A satisfying click echoed through the night as the gate unlatched. Carrot Top slid the stolen keycard back into the side pocket of her leather jacket, and pulled it closer around herself. The night air whipped her mane around the sides of her face, and she bit her bottom lip in response, puffing it out as she mulled over her options. The one remaining patrol pony in the yard continued to pace just beyond the gate, nightstick in his mouth as he continued to search for the intruder.
Carrot Top sucked in a breath and made sure her black wool half-mask covered everything but her eyes by adjusting it with a hoof. As the guard approached, she shrank back and stood on her hinds legs, pressing her back into the freezing brick column that marked the entrance way to the tall building before her. She closed her eyes, quietly reflecting on what had brought her here this night, and her breathing slowed as brilliant visions flashed through her thoughts.
A green cowpony hat. The open window. Her prey, below on the ground. A smirk. And then, herself, frozen in mid jump.
The hoofsteps passed by Carrot's right side, and she swiveled her ear while holding in her breath to remain undetected. A beam of light pierced the darkness, its edges just barely running over her shoulder as she pressed further into her jacket and the cold brick.
"Hello? Is… somepony there?"
Carrot Top spun sideways, falling to her hooves as she oriented her rear to face the gate and the patrolling guard beyond. With technique taught by her best farming friend, she thrust her back hooves out, giving the gate the hardest kick she could muster.
"HEE-YAH!"
The wrought iron swung inwards, knocking the surprised unicorn off of his hooves and onto the harsh pavement. The side of his head smacked noisily against the rough surface, and the levitating flashlight clattered to the ground before flickering and dying, returning the area to darkness.
Carrot smoothed over her mane with a hoof and surveyed the scene, watching calmly as the gate continued to swing in the chilling breeze over the fallen stalltion's body. With bated breath, she edged past the metal portal and put a hoof to the side of the pony's neck. A satisfied smirk crept across her features as the earth pony leaned down to swipe the guard's identification and flashlight, both of which she stuffed into the interior of her jacket. She would need to remember to thank Berry Punch later for letting her borrow her wine-smuggling gear. So much storage, in so little space.
A faint musky scent wafted up with the breeze, one so familiar, yet from so far away. The light yellow mare tilted her head in confusion, and soon located the source of the smell.
She bent low to retrieve the security guard's bandanna, and recognized the design embroidered into the red cloth immediately. The black outline of an apple. The insignia of where she truly belonged.
The sensation of coarse fur between her legs. The quick upward jerking motion as she struggled to hang on.
Carrot Top shook her head and dropped the scarf back onto the stallion. Bringing it would only push her to get ahead of herself, and make mistakes. This was too important of a mission to botch, and so she hooked her hooves under the stallion's forelegs and dragged the heavy pony along the ground as best she could.
A pie flew fast her face, whizzing through the air.
"No. Simmer down, girl. This is just phase one."
With a final grunt of effort, Carrot strained to pull the stallion's body up into a decorative bush and out of sight of anypony who might wander through the area. The mare clapped her front hooves against each other, removing the dirt from her leather shoes as she turned to look up at her target for the night.
A colossal, five-story monolith of concrete stood before her in a cylindrical shape, security spotlights playing across the front in an 'X' shape. High above the entranceway, the words 'Hoofington Aquarium' were displayed in large blue plastic letters affixed to the building's front.
Bingo. Now, it's just a matter of getting inside…
The mare shivered in the cold night breeze, and began a quick trot over to the eastern side of the building before her. The map that she had studied over and over again with Berry Punch occupied her thoughts, and she looked up the side of the building, counting windows as she did so. Finally, the perfect target came into view, and Carrot Top smirked as she bit down upon the cord draped around her neck.
With one smooth motion, she pulled the rope with a hoof, dragging it through her teeth and loving the feeling of the harsh material against her tongue. Once she determined that she had enough slack, she unlooped the entire length and held it in her hooves. The black, four-pronged hook at the end of the rope dangled low to the ground, and Carrot started twirling it in circular motions. The rhythmic, whistling noise brought yet more memories to the pony's mind, and another slideshow of images played through her thoughts.
The hum of the rotating ceiling fan. Berry Punch, forelegs crossed, leaning into the counter, looking unimpressed. Carrot Top herself, admitting to her strange urge. Berry's sympathetic look. A hoof upon her shoulder.
With renewed vigor, Carrot thrust her arm up, flinging the grappling hook skyward with all of her might. She narrowed her eyes and grit her teeth as she watched the dark metal find purchase upon the window sill high above with a satisfying clink.
"Yes!" The smiling pony allowed herself a quick hoof pump before letting go of the rope and allowing it to dangle alongside the wall of windows before her. Carrot Top rolled her neck, earning two sharp cracks as a reward for her effort.
The sharp crack of hooves upon dry earth. The buffalo whipping its head back, stomping hard as it snorts. Carrot Top clinging to the beast's fur as it once again begins to run.
The touch of rope against her hooves brought back fond memories of her fillyhood as Carrot Top began her ascent up the side of the building. All of those failed attempts at using a lasso- how her closest friend had laughed at her as she desperately tried to emulate the applebucker's skillful rope tricks. Carrot had laughed, too, at the time simply content to live out her rather basic life, at her farm or the Apple family's. But now… now, everything was different. Everypony always said she was such a simple, uninteresting mare. If only they knew how wrong they were.
The harsh wind continued to snap against her fur as the lone pony pulled herself up onto the window sill. A quick look back confirmed that a mistake now would likely lead to her death, but the revelation meant nothing. The hard part was over. Now, she just needed to get inside.
Another quick rummage through the various loops and pockets of Berry Punch's 'business coat' produced a glass cutter, and Carrot Top quickly got to work. The screech of the blade against the window caused her fur to stand on end, and she silently prayed that nopony was patrolling anywhere near the hallway that she would end up in once she gained entrance. When had she become this devious? What would her mother think?
"Y'all are just a simple farm pony, an' there ain't nothin' wrong with that. Ain't everypony gotta lead an excitin' life. Ain't ya happy just harvestin' carrots?"
"Yes, Ma. Nothin' else I would rather do."
A light snicker was lost in the breeze as the trespassing mare shook her head. How naïve she had been before, compared to now. Hitching a ride on that train to Appleoosa was the best decision she had ever made, and had opened her eyes to her true calling. Ever since her impromptu wrangling of a buffalo soldier during the great Appleoosan standoff, something awakened within Carrot Top.
She had realized that she was born to ride.
Not just anything would do. There had to be a thrill to it, and her subject had to be dangerous. Staying atop the buffalo, though difficult, just wasn't enough. The one-mare rodeos quickly became more and more dangerous, and Carrot Top soon realized that sitting atop something that could kill her was the only time she felt truly alive. First it was an oil drill. Then, a bear. Just one week ago, she had moved up to straddling a battering ram as Celestia's Royal Army broke down the walls of the Griffon Kingdom's central castle at the start of the recent war. After almost being arrested and barely escaping with her freedom, she had opted to purchase a bright orange motorcycle, which she affectionately christened 'Moonbeam'. For a while, speeding down the open roads between cities had satisfied her. But now… the old urges were coming back.
"It's simple," Berry Punch explained. "You've got an addiction, Carr. I know all about that sorta thing." The violet mare took a pull from her vodka bottle, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hoof. "Just be careful, and if that's what you really, really want to do… I say buck the haters, and go do it. Cloud Kicker knows the aquarium better'n anypony. Go with her tomorrow and scope out the place, and then at night, break in, and ride your little country heart out."
A resounding clatter echoed throughout the hall as the square of glass fell to the floor, thankfully remaining intact as it hit. Carrot Top slid nimbly through the window, and dropped down to the smooth tile without a sound. Her leather shoes creaked as she bent low, eyes darting from side to side in a desperate search for signs of life. Confident that nopony was within the immediate vicinity, she whipped out her stolen flashlight and knocked it into her hoof a few times, silently praying that it would spring back to life.
"C'mon, c'mon… work for Momma…" The battery-powered torch remained dead, and with a silent curse, she tossed it to the floor. "Good thing I eat all of them carrots," she whispered. With a deep breath, she stood quite still, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Her mind wandered, and she found herself reliving the conversation from earlier that day.
"You mean… you just like dangerous stuff between your legs? Sounds like a... sexual deprivation problem to me." Cloud Kicker snickered, and clapped a hoof around Carrot Top's shoulder. "Seriously, girl. You've been a sheltered mare your whole life. Go find a stallion, and you'll get over this real quick. If you're not careful, this whole fixation is going to destroy you."
"It's not sexual!" The earth pony stomped in frustration, stopping just before the gates of the aquarium. "Why does everypony I talk to think that automatically? This is spiritual! I feel like a whole new mare! If you're not gonna help me get in, then you can just go back home, and I'll check this place out myself. I'm not as naïve and innocent as you think, CK. Not anymore."
Cloud Kicker howled with laughter, and Carrot Top's cheeks began to heat up at the sound. "Simmer down, CT. I'll still help you, even if I think you're absolutely nuts. You're sure you want to try to ride this thing?"
"Positive."
"Then let's get going. We need to plan you a route to the tank as quickly as possible."
With a determined nod, the mare grabbed her grappling hook from the sill, reeled it in, and replaced it around her neck before setting out down the hall. Muted echoes of her hooffalls were masked by the whistling wind as she walked, following the path that she so clearly remembered.
The sea foam colored walls soon opened to a spacious hub, and the smell of salt filled the air. Far below, penguins were playing in the central enclosure near the entrance way, and Carrot Top put her hooves up onto the railing before her to watch. Her gaze traveled across the expanse below, taking in the various fish tanks and sea life swimming about. Here, alone in the aquarium, the pony found momentary peace. Moonlight filtering through the massive glass ceiling brought out a certain beauty that was absent during the daylight hours, and Carrot Top stopped to look skyward in a final moment of reflection.
So much for simplicity. If only Applejack could see me now…
A wicked grin took over Carrot's features as she dropped her hooves back to the floor and spun, completely done with introspection. She whirled, mane and tail whipping around her, and found the map of the complex right behind her, eye level upon the pristine wall. Sticking a hoof against the protective case, she traced out the ideal path to her destination, and with a nod, took off galloping.
Another wave of adrenaline washed over her, and a tingly feeling reached her hooves as she thundered along the freshly-swept floor. She quickly lowered her half-mask with a hoof, grinning uncontrollably at the thought of what she was about to do. With a shaky hoof, she pulled out the final item that she would need for the night, and held it out in front of her as she galloped toward the gigantic double doors before her.
The grey portals loomed ominously in front of the small earth pony, and she found herself staring up at them in absolute wonder. A single red stripe of paint high upon the surface broke up the otherwise uniform color, and in massive white letters within the streak, were two words.
SHARK TANK
Carrot Top raised her hoof, leveling her laser-sighted magnum at the lock on the door, and fired. Years of carrot-darts competitions had rendered her aiming skills absolutely precise, and the metal latch flew off accompanied by a deafening roar.
"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHO'S THERE?"
"Oh, buck me!"
Carrot Top rammed her shoulder into the doors, pushing them open just enough to slip through as the pursuing guard chased her down. The angered stallion pushed through as well, and stopped to radio for backup as he drew his own hoofgun, training it upon the back of the mare.
"Miss, I suggest you stop this insanity right the hay now, or I'm authorized to open fire. You're trespassing, armed, and I have more than enough reason to start shootin'. Turn around, and come quietly."
The mare stopped her galloping upon hearing the click of a hammer being cocked. She continued facing forward, looking up in awe at the massive wall of glass and the thousands of gallons of water behind it. Though the shimmering liquid was captivating, she soon found herself fixated upon the colossal beast swimming within it, and her breath hitched in her throat as she stared directly into the monster's eyes.
The great white shark stopped swimming, and a look of fear flashed across its soulless orbs. Carrot Top grinned devilishly, and in that moment, an unspoken understanding passed between the two beings. The mare was the hunter, and the shark was prey. Nothing else existed, and she needed to ride him. That was simply all there was to it.
The guard stomped angrily, and she quickly realized that there was no time to climb the ladder and hop into the tank properly, but Carrot wasn't leaving without getting her fix.
"Hey! Put the gun DOWN, and come quietly! You're trespassing in the most dangerous area of the aquarium, and if either of us starts firing, it could lead to disaster!"
Carrot Top turned slowly, smirking as she twisted her hoof around to aim the massive barrel of her gun over her shoulder.
"Honey, don't I know it."
The bullet screamed out of the weapon, flying straight into the tank and shattering the entire wall in a single powerful explosion of glass and water. Deadly shards flew forth, carried upon the foaming tide, and Carrot Top ducked low, one hoof over her face in a protective gesture. Thousands of splinters nicked at her fur, causing minor discomfort, but her foreleg and jacket took the worst of it before she found herself overpowered by the incoming water and swept off of her hooves.
The terrified guard began to flee, screaming at the top of his lungs, but ended up being washed away and out of the room as Carrot Top swam frantically toward her prey. The titanic shark did its best to get away from the crazed mare, but she pushed her hooves out with gusto and quickly caught up to the animal. With a quick intake of breath, she dived down beneath the surface, eyes burning against the salt water, and wrapped her hooves around the leathery dorsal fin of the fleeing predator. Carrot swung her legs around to straddle the shark, and gave it a hard kick with both hooves in an attempt to inspire it to swim. The beast was happy to oblige, and it spun around, riding the rushing water out through the giant double doors and into the central room of the building.
"Stop! Y- EVERYPONY RUN!"
Several uniformed stallions lined up along the upper terrace began to flee from the mare and her mount, some getting pushed down and consumed by the swirling tides. Carrot Top held on for dear life, riding her high and feeling on top of the world. Nothing she had ever felt compared to this moment, though the ride was bound to be short lived as the shark slammed into the far wall. A cascade of water seeped under the rail, and the shark was soon sliding around the ground upon its stomach due to the decreasing water level. With her mission accomplished, Carrot hopped off of her ride and began galloping down the hallway as fast as she could, heading for the stairwell.
"Somepony stop her! She's insane!"
More nondescript guards flooded into the hallway from a side door, guns trained on the fleeing mare as she ran straight past them. She tossed her waterlogged gun behind her as a distraction, and charged through the stairwell door, a hail of bullets flying into the walls around her as she barely made it to safety.
Her lungs burned with effort as she took the stairs two at a time, heading straight for the roof and possible salvation. The momentary release of her conquest still fresh in her mind, she smiled wide while running, having a private celebration within her thoughts. She heard the door fly open behind her, but was already an entire flight of stairs above the yelling guards. The armored ponies began to rapidly sprint up the steps, and as their laser sights became visible around the corner, the former farmer employed her secret weapon.
With a quick hoofmotion, Carrot Top unleashed an entire torrent of carrots from a compartment in her trench coat, and sent them rolling down the stairs behind her. Several of the stallions slipped upon the cascading vegetables, swearing in anger as their target made for the rooftop with haste.
Re-emerging into the night breeze, Carrot ran with all of her might across the slick surface. The bitter wind enveloped her soaked form, tugging against her heavy leather coat and threatening to pull her backward as she ran. Her powerful legs pumped even harder, and she knew that stopping now would only lead to certain death.
After several seconds of frantic searching, her heart leapt in her chest as she spotted her escape route. A nylon cord decorated with flags, each bearing the Hoofington Aquarium logo, ran diagonally from a rooftop pole all the way to the ground. The plan was risky, and potentially deadly, but Carrot Top continued to run as the stallions made it onto the roof behind her.
"What the hay are you doing? Stop!"
"It's too late to stop!" She replied as her hooves pounded into the smooth surface. "This is my new life! I am The Night Carrot, and NOPONY CAN STOP ME!"
Carrot Top spread her coat dramatically, and unraveled the grappling hook from around her neck as she jumped off the roof, hooves spread wide. With a quick prayer, she tossed the tool upward, grinning madly as the metal hooked around the nylon, securing her to the long rope with a satisfying jerk. The mare wrapped the rope around her hooves for security, and screamed victoriously as she began to slide, bumping up and down as the hooked metal passed over each flag, dislodging them from the line one by one.
"WOOOOOHOOOOOO!"
The guards on the rooftop stopped right at the edge, hoofguns and rifles raised to make an attempt at the soaring criminal. Her light yellow form sailed straight out of range, and each of them lowered their weapons, all hope of stopping the mare gone. A single stallion radioed in to his commanding officer, and grimaced as he explained the situation in a hushed tone.
"We lost her, sir. She's just… gone."
Carrot continued to slide, her distance from the ground getting smaller and smaller as she careened downward at an angle along the rope. As she passed over the fence, she let go of the line, and tucked into a roll on the moist grass just outside the gate. Frozen to the bone, the additional wetness didn't shake her at all as she leapt to her hooves and galloped over to Moonbeam, waving frantically at the waiting violet mare sitting atop the motorcycle.
"Didja do it? Did you get to ride the shark?"
Carrot grinned from ear to ear as she hopped onto the bike, sopping wet and giggling. "I totally did, Berry, and I couldn't have done it without your help! They're still after me, though, so drive, mare, drive!"
Berry Punch twisted the handle immediately, biting the inside of her lip as Carrot Top looped her forelegs around Berry's waist. The motorcycle circled, screeching along the asphalt before rearing back onto one wheel, both mares clinging desperately to the roaring machine.
"Let's roll, CT! The baddest mares to ever live!"
Carrot Top nodded, and let out a snort as the vehicle bounced back to the ground. "You got that right, BP! Off to the next adventure!"
"THE LIQUOR STORE!"
"WOOOOOOOO!"
Moonbeam roared, sliding forward along the ground, and the two felons sped off into the night, disappearing into the darkness on their way to the next thrill.