Carrot Top and Granny Smith
By day 6, everything seemed to be going great for Carrot Top.
She was reliably producing dishes which highlighted her carrots and which wowed the taste testers. Berry Punch seemed very pleased with Carrot Top’s improvement. “These are getting close to restaurant-quality,” Berry Punch said. “You’re doing great.”
“Well, I had a good teacher,” said Carrot Top. Berry Punch had giggled and ordered her to get back to the soup, because it was about to burn.
There were enough farmhands and others volunteering now to take care of everything that Carrot Top was afraid she’d have to neglect in order to focus on the competition. Apparently, a couple of the more outgoing ponies had even taken her carrots to the market to sell – where, for the first time in Carrot Top’s memory, Golden Harvest Farms outsold Sweet Apple Acres. According to the ponies from the market, Big Macintosh had been standing there forlornly for hours, with barely any customers. Meanwhile, Golden Havest Farm carrots sold by the bushel.
The mention of Big Macintosh helped Carrot Top to remember to talk to Berry Punch about the boycott. “I’m glad you’re all on my side, but I’m really not comfortable trying to ruin their business. Could we ease up on the boycott?”
Berry Punch had been reluctant. “It’s my restaurant Applejack threatened to hurt. I can’t just let that go. Besides, you know they wouldn’t step in if some ponies were boycotting you.”
“I thought you said that I shouldn’t be like Applejack.”
Caught by her own words, Berry Punch had blushed, then chuckled. “Point. Okay, I’ll talk to a few of the others, but… I’m not sure we can stop it now. This has been building up for a really long time. And now that the town’s finally learning to live without the Apples, I don’t think the other farmers are going to want it to stop.”
“I understand. I’m just worried that Applejack will collapse from exhaustion or something. I’m not a fan of the Trust or Sweet Apple Acres, but none of us actually want Applejack to have a psychotic breakdown.”
Berry Punch had smiled. “Well, I’ll see what I can do.”
The other Elements were also getting involved. Lyra and Bonbon helped Carrot Top refine her desserts, Berry Punch’s own weak point (‘bars don’t really do fancy desserts,’ she’d explained). Raindrops had called in a few favors and obtained a few extra rainclouds for Carrot Top’s fields, to make sure that her carrots would have enough water to grow their best for the competition. Cherilee gave Carrot Top a quick lesson on the science behind what she was cooking, because apparently the judges would expect her to know that, and neither the carrot farmer nor Berry Punch knew much about exactly why, for example, frying a carrot made it sweeter. Dinky, under Ditzy’s watchful eyes, had become the ‘Head Taste Tester,’ a job which she was apparently finding quite enjoyable. And Trixie… well, she wasn’t much help in the kitchen or on the farm, but she was funny and lightened the mood, and Carrot Top appreciated that. With all the stress from the competition and having staked her farm on it, she was somewhat surprised she hadn’t exploded yet, and any excuse to de-stress was a good one.
By mid-afternoon, Berry Punch and Carrot Top had begun to finalize the menu. Berry Punch had Carrot Top do a practice run where she tried to cook all six dishes under the competition time constraints. Carrot Top managed, barely, but burned one of them and heated the kitchen up to an unbearable temperature. “Fifteen minute break while it cools down?”
“Sounds good,” said a smiling Berry Punch. “I’m going to go to the living room and mix up something to drink.”
Carrot Top stepped outside and saw that the flag on her mailbox was up.Oh. Probably just junk... But it could be important, so Carrot Top trotted over and looked in the mailbox. There was one advertisement. From… a realtor.
“Dear ma’am. We have heard you may be looking to sell your property soon, and…”
Carrot Top growled and stomped on it. She didn’t need this.
“Carrot Top! Carrot Top!”
The carrot farmer glanced over and saw that Apple Bloom was racing towards her. “What is it?”
“Somethin’s happened ta Sweet Apple Acres! An’ Applejack says it was one of the farmers in the boycott!” Apple Bloom tumbled to a halt, but picked herself right back up. “Ya said ya were gonna talk ta ‘em!”
“What? No farmer would touch Applejack’s farm!” It was true, if for no other reason than the Trust would sue them until they had nothing left. “What happened?”
“Some kinda weed! An’ Applejack says it ruined all the apples!”
What?! Carrot Top shook her head. “Wasn’t us. I’m sure of it.”
“But then how? An’ who? An’ what’ll we do? Applejack says the farm’s apples are all ruined! Now we can’t compete an’ we got nothin’ ta sell but the ones in storage, an’ those won’t last two days, an’—“
“Apple Bloom,” said Carrot Top, thinking quickly. If this was some kind of attack, it was possible other farms could be next. Or, if it really was targeted just at the Apples, she had to try to fix it and find out who had done it – if for no other reason than she was liable to take the blame for it. “What do the weeds look like?”
“These small blue an’ red flowers, with four big petals. They’re growin’ on everything!”
That sounds like… oh no. Those two unicorns, they had that plant! Farmslayer!
“I think I might know what that is. Wait here – I’m going to get a plant book.”
“Yar what?” called Apple Bloom. But Carrot Top had already raced inside.
Carrot Top told Berry Punch she had an emergency errand, then grabbed the old book of herbs that she’d inherited from her grandparents and ran back outside. “Let’s get to Sweet Apple Acres,” she said.
“What’re ya gonna do?”
“First, I’m going to see if it’s what I think it is. If it is, I might be able to fix it.”
Apple Bloom stared. “…really? We won’t lose all the apples?”
“Maybe. Come on!”
But as they ran, Carrot Top began to think. On the other hand, I could just say I don’t know what’s going on. I didn’t cause this problem; it’s not my fault. And Applejack would do the same to me.
No. She was the Element of Generosity, and –
There’s generous, and then there’s this. She’s your enemy. She wants to ruin you. Now, by happy coincidence, she’s been laid out by some other force. Just let it happen. Let her see what it’s like to have a doomed farm and nopony around to help you.
But Carrot Top wanted to win fairly, and –
What would all those ponies who’ve given up their time and energy and money for the past week say if they knew you were helping the Apples? Wouldn’t they feel you were squandering their help? You still have so much to learn; you should go back home and get back to it. Applejack will still be here when you get back from competing.
“There! There it is!” cried out Apple Bloom.
Carrot Top slowed as she crested the hill. Her eyes widened. She’d never seen such a bad infestation. “By Luna…”
The Farmslayer flowers were growing over everything. Every inch of grass, every tree, even the fenceposts. It was almost like a solid blue-and-red carpet through the fields. With that level of infestation, it was likely that every single apple in Applejack’s orchards had been leeched of flavor.
“Can ya fix it? Can ya?” begged Apple Bloom.
Carrot Top hesitated. You could just say no. Nopony would expect you to even know this; Farmslayer’s from so far south that it’s not even an Equestrian plant. Did Apple Bloom ever care when you were struggling?
No, she hadn’t. But that wasn’t her fault. It was Applejack’s. And it was Applejack that would let another farm go under. Not Carrot Top.
What about the others? Your helpers?
Carrot Top hissed, annoyed at herself for thinking such thoughts. The others would understand. She’d helped all of them; that was why they were helping her. So they knew that wasn’t in her to stand aside when another pony needed help. Even if it was Applejack. She didn’t like the apple farmer; she thought she might even hate her, sometimes, but she didn’t want Sweet Apple Acres to go down in flames.
And just like that, she was decided. “I know how to fix this,” said the carrot farmer. She opened her book and turned to a page near the end. “I need you to gather these fifteen ingredients.”
“Ten fer a potion, an’ five fer a… a smile?” Apple Bloom blinked at the old writing. “Huh?”
“The original antidote calls for eleven ingredients, one of which is a ‘smile.’ I don’t know how to get a smile to put into a pot, but the book says we can substitute these other five ingredients.”
“Lollipops, fur from a puppy dog, giggle dust?”
“I guess they’re things that make ponies smile. Anyway, this book is usually really accurate. Can you get these ingredients? I’ll start setting up an area to mix up the antidote.”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Ah’ll get right on inta town!”
“If any of the shopkeepers say they won’t sell to you, just tell them that I personally asked you to go, okay? Then they should do it.”
Apple Bloom nodded and ran off.
Carrot Top galloped towards the orchards. As she approached, she began to hear yelling.
“Ah told ya, ah don’t KNOW what the Hay these are! An’ ah don’t know how ta fix it! Why, d’ya have bright ideas, Mac? Got somethin’ ya ain’t sharin’? No? Then lemme think!” She kicked something. “As ah recall, ya’r the one that told ma ta come in an’ get a few hours sleep! If ah hadn’t listened ta ya, we wouldn’t be in this mess!” She drew in several sharp breaths. “So it’s ma fault, fine, but ah learn from ma mistakes. Ah ain’t sleepin’ no more till this whole thing’s done. An’ from now until the competition, once we fix this – if we can – somepony guards the fields AT ALL TIMES! Got it? Ah don’t care if we gotta rent some off-duty guards from Canterlot! The orchards need protectin’!”
“Calm,“ began Big Macintosh.
“Easy there,” added Granny Smith. “No sense gettin’ all worked up. That won’t solve nothin’.”
“Worked up? CALM? They’re all spoiled! Every dang one! They taste like nothin’! Like eatin’ cardboard!” Applejack kicked what sounded like a bucket; Carrot Top saw it go sailing up above the treetops. “Whole crop! Dead! Ah ain’t gonna be calm!”
“Sleep,” urged the stallion.
“How can ah sleep now? Settin’ aside that sleepin’ caused this problem in the first place, ah gotta get this fixed! If it don’t get better an’ pronto, the farm’s done! So there ain’t no time fer sleep, not fer any of us, until we know what the Hay went wrong an’ how ta set it right!”
“Hey!” Carrot Top called as she approached the orchards. “AJ, I need to talk to you!”
The apple farmer turned. Carrot Top blinked – Applejack looked terrible, half-dead on her feet. Yet she was still standing, and finding the energy to scream. “You! Ya did this, didn’t ya? Ya ruined ma fields!” She began charging at Carrot Top, only to be stopped when Big Macintosh bit down on her tail. “Lemme go!”
“I didn’t do this,” snapped Carrot Top. “I came because I know most of how to fix this! I know what this plant is!”
“Liar! If it wasn’t ya it was one of the traitors on yar team!”
“If I wanted you to fail, Applejack, I could just walk away! I’m here to help.” Carrot Top hopped the fence. “Where’s the nearest oven or fire? I’ll mix up a batch of the antidote.”
Applejack opened up her mouth, but Granny Smith spoke first. “Well, thankee kindly, Carrot Head. Nice ta see a young’un bein’ so helpful these days!”
Applejack was not so agreeable. “Ya don't seriously think she's gonna help us an'--” she began.
“Applejack!” Granny Smith glowered at the orange pony. “This young mare has come here ta do ya a favor. Say ‘thank ya’ an’ listen ta her,” instructed Granny Smith. Her tone brooked no complaint.
“But—“
“No buts, missy!”
Applejack scowled and fell silent.
Guessing that a ‘thank you’ wasn’t forthcoming, Carrot Top coughed. “Uh. Heat source?”
“Now we add the spiceweed and dried lily,” said Carrot Top, dropping portions of those ingredients into the pot. “And then we add this other thing, the artificial smile.”
The herbal mixture smelled fragrant and restorative; one could tell it was medicine at a whiff. The artificial smile, though, just looked weird.
“I don't think it'll work," said Applejack. "An' ah still don't trust ya. Ya've got every reason ta want our crops ta fail, Carrot Top."
"But what else can we do?" asked Apple Bloom.
"Ah wrote the Trust headquarters in Canterlot. They'll get us a cure fer this stuff the next train afta they get the letter. Meantime, ah'd like ta see if any of them apples ain't sick, so we can get back ta trainin'!"
Carrot Top ignored Applejack. If she wanted to wait hours for a cure, fine. She had work to do. "So now for the artificial smile."
“Artificial?” asked Granny Smith, as if she’d been zoning out for the last fifteen minutes. “What’s artificial now?”
“The smile,” repeated Carrot Top.
“What? We Apples don’t use no artificial ingredients,” said the old mare. “Nuh-uh.”
“Well, I don’t know how to put a real smile into the pot.”
Big Macintosh was watching silently, his gaze completely inscrutable. Apple Bloom was also silent, but she looked terrified. Carrot Top could sympathize. She knew what it was like to think that one’s farm and home were about to be lost forever.
Granny Smith, though, chuckled. “A real smile? That’s it? Why didn’t ya say so?” Granny Smith went over to an old cabinet and began taking out a few jars. “Just give Granny Smith a minute or two an’ she’ll get ya a smile.”
“Uh.” Carrot Top looked at Applejack, who looked just as puzzled as the carrot farmer felt. “It’s not an herb, Granny Smith. It’s an actual—“
“Ah know what a smile is! What, ya think ah was born yesterday?” Granny Smith soaked a cloth in water and began pouring a few different powders onto it. “Ma mother taught ma this when ah was a little girl. Back then, we didn’t have all this newfangled antidotes an’ hospitals an’ such. We made do with folk medicine, an’ a good smile went into near every dang recipe! Ah learned ta do this in ma sleep!”
What? Carrot Top was mystified. Antidotes weren’t that new. What was Granny Smith talking about?
“Now… let’s see… Apple Bloom! Get over here an’ give yar Granny a great big smile!”
Apple Bloom tried, forcing the corners of her mouth upright. “Like this?”
“Naw, it’s gotta be real. Let’s see… uh…”
Carrot Top jumped in. “Apple Bloom, what’s your favorite dessert?”
“Apple cobbler!” said Granny Smith. “She can’t get enough of it!”
Apple Bloom blushed.
“Alright, Apple Bloom,” said Carrot Top. “Shut your eyes. I want you to imagine you’re about to dive into a big tub of apple cobbler. Visualize it very carefully. Think of that warm, golden crust, and the gooey apple filling, and the cool vanilla ice cream…”
Apple Bloom smiled broadly at the thought.
Granny Smith quickly wrapped the cloth around Apple Bloom’s mouth. It flashed, and then seemed to turn a bright, cheery yellow color. At the same time, Apple Bloom’s smile vanished as her mouth relaxed.
“Huh?” Apple Bloom opened her eyes as the old mare removed the cloth. “Ma mouth went all numb fer a second!”
Granny Smith tapped the cloth over the boiling pot until the yellow began to flow out and into the herbal mix. “There. That’s yar smile,” she said.
“…okay then.” Carrot Top began to stir. “Next, stir for five minutes, then we add the Farmslayer flowers…”
“Paint it on,” said Carrot Top. “Like this.”
With a brush, she began painting the herbal broth onto an apple. “There,” she said. “Try it.” She offered it to Apple Bloom.
Applejack seized it. “Ah’ll try it,” she said. She bit into it and chewed fiercely.
And then she paused.
Finally, she said, “Alright. Big Mac, Apple Bloom, y’all gotta help ma get all them apples painted. We—“
“It worked? HORRAY!” Apple Bloom hugged Granny Smith, then Carrot Top. “The farm’s okay!”
“No time to celebrate, AB, we gotta fix the apples,” said Applejack. Her eyes flickered back and forth between the other Apples. “Come on, Big Mac. No time ta waste.” She paused. “An’, uh. Carrot Top.”
Carrot Top paused. Would Applejack realize she was wrong about Carrot Top now? Or about her farm being able to stand on its own all the time?
Of course not. “Ah 'preciate the advice. But don’t go thinkin’ that we'd have died if ya hadn't showed up. We’d have figured it out. The Apple Trust has survived every bug an’ blight up till now. Ya saved us a little time, that’s all. An’ if Granny Smith hadn’t fixed yar recipe, it still could’a all gone wrong.” Her eyes darted around. Carrot Top thought that Applejack sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than convince her. “Ya want, ah don't know, an honorarium or somethin', fine, but we ain't gonna yield the competition ta ya in gratitude over this. Come on, y’all. We got apples ta cure.” She grabbed the pot, seemingly heedless of the fact that it was still very hot, and darted out.
Big Macintosh sighed and began to follow. Apple Bloom left too, but said, “Thanks, Miss Carrot Top,” before leaving. Carrot Top smiled a little. Apple Bloom, she could tell, was feeling a lot better – and that made Carrot Top feel better too.
“Thank ya.”
It was Granny Smith, who was looking at Carrot Top tenderly.
“Don’t mention it.”
“Ya did a good thing.” Granny Smith winked. “We’ll find some way ta make it up ta ya. Ol’ Granny Smith knows a few tricks.”
“I don’t need charity.” Carrot Top sighed. “And, I’ll try to talk to the anti-Trust ponies later, see if I can get them to lay off.”
Granny Smith kissed Carrot Top on the cheek. “Ah know Applejack can be hard ta handle, but ah really appreciate ya tryin’. She works so hard, but she don’t have no friends an’ she gets so lonely, she starts believin’ all these things…” She shook her head. “Ah don’t know, it’s just silly afta a while. But – thank ya. Fer all ya’ve done fer us.”
It felt surreal that Carrot Top was being thanked for doing a favor to the Apple juggernaut, but she inclined her head. “Just trying to be… neighborly, I guess.”
“Naw. Ya’r bein’ more than that. Ya’r bein’ a good friend, an’ Applejack’s in sore need of those.”
On those words, Granny Smith left, and Carrot Top began the long walk home.
It wasn’t hard to track down Flim and Flam. They had been spending the afternoon wandering around downtown Ponyville and spending lots of bits, and had rented the most expensive available room in town. It was like they wanted to be found.
“I know what you did,” said Carrot Top, as she bucked open their door. “Every part of it!”
Flim, on the couch, looked startled, but Flam, lying down on the floor, was unperturbed. “Oh really? And what is that?”
“You salted Applejack’s fields with Farmslayer!”
“Indeed we did!” said Flam. He got to his hooves. “You can thank your blue friend for the inspiration!”
“Trixie? What’d she do?”
Flim shrugged. “She said that you’d be ashamed to win through our help.”
“So we thought, all the more reason to help you!”
“Applejack’s your biggest competitor, and now her farm is doomed.”
“She’ll never clean it up. She might as well move now!”
The two said in unison, “And we’ll tell everypony we did it on your orders unless you sign on with the Duke!”
“…so you’re blackmailing me for something I didn’t even do?”
“But nopony will believe you didn’t do it,” said Flam. “Your hatred of the Apples is quite well known.”
“As is the fact that you wagered your farm on this competition, my good mare!”
“Not to mention, everypony in town is counting on you to win!”
“Such incredible pressure!” sighed Flim. “It’s no wonder you resorted to dirty measures.”
“By hiring two unicorns to destroy Applejack’s fields!”
“Thereby ensuring that you can beat her in the farm competition.”
“And save your farm!”
“And make everypony in town feel like they didn’t waste their time helping you!”
Carrot Top scowled. “So you’ll tell everypony this, unless I agree to work for Greengrass?”
“Precisely! And there won’t be any use in denying it!” cried Flam, smiling wickedly.
“With Applejack’s fields ruined, who would believe you weren’t involved?” asked Flim.
Carrot Top smiled. Good thing I decided to fix the problem. “I told Applejack how to get the flavor back out of Farmslayer and into her apples,” said Carrot Top in a placid tone.
The two stared. “What?!” they said in unison.
“I told them how to fix it. Read most of it in a book, and Granny Smith knew the rest.” Carrot Top shrugged. “They’ll be fine.”
“But – you – we handed you a golden opportunity!” said Flim.
“To not only win, but drive out the Trust!” added Flam.
“How could you waste it?” they both asked.
“I don’t cheat.” Carrot Top narrowed her eyes. “So you didn’t kill their farms and you have nothing to blackmail me with. If you try to tell the other ponies that I told you to plant it in the first place, I’ll just point out that I saved their farm and I wouldn’t have done that if I’d wanted you to wreck it. So get out of town, okay? I’m done with you.”
Flam scowled. “We’ll be back,” he warned. “We won’t give up.”
“Fine. Show up in town again and I’ll have Trixie report you to the throne as criminals and saboteurs. The last mare she did that too was a really powerful sorceress who is still on the lam and won’t ever be able to stop running without getting arrested. Somehow, I don’t think you’re quite at her level. You’ll go to jail, and the Trust will use their influence to make sure you never get out.”
The two brothers looked at each other. Flam then said, “You don’t scare us. You’re just a –“
“Well, bye,” said Flim, hastily grabbing his hat and running for the door.
“Get back here!” Flam chased him out.
Carrot Top smiled, then left.
Upon returning home, Carrot Top told Berry Punch everything.
“…so if you hate me, I get it,” said Carrot Top.
“Hate you?”
“For saving Sweet Apple Acres.”
Berry Punch nudged Carrot Top. “I told you not to talk like that,” she said in a stern tone. “Don’t whine about how you’re too generous.”
“But aren’t you against them?”
“I’m against Applejack’s lunatic business tactics, and her driving the other farms out, but I don’t want them all homeless. Nopony does. What you did was very generous.” Berry Punch smiled. “Now, keep stirring the stew. We don’t want it to burn.”
Carrot Top smiled, feeling a little relieved. “So, uh, what next?”
“Well, run through your dishes again today. Tomorrow, you should cook them for your friends and helpers.”
“I should?”
“Sure! They’ve been working very hard so you could perfect them. They ought to be able to taste the fruits… er, vegetables of that labor, right? Plus, it will give you more practice cooking under competition rules.”
Carrot Top nodded. “Sounds good.”
“Yet another brilliant plan,” hissed Flim. “How much money did we waste on those stupid flowers?”
“It would have worked perfectly if Carrot Top wasn’t such a sap!” snapped Flam. “It was a great plan!”
“Really? Because Greengrass gave us five hundred more bits, we lost them all, and we’re still no closer to actually getting her to sign on!”
Flam scowled. “Just let me think, okay?”
It was just past midnight. The two of them were at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, debating how else they could take down the Trust team and get credit for a Carrot Top win. The flowers hadn’t worked, and they didn’t have enough money to get anything else that was exotic enough that the Trust wouldn’t know how to deal with it. Flam had suggested just burning the orchards down, but though they’d tried with flint, matches, and torches, they hadn’t been able to set anything on fire. The fields apparently had some kind of magical protection from flames. That left them back at square one.
“Anything else?” demanded Flim, after a few minutes had passed by.
Flam nodded slowly. “Okay. We’re right by the Everfree Forest. Let’s just lure in a monster or something,” said Flam. “It can wreck the place.”
Flim was stunned. “Are you insane? Forget ‘illegal,’ we could kill them!”
“Monsters attack this town all the time, and nopony ever dies. In fact, didn’t an Ursa attack a short while ago?” Flam smiled. “Let’s stick with that, then. Get some honey and other sweet things.”
“How’re we going to find an Ursa now? That forest is huge!”
“The wind will blow the scent into the woods, so we’ll just put a Want-It-Need-It spell on the honey. Everything in that forest that’s good at smelling honey will be affected and come running. That’s going to include Ursas,”
“Aren’t those dangerous?”
“Please. Want-It-Need-It is a second year spell. How could such a simple magic trick possibly go wrong?”
So they got honey and other things that Ursas liked, and then returned to the fields, where they began looking for a suitable spot to trap.
“Here we go,” said Flam at last. “With this wind, a strong scent here will carry right into the Everfree. We just have to cast the spell and Ursas… and anything else that likes honey… will rampage through everything.”
“I really don’t know about—“
“Look, let’s just do it and go home, okay?”
Flim frowned, hearing something crunch behind him. He turned, but couldn’t make out any other ponies in the darkness. “Anypony there?” he called.
“Will you keep it down?” hissed Flam. He began spreading the honey.
Flim gulped and continued scanning the fields. “Anypony out there?”
Applejack stepped out from behind a tree.
“Agh!”
Flam turned. He jumped back in shock, but then paused. “You idiot, look at her eyes. She’s sleepwalking!” Indeed, Applejack had adopted a shambling pace as she approached. Flam waved a hoof in front of her eyes, and got no response. "She doesn’t see us or she’d say something. Come on!”
They moved a few trees down, and Flam knelt. “Just help me spread this, okay?”
Flim screamed.
Flam turned and saw that Applejack had somehow gotten behind him. Furthermore, her eyes weren’t exactly sleepy… just weirdly dead. She looked down at Flam with a completely blank expression.
Flim was lying on his side. He didn’t seem to be conscious, and Flam could see the impressions of two hooves in his forehead.
Flam gulped.
Then he saw hooves coming at him, and merciful blackness enveloped him.
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Sad thing is, if Applejack was less sleep-deprived, or maybe even less stressed from the infestation she might even be able to take Carrot Top's gesture of saving the apples in the right way. But she's not thinking very straight at this point. (And, to be as fair as possible to her, it's perhaps not entirely unreasonable to be suspicious about a bizarre ailment showing up on her farm, followed by her 'enemy' arriving with exactly the right sort of cure. Of course, that scam usually involves the fake savior getting something for the saving -- money or whatnot -- and Carrot Top didn't ask for anything, which should be a clue that she's legit. But Applejack just cannot see it.)
Applejack is probably right that the Trust could have solved the problem eventually, and likely even before the competition. They probably have weed experts on their staff that they could ship to Ponyville on the next train, and while Farmslayer is very rare, it and its cure are not unknown -- just obscure. Not that this changes that Carrot Top got it fixed much more quickly than could otherwise be expected. And saved Apple Bloom from hours or even a day of panic.
I love the idea of a smile being an actual ingredient. Hey, if rainbow color counts, why not smiles?
Poor Flim and Flam. Their plans just keep getting more and more desperate.Although their first one wasn't bad here -- if Carrot Top won't let them help her win, they can go on their own and help AJ lose, and then just say that CT told them to do it unless they do what she wants. The Ponyville ponies probably won't believe them, but the Trust lawyers certainly might (sure, it wouldn't survive a real investigation, but by the time that's done Carrot Top's reputation would be trashed and the legal fees would likely have ruined her anyway). The plan may well have worked if Carrot Top hadn't been so generous and gone to see the problem at the Apple farm, then helped them solve it.
One more day of training! Then the competition!
The problem (as I see it) is that the ponies who don't believe in what Granny Smith calls 'a buncha silliness' and what AJ regards as the moral justification for their monopoly have no real power. I should think that the final test is to have them ask Luna what actually happened. If they believe the truth, they don't believe in their ancestors and are thus shunted off to the sidelines. If they do not believe Luna, they have the right stuff.
The sad thing is that the founding myth is all so bloody pointless. As I said, honestly-earned success is its own justification. Applejack doesn't need to believe that she's the saviour of the world in order to be a good businesspony; all she needs to believe is that she's got to maintain the lead her ancestors worked hard to get.
852607: Fixed. Thanks!
852349: Perhaps... :-)
Incidentally, I'm thinking of doing a (very) short bonus chapter focusing on AJ, primarily being a song (I'm thinking No Contest from the Broadway Chess musical, with AJ as Freddie and either Big Mac or an Apple Trust higher up as Walter). But I've noticed that a lot of L-verse stories don't have songs in them, perhaps due to the somewhat slightly more 'mature' nature of the series. Anyone have any opinions if this is a good idea or not?
Well, Granny Smith knows what the problem is, doesn't she? It's sort of sad to watch her have to watch her beloved granddaughter burn herself into the ground for what looks like nothing. The one in the Celestiaverse might not be part of a family with as much money, power and influence as the one who has the resources of the Trust to fall back on but at least she doesn't have to worry that AJ has no friends.
854254
You learn something new every day. Thanks!
Did Flim just spontaneously change gender there? Excellent mental image, but probably wrong for this sort of story.
854897
Actually the only real reason I don't have a song in each of my stories is 'cause I feel that songs don't translate well onto paper.
Musicals can be mature...
man, all I can say to this chapter is "wow"
Carrot Top... sometimes you have to be generous to yourself, all right? My therapist gave me that advice, and it's good advice too.
As for AJ... yeah. Too far gone for me here.
855618: Trixie is going to make this clear to Carrot Top next chapter. Because, yes, there's going too far, and Carrot Top may be approaching that line.
I've toned down AJ a little bit... I think I agree with you that she was too extreme at first. She's still freaking out over the apples, but she's no longer quite, quite so hostile to Carrot Top. (Balancing her is tough in this fic... she's the antagonist, but she's smart and she's not evil. *wrestles with prose*)
848586 I'll sure try.
848599 yeah, that. She genuinely wants everypony to be happy and smile but she doesn't know how to do it, and automatically thinks that what makes her happy makes everpony else happy.
This is probably my least favorite chapter since the first, that's still not much of a complaint though. I enjoyed this chapter well enough on it's own merit, it just feels kinda pointless right now, like it adds nothing to larger narrative. Nothing really changes, The crisis of AJ's orchards getting ruined is all resolved without incident in the span of a few words. There are loads of great character spots here, but overall it feels extraneous, something that could have been excised without leaving the overall story any worse for wear. Sure it will probably factor into the final resolution, but I rather feel we were already on track for AJ learning a lesson without actually being indebted to CT.
Also, I'm a bit disappointed in F&F, they were such deceptively competent villains in Ch2, but here they lack most of that spark. Granted making foolish decisions after their initial plans fail is perfectly fitting with the presentation from show, but that doesn't make it less disappointing. I sorta feel their should have been a better planed backup scheme somewhere between "help CT" and "ruin AJ". Overall I guess they themselves are starting feel entirely extraneous to the story. Their shenanigans have been amusing, but other than tying back to the Greengrass stuff, they just feel like warts on the more interesting AJ -vs- CT plot.
854897
There is nothing childish or immature about songs, sometimes they can even be friteningly the opposite. The reason why most Luaverse fics don't do songs is the same reason most fics in general don't. Because as RDD pointed out, music is just plain difficult to translate into text and attempts to do so are more likely to annoy the reader than enthrall them.
It takes a special touch to pull off song in raw text form. My attempt in EoI seems to have worked, but well have to wait to see when I try again in Ch3 if that's because I do it well or it was just dumb luck. The best advice I can give you is use something your readers are likely to be familiar with as the base and include a link to an instrumental in the story. Formating the song text so it stands out helps; color coded by character and centered is mine. Lastly you can and should break up the song with descriptive actions of what's going on, but you should endeavor to keep such asides short and/or restricted to extended instrumental segments. Everyone reads at different speeds, but ideally to successfully include a song your reader needs to be able to read through the action with the music in the background without ever missing a vocal cue.
You did a great job of capturing the essence of music in your last fic, but song is another beast entirely. Still, I say give it your best shot. Seeing as it's just a bonus chapter, you've really got nothing to lose.
Pretty much, this is Applejack in "Applebuck Season" without the "protagonist armor."
That is, the rest of the ponies in town aren't as willing to overlook her crazy because she's not a "main character."
You know, to Flim & Flam's credit, the farmslayer plan wasn't too bad a plan. It was simple (abliet it maniacal) and didn't have that much room for failure aside from the possibility of Carrot Top knew the cure. Even if the Apple Trust had gotten a cure to Sweet Apple Acres before the entire farm was destroyed, the damaged still would have been enough for Applejack to be out for blood and for the FlimFlam Brothers to have blackmail material.
That said it was so satisfying to see a sleep deprived AJ kick their flank.
Yes Applejack has been having some extreme moments but at the same time the extremeness works because she steadily becoming more and more sleep deprived.Though it was good to see the Apple family memebers actually standing up for Carrot Top and being accepting of her help. Granny Smith was great in this and it was also good to see Her and Big Mac put Applejack in her place.
This is how I see the Apple Family working, with Granny Smith doing the telling off and Big Mac physically stepping in when it looks like things are going to turn violent but both of them stepping back often because they feel that there are somethings the Apple sisters need to learn for themselves.
Little bit of pronoun trouble near the end there
I don't even know any more. Flim's a wuss though.
“Please. Want-It-Need-It is a second year spell. How could such a simple magic trick possibly go wrong?”
Whoa.
The Lunaverse magic curriculum has an ethics component that these two slept through, right? Right?
Then she saw hooves coming at her, and merciful blackness enveloped him.
I'm guessing you actually meant he and him.
950602: Fixed, thanks.
948378: I think a lot of ponies skipped that course. :-)
Flim & Flam are seeming a lot like Team Rocket...
I hope they get launched into the stratosphere and manage to land safely somewhere. >:3
Did AppleJack just kill two dudes?
Such a silly pony.
I have to give the two brothers credit, it was a smart plan, thoguh it makes it all the more satisfying for Applejack to kick their flanks while tired as hell, she may be a jerk, but that was her Crowning Moment of Awesome.
950602 Depending on where Applejack was aiming, she could have been appropriate.
854775 I hope the competition looks like an episode of Chopped. I like that show.
....good god, I have just seen a creepypasta birth.
I really love Carrot Top here. While wanting to win, she also wants to do it fairly. I also loved the use of not only her knowledge of herbal rhemdies but the reminder ofthe fire guards that we saw back in an eariler fic.
1778709 Yeah, that would be nice.