//------------------------------// // Carrot's Conundrum // Story: A Bushel of Carrots // by GreyGuardPony //------------------------------// The cool fall morning air tousled Carrot Top’s mane as she yanked another carrot from the dirt. The familiar dull ache from a full day of hard farm work was already setting in, and she still had another full field to harvest. But such was the nature of farm work, and Carrot Top was quite used to it by now. Though, the new irrigation system from last year’s contest did help reduce the load. A cough echoed from the fence line. Twisting to face the sound, Carrot Top found herself staring down both Applejack and her little sister Apple Bloom. “Applejack?” She blinked, tilting her head slightly, “What brings you around?” The face of Sweet Apple Acres opened her mouth, then closed it again, frowning. Carrot Top blinked again as Applejack repeated the process, obviously struggling to get something off her chest. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, poking her sister in the side. “Come on sis. Just ask her already!” “Ah wanted ta ask for yer help!” Applejack shouted, almost tripping over the words as she rushed to get them out. “Excuse me?” Carrot Top asked, her confusion growing. “Look,” Applejack elaborated, fidgeting with her hat, “Every fall, Big Mac and I set up a line of Timberwolf traps along the edge of the Everfree. Helps keep the critters from roamin’ too close ta Ponyville.” Carror Top nodded. It made sense. Nopony wanted timberwolves wandering into town. Though Applejack’s efforts in combating the woody menaces was news to her. “And this involves me because?” “Well...Big Mac kinda hurt himself and now I’m a pony down.” She mumbled, doffing her hat, “Look. Ah know I’ve not exactly made myself a friend, but yer a strong worker and you’ve been in the Everfree before. I could use yer help.” “...Are you sure? No offence Applejack, but usually in these situations you just double down on working yourself.” “Well, yeah. But this time a mighty wise pony convinced me ta try a different approach.” She punctuated that statement with a sisterly ruffle of Apple Bloom’s mane, the younger pony beaming, “So, how ‘bout it? Can I count on ya?” Carrot Top mulled the proposition over, rubbing her chin. The request was simple enough, and keeping timberwolves away from Ponyville was a noble goal. “All right. When do you need me?” “Tomorrow mornin’ would be great. Bright and early.” “I’ll be there.” Carrot Top nodded. Watching the two members of the apple clan wander back towards their farm, a smile crossed her muzzle. A Ponyville without the conflicts between the Apple Trust and the Farmer’s Union? A pony could hope. That happy thought still dancing through her head, Carrot Top returned to her harvest. - - - - My little pony, My little pony Ahh ahh ahh ahhh... My little pony Friendship never meant that much to me My little pony But you're all here and now I can see Stormy weather; Lots to share A musical bond; With love and care Teaching laughter; It's an easy feat, And magic makes it all complete! You have my little ponies How'd I ever make so many true friends? - - - - It was past the noonday break, and Carrot Top was working her usual market stall, compulsively rearranging her carrots so that the stall looked as attractive as possible. “Carrot Top!” Carrot Top paused in her work. Green Grape was rushing right at her, a frazzled expression on the mare’s face. The grape farmer was usually unflappable, so she could only imagine what had her so worked up. “Calm down Green!” She comforted, holding up a hoof, “What’s wrong?” “Rock gophers!” Carrot Top winced. When it came to wrecking a farm, only parasprites could cause more damage than rock gophers. The magical critters liked to dig wide and extensive tunnels beneath farms, and some of their worst case stories she had heard included whole farm houses being dropped a few feet into the ground. “How bad?” “Well, we managed to round them up and get them out of the area. Now it’s just a matter of fixing the southern field. You know, filling the tunnels, putting the trellises back up, that kind of thing. So I’m trying to get as many spare hooves together as I can for tomorrow. Can I count on you?” “Errr...well…” She said, biting her lip, “I’d like to, but Applejack asked me to help her with her timberwolf traps tomorrow morning.” “Oh,” Green Grapes blinked, “I forgot that she did that. Dunno why though. I don’t think that Ponyville has ever had a timberwolf attack on record.” “Well, I can’t entirely blame her for wanting to be careful….” “So, you’ll tell her that you can’t help, right? I mean...she’s got the Trust backing her up. I’m a fellow Farm Union member.” “I...well…” Carrot Top faltered, “But, I did promise her already. I can’t just go back on my word.” Green Grapes jaw opened slightly before settling into a scowl. “Really? After all that she’s done against you? You’d pick to help her over me?” “She’s been trying to be better.” Carrot Top winced, nervously shuffling her hooves, “Sure, it’s still kind of a work in progress, but I can’t just snub an honest effort to be less…aloof.” When the scowl didn’t drop from Green Grape’s face, she nervously elaborated. “Look, Grapes, I can’t break my promise to Applejack, but I will try to finish quickly and then rush over to you as quickly as I can.” Green Grape sighed obviously still disappointed, but nodded all the same. “All right Carrot Top. I can’t ask you to break your word. Hopefully there will still be work to do by the time you show up.” Watching Green Grape leave, Carrot Top sighed. She hated having to decide between helping two ponies who both had legitimate issues, but Applejack had asked first. Resolving to work all the harder tomorrow morning, she returned to worrying about her own produce. The next hour turned by at a rapid pace, Carrot Top falling into the natural rhythm and patter of selling, the pile of carrots dwindling while her collection of bits grew. “Carrot Top!” “I’m popular today.” She smirked, looking towards the voice. The smile turned into a furrowed brow and raised eyebrow at the sight of her friend Trixie. The unicorn seemed to be in the process of making another one of her...unique culinary creations. A slice of watermelon floated along, buoyed by her shimmering magic aura, and slathered with peanut butter. A coating of some kind of red powder was dusted over the peanut butter along with...chives? Trixie strode right up to the stall, tossed a bit into the box, slapped a carrot atop the whole concoction and took a full bite. “Trixie…” Carrot Top gaped at the contented expression on Trixie’s face as she chewed, “Your taste buds need to be examined. By a team of doctors...or mages...or both.” Swallowing, Trixie scoffed. “I can’t help it if you Ponyvillians can’t understand my sophisticated Neigh Orleans palate!” There was a momentary pause before both broke into a round of laughter. “I still don’t understand how you like half of these combinations.” Trixie shrugged. “So, how’s today finding you?” “All right for the most part. I am finding myself in the middle of a slight tug of war between two farmers.” Tilting her head slightly, Trixie motioned for her friend to continue, taking another bite of her concoction. “Well, Applejack asked me to help her set up some timber wolf traps along the edge of the Everfree tomorrow. Seemed like a perfectly reasonable request. Then, once I’m here, Green Grape asked for some help fixing her farm, also tomorrow.” She absent mindedly shuffled a few of her carrots around as she continued, “I feel bad for kind of telling Grape that I’ll get to her when I can...but Applejack did ask first.” “The mundane problems of life.” Trixie nodded, “You know, sometimes I wonder if Luna ever had to deal with things so normal in her life. Remember that trick she pulled during the Longest Night celebration? When she was literally three different ponies?” “Yeah. But I suppose that’s why she’s the princess and we’re the subjects.” “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad that you’re helping Applejack.” “Really?” “Of course! I don’t want timber wolves sneaking into my house.” She winked, “And I’m sure that Grape would agree.” “You’re probably right.” Carrot Top smiled, “Thanks Trixie.” - - - - That night, after most ponies had gone to sleep, Carrot Top found herself curled up on her bed contemplating her situation. Having to choose between her friends in the union and Applejack. She still didn’t like it.” “Ugh...I need an extra pair of hooves. Or a twin.” Twin. Trixie’s example from earlier in the day came to mind. It would be very convenient if she could do that trick of Luna’s. Even as that thought left her head a memory stirred in the corners of her mind. A legend that her grandmother told her during Hearth’s Warming Eve one year. With a sudden surge of energy, she threw the covers off her bed and rushed across the room. And old trunk rested under the window, inherited from Carrot Top’s grandmother. A soft smile crossed her muzzle at the thought of her grandma, roaming through the depths of the Everfree, trying to collect old bits of pony lore. “Grandma Sprout was something else.” She chuckled, flipping the lid up and beginning to rummage. It only took her a few moments to find what she was looking for. A full old hoof written leather journal, with Carrot Sprout’s cute-mark engraved on the cover. Carefully opening it, she flipped through the pages, looking for the legend that was stuck in the back of her mind. “Ah ha!” She beamed, stopping on a drawing of a pool, complete with a series of notes and a map drawn on the facing page. The Mirror Pool is the strangest thing I found during my early years of poking around the Everfree forest. Hidden in one of the deepest bramble thickets of the forest, at the bottom of short ravine, I discovered that it can make magical duplicates. Carrot Top grinned. - - - - Carrot Top was no longer grinning. Part of it was because she had the handle of a lantern clutched in her teeth. The rest of it was where she was. Despite the fact that she had been in the Everfree many times before, gathering herbal ingredients, she was having a very hard time keeping her knees from knocking as she moved through the night shrouded forest. For some reason, the Everfree was feeling particularly foreboding tonight. The darkness made every shadow seem longer, every scrape of a branch or snap of a twig the result of a monster creeping closer, every howl of the wind a timberwolf hiding just around the bend. But still she pressed on. Pausing at a large tree, she gently put the lantern down and dug the map back out of her saddlebags. Let’s see...large old ironwood tree. Looks like I cut to the east from here and follow an old stream bed… A mournful howl cut through the night, sending a chill down Carrot Top’s spine as she snapped her head up. Scanning the trees around her, she tried to ignore the way her heart was hammering in her chest, the thought of timberwolves once again at the forefront of her mind. When no creatures stepped into view, she quickly grabbed the lantern and rushed for the stream bed. Her hooves crunched against the loose gravel of the former stream, the only sound reaching her ears. After what felt like a few minutes of straight running, the edge of Carrot Top’s lantern light cast across a massive wall of brambles and black thorns. The snarl of twisted plants completely blocked up the end of the gully, but through the gaps of the branches, she could make out a hole in the ground. Crouching low, Carrot Top inched along the ground, slipping between the limbs and stepping into the hole in the ground. When her hooves found carved stairs however, she blinked. Stairs? Somepony made this? Driven on by a sense of curiosity as well, she quickly trotted down the steps, taking them two at a time. As she traveled deeper, a soft blue light began to reach her eyes. The light didn’t so much grow brighter as she reached the bottom of the stairs, as there just seemed to be more of it. She didn’t know how to explain it really, but she made a mental note to ask Trixie about it later. The room, and there was no other way to describe it as the walls were worked stone, was a large rectangle. Four columns of stone supported the ceiling and set in the middle of it all was another, smaller rectangle pool of glowing blue water, complete with a short flight of steps leading into it’s cool depths. Ancient writing covered much of the pillars, but a great deal of it seemed faded and chipped away from age. Gently putting the lantern down, Carrot Top double checked her grandmother’s notes. “And into her own reflection she stared,” She spoke clearly, taking a step to the edge of the pool and looking at her own reflection. It looked nervous, “Yearning for one whose reflection she shared, and solemnly sweared not to be scared at the prospect of being doubly mared.” The water glowed brighter for a moment. Assuming that it worked, Carrot Top pushed into the pool. The world twisted. One moment she had been stepping into the Mirror Pool, and the next she was stepping right back out. Blinking, she glanced to the right and found herself snout to snout with herself. Who was smiling like she had just been given a million bit prize. “Umm...hi?” “HI!” Her twin grinned, “Need help?” “Well...I don’t. But we’re going to help a bunch of ponies together, okay?” “Yeah!” “Good! Now just follow me back to Ponyville.” - - - - Carrot Top awoke the next morning with a dull ache in her back. Rolling off the couch with a slight groan she stretched, feeling the tension pop out of her spine. Was it proper social etiquette to let a magical clone have the bed? Something to ask Trixie at any rate- wait, what’s that smell? Stepping into the kitchen, Carrot Top’s jaw dropped at what greeted her. Her double had been cooking, and a giant breakfast banquet spread greeted her. Two kinds of juice, stacks of pancakes *and* waffles, three different kinds of breakfast salads, and a few vegetarian omelettes. A quick glance at the kitchen cabinets revealed that they were indeed bare. Her duplicate was beaming as she stood between the towering mountain of mess spread out across the stove, sink and counters, and the freshly prepared repast that took up all of the dining table. “I helped!” “...That you did.” Carrot Top blinked, “You kind of over did it though. This is more food than even both of us could eat.” A deep frown crossed her twin’s muzzle, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. “But it’s okay!” Carrot Top quickly assured, “We can make this work. Get the picnic baskets out of the closet.” The smile returned to the double’s face. - - - - “Ah hope she shows up on time.” Applejack muttered, counting out the supplies for the trap lines for the tenth time. “She will sis.” Apple Bloom chirped from her own seat, a large map of Ponyville and it’s immediate surroundings spread out before her, “Just be patient.” Applejack opened her mouth to respond, but paused as a blob of orange and yellow came over the horizon basket balanced on her back. Carrot Top beamed as she approached. “Hi! I’m here to help! And I bought breakfast!” Dropping the basket between the two ponies, she yanked the hoofkerchief covering away, revealing the dishes of goodies contained within. Applejack blinked, her mouth watering slightly at the scents. She and Apple Bloom hadn’t had breakfast yet, intending to grab a quick bite of hay once they put in a few hours of work. But on the other hoof… “Well, this is a right neighborly gesture Carrot Top. Ah suppose we can have a quick bite before we get into things.” “Mmm! May aheadth of ya sisth!” Apple Bloom said through a mouth of carrot and cucumber salad. “Apple Bloom!” - - - - Carrot Top quickly trotted through the decorative stone arch that marked the entrance to Green Grape’s vineyard. The farm was situated on a small hill south of Ponyville, the fields of grape vines arranged in a circle around the main house. She could already see the area where the damage was done. The rows on the south side of the hill were indeed toppled. Red Onion was the only other member of the Farmer’s Union on the scene, dragging the fallen posts away. Drawing closer, the damage looked even worse. Large holes and furrows were torn open in the ground, but new piles of dirt to fill it them in had already been brought up. “Green Grape!” She called to her friend, “I’m here! And I brought breakfast!” Grape looked up from where she was pulling new posts into position, smiling at the sight of her friend. “Finished up with Applejack already?” “Actually, I found somepony to cover for me.” Carrot Top explained, placing the basket of food on a nearby crate, “So, where are the rock gophers?” “I asked Rainbow Dash to run them over to Fluttershy. Animals...not really my area of expertise.” Carrot Top nodded, unable to find a fault in the logic. “Then let’s get your farm repaired!” “Now that’s what I like to hear!” - - - - “So, timber wolves are opportunistic little buggers.” Applejack elaborated, dragging a pair of logs connected by a hinge to the forest edge, “They hunt in packs but are kind of cowards. Show them a bit of strength and they’ll back down. And that’s why we trap. Maybe Ponyville too much trouble ta bother.” She glanced over at Carrot Top who nodded. That wide, almost goofy smile, hadn’t left her muzzle since she had arrived. “All right then. Help me dig this hole then. We’ll partially bury this here big log trap for any of those critters who come along.” “Okay!” Carrot Top grinned, eagerly throwing herself into the task. Once the pit was dug, Applejack pulled the two logs into place, and ran a line of string from each end, to the hinge in the middle. “Now we hide it with some loose branches,” She explained, “And if one of those timber wolves stumbles through it, the two logs smash together and break it up.” Not waiting for a response, she looked back to her little sister, “And Apple Bloom marks the location on the map, so we can let all the ponies in town know where not ta go, and so that we can take them down come spring.” She looked back to Carrot Top, “Understand?” A wide smile and nod was her response. “All right then...let’s get to these other ones then.” - - - - The sun was beginning to dip back over the horizon as the work on Green Grape’s farm came to a close. Carrot Top’s mane and coat were soaked with sweat and smeared with dirt, as were her fellow workers. But it had been worth it. The collapsed rows of posts were once again standing tall, the holes full. All that was left was to re-plant the vines. And then the conversation started. “Well, glad this is done.” Red Onion nodded, “Though my own harvest is a little bit behind now.” His eyes turned to Carrot Top a grin crossing his muzzle, “Hey, Carrot Top, any chance I could borrow your hooves tomorrow?” “Hey!” Green Grape piped up, “I wanted her help to replant my vines tomorrow.” “Err...well,” Carrot Top nervously laughed, rubbing the back of her head, “I guess I can see what I can do.” - - - - Carrot Top frowned slightly as she trotted back into her farmhouse. More ponies to help. Still, with her and her double should be able to handle Green Grape and Red Onion’s requests. Or at least she thought that was the case. What she found, was her double sobbing in the middle of the living room. “What’s wrong?” She knelt down, brushing a lock of mane out of her double’s eyes. “Well,” She sniffed, “I was coming back from helping Applejack, and then Trixie asked me to help plant some flowers around the house and I said yes, and then Cheerillee asked for help with a nature hike for the foals, and then Pokey wanted some help with farm forms and I said yes to everypony and...and...now I can’t help ANYPONY!” With another wail, she rolled onto her side, pounding a hoof against the floorboards. Carrot Top just gaped. How was she going to get out of this? Forcing herself to ignore the cries of her duplicate, she mulled over her options. “Okay! We can fix this.” She smiled, as the crying stopped, “I have a plan!”