For Carrot Top it was a morning just like any other. Roll groggily out of bed. Stumble into the bathroom and brush her teeth. Then carefully brush out her mane and tail, before getting them nice and damp before massaging in her specially made conditioner. Ponies were always quick to praise her luxurious mane and her luscious tail. It was such a point for pride of her that when getting the Elements of Harmony, the Poison Joke fields she ran through along with Trixie and Raindrops caused her Mane and Tail to grow to gargantuan proportions.
Carrot Top gave a shudder at the memory of almost being crushed to death by her pride and joy, before taking a deep breath and banishing the thought. After she was done she walked out of the bathroom, letting the conditioner set, so that it could work its magic on her beauties. After all working on the farm ate away at most of her free time, so whatever few luxuries she could afford herself she relished.
Following up with her morning ritual, she went out to the fields, made sure her crops were all in one piece, before checking around the farm to see what her chores of the day were going to be. As she checked around she was happy to see that there didn’t seem to be a lot of things to do, which would make today a perfect day to go to the market. But before that there was the last part of her morning ritual, and the best part in Carrot Tops mind. Washing out the conditioner and enjoying a few moments feeling the full bodied, silky goodness of her mane, before petting her tail to ensure maximum enjoyability.
She happily hummed as she washed out the conditioner, her eyes closed as she brushed out the last few stray bits of tangles that had worked her way in. Soon everything was feeling spectacular. Then she looked at the mirror, and what she saw filled her with a sense of existential dread so powerful that there was only one response appropriate, ”AHHHHHHHHH!
***
There’s something to say about waking up in the morning, still partially asleep, then starring in the mirror looking like a giant monstrous carrot. Unfortunately Carrot Top wasn’t saying much as in her addled state, staying in doors and locking the door so that nopony could see that she magically turned into giant carrot, or at least a carrot colored pony with a shockingly green mane and tail bursting from her body. Was not the first thing on her mind as much as blind panic.
Then the true horror arrived. She entered into Ponyville Market just as businesses were starting to set up shop, and barreled accidentally into Roseluck, “I’m so sorry!” Carrot Top cried.
Roseluck looked at Carrot Top, her eyes scrunched up as her brain tried to process what was happening before her, and quite logically, for one of the flower trio, screamed, “The Horror! The Horror! Carrot Top’s finally turned into a giant, monstrous carrot, and is going to eat us all!”
And like magic the other flower trio members saw Carrot Top, and flew into hysterics.
Carrot Top blinded by tears of shame ran in a random direction and let her hooves guide her … Straight into Carousel Boutique. As she closed the door behind her she looked at Rarity who was about to greet her before she grew pale. What little color that existed in the delicate lavender undertones of her coat drained away, making her look ghost like herself. Rarity’s eyes grew to the size of saucers, and a squeal of pure dread and terror escaped her throat.
“Stars above what happened to you?! You look hideous!” Rarity shrieked, “That shade of green should be outlawed! …”
Carrot Top didn’t wait around to hear about how horrible she looked. Instead she galloped in the direction of the Everfree, where she could live the rest of her life in exile to hide from the terror she was instilling upon others.
And with great regret she ran, right into Fluttershy.
Carrot Top was sure that if other ponies were terrified of her appearance, than Fluttershy’s heart would explode from fright, Great! I just make friends with her, get her used to getting out of the house … with help, and even helped her friendship with Rarity take off. And now I’m going to kill her. I wonder if I can make it to the Griffon Kingdoms before Rainbow Dash finds out I killed Fluttershy?
Carrot Top being lost in thought didn’t see Fluttershy nervously wave her hoof in front of her face, “Um … Carrot Top, is that you?”
That drew her out of her daydream, “Oh! um … you aren’t terrified by my hideousness?” Carrot Top asked.
“Well, you still look like Carrot Top, so you aren’t any scarier than normal … I could be more terrified if you wanted me too?” Fluttershy said in a demure voice.
Carrot Top threw a hug around a startled Fluttershy, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You’re the first pony who hasn’t screamed in terror at the mere sight of me.”
Fluttershy feebly tried wiggling out of the hug, “It’s alright, if you’d like you can come over to my place and hide? If you want to that is. If not ….” Fluttershy said, her voice dropping down to levels to quiet for most ponies to hear.
“Thank you again Fluttershy! You’re the best pony ever!” Carrot Top said as they trotted back to Fluttershy’s house.
***
“So you were okay when you started getting your hair ready. But after you washed out the conditioner you looked green?” Fluttershy asked. A cup of herbal tea sat between them, and Carrot Top was fidgeting from the hungry looks on some of Fluttershy’s creatures.
“Yes. That about sums it up, seriously can this day get any … No! No! I didn’t say it! You heard me right?” Carrot Top panicked sending Fluttershy dashing behind the couch just as a loud crashing knock resounded on her door.
“This is the Guard! We know you’re in there CarrotZilla, come out with your leaves up, and we won’t have to bring out the Royal Cooks!” A voice yelled from the other side of the door, making Fluttershy squeak in terror.
“I’m coming, and I’m not a vegetable!” Carrot Top yelled before looking at Fluttershy, “I’m sorry, I’ll go now.”
“That’s odd, I didn’t know Carrots were fruits?” The Guard behind the door stated in confusion.
As Carrot Top opened the door, the guard looked at her. Looked at the terrified mob of ponies behind him. Looked back at Carrot Top one last time before facehooving and turning to address the crowd, “Seriously ponies, you told me that a giant mutant carrot that Honey Dew created attacked and ate Carrot Top and was now going home to home eating ponies. Now I got to tell my boss not to break out the Bass Cannon we got from Ms. Scratch to fight off some monster army that our resident Mad Scientist created.”
“As I told you, if I were to make a Carrot Army they’d shoot out caramel!” Honey Dew stated drawing the eyes of all ponies around her, before adding, “Of course I would never do that … *cough*yet*cough*.”
“Okay nothing to see here. And Pinkie Pie no playing Royal Cook today to save a friend from a monster that’s a crime against food. Maybe next time.”
As they all trotted off. Only her friends remained. As they all chuckled at the ridiculous hilarity of the situation, one of the students that had joined in an emergency-mob-field trip trotted up to Carrot Top.
“Hi I’m Sweetie Belle.”
“Hello?”
“You saved Apple Bloom from the bad guys at that one food place right?”
“Yes?” Carrot Top said nervous about where this was going. Especially after her day today.
“You’re a good pony, and I don’t care that you look like a carrot,” Sweetie said, and the rest of the foals murmured their agreement, “and I really like your mane. It looks … ow! nat-you-rall?”
“Au naturel, and I don’t think that’ exactly what you were going for Sweetie Belle, but it was nice of you to try,” Cheerilee responded.
“Oh! Well still I don’t think you look like a carrot monster at all,” Sweetie responded before cantering off with her class.
***
Other than Lyra and Trixie the rest of Raindrops friends split up. And the first things Carrot Top did was study her conditioner. It turned out a few of the materials needed for the solution for her conditioner had a serious defect. Causing them to create a green hair dye. And leaving it sit like she was used to was just long enough for it to turn her hair from a it’s beautiful orange to a bright green.
“So all of this was from a defect in your natural hair care products?” Trixie asked.
“Yes, and I can’t believe I didn’t do the smart thing and lock myself in my house until I solved this problem,” Carrot Top sighed.
“Well at least you don’t have all of Ponyville in a panic anymore thinking you’re some kind of carrot monster Bonbon’s mom made,” Lyra said with a shudder.
Trixie looked over at her and said, “I wasn’t paying attention when she was talking. What’s so bad about her again?”
“I’m only saying this because I’m your friend. You never want to find out,” Lyra said with a mirthless chuckle, “And never try her everyflavor brussel sprouts. It’ll haunt your nightmares forever.”
That brought a round of laughs from a around the table as Lyra turned to address Carrot Top, “Seriously though, it’s not a bad look on you CT. After all me and Raindrops have green in our manes and we look stunning, and who knows. It might grow on you,” Lyra said ribbing Carrot Top.
“Okay that’s it, I’m getting a drink, which of you girls are with me!” Carrot Top said in exasperation.
“Here! Here!” They replied.
And so ended the day, when Carrot Top started a fit of mass hysteria, and started a mob. All because of her rocking mane, making her look like a carrot.
Author's Note
Inspired by a few things. There's been an L!Verse Request for a "I really like your mane" type of fic for ages now and I had no inspiration for it, and it never popped up. Then recently while reading of a mane mishap in http://www.fimfiction.net/story/63008/1/adventures-in-ponysitting/worst-day-ever Which is mentioned in passing as a worst day ever.
And by the [url=http://www.fimfiction.net/group/760/the-lunaverse/thread/127597/october-writing-challenge-scary-stories LunaVerse Writing contest for a Scary Story [very loose definition of scary]. I decided to take the scares an character, or in this case quite a few characters and starts a mob. Really get that worst day feel in there.]
But all in all I decided to do this fic on a whim. There were no editors or pre-readers for this fic.
