Her head hung limp for a, for- For who knew how long… She didn't care. Time seemed interchangeable and as meaningless as her efforts. Minutes were hours and hours were but mere seconds in this hole. It wasn't till she heard the distant squawking of one of Fluttershy's roosters that she realized just how long she'd been sitting down there. While she didn’t raise her head, initially, she did however bring her hoof up to brush her orange mane out of the way so that her eyes could still see.
Celestia’s, or was it Twilight’s now, wonderful heavenly light had begun to break past the baby blue morning sky. Giving the sky a deep, cool, azure coat to it; clear of any clouds that might have otherwise blocked the almost picturesque view. She didn't often take time to simply admire the sky anymore these past few harvests. She had been so preoccupied trying to salvage her failing farm that she simply forgot how nice such small moments were. To simply stop and admire the simple, yet majestic things in life that made the hard, awful days worth getting up for.
Within moments the warm, golden rays finally washed down into the cave like a surge of life-giving waters, washing away the darkness and her worries with it. If not forever than at least for now and that was good enough. Well, the world certainly didn't look like it was going to end, so why did she act like it over a few bad harvests?
She felt a small genuine smile, the first in a long time, grow past her muzzle as the light finally revealed the actual edges of the hole. It wasn't nearly as far as she thought it had been. She could climb out of it, given enough tries at least, and if she couldn't then some pony- err creature, would eventually stumble upon her. With that the mare gave a grunt of effort as she got back up to her hooves.
“Alright, let's try this again,” she decaled before letting out a small giggle that caused her iconic golden smile to slowly form again. Her eyes locked to the top of the hole; with a determined stare. Even when she inevitably fell back down her eyes remained deadlocked on her end objective with an almost ferocious gaze of primal determination; refusing to lose sight of it once again.
One attempt turned into two and two into several. Each attempt was closer but never quite met the mark. Sweat had begun to form along the edge of her brow as her breath became heated and labored. Her strikes into the dirt were slower and attempts took longer, but they never lost their convection. Each step was still overflowing with the same tenacity as the last, if not more so, to make up for her tiering body.
Another grunt forced itself out Carrot tops muzzle as her flank struck the ground near the bottom of the rut. Her body had become increasingly tired from her ever rising number of attempts. She couldn't stop however, she knew that much. She could make it to the top, she just needed to give it another shot. One hoof. Then two. Now three lengths higher than her last attempt. End goal in sight. So close, and yet still out of reach. If she could just… Hoof outstretched; she could just barely taste the topsoil with her fetlock.
“Ha!” She cheered; only for the soil to inevitably give way and cause the mare to smack back down to where she started. A shrill yelp of pain escaped her as the air was knocked out of her from the sudden smack. This caused the mare to roll around in silent anguish. Though not from the sudden lack of air but from another failed attempt.
At this rate if she could stand on her mounting failures she could have easily walked out of the hole. No, she re-assured herself, now was not the time for such thought. She was getting closer, she could get out. She just needed to try again. No matter how tempting it may have been to just stop, just to end the pain and misery of failure she HAD to continue.
“Alright, one more time,” she muttered to herself, “from the top.” The carrot mare’s next attempt would be interrupted before it ever began.
“There you are!” A familiar voice practically sang, through the garbled pain of a particularly nasty hangover, “We’ve been, looking all over for you!”
“Berry!” Carrot Top beamed back, “Oh Celestia I’ve never been so thrilled to see you! I could kiss you my friend!”
“Uh I’m taken? You know that, you were there for tha wedding.” Berry Punch replied in a confused tone; the lingering effect of inebriation having muddled her normal thought process. To which Carrot Top let out a sigh, she loved her friend but admittedly her frequent bouts of intoxication could leave Carrot Top irritated with frustration.
“Yes I know. Hey, do you mind helping me out of this real quick?”
“Hu?” The purple coated mare blinked, “Oh, Of ‘curse!” she giddily hiccupped.
“Erm I mean of course,” Berry giggled before her eyes lazily glanced around for something to use. Her eyes quickly widening at something out of the sight of Carrot Tops limited perspective. A moment later the wine coated mare bounced out of sight.
“Berry!” Carrot Top desperately whined, “come back!”
“One second, Tops!” Berry called back before coming back with a rather short shovel, “Use this.” She instructed as she tossed it down. The shovel was rather rusty and in poor disrepair. Dinks and holes lined its metal, with rust long having eaten away at its edges from its once heavy use. Mildew even seemed to be setting in on the ancient wood. It was a rather disgusting look and looked like it would give her tetanus just from looking at it. The thought caused Carrot Top to grimace in revulsion. That thing would hardly cut day old butter left out in the sun never mind the compact dirt.
“I uh? Thanks?” Carrot Tops stumbled on words, unsure how to even reply to something in this poor condition. “Where did you even get this?”
“Over there,” Berry pointed, seeming to forget Carrot Top could quite see outside her rut. Carrot Top just sighed and nodded and rather than arguing with the mare decided to test the spade. When life gives you lemons and all that, she figured. Surprisingly despite its weathered appearance its wood was still sturdy. Sturdy enough it gave Carrot Top an alternative idea for the shovel.
“Catch!” Carrot Top warned before tossing the spade back up towards her lilac tinted friend. To Berry's credit, despite her hang over and slow reactions she managed to catch the spade. Though not before fumbling it about in her hooves and sending it crashing back down on Carrot Top.
“Uhh… Aren't you, supposed to use it,” Berry asked as she racked her head with a free hoof, “I’m not much of a digger.”
“Just hold on tight and hold it outstretched. I’m going to grab it and then you’re going to help pull me out,” Carrot Top explained.
“Hu? Oh! Yea, I got you Tops,” Berry assured with a botched, mock salute before putting both her hooves on the shaft end of the spade and lowering the blade to Carrot Top. With A deep breath Carrot top leapt up; grasping the cutting edge before quickly pulling herself to a more secure position on the other end of the shaft. Berry let out a grunt as she started to pull up while carrot top attempted to climb the shovel.
“Gha! You’re, heavier, than, you look!” Berry complained through exerted grunts of effort. Carrot top was about to reply when the lock splintering of wood could be heard. Carrot Tops eyes widened in horror as the wood began to crack down the middle. No she was so close, her hair was even sticking out the top. In a sudden thoughtless act of adrenaline she kicked her hooves against the wall and propelled herself up; grasping the ledge as the spade broke in two. Sending the blade to the bottom and Berry Punch flying back.
Berry landed on her flank with a grunt; blinking in a bit of a daze as the sudden momentum raddled around her head. A bad mix with her inebriation. This caused the mare to wince and close her eyes in pain as her hoof ran along her temples.
“Gha, sweet Celestia…” Berry complained, her short lived moment of pain would be short lived as the cries of Carrot Top reached her ears.
“Berry I’m slipping back in!” Carrot Top practically screamed as her fore hooves struggled to keep her on the ledge. The holes edge started to crumble under the mare's weight until finally the inevitable happened. Carrot Top's eyes clenched in anticipation for what would come next.
To Carrot Top’s surprise however, the familiar sensation of free fall did not come. Instead she was suspended in mid air. She blinked and looked up to see Berry Punch struggling to hold her hoof and pull her back up.
“Hurry up, and climb out!” Berry demanded with a grunt. Carrot Top’s cheeks briefly filled with a bashful heat before she finally pulled herself out of her rut, with Berry’s help of course.
“Thanks,” Carrot Top Finally said as she finally made it to the top side.
“Think nothing of it,” Berry bemoaned as she laid on her back in exhaustion. Carrot Top shot Berry a thankful smile that would never be seen before turning her attention to the state of her wagon. It was worse than she feared. It was utterly ruined. To even Carrot Top’s surprise however she didn’t let out a sharp sigh followed by a long whine. Instead she simply got up and started to put the pieces back together. Well the best she could anyway. Even if the cart could be fixed it would never be the same. Not to take into account the near hundreds of carrots scattered about, ruined and often in unreachable places.
“Oh well,” Carrot Top shrugged, “I’ll just make it up later,” She told herself; lacking her prior stress from just the day before. It was… A nice change of pace; even if she found herself worse off. Though as Carrot Top began to go and collect the pieces Berry stopped her.
“I know that cart was your life,” Berry stopped to suppress a hiccup as she laid her hoof on Carrot Tops shoulder in sympathy, “er lively hood,” she corrected, “so what are you going to do now?”
“Pick up the pieces and fix it I guess,” Carrot Top calmly answered as she scooped up a few splinters of the cart, “whatever happens I'll manage.”
“Well, at least let me help,” Berry added as she began handing over some fragments to Carrot Top. Another smile of gratitude carpet across Carrot Tops face. She wanted to say thank you, but the words choked up in her throat, causing a few tears to bubble up. It was as if all the stress, the worries and pain that had been building up in her over the past months were released in that one moment. Pouring out into her friends shoulder till they were purged from her system entirely. All she could do was croak out an incoherent statement to her friend. Though no actual words were spoken, Berry knew Carrot top well enough for the message to be sent loud and clear.
Berry shot a comforting smile down at Carrot Top as she gently rubbed her back. The two shared a long wordless conversation for what minuets until finally Carrot Top composed herself; giving Berry punch a small nod. For simple words could not do the depths of her gratitude justice, but that simple tired, smile conveyed what books of words could not. Berry in turn simply smiled back in kind, as the two mares began picking up the pieces togther.