Beyond Her Garden

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three

Prologue

--Please note, this story is NOT about the mane six, I needed a way to get them out of ponyville and this was the best way, as it sets me up for a third installment in the story if I so please, and it makes sense. Thank you and enjoy <3--

“Twilight!” Spike shouted his caretakers name from the lower level of the library, his young voice a mixture of fear and concern.

“What is it Spike? Is everything ok?” Why does he sound so panicked? Oh Celestia, please tell me he hasn’t gone and broken something.

“It’s…” His voice trailed off. Twilight could hear a muffled whimper from where she was reading. “It’s… Celestia… she has some bad news… I… I think you should come read this…”

Ok, he sounds really shaken up. What could he possibly be so sad about? Or is he even sad, more like, confused? Or, angry? No, he is always over-exaggerating…I bet he just heard Rarity has a coltfriend or something. Does she? No, I would have found out WAY before spike. Unless it was a secret…maybe that’s why Spike is so shaken up? But, I mean, it is just girl issues, he can’t be th-

“Twilight! Please, you… you need to read this letter… I‘m scared and I don’t know i… if this is real or… just a… I… don’t...” Twilight hadn’t realized she had gotten lost into her own thoughts until spikes voice snapped her back to reality. Note: Do NOT get lost into your own thoughts when Spike is talking to you, he gets VERY impatient. She chuckled to herself at the mental notation, but suddenly snapped back to reality. She could hear Spike trying to hold back tears, and he was doing quite a poor job. His voice was weak and shaky, as if his best friend had died.

“I’m coming Spike, is everything alright?” Twilight set down the book that she had been reading next to her bed, ladning with a thud. Through the pitch black, she carefully trotted down the stairs and towards the library. Upon arriving, she found her pet owl, Owlicous, perched next to Spike. Spike was standing at the window, using the moons luminescence to read a letter. She flicked a switch at the bottom of the stairs and filled the whole room with a new-found warm glow, unlike the cold one spike had been using to read the note. As Owlicous blinked a few times to get used to the new source of light, Twilight shifted her gaze from him and onto Spike.

Well that must be the letter he was talking about.Twilight took a step forward, making an audible clop. Hearing the sound, Spike immediately looked up from the note and onto Twilights face. He dropped the note and dashed into Twilight, immediately breaking into tears.

“Spike, what is going on? You are starting to scare me.” She tried to sound less frightened than she really was.

Spike didn’t answer; he just continued to weep into her foreleg.

Oh my goodness, in all the years I have known him, I have never seen him this upset. What could he possibly be so sad about? Did he hurt somepony? Or, did he hurt himself?

She nudged Spike’s head off of her foreleg lightly, and as she did so, she looked into his eyes. He looked at her with longing, as if he was looking for an answer or just some sort of comfort. She could see that he was in pain, not physical, but emotional. Never in her days had she ever seen Spike so emotional. He always had a happy-go-lucky view on everything, except for when she had him do chores. In fact, he rarely ever cried or even showed any strong emotion. She could tell something was definitely wrong. She wanted to ask him, then and there, what was going on. By the way he was standing; she could tell he was not physically hurt. She opened her mouth to ask him what the matter was, but realized it would be best for him to get some sleep first. Being that she hadn’t read the letter, she would be unable to help him anyway, as she would have no idea on how to respond.

“C’mon Spike, let’s go get you into bed.” She looked down to spike with a look only a loving mother could give.

Spike sniffled as if he were about to speak. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He just pointed. Twilight followed his claw over towards the note he had dropped earlier. Her first instinct was to go and pick it up, find out what all of this was about. Then, yet again, her motherly instincts kicked in. She held off the urge to know what was happening, so that she could get spike to bed and calm him down.

“Don’t worry, Spike. It can wait. Let’s go get you tucked in” She focused her eyes back on the small green dragon next to her and couldn’t help but feel sorry for the little guy.

“It is going to be ok Spike, I promise.” She tried her best not to sound concerned.

“You" Spike sniffled audibly as he spoke. "You haven’t even read the letter yet. How can you even tell that everything is going to be ok?” Twilight could tell Spike was having a hard time calming down. She had to say something that would help calm him until she could read the note; she couldn’t just send him upstairs without comforting him.

“Because you have me, and I have you. That is all we need to be ok, no matter what. Now let’s get you to bed, you need some rest and it’s late.” Twilight brought him closer with her left foreleg and Spike let out a long sigh of relief. It could have been a second or an hour, Twilight didn’t know. It just felt like she was doing something right. Like, at this very moment and at this certain time, there was nothing that could have cheered him up more than her presence.

She broke the warm embrace and used her magic to float him onto her back. At the same time, she used her magic to pick up a blanket lying on the chair nearest to them. She trotted slowly up the stairs and into their room, making sure he wouldn’t fall off of her back as she did so. She set him on his bed and dropped the blanket onto him. Using her snout, she pushed the blanket around him, making a small Spike-filled blanket burrito. As she did, she made small, light exhaling sounds. Her father had done so to her and spike ever since she was a foal and spike was just a hatchling. After she and Spike left their parents house, and she became his primary caretaker, Spike had grown so accustomed to it that whenever he went to bed, Twilight would do the same. It was comforting for him, reminding him that she loved him just as much as his adopted parents had, and although Twilight would never admit it to anypony, she missed the small gesture more than she had expected. For her, it was like a soft kiss on the cheek from a loving mother, or the warm embrace of a caring father. It was always the little things she loved and missed, and her father tucking her in was the one she missed the most.

As she finished the final corner of the blanket, she looked at Spike and kissed him on the forehead.

“I love you Twilight and no matter what you see, I want you to know that I am here for you just as much as you are here for me.” The innocence and sweetness in his voice made twilight shed a tear of pure happiness.

“I love you too Spike, I will talk to you in the morning, ok? I know you may have many questions and concerns about whatever is on that piece of paper, but don’t worry. I will probably end up being just as confused as you, but after I soak in whatever that letter says, we’ll talk about it.”

“I understand Twilight. Just, remember, you have me.” Upon hearing his reassurance yet again, Twilight gave him another kiss on his forehead and then trotted out of the room.

Ok, whatever this note is going to say, I am ready for it. I am Twilight Sparkle, I defeated Discord and Nightmare Moon. Maybe it is something small and Spike is just shaken up by it. If it is something big, then I have to prepare for tomorrow morning’s talk. Slow down twilight, you still don’t know how you will react. Ok, wait and remember not to over think things. You haven’t even read the letter and you are already deciding how you are going to react.

Twilight walked over to the window where Spike was reading near. As she picked up the letter, she noticed it was actually quite larger than the usual check-up letter she would normally receive. Preparing to read what was contained in the letter, she realized that the window cover was still up so that anypony walking by would be able to see inside the house. Using her magic, she pulled the canvas window cover down over the window, blocking the view into her house, and the moons light from entering inside. As if knowing that Twilight was about to read something saddening, Owlicous followed her over to the chair where she sat and landed on her shoulder. Twilight looked at the back of the letter before flipping it over and took a deep breath, preparing for what she was about to read. Once she felt she was ready, she flipped the paper over to see a long paragraph of writing.

My dearest student,

Twilight. I have heard some very saddening news that I must share with you. Immediately.

Twilight stopped reading for a moment to think. Oh dear Celestia, something terrible has happened. Ok, I just need to read the whole thing, no distractions. No matter what, you are a strong filly; I can read a letter without immediately assuming the worst.

My dearest student,

Twilight. I have heard some very saddening news that I must share with you. Immediately. Now, Spike, I know you are going to read this before Twilight so I want you to give this to her and not read beyond this point. What is to follow is not for young ears. Now, Twilight back to the topic at hand, your mother and father have passed away today in a horrific accident. They were riding a cart from Canterlot to go and see you. They were alongside a cliff when the cart’s wheel broke causing the cart to topple over into the canyon. I am truly sorry to break this news to you so bluntly, and I know how this feels, losing loved ones, and I am so sorry that this has happened. They loved you so much and I know that you loved them. This is just how life works. Throughout their lifetime, they have helped me, Canterlot, and Equestria so much and they lived a great life. Shining armor is still on his honey moon so he has not heard about this yet. I think it would be best for you to tell him yourself, once you have heard everything from me pony to pony. I am inviting you and your friends if you would like them to go, to Canterlot to stay in the castle. I look forward to your letter back, but I want you to have some time to yourself before you reply. I love you, my student, and I am sorry for what has happened. I hope that there is something, anything, I can do for you once you arrive in Canterlot. You’re mentor,

Princess Celestia

The letter floated silently towards the ground. She felt as if she had been kicked in the stomach multiple times. She was unable to think, or form a full sentence, or even move. The only thing she felt was a hot tear rolling down the side of her right cheek. She was not ready for this.

“I’m so sorry Twilight” Fluttershy’s soft voice broke the silence. Fluttershy sat across from Twilight, along with Rarity, Rainbowdash, Pinkiepie, and Applejack. They all sat looking at Twilight, waiting for some sort of proof that Twilight was listening to them. Twilight spent the whole night, and half of the next day sitting in her chair, staring at the letter. She was supposed to meet Rarity and Fluttershy at the spa in the morning, as they were going to discuss the strategy for growing during the seasons they would normally be unable to. Ever since Twilight had become a part of ponyville, she was able to use her magic, along with Rarity, too grow food during the seasons they normally wouldn’t be able too. It helped ponyville a lot because this meant everyone would have food year round, and the prices would stay the same even through winter. Twilight was supposed to meet them as soon as she awoke, but after a few hours, Rarity and Fluttershy began to worry. They went over to the library to see if she was even home, and that’s when they found her, crying and looking down at a note.

“Twilight, my dear. I don’t mean to be rude, but don’t you think you should clean up a bit before spike wakes up? It’s almost twelve, and that’s usually when he awakes, and I don’t think it would be good for him to see you like this.” Rarity gazed at Twilight, longing for an answer. Before she could though, Applejack cut in.

“Wait just a second here Rarity. Ya can’t go an’ rush Twilight into bein’ ok. She needs to take some time ‘fore she goes actin’ all happy.”

“I never said such a thing! I simply made a suggestion that she should composer herself so she doesn’t make spike worry.” Rarity looked to Twilight as if she expected her to back her reasoning up.

“She’s got a point Twilight, if Spike sees you like this, he could panic himself.” Rainbowdash spoke confidently, but then blushed as she realized her choice of words.

“I mean, not that you are panicking or anything, we just don’t want spike too. Not that it’s our job or anything. But if you need help, we can help too if you want!” Rainbowdash looked at her friends, most of them staring at her like she was crazy. She wanted to get out of there, fast. She did not want to embarrass herself more than she already had. “Erm…is it hot in here? I’m gonna go get some fresh air.” As Rainbow went to open the door, Twilight finally spoke up.

“No, you guys are right. I need to go and wash up and act like I am okay. It will help Spike. I don’t want him to see me like this.” Rarity looked proudly towards Applejack. She ignored Rarity’s childness as she asked Twilight a question.

“Are ya sure sugarcube? We can always go an take Spike somewhere while ya think” Twilight sat in silence for a few seconds, thinking it over.

“No, it’s for the best. Besides, she wanted me to go to Canterlot with you five, and the next train is tonight. We should really be getting ready for that. Would you girls mind coming?” Twilight finally looked up to them. Her eyes were big and shiny from crying all night and it was obvious on her face.

“Well, I don’t have to work today, what do you say girls?” Raindowdash rose into the air, trying to lighten the mood as she spoke, and the others all chimed their responses in unison.

“That would be marvelous”

“Of course! It will be like a party!”

“Ah guess I could leave the farm for a few days”

“Um…okay, I can make it once I feed the animals.”

Twilight rose out of the chair and wiped her eyes. She looked at all of her friends in the same room. They were all there, for her. “I love you fillies” Twilight smiled as she said it, seeing all of ther faces making the similar grin.

“Group hug! We should TOTALLY have a group hug!” Pinkie bounced up and down as she made the suggestion, seeming a little too excited for just a hug. They all went into the center for a long group hug.

I may have lost my mother and father, but I still have my family here.

Throughout the day, more and more pony’s heard about what had happened to Twilight. Many came by to give their condolences, making it hard for Twilight to get ready on time. Somehow though, she got ready with five minutes to spare. She used the five minutes to think about what she would say to spike once they were alone at the castle. Earlier on in the day, spike had gotten up just as her friends had left to get ready. Since they both had little time to get ready, they both agreed that they would try and act as happy and normal as possible, and wouldn’t talk anymore about it until they were alone at the castle. Her five minutes of down time went by quite fast, as it was already time for them to head down to the train station. With Spike by her side, she exited out the library’s main doors where a small group of five mares she knew greeted her. Of course, Bon-bon and Lyra were together, along with berry punch, carrot top, and derpy hooves.

As soon as she turned around, Derpy greeted her.

“Hello Twilight and Spike!” Derpy’s smiled at them both. Before Twilight or spike could respond, she started to speak again. “I made this muffin for you last night, Twilight! I made it purple because you are!” Derpy handed her a dark purple cupcake that smelled of vanilla and cinnamon. “And this one is for you Spike!” Derpy handed Spike a similar sized green muffin, with what seemed to be purple streaks.

“Thank you Derpy, I was actually quite hungry.” Twilight dropped the muffin into her saddle bag so she could save it for later.

“Yeah Derpy, thanks! This muffin is awesome!” Spike chimed with half of the muffin in his mouth. Derpy giggled at the sight of the small dragon struggling to speak and eat at the same time.

“Hahaha, your welcome Spike!” Derpy flapped her wings a few times excitedly at the praise, floating slightly off of the ground.

“Berry and I picked these for you out of my garden. They were the ripest ones we could find and we picked enough for you and your other friends.” Carrot top reached into her saddlebag and pulled a small canvas bag filled with carrots out.

“Thank you Carrot top, these are-” Twilight suddenly noticed how large they were and went wide eyed. “Carrot top, how did you… these must be worth a fortune, I can-”

“No, it’s okay. I want you to have these. We picked them just for you!” Carrot top smiled at Twilight as she said it. Twilight had never noticed, but Carrot top always had a slight sing-song to her voice, much like Pinkie’s but not as prominent.

“Thank you fillies, this means a lot to me that you guys came to visit and gave us such great gifts!” Twilight looked at them and smiled lightly. Large carrots and two colored muffins weren’t usually something that carried meaning, but to Twilight, it meant that even the friends that she didn’t get to talk to as much still loved her.

“Well, there was one other thing.” Twilight looked to Bon-Bon as she spoke.

“We heard you two were walking down to the train station, so we were wondering if we could maybe walk you guys there!” Lyra said, finishing Bon-bon’s sentence.

“Of course you fillies can!” As twilight said the five words, Derpy made an excited whimper and did the same flapping with her wings she had done moments ago. Twilight cocked her head at the other four friends and Berry explained.

“She does that whenever she is happy. It’s quite cute, isn’t it?” Twilight chuckled at the response; she really did have some incredible friends.

Twilight and the other five of her friends looked out of there cabooses windows, waving at the ponies who had come to say goodbye to them. They would only be gone for a week, but the town wanted Twilight to know that they all loved her. As the train began to roll from the station, Pinkie tapped her shoulder.

“Hey Twilight, how do you think the town will do without us?” Twilight cocked her head at Pinkie, and then remembering Pinkie Pie was just being Pinkie Pie, she replied with a simple response.

“I think they will be just fine Pinkie.”

Chapter One

“Goodbye Twilight!” Carrot Top stood up on her hind legs, trying to get a glimpse of Twilight’s face before she was whisked away to Canterlot. She looked to where she thought she had seen Twilight sitting, but there was nopony in the seat. The train made an audible hiss as it cranked itself to life. A pure white cloud of steam came billowing out of the engine’s funnel as it began to move. It didn’t take long for the train to gain momentum, and in seconds, Twilight was on her way to Canterlot.

“She seemed awfully happy for a mare who just lost their parents” Berry Punch looked in the direction the train had headed, scratching her head.

“Berry!” Derpy looked at her in disbelief, her mouth wide open.

“I’m sorry Derpy; I didn’t mean to be rude.” Berry patted Derpy on the shoulder. “It’s just, she seems so… normal. Like, nothing has happened.” She looked to Carrot Top, only to be greeted by the back of her head. Carrot Top continued to look out in the direction the train had departed as she explained the situation to Berry.

“That was the point Berry. She didn’t want anypony to see her sad. She just wanted to leave as normal Twilight, she doesn’t like the attention.” Carrot Top smiled and lightly chuckled to herself as she spoke the last sentence. She had always appreciated Twilight from afar and admired the fact that Twilight was so content with who she was. Twilight never let anypony tell her who she was, or what she should like. Twilight knew who she was and what she wanted and she wasn’t afraid to show everypony what that was. She had always wanted to get to know Twilight better, but there had never been a good time to do so. The only times she ever saw Twilight were at one of Pinkie Pie’s festive parties, and they weren’t exactly the best place to “meet and greet.” There was always too much going on and too many ponies attending to let her get some quality time alone with Twilight. The only time she had ever gotten to talk to Twilight by herself, was during Winter Wrap Up. Twilight had approached her about how the planting was going and if they had needed any help. It was the first time Carrot Top had ever heard her voice. Well, there was that one time at Twilights “Welcome to Ponyville” party, but all she heard that time was Twilight screaming. By the time she had looked to the source, all she could see was a purple pony with a very red face running around in search of water. Winter Wrap Up was different though. She actually got to talk to Twilight in person and hear her voice up close. It was so soft, yet, it carried and had a, “in charge but not full of it” kind of tone. It was like talking to your mother after you had done something good, or like a bed time story from a caring grandmother. Twilight’s voice was just so soothing to her. Okay, c’mon Carrot Top, you can’t go and treat Twilight like a god. She is just a mare that you know, and nothing more. Besides, h -. Carrot Top’s train of thought was cut off by Bon-Bon’s voice.

“Well, I’m glad she was able to clean herself up. She didn’t look too good this morning.” Carrot Top snapped her head around so her eyes were focused on Bon-Bon’s.

“You were with Twilight before we got there?” Carrot Top looked at Bon-Bon, waiting for an answer. She wasn’t mad, just, surprised.

“Well, not exactly, no. I overheard Rarity and Fluttershy talking in the spa while I was getting a hooficure. They sounded really concerned and said were afraid something had happened to Twilight. They left the spa before I could ask them if anything had really happened, so I left too and headed over to Twilight’s house. When I got there, her window shutters weren’t closed all the way and I could hear sobbing coming from the inside...” Bon-Bon’s voice trailed off in embarrassment as she looked towards the ground.

“And…?” Carrot Top leaned forwards a bit as she asked the question. Bon-Bon’s other three friends were staring at her as well, there necks craned forward, eagerly waiting to hear what happened next.

“Well, I peered through the gap in the shutters and saw Twilight sobbing into Rarity’s chest. Rarity was patting her on the back, and brushing a hoof through her mane. Fluttershy was there too, but she flew out as soon as I got there. I heard her say something about Spike and having to pack things up or something. That’s when I left to go home.” Bon-Bon looked up to find Carrot Top staring at her in disbelief.

“So let me get this straight: you heard crying, looked in to make sure everything was OK, once you found out that Twilight wasn't hurt, you stayed and eavesdropped instead of respecting her privacy?!” Carrot Top’s voice was higher pitched and more aggressive than normal.

“Well, I didn’t mean to! I just, once I started looking, I had to know what was going on. I mean, what if she needed more help?” Bon-Bon looked away from Carrot Top, avoiding her glare as she replied.

“Bon-Bon! You don’t just go and listen in on someone’s conversation, especially when they are in their own home!” Carrot Top had become much angrier and it showed when she spoke. Derpy and Berry began to back away, trying to avoid the heated conversation.

“Girls! Calm down, both of you!” Lyra stepped between the two, glaring at both of them. “Bon-Bon knows what she did was wrong, okay? There's no need to get into a fight over it.” Lyra backed away as she said the final words, allowing the other two to apologize.

“I’m sorry Bon-Bon, I should not have gone off and yelled at you like that. I have just been very stressed out lately, and Twilight’s parents dying hasn’t helped.” Carrot Top looked up to her friend and gave a small smile.

“Me too. I shouldn't have eavesdropped. That was't right of me.” Bon-Bon stretched her forelegs out and hugged Carrot Top.

“Let’s head back home. I could use a bite to eat!” Carrot Top looked at her friends and could tell by the nodding of their heads, that they agreed.

Carrot Top and her four friends all sat at a picnic table in the park, holding brown bags with grease stains on the bottom. They had gone to a popular food truck in Ponyville that served fried hay sandwiches and hay fries. It wasn’t the fanciest place in town, but the food was good and it was priced quite reasonably. The best part about the truck though, was its location. It stood just outside the town square, right in front of the park. This made it simple for ponies to simply walk up and order on their way to the park, instead having to go into town. The truck had been there for almost two years and it was always a favorite with the town ponies. Carrot Top and her four friends all eagerly opened their bags and began to eat. She found it funny and quite unusual that Derpy hadn't gone to get muffins instead; usually when they ate out together, Derpy would either bring a muffin with her or buy one from Sugar Cube Corner. This time, however, she had actually broken her habit and bought a small hay and a good portion of hay fries, a lot for a mare as small as Derpy. Carrot Top was always so confused on where she put all of the food she ate. It must be a Pegasus thing. Carrot Top thought to herself.

“So, Carrot Top, I know you guys stopped talking about it, but,” Lyra had been talking in between bites of her sandwich and had to swallow before she could continue her sentence. “why were you so upset about Bon-Bon listening in on Twilight? I mean, I know you want her to do the right thing and we all know eavesdropping is bad, but you got pretty angry.” As soon as Lyra had finished speaking, she bit into her sandwich aggressively. Carrot Top looked at the faces of her friends as they stared at her, all on the edge of their seats eagerly awaiting an answer. Well, I guess you could tell them. I mean, they are your best friends, they will understand. No, I can’t! Well maybe I could… I don’t know. How am I supposed to tell them about something I don’t even understand? Carrot Top tried to think of a way out of telling them. The wheels were turning in her head as she went over more than ten ways to get out of it, but she couldn't come up with anything plausible.

“Well, I sorta…” Her friends all leaned in excitedly. “Let’s put it this way. When I first met Twilight, I felt for her in ways I only felt towards family and close friends. I didn’t understand how I could have these feelings towards a pony whom I had just met. At first, I thought we were going to be great friends and I really wanted to get to know her. But, we never really talked though, and eventually I met other ponies along the way. I thought it was just me being silly or something and I hadn't really thought about it since. Today when I saw Twilight, i became confused. I knew she was trying to stay strong and i knew she was hurting. It stirred those same feelings inside of me, feelings like the ones I had when I first met her. So, as you can guess, I was pretty confused the whole way to the train station. Heck, i still am, but when Bon-Bon said she was eavesdropping on Twilight, it just set me off. I don’t know, does that make sense?” She looked too her friends for support and of course, Bon-Bon was the first one to speak.

“Of course it makes sense!” Bon-Bon shouted excitedly as if she had heard something absolutely insane. Lyra nodded her head in agreement, the sandwich in her mouth bobbing up and down.

"Well, no. Not what you are thi-" Derpy interrupted Carrot Top, suddenly realizing she hadn't given her opinion.

“I think it makes sense! It’s like when you have a chocolate muffin, and a blueberry muffin and you don’t know which one to choose.” Derpy looked through Carrot Top as if she was puzzling together what she had just stated.

“Well, kind of. I know I don’t have feelings for Twilight like THAT, we are just friends. I just don’t know what the feelings I am having for her mean.” Carrot Top looked down at her hooves as she spoke, thinking deeply about how she might figure out what these recurring feelings meant.

“Well, I don’t know, but now is a better time than ever to go and get some drinks.” Berry nudged Carrot Top as she made the suggestion, seeing if she couldn’t cheer the orange mare up a bit.

“It’s a little early for that. Why don’t we have a peaceful walk around the park?" Carrot Top looked up at her purple friend, whom was sporting a small frown. "Doesn't that sound nice?” Carrot Top adjusted her posture and got up as she spoke, encouraging her friends to do the same.

“Yeah! Then maybe we can get some muffins afterwards!” For the third time that day, Derpy had gotten so excited she began to flap her wings rapidly, slightly rising her into the air.

“Oh Derpy, you STILL want muffins? After this huge lunch?" Carrot Top giggled as she stared at the happy Pegasus in front of her, nodding in response to Carrot Tops question.

"Where do you put all of that food!” Carrot Top put her forearm on top of Derpy’s back, bringing her back down on the ground, smiling the whole time at her unique friend.

“I’ll see you later, girls!” Carrot Top waved towards Bon-Bon and Lyra as they entered their house. Whenever the group of friends hung out, Carrot Top would always walk Bon-Bon and Lyra home, as it was on the way to her own house. This also allowed her to have some alone time with the two. She loved being with Berry and Derpy, but Berry never took anything too serious. Which meant when it came to talking about something that she needed help with, Berry would unintentionally do the exact opposite. As for Derpy, she was just so random. Carrot Top chuckled at the thought. Derpy may not be 100% all there, but sometimes she was the smartest pony in the world. That was one of the things Carrot Top loved about Derpy the most, she was so innocent. Derpy had never been heartbroken, and she never looked at the world through tainted glasses. Derpy had no bias, and no ultimatum. She was just a fun, heartwarming mare. It meant that when Carrot Top would overlook the simple things, Derpy would always notice them. This was something Carrot Top needed every now and then; a pony that would sit her down and help her realize the small things she was missing. Whether it was something in day-to-day life, or a huge mistake she was about too make, Derpy would always help her with the small things she missed. Almost always, those small things would end up allowing her to make the right decision.

It felt like no time at all before Carrot Top had reached her front door. She lived just on the outskirts of Ponyville, right next to the path that lead to Fluttershy’s cottage. She herself lived in a smaller house with a very large backyard, which she chose for the very reason. It had allowed her to start a carrot-growing business without needing a huge farm and workers. The inside of her house was quaint. The walls had very little decoration, but the interior wasn't drab by any means. It was like biting into a cinnamon roll; a perfect balance of sweetness and savory, yet so simple at the same time. The same effect was in place here. The little decoration she allowed, a few pictures, a ceramic carrot clock, and a book shelf containing do-it-yourself gardening books by none other than Carrot Top herself, was just enough to make the place feel like a home. That was just the living room however. Down the hall was her bedroom containg her bed, another bookshelf stocked with more self-penned gardening books, a small night stand with a lamp, and a small pot with a single carrot leaf sticking out. She had had the small, non-growing plant ever since she was a small filly. Her mother had given it to her as a gift for successfully learning how to plant and grow carrots the correct way. It was to be her personal carrot that she would grow on her own with no help, then once it was grown young Carrot Top and her mother were to eat it together. It had grown well over the first few days, but suddenly stopped growing and just remained as a small leaf sticking out of the pot. After a few weeks of the plant refusing to grow any further, Carrot Top had been about to throw it away. That very day however, her mother fell ill and passed away. The small, non-growing plotted plant was the only thing Carrot Top had left of her. The next day she decided she would keep it and continue to tend to it in order to keep the leaf and small stem green.

Carrot Top looked at the small plant and smiled. You always were the best, mom. She spread herself out over the bed and drifted off to sleep, all the while reminiscing about the times she had with her mother.

Carrot Top snapped awake; looking around she could tell that it was well after she had fallen asleep, but not quite time to wake up either as it was still dark outside. She got up out of bed and slowly wandered into her kitchen. She stood on her hind legs to open a small cabinet containing a set of 4 glasses, before grabbing the nearest one in her hoof and setting it on the counter. She closed the cabinet and walked over to her refrigerator pulling out a small jug filled with an orange-colored concoction. As she lifted the cover, the room was instantly filled with the smell of fresh carrots and cinnamon. Even though her whole life was based around collecting, growing, and eating carrots, she could never get enough carrot juice. It was always so soothing to her in a way that only she could understand. As she poured herself a glass of juice, she idly looked outside through a crack in the blinds that covered the window. Is that…snow? No, it can’t be. Snow isn’t due for another three weeks! Carrot Top suddenly felt a cool fluid running down her foreleg and belatedly noticed that she had been paying more attention to the outside than the glass she was pouring juice into; it had overflowed onto her coat. Cursing softly, she set the jug down and wiped the spill up using some paper towels decorated with a cheerful carrot pattern. Once she was quite satisfied with her work, she opened a cabinet door under the sink where her trash can was located. She lightly tossed the now soaking paper towel into the trash, making a small squishing noise as it came in contact with the plastic bag around it. Grabbing her cup, she began to sip the carrot juice, focusing her attention on the outside world yet again. Too her dismay, she found that the snow was increasing in both quantity and speed.

Carrot Top set her glass down and burst through the back door into her backyard. It was freezing outside, but she took no notice of the chill’s effects on her; all she cared about was protecting her carrot garden. She hurriedly ran between the rows of crops towards a small shed at the rear of the garden. Upon reaching it, she yanked open the wooden doors and grabbed a large square box from within. Opening the lid, she frantically pulled out seven small seven small metal-framed tents, each folded into a small cube no larger than her hoof. She placed each one at the center of each crop bed and then, with the press of a button on a small remote, each one sprang to life and suddenly unfolded to ten times the length they had been before. After just a few seconds of work, all of her crops were safely covered. This was the only method she used for growing that didn’t require hands-on work. She hated having to use technology to do work she was easily capable of, but she had these in case of any emergencies and this was quite clearly an emergency.

Oh Celestia, how is half of Ponyville going to grow anything without Twilight and Rarity here to help?

Chapter Two

Carrot Top couldn’t sleep. How could she? She knew for a fact that once she left the protection of her home she would enter a world of chaos. Before Twilight had come to Ponyville the townsponies would rely on the extra food grown during the summer and fall to tide them through until winter was wrapped up. This all changed when Twilight moved in, however. Twilight, with Rarity’s help, was able to cast a spell on the farming land to keep the soil fertile during the winter, which meant that they hadn’t had to work as hard during the growing season and could instead grow what they needed throughout the year. Well, this year was no different. The farmponies had only grown enough to last through the growing season as they had all expected to be able to grow during the winter season, but now with both Twilight and Rarity gone and winter arriving a week early, how would they grow any crops? It was no problem for Carrot Top; she knew how to make even the worst soil fertile, and had used that ability before Twilight had arrived. She never told anypony about her talent because she hadn’t wanted to bear the burden of an entire town’s soil fertility on her shoulder. But how will the town cope with this new obstacle? Will the townsponies leave and try their luck elsewhere? If they do, then who will pay the bits to buy the food and get it back to Ponyville? I’m not even sure how we would get it back; the ground won’t be in any condition to be using carts on. Carrot Top’s thoughts were quickly consumed with the fact that the whole town could end up turning against itself. After hours of deep thought, she eventually found slumber.

Lyra and Bon-Bon stood in front of Carrot Top’s house, both in hoof-knit sweaters made just for them by Bon-Bon’s mother. Bon-Bon looked at Lyra as she knocked yet again.

“No response. Do you think she’s asleep?” Bon-Bon questioned her friend, the cold causing her breath to mist in front of her.

Lyra chuckled at her cream-coated friend as she replied. “Nope. She never sleeps in. Did you check her backyard?”

“Yeah, on the way to the front door I peeked over the fence. I didn’t see her, but her shed was open; she could have been in there fetching something but I didn’t get a good enough look at it. Just knock again; maybe she didn’t hear you the first seven times.” Bon-Bon stuck her tongue out playfully at her now-hysterical friend. Lyra tried to reply between fits of laughter, but to no avail. She simply couldn’t look at Bon-Bon without laughing at this point. “Fine then, I’ll do it!” Bon-Bon playfully shoved Lyra to the side, trying to sound as if she was angered but feeling the exact opposite. She loved being with her funny friend. Bon-Bon usually never broke out of her shell; when around Lyra, however, she was a completely different mare. They both had a special bond that nopony could begin to understand except themselves.

Carrot Top opened her eyes slowly. She had heard the noise the first time, but decided to ignore it. She was far too tired to be getting up at her normal time but, after the eighth knock, she knew it must be something important.

“Coming!” Carrot Top shouted lazily back at whoever was outside. Slowly, she lumbered out from under the covers and into the four orange slippers waiting at the side of the bed. She exited the room in pursuit of not the front door, but the bathroom. Whoever was at the door probably didn’t want to see her the way she looked now. She turned on the cold tap of the bathroom sink and tilted her head sideways, sliding it under the steady stream of cool water to wash all of the sleep and dirt off her face. Once she felt content and refreshed, she grabbed a fluffy orange towel of a similar hue to the paper ones in the kitchen and wiped the left over water and dirt from her face. Feeling cool and revived, she threw the now soaking towel into the hamper next to her sink and exited the bathroom. The trip from her bathroom to her front door was a short one and, once she made it there, she looked out of the peephole to see who it was that demanded audience. Much to her surprise, she found Bon-Bon and Lyra at the door.

“Hey girls! I’m opening the door right now!” Carrot Top unlatched a small chain and flung the door open.

“Thanks! I was starting to freeze!” Lyra hopped in, excited to finally find some warmth.

“Yes, thank you Carrot Top.” Bon-Bon followed her friend inside the warm house, though with much more grace; she was by a wide margin the more refined and shy of the two. She always enjoyed things that were a little bit more tasteful, and she always kept her excitement to herself . She also was never very outgoing and most of the time, pretty shy unless she was with her four best friends or with Lyra. This made Bon-Bon very interesting to Carrot Top. It meant that Bon-Bon was in a different mood every time she saw her, all of those moods being good. Lyra, however, was the polar opposite of Bon-Bon. She was a very happy mare and she always showed her excitement in any way possible. Lyra was the kind of mare that would brighten your day by simply saying a few words. Carrot Top couldn’t even remember the last time she saw Lyra in any mood but cheerful. She reminded her of a more controlled, less manic Pinkie Pie. It always made her chuckle to think that such contrasting mares could be together. It made so little sense, but it really worked out for them.

“So, what brings you guys here?” Carrot Top looked to her two friends and chuckled when she saw how Lyra was sitting on her couch. She sat using her lower back as her support and her legs hanging down, which in turn caused her stomach to bulge out a bit.

“Must you lounge like that every time you sit down?” Bon-Bon looked at her, cocking her head as she asked. Lyra just turned to Bon-Bon and shrugged. As much as it bewildered her, Bon-Bon decided to ignore it and answer Carrot Top’s question. “Anyway, we wanted to ask you a few things. The first was if you were aware of the snowfall last night, but I think it is quite clear we ALL know of that by now.” Bon-Bon paused to brush a bit of snow off her sweater and continued. “The other thing we want to know is if you’re attending the emergency meeting at the Town Square - or if you even know about it?” Emergency town meeting? How late is it, did I sleep in so late that I missed an announcement?

“What time is it?” Carrot Top asked her guests, forgetting about Bon-Bon’s question. Lyra was the first to reply.

“Well, me and Bon-Bon heard the announcement at eleven, then we headed home and had to clean up a few things. That’s when Bon-Bon said she hadn’t seen you at all in town today so we came to see if you heard the news or not. So, it’s probably around one or two?” Carrot Top’s jaw dropped at her teal friend’s statement.

“I was asleep until two?! How could I have even slept in that long?!” Carrot Top rushed into her room, throwing her slippers off on the way there. She quickly picked out the first winter wear she could find and rushed back into the living room before Bon-Bon or Lyra could even process what had happened. “So when does the emergency meeting begin?” Carrot Top inquired of her friends as she tried to tie a scarf onto her neck.

“Uhm…” Bon-Bon tried to process what had just happened, but was given no chance to continue as Lyra had already jumped in.

“About thirty minutes! Everypony is meeting in town. We should be able to get there in five minutes if we hurry!” Lyra immediately jumped up and trotted to the door, but she was cut short by the voice of Bon-Bon.

“Wait just a second, darling. Did we even ask Carrot Top if she was ready?” Bon-Bon looked over to where Carrot Top was standing. She just nodded her head at Bon-Bon as Lyra opened the door.

“Let’s get going!” Lyra shouted to her two friends as she rushed outside. Bon-Bon looked at Carrot Top and playfully rolled her eyes.

“She always was the rambunctious one.”

It almost looked like a concert in the Town Square. There were ponies everywhere, all dressed in winter-appropriate attire and all waiting anxiously for the mayor to reveal the plans for coping with the early winter. Carrot Top, however, was not. She knew how hard it was to grow during winter, and she also knew there was no emergency food supply. What would the mayor propose we do? I mean, nopony has the skill to grow crops in this kind of weather - except me of course, but no one knows that. May - Carrot Top’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a pony trotting onto the stage - the mayor. She looked very flustered and spent, as if she had gotten no sleep the previous night. Carrot Top could only assume that that was true, as she hadn’t had very much sleep herself.

“Mares and gentlecolts. I know that,” the mayor took a deep breath, then continued, “that you all are very afraid that there will not be enough food to go around this winter. This currently can neither be confirmed nor denied.” The crowd began to shift nervously, and some ponies became flustered. The mayor realized this and immediately slammed her hoof on the stage floor. “Excuse me! I am NOT done.” Complete silence followed her outburst, and she was both embarrassed and impressed by her own action in causing it. “As I was saying, I myself am not sure about whether or not there will be enough food for all of winter. I do know, however, that Big Macintosh is working double-time over at Sweet Apple Acres and there will definitely be enough food to last us this next week. Once the week is up, Twilight Sparkle and her five friends will have returned and we will be able to continue through winter as we normally would. Now, Big Macintosh has assured me that if the worst does happen, and it takes them an extra week to return, that there will still be enough apples to go around. It will be tough, and he is working as hard as he can to get as many apples bucked as possible. Once winter is over and officially wrapped up, we will repay the Apple family with our own hard work. As a town, we can all come together and we can get over this little bump; it will just require some organization. Now, if anypony has any potential way to help out, could they please step forward?” The mayor looked across the sea of faces in front of her. She knew it was a long shot, but she had to try it; any kind of help could make a world of difference.

Carrot Top half-raised her right front hoof off the ground, as if she were about to take a step forward. Realizing the risk she would be taking if she did, and how much pressure would be put onto her, she quickly relinquished the thought and put her hoof back down. I can’t go and do that, I don’t have the room to grow the carrots. I could just use the communal beds, but do I even have the skill to be able to make all of that land fertile? There’s way too much, it would be impossible to go to every crop, flower bed, and pot in Ponyville and just “heal the land.”

“Well then, you ponies know where to find me if any of you have a change of heart.” The mayor’s voice snapped Carrot Top back to reality. “Remember everypony, we can do this together. There will be a booth where you may go and volunteer to help ration the apples out. As for those of you who can’t find a place to volunteer, go about your business as usual. We can make it through this, Ponyville.” The mayor stepped off the stage, leaving the crowd in dead silence. Nopony moved a muscle for the first few seconds, they were all so stunned to hear that everything might actually work out somewhat well. Then, as if it was a planned event, everypony moved at once to head to one of the numerous stations to sign up for volunteer work. Ponies flew and trotted in all directions, giving Carrot Top the perfect opportunity to slip away unnoticed. The whole town may have had one plan, but Carrot Top had another. She knew that without a doubt she would be able to grow in this weather; it was simple enough when it was just her garden. She would basically live out her life as if it was another normal winter. She would grow her own carrots in her backyard, then sell half the yield and save the other half for herself. This is how she did it every winter, so why should this winter be any different? Somewhere though, in the back of her mind, she felt bad for not volunteering to help. She knew the town would be just fine without a simple mare named Carrot Top to help, but something ate at her, filling her conscience with remorse.

Carrot Top arrived back at her home after walking around aimlessly for what had felt like hours. She had meant to head straight home and work on preparing her garden for the special treatment it would need; for some reason, however, she couldn’t seem to bring herself to go back home for some time. There was nothing at her house waiting to scare her, and she knew she could have gone back anytime she wanted to. Whether it was the fact that she was too lost in thought to care, or too afraid someone would find her in her home preparing her own plot rather than helping with the town’s work; she couldn’t put her hoof on it. Maybe a mix of both, she thought. The thing that was bugging her most was not the fact that she hadn’t felt compelled to help, but the fact that she felt she had to hide her special ability. She had never told anypony about it because she didn’t want to have ponies wanting to buy all of her carrots and leaving her with nothing. Another reason was the fact that she didn’t want ponies trying to find out her secret methods and prying into her personal space. She was fine with nopony knowing. For one, it didn’t hurt anypony, and two, there was no reason for the town to know. It would just attract unneeded and unwanted attention. Yet, even after reminding herself of the reasons behind her secrecy, that nagging feeling kept eating at her. It was almost like stealing cookies as a small filly. Yes, you may get away with it without your mother or father finding out, but you still feel bad. You still feel like you’ve done something wrong; whether you’re five or fifty, remorse is always there.

Why do I feel so bad! What is wrong with me keeping it a secret? Am I just over-thinking things? Is the weather just going to my head? Carrot Top tried to think of other things, the whole secret talent thing was just making her angry, but she just couldn’t get it off of her mind. She slowly walked up to her front door and opened it. As she entered, she took off her winter wear and threw it to the side. She was in no mood to be organized today. Her whole day had been ruined by the simple fact that she couldn’t stop feeling bad for not standing up and helping the town. She tried to think of any other things she could do to help. The only thing that the mayor said ponies could help with was apple distribution, but she knew that the volunteer list would be filled before she could even slip back into her fuzzy orange sweater. Still, there was nothing she could think of besides apple distribution or telling the town about her secret, which she wasn’t about to do. Then, it hit her like a stone.

“Macintosh!” Carrot Top shouted as the thought came to her. She had the perfect idea. Another secret she had up her sleeves was that she could grow literally any kind of fruit or vegetable much faster than normal. She could grow a whole apple tree in a week, and it would provide apples in three. She could go to Big Mac and tell him about her secret. She knew she could trust him with her life, heck, anypony could trust Big Mac with anything. After telling him, she could plant more apple trees while he bucked the rest. That way, there would be many more apples in just a few weeks, and Twilight and Rarity wouldn’t have to get stuck into hard work immediately after returning to Ponyville. They could arrive back and wait a whole week before they would have to lift a hoof or use a single ounce of magic! Big Mac could simply tell everypony that Sweet Apple Acres had had a better harvest than predicted, so nopony would ask how they did it! The plan was fool proof to her. It also helped that she had known Big Mac for some time now - they both went to the same high school in Ponyville and had met at the school dance honoring new seniors.

All through high school Carrot Top, Berry Punch, Derpy Hooves, Bon-Bon and Lyra were attached at the hips. They stayed in the same group throughout almost all of their school years and the dance had been no different. They had all gone in as a group, looking around in wonder at the incredible dance that was set up just for their class. They had attended without dates, as it wasn’t a dance you would normally ask a pretty filly or colt to. This dance was more of a fun, meet-and-greet kind of dance. As they entered, however, they couldn’t help but notice a group of colts standing over to their left. Berry and Derpy had become quite interested in meeting that group, but Lyra and Bon-Bon had no interest in doing so and Carrot Top’s eyes had settled on somepony else. In the far left corner of the dimly-lit room stood a large red workhorse, one that Carrot Top had never seen in all her days at Ponyville High. As he met her gaze she saw he had large green eyes that matched hers. Before she could even realize what she was doing, she was already standing just a few hooflengths away from him.

He reached his hoof out to greet her, looking at her warmly. “The name’s Big Macintosh.” His voice was deep and strong, but not intimidating. She smiled back at him, half in awe of his voice and the other in awe that he was talking to her.

“Carrot Top.” She returned the gesture, outstretching her hoof to meet his. “Are you new here? I‘ve never seen you around.”

“Eeynope.” Carrot Top was surprised by his lack of explanation, and decided to ask why she hadn’t seen him before.

“Oh, really? Do you have very many classes here? Or are you just a night student?” Carrot Top wanted to know more about him.

“Eeynope. I just tend not to make myself noticed.” Yet again, Carrot Top was surprised by the terseness of his speech. Yet, somehow, he spoke just enough to leave her wanting to hear more without losing the thread of the discussion.

“Oh, I see.” Carrot Top didn’t know what to say in reply and felt a little awkward at this point. Just as she thought she should just give up and join her two friends talking to the group of colts they had seen when they walked in, Big Mac spoke again.

“Hey Carrot Top.” His voice didn’t change in pitch, but she could somehow tell he was a tiny bit nervous.

“Yes?” Their eyes met for the second time that night, and Carrot Top felt even more nervous than she had before.

“Do ya mind if I call ya Carrot for short?” She was quickly beginning to enjoy his voice, even if he didn’t say much.

“Yes, that’s perfectly alright with me.” She smiled at him, happy that they had overcome the phase of being strangers.

“Well, Carrot. Would you like tah dance with me? This song is one of mah favorites.” Her heart jumped at the question. Whether it was the fact that she felt so safe when she heard his voice, or the fact that she had never been asked to dance until this very instance, she immediately nodded.

It could have been nine at night, or four in the morning; Carrot Top had completely lost track of time. She and Big Mac danced for what seemed like an eternity and she hadn’t wanted it to end. Once it had come to an end, however, she had somewhat reluctantly met with her friends again. She trotted over to them and quickly began talking so rapidly it took a few seconds for her friends to register what she had said.

“ImetthisstallionnamedBigMacandheaskedifhecouldcallmeCarrotforshortandisaidyessohecalledmeCarrotandaskedmetodancesoisaidyesandwedancedforwhatseemedlikeforeverandheaskedifhecouldwalkmehomeandisaidyesandnowithinkhereallylikesmeandilikehimanditfeelslikeihaveknownhimforeversoiwillseeyouguyslaterimsorryiamditchingyouguysbutthisisjustsoexciting!” Her friends all looked at her, bewilderment evident on their faces. Bon-Bon was about to ask what her friend was talking about when Derpy jumped up and began to smile widely.

“That’s awesome Carrot Top! I hope you had a great time! He seems super great!” Derpy rushed to her friend and gave her a large hug. If her other three friends hadn’t been confused before, they definitely were now.

“Derpy… how…” Lyra trailed off in disbelief at what had just happened, allowing Bon-Bon to finish her sentence.

“How did you know what Carrot Top said and even more so, why are you so happy about what she said?”

“I can’t explain it, I have to go. Derpy, do you mind?” Carrot Top lightly pushed her friend away, breaking the hug. Derpy looked at her as if she was crazy.

“Of course I don’t mind if you go! I don’t want to hold you back!” Derpy smiled at her orange friend, who just giggled back at Derpy’s mistake.

“No, Derpy,” Carrot Top lightly punched her friend in the shoulder playfully. “I mean do you mind explaining to them what I said.” Derpy looked at Carrot Top with a blank face, processing the correction. Then, as if the world suddenly made so much more sense to her, Derpy immediately lightened up.

“Of course I don’t mind! Now go, he’s waiting for you!” With a smile and a wave to her friends, Carrot Top galloped to meet Big Mac. Carrot Top, wanting to get to spend as much time as possible with her new friend, told him to meet her at the back exit of the school – she had explained that it was the fastest way to get to her house, which was an outright fib. In fact it extended the trip by twenty minutes, which was good enough for Carrot Top. On the way to her house they talked about many things. They talked about Big Mac’s farm, Sweet Apple Acres, and about his sister Applejack. They discussed Carrot Top’s gardening abilities (without revealing her secret,) and her group of friends. One thing Carrot Top noticed was that Big Mac had begun talking much more now that they weren’t strangers. She assumed that he was normally reserved until he either got to know the pony or felt safe around them, much like Bon-Bon. Either way, this was good for Carrot Top. Soon, she saw her house come into view. She wanted to tell another fib and say that her house was nowhere near here, and that she had made a mistake. She knew, however, that eventually she would need to go home and that he would be in tow, so he would find out she had lied.

“This is it, the one to the right.” Carrot Top guided him to her house. Upon reaching the door, she turned around to Big Mac. “Hey, Big Mac.” She tried her best to imitate the way he had first addressed her.

“Eeyup?” She found it entertaining yet cute the way he said yes and no. She chuckled and smiled at him as she opened her mouth.

“Do ya mind if I call ya Macintosh?” She tried to imitate his dialect as best as she could, half teasing him and half admiring him.

“Hahaha eeyup, I would like that.” Carrot Top had now found a new favorite thing about him, his laugh. It was so deep and soothing and it reminded her of her late father’s laugh. She smiled warmly at him, feeling truly happy at this point. It fell silent between the two, yet it wasn’t an awkward kind of silence. It was a ‘I’m completely content with how everything is right at this second***’* kind of silence. After a minute of them staring at each other, Big Mac broke the silence.

“School starts Monday, I’ll see ya there?” Carrot Top nodded yes. “Okay, then I’ll see ya round.” He smiled at her and began to walk off into the distance.

“Wait, Macintosh!” She didn’t know what compelled her to, but she quickly trotted after him. He turned around just as she made it to where he was standing and without thinking, she lightly pressed her lips against his. The kiss was short, but meaningful and Carrot Tp[ spoke as she pulled away from the new experience. “I had fun tonight, thank you.” She couldn’t tell whether he was blushing under his red coat, but she knew that it would be very evident she was. He smiled back at her and returned the same short kiss. This time, however, it was his turn to pull away and speak.

“Eeyup.” With that, he walked into the darkness towards Sweet Apple Acres, leaving Carrot Top in pure ecstasy.

Carrot Top smiled at the memory. It felt so long ago, yet was still so vivid. Throughout the following year, she and Big Mac had gone to many dances together and even ended up dating. After the Ponyville High prom and once everypony had graduated, she and Big Mac had lost touch. He had gone away for a month to visit family in Appleloosa and had been so busy he couldn’t write, while Carrot Top had been so busy with her gardening work that she hadn’t written to him either. By the end of the month, they had both grown apart and reluctantly agreed to remain friends. Every now and then she felt like she should talk to him; to try and rekindle that spark between the two of them. She had heard about another mare named Cheerilee who he’d been seeing however; plus, deep down, Carrot Top knew she didn’t have those feelings for him anymore. He would always have a special place in her heart, nevertheless. He’d been her first coltfriend and the first stallion she’d ever become close to, besides her father of course. Well, at least until very recently. Carrot Top smiled to herself and then remembered what brought the flashback up in the first place. She needed to go and talk to Big Mac about her new plan! Finding the winter wear she had so irresponsibly thrown aside, she slipped into her sweater and tied her scarf around her neck. Now for the journey to Sweet Apple Acres.

Carrot Top felt as if she was about to freeze to death. The snow had stopped falling, but because the path to Sweet Apple Acres was so long it was never cleared when it snowed. This made the trip to the orchard very wet and cold on snowy days. After ten more minutes of walking, she arrived at the main entrance into Sweet Apple Acres. It was around six or seven in the afternoon so she assumed that Big Mac and Granny Smith would still be eating dinner. She hoped they were; the last thing she wanted to do was to have to walk through even more thick snow in search of Big Mac. She couldn’t have timed her arrival any better – she knocked onto the front door of the main house just as they finished dinner. Granny Smith was first to the door, surprised at receiving visitors at this hour.

“Hello misschy! What brings you round these partsch?” When Granny spoke she pronounced any ‘s’ with a kind of ‘sh’ sound, causing spittle to fly from her mouth whenever she did so.

Surreptitiously wiping her face clean of saliva, Carrot Top looked over Granny Smith’s shoulder and saw Big Mac putting a plate into the sink. After he had finished, he looked over to the open door. His eyes widened for a split second before filling with warmth and softness.

“It’s OK Granny, I’ll talk to her. Why don’t ya get started on dessert?” He walked over to Granny and patted a hoof on her shoulder lovingly.

She looked to Big Mac and met his gaze. “Whatever you say Macintosch.” She turned back to Carrot Top and smiled. “It was nicsh meeting you mischy!” With her farewells completed, Granny walked back inside to put a blueberry pie in the oven. Carrot Top had to wipe her face yet again as Big Mac greeted her.

“Heya there Carrot, what brings you here?” She had forgotten how much she loved Big Mac’s voice. Once she had wiped the spittle off of her face, she responded.

“I have a proposal for you. I know that you have a lot of work ahead of you, but I have an idea that could help. I have a method of, how should I put it, growing things in a special way. Mind if I come inside and explain the rest?” Big Mac looked a little confused, but still let Carrot Top in so they could talk further. The two of them entered the living room which, fortunately for Carrot Top, was just out of hearing range of the kitchen. This meant that they could talk with some privacy.

“So, what ‘s this special talent ya got?” Big Mac looked at her inquisitively.

“Well..."

Chapter Three

“… and the only plant I haven’t been able to do it with is this under-developed carrot that I have in my room.” Big Mac rarely showed emotion on his face. This instance, however, was different. He stared at Carrot Top with an expression clearly showing his utter bewilderment. He opened his mouth to ask a question but Carrot Top quickly cut him off, remembering that she hadn’t told him to keep what she had just revealed a secret.

“You can’t tell anypony, Macintosh. Nopony knows, and I’m afraid if ponies did… well, I don’t know what ponies would do, but I don’t want to risk it.” Big Mac stared at her, still speechless. Then, after what felt like an hour to Carrot Top, he spoke.

“Let me get this straight. You can go and plant an apple tree, have it grow in just under a week and bearing fruit in three? Without you even sweating?”

“Well, not just an apple tree. Any plant, really. That’s how I feed myself in the winter without buying other ponies’ crops.” She said, trying not to sound too boastful.

“So, then why are ya telling me this now?” He questioned, trying not to sound rude.

“Well, I have an idea. Here it is: you keep bucking trees as if it were just a normal week. While you’re doing that, I will plant the apple trees and care for them. Once the week is over, the trees I planted will be fully grown and bearing fruit! That way, once Twilight and the rest of her gang get back, they can take a week to rest because we’ll have tons of apples here, already grown!” She looked to him, awaiting a word of approval or some sort of sign that he at least liked the idea.

“Wait, didn’t ya say it would take three weeks for apples to start growing?” Big Mac raised his right eyebrow at her as he spoke.

“Yes, but that’s under normal circumstances. I’m sure that Sweet Apple Acres has very fertile soil though. Now, imagine me making that soil even better than it already is. Since I’m planting the trees in good, fertile soil, the development speed will be doubled!” As she spoke, Big Mac’s eyebrow had returned to a natural position.

“Okay, but won’t ponies around town be asking how we got all the extra apples?”

“We can just tell them that you and your sister planted extra trees last year and you had forgotten when you were talking to the mayor.” Carrot Top smiled at Big Mac. “It will work Big Mac. Believe me; I have thought it all out.” She rested a reassuring hoof on his shoulder.

“These town ponies are good. Ah don’t feel okay with lying to them.” Their eyes met as he spoke.

“We’ll be saving lives, Macintosh. It will be worth it in the end.” Big Mac held her gaze. He thought for a bit, and then gave his decision.

“Okay, sounds good. Meet me here tomorrow morning at eight. I need to go find the apple seeds that we set aside for the next season. You sure you’re up for it?” Carrot Top simply nodded in reply. “Okay, I’ll see ya then.” Big Mac stood up and went to walk Carrot Top out, but was stopped by a hoof on his shoulder.

“Thank you, Macintosh. I’m glad to be working with a friend like you.” Carrot Top stretched out her forelegs and brought Big Mac in for a warm hug. She enjoyed being in the arms of Big Mac. The embrace made her feel safe and secure. She felt like she did whenever her father would read her a story, or when her mother would tuck her in. The feeling of being completely safe was a sensation that had been absent from Carrot Top’s life after she lost her parents. For some reason, whenever she was with Big Mac, the feeling returned full-force. She slowly let go of the stallion and smiled at him, Big Mac returning the same friendly smile. He turned around and guided Carrot Top past the kitchen, where Granny was making a quite delicious looking apple pie, and eventually to the door. Reluctantly, she pushed it open, wishing she could stay longer. Before starting off towards home, she turned around and thanked Big Mac yet again; not with her voice, however, but with her eyes. With that, she was off towards her home. Her home occupied by only her, and nopony else. The home in which she would enter, reside, and sleep in… alone.

For the second night in a row, Carrot Top couldn’t find slumber - she just lay in bed, thinking. She had to do three things for this plan to work.

One : plant the trees and grow them. This was the simplest and easiest step of the bunch and it didn’t require very much thinking on her part.

Two : convince the town I had nothing to do with it. This was a tad more difficult than the planting, but nopony should see her in the orchards. Even if somepony did, she could just say she was visiting or something. She would be able to talk her way out of it.

Three : don’t let my friends find out about what I’m doing or how I’m doing it. This was possibly going to be the hardest thing she would have to do. She and her friends would hang out together almost every other day and she would see at least one of them on the off days. If she suddenly stopped hanging out with them, and they suddenly stopped seeing her, they would worry. She could just hang out with them when she wasn’t down on the farm, but then she wouldn’t be able to grow her own food. Then again, they would be engaged in apple distribution so they probably shouldn’t notice her absences. She craned up to look lazily at a small clock next to her, brightly displaying that it had just passed midnight. She hadn’t realized how late it was and quickly let her mind go blank. She had already passed out before her head hit the pillow.

*RIINNNGGGG**RIINNNGGGG**RIINNNGGGG*

Carrot Top sat up violently as the loud sound invaded her consciousness. Her first thought was fire alarm! Looking to the source of the sound however, she chuckled at her mistake as she found that her alarm had simply gone off just at the time she had set last night. It was only five in the morning so it was still quite dark outside, meaning the bedroom was also very dimly illuminated. She rolled lazily out of bed, stretched her body and shoulders and flicked on a light switch next to her bed. Once she felt quite satisfied, she slipped her orange slippers on and walked down the hall as she did every morning. She enjoyed this stroll to the kitchen; the hall was lined with old family pictures and she enjoyed getting to see them every day. They granted her a warm and fuzzy feeling, always allowing her to start her day off well no matter what might come her way. As she entered the kitchen she flicked another light switch located next to the door frame, filling the once dark and ominous room with a bright and happy new-found glow. She grabbed her large jug of carrot juice from the fridge and poured it into a small plastic cup she retrieved from her cabinet. After feeling content with the amount of carrot juice she had drunk, she prepared for the day ahead. After she arrived home from the farm yesterday she had set aside the winter wear she planned on wearing today, for the simple reason that if she woke up late, she wouldn’t have time to pick the correct clothes out. She slipped on a warm knit coat on top of her overalls so she would be warm in the freezing cold weather. Once she was finished and completely ready to go she flicked the switches to all of the lights, causing the once-warm glow to retreat back to its source. She slowly walked out of her home and closed the door behind her - she never locked it as the crime rate was so low in Ponyville. You could leave a very pricey piece of artwork out in the open and there wouldn’t be a soul with the desire to steal it. This was something she enjoyed about her town.

Her plan, at first, was to head straight to the farm and get to work an hour early. However, as she passed Bon-Bon and Lyra’s house, she decided to say hello. She walked up the steps that led to their front door and knocked. Almost immediately, an excited Lyra trotted to the door and opened it without even checking to see who it was first. Lyra’s face lit up as she saw her beloved friend at the door and instantly invited her in.

“Carrot Top! Hello! Would you like to come in? Bon-Bon is still asleep and I was going to surprise her with breakfast in bed, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind you being here as well!” Carrot Top smiled back at her turquoise friend and chuckled at her sweet and outgoing personality.

“I actually can’t. I just came to say hello on my way to the farm.” As soon as she finished the sentence, she wished she hadn’t. She had meant for nopony to know, but she was so used to telling Lyra everything that it had just slipped out.

“The farm? That’s cool! Why are you heading there?” Lyra cocked her head at her friend as she spoke.

“Well, I… Okay, I’m going to just talk to Big Mac. But you can’t say anything to anypony! I don’t want ponies thinking that he isn’t doing his job.” Carrot Top tried not to look like she wasn’t lying and in-fact, telling the truth, but she knew she wasn’t very good at it. Whether it was a blessing or a curse, she was HORRIBLE at lying and Lyra picked up on the fact that Carrot Top wasn’t being truthful. Much to Carrot Top’s relief, Lyra wasn’t mad.

“Well, I think we both know that isn’t true, but if you need to lie about it, I don’t need to know. Good luck at the farm, though! With whatever you are doing.” Lyra gave one last smile, and a quick hug, and then shut the door. Carrot Top felt bad for lying to her friend- or getting caught, she couldn’t tell, but she still felt bad. She considered telling her closes confidants, but then they would just ask how somepony as small as her could do anything to help the Apple Family, and then it would just lead to even more fibs and fairy tells. Unfortunately, it was better this way. Remembering she had somewhere to be, Carrot Top focused back on the path towards the farm and set off to complete the days’ work.

The walk to the farm had been a long one. As always, Carrot Top’s mind was filled with thoughts. Usually, these thoughts were quite big and would tend to fill her mind. She never enjoyed this about herself. She always thought about things so much, which led to over-thinking, which led to misunderstanding, which led to problems and frustration. She never meant to do it, but that was just her personality. Ever since her parents died, she had had a hard time letting things go- thoughts, feelings, frustrations, and many other things. That was one of the reasons why she only got attached to her close group of friends and nopony else. The fewer ponies she became attached to, the fewer ponies she would have to let go. Outside that group, she had gotten close to very few ponies, one of the few being Big Mac. Macintosh, she thought. Big Mac was the only stallion who had ever gotten to know her on a ‘more than friends’ level. Carrot Top was a beautiful mare and quite nice once you got to know her. The only reason she had been single for so long was because she always had her guard up and never let anypony get through. Big Mac somehow had, and she felt like if he could do it one time, why not another? Snapping out of her thoughts, she quickly halted to avoid the embarrassment and pain of running right into farmhouse’s screen door. She could hear the voices of Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith in the dining room, most likely eating breakfast. She raised her hoof to knock on the door before she was stopped by a voice from behind.

“Hey! I haven’t seen you around before, what’s your name?” Carrot Top turned around to see two smiling fillies staring up at her. She hadn’t even noticed they were behind her, despite the snow and the noise it made when you walked in it. The one on the left was a small, pure white unicorn with a purple and pink mane; her companion was the same size, but with an orange coat and purple mane. The orange one also had a small set of wings and the clear absence of a horn. Carrot Top immediately decided that neither would be a nuisance and proceeded to introduce herself.

“I’m Carrot Top. Who are you fillies?” She returned the smile the two fillies had been giving her as she spoke.

“I’m Sweetie Belle!” Carrot Top looked at the young unicorn as she stated her name with a crack in her voice. Carrot Top loved her voice and to her, Sweetie Belle was the cutest thing she had ever seen.

“Yeah, and I’m Scootaloo.” The orange filly said with a little less enthusiasm than Sweetie Belle, but she seemed like happy filly.

“Well, it’s nice to meet both of you. I am ass-” Carrot Tops voice was caught off by yet another filly.

“Hey girls! Glad y’all could make it!” A small golden filly pushed the screen open behind Carrot Top, causing her to jump in fright. “Oh, I’m mighty sorry ‘bout that. Didn’t mean to hit ya with the door.” The small golden filly looked up with a smile, and then a face of confusion. “Well, who might ya be?” Carrot Top chuckled at the small filly’s accent.

“My name is Carrot Top; I’m here to see your brother about the apple bucking. I just need to make sure he can buck enough to meet the demand.” Carrot Top hated lying, especially to a young filly, but she knew it was the only way to keep her secret. The young filly had joined her other two friends as Carrot Top introduced herself. Once she had fitted herself in between the other two fillies, she returned the smile and stated her name.

“Oh, well I’m Apple Bloom! Me, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo make up the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” The three of them all smiled in unison and held their heads together. The sight was quite a cute one and brought fond memories back to Carrot Top. She remembered when she first met Bon-Bon and Lyra in pre-school. The three of them were much like the three fillies who stood before her; young, full of life - and itching to get their cutie marks. She was about to tell the three about how when she was young, she had desired the same thing but had actually found her special talent through her mother. But before she could begin Granny Smith opened the screen and slowly walked out. The frail pony used a walker to support a body that her brittle legs clearly could no longer handle. She also had a hard time walking in the snow, so she used the walker as support whenever she slipped. Seeing Carrot Top for the second time in less than twelve hours surprised Granny, and she immediately went to greet her.

“Hello there , mischy! Didn’t I schee you lascht night?” Learning from her last experience, Carrot Top leaned her head to the side so that the spittle from Granny wouldn’t hit her, but wouldn’t make her look rude either. After Granny had asked her question, Carrot Top adjusted her head to a more natural position and greeted Granny back.

“Yes you did, Granny.” Carrot Top leaned in to give the aged pony a hug. After being greeted so kindly by her the night before, it was the least she could do. “It’s nice to see you again, even if it wasn’t so long ago.” Carrot Top smiled at Granny as she broke the embrace. The young golden filly piped up excitedly as soon as Carrot Top and Granny had finished talking.

“Okay, Granny, we’re ready!” Granny Smith turned to the small filly and nodded her head in agreement. Not wanting to hold them up, Carrot Top decided not to ask where they were venturing and said goodbye to the three fillies and Granny. After returning the farewell, the elderly pony and the three young fillies walked through the snow and down towards the road leading back into Ponyville. As if planned by Big Mac himself, he walked out of the house just as the other four were out of sight.

“Hey there, Carrot.” Carrot Top turned around quickly, startled by the new voice.

“Hello, Macintosh!” She gave him a quick hug before he could give her any directions. After hugging back lightly, Big Mac began to explain the day ahead and where she would be planting.

“Okay, so, right now we’re at the main house. To the right is the chicken coop. We won’t be heading thataway, we’ll be going to the left, which is where the fallow fields are. That’s where you’ll be planting the new trees.” Carrot Top nodded to signify that she understood. “Okay, good. I got the apple seeds in the barn. I’ll walk you to the planting area now so you can start doing whatever it is that you do to the soil.” Carrot Top nodded yet again and gestured for him to proceed. He led her through the corn fields which grew so high that, once they had entered, she couldn’t see anything else around them. The walk through the corn took around five minutes and from there the fallow fields were a short distance away. Once they had arrived, Carrot Top found a small shovel lying at the eastern end of the field.

“See the shovel? That’s where you start. I don’t expect you to plant too much in the next few hours as I don’t know how long it takes you to do your trick. Just go ahead and get started and I’ll be back with the seeds. Then I’ll go and get to bucking.” With that, Big Mac left the way they had come. Carrot Top trotted over to the shovel, slightly covered in snow, and picked it up with her mouth. After brushing snow away from the place where she planned to begin, she went to work.

Big Mac returned with the bag of seeds faster than Carrot Top had expected. By the time he showed up she had dug seven small holes evenly spaced out between each other. They were spaced far enough apart so that the maturing trees wouldn’t grow into each other, but close enough so a worker wouldn’t be worn out from walking between each of them. Carrot Top looked up at Big Mac as she heard the crunching of the snow under his hooves. He surveyed the progress she had made so far and looked at her in surprise.

“Seven holes? Already? Isn’t the ground a bit hard from the cold?” He cocked his head at the fellow earth pony.

“Well, since it only began snowing two nights ago it wasn’t as hard as I expected. I’m also an earth pony, so it just came naturally.” She and Big Mac both chuckled at the quite horrible pun. A short silence fell after they stopped laughing, but Big Mac was quick to speak to avoid an awkward silence.

“So, I have the seeds here. Go ahead and start planting and I’ll go ahead and get to bucking.” Big Mac set the bag down with a loud thud. He looked up at Carrot Top, smiled, and went to walk back to the trees he had to buck. Just before he was out of ear shot, Carrot Top called his name.

“Macintosh!” She called to him, hoping he would hear. He turned and looked towards her.

“Eeyup?” Carrot Top shuffled her hoofs nervously. She, for some reason, felt nervous about inviting him, as if she had to perform perfectly or she would be embarrassed.

“Would… would you like to see the secret? I understand you have a lot of work and I understand if you can’t. I was just wondering if you wouldn’t mind, that maybe you could watch.” She bit her lip, waiting for his answer.

“Eeyup.” With that simple phrase, he turned around yet again and walked back to Carrot Top. Once he was close enough, she began to speak.

“Okay, first of all, I want you to know that the secret is quite… different. It isn’t something you usually see.” She looked to him, waiting for a response. Big Mac simply nodded his head, letting her know that he understood and she could continue.

“Right. The first thing I do is I take the shovel and dig deeper down.” She took hold of the tool and dug it into the hole nearest to her. Using the tip of the shovel, she pressed down and then lifted the shovel back up at an angle, being sure to catch as much of the moist soil as possible on the blade. After doing this a few times, she revealed the rest of the trick. “Now here comes the weird part. Each member of the Carrot family has a very special type of molecule in their saliva. This molecule just so happens to increase the growth rate of plants and vegetables. It also makes the food that comes out much more desirable and flavorful.” Before Carrot Top could even show Big Mac, he began to ask questions.

“Wait, so, by just spitting into the soil, it makes the plants grow better?” he looked at her as if she was crazy.

“Well, yes, when you say it that way.”

“Now, I don’t mean to sound rude, but that means there’s no skill to your growing?” Carrot Top took offence at first, but then realized that he indeed wasn’t being rude, more like confused.

“No! Of course there is. It’s all about spacing, and proper watering, and so much more. We can just grow them faster and better. We could easily grow anything without our special ability, but we might as well use our special gift.” She could tell he had many more questions, but decided she should finish her display before he asked anything else. “Let me show you everything first, it will make more sense then.” Without waiting for him to approve, she resumed her work. Without any grace or warning, she spat into the fresh soil and began mixing the two substances into one. Once she had spread her saliva thoroughly through the soil pile, she reached out her hoof and asked for a seed. Big Mac politely tossed her the seed, completely missing her hoof. At first, she chuckled and asked for another, but then she realized where the seed had landed. She looked down to find it lying perfectly in the center of the hole. “Very impressive,” she said with a giggle. Big Mac simply nodded, allowing Carrot Top to finish the process. She pressed the seed deep into the soil at the bottom of the hole and then shoveled the soil-and-spit mixture on top of it, filling in the hole with a mixture of dirt and snow. With a final tap of her hoof, she stood back up on her four legs and smiled at Big Mac.

“That’s it?” Big Mac sounded more doubtful than questioning.

Despite the fact that she would be getting it dirty again very soon, Carrot Top brushed the dirt off her shovel as she spoke. “Yup. Now we just keep watering it, and caring for it, as if it wasn’t even winter.”

“And you’re sure this is going to work out?” Despite the fact that Big Mac trusted her, he was still very wary.

“Yes I am, Macintosh.” She gave him a sarcastic glare. “You know you can trust me, when have I ever let you down?” Big Mac chuckled at that, teasingly reminding her of the one time she had.

“Well, how about senior year, when I asked you to prom?” Carrot Top quickly blushed, but chortled at the joking remark. She vividly remembered Big Mac making a big deal about asking her, despite the fact that barely anypony had known about them being together. He had asked her during a school assembly in front of the entire school.

After Big Macintosh eagerly asked her to be his date, Carrot Top was so embarrassed with everypony’s eyes on her that she couldn’t say a word. After an awkward silence that lasted over a minute, Big Mac turned and solemnly walked down the steps. She had no idea how to respond to the events that had unfolded and had trotted as quickly as she could out of the crowded hall. She couldn’t find where Big Mac had gone, and when she went to Sweet Apple Acres he was nowhere to be found. She thought she had lost him forever. The only stallion who had ever taken a genuine interest in her. THE stallion. The stallion that every mare in town wanted had picked her, and she had just let him go. She walked aimlessly around Ponyville for hours, feeling as if her life was over. She had no idea where she was, she had just lost her boyfriend, and they were both going to be the laughing stock of Ponyville High the next day.

She kept walking and eventually ended up in the center of Ponyville Park. She didn’t know how she got there or where she would go, but shrugged and simply continued walking. After five minutes, she could hear trickling water, like the sound of a very small waterfall. It was very relaxing and she felt a strong urge to find the water. With little passion left inside, Carrot Top trudged over towards the source.

Among the myriad of feelings rushing through her, three were prominent. She was hungry, she was sad, and she was tired. The assembly was before their lunch break, and she had fled halfway through it; only the small breakfast she ate before arriving at school was sustaining her. Big Mac was nowhere to be found and for all she knew, Big Mac might never want to speak to her again. On top of it all, walking all day had made her very tired and impaired her thinking dramatically, and she began to make impulsive decisions that could end up hurting her. The sound of the running water had grown stronger as Carrot Top approached a heavy bush. At first it seemed just like a singly tall bush, but further inspection revealed that several had grown together to form a large, natural barrier. The soothing sound was coming from behind the tall obstacle. By this point, she felt like she literally had no strength. It was a burden to simply hold her own weight, and almost unbearable to walk. The opportunity to finally rest, however, gave her one last ounce of strength. With a roll of the eyes and an exhalation of breath, she backed up in preparation to jump through the barrier. Steadying herself, she pushed off the ground and dashed forwards.

*Bam!*

Just as she prepared for impact with the bushes, a red stallion appeared in the exact space she planned on breaking through. At first, Carrot Top was thoroughly dazed. The colors around her were distorted and she felt as if she was looking through a very blurry kaleidoscope. Then she noticed the strident ringing in her ears. A bomb could have gone off and she wouldn’t have heard a thing over the intense sound that seemed to go everywhere and come from nowhere. Her vision went black for just a second, and then it all stopped. The colors of the world returned to their normal shades, and she could once again hear everything around her. The pain retreated as well. Wanting to find out what, or who she had hit on the way into the enclosure, she looked down at a red stallion. Not just any red stallion, her red stallion. Immediately, she jumped off him. Once she felt stable enough, Carrot Top lifted her hoof out to help the red workhorse up. As she assisted him up, she could see that his eyes were bloodshot, most likely from crying or lack of sleep. Or both, she thought. She couldn’t think of what to do first. Half of her wanted to beg for forgiveness and that she was so very sorry, and the other half of her wanted his embrace more than anything and wanted to know that he still loved her. Unable to decide between the two, Carrot Top expressed both as she flung her forelegs around Big Mac, crying and pleading for forgiveness.

“Macintosh, I am so sorry I did this to you. I was so confused and I didn’t know what to do and everypony was looking at me and I just froze. I love you so much and of course I want to go to prom with you!” Her voice quickly became unintelligible between her crying and fits of laughter. Carrot Top felt so happy to have found him, yet so sad that she may have wounded him too deeply. She broke the embrace and looked into his eyes. Big Mac, still in a daze from being flattened by Carrot Top, simply nodded his head. It was all Carrot Top needed. She reached out and embraced him again, this time with more love and affection and less desperation. “I love you, Macintosh.” This time, it was Big Mac’s turn to break the embrace. He looked into her eyes, his warm gaze letting her know he accepted her apology, and her tearful one letting him know she would never let go of him again. Completely by instinct, he pulled her in for a kiss.

They had kissed many times before, but this one felt different to Carrot Top. This kiss was a kiss of relief, and a kiss to end suffering. This kiss meant that everything would be alright and that everything Carrot Top had done to hurt him would be forgiven. This one kiss let her know that, no matter what, they would always be together. After they had broken the kiss, they both sat down in the privacy of the hidden area, surrounded by the bushy barrier. Inside the hideaway was a small, slow-flowing stream that poured out into a very small lake. No, not a lake. More of a puddle, but contained and much nicer. It was serene here; closed off from the world around them, even if it was late at night. In quiet tones Big Mac told her how he sought solitude here whenever he had to think about things, and about how he went here whenever everything else seemed to go wrong. Carrot Top lay against him, her head on his chest, listening to the stories he told with such vivid detail. The night had been transformed from a horrible, tiring night into a wonderful, peaceful one. At some point, she drifted off to sleep and woke several hours later in the same position, her head pressed against Big Mac’s slowly rising and falling chest.

As she began to take in her surroundings in a new light, she glanced up to find Big Mac staring lovingly back at her. It was as if he hadn’t even slept, as if he spent the whole night guarding over her. Despite the fact that she would be late for school today, and in trouble for ditching it yesterday, she didn’t want to end the moment. She wanted to stay there forever and never, ever leave.

Carrot Top chuckled fondly at the memory and looked over at Big Mac. “Well, I won’t this time.” Big Mac simply nodded his head. “Before you go, I just wanted to ask you something.” She shuffled a hoof nervously as she spoke. “That spot we were at, in the middle of the park. Do… do you ever go there still? Like, to clear your head? I understand if you would rather not answer, I just thought I would ask given that the spot was so important to us.” Big Mac stood and thought for only a second.

“It still is important to me.” He didn’t answer her question directly, but Carrot Top understood.

The past week had been exhausting for Carrot Top. Throughout it she had planted and grown thirty trees to perfect health. She spent most of the time watering each one, as her special ability had one flaw: the plants would need extra water every other hour. Besides that, the week had gone by smoothly for Carrot Top. She couldn’t say the same for Big Mac, however. He said that he was perfectly fine, but each day he seemed to look more and more tired. She could swear that he even lost some muscle mass, as by the end of the week he seemed significantly smaller. Carrot Top told him that he should take the last day of the week off and that he had already bucked plenty of apples, but he refused to listen. I hope he’s okay, thought Carrot Top. Throughout the week, her friends had gradually found out that she was going the farm every day. Derpy happened to see her on the way there on Tuesday, and then Bon-Bon saw the same on Wednesday. When they inevitably asked her where she had been heading Carrot Top knew she couldn’t avoid telling them where she had been going. She told them she had been visiting the farm every day to keep Big Mac company and to make sure he was getting enough rest. Luckily for Carrot Top, this excuse was plausible enough that they didn’t question her further. Besides the few run-ins with her friends, and the fact that Big Mac appeared not to be getting enough rest, the week went by exactly as planned; the trees grew in five days and bore fruit on the sixth. Big Mac was bucking at such a pace that there was an excess of apples to hand out, not that the mayor had any problem with that. Carrot Top sighed deeply, finally realizing that she could relax for a while now. She didn’t have to get up tomorrow to go to the farm, and everypony would be busy with apple distribution. She would finally get to tend to her garden once again. Carrot Top closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, all the while anticipating the coming day.

*Bam!*

Carrot Top jerked upright at the unmistakable sound of a door slamming open. Immediately, she thought the worst. I’m being robbed! She was so shocked that at first she didn’t move a muscle. She never locked her door because there was virtually no crime in Ponyville, but she immediately regretted the decision. The sound of hooves galloping to her room halted her thoughts. She jumped out of bed, prepared for a fight. Carrot Top screamed at first, but then immediately cut off the sound as soon as she saw the two ponies who burst into her room.

“Lyra? Bon-Bon? What th-”

“Yes, it’s us. We have some bad news that we need to tell you right now.” Bon-Bon cut Carrot Top off in a rushed voice. Carrot Top simply stared back at Bon-Bon, still shocked about what was going on. Bon-Bon waited for her to respond with a yes, or even a simple nod of the head.

“What are you two doing, busting into my home at… what does that clock say? Four in the morning?”

“Carrot Top yo-” Now, it was Carrot Top’s turn to cut off Bon-Bon.

“No! There is no reason for you two to break in! You could have knocked, or waited until tomorrow! Heck, throw pebbles at my window for crying out loud! You two scared the living sh-”

“Carrot Top!” Now it was Lyra who interrupted Carrot Top. What followed her outburst was silence. There was not a sound for a good two minutes, before Lyra spoke up again in a much less excited tone.

“Big Mac was found dead.”