Sandy Hooves and "Sea"-sons Greetingsby JohnDarkblaze15ChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1The season of Hearth’s Warming usually brought about pleasant tidings of yuletide sights and sounds as the ponies of Equestria prepared for the annual winter holiday. For the sleepy rural town of Ponyville, however, the season was currently opening with a chilly reminder of how harshly the wintertime weather could behave. Fierce frosty winds whipped and howled through the quiet streets, battering anypony unfortunate enough to be caught up in its fury. A bitter coldness set into the town and its neighboring vicinities, biting through layers of fur and clothing and nipping at ponies' skin underneath. Sheets of freezing snow and ice continuously pelted against ponies' bodies and soaked right into their fur, further exacerbating the winter's cold grasp on everypony in town. Such was life for Ponyville’s resident wall-eyed mailmare as she fluttered through the barren streets, finishing up her last deliveries for the night. Wearing nothing more than her woefully thin and uninsulated delivery uniform and cap, one might conclude that she must be crazy to stay out in such inclement weather. However, years of practice and building up her endurance against the elements allowed Derpy Hooves to brave the fiercest winter nights in her never-ending plight to maintain a diligent delivery schedule. The mere thought of delivering even one package late pushed her to continue onward in spite of tiring herself out often with fighting against the elements and working so late into evenings. Though the long working hours and harsh weather conditions had taken their toll on the mailmare over the years, Derpy's unwavering perseverance and loyalty garnered the respect of her coworkers and community. Presently, the gray pegasus glided as best she could through the whirling winter winds before setting down in front of the last house listed on her usual route. Nestled just beyond the Ponyville town limits, the quaint little cottage was relatively unassuming and unlike most other buildings in Ponyville with its shingled roof line and lack of exposed exterior beams. As she approached, Derpy spied a line of smoke exiting the chimney, indicating the homestead's residents were present, and politely rapped her hoof on the front door in greeting. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing a light tan jenny with a curly brown mane wearing a lacy white collar, held together by a blue pearl. "Why hello there, Derpy!" the donkey in the doorway greeted, gasping slightly at the sudden influx of cold air, "Wasn’t expecting to see you out and about so late, my dear, especially on a night like tonight," she added. Derpy smiled warmly, "I know, Matilda, luckily you're my last delivery for the night, so I’ll be going home after this!" "Well thank Celestia for that, it’s freezing out there!" Matilda commented with a shiver, "Honestly, I don’t know how you manage to make your deliveries in these terrible conditions." "Oh it’s not all bad, Matilda, I’ve gotten rather used to it by this point," Derpy stated as she dug through her saddlebags, eventually collecting two wrapped packages and a few envelopes and passing them to the Matilda. "Anyways, here’s your mail for today, sorry it’s so delayed," she added with an apologetic but friendly smile. Matilda's expression brightened upon seeing the packages, "Ah, we’ve been waiting for these, thank you Derpy!" she exclaimed with delight. "And no apologies needed, I understand this is a very busy time of year for you ponies over at the post office," she added before growing quiet for a minute, seemingly gathering her thoughts, "I imagine it must be rather tiring, though, having to deal with so many packages and demanding ponies." Derpy tilted her head in brief consideration before shrugging nonchalantly, "I’ll admit the holidays are a bit more stressful than other times of the year, but I honestly love what I do so much that I don’t think I’d have it any other way," she added with a cheerful smile. Matilda shivered again, "Still, though, ponies like you deserve some time off for yourself, especially now." She suddenly squealed excitedly, an idea popping into her head, "Maybe you should call out tomorrow, enjoy some holiday vacation time for you and Dinky?" Derpy frowned slightly, "Oh, I don’t know about that, Matilda," she declined politely, "I mean, that sounds lovely, but I imagine they’ll still need me in town over the next couple of days." Matilda waved a hoof and scoffed, "Oh, I’m sure the post office has plenty of other ponies they can call on if needed." She lifted her hoof and placed it on Derpy's shoulder endearingly, "Maybe just give it some thought, okay sweetheart?" "Okay, Matilda, I will," Derpy conceded with a smile, "Have a good night!" The middle-aged jenny wished her farewell and safe travels as Derpy took to the skies for the last time that night. As she departed the from the Donkey homestead, she thought about Matilda’s suggestion and whether or not to accept it. It had been the fourth time that night where she had been advised to skip out on work by somepony along her mail route. Treating herself to a random day off from work was a relatively foreign concept for the dutiful mailmare, especially around the holiday seasons. That being said, she would be lying to herself if she claimed that the stress of the holiday season had never prompted her to entertain such a concept. Derpy continued to mull over her options as she fought against the raging elements, traveling through the bitter cold of winter towards home for the night. * * * * After the seemingly long flight, Derpy finally set down upon the front porch of her house, crossing over the threshold and promptly shutting the door behind her. Sporting a similar appearance to other single-family abodes sprinkled throughout Ponyville, it was primarily comprised of a large dual-purpose kitchen and den with separate bedrooms jutting off the main living space. The house's simple furnishings were adorned with several juvenile but charming hoof-made Hearth's Warming decorations, all sporting the handiwork of one particularly exuberant filly. She shuddered slightly due to the sudden transition from the cold weather outside, but was immediately comforted by the warmth emanating from the blazing fireplace. The pegasus was delightfully surprised to see a modest pot of carrot and lentil stew already starting to bubble over the roaring fire, mentally thanking the only other pony who could have pulled it together. "Dinky, I'm home!" she called out, removing her soaked mailmare uniform and hanging it over the crackling hearth to dry. In a matter of seconds, a blur of purple and yellow zoomed out from the neighboring room and tackled her to the floor with a surprisingly strong bear hug. "Hi Mom!" a small lavender pegasus with blonde mane and tail greeted, squeezing her mother tightly, "Glad you’re finally home, it’s pretty bad out there!" Derpy smiled warmly at her daughter's enthusiastic greeting, "Happy to be home, sweetie. Thanks again for holding down the fort while Mommy’s out late," she added with a quick but loving nuzzle to Dinky's cheek, "I don’t know what I would do without you." "No problem, Mom!" Dinky replied before breaking off the embrace, "I know how important getting everypony’s holiday mail out is to you; that's what makes you awesome!" she added with an extra bounce to her step, eliciting a brief giggling fit from the wall-eyed mailmare. "I appreciate that, hon, thank you," Derpy complimented her praise before pausing, a heavy sigh escaping her lips before she continued. "Though days like these don’t make my job any easier, that’s for sure," she added, gesturing to a nearby window. Snow and sleet pelted the glass and wind buffeted the panes, creating a most horrific racket rivaled only by the pops and cracks emanating from the flames within the fireplace itself. Dinky shivered sympathetically, "Brrr, I can’t even imagine! Will you have to go back out there tomorrow, too?" she looked up and gave her mother a quizzical look. "Um, yes, I suppose I will…" Derpy responded, a hint of hesitation in her voice. Dinky tilted her head, wearing a puzzled expression on her face, "What do you mean? You’re not sure?" Derpy scratched the back of her neck with one hoof, the other idly stirring circles through the pot of stew with a ladle as she contemplated Matilda's suggestion from earlier in the night. "Well, it’s been suggested to me," she began, "that it might be a good idea to take some time off from work for the holiday," she explained hesitantly, still unsure of her own thoughts towards such an action. Dinky, on the other hoof, jumped up and down in place excitedly, contrasting Derpy's own reaction as her eyes widened with wonder. "Ooh, that sounds like fun!" she exclaimed, zipping about the main room with fillyhood delight. "Where are we going? I hope it’s someplace warm! What are we gonna do when we get there?" she babbled enthusiastically. "Now calm down for a minute, Dinky," Derpy chuckled, beckoning the filly to the table for supper as she ladled portions of stew into two bowls. "I haven’t confirmed whether we would or not yet! It’s just the word of some ponies along my mail route that are suggesting such a thing," she explained as she blew gingerly over a spoonful of soup before consuming. Dinky plopped down on the seat across from her mother with a slight huff, "Well, I think you should, too! I mean, I can't even remember the last time you had a day off," she remarked innocently while digging into her own bowl. "Well, I suppose it has been a while," Derpy conceded with a pondering gaze, "but tomorrow’s Hearth’s Warming Eve! It’s my last chance to get everypony's packages and mail sent out before the holiday." She scoffed at the thought of leaving her responsibilities behind so frivolously, "I can’t possibly take off from work right now, the timing’s just not appropriate," she added defiantly. Dinky tapped her chin with her hoof, clearly deep in thought over their current dilemma. "But aren’t there a bunch of other mailponies working at the post office?" she countered matter-of-factly, "I’m sure any one of them would be able to cover your shift for the day!" Derpy sighed and ruffled her daughter's mane endearingly, smiling solemnly at her fillyhood innocence. "I'm afraid it’s not just about finding a replacement, sweetie," she responded gently, "I...I simply can't justify me taking time off from work without good reason when other ponies might need it instead." Dinky pouted and began pondering the situation again, seemingly not giving up on her counter argument. "I guess, but I remember you covering for other ponies' shifts when they couldn’t or didn't come into work, right?" she inquired, waving an accusatory spoon in her mother's direction, "Like that time when Sunshower Raindrops left with her family on vacation to Vanhoover? It felt like you were working overtime for ages, didn't you?" "Well, that was only for a week, but yes, of course I have," Derpy responded, "Nopony else was around to stay on, so it was the right thing for me to do at the time," she added defensively. "Okay, so then, why should you have to feel so bad about doing the same?" Dinky added, probing even further, "I mean, everypony has their own wants and desires that need tending to, so don’t you think you deserve some time to yourself at this point, Mom?" Derpy opened her mouth, ready to question her daughter's unusual persistence into the issue at hoof, but closed it after some further contemplation. On one hoof, the mailmare's mind raced with thoughts about all the potential problems and chaos that could ensue were she to shirk her daily responsibilities at the post office. From delayed and misplaced deliveries to stressed coworkers and disappointed customers, she struggled with accepting any of these consequences for such action on her part. She knew the post office typically granted its employees a certain amount of vacation time to use when needed, but she also knew that the holidays had always been a tricky time to utilize such a luxury. Between balancing out the increased influx of tasks and responsibilities as well as trying to plan around other ponies' vacation time, Derpy often found herself unable to take her own temporary leave of absence. On the other hoof, however, even Derpy could not deny the fact that she was well-overdue for a break in her busy work schedule. She had gone the past several Hearth's Warming holiday seasons without asking for time off, and as such had accrued more than enough paid time off to validate taking a vacation now. Despite any lingering doubts still swirling around in her mind, Derpy felt she owed it to herself and her daughter to indulge at least a little bit into the opportunity. Even the short-term notice of her request might not be much of an issue, as countless years of experience with her boss and coworkers allowed Derpy to grow close enough with each of them that she knew they would not mind covering for her in the slightest. The more Derpy realized how the positives of this opportunity outweighed any potential negative outcomes, the more she felt herself warming up to the notion of using some spur-of-the-moment vacation time. Derpy sighed and looked over to her daughter, "Well…I suppose I could go for a little vacation after all," she finally stated. Dinky gasped and leapt straight into the air, fluttering excitedly in circles around her mother, repeatedly exclaiming, "Yaayy!!" before setting back down on the floor again. "So, where’re we gonna go, Mom?" she asked enthusiastically, seemingly unable to sit still. Derpy pondered the question for a moment before answering, "Well, you mentioned going somewhere warm earlier," she stated, "so...why don’t we visit the beach?" Dinky grinned widely, "Ooh, sounds good to me, I'll go start packing then!" and without another word, she zipped away to her room in a flash. As Derpy cleared their dishes from dinner, she giggled to herself upon hearing the filly humming excitedly to herself while rummaging through drawers in search of items to pile into her travel bag. Realizing that morning would arrive soon enough, she quickly completed the post-dinner clean-up and trotted into her own room to start packing her own belongings. She still felt some semblance of hesitation eating away at her decision, but for the moment, the mailmare elected to worry about those nerves later and instead focus on preparing for their trip to the beach. Chapter 2"Wow, it’s so nice out here!" Dinky Hooves exclaimed with fillyhood wonder, staring out at the broad expanse of sparkling blue before them, "Look how shiny and bright the sea looks, Mom!" Derpy giggled at the excited filly's expense as they set their hooves down upon the warm sandy beach beneath them. After a good night's rest and an early morning breakfast, the mother-daughter duo set off for some tropical relaxation and fun in the sun. They caught a lucky break in the wintry storm encircling Ponyville for their travels, making the rather lengthy but clear trip to their eventual seaside destination with relative ease. The beach itself was moderately popular on this particular day, the sandy landscape teeming with a few couples and families sharing similar desires for a seaside getaway from the wintry weather further north. Despite being on the outskirts of the San Palomino Desert, the beach environment still exuded enough tropical vibes typical for similar settings elsewhere in Equestria so as to be enjoyable. From towering palm trees dotting the landscape between the shore and the dunes to the humid but temperate climate, Derpy and Dinky found their surroundings sufficiently adequate for their vacation. "Mm, indeed it is," Derpy commented with a content sigh, "Quite the opposite of Ponyville, that’s for sure!" she added as she set their saddlebags down, each pack brimming with various seaside supplies. "Yeah, totally, thanks again, Mom!" Dinky called out, fluttering joyfully around their immediate area while her mother set out a pair of towels for them upon the sand. "I'll bet this feels so much nicer than being stuck in that post office all day, right?" she added with a playful, almost teasing nudge to Derpy's shoulder. Derpy chuckled, conceding once again to her daughter's unbridled bluntness, and thought back to earlier that morning when she eventually plucked up the courage to call out of work for the day. She had been slightly surprised with how quickly and earnestly her boss and coworkers agreed with her sentiment of taking some vacation time after a rather busy delivery season. Despite her lingering doubts about the situation, Derpy made sure to shower them with plenty of thankful praise towards their kindness and altruism for her and her daughter's sake. Once their area was set up, Derpy sat herself down on one of the towels and, reaching into the nearest saddlebag, brought out a sizable bottle of suntan lotion. Holding the container with her wing, she squeezed a modest dollop of the cool, soothing cream onto her hoof and motioned for Dinky to join her in application. Dinky groaned slightly at the sight of the bottle, the filly not fond of being forced to sit still while getting lathered, but begrudgingly accepted her fate upon catching a stern stare from her well-intentioned mother. They sat next to each other in relative silence for a while, rubbing the protective ointment across as much of their bodies as they could reach until needing each other to help with finishing. "You know, Dinky," Derpy started, spreading the soothing cream between her daughter's tiny but powerful wings, "I wanted to thank you for the encouragement to come out here in the first place." The filly turned her head back to look at her mother, shivering slightly upon feeling the cool lotion touch her back, "Oh, um, thanks I suppose," she thanked warily, " But I thought you said those other ponies you talked to gave you the idea?" she asked, a look of mild confusion donning her face. "True, but it wasn’t until we discussed it last night that helped me to realize it was okay to go for it," Derpy stated while getting to the last bits of untouched fur along the filly's back. "Oh, why’s that?" Dinky inquired, tilting her head in curiosity. Derpy sighed deeply, laying down and stretching out on her belly, leaving her back exposed as she thought back to the night prior. "Well, while we were talking last night," she explained, "I started thinking about all the times I’ve either needed to stay late nights at work, or run errands that kept me out all day, and all the other times when I’ve had to leave you home alone or at a friend’s house." She sighed again, ruminating about the intense bouts of worry and dread she would feel as a mother over leaving her daughter home alone so often. "I realized that those occasions seemed to occur more often than the occasions when the two of us could just hang out together, doing the fun things we enjoy like baking and swimming," she added with a solemn but consoling smile. "Mm, now that you mention it, I do miss those baking sessions from time to time," Dinky remarked, reminiscing while she returned the favor and coated her mother's back with lotion. "You always make the best homemade muffins!" she added Derpy giggled, "Thanks honey, I appreciate that," she commented with a genuine smile. "Anyways, I’ve been wanting to make more time for us to spend together for a while, but the opportunity just never seemed to come up," she continued, "With your encouragement to take this trip, though, I think this could be the start of more quality mother-daughter time. What would you say to that?" Dinky looked up at her mother, her smile broadening as she jumped into the air with glee. "I’d love that, Mom!" she exclaimed and bounded into her mother's outstretched hooves as they playfully embraced each other, "It means a lot to hear that, especially since I know how important your work is to you." Derpy pulled Dinky closer to her, squeezing her tenderly and lovingly, "Yes, but you’re just as, if not even more, important to me, my sweet Dinky Doo." She then bopped Dinky’s muzzle playfully, eliciting a mirthful squeal from the latter. "And I promise I'll try and do better when it comes to making time for us to spend together," she added confidently, "Sound good to you?" Dinky beamed, "Okay, Mom!" "Great, now let’s do what we came her for and enjoy ourselves, shall we?" Derpy asked, standing up and stretching out her hind legs, "Race you down to the water?" Dinky jumped to her hooves, a mischievous smirk stretching across her face, "Oh, you’re on!" she exclaimed and the pair charged across the gradual slope to the shoreline, screaming and giggling the entire way down. Just as they were about to hit the water's edge, Dinky leapt into the air and unfurled her wings, gliding out across the sparkling sea below her. Derpy followed suit shortly after, spreading her wings wide and floating out to meet up with her daughter. Once together, they both tucked their wings and dove sharply downwards, breaking through the refreshingly cool ocean surface with two mighty splashes. For the rest of the morning into early afternoon, the two pegasi entertained themselves with some wet and wild fun while enjoying each others' company for the first time in a long while. They dipped and dove in and out of the ocean, sending salty sea spray in all directions as they chased and raced each other through the swells. They swam and swirled along the surface to their heart's content, riding the cresting surf as it constantly trekked its way towards the shoreline. They splashed and stomped through the water in a seemingly relentless game of seeing which pony could get the other more soaked. After some time, both mares eventually emerging from their fun-filled sea-bound venture, thoroughly drenched but still in high spirits. "That was so much fun!" Dinky exclaimed, hopping around energetically as the two of them shook the excess water from their fur. She squealed excitedly as she spied a small group of other fillies a little ways off, gathering pails and spades seemingly in preparation of building a sand castle, "Ooh, that looks fun! Mom, can we join them?" she asked, looking up to her mother earnestly. Derpy sighed wearily, feeling somewhat fatigued after their ordeal in the surf, "I think I’m going to lay out in the sun and rest for a bit, dear," she stated with a weary but upbeat smile, "You go on ahead, though, don't let me hold you back." "Are you sure?" Dinky asked, mild concern creeping into her voice, "I can stay back with you, if you'd prefer?" "Oh, I'll be okay, sweetie," Derpy said, patting her daughter's head reassuringly, "Mama’s just not as limber and energetic as she used to be. Maybe I'll join you a bit later, okay?" "Hm, alright, thanks Mom!" Dinky beamed as she raced away to join the group of fillies in their castle-building challenge. Derpy, meanwhile, trotted over to their set-up and plopped right down upon her towel, stretching her aching limbs out and getting onto a more comfortable position. Before dozing off, she peered across the beach towards the lovely blonde-haired filly enjoying herself with her new friends, feeling all the more grateful for having the little bundle of joy in her sometimes hectic but overall fulfilling life. Smiling to herself, Derpy eventually rolled over onto her belly and closed her eyes, her consciousness succumbing to the soothing sounds of the wind and crashing surf as she slipped away into a rather peaceful slumber. Chapter 3The sun eventually made its way fully across the late afternoon Equestrian sky, marking its descent below the horizon as evening set into this Hearth's Warming Eve. While most everypony gradually vacated the seaside premises throughout the latter part of the afternoon, still a few stragglers remained soaking in the last bit of Hearth's Warming sun, including Derpy and Dinky Hooves. The pair of pegasi, both thoroughly winded from their active day of holiday fun, spent the last of their time on the beach lying together in tropical bliss. Dinky snuggled up comfortingly beside her mother, who busied herself with brushing and smoothing out the filly's damp coat with gentle hooves. "Well, this certainly was a fun day, wasn’t it my little Dinky Doo?" Derpy asked, her hoof swishing away a stray lock of hair from her daughter's face. "Oh, this has been great, Mom!" Dinky responded, a slight hint of fatigue in her voice, "Are you sure we have to leave so soon, though?" Derpy smiled teasingly, "What, a whole day playing on the beach wasn't enough for you?" She nuzzled Dinky's cheek, eliciting some soft giggling from the filly, "Besides, we didn't bring anything to stay the night out here, and wouldn't you rather enjoy Hearth's Warming Day in the comfort of our own home?" Dinky sighed dejectedly, "Yeah, I suppose so, though I vote to make this a yearly tradition moving forward!" she added, crossing her forelegs in an annoyed but adorable pout. Derpy giggled at her daughter's antics, "Heh, no arguments there, my sweet," she responded as the two of them prepared to pack up their belongings while silently reminiscing over their day of fun in the sun. Amidst these happy thoughts, however, Derpy grew solemn, feeling the slightest hints of regret nagging at the back of her mind as she thought about all the ponies along her mail route. They would have been expecting to receive any last-minute holiday mail by this point, everypony counting on her to deliver the services she had been entrusted with upon first accepting her position as mailmare. Even though there had been times when she was unable to perform her duties and others needed to step in for her, Derpy always held issue with relinquishing control over her own mail route. Delivering the ponies' mail and packages by hoof herself provided Derpy with the visual confirmation that the pony in question received and was satisfied with their mail, which the wall-eyed mailmare cherished with each delivery. Despite her lingering doubts, Derpy could do nothing at the moment except have faith in her coworkers' ability to pull through on their end while she focused on herself for a change. "I sure hope everypony got what they needed without me being around to help today," Derpy thought to herself as she and Dinky continued wrapping up their belongings. Just as they were about to finish packing and head home, however, Derpy heard somepony calling out to them from a little ways off. The mailmare twisted her head around in search of the mystery voice until she noticed Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon trotting towards them, the couple arm-in-arm and seemingly enjoying an evening stroll along the cool sandy beach. "Hey Derpy!" Lyra greeted, waving a friendly hoof in their direction. "Oh, hello Lyra; hi Bon Bon!" Derpy returned the greeting, suppressing her mildly shocked reaction upon their arrival, "Didn’t expect to see you two here, as well, I thought you usually spent the holidays with your relatives?" she inquired. "Yeah, but most of our families ended up traveling for the holidays this year," Bon Bon replied nonchalantly, "so we figured we’d treat ourselves to some warmth and sunshine for a change." "And it looks like we weren’t the only ones with that same idea!" Lyra added with a sly wink towards the grey pegasus, who giggled in response. "You’re right there, Lyra," Derpy stated, "Definitely took some encouragement on both yours and everypony else's advice," she added, gesturing to indicate the rest of the ponies who offered suggestions the other night, "but I figured it was as good a time as any for me to call out for this year's holiday." "Good for you, girl, you deserve the break!" Bon Bon commented, "You sure picked the right day to come out here, thank Celestia the Cloudsdale pegasi are keeping the wintry weather far enough away from these shores," she added with a shudder, looking off to the distance in Ponyville's general direction and thinking about the storm currently surrounding it. "I know, right?! We had so much fun today!" Dinky exclaimed, bounding over to the mares to offer her own recollection of the day's activities. "We played in the water, then Mom got tired so she came back here and I went to build a sand castle with these other fillies, and then Mom got untired and came over, so we played in the sand a little bit longer, and then—" she continued to babble until Derpy deliberately but gently silenced her with a hoof to the filly's mouth. "Alright, sweetie, I’m sure Lyra and Bon Bon get the picture," Derpy stated gently, smiling cheekily at her daughter. Lyra giggled and leaned down, tousling Dinky's mane playfully, "Sounds like you gals sure had a fun and relaxing day!" She smiled warmly before standing back up and turning towards Derpy again, "So, what’re your plans for the rest of the night?" she asked innocently. "Well, I wasn't able to book accommodations for us on such last-minute notice," Derpy explained, a slight twinge of regret to her voice, "so were just about to head back to celebrate Hearth’s Warming at home…" "Um, I don’t think that would be wise!" Bon Bon interjected before seemingly catching herself from revealing information. "Uh, I-I heard that the weather pegasi were trying to calm that storm brewing over Ponyville, but it’s only gotten worse, so any attempt to get back into town could be dangerous for a mare and filly like yourselves," she warned ominously. "Y-Yeah, and besides, it's getting too late to be traveling that far anyways," Lyra added hastily, gesturing for the pegasi to follow her, "You can come stay with us for the night, we’ve got plenty of room in our cabana for you to join us!" "Ooh, sounds like fun!" Dinky exclaimed, turning to her mother, "Can we stay, Mom? Can we, can we, pleeease?" she pleaded, gazing up at Derpy with wide, sparkling eyes, prompting the motherly mailmare to falter under the intensity of her daughter's puppy-dog stare. "I, well, uh..." Derpy stammered before eventually caving in with a deep sigh, "Oh, I suppose we could stay the night, then." While Dinky celebrated by skipping and bouncing all around them, Derpy looked to the other mares in company, her eyes brimming with gratitude and warmth, "Thank you, Lyra and Bon Bon, we really appreciate the offer." The two mares nodded, offering a friendly smile in acknowledgement as they led the pegasi pair up from the sandy shore and towards the rows of cabana tents set between the beach and looming dunes behind. While walking along the boardwalk between tents, Derpy heard various other groups of ponies partaking in what must be their own Hearth's Warming holiday celebrations set beside the sea. The four ponies eventually approached a rather large tent located towards the end of the boardwalk; as they got closer, Derpy realized she could hear several murmuring voices emanating from within the fabric structure. Originally assuming Lyra and Bon Bon had vacationed to the beach by themselves, the mailmare was perplexed by the fact that there seemed to be an entire crowd milling around in the couple's tent with them. She grew even more puzzled when, as they were about to turn the corner into the cabana, the voices started whispering and hushing one another in rapid succession. "If Lyra and Bon Bon said their families were traveling for the holidays, then who could possible be—" "SURPRISE!!!" Derpy's thought was swiftly interrupted as they rounded the corner into the cabana and were immediately met with an incredible sight laid out before them. There were indeed many ponies in attendance, but the mailmare quickly realized that the attendees were all Ponyville residents from her own mail route. Matilda Donkey stood front and center with husband Cranky Doodle beside her while the three florist ponies Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily Valley were off to the side finishing some festive centerpieces. Doctor Hooves and Amethyst Star were towards the back of the cabana next to a beautifully decorated tree while Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody sat behind their respective musical instruments of choice. Even the spa pony twins, Aloe and Lotus Blossom, were in attendance, looking just as excited as everypony else to see Derpy there. The stunned mailmare was rendered speechless for a moment or two, trying to take in everything at once while failing to understand the significance behind such a gathering. As she gazed around the cabana at the congregation before her, more details became apparent to her, from the sizable mount of wrapped presents nestled underneath the tree to the veritable banquet of holiday goodies laid out on the surrounding tables. "W-Wha…um, h-hi everypony," Derpy greeted, feeling unsure of how else to respond, "I, um…i-it’s nice to see you?" "Wonderful to see you, as well, old friend!" Doctor Hooves exclaimed earnestly. "We’re so happy you took our advice and decided to come out here for Hearth’s Warming, dear!" Matilda smiled warmly. Derpy merely looked around, still feeling wildly confused by the ordeal, "Um, t-thank you, b-but…what exactly are you all doing out here?" Octavia stepped forward to address the perplexed pegasus, "Why, we’re here to celebrate you, love!" she answered, her alabaster associate nodding in silent agreement behind her DJ table setup. Derpy gasped with shock, "M-Me?! B-But…why?" she asked, now desperate for answers. "Allow us to explain, Derpy," Lyra began, scratching the back of her neck and acting a bit uncharacteristically sheepish, "You see, we’ve…actually been planning this for a while now." "We’ve seen how tough mail delivery can be for you sometimes," Roseluck chimed in, "especially around this time of year…" "…But you’ve always pushed through the toughest of conditions and circumstances to ensure all of us get our mail safely and on time," Doctor Hooves added. "You put yourself through so much just to put a smile on other pony’s faces when they receive their mail while not expecting or receiving anything in return," Octavia remarked, continuing to tune her signature cello. "You work so hard to make everypony here happy through your work," Matilda smiled endearingly, "that we wanted to work out a way to give back to you this holiday!" Derpy gasped again, taken aback by the sudden realization that this whole event had been orchestrated in celebration of her. "Oh, r-really?" she stammered, unsure of how to take the news, "B-But, how did you manage to—" "Well, we actually couldn’t have done it without this little filly," Lyra commented, stepping forward with Dinky Doo in hoof and guiding her to stand next to Matilda. Dinky, not quite used to being the sudden spotlight of attention in a crowd of ponies, shyly shrunk back as Derpy gazed down upon her daughter, mouth agape in disbelief. "We had to find a way to coordinate your plans and actions to account for this surprise without talking to you directly," Lyra continued, "so naturally, we thought to get Dinky here involved, who agreed almost instantly!" "She knew how much this would mean to you, so she agreed to keep all this a secret from you," Matilda said. Derpy stared intently at her daughter, her expression not betraying much emotion as Dinky merely sat awkwardly until her mother spoke up again. "So, Dinky, did you..." she began, "Did you do all of this by yourself? "Well, not entirely on my own," Dinky admitted, "I actually got a lotta help from Amethyst who managed to pull everypony here tonight!" Amethyst Star puffed out her chest proudly with recognition, "They don’t call me the “best organizer in Ponyville” for nothing, after all!" she commented, earning a couple of chuckles in response. "We booked this cabana well in advance to make sure we could get everything ready and in place. We even talked to your boss and employees about our plan ahead of time, and they were more than willing to give you the time off that you deserve!" "It was actually Dinky's idea to have us "encourage" you to take a vacation down to the beach," Bon Bon explained, "We needed a way to get you down here covertly, and Dinky thought it might work better hearing it from everypony here rather than just her asking you," she added, to which the filly nodded in acknowledgement. "From there, it was merely a matter of getting everypony out here and setting things up while Dinky kept you busy and distracted out on the beach until the moment was right!" Lyra finished with a flourish. "I…I…" Derpy was rendered speechless once again in awe of the lengths everypony took to grant her this special holiday surprise. Any thoughts or even slight feelings of anger or betrayal towards the deceit and secrecy that went into this venture were immediately extinguished by the supportive and loving gazes of the ponies gathered before her. She felt proud and delighted over having gotten to know and become close friends with such generous ponies throughout her many years of postal service, thinking back to how fulfilling giving back to her community made her feel. Derpy looked around at her surroundings once again, admiring all the decorations and holiday wonder spread throughout, until her gaze landed back upon the joy of her life: her little Dinky Doo, sitting silently and fidgeting with her hooves. She trotted over to her daughter, eyes brimming with sparkling tears, and endearingly lifted the filly's chin up with her hoof to look her in her brilliant golden eyes. "Y-You did all this," Derpy said quietly, choking up with emotion, "b-bringing everypony together…f-for m-me?" Dinky smiled, feeling on the verge of spilling some tears herself at seeing her mother so happy, "W-Well, yeah, of course. You work harder than anypony I know, Mom, especially around the holidays," she commented, "And not just when you're working, but also to keep me entertained and happy at home. I...I just wanted to give back to you for all that you've done for me over the years." Derpy's breath hitched with a small sob as she pulled Dinky into a tight but loving embrace with her forelegs, her whole body trembling with joy as the dam behind her eyes finally broke. "And we wanted to show you how much we care for you and appreciate what you do for us every day, my dear," Matilda added, patting the emotional mailmare on her back comfortingly. "Indeed, Happy Hearth’s Warming to you, Derpy Hooves!" Lyra exclaimed, followed by similar remarks of celebration from everypony else as they gathered closer into a large, heartfelt group hug. Derpy's sobs eventually subsided, replaced with a silent but revered appreciation for the generosity and compassion shown by all the ponies around her. Following the grand reveal and subsequent group hug, the night's festivities eventually got underway, starting with everypony raising a glass in celebration and honor of Derpy's countless hours of service and hard work. They then resorted to milling around the tables in small groups, engaging in small talk and getting into the holiday mood by enjoying the various sweets and treats laid out. Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody provided some subtle musical accompaniment throughout the night, blending a mixture of orchestral and soft techno vibes into a somewhat classical but contemporary sound. At one point during the festivities, Aloe and Lotus approached Derpy and Dinky, promising the both of them an extended, relaxing massage session before leaving for home. As Derpy looked around at everypony gathered in the cabana, she allowed her doubts and worries regarding her absence in Ponyville to fully slip away, electing to just go with the flow and enjoy the company of those who cared about her just as much as she did for them.
Chapter 1The season of Hearth’s Warming usually brought about pleasant tidings of yuletide sights and sounds as the ponies of Equestria prepared for the annual winter holiday. For the sleepy rural town of Ponyville, however, the season was currently opening with a chilly reminder of how harshly the wintertime weather could behave. Fierce frosty winds whipped and howled through the quiet streets, battering anypony unfortunate enough to be caught up in its fury. A bitter coldness set into the town and its neighboring vicinities, biting through layers of fur and clothing and nipping at ponies' skin underneath. Sheets of freezing snow and ice continuously pelted against ponies' bodies and soaked right into their fur, further exacerbating the winter's cold grasp on everypony in town. Such was life for Ponyville’s resident wall-eyed mailmare as she fluttered through the barren streets, finishing up her last deliveries for the night. Wearing nothing more than her woefully thin and uninsulated delivery uniform and cap, one might conclude that she must be crazy to stay out in such inclement weather. However, years of practice and building up her endurance against the elements allowed Derpy Hooves to brave the fiercest winter nights in her never-ending plight to maintain a diligent delivery schedule. The mere thought of delivering even one package late pushed her to continue onward in spite of tiring herself out often with fighting against the elements and working so late into evenings. Though the long working hours and harsh weather conditions had taken their toll on the mailmare over the years, Derpy's unwavering perseverance and loyalty garnered the respect of her coworkers and community. Presently, the gray pegasus glided as best she could through the whirling winter winds before setting down in front of the last house listed on her usual route. Nestled just beyond the Ponyville town limits, the quaint little cottage was relatively unassuming and unlike most other buildings in Ponyville with its shingled roof line and lack of exposed exterior beams. As she approached, Derpy spied a line of smoke exiting the chimney, indicating the homestead's residents were present, and politely rapped her hoof on the front door in greeting. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing a light tan jenny with a curly brown mane wearing a lacy white collar, held together by a blue pearl. "Why hello there, Derpy!" the donkey in the doorway greeted, gasping slightly at the sudden influx of cold air, "Wasn’t expecting to see you out and about so late, my dear, especially on a night like tonight," she added. Derpy smiled warmly, "I know, Matilda, luckily you're my last delivery for the night, so I’ll be going home after this!" "Well thank Celestia for that, it’s freezing out there!" Matilda commented with a shiver, "Honestly, I don’t know how you manage to make your deliveries in these terrible conditions." "Oh it’s not all bad, Matilda, I’ve gotten rather used to it by this point," Derpy stated as she dug through her saddlebags, eventually collecting two wrapped packages and a few envelopes and passing them to the Matilda. "Anyways, here’s your mail for today, sorry it’s so delayed," she added with an apologetic but friendly smile. Matilda's expression brightened upon seeing the packages, "Ah, we’ve been waiting for these, thank you Derpy!" she exclaimed with delight. "And no apologies needed, I understand this is a very busy time of year for you ponies over at the post office," she added before growing quiet for a minute, seemingly gathering her thoughts, "I imagine it must be rather tiring, though, having to deal with so many packages and demanding ponies." Derpy tilted her head in brief consideration before shrugging nonchalantly, "I’ll admit the holidays are a bit more stressful than other times of the year, but I honestly love what I do so much that I don’t think I’d have it any other way," she added with a cheerful smile. Matilda shivered again, "Still, though, ponies like you deserve some time off for yourself, especially now." She suddenly squealed excitedly, an idea popping into her head, "Maybe you should call out tomorrow, enjoy some holiday vacation time for you and Dinky?" Derpy frowned slightly, "Oh, I don’t know about that, Matilda," she declined politely, "I mean, that sounds lovely, but I imagine they’ll still need me in town over the next couple of days." Matilda waved a hoof and scoffed, "Oh, I’m sure the post office has plenty of other ponies they can call on if needed." She lifted her hoof and placed it on Derpy's shoulder endearingly, "Maybe just give it some thought, okay sweetheart?" "Okay, Matilda, I will," Derpy conceded with a smile, "Have a good night!" The middle-aged jenny wished her farewell and safe travels as Derpy took to the skies for the last time that night. As she departed the from the Donkey homestead, she thought about Matilda’s suggestion and whether or not to accept it. It had been the fourth time that night where she had been advised to skip out on work by somepony along her mail route. Treating herself to a random day off from work was a relatively foreign concept for the dutiful mailmare, especially around the holiday seasons. That being said, she would be lying to herself if she claimed that the stress of the holiday season had never prompted her to entertain such a concept. Derpy continued to mull over her options as she fought against the raging elements, traveling through the bitter cold of winter towards home for the night. * * * * After the seemingly long flight, Derpy finally set down upon the front porch of her house, crossing over the threshold and promptly shutting the door behind her. Sporting a similar appearance to other single-family abodes sprinkled throughout Ponyville, it was primarily comprised of a large dual-purpose kitchen and den with separate bedrooms jutting off the main living space. The house's simple furnishings were adorned with several juvenile but charming hoof-made Hearth's Warming decorations, all sporting the handiwork of one particularly exuberant filly. She shuddered slightly due to the sudden transition from the cold weather outside, but was immediately comforted by the warmth emanating from the blazing fireplace. The pegasus was delightfully surprised to see a modest pot of carrot and lentil stew already starting to bubble over the roaring fire, mentally thanking the only other pony who could have pulled it together. "Dinky, I'm home!" she called out, removing her soaked mailmare uniform and hanging it over the crackling hearth to dry. In a matter of seconds, a blur of purple and yellow zoomed out from the neighboring room and tackled her to the floor with a surprisingly strong bear hug. "Hi Mom!" a small lavender pegasus with blonde mane and tail greeted, squeezing her mother tightly, "Glad you’re finally home, it’s pretty bad out there!" Derpy smiled warmly at her daughter's enthusiastic greeting, "Happy to be home, sweetie. Thanks again for holding down the fort while Mommy’s out late," she added with a quick but loving nuzzle to Dinky's cheek, "I don’t know what I would do without you." "No problem, Mom!" Dinky replied before breaking off the embrace, "I know how important getting everypony’s holiday mail out is to you; that's what makes you awesome!" she added with an extra bounce to her step, eliciting a brief giggling fit from the wall-eyed mailmare. "I appreciate that, hon, thank you," Derpy complimented her praise before pausing, a heavy sigh escaping her lips before she continued. "Though days like these don’t make my job any easier, that’s for sure," she added, gesturing to a nearby window. Snow and sleet pelted the glass and wind buffeted the panes, creating a most horrific racket rivaled only by the pops and cracks emanating from the flames within the fireplace itself. Dinky shivered sympathetically, "Brrr, I can’t even imagine! Will you have to go back out there tomorrow, too?" she looked up and gave her mother a quizzical look. "Um, yes, I suppose I will…" Derpy responded, a hint of hesitation in her voice. Dinky tilted her head, wearing a puzzled expression on her face, "What do you mean? You’re not sure?" Derpy scratched the back of her neck with one hoof, the other idly stirring circles through the pot of stew with a ladle as she contemplated Matilda's suggestion from earlier in the night. "Well, it’s been suggested to me," she began, "that it might be a good idea to take some time off from work for the holiday," she explained hesitantly, still unsure of her own thoughts towards such an action. Dinky, on the other hoof, jumped up and down in place excitedly, contrasting Derpy's own reaction as her eyes widened with wonder. "Ooh, that sounds like fun!" she exclaimed, zipping about the main room with fillyhood delight. "Where are we going? I hope it’s someplace warm! What are we gonna do when we get there?" she babbled enthusiastically. "Now calm down for a minute, Dinky," Derpy chuckled, beckoning the filly to the table for supper as she ladled portions of stew into two bowls. "I haven’t confirmed whether we would or not yet! It’s just the word of some ponies along my mail route that are suggesting such a thing," she explained as she blew gingerly over a spoonful of soup before consuming. Dinky plopped down on the seat across from her mother with a slight huff, "Well, I think you should, too! I mean, I can't even remember the last time you had a day off," she remarked innocently while digging into her own bowl. "Well, I suppose it has been a while," Derpy conceded with a pondering gaze, "but tomorrow’s Hearth’s Warming Eve! It’s my last chance to get everypony's packages and mail sent out before the holiday." She scoffed at the thought of leaving her responsibilities behind so frivolously, "I can’t possibly take off from work right now, the timing’s just not appropriate," she added defiantly. Dinky tapped her chin with her hoof, clearly deep in thought over their current dilemma. "But aren’t there a bunch of other mailponies working at the post office?" she countered matter-of-factly, "I’m sure any one of them would be able to cover your shift for the day!" Derpy sighed and ruffled her daughter's mane endearingly, smiling solemnly at her fillyhood innocence. "I'm afraid it’s not just about finding a replacement, sweetie," she responded gently, "I...I simply can't justify me taking time off from work without good reason when other ponies might need it instead." Dinky pouted and began pondering the situation again, seemingly not giving up on her counter argument. "I guess, but I remember you covering for other ponies' shifts when they couldn’t or didn't come into work, right?" she inquired, waving an accusatory spoon in her mother's direction, "Like that time when Sunshower Raindrops left with her family on vacation to Vanhoover? It felt like you were working overtime for ages, didn't you?" "Well, that was only for a week, but yes, of course I have," Derpy responded, "Nopony else was around to stay on, so it was the right thing for me to do at the time," she added defensively. "Okay, so then, why should you have to feel so bad about doing the same?" Dinky added, probing even further, "I mean, everypony has their own wants and desires that need tending to, so don’t you think you deserve some time to yourself at this point, Mom?" Derpy opened her mouth, ready to question her daughter's unusual persistence into the issue at hoof, but closed it after some further contemplation. On one hoof, the mailmare's mind raced with thoughts about all the potential problems and chaos that could ensue were she to shirk her daily responsibilities at the post office. From delayed and misplaced deliveries to stressed coworkers and disappointed customers, she struggled with accepting any of these consequences for such action on her part. She knew the post office typically granted its employees a certain amount of vacation time to use when needed, but she also knew that the holidays had always been a tricky time to utilize such a luxury. Between balancing out the increased influx of tasks and responsibilities as well as trying to plan around other ponies' vacation time, Derpy often found herself unable to take her own temporary leave of absence. On the other hoof, however, even Derpy could not deny the fact that she was well-overdue for a break in her busy work schedule. She had gone the past several Hearth's Warming holiday seasons without asking for time off, and as such had accrued more than enough paid time off to validate taking a vacation now. Despite any lingering doubts still swirling around in her mind, Derpy felt she owed it to herself and her daughter to indulge at least a little bit into the opportunity. Even the short-term notice of her request might not be much of an issue, as countless years of experience with her boss and coworkers allowed Derpy to grow close enough with each of them that she knew they would not mind covering for her in the slightest. The more Derpy realized how the positives of this opportunity outweighed any potential negative outcomes, the more she felt herself warming up to the notion of using some spur-of-the-moment vacation time. Derpy sighed and looked over to her daughter, "Well…I suppose I could go for a little vacation after all," she finally stated. Dinky gasped and leapt straight into the air, fluttering excitedly in circles around her mother, repeatedly exclaiming, "Yaayy!!" before setting back down on the floor again. "So, where’re we gonna go, Mom?" she asked enthusiastically, seemingly unable to sit still. Derpy pondered the question for a moment before answering, "Well, you mentioned going somewhere warm earlier," she stated, "so...why don’t we visit the beach?" Dinky grinned widely, "Ooh, sounds good to me, I'll go start packing then!" and without another word, she zipped away to her room in a flash. As Derpy cleared their dishes from dinner, she giggled to herself upon hearing the filly humming excitedly to herself while rummaging through drawers in search of items to pile into her travel bag. Realizing that morning would arrive soon enough, she quickly completed the post-dinner clean-up and trotted into her own room to start packing her own belongings. She still felt some semblance of hesitation eating away at her decision, but for the moment, the mailmare elected to worry about those nerves later and instead focus on preparing for their trip to the beach.
Chapter 2"Wow, it’s so nice out here!" Dinky Hooves exclaimed with fillyhood wonder, staring out at the broad expanse of sparkling blue before them, "Look how shiny and bright the sea looks, Mom!" Derpy giggled at the excited filly's expense as they set their hooves down upon the warm sandy beach beneath them. After a good night's rest and an early morning breakfast, the mother-daughter duo set off for some tropical relaxation and fun in the sun. They caught a lucky break in the wintry storm encircling Ponyville for their travels, making the rather lengthy but clear trip to their eventual seaside destination with relative ease. The beach itself was moderately popular on this particular day, the sandy landscape teeming with a few couples and families sharing similar desires for a seaside getaway from the wintry weather further north. Despite being on the outskirts of the San Palomino Desert, the beach environment still exuded enough tropical vibes typical for similar settings elsewhere in Equestria so as to be enjoyable. From towering palm trees dotting the landscape between the shore and the dunes to the humid but temperate climate, Derpy and Dinky found their surroundings sufficiently adequate for their vacation. "Mm, indeed it is," Derpy commented with a content sigh, "Quite the opposite of Ponyville, that’s for sure!" she added as she set their saddlebags down, each pack brimming with various seaside supplies. "Yeah, totally, thanks again, Mom!" Dinky called out, fluttering joyfully around their immediate area while her mother set out a pair of towels for them upon the sand. "I'll bet this feels so much nicer than being stuck in that post office all day, right?" she added with a playful, almost teasing nudge to Derpy's shoulder. Derpy chuckled, conceding once again to her daughter's unbridled bluntness, and thought back to earlier that morning when she eventually plucked up the courage to call out of work for the day. She had been slightly surprised with how quickly and earnestly her boss and coworkers agreed with her sentiment of taking some vacation time after a rather busy delivery season. Despite her lingering doubts about the situation, Derpy made sure to shower them with plenty of thankful praise towards their kindness and altruism for her and her daughter's sake. Once their area was set up, Derpy sat herself down on one of the towels and, reaching into the nearest saddlebag, brought out a sizable bottle of suntan lotion. Holding the container with her wing, she squeezed a modest dollop of the cool, soothing cream onto her hoof and motioned for Dinky to join her in application. Dinky groaned slightly at the sight of the bottle, the filly not fond of being forced to sit still while getting lathered, but begrudgingly accepted her fate upon catching a stern stare from her well-intentioned mother. They sat next to each other in relative silence for a while, rubbing the protective ointment across as much of their bodies as they could reach until needing each other to help with finishing. "You know, Dinky," Derpy started, spreading the soothing cream between her daughter's tiny but powerful wings, "I wanted to thank you for the encouragement to come out here in the first place." The filly turned her head back to look at her mother, shivering slightly upon feeling the cool lotion touch her back, "Oh, um, thanks I suppose," she thanked warily, " But I thought you said those other ponies you talked to gave you the idea?" she asked, a look of mild confusion donning her face. "True, but it wasn’t until we discussed it last night that helped me to realize it was okay to go for it," Derpy stated while getting to the last bits of untouched fur along the filly's back. "Oh, why’s that?" Dinky inquired, tilting her head in curiosity. Derpy sighed deeply, laying down and stretching out on her belly, leaving her back exposed as she thought back to the night prior. "Well, while we were talking last night," she explained, "I started thinking about all the times I’ve either needed to stay late nights at work, or run errands that kept me out all day, and all the other times when I’ve had to leave you home alone or at a friend’s house." She sighed again, ruminating about the intense bouts of worry and dread she would feel as a mother over leaving her daughter home alone so often. "I realized that those occasions seemed to occur more often than the occasions when the two of us could just hang out together, doing the fun things we enjoy like baking and swimming," she added with a solemn but consoling smile. "Mm, now that you mention it, I do miss those baking sessions from time to time," Dinky remarked, reminiscing while she returned the favor and coated her mother's back with lotion. "You always make the best homemade muffins!" she added Derpy giggled, "Thanks honey, I appreciate that," she commented with a genuine smile. "Anyways, I’ve been wanting to make more time for us to spend together for a while, but the opportunity just never seemed to come up," she continued, "With your encouragement to take this trip, though, I think this could be the start of more quality mother-daughter time. What would you say to that?" Dinky looked up at her mother, her smile broadening as she jumped into the air with glee. "I’d love that, Mom!" she exclaimed and bounded into her mother's outstretched hooves as they playfully embraced each other, "It means a lot to hear that, especially since I know how important your work is to you." Derpy pulled Dinky closer to her, squeezing her tenderly and lovingly, "Yes, but you’re just as, if not even more, important to me, my sweet Dinky Doo." She then bopped Dinky’s muzzle playfully, eliciting a mirthful squeal from the latter. "And I promise I'll try and do better when it comes to making time for us to spend together," she added confidently, "Sound good to you?" Dinky beamed, "Okay, Mom!" "Great, now let’s do what we came her for and enjoy ourselves, shall we?" Derpy asked, standing up and stretching out her hind legs, "Race you down to the water?" Dinky jumped to her hooves, a mischievous smirk stretching across her face, "Oh, you’re on!" she exclaimed and the pair charged across the gradual slope to the shoreline, screaming and giggling the entire way down. Just as they were about to hit the water's edge, Dinky leapt into the air and unfurled her wings, gliding out across the sparkling sea below her. Derpy followed suit shortly after, spreading her wings wide and floating out to meet up with her daughter. Once together, they both tucked their wings and dove sharply downwards, breaking through the refreshingly cool ocean surface with two mighty splashes. For the rest of the morning into early afternoon, the two pegasi entertained themselves with some wet and wild fun while enjoying each others' company for the first time in a long while. They dipped and dove in and out of the ocean, sending salty sea spray in all directions as they chased and raced each other through the swells. They swam and swirled along the surface to their heart's content, riding the cresting surf as it constantly trekked its way towards the shoreline. They splashed and stomped through the water in a seemingly relentless game of seeing which pony could get the other more soaked. After some time, both mares eventually emerging from their fun-filled sea-bound venture, thoroughly drenched but still in high spirits. "That was so much fun!" Dinky exclaimed, hopping around energetically as the two of them shook the excess water from their fur. She squealed excitedly as she spied a small group of other fillies a little ways off, gathering pails and spades seemingly in preparation of building a sand castle, "Ooh, that looks fun! Mom, can we join them?" she asked, looking up to her mother earnestly. Derpy sighed wearily, feeling somewhat fatigued after their ordeal in the surf, "I think I’m going to lay out in the sun and rest for a bit, dear," she stated with a weary but upbeat smile, "You go on ahead, though, don't let me hold you back." "Are you sure?" Dinky asked, mild concern creeping into her voice, "I can stay back with you, if you'd prefer?" "Oh, I'll be okay, sweetie," Derpy said, patting her daughter's head reassuringly, "Mama’s just not as limber and energetic as she used to be. Maybe I'll join you a bit later, okay?" "Hm, alright, thanks Mom!" Dinky beamed as she raced away to join the group of fillies in their castle-building challenge. Derpy, meanwhile, trotted over to their set-up and plopped right down upon her towel, stretching her aching limbs out and getting onto a more comfortable position. Before dozing off, she peered across the beach towards the lovely blonde-haired filly enjoying herself with her new friends, feeling all the more grateful for having the little bundle of joy in her sometimes hectic but overall fulfilling life. Smiling to herself, Derpy eventually rolled over onto her belly and closed her eyes, her consciousness succumbing to the soothing sounds of the wind and crashing surf as she slipped away into a rather peaceful slumber.
Chapter 3The sun eventually made its way fully across the late afternoon Equestrian sky, marking its descent below the horizon as evening set into this Hearth's Warming Eve. While most everypony gradually vacated the seaside premises throughout the latter part of the afternoon, still a few stragglers remained soaking in the last bit of Hearth's Warming sun, including Derpy and Dinky Hooves. The pair of pegasi, both thoroughly winded from their active day of holiday fun, spent the last of their time on the beach lying together in tropical bliss. Dinky snuggled up comfortingly beside her mother, who busied herself with brushing and smoothing out the filly's damp coat with gentle hooves. "Well, this certainly was a fun day, wasn’t it my little Dinky Doo?" Derpy asked, her hoof swishing away a stray lock of hair from her daughter's face. "Oh, this has been great, Mom!" Dinky responded, a slight hint of fatigue in her voice, "Are you sure we have to leave so soon, though?" Derpy smiled teasingly, "What, a whole day playing on the beach wasn't enough for you?" She nuzzled Dinky's cheek, eliciting some soft giggling from the filly, "Besides, we didn't bring anything to stay the night out here, and wouldn't you rather enjoy Hearth's Warming Day in the comfort of our own home?" Dinky sighed dejectedly, "Yeah, I suppose so, though I vote to make this a yearly tradition moving forward!" she added, crossing her forelegs in an annoyed but adorable pout. Derpy giggled at her daughter's antics, "Heh, no arguments there, my sweet," she responded as the two of them prepared to pack up their belongings while silently reminiscing over their day of fun in the sun. Amidst these happy thoughts, however, Derpy grew solemn, feeling the slightest hints of regret nagging at the back of her mind as she thought about all the ponies along her mail route. They would have been expecting to receive any last-minute holiday mail by this point, everypony counting on her to deliver the services she had been entrusted with upon first accepting her position as mailmare. Even though there had been times when she was unable to perform her duties and others needed to step in for her, Derpy always held issue with relinquishing control over her own mail route. Delivering the ponies' mail and packages by hoof herself provided Derpy with the visual confirmation that the pony in question received and was satisfied with their mail, which the wall-eyed mailmare cherished with each delivery. Despite her lingering doubts, Derpy could do nothing at the moment except have faith in her coworkers' ability to pull through on their end while she focused on herself for a change. "I sure hope everypony got what they needed without me being around to help today," Derpy thought to herself as she and Dinky continued wrapping up their belongings. Just as they were about to finish packing and head home, however, Derpy heard somepony calling out to them from a little ways off. The mailmare twisted her head around in search of the mystery voice until she noticed Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon trotting towards them, the couple arm-in-arm and seemingly enjoying an evening stroll along the cool sandy beach. "Hey Derpy!" Lyra greeted, waving a friendly hoof in their direction. "Oh, hello Lyra; hi Bon Bon!" Derpy returned the greeting, suppressing her mildly shocked reaction upon their arrival, "Didn’t expect to see you two here, as well, I thought you usually spent the holidays with your relatives?" she inquired. "Yeah, but most of our families ended up traveling for the holidays this year," Bon Bon replied nonchalantly, "so we figured we’d treat ourselves to some warmth and sunshine for a change." "And it looks like we weren’t the only ones with that same idea!" Lyra added with a sly wink towards the grey pegasus, who giggled in response. "You’re right there, Lyra," Derpy stated, "Definitely took some encouragement on both yours and everypony else's advice," she added, gesturing to indicate the rest of the ponies who offered suggestions the other night, "but I figured it was as good a time as any for me to call out for this year's holiday." "Good for you, girl, you deserve the break!" Bon Bon commented, "You sure picked the right day to come out here, thank Celestia the Cloudsdale pegasi are keeping the wintry weather far enough away from these shores," she added with a shudder, looking off to the distance in Ponyville's general direction and thinking about the storm currently surrounding it. "I know, right?! We had so much fun today!" Dinky exclaimed, bounding over to the mares to offer her own recollection of the day's activities. "We played in the water, then Mom got tired so she came back here and I went to build a sand castle with these other fillies, and then Mom got untired and came over, so we played in the sand a little bit longer, and then—" she continued to babble until Derpy deliberately but gently silenced her with a hoof to the filly's mouth. "Alright, sweetie, I’m sure Lyra and Bon Bon get the picture," Derpy stated gently, smiling cheekily at her daughter. Lyra giggled and leaned down, tousling Dinky's mane playfully, "Sounds like you gals sure had a fun and relaxing day!" She smiled warmly before standing back up and turning towards Derpy again, "So, what’re your plans for the rest of the night?" she asked innocently. "Well, I wasn't able to book accommodations for us on such last-minute notice," Derpy explained, a slight twinge of regret to her voice, "so were just about to head back to celebrate Hearth’s Warming at home…" "Um, I don’t think that would be wise!" Bon Bon interjected before seemingly catching herself from revealing information. "Uh, I-I heard that the weather pegasi were trying to calm that storm brewing over Ponyville, but it’s only gotten worse, so any attempt to get back into town could be dangerous for a mare and filly like yourselves," she warned ominously. "Y-Yeah, and besides, it's getting too late to be traveling that far anyways," Lyra added hastily, gesturing for the pegasi to follow her, "You can come stay with us for the night, we’ve got plenty of room in our cabana for you to join us!" "Ooh, sounds like fun!" Dinky exclaimed, turning to her mother, "Can we stay, Mom? Can we, can we, pleeease?" she pleaded, gazing up at Derpy with wide, sparkling eyes, prompting the motherly mailmare to falter under the intensity of her daughter's puppy-dog stare. "I, well, uh..." Derpy stammered before eventually caving in with a deep sigh, "Oh, I suppose we could stay the night, then." While Dinky celebrated by skipping and bouncing all around them, Derpy looked to the other mares in company, her eyes brimming with gratitude and warmth, "Thank you, Lyra and Bon Bon, we really appreciate the offer." The two mares nodded, offering a friendly smile in acknowledgement as they led the pegasi pair up from the sandy shore and towards the rows of cabana tents set between the beach and looming dunes behind. While walking along the boardwalk between tents, Derpy heard various other groups of ponies partaking in what must be their own Hearth's Warming holiday celebrations set beside the sea. The four ponies eventually approached a rather large tent located towards the end of the boardwalk; as they got closer, Derpy realized she could hear several murmuring voices emanating from within the fabric structure. Originally assuming Lyra and Bon Bon had vacationed to the beach by themselves, the mailmare was perplexed by the fact that there seemed to be an entire crowd milling around in the couple's tent with them. She grew even more puzzled when, as they were about to turn the corner into the cabana, the voices started whispering and hushing one another in rapid succession. "If Lyra and Bon Bon said their families were traveling for the holidays, then who could possible be—" "SURPRISE!!!" Derpy's thought was swiftly interrupted as they rounded the corner into the cabana and were immediately met with an incredible sight laid out before them. There were indeed many ponies in attendance, but the mailmare quickly realized that the attendees were all Ponyville residents from her own mail route. Matilda Donkey stood front and center with husband Cranky Doodle beside her while the three florist ponies Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily Valley were off to the side finishing some festive centerpieces. Doctor Hooves and Amethyst Star were towards the back of the cabana next to a beautifully decorated tree while Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody sat behind their respective musical instruments of choice. Even the spa pony twins, Aloe and Lotus Blossom, were in attendance, looking just as excited as everypony else to see Derpy there. The stunned mailmare was rendered speechless for a moment or two, trying to take in everything at once while failing to understand the significance behind such a gathering. As she gazed around the cabana at the congregation before her, more details became apparent to her, from the sizable mount of wrapped presents nestled underneath the tree to the veritable banquet of holiday goodies laid out on the surrounding tables. "W-Wha…um, h-hi everypony," Derpy greeted, feeling unsure of how else to respond, "I, um…i-it’s nice to see you?" "Wonderful to see you, as well, old friend!" Doctor Hooves exclaimed earnestly. "We’re so happy you took our advice and decided to come out here for Hearth’s Warming, dear!" Matilda smiled warmly. Derpy merely looked around, still feeling wildly confused by the ordeal, "Um, t-thank you, b-but…what exactly are you all doing out here?" Octavia stepped forward to address the perplexed pegasus, "Why, we’re here to celebrate you, love!" she answered, her alabaster associate nodding in silent agreement behind her DJ table setup. Derpy gasped with shock, "M-Me?! B-But…why?" she asked, now desperate for answers. "Allow us to explain, Derpy," Lyra began, scratching the back of her neck and acting a bit uncharacteristically sheepish, "You see, we’ve…actually been planning this for a while now." "We’ve seen how tough mail delivery can be for you sometimes," Roseluck chimed in, "especially around this time of year…" "…But you’ve always pushed through the toughest of conditions and circumstances to ensure all of us get our mail safely and on time," Doctor Hooves added. "You put yourself through so much just to put a smile on other pony’s faces when they receive their mail while not expecting or receiving anything in return," Octavia remarked, continuing to tune her signature cello. "You work so hard to make everypony here happy through your work," Matilda smiled endearingly, "that we wanted to work out a way to give back to you this holiday!" Derpy gasped again, taken aback by the sudden realization that this whole event had been orchestrated in celebration of her. "Oh, r-really?" she stammered, unsure of how to take the news, "B-But, how did you manage to—" "Well, we actually couldn’t have done it without this little filly," Lyra commented, stepping forward with Dinky Doo in hoof and guiding her to stand next to Matilda. Dinky, not quite used to being the sudden spotlight of attention in a crowd of ponies, shyly shrunk back as Derpy gazed down upon her daughter, mouth agape in disbelief. "We had to find a way to coordinate your plans and actions to account for this surprise without talking to you directly," Lyra continued, "so naturally, we thought to get Dinky here involved, who agreed almost instantly!" "She knew how much this would mean to you, so she agreed to keep all this a secret from you," Matilda said. Derpy stared intently at her daughter, her expression not betraying much emotion as Dinky merely sat awkwardly until her mother spoke up again. "So, Dinky, did you..." she began, "Did you do all of this by yourself? "Well, not entirely on my own," Dinky admitted, "I actually got a lotta help from Amethyst who managed to pull everypony here tonight!" Amethyst Star puffed out her chest proudly with recognition, "They don’t call me the “best organizer in Ponyville” for nothing, after all!" she commented, earning a couple of chuckles in response. "We booked this cabana well in advance to make sure we could get everything ready and in place. We even talked to your boss and employees about our plan ahead of time, and they were more than willing to give you the time off that you deserve!" "It was actually Dinky's idea to have us "encourage" you to take a vacation down to the beach," Bon Bon explained, "We needed a way to get you down here covertly, and Dinky thought it might work better hearing it from everypony here rather than just her asking you," she added, to which the filly nodded in acknowledgement. "From there, it was merely a matter of getting everypony out here and setting things up while Dinky kept you busy and distracted out on the beach until the moment was right!" Lyra finished with a flourish. "I…I…" Derpy was rendered speechless once again in awe of the lengths everypony took to grant her this special holiday surprise. Any thoughts or even slight feelings of anger or betrayal towards the deceit and secrecy that went into this venture were immediately extinguished by the supportive and loving gazes of the ponies gathered before her. She felt proud and delighted over having gotten to know and become close friends with such generous ponies throughout her many years of postal service, thinking back to how fulfilling giving back to her community made her feel. Derpy looked around at her surroundings once again, admiring all the decorations and holiday wonder spread throughout, until her gaze landed back upon the joy of her life: her little Dinky Doo, sitting silently and fidgeting with her hooves. She trotted over to her daughter, eyes brimming with sparkling tears, and endearingly lifted the filly's chin up with her hoof to look her in her brilliant golden eyes. "Y-You did all this," Derpy said quietly, choking up with emotion, "b-bringing everypony together…f-for m-me?" Dinky smiled, feeling on the verge of spilling some tears herself at seeing her mother so happy, "W-Well, yeah, of course. You work harder than anypony I know, Mom, especially around the holidays," she commented, "And not just when you're working, but also to keep me entertained and happy at home. I...I just wanted to give back to you for all that you've done for me over the years." Derpy's breath hitched with a small sob as she pulled Dinky into a tight but loving embrace with her forelegs, her whole body trembling with joy as the dam behind her eyes finally broke. "And we wanted to show you how much we care for you and appreciate what you do for us every day, my dear," Matilda added, patting the emotional mailmare on her back comfortingly. "Indeed, Happy Hearth’s Warming to you, Derpy Hooves!" Lyra exclaimed, followed by similar remarks of celebration from everypony else as they gathered closer into a large, heartfelt group hug. Derpy's sobs eventually subsided, replaced with a silent but revered appreciation for the generosity and compassion shown by all the ponies around her. Following the grand reveal and subsequent group hug, the night's festivities eventually got underway, starting with everypony raising a glass in celebration and honor of Derpy's countless hours of service and hard work. They then resorted to milling around the tables in small groups, engaging in small talk and getting into the holiday mood by enjoying the various sweets and treats laid out. Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody provided some subtle musical accompaniment throughout the night, blending a mixture of orchestral and soft techno vibes into a somewhat classical but contemporary sound. At one point during the festivities, Aloe and Lotus approached Derpy and Dinky, promising the both of them an extended, relaxing massage session before leaving for home. As Derpy looked around at everypony gathered in the cabana, she allowed her doubts and worries regarding her absence in Ponyville to fully slip away, electing to just go with the flow and enjoy the company of those who cared about her just as much as she did for them.
