Beyond Her Garden
Original Song by TheWoodenToaster
Song Link: .com/watch?v=2z5eizH0u1I
Fanfiction Story by Nagone
Rated: K
Description: Carrot Tops fear of leaving her home and venturing out keeps her from being the best mare she can be.
Schluck.
"Oh geez, not again!"
Squish.
"Oh no, not my carrots!"
Twilight sunset glimmered over the horizon of Carrot Top's carrot plots. Carrot Top groaned as she slipped and fell into the mud as she tended to her carrot patches, drizzling water over each verdant leaf. Trying not to slip, she unstuck herself from the sticky earth and slowly she tread carefully, lifting her boot covered hooves gingerly across the rows of bushy green carrot tips. She had just placed down a fresh layer of fertilizer and new seed, and didn't want to disturb the patch anymore than she already had. She scooped up the watering can between her teeth after she flicked off some of the mud and fertilizer. She dropped her trowel into the remaining water and smiled. "There!" she exclaimed, slightly muffled by the tin can in her mouth, hitching her chin up happily. "All in a good day's work!" Sighing tiredly, she dropped the watering can at the edge of the white picket fence bordering the substantial plot of land she called home. She turned around the corner to her side porch and quickly grabbed the hose and rinsed off her feet and snout, giggling softly at the cool spray of the water as it tickled her. After wiping her hooves off on a towel, Carrot Top turned back to say good by for the night to the garden. The gate creaked as she exited the land, tossing her boots into the bin outside the gate as she stepped onto the soft grass surrounding her cottage. The sweet scent of flowers hit her nose and she sucked it in deeply. "Now, time for some dinner!" Carrot smiled once more, ear to ear, and quietly shut the door to her cottage.
True to her namesake, Carrot Top's dinner consisted of a new carrot based experiment: carrot lasagna. Composed of a layer of Juicy Red's sweet tomatoes, the Cake's expert dough, cheese, and of course, her fabulous carrots. She was excited about her new creation, and hoped to share it with Derpy Hooves on their next filly's night in. She was half-tempted to go and snag up Derpy for a night of fun, but her low spirits made her feel otherwise.
After an hour of baking and sketching new designs for her fantasy carrot cookbook, the lasagna was done. Carefully, Carrot Top removed it from her brick over, the scent of perfectly browned cheese, delightful tomatoes, and of course, perfectly spiced carrots, filling the room. As soon as she sat the ceramic pan down, she let out a long exhale of elation. Carrot was never one to think too much about herself, but with the masterpiece before her eyes, she felt she deserved at least one hoofpat on her back. She clapped her hooves together and dashed off to her sink and begin cleaning her favorite dinning dish, one coated with carrots from the previous creation the night before: candied carrot stew with carrot couscous surprise.
After a good, hard scrub, the platter was clean and sparkling. By now, the lasagna had reached a perfect eating temperature: not to hot to scald, but not too cool that the flavors wouldn't still be at their peak of cooking perfection. Slowly, she spooned up a healthy portion of the treat onto her plate. "Oh!" she paused and dashed over to her breadbox. "This wouldn't be complete without some of my carrot bread!" She dropped a healthy slice of the bread onto a small plate and stuck it into the oven to gather up the residual heat from the burning cinders. After a minute, she quickly withdrew it and dropped it down next to her lasagna. "Looks good!" she said. "Time to chow down!"
Carrot Top dug in with gusto, nearing wolfing down the hot treat. It was truly perfect, and was definitely worth going into her cookbook.
Her cookbook.
For years, Carrot had been working on the outline for her own shop in Ponyville: Carrot Kitchen Creations. She had even started to catalogue all of the recipes she had tried out, and even let her friends sample them. So far, over the past five years, she had catalogued over 200 hundred different treats, ranging from appetizers to a more mature line of "adult" drinks that she had tasted sparingly after the first time she found herself struck with a wicked hangover on her lawn the next morning.
Despite all her efforts, she had never moved forward with moving past her simple lifestyle. She was content with hanging out with Derpy and cooking new creations each evening for herself, and occasionally Derpy. She was still too afraid to admit that despite her best efforts, the life she dreamed of just wasn't quite… there.
Carrot let the heat of the lasagna chase away the sadness in her gut. With each bite, she felt her woes disappear. She even helped herself to another large hunk of lasagna, saving the large remainder for later. Maybe Derpy will wants some, she thought. She smiled sadly and glanced out the window, the bright sunset reflect
Carrot settled into her bed early. Her previous sadness had crept back into her high spirits after her quite proud dinner. She curled up beneath her duvet and sighed. "Stupid me," she whispered. "Afraid to even go beyond my stupid garden." A sob crept out of her throat, and she clapped a hoof across her mouth. However, that hardly stopped the whimpers. She let the tears flow from her eyes, sobbing softly. Still sobbing, she tucked herself deeper beneath her blankets and sobbed herself to sleep.
Midnight.
Carrot tossed off the covered, her dreams shaking her awake. She felt heavy and the air in her room felt thick and stifling. She had to get out, and soon, before the sadness in her heart consumed her again. She looked out her window and without an afterthought, exited her cottage. She slipped through the gate in the back and walked up the path, cutting through her carrot.
Despite the night chill, Carrot Top wasn't cold. She walked among her carrots, smiling at each new seed. "I'll grow you nice and big." Carrot Top's soft golden eyes drifted upward towards the fat, bright, full moon. The air was silent, not a sound nor a voice nearby. Carrot Top tossed her mane over her shoulder, the orange locks illuminated in the mildly gloomy night sky. She sighed once more and flopped down in the bed of flowers, nuzzling her head into her folded legs.
"Carrot?"
Carrot Top turned her head over her shoulder, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Oh, hey D. How's it going?" she managed.
Derpy Hooves skipped over and flopped down onto her stomach, stretching her arms and unfolding her wings. "Good! I just saw your silhouette as I was taking my midnight snack fly. I figured I might as well come visit you, hehe!" Derpy smiled, her grin stretching from ear to ear. Carrot Top couldn't help but return the smile. The grey mare's cheerful manner was contagious, and slowly, Carrot Top could feel the warmth of Derpy's friendship spread through her body.
Soon the happiness faded though, and Carrot sighed in defeat.
"Carrot?"
Carrot Top turned to Derpy. "Yeah?"
"Why are you so sad?"
"I… I'm just disappointed in my life. I mean, I know I have so much to be thankful for, but… I just…"
"Just what? Aren't you happy here Carrot?"
Suddenly, Carrot stood up. She kicked her foot against the ground, tearing up flowers and small clots of dirt "No! I'm not. It's just not fair! Everyone thinks 'Oh Carrot, you're so happy with your simple life. You've got your carrots!' but I'm not!" Carrot yelled. She ran up to the crest of the hill overlooking her carrot fields. "I know I'm a simple mare, but I want so much more than this, D! I don't wanna just be a carrot farmer. I wanna bake and sell my food and… and…"
Carrot collapsed to the ground. She sobbed loudly at the top of her lungs, her eyes burning. "I hate my life Derpy!"
Silently, Derpy floated over to Carrot. She landed in front of her, eyes half- lidded. Her typically happy-go-lucky smile faded as she took on a more serious demeanor. Carrot had never seen her look so serious. With Derpy's form against the moon, she looked as though she meant very serious business.
"Carrot, you have no reason to say that. Sure, you're a carrot farmer, but that's now. You can go beyond your fence. You can do it. I know it. I really do." Carrot parted her lips, but Derpy quickly shushed her. "Carrot, you're one of the bravest mares I know! You know you can do it! You're more than a carrot farmer! You're Carrot Top, Carrot Baker Extreme, and my best friend forever!" Derpy threw her arms around Carrot and nuzzled her shoulder. "You're a star Carrot. A real star. Those ponies don't know anything about the Carrot I know!" Derpy smiled and hugged Carrot Top closer, wrapping her arms and wings about her best friend.
Carrot Top sobbed into Derpy's blonde mane for ten minutes, alternating between silence and loud sobs. "There, there," Derpy whispered. Carrot Top sniffled and wiped her hoof across her snout, dragging it through the grass.
"Hey D?"
"Yeah Carrot?"
"I've got some lasagna inside. Wanna-"
Zip.
"Oh boy! That's super!" Derpy flew past, flapping her wings cheerfully. She did a few mid-air flips before flapping off into the open door of Carrot's cottage. Laughter poured from inside as plates clicked and clacked together.
Slowly, Carrot rose up and tapped her hoof against the flowers, pushing them back into place. She smoothed down the chunks of earth and turned her head once more towards the moon. "A real star, eh?" she whispered to her carrots, running her hoof across the leafy green sprouts. She smiled d "Time to fool 'em." And for the first time in quite a few years, felt perfectly at ease with the idea of finally going beyond her garden.