//------------------------------// // 14: Pick the carrot // Story: Derpy: Overcoming Trials // by vincent5000x //------------------------------// (9_6) “Dad…” Derpy grumbled as she stared at the scene in front of her. Her daughter was currently surrounded by several pots and pans and was being given a set of wooden spoons from her father. *CLANG!* *BANG!* *CLANG!* “DAD!” she tried to yell over the sounds to no success. “Its just like when you were her age,” Derpy’s father said with a reminiscent look in his eye. He stood nearby, listening to Dinky bang away for a few minutes before continuing. “And like you, it’s obvious her talent isn’t in music.” Derpy couldn’t help but smile at her father’s comment. “That still didn’t stop you from getting me drum lessons.” “And you would have been great,” he replied as he carefully took back Dinky’s drum sticks. Rather than pout, the foal simply giggled and then proceeded to push one of the larger pots towards Derpy. “Not even a year old and you’re already having her clean the house,” somepony chuckled, drawing Derpy’s attention to the room’s entrance and the orange maned mare standing in it. “Hi Carrot,” Derpy greeted her friend as the mare made her way into the room. Close behind her followed Dilvent, Minerva and, to Derpy’s shock, Shooting Star. “What are you doing here?” “Carrot Top invited me,” Star replied with a slightly hopeful smile, trying her best to hide the tremor in her voice. “My dad said it would be okay as long as I brought back a muffin for him.” “Lazy stallion,” Derpy’s father grumbled as he took a seat in a nearby chair. “Doesn’t want to come see an old friend but is willing to send his daughter out to get him food.” Nopony paid the older stallion any attention since he had proceeded to reach half heatedly for a nearby glass of water, only to give up quickly. “Derpy, sweetie! Daddy can’t reach his water!” “And this is who we count on to protect and serve,” Dilvent said as he pushed the glass the necessary three inches closer to the stallion. “You are a role model to us all.” “I try,” Derpy’s father replied with a smirk and a wink. “Don’t worry, maybe one day you’ll be as great as me.” “As long as I don’t get as round as you, I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Dilvent replied with a smirk of his own. “OOOhhhhhh!”the mares replied with smirks and giggles. “Okay,” the older stallion nodded. “I can see when I’m not needed.” “Ah, come on dad,” Derpy chuckled as her father got up to leave. “No,no,” He replied with obviously fake sniffles and crocodile tears. “It’s obvious I’m too old to hang with you youngins.” “It’s okay Mr. Hooves, we’ll make sure the nurse gives you extra taters with you meal tonight,” Carrot chuckled as the stallion smiled and made his way out of the room with a chuckle. “So, we gonna make muffins or what, cause I already call dibs on the mixing spoon afterwords,” Dilvent proclaimed with a smile, only for it to falter as he noticed Dinky currently using one of said spoons as a chew toy. “Or she can have them, that works too.” “So, what’s the occasion,” Shooting Star asked as she looked around the kitchen for a moment. “Tomorrow, Dinky’s daycare is going to have a family day,” Derpy said as she placed the aforementioned filly on her back. “The mare in charge of her class asked me if I would make some muffins for the day.” “And that’s why we’re all here,” Minerva replied as she began to pull out mixes and measuring tools with her magic. “I thought it would be nice if we all helped make these for tomorrow.” “Well, that’s nice,” Shooting Star said as she decided to help as well. “I do have to admit, it’s been awhile since I’ve had a, Hooves family muffin.” “Beware all ye who feast here, for this is not food; but a plague, one that can never be sated!” Dilvent said with a chuckle as he began cracking open some eggs. “Those poor foals.” “So,” Carrot Top began, taking a seat by one side of the room and watching as everypony else began to work. “What kinda numbers we talkin about here, cause my aunt and uncle want some extras too.” “Plenty,” Derpy chuckled. “But they have to take them from Dinky’s adorable little hooves to do that.” As if in reply, Dinky proceeded to hug Derpy’s head from the mares back, gurgling and giggling cutely in the process. “My heart… it can’t take… the cute,” Dilvent grunted from his area, as he fell to his back in an exaggerated manner. As he lay there playing possum, Dinky flashed away from her mother and appeared just over the stallion. Landing with a giggle, everypony couldn’t help but laugh as the stallion became slightly winded from the impact. “Et tu, Dinky, Et tu?” Dilvent wheezed before grabbing the filly and blowing raspberries in her belly. (o^o) Dinky couldn’t help but giggle loudly as Dilvent blew into her belly. This continued for several minutes before her mother took her from the stallion and placed the filly on her back. The filly continued to giggle even as she was taken over to a nearby counter that had an assortment of different ingredients. “All the sprinkles!” Dinky raised her forehooves in joy as her mother placed her in a nearby high chair. “Okay muffin, what should we put in first?” Derpy asked as she placed small portions of several different items in front of Dinky. Dinky stared at the items in front of her for several moments. There were strawberries, blueberries, chocolate, sprinkles and several other items the filly loved. “Choose the carrot,” somepony whispered in Dinky’s ear, a carrot being added to the group of items. The filly couldn’t help but giggle as she looked to the side to find Carrot Top standing right next to her chair. “Choose the carrot,” Carrot top repeated, nuzzling Dinky’s cheek. “I doubt a room of foals will want a healthy carrot muffin, even if their parents do,” Minerva pointed out with a grin. “Plus, I don’t remember, Carrot coming in with any carrots or there being any in the fridge.” “No carrot!” Dinky decided to push the carrot away, causing it to fall to the ground. “My baby!” Carrot Top cried out as she quickly scooped it up and cradled the carrot like a foal, ignoring the giggles and laughs from the others in the room. (9_6) “So, do you think four dozen will be enough,” Derpy asked the others of the group. They had just finished wrapping the last plate of muffins and had plenty of muffins left for the others. “There’s still time for carrot ones,” Carrot Top said as she held her carrot out for the tenth time that night. “Enough with the carrot already,” Dilvent groaned, grabbing the carrot and ate half of it in one bite with a loud crunch. The stallion adopted a slightly curious look on his face as he ate the carrot. “This carrot doesn’t taste right.” “Carrot!” Derpy snapped looking at her smirking friend. “I never told him to eat it,” the mare sang as she left the room with a little bounce and a bag of muffins. “Carrot’s not…?” Minerva began, trailing off with a slight blush. “No…” Derpy replied with a groan. She was only glad that Dinky had decided to go to sleep a short while ago. *Crunch* Everypony still present stopped at stared at Dilvent as he continued to eat the carrot as if nothing happened. “If we continue to react, it simply means that she has won.” “Okay… I gotta head home,” Shooting Star said with a slightly annoyed look. “Thanks for letting me join you and for the muffins.” “Want me to walk you there?” Dilvent asked as he finished the carrot. “Its on my way.” “I wouldn’t mind at all,” Star purred, batting her eye lashes as she led the way out with her own bag of muffins. “Uhg… I need more male friends,” Dilvent sighed as he followed the mare out. “See you tomorrow, Derpy.” “Bye everypony,” Derpy called as she was left with Minerva and a sleeping foal. “I better start heading out too,” Minerva sighed. “I got some things I still got to take care of.” “Okay,” Derpy said as she hoofed over the last bag of extra muffins. A few minutes later, Minerva was gone and Derpy was alone with her sleeping daughter. For a few moments at least. “Any left for dear old dad?” Derpy’s father asked as he made his way into the kitchen. He was just about to grab one of the wrapped plates before his hoof was slapped away by his daughter. “Sorry dad, but those aren’t for you,” Derpy sternly told the stallion. “The ones in the fridge are for you.” “That’s my filly,” her father replied with a smile as he went to the fridge and pulled out a bran muffin. “Is this your way of calling me old?” “Old, senile… full of gas,” Derpy said with a giggle. “Well, at least you cared enough,” her father said as he began to eat the muffin. “Are you sure you don’t want to come tomorrow?” Derpy asked as she took a seat and cradled Dinky in her forelegs. “You could take a sick day and join us.” “While I would love to do that, I just can’t,” her father sighed. “But don’t worry; I’m planning a big trip. Just the three of us, how does that sound?” “I guess thats okay,” Derpy replied with a sigh of her own. “Well, if anything happens, don’t be afraid the get ahold of me,” her father said as he gave his daughter and sleeping granddaughter a kiss goodnight. (Carrot) “Its so big!” Carrot Top drooled as she stared at the sight before her, a giant smile on her face. The object of her dreams now towered before her, the sunlight reflection off it perfectly. “I want it inside me!” Carrot shouted as she jumped forward, wrapping her hooves around the two story tall carrot in front of her. “Get. In. My. BELLY!” “Brussel sprouts.” Carrot Top was so entranced by her giant carrot, that she missed the whisper in the wind. Up until the carrot suddenly disappeared from her grasps. “My carrot?!” the mare yelled as she began to look around for her lost prize. Within moments, her eyes locked onto something that sent a chill down her spine. Just a few feet away, stood a five story tall Brussel sprout. Its size and girth blocking out the sun and casting a cold shadow over the mare. “Noooooo…” * * * “…oooo!” Carrot shouted as she bolted forward, bashing her head into something with a solid thunk. “Oh sweet mother of Celestia!” Dilvent groaned as he fell to the ground, clutching his snout in pain. “What is your head made of, cement?!” “I had it in my hooves!” Carrot shouted as she threw her covers off, revealing that she was in a pair of ducky pajamas. “I thought you got rid of those,” Derpy giggled from the rooms entrance. Carrot fixed her friend with a scowl, ready to make a retort, only to fall silent when she noticed Dinky on her back. “Dinky!” Before Derpy could stop her, Carrot jumped off her bed, using Dilvent as a spring board, and snatched the foal from her mother. Nothing was said as Carrot nuzzled the little filly continually for several moments. “We should really be going,” Dilvent groaned as he stood up. “Just let me get cleaned up,” Carrot smirked as she gave Dinky back to her mother. The moment Derpy and Dinky left the room, Carrot quickly closed the door. “I’m still in the room, Carrot,” Dilvent groaned as he tried to make his way out. “I know, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute,” Carrot Top replied with a serious look. “You do realize there will be other parents there?” “Yeah, and?” Dilvent asked as Carrot got really close. “So I need you to stick next to Derpy the entire time we’re there,” Carrot continued as she looked him in the eye. “Was basically planning on that, but I bet that’s not why you’re telling me this,” Dilvent replied as he took a step back and sat on the edge of Carrot Tops bed. “It’s not,” Carrot Top sighed, thinking back. “The first day I met, Dinky, it was on Derpy’s trip to the store. I remember that there was a slight incident when, Dinky noticed a couple and their foal. “It was really brief, but I know that she noticed it,” Carrot Top said with a sad sigh. “Aside from your parents, Dinky hasn’t had much interaction with full families and I’m a little worried that it might affect her. While I’m not asking you to go around saying you’re her dad or anything like that. I’m just saying that it would really help if you could at least act like you’re her father figure, for today at least.” Dilvent remained silent for several moment, a slightly shocked look on his face. “Have you talked to, Derpy about this?” “No,” Carrot sighed. “I didn’t want to worry her today, so I didn’t say anything.” “Okay…” Dilvent replied as he sighed a little. “I guess there’s nothing wrong with that.” “Great!” Carrot replied with a smile. Adapting a smirk, Carrot spun around and raised her flank toward the stallion, giving it a wiggle. “Now, would you mind helping me with my PJ’s. They tend to get stuck at the base of my tail.” “I’m out!” Dilvent yelled, launching himself out the room’s closest means of escape.