Carrot Top couldn't control herself. Her life was ruined. There was nothing left for her to enjoy in life. She had no choice but to cry. Her bawling echoed through the woods, "Why does life have to be like this? Why does Fate enjoy ripping apart the hopes and dreams that ponies rest comfortably with in their sleep? Why me?!"
But Carrot Top couldn't hear the immense thud of her runaway wheelbarrow stopping all of a sudden, as if it had crashed into an invisible road block, above her emotional sobbing. The wheelbarrow effortlessly then traveled back to Carrot Top's location. Behind it was a shiver of bending light. The thing of bent light, walking towards the poor mare with her precious cargo, eventually exposed itself from its Disillusionment ability as a matte-black, towering hulk of a being with a pair of glowing, pupil-less orange eyes. It's hooves contained holes big enough to fit a pony's head through, almost as if they were punctured clean through by a drill. It's webbed "mane" quivered in the air around it, as it was still translucent from the beast's recent act. Its gargantuan fangs ran along perpendicular to its powerful jaws and its titanic carapace was scarred with carvings of magical glyphs hybridized with healed wounds from battles of old, adding to its fearsome image. But the beast didn't dare expose it's true form. It decided to stay partially translucent to not terrify the mare he was now in front of.
The sun had started to exert its last influence over Canterlot as it reached the neighboring mountains. As the glorious star was being dragged down by Celestia, it radiated the most beautiful light it could muster as a temporary farewell to all the ponies that enjoyed it's loving display. But to Carrot Top, the sunset was....blocked in some way. She rubbed her swollen eyes with her hooves, and clicked open her eyes to see her wheelbarrow right in front of her.
Ecstatic with happiness, she sprung up and squealed with excitement and relief. She almost didn't hear a deep, disembodied voice utter, with a light brogue nearly similar to a Trottish accent.
"Why do you cry, little one?"
Carrot Top froze. She slowly looked up to find herself in the shadow of a ghost-like monster. She could view a blurred landscape through its body, but its whisped outline betrayed his shape, and nightmarish features: The large, hole-furnished hooves, a body large enough to rival the size of any alicorn, and, as her eyes finally reached its facial features, its colossal fangs.
The only thing that kept her from screaming in terror was its eyes. They were dull and without any youthful shine, but they were observing her with utmost compassion and kindness.
When she had gathered enough courage, she meekly said in return, "Nothing really. I was just sad that a year's worth of work was about to tumble off the mountain side. I'm guessing that you were the pony that saved my harvest?"
She gestured to the wheelbarrow, and behind it were impressions on the road that suggested that the heavy load was indeed stopped and dragged towards her.
"You are correct," answered the Goliath of a pony with a hint of a withdrawn tone. Carrot Top realized that he was probably distracted by something.
"Thank you so much! Here have some carrots as a token of my gratitude!"
The giant glanced at the vegetable produce.
"Sorry. I'm not a herbivore."
Carrot Top started to shake and edge away from the giant, "I-I'm sorry...I-I-I d-don't have any m-meat with m-me right now....please don't e-eat m-m-me...."
The behemoth smiled, not with amusement, but with a gentle kindness, "I don't consume living beings either. I have a very.....ascetic diet."
Carrot Top sighed with relief and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.
"Would you like any help, little one? Burdens aren't meant to be carried alone," he carefully rumbled.
"I would like that, especially since I have a.....DEAR FAUST, I HAVE A TRAIN TO CATCH!!!!" Carrot Top realized.
The behemoth-like creature strained himself to return to his translucent form. He then proceeded to push the wheelbarrow and followed a panicking Carrot Top. They quickly journeyed down the mountain path and eventually reached the edge of the Everfree Forest. Carrot Top had started to sprint towards the direction of a Guard checkpoint, surrounded by the giant magical shield dome that had been cast over Canterlot by Shining Armor, that lead to the Canterlot train station when the creature stopped.
"This is as far as I go, little one. I'm afraid that you'll have to carry along on your own."
"It's not a problem...You helped me enough for a lifetime.....ummmm. I'm sorry but I haven't caught your name!" Carrot Top replied.
The towering creature chuckled, its form reflecting the distant sunset, "My name matters not. Yours, however, matters."
"It's Carrot Top. And I'm sure that your name-"
"Little one, now is not the time. You must leave Canterlot quickly."
"Look, I probably already missed the train already. I'll pay for another ticket, and-"
The creature sighed, "Time is running out. You need to promise me something, little one. You must never tell to any pony you meet about this, not even your loved ones or your beloved Princesses!"
"Promise me."
Carrot Top slowly replied, "I...promise." The giant eyed the orange mare carefully. "Okay, okay, I Pinkie Promise not to tell anypony what you are about to tell me." She then started to blurt out the ridiculous chant that followed the sacred promise.
The giant grunted in exertion. It's translucency was starting to cloud over with his natural black color.
"You must leave Canterlot by tomorrow. I'd rather that you leave this place and return to where you came as soon as possible."
"Why though? Canterlot is the safest place in Equestria, especially with the Princesses! That makes it-"
The behemoth, its carapace now semi-visible, interrupted hastily, "-the most targeted place in all of Equis. There are many forces outside Equestria that wish to conquer your rulers. One of them will attack tomorrow." Its voice was now a strained whisper.
Carrot Top's eyes widened, "So...that means...you're one of...."
"Go, young filly. I can trust that you'll keep your promise of not telling anypony. I can't bear to watch the Innocent suffer for the deeds off the Condemned any longer. Go. Do not worry though. Justice always finds a way to defeat the evil among us," it smiled weakly.
Carrot Top trotted off into the clearing, and turned her head as she was about to enter the checkpoint. She mouthed, "Thanks".
The creature could only watch as Carrot Top entered through a temporary entrance of the shield barrier and received help with her wheelbarrow from nearby conductors and other ponies as she reached the train station entrance.
A sly voice crept behind him, "Hey, Tiny. You managed to let another FANTASTIC opportunity to get some love off of some dumb pony slip through your hooves. Sometimes I even wonder if you're a Changeling, like us."
The behemoth was silent.
The Guard Drone trotted towards his titanic Behemoth comrade hiding in brush and hissed, "You've become soft. After everything that the Queen and Hive has done for you, you act as if you have no obligations to them. Act like that one more time and we'll-"
The Behemoth boomed, "You'll do what, brother? Kill me? Not without a fight. And considering the fact that you are just a newborn filling in the hooves of a commander, you do not have the experience or right to treat me as if I'm just filthy grub from the worker caste."
"You dare question me? You would think that they would have taught you better manners, or at least some obedience, down in the tunnels...."
The Behemoth rose up and walked away. If he didn't he would find himself squishing the impudent Changeling with a single hoof. And he did not wish to see the color of a living being's internal organs mix with the earthy brown of soil ever again.....