Chapter 2: Filly Misty
Well, time passed slowly; and for Alphabittle, that was a blessing. Every moment he spent with his daughter was a most precious moment to him. As the infant years slowly came to an end, Misty was now six years old and talking in complete sentences, walking on all fours with no trouble, and has become quite a bubbly little filly. But while she may have grown, the thing that hasn’t changed is the bond that she and her father had. In fact, their bond only grew stronger as she got older. Alphabittle missed the days when she was a baby, but he was happy to finally be able to do certain things with her now that she was a little older. Taking her to amusement parks, movies, and being able to play all sorts of games with her now that she’s developed quite an imagination. Misty already loved her father before, but now she often expresses to other ponies how happy she is to have a father like him. She loves how he always plays with her, makes her laugh, sleeps with her when she had nightmares, and was just over all the best dad a pony could ever have. And hearing her say all those things and more makes Alphabittle get all fuzzy and warm inside. He was happy to have a daughter that was that proud to have him as a father.
Since Misty was six now, it meant that she should be in school by now. But Alphabittle was too nervous about not having her by his side at all times. He just loved her too much that he didn’t want to spend a single day without her. So instead, he decided to homeschool her while also running the tea shop. It may sound like a challenging task, and frankly it was. But he would do anything to keep her beside him no matter what. Being a daddy’s girl, Misty didn’t care at all about going to an actual school. She loved spending time with her daddy even if it was just learning things like math or history. While he certainly gives Misty a good time with fun while teaching her, it was clear that his method of teaching wasn’t working too well. In fact, Misty hardly learned anything as Alphabittle perhaps made homeschooling too much fun to the point where it was more like playing than learning. Some Unicorns grew concerned for the father and daughter. Not only because of Misty lacking the education needed, but also Alphabittle. Could he really handle homeschooling while also running a tea shop? He certainly seemed up to the task, but the days where he feels more fatigued than other days suggested something else. They knew he was only trying to be good father, but something needed to be done.
It was a nice Saturday morning, and Alphabittle was taking his six-year old daughter, Misty, to the park. Alphabittle was still a fairly young stallion; still quite strong, fit, and blue in the mane and tail. A little older but not to the point of showing and bags and greyness. Misty has grown slightly taller now. Though still barely surpassing the knees of her father. She was also full of energy and always ready for a fun time. And due to her lack of a proper education, she was also still very naïve. On the surface, both the father and daughter seemed excited to play together at the park, but underneath the happy posture of Alphabittle, there was a poor, tired stallion struggling to find a proper balance of his work, homeschool, and keeping his daughter happy. But he did the best he could to mask it all away. It was quite easy for it to go unnoticed by Misty as she was still pretty young and didn’t understand the struggles her dad has to go through.
“Now, where could she be?” Alphabittle asked himself playfully as he looked around with a smile, “She couldn’t have gone far.”
Alphabittle and Misty were playing hide and seek; a favorite among families. Misty hid within some pushes right behind her father and couldn’t stop giggling as she watched him search for her.
“Could she have turned invisible?” Alphabittle said playfully, “Oh! Is she right in front of me and I just don’t know it?!” He growled in a way that made Misty giggle louder. Hearing her giggles from behind the bushes, Alphabittle knew just where to look. “Oh, dear.” He said while pretending to be distressed, “Will I ever find my little Misty?” He stepped backwards a few steps and got ready to catch her while she was busy giggling. “Gotcha!” He exclaimed as he spread the bushes open.
But she wasn’t there. This relevation caught him off guard as he was sure that she was there. He examined the bushes a little closer to make sure he didn’t miss her. But then…
“Boo!” Misty shouted as she jumped on his back.
“Woah!” Alphabittle cried as he nearly fell on his side.
“Ha, ha, ha!” Misty laughed at her father who nearly had a heart attack, “I got you, Daddy!” Mist mocked playfully.
“Ha, ha!” Alphabittle laughed, “You sure did. But now…” He continued while looking at her with a smirk, “Daddy’s got you!” He jumped on her and locked her in a grip to give her head a little noogie.
“Ah!” Misty groaned with a laugh as she tried to break free, “Daddy!” She then slipped free and began running while laughing as bubbly as she always is.
Alphabittle chased her down while laughing himself. It turned into a game of catch and release between the two; Alphabittle having to catch her and give her some funny hugs, while Misty trying to jump on top of him and pin him down as hard as she could. Being a filly, it was a challenge to say the least. As easy as it was to see, the two were having a most wonderful play time together. But soon, after all the times he tried holding it in, Alphabittle found it impossible to hide his status away.
“Ahhh….” Alphabittle yawned suddenly. Misty noticed the yawn and went to look at her father.
“Daddy,” Misty said as she looked a little worried, “Are you okay?” Alphabittle saw the looked little Misty had and quickly thought of a response to make it all better.
“Oh, yeah.” Alphabittle answered with his usual happy easy-going voice, “Daddy’s alright. Woo.” He sighed, “Guess we had so much fun, Daddy’s a little worn out.”
“Yeah,” Misty agreed, “I’m a little tired too. Could we sit down for a moment?” She asked.
“Not only that,” Alphabittle said as he picked her up and carried her in one hoof, “Daddy’ll get you an ice cream!” He proclaimed.
“Really?!” Misty asked with a most joyous smile.
“Why not? Today’s a good day for an ice cream.”
“Yay!” Misty cheered as her father began carrying her to an ice cream shop.
One trip to the ice cream shop later, and the father and daughter were treated to sweet, sugar-scented ice cream as a way to relax after a big day of play. Misty got a more complex flavor of Mystical Dust. A flavor that is supposedly meant to be a combination of vanilla and mint. Alphabittle just got a simple chocolate. With their ice creams obtained, they sat together and ate up their treats in peace.
“Thanks Daddy!” Misty thanked with a smile made from the Mystical Dust ice cream. Alphabittle’s heart beated twice in that moment when he saw how happy his precious little girl was with that ice cream.
“You’re welcome.” Alphabittle answered as his eyes quivered slightly.
Once their ice cream was done, Misty felt a little sleepy and Alphabittle decided to lay with her for a moment and enjoy the nice sunset they were having that evening. They laid on the grass together with Alphabittle putting his hooves around her to keep her warm and safe; one hoof for her to lay on while she rested her head against his chest, and the other hoof for stroking gently against her back for comfort. While the young filly rested peacefully, Alphabittle watched her with a most happy, most peaceful expression. She may not be a baby anymore, but the moment he had with her right then was almost just as, if not more, magical than those days. He felt truly like he had a purpose in the world. That he had a reason to exist. And that reason was her; his precious little princess, Misty. He was at so much peace and happiness with the moment that he wished he could stop the clock and just remain in that moment forever. Comforting his sleepy daughter in the gorgeous light of dusk. Surrounded by the most soothing of colors all while comforting a filly most dear and near to his heart. And from the way she comforted against him only made the moment more magical for him. Because he felt needed, which was a feeling he never wanted to fade away. Soon, he rested his head gently above her to show her a sign of affection. And seemingly in response to that, Misty began to hum in her rest. Her humming was so gentle and sweet that Alphabittle couldn’t help but nuzzle against her head gently.
“My Misty.” Alphabittle said softly, “Oh, my sweet little Misty. I love you so much.” He told her.
“I love you too, Daddy.” Misty replied in a tone just as a soft while also sounding tired.
Soon, it was time to go home. Alphabittle carried his daughter all the way home and got her ready for bed. After getting her some dinner, a quick dessert, give her teeth a nice cleaning, Alphabittle attempted to get his daughter to bed.
“Okay, Misty.” Alphabittle said as he carried Misty to her bed, “Time to go to sleep.” He placed her in the bed and got her under the covers.
“But I’m not sleepy!” Misty complained, “I don’t want to go to bed now!”
“But it’s bedtime.” Alphabittle argued with a smile, “All cute little fillies need to be asleep now.” He finished while giving her a little boop on her nose.
“I want to stay up with you.” Misty begged, “Please, Daddy?” She then gave the most sad-looking eyes to try and persuade her father.
“Gosh,” Alphabittle said as he rubbed her head gently, “I really love hearing you say that.”
“So, I can stay up?!” Misty asked with excitement.
“I guess you can.”
“Horray!” Misty cheered as she got out of bed and began running toward the door.
“But it’s too bad really,” Alphabittle said while pretending to sound disappointed, “I had a nice breakfast plan for the little filly who would be asleep before midnight. What was her favorite pancake again? Oh, I just can’t remember.” He finished while sounding frustrated in a playful manner.
“Ah!” Misty gasped, “Blueberry pancakes?!” She asked while her eyes glimmered.
“That’s it!” Alphabittle exclaimed with a smile, “Oh well. I guess I’ll have to cancel that plan.” He suggested while giving a shrug.
“No!” Misty cried as she hurried back to bed, “I’m asleep! See?!” She then shut up her eyes and snored loudly. It was clearly fake, but Alphabittle couldn’t help but smile and chuckle at her naivete. He then leaned toward her and gave her a gentle kiss on her head.
“Good night, Misty.” Alphabittle said as he headed slowly for the door.
“Night, Daddy.” Misty replied as she slowly began to fall asleep.
Alphabittle shut the door to her room quietly and then quickly got back to his work at the tea shop. He felt a little sleepy though despite how many Unicorns there were to serve. He worked as best he could during the late hours; serving ponies their tea, cleaning up spills, providing sugar and other sweeteners, just a typical night of running the tea shop. Of course, he politely asked all the customers to remain as quiet as possible to keep his daughter from waking up. It was a big ask, but the stallion was lucky to have customers that were very considerate. While the night seemed to be a normal tea-serving night for Alphabittle, the customers noticed something off about him. The way he seems to drift off frequently despite usually being the life of the party, mixing up orders, missing some steps on the dance machine, he didn’t seem quite like himself. And to a certain group of Unicorns that were closely acquainted to him and Misty, there was no mystery as to what was wrong with him. But they held off any talk about it until the shop had cleared.
The night went on, and soon all that remained were the small group of Unicorns that actually knew Alphabittle personally. Silver Shine, Dancing Star, Mystic Fashion, and Azure Blossom all stayed in their seats preparing themselves for a little talk with the tea shop owner. As Alphabittle began cleaning up before calling it a night, he noticed the small group sitting together in a single table.
“You all still here?” Alphabittle asked with curiosity, “Wow. Normally you all would be done for the night.” He stated most impressed, “You all want another round?”
The group looked at each other and agreed to be firm about this. With a nod from each of them, they knew it was time.
“Alphabittle,” Mystic Fashion began with a slight bit of concern, “We need to talk to you.”
“What is this?” Alphabittle chuckled, “An intervention or something?”
“Well,” Silver Shine stuttered, “A-actually, yes. Yes, it is, I guess.”
“You haven’t been yourself lately.” Dancing Star stated plainly, “You don’t normally get this tired or confused this late. Everypony comes to your tea shop because of how lively you normally are.”
“What?” Alphabittle asked slightly insulted, “Can’t a stallion have like one off day? Sheesh.” He snuffed as he got back to cleaning, “You have one night where you don’t quite have it,” He stated before giving a yawn, “And everypony thinks you’re dying or something.”
“Don’t take it personally.” Azure Blossom pleaded, “We’re not trying to attack you or anything.”
“All we’re wanting to know is,” Silver Shine explained, “Have you been getting enough sleep? Because this state of yours has been going on for a while lately.”
“Well, of course I have!” Alphabittle answered proudly, “Well,” He continued as he started to really think about it, “I mean… well… I guess I stayed up a little last… but it wasn’t like… it wasn’t that long… was it?” He asked himself as he got himself all confused.
“Are you sure you’re not overworking yourself?” Dancing Star asked.
“Where is any of this even coming from?!” Alphabittle demanded, “If you all are wanting to say something, just go on and say it already! Enough with these questions!”
The group looked at each as if they were conversing through their expressions. Poor Alphabittle couldn’t read what they were thinking; but quite frankly he didn’t care what it was. He just wanted the question out now so he can get them out before they say something they’ll regret.
“Okay, to put it bluntly,” Mystic Fashion began as she stood up, “We think you’re not getting enough rest.”
“Because,” Dancing Star continued, “You’re putting too much on your plate by taking care of Misty’s education at home all while running the Crystal Tearoom.”
“And we’re afraid,” Silver Shine picked up, “That you may not be giving yourself enough rest from all of that work.”
“You’ve even stayed up really late on some occasions,” Azure Blossom, “Because you’ve put off your work at the tea shop for Misty. You do so much to homeschool her and to give her a good time.”
“You’re not getting the proper rest you need,” Mystic Fashion continued off, “And we’re worried about you. Worried that your love for Misty is probably affecting your sleep schedule.”
“Ugh!” Alphabittle groaned, “I don’t see what your problem is! I’m doing perfectly fine!”
“The problem is,” Silver Shine answered, “If you keep this up, your lack of proper rest and sleep could potentially be hazardous to your health. You could maybe get sick or worse.”
“We just don’t want anything to happen to you.” Azure Blossom said with concern, “Especially since… Misty…” She said while bowing her head, “She’s such a young filly.”
Mystic Fashion then stepped forward and said with a stern voice, “You need to reevaluate how you’re spending time with Misty or else you could end up in the emergency room. And with how young Misty is and how little you trust anypony else with her, this is a major crisis you have right now!”
“Look, I’ll admit,” Alphabittle said while waving his hooves to signal to calm things down, “Maybe I haven’t exactly worked out how to keep my business going during the day, or find the right sleeping schedule, but I’ve dealt with worse things before.” He stated with a smile, “This will be a cakewalk. And once that’s figured out, it’ll be nothing but smooth sailing for me and my little Misty.”
“You can’t just shrug this off like this is no big deal!” Mystic Fashion exclaimed while slamming the table, “Did you even hear a word we said?! You, a single father to a six-year old filly, could be putting his health at risk! This isn’t a time to be treating it like it’s no big deal! You need to do something about it now before your conditions get any worse!”
“I’ll take some naps during the day.” Alphabittle suggested.
“That’s not enough.” Azure Blossom countered, “You need longer times to sleep than just a simple nap.”
“Look,” Silver Shine began, “We know you love Misty and you want to be with her no matter what. But…” He paused as he hesitated to finish his sentence.
“What?” Alphabittle said as he got a little worried.
“There is one thing you can do to get everything in your schedule, both the tea shop and sleep schedule, in order.” Dancing Star said.
“Well,” Alphabittle anxiously replied, “What is it? Just name it and I’ll do it. If it means you all will get off my back about it.”
“You need to let Misty go to an actual school!” Mystic Fashion demanded.
Alphabittle quickly felt an unbridled anger emerge within him.
“Are you kidding me?!” He yelled.
“Now, now!” Silver Shine pleaded, “Just hear us out! We know how you feel about that…”
“I can’t send her to a school!” Alphabittle argued, “They’ll ruin the fun of education! They don’t know how to teach her like I do! Nopony understands Misty like I do!”
“But Alphabittle,” Azure Blossom began, “Your way of teaching is exactly the problem! It’s detrimental to both you and Misty! For one, you can’t find the proper balance between teaching her and running your tea shop and thus leaves you extremely tired most of the time…”
“And as for Misty,” Dancing Star continued, “You treat her homeschooling just like you would treat any other time you spend with her.”
“Well, because then learning is fun!” Alphabittle argued.
“That’s exactly the problem!” Mystic Fashion exclaimed, “If you keep treating her teachings as just simple fun and games, she’s not getting a proper education! She’ll grow up to think that everything is fun and games! Running around like a delinquent! Not knowing anything about fractions, decimals, science, history, or any essential skills needed to achieve a career! And then there’s you!” She continued while pointing at him, “If you don’t take better care of yourself, she’ll not only be a delinquent, she’ll be an orphaned delinquent! She’ll grow up to be the most miserable pony alive and she may not even realize that! Don’t you realize how dangerous that is?!”
Alphabittle was left silent by that sentiment. Suddenly, he felt a slight bit of weakness in his hooves; almost as if he could lose balance at any given moment. Immediately though, he realized that that weakness wasn’t of imbalance in the hooves, but rather that maybe how he’s raising Misty could actually be the most dangerous way possible. He just never expected that it would be this bad.
“You need to have her attend a school.” Dancing Star told him in a more softer tone, “That way, it’ll help the both of you. She’ll get a proper education…”
“And you can focus more on the tea shop,” Azure Blossom picked up with a smile, “All while not having to juggle so much that you’ll get so tired for so long.”
“I…” Alphabittle panted in slight fear as he looked down at the door to Misty’s room. His eyes began to quiver in sadness. He didn’t want to admit it, but he started to see what they were all saying. Perhaps, he himself, knew that what he was doing was wrong all along. But his love for Misty easily outweighed any flaws there were in his plan of life. Alphabittle knew what he needed to do, but wasn’t sure if he had the strength to do it.
“I love Misty.” Alphabittle said with a slight sadness in his voice, “I love her more than anything in life. And there’s nothing more that I want than to be with her. I…” He then put his hooves in his head and cried, “I-I can’t go a day without being with her! She’s my everything! If I ever had to be apart from her for even a minute, I…”
Mystic Fashion walked up, grabbed his hooves and said with a soft smile, “I know it’s hard. I know how much Misty means to you. But that’s why you need to do what’s best for her. And best for yourself. You can’t let this faulty schedule of yours go on. Misty needs you. And you’ll only be able to be there for her if you do this.”
“And at least if she goes to school,” Azure Blossom added, “She’ll be able to make some friends. She’s six now; she should be making lots of friends by now.”
That part truly scared poor Alphabittle. He had avoided having Misty make actual friends for the longest time. Not because he didn’t trust anypony, or that they would hurt her, but because he was afraid that if she made friends, she would want to spend more time with them than with him. That he just couldn’t let happen. He was dedicated that he would be the only pony she would want to be with. That was his only wish in life. But no matter how he looked at things, he couldn’t find a solid argument to counter their statements and critiques.
“Think about it tonight.” Silver Shine asked politely, “Think about if what you’re doing now is really right.”
“If Misty really means that much to you,” Dancing Star added, “I would strongly recommend you do this.”
“I’ll…” Alphabittle struggled to say, “I understand.” He sighed.
“Good.” Mystic Fashion replied with a nod, “I know you’ll do the right thing. Especially if it’s for Misty.”
“Good night. And really think over.” Dancing Star reminded as they all began to exit the tea shop.
“You’re a good father.” Silver Shine stated as he opened the door, “But you’ll only be the best once you start making the best decisions.”
Finally, Alphabittle was alone with these thoughts. For the first time in quite some time, he found himself struggling to really get any sleep. All he could think about were the demands given to him from that intervention. He had loathed the idea of Misty going to school or anywhere where she would have to be without him. Not only because of her safety, but because she was always his ultimate source of happiness. He always believed that he could never find any real happiness if he didn’t always have her by his side no matter what. But as he began to think about her future, he wondered if he was really giving the best education she needed. He never liked thinking about the future, but tonight was an essential time to do so. He really did treat homeschooling as just another playdate for father and daughter time. And as much as he really enjoyed that, he knew that it wasn’t going to be the right way for Misty to learn; not with how he loves to spend his time with her. As he finally was able to keep one eye shut and then the other, he decided to wait until the morning to have the decision to be made.
Morning came a lot quicker than he had hoped it would; but it was here whether he wanted it to be or not. And that meant a decision must be made now. As he prepared the blueberry pancakes for Misty, he tried to piece together how he was going to tell her. Should he just be blunt and let it out on the spot? Well, that wouldn’t quite be his style of telling her. Should it make it into a game where she has to figure it out? After how his friends gave him that intervention, now suddenly, playing games sounded like a health hazard. How was one to break the news to a little filly who loved being with her papa bear so much?
Suddenly, Alphabittle was flung right out of his thoughts when he realized that he was done with the pancakes. He then approached the door in which was also the gateway to the moment of truth. He knew he had to let her know somehow, but how he was going to do it, he’ll just have to figure it out on the spot. So, finally, he opened the door, heard his daughter’s cute snores, and quietly walked over to her.
“Misty.” Alphabittle whispered while shaking her softly on her bed, “Misty, sweetie. Time to wake up.” He told her with a smile, “Wake-y, wake-y.” Soon, Misty finally leaned upward and gave a cute little yawn while rubbing her eyes. Alphabittle always got the quivering eyes whenever he saw her wake up in the morning; seeing her arise with the cute little eyes, and the precious yawn made the warm, fuzzy feeling he gets get even more warm, and fuzzy.
“Morning, Misty.” Alphabittle greeted with a more cheery tone.
“Morning, Daddy.” Misty said back as she reached her hooves out to him. Alphabittle wasted no time putting her in his hooves and carried her to the kitchen to have her breakfast.
“Who’s ready for some blueberry pancakes?!” Alphabittle asked all excitedly.
“I am!” Misty cheered, “I, ah…ahhhh… am.” She suddenly yawned.
“Ha, ha!” Alphabittle chuckled as she placed her on the seat where her pancakes were, “Blueberry pancakes for Daddy’s Little Sleepyhead!” He declared.
“Yay!” Misty cheered once more; now sounding more awake than before. As the father and daughter ate their breakfast, Alphabittle took the time it took for them to eat to try and figure out how to tell her the news. It wasn’t easy to do as it was, but seeing his precious baby girl with him as she ate her most favorite meal for breakfast only made it more challenging. He absolutely loved spending time with her and just didn’t want that to be taken away from him. But he had to think of what’s best for her and had to make any sacrifice that was needed.
When they finished their breakfast, Misty wasted no time getting the day started.
“Wow!” Misty said in awe as she looked out in the window, “Look at how beautiful today is! We can go to the park again!” She suggested with a most bright smile.
“Y-yeah!” Alphabittle agreed, “We could…” Suddenly, the smile he had vanished. He felt the weight of the responsibility he needed to take weighing on him immediately. But he took a breath and stood up tall. “Hey, uh, Misty.” He began, “How about we do something different today?” He suggested.
“Oh, okay!” Misty answered, “We can play inside today! Maybe we can play Tickle Puppy! Or Delivery Pony! Neighbors! Or maybe-“
“Actually,” Alphabittle interrupted, “Daddy wanted to ask you something.” He then laid down on the floor to be more at her level. Misty quickly came over to cuddle with him, which made him feel all happy and joyful inside. “Misty,” He began, “Have… have you ever thought about making some friends?” He asked with a smile.
“Why would want to have friends,” Misty asked back as she nuzzled against her father’s chest, “When I have the bestest Daddy in the world?!” Suddenly, Alphabittle felt a little lump in his throat. Hearing that only made things even harder for him. Would sending her to an actual school affect their relationship? He never wanted to imagine a timeline where he wasn’t this close to his daughter, it was unthinkable to him. But he quickly regained the courage and continued forward.
“Well,” Alphabittle replied while thinking of the right words to say, “M-maybe… maybe a lot foals your age have fun games to play too. Maybe not quite the imagination you have, but maybe close to that.”
“But I like the games we play.” Misty argued with a smile, “You’re a fun play mate.”
“That’s sweet of you, but uh…” Poor Alphabittle was having a hard time figuring out how to put it in a way that won’t make her upset. But he was soon starting to think that there may not be a way to do so. But he had to try. “Don’t you ever feel like you’re missing out? Like… have you ever wanted to go to a party with the other fillies and colts? Maybe go someplace fun with them?” He asked nervously.
“No way!” Misty answered, “If I’m not with you, then no place is fun!” She finished while giving him more nuzzles against his chest.
Finally, Alphabittle gave up and decided to put it as bluntly as he could. “Misty.” He began while putting on a more serious tone, “I… I know you love playing with Daddy… but…”
“What’s the matter, Daddy?” Misty asked with a curious look on her face, “Don’t you want to play with me?”
“I do, Misty.” He answered, “More than anything, but…” He sighed before continuing, “But Daddy needs to be able to run the tea shop and he sadly can’t have the time to play with you all the time.”
“But…” Misty said with a slight quiver, “But you’ve always made time for me.”
“Yes, Daddy has. But he’s actually been a really bad Daddy lately. He doesn’t spend enough time actually tending to customers. If he doesn’t serve the customers the tea, he won’t get the money needed to buy you any food or toys or anything else you want.” He took a slight pause to regain his confidence to tell her the news. “And then there’s you Misty.” He continued, “Daddy’s been selfish. And he can’t be that way anymore. Especially with you as his little princess.”
“Daddy?” Misty asked with worry, “What are you saying?”
“Misty,” Alphabittle began, “Daddy’s going to have you attend an actual school.”
“What?!” Misty exclaimed as she jumped out of her father’s hooves.
“I know it sounds scary! But… but you need to learn things.”
“I am learning things!” Misty argued, “With you!”
“No, Misty.” Alphabittle countered, “You’re not. And it’s all because of me. I’ve been a terrible father to you. I’ve been holding you too close and not raising you like a father should.” He sat down with shame in his face before saying, “You should’ve been in preschool a long time ago. But you didn’t go all because of me. But I can’t be that kind of father anymore. You’re going to school.” He told her sternly.
“B-but-“ Misty stammered.
“No buts.” Alphabittle interrupted, “Daddy’s mind is made up. He’s going to find a school for you to go.”
Suddenly, tears began to well up in Misty’s eyes. “No Daddy!” Misty cried as she ran over to hug his hooves, “Please Daddy, no! I don’t want to go to school! I want to stay with you! I am learning things! I promise I am! I don’t need school! Please, Daddy!” She begged, “Please don’t make me go!”
For a moment, Alphabittle was about to abort the whole thing. He hated hearing his daughter cry, it was the worst sound he could hear. He was about ready to cry himself. But he had to stay strong; and so he kneeled down and comforted his daughter by snuggling her again.
“Please, Misty.” Alphabittle pleaded softly, “Try to understand. You’re six now. You shouldn’t be cooped up with your Daddy all the time. In an actual school, you’ll learn all the things you’ll need to know by ponies who actually know what they’re doing, and…” He continued with a smile, “You’ll be able to make some friends.” He then wiped some of her tears and rubbed her head gently. “You need to be brave, my sweet Misty.” He finished while resting his head above her in a way that showed affection. Misty sniffed sadly as she thought about what he said.
“Daddy…” Misty choked with a sniff, “If I go to school…” She then looked up at him and asked, “Will that make you happy?”
“Absolutely!” Alphabittle answered proudly, “Daddy would be the happiest stallion in the world if you went to a school!”
Misty leaned her head down sadly as she wiped her tears. “Okay…” She gave in, “I’ll go to school…”
“That’s my girl!” Alphabittle praised as he picked her up and gave her a big hug. He then gave her multiple kisses on her head in a most energetic way which made Misty laugh in her usual bubbly way. Soon, he stopped the kisses and hugged her again and said, “Thank you, Misty. Daddy’s real proud of you!” He finished as he tightened the hug.
“Thanks, Daddy.” Misty thanked as she nuzzled against him, “But, can the school thing wait until tomorrow? Please?” She begged with a twinkle in her eyes, “Today is so nice.”
“Fair enough.” Alphabittle answered, “We’ll put off looking for schools until tomorrow. But no tricks now, young lady. Promise?” He asked.
“Promise.” Misty agreed.
“Alright then.” Alphabittle said with a smile, “Now, how about we go for a walk? Get the old hooves a little shaking?” He asked as he shook his hooves.
“Heehee.” Misty giggled, “Sure, Daddy.”
As they headed out the door to take a walk, Alphabittle felt sad that his daughter was going to have to go to school soon. But he also felt proud of himself for finding the courage to tell her. Already he felt as though things would look up soon. But poor Misty was as nervous as an elephant. She tried to enjoy her time with her papa bear, but the thought of going to school just kept coming back to her.
The following day and the search for a school commenced. It was a hard process for both the father and daughter. Misty just wanted to be with her daddy more than anything else, and then Alphabittle struggled with deciding which school was truly the best for her. It couldn’t just be any school; it needed to be close by so that he can always get there quickly enough if anything goes wrong, plus it needed to have good teachers and low-bullying status. Naturally, the first pick was no good as while it seemed decent, it was still quite a distance than Alphabittle would like it to be. The second had maybe one or two teachers that didn’t have the cleanest record. And a few others wouldn’t do for various kinds of reasons. But finally, a success. Stardust Elementary was the school that matched his description for was the best school would be for Misty. It was close, had the nicest teachers, and there haven’t been many signs of bullying as of yet. While it may still be possible for bullying to be discovered, the principal assured him that any and all negative behavior is to be dealt with swiftly and rationally. That was good enough for him. But poor Misty wasn’t as happy.
All that was needed now was to get some school supplies for Misty. It too was a slow process as Misty made some attempts to delay the inevitable, but Alphabittle saw through all her tricks. Misty had to give in at some point as she didn’t want to cause a fight between her and her dad. She loved him too much to cause a fight. School supplies were soon chosen and everything was all set for Misty to begin her school year properly. She got to have a week to prepare as she started next Monday. During that time, Alphabittle rewarded her with some play time. The fun he gave her was able to cheer her up slightly, but once everything calmed down and they just snuggled together, her guard was down and the thoughts of going to school came back. She felt as though she was being sent to an orphanage and her father didn’t want her anymore. Even though she knew for a fact that that wasn’t the case at all, any day where she wasn’t with him was a day she never wanted to imagine.
At last, the day came where Misty was to go to school. Alphabittle walked her there and once they arrived, they just stood at the entrance and saw a bunch of other kids and parents go inside. There were foals of all kinds at the school. There were fillies, colts, gamers, fashion fillies, tough foals, chess players, sports-lovers, math enthusiasts, science fanatics, and all different kinds. Some seemed like the kind of ponies that would make perfect friends for little Misty. And while Misty didn’t make any attempt at hiding how nervous she was, Alphabittle hid his feelings with the brightest smile he could muster.
“Day one!” Alphabittle proclaimed like an announcer, “Misty on her way to the first day of school! Look at her folks! Standing tall with pride and ready to learn! No teacher can intimidate this brave filly! Not even the principal can bring her down!” He finished while shaking her to get her all excited.
Despite how fun he tried to make the first day of school sound, Misty could only build tears in her eyes and whimper like a little puppy.
“You okay, sweetie?” Alphabittle asked with concern while kneeling to her level. Suddenly, Must hid her head in his chest and finally let the tears roll down her face.
“I can’t do it!” Misty cried, “I don’t want to go in! I wanna go home! I wanna be with you! Please don’t make me go in, Daddy!” She begged. Alphabittle hugged his daughter gently and stroked her mane.
“Oh, Misty.” Alphabittle sighed in some sadness, “I want you with me too.” He admitted, “But you’re going to have an awesome day at school!” He encouraged with a slight effort at sounding happy, “You’re going to learn a lot of things, meet new ponies, and maybe even make some friends! Won’t that be great?!” He asked with a big smile. Misty just sniffed as she wiped her tears.
“But Daddy,” She replied sadly.
“Can you do this for you Daddy please? He went through so much to get you to a school. He’d be really upset if you didn’t at least go in and see what school is like.”
Misty thought about it for a moment, wiped more of her tears and asked, “Will you pick me up early, please?”
“Of course.” Alphabittle answered in a way that made the question sound silly, “Don’t you worry. Daddy will be back to get you on the double.”
“We’re talking the moment that school is over, you’re here? Not late?”
“Daddy promises.” Alphabittle swore, “The moment you step out of that building, Daddy will be here to take you home. No later, and no stops along the way.”
Misty gave a sad sigh and said, “Okay.”
“That’s my girl!” Alphabittle praised as he gave her a big hug. The hug made Misty giggle a little which made him really happy. As they hugged, Alphabittle’s smile disappeared and he felt his eyes flickering with tears. He didn’t want her to go, and part of him wanted to take her home right that instant. But he remembered the intervention of his friends and what they tried to tell him. This is the right thing to do; even if it’s hard. He wanted her to grow up with a good education to fulfill whatever dreams she may have later down the road. So he sucked it up and tried to be brave like she was being now. “I love you, Misty.” Alphabittle told her with a slight choke, “I love you so much!”
“I love you too, Daddy.” Misty whispered back, “You’re my hero.”
Knowing that she couldn’t be late, Alphabittle wiped his small tears and put her down so that she may go. “Have a good day,” He told her, “Daddy will be back to get you.”
“Bye, Daddy!” Misty cried as she walked to the school. Alphabittle waved to her as she went inside. And once she was out of sight, the poor stallion felt a hole form in his heart. A sense of loneliness filled the air. The tears became harder to hold back at this point; and soon, one finally slipped and wet the grass beneath him.
Alphabittle returned to his tea shop and got business going. Ponies came in, he would take the orders, serve them up all kinds of tea, clean spills, provide sugar, and everything else needed in the Crystal Tearoom. But through it all, the poor stallion felt empty inside; feeling as though something was missing in all of it. It was no mystery as to what it was; his daughter. It wasn’t easy going through a day without her. Some ponies there tried to cheer him up, but nothing seemed to work. The place wasn’t the same without hearing the pitter patter of her little hooves as she comes up to see him or her adorable bubbly laugh whenever they played together. Occasionally, some clopping of little hooves would pound against his ears and get him hopeful that it was all just a bad dream he was having. But every time, it was only the hooves of other foals that came to the tea shop. Not his precious little princess. And then all the sadness and emptiness he felt before quickly reined in again. The day just felt as though it was never going to end; without Misty, the day just felt a lot longer than it should be.
The ponies that gave him the intervention the other night tried to convince him that he was doing the right thing. Alphabittle knew for sure that was the case, but for some reason it didn’t help with how he was feeling. He wished that he could’ve found that balance he tried to find before all so he wouldn’t have to be apart from his daughter like this. The cruel fact that this was the only option only made his day worse. Eventually, he couldn’t keep it up anymore and decided to close the tea shop early to have some alone time. So the ponies cleared out and poor Alphabittle was left to his own thoughts alone. He sat down and looked through an album he had made that contained pictures of all the times he spent with his daughter. He had hoped that remembering those times would cheer him up a bit. There were a lot of baby pictures and ones of when she was 3, 4, and 5. There was a time where he was teaching her how to swim, the time she used magic for the first time, many birthday pictures that usually ended with the two of them covered in cake frosting, pictures of Misty sleeping and more. Alphabittle gave a bright smile at the pictures as the pages turned. For a moment, he did feel a little better because it almost felt as though he was reliving those moments right now and Misty was by his side. But soon, the pages came to the current day where there was no more to see. And now the sadness from before took over again. The current pages were about as empty as his poor heart.
But upon realizing that there were still pages to fill, he suddenly felt a realization of some kind. A realization that gave him the distraction he was needing in that long and painful day. He looked at a few pages back and found the pages filled with pictures of the various Misty Days they would celebrate. All the fun they would have on this made-up monthly holiday. As he looked back on how much has happened in the year, he realized that it had been some time since they had a Misty Day. A day dedicated to his baby girl. Upon putting it all together, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. A new Misty Day was to be held today to celebrate both Misty’s first day at school and to show how much he missed her. So without hesitation, he ran out of the Crystal Tearoom to get the necessary supplies.
He went to different party shops and ventured in every aisle. He filled his cart with as much streamers, confetti, decorations, and so many other party essentials that you could nearly fill an entire wear house full of them. The owners of each shop weren’t surprised at all to find him visiting all their locations and in fact were expecting to see him in the coming days. And on a day where his daughter was going to school for the first time, now was as good a time as any. It costed a lot, the cake especially at the bake shop, but Alphabittle was determined to make this a most memorable Misty Day. For himself, for Equestria, but most of all, for his baby girl. If only he didn’t get so fatigued from it all. He had done everything that his intervention friends demanded all except getting good rest. He still wasn’t well-rested enough to really go through a whole day without having to fight his eyes to stay open. Now and then, he felt his eyelids desperately wanting to shut so that he may sleep. But he tried his best to stay strict; he wasn’t going to let anything stop him from preparing this special Misty Day. It was life or death! Or at least he treated it as such.
With all preparations acquired, Alphabittle set up all the decorations all over the tea shop and placed the cake carefully on the table. All while trying his best not to fall asleep. When it was done, he felt proud of himself. Thinking that ponies at a party planning business should hire him on the spot should he decide to go into such a business. But with all the excitement he felt at getting all of it done, suddenly he felt that his fight against his eyelids had grown tougher than before. Next-to-impossible to fight back. But he gave it his all to stay awake; he couldn’t fall asleep yet. Not until he’s had his fun with Misty on this very special Misty Day. Though, he did think that a short nap was in order. So he went to his bed, got under the covers and got all comfortable. He felt the drowsiness take over him. The cool-weight of the blanket, the press of the mattress and pillow, all of it made it a winning battle for his fatigued state. He decided to nap just for a little bit until it was time to pick up Misty. But before he could shut both eyes, he looked at the clock and saw the time. It was the time when he was supposed to pick up Misty! He should be at the school by now to get her! Upon making this discovery, he quickly jumped out of bed and ran out of the tea shop to get his daughter without a minute to lose! Oh, how he felt terrible! He let the time get passed him with all the preparations that he didn’t think for a second that it would take up the time needed to be there at the moment Misty wanted him to be! It was too late for a do-over though as all he could do was get there as quickly as he could!
Upon arriving at the school, Misty was found at the stairs at the front of the school crying in the hooves of a mare who was a staff member at the school. Alphabittle could tell right off the bat why she was upset; he wasn’t on time like he had promised her. He knew that she wasn’t going to be happy to see him but that he just had to go and face her. For after all, he had Misty Day all set up, so he hoped that it would be enough to make up for it.
“Hey Misty.” Alphabittle greeted with a smile after approaching the stairs. Misty looked at him and gave him a nasty look. It was clear that she wasn’t happy at all. “How was your-“ Alphabittle began.
“Hmph!” Misty scoffed as she began walking with a few stomps in her steps, “Let’s just go!” She demanded. Alphabittle watched her walk down the stairs all angry and sad. This was nothing like how he had hoped her first day would end.
“T-thank you for watching her.” He thanked the staff member before leaving. He then quickly caught up to Misty and tried to walk beside her. But pouty Misty kept trying to stay a few steps ahead.
For a while, neither of them said anything. Misty was too upset to talk and Alphabittle was disappointed in himself for not keeping his promise to her. But he felt like he needed to say something to liven the mood and maybe even cheer her up.
“How was your day?” Alphabittle asked with a cheery voice, “Was it fun?” He put on a big smile in an attempt to make her smile or laugh. But Misty just continued walking without even looking his way. “Did you get a lot of homework?” Alphabittle then asked. But still no response was given. “I bet all the teachers just adored you!” He then stated proudly, “After all, who wouldn’t adore a filly as adorable and bubbly as you?!” He asked while patting her head.
“You broke your promise!” Misty yelled, “You said you would be there to pick me up the moment school was over!” She cried. Alphabittle felt guilt strike him in his heart. He tried to think of what to say to cheer her up, but the words wouldn’t come to him.
“M-Misty,” Alphabittle began, “Daddy’s sorry. He didn’t mean to-“
“Today was horrible!” Misty cried as tears fell from her eyes, “I felt like I was surrounded by strangers all watching me! Everypony just kept looking at me and talking about how I was new, I sat alone at lunch, and all I could think about that would make it all better was seeing you as soon as school was over! But you were late! I felt like you forgotten me!”
“That’s not true! Daddy would never forget you!”
“Then why didn’t you get here in time?!” Misty demanded to know.
“Well,” Alphabittle began, “Daddy just lost track of time and-“
“I thought I could trust you, Daddy!” Misty stated, “I was counting on you to keep your promise!”
“But Misty,” countered Alphabittle, “Daddy was preparing something for you!”
But Misty ignored his words and shouted, “Today was miserable and you weren’t there for me when I needed you! I knew going to school was a terrible idea!” She then ran to sit on a bench and began to bawl. Watching her cry broke Alphabittle’s heart. He hated seeing her sad; but even more, he hated being the one who caused her to be sad. That was a guilt he never wanted to carry. He then gave a sad sigh and walked over to the bench.
“Please, Misty.” Alphabittle begged as he picked up his daughter to hug her, “Try to listen to what Daddy has to say.” He then nuzzled his cheek against her head as he continued with, “Daddy never meant to be late. He would never do anything to hurt you like that. You should know that better than anypony.”
“Then why were you late?!” Misty cried.
“Well,” Alphabittle replied with a smile, “You’ll just have to come on home and find out!” He declared.
“Huh?” wondered Misty as a tear fell from her eye.
“Let’s go home.” Alphabittle suggested, “Daddy’ll show you what he’s been doing while you were at school.”
A short walk home later, Alphabittle got to the door and looked at Misty with a most excited expression.
“Are you ready?” asked Alphabittle who couldn’t hold in his anticipation.
“Daddy,” Misty said, “Why are you acting so-“
“Surprise!” Alphabittle interrupted as he blew the door wide open.
Entering their tea shop and home, Misty took only a single look and was amazed at how decorated the home was. There were streamers, confetti, ballons attached to furniture and chairs, presents stacked together on a table in a neat order, a most delicious looking cake that was simply tasty just by its sheer design, and a banner up near the roof that read in the most colorful of letters: Happy Misty Day!
“Wha-why-D-Daddy?!” Misty stammered in amazement.
“Ha ha!” Alphabittle laughed with pride, “Happy Misty Day! A perfect day to celebrate your first day of school!”
“Daddy!” Misty exclaimed with a big smile, “Oh Daddy, thank you!” She thanked as she hugged his front hooves tightly, “This is amazing!”
“We haven’t had a Misty Day in a while.” Alphabittle stated as she kneeled down to his daughter’s level, “And Daddy thought: what better way to spend the day after the first day of school than our own traditional holiday about the new student?!”
“Is this why you were late?” Misty asked.
“It is. Daddy figured that you’d probably be a little upset after the first day. So he thought you’d like to have a Misty Day to cheer you up.”
As soon as Misty heard his explanation, she felt guilty about how badly she yelled at him from before. All he wanted was to make her happy and she criticized him unfairly.
“Oh, Daddy.” Misty whimpered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay.” Alphabittle assured as he stroked her hair gently, “Daddy’s not upset. He’s just happy to see his baby girl happy.” The father and daughter smiled and locked each other in a nice, warm hug. Despite Misty only being a filly, Alphabittle felt the warmth of over ten fillies from her embrace. And it was a feeling that he never wanted to end. “So,” He began while breaking the hug, “Was school really that bad?” He asked Misty.
“It was.” Misty answered while looking pouty again, “I was so scared. I missed you, Daddy!” She exclaimed as she nuzzled against his chest again.
“Daddy missed you too.” Alphabittle replied while gently resting his head on her in comforting way, “Don’t worry, Misty. It’s only the first day. Things will be better in time, you’ll see.” He assured.
“But what if it doesn’t?!”
“It will. Trust your Daddy.” Alphabittle asked her nicely, “Soon, you’ll be excited to go to school. And you’ll make lots of friends, and do all sorts of fun things there.”
“I… I don’t know.” Misty said while looking sad.
“Daddy’s sorry he was late.” Alphabittle apologized, “You know he would never hurt you like that. From now on, Daddy promises he’ll be there to get you on time. No more delays.”
“Cross your heart?” Misty asked.
“Cross my heart.” Alphabittle promised with a smile.
“Well,” Misty thought, “Okay.” She said with a smile, “I’ll go to school tomorrow.”
“Thanks, my princess.” Alphabittle thanked while hugging her again, “Daddy’s so proud of you!”
The two took about five minutes of their time enjoying that hug; and for very similar reasons. Alphabittle felt like he could actually be happy again now that Misty was back in his hooves where he belonged. No more loneliness or sadness; just a sweet comforting hug with his precious little filly. And Misty feeling safe and secure in the hooves of her number one hero; her most favorite pony in the world: her daddy. The two felt happy once more. But the hug had to end soon as Misty peeked over at the cake.
“Daddy, Daddy!” Misty exclaimed as she pointed at the cake, “Can we have cake first?!” But when she looked at her father again, she found him asleep on the ground where he had to lower himself to her level. Little did she know how tired he actually was and the fatigue finally caught him lying down snoring loudly and sleeping hard. “Daddy?” Misty said in confusion as she tapped against his cheek. But he continued to snore as if nothing had happened. “Heehee.” Misty chuckled, “Ha, ha, ha!” Misty finally laughed.
Misty rather liked her sleepy father at that moment. It gave her the golden opportunity to snuggle with him for as long as she wanted to. So rather than waste time trying to get him up, she instead just decided to snuggle with him. She gave him a small kiss on his cheek and then nuzzled up to his chest and got all cozy.
“I love you, Daddy.” Misty whispered as she shut her eyes and went to sleep with him.
What a way to spend a Misty Day. Asleep in the middle of a decorated house before any celebrating could commence. But it was one Misty Day that would be remembered for the days going forward.
