Life on the Frontier

by Starwind Dood


A vacation is made!

A vacation is made!

"One, two, three!" Little Strongheart counted off before charging right into the nearest tree head-first, leaving a well-sized dent in its side. "A little better than yesterday!" she cheered in delight. Her stampeding and charging were getting better and better, but now was the time to return to the herd before charging off to Appleloosa to spend another day trying to woo that stallion whose head was thicker than three tree trunks put together. Not that she was any good at wooing to begin with, but a buffalo never gives up; she keeps charging and charging until something happens.

The buffalo camp was as laid-back as ever. Mothers cleaning daughters, boys showboating, and the elders trying to teach life lessons to the youngest through stories of heroism. This was the world she grew up in, and it was a world she loved with all her heart. "Chief Thunderhooves!" she called out.

"Over here!" he shouted back to her from across the camp. "Little Strongheart, where were you this morning?"

"Just butting trees," she laughed back. "I always see Braeburn bucking trees and his legs are pretty strong, so I thought I would try the same for my head."

"Should have seen that coming," one of the bulls laughed. "Little Strongheart starts hanging around ponies, now she's acting like one."

"What does that mean?" she bleated back. "How am I acting like a pony? I'm just working on my headbutting, there is nothing wrong with that."

"What buffalo rams herself into trees all day?" he spat back snidely. The bull approached her arrogantly. "Why, it is no wonder why your horns have not grown in yet."

"W-what are you saying, Bighorn?!" Little Strongheart flared up, flustered and kicking at the ground against the proud bull, Bighorn. True to his name, he had large horns; at least, large for his age. He was just a little older than Little Strongheart, but his horns had come in early, and he took great pride in them.

"I'm saying you're all pony and no buffalo now," Bighorn shot back condescendingly.

"T-that is an outrageous accusation!"

"Then prove it," Bighorn smirked. "You and me in a horn-locking match. The first one down, loses."

"B-but I have no horns."

"Then I guess you are too pony after-all," he laughed, rubbing more and more spite into Little Strongheart's sore wounds.

"Fine!" Little Strongheart shouted back. "I do not need horns to beat you. My head alone is stronger than anyone else's here!"

The calves of the camp heard Little Strongheart's declaration and had already begun to gather to watch the show. The chief's adoptive daughter versus Bighorn, who was like an idol to the younger bulls. Only the adults showed disinterest, if not outright disapproval.

Bighorn dug a hoof into the dirt as he and Little Strongheart lined themselves up and ready to crash into each other. With every respect, it looked like he should win. He had horns, big horns, and had at least twenty pounds on Little Strongheart, who seemed lithe and stick-like compared to most of the members of the camp, even some of the other girls. Something he saw that just made her more like a pony. This was his match.

"On the count of three!" one of the littlest bulls shouted. "One!"

Little Strongheart lowered her head.

"Two!"

Little Strongheart's knees wobbled.

"Three!"

She kicked herself forward and she and Bighorn crashed right into each other, sending shockwaves down each other's spine. She tried to push him back, to push him off balance, but it was no use: no matter how hard she tried he wouldn't budge. They were head to head, but while she grunted and scowled, he was laughing at her.

"What's the matter, little pony? Can't charge any harder?"

"Buck you!" she screamed at him, borrowing one of Silverstar's favourite expletives.

"I don't even know what you're saying." In one swift movement, he overpowered Little Strongheart and dropped her to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. "Looks like I win!" he announced as the children watching all began to cheer for him, chanting his name and filling him with pride.

"But," Little Strongheart whined, "I..."

"Little Strongheart," Chief Thunderhooves called to her.

"Y-yes!" she cried out, pulling herself up.

"I'm disappointed," he sighed, turning away and walking back to his tent in the middle of the campsite. Just like that, her good morning turned terrible.


Derpy was on cloud nine! Bundled up in bed, Dinky sleeping between her hooves because a nightmare had startled her awake in the middle of the night. There was nothing more she could want right now. Her world was complete, but was brutally shattered when a loud and ringing alarm shot her up out of bed and through the roof. "We have an attic!?" she bleated as she pulled her head out of the hole she made. "Carrot Top!"

In the den of the hovel, Carrot Top was beside herself as she rubbed a cheek against the cold and unfeeling machine that had just arrived. "Oh, it's magnificent," she squealed.

"Carrot Top," Derpy sighed as she floated into the den, a disgruntled and annoyed Dinky a foot behind her. "I've seen you doing lots of strange things... what's this strange thing?"

"The nutritionomameter seven-million!" Carrot Top squealed in delight. "It's so sophisticated and advanced," she went on as she continued to touch and stroke the cold hard machine with familiarity. "It's so shiny too. Oh, listen to that baby purr."

"Mommy, I'm scared," Dinky squeaked in fear. "Carrot is acting weirder than usual."

"Oh, nutritionomameter, you can give me what I need."

"C'mon, Carrot Top," Derpy sighed as she pried her best friend off the lifeless machine. "The machine isn't going to love you."

"No, I'm serious! I put Braeburn's golden apple in it and I'm waiting for it to spit out the analysis."

The cogs within the machine began to spin and whirl as the magical golden apple was crushed into little bits and heated within its contraptional innards. Carrot Top waited with eager and bated breath as the readout gauges spun in little circles and lights seemed to come pouring out of a pair of holes that one might mistake for eyes. "It's working, Derpy! It's working!"

"Dinky, I'm scared!" Derpy cried as she hugged her daughter close for comfort. Dinky mirrored her mother perfectly.

"Hello?" Little Strongheart called out as she stepped through the door. "What is—"

Kaboom! The machine went, blowing a hole through the roof and blowing smoke out everywhere. The occupants of the hovel had to race outside for fresh air, crashing and collapsing on one-another out in front. "Good morning, everypony," Little Strongheart grumbled from the bottom of the pony-pile.

"Good morning, Little Strongheart," Derpy happily replied from the middle.

"It's morning?" Carrot Top bleated as she stared up directly at the sun, unflinching. She had been working herself ragged all night on her nutritionomameter. "You know, Derpy, I never realized how soft you were," she yawned as she rested her head on one of Derpy's wings.

"Good night, Carrot," Derpy cooed as she caressed Carrot Top with her other wing.

"Uh, friends, it's becoming hard to breathe," Little Strongheart wheezed. "Please, it is getting hard to see."

"Oh, sorry about that," Derpy giggled as she threw Carrot Top off of her, launching her into the air, causing her to land on the dirt with a hard thud. "You okay, Carrot?"

"I'm fine," she grumbled with a mouth full of earth. "I'm just fine."

Little Strongheart turned back to the smoking hovel. "What were you doing in there?"

"I was trying to analyse how Braeburn made those true golden delicious apples," Carrot Top began to explain at length, unimpeded by earlier injuries. "You see, farmers producing enchanted fruits and vegetables—while rare—is not unheard of. Probably the most prevalent example being zap apple jam which you can buy at Barnyard Bargains for twenty bits a jar. It's highway robbery I say, whatever a highway is. Anyway, using the apple I got from Braeburn and the money that you so graciously gave to me I was able to buy a new nutritionomameter and have it analyze the true golden delicious apple so I can learn the secrets that brought the apple into being for the sake of fertile land everywhere and then I'll be rich and have lots of bits and never have to work another day of my life and Braeburn will love me!"

Derpy and Little Strongheart stared at each other, confused. "Can you repeat that?" Derpy asked. "That didn't make any sense."

"Just let me have my fantasies, Derpy, please," Carrot Top whimpered pathetically.

Little Strongheart stared at Carrot Top worryingly. "Oh, yes," she piped up. "I was by Sheriff Silverstar's office and he gave me some letters to deliver to you two." She pulled out a couple letters from her headband and held them out to Carrot Top between her cloven hooves.

"This feels weird," Derpy remarked.

"Oh shush," Carrot Top groaned as she took the letters and bit off the tops to extract their contents. "Hm, It's from Agrivolution!"

"What's that?"

"That place I work for and the reason we're here to begin with..."

"I knew that," Derpy stated defensively.

"No you didn't, but that doesn't matter." Carrot Top scanned over the letters thoroughly, her eyes growing with each sentence. "I don't believe it, it's a paid vacation to the beach in Vanhoover! The beach, Derpy! The beach! Vacation at the beach! Three paid days!" She was ecstatic, ready to dance on the clouds of her mind as she heard the sound of crashing waves in the background.

"T-the beach!" Derpy repeated, just as awed and happy. She and Carrot Top were already foreleg-locked and spinning and circles as they chanted 'beach' over and over again.

"You see what I have to deal with?" Dinky groaned to Little Strongheart all of a sudden. "So immature."

"What's a vacation?" Little Strongheart asked back. "I don't think I've ever heard that word before.”

Carrot Top and Derpy stopped mid-skip, causing Carrot Top to stumble to the ground and pull Derpy down with her. "You've never had a vacation before? Ever?" Carrot she gasped at her.

"I would think not, seeing as the word is foreign to me," Little Strongheart answered back, slightly annoyed. "What is a vacation?"

"It's, like, a get-away," Carrot Top tried to explain. "You take a vacation by going somewhere far from where all your problems are and enjoying yourself."

"But that does not fix a problem, does it?"

"Don't overthink it," Carrot Top answered her. "The point of a vacation is to temporarily get away from your problems, Yeah, they'll... still be there when you come back, but it doesn't hurt to take a little break from them... I think... why do you do this to me?"

"Do what?" Little Storngheart replied innocently.

"Let's just take a vacation!" Derpy announced excitedly. "We can all go, just us girls! It will be great!"

"I can invite Braeburn!" Carrot Top squealed in excitement. "A mare, a stallion, the sound of the ocean, a sunset, and... then..." Carrot Top became weak and collapsed as her voice droned on dreamily. "It could be the best night ever."

"That is not fair," Little Strongheart complained. "I still do not understand what a vacation is supposed to be about."

"Y-yeah, you can't do that," Derpy added.

"I'm going to invite him, and you can't stop me," Carrot Top barked back before turning and galloping off giggling in delight, leaving a confused pegasus and buffalo and annoyed unicorn.

"W-well, I can still try and win Braeburn over her," Little Strongheart told herself.

"But, I wanted it to just be us girls," Derpy sighed to herself.

"Oh, we better tell Sheriff Silverstar," the buffalo piped up. "I'll go tell him for you." Little Strongheart stampeded off, leaving a stunned Derpy in her wake

"B-but, I could have... agh!" she screamed, turning to the still-smoking hovel and smashing her head against the wall repeatedly. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she screamed to the sky. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Mom," Dinky called out to her worryingly, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Dinky," she groaned as she bashed her head against the wall again. "Stupid, stupid, stupid..."


Several hours passed before Carrot Top met up with Derpy and Dinky at the train-station, a dejected look plastered on the orange mare's face. "He declined the offer," she groaned to Derpy, whose spirits picked up a little. "Said he didn't have time and needed to work all day. Was there a point to him selling golden apples if he still has to work!?"

"Oh, well, it won't be so bad," Derpy chirped, taking Carrot Top's bags for her. "Just imagine all the girly things we can do now without him around. We can paint each other's hooves, and and style each other's mane, and give each other facials!"

"Derpy, we never do any of that," Carrot Top noted with a deadpan tone. "And, are we really inviting Little Strongheart?"

"Why not? She's never had a vacation! She needs a vacation from being vacationless!"

Carrot Top sighed heavily. No matter what, it was an unspoken law of her life that Derpy would be in the right, the proverbial pegasus on her back telling her to do the right things. Having a good influence in your life wasn't always the easiest thing. "I'm just afraid it's going to be awkward."

"What's going to be awkward?" Little Strongheart asked as she appears behind Carrot Top.

"This conversation," Carrot Top groaned. "Well, let's go."

"To the train!" Derpy squealed in delight.

"I hope it's as exciting as last time," Little Strongheart laughed.

"I hope not," Carrot Top groaned weakly.

The train horn whistled as the four of them took their seats at one of the benches, Derpy depositing all their bags in the overhead cubbies. "Hm, you didn't bring anything?" she asked Little Strongheart.

"I'm supposed to bring things?" Little Strongheart asked back. "You described a vacation as a temporary leave, right? How long is temporary?"

"Three days," Carrot Top yawned.

"What?!" Little Strongheart threw herself to the window, her eyes bugging out as she saw the scenery start to move, the train slowly building up to its full speed. "Oh, this is not good. I need to get off, quickly."

"Hey, hold your horses. What's the problem?" Derpy asked, concerned. "Why are you so antsy now?"

"Because Chief Thunderhooves doesn't know how long I'll be gone," Little Strongheart cried. "I thought... since it was only temporary I could leave and return without anybuffalo noticing. That... is not happening now," she sighed. "This will not go well for me." The train had already reached top speed. If it were a pony powered train, it would have been too easy for her to jump off, but a steam engine train was an iron monster.

"Well, relax now; we're on vacation," Carrot Top duly noted. "Is it that bad if you're missing for three days?" Carrot Top idly commented, realizing too late how horribly it came out. A pony of Little Strongheart's age missing for three days would have had Ponyville in chaos if she had disappeared for so long.

"Oh, I've got an idea!" Derpy lit up. "We can send a letter back to Appleloosa to tell the Chief that Little Strongheart is fine."

"I guess that could work," Carrot Top lazily offered. "Although, given the nature of mail, there's a chance that we'll get back before the letter actually reaches Appleloosa."

"Not helping," Derpy coughed, Little Strongheart becoming more and more crestfallen with each passing second.

"I'm... just being realistic."


"Welcome to Sandy Shores," the overly-smiley unicorn receptionist at the hotel greeted Carrot Top. "What can I do for you?"

The train ride had done little for Carrot Top's disposition. For nearly half a day she had to endure a morose buffalo, a whiny and bratty filly, and whatever idle thoughts escaped from a certain pegasus's mouth, all of whom stood behind her and none of which were very good for her health. "Agrivolution," she barked. "I'm Carrot Top from Agrivolution. My room key, now."

"Can I see some identification?" the all too chirpy receptionist squeaked back. Carrot Top found herself disliking her more and more.

Carrot Top pulled out a scroll from her bag and unfurled it. "Me," she croaked as she pointed to the picture. She looked just as cranky on the scroll as she did in front of the receptionist.

"Here's your key!" the receptionist squealed as she magically floated out a key from the wall of hooks and keys, levitating it out to Carrot Top. "And enjoy your stay at Sandy Shores where your happiness is our only service."

"You're doing a fine job already," Carrot Top hissed as she lead her group up five flights of stairs, past twenty other rooms, and at long last to their ultimate destination. Key between her teeth, Carrot Top slid it into the keyhole and opened the door. The falling light of the sun glittered off her eyes as she took in the majesty of her new room. The silk drapes, the oil paintings of fruit, the soft carpets. "Oh Celestia," she cried out pitifully, "is that a bathroom?"

Derpy glided out from behind her and checked inside the small door. "It is!" she squealed back to Carrot Top, seconds later knocked fifty feet out of a conveniently open window as Carrot Top shoved her aside, bolting into the bathroom and locking the door behind her.

"It has a shower!" her manic voice exploded.

"Will she be alright?" Little Strongheart voiced in concern. She had never seen Carrot Top so full of vitality and strength. It was scary!

"She won't leave the bathroom at all," Dinky giggled as she jumped onto a nearby bed. "I call this one," she sighed happily.

"You're sharing with mama," Derpy asserted as she climbed in through the window. There were two beds, both rather large. "And Little Strongheart and Carrot Top can share the other."

"W-what!" Carrot Top babbled from the bathroom. "She's a buffalo! She's used to sleeping on the floor or something, right?"

"Carrot Top!" Derpy reprimanded her. "That's horribly rude to say!"

"It is?" Little Strongheart questioned back in confusion. "While we do sleep on some form of mats, the fact that the entire floor is matted means that I can sleep anywhere," she noted happily as she pawed the soft floor. "I don't even have to worry about rolling over and waking up with pebbles all over me."

"But it's not right!" Derpy asserted. "Nopony should sleep on the floor!"

"But I'm not a pony."

"I mean nobody!" Derpy huffed in frustration.

"So, ponies sleep on beds?" Little Strongheart asked, staring at the beds.

"Well, yes but—"

"Then I'll sleep on the floor," Little Strongheart answered her. "And that is that. Now, about that letter?"

"Oh, fine," Derpy grumbled. "Uh, I bet I can find the post office in a quick fly-over of the city. Uh, Carrot Top!" Derpy called loudly to her. "Watch Dinky while I'm off with Little Strongheart. And come out of the bathroom already! Let's just go already," she groaned as she and Little Strongheart ran out of the room.

The door of the bathroom opened slowly as Carrot Top ambled out of the bathroom in a lackadaisy state and fell onto the other bed in utter bliss. "I miss civilization."

"You used a toilet, how does that make you feel?" Dinky sarcastically shot back at her.

"Like I was the Princess of Equestria," Carrot Top moaned in delight. "Why did I ever agree to that ridiculous relocation project or whatever."

"Yeah, well, good for you," Dinky huffed as she jumped off the bed. "I'm going to the beach."

"What, no. You're staying here because I'm not going anywhere," Carrot Top argued back. "Your mother told me to watch you and I'm going to watch you."

"Good for you," Dinky scoffed, already out the doorway. "Later."

Carrot Top blinked, growing irritated. She leapt out of bed and chased after Dinky. "Get back here, young mare!" she growled, just a foot behind her and reach out a hoof to grab her. The carpet under her slid out from under her hooves, depositing Carrot Top on her face. "Little brat."

"I've gotten better, huh?" Dinky giggled as she continued on her way. "At least it's useful on somepony."

"Get back here," Carrot Top growled as she shot back onto her hooves and chased after Dinky again. Again, the carpet was lifted from under her and Carrot Top fell on her face. "Fine, we'll go to the beach."


"So, how long do you think it would take for the letter to reach Appleloosa?" Derpy asked the counter-stallion at the local post office she found.

"Maybe by tomorrow afternoon," he answered her. "Is that okay?"

"It will suffice," Little Strongheart sighed. "You should write the letter, though."

"Right," Derpy sighed. She retrieved the necessary supplies from a nearby shelf and bit down on a nearby pen. "To... Silverstar. Little Strongheart is with me and Carrot Top in Vanhoover for the next three days. Please alert her tribe. With... uhh... thanks, Derpy Doo. How's that?"

"It sounds good to me," Little Strongheart replied. "As long as the elder learns of my whereabouts."

"Alright, we're ready to mail this!"


Carrot Top collapsed in the sand, eyeing the horned devil that had somehow managed to drag her all the way out here. "When your mother hears about this, she'll be furious I hope you know."

"I know," Dinky scoffed back. "I'll be in trouble for awhile. Hardly the end of the world."

"This isn't really mature behaviour."

"So what?" Dinky rolled onto her back and stared out at the sun. She was dissatisfied. She turned back to Carrot Top and frowned. "I want an ice cream cone!" she demanded from her.

"Fine, whatever, your highness." Carrot Top grudgingly picked herself up and hauled herself to a nearby ice cream vendor. She returned to her with two rainbow ice-cream cones in a cardboard holder balanced on her back. "Here you go."

Dinky scowled. She extended her magic to the cone and tried to pull it out of the holster. It came out wobbly, as if balanced on the end of a pin. She tried to bring it close to her face to lick, but it crashed right into her nose. "Darn it," she hissed.

Carrot Top giggled as she placed the cardboard holster on the ground and started idly licking on the ice-cream. "They give us these to make them easier to eat."

"Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" Dinky spat at her.

"Nice to you all of a sudden? I imagine I'm always nice to you, well usually nice to you. What are you trying to insinuate?"

"That you don't like me!" Dinky shouted back at her. "That you still think I'm just a waste of mom's time."

Carrot Top took a deep breath. "I never properly apologised for what I said back then, did I?" she groaned. She buried her face in her hooves, thinking over her words carefully. "I'm sorry, Dinky, I truly am. When I said those things to your mother, I mean only to hurt her; I never wanted to hurt you."

"Why would you want to hurt your best friend ever?" Dinky fumed. "I don't get it. I try to figure out how to be a mature filly, but what are my role-models? My mom is an airhead, you're crabby, you both say mean things to each other and then laugh about it; I don't get it!" she screamed. "Even all the adults around me act ridiculous."

"Dinky, why do you want to be an adult so much?" Carrot Top asked her. "You should enjoy your fillyhood while its here. You can run around and nopony will bug you about it, giggle stupidly at every little joke, and have fun."

"That sounds like mom," Dinky pointed out. "And she's one of the most immature ponies I know."

Carrot Top choked, a strong and somewhat sad laugh escaping her as she knocked over her cone. "Derpy, immature? Does being there for your best friend all the time sound immature?"

"No."

"A pony who always strives to do good, make the best of any situation and just wants everypony... everyone around her to be happy? Does that sound like an immature pony?" Carrot Top drew up closer to the confused filly. "Derpy is probably the most mature ponies I know."

"I guess I never thought of mom like that," Dinky muttered softly. "But, she always acts so silly, and her antics are ridiculous, and she always treats me like a foal!"

"And that will never change because Derpy is happy with who she is, no matter what others tell her about herself." How silly was it that the silliest one among them would be the most mature. It was like a bitter taste engulfing her tongue at first. "That's not to say Derpy doesn't have her hang-ups, because no matter how mature you think you are, you'll always have your baggage, but for that you can always count on your friends..."

"I'm not sure I even know what you're talking about," Dinky groaned. "Then what's it mean to be mature? By acting like mom?"

"You can be mature, Dinky, by treating those around you well."

"Then how come you and mom still got in a fight? How come you said all those mean things!?"

"Because nopony is perfect, Dinky. Not even your mom and especially not me." Carrot Top buried her face back in her hooves. "Which is why I should thank Celestia for my wonderful friends. C'mon, let's go get some more ice cream."

"Really?"

"Yeah."


Derpy quietly lead Little Strongheart back to their hotel. She felt antsy about being quiet for so long, but she could tell Little Strongheart wasn't really in the mood. She really just wanted to cheer her up, but didn't know how. "We're back," she announced to her in front of the room. She opened the door and floated it. Nobody was there. "Huh? Where are they?"

"They are not in this bathroom," Little Strongheart informed her.

"My daughter! Where is she!?" Derpy poked her head outside of the window and called out as loud as she could, "Dinky! Dinky!"

"I'm down here, mom," she heard faintly. Derpy's suddenly focused and eagle-like eyes turned and scanned the beach before her and she found Dinky with Carrot Top enjoying ice cream by the shore.

"Little Strongheart, grab my tail," she ordered.

"Uh, Derpy, what do you mean?"

"Bite down on it already!"

Little Strongheart, unsure of how to react, did as she was told. She bit down on Derpy's tail, and suddenly found herself being dragged through the air, the world around her little more than a blur of colors and rushing wind. When the universe snapped back in place, she was shaking on the sand. "What happened?"

"Dinky!" Derpy cried out as she scooped up her daughter in a loving hug. "Little missy I was worried about you."

"I'm sure you were," Dinky groaned contently.

"And you, why didn't you leave a note?" Derpy questioned Carrot Top.

"It was a spur of the moment thing," Carrot Top told her. "Anyway, I head of a custom about making bonfires at night. Want to help me collect some wood? Little Strongheart can watch Dinky, right?"

"I think I can, once my head stops spinning," Little Strongheart moaned, collapsed on the beach.

"Well, okay. I'll be back, muffin," Derpy said to Dinky before going off with Carrot Top to find some wood. She was unused to being the follower in these scenarios rather than the instigator. "Carrot Top, is something wrong?"

"Knowing me there is, but that's nothing unusual," Carrot Top laughed back.

"This just isn't really like you," Derpy pointed out. She trotted up closer to her friend and looked her right in her eye. "If you have a problem you can always tell me."

"Actually, Derpy, I wanted to ask you that." Carrot Top looked her friend right back in the eye and smiled. "You've been acting a little odd lately, and maybe it's time I returned the favor. So, what's the matter?"

Derpy was taken aback. This was something she was not used to, but was glad to have. "Can I tell you later, when we have a fire going?"

"Does it have to do with a certain moustached pony?"

"Yes..."

"Then it's no problem."


The fire gave them warmth during the cold night. Carrot Top, Little Strongheart, Derpy and Dinky all laid in a circle, staring up at the stars. "It sure is pretty," Carrot Top chirped.

"Yeah," Derpy sighed contently, Dinky asleep at her side.

"You should sleep outside more often. It's so full of wonderous things," Little Strongheart told them as she started searching for constellations. "I would stay up with Chief Thunderhooves just staring at these some nights. He taught me many things about the night sky..."

"So, Derpy, when are you going to try and woo Silverstar?" Carrot Top asked her.

Derpy turned on her side and stared at the ground. "I-I don't know. Part of me is still really scared."

"You've never been scared of anything in your life," Carrot Top shot back. "The Derpy I know would have made a scandalous show of asking out that mustached buffoon. It would be a front-page news story because somehow, some way, you'd manage to destroy half the town to make sure your feelings were understood."

"Ponies have such odd courtship rituals," Little Strongheart mused.

"Things are different now," Derpy whimpered back. "I have a daughter. I wouldn't just be asking Silverstar to be my special somepony, and I'm sure we would be so happy, but I would be asking him to be a father to the most precious thing in my world." A tear slid down her nose as she gazed to her little bundle of joy. Her entire world was cradled in her legs. "And even then, it would mean letting go of him..."

"Is that your reason, or your excuse?" Carrot Top sighed. "You can't use him as a crutch. Trust me, I'm familiar with crutches and they're really no good..."

"I'm scared, really scared. I'm not as young as I used to be, okay..."

Carrot Top scooted herself up next to Derpy, wrapping a hug around her. "You don't have to be scared alone because I'm scared too!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.

Derpy turned to face her. "You are?"

"I'm so scared that you'll go away if you fall for another guy and then I'll be alone and jealous and I'll keep eating and grow fat and you won't like me anymore because I'll become a batty crazy cat lady!" she sobbed as she buried her face in Derpy's shoulder. "But you need to be strong and courageous because then I can look at you and be strong and courageous and happy but I want you to be happy because you're my best friend!"

"You're my best friend too!" Derpy cried back, fully embracing Carrot Top as the cried on each other's shoulder. "Carrot Top!"

"Derpy!"

Their blubbering and wailing filled the night sky as their tears sank into the sand along with all their fears. All that was left for them was the love they had for each other, a friendship that could never be torn apart.

"I'm so jealous," Little Strongheart laughed, catching Carrot Top and Derpy's attention. "I mean, to have a friendship that is so strong, and has been going for so long. A friend that you can share your troubles with... I cannot say I have such a thing."

"You're wrong!" Derpy exclaimed as she tackled Little Strongheart to the ground. "Because even if it hasn't been as long, you have us! Right, Carrot Top?"

Carrot Top sighed and scooted herself up to the other side of Little Strongheart. "We're friends, it seems, as much as I need constant reminding. I am so going to need a therapist one day." She dropped back on her back and joined her best friend in hugging the little buffalo. "If you ever have problems, we're here for you."

"You girls, do you really mean that?" Little Strongheart whimpered with tears of joy in her eyes.

"Of course," Derpy answered her. "Because we're all going to be best friends forever. The three amigas! You know, until a fourth amiga shows up. Then a fifth. And a sixth. Should we stop then? But, no matter what, we'll always be there for one another."

"What she said," Carrot Top groaned but was smiling. "So much therapy..."

"Well, this morning, a bull in my tribe called me a pony and challenged me to locking horns."

"But you don't have horns." Derpy started fiddling with Little Strongheart's hair, trying to find some semblance of horns.

"You do not need to point that out. It makes me feel... self-conscious. Well, losing wasn't the worst of it, or even being called a pony. The worse part was being told by Chief Thunderhooves that I disappointed him." It was relieving, like hiccuping out the butterflies in her stomach, to finally tell someone about her troubles. "And now, after still being called a pony as an insult, I accidently end up here. I'm sure Chief Thunderhooves will be unhappy with me when I appear."

"I can't claim to know what it's like among your tribe," Carrot Top tried to comfort her, "but why care what some boy has to say? Boys are immature and stupid."

"But you have a crush on Braeburn," Derpy called her out.

"Braeburn is a stallion, a grown man who is above insulting others for petty amusement... and he's really cute and dreamy and one day we'll be a happy family."

"Not unless I win," Little Strongheart said with confidence. "I also have a crush on him."

"Even though you obviously don't like being called a pony?"

"Braeburn being a pony has nothing to do with it." She stared wistfully back up into the sky. "When my tribe and his city were fighting with one another, he was the one that tried to have us all settle our problems peacefully. He cares for nothing more than the well-being of everybody, and it seems I fell for that... thank you both for listening to me."

"Anytime," Carrot Top sighed. "You know, you could take the train that leaves tomorrow back to Appleloosa. At the very least, you will be back sooner than you would have."

"No. I think I would like to try this vacation with my friends." The three of them pulled themselves up, Derpy grabbing her sleeping filly, and walked back to their hotel room dead tired.


Days had passed since Chief Thunderhooves had last seen Little Strongheart. A day ago, Braeburn stumbled into the campsite on Silverstar's order to tell him Little Strongheart's 'vacation' would last longer than she had told him. In those hours between then and now he had felt a torrent of emotions from disappointment, to fear, to anger, to worry, and now to anxiety. Where was she? What was a Vanhoover? Was it his fault? Had he made a mistake? "Why does raising children have to be so difficult."

"You told me before that the greater the challenge, the greater the reward."

Chief Thunderhooves turned and found Little Strongheart's smiling face beaming back at him after so long. "I have many words for you."

"I know," Little Strongheart bowed. "I apologise. I did not mean to be gone for so long, but I did enjoy my time away with my friends."

"Your pony friends? Like the gray winged one?"

"Yes, Derpy and Carrot Top. They are wonderful friends, pony or not, and I think I learned something with them."

"Oh, and what did you learn?"

"That I should not care if I am called like a pony or not."

Chief Thunderhooves' eyes shot open in surprise. "I am very happy to know that you learned such an invaluable lesson. In the end, what others say of you matters little to what you say of you."


"Home sweet home!" Derpy announced as she bucked down the sooty door of their hovel. "You know, I kinda missed this place."

"I didn't," Carrot Top bemoaned as she wiped soot off of the table. "Not my smartest idea to just leave the place dirty."

"You can't be smart all the time! C'mon, muffin. It's time to unpack."

"I know, I know," Dinky agonized. "Hey, Carrot, there's some paper sticking out of your machine."

"The readings!" Carrot Top squealed as she threw herself over to the nutrionomameter. "Hmm... yes... yes... this is worthless," she groaned. "Utterly worthless!"

"What is it?" Derpy asked from across the hovel.

"According to this worthless machine, the secret factor in Braeburn's true golden delicious apples is love and care. What can I make of that?" She sat back against the nutrionomameter and slowly slid to the floor. She was back from vacation and back to her problems, but, at the very least, she wasn't so full of dread. "Let's go hit the Salt Lick." She, Derpy and Dinky dropped their things and happily left their sooty hut. Things seemed brighter.