…
…
… I…
…
… I wonder if it was... appropriate of me to say "Solaris Dammit" about the extra ticket like I did?
… I mean... I guess it’s not that big of a deal when I think about it. I swear in my head all the time! It’s a totally normal, everyday occurrence that I shouldn’t spare another thought towards. End of discussion.
...
…. But… the swearing isn’t the part that’s truthfully bothering me right now.
What’s bothering me is that…
… well…
… It’s just…
… I wonder if the… rumor about that particular swear is true.
The rumor that, by invoking the Princes’ name, he’ll be able to, t-to... see you, no matter where you are. ‘Thou shalt not take the name of the Prince in vain’, or something of that effect.
Silly, right?
Yeah…
... Y-yeah! Completely silly! It's just another silly pony superstition, that’s all. Magic is powerful, sure… but Solaris can’t possibly see EVERYTHING like that! He’s just a regular old (X100) stallion at the end of the day, not a real god! He couldn’t possibly be spying on us all…
…
… Right?
“S-so who are you going to give the tickets to, Dusk?!” I loudly ask the pony carrying me into Ponyville. The volume of my voice is completely indicative of my curiosity towards my friend’s answer, and certainly not instead a ploy to drown out the growing sense of paranoia that’s threatening to overtake my mind and fill it with dark conspiracy theories tied to the sad state of the multiverse and reality as a whole along with all the horrific ramifications such an epiphany could yield that's terrifying enough to drive a lesser woman STARK RAVING MAD no siree Bob!
Definitely no deflecting here whatsoever!
Thankfully not sensing that I'm in the middle of my latest bout with existential horror, Dusk instead grunts out a basic response of, “I don’t know, Barb,” as he tilts his head to face me. His pace remains steady as he does so, his attention thankfully not too divided between walking and talking. The path ahead of us into Ponyville proper is helpfully free of obstacles and passersby, making it a relatively smooth ride. “But I really can’t think straight when I’m hungry.” I share that sentiment. “Sooo... where should we eat?”
Hmmmm… Good question. Goooood, distracting, question. Let’s see… I don’t have a real solid idea of where the restaurants are in Ponyville yet. The two of us have been in town long enough to know where to purchase our quills, furniture, and groceries... but that’s about it. No particular establishment comes to mind when I think about it either; neither from my real life recollections or from my foggy show knowledge. I half remember Twilight eating outside in one episode or two, but beyond that I'm drawing a blank…
… Ah! Wait! Sugarcube Corner! I can’t forget about that place! I know it’s not a real restaurant, but I’m sure the Cake’s will have a few good suggestions for us if we ask. I also think it's nearby where we’re traveling right now, so I bet if I look around I can probably spot i- Aha! Here it is right next to us! What are the odds? I wonder if BB is working here today as well…? Oh! He is! I can see him through the window, and he can see me! He’s waving... and now he’s jumping up and down... and now he’s launching himself towards the door and us at blisteringly high speeds…
…
… Wait wha
SMACK!!
I say, the ground and I are becoming quite the close couple today. He dashes to meet me, I come rushing to meet him; it’s quite the romantic love story if I do say so myself! I really should stop stringing him along like this though and tell him that I’m already married! Maybe then he’ll give me my space...
… Also yes, before you ask, I am totally counting reincarnation as an extension of the ‘until death do us part’ portion of my marriage vows. Please don’t judge me too harshly on this; my head is currently filled with more dirt, rocks, and pain at the moment than smarts so I might be just a tad bit loopy. Ow...
“Owie…”
Snatching the words from our lips, Bubble Berry moans out painfully on both mine and Dusk's downed behalves. From my homely new spot nestled between two stallions and the dirty country trail, I'm able to plainly make out the fact that the pleasantly pink pony is currently regretting his life choices; specifically his haphazard decision to greet us via a flying jump hug instead of literally anything else. Good grief... Guess I can’t fault a young stallion for his childlike enthusiasm towards seeing his friends. Hopefully he’ll learn how to simmer down that hype of his someday.
Though, if what I can still recall from the show is any indication, this won't ever be the cas-
"GGGGAAAAHHH!!"
My internal monologue finds itself cut short by Berry and his sudden ear-piercing screech of fear.
This day is going to end with a headache for sure, I can just feel it.
“GGAAAHHH!” continues to wail our resident party pony as he opens his eyes and discovers his vision obscured by the sight of the three tickets laying flatly across his face. “Oh sweet Solaris I’VE GONE BLIND!! BIG BRO KNEW THIS DAY WOULD COME, BUT I DIDN’T LISTEN!! I DIDN’T LISTEN!! AHHHHH!!”
Forced back up right into standing positions, Dusk and I collectively sidestep around the wild stallion as he charges in place in a bid to rid himself of his newfound infliction of blindness. Oddly enough it works, in a roundabout fashion, as BB eventually does indeed manage to dislodge the tickets after a bit of effort. It doesn’t take him long to notice the return of his eyesight, nor does it take him long to notice the three golden pieces of paper now shining brightly in the afternoon sun.
“Ahhhh… Waaaiiit,” he then muses aloud, hardly taking the time to catch a breath in-between his abrupt screaming and his equally abrupt usage of regular Ponish. Just… roll with it, Barb. Just roll with it. “Is this…? This isn’t…”
And then, the next thing I know, actual real stars replace this pony's irises and shine out brightly for all to see.
Geez Louise how horrifying.
Sensing that Berry’s volume is about to spike into the stratosphere thanks to this revelation, the fins next to my ears instinctively fold in on themselves in order to protect me from what's about to come. Um... thanks for the save, dragon-based evolutionary traits... I guess?
“Tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala?! THE Grand Galloping Gala?!?! D-Dusk,” titters the pony with the three ear piercings as he turns towards Dusk and dons a ravenous look. “Is this for real? Like, for real real?? G3 is, like, the most amazing incredible tremendous super-fun wonderful terrifically humongous party in all of Equestria!! I’ve always always always wanted to go there!!”
Suddenly there’s music in the air.
Like… real music in the air.
I believe I mentioned this earlier when I was last with Red Gala, but the ponies of Equestria really do sing and perform the songs we hear in the show. It's a quirk of Pony Magic that allows one’s inner feelings to resonate with the atmosphere around them, thus producing sounds akin to harps, trumpets, and even complex instruments like pianos.
In Berry’s case, I guess circus calliopes are on the metaphorical table now too.
I'm honestly not surprised.
“Oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me~” bounces the young adult in place as his inner magic influences his surroundings. “Oooohhh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for meeee~ Hip hip, hooray! It’s the best place for me; for Beeeerrrryyy!!~”
Dusk and I can’t help but stare as BB begins to vibrate even harder in place, all while listing every single little activity there is to do at this darn event. I’m starting to think that breathing is optional for this pony.
“With decorations like streamers and fairy-lights and pinwheels and piñatas and pin-cushions…. With goodies like sugar cubes and sugar canes and sundaes and sun-beams and sarsaparilla! A-and and... Dusk! Barb!” squees Berry right before dragging the two of us into a tight bear hug. “We can even do my favorite-est of favorite fabulous pastimes of all time! The three of us…”
He leans in closer.
“... can get totally WASTED there! Canterlot has gotta have that gooooood stuff!” My body unwittingly bobs to and fro as the earth pony continues to shake. “Eeeeee! This is going to be soooo much fun!!”
“... Barb is seven years old, BB,” Dusk states dully, clearly still dazed from the surprise pony contact.
With a nonchalant wave of a hoof, Berry tsks at this. “I’m sure they’ll have foal-size cups.”
“BB, that’s not the point," Dusk insists, pushing himself away from the hugger. "It’s illegal.”
“Hah! Oh Dusk," BB snickers as he drapes another hoof over his friend's withers. "Illegal is just a made up word by the fun police to keep life boring!”
“All words are made up,” my charge retorts before shaking his head to clear his daze. “I-I mean there’s no such thing as a ‘fun police’! There’s just real police, with real laws!”
“That’s just what the nofunminati wants you to believe!”
“The no fun-... what? BB, what the actual hay are you talking abo-”
But then Berry’s magic music conspicuously chooses to grow in volume right at this moment, drowning Dusk’s words out completely. “Oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for meeeee!!~ Oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for meeeeeee!!!~”
With a single huff, my oldest friend begrudgingly allows his own friend's song to reach its completion without further interruption. Sensing his frustration, and honestly feeling a ping of it myself, I lightly pat the side of the bookworm’s head in a silent show of support. Out of all of the new Elements of Harmony I fear that Bubble Berry is going to be the most difficult for Dusk to learn to accept/tolerate. I remember that being much the same case between Twilight and Pinkie Pie too so it’s not too grand a stretch to imagine.
Though his love of the drink is a bit concerning.
The production and consumption of alcohol in Equestria was not a subject that was ever fully fleshed out in My Little Pony, but that's a fact I'm not too shocked about. The writers wrote jokes later on involving the Apple's own cider, which were obviously supposed to be nods and winks towards the substance for adult watchers, but that's all they were; jokes. Often times children's shows will shy away from the subject all together under fear of causing controversy for deviating. Again I was never surprised by this because it was just the norm of kid's television back in my day. If it had gone down differently, with the reality being put on full display, I'm absolutely certain that parents (including myself) would have made our displeased voices loudly heard by all.
To put it bluntly, if this country's legal drinking age of thirteen was ever illustrated on My Little Pony proper I would have never allowed Ashley to watch it.
This explains a lot about Equestria to me and the many many many governmental and societal issues it has. Granted drinking isn't nearly as large of an industry in this world as it was back on Earth, and it's more often used as a social lubricant rather than a horrible anti-depressant, but it clearly has it's fangs in BB all the same. He's thankfully not a complete alcoholic, as I've yet to see him actually drunk, but he does seem to be quite the pusher. His family sells their own microbrew as a side project to their rock farming, which is a detail I'm unsure whether Pinkie Pie's family did too, so it's not that unusual that he's been bringing it up in one form or another ever since we met him. Dusk doesn't like to drink personally, thank goodness, but that hasn't stopped BB from trying to force a mug into his hoof at every opportunity.
BB has unfortunately also tried to do the same with me a few times already, which is strange because he doesn't make the same offer to other kids my age... My dragoness-ness must be throwing him off. A lot of ponies have a hard time telling my age too, not just him, so I suppose I can forgive him for such a common mistake. Hopefully he'll naturally stop offering it to me once he gets to know me better.
I can't exactly tell him; "Sorry, but getting killed by a drunk driver has left me with a deep seeded hatred for the stuff," after all.
Anyways; as I make my way over to pick up the downed tickets, I ponder now on how all the new Element Bearers' quirks and personalities was going to take time for me to get used to as well. They’re vastly different from their mare counterparts, as I have noted time and time again, and I’m still unsure how to process said changes.
To prepare myself for my new role in life as Dusk's aid, I had spent years prior to the Summer Sun Celebration trying to internalize what I could still recall about each pony’s individual nuances. Once the time had come to take advantage of this mental training, however... I found myself forced to throw out the whole gosh darn book! Berry the drinker is largely different to how I imagined he’d be, and so is both Applejack the loud and Rainbow Dash the fabulous. The same can be said of Butterscotch the giant as well, and as for Elusive… Elusive is… is...
“Gasp! Are these what I think they are?”
…right in front of me, isn’t he?
Yup… I was so focused on the task of retrieving the tickets, and so lost within my own thoughts, that I failed to notice the appearance of the white unicorn in question.
The same unicorn who had been inconspicuously burrowing a little hole in the back of my mind ever since I first laid eyes on him...
... Well… at least, since I first laid eyes on him in this life I should say.
The well groomed stallion pays me little to no mind as he stares longingly at the three tickets gripped tightly in my claws. If he noticed that I'm gawking too he doesn't show it. Though our one-way exchange only lasts for but a second or two, to me it felt like an excruciatingly long and awkward period of time. The small twitches his face made as he contemplated on the potential these tickets held; the way his eyes shone brightly as he daydreamed of possessing them, the tiny shake his nose made as his grin grew just the tiniest inch larger… They're all just small little tells and habits, that’s all. Just small little details, same as anyone else’s, that make this pony unique compared to his peers; mark him different from everypony else…
... But I had seen them all before. Every last twitch, tick, and wink.
I had seen them all on my husband’s face so very long ago.
Ugh... Though I've made a personal vow to live this new life of mine as the dragon I now am and not as the woman I once was, and though I've taken notable baby steps towards accomplishing this vow in earnest; little obstacles like this keep painfully anchoring me to the past whether I want them to or not.
“Yes, yes, yes,” cheers Berry from behind me, addressing Elusive’s earlier question and drawing the unicorn's attention away from the tickets. I’m left ignored as a result, but my staring continues regardless of the change. “Dusk’s taking Barb and I to the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot! He doesn’t want her drinking with us though… Hey! Do you want to go instead?! I’m sure little BarBar won’t mind!”
“The gala?” Elusive purrs lowly, unintentionally causing my heart to skip a beat. O-oh boy. “Why, I design suits for the gala every year, but I’ve never had the opportunity to attend!” The pony then spins in place, and allows himself to indulge in a bit of theatrics via the playing of his mane, and with the lifting of his chin. “Oh, the society, the culture, the glamour...” With the last whip of his mane and tail, and with the intentional slow fluttering of his eyelashes, the heartthro-, er, very pretty boy... whoiscertainlynotmakingmycheeksflushatall... finishes his 'modest' display with a confident decree that, “It’s where I truly belong…”
I involuntarily let out a small, dreamy sounding sigh while nopony is looking. Goodness, maybe my interests haven’t been regressed as far back romantically as I initially feared! That’s a comforting thought in a way.
“... and where I’m destined to meet… her.”
Or, at least it was a comforting thought, right up until Elusive let it all come crashing down on top of me.
“Haha, yeah! Her!” beams Berry cheerily, joining in his friend’s good mirth. His smile only lasts for a moment, though, before it’s transformed to mirror the same unsure expression now adorning Dusk's own face. Granting himself a second to reflect, BB once again steals my words as he unknowingly asks the question my mind is now burning with.
“... Who?”
Berry didn’t ask this question as passionately as I probably would have.
This is ultimately good.
This is the adult way to ask such a question.
“Her,” the white stallion elaborates. I feel a rock forming in the pit of my stomach. Is… is there a detail from the show I’m forgetting about here? “I would strut through the gala, and everyone would wonder, 'Who is that mysterious stallion?'” I can’t quite remember why Rarity originally wanted to go to the gala… “They would never guess that I was just a simple pony from little old Ponyville. Why,” Why can’t I remember this? “I would cause such a sensation that I would be invited for an audience with Prince Solaris himself,” You’ve already had an audience with the Princ- No, Barb, focus. “And the Prince would be so taken aback by my style and dignity…” Come on. “... that he would introduce me…” Think. “... to her.
“His niece.”
And, just like that… the final piece of a long incomplete puzzle reveals itself to me.
“The most beautiful, majestic unicorn mare in Canterlot…”
The puzzle of why Princess Bluebelle always looked so familiar to me.
“Our eyes would meet.”
I figured that her male half had to be a character from the show, but I couldn’t for the life of me determine who.
“Our hearts would melt.”
Eventually I chalked it up to him likely being a minor character and left it at that. Now though…
“Our courtship would be magnificent!”
... Now… n-now I can picture Bluebelle and Elusive... together at the gala.
“I will ask her for her hoof in marriage… and of course she would say…”
Her… and MY Elusive…
“Yes!”
…
… I feel like I'm gonna puke.
“We would have a royal wedding, befitting a prince,” begins to wrap up Elusive, his grand vision reaching its climax. I, meanwhile… am cold. Just… cold. “Which is, heh, what I would become upon marrying her, the mare of my dreams.” With a dopey smile upon his lips, the unicorn sighs in bliss as he replays his daydream over and over again inside his head.
My head, meanwhile, is blank and empty…
… Don’t get me wrong; a dangerous maelstrom of emotions and dark thoughts is raging within me as we speak… but I feel as though I am in the center of it all; in the eye of the conceptual storm.
I…
…
… I don’t know what my emotions are doing anymore.
Am I… sad? Disappointed? Confused? Hurt? Angry? Jealous? G, all of the above?
Is this feeling… right? Is it… wrong? Am... I wrong?
Is it right for me to feel this way, even though I'm trying to unshackle myself from my former life? Am I just too young now to process these feelings properly, or are they too jumbled up for even a real adult to decipher? Is crying an appropriate response to this new hurting in my chest, or would throwing a fit be more thematically correct for my position?
I…
…
… I can’t hold off this talk with Elusive any longer.
The next opportunity I get, the next millisecond we’re alone together, I need to confront him on who he is and who he used to be. If he's Jason's reincarnation as I've feared then I need to know what kind of person my death turned him into, and what kind of life he and our children led without me in it. As selfish as this is to say, I want closur-, no... I need closure if I'm ever to hope to be able to truly start my second life anew.
I need it if I'm ever to be free from the shadow of Barbara D. Burns...
... The world outside my mind rudely decides to continue on without me. With a confident smirk now adorning his lips, Elusive approaches my charge with all the swagger he can muster. “Dusk,” he grins like a predator. “Surely you’ll be my wingstallion in this endeavor of mine, yes? You’re of Canterlot blood, so you should be more than capable of stacking the deck in my favor!”
“Oo oo!” chimes in BB as he flails his hoof in the air like an impatient foal trying to get his teacher’s attention. “Can I help you get laid too, Elu-” A quick angry glare from Dusk, followed by his not so subtle nodding in my direction with his eyes, forces Berry to rethink his words for my 'innocence's' sake. “Er, I-I mean, can I help you find love too, Elusive?”
Choosing to ignore the original vulgar slip up, the white stallion chortles loudly for his enthusiastic companion's offer. Draping his forelegs over both Dusk and Berry’s withers in a brotherly embrace, he answers this request with an equally energetic degree of “Oh course you can, my fine sir! You can set the festivities alight with drink and song, Dusk will socially maneuver the pieces into place, and I…” He whips his mane for dramatic effect. “Will gladly do the rest!”
“Ahhhh yeah!!” bounces the Element of Laughter in place, leaving the embrace. “We’re gonna party so flipping hard that Elusive is going to become a prince! Can you two colts say; “Best Night Ever?!”
“Best Night Ever indeed,” nods Elusive happily, providing BB with a hoof bump.
“Um, guys?” Dusk tries to interject. “I didn’t agree to help Elusive hook up with mares yet…”
Hearing Dusk cringe in discomfort over his friends' pushiness manages to knock me out of my funk, and even allows me to smile a little. The situation might look lousy right now, and I assure you it most certainly still is, but I have to remember that this first season ends with the party going awry. Many details may be different in this dimension, but I’m certain that the gala will remain essentially the same. I may have three tickets in my claw now instead of two, but by the end of the day everypony will have one. Life will go back to normal afterwards, and then I’ll be able t-
Wait… Where are the tickets?!
“H-hey!” I cry out as I feel a small and furry creature dart quickly past my feet. Turning to face the little thief as she sped away, my eyes first drift downwards towards the fleeing form of a white rabbit… only for said eyes to immediately soar upwards in order to rest comfortably on the massive yellow form of the gentle giant known as Butterscotch.
The ticket pickpocket, who is the new arrival’s pet bunny Angelica, presents her ill-gotten goods to her master in as showy a manner as a bunny can manage. Butterscotch, as per usual, remains as quiet and unmoving as ever as these ‘gifted’ tickets are presented to him by his woodland companion. He’s as silent as the grave, which is probably why nopony else has noticed his presence yet.
How such a massive pegasus can so easily slink around undetected is anyone’s guess.
Despite his intimidating girth and presence, however, I’ve long since learned that he isn’t anywhere near as dangerous as the other ponies now vacating these streets probably think he is. Butterscotch is just as kind a soul as Fluttershy was, even if he's nowhere near as meek in body or attitude as her...
... This doesn’t mean he gets to keep those tickets though.
“Um… hey, Butters?” I call out, stepping closer to him. The pony’s pink bangs, as per usual, cover his eyes, but the slight turning of his head towards me is really all the visual cue I need to tell that he is listening. Hmmmm, I wonder if Butterscotch’s family has a yak in their tree somewhere? I met a yak once in Canterlot with Dusk back in the day. They’re large and loud creatures by nature, and Butters has at least one of those traits on lock-down for sure… But I’m getting distracted. “Can I get those tickets back please?”
The stallion hardly makes a sound towards my request. At first I worry that he wasn't able to hear me due to my size, as I am rather close to the ground compared to him, but then Butters tilts his head and draws his attention towards the rest of the colts present. Not sparing a word for me, Butterscotch grunts as he lifts up his hooves and begins to approach the rest of the group. I trail far behind him as he departs for this small journey, taking great care to not get squished underhoof in the process. It’s sadly a real possibility when dealing with this particular pony.
As we draw nearer to the gathering, I pick up the tail-end of the still ongoing conversation between our first three party members.
“Uh, listen guys,” Dusk speaks measurably. “I haven’t quite decided who to give the extra two tickets to yet…”
“You haven’t?” questions both Elusive and Berry hopefully. I doubt Dusk was able to bring up Rainbow or Applejack’s interests in the tickets, the poor boy. He’s really not used to navigating social landmines yet is he?
Unfortunately, Butterscotch is about to add another layer of stress to Dusk’s plate whether he wants him to or not. This pony is going to want to see those animals just as badly as Fluttershy did, I just know it. Unlike with his earlier ghost-like stealth that allowed Butters to approach our gathering undetected, the yellow stallion’s hooves now thunder loudly as he methodically makes his way closer to everypony else. All heads turn to him and Angelica’s stolen golden tickets as he slowly finishes his overly dramatic trot.
Silence now lingers over the market streets.
“...”
“... Um… Yes, Butterscotch?” Dusk cautiously inquires. “Were you… interested in going to the gala too?”
“... Yes,” speaks the pegasus at last, though he remains as still as a statue soon after.
“...”
“...”
“... Can I have my tickets back please?”
“... Okay.”
Without moving a muscle, or making any sort of movement that would suggest that an understanding was bridged between the two of them, Angelica nods to Butterscotch as she departs from his side. She then hops her bunny-self over to me and presents me with... two of the three tickets. The third remains squarely lodged between Butter’s head and ear, like a forgotten pencil.
“...”
“...”
“... Can I have all of my tickets back please, Butters?” Dusk asks politely with all the restraint he has left. “I haven’t decided who I want to bring to the gala yet.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“... Please?”
“... I’m going to the gala,” clearly states Butterscotch with an almost uncharacteristic level of finality. It’s enough to give the rest of us pause and stare dumbfounded at the usually timid stallion. Though we expected for him to elaborate on this further, Butters instead chooses to remain statuesque and unresponsive. The discussion on the topic was apparently over in his eyes.
Dusk’s own eyes, meanwhile, were visibly beginning to twitch.
“Oh well now this simply won’t do.”
Now all eyes are on Elusive… Or at least BB’s, Dusk’s, and my own eyes are now on Elusive. I'm not so sure about Butter’s...
“My good stallion,” addresses the posh unicorn towards the burly pegasus. “While I do appreciate your company, and only want the best for you, I have to sadly report that Dusk and I are already married to the idea of Bubble Berry joining us for this event...”
Berry bobs his head enthusiastically in agreement
“... Unless you can recommend a better approach for me to become the talk of the gala. In which case, Dusk and I may reconsider.”
Berry’s bobbing screeches to an unceremonious halt.
Elusive casually pony-shrugs at the resulting glare from his earth pony ally. “What? I like to keep my options open.”
“Is everypony forgetting that this is my decision?!” Interjects Dusk, raising his voice. “Guys! Stop it! This isn’t coo-!”
“Hey wait just a minute!”
“OH WHAT NOW?!” growls the greatly irritated scholar as his head scans upwards towards the latest speaker.
In a quick blur of chromatic colors, a rather disheveled looking Rainbow Dash lands gracefully onto the scene. Though he overlooks us from a vantage point atop Sugar Cube Corner, it’s quite easy to spot how his feathers are now completely ruffled; his left ear is red, his right eye is slightly swollen, and his lip is bleeding a fair bit. Outside of that, I’d say he’s not too worse for wea-
“Good heavens, Rainbow! Your blood is ruining your lipstick!”
The four of us (even Butterscotch) cast an array of judgmental glances at Elusive for this outcry before returning our gazes towards Rainbow Dash. The pony in question is now descending from on high in order to talk to us face to face…
Fump
… Or, at least that’s what I assumed he was doing. Instead of landing on the ground like a normal pony would, Dash instead decided to land on Butterscotch’s back fluff and burrow himself in all comfy-like. Butterscotch doesn't flinch, or even so much as react for that matter, to being suddenly turned into a bird’s nest out of the blue. I… guess this must be a regular occurrence for the two? Maybe a foalhood friend tradition or the like? I vaguely remember the pair doing something similar when RD was sharing the group's heroics at Sugarcube Corner last week, and nopony is treating it like it’s all that strange right now except for Dusk and I, so I suppose I’ll just stop thinking about it.
Dusk doesn’t seem to have this same luxury as me, however.
Dusk looks like he’s about to burst a blood vessel, actually.
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Please allow me to write these words down now for the record so that I may look back at this passage fondly years later and have either a right old laugh, or a right old cry.
Let it be known that I, Barbara The Dragoness, am incredibly happy that I am nothing more than a side character in the grand scheme of the show. I would not have been able to handle those crazed ponies as long as Dusk managed to do if I were in his horseshoes. Though it all turned out fine in the end, if it were me I would have most certainly ended such a disastrous day with a lot less friends.
Note to Self: Try to see if there’s enough ingredients in the kitchen to bake those nachos Dusk likes for dinner tomorrow night.
Note to Self #2: Don’t use The Poisoned Barb as a notepad.
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Begrudgingly taking the sight of a pegasus nesting on top of another pegasus in stride, Dusk calls out through gritted teeth for his friend’s attention. “Rainbow Dash! Why’d you follow me?!”
From his perch atop Mt. Butterscotch, Rainbow tries to smile warmly at Dusk… but his injuries didn’t really add to the effect positively. “I wasn’t following you, Dusk! I swear! I-I was just making sure that I got my ticket before you forgot and- Oh!” Rainbow then calls out as he looks down and spots the third ticket still stuck neatly between Butterscotch’s head and ear. “Well… lookie here.”
He then smirks back towards Dusk mischievously.
“Sooo you took my advice to give the extra to Butters after all! Heh! Awesome! That means the three of us get to party it up together! You psyched to see the animals, Butters?”
Butters nods his head slowly ‘yes’, though this came with the unintended side effect of dislodging the third ticket and sending it tumbling to the ground. Spotting the opportunity, I sprint underneath the sea of pony legs and yank the wayward scraps out of the air. Having had enough of this twisted game of keep away, I proceed to make an executive decision to stow away these blasted slips into the depths of my purse until they’re needed once more. All of the colts were too busy arguing among themselves to catch any of this transpire, and that fact made me feel proud... at least in a childish sort of way. Hehe, just call me Barbara; The Ninja Dragon…
... Er… Or, on second thought, please don't actually call me that. ‘Ninja Dragon’ sounds like a cartoon my little Nathaniel would have woke up early to on Saturday Mornings. I’d rather not be associated with something so silly and juvenile, thank you.
… Said the baby dragon from the magical land of talking ponies... *cough*
“Dusk, why is Dash acting like you already said you were giving him and Butters tickets?” asks Berry suspiciously once Rainbow’s words were properly processed.
“Well, Berry, you se-”
“Dusk, you can’t seriously be thinking of letting Rainbow show off at the gala are you?!” gasps Elusive. “I need the mare of my dreams looking my way, not his… No offense, Dash.”
Rainbow wing-shrugs.
“All’s fair in being awesome, Elusive. If the ‘mare of your dreams’ is a Wonderbolt, then I’m afraid that I’m going to have to be ALL over that.”
“NOW WAIT JUST ANOTHER MINUTE YOU GOSH DARN LIAR!!”
Dusk is on the ground at this point, rocking back and forth with forelegs over his head, as a heavily beaten Applejack comes hobbling his way into the center of Our Little Mob.
“Ah know that ah didn’t just hear you say that you were goin' up there for mares,” fumes the apple pony as he stretches an accusing hoof into Rainbow’s elevated face. “If you’re gonna try to steal the Apple Family’s tickets to this here shindig, then you better at least tell the truth about it!”
“The truth?” Rainbow scoffs, not leaving his yellow pegasus throne. “About what? If I want to be a Wonderbolt, I have to be willing to do anything…”
He then leans in closer to Applejack’s face.
“... Anything~”
“Um… I want to see the rabbits, Dash.” Butterscotch chimes in gently.
As small and innocent sounding as those last few words were, they were unfortunately the final cracks needed to burst the entire angry dam wide open.
Now everypony is trying to talk over one another and everypony is trying to out yell the other in a pathetic attempt to tilt the scales in their favor. As their voices grow ever louder, and as they approach ever closer to one another, Dusk, the unlucky "monkey in the middle", is being forced to endure all of it until whatever little patience he has in him can't seem to handle the abuse any longer.
Trust me, folks; though it doesn’t look like it, this is serious progress for my charge.
“QUIET!!!”
You see, the old Dusk Shine would have skipped town right around the first time he had saw Rainbow Dash today. This new one hasn’t even threatened to turn a pony into a potted plant yet!
I’m so proud.
Once this call for silence is at last recognized by the rest of the group, the boys calm themselves down into a shape that vaguely resembles a civil gathering...
“And then I said, “Screwdrivers? Are you craz-" Oh. Sorry.”
… plus Berry.
A civil gathering plus Berry.
“Guys,” pleads a visibly tired and hungry Dusk Shine. Our poor friend is clearly tapped out and I don’t blame him. “There’s no use in arguing.”
“But Dus-”
With a wave of a hoof, Dusk cuts off Elusive’s rebuttal before he can finish. “Eh! This is my decision, and I'm gonna make it on my own…” He then glares at every last one of us, including me. Huh? What did I do? “... and I certainly can't think straight with all this noise!” Thanks to comedic irony, it’s at this moment that Dusk’s stomach decides to eat itself quite audibly. “Not to mention hunger…” Though he blushes in embarrassment, Dusk refuses to back down as he waves his hoof at us all angrily. “Now go on… shoo!”
A chorus of upset grumbles is the pony’s only reward, but at least his friends are finally backing down. As we all head our separate ways, I can hear Dusk’s last words as he tries to assure us that he’ll figure this all out... somehow.
My heart goes out to the poor boy. With a sigh as I round the corner and continue on my path, I whisper to myself, “I know you will, Dusk. You’ll figure this out in no time. Solaris and I have faith in you, so just have faith in yourself and you’ll make it through this trial. You’ll make it through all the future trials! Just believe in yourself like we do and you wil-”
I then halt completely in my tracks, having been cut off by a rogue thought.
… Wait…
...
“... Why did I leave too?”
…
… Checking my purse, I confirm that yes; I still have the tickets.
More importantly though, I was asked to hold onto Dusk’s bits and house key while he was working at Sweet Apple Acres today. Said bits and key are still in my purse...
...
… With cheeks blushing red, I hurry myself back to Dusk’s waiting side. With his own cheeks tinted just as pink due to the oversight, the two of us share a quick awkward apology before resuming our long overdue search for lunch.
I wonder if any place around here serves gems?