"We're finally here!", Scootaloo cheered, standing up tall on the wooden floor of the boardwalk with her eyes exploring the beach. Alongside her was her aunts, Lofty and Holiday, the two ponies she's been anticipating to spend time with. "We've at last made it to the beach!"
"It sure is beautiful.", Holiday agreed, with the breeze running through her curly mane.
"Yep.", Lofty said to her wife. She, along with her, were wearing pairs of sunglasses on their heads. Each pair were in different colors, her's were royal blue and Holiday's were hot pink. "Just smell that nice beach air."
Holiday closed her eyes and gently sucked air through her nostrils. Her plump chest puffing out, as the wonderful oxygen filled her lungs like a balloon being filled with helium. Then, she finally let it out through her open lips in one heavy breath. "Nice and fresh.", she remarked.
The three ponies walked down the stairs until the stinging hot sand met the bottom of their hooves. Scootaloo was the first to react. "Ow! Ow! Ow! The sand is hot!", she cried, as she started dancing like she had ants in her pants.
It didn't seem to bother Lofty or Holiday. The elder pegasus lifted the filly off the ground with her noggin, before craning her neck upwards and letting the filly slide down and onto her back. "There. Now you don't have to worry about your hooves burning up.", she chuckled. She and the other mare started trotting down the beach with their niece in tow. They stopped until they were twenty-five feet away from the ocean.
Scootaloo down from Lofty's back before she and her aunts got to work on setting everything up. She got out her sand toys and splayed them out on the sand, Lofty set up the picnic blanket before gently sliding it off her rump, and Holiday set up her chair with her bag of books hanging off one of the arm rests.
"Here, Scootaloo, who don't you set up the umbrella?", Holiday offered, handing the filly a sealed up umbrella.
"Sure.", Scootaloo accepted, as she unhooked the handle and pinned the bottom end to the sand. But, it wasn't far enough. It tipped downwards toward her and bonked her in the end, slipping off her hooves.
It was sure to get Lofty and Holiday's attention, as they rushed over to the filly on the sand with the umbrella resting on top of her. "You alright, dear?", Holiday asked, lifting the umbrella off her niece.
Scootaloo sat up, rubbing her head. "Yeah, I think so.", she replied. "Though, I might need to see a doctor. Because, I think I got a concussion."
Lofty and Holiday laughed in response. "I'm sure it didn't hurt that bad.", Lofty said, ruffling her niece's mane before helping her up. "Everytime I have trouble setting something up and finally got it, I'd say 'now stay there'!"
Scootaloo smiled, getting an idea. She took the umbrella and repeated what she did with the bottom end, but a little more force. As it was finally standing, she said, "Now stay there!"
Lofty laughed. "Atta girl!", she congratulated, as she and Scootaloo hoof bumped.
Scootaloo noticed Holiday sitting in her chair and taking a book out. She walked over to her. "Hey, Aunt Holiday, what are you doing?", she asked.
"Preparing to relax, Scootaloo.", Holiday answered, opening the book in her hooves.
"Relax?", Scootaloo asked. "Why would you want to do that while you're on one of the funnest places on Earth?"
"Well, even you're at the beach, you obviously have to do something to get yourself relaxed.", Holiday said.
"But, it's boring, Aunt Holiday.", Scootaloo complained. "I came here so I can do fun activities with you and Auntie Lofty. I was really looking forward to this."
"Sorry, Scootaloo.", Holiday apologized. "But, that's not what I planned to do. I'm just gonna sit on this chair, read my book, and maybe take a snooze on the sand."
"Well, that's perfect.", Scootaloo said sarcastically. "So, spending time with your niece on the beach doesn't come first, but relaxation does?"
"I'm not saying I don't want to spend time with you.", Holiday defended. She rubbed the back of her neck. "Well,... sort of. But, I'm probably guessing if you won't stop pestering me to do so, maybe I'll do a couple things with you." She got off her chair. "Then, after all that, you will let me relax. Ok?"
Scootaloo squealed with delight. "It's a deal!", she said, putting a hoof to her aunt's chest.
"So, what do you want to do first?", Holiday asked.
"We go to the ocean and when the waves come to us, you and Auntie Lofty lift up.", Scootaloo suggested.
Scootaloo and her aunts walked over to the wet sand before they began holding hooves. When a wave came up, the two mares lifted Scootaloo off the sand, with her squealing with joy in the process. The way they repeated that action over and over again made them feel like they're Scootaloo's biological parents, even though not really. But, it really felt like they had their own child. They hovered Scootaloo over the upcoming waves twenty more times before they stopped.
The next activity they did was throw the beach ball around. Scootaloo had Holiday blow air into to inflate it before the earth pony threw it over to the filly. Then, Scootaloo threw it over to Lofty, who threw it back to Holiday. They threw it around to each other, counterclockwise before moving on building a sand castle that looked like the castle of friendship, which happens to be Princess Twilight Sparkle's castle. They even got the little doorway, balconies, branches, and everything.
It was about time that they decided to have lunch, all the sand castle building has gotten them hungry. The three ponies sat on the picnic blanket, before Lofty reached into the basket and handed out sandwiches. For Scootaloo, peanut butter and jelly. And for her aunts, ham, lettuce and cheese. They then started munching.
"See, Aunt Holiday, I told you there's nothing wrong with a little fun on the beach.", Scootaloo said between her chewing.
"I guess so, darling.", Holiday said after swallowing her first bite. She took another.
"My favorite part was when we were lifting Scootaloo above the waves over and over.", Lofty said.
"Mine too.", Holiday agreed. "You looked like you were having a blast, Scootaloo."
"I sure was.", Scootaloo said excitedly.
"And when we were doing that, we got the experience to feel like you belonged to us.", Lofty admitted.
Scootaloo was about to take another bite, but froze when she heard that statement. "Huh?", she asked.
"Like you were our biological child.", Holiday said, giving more context.
"But, you aren't my biological parents.", Scootaloo said.
"I know we aren't.", Lofty said. "But, it felt like it. And it was delightful."
"I guess what we're trying to say is... we're lucky to have you with us.", Holiday said shyly.
"I... I'm lucky to have you both too.", Scootaloo said, blushing.
After they got done eating their sandwiches, Holiday got up on her hooves. "I bet you didn't forget our little deal, Scootaloo.", she said.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You got to relax.", she said.
"That's right.", Holiday said, nodding. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'm gonna go sleep on the sand." She started to walk off.
Scootaloo looked behind herself, down at the sand and up at her earth pony aunt. "Why not in the sand?", she asked.
Holiday froze in her tracks. "Excuse me?", she asked, looking back at her niece.
Scootaloo got off the blanket and walked up to Holiday. "Would it be better if you slept in the sand instead of on it?", she asked.
"I think she's making an offer if she could bury you in the sand, Holiday.", Lofty said precisely.
"Oh, um, about that, I wouldn't be able to move at all.", Holiday said unsurely. "Besides, that activity's way too childish."
"No, it's not.", Scootaloo said dismissively. "A lot of ponies have done that to other ponies, even as adults. Also, a little birdy told me, that being buried in the sand can get you relaxed pretty dang quick."
Holiday scratched her chin, then smiled while shrugging. "I suppose I could give that a shot."
"Sweet.", Scootaloo said as she started digging a hole in the sand.
"I'll help too.", Lofty said volunteering.
Scootaloo got done making the hole, only big a wide enough for Holiday to fit her body.
"Hopefully, I won't be like this for too long.", Holiday said hopefully.
"Relax, dear.", Lofty reassured her wife. "We'll dig you out right before high tide rolls in."
Holiday looked down at the hole, in she went. Laying herself down, with her sunglasses over her eyes and the back of her neck resting on the rim.
Scootaloo and Lofty laughed, as they poured the tiny grains into the hole, starting with Holiday's back hooves and tail. Then, over her thighs, around her rotund belly, and up her chest. Holiday breathed heavily, as her wife and niece packed sand around her shoulders. She let out another heavy breath, as they brushed sand over her neck and settling it under chin. With her head remaining above the sand, Lofty and Scootaloo patted the sand down against Holiday's body, making it thick.
"How does it feel, dear?", Lofty asked.
"I told you earlier it would be hard to move.", Holiday said, unable to move her neck, but had the ability to narrow her eyes at the ponies. "But, it does feel relaxing. And it is getting me a lot sleepier. You were right, Scootaloo."
Scootaloo chuckled. "I know it seemed I was trying to make an excuse for you to do another activity, but we thought you would sleep better like this.", she said.
"Well, even though, I didn't plan to be like while snoozing, but I hadn't had this much fun when I was a filly.", Holiday said.
"I'm glad to hear that, Holiday.", Scootaloo said appreciatively. "Thank you for spending time with me here, Aunt Holiday. And sorry I had to pressure you into doing so."
"Oh, you don't need to apologize.", Holiday said reassuringly. "I had a lot of fun with you. The next time we go to the beach, you can convince me to do beach activities with you anytime." She winked at her niece.
Scootaloo and Lofty got up on their hooves. "Ok, Holiday, I think you now deserve to sleep now, while Auntie Lofty and I go take a walk around the beach.", she said.
"A walk does sound nice.", Lofty agreed. "Could use the exercise."
Scootaloo started walking off with her pegasus aunt alongside by her. She looked back at Holiday. "And while you're asleep, maybe dream about someplace where you can figure where the wind blows.", she suggested, before turning away and continued to walk along the shore.
Holiday watched her wife and niece get smaller and smaller until they were completely out of sight. She then relaxed her head and faced skyward, before her eyelids drifted shut and mumbled a couple of words before drifting off. "Dream... about where the wind blows.", she said, letting out a contented sigh. "That sounds nice, love."
Author's Note
Sorry if this is another quicky, another last minute contest entry.
Gotta start being more punctual.
