Carrot Top looked out the window of her three-bedroom house that looked into the main square of Ponyville. Ponies of all kinds walked around the square, talking, laughing, shopping, and just living life. The ponies her age had come to cherish the serenity, the soft green grass, the blue sky, and the carefree lifestyle of Equestria even more after it was nearly destroyed. She shuddered at the memories. They still haunted her sometimes, when her mind was on idle. She sighed as she watched a group of foals run around outside, her own daughter Muffin Top among them. She was wrestling with Roughshod, the son of Scootaloo and Lightning Wind. The foals lived happily, unaffected by the horrors of armed conflict. They wouldn't lose friends and family to the unforgiving bullets of an enemy who lived and breathed merciless conquest. Carrot Top thanked Celestia that this was so. Celestia and...him. Her eyes closed, and tears started to run down her cheeks. She unconsiously walked over to the fireplace and brought down a small stick-man doll from the mantle to hold in her hoof. He had made it for her...it was the first thing he had given her...
~~~
Carrot Top's eyes slowly opened. They immediately stung with grit and tears, and she rubbed them vigorously with her hoof. Her face got curiously wet when she did this, and her nose was filled with a coppery scent. She opened her eyes again, blinking furiously, and looked at her right foreleg. What she saw made her open her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. It was cut open from elbow to hoof. Upon sight of the wound, pain began to assault her with an absolute vengeance. Now she did scream, loudly. Tears splashed down her face as she wailed and tried to struggle her way through what had once been her house. Her sobs must have carried over the wreckage and alerted someone, but she didn't notice or care.
"Mommy! Daddy!" She called out, her voice cracking. She sobbed more desperately, the fur on her cheeks and neck soaked through with tears and blood, and called again. "Mommy! Daddy!"
Nothing.
Nothing but the crackling of flames, and the occasional sound of something falling as it worked loose from the house's mangled framework. She limped on, climbing over what had once been walls. The walls that at one time had always made her feel so secure; whenever she was home, she felt invincible, felt that nothing bad would happen to her inside that house. Nothing would ever breach the sanctuary of those solid walls. Now, they were merely a crumbling mass, crushed as mercilessly as somepony stomping on an ant. Her sanctuary was no more.
She called one more time, as loudly as her little lungs would allow, putting her fear and despair into every syllable. "MOMMY!!! DADDY!!! HELP ME!!!"
Her scream echoed around the desolate ruin, but nopony responded. "Mommy...Daddy..." her voice was strangled and dry now. "Mommy...Daddy..." she collapsed, crying even harder than before. Were they gone? Were they hurt? Did they...die? That thought just provoked more sobs from the scared and wounded filly. She had heard that dying was like when a pony went to sleep, but they never woke up ever again. Their spirit went somewhere, and their body was buried. She didn't want that! No, no! Her parents didn't die!
She got up, a new fire of determination burning within her heart. She WOULD find them, they WOULD be alright! Her mother would then sing to her while her father bandaged the cut, and then they would go to Sugarcube Corner for a comfort cupcake, like they always did when she got seriously hurt. That would happen. It had to. Carrot Top struggled through more of the wreckage, and in a few minutes reached the kitchen. The wall with the sink and the cupboards on it was still standing, but the rest of it was in a destroyed pile in the centre. Panic overtook her; her parents had been in the kitchen before there was the boom, the tumbling, and the blackness. Were they alright? They had to be!
Whimpering, she pulled a piece of rubble off the pile, then another, then another, then another. When she managed, with some effort, to get a partictularly big piece off the pile, her father's face came into view. He wasn't moving, he wasn't breathing, and there was a stream of blood running out of his mouth, and down over the jumble of drywall and splintered wood that was under him.
"Daddy!" Carrot Top nudged him. He didn't move. "Daddy!" She said more urgently, now starting to panic again. Nothing. "Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy!!!" She shouted, nudging him even more roughly. Nothing. "Daddy, no! No! Please, Daddy! Don't be dead, Daddy! Please!" She was crying again, heedless of her surroundings, or the renewed pain from her leg. "Daddy! I need you! Please!" She shook him again. But it was hopeless, she knew it. A gaping pit of despair opened in her heart, sucking away everything. Everything she had ever known, everything she had ever felt. It was all shattered. Shattered like her father's body. Her world was crashing down around her. "DADDY!!!!" She screamed as loud as she could, and collapsed. "Daddy...Daddy..." she was soaking the floor with her tears, which flowed from her now red and stinging eyes. She sobbed, her sore belly heaving.
Wait! Wait! Mother! Carrot Top stopped crying for a second, which was all she needed to ignite a new flame of hope. Her mother! She could still be alive! Carrot Top got to her hooves and shook her head, trying to clear it. She blinked to try and stabilize her vision, which had gone blurry during her latest fit of tears. She began moving more rubble, her last and desperate hope giving her strength. Then, the flame in her heart was snuffed out just as quickly as it had ignited.
"MOMMY!! NO!!!"
Carrot Top's mother lay on her back. She too was bleeding out of her mouth, and she too lay unmoving and unbreathing. A piece of the hardwood floor had been turned into a deadly weapon when its splintered end had impaled her through her abdomen. It stuck out of the gruesome wound about 8 inches, covered in blood and...and...she didn't even want to know. Carrot Top again collapsed. The pit of despair within her had come back, this time a gaping black chasm. She cried again, harder than she had ever cried in her life. For how long, she didn't know, nor did she care. Both her parents were gone. That was all she cared about. Never again would she hear her mother's soft voice signing a song when she was in pain or scared, of which she was both at that moment, and never again would she feel her father's strong but gentle hooves working his medical magic to take away her pain, or his forelegs around her after she had a nightmare. She was alone.
That's when she heard them. It was a while after she had cried herself dry, and just lay near her parents' bodies, curled up and shivering. She heard the sound of something walking, but it wasn't the sound of hooves. Then, there were shouts, and a cacophonous sound of *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG* that sounded like it was coming from several places at once. Carrot Top didn't move. She didn't care anymore. She just didn't care, period. When the loud bangs died down, the sound of steps came closer and closer. She heard words, words that made no sense to her.
"Chto-nibudʹ?"
"Net."
"Prodolzhajte poiski. Jesli kto-to jeshche zhivy, my dolzhny najti ikh."
Carrot Top had never heard anything that sounded remotely like that language before. It was strange and alien-sounding. What if this was an alien attack, and they were looking for her? Before she could react, she felt a presence right next to her. Whatever it was moved closer, and a strange paw touched her. It looked somewhat like a Griffin's, but it wasn't sharp. She squeaked with surprise when she was touched, and the voices started again. Then, the paws slid under her, and she felt herself being lifted into the air. She squeaked again, but was too fatigued from crying, blood loss, and rubble removal to react much. She was wrapped in a strong pair of forelegs. Strong, but gentle. Like her father's. One of the creature's paws stroked her mane gently, and she heard him whispering in his strange language. She assumed it was a he, because his voice sounded male. It was soothing, very soothing. She had no idea who he was, what he was, or what he was speaking, but she felt secure with him. She closed her eyes as the creature travelled with her, and dozed off, her tiredness having finally caught up with her full-force.
When the filly opened her eyes, something wet was being applied to her face. She stared into a strange, fleshy face, and she gasped slightly. She had though that the creature would have been a weird pony, but he looked...more like an ape. The creature's other paw stroked her mane again, and he smiled at her, and spoke to her. She relaxed slightly, and he picked up another small white rag, and tipped a little water from his water bottle onto it, then resumed wiping her face. When he drew it away, it was red. He was cleaning the blood off of her. She looked down away from it, and saw neat bandages around her leg. She was being tended to, not experimented on or probed...this was a good sign.
Carrot Top went to speak, but her throat felt like old paper. It was dry and cracked, and it hurt a lot. She whimpered, and looked longingly at the water bottle the strange ape was holding. Noticing this, set set it down, and he gently turned her until she was lying on her belly. He then picked up the water and held it to her mouth, tipping it slowly. When the cool rush of water ran down her throat, it felt like heaven. A little bit of it dribbled down her chin, and he quickly wiped it up with his sleeve. When he stopped, Carrot Top licked her lips. "Thank you" she said to him, unsure whether he would understand her or not. He pet her cheek gently, and gave her a small kiss on her forehead. She smiled; he was tending her the way a parent tends their sick child. It felt good to be cared for like this, even though it wasn't the same as her father. Her father...
Tears began to build again, and she whimpered slightly. The horror of seeing her parents dead was still fresh in her mind, and they had come back as soon as her thoughts had strayed into that area. The creature instantly set the water down, and he gently pulled her close, hugging her. His paw combed her mane, and his soft whispers floated into her ears. She clung to him, and cried into his shoulder. She cried again for a bit, all the while being embraced by the strange but very kind ape-like creature. He was warm and comforting, and treated her like his own. She needed this so badly. She needed someone to hold her and reassure her.
When she stopped crying, she sniffed and wiped her nose with her hoof. The creature then sat next to her, and he took some wire out of one of his many pockets. He then began to twist and shape it skillfully, and after a few minutes, he help up a little wire doll in the shape of his species. It was like the stick-ponies that foals usually drew, except it wasn't a pony. He twirled it in his paw using two of the five nimble digits he possessed, and he set it on her back, and made it 'walk' from her tail up to the top of her head. She giggled, and he made it jump down to her hoof. She held it carefully, and she too played with the wire doll. She smiled up at him to say 'thank you', and he stroked her mane gently. Then, someone barked an order from in front of a large metal vehicle-type thing, and he dashed over to where the others were gathering. Carrot Top continued to play with the doll, and found some comfort in having a toy again. Her first new toy. Given to her by her new friend. She would treasure it always, absolutely always.
She stayed with the soldier for a few more weeks before being moved to the new field hospital. She stayed there with the other foals, many of them orphaned as well. It was fun to be able to play with other foals again, and she grew bright and happy once more. There were times when she thought of her parents, and her mood sank. Luckily, time had mostly healed that wound. She didn't cry anymore at the thought of them, but she did mope a little. The soldier who had saved her visited her as often as he could, and sometimes he brought her things. She always hugged him tightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek to show her appreciation. She truly appreciated everything he did for her.
Then, there was that time that he didn't come back for two months. She had worried and puzzled and worried a lot, praying he was OK. She wanted him to be OK. She NEEDED him to be OK. He had become like a big brother, or a surrogate father to her. She loved him, and he loved her. They had grown to be family, even though they didn't understand each other's language. She prayed to Celestia every night for him, prayed he would come back. She prayed that when she woke up, he would be there, forelegs open, ready for her to throw herself into a hug. Every morning for two months, she woke up, and no one was there but the various medical personnel.
Then, there came the day where there was cheering. An announcement over the radio had triggered a loud onlsaught of merriment from all who heard it. She personally had no idea what it said, but she guessed that whatever this fighting was about, it was over, and the ones looking after her had won. After that came the wounded. Lots and LOTS of wounded. The medical staff had closed off her section so that the foals wouldn't see the horrendous wounds inflicted by war. But they heard. They heard the pained groans and the occasional yelp. Carrot Top gritted her teeth at this, and tried to shut it out. She resorted to peeking through a crack in the tent to see what was outside. She looked at the pillar of smoke rising in the distance, and guessed that was where the fighting was. As she went to look away, she saw a wounded soldier being brought in. Her soldier.
She had crashed through the barriers and ran into the main part of the field hospital. The medics failed to catch her, as she was small and very fast. She galloped full-on to the hospital-style bed, and saw him laying there. It was indeed him, her soldier, the one who had been so kind and loving to her in her darkest time. He was covered in bandages, but his face was still visible. It had escaped with a few cuts and a bruise or two. She knew it was him. She reared up and placed both of her front hooves on the metal rail that prevented him from falling out, and looked at him, her large eyes watering. He smiled strenuously, and reached out with his least wounded hand to stroke her mane. She nuzzled his hand, and tears started to fall from her eyes. He took his hand away from her for a minute, and with difficulty, fished something from around his neck. It was silver symbol, and it looked very valuable. Its pattern reminded her of...the sun. He held it out to her, and she took it.
Just then, a medic had come and tried to shoo her away. She had stubbornly stayed where she was, looking up at the medic defiantly. Until her soldier gave her a look that all parents master, a look that said 'do what your told'. She couldn't disobey him, after all he did for her. So she reluctantly got down and trudged back to where the other foals foals were. She was almost there, when she heard a flat, electronic tone. That indicated that someone...no, no she wouldn't think about it. She didn't dare look. She just walked with mechanical movements back to the other foals. Then, she did chance a look back. Her soldier was talking to a nurse. Another was being wheeled away, covered in a sheet. She turned away, and went back to her bed. After getting into it, she put the medallion around her neck, and tried to sleep. Sleep wouldn't come; she couldn't stop worrying.
That night, she snuck out, and walked through the darkness, guided by the light of the monitors, back to where her soldier lay. It was then that she noticed that he was trembling and sweating. She got her front hooves back up on the railing again, and she gently nudged him. He didn't respond, he just kept trembling. Now worried, Carrot Top ran to where the head medic was sleeping and poked him awake. He looked at her crossly upon waking up, and she chewed her lip as she pointed to the bed where her soldier was. He got up, grumbling, and stated to walk tiredly toward him. It was then that he started hacking up blood. The head medic then dashed to him, as did Carrot Top, and he began to grab medicines and whatever else to help. Carrot Top stood by, helpless to do anything. She started to cry again, desperate for her soldier to survive. The medic shot her a sympathetic glance as he worked, and he seemed to redouble his efforts.
Her soldier just got worse and worse. Carrot Top had stopped crying, and was now watching, chewing her lip again. She needed him. She needed him. Please, dear Celestia, don't let him die! Apparently, he had offended Celestia somehow, as just about five minutes after the difficulties started, the monitor went flat, and her soldier moved no more.
"No...."
A feeling of cold dread and despair overtook the filly again. "No...no no!"
The head medic was working desperately, trying anything to get her soldier back to the land of the living. Eventually, he shook his head. That was the worst sign from anyone who worked in medicine. He was gone. There was nothing he could do.
"No!!" Carrot Top jumped up onto one of the metal boxes that held the components for the various moniors, and she rested her front hooves right on him. She shook him, desperate for him not to be dead. Every fibre of her being willed him not to be dead. "Come back!" She was crying hard again, "come back, please! I need you! Come back..." she stopped shaking him, and just lay against him, her cheek pressed against his chest. She just cried, it was all she could do. First her parents, now him...it wasn't fair! The head medic put his paw on her shoulder gently. He was trying to comfort her, but it didn't work. The tears just flowed and flowed and flowed. Her body wracked with sobs, and her belly began to hurt again.
How long she cried, no one knows. Carrot Top herself felt as if she was in a dream state, like she was disconnected from reality. It all felt like a bizarre dream when she felt herself being pulled away gently albeit firmly, and a blanket being placed over the body of her dear soldier. She was led away, to someplace, somewhere. She didn't know, she was still in that dream state. Everyting within her was a raging torrent of despair, grief, anger, and fear. What would happen now? Would she be taken away? But none of that truly mattered now. She had lost them...lost them all.
When she woke up on what she assumed was the next morning, she was lying in a bed in a large room, along with other beds lined up with hers along the wall. Some were occupied, some weren't. She didn't care. She just had to fnd out where she was. She dashed down the hallway, possibly knocking someone over, she didn't know. Or care. Once she reached the front desk, she said to the mare at the counter,
"Where am I? Where are my things?" She was breathing heavily from her run.
"You are at the Manehattan Imperial Orphanage" said the mare, "and they will be here once they are gathered."
Right on cue, a scrawny stallion came into the building, carrying a bag of stuff in his mouth. He set it down at the counter, and said, "I have the things here for..." he read the tag that was tied on the handle "...Carrot Top."
"Those are mine" she said, looking up at him.
He smiled awkwardkly down at her. "Right...here you go. Saves me the trouble of having to lug it to your room."
Carrot Top took the bag and dashed back to her room, her heart pounding. She hoped everything was there. Especially that little wire doll that he'd made for her. She rifled through the bag, unti she found it lying at the bottom. One of the legs was bent, but it was there. She took it out, and carefully bent the leg back straight. She just held it, and thought of her soldier. She remembered when he had twisted it for her out a single piece of wire when he was tending her. Her first new toy. It was a simple gift, but very, VERY meaningful. She would always hold onto it. Always...
~~~
She was drawn out of her reverie by a gentle nuzzle to her neck. She looked to see her husband, Pip. He had once been called 'Pipsqueak' because of his tiny size as a colt, but now he was bigger than most stallions. Only Big Mac rivalled him now. Carrot Top kissed her husband lovingly, and they shared an embrace. This was always the favourite part of her day, cuddling with her Pip. He kissed her cheek, and said
"Thinking about him, love?"
"I was. I still miss him dearly."
"I know you do, sweetie." Pip nuzzled his wife again, "but he'll always be with you."
Carrot Top returned the nuzzle, and looked at the wire doll. He would always be with her. Sometmes she swore she could feel him watching over her, or feel his gentle paws on her mane. She let loose a happy tear, and quickly wiped it away.
"You know...it's Muffin Top's birthday tomorrow" said Pip.
Carrot Top smiled, "I know, dear. We already have her presents. Though there is one more I want to give her..." she looked at the little wire doll in her hoof, and set it back on the mantle. Just then, two laughing foals came into the house.
"Hey Mom!" Muffin Top chriped happily.
"Hi, Mrs. T!" Roughshod shook his long mane from his face as he smiled up at her.
"Hey you two" said Carrot Top, smiling back at them, "make yourselves comfortable, and I'll get some snacks."
"Yay!"
The two foals ran into the living room, and plopped on the couch.
As Carrot Top was fetching some snacks for her daughter and Roughshod, she thought to herself. Should I give it to her? The wire doll? I'm sure she would love it, I just...
Then that sensation went through her again. It was a comforting feeling, like a gentle and loving touch. And once again she felt his paw on her mane, his digits combing through it gently. Another happy tear fell, and she said quietly,
"I suppose that's your approval. Alright, I'll give it to her."
The sensation slowly and gently left, and she just stood there, smiling. He was there with her, always. He may be gone in body, but he was always there in spirit.
She picked up the snacks and walked into the living room to give them to the colt and filly who were now playfully tickling each other. She looked briefly at the wire doll where it rested, and smiled again. No matter what happened, no matter where life took her, he would always be there.
And she would never, ever stop remembering him...