Barb was in her room working on her entry exam for Canterlot High. She didn't want to go to the same school as her older brother Dusk Shine, but she didn't really have a choice. She took a break from the test and went out to the back yard and sat down on the swing that they used to play on when they were young. Those were the good days, before she realized the truth. She swung back and forth slowly until her older sister Gleaming Shield came out and said, "Is everything alright Barb? You look down."
Barb sighed, "Gleam, you don't think I'm stupid right?"
Her sister raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you having self-esteem issues or something? Why would I think my baby sister is stupid?"
Barb scoffed, "If you don't think I'm stupid, then why do you guys keep lying to me? I found out the truth a long time ago. I know I'm adopted."
Gleaming Shield leaned her head back with her hand on her forehead moaning, "Oh for the love of God, I should have seen this coming. Listen Barb-" she said sitting down in the swing next to her and saying, "Mom and dad knew your parents very well. Your dad didn't live to see your birth, and your mom... she didn't make it."
Barb took the news hard, her real father died before she was born, and her mother died giving birth. "So, why you guys? Why didn't I get sent to foster care or an orphanage?"
"Because we didn't want you jumping from home to home. The doctors said you had some health problems that wouldn't go away until your early teens. Mom and dad didn't want you to be abandoned by parents who took you in and then found out about your health problems. That's only one reason, the second one is more important."
Barb looked at her sister and said, "What's that reason?"
Gleaming Shield looked at her younger sister and said, "Unlike the people who take in foster kids, mom and dad love you for you, not the money they'd get paid for taking care of you. You need to remember that while you may be adopted, you're still a member of the family. Mom and dad love you, me and Dusk love you. Remember that Barb." she got up off the swing and went back inside, but not before leaving something on the table on the patio.
Barb got up and picked up what she had left on the table, it was a pack of cigarettes with a note that said, "With love, from Mom and Dad." she had just turned old enough to smoke, and her parents bought her a pack of cigarettes a few days after her birthday. That made her feel a lot better, her parents letting her experience something new for her age. It meant what Gleaming Shield said was true, even if she was adopted, they still loved her like their own flesh and blood.
She went back to finishing her entrance exam when Dusk came up and said, "Barb, dinner's ready."
Barb didn't look up from her paper but said, "I'll be down when I finish my exam."
Dusk's eyes went wide and he yelled, "Who are you and what have you done with my sister!?"
Barb, still not looking up from her paper, gave a sarcastic laugh. "You still have a horribly dry sense of humor, I still have a recording of that train wreck of a prank call. Maybe I should show it to Flare Warden?"
Dusk slammed his hands on her desk saying, "You. Wouldn't. Dare."
Barb looked up to her brother with a grin and said, "Try me."
Their mother Moon Light called them down saying, "If you two don't get down here in the next 10 seconds, I will come up there and pull you down here by your ears!"
The two quivered in fear and said in union "Coming mom!" and then whispered to each other, "This ain't over." before running downstairs.
After dinner was finished, Barb went back to finishing her entrance exam, and when it was finished, she put it in the envelope and put it on her nightstand before going to bed.
The next day, Barbara was up bright and early to put her exam in the mailbox and put the flag up. She pulled her roller blades out of her bag that she always carried with her and put them on. She put a note on the door that said, "Going to the skate park, be back at 3." and skated towards the skate park to meet some of her friends. When she got there, she saw Lil' Pip and Bright Shine already there. She skated up to her friends and said, "Hey girls, ready to get whooped again?"
Bright Shine gave a smug smile and said, "Don't think you'll beat me this time Barb, I've got a new strategy."
Lil' Pip sighed saying, "How did I get stuck in this?"
Barb looked at her younger friend and said, "If you don't want to race, you don't have to, you can just judge. Not that this race will end any differently."
Lil' Pip smiled and said, "Thanks Barb, my ass is still sore from the last race."
Bright Shine said, "So, same course as usual?"
Barb shook her head saying, "Nope, we're doing a new course this time. Start at the top of the half pipe, ollie up the corner quarter pipes with a grind in between, three laps on the wall of the bowl, and then back to the top of the half pipe. Too challenging for you Shiny?"
Bright Shine growled and said, "I told you to stop calling me that! But fine, I'm up for a new run."
The two got to the top of the half pipe and as Lil' Pip yelled out 'Go!' they took off down the half pipe. Bright Shine flew off the other side while Barbara did a 360 and skid down the other side.
She laughed at her friend, who had landed in an open dumpster and said to her mockingly, "Guess that new strategy of yours didn't take into account how fast you'd go down the half pipe!" and continued on her way down the course.
As Bright Shine got back on her feet and went after Barbara, she said, "Don't think that's gonna slow me down Barb!"
A while later the two were trying to gain the air the needed to get back to the top of the half pipe. Bright Shine went for more air so she could finish up with a 1080, but to her surprise, Barb had already gotten to the top when she landed, "W-What!? How'd I lose again!?"
Barbara chuckled and said, "I'm not gonna lie, if you hadn't been so focused on that 1080, you might have beaten me. Well, let's go get something to eat, on me."
The girls went out for some burgers before parting ways. When Barbara got home, she noticed the red flag on the mailbox was down, and picked the mail that was delivered and went into the house saying, "Mail's here!"
Gleaming Shield came downstairs and said to her sister, "You look like you had fun today. I hope our chat yesterday made you feel better."
Barbara hugged her sister and said, "Yeah it did. A lot."