A/N: For future reference, Carrot Top's dialogue while in Jackson's head is in normal italics, while Jackson's mind dialogue is in italics and underlined.
3. Bus Rides Take A Looooonnnnngggg Time. Thank God for the Internet
Sometimes you’re just so unsure of yourself. You don’t know what to do, and you feel that you are useless to everyone around you. That’s how I felt now. I was a pony, unsure of what to do with my life, and had to get used to a new anatomy. It was also at this time that I realized I needed clothes. I’m sure that no one other than some old grandma would care if I wasn’t wearing any, but I still felt incredibly exposed without it.
“Mom, where are my old clothes?”
“They’re in the attic. Why?”
“I’m gonna want some clothes. I just don’t feel right without them.”
She nodded and began to walk to the little drop-down wood thing that I do not know the name of. She pulled it down and yelled to my dad to get a ladder. It took five or so minutes for the shiny object to arrive.
As my mom climbed up to get the boxes with my old garments, I examined how small I was (finally). The ladder seemed like the biggest thing now, and I performed a guess on my size. Two and a half-ish feet?
Mom returned with the first box, and I attempted to open it. Alas, my mighty carrot farming hooves were not the legendary heroes that would be gifted with great riches (Wait… what?). Before she went back up the ladder, my mom opened the box for me with a smile and a hint of laughter on her face.
ATTACK THE BOX! My conscious screamed as I dove in head- or would it be muzzle? - first. I rooted through my newly accessed loot and began to pull out random clothes.
Old shirt from… first grade maybe? Hmm… I’m gonna put this is my ‘I might be able to use this’ pile.
After ordering all of the clothes from the first box, I found that there were still three more to go through.
Damn it.
Language, Jackson!
Can it, carrot farmer. I’m pretty stressed right now. You’re not the one who’s gonna hoof it across the country! Aw, frigging ponyisms!
Get used to it. I’ve got some influence on your mind now, so don’t be afraid if you start recounting my memories.
I will be! They’re not mine, for Celestia’s sake! THE PONYISMS!
There was a small snicker from Carrot Top as I mentally screamed. I looked at the piles of clothes I had amassed, and started to pick from them.
Really old anime t-shirt! When did I even get this? Small hoodie equals score! Uh… I guess that’s it actually. This hoodie covers me mostly. I have a tail.
That tail's gonna be your friend, man.
“Mom, I’ve got my stuff!” I called to wherever my mom was.
“You can pack up the stuff again! I’ll put the boxes back later!” she yelled back.
I began the mind-numbing process that was repacking the box. What made it harder was obviously the fact that I was a pony.
I wish I wasn’t an earth pony.
Not my fault. I can’t choose my race.
I’d be forever happy if I could.
Well, you can't. When are we gonna go?
Whenever I feel like it. Soon, most likely to take a guess.
I ran back to my room when the box was finished being packed. The door was wide open (Praise Celestia goes the ponyisms part of my brain). A suitcase was lying open on the floor, and I silently thanked Celestia… again. I put it in and now decided to acquire sustenance for my journey. After raiding the kitchen of most of the fruits and vegetables, just barely keeping myself away from the meat (“NO MORE BACON!” I had cried in vegetarian despair), I put it in my suitcase (Not without taking a celery stalk, for I was terribly hungry).
“Are you ready?”
It was my dad, who was standing at the doorway of my room as I munched on the celery.
“Nearly. I’m going to take the Ipad and my laptop to keep up on the news.”
He nodded, and I felt my throat tighten.
This may be the last time I see my family.
That’s really negative. Try to stray away from that.
I grabbed the electronics from the desk in my room and put it on top of all the stuff in the suitcase, realizing that I should get the hoodie from the bottom, feeling totally clueless on why I had put it there in the first place. Must’ve been Carrot Top’s ADD. I put it on, and it fit my lean farmer form perfectly.
“Now I’m ready,” I said.
My dad nodded and walked off, going to get my mother. They both came back and suddenly did something I had not done since I was around ten. I hugged them in my pony form and began to cry manly tears again. There was a pat on the back from my dad (I said I would rather DIE!).
“Let’s go,” my mom said with tearful eyes.
Nodding, I followed them to the car. Knowing full well that I would have a problem with car doors, my mom opened it for me. My father started the car as I climbed into the back seat. I pulled the seatbelt with my teeth down, and after a minute of failed attempts to get it connected, I got it. I then tightened it and was now sitting as close as I could to legal.
We pulled out of the driveway and started our drive to the bus station. When we arrived, my mom handed me a couple hundred dollars. I unbuckled myself and slid over to the car door. I managed to push it open and I stepped into public view. At first, no one paid me any attention, but then as I proceeded forward, eyes saw me and stayed seeing me. I moved into the ticket line feeling uncomfortable as the eyes trained on me.
“Mommy, a pony!”
A little girl ran up and I had no time to run at all as she hugged me in the way that only little kids can. I struggled to draw breath as the hug prolonged much past what I felt necessary.
“Kid, my lungs can only do so much!” I yelled.
“It talks! Wow!”
The kid’s mother came to save the day and grabbed the little kid.
“Thanks,” I said.
The mother ignored the thanks, instead talking to her child. “Don’t go and hug beasts like that, honey.”
Beast? Was that all I was?
Don’t worry, Jackson, it’s just one person’s opinion.
I waited in the line until it was my turn.
“One ticket to Topeka, please,” I told the woman working at the desk.
“That’ll be one-hundred fifteen dollars, ma’am,” she replied.
I put the two hundreds down and was gifted with my ticket and my change. I walked over and sat on a bench near the stop, waiting for the bus to arrive. It was then I noticed two people watching me with eyes as wide as dish plates.
“Great. Bronies,” I muttered.
The ADD (I'm actually now thinking it may be both ADD and ADHD, but I am going to call it ADD for now) struck again, and suddenly they were standing right next to me.
“Can we get a picture?” one dressed in a Fluttershy t-shirt asked.
I shook my head. I did not want to have a picture of myself just circulating around the internet for anypony to see.
“Aw…” the other said. “Then can you tell us who you were?”
“I’d love too,” I said in a convincing fashion. “But, alas, my bus is here.”
I left the two and boarded the Greyhound gratefully. I went to the middle and found an empty pair of seats. I jumped on it and pulled my suitcase up next to me (Don’t worry; I was dragging it around with my earth pony strength). I unzipped it and pulled out my laptop. I turned it on and waited for the password thing to come up. I put in my moderately sized password and watched as it slowly went to the desktop.
I found that it had already connected to the wi-fi that was on the bus, making my job a lot easier. I opened Google Chrome and went to Facebook. I logged in and went to my wall. I began typing my message.
It’s Jackson. I am on the road going to New York. If you are wondering why, it is because I have been turned into a pony. I don’t know why or how, but I am Carrot Top. Help would be greatly appreciated.
I minimized the window and turned on the laptop’s camera. I took a picture of myself and attached that picture to my status update. I posted it and closed my laptop. It wasn’t long before there was the sound of a notification.
The first response was from a person named Gertrude Starling, who responded with:
Where are you? I’ve been changed, too. I’m in Kansas, but I’m out of money.
It was a small reply, but enough to let me know that maybe, hopefully, there was somepony else out there that I might get to see that was like me.
I’m getting to Kansas, Gertrude. Right now I’m just leaving from California. It will be awhile until I get there. Can you handle it?
I posted this and began to look for others who had become ponies. I first typed in Fluttershy, because she is so frigging cute, and it came up with a page decorated with pictures of Fluttershy, obviously. There was a picture of Fluttershy with Pinkie, and I nearly laughed. They had pages, which meant that all of the others had to have one, too.
After finding most of the Mane 6 over Facebook, I began to search for background characters. It had barely seemed like any time when I looked up and saw a sign that read: WELCOME TO KANSAS.
Good. I hope that Gertrude isn’t just a liar or if she isn’t that she’s in Topeka. I guess I should’ve asked.
Yeah, stupid.
Shut up. You don’t have to deal with this boredom. You’ve probably got my entire mind to explore.
I went back to my page and posted another reply to Gertrude.
Are you in Topeka?
It was responded to quite quickly with a “yes.” I felt elated that I might meet somepony else who had changed. After that, I fell asleep.
4. Carrot Dreamin’ and Meeting Gertrude
I woke up to the scent of earth and clay. I rubbed my heavy eyes and noticed a change.
“Hallelujah! My hands are back!” I yelled triumphantly. “I’m normal again! It was a dream!”
“I wish that were true.”
I started and turned to see Carrot Top looking me in the eyes, smiling. I scowled as a revelation came over me.
“It’s just a dream, isn’t it?”
“Sorry, but yes.”
So I was still a pony. That just killed the mood. Just slit its throat and left it in a garbage compactor.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“We’re in my carrot farm. Before you ask; yes, we are in Equestria. However, this is just something I formed from my mind when you fell asleep so we could speak. I forgot the first time you slept, so I was waiting for you to get tired.”
“What is going on with the ponies? Can you tell me now?”
“Sadly, it is Discord. He is behind what is happening to the world. Ponies minds are merging with humans because Discord has crossed into your dimension, and he is bringing us with him."
“What?! I don’t want to be you!” said I, more fearful of being one with Carrot Top than Discord in our world.
“Hey, neither do I, but I have no choice. I’m trying to slow the process down, but it’s difficult because your mind is just sitting wide open. Try to close it, please. I don’t want to be you for as long as I can.”
“Whatever. Any other important things you’d like to tell me?”
“Yeah: would it kill you to eat some food? I still need to eat, and what you eat helps me stay alive. So, go into that suitcase and eat!”
The dream just melted away and I found myself holding my laptop in the seat of the bus (Oh, and a pillow in my mouth. Just following the common occurrences. Where did I get a pillow anyways?). I checked out of the window and saw we were nearing the bus station.
The bus parked, and I quickly packed up my laptop and zipped up my suitcase. I darted from the bus quickly and began to run to a bench. The first thing I did was unzip my suitcase and pull out an apple. It was bruised slightly, but that was the least concern of my growling stomach. My new equine teeth chomped straight through the entire fruit, and in a few bites there was nothing left.
It wasn’t until I had finished two more apples that I saw the brown pony standing in the middle of the station, looking around as though trying to find somepony. I zipped my suitcase back up and finished the rest of my fourth apple. I reached her with my pack.
“Hey!” I said as I reached her. “You must be Gertrude.”
“Huh?” she asked, turning to me and taking a quick second to examine me. “Oh, you must be Jackson; or should I call you Carrot Top?”
“Either is fine,” I replied. “But no one has actually called me Jackson in a while. So, what pony are you?”
“I turned into my OC, Ginger Star,” she said. “You can call me Gertrude or Ginger, doesn’t really matter to me.”
“So… do you have a voice in your head?” I asked, feeling that the question was quite out of placing but still completely relevant.
“No… do you?”
“Yeah, Carrot Top is in my head and she’s talking to me and stuff.”
“Sounds cool, I guess.”
“What should we do? It’s really late, and I don’t think that sitting around a bus station will help us. You want to find a motel or something?”
“Do you have the money?”
“I don’t know. We’ve got to find the cheapest place around, because I’ve only got around eighty dollars.”
“I think we should just sleep somewhere for free.”
“Like where?”
“Some alley; you don’t have the money to sustain us both for Celestia knows how long.”
She was right. Eighty dollars was not going to get us anywhere, let alone New York.
“Is there an ATM anywhere?” I asked Gertrude.
“There’s one on the side of the station,” she replied, pointing her hoof to the right side of the building.
“I’m gonna go get some money. I’m not sure how much I have, but I’m gonna get what I have.”
Gertrude nodded, and I walked over to the ATM and put in all of my info and did all of the button-pressing crap. I returned with a suitcase slightly bulging.
“Jeez, how much money do you have?” Gertrude asked in shock, an adequate reaction.
“I hoarded. It was an experiment at first, then sort of turned into a hobby."
Whistling, I began to lead Gertrude to the nearest motel, where we got a room for the night. We walked in and I found there to be only one bed.
“Great,” I said. “One bed.”
“We are both mares,” Gertrude said. “It doesn’t matter that much now.”
“I guess you’re right. But it’ll still be awkward; I’m not used to sleeping with anypony of the opposite gender.”
Gertrude didn’t respond, just dropped her flank onto the bed and lay down. She was quickly asleep.
I’d like to know what her journey was like.
That’s great Carrot Top. I’ll ask in the morning, but for now I am tired!
I jumped on the bed and found myself looking at Gertrude. I felt uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed. We were both mares, sure, but I was still a guy inside.
Just sleep you scaredy-pony! I can’t sleep if you don’t!
I grumbled and closed my eyes. I fell asleep quickly… into another dream with Carrot Top.
“How’s it going?” Carrot Top asked my now human self.
“Fine, I guess,” I replied. “I am a mare with a guy’s mind sleeping next to a mare with a normal, not mixed-up mind!”
“You’re such a wuss. I really expected more from you, especially after taking a look through your memory. I mean, you were a pretty tough guy. I really think you should man up.”
“OK. How is the whole brain-combining thing going along?”
“Better, since you decided to try to close your mind some, but it’s still slipping faster than I can control.”
“I think it’s inevitable no matter what.”
“You think?”
I nodded in answer to her rhetorical question; go me. Suddenly, the dream began to swirl, and Carrot Top began to speak again.
“Time is running out. Get to New York, because I want to see somepony get destroyed by the Elements of Harmony."
The dream blended up until it was gray, then black… and when I woke up, I had to go to the bathroom.