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// Epilogue: Arbitray Jump Forward In Time 
// Story: Mailpony Rules 
// by Pyromanecer 
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	"Well, I guess this is goodbye."

Smiling sadly, Dinky nodded. The mare, eyes moist with held-back tears, gave her mother a quick hug. No longer a small filly, she did not need to jump up to reach her mother's neck. In fact, Ditzy actually had to look up to meet her daughter's eyes, which never failed to unnerve her. Such is the curse of offspring.

Where once had been a small unicorn with a penchant for combustion, there was now a fully-grown mare. Her purple-gray coat had been groomed to a lustrous shine in preparation for her departure. Eyes once shining with youthful innocence now glowed with more mature mischief. She had grown her mane out, feeling the short and poofy style she had worn for many years made her look too childish, and tied the excess bits back in a practical and less in-the-way ponytail. The once bare spot on her flank now sported a shining orange swirl, showcasing her talents with everything flammable.

"I'm going to miss you, mom," sighed Dinky, breaking the embrace.

"I'll miss you too, Muffin," replied Ditzy, ruffling her daughter's mane. "But I know you'll do great at the Institute. You're not my little filly that accidentally set fire to everything anymore."

"Yeah," laughed a new voice. "Now she's all grown up, and doing it on purpose."

Turning towards the sound, Ditzy smiled. "Oh, Tempest," she jokingly scolded. "Are you ever going to forgive her for lighting your scarf on fire?"

"Never," replied Tempest, grinning sarcastically. "That little stunt nearly cost me my mane."

"Yeah, but it got me my cutie mark," said Dinky, rubbing her fire-swirl appreciatively. "I was so happy I didn't care that you grounded me for the entire week."

The stallion walked in for a hug. "It's going to be pretty boring without you around, squirt," he sighed. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too, dad," repeated Dinky, sounding like her mother. She heard Tempest chuckle; it warmed his heart when she called him that.

“Have fun at the Institute of Whatever, scamp,” he replied, pulling her tighter.

“It’s the Canterlot Institute of Destruction and Demolitions, you dumb brute,” scolded Dinky jokingly. “Call it by its full name.”

Pulling back, Dinky took a good look at her family. They were noticeably older; Ditzy's eyes crinkled when she smiled, which was often, and Tempest's indigo mane now sported a pale steak whose existence the stallion stalwartly refused to acknowledge. These were all cosmetic differences, of course, and very minor ones at that. Both pegasi were still fit and healthy, the effects of regular flying well-evidenced. They weren't quite to the level of 'kindly old couple from down the road.'

"My little filly is off to Canterlot," said Ditzy, wiping a tear from her eye. "I can hardly believe it."

"I have to say, I'm a bit jealous of you, scamp," laughed Tempest. "Not many ponies get to make a career out of breaking things."

"Demolitions isn't just 'breaking things,' dad," Dinky protested. "There's a lot of little nuances and calculations to be done before you can even-"

"Yeah, yeah," interrupted the stallion, waving a hoof dismissively. "Math and blah blah blah. At the end of the day, you're still making big things into a bunch of smaller things."

Dinky glared at him. After a moment, Tempest broke into a grin. Wrapping the unicorn in a headlock, he rubbed her head playfully.

"Ah, I'm just messing with you. I'm glad you're going into something you love."

"Let go of me before I light you on fire," grumbled Dinky, muffled by Tempest's leg.

Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind them. "Oh no! Are we late? Did she leave?"

Dinky recognized the voice immediately. "Sparkler!" she shouted, breaking free of Tempest's grip. Whirling around, she saw two figures fast approaching, trying to go as fast as they could with package on the mare's back.

Panting, Sparkler and her partner stopped near the others. “Sorry we’re late,” she wheezed, “We slept in a little.”

“Yeah,” the pegasus beside her gasped. “It was the first time we’ve actually slept in weeks.”

Bounding over, Dinky wrapped her legs around Sparkler in a giant hug. “I’m so glad to see you!” she squeaked.

Returning the hug, Sparkler gave a low chuckle. “I am too, Dinky,” she replied. Using her magic, she lifted the bundle off of her back. “And look who I brought!”

Dinky squeaked in glee as Sparkler relinquished her hold. "Oh my gosh! You brought the baby!"

"Oh!" interjected Tempest. "Little, um... What's-His-Name."

"Whiplash," answered the other pegasus, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Though I'm starting to think we should have named him 'Trouble.'"

Putting a hoof to her mouth, Ditzy barely suppressed her laughter. "I told two you a foal would be a lot of work, didn't I?" she smugly taunted.

"Yes," admitted Sparkler, scuffing her hoof. "But we didn't realize it would be this much work!"

"Yesterday, he broke the bathroom door," added the pegasus. "How does a two-month-old foal even do that?"

"Breaking things runs in the family."

"How can you call anything this cute trouble?" asked Dinky, playing with the baby by holding her hoof just out of reach. Whiplash gurgled in response.

"Keep in mind, Dinky, you were a pretty cute baby too," warned Sparkler. "And look how you ended up."

For the second time, Tempest wrapped his legs around Dinky's neck. "Yeah, burning down houses for a living and still cute as a button!"

"For the last time, let go," demanded Dinky, struggling in the stallion's grip.

"Actually, hold her there, dear," suggested Ditzy, smiling deviously. "I think it's time for a hug."

"Agreed," added Sparkler, moving in for the kill.

As one, all the mobile ponies embraced Dinky, wrapping their legs around her in farewell. Dinky continued to struggle for a moment, before relenting and giving in to their affections. In the background, the foal burbled.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you guys," lamented Dinky, feeling herself tear up.

"We're going to miss you too, squirt," replied Tempest. "Try to visit, alright?"

"They couldn't stop me if they tried."

Slowly, Sparkler and her partner untangled themselves from the emotional bramble-bush. "Sorry," apologized the unicorn, "But we really have to get back home."

"No worries," assured Ditzy, "We're just glad you could come."

Using her magic, Sparkler lifted Whiplash onto her husband's back, and set about securing him. Once her offspring was properly strapped down, she began babytalking.

"Say 'goodbye,' Whiplash," she spoke, voice oozing with sweetness and face contorted in a terrifying facsimile of something cute. "Come on! Say goodbye for mommy!"

"Hun, you know he can't talk yet," said the foal's current bearer.

"Hush. Come on, Whippy; say 'goodbye' for mama!"

"Ppppthhhppt!" went Whiplash.

Sparkler shrugged. "Eh. Close enough." With that, the family walked off.

Dinky and co. watched them go for a few moments. Suddenly, Dinky spoke. "I'm going to miss them," she mumbled.

Nuzzling the unicorn's head, Ditzy replied. "And we're going to miss you, my little pyromancer."

"Yeah, what are we going to spend all our money on, now that we don't have to pay for your repairs anymore?" Tempest joked.

Ditzy responded with a sharp thwack to the head. "You are just full of terrible jokes today, aren't you?"

"Ow," Tempest whined, rubbing his new bump. "Thanks. Now I'm full of bad jokes and a headache."

Seeing her parents' antics, Dinky chuckled. "I'm going to miss you guys, too."

Ditzy sighed. "Do good out there, Muffin. We love you." She chuckled. "And bring us back plenty of grandfoals, you hear!"

While Tempest burst out laughing at the classic parent joke, Dinky blushed a bright shade of crimson.  "Mooooo-ooom!" she yelled, mortified.

Ditzy had a chuckle at her daughter's expense. "Oh, you know I'm just teasing you, Muffin," she laughed. Suddenly, her expression dropped all levity. "Seriously, though. Grandfoals. And lots of th-"

Before Ditzy could finish her request for her daughter's procreation, a loud bong echoed through town. Shortly after, another ring followed. And another. Altogether, twelve bongs sounded, each identical to the last. The three ponies looked at each other apprehensively.

"Noon," muttered Dinky. "I guess the chariot will be here soon."

"Yeah," mumbled Tempest, scuffing his hoof on the ground.

Deadlines are a funny thing. Until they are actually in your face, it's almost as if they don't exist. Once they're there, though, you can scarcely believe that you had ever blown them off. You will vow to do better next time, and not wait until the last minute. Then, the next time a deadline arrives, you do the same thing again.

The family was now feeling that.

Dinky gulped. "I-I guess I should get going, then."

Her parents nodded. "Yeah," replied Ditzy, biting her lip. "You don't want to miss your ride."

Dinky didn't respond. Instead, she just stood there, looking both eager and sad. On one hand, here she was, about to go to the place that would teach her everything she could ever want to know about her future career. On the other, she was about to leave her family. Never had such conflicting emotions been present in her mind. Not even when learned a new fireball spell by burning down a market stand, and had to work for a month to pay it off.

Suddenly, Dinky couldn't take the tension anymore. Lunging forward, she wrapped her parents in a tight hug. "ByemomanddadIloveyouI'llvisitsoon!" she babbled, before galloping off in the direction of the town square.

As the sound of Dinky’s hooves on the cobble faded away, Ditzy rested her head on Tempest’s shoulder. “Well, there she goes,” she sighed. “Off to become a fully grown mare. Without us.”

“Yep,” replied Tempest, trying to look stony and not doing very well. Absently, he brushed at a wet patch on his shoulder. “What are we going to do now?”

“I don’t know,” answered Ditzy, scrunching up her brow in thought. “What do couples do after their kids leave?”

Suddenly, Tempest put on a mischievous grin. “I can think of one thing,” he said. Quickly, he bent down and used his head to scoop Ditzy onto his back. Feeling herself being torn from the ground, the mare gave a yelp of surprise before landing on Tempest’s back. While she was disoriented, the stallion had turned and was now headed back towards the house, Ditzy thrown across his back like a pair of saddlebags.

Once she had regained her bearings, Ditzy found one of her eyes looking at their current destination. Understanding his intent, the mare started laughing. Typical.

“Woah, there, lover boy,” she chuckled. “You’re going to have to do a little bit more for that.”

“What if I promise to make dinner?” the stallion quipped, giving a wry smile over his shoulder.

Ditzy ruffled his mane. “Getting closer. Keep trying.”


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