Growing Tall ~ Carrot Top
by JaketheGinger
First published
Carrot Top leads a group of Pikmin through danger and mystery. Alternates with Growing Tall ~ Derpy
It’s a well known fact that Carrot Top loves plants. But one fateful day she is thrust into a strange new world where almost every plant is taller than her and grow unchecked. Worse yet, her good friend Derpy is also lost in this overgrowth! However, her situation isn't entirely hopeless, as Carrot Top stumbles upon a unique race of plant creatures which she calls ‘Pikmin’. With the help of these Pikmin, Carrot Top must reunite with Derpy and find her way home, all while trying to stay alive in a world where the plants and beasts rule as well as learning that plants aren’t all about looking pretty...
This story is written in alternating chapters with Growing Tall ~ Derpy as a collaboration between me and Sunnydaze. It’s possible to read this as a standalone story, but if you want the full experience then follow the links at the bottom of each chapter.
Credit goes to Zicy for the cover art.
Chapter 1 - Plucked from Home
Snow slowly melted from the leaves of plants that clung precariously to the sides of the rocky mountain. A light but still bitterly cold breeze wafted through the peaks and troughs of the environment. The wind created a whistle that echoed through the land. It was serene and yet uninviting at the same time.
Two ponies wandered through the land. They appeared to have no purpose in where they were going but they were definitely prepared for the trials the region threw at them. The pair both had equipped big saddlebags loaded with a manner of vital supplies for their journey.
One traveller chose not to walk, instead flying gracefully above the ground. She had a grey coat with a yellow, spiky mane and tail. Her flank bore a cutie mark of several bubbles and she had a content smile on her face.
The other hiker was forced to travel by conventional means, as she lacked wings that her companion possessed. Her coat was colored in a light yellow and her mane and tail were orange and curled. She had emerald eyes and her cutie mark was that of three carrots.
The earth pony, Carrot Top, walked carefully along the narrow mountain path. To her right, was a tall mountain side. The rock was brown and in between the cracks, a few simple plants grew and reached towards the sunlight. To her left, was a big and hazardous drop. She didn’t dare to even give it a passing glance.
In Carrot Top’s saddlebags were food and water rations, a notepad and pen and several other tools useful for survival. She had no idea what was in her friend’s saddlebags because she never saw her pack them but she assumed she had roughly the same.
She was hiking with the pegasus called Derpy Hooves throughout the mountains simply for the enjoyment of doing so. The sights you could get in this area amazed Carrot Top. You could see the vast stretch of Equestria: it’s rolling, lush green plains, its dense forests and even the little settlements that dotted the land. It was simply breathtaking for her.
Another breeze pushed past her, making the earth pony shiver. Thankfully, her coat did protect her from most of the cold, although now she was mentally kicking herself for not putting on a warm jacket earlier.
“Are you okay?”
Carrot Top blinked, looking up at her friend who flew alongside her. “Oh? Yes, I’m fine. Just a little bit chilly but we’ll be out of the worst of it soon.” she smiled.
Derpy nodded in response. Silence fell again onto the pair but they didn’t mind it. It allowed them to take in the surroundings as well as think.
Carrot Top’s thoughts concentrated on her plants back home. She did get her friend Bon Bon to look over them but that didn’t erase concern for the greenery.
Carrot Top lived alone but she preferred it that way. She lived in a picturesque cottage in Ponyville. It had a lovely thatched roof without a chimney; when you have a house full of plants, having a fireplace isn’t a smart move. She was fortunate enough to have a sizeable front garden as well as a back one. Both were surrounded by white, wooden gates.
Covering the gardens were rows of plant life. Flowers, shrubs, vegetables and even trees all thrived there in perfect harmony. Carrot Top had grown each one of them by her own hoof, her only assistant being the weather.
Inside, she had plants in pots on shelves and window sills. It may sound obsessive to some ponies but those who were lucky enough to get a full look at her home were always entranced by the beauty of her plants.
As well as having a gorgeous appearance, some of the plants served an economical role. Carrot Top would sometimes sell the fruits and vegetables she grew at market. It was a fun way to earn some extra bits but she’d never make a fully fledged business out of it.
A single, small flower snapped her back to reality. It was growing from a tiny crevice in the rock wall and it immediately grabbed her attention. She trotted up to it, much to the confusion of Derpy.
It was a beautifully simple flower: just a thin stalk with a blue flower on the end. To anypony else, it would’ve been a nice sight and nothing more. But to Carrot Top, it was amazing how such a plant could thrive in such a perilous habitat.
“Er, what is it?” Derpy asked, her eyes trailing off in different directions as she followed her friend.
Carrot Top pointed at the lone flower that wafted slightly in the breeze.
The pegasus smiled. “Blue is my favourite color.”
Carrot Top snickered. “You’ve told me that before Derpy.” She smiled lightly. “I just find it amazing how it’s growing here...” she trailed off, peering at the flower for a little while longer before walking again.
The narrow path seemed to trail forever, which annoyed the florist. “We can’t set up camp here...we need to find a cave, at the very least.” she uttered.
Derpy didn’t respond. Presumably she was lost in her own thoughts or she merely nodded again in reply. In this hike, Carrot Top took the role of leader. Purely because she was better at camping out than Derpy. She had often wandered away from Ponyville to see an exotic plant, for example. Despite this, Derpy wasn’t useless at all. Far from it, in fact. She provided excellent company and served as a useful scout thanks to her ability to fly.
The thought of setting a campsite didn’t worry Carrot Top just yet though, as the Sun still hung up high in the sky, covering all the land it could in a radiant glow.
The rocky path slowly started to become more cracked. Carrot Top quickly noticed this and made sure to tread carefully. She didn’t tell Derpy about it; she flew after all.
A few more plants grew out from the cracks in the ground but these were simple grasses at best. There was nothing that enticed Carrot Top like the earlier flower had.
The wind eventually died down, creating an eerie silence. Carrot Top kept her composure though, as it seemed to be perfectly natural that the wind would stop at some point.
Then, the ground began to rumble. Carrot Top froze. She remained still for a little while, calming herself down.
She took a deep breath and resumed walking. Derpy slowed down her flight and kept a watchful eye over her friend, easily noticing the sudden anxiety taking over Carrot Top.
Oddly enough, the two hadn’t noticed until now that the view to their left was blocked by another rock wall. Sunlight poured in from above, however, so the path didn’t darken up much.
Suddenly, Carrot Top felt one of her hooves sink into the ground. Her heart rate skyrocketed, as fear began to take its hold over the pony. She hurriedly took another step, her other hooves beginning to sink too.
“D-Derpy--”
She was interrupted by the ground, which was now caving in on itself. The once flat path was now a horrible mess of rubble and the occasional uprooted plant, all tumbling towards their fate below. Carrot Top quickly lost the ability to stand upright. Not that it mattered anyway, for soon she was free falling amongst the debris towards the ground, which was completely obscured by darkness.
“DERPY!! SAVE ME!” she screamed, flailing her limbs helplessly.
Through all the chaos, she saw the pegasus bravely maneuver herself through collapsing rock. A look of fierce determination was painted on her face. Carrot Top had never seen Derpy this determined or amazingly adept at flying ever before.
The falling mare felt her body get bruised and battered by smaller rocks but her fear overpowered any pain she would have felt. She reached out towards her saviour but fell short of even brushing against her.
Carrot Top closed her eyes. She had accepted her inevitable fate now. This was it. Her final moments.
Blackness clouded her vision. Silence surrounded her.
And yet...a strange aroma of luscious flowers pervaded the air...
She didn’t have time to fully take in the smell, as consciousness soon slipped away from her.
~~~
Carrot Top coughed harshly, the jerking movements it caused woke her up. She slowly opened her eyes, but her vision was blurred. She moved her limbs to check they were still in working order. They all responded. She was lying on her side but couldn’t find the energy to stand on her own hooves just yet.
“D-Derpy?” she coughed again.
She could hear a faint buzzing, but nothing more.
“Derpy...where are you?”
The buzzing continued. It sounded like it came from an insect.
“Oh no...no no no...” she shook her head and curled up on the floor. Even when most of her strength and senses had returned, she still lay there.
She could hear the buzzing again. It was more clear and louder than last time.
Slowly but surely, she climbed back onto her hooves. Her first course of action was to inspect her surroundings.
She was under a huge, green plant that was extremely basic for a plant of that size. It would’ve at least taken three of her to match its height. It was little more than a stalk with two big leaves that provided her with shade. The ground was light brown and quite hard to tread on but it appeared to be far from infertile. The big plant next to her proved that much.
She felt lighter than she was on the mountain. She soon discovered why though. Beside her was her saddlebag. It was battered and open, meaning it had spilled its contents. Food and water littered the ground but thankfully, they were all in containers. Other items of note were her notepad, pencil and a trowel.
She sighed and began to put all of her items back in her saddlebag and put it back on her again. Once that was done, she started to look at her surroundings beyond the plant beside her.
Everything dwarfed her. High above, she could see a vast canopy of massive tree branches criss-crossing each other. They blocked incoming sunlight, creating patches of light and shade onto the forest floor.
Other plants similar to the one that she was standing under grew nearby. A pool of water was also located to the left of her. It looked clean and pure, but she was reluctant to leave the safety of her cover.
She could hear more buzzing now. What terrified her was that she could not see the source of the sound. She heard rustling nearby...
She jumped around, looking behind her. She was met with a rocky wall that moss had decided to grow on. Even the moss was bigger than her. That is, if it was even moss at all. It certainly looked like it.
The terrified earth pony began to pace about under the shade of the tall plant. Her mind was bombarded with questions and fears.
An idea stuck out from amongst the rest of her thoughts. She laid down and opened up her saddlebag. From within, she retrieved her notepad and pencil. With the pencil in her mouth, she began to write onto the pages of the pad. Luckily, the paper wasn’t too worse for wear.
I need to write down my thoughts.
She paused, unsure of how to start from there.
My name is Carrot Top and I have found myself in a strange, nightmarish world that is certainly NOT Equestria. I do not know how I got here but I shall do my best to detail my actions prior to my arrival here.
I was simply enjoying a hike with my best friend, Derpy Hooves, on Mount Repose. Everything was fine. Lovely, in fact.
But then as I was walking along a mountain pain, the ground collapsed. I fell into a deep chasm and blacked out...then I awoke here.
She looked around.
Everything here is huge. What would appear to be a tiny sapling in Equestria is as tall as a fully grown tree here. I hear buzzing from insects...I pray to Celestia they do not dwarf me as well.
The buzzing, as if on cue, sounded again.
The buzzing reminds me of what I’ve lost: Derpy is gone. Now I am alone and my thoughts can only be shared with this notepad I have. I don’t know if she is back in Equestria or in the same realm that I am in. I hope dearly that it is the latter.
She stopped writing to grab her water bottle from the saddlebag. She took a big swig of it, taking comfort in the fact there was a water source nearby. Although she wasn’t too sure if it even was water.
Water seems to exist here, much to my relief. That means I just have to conserve food. I heard that ponies can live for days without eating anything. That better be the case.
She dropped her pen and rested her head on her hooves. She re-read what she had wrote. Her mind was clearer now and she had started the process of calming down. But where panic left her, sadness returned to fill her.
She looked up the sky. It seemed so far away and the forest canopy certainly didn’t help. She held out hope that she could see Derpy flying in the air, looking for her. But there was only thin air.
She then looked at the body of water nearby. If there was one thing she needed to do right now, it was to confirm if it was indeed water. She stood up and reluctantly left her things behind as she headed to the pool.
She looked down and saw herself staring back. She looked tired already. Stray hairs were protruding from her mane and she was covered in small bruises.
Yet that was the least of her worries. She lowered her head towards the liquid and after mentally preparing herself, took a quick drink. She swallowed hastily, nearly causing her to choke. It tasted of water but she waited to see if she dropped down dead from poisoning.
It was apparent that she had nothing to worry about.
She slipped into the water, immediately feeling refreshed from it. The water reached up to her neck, so she was able to keep her head above the water line in order to breathe.
It then became starkly apparent just how clear the water was. She could see almost everything under water. Her hooves, the mud that she kicked up as she trudged through it and small pebbles.
Then she heard a splash.
She gasped and leapt out of the water. She quickly searched around, trying to find the source of the splash. She soon found it. In the near distance, were a group of tadpole like creatures. The odd thing about them was that there were almost the size of Carrot Top.
They seemed to be fleeing from her, so she entered the water again and observed from afar.
The beasts were eerily similar to tadpoles. Most of their body consisted of a large, blue head with small gills jutting out and two bulbous eyes, one on each side. They also possessed a tail, that had pale yellow, slightly transparent edges with bold yellow spots.
They seemed to look at her for a while, then resumed their normal activities. Carrot Top was surprised that something was afraid of her in this world full of huge plants but she decided not to press her luck. She left the water and found a spot of Sunlight and basked in it to dry herself off.
She smiled lightly, enjoying the warm sensation. “Thank you Princess...” she whispered. She entered a calm state but was careful to avoid dozing off. Once she was dry enough, she shook herself up and returned to her things.
Thankfully, they were still there. She lay down again in front of the note book and resumed writing.
Not everything here seems to be doom and gloom. I have confirmed that water is present here and Celestia’s Sun still watches over me. Does she know of my current situation? Either way, I am thankful that her Sun watches over me still.
I have just encountered the first animal here. They resemble tadpoles but are almost equal to me in size. That said, they seem to be afraid of me. I shall name them Wogpoles for easy reference.
Still...I do not know if, like tadpoles, they will mature to a frog like creature. If they do then...the size of it is too horrifying to comprehend.
She peered around once again. The wogpoles seemed to be the only animal around this area, so she deemed it as safe. Despite this, she was afraid to stray too far away.
She then exhaled deeply. The biggest, most worrying thought hung about in her mind and was refusing to go away.
I do not know if I’ll ever get home. I don’t even know where to begin living in this world. But...
I will make it my mission to return home somehow. Something within me tells me that it is entirely possible. Could this be just denial? I am not sure but I am thankful that even now, I still have hope.
However, for now I shall rest here. There must be food nearby, so I will begin to search for that soon enough. I’ve also deemed it fit to name this area, just to make it feel more familiar. I shall name it...
Departure Pond.
I won’t stay here forever, after all.
I shall make this notepad my journal and document all my thoughts and activities on this world. It helps to combat the loneliness somewhat but...nothing could ever replace Derpy...
Carrot Top sighed, putting away the notepad and pen back into her saddlebag. She then gazed up at the canopy above.
“Derpy, please....please be safe, wherever you are.”
Now read Chapter 2 - Budding Friendship to find out how Derpy is doing!
Pesticide
A/N: If you have not read what Derpy is up to yet, then click here for Chapter 2!
The morning Sun shone through the canopy, almost blinding Carrot Top as she slowly flickered her eyes open. She rubbed her face, sighing deeply as she got accustomed to her strange surroundings. She had hoped that this was all a horrible dream but here she was in the flesh, plain as day.
The previous night didn’t permit her to sleep peacefully, for the sounds of ravenous beasts could be heard constantly. Their collective din instilled fear into the mare and so she only slept for a few hours. Despite her tired state, she was determined to search for Derpy.
Carrot Top was a determined pony, rarely ever giving up if she saw hope. During the Parasprite invasion of Ponyville, the horrid pests devoured all her crops. While she was understandably distraught at her all hard work being eaten away, she strived to replace all her missing plants. She still had some of them today. Granted, that situation was entirely different to this one but the principle was the same; don’t give up.
Her stomach began to rumble, a sign that she needed to wake up fully. Her saddlebag was still beside her, so she rummaged through it and got out a small tin containing four sandwiches, each filled with raspberry jam.
If she wanted to survive, she knew that rationing was the only viable option. Once she ran out of supplies, only then could she dare to sample whatever was edible on this world. She picked just one sandwich and began to eat it. One a day should do her fine since she at least had the luxury of a water supply.
As the mare ate, she took in her surroundings once again. There was a light breeze today that created small ripples on the pool of water nearby. Patches of sunlight that broke through the trees up above made little lighter spots on the ground.
Leaving the shade of the plant she had slept under, Carrot Top decided to bask in one of the pools of light. She instantly felt the Sun’s warm rays beam onto her, making her feel relaxed. However she soon moved out as she didn’t want to fall asleep again. Furthermore, she needed a drink.
She approached the water’s edge without much fear and managed to smile at the wollywogs as they swam in the pond, their tails wagging from side to side rapidly. Lowering her head, she drank as much water as she possibly could without stopping to breathe. Then she quickly raised her head and gasped for air, her dry throat now soothed.
She observed the wollywogs who all seemed to be quite settled. It was odd. Despite being in a world where almost everything towered above her, a world where she could easily get lost or killed...there was still a sort of charm about it. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense; this world may be incredibly dangerous but it still supported life. And life is wonderful.
The water was clear enough to enable her to spot something else that lurked in it. Or rather, grew in it. Four blue stalks with green leaves were buried in the ground.
What piqued Carrot Top’s interest was the mere size of them. They were smaller than her which was incredibly odd considering the rest of the flora that exceeded her height. She had to investigate.
Upon entering the water, her body immediately went cold. Thankfully though, she wasn’t completely submerged and she could walk through the pool instead of swim. The wollywogs felt her movements and quickly swam away to safety.
Approaching the plants, she felt strangely entranced by them. She felt compelled to pluck them from the ground. It was just a plant, what was the worst that could happen? That said...this was a strange land...
Swallowing a lump in her throat, she built up her courage and yanked all of the plants from the ground. She gasped in shock as she saw tiny creatures burst from the soil and land right next to her.
She didn’t need to even take one glance at it. Taking no chances, she galloped straight for land and went back under the plant where her saddlebag was. Breathing heavily, she looked back only to see the creatures running straight for her.
She screamed and ran as fast as her legs would take her yet the creatures still followed her every step. Unfortunately she couldn’t gallop forever and had to stop near the pool, too exhausted to go on. Her pursuers caught up with her, not looking tired one bit.
Carrot Top closed her eyes and curled up, just waiting for the inevitable attack. She waited and waited but the creatures made no move on her.
Opening an eye, she saw the organisms simply stare at her with big round eyes. Since they weren’t doing anything other than that, she took the opportunity to examine their features.
They were completely blue, save for the leaf atop their stalks. As she looked at their eyes, she calmed down slightly as they looked a bit endearing. They also had triangular mouth of sorts but as the mare cautiously stepped closer to them, their mouths looked more like a set of gills. The creatures were also bipedal, with three tiny digits extending from their hands and feet.
Carrot Top blinked as she saw the distinct resemblance it had to an old story her mother told her once. The tale of Forest Sprites called Pikmin, who would help poor lost ponies...
“But I don’t wanna go to sleep!” Carrot Top protested, yet didn’t fight back against her mother gently pushing her into bed.
“Don’t you want to have good dreams?” Her mother, Amber Petal, asked.
“I do but...” Carrot Top started to retreat into the bed sheets. “I don’t want nightmares either.”
“Carrot Top dear, you’re far more likely to have a dream than a nightmare.” Despite this reassuring fact, her daughter still seemed afraid. “Would it help if I told you a story?”
The filly nodded several times.
“Very well. How about I tell you the story of the Pikmin?”
The younger pony giggled upon hearing the name. “They sound funny.”
“They can be. They’re very helpful creatures. Legend goes that one day an adventurous stallion decided to explore the Everfree Forest all by himself.” The mare began to explain.
Carrot Top gasped. “But that’s really dangerous!”
“Indeed it is my dear. However this pony didn’t take heed of the warnings. He went deeper and deeper into the forest, thinking that he could easily get back home. But when that time came...he quickly found himself running in circles. Worse still, the night was beginning and he could constantly hear the roars of unknown beasts.”
The filly gulped but was still eager to hear more.
“As he was trying to find a way back to Ponyville, some shimmering colors caught his eye. He approached them slowly, amazed by the brightness of the blues, yellows and reds. He was then caught by surprise as one of the lights jumped out in front of him! He didn’t need to worry though, for the bearer of the light meant him no harm. This was a forest sprite; a Pikmin. They were very small, walking on two stubby legs. Using one of its arms, it gave a little wave to the stallion, who waved back. The Pikmin also had beady, cute eyes and on top their heads was a stalk that held a flower on the end.”
“A flower?!” Carrot Top said excitedly. “What type? Was it pretty?”
Amber snickered. “Yes, it was very pretty. Yellow in the centre, with five big white petals.”
“Sutera cordata.” Carrot Top stated.
“Very well done Carrot Top! That is indeed the flower they had on their stalks.” The filly beamed proudly upon receiving her mother’s praise.
“Anyway, these Pikmin were very friendly creatures. The stallion saw them play with each other, games such as tag or hide and seek. Yet when they saw the stallion, they could feel his sadness and knew that they had to help. Although the stallion could not understand them, he soon realized what they were trying to do and followed them through the forest. He looked down at them, amazed by the beautiful colors they all had. It is also said that they sang together in a harmonious choir to ward off monsters.”
“Uh, Mom?”
“Yes dear?” Amber smiled sweetly at her daughter.
“What does harmonious mean?” She asked.
“Well you know what harmony means, so what do you think?”
Carrot Top put a hoof on her chin, thinking deeply. “Oh, I get it!”
Her mother nodded and continued. “The Pikmin led the stallion out of the Everfree but as he left the trees, he turned back to see that the Pikmin would not join him.”
“Why?”
“Because dear, the Everfree was their home and they did not want to leave.” Amber answered.
“But it’s dark and scary in there!” Carrot Top protested.
“That is true but the Pikmin had each other and could make the Everfree seem like a happy place.”
Carrot Top raised an eyebrow. “Is this one of those stories with a moral?”
Her mother chuckled. “Yes. It’s that there is always hope. Even when times look bleak, never give up. There will be a way forward.”
“That story was short...” The child huffed. “But I liked the Pikmin.”
“I quite like them too.” Amber smiled. “Will you please go to bed now Carrot Top?” She asked sweetly.
“Okay...” Carrot Top grumbled, putting her head on the pillow.
“There’s a good girl.” She leaned forward, planting a peck on her daughter’s cheek. “I love you Carrot Top, sleep well.”
“Love you too Mom.” And with that, Amber went to the door and turned off the lights. She then closed the door, leaving Carrot Top alone in her room. The filly snuggled up in her bed, putting her hooves around her favorite doll: a big, plush carrot. She then closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, a light smile on her face.
“Mom...” Carrot Top stared at the ground but appeared to look right through it for a few moments. When she looked up, she was met with the curious gazes of the creatures.
“I suppose you’re not leaving me, huh?” Carrot Top sighed, knowing that there would be no response from them.
Deciding that it’d be easier to refer to the creatures as Pikmin, the mare went onwards. She went back to her supplies and gathered them up. The wogpoles had once again calmed down and Carrot Top took one last look at them before beginning to leave the area.
She set off at a light trot and the Pikmin were easily able to adapt to her pace, always keeping just behind the pony. The safest way out of Departure Pond seemed to be a little pathway clearly marked by two decaying plant stalks growing up then tangling into one another, making an archway that almost seemed intentional. The natural path dipped in a little under the arch, where a cloudy pool of water lay. Carrot Top merely charged through it, her hooves splashing through the dirty water.
After the archway, the path suddenly got a lot narrower. Two natural walls of earth stood either side of the mare, roots and small plant life escaping from it. As the path began to slope up, Carrot Top peered up above her. Most of the sunlight was blocked now by a bridge of leaves and stalks, some living and some dead.
Carrot Top should have enjoyed the company of the Pikmin, even if she couldn’t understand them. Instead, she was unsettled by them. They just keep staring, not offering her any private time. In addition, she could always hear the pitter patter of their feet across the ground.
To make matters worse, they weren’t even helping her. All they did was follow and what use is a servant who can’t understand orders? Their very existence mocked her. All they did was remind her of that story and that would remind her of her mother...
Carrot Top stopped and looked back at the Pikmin. They didn’t even have eyebrows so they were completely unreadable. Their lack of any obvious purpose frustrated her. If they were going to be dead weights then they were going to be ditched.
“Just go away!” She screamed. The Pikmin did not respond. Normally she had greater patience but this world had put a severe strain on it.
Having had enough of this nonsense, Carrot Top decided that the only way to get rid of them was by force. She gently pushed them away, hoping they would get the message. They didn’t so she started to shove them. The Pikmin fell on the floor, chirping but always got back up.
“That’s it!” Enraged, she grabbed a Pikmin by its stalk and threw it into the air with all her might. The Pikmin made a graceful arc in the air and landed on its two feet, undamaged. What Carrot Top saw next was more curious and gradually calmed her down.
The Pikmin began to go paler and it lay down on the ground, relaxing. It seemed completely uninterested in the pony and anything around it. Carrot Top raised an eyebrow and stomped a hoof on the ground in order to gain its attention. Her actions actually achieved the opposite effect, as when she turned around the other Pikmin were in the same state as the thrown one.
She could have left them there and finally gain some solitude but curiosity drove her to find out what exactly was going on here. Wanting to gain their attention, she tried whistling.
It shouldn’t have worked but amazingly, it did. The Pikmin’s stalks were completely upright for a split second and color flushed back into their bodies. They stood behind the mare as if nothing had happened.
So I can dismiss and call them to me...I need to note this down later. She thought and went onwards. The Pikmin would stay with her for now.
Suddenly, the ground started to rumble slightly and soil became unturned. Carrot Top looked around cautiously. Clearly, something was burrowing up from the earth.
The diggers revealed themselves just a short distance away in front of her. There were three of the creatures and they looked vaguely the same, although there were differences. All were shorter than the Pikmin, although were much fatter. They looked very similar to grubs in Equestria.
Two of them were completely pink with black eyes and had small mandibles.The other definitely stood out from the rest, having a distinctive purple head and rear. Both of these regions seemed armored in an exoskeleton, although the brown middle was like that of the pink grubs. The purple grub seemed much more fearsome, having green eyes and a much bigger set of mandibles.
Before she had time to tell whether they were friend of foe, the grubs slithered towards her. Their bodies pulsated as they went across the ground, making Carrot Top feel very uneasy. She took small steps back from the grubs, who were getting too close for comfort. The purple one then leapt for Carrot Top, barely missing her as she swiftly jumped to the side.
“Do something!!” She panicked, pointing a hoof wildly at the purple grub. The Pikmin then marched towards the creature and started hitting their leaves against the creature. Carrot Top had to flinch as she saw the force at which the Pikmin attacked. For such frail looking creatures, they sure seemed to have a lot of hidden strength.
The purple grub ignored the pony and started going after the Pikmin, who danced around it as it tried to make strikes at them. The pink grubs meanwhile, didn’t do anything to help at all. Glad that there was only one hostile, Carrot Top watched the battle intently, unsure whether to intervene.
A high-pitched scream forced her to make a decision; a Pikmin was trapped between the mandibles of the grub. The other Pikmin seemed to be unaware of this and kept making their attacks on the creature. Carrot Top galloped forward and stomped hard on the fleshy brown part of the grub. As a reflex, the creature released its grip of the Pikmin who immediately resumed attacking.
She watched the transition of the grub from attack mode to fleeing but before it could escape, the strikes of the Pikmin forced it onto its back. It flailed around and then lay still. She didn’t need to a check a pulse to know that it was dead.
The pink grubs hurriedly used their mandibles to burrow their way back to safety, deep underground. Carrot Top decided that she would leave the scene too and let out another sharp whistle. With the Pikmin behind her, she galloped away from the corpse of the grub.
She was pumped full of adrenaline, fear and guilt. It felt reassuring to know that the Pikmin could defend her but at the same time, now she knew that creatures could come from beneath her as well. Was anywhere safe in this crazy world? Furthermore, she had killed a living thing. Granted it did want to kill her and she had killed pests that endangered her flowers before but...up so close, she could only relate to it more somehow.
The right hand side of the path curved out, making a small enclave which she now found herself in. A large tree root dropped from the top of the wall and went into the ground, making some shelter where Carrot Top could stay for the night. Up ahead, the narrow path only went on further so she decided that this would be where she could rest for tonight.
Going under the protection of the root, she took off her saddlebags and lay down. The Pikmin still stared at her so she stomped her hoof hard on the ground, dismissing them. She relaxed as they did, glad to not have an audience.
Apart from the root, nothing else of note was here and that included Derpy. Carrot Top sighed deeply, getting out her journal and her pencil. She knew that this would be hard, almost impossibly so but that didn’t stop her from getting her hopes up when she entered a new area.
Deciding that the rest of her day would be spent writing, she began scribbling down words in her journal:
Day 2
I have made a very...peculiar discovery today. That discovery is a new species on this world, which I’ve dubbed as ‘Pikmin’. This is only because they look so similar to the Pikmin forest sprites that my mom used to tell me about.
For some reason, I believe they have mistaken (or perhaps decided?) me for a leader. They constantly follow me for no obvious beneficial purpose and they can follow basic orders. I can even throw them into the air and they will not mind.
They’re always staring at me, which is rather unnerving. I do not understand them nor do I know their motives...but so far they have been helpful. You see, I encountered a hostile creature today. A species that could burrow up from the ground! They looked particularly repulsive, resembling grubs with huge mandibles.
Carrot Top paused, realizing that she would probably have to give this species a name too. She sat there for awhile in thought, before continuing.
I shall call them Mandigrubs. They came in two forms: two were pink, completely fleshy and had small mandibles. One however was the main threat and the one who tried to attack me. It was more armored, purple and had a much bigger set of mandibles that looked like they could easily break my bones. I’m assuming that the pink Mandigrubs were either juvenile or female and the purple one was a male. But I could be very wrong in my assumptions.
As I mentioned, the purple Mandigrub attempted to strike me. Luckily I managed to dodge and ordered the Pikmin to attack it (a very sloppy order, looking back on it but somehow they got the message). They quickly felled the beast...with my assistance.
She sighed, looking back down the path she had came from. The corpse wouldn’t be there for long.
When I was a little filly, my Mother always told me that all life was sacred. Granted I didn’t always remember that when I was killing pests that threatened my plants but...it still rings true, even here. That Mandigrub was just trying to survive. Like I am. We were both fighting to survive here and it lost. I made it lose.
She stopped writing, taking a deep breath. She didn’t like it but this type of occurrence seemed like an inevitability here.
Anyway, back to the Pikmin. It seems that I give them basic commands. If I point somewhere, they go that direction and attack. If anything is there that is. If I stomp a hoof hard on the ground, I dismiss them. When dismissed, they go a paler blue (ah, I forgot to mention this species was blue. Another important note to add is that they have gills, which is probably how they survive in water...such complex creatures.) and also get lazier. If I let out a sharp whistle, they go back to my command.
My biggest gripe with them is how much they remind me of home. Especially my Mother.
At this point, her writing got a bit more sloppy as the feelings sunk in. What if she died here? Then she’d never see her Mother again. Amber would never know what happened to her daughter...
She’s such a pretty mare. Always was. Orange mane just like mine but less curly, a light blue coat...perfect for snuggling into. And beautiful amber eyes. I always remember that when I came home from a bad day at school, I would look into those eyes of hers and I knew, I just knew, that somehow everything would be fine. I wish I could see her eyes right now...
“Mom...I need you. I miss you...” She whispered, her voice trembling.
And thinking of her makes me think of my Father. Oh Dad...I think I need to stop writing now...
The Pikmin were lost in their own world of almost childlike ignorance, leaving Carrot Top alone. She dropped her pencil, it rolling off her journal page and onto the ground. She lay down, resting her head on her forelegs. Her eyes were beginning to well up, so she closed them to avoid having a blurry vision. Sleep was probably her best option now, for she had the chance to dream and escape the burdens of the real world. Yet without her parents nearby, she felt more vulnerable than ever before.
A/N: Chapter 4 coming soon!