Once a Carrot, Always a Carrot?

Carrot Top wished there was something she could do.

Next to her lay the insensate form of Trixie looking almost peaceful, if Carrot Top didn’t know better she would almost think she was sleeping. However, it had only been this morning that the two versions of Princess Luna, had brought the unconscious bodies of the Trixies and Twilights back from the Everfree, but none of them had stirred since. Doctors and nurses had rushed in and out, setting up strange equipment that Carrot Top didn’t understand. For the first few hours Carrot Top and her fellow alternate universe refugees had hung around Trixie’s bed waiting for her recovery, but it was not to be. Ditzy, always compassionate, had also requested they had kept an eye on their Twilight as well, while this universe’s element bearers cared for their own Trixie and Twilight. Eventually the medical staff had gotten annoyed with their hovering (literally in Rainbow Dash’s case) and had shooed most of them away. Unwilling to completely abandon their friends each group negotiated to keep one of their number on guard at any time just in case their friend should recover.

Now it was Carrot Top’s turn and she had never felt so useless.

She’d made sure that Trixie and Twilight were comfortable in their beds, then made sure the curtains were in place, then considered reading to them, but she couldn’t find a book and didn’t want to disturb the staff to ask where she could get one. Looking around the room she wondered if some flowers might brighten up the place, but she didn’t know where she could get any. So she had slumped down, defeated, and waited, and waited and waited. The boredom and frustration weighting increasingly heavily on her mind. Until she felt like screaming, she had to do something, anything!

She was about to find a nurse to offer her services to when the door opened and Raindrops trotted in. “Any change?” she asked.

“No,” said Carrot Top relaxing slightly now she had company, “She hasn’t moved an inch. Neither of them have.”

Raindrops walked over to Trixie’s bed and to Carrot Top’s surprise ran a hoof tenderly through Trixie’s mane. “I just wished we knew what happened to them.” She turned a scowl on her face. “We should have done something to help them!” She angrily stamped on the floor.

“The Princess said they were fighting some sort of evil alicorn, there was nothing we could do. Even if we had our elements they might not have done anything.”

“We should have been there to help! Then they wouldn’t be like this!” snorted Raindrops.

“They over channelled, but the Princesses got them back here quickly, I’m sure they’ll recover,” said Carrot Top trying to sound more reassured than she felt.

“Isn’t there something you can do? Some potion? You helped Lyra in the Everfree!”

“This is different, she didn’t pass out so deeply. I’m sure the Doctors know more about this than I do. They’ve given them mana, all we can do now is wait.” She wasn’t sure she could follow her own advice, she needed to do something!

Raindrops nodded. “I know, but I hate to see her like this.” She indicated Trixie, so still.

Carrot Top nodded, she remembered her grandmother's funeral, her body lying there in the coffin, so still. No! That was not going to happen to Trixie!

“You should go before the staff get restless,” noted Raindrops looking towards the door.

“I can stay if you want.”

“No, you should head back to the hotel. I’ll be fine for a few hours.”

“Are you...”

“Yes, I’m sure. Go, get settled in, maybe look around town... it’s different to home, the way the us’s are different.” Carrot Top nodded, she’s spent a short time with her double before whatever had happened to Trixie happened. “Mine she... she doesn’t get angry, just my luck to end up the bad me,” said Raindrops bitterly.

“Raindrops, you’re not the bad you!” Carrot Top nuzzled the pegasus. “You’re just the right you for us.”

Raindrops sighed. “Maybe. Anyway, get out of here, I’ll see you in a few hours. Get!” She motioned towards the door.

Carrot Top looked back at her friend for a moment, as the yellow pegasus settled down into the chair by the bed, before making her way to the door.

Carrot Top was making her way towards the exit when she saw an orange tail swish around a corner out of the corner of her eye. She paused for a moment, she recognised the tail like it was her own, because, well it was. What was her duplicate doing here? She turned and started to trot after herself, she supposed her twin was the only native pony she truly knew, they’d talked a little earlier, maybe she’s have some chores for her to help with, anything to take her mind off of Trixie’s condition.

Carrot Top turned the corner to find her twin passing over a number of potions to Nurse Redheart who was placing them on a cart and quickly wheeled it away. The native Carrot Top turned back towards the exit only to jump in surprise when she saw her twin standing there. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I’ve been looking in on Trixie. Why are you here?” said Carrot Top.

“Oh, the hospital exhausted its mana potion supply on the Twilights and Trixies. I’m delivering all the spare ones we have in stock.”

Oh, thought Carrot Top, that made sense, she’d forgotten her twin worked as an apothecary.

“Are you ok?” asked the local Carrot Top.

Carrot Top tried to plaster a smile on her face, “I’m fine, I’m sure Trixie and the others will be better soon, then we can see about heading home.”

“Hey,” said her twin, apparently not deceived, “I’m sure they’re all going to be fine,” she stepped forwards and gently nuzzled Carrot Top.

“Thanks I just wish there was something I could do,” muttered Carrot Top.

“Look, I’ve got the afternoon off, do you want to go somewhere and talk for a bit?” her twin offered. “Maybe you’ll feel better.”

“Oh, thanks,” maybe it would help to take her mind off of things.

“I think I know just the place.”

The place turned out to be a bar, a little larger and a little less well lit than Berry’s in her own world. Given it was still only mid-afternoon it wasn’t a surprise to Carrot Top that the place was almost empty with only a few grizzled stallions propping up the bar.

“Um, this place looks a little, well, um...” said Carrot Top trying to think of the right word.

“It’s a bit of a dive, but Written thinks it has ambiance. It’s not that bad really, Fizzy, the landlord, holds a monthly quiz night,” said the local Carrot Top nodding to the stallion behind the bar. “A pitcher of sensation please.”

Fizzy has his own place here? thought Carrot Top. “Oh, is Written Script going to be joining us?” she’d enjoyed her time chatting with her twins coltfriend.

“No,” frowned her twin. “He had to leave on business this morning.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It sometimes seems like the only time I see him is at the train station,” she sighed, “But there’s not much work for a scriptwriter out here in the sticks, he’s always got meetings in Canterlot or Manehatten or Los Pegasus.”

The bartender walked over and gently put down a large glass container full of an orange liquid along with two glasses.

“What is this?” asked Carrot Top as her twin poured them both drinks.

“It’s called sensation, its carrot, passion fruit, lemon, worcester sauce, honey....”

Carrot Top tried a mouthful and savoured the mix of flavours, she swallowed and gasped a little as it burnt going down.

“... and gin,” her twin continued sipping her own drink. “I thought you might need something a bit stronger than just juice. It took me a while to get used to it, but I really like it now.”

“It’s not bad,” said Carrot Top taking a smaller mouthful. She supposed her twin here had more time on her hooves to go out drinking without all the farm work, the thought made her scowl a little. “I’ll have to see if I can get any at home.”

Her twin must have noticed her expression. “So, hard day then?” she said leaning forwards.

“It all seems such a blur, the Princess collecting us, arriving here, Trixie’s condition,” she tried unsuccessfully to put the sight of Trixie’s insensate form out of her head. “I just feel so useless and your world, it just seems so strange. Everything’s just a little off, I keep thinking I’m at home then some little difference will pop up.” She looked around the bar and her eyes bulged. “Like that,” she said pointing to two stallions, one light blue the other jet black kissing each other gently in the corner.

“What you don’t have public displayed of affection in your world? They only got married last week, it’s still their honeymoon.”

“That’s Ditch Digger! He tried to proposition me, Cheerilee and Raindrops in a single night! One at a time them all together!” she blushed a little, he’d been quite persuasive.

“Really? I didn’t think he liked mares. He’s always been a one stallion stallion as far as I know.”

“See!” exclaimed Carrot Top. “Just strange differences,” she took another mouthful of her drink, it didn’t seem to be helping her nerves much.

“I’m sure the Twilights and Trixies will be better soon,” said the other Carrot Top soothingly. “Twilight’s done a lot of good for us, the whole town will be wishing her well.”

“But what about Trixie, my Trixie, won’t they be hoping she’ll get better to?”

“Oh, I’m sure that everypony hopes she gets better as well, well most ponies anyway.”

“Why wouldn’t they all want Trixie to recover?” asked Carrot Top her body tensing up.

“Oh, well I’m sure your Trixie is a really nice pony, well apart from brainwashing a few of us, which I totally understand was an honest mistake,” she added quickly. “It’s just that our Trixie, well there’s been a few incidents, she sort of, well, enslaved the town for a while.”

“What?” cried Carrot Top loudly drawing a few glances from around the room.

“Oh, she wasn’t herself, she was sort of cursed and she seemed very sorry about it all but there are a few around here who might hold just the tiniest of grudges.”

Carrot Top slumped back, how could this world be so different, she couldn’t imagine her Trixie taking over the town... well maybe she could, but, she’d probably do it for the best of reasons and would only demand a tribute of bourbon or something. She smiled at the image, then it was replaced by Trixie as she currently was, so still. She sighed, maybe drinking wasn’t the best of ideas, too much booze just got her depressed. She glanced up at the almost empty jug, where had it all gone? she thought. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up,” she said, “But I think I better make my way to the hotel, the girls will be wondering where I got to.” She finished the last mouthful of her drink and dropped from her seat, the ground seemed a little unsteady under her hooves but quickly levelled out. Maybe she should have gotten something to eat before going drinking.

“Do you need a hoof?” asked her twin standing somewhat unsteadily herself.

“No, don’t worry, it’s not far and a trot will probably straighten me out.”

“If you’re sure?”

“Yes, thanks for trying to take my mind off of things, and I hope Written’s back soon.”

Carrot Top stepped out of the bar and into the growing gloom of the evening’s chill, she found the streets had mostly cleared out. A scene that well reflected her own increasingly dour mood. Despite her twin’s efforts her nerves were still jangling, her inability to help Trixie gnawing at her conscience.

The strange almost-familiar landscape around her didn’t help. She set off with no real destination in mind, just needing to move her hooves and work the mounting tension from her body. Her aimless route took her past the town hall. At first she was comforted to see it standing intact exactly as her expectation told her it should be. On a second glance, however, it too felt unsettlingly wrong. Something about the upper levels seemed disturbingly incongruent with the rest of the structure, as if recently reconstructed.

As she continued to wander the town, all around her lights flickered on within the houses. Some familiar, but others unusually steady and nothing like the candles or firefly lanterns she was used to.

Without quite realizing when, how, or even why, Carrot Top eventually found herself on the outskirts of the town. Somewhere behind the haze of the evening's drinks she knew she was making a mistake of some kind, but what that mistake might be eluded her. Then she looked about and her eyes widened, this was the place she had subconsciously been aiming for, her home, Golden Harvest farm.

Only it wasn’t her home in this world, her double had sold it, and to Applejack of all ponies. She’d known that intellectually but it was only now, now that she saw the few green shoots poking out from the snow that filled her fields, but they weren’t her fields, that the implication struck home to her.

Despite all ration, her mind rebelled against this revelation; it shouldn’t be this way! At home the fields were green with summer’s life, not buried beneath winter’s snow. At home Trixie should be healthy, not comatose in a hospital! At home she would never feel so useless. At home she could do something!

But this wasn’t her home, wasn't even her world. She... she was lost.

Trying to centre herself, Carrot Top forced her gaze to follow the path from her gate to her house. If only she could find some small measure of familiarity, it might calm her... she blinked, her home! It was gone! The snow continued as far as the eye could see.

Where was the cosy little building that she’d spent so many happy summers in, which she had lived in for the last half dozen years? The house with its drafty windows and its warm bedroom, its creaky stairs and its grand view of the farm, its outside toilet and its great cast iron bath, her grandmother's house, her house. It was gone and there was hardly a trace of it remaining. It felt like her hooves had come unconnected from the ground, like she was all at sea with nothing to anchor her. Her eyes began to sting slightly as tears began to gather.

Without thinking she rushed over and tried to pry open the gate, but it was nailed shut. A sign, only slightly weathered, mocked her ‘Property of Sweet Apple Acres’.

“How... How did this happen? Where... Where did it all go?” She asked herself in a daze. First she couldn’t help Trixie, and now... THIS — here own farm, sleeping for the winter, but otherwise clearly no worse for wear in her absence. Just how much worse could this backwards world possibly get?

"Are… are you okay?"

Startled, Carrot Top whinnied in alarm at the unexpected query. She spun sharply on the spot, only to come face to face with… herself.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” said her other self holding up a conciliatory hoof. “I saw you head off in the wrong direction, so I followed to see where you were going.”

“What... what happened here?” demanded Carrot Top her voice becoming increasingly shrill. “How could you sell it all? You said the Apples made you an offer but how could you accept it? What happened to the house, was there a fire of something?”

“The... the Apples didn’t need another farm house, they took it down and moved it. It’s mostly a barn now. You don’t understand,” pleaded her twin. “You’re a great farmer, your Trixie showed me that, but I’m... I’m not and never have been. After Gran left me the farm I couldn’t do it... I knew I’d never be as good as her.”

“It’s not like I started out being all that good a farmer, I made more than my share of mistakes before I learned, it was all trial and error,” said Carrot Top her tail flicking as she tried to bring herself more under control.

“Maybe... but it was always different for me. Even when Gran was... was still here to lend a hoof, I’d flood the fields or harvest the crop to early, it was only her that kept this place going, there was no way I’d have managed on my own,” she moaned sinking to the ground, “Don't you see? I had to sell it.”

At the sight of her double's despondence Carrot Top felt her own confused resentments soften, even if only ever so slightly. "I used to feel the same way, and I made all those same mistakes too, but I learned from them!" or at least that what she'd always tried to tell herself. Still, as she thought back on just how rough those earliest years had been, Carrot Top couldn't help but wonder how much of her meagre successes had truly been skill, or just dumb luck. "I suppose maybe if you'd just tried a little longer things could have worked out for you too."

However, rather than comfort the other mare, those words only seemed to leech the colour out of her coat, reducing her normally yellow coat to a creamy grey. “But that's the problem, I... I never even tried in the first place.” She shied back as if Carrot Top would attack her.

Carrot Top's gaze froze as something inside her finally snapped. "You didn’t even try…?" She wasn’t normally a violent pony, quite the opposite. However, the stress of the last day, her feelings of impotence over Trixie’s condition, and perhaps a few too many drinks all fed into an ever growing inferno of rage. For one brief instance she wondered if this was how Raindrops felt, but then that thought was also consumed by the blaze. "YOU DIDN’T EVEN TRY!" she yelled advancing on her twin. “How could you? How lazy can you be? That land was gran’s dowry she and grandpa Gingold built the farm up from nothing! As long as there’s been a Ponyville there’s been Toppingtons farming the land! Gran she... she,” her voice cracked, “She left it to us,” she mumbled.

“I know, I know,” moaned the other Carrot Top, eyes awash in freely flowing tears. “But I was just too afraid. What if I'd failed? Then the bank would have foreclosed and sold Gran's farm to some housing project. At least Applejack still uses it to grow crops I’d always thought maybe that was good enough. Wasn’t it?” She looked up at her twin with pleading eyes.

“GOOD ENOUGH! Gran, she... when she left the farm to us, she said that no matter what she trusted us to do what was right. Those were her last words before she… went." Memories of grief took hold of her eyes, flooding them with tears of her own. Yet rather than sooth the flames, that only seemed to make her rage burn all the hotter. “It was even named after her! And you just gave up, how could you do that to her? How could you give up the feel of your magic flowing into the ground, nurturing the life? The sense of the plants growing? The smiles on the ponies eating things you grew? How could you give all that up?” She paused, waiting for her doppelganger to offer up some feeble excuse.

“I don’t... I can’t... I’m so sorry, I’m sorry!” with a cry her duplicate turned and ran a little unsteadily back towards the town sobbing as she went.

Carrot Top stood snorting for a moment pawing the ground in anger before sanity returned to her.

What had she done?

She’d... Whatever had possessed her?

Even if she was drunk, that was no excuse. The shame of it all welled up in her, finally damping the flames, leaving her heart feeling cold and laidened with guilt. She had to go after her duplicate, had to apologize. Things might have been different here, worse, it shouldn’t be her place to judge yet still a small flame of resentment lingered on.

How could this other her sell her inheritance? Did she even wait for her grandmother's body to cool before she betrayed the legacy left to her?

If her twin never even tried, had she even ever cared at all? She let the Apples take their home, Gran’s home. Around her the darkness was growing ever more fridge, and Carrot Top could no longer tell if it was because of the winter chill or her own half-hearted guilt.

Should she apologize now? Even if she knew how to start, she wasn’t sure if she could find her double’s house in the dark. Maybe that was just as well. What if her own temper only flare up again?

No, she needed to cool down, to sober up first. She could think tonight, sleep on it, then she’d apologize tomorrow… hopefully.

Turning her back to the place that in her own world should have been home, Carrot Top began trek back into the town… so like her own, but so very different.

By the time Carrot Top made her way to the hotel it was fully dark and rain had started to fall. Ditzy met her at the door looking worried, the grey pegasus asked her where she’d been but she managed to fob her off with some mumbled explanation of getting lost. No one commented on Carrot Top’s mood, none of her friends were much happier given the situation. Even Cheerilee’s attempts to lighten the atmosphere fell flat. Carrot Top made her excuses and went to her room, lying on the unfamiliar bed her thoughts running around and around.

She hated what she had done, she had made another pony, sort of, cry, what sort of monster was she? But how could her other self have sold the farm? She might not have lived there all her life, her parents may not even have worked the land, but that farm was her life, her soul. It didn’t have to make sense, it was how she felt. But that was it, it didn’t make sense.

And if her other self could have lost the farm, could she too? Was she just one bad year away from packing it all in? Was that why she was so enraged at her actions, because she had come so close to doing them herself?

With a groan she shoved her head under the pillow. She wasn’t normally big on self-reflection, she preferred to get things done rather than think about herself, but here, here there was nothing for her to do. She couldn’t help Trixie, couldn’t help her farm.

With a grunt she tried to empty her mind and hoped sleep would take her.

Eventually it did.

Getting to Know the Carrot

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The next day was far too long coming from Carrot Top’s perspective. She dragged herself from bed at dawn, glad that her earth pony physiology meant her hangover was minimal, and got ready for the new day. The hotel’s bathroom was well stocked but it still lacked many of the products she normally used so she had to make do with what she had. By the time she had made her way down to breakfast the rest of her friends were awake. Even princess Luna was present, she reported that she, her twin and the doctors were all trying their hardest, but there had been no further change in the Trixies’ and Twilights’ states over the night. Over their meal Cheerilee put together a timetable so that one of them would be present at Trixie’s bed side at any time, day or night. It wasn’t much but it made Carrot Top feel like she was doing something to help, no matter how little.

Once breakfast was over the native Princess Luna arrived and formally offered her visitors the freedom of the town for the duration of their stay. It made Carrot Top a little nervous after walking to the bar and her farm last night, she didn’t know she wasn’t supposed to wander around. Thanking the Alicorn most of the group split up to examine the strange new world they found themselves in, while Ditzy headed off to the hospital to take up her vigil at Trixie’s side.

Carrot Top headed off into town on a mission to find her other self and beg her forgiveness for her harsh words. Her twin’s actions still angered her, it seemed like an almost personal betrayal, to not even try to look after the farm, but it really wasn’t her place to judge her twin. She arrived at her twin’s home, knocked on the door and waited and waited. There was no reply. She risked a peek in the window but there was no sign of movement. She sighed, of course this wouldn’t be easy, presumably her twin was at work, as was Ditzy. Unless the other Carrot Top was purposely avoiding her, which was possible. No, she had to assume she’d just missed her.

She knew her twin worked with Blossomforth, but was her shop in the same place here? She quickly found the answer was ‘No’ when she found herself looking into an estate agents windows, the houses seemed rather expensive here. She guessed she’d have to ask somepony. Back home Ponyville was small enough that almost everypony knew everypony else, but this version of Ponyville seemed larger, who could she ask?

The problem solved itself when a white earth pony mare with a two tone pink mane came rushing over. “Hi Carrot Top,” called Roseluck with a grin, “How are you today? I need a refill for my allergy medicine, will it be ok if I pop by later? I’m in a bit of a hurry now.”

“Um, I... I’m not who you think I am,” said Carrot Top.

“Not who I..?” Roseluck screwed up her face trying to understand.

“I’m, um, I’m the me from the other world, not the Carrot Top you know.”

“Oh? OH!” gasped Roseluck her eyes widening. “Wow! You look just like her! That’s so weird! Oh Sorry!” she lowered her gaze.

“That’s all right. Um, could you point me in the direction of well, me? Where I work?”

“Of course, the apothecary’s that way,” she pointed to one of the streets leading away from the town centre.

“Oh, thanks.”

“Ok, um, bye,” said Roseluck slowly walking away and occasionally glancing back at Carrot Top.

Shrugging Carrot Top followed Roseluck’s directions, she’d only just turned the corner when she saw her objective, a large sign showing a leaf that had the words ‘Blossoming Herbs’ above it. She stood outside the door for a moment before working up the courage to enter.

The shop was larger than she had expected, there were several shelves of various goods in the centre of the room as well as along the walls. She recognised some of the products, some she could even make, there was a large tower of bottles of her hangover remedy, but others were unknown. At the far side of the room was a long desk behind which stood rows of herbs, spices and pills and a small door leading further back. There were a few ponies present poking at the various bottles on the shelves and chatting with each other. Carrot Top glanced around for a moment before spotting her other self behind the desk deep in conversation with Lily White. Still trying to gather her courage Carrot Top took a meandering path towards her twin, trying to figure out what she was going to say.

As she approached Lily glanced over at her, then did a double take as she realised there were two identical ponies present. The native Carrot Top noticed her customer’s distress and looked past her before turning pale. A look of confusion covering her face Lily quickly swept a tube of ointment into a paper bag before taking it in her mouth and quickly trotting towards the door.

“Oh, hi,” said the other Carrot Top, her eyes flicking in every direction except directly at her other self causing Carrot Top’s heart to ache, what had she done to this poor mare. ”I know why you’re here and I’m sorry, if I’d just known things would get better, I’d never have... I’ve always felt I gave in too easily, I should have...”

“No! I’m the one that should be apologizing,” said Carrot Top stepping forwards. “I... I was really out of order, I had too much to drink, I had no right to shout at you, you made the decision you thought was right.” Even if it was wrong, complained a small part of her. “Please can you forgive me?”

The other Carrot Top stared at her for a moment then held out a hoof. “Of course, but what you said... it’s nothing I haven't told myself a hundred time, you were right, I gave up. I gave up on Gran’s farm. Just knowing things went better in your world sort of hammered it home. It just seemed so bleak back then. Gran had just... gone and I knew I couldn’t manage alone, the Apples had had a good year.”

“They always do!” muttered Carrot Top.

“I just wanted the farm to still be in use, if I’d sold it to anypony else they might have built houses on it but Applejack promised she’d take good care of it. It was a big risk on her part really,” continued the other Carrot Top. “The Apples didn’t really have the money to invest in expansion, they’re not like the Apple... Apple Trust, isn’t it? From your world. They’re just another small farm trying to make it, you know what that’s like.”

Yes she did, she’s seen how hard her Applejack worked when she had the whole Trust behind her. She couldn’t imagine what this world’s Applejack was like and she was an element bearer as well. “Yes I do, maybe I just got lucky, if things had turned out differently then I’d have lost the farm anyway. I had no way of knowing things would work out. You did the right thing to go to Applejack.” She forced the words out with difficulty.

“I don’t know,” said the other Carrot Top doodling on the counter for a moment. “You had faith in yourself.”

“Maybe that’s just another way of saying I was thick headed. Anyway, I shouldn’t have lashed out like I did. I was frustrated about what happened to Trixie and I took it out on you. The drinks didn’t help, not that that excuses what I said,” she added hurriedly, “Can you forgive me?” she looked up at her other self, eyes wide.

“I... I think I can,” said the other Carrot Top still looking a bit awkward. The two of them stood in silence for a moment each trying to think of something to say.

“So,” said Carrot Top speaking first, “You work as an assistant here?”

The other Carrot Top narrowed her eyes a little, she seemed offended. “I might not be the farmer you are, but I don’t just work for Blossomforth you know. I’m an apprentice apothecary, Bitter Pill may be retired but he’s still got his licence so he’s been teaching me, it’s hard work, maybe even harder than farming, but I’m doing well.” She glowed a little with pride and Carrot Top couldn’t help but smiling along despite herself. “It’s not like I’m lazy,” she continued with a little venom, Carrot Top winced, she couldn’t believe she’d called her other self that.

Carrot Top had always considered herself a farmer first and foremost. She sold some of Gran’s potions, but that was a side thing and it didn’t really ever help pay the bills. Still her twin seemed to have made a living out of it, maybe losing the farm hadn’t all been bad for her as hard to believe as it seemed.

“After I sold the... the farm, I needed to find something to do, you know how we are with money, it wasn’t going to last long. So when Blossomforth decided she needed somepony to help with the store I applied. Once I’d been here a bit I suggested selling a few of Gran’s old recipes in the store, the hangover tonic, the croup easier, you know the kind of thing. I checked out the rules and found I needed a licence and qualifications to sell commercially.”

Carrot Top frowned, this world must be more bureaucratic than her own, she didn’t need anything like that, and she’d thought the Night Court was difficult.

“Anyway I approached Bitter Pill and he offered to sign me off as an apprentice in exchange for a cut of the profits. I wasn’t sure at the time, but I talked to Ditzy about it, she’s good with her finances, and she thought it seemed a good idea as well.”

“You still turn a profit?” She’d never made much off of her own potions, and her double had told her earlier that she didn’t even collect her own ingredients...

“They’re still some of our biggest sellers,” said her other self with a smile as she gestured around the shop. “It’s... well it’s a good way to help other ponies they come in here telling me about their problems and I do what I can to help them. And Bitter wasn’t joking about making me his apprentice, he’s taught me a lot and I’ve taken a few correspondence courses from Canterlot University, and well.” She leaned forwards. “I haven’t told anypony yet, but who can I trust if not myself? I’m just waiting for the final certificate to show I’m a full member of the Royal Apothecaries Guild.” She clapped her hooves together in excitement. “And Blossom’s said she’ll even make me a full partner based on how well my stuffs selling, we’re even changing the name! It’ll be a lot of work but it could really work out.” She looked at her twin as if waiting to be justified.

Wow, thought Carrot Top, things really seemed to be turning out for her duplicate. Maybe... maybe giving up on the farm actually turned out the best for her. She’d never have had the time to do all that if she was still a farmer, she certainly knew she didn’t. It still didn’t seem quite right, she knew she was destined to be a farmer, felt it in her bones, her mark. “That... that sounds really good...” she said a little coldly.

“Excuse me,” came a voice from nearby. Carrot Top turned to see Sparkler trotting up to the counter with a bottle in her aura. “I’d like this please.”

This universe’s Carrot Top checked the bottle, “Dye? That’ll be ten bits please. Getting your mane done?”

“Yeah, I thought I could do with a change, I want to see if it’s true blues have more fun. Seaswirl is always getting a lot of attention from the stallions, I’ll never have her legs but maybe I can have her hair.” She grinned.

“Well be careful, this stuff is permanent, if you don’t like it you’ll have to wait for it to grow out, and that can be a long time. We do stock hair growth tonic but it’s expensive.”

Sparkler thanked the apothecary and trotted out of the shop.

“Speaking from personal experience there?” asked Carrot Top patting her own mane, she couldn’t think of dying it, she liked her natural orange. Still maybe her other self was more adventurous, or made rash decisions she thought a little darkly.

“We’ll I might have done a little experimenting, just so you don’t make the same mistakes as me, green is not our colour. Plus I think I was allergic to the dye, it made my voice sound funny.”

Carrot Top giggled. “You know even if you hadn’t sold the farm I think I’d hate you for that.” She grimaced and mentally scolded herself. “Not... not that I hate you, I just... green.”

Her twin flinched a little her previously cheerfulness evaporating. “I get it.”

“So you’re a fully trained apothecary, that must be interesting,” said Carrot Top quickly changing the topic.

“It was hard work, lots of studying and late nights brewing things up, but it’s really interesting. Gran’s books were a good start all that herb law Verbena, Farmslayer, Maredrake, Nightmare Berry...”

“Wait what was the last one?” asked Carrot Top with a frown, she hadn’t heard of that herb before.

“Nightmare berry? It’s a rare plant found in locations of high magic, it grows, flowers, and seeds all in a single night under the full moon.”

“I’ve not heard of it,” said Carrot Top wracking her brain, the description was somewhat familiar, but the name was wrong.

“Maybe it doesn’t grow in your world? I was just looking at it last night because it’s been known to help in some cases of over channelling, but I’ve no idea where to get any.”

“Grows in a single night,” muttered Carrot Top trying to think. “Princess’s gift!“ she yelled startling the few customers. “I’ve seen it, in the Everfree in my world! Can you show me the book you were reading? I’ve never heard of Princess’s Gift treating over channelling but if it does and there’s some in the same place as in my world...”

“Then we may be able to help the Twilights, and Trixies,” continued the apothecary with rising excitement.

“Right,” the said together, for a moment it felt so natural dealing with each other.

“It’s still at home, in one of Gran’s journals,” said the native Carrot Top.

“You kept them all?” asked Carrot Top.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

Because you gave away the rest of our legacy thought Carrot Top automatically. “No reason.”

The other Carrot Top frowned for a moment then stuck her head into the office at the back of the shop. “Blossomforth, do you mind if I take my lunch a bit early today?” she asked.

The home of this world’s Carrot Top was a more or less anonymous house sitting in a perfectly normal street not too far from the town’s edge. The two of them entered the building and passed through the kitchen they had chatted in only a few days ago now before making their way to Carrot Top’s room. To one side sat Carrot Top’s bed, the bed which she had inherited from her grandmother, the bed she used in her own world, in all its beaten up and notched glory, even her plush carrot was there tucked away leaves just peeking over the sheets. She fought against the urge to nuzzle up against it, it was nice to see something so familiar in this strange world.

Her twin noticed Carrot Top’s reaction. “I kept what I could when I moved, a few items of furniture and Gran’s journals of course,” she gestured to a small book shelf containing a mix of books including her grandmother’s old diaries and workbooks, “She made sure I had them, she always said I was better with a book than a hoe.” Carrot Top frowned, she didn’t recall her grandmother ever saying that. She had the same books but most of them had been stored in a near forgotten chest in her gran’s bedroom. They weren’t anywhere as well organised. “I keep copies, of most of them at work, but there’s something about having them close, it’s like she’s still with me you know?” Carrot Top nodded.

The native Carrot Top trotted over and gently eased out a large tome before tonguing it open. “I’ve been transcribing the recipes and organising them the best I could,” She continued as she pulled out a folder made of a strange slick material and flipped through it. “I’ve thought about publishing some now I’m almost a full alchemist, it’ll mean any member of the guild can use them but I’d get a licensing fee. It’ll be nice to think that Gran’s potions helping ponies all over Equestria even now.” She shook herself. “I know it’s in here somewhere,” she muttered.

Carrot Top picked up another of the books and flipped through the strangely shiny pages, the recipes were all neatly organised and cross references in just the way she’d never had time to. “Hey! Gran’s roof sealant recipe, I could never get it to work.”

Her twin glanced over. “Oh, yes, I think she got the proportions mixed up when she wrote it down. It should be four parts tree sap, two grease and one tar not the other way round, it works really well now. This place would still be soaked if I hadn’t figured that out before the last winter wrap up. Some weather pegasus decided it made more sense to melt the snow in ten minutes rather than four hours, it flooded my poor garden,” she explained, before turning back to her own book. “Here we are!” she announced as she opened a clip in the centre of the folder and the page smoothly detached.

Trying to peep over her double’s shoulder Carrot Top noted the picture drawn in her grandmothers exacting style. She closed her eyes for a moment trying to think back. “Yes, that’s what I saw in the Everfree, it was late and I was heading home, I hadn’t seen it before so I looked it up, Princess’s Gift.”

“Well it’s called Nightmare Berry here,” said her twin reading through the details. “It certainly mentions it can be used to make a potion to treat over channelling,” she noted.

“Why did Gran even have this?” A spell to treat over channelling didn’t seem an obvious requirement for the farm.

“I don’t know, she probably knew a unicorn or two, have you ever seen a picture of great granddad Weaver without a hat on? Hmm? Makes you think. I’d certainly make sure I had some of this in case something happened to Written.” She glanced over at a picture of the stallion sitting on her nightstand and shuddered a little.

“The recipe looks complicated,” Carrot Top bit her tongue in concentration, “I’m not sure about this bit, what’s Hydrargyrum?”

“Hmm, that’s another name for Mercury. I think we have all of this in stock at the Apothecary.” The chemist pulled out a pad and started to write a list down.

“Mercury?”

“A liquid metal, shiny, used to make thermometers?”

“Oh, Quicksilver!”

“You still call it that?” asked the native Carrot Top in surprise.

“Of course.”

“It’s strange the ways your worlds different. Still it doesn’t look that complicated to make, quite quick as well. Maybe a few hours in the shop's lab.”

Carrot Top was impressed, the recipe looked difficult to her but her twin seemed to be taking it in her stride. Squinting to read her grandmothers tiny writing she spotted a problem. “You were right about it growing in a single night under the full moon, that’s in a few days. We need the berries but it says they rot within an hour of being harvested. We won’t have the time to bring it back,” she groaned. Carrot Top wanted to kick something, it had seemed a good idea but it wasn’t going to work.

“Wait a minute,” the other Carrot Top rushed over to a cabinet and opened it to reveal a large liquid filled vessel bubbling lazily. Ignoring it she grabbed a pile of magazines stored next to it and pulled them out. “Here we are, the transactions of the Royal Apothecaries Guild, issue 753, Elixir of Stasis. It should keep any plant sample stored in it fresh for several hours at least. I don’t think it’s been tried on Nightmare Berry, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. All we need to do is get someone to go into the Everfree and follow your instructions to find it.”

“Why can’t we go ourselves? The crop I noticed wasn’t that far in, we could get there and be back in a few hours.”

“Go into the Everfree? Us!” said the native Carrot Top rearing back in shock. “You did say you got herbs from there before but I don’t know, our Everfree is home to monsters, Cragodiles, Manticore, Parasprites!”

“Sirens, a giant Dragon, even more Parasprites. It’s dangerous in my world too, but if you take care it’s not that bad.” Well sort of.

“But, you’re an Element of Harmony in your world, you probably save the world twice before breakfast, the Everfree is a cakewalk for you but I’m... I’m just an apothecary.”

“Being an element bearer doesn’t give you superpowers, you don’t get heat-ray eyes,” more’s the pity thought Carrot Top. “And even before I was a bearer I’d made a few trips into the forest.”

“I’m not so sure,” the other Carrot Top lowered her gaze. “Look it’s not full moon for a few days, why don’t we see if your friends get better in the meantime? It would be stupid to risk ourselves if they get better by themselves.”

Carrot Top thought for a moment, her every instinct was that she had to do something to help Trixie, now! But her twin was making sense, there was nothing she could do right now, she had to wait for the moon to be right, a day or two wouldn’t make a difference would it? She chewed on her lip for a moment, “Okay,” she finally agreed. “Maybe we should get ready first, I’m sure you know a few potions that will help?”

Her twin perked up and nodded. “I’ll start on the potion and bring some Elixir of Stasis,” she agreed.

“Good, hopefully this will turn out to be easier than it seems. Um, one last thing can I um, borrow some of your flowers?”

“Are you hungry? I’d have thought the hotel would be feeding you. I can make you a sandwich if you want.”

“No, it’s for Trixie and Twilight, I thought their rooms could do with brightening up a bit.”

The native Carrot Top smiled understandingly. “Good thinking, if nothing else I’m sure the smell should make them hungry enough to wake up. Then maybe we won’t need the berry.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it, I’ll give you a hoof picking some out.”

Carrot of Mercy

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The next day seemed to pass slowly for Carrot Top, she took her daily post at Trixie and Twilight’s bed side relieving Ditzy. There seemed to be no change in any of the afflicted ponies’ conditions, their sleep remained peaceful but unchanging. The local doctors poked and prodded and stuck needles in them causing Carrot Top to wince, but she had to accept that they were doing the best for their patients. This world’s nurse Redheart eventually took pity on her and invited her to help her through her rounds, supporting the various sick ponies felt good, like she was actually getting something done, but it wasn’t enough.

Finally she could stand it no more, she had to help Trixie.

“She’s no better,” announced Carrot Top to her twin. The two of them were in the apothecary’s basement among various bubbling and steaming potions.

“Maybe we could give it another few days? The other Trixie...” her twin began then cut herself off, “No. It’s the full moon tomorrow we have to go then, don’t we?”

Carrot Top nodded. Together they started to plan their mission into the Everfree. There were some maps of the area but the forest was more or less a big block marked ‘here be monsters’, it didn’t seem too much different from her own world but she guessed she wouldn’t know until she actually entered it.

Together the two of them spent a few hours making up a selection of useful concoctions. Carrot Top watch in astonishment as her twin carefully worked on the stasis mixture, it was far beyond anything she’d ever made, still she wasn’t entirely useless. She came up with the idea for a range of potions to distract any wildlife they might come across from following their scent, she used similar mixtures for her own trips into the Everfree in her universe and suggested that gran’s warming tonic might be a good idea given it was the middle of winter. Her twin had objected that as the potion was about fifty percent alcohol they might be warm but staggering about singing loudly probably wouldn’t help. After giggling at the idea for a bit Carrot Top explained she’d produced a less potent version of the tonic in her own world which could stop them getting a chill and also keep them sober.

“Shouldn’t we tell the guard or the Princess or somepony?” mumbled Carrot Top’s twin after they had finished their preparations.

“The Princess has more on her mind than this, it’s a longshot at best and the guard would just get in the way, they don’t know how to handle collecting herbs.” She hoped this made sense, she might have just been trying to impress her other self. She was feeling a little out of her depth on the alchemy front but she did know the Everfree, well some of it, if it was the same in this world.

“We need to tell somepony, just in case something happens to us. How about the Script?”

“Your colt friend? Won’t he be worried about you wandering off into the Everfree?”

Her twin chewed her lip for a moment. “I think he’ll trust me to make the right call.”

Carrot Top thought back to her ‘date’ the other day, Written Script did seem to have a level head on his shoulders. She nodded. “Ok.”

“Actually, I do know someone who lives in the forest, a kind of ranger I suppose you could call her. She sells us some of the herbs we use at the Apothecary, I think I can take us to her and then the two of you can try and find the Nightmare Berry.”

That made sense to Carrot Top, someone who knew the territory would be useful in case it was different to her world. “Ok, we can meet up at the farm,” she flinched a little, it had made sense to her, she’d have to stick with it now, “At sundown tomorrow tonight.”

The morning after finally brought good news, first this worlds Twilight then its Trixie awoke, at first they drifted in and out of consciousness for a few hours but finally recovered fully. It was heart-warming to see the local element bearers so excited to see their friends recovered. They began to explain what had happened but their story was interrupted when the Twilight from Carrot Top’s own world started to stir, she finally awoke and added her own point of view. Cautiously her fellow dimensional exiles welcomed her and listened to her tale before waiting for Trixie’s recovery, and waiting and waiting.

Hour after hour passed and there was no further change in Trixie’s condition. Cheerilee joked about their friend always liking to sleep in, nopony laughed. The Doctors talked about greater levels of damage done to her mana reserves and the such like, they talked of more tests and of more patience. They didn’t talk about a recovery or of anything they could do to help her.

Carrot Top knew what she had to do.

Carrot Top found herself alone when she arrived at the farm. Looking up she noted the sun slowly dropping below the horizon, it looked like her alternative self was late, if she was coming at all. She risked a quick glance at the space where her home had sat and felt a further tightening in her gut. She looked away, she had to stop reacting that that, this wasn’t her world, it hadn’t been her home, it wasn’t her fault the house was gone.

Looking around she noted it was quickly getting darker, the moon had risen but under the canopy of the Everfree it would still be dark. Maybe wandering into an unknown part of the Everfree forest at night wasn’t the greatest of ideas. Her twin might have had the right idea not turning up.

She was about to turn back towards Ponyville when she saw a pair of glowing cat like eyes set into a grey ghostly shape moving rapidly towards her from the town accompanied by the sound of galloping hooves. “Who... who’s there?” she stuttered starting to back away from whatever was approaching.

“It’s... it’s me,” came the reply in her own voice as the other Carrot Top ran up to her panting for breath. She was wearing a large puffy dress for some reason although Carrot Top was more confused by her twins glowing eyes.

“You scared me! What’s up with your eyes? Does everypony’s eyes do that here, are you all wereponies!” She accused.

“Wereponies? No it’s cat’s eyes elixir, it makes it easier for you to see in the dark. I thought of it after you left last night.”

“Oh, that er, that makes more sense,” said Carrot Top rubbing the back of her neck. “But what about the dress, it’s nice but not really right for wandering in the Everfree.”

Her twin looked down self-consciously. “Oh this, it’s a disguise.”

“Um, I don’t think it will help you fit into the Everfree, not unless it’s very different from in my world.”

“Oh, no,” she started to struggle out of the constricting garment. “It was to get out of the house, I told Ditzy I was going to a rehearsal for my theatre group.” She folded the dress and carefully placed it under the fence.

“Oh, that was... clever,” she mumbled, underneith the dress were saddlebags bulging with the various bottles they’d made the day before.

This worlds Carrot Top passed one set on to her before rummaging around in her bags for a bit and passing her double a vial. “Here you go, more cats eye, careful it’s all I’ve got, Rarity wasn’t very happy letting me collect the cat’s tears it needed,” She rubbed at a few claw marks on her legs, “Neither was Opalescence.”

Carrot Top swigged back the vial and almost gagged, it was incredibly bitter. Almost straight away her eyes started to sting and water. She hissed in pain.

“Don’t worry, it won’t last long,” said her twin taking her hoof and squeezing it gently.

Already the discomfort was passing and Carrot Top blinked a few times, surprised as the area seemed to lighten considerably, it was almost like the sun had risen. “Wow this stuff is amazing.” She said making a mental note to look up the recipe.

“Thanks, it’s not easy to make but I thought it would be useful.”

“We better hurry and see this friend of yours, we’ve only got a few hours to collect the berries.”

“Well,” said the other Carrot Top shuffling slightly, “She’s not exactly my friend, more an associate, but I’ll think she’ll help us. She knows the forest better than almost anypony and she’s a good alchemist as well.”

“Sounds good,” said Carrot Top totting towards the forest now visible in the near distance using her enhanced eyes. Having her other self here had boosted her confidence, maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as she thought, with a good guide maybe they could be in and out in a few hours.

The two Carrot Tops trotted alongside each other in companionable silence for a while. Until Carrot Top felt she had to say something. “So you’re part of a theatre group?” It seemed not farming had left her other self with quite a bit of free time.

“Its only amateur, but I’ve helped on a few shows, and well I’m playing an important role in our next show I’m Mareble in the Pirates of Ponyants.”

“Wow, you know I always wanted to be an actor when I was little, I wanted to feel special standing out there on the stage.”

“Oh, me too, I so wanted to appear in the movies, of course there’s no way I’d be good enough for that.”

“Movies?” asked Carrot Top.

“Um, moving pictures? A sort of recording of a play, like you’d record music, you can do that in your world right?”

“Oh right, I’ve heard of them, not seen one yet. Maybe I should go if I get a chance.” Then she gave a wolfish grin. “Of course I’m sure your interest in acting has nothing to do with a certain script writer would it?” Now she was doing something about Trixie’s condition she felt positively buoyant.

“Well, maybe there were certain fringe benefits,” she replied her face colouring a bit.

“And of course the fact you’re sleeping with the writer didn’t affect your casting.”

“Well... I wouldn’t... I...” spluttered her twin.

“Relax, I sure you only wanted him for his body, nothing to do with furthering your acting ambitions.”

“You... you’re awful,” said the other Carrot Top her whole body a rosy red.

Carrot Top giggled at her other self’s reaction, it was oddly fun getting herself flustered. After a moment the other Carrot Top started to giggle as well and they had to stop to regain their breath.

Finally Carrot Top could speak again. “I’m sorry, I’m glad you’re with Written, I really liked him when we had our little ‘date’ thing.”

“Now don’t get ideas, he’s mine, get your own version!” said her twin mock strictly. Maybe she should, thought Carrot Top, she could at least see if there was a version of her other selves coltfriend in her world. She shook her head, such thoughts could be investigated later.

Ahead of them the Everfree seemed to have swollen quickly filling the whole space in front of them, its thick branches making it hard to see far even with their enhanced vision.

“So, we go in there then?” said this world’s Carrot Top with a gulp.

“I... I guess so,” said Carrot Top steeling herself, this was for Trixie, for her friend. She’d done this before, even at night once or twice, but this was a different world a small voice warned her. She hesitantly raised a hoof and took a step or two forwards into the forest. She turned and looked at her double who was still standing frozen outside. “You coming?” she asked maybe a little sharper than she’d planned.

“Yes, yes, I won’t give up,” she mumbled and stepped forwards.

Carrots in the Wood

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“So where is this ranger pony?” asked Carrot Top nervously. She and her twin were a short way into the Everfree forest and already the trees seemed to be crowding around blocking out all light. It was only the magic of the cat’s eyes potions that allowed them to see.

“I’ve been told her home isn’t far,” said her duplicate, “You follow this path.”

Carrot Top shivered a bit looking around the darkness of the forest, all seemed quiet but every so often she noticed a pair of glowing eyes blinking at her from the trees. Her mind conjured out all sorts of pony eating monsters ready to leap out on them. She knew her version of the forest fairly well, at least the outskirts, but what other creatures could live in this version? Maybe this wasn’t as good an idea as she thought. Her twin, her imagination also working overtime, drew as close as she could without their bodies actually touching.

“S... s... so, is your Everfree like this?” stuttered her twin quietly, and probably not entirely from the cold.

“More or less,” replied Carrot Top, “I don’t normally visit at night, if I can help it.”

The path they were following opened out into a grove ringed by thick forest. In the centre, by itself, stood a large twisted tree with a door set in the trunk. It reminded Carrot Top of the Ponyville library, almost, it was much spookier looking, strings of beads and strange masks hung from the branches.

“I guess this must be the place we’re looking for,” said Carrot Top.

Her twin put a hoof on her shoulder to stop her. “Now before we go any further I have to warn you, the ranger isn’t a pony, she’s a bit more... exotic. We were all a bit scared of her when she first started coming into town but I’ve found that she’s not that bad just a little... odd, but hey, Ponyville’s got Pinkie Pie, so we can’t complain.”

“You might find I’m quite open minded,” said Carrot Top haughtily, “So what is this ranger, a Griffin? Diamond Dog? Goat? Salamander?”

“Zecora’s a Zebra”

Carrot Top blinked. “Zecora? But she’s... we’ve got to get out of here...” she grabbed her double and started to pull her protesting form back towards the forest.

“Wait, she’s different here, she’s...”

Suddenly Carrot Top’s progress was blocked by a shadowy figure in a cloak. “Salutations travellers bold,” said the figure, “What brings you to my abode?”

Carrot Top started to back away from the figure while her twin turned to the new arrival. “Hi Zecora,” she said cheerfully, “You did say I could visit.”

“Yes, that I certainly did, such as friend I could not forbid,” the zebra lowered her hood to reveal a wide smile on her face. She glanced at Carrot Top who was trotting back and forth caught between running and trying to protect her double. “I did not know you had a twin, your sister is in quite a spin.”

“Oh, she’s not my sister, she’s, well me, from another world.”

“That truly sounds like quite the tale,” She looked strangely at Carrot Top before turning back to her native twin. “Why does your double look so pale?”

“You betrayed us to Corona!” cried Carrot Top, “You cursed the town, made us all act like fools. You made me flood my fields with wine!”

The Zebra blinked at her accusations. “I have no recollection of causing such insurrection.”

“This isn’t that Zecora remember?” said this world’s Carrot Top soothingly. “Our Zecora has been nothing but friendly to Ponyville, despite how we used to treat her.” She blushed slightly.

Carrot Top slumped to the ground trying to clear her head. She knew that this Zecora wasn’t the one from her world in the same way her twin wasn’t her, but the two worlds seemed so similar, surely she couldn’t trust any version of the duplicitous Zebra? But in her world Zecora had betrayed the element bearers to Corona and here Celestia was on the side of the righteous, did that make the Zebra a hero here? But still... Oh she didn’t know what to think, but she couldn’t deny that the sight of the Zebra made her nervous. “I’m... I’m sorry,” she admitted eventually. “I’ve mistaken you for someone else.”

“No harm done, now tell me, what brought you to my tree?” said the Zebra motioning for the two Carrot Tops to enter her home. Carrot Top looked around nervously examining the various herbs, some of them poisonous she noted, and artefacts hanging from the roof. “But I am being a poor host, what sort of drink would you like most?”

Carrot Top declined a drink as politely as she could, recalling the Zebra’s spell on the alcohol at the fair, while her twin accepted the offer of a steaming cup of tea.

“Are you sure we can trust her?” hissed Carrot Top as Zecora prepared the drinks. “How well do you know her?” Could she trust her twin’s judgement?

“Well she brings in herbs to sell to me every month. We get to chatting sometimes and I’ve had lunch with her once or twice. I think she gets lonely out here by herself you know.” Carrot Top was aware many ponies considered her a bit of an easy touch but she’d never seen it from their perspective before. However, hearing how easily her twin accepted the Zebra she wondered if she was actually that naïve. “It’s a bit embarrassing really,” her double continued, “We treated her so badly. The whole town used to hide when she turned up but she’s really not that bad, she was great with the kids during Nightmare Night.”

Before she could talk more Zecora returned with the drinks and once they had settled down comfortably Carrot Top’s double began to explain their plan, how the other world’s element bearers had ended up in this world and how the Trixies and Twilights had been stricken. Zecora commented that she had been aware of the fighting in her home territory but had kept out of the way as much as she could. The native Carrot Top continued explaining that they had come to locate a Nightmare Berry plant and hoped that Zecora could help them.

Zecora mused for a moment, then trotted over to a bookcase and removed a large dusty tomb. “Of Nightmare Berry I have not heard, although I am well versed in herbs. Maybe by another name I have learned of this herb’s fame?” She flicked though a few pages. “A plant which flowers by the light of the full moon,” she mussed, “Ah, that must be the rare Midnight Glory Bloom.” She pointed at a picture in the book.

“That’s it!” cried her friend. “Do you know where we can find one?”

“Know the location of this flower I do, although the dangers on the way are not few.” She slammed the book closed and trotted across her house to collect a thick staff and a few other possessions. “To collect its fruit before it rots then we must set out at a good trot.”

As the three equines started to stride away from the tree house Carrot Top whispered to her twin. “I still don’t trust her.”

“You need to be less suspicious,” she replied eying the Zebra leading then. “Zecora knows the Everfree better than anyone, there’s no way we can find this plant, whatever we call it, without her.”

Carrot Top nodded, it made sense but she didn’t have to like it. She vowed to keep an eye on the Zebra in case she proved as duplicitous as her twin in her own world.

The trio walked for half an hour, traveling deeper into the forest. Every so often Zecora would point out a certain sight, flora or fauna and this worlds Carrot Top would nod with interest. Carrot Top herself found the information interesting but she tried to stop herself getting distracted, she really wanted to believe that this worlds Zecora was friendly but she couldn’t forgive her for her actions, things would have gone much better if Corona hadn’t escaped from Luna’s grasp, even though this Zecora was not technically responsible for that. She sighed, this multiple universe thing was complicated.

Eventually Carrot Top’s ears picked up at the sound of running water and the trees parted to reveal a river, it wasn’t flowing strongly, but it was wide, she wasn’t keen on swimming it, if she could help it. Particularly at this time of year, it looked cold! “So how do we cross?” she asked.

“This way, far beyond that ridge lies a path leading to a bridge,” explained Zecora pointing into the distance.

Glancing around Carrot Top noticed a number of purplish rocks just jutting out from the water not too far away forming a rough line of steps across the river. “There!” she said, “We can cross there.”

“Odd!” exclaimed the zebra, “This way I recently went by, but this path I did not spy.”

Carrot Top narrowed her eyes, was the zebra trying to delay them, trying to send them by a longer route. Carrot Top carefully put her weight on the first rock, it seems solid enough and she risked placing all her hooves on it. The next rock was about a body length away, she stepped back as far as she could before running forwards and hopping onto it. The third was a bit further away but was just as easy to reach, she turned to see her other self still standing on the first rock. “Don’t worry, it’s not too hard,” she cried, her voice seeming incredibly loud in the otherwise silent forest.

At her encouragement her twin leapt forwards leaving Zecora standing alone by the river edge looking perplexed. The earth pony almost overshot her first jump teetering at the edge before pulling back, she took the next just a little more carefully and made it easily. Nodding encouragingly Carrot Top made a few more jumps and found herself almost half way over, this was going well. Her overconfidence almost proved her downfall as she almost underestimated the next jump and had to scrabble with her hooves to keep her grip. The rock was a little warm to the touch and had an odd texture, almost regular bumps and grooves could be felt on it, something like scales... Her eyes widened in panic as the ‘rock’ gave a twitch and then rolled beneath her hooves before lifting into the air, she gave a scream of fear and gripped the ground as strongly as her legs could manage. Her scream was echoed by her twin who was desperately trying to keep her balance as the outcrop she was standing on began to flow and lift into the air as well. At the same time there was a third much louder scream from somewhere in front of them. The source of the scream was rising from the edge of the forest, a large reptilian head covered in purple sales from which sprouted the most amazing orange facial hair, the back of the head was also covered in orange hair contained in a bonnet of a size that could be used to catch a whole school of fish. “Agh, get them off me,” cried the titanic creature. A pair of arms almost stick thin in comparison to the creature’s body flailed at the ponies clinging desperately to its body.

“D... D... Dragon,” cried Carrot Top clinging ever tighter to the creature to stop herself being dropped into the river.

“I beg your pardon,” cried the creature apparently in offence. “I am no such brute, I am a River Serpent. And what do you mean by crawling all over me when I’m just trying to get my beauty sleep? You could have given me a heart attack, don’t you know?” One of its arms clutched at the creature’s chest theatrically. “Now who and what are you?” Carrot Top felt a taloned arm clutch at her back and she was yanked from her perch, her twin was grabbed by the other arm and hoisted into the air alongside her.

“Set them down you wretched beast,” cried Zecora from the bank brandishing her staff, “On their flesh you will not feast!”

“Ponies! Eat them! Oh no, you’re all just so fatty. No offence,” he added, “You’ll go straight to my tail” the creature paused examining its captives. “Oh! My! Gosh!” it enthused, “Your manes are just Fab-u-lous, so silky, so much volume, such a lush colour! You must tell me your secret, you simply must!”

Carrot Top blinked in surprise and turned to her other self who seemed just as discombobulated. However she was still the first one of them to talk, “Um, well, I, er make my own shampoo.”

“Really, how very talented,” cried the serpent gently releasing its captives. Carrot Top glared at Zecora briefly, was it just coincidence they had found this creature while she was leading them, still she hadn’t been the one stupid enough to walk over it. “I’ve had such a problem with split ends recently,” continued the serpent, “Is there anything you could do?” The creature lowered its head towards the ground to allow them to have a look.

Feeling like it was one of the strangest things she had ever done Carrot Top stepped forwards and ran a hoof through a mane long enough for her to get lost in. “Oh, um, I can see, but I don’t think it’s anything that a little conditioner couldn’t fix.”

“Oh, I’ve got some with me,” said her twin brightly, causing Carrot Top to swing her head around in surprise.

“You brought Shampoo on a trip to the Everfree?” she hissed. She did like to look after her hair but her twins behaviour seemed a little beyond the pale. “Shouldn’t we just leave?”

“I brought everything I could think of,” she whispered back rooting through her bags, “It’s turned out useful hasn’t it?”

“This creature we should appease, for our journey he could ease,” said Zecora nodding towards the far side of the river.

This universes Carrot Top pulled out a few bottles and began to mix them together. “Now I think a touch of Macassor oil as a base and maybe a little tea tree watered down with Jojoba would do wonders.”

Shrugging Carrot Top unpacked her own bags. “How about some lilac as well?” she suggested.

In one of the most surreal few minutes of their lives Carrot Top and her duplicate gently massaged the mix into the serpent’s scaly scalp causing it to sigh in pleasure before directing it to dunk itself in the river to wash away the excess before carefully drying and styling it. At the end of the process the creature’s hair was gleaming. “Oh you two are simply miracle workers!” he cried examining himself in a huge mirror he had produced from somewhere. “Now I can’t imagine that you’re traveling hairdressers at this time of night, whatever has brought you to my humble home?”

“We’re looking for a rare herb,” said Carrot Top as both of her packed away their remaining potions. “It’s on the other side of the river.”

“Oh, I don’t know much about flowers but I can at least give you a lift,” said the serpent lifting the two Carrot Tops followed by Zecora surprisingly gently over the river.

“Thank you,” said Carrot Top instinctively before taking her twin by her hoof and gently leading her away.

“Visit soon!” cried the serpent as they went before returning to examining his mane.

“That... that was...” muttered this worlds Carrot Top. “Do you do things like that all the time in your world?”

“I have to say, hairdressing a river serpent has been a first, but life certainly hasn’t been dull since I became an element bearer, what with sirens, parasprites, a phoenix, evil curses and the what not,” replied Carrot Top.

“I was so scared, I thought I was going to die, but then it was almost fun.”

“It gets like that, I’ve normally got my friends around to do the hard stuff, I just sort of help out where I can but yeah, for all the fear and screaming and running, it can be a bit fun as well, sometimes. You did really well for your first time.”

“Come! We must hurry this way! We have no time to delay,” urged Zecora leading them down another path.

Eventually the Zebra raised a hoof, signalling for the party to stop. “Beware, for in this area there is much danger, the spirits that live here will attack any stranger!” She gestured at a line of trees stretching ahead. “If you move yourselves too near, these trees will bring forth great fear.”

Carrot Top narrowed her eyes, the trees ahead seemed to be warped and twisted, and her imagination easily conjured up the shapes of teeth and claws, but they otherwise seemed harmless. Then she blinked as she noticed small green and red lights floating among them, it might be best not to take any risk. “Can’t we just go around?” she asked.

“An alternative path we could take, but it could not be reached by daybreak,” said Zecora.

Carrot Top instinctively looked up at the sky, judging by the moon midnight had already passed. “Then I guess we don’t have any choice,” said her twin.

“A charm I have which may protect you,” said Zecora bring a few out a few bead necklaces “Unfortunately I only have two,” she held them out to the ponies, “They are yours for the taking, I will trust in my training.”

The two Carrot Tops took the gifts and carefully placed them over their necks. They had no effect as far as Carrot Top could tell.

“From your path you must not deviate, or you could come to a terrible fate,” said Zecora grasping her staff tightly and striding forwards towards the trees. Carrot Top noted a slight waver in her voice. Was the Zebra telling them the truth? Or was she leading them into a trap?

“Are you sure we can trust her?” she whispered to her twin.

“Look,” she sighed, “Zecora’s been nothing but nice to us, offering to guide us, giving us these necklaces. I know you don’t like her double in your universe but you’ve got to start letting things go and stop judging ponies,” she said pointedly before starting off after the Zebra.

Carrot Top, left without any other options, followed up the rear.

As soon as she entered the grove Carrot Top could feel something was wrong, despite her still perfect night vision and the large moon viable through the trees dark shadows seemed to grow up all around. Suddenly there was a blur in her peripheral vision and she spun around to face one of the trees seeming to reach out for her with its clawed branches. She staggered back a cry starting to grow in her throat but the shape did not move and she realised it was just a trick of the shadows. Gulping she turned back to see her twin was likewise spooked her head darting from side to side. Zecora still stared resolutely forwards ignoring the trees only her lowered ears betraying any worry.

Trying to regain control of herself Carrot Top staggered forwards on shaking legs, she felt like something was following her just out of sight. Her every instinct was telling her run, to get away. She closed her eyes for a moment and she was sure she felt something brush her flank. Her eyes shot open again, the trees! The trees had moved, she was sure they were closer.

“Ig.. Ignore what you see, your senses are deceived,” warned Zecora her eyes flicking back and forth, her head damp with perspiration.

Carrot Top struggled to put one hoof in front of the other rather than gallop full pelt away from this place. She knew she couldn’t do this, someone like Cheerilee or Raindrops would laugh in the face of these spirits but she wasn’t like them, she wasn’t a hero, she was just a regular farmer, a nopony, only chosen by the elements because there wasn’t anypony better around. There was no way she could save Trixie, she was stupid to even try, she should have told somepony else about her plan, someone actually brave enough to go through it. Now she was going to fail and Trixie was going to never wake up and even if she ever got home she would be a failure and she would lose everything and...

With a moan Carrot Top dropped, shaking, to the ground burying her head under her hooves to try and block out the thoughts flowing through her mind. Out of the corner of the eye she barely noticed the necklace Zecora had given her was faintly glowing, she couldn’t imagine how hard this would be without its aid. Ahead her twin had likewise stopped her advance and was struggling to stand. Zecora was crying out in a language Carrot Top didn’t understand swinging her hooves at an unseen attacker. They were all going to fail, she was so useless! No! She tried to block the thoughts seeming to come from outside her head, maybe she couldn’t do this, but she could make sure another could, forcing herself to her hooves and forwards Carrot Top struggled towards her twin reaching out with a hoof. The Orange coated pony twitched at the contact and looked ready to flee when Carrot Top leaned against her. “You.. you can do this,” stuttered Carrot Top trying her hardest to sound reassuring. “After all that work to be...become a pharmacist, this sh...should be easy.”

The other Carrot Top stared at her, panic glazing her eyes then she blinked and renewed determination showed in her. “Won’t give up! Not again!” she announced rising to her hooves and pushing forwards, her legs still twitching randomly. She reached out with a hoof and grasped Carrot Top. “And neither will you. I might have given up on the farm but I won’t give up now!” Their necklaces flashed and energy seemed to flow between them and just for a moment the dark shadows and flickering lights were just that rather than half seen terrors. Leaning against each other the two mares staggered forwards as if through a storm their heads flicking backwards and forwards at half imagined sights. They finally managed to reach Zecora who had slumped to the ground and was crying out in her own language, it sounded like begging to Carrot Top. Without a word the two orange mares separated and took up position to each side of the fallen Zebra.

“Come on! Get up!” cried Carrot Top, she felt like she was ready to drop again but she had to help the others.

“You can do it!” said her twin.

“Leave me! On your way you must go! Your progress I will only slow!” moaned Zecora, despite herself the terrified zebra began rising to her hooves for a moment before she gave a cry of terror and reared, ready to flee. Grabbing onto her the Carrot Tops tried to stop her flight, glancing at each other they nodded and Carrot Top reached up to her neck and slid off the glowing necklace before placing it around Zecora’s neck. The zebra fought against her touch for a moment before dropping back to the ground. Seeing the striped mare was still in trouble the other Carrot Top imitated her sister and placed her own necklace around the Zebra’s neck.

Her protection gone Carrot Top felt the power of the grove redouble its attack, she felt like screaming as her heart threatening to tear itself from her chest, wave after wave of terror flowed through her. She felt alone and naked in the dark, then something reached out to touch her. She almost leapt out of her skin but she found it was Zecora’s hoof. The light had returned to the Zebra’s eyes and she half pushed half lead to two ponies along the path. Slowly one hoof at a time the three Equines struggled across the remaining twenty feet of the clearing, it felt like it was miles but eventually the fearful effect started to fade and they found themselves able to move normally again. After staggering a further short distance they all collapsed to the ground breathing heavily.

“We did it!” gasped Carrot Top feeling like she’s run a marathon. “I don’t think I could have made it without you,” she said to her twin.

“I definitely couldn’t have done it without you,” replied her other self.

“I thank both of you for your aid,” gasped Zecora, “Without you I would have been unmade.”

“We should thank you, I’m sure we never would have made it without your charms,” said Carrot Top nodding at Zecora’s necklace.

“In truth those contained no real power, within yourself was the strength not to flounder.”

“They’re fakes!” gasped Carrot Top.

“You should not think not of them as fakes, but as tools to make you your fear forsake.”

“If they don’t do anything how did they help you?”

“That they were useless I did not say, they have the power to drive fear away. But that power comes from your heart not just from this mere piece of art,” she held up the necklace. “When they aided me it was your will converted to strength that did me fill. Now hurry for our target is near, but we have little time left I fear,” said the Zebra leading them on further into the forest.

Carrot's Finest Hour

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After trotting through the forest for a further half hour Zecora once again held up a hoof to stop them. “Over yonder is the flower. We have arrived at the right hour.”

There, not far away in the centre of a clearing stood a thorny bush. A beam of moonlight speared through the branches above illuminating the plant as if with its own internal silvery light. As the three mares watched the last petals fell from its dying flowers and the whole bush seemed to convulse as if sobbing for its lost beauty. Then its stalks began to swell as blue berries with a silvery sheen began to emerge.

“Perfect,” enthused this world’s Carrot Top. “That fruit is what we need, we just need to get over there and pick them, my elixir should keep them fresh for long enough to get them back to Ponyville.” She confidently started to stride towards her target.

“Wait,” said Carrot Top, “We still need to be careful you never know what could be around here.”

Zecora nodded her agreement and the three of them slowly made their way out of cover. Ears pricked Carrot Top heard a snorting oinking sound and turned to see a strange creature snuffling around a nearby tree. At first glance it seemed like a large wild pig, bigger than most ponies, but its hind legs were massively out of proportion to the rest of it and folded oddly, they almost looked like they belonged to a rabbit rather than a pig.

“Beware!” Exclaimed Zecora, “A Crushing Boar, we must take care not to be gored!”

“I don’t think it’s seen us yet!” hissed Carrot Top freezing in place.

“Its eyesight is extremely poor but our scents it will not long ignore.”

“I can deal with that,” whispered the other Carrot Top reaching into her bags with shaking hooves. “This should be strong enough to draw it away from our scent.” She carefully lifted a small vial in her mouth and prepared to throw it as far as she could.

Suddenly the boar let out a shriek, it had noticed them, and began to charge forwards in odd loping steps which ate up the distance it and the equines quickly. Carrot Top’s twin’s mouth dropping in fear and the vial fell towards the ground. Carrot Top tried to reach out for it but she was too late, the bottle struck the rocky ground and shattered, splattering her and her companions with its contents. Carrot Top almost gagged as the scent invaded her nose. “Which one did you use?” she cried.

“Wild mint!” cried her twin, “Pigs love it!”

“Quickly gather your samples!” cried Zecora. “I’ll prevent us from being trampled!”

The zebra strolled forwards confidently before rearing up on her hind legs and dexterously spinning her staff in front of her. Meanwhile the Carrot Tops scampered towards the bush, it seemed much more spiny up close, in fact the thorns seemed to be growing before their eyes. Reaching out with a hoof Carrot Top tried to snake it towards the now maturing fruit without getting cut while her twin took off her bags and searched for the elixir of stasis. “It’s always at the bottom!” she hissed.

Suddenly the pig-like creature flexed its powerful hind legs and launched itself into a mighty leap, arcing into the sky before slamming down towards Zecora. The zebra stood eyes wide for a moment before leaping away from its falling form. It landed on her staff causing it to bend and then snap like a twig. “Hurry!” she cried cantering away from her enemy, too busy to rhyme.

Throwing caution to the wind Carrot Top pushed forwards into the bush and yelped as the brambles cut into her flesh, but she ignored the pain and moved forwards before carefully nipping off a bunch of berries using her teeth, her Grandmother’s notes hadn’t mentioned if the fruit was poisonous but she didn’t want to take the chance if she could help it. Turning she felt several more cuts open up on her flanks. Behind her her twin had apparently found what she was looking for and held out a large bottle partially full of a liquid glowing with a faint blue aura, she carefully dropped the fruit into the mixture and noticed it started to ice over almost immediately. “Is that enough?” she asked, she didn’t want to get cut again but if it was needed to save the Trixie she could bear it.

“Maybe a few more just to make sure?” suggested the other Carrot Top. “I could do it this time?”

“No, I’m already half way there,” said Carrot Top gritting her teeth as she turned. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the boar apparently tired of chasing Zecora around the clearing had once again thrown itself into the air and was plummeting towards them. Luckily her twin had also noticed it and head lowered charged at Carrot Top knocking the two of them aside as the creature smashed into the space they had been and bounced into the Princess’s Gift bush. It squealed as it was impaled on numerous thorns and lashed out bucking and goring, crushing the plant and grinding its fruit to a pulp. Carrot Top cried out as saw their prize being destroyed, the fallen fruit already starting to dissolve into gloop.

Unfortunately, her cry attracted the boar’s attention and it turned towards her. Gulping Carrot Top started to back away as her twin scampered off. Her eyes suddenly fell on the blue vial lying on the ground between her and the creature. Snorting the great pig started to rush forwards, her every instinct telling her to run away Carrot Top’s eyes locked on the vial as the boars hooves thundered closer and closer to it, it might be the only way to wake up Trixie, she couldn’t let it be destroyed! Forcing her trembling legs to work Carrot Top stumbled forwards quickly picking up speed as she charged straight towards the pig which lowered its sharp tusks to gore her. Just before they could collide Carrot Top’s jaws closed around the bottle of stasis elixir and she twisted her body to the side. She skidded across the ground on her back clutching the precious vial in her mouth.

Once she came to a halt she flipped onto her hooves, much to her body’s protest, to see the boar had likewise recovered and was preparing for another charge. Beyond it both Zecora and the other Carrot Top were rushing towards her from different directions. Carrot Top froze, she couldn’t let the creature destroy the potion, she had to throw it to one of her companions. She twisted her neck but as she did the boar shifted putting itself between her and her twin. She hesitated, she couldn’t get a clear shot, however, her view of Zecora was uninterrupted. Could she trust the zebra with her cargo, after what she had done? No that has not been this Zecora, this version of her had guided them faithfully and without her they would likely not have gotten this far, she could trust her. With a twist of her neck Carrot Top tossed the vial at the Zebra who caught it gracefully. Tensing her body Carrot Top waited for the boar to smash into her but to her surprise its eyes followed the vial’s glow and it skidded to a halt before rushing off after the Zebra, who turned and ran.

Panting Carrot Top looked around for something they could use to stop the monster or at least distract it enough to allow them to escape. She noticed one of her twin’s saddle bags lying on the floor much of its contents smashed, she hoped there was something still of use in one piece. She scrambled for the contents, the fire leaf might be useful, it could cause a painful burn, what else? Grease, pine sap, mint, witch hazel, tar... the seed of an idea started to germinate in the farmers mind and her hooves began to blur as she mixed the ingredients she needed.

“Here!” yelled this worlds Carrot Top as she tossed the vial at Zecora, the zebra managed to pick it out of the air. For some reason the boar seemed to be attracted to the mixture, maybe its glow or smell? She wondered. The two of them were just about managing to keep the beast away from them by playing catch, but the creature did not seem to be tiring, unlike her. She panted and shuddered feeling the foam on her flanks, she really should get more exercise, her job was mostly sedentary, maybe she should try out for next year’s running of the leaves?

“Over here!” came a cry from Carrot Top dragging her doubles mind back to the present. The farmer clutched a bubbling potion in one hoof. “Lead it this way!”

Zecora obeyed and galloped at full speed towards Carrot Top, the boar gaining with each step. Suddenly it kicked out and leapt into the air preparing to crush the Zebra beneath its weight. Carrot Top threw the potion at it with all her might, it hit the beast’s gut and shattered covering it with a black sticky material. Surprised the creature dropped to the ground, squealing. It tried to rise and shake the gloop off but to its surprise it was stuck to the ground. Its cries became more and more high pitched as its struggles intensified.

“Is that Gran’s roof sealant?” gasped this worlds Carrot Top.

“It’s the only thing that came to mind,” replied her double somewhat reproachfully.

“Well it seems to work.” Behind them the creature dragged one of its hooves from the sticky mess holding it down. “Spoke too soon!”

“Maybe we should flee, before it is free?” suggested Zecora.

“Good idea,” chorused the two Carrot Tops as they all took to their hooves.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get far before the sound of the boar crashing through the woods behind them could be heard. Carrot Top and Zecora both put on an extra burst of speed but the native Carrot Top panted hard as she started to fall behind. Seeing her twin slow Carrot Top looked back to see the boar rush into view. “Zecora! Get that bottle to Ponyville, somepony else can probably use the contents, maybe Bitter Pill.”

The Zebra looked shocked for a moment then nodded and put her head down pushing forwards even harder. Carrot Top let herself slow until she was alongside her twin.

“Don’t... Don’t be a fool!” gasped the winded pony.

“I can’t leave you! Let me delay it, you’ve got more to live for, a coltfriend, a career going somewhere!”

“You have... have to I... I can’t go... wait a minute,” the local Carrot Top staggered to a stop and started to scrape at the ground.

“What are you doing?”

“Digging!” she panted.

“What! Why?”

She looked up in annoyance, “I want... to die a farmer...? Just help me!”

Carrot Top looked up for a moment watching the boar thundering closer and closer, this seemed like madness, but she had to trust her twin. She started to plow into the ground with her hooves.

“What are we looking for?”

“This!” cried her twin with a yelp lifting up a black mass about the size of her hoof.

“That’s genius!” cried Carrot Top recognising the object.

“See you can take the farm away from the mare... but you can’t take the farm... out of the mare,” she uncovered another of the black objects and threw it towards the boar, it bounced off of its muzzle and the creature skidded to a halt seemingly surprised. It turned and sniffed the object before giving a squeal of joy and devouring it. Carrot Top threw another at the creature and then another.

“How did you know there would be Truffles here?”

“I didn’t but I recognised the type of tree and before Blossom hired me, I gave truffle farming a go, it didn’t work out.”

“Maybe we should keep some? They sell for quite a bit in my world at least.”

The crushing boar trotted over to the furrow in the ground and shoved the ponies aside to begin its own digging with its tusks.

“Or maybe not,” continued Carrot Top. Let’s go!”

The two Carrot Tops eventually caught up with Zecora and she led them out of the forest and pointed out the lights of Ponyville. The native Carrot Top promised to try and visit the Zebra in the future before the two tone mare melted into the shadows of her home forest.

It was still dark when the two ponies trotted into town on aching hooves. They were both sore and wanted nothing more than to sleep but they still had a job to do. Unlocking the apothecaries the local Carrot Top led her twin into the workshop in the basement and the two of them set to work brewing the potion that might save Trixie. The sun had risen by the time they emerged to be greeted by its light and staggered over to the hospital to deliver their precious cargo.

The nurses took one look at Carrot Top and instantly began to clean and bandage the scratches she had gotten from the Nightmare Berry bush while her twin explained about their mission and the potion she had made. It took some time to convince the Doctor that it might work, but eventually he agreed to use it on his patient.

All that remained was the waiting, the two Carrot Tops led on some rather uncomfortable seats outside the rooms containing Trixie. They sat and waited and waited until eventually the events of the previous night caught up with them and they slumped together into a dreamless sleep.

All's Carrot that Ends Well

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“Excuse me, which one of you is the other world’s Carrot Top?”

Carrot Top lifted her head and blinked. She looked around and turned to face her likewise bleary looking twin, at some point the two of them had become somewhat intertwined. A stallion was slumped against her twin still snoring quietly despite the noise. While she had been asleep somepony had draped a blanket over the three of them, a rather intricately decorated blanked with a large R embroidered in one corner.

“Are you the right Carrot Top?” asked the stallion again, he was one of the Doctors Carrot Top recognised as working on Trixie.

Carrot Top indicated herself. “How is Trixie?”

“Your Ms Lulamoon is doing very well, her scans show that she’s come out of her coma, she’s sleeping normally, we expect her to regain consciousness within the hour.” He smiled, “That potion of yours seems to be working a treat.”

“Thank you Doctor!”

“You’re welcome, now if you’ll excuse me, I have some other patients to check on,” he gave a quick nod and turned away.

“I’m so happy for you,” cried the other Carrot Top.

Carrot Top closed her eyes and sighed for a moment letting her stresses flow out of her. Trixie was going to be alright, she’d managed to help her friend. After a moment she opened her eyes again and looked over to the other her. “Is he alright?” asked Carrot Top pointing at Written Script still draped over her twin.

“He’s a very deep sleeper,” replied her double while poking her coltfriend gently with a hoof. He didn’t react. “He must have come looking for me last night and fallen asleep.” She nuzzled against him. “He’s very comfortable and warm.”

Carrot Top blinked at her twin's reaction to Written being slumped over her then decided to ignore it for the moment.

“Look there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, well to ask you,” continued her twin.

“About Written? Are you thinking of...”

“No! Well maybe a few thoughts but not right now, no you see since I met you well I’ve... I’ve been thinking, maybe if I make partner and sell the rights to a few potions I might... I might be able to buy back the farm. Applejack always said she’d sell it back if I asked.” She turned to her twin, eyes pleading. “Do you think that’s a good idea? I wouldn't want to lose it all again.”

Carrot Top thought for a moment, she was a farmer, she knew she was and her twin should be one as well, shouldn’t she? She pondered for a moment. “What do you think? Why do you want to be a farmer?”

“Well, it’s what Gran and Gramps spent their whole life on, working the soil... and well, maybe it’s just one more way I could help other ponies right? I’ve always regretted selling it, I felt I had to at the time but, I’ve always thought it was my big failure, you know.”

“I... I don’t think you are a failure, you certainly helped Trixie and that wasn’t by growing the best Carrots in the North Everfree, if I do say so myself. Your medicines really help ponies, I couldn’t have gotten the berries without you, or made the potion.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she muttered. “You are right!” she said with more conviction. “Thanks! And thanks for forgiving me for selling Gran’s farm, I know it hurt you.”

“It was just land, I suppose,” and to her surprise it didn’t hurt to say as much as she expected... although there was still a twinge. “What Gran really left us is in here,” she tapped her twin’s head, “and here,” she touched her own chest, “More than down here,” she indicated her hooves as she taped the floor. “Besides you’re the talented one in the ‘family’ you picked up all that herb lore in a few years, and you’re a famous actress too. I’m just a farmer.”

“Not so much on the famous,” she smiled. “Besides, you are not untalented, we both know there’s nothing ‘just’ about being a farmer and you still whipped that glue up in a few seconds from a recipe you only glanced at. Plus you’re a hero, you stood up to an alicorn in your world, and well... I would never have made it through that grove of scary trees...” she shuddered, “...without your help. I think Gran left you just as much in your head and even more in your heart than me.” Carrot Top felt a warm feeling beginning to spread through her chest at her doubles words. “You’ve keep that farm going more or less single hoofed and if I can trust Trixie’s memory thingy you’ve been organising a union, and you placed in an Equestria wide cooking contest. You are amazing! Things are going to work out,” said the local Carrot Top gently prying Script off of her and lowering him onto the seat, he mumbled for a moment reaching out with his legs for the missing source of heat. “I’m sure your Trixie will be fine and you’ll probably be going home soon, you can see your own farm again. Now,” she stretch a bit rolling her neck. “Let’s see about getting some breakfast, or is that lunch? Then I’ll have to explain to Blossom where I’ve been. Maybe you can help me in the shop while we’re waiting for Trixie?”

“I think I’d like that,” said Carrot Top getting off of her seat. ”It’ll give me something to do.”

In fact Carrot Top only spent a few hours helping her twin before Ditzy rushed into the store as quickly as her wings could carry her and announced that Trixie, was showing signs of recovery. Overjoyed both of them galloped back to the hospital and met up with their other friends just in time for the blue unicorn to recover consciousness. Once their initial excitement had calmed down, Princess Luna explained they would be leaving in just a few hours and that they should deal with any outstanding business, once they left it would not be safe to return.

For a moment Carrot Top considered returning to her twin’s shop but there was something else she felt she needed to do before she left. Trotting out of town she quickly left the houses behind her until fields were all that could be seen stretching out to the horizon. There behind a fence stood the patch of ground she knew better than all others, her own farm. She wanted to say goodbye, it might seem strange, it was only land after all but it seemed, right, to her. To her surprise there was a figure working in the field, an orange coated mare was busy clearing away the snow from part of the field.

“Um, hi Applejack,” called Carrot Top as she leaned over the fence.

“Oh, hi Carrot Top,” called Applejack unhitching herself. “What brings you up here?” She looked puzzled for a moment. “Hey, you’re not Carrot Top! You’re her twin from that other world ain’t you?”

“Guilty as charged.”

“Well good to see you again,” said Applejack trotting over to gate and unlocking it letting Carrot Top enter her property. “I was just about to call it a morning and head into town to see you girls off. I’m surprised to see you out here.”

“Well I felt I needed to say goodbye to this place even though it’s never really been mine, it’s strange I know.” Carrot Top stepped forwards then stood still for a moment her hooves buried into the loam, she felt her magic reaching out into the soil and could, maybe, feel some answering signal from far away, like the ground recognised her. But it was probably just her imagination.

“I think I might understand.” said Applejack. “I’m taking good care of it for Carrot Top you know, well the other Carrot Top. You know what I mean.” She started to gather up a few tools from around the field.

“I see you’re getting an early start,” she glanced around.

“Wrap up might still be a few months away but there’s always something to do. Had a few problems over there last year,” she gestured at a patch of field. “I just can’t keep the weeds down during the summer, they spring up so quick they overgrow the crop,” she explained.

Carrot Top examined the area. “Oh yes, it’s the drainage, it’s poor in this part of the field, it floods out most breeds.”

Applejack leaned forwards and prodded the ground with a hoof, “Huh, I think you’re right.”

“Yeah, in my world I used to have to cover it whenever it rained, it was the only way to stop it flooding. Eventually I found a breed of carrots which tolerated it, Purple Dragon.”

“Purple Dragon? Like Spike? Sounds fancy.”

“I found them in a specialist seed catalogue, a bit pricy but some restaurants pay well for them, they stand out against the other vegetables. Tasty too.”

“Huh, well thanks for the tip,” said Applejack as she led Carrot Top back through the gate and they started on the path back into town. They walked in silence for a bit until Applejack finally spoke. “Look... I know you might be a little sore about the um, other Carrot Top selling this place to me, princess knows how I’d feel if Mac or ‘Bloom sold the Acres... again. Cutie Mark Crusaders realtors, my plot, “she muttered. Then she smiled. “I like to think of this place as part of my family, your gran she was close to Granny Smith, and well she sure was nice to me as a filly, particularly when my... well when Ma and Pa weren’t around anymore. Me and your other self, well it was nice to have a filly of my age around when she’d visit, we’ve always been good friends. Some others offered a fair bit more for this place than I could when your twin tried to sell but she said she felt better with it staying with me.”

Carrot Top blinked, She hadn’t really thought about how her twin interacted with this universes Applejack, she’s always considered her own Applejack a rival although they had come to an understanding recently. She hadn’t considered the other Carrot Top could be close to Applejack, but it made sense, they were neighbours, maybe she should try to be more neighbourly back at home.

Carrot Top nodded. “She’s got her own life away from the farm, she’s doing really well.”

“That she is, that arthritis cream she cooked up for Granny Smith is working wonders, she says she hasn’t felt as spritely for years.” She grinned.

”That’s good. I’m glad to see the place is in good hooves.”

By the time Carrot Top returned to the area outside of Ponyville where she had first arrived in this world quite a crowd had gathered to watch the visitors leave. Princess Celestia had apparently returned from her short exile to the sun and there was some sort of excitement about her mane.

Glancing around she saw the other Carrot Top standing in the crowd and trotted over. “Looks like this is it then,” she said.

“It... it’s been, well... weird meeting you,” said her twin, “You’ve helped me settle my mind on a lot of things. Maybe we both learned more about who we are.”

“Glad I could be of help.”

“Here’s a present,” she held up one of the files from her room.

Carrot Top opened it and flipped though, it contained a few recipes and lots of hints and tips on alchemy. “Thanks but I haven't got anything for you.”

“You took me on an adventure I’m not soon going to forget, and laid my mind to rest about the farm. I think you’ve done enough.”

The two Carrot Tops embraced for a moment nuzzling each other gently.

“What a day to leave my camera at home,” muttered Written Script stepping out of the crowd next to his filly friend.

This worlds Carrot Top turned and kissed him on the cheek. “You’ll just have to use your memory the old fashioned way.”

Trixie pushed through the crowds and grabbed Carrot Top’s twin in her aura. “Come on, we have to get going,” she announced. Then she noticed what Carrot Top was doing and flushed. “Oh, I didn’t know you’d... You had somepony to... um, say a proper goodbye to,” she spluttered.

“She isn’t me,” said Carrot Top pointing to her twin, “I’m me.”

Trixie looked back and forth between the two. “No you’re not! You’re trying to prank me! I’d know my own friend anywhere.” She peered at the two of them. “My Carrot Top is definitely not as round as this,” she said poking Carrot Top in the barrel.

“Round!” spluttered Carrot Top.

“And her mane looks much better, not so limp.”

A look of horror passed over Carrot Top’s face as she raised a hoof to her hair, everything seemed to be alright.

“This most certainly is my marefriend,” said Written leaning into the mare in question.

“Are you sure?”

“Well, I’d think I’d know,” piped up this world’s Carrot Top.

“Trixie! I am me!” cried Carrot Top having recovered from her mane being insulted.

“Prove it!”

“Before you gave your last show you created an illusion of the Princess to give yourself a pep talk, you had her tell you that you were the most amazing pony she had ever met in her whole life!”

Trixie blushed so hard she turned purple. “Oh! Um, well, you two are identical, anypony could have made the same mistake,” she said shuffling her hooves.

“Only apparently she’s not fat, and her mane isn’t limp,” pointed out Carrot Top.

“Well maybe I exaggerated a little. I just saw her first so I thought she was you, you look just the same!”

“Actually they look quite different,” said Written. “I’ll prove it,” he closed his eyes, “Ladies, if you would?” He gestured and the two Carrot Top’s shuffled around each other.

He opened his eyes and his hoof shot out straight away pointing to the native Carrot Top. “That is my beautiful orange muse,” he announced grandly, causing both of the Carrot Top’s to blush.

“See!” said Carrot Top.

“Oh, well, alright. But we really do have to go now,” replied Trixie trying to cover her face with her hat.

Still grumbling slightly Carrot Top followed Trixie towards Luna and her friends. Trixie glanced at her once more. “Are you sure you’re not this world’s Carrot Top trying to get a free trip to our world?” she asked.

“No! I’m perfectly happy here,” called this world’s Carrot Top from behind them kissing her coltfriend again.

“And I’m happy in our world,” said Carrot Top. She glanced around at all the faces around them both familiar and different. It had been interesting to see how her life might otherwise have turned, what other skills she could have honed, still could really. She had a whole folder full of new potion tricks to try now, she was sure she could put them to good use.

Next to her she saw Luna’s horn glow with its dark aura and they were away.

It wasn’t much later, abit in a different universe that Carrot Top found herself galloping towards her farm. She’d meant to take the trip at a more leisurely pace but her hooves refused to obey. She didn’t slow until she was almost upon her home when she was suddenly struck by a wave of apprehension, she gave a sigh of relief as she saw her house through the trees, it was standing just where it should be. Whoever had been looking after the place while she was away had done a good job, the crops all looked healthy she’d have to thank them somehow.

Suddenly, with a cry of joy she leapt the fence, not wanting to wait to open the gate. Heedless of the damage to her coat and mane she dropped to the ground with a little squeal of happiness and began to roll around in the mud, her farm’s mud, her family’s mud, her mud.

Maybe she didn’t have to be a farmer, maybe she could do other things, but she loved being a farmer, loved the feel of the plants around her.

It was good to be home.

Another Life, Another Carrot

by Talon and Thorn

Once a Carrot, Always a Carrot?

Getting to Know the Carrot

Carrot of Mercy

Carrots in the Wood

Carrot's Finest Hour

All's Carrot that Ends Well