench ready to spot her.
“If I do anymore I think I’ll die. Then everything will be even worse.” Derpy managed to sit up, and immediately fell flat on her stomach, “How many was that anyway?”
“One!” Bulk enthusiastically responded. Derpy groaned in frustration. “Hey, that’s not bad! You did zero last week, which means you did really good compared to that!” Bulk noticed the sour expression marring the mare’s face, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s this doll Dinky wants for Hearth’s Warming. She wants it so badly. But, well-”
“You’re broke?” Derpy glared at Bulk as he interrupted, “Sorry.” He apologized sheepishly.
“Sometimes I wish Santa was actually real. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about buying Dinky her doll. I could just ask him for it.” Bulk looked at her with a glazed stare, “What?”
“But Santa is real?” His confused tone made Derpy giggle a bit.
“Oh Bulk, you’re such a goof.”
“No really. You’ve never seen Santa?” He tilted his head to the side.
Derpy frowned, and slid off the bench, getting to her hooves, “Okay, not funny anymore. I get the joke.”
“I just don’t understand, you don’t believe in Santa?”
“What?” This was a bit of a reversal from how this usually went.
“You know, the guy who brings presents on Hearth’s Warming Eve?”
Derpy’s eyes softened, and she gently replied, “Oh my. Bulk, I can’t believe you’ve gone this long without hearing this. I hate to be the one to tell you, but Santa isn’t real. He’s made up. It’s a silly story that parents tell their foals. “
“Wow Derpy. Just wow.”
“I’m sorry! I just assumed that-”
“I need to show you something.” He lead Derpy out of the gym, much to her protest, and they went off into town.
❄ ❄ ❄
The two pegasi stood before an old wooden building that stood out from the usual construction of Ponyville. While it was a bit run down, the one story building was rather ornate, with a green tiled roof and wooden posts holding up the front awning. Tacked next to the front sliding door was a painted sign with foreign characters, and the word “dojo” written in Equine below it.
Bulk walked up the front step, and Derpy followed, the two shaking snow from their hooves as they approached. Bulk didn’t knock on the door, and simply slid it open, encouraging Derpy to follow. When she entered, Derpy was confused by the interior. While the building seemed to have a back room of some kind, the majority of the structure was occupied by a large, rectangular front room. It was mostly empty, save for a tatami mat spanning most of the wooden floor, and some scant decorations along the walls.
Sitting meditatively in the center of the hall was an elderly earth pony stallion. He was wrinkled with age and sported a thin braided beard and mustache. His gray mane was tied back in a ponytail, and his orange coat was covered with a loose blue robe, tied with a black belt. He didn’t immediately respond when the two guests entered, but slowly opened his eyes and stood as Bulk approached him.
“Bulk Biceps, a pleasure to see you again.” He turned to Derpy, “I’m afraid I’ve never met you before young mare, so allow me to introduce myself,” he offered Derpy a small bow before continuing, “I am known as Greenhoof, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Derpy awkwardly bowed in return “It’s very nice to meet you, mister Greenhoof. I’m Derpy, Derpy Hooves.” She stood back up, “You’re a friend of Bulk’s then?”
He offered her a warm smile, “I would consider him a friend, yes. I’ve known him his whole life, his father was a student of mine.”
“That’s right! Greenhoof has been a family friend for a long time! I love to stop by his dojo to say hi, and have some of his PROTEIN PACKED noodles!” Bulk yelled jovially. “But I’m not here just to say hi today, I was wondering if you could tell Derpy the legend of Santa Claus? She’s never heard it before!”
Derpy shook her head, “This again? I’m really sorry to bother you about this sir. If you’re busy we can go ahead and-”
Greenhoof cut her off with a raised hoof and a smile, “Please, I would be more than happy to entertain some guests during the holidays. As you can see, I’m not exactly surrounded by students at the moment. However, a story such as this demands a warm meal.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t impose!” Derpy’s stomach growled at this, and she sheepishly grinned.
“I insist, it's been some time since I’ve had a chance to share my cooking. I hope you like noodles!”
Bulk pumped a hoof, “Yes!”
❄ ❄ ❄
Over one thousand years ago, Equestria was ruled by two princesses. Princess Celestia ruled the day, and her sister princess Luna ruled the night.
On the night before Hearth’s Warming, long long ago, princess Luna walked the streets, searching for a present for her sister. After searching long into the night, she was unable to find anything, and nearly gave up hope, when she came across a mysterious toy maker. While browsing his wares, she came across a small wooden doll, much like one Luna knew her sister to have in her youth.
She asked to purchase the doll, but the toy maker refused, saying he would happily gift the doll to Luna, in appreciation for all she has done.
Luna tried to insist, but the toy maker still refused her, “your money is no good here, princess” he said.
“There must be something you want, name it, and it shall be yours.” She told him
Eventually, he admitted there was one thing he wished for. He told her that he had been a warrior in his youth. One who had traveled all across the land in search of a worthy opponent. If there was any one thing the princess could offer him, it was a fight, and she happily agreed.
The two of them took to the street, and the ponies gathered to watch as the two battled. The toy maker was swift and ruthless; easily the greatest mortal foe Luna had ever faced. However, after trading blows for a time, he did fall to the ground in defeat.
He was not furious at his defeat, but overjoyed, to have been bested by such a worthy opponent. He offered the princess his thanks, and gifted her the doll. Afterwards, he requested only that they would one day have a rematch, to which Luna did swear, “One day, we shall fight again.”
Unfortunately, soon after the princess of the night did fall to darkness, and was sealed away by her sister, Celestia. Santa Claus, saddened by the loss of his greatest rival, set out once again; traveling the world in search of great warriors.
And it is said, even to this day, any soul in need of a gift on Hearth’s Warming need only challenge the master, and provide him a worthy bout.
Greenhoof took a long sip of tea, and set his cup on the table, “That, is the true legend of Santa Claus.”
Derpy and Bulk sat in Greenhoof’s small kitchen as he told his tale. Bulk was eating noodles at a breakneck pace, but Derpy sat engrossed by his story.
“That’s a great story Mr. Greenhoof, but it can’t be more than that, can it? An ancient toy maker slash martial arts master who travels the world and delivers toys? It’s just silly.” Derpy tried to sound polite, but couldn’t hide the disbelief in her voice.
Greenhoof chuckled at her skepticism, “Believe what you like, but I myself have faced Santa before, and so has your friend Bulk!”
Bulk slurped up a noodle and nodded, “Yeah! I fought him my first time a few years ago. Before then my dad always used to fight Santa, but I’m more than strong enough now!” He flexed his muscles at this and shouted, “YEAH!”
“What? I can’t even- what?”
“It is true. Please, send him a letter and see for yourself. Though if you do, you must be prepared for a fight the likes of which you have never seen.” Greenhoof told her.
Derpy gulped, “You’re telling me, that Santa is real, and if I fight him, then I can get Dinky her present?” Her voice wavered slightly as she spoke.
Greenhoof nodded, “Indeed, although you must offer him a worthy duel, and prove to him your fighting spirit! Only then will you have his acknowledgment.”
Derpy looked down, and shook slighty, “I- I’ve never fought once in my life! I can’t, I’d never be able to!”
“There are seven days left until Hearth’s Warming Eve, are there not?” Derpy looked up at his response, a questioning look in her eyes. “Seven days to learn. Seven days to train! I may be an old stallion, but I would be happy to help you in your time of need.”
“What could I possibly learn in seven days? It’s ridiculous! I could never...”
“If you intend to do this, then that is all that matters. Your very will shall be what stands before Santa Claus on that night! And if you shall allow me, then I shall temper that will in these seven days. What say you?” Greenhoof’s voice echoed through the dojo, lighting a fire in her soul that Derpy never knew she had. She clenched her teeth, and slowly nodded.
“Let’s do it.”
❄ ❄ ❄
Three days had past, and Derpy’s muscles ached from her daily training with master Greenhoof. Every day after her mail route, she went home and picked up Dinky, then made her way across town to the rickety dojo. There, she trained for a few hours as Dinky played around, or even joined in the lesson. Progress was slow, but Derpy had learned a small amount of the kung-fu that Greenhoof taught, and her confidence had grown slightly.
Still, there wasn’t much time left, and only so much could be taught in one week.
“Done!” Dinky’s voice proudly rang out. Derpy trotted across her kitchen and took a look at Dinky’s work. She had cutout a good amount of slightly lopsided gingerbread mares with her cutter, and had arranged them on a cookie sheet.
“Looks good muffin! Why don’t you head out and play for a bit while I pop these in the oven, alright?”
“Okay mom! Hey, we should bring some cookies to Mr. Greenhoof tomorrow too!”
“That’s a great idea! I’ll make sure to pack a few for tomorrow, I know he’ll love them!”
“Yeah!” Dinky shouted right before running out the front door. Derpy watched from the window as she ran out, a few other foals were building snowmares, and Dinky quickly joined in, laughing along with the other kids.
Derpy placed the tray into the oven, and began tidying up a bit. After a few moments, she looked outside and sighed as she watched the foals playing. Now’s as good a time as any. Derpy grabbed an envelope from one of the kitchen drawers and looked it over. The words: “To Santa” were scribbled unevenly on the front, and the back was covered in splotches of glue and glitter.
Derpy checked the oven once more, and made for the front door. She walked to the mailbox, and steeled herself, “Here’s hoping.” She crammed the letter in the box and nervously made her way back to the house.
❄ ❄ ❄
Derpy was back at Greenhoof’s dojo. It was Hearth’s warming eve, but the stallion had insisted she stop by regardless. A light blanket of snow fell from the evening sky as Derpy and her daughter trotted up the front porch. Shaking snow from her coat, Derpy slid open the door and entered.
“Greenhoof! It’s us!” Derpy called as she wiped her hooves by the entrance.
Greenhoof quickly emerged from his back room, and gave Derpy a warm greeting, “Ah, thank you for stopping by my student. I apologize for asking you here on such a special day, but I wanted to speak with you.”
Dinky ran up to him and excitedly spoke, “Mr. Greenhoof! Are we gonna learn more cool karate moves today? I’ve been practicing at home!” She did a small kick for emphasis, nearly falling over.
“It’s kung-fu, remember that young one. Perhaps we will have some time for some ‘cool kung-fu moves’ yet, however I need to speak with your mother for a moment.” Dinky nodded, and trotted off to go play. Greenhoof motioned for Derpy to follow him, and the two of them headed into the back, where Greenhoof had his small kitchen set up. Derpy took a seat at the table, and he prepared the two of them some tea.
“Derpy, tonight is the night. How are you feeling?”
Derpy rubbed her foreleg a bit, and looked to him, “I’m nervous for sure. I know we went over a lot in this last week, but I can’t help but feel unprepared. I mean, if Santa has been around for one-thousand years, what chance do I really have?”
Greenhoof calmly drank his tea, and then responded, “I understand. The martial arts can take years, or even decades to truly master. Whatever happens, know that I am proud of your progress, and that I believe in you.” He looked her in the eyes, and gave her a smile, “And remember, you don’t need to win, you merely need to show your opponent a worthy fight. That, I am confident you can do.”
Derpy nodded her head, and smiled a bit, “Thank you, sir. And I want to let you know how thankful I am for what you’ve done for me and Dinky, she’s really enjoyed stopping here every day.”
Greenhoof waved a hoof dismissively, “Think nothing of it. I’m nothing but an old stallion with an empty dojo, and I’m more than happy to share what I know with students who are willing to learn. You and Dinky are welcome to come by any day.”
“Thank you, Greenhoof, you won’t be seeing the last of me today! You can count on that!”
“It warms my heart to hear that, I thank you. Now, my student, I believe I promised your daughter some ‘cool kung-fu moves’ did I not? Best not keep her waiting.”
❄ ❄ ❄
Night had fallen on Ponyville, and Derpy was in her home with Dinky, setting a plate of gingerbread mares by the fireplace. Dinky was working on trying to fill a glass of milk, with some difficulty, as Derpy slightly corrected her pour. Finally, after spilling only a small amount, they had a full glass.
“Done!” Dinky proudly declared, and looked to her mother, “I bet Santa’s gonna love these cookies!”
“Of course, you made them after all.” Derpy tussled Dinky’s mane a bit.
“You did most of it though. That’s how I know they’re the best!” Dinky looked outside, and watched the nighttime snow slowly drift past the window, “So what time do you think Santa will get here? Can I stay up and wait? I wanna see him!”
“Now Dinky, you know that Santa always comes really late, and it’s already past your bedtime.”
“But I gotta see him!” Dinky pleaded.
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll tell him you said hi, okay?”
“You will? Promise?”
Derpy chuckled internally at being able to actually keep the absurd sounding promise, “Yep, I promise. Now go to bed okay?”
“Okay mom.” Dinky began making for her bedroom, “But don’t forget you promised, okay?”
“I would never forget a promise Dinks, don’t you worry.”
The two of them headed to Dinky’s small bedroom, and Derpy tucker her daughter in, planting a small kiss on her forehead, “Goodnight, my sweet filly, I love you.”
“Love you mom.”
Derpy shut off her lamp, and quietly closed the door. She silently made her way to the living room, and peeked at the clock. 9:00 PM. She took a deep breath, and then assumed a fighting stance. She had until midnight at least, and she was determined to get as much practice as she could.
And so, deep into the night of Hearth’s Warming Eve, Derpy quietly practiced her kicks and punches. She practiced her stance, her breathing, and all the techniques show to her by her teacher. While she hadn’t had time to learn a great deal in her one week, she had learned the proper way to stand, and the proper way to strike. She was only a novice, but she was indeed prepared.
Around 11:00 PM, she finally decided to rest, and took a break. She poured herself some coffee, and sat on the sofa, awaiting the arrival of Santa himself. She kind of zoned out, just appreciating the ambiance of the calm winter’s night. The tree looked lovely; and while it hadn’t been decorated with a vast array of ornaments, it still made Derpy smile.
She walked up to the tree, and tilted the centerpiece toward herself; the ornament Dinky had made her. It was a small disc of wood, covered in glitter, glue and pipe cleaners, with a crooked cut photo pasted to the middle; a blurry photo of Derpy and Dinky posing with a cardboard cutout of princess Celestia that had been set up at last year’s nightmare night celebration. It brought back fond memories, and the smiles on both of their faces in the photo gave her hope.
A rustling noise came from the chimney, and Derpy spun around defensively. She saw bits of ash crumbling down, and then suddenly a large canvas sack landed in the alcove. Derpy cautiously approached, when something massive fell after it, striking up a great cloud of dust. It stung her eyes and throat, and Derpy coughed to clear her senses. After a moment, the dust settled and Derpy was amazed at the sight before her.
A huge pegasus stallion filled her living room. He was nearly twice her height, and sported a chestnut brown coat. A long white beard flowed down from his chin, and he sported an outfit that gave no mistake too his identity. A floppy red hat and red winter suit, both with white trim, and black snow boots.
This was hardly the Santa Claus that appeared in storybooks, this one was muscled, head to hoof, his massive form visible even under the bulky winter wear. His appearance was that of a grizzled traveler, beaten with wear and age, yet at the same time he had a softness to his complexion, complete with a frostbitten blush to his features and a warm smile on his face.
Derpy was awestruck, and barely manage to get out a shocked, “Sa- Santa?”
He gave her a little wink, “The one and only! I received your daughter’s letter, and I’m always happy to come visit such a warm and loving household!” He was surprisingly light of hoof as he walked over to the tree, and plucked a cookie from the tray, taking a bite, “Mm, these are quite good! My compliments to the chef! Ho ho ho!”
“Oh my Celestia, he did the thing! You actually did the thing! And you’re really real!” Derpy couldn’t contain her excitement, bouncing up and down in place. “Santa! Does this mean you’re here to-”
He cut her off, “I am here to deliver your presents. But there is one thing I must ask of you first.” Santa’s tone deepened, and he gave Derpy a stare that froze her spine, “Are you prepared?”
She gulped, looking at the towering pegasus with trepidation, before nodding her head, “I’ve been training for this moment. This is going to be the best Hearth’s Warming ever, believe it!” She smirked at her opponent, “The question is, are you ready?”
“Ho ho ho!” He laughed heartily, amused by her gusto, “Young filly, I was born ready. Now!” He crouched low, ready to strike, “Show me your fighting spirit! Let. Us. Fight!
“Wait wait wait!” Derpy held up a hoof, “Can we do this outside? My daughter is sleeping in the other room. She wanted me to say hi for her. Dinky says hi.”
The two them politely shuffled out into the street. The lampposts cast a dim glare on a fresh blanket of snow as new flakes descended from the heavens, refracting the light slightly in the frosty air. In the distance, sleigh bells were ringing. Santa placed his bag beneath a streetlight and turned to Derpy, “Snow is falling, bells are jingling, it’s a beautiful night for a fight, is it not?”
Derpy was frowning seriously, but nodded, “If I’m going fight, I couldn’t have asked for a better night. Let’s do this!” She got into her stance, “Happy Holidays!”
It began just as a gust of wind blew from behind Santa, snow whipping toward Derpy as she shielded her face with a leg. He dashed forward with unnatural speed, closing the distance in a moment. Derpy barely had time to be shocked and he was already upon her, poised to strike. With no time to dodge, she brought her hooves before her face in a cross the deflect his blow, but it was a feint, and he swept her remaining legs out from under her.
Sent tumbling, Derpy responded quickly, flapping her winds and sending herself into the air. Santa reacted by disengaging, jumping back and looking to the mare as she hovered above the ground. He stretched out his massive wingspan and took after her with a flap, heading toward her with his front hooves up, ready to jab. Derpy steeled herself, and flew forward to meet him. She readied herself, and threw a straight punch toward Santa, who effortlessly rolled to the side, striking her three times in rapid succession, before pivoting and sending her to the ground with an overhead axe kick.
Derpy face planted in the snow, but recovered quickly, shaking herself off she hopped to the side, watching her foe as he landed a few feet away, crouched low. She blew steam from her nose in challenge, and charged at Santa, a grimace on her face. He brought up a single hoof in defense as she charged, and when Derpy threw her haymaker, the pegasus grabbed it effortlessly, locking her in place. Derpy attempted to throw a second strike with her other hoof, but Santa brought up his leg with manic speed, and latched onto it as well. He had a broad smile on his face as he used his brute strength to bring Derpy over his head and slam her into the snow behind him, then doing the same again and slamming her to the other side. He finished by spinning her around, and hurling her off to the side, where she impacted a nearby streetlamp with a loud clang.
A pile of snow shook loose from the impact, and landed pitifully on Derpy’s head as she shakily got her footing. She was weary, but not done yet, and Derpy still looked Santa in the eye and cautiously approached. She got into her stance, and took a deep breath, this time waiting for him to make the first strike. He readied himself, and eventually made a quick jab at her face, which she ducked left to dodge. Another, and she dodged to the right. He threw a hook, and she brought up a hoof to deflect it, though the impact left her leg shaking in pain. He threw another, and Derpy found herself locked onto both of his legs. She let out a guttural roar, and threw her head directly into his jaw, breaking the deadlock.
Stumbling back, Derpy felt dizzy, and slowly recovered. She looked up to see Santa no worse for wear, grinning like a mad stallion. “Ho ho ho, done already?” He asked her in his usual jovial tone.
Derpy shook off the pain, and assumed her stance, “Done? I’m just getting started.” She took a step back, braced her leg, and prepared for another charge. Santa did the same. Even though she knew she stood no chance, Derpy found herself grinning alongside Santa Claus. This is for Dinky.
“Stop!” A small voice cried out just as the two were about to charge, and they both stopped to look at the source. Dinky stood, shivering out in the cold, at the edge of Derpy’s walkway. “Santa, if you have to fight somepony, then fight me! I won’t let you hurt my mom!”
Derpy was worried for her daughter, but couldn’t help smiling, “Muffin. Please, I love you so much, that’s why I’m fighting. This isn’t your battle.” She relaxed a bit, and took a step toward her daughter, “Me and Santa need to finish this. You don’t need to do anything.”
“Yes I do!” Dinky turned to Santa, and walked toward the stallion, “If this is for my presents, then I should fight!”
“Ho ho ho!” Santa bust out laughing as his jolly face lit up, “I’ve never turned down a challenge in my life, and I’m not about to start now! You want to fight filly? Show me what you’ve got!” He crouched into his stance and waited.
“Dinky no!” Derpy rushed foreward, but Dinky was already charging toward Santa, faster than she could reach the filly. She panicked as Dinky reeled back, and threw a sloppy punch into Santa’s leg. He reeled from the blow, and fell to the ground, clutching his leg.
“Argh! You got me! What a strike! Ow ow ow!” Derpy stopped running, and could only look on in confusion at the spectacle. “Dinky Hooves, I’ve been bested, by a very strong little filly!” He stopped grasping his leg and shifted to a more comfortable sitting position. “And I believe that means you’re due a present, doesn’t it? Tell me, what do you want for Hearth’s Warming?” He smiled warmly, not a hint of hostility in his voice.
Dinky lit up, her trepidation immediately melting away, “I won? I really won? And I get a Hearth’s Warming present?”
Santa stood up, and totted over to his abandoned bag, slinging it over his back, “Without a doubt. What is it you wish for this Hearth’s Warming, Dinky?”
“I want-” Dinky looked to her mother, who gave her an encouraging smile, “I- what I really want, isn’t anything. I have the best mom in the world, and as long as she’s happy, that’s all I need.” Derpy held back tears at her daughter’s proclamation, and rushed over to give her a big hug.
“Oh Dinky, I love you!”
“I love you, mom.” The tow of them huddled up, out in the snow on Hearth’s Warming night. They had finished their battle with Santa Claus, and come out of it none the richer, but love was all the wealth this family needed.
“Ho ho ho, I believe that! However, I would hate for this Penny Pegasus doll I made to go to waste.” He pulled a bright red present topped with a green bow out of his bag, and held it out. Derpy gave Dinky a nod, and she grabbed the gift.
“Santa, thank you.”
“Thank me? I should be thanking you and your wonderful mother for the best fight I’ve had in centuries!” He gave his wings a slight flap, and looked into the night sky, “I still have a busy night ahead of me, but it truly warms my heart to see ponies with the true spirit of Hearth’s Warming!” He smiled at Derpy, “I hope I can expect to get an even better fight from you next year.”
“You can count on it! And next year I’ll beat you myself, I won’t need Dinky to come rescue me!” She gave her daughter a squeeze.
“I’ll hold you to that! And I left some presents under the tree for you both as well, but don't open them until morning!” Like a flash, he took off into the sky, but his voice could be heard echoing as he flew out of sight, “Happy Hearth’s Warming to all, and to all a good night!”
Derpy and Dinky sat out in the snow, watching the legendary pegasus fly off into the night. “You were so brave tonight muffin, I’m proud of you. But how did you know about the fight?”
Dinky reddened a bit, “I asked Bulk about it. Please don’t be mad at him! He didn’t know that you didn’t tell me, and he just wanted to help.”
“Don’t you worry about that Dinks. You don’t need to worry about anything.”
The two of them sat in the quiet of the night, and watched as the stars twinkled.
“Hey mom?”
“Yes dear?”
“It’s a really pretty night, yeah?”
“Yes it is my dear. It most certainly is.”
❄ ❄ ❄
January, Year 1,000 in the Reign of Celestia
“Attention everypony!”
The hustle of the post office came to a halt, and everypony present, including Derpy, turned their gaze the boss, who stood in the middle of the room.
He cleared his throat, “You may have already heard this, but it’s been officially announced that the 1,000th Summer Sun Celebration will be held in Ponyville this year!”
The ponies chatted among themselves quietly, and one of them let out a stifled "wahoo!"
“Now, there’s a lot of things that will need to happen between now and then, but a big part of it will involve bringing Ponyville ‘up to snuff’ as it were. As a part of that, the post office will be expanding, and while I’ll be working out the details with everypony later, you can all be expecting a nice pay increase coming soon!”
They excitedly spoke over each other, this news brightening the tone of the room, with several of the ponies shouting and cheering.
“Settle down! This is because we’ll be having a lot more responsibility coming our way. Princess Celestia herself is going to be visiting our town, and I expect each and every one of you working your absolute hardest. Am I understood?”
They all nodded, quieting down.
“Good, everypony as you were.” He trotted out of the room, and business resumed as usual.
Derpy had a feeling this was going to be a big year; and not just for Ponyville.
