The flames were put out, but by that time it was too late. The Royal Guards found Carrot Top's charred body inside her nearly burned down house. The Royal Guards then secluded the area and began to look for clues. They found dry hay all around the base outside the house. They came to the conclusion that the dry hay combined with the heat of the Sun must have started the fire. They also concluded that the hay must have fallen off from the hay-made roof.
I just don't know what went wrong, thought Derpy Hooves, the next day. How could Carrot Top, the love of my life, be dead? Derpy had just delivered her last round of mail. They were invitations to Carrot Top's vigil, which will be held tonight at the remains of Carrot Top's house. She flew back to her house, walked inside, put her mailbag down, and went to her room. She got into bed and began crying.
"It's just so sad", said Fluttershy. Twilight invited her friends to her house after they got the invitations.
"I agree with Fluttershy", said Pinkie Pie.
"What in the hay is a vigil anyway", asked Applejack.
"A vigil is a period of staying awake, usually for a somber occasion, such as the death of loved one", said Twilight.
"Oh."
Later that night, the whole town of Ponyville gathered around the house that belonged to the late Carrot Top. Tears flowed from everypony's eyes as they mourned the loss of Carrot Top. Even Derpy came. She cried the hardest of all.
It was raining. Umbrellas covered everypony's head. Except Derpy's. The rain soaked her mane and coat. Twilight walked up behind her, using her magic to levitate an umbrella, and shielded Derpy from the rain. Without warning, Derpy grabbed on to Twilight and cried on her shoulder.
Twilight patted the crestfallen mare's back. "I'm sorry, Derpy." This made Derpy cry harder. Twilight sniffled and tear fell from her eye. "I'm so sorry."
The next day, everypony went back to their usual day jobs. Roseluck sold roses, Pinkie Pie made cupcakes, Rairty sewed dresses, even Derpy delivered mail. Everything seemed normal. But it wasn't. It would never be normal ever again. Carrot Top's death shook Ponyville in ways not even they can understand.
"I brought you a letter", said Derpy as cheerfully as she could.
"Thank you, Derpy", said Twilight. She took the mail and closed the door of her library house. Twilight opened the letter with her magic.
"Who's it from", asked Spike.
Twilight examined the letter. "It doesn't say who it's from."
"Maybe if you read it aloud, that'll give you a clue", replied Spike.
"Good idea. 'I'm really sorry to hear about the murder of your friend, Carrot Top.' Murder? Carrot Top's death was an accident."
"Keep reading, Twilight."
"Okay. 'I'm sure you may have heard the Royal Guards say it was just an accident, but I knew better. Carrot Top was burned alive. Rumors got around that she was a witch, some kind of powerful Earth pony with great powers. Someponies accepted that she was just great at gardening, other ponies...well, not so much. These other ponies came to Ponyville just to get rid of her. Her friends, the ones who accepted her, told them to back off, but Carrot Top just gave in. She was nice like that. After they killed her, they immediately left Ponyville. I know because I saw it with my own eyes. But I also know Carrot Top left something behind. This is where you and your friends come in, Twilight. I've searched everywhere for a sign she left, but couldn't find anything. You and your friends must locate what Carrot Top left behind. It's somewhere in her house. Once you locate it, bring it to Derpy. She'll know what to do with it. Sincerely, unknown mare. P.S., only you and your friends must know about this. Not anypony else..'" Twilight put the letter down and looked at Spike.
"What are you thinking, Twilight?"
"I'm thinking...we must find what Carrot Top left behind." Twilight raced over to her other friends houses and told them about the letter's message. The Mane Six all went over to Carrot Top's house, well, the remains of it. "Let's being our search." They searched high and low, low and high, high and low, but came to no avail.
"This is ridiculous", exclaimed Rainbow Dash. "We've been here forever and found not a thing!"
"It's only been 15 minutes", said Twilight.
"Oh."
"We must keep looking, everypony." Twilight and her friends continued their search. An hour later, Twilight said, "Girls, come look at this!" Twilight was levitating a carrot.
"It's just a dumb carrot", said Rainbow Dash.
"Not exactly." Twilight walked over to a dead plant on the window sill of the house. Once she put the carrot on the pot of the dead plant, the flower began to bloom.
The others gasped.
"Oh my goodness", said Fluttershy. "Do you know what this means?"
"It means we found what we were looking for and must take it to Derpy", said Twilight. "Come on, girls!"
The Mane Six ran over to Derpy's house. Applejack knocked on Derpy's front door.
Derpy opened the door.
"Here." Twilight gave Derpy the carrot. "I know this may be confusing, but-"
"Thanks." Derpy slammed the door in Twilight's face.
"That went well", said Rainbow Dash sarcastically.
"Let's just go home, everypony", said Twilight.
Derpy carried the carrot to her room. "Now the resurrection can begin."
Derpy Hooves walked outside. It was now midnight. Twilight and her friends brought Derpy the carrot sometime during that night. Maybe around 9. Everypony was sleeping in Ponyville. Derpy finally reached her destination: the Ponyville cemetery. She walked past all the tombstones until she reached Carrot Top's. "Hi", she said to the tombstone, smiling. "I'm here, and I brought you something." Derpy put the carrot right over where Carrot Top's body lay. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. "Whoa!" Derpy flapped her wings and hovered over the tombstone, where a large crack had began to form. He crack began to glow white. Suddenly, a yellow hoof surfaced. Then two. Derpy grabbed the two hooves and pulled. Carrot Top's head came poking out.
"Derpy?"
Derpy's mouth grew wide with a smile. She pulled the rest of Carrot Top out of the grave.
"But, how did you-" Carrot Top saw the magic carrot out of the corner of her eye. "You found it?"
"With the help of Twilight and her friends."
Carrot Top smiled. "Thank you, Derpy."
Derpy's eyes lit up. "I'm so happy your here with me again."
"Me too."
"Lets go back to my house." Derpy landed back on the ground and began walking to her house with Carrot Top following her.
When they reached Derpy's house, they walked inside. "You can sleep in my room, I'll sleep on the couch", said Derpy.
"Okay." Carrot Top walked upstairs to Derpy's bedroom. Once there, she closed the door. She began looking around the room. She sniffed the air. She smiled a bit. She looked to the night stand and saw a picture of herself and Derpy in a frame. "I remember that picture. It was taken on Hearts and Hooves day." She walked over to the night stand and grabbed the picture with her hooves. She then put it back down on the night stand. She finally got into bed. She closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Carrot Top woke up to the smell of something delicious. "Mmmm." She got out of bed and walked downstairs. She followed the scent into the kitchen to see Derpy baking muffins. "Good morning, Derpy."
"Good morning, Carrot Top! I made you some muffins."
"I see. They smell delectable."
"They taste that way too."
Carrot Top sat at the kitchen table. Derpy brought over to her a plate with a blueberry muffin on it. "Thank you."
Derpy smiled and went back to her muffins on the counter.
Carrot Top grabbed the muffin with her hooves and took a bite. Derpy soon joined her at the table, with a plate of two blueberry muffins. Carrot Top looked up at Derpy who had already been chewing her way through the first muffin on her plate. "Derpy?"
"Hmm?"
"You know I can't be here, right?"
Derpy swallowed. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I can't be here. I can't be alive."
"Why not?"
"They'll just kill me again."
"No, they won't. I know what to do now. I can protect.you."
Carrot Top smiled. "Derpy, you and I both know you can't hold all those ponies off by yourself."
"But our friends-"
"They can't stop them, either."
"Yes we can", Derpy shouted.
"No, Derpy. You know me being here isn't right. No matter how much you missed me, I can't stay here with you. Everypony knows I'm dead and that's how it's gonna stay."
Derpy stood up. "NO! You're not leaving me!"
"Derpy, please calm down."
"Why are you hurting me?!" Then she whispered, "Why does everypony keep hurting me?"
"I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm just doing what's best for you. For everypony. You need to let go. Let go, just like everypony else has."
"But-"
"Please, Derpy."
Derpy looked down. "I...I can't..."
"Derpy-"
"I won't! You're staying with me!"
"Derpy, I-"
Derpy suddenly flipped the table. " I said you're staying, dammit!"
Carrot Top's eyes widened in shock.
Derpy then had remorse in her eyes."I...I'm sorry. I just..."
Carrot Top stood up and with her back turned to Derpy, she let a tear fall from her eye. "It's okay, Derpy. I understand." She then walked back upstairs, leaving Derpy crying in the kitchen.
Later that night while Derpy was sleeping, Carrot Top went outside. She walked all the way to Twilight's library home. She knocked on the door.
Twilight opened it. She did a double take. "Carrot Top? How in Equestria-"
"It was the carrot. Derpy placed in on my grave and brought me back. May I come in?"
"Of course." Carrot Top walked in and Twilight closed the door.
"I need you, Twilight."
"Need me? For what?"
"I need you to preform a spell for me."
"Okay. What spell?"
"A mind erasing spell."
"Okay. Why do you need this spell?"
"I need you to preform on Derpy so she can forget about me."
"You do realize that this spell effects everypony, right?"
"Whatever it takes to make Derpy forget."
"Why would you want that? Does Derpy not make you happy?"
"Of course she does. I love her with all my heart. But me being here isn't good for her. She needs to understand that everypony doesn't live forever. They have die some time, some fewer than others."
"I see. Okay, I'll preform the spell."
"Thank you, Twilight. Meet me at my house tomorrow morning to preform the spell."
"Will do."
"Goodnight." Carrot Top walked out.
A sleepy-eyed Spike came from upstairs and towards Twillight. "Who was that?"
"It was Carrot Top, Spike."
His eyes suddenly jolted open. "Carrot Top? How? What? When-"
"She said Derpy brought her back with the carrot we found."
"Oh. What did you two talk about?"
Twilight hesitated. "Nothing, Spike. Let's go back to bed."
"Okay..." Spike went back upstairs with Twilight following behind.
