Chapter 4: A bowl of oatmeal is made!
Carrot Top couldn't even hear herself think over the sound of gushing rain. She stretched her forelegs in the air, standing on the very tips of her hindlegs and welcoming the cool soothing embrace. "I am the queen of dirt!" she shouted, cackling like an evil dirt witch. Her eyes widened as she stared up into the dark clouds in the sky, feeling the elements tear through her mercilessly. Just moments ago, she had made a breakthrough in her newest formula for nutritious soil, until the rain came, washing away her work along with her last shred of sanity.
"Carrot Top!" Braeburn yelled over the roar of the rain. "Carrot Top! You have to get inside! Carrot Top!"
"All sediments shall bow and worship me!" Carrot Top dictated with the last of her strength, a mix of rain and frustrated tears running down her face, dropping into the saturated dirt. She closed her eyes, feeling her entire world freeze up, and passed out. She couldn't even hear Braeburn's worried voice over the sound of rain.
"What's his name?"
"Mr. Princington!" the little orange filly responded back, hugging the doll close to herself. "I love him, mommy! You're the best mommy ever!" She bounded up to an orange mare with a short-cut green mane.
"I thought you would, my little carrot," the mother cooed, holding onto her precious joy.
Carrot Top slowly opened her eyes, her body shivering from hoof to hoof. She was back in her room, wrapped up in her sheets. Her entire body ached, and despite all the blankets, she still felt as cold as ice. "Derpy," she moaned, "are you home? I don't feel good."
"Carrot Top," a coltish voice called to her, "are you awake?" Braeburn walked into the room, his fur clinging to his body and his mane a water-logged mess. "Oh thank Celestia, you’re awake!"
"Brae... burn?" Carrot Top lacked the energy to turn her head, but she did recognize his voice. "Braeburn, what happened?"
"You caught a bad case of the shakes; hypothermia it's called." He rushed to her side, pulling the covers up on her tenderly. "Just wait there for a moment. I'll be back." He ran out of the room and returned with a bowl of fresh oatmeal balanced on his back. "Hope you're hungry," he said with a cheesy grin, "because I made you something easy to eat." He placed the bowl on a stand to the side, waiting anxiously for her to dig into it.
"Sorry," Carrot Top sighed, "but I can barely stand to move." She turned her head to the side, expecting to pass out any moment from sheer exhaustion.
"Carrot Top."
"What?" She turned back to Braeburn, his smiling face was just a few inches away from her own with a spoon clenched between his teeth. He was going to spoon feed her. Were it not for her violent shivering, Carrot Top would have melted away. She extended her head forward slightly and bit down on the head of the spoon. "It's good," she replied as she savored the simple and elegantly sweet flavor of the dish.
"Family recipe," Braeburn told her, offering her another spoonful with a smile, and she graciously accepting each one. This process went on like clockwork, until the bowl was empty. "Feeling better?"
Carrot Top turned away from Braeburn, blood rushing to her face and setting her cheeks on fire. She didn't want him to see the gluttonous look in her eyes, but with a sigh of resignation she answered him. "Another bowl... please. I'm still hungry."
"No problem," Braeburn answered with his sweet and chipper voice. "Just give me a few minutes to cook up some."
Carrot Top watched Braeburn trot out of the room, the rhythmic falling of his eager steps bringing waves of happiness to Carrot Top's mind. This is it! My moment! she thought to herself, giddy with anticipation. He's making me oatmeal, and spoon-feeding it to me! I just need to put on some charm! Oh, what did Derpy say to do? You can do this! Get that stallion, Carrot Top!
"Alrighty, here's a second batch for you, Miss Top!" He placed the bowl on the stand to the side, ready to begin the process again. "Miss Top, are you sure you’re hungry? You look ready to fall asleep."
Carrot Top sighed internally as she turned away from him. Derpy said that look was sure to work! In the back of her mind, Carrot Top knew it wouldn't. "No, no. Please, I'm still hungry."
"You're quite the eater, Miss Top," Braeburn laughed, holding out the spoon to her again.
Of all the things he could say, why did it have to be that? Carrot Top took in the spoonful, the taste too addicting to let Braeburn's innocent comment get in the way. "Let me guess, this is a secret recipe?" she joked.
"I'll give it to you when you get better." He held out another spoonful. "Just don't tell anypony, 'specially my sister." The process repeated itself again, and Braeburn failed to notice the glee in Carrot Top's eyes as she indulged herself with every bite. With the bowl emptied again, Braeburn asked, "Where are Derpy and Dinky?"
"They're in Ponyville and should be back tomorrow evening," Carrot Top sighed. She wasn't looking forward to a night alone, especially in her current condition.
"Wait, so you're alone in this house?" Braeburn's breath came to a halt as a horrified look spread across his face. He lept into Carrot Top's bed, getting under the covers and wrapping himself around Carrot Top, all with a worried look on his face. "Miss Top, why didn't you say so?"
Carrot Top's eyes grew into saucers; Braeburn was less than an inch away from her and she could barely move. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to move. "I- I- I'm not sure if I'm ready for this," she babbled.
"Miss Top, do you know how dangerous it is to be alone with your condition?" His words were so full of care that she couldn't resist him.
"I've just, just..." She buried her face in Braeburn's chest, listening to his easy and calming heartbeat, her own pounding away like a jackhammer.
"Well don't you worry. Ol' Braeburn will take care of you," he said in the sweetest voice Carrot Top had ever heard. He was here for her, and nothing more.
Take me away, you stallion! Carrot Top swooned, biting down on her lower lip as she waited for something to happen, but nothing happened. She looked up at Braeburn, and his eyes were closed. Is he sleeping? "Braeburn?" she nudged him.
"Hm, what is it?"
"What are we doing?"
"I'm warming you up with my body heat!" he answered with his trademark level of enthusiasm that Carrot Top found unfathomably charming and impossibly exhausting. "You've got hypothermia, so I'm going to get close to you and use my body heat to warm you up. It's a town remedy!" He hugged Carrot Top a little closer, pooling all of his warmth into the mare.
Carrot Top's face did indeed grow hotter, but none of it was through Braeburn's own efforts. Her face had turned a brilliant red under her orange fur and she felt embarrassed to ever think Braeburn would be so forward, but she was thankful that at least Braeburn cared enough for her to hold her the way he did. "Thank you," she whispered, her still shivering body becoming limper as she was pulled closer. "You're so nice to me, Braeburn."
"Well, I'm just nice to everypony, Miss Top." He held onto her cold shivering body, in his mind praying to Celestia that, in the morning, Carrot Top would be as warm as the sun.
"What are you doing with Mr. Princington?" the orange filly's mother asked.
"We're getting married!" the little orange filly replied. "Mr. Princington is the most polite and handsome pony in all of Equestria. I can marry no other pony." She wore a delicate white dress, and dressed up the doll in a black suit. "We're going to get married and we'll make each other happy."
The mare giggled at her little filly. "You should check to see if you got your housewife cutie mark," she joked.
The little filly gasped as she began to circle around herself, trying to catch a glimpse of her flank. Sadly, it was still blank. "No, nothing."
Morning came, the sun rising over Appleloosa and creeping in through the window in Carrot Top's shack. The light hit Braeburn's eyes first, waking him up. He sat up, stretching and yawning, and looked down to Carrot Top. Her lips had gone blue. "Carrot Top!" he yelled.
"B-B-Braeburn." Her shivering had gotten worse. Carrot Top curled herself up, desperate to hold onto as much body heat as she could. Her teeth chattered during and between sentences. She didn't even look at Braeburn when she addressed him. "B-Braeburn, c-can you get Derpy's blanket."
"Just hold on, Carrot Top!" Braeburn yelled as he ran through the shack, looking for any blanket, pillow, towel, and even sock that he could use to warm up Carrot Top. Soon, he had created a mountain of blankets on the bed, covering the shivering Carrot Top entire. "So, how you feelin' now?"
"I-I-I'm sweating," she moaned.
"That's good," Braeburn sighed, exhaling all his panic. "That means you're warming up, so just stay like that. I'll go fetch you something hot for breakfast. Alright, Carrot Top?" He heard no answer, but saw her make an effort to nod. "Alright. Just... stay warm. I'll take care of you, I promise. So don't you worry." With one last bit of assurance, he galloped out of the house.
"B-B-Braeburn," Carrot Top moaned, thinking that just saying his name might bring a little bit of comfort to herself. She shivered, curling herself into and even smaller ball. "I-I-It's too hot."
Apple Bumpkin carefully balanced a bit at the end of her hoof, her mind focused entirely on the little gold coin that ran her life, a focus that was annihilated by her raving brother bursting into the store. She jumped, thinking another thief was here for her cash register, but sighed in resignation when she realized it was just her brother. "Braeburn, what are you doing here? Silverstar has been looking everywhere for you by the way."
"Sorry, A.B., but I need some warm apple juice right away!" His panicking voice at least tore Apple Bumpkin from whatever parlor trick she was playing.
"What's got you all frantic?" she sighed, stepping out from behind the counter and approached him. "In fact, just where were you last night?" She starred at him accusingly.
"I was just at Miss Top's house," Braeburn replied with a sigh.
"Oh, that poor mare." Apple Bumpkin rubbed her temples, trying to prevent the onslaught of another headache as she looked back at her nuisance of a brother. "Listen, you can't go around leading on ponies! I've told you that a thousand times now."
"I am not leading anypony on," Braeburn retorted. His sister was always berating him for inadvertently grabbing the affection of mares around town. "Carrot Top knows we're just friends, so can you get off my back and start working on Granny Smith's warm apple juice recipe? Carrot Top stayed out in the storm too long last night!"
"All right, just stop bucking around." Apple Bumpkin collected some of the apples around her store and moved into her work-room in the back of the building, blending the apples together in a special mix her grandma had taught her to warm up ponies with 'a case of the shakes' as she would put it. "Just go find Silverstar already so he can stop bothering me. It will be done in twenty minutes."
"Alright." Braeburn galloped out of the store, his mind constantly returning to Carrot Top in her home, struggling to fight off a cold death. "I'll hear what he has to say and then race back to Carrot Top's," he whispered to himself, but the loud shriek of a whistle tripped him up, causing him to land face first in the dirt.
"I am afraid I will have to write you a ticket, Braeburn," Little Strongheart joked. "I believe you broke the law of speeding."
"Doesn't that only apply to vehicles?" Braeburn groaned as he ignored the pain in his face. "Lil' Strongheart, have you seen the sheriff?"
"I think he is by the well." She pointed off towards the center of town. "I think he is looking for you as well."
"Thanks, gotta go," Braeburn replied before galloping off towards the town's primary source of water, leaving behind a confused Little Strongheart. He raced through the city and spotted Sheriff Silverstar exactly where Little Strongheart said he was, standing with Appleloosa's hardest working construction ponies. Braeburn skidded to a stop just in-front of Sheriff Silverstar, kicking up dirt on a few ponies as he finally addressed him between labored breaths. "You call for me?"
"Braeburn! I've got good news," Sheriff Silverstar answered back, hoisting up Braeburn with exuberance. "That storm managed to flood a river just a few miles to the west of here. We're going to see about connecting that river to our water supply. We wouldn't have to worry about it drying up for decades!"
"That's great and all, but what does that have to do with me?"
"You're the hardest working pony in Appleloosa, Braeburn. Just your presence alone inspires others to work harder, and this is a hard project we have on our hooves."
Braeburn cursed himself mentally. He would love to help ensure the town he loved more than anything else would, but he had made a promise to Carrot Top, and he wasn't going to break it if he could help it. "Listen, Sheriff, I'm kind of tied at the moment. I promise I'll help out later, but Carrot Top has a bad case of hypothermia. I need to get back to her right away."
"Well, why didn't you say so!" Sheriff Silverstar dropped Braeburn. "Get galloping."
"What do you think I've been doing," Braeburn sighed as he wiped away more dirt from his face.
"I now pronounce you, doll and wife!" a grey pegasus filly announced. "You can kiss the doll."
"Ew," the orange filly replied. "Mr. Princington is too high class for something like that."
"But, you're married now! What does a married pony do?"
"Mr. Princington is going to go to work while I stay home and take care of the children," the little orange filly explained to the grey filly. "And we'll be in love till the day we die."
"That's boring!" the grey filly shouted at the top of her lungs. "When I grow up I ain't never gonna get married and raise foals. I'm gonna be a scientist!"
"You just can't appreciate a sophisticated life."
Carrot Top's eyes opened slowly, the light of the sun hitting her unbearably on the floor of her room. She curled herself up again, closing her eyes to try and go back to that dream world where she was still a filly with the dream of marrying. "I'll most likely die alone," she whispered to herself.
"Carrot Top!" the door to Carrot Top's room was bucked open, Braeburn galloping in with a thermos tied around his neck. He nearly jumped out of his fur when he saw her lying on the floor. "Carrot Top! I told you, you have to stay in the bed."
"Sweaty," she moaned.
"You need to stay warm! It's for your own sake!" Braeburn grew hysteric as he hauled the ice cold mare back into the mountain of blankets. "Just, stay in there. Trust me, all right? And drink this!" He opened the thermos and held it to Carrot Top's still-blue lips. "It’ll warm you up from the inside, which is what you need right now."
Carrot Top closed her eyes as she inched herself closer to the straw, placing her lips around it and drinking in the concoction. It was warm and sweet, some of the finest juice she had ever had. "It's good," she sighed in content.
"Yeah, it gets that a lot." Braeburn gave Carrot Top a cheesy grin as he closed the now empty thermos. "Just stay in there, okay?"
"All right," Carrot Top weakly responded.
A knock came from the front door, catching Braeburn as he resumed tending
"You do remember its apple-bucking time, right?" she spat back, tapping a hoof on the ground impatiently. "We have chores to do."
"Sis, you got to understand. Miss Top is sick right now and needs attention. Her house-mate will be back at the end of the day so can't it wait?" His pleading was desperate. He was worried about Carrot Top, and afraid that if left alone she might kill herself in delirium. "She's got the shakes real bad."
Apple Bumpkin gritted her teeth as her elder-brother looked at her with his unique pair of puppy-like whimpering eyes. "Braeburn... you... dang it," she sighed, trying to meet Braeburn's projection with her own annoyed exasperation. "I'll put up a few flyers and see if I can get some workers. Braeburn, you... you're just too nice to deal with."
"I'll be fine, lil' sis," he assured her with a smile.
"Fine my patootie," Apple Bumpkin spat, turning away to fetch some able-bodied ponies for work. "You're gonna work yourself silly at some point the way you're always trying to help everypony, and then what?"
"I'll still be fine even then." With his sister taken care of, Braeburn returned to Carrot Top's side, the same soft smile still worn on his face. "Don't worry, Miss Top. I won't leave your side 'till I'm sure you're better."
Carrot Top turned on her side, facing away from Braeburn. When she finally did answer him, her voice was filled with uncertainty. "Am I taking up your time?" she asked. She didn't get his response immediately, and silence fell uncomfortably over the room. "Am I... a bother to you?" she asked again, her voice cracking.
"You're not a bother," Braeburn hastily blurted, reaching out a hoof to Carrot Top even if she couldn't see. "Your health is just more important than me bucking a few trees right now. Miss Top, please, it's nothing to worry about."
"Just admit it!" Carrot Top grew hysterical, her mind too exhausted to really consider what she was saying. "I've been bothering you since the first day we met."
"Miss Top, what is this about?" Braeburn tried to reason with the hysteric mare, but she jumped out of the bed, her body still shivering from her ailment. She almost fell on top of him, but she managed to catch herself at the last moment. "Carrot Top, please get back in bed!"
"I'll be fine," Carrot Top spat back, her voice barely above a whisper as she hugged herself. "Why won't you admit that I'm a bother to you?"
"Carrot Top, think about what you're-"
"Just go." Carrot Top tried to push him out the door, but her meager strength wouldn't allow it. She felt Braeburn's forehooves placed on her shoulders, trying to calm her down from her hysteria, but she pushed him away. She wasn't sure what she wanted anymore. "I'll be fine," she whimpered. "You have your duties to your town. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."
Braeburn sighed as he moved Carrot Top back into the bed. He was met with resistance from her, but she could do nothing before his strength tempered from bucking apples for a living. "Just promise me you'll stay in bed," he begged. "Your mind is gonna tell you that it's too hot and the sweatin' might get to you, but you have to stay warm."
"All right," she whispered, curling up in her bed.
"Thanks. I'll be back later with some more warm apple juice when I finished with my chores. Just stay warm, Carrot Top." Giving Carrot Top one last worried look, Braeburn galloped out of the hovel, intent on finishing his chores as fast as possible so he could get back to Carrot Top.
Carrot Top felt a small tear run down her face as she listened to Braeburn's hoofsteps disappear into silence. "Why did I do that? Is my self-esteem really that low?" She buried herself under the pile of blankets, wishing she could just disappear into nothingness.
Apple Bumpkin sighed to herself as she hauled another barrel of apples to her loading cart. No ponies had shown up to help her since she pinned-up the held ad. "Don't these ponies know how they get their food.?"
"Hey, Bumpkin!" Braeburn called out as he galloped to her, skidding to a stop just a few feet past. "Point me to the trees! I need to make this quick!"
"What changed?" she sighed as she emptied the barrel. "A few minutes ago you wouldn't dare part with a pony in trouble."
"Well," Braeburn rubbed the back of his head, taking a deep breath before addressing his sister. "Miss Top seems to be kind of annoyed with me. I'm not sure if it's the shakes getting to her, or if she's just sick of me being around."
Apple Bumpkin groaned to herself as she recalled a previous conversation she had with Derpy and Little Strongheart. "Just get to bucking some apples, alright? You can gallop back to your fillyfriend afterwards."
"I- I told you!" Braeburn roared, tripping over his words. "Miss Top and I aren't like that."
Carrot Top tossed and turned in her bed, unable to get comfortable under the sweat-soaked sheets, and her stomach wouldn't stop demanding a meal from her. "Braeburn made some good oatmeal," she whispered to herself, climbing out of bed. "It can't be that hard to replicate."
She dragged herself into the kitchen, her movements shaky and slow. She found the dirty pan in the sink, crusty oatmeal still clinging to it. "Just boil some water and add the oats," she told herself as she filled it up. She turned on the stove and placed the pan over it. "Just a little longer," she told herself, sitting down on the floor and dozing off. "Just need something to eat and I'll be fine..."
"What an ugly doll!"
The little orange filly was held down to the ground as the mean-spirited yellow filly stomped on Mr. Princington. She tried and struggled to break away from the hold of the yellow fillies friends, but there was nothing she could do.
"Let go of Carrot!" A grey pegasus filly flew right into the yellow filly, knocking herself and her target to the ground. She scrambled to get up and grab the doll before the other, but the yellow filly instead held her back by the tip of her tail. "Let go!" she cried, trying to fly away with all her might.
The mean-spirited smiled wickedly as she happily obliged, letting go of the grey filly as she flung herself into the air, away from the scene. The yellow filly turned back to the orange filly. "Really, aren’t you too old to be playing with dolls? What are you, a foal?"
"I- I- I-" the orange filly gasped between tears as she tried to defend herself, but the yellow filly continued to dig into the orange filly's sadness.
"You'll end up alone for the rest of your life, surrounded by dolls."
"Lemon Hearts!" the grey filly came swooping down, intent on crashing into the yellow filly again, but the filly stepped to the side, dodging the grey filly with poise. The grey filly picked herself up, shaking dirt out of her head and trying to focus her unfocused eyes on the yellow filly. "Carrot won't be alone!"
"Oh, really," the yellow filly sighed. "Do tell me why, Derpy."
"No!" Carrot Top yelled, a new wave of tears forming in her eyes.
"Because she's married to Mr. Princington!" the grey filly declared. "I would know. I was there!"
The yellow filly turned back to the orange filly slowly, her wicked smile evolving to a grin of pure-maliciousness. "You're married to a doll? That's so pathetic!" She and her two friends started laughing. They laughed so hard that they let go of the orange filly, but they didn't need to. The orange filly buried her face in the ground, tears pouring out of her face wishing she could disappear into thin air.
"What are you doing?" the grey filly asked as she watched the orange filly throw all her toys and dolls into boxes. "I thought you liked all this stuff, Carrot?"
"It's all for foals!" the orange filly yelled back indignantly, making her grey friend jump into the air. "I don't need any of this. I'll grow up and be the most mature mare in the world. No one will say mean things to me and a real colt will love me! Not some doll!"
"So, you're packing up Mr. Princington?" the grey filly asked with a twinge of sadness. "But aren't you married?”
"It's just pretend!" The orange filly picked up the old and ragged doll. She had had it for a few years now, and the seams were sticking out in various directions. "I'm done with this!" She yelled as loud as she could, stuffing the doll into the last box and taping it shut. With the help of her grey friend, they hauled the boxes into the attic of her home, casting away her childhood forever.
"So what now?" the grey filly asked, listlessly staring at the hatch to the attic.
"You know, the winter dance is coming up. Going together sounds fun and like something a mare would do!" the orange filly suggested, relief spreading over her at the thought of going out to do something fun with her friend.
"Sorry," the grey filly replied, "but I'm actually going with Ponet."
"What?" the orange filly looked back at the other, a lump forming in the pit of her stomach. Was her best friend going to leave her too? "I... I didn't know you worked up the courage to ask him."
"And he said yes!" The grey filly jumped into the air, hitting her head on the ceiling before gracefully falling back down to the floor, swaying in every direction. "But, you can come too!"
"No, no. It's all right. I'll just stay in and study. I think there's a biology test coming up soon. You... have fun, okay?"
That's right. Carrot Top thought to herself. That's when I became who I am. She struggled to keep another wave of tears from escaping, grabbing onto the closest thing she could get her hooves around and holding it close to herself. It's so warm and fluffy. What is this?
"Good morning, Carrot Top."
"Good morning, Braeburn," she sighed, hiding a small smile within his fur.
"Uh, Carrot Top, I'm not Braeburn."
"What?" Carrot Top eyes shot open, and she came face to face with Little Strongheart. "Little Strongheart!" she yelled out, pushing her away and off the bed.
"Wha— Ow!" Little Strongheart yelped in pain as she hit the floor. "What was that for?" she groaned.
"You surprised me! What are you doing in my bed!?"
"She ain't the only one!" another voice answered her from behind. Derpy sat up from behind Carrot Top, Dinky held between her forelegs and her wings stretching outwards as she stretched away all the kinks in her body. "Morning, Carrot Top!"
"What are you doing here!? I thought you were in Ponyville?"
"We're back!" Derpy announced. "It's already been two days. You slept the whole day away."
"I... I did?" Carrot Top sighed as she hopped out of bed, thankful that the shivering had come to pass.
"We spent all night trying to warm you up," Little Strongheart groaned as she dragged herself back on her hooves, the locks on her head now a curly mess. "Braeburn would feed you apple juice while Derpy and I warmed you with our body heat. I hope you don't mind too much?" She rubbed the back of her head, trying to sooth the lump growing.
"I... thanks, girls." Carrot Top looked around the room, looking for a certain stallion that did his best to save her life despite her selfishness and protest. "Where is Braeburn?"
"I think he is at the orchard?" Little Strongheart replied. She watched as Carrot Top took off faster than she had ever seen before.
"Get down!" Braeburn grunted as he bucked his hindlegs against another apple tree. Its name-sake came falling down into tactically placed buckets on the ground. "Just a few more trees and I'll be done for the day," he sighed.
"Braeburn!" Carrot Top called out to him from just beyond the horizon. She galloped towards him, faster than she had ever had before, exhausted but struggling onwards with her third-wind of energy.
"Miss Top?" Braeburn answered back. He was impressed with how fast she was coming in. Too quickly, even. "Uh, Miss Top? You're coming in too fast!"
"I can't hear you!" she yelled back between pants, crashing head first into Braeburn, the two tumbling like a wheel and landing on the ground, Braeburn collapsed on top of Carrot Top. "Oh, that hurt," she winced.
"Not much of a runner, huh?" Braeburn laughed as he dragged himself off her, lying next to her in the dirt rubbing his sore joints.
"No," she laughed. "I most certainly am not." She turned back to him, her eyes filled with regrets and worry. "Braeburn, I'm sorry I'm a neurotic mess. If you never want to see me, I understand." She had said her piece, and all that was left for her was to wait for his response. No regrets, remember.
"Miss Top," Braeburn picked himself up and extended a hoof to Carrot Top. "You have nothing to apologize for as far as I'm concerned. You were sick. You couldn't help the things you said."
"But... it's all true. I must be a bother to you with the way I'm always coming to you for help."
"Well, it sometimes gets to be troublesome for me, but I don't mind." He lifted her back onto her hooves, offering a shoulder for her to limp on as he guided her back to the hovel instinctively. "So, I hope you don't mind if I'm a little overbearing. I've often been told my energy can be too much."
"You're perfect just the way you are, Braeburn."
"Really? I think you’re perfect just the way you are too, Miss Top."
Carrot Top stopped, her mind whirling back through every step of her life. She turned back to Braeburn, her heart threatening to jump out of her throat as another set of tears began to erupt from her eyes. "You think so?"
"Of course."
"Thank you," she cried, burying her face in his neck to hide her happiness.
"I'm back," Carrot Top groaned as she let go of Braeburn's shoulder, collapsing to the floor. "This is not an experience I want to go through again."
"I suggest checking the weather schedule in the plaza every morning," Braeburn replied as he dragged Carrot Top over to the couch.
"Carrot Top!" Derpy jumped onto Carrot Top, knocking the wind out of her and squeezing her in a rib-crushing hug of strength that did now reflect her small frame. "You have to stop over-exerting yourself like this! I was so worried, Carrot Top!" she gasped between a few tears.
"Derpy, I'll be fine, but only if I can breathe!" Carrot Top was already woozy from her exhausting run and Derpy's overbearing affection was doing little for her health. "Please, Derpy, let go!"
Derpy giggled to herself as she floated off Carrot Top, floating over to a box by the front door. "By the way, Carrot Top, I was rummaging through the boxes in your attic, and guess what I found."
"Oh, Celestia, no!" Carrot Top springed into action, desperate to cut Derpy off before she could open the box and reveal the embarrassing memories contained within.
"Our old photos!" She tore open the box, revealing a stack of old dusty photo albums. "I've got pictures of us all the way back to preschool! Want to see what mommy looked like when she was a little muffin, muffin?" she cooed at her daughter.
"No," Dinky flatly replied before. She didn't bat an eyelash when she was predictably hoisted into her mother's lap and an album opened in front of her. Braeburn and Little Strongheart gathered behind Dinky and Derpy as she opened up the first album.
"Here I am dressed up for the winter dance," Derpy squealed. "I used to be so cute."
"Miss Doo, with all due respect you still look as cute as a button," Braeburn replied, Carrot Top and Little Strongheart nearly jumping out of their skins.
"Aw thanks, Braeburn."
"Who's that?" Dinky asked, pointing to another photo.
"That's Ponet, a..." her mind drifted off for a moment. She pulled her Dinky closer to her, and kissed her head. "He's a friend mommy had in school."
"And what's that?" Little Strongheart gestured to another picture.
"Oh thaaaaaaaats," Derpy replied with a wide grin, "Mr. Princington!"
Oh no. Carrot Top's eyes shrunk in horror as she shot back to her hooves. "Derpy, I think Dinky is looking dirty. Perhaps a bath is in order!"
"Don't sell me out!"
"What is a Mr. Princington?" Little Strongheart asked.
"Mr. Princington is Carrot Top's husband!" Derpy shouted as loud as she could, drawing quizzical expressions from her audience.
Little Strongheart stared at the picture and then back at Carrot Top before a mischievous smile played across her face. "You and your husband look adorable together, don't you think, Braeburn?"
"I do agree," Braeburn replied, failing to suppress an amused whinny.
Carrot Top collapsed back onto the couch, attempting to bury her shame before a little giggle escaped her. "Yeah, we were pretty adorable together," she sighed, letting her mind take her back through her childhood. But life seems to be just getting started for me here.