A Jelly Stallion and a Muffin Cup(Unedited)
Dangleberry Doo’s day started like any other day of the week. He got up at six in the morning, made his breakfast, took a shower, combed his mane, and...almost went to work. Dangleberry had almost forgotten what day it was. It was Father’s day and he promised his little muffin cup he’d take her to work with him.
Dangleberry walked over to his daughter’s bedroom and gently opened the door to it. He walked inside as quietly as he could, carefully dodging the toys scattered all over the wooden floor. He smiled as he reached the bed. A little filly was quietly snoring under the blankets on top of it.
She looked like a small clone of himself, except for her wings which she got from her mom and her beautiful orange eyes. Ah, yes. Her eyes. Those different, unique eyes. Most of her classmates made fun of her for her eyes. How the right one moves around on it’s own. It just wasn’t right.
Dangleberry sighed and shook the thoughts out of his mind as he reached out to wake her up with a gentle prod, “Ditzy, time to-” He was cut off by Ditzy springing up in bed.
“I’m up!” She exclaimed wrapping her hooves around her father’s large neck. “Happy father’s day, daddy!”
Dangleberry was shocked at first then let out a content sigh and smiled happily, “Thanks, muffin cup.” He nuzzled her and asked. “You ready to go?”
Ditzy laughed happily, jumped on top of her dad’s back, and exclaimed, “YEAH! LET’S GO!”
Dangleberry chuckled a hearty chuckle, “Aren’t you forgetting something?” He asked in a sing-songy voice. Ditzy thought it over while humming to herself before shaking her head. Dangleberry let out another laugh, “How about breakfast?”
Her mouth formed an ‘o’ shape and she let out an, “Oh...”
Dangleberry chuckled reached up and patted her on the head, “Come on. Let’s get something into your stomach.” He trotted into the kitchen with her riding his back.
He stood in the middle of the room looking around for something quick and easy for her to eat while still being nutritious. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw it. The muffin box. It was perfect. Instead of having a bread box they had a muffin box. That they filled to the brim with all different kinds of muffins.
He walked over to it and opened the lid. Smiling up at his daughter he asked, “What type of muffin do you want, kiddo?”
“Blueberry! No, wait- poppy seed! No, banana! Yeah, banana!”
Dangleberry laughed, “One blueberry muffin, one poppy seed muffin, and two banana muffins it is!” He picked out the selected muffins and threw them in a brown paper bag. He gave the bag to Ditzy ruffled her hair. “Some muffins for my muffin.” Ditzy giggled under her father’s attack on her mane. Dangleberry smiled.
Ditzy ripped into the bag, pulled out the blueberry muffin, and scarfed it down. Soon the rest of the muffins met the same fate.
Dangleberry trotted off towards the front door about to leave until Ditzy tapped him on the head and said smirking, “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Dangleberry stopped confused.
“What?” He asked befuddled. “I ate breakfast.”
Ditzy giggled at his confusion, “No, daddy! Not that!”
Dangleberry became even more confused. He had done everything he needed to do before work. He ate breakfast, he took a shower, he combed his mane, and he woke up Ditzy. What else did he need to do? He stiffened when he heard somepony clear their throat behind him.
He turned around to find his wife, Cloudcakes, behind him. She looked at him with raised eyebrows, “You didn’t forget to say goodbye to me, right?”
He chuckled nervously, “Of course not” He kissed her. “I love you.”
“Love you too.” She looked up at her daughter. “You too, muffin.” She kissed Ditzy on the forehead.
“Have a good father’s day you two!” She called out after them as they left the house.
As they walked down the street ponies looked at them weirdly and quickly turned their gazes as Dangleberry glanced at them. His ears flicked all around because of all the whispers traded between the ponies around them as they passed them by.
“There’s that jelly freak and his wall-eyed daughter.”
“I heard that he’s so engrossed in his jelly he has no time for his wife.”
“Really?”
“Wow. That’s just sad.”
He snorted and tried to ignore them.
“Daddy?” Ditzy asked him. “Is something wrong?”
Dangleberry shook his head and sighed, “Don’t worry, muffin cup. It’s nothing.”
Ditzy tilted her head at that, “If it’s nothing why do you seem sad?” Dangleberry reached up and ruffled her mane again causing her break into squealing laughter. “Daddy! Come on! Stop!”
Ponies gazes fell on them. As they watched the daughter and father laugh together they all started to smile. The father’s watching all looked over to their own foals and then began to embrace them.
But Dangleberry and Ditzy were ignorant to what they just caused and continued walking over to the jelly and jams booth that Dangleberry and Cloudcakes owned and worked at.
Ditzy jumped off her father’s back and ran over to the booth full of various types of jellies and jams while laughing. “Wow! Soooo much jelly and jam! It’s like a gooey paradise!”
Dangleberry chuckled as he walked over to his enthusiastic daughter, “Well, you know what I say, you can never have too much jelly.”
“Yeah!” Ditzy exclaimed. “And muffins too right, daddy!”
Dangleberry laughed, “Yes, and muffins too.”
They worked at the booth until one in the the afternoon when they took their lunch break. There were few ponies who came to the booth today. It wasn’t a busy day…probably because it was a holiday and that ponies were with their families.
During their lunch break Ditzy and Dangleberry headed over to some restaurant and had some daisy sandwiches then got some muffins at Sugarcube corner.
Ditzy had a lot of fun with the young filly who worked and lived with the Cakes at Sugarcube corner. She was a hyperactive pink earth pony who just loved to have fun and throw parties. Dangleberry smiled as he watched them play together. Making funny faces with each other, telling each other jokes. He just wished other foals did that with her too. Didn’t judge her because of her eyes.
But, it didn’t matter now. It seemed that now there was a filly that Ditzy could rely on being her friend. And apparently there were a few more that she met in flight camp. Even though he never met this Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy if his muffin cup trusted them he did too.
After their lunch break they finished up work at the booth then headed over to the park.
Ditzy ran around the park laughing, throwing some bread crumbs from her empty muffin bag at some ducks and birds she saw. Dangleberry watched her smiling. She looked like she was having fun.
He gasped when she pounced on him and exclaimed, “Race you to the lake, daddy!”
She bolted off towards the lake and he chuckled and ran after her.
“I’m gonna beat you!” She exclaimed as she ran away.
“Oh, no you’re not!” He said galloping after her at a slightly slow pace.
She reached the lake and puffed out her chest in pride, “I won!” She said beaming up at him.
“Y-yes you d-did.” He huffed out of breath from running such a long distance. “I need to exercise more.” He muttered to himself.
“Come on, daddy!” Ditzy exclaimed jumping into the lake. “Swim with me!” She splashed him.
Dangleberry smiled and walked away from the lake. Ditzy watched him confused, “Daddy? Is something wrong?” She barely had anytime to say ‘muffins’ when he ran at full speed to the lake and did a cannonball into the water.
She squealed as she was splashed with a wave of water and for their remainder of time at the lake they both laughed as they splashed each other.
The sun had just set as they headed home where their dinner was waiting for them. They ate it then Dangleberry opened his father’s day cards. He smiled as he read Ditzy’s. It was a hoof-wrote card that said, “I love you daddy! You’re such a GRAPE dad! Love, Ditzy!”
He hugged her and kissed her forehead saying, “I love you too. Now off to bed.”
“Aw~!” She exclaimed. “But I’m not tired!”
He shook his head as he ushered her to the bathroom to brush her teeth then carried her to her bed. He tucked her in and read her a bedtime story then kissed her on the forehead once more.
“Goodnight, muffin cup.” He said tenderly.
“Goodnight, daddy.” She sighed and closed her eyes as Dangleberry turned off the lights and shut her door.
His blue eyes looked over her card for him one last time before he stuck it to the fridge with a magnet, “You know,” He spoke out loud to himself. “today was a very great day.”
Author's Note
Hope you had a berry grape father's day too!
Dangleberry Doo was based off Ponies With Pockets Productions version of the jelly pony. Check him out in their audio series Doctor Whooves and Assistant here.
Thanks for reading!
Rock on!
-ThePortalPonies
