The Cute Beginning Chapter That Sets Up The Characters
It was a normal day for Derpy. She was standing in the kitchen, baking muffins and humming a song about trains. She felt bad for her husband, Doctor. He had been working over at Sweet Apple Acres for nearly a month now and by now, there wasn't a day that went by were every part of him is sore. He had to quit his old job of making clocks. There were less than a hundred ponies in ponyville, everyone already had clocks. So, he quit his job and took up one on the Apple farm. It was one of the few jobs where skill wasn't required. Applejack was nice to him, letting him take a break when she saw him struggling just to walk with the plow around his neck, often brought some apple cider over so he could quench his thirst, but work is work and Doctor did a LOT of work.
That's why Derpy was making muffins! His favorite to be exact. With bits of banana in it. This was one of his few days off, and even though Doctor had insisted that they just stay home so he could rest, Derpy and her daughter Dinky gave them their cutest begging looks and his heart melted. He had agreed to go on a picnic. After they finished their celebratory dance, Derpy and Dinky rushed to the kitchen to get everything ready. Doctor had gotten Derpy to start eating stuff besides muffins. She took a liking to dandelion sandwiches, so that's what Dinky made whilst Derpy baked up a batch of muffins. Doctor sat on the couch, reading a book about Chess or Checkers or something. He tried to help earlier, but Derpy insisted that she had it under control and made him relax on the couch.
It took around 30 minutes to get everything ready. It would've taken 20, but Derpy accidentally burnt the first batch of muffins. Now the picnic basket was full of all the stuff they needed. Cups, food, utensils for the small salads Derpy had prepared while waiting for the muffins to finish cooking. Something to drink? That's what they need! Derpy looked around the house but could find any cider. She didn't want to just bring water. Water's no fun! But the only other drink in their house at the time is wine, and Dinky can't drink that. Derpy decided that they would have to run by the market. Hopefully Applejack would be there with a few jugs of cider. After everyone had their stuff ready, Doctor grabbed his lucky pocket watch that he carries with him everywhere. He doesn't have pockets so he just keeps it around his neck.
Derpy hoped she could keep Doctor from realizing that they were going to the store, but his keen sense of direction told him where they were going the second they turned down Cherry road.
"Why are we going to the market?" Doctor asked. A confused and suspicious look on his face.
"We're out of cider. I'm buying some so we have it for the picnic!" Derpy said happily.
The look of exhaustion was ever present on Doctor's face, and although Derpy felt bad for that, she knew he would be happy when he was drinking a cold glass of cider while enjoying a tasty muffin. Dinky just walked along. Every once in a while, she would jump up and try to grab her mom's leg. But Derpy always moved an inch up just as she jumped. One time she didn't do it fast enough and Dinky brought her down. She fell right on top of Doctor, who made her go behind him to keep that from happening again. Doctor wasn't angry at Derpy or Dinky. He couldn't be, he loved them. But he was so exhausted and cranky that even Dinky humming an annoying tune made him mad at, well, everything.
Finally, they reached the market. Doctor opted to sit on the nearby bench beneath a tree while Derpy and Dinky approached Applejack's cider stand. Derpy said hi and asked for a jug of cider. After paying, she walked back to Doctor, getting lost once of twice. Luckily, Dinky had her fathers sense of direction, and didn't get mixed up as much as her mom. When they finally reached Doctor, it was because Dinky was practically dragging Derpy away from a conversation with a pony she had never even met.
Something was off about Doctor. When they left, Doctor was laying on the bench, looking half asleep. Now he sat, wide awake. A big grin on his face. Derpy figured maybe he had finally cheered up at the thought of the tasty food he would get to eat on the picnic. She didn't even question where his watch had gone. They all got back up and walked to the picnic area.
It was around the 3rd picnic that Dinky had started learning the route to the Whooves family's favorite picnic tree. Dinky thought she would only have to use it when she and her mom went picnicing, but when Derpy got lost and asked Doctor where the tree was, he said he didn't know. Dinky had never heard he dad say he didn't know where something was. But, Dinky just passed it off as him being too tired to remember. She led the way.
On the way to the picnic area, Doctor was unusually loving. He kissed Derpy, cuddled up against her while they walked, when Derpy's wings got tired he even let her ride on his back. She had only done that a few time before Doctor's new job, and when she did, he was too weak to carry her for long. But, from all the farm work she guessed, Doctor was able to carry her all the way to the picnic tree. He even picked up Derpy and let her ride him like, well a pony. Her holding onto his neck as he ran as fast as he could. She would yell "Weeee" and "Gidee up!" when Doctor approached something that he could jump over. Derpy didn't question it, she didn't want to. Doctor hadn't been this fun since before his job on the farm. After they reached the tree, Dinky and Derpy hoped off Doctor. Derpy kissed Doctor, thanking him for finally being happy.
They set up the blanket and laid out their food. Derpy made sure to give Doctor plenty, he must've worked up an apatite after all the running. Derpy talked with Dinky about school, baking, and how Derpy would take her to meet Princess Twilight over the weekend if she was really good. It was a few minutes into the picnic that Derpy looked over at Doctor and noticed he had barely touched his muffin. There was only one bite out it, and the had been spat next to the muffin, not even chewed.
"Doctor, is your muffin ok?" Derpy asked, concerned that maybe she had over cooked them.
"Huh? Oh, I just don't like banana." Doctor said.
The whole family suddenly went quite. Even Dinky stopped everything she was doing and looked at her dad. Meanwhile, Derpy was finally starting to connect dots. He had been exhausted and cranky, then he was suddenly full of energy and happiness. He didn't have the pocket watch that he usually wore like it was a medal of honor. He didn't have his sense of direction. And he didn't like bananas!? Derpy dropped her muffin and grabbed Dinky, quickly putting the filly on her back, before backing away from Doctor.
"Who are you!?" Derpy asked, a look of fear on her face.
"What do you mean dear? It's me, your husband." Doctor said calmly.
"Oh yeah!? Then...what's my favorite color!?"
"Grey?" Doctor said. Wrong answer, it's brown, like her REAL husband's fur
"Who's my favorite actor!?" Derpy yelled, truth be told, she had only been to one play her entire life. But there was an actor in the play that she had a secret crush on until she met Doctor.
"Jonah Hill?" The imposter said. Nope, Tom Cruise.
"What's my favorite food!?!?" She asked. Anyone should be able to know that. It's the most blatantly obvious thing about her, besides her funny eyes.
The fake Doctor looked at the picnic area and then turned back to them. "Muffins." He said confidentially. As right as he was, he still had to look back to find out. This wasn't her husband, and now she was scared.
Author's Note
I want a pony Tom Cruise plushie.
