The Carrot Before the Storm
by Rixizu
“What? Is the Black Death going around?” Flitter said as she complained about their predicament. Raindrops sympathized. Most of the weather ponies were sick with the flu, including their captain Rainbow Dash. She had called in five minutes ago saying she was too sick to work leaving them all with an even larger busload of work. A big problem considering they had to finish a major rainstorm by tonight. They only had three other weather ponies left to finish making it.
“It’s fine sis.” Cloud Chaser said. “It means more bits for us! Major overtime baby!”
Flitter rolled her eyes. “Only you would be happy with this.”
“We have no other choice.” Raindrops said. “We will just have to break up the town into three parts one for each of us. If we work fast enough, we should be done by tonight.”
Raindrops opened a map and pointed out the part of town each of the team would cover. Raindrops herself would be responsible for the southern part of town, covering Sweet Apples Acres and most of the other farms. Her teammates agreed to her plans and flew off.
It turned out to be a good thing she didn’t end up coming with Snails on his trip to the moon, thought Raindrops. It would have been ridiculous making Flitter and Cloudchaser work on the storm by themselves. He had insisted his favorite sister come along, but she had to refuse due to her responsibilities. Raindrops felt bad refusing him, the look he gave her when he learned she couldn’t come along broke her heart. Raindrops wanted to go along badly. A trip to the moon sounded fun, but this was his trip and he didn’t need her getting in the way. Besides, she trusted Cheerilee to watch over him.
Raindrops grunted as she pushed another cloud into position. Stupid Rainbow Dash getting sick when they needed her the most.
Raindrops wasn’t a fast flier, and she putted along through the sky. She hated how slow she was going. She wasn’t even a third as fast as their team leader, all muscle and no speed. Still, she tried not to complain as she worked. Despite her gripping, excitement filled her.
Raindrops loved rain and everything about it. She loved how the cool water soaked through her coat. Her parents always joked that she was half-plant the way she loved to stand still in the rain taking in every single drop. This was going to a wicked storm too, and Raindrops couldn’t wait.
Raindrops wiped sweat from her brow as she finished up Sweet Apple Acres. The sun rose high into the early summer sky and the heat was roasting her. It made her all the more eager to get this storm ready. She daydreamed about the wonderful cool rain as she pushed clouds towards her friend Carrot Top’s farm.
Raindrops wiped the sweat from her brow again and decided she needed a short break. After four hours straight hours in the sun, she needed one. She brightened at the thought of visiting her friend and perhaps getting a snack or a cool drink and flew down towards her house. Work ponies were running around inside like bees putting the finishing touches on the house. A pony could hardly tell it was in ruin only four months ago. Luna worked fast to make up for the misdeeds of her Night Court. The work was almost done, but the plumbing wasn’t quite done yet and the floors weren’t carpeted. The new house looked almost the same to the one Carrot Top’s grandmother built almost 60 years ago. Trixie wanted Carrot to insist on getting a mansion, but CT wanted none of that wanting her house back to the way it was. The two argued about it for hours. They compromised and Carrot Top ended up with a house a little bigger than the original and with a bigger basement, perfect for more storage.
Raindrops waved to her friend who was working in her fields. Carrot Top wouldn’t let a little thing like the total destruction of her house impede her farm work. Carrot Top set aside the carrots she pulled out into a basket and walked up to her.
"Hey, Raindrops." Carrot Top said. Despite working in the field all day and being covered in dirt, she wasn’t as tired and sweaty as Raindrop thought she should’ve been. Did the sun not bother her at all? She wasn’t sure how the carrot farmer did it.
Raindrops waved, and they sat together in Carrot Top's kitchen enjoying some carrot juice. The room contained nothing more than a table, a few chairs, and an icebox. It surprised Raindrops how bare and lonely it was without all the antiques from CT’s parents and grandmother. Sad to say most of them were lost when the old house collapsed and they were only able to save a few of them. It was a shame; Raindrops loved all the old furniture and knick-knacks.
Still, the new house would be filled with new memories and items. Raindrops wondered if she should go antiquing for CT’s birthday in a few months. No, she had a better idea. She would go antiquing tomorrow and buy CT a nice present for her new house possibly getting a real nice one with the overtime money she’d be getting. Carrot Top was worth it. She should tell her friends about this. Ditzy would love this idea. A gift from each of her friends would make the place more like home.
They ignored the sound of the workers and chatted about this and that. Carrot Top listened with interest as Raindrops explained her brother’s field trip to the moon. Raindrops chuckled when CT suggested that her brother would be one of the first ponies on the moon. Who would have ever thought it? Most ponies seemed to think he wouldn’t amount to anything. Rage exploded in Raindrops’s mind thinking about that. What did those ponies know about Snails? He was a wonderful sweet pony and a thousand times better than they would even be! If she ever heard somepony say those words again, she would… Raindrops breathed in and out and calmed herself. Anger only hurt ponies. It was a lesson she learned the hard way.
Raindrops flushed with embarrassment when she noticed she wasn’t listening to her friend. She nodded in agreement to a something she half heard. Carrot Top didn’t even seem to notice and continued on with some story about an aunt of hers. Raindrops stood up in alarm when she realized the time. From the position of the sun, she’d been here at least 40 minutes. She didn’t have the time for this.
“Sorry, but I need to go.” Raindrops said. “I have a big project that needs finishing tonight.”
“I don’t mind.” Carrot Top replied. “Come back anytime. I love our chats.”
Raindrops left the house and flew into the air pushing her wings hard to make up the lost time as she pushed the clouds into place over the carrot farmers land. She watched Carrot Top work as she flew around. It looked like she was finishing up on a large order. Ten minutes later a green earth pony in overalls and straw hat came up to her house pulling an empty cart behind him. Raindrops couldn’t help but overhear the conversation. She had good hearing and liked listening to people.
“Greetings Carrot!” The straw hat pony said. “Got my order of carrots ready?”
“I do Pickle Jar.” Carrot Top replied and hoofed over a basket filled to the brim with carrots. “15 pounds of carrots.”
“Nice doing business with ya!” Pickle Jar lifted the basket into his cart, hoofed over a bag of bits, and trotted off the way he came.
Carrot Top screwed up her face after she opened the bag and counted the money. She coughed, but Pickle Jar didn’t appear to hear her. She coughed louder, and this got his attention.
“Yes?”
“This isn’t enough; the agreed price for your order was 28 bits.” Carrot Top said. “You’re 2 bits off.”
“Dear Carrot Top, it’s only two bits.” Pickle Jar waved his hoof in a dismissive gesture. “Nothing to get worked up about.” With that, he walked away again.
“No, you still owe me two bits.” Carrot Top refused to back down.
“We’re old friends right?” Pickle Jar chuckled. “What’s two bits between friends.” Deciding the conversion was over he trotted away again and hummed a tune to himself.
Raindrops scowled. What the hay was with this guy? How dare he so blatantly rip off her friend? She seethed wanting to give him a piece of her mind. She wanted to do more, much more, but reeled back her temper and decided yelling at him would be enough.
Before Raindrops could fly down and stop the guy, Carrot Top leaped over the stallion, cart and all, and landed in front of him on the road. She was almost foaming at the mouth in rage. Pickle Jar took a step back, scared and confused by this sudden development.
“You owe me two bits.” Carrot enunciated every single work her eyes livid.
“Well, you know. It’s just money. It’s no big deal if it’s only a few bits off.” The stallion babbled his legs were shaking in fright.
He let out an eep when Carrot Top growled. It sounded like something from a feral predator promising violence. Carrot Top walked up to him and stared him right in the eyes. She slammed her hoof on the ground leaving a large crack in the pavement under her. Pickle Jar screamed like a little filly when he saw this.
“You owe me two bits. You better give it to me now or so help me…”
“It’s right here!” Pickle Jar threw two bit on the ground and ran like a pack of manticores was after him.
Raindrops gasped when she saw this. Sure Trixie told her about Carrot Top’s anger issues, but at the time she dismissed it as her leader’s usual overreacting. Carrot Top was always the most demure of them. Where the hay did all this anger come from?
Carrot Top smiled to herself as she picked up the two bits and walked back to her house. The scene tore at Raindrops’ heart. She wanted to finish her work, but she couldn’t let this scene go. The type of anger wasn’t healthy and Carrot Top needed her help. She knew a thing a two about being angry. It haunted her whole life after all. She knew what would happen if a pony was pushed too far. Raindrops steeled her resolve and flew back down to the ground.
“What is it?” Carrot Top asked looking up as Raindrops approached.
Raindrops closed her eyes trying to come up with the best way to phrase this. Dammit, she was never all that good with words. They always eluded her for some reason.
“I saw what happened a few moments ago.” Raindrops said. Darn it, she had no idea what to say. Oh well, best just to get to the point. “I don’t think it was a good thing what you did. You shouldn’t act out in anger like that. You scared him half to death.”
Carrot Top scowled. “The jerk deserved it.”
“But it wasn’t right.” Raindrops replied with solemnity.
“No, he deserved it!” Carrot Top replied. “He tried to rip me off!”
“But it wasn’t right.” Raindrops repeated.
“You don’t know what it’s like being me!” Carrot Top pointed a hoof at her friend. “You’re lucky. Nopony bothers you. They give you space. Me?” Carrot Top let out a bitter laugh. “They see a pony they walk over! Weak! Small! Timid! Nothing but a complete doormat they can use and abuse all they want and she will never do a thing about it!”
Carrot Top spat on the ground. “Well, I’m sick of it! I’m sick of standing by and letting ponies take advantage of me! I refuse to let anypony walk over me or take something I care about ever again!”
Raindrops stared at Carrot Top with wide eyes. She had not expected such vehemence. She never knew her friend felt this way. Raindrops closed her eyes and thought. How could she be so blind to her friend’s pain? It was so obvious to her now. Carrot Top kept in all her anger and frustration for years just grinning and pretending there wasn’t a problem. No wonder she had eventually broken like a dam that had taken too much pressure and had finally burst. Carrot Top had every right to be this angry. Raindrops couldn’t deny her friend’s wish to stand up for herself and the wrongs committed against her. Yet…
“But it wasn’t right.”
Carrot Top threw up her hooves in frustration. “What am I supposed to do? Be a complete doormat again?!”
“No, but you should find a better way than yelling and threatening ponies.” Raindrops replied. “Violence solves nothing.”
“Well, it’s the only thing ponies seem to respond to!” Carrot Top shot back. “Fear is the only thing they understand. They need to know I’m not some pony they can mess with! Strength is the only thing in this world ponies respect.”
Raindrops stared at her friend shocked and she looked down saddened. What had become of her friend? Was she really happy with everypony hating and fearing her? Or worse actually hurting ponies? She might end up as bad as they ponies who bullied her in the first place. Raindrops felt really lost for words now and gave her friend a heartbroken look.
“Don’t look at me like that!” Carrot Top said. “This is for the best! You’ll see! Really!”
Raindrops shook her head. This reminded her too much of the time before she met her friends. There was a time when everypony avoided her, too afraid to get close out the fear she might hurt them. The worst part is she might have if she lost her control of herself. Even now after years of work and therapy, she still feared losing control. She didn’t want that for her friend. Anything but that.
“No, this won’t make you happy. You’ll just push ponies away. You can’t make friends if everypony runs away from you. If everypony hates you. In the end, you will end up all alone.” Raindrops fought back tears and her ears flattened to the back of her head. She rubbed a hoof against her eye, she hated crying. “Please don’t do this,” she begged in almost a whisper.
Carrot Top said nothing for a long moment considering her words. “I just, no, you’re right.” She deflated and looked down at the ground. “I just get so angry.” Carrot Top said in almost a whisper. “It’s hard not to explode. I’m not sure why I even do it myself. I just don’t want ponies to hurt me anymore.” Tears welled at the corners of her eyes.
Raindrops pulled her friend into a hug. “It will be okay.”
Carrot Top returned the hug with vigor. "Thanks, Raindrops."
Carrot Top let go of the hug and wiped her eyes free of her tears. “I know you're right about threatening ponies being wrong. It just felt so good finally being able to give some payback.”Carrot Top blushed. “I may have fantasized about beating Pickle Jar to a pulp more than once. But, I see your point. If I let this continue, I just might do it for real. I don’t want that.”
“Maybe you should see somepony about this?” Raindrops said. “I know a Doctor Gestalt that might be able to help. He’s helped me get through some tough times.”
Carrot Top nodded and sighed. “You might be right. Some counseling might do me some good. I’ve been holding on to these demons long enough.”
Carrot Top held a hoof up. “Just one condition.”
Raindrops tilted her head and waited for her friend to continue.
“I am not apologizing to Pickle Jar.” Carrot Top replied. “The jerk deserved it and I refuse to take it back.”
Raindrops laughed. “Sure thing.”
“Hey!” A voice yelled down at them. They looked up to see an annoyed Flitter hovering in midair glaring at them with her hooves crossed.
“What are you doing?” Flitter asked. “We’re on a schedule. Some of us want to get home already!” She pointed at all the areas in the sky without rain clouds.
Raindrops looked at the sun and saw it was only an hour until sunset and cursed. She had spent too much talking with Carrot Top. She rubbed the back of her neck and gave an apologetic look.
“And I suppose you will want me to help you with this?” Flitter asked not pleased at all about the prospect of more work.
Raindrops shook her head. “No, I will handle this.”
“That was a close one.” Flitter wiped her brow and took off before Raindrops could say anything else.
Carrot Top snorted. “She could’ve stayed to help, regardless.”
Raindrops shrugged. “She’s like that.” It was just how Flitter was. She rarely helped a pony if it didn’t benefit her in some way. It was frustrating sure, but Raindrops knew she shouldn’t let small things like this bother her. It was nothing worth getting angry about. Flitter did this sort of thing all time. It’s all about picking your battles. Besides, it wasn’t like Trixie wasn’t just as annoying sometimes.
Raindrops waved to her friend goodbye and stopped mid-air when a thought struck her. She broke out into a wide grin.
“Meet me in the park in about two hours.” Raindrops said. “I’ll show you how I like to deal with all my anger and frustration.”
Carrot Top gave her a confused look but nodded. “Isn’t it going to rain? Sure, I suppose I can go.”
An hour and a half later, Raindrops placed the final cloud in its right place. She’d pressed her wings harder than usual and they ached from the stress. It was tiring work but Raindrops didn’t mind. Pushing herself to the limit was something she lived for, and she could hardly complain after seeing this masterpiece of a storm she created. It needed one final touch and it would be perfect. She gave the signal to her fellow weather ponies, and they jumped on the storm, activating it. There was a boom of thunder and in an instant, rain fell from the dark clouds to the ground below.
Raindrops wasted no time in flying to the park to meet her friend. She spotted Carrot Top hiding under a tree from the rain. Already puddles had formed on the ground and she splashed into one when she landed covering her coat in mud. Nopony else was in the park besides the two of them.
“So, what is this magical relaxation treatment you told me about?” Carrot Top asked as she approached.
Raindrops laughed and gestured to the surrounding rainstorm. “This!” She danced and played in the rain loving every cold drop of the life-giving liquid that hit her. The night was still muggy and she enjoyed finally cooling herself off. She didn’t care how silly or ridiculous she looked. The pure joy it gave her expunged it all.
Carrot Top gave her a bewildered look not believing her eyes for a moment. Raindrops had a moment of doubt and worry. She’d never shown this side of her to anypony like this before besides her family. Raindrops worried Carrot Top would laugh at her and mock her for this behavior.
Carrot Top put her hoof on in the rain and recoiled at the cold. It was clear she didn’t really like getting wet. She shook her head, smirked, and jumped in a single mighty leap into a puddle splashing herself and Raindrops with mud. Raindrops grinned and CT howled with laughter and skipped about. She shivered a little at the cold but ignored it. Soon, the two ponies were laughing and dancing together in pouring rain forgetting all their troubles and worries.
Raindrops couldn’t describe what she felt at this moment. It was nice to share her love of rain with another pony. Carrot Top didn’t mock her or laugh at her, but embraced this odd quirk in her personality and Raindrops was eternally grateful for it.
Neither of them seemed to care how they now soaked to the bone and caked in mud on almost every part of their body. For this brief moment in their lives, they just lived in the moment and the simple joy the rain gave them.
Author's Note
The Galaxy Rangers will return in a Flutter of the Heart!
Fluttershy realizes she has a crush on the leader of the Galaxy Ranger Trixie Lulamoon. But her attempts to confess her feelings unveils a dark plot against Trixie by the Night Court.
