Applejack smiled as her hooves crossed the creaky floorboards of Cider Barn, or as many Ponyville residents called it, Cider, or sometimes merely The Barn. She took a deep inhale of the comforting scent of Hoofsby's Dry Cider, then pushed open the saloon-style doors.
The inside of the rustic barn was just as calm as the outside, only three ponies sitting inside. Applejack quickly identified Berry Punch, the regular of Cider, as well as Salt Lick, who was clearly on his break from work at the counter. Despite recognizing the first two ponies quickly, she couldn't place the light orange mare in the back corner, despite the single bright light swinging over her. Deciding to go greet her, she briskly trotted over, sliding into the seat and tipping her hat down a bit.
"Applejack?" asked the pony across from her, and suddenly Applejack knew who she was.
"Carrot Top?" she asked, shocked. The mare across from her was significantly different from the typically upbeat salesmare that took the booth across from Applejack every Saturday. Now, Carrot Top was a mere shadow of her old self, her eyes bloodshot and her posture gone. Her smile all her customers looked forward to had morphed into a depressed and grim line.
"That's me, I guess." Applejack was both confused and impressed by the way Carrot spoke. her voice not slurring at all despite the piles of shot glasses in front of her.
"Are y'all as drunk as ah think y' are?"
"Eeyup," said Carrot Top with a mocking Southern accent, before bursting into merciless and dry laughter.
"Is tha' the best accen' y' can do?"
"Oh, just buck off already," cursed Carrot Top, and Applejack cringed.
"Nopony tells me to buck off wi'out a fight," said Applejack with a chuckle. "Now, le's see. How 'bout a bet? If you win, I buck off and leave here, ne'er talk t' y' again, whatever. If I win, y' have to buck off."
"No," said Carrot Top shortly. "If I win, you have to work on my farm for a week."
"Fine. Now what's the bet?"
"Darts," decided Carrot Top after looking around briefly. Applejack stood up, walking confidently over to the table ten feet from the dartboard. She carefully lifted a single dart from the plastic box, taking care not to jab her muzzle on any of the other sharps. "Three shots," added Carrot Top, and Applejack simply knocked the box over, separating the darts by color until there were three piles. She grabbed the first green, then got ready. She held her head back, then with a deep grunt, tossed the dart in a carefully practiced glide.
It stuck into the thirteen bull, and the other two quickly followed into then one and twenty. Carrot Top scoffed, then lifted her own darts. She carefully weighed them in her mouth, then hurled them in quick succession. Three distinct thuds echoed through the four ponies in attendance ears', and Salt Lick and Berry Punch turned to stare at the fascinating feat Carrot Top had accomplished.
All three had stuck into the bull's eye. Applejack let out a choked and startled sob, then turned to stare at the drunken mare.
"Drink on me'y," Applejack said slowly. "If you tell me why yer so d'pressed." Carrot Top nodded, and turned to sit down at the picnic table that doubled as her own seat, while Salt Lick quickly filled two mugs with classic cider and brought them to them. He shot Applejack a warning look, but the mare simply shook it off. She lifted her mug just as Carrot Top began to explain.
"It started a few months ago," said Carrot Top slowly, taking a deep drink from her mug. "A few of my farmhooves quit. I only have me and Maroon Carrot, my sister. We... we can't get as much done now, and it's so hard to feed all the ponies of Equestria." Her voice was thick with sorrow, but another choked down gulp had her mind numb again.
"All the ponies in Equestria?" asked Applejack incredulously. "Ah had no idea yer business was as big as ours." She paused, realizing how bragging the comment was. "Ah—"
"It is," said Carrot Top shortly, then backtracked. "It has been for a while, actually. Since... just before Flim and Flam came by actually. Carrots are a big deal to ponies, y'know. Carrots, apples, and hay fries basically cover the whole market here."
"Wow..." murmured Applejack, setting down the mug she had drained. "Ah suppose that's true, ain' it? Ah never realized how importan' y' were to Equestria."
"Yeah, carrot farming's a pretty big deal. It's been in my family for a while, actually. Since around Granny Smith's time, but then my family grew hay, carrots only being a side thing. It was my mom that started growing carrots more noticeably, and when I got my cutie mark in carrot farming the potato side of things vanished. Maroon got her cutie mark a few years after mine; she always wanted to be like her big sister." Carrot let out another dry chuckle, and Applejack sighed.
"Well, shall we getcha home? With me workin' on yer farm, y'll be back up to speed in no time."
"Sure," said Carrot Top with a grateful smile, setting down her mug with a soft clang. "Just let me pay real fast." Applejack nodded, deep in thought. She frowned a bit, until Carrot Top cleared her throat. "Let's go?" she offered, shaking a bit. Applejack chuckled at the shaky state of the mare, then leaned against her and began to lead her home.
Author's Note
I'm seeking coverarts and proofreaders, let me know if you can do so?