//------------------------------// // Entry 5 (Applebuck Season) // Story: The Poisoned Barb's Tale // by ManlyDerp //------------------------------// ~Dear Diary~ This week I learned an important lesson on how different Ponyville is to Canterlot. Specifically, I learned how different the ponies of Ponyville are to the ponies of Canterlot. Accents are more varied here, tastes are less rigid, and hearts are often times worn clearly on sleeves. When there's a reason to cheer a Ponyville pony will cheer; when there's something perceived as wrong a Ponyville pony will gather friends and family and demand for justice to be done. It's an honest community filled with honest ponies; i.e. the complete opposite of Canterlot. A Canterlot pony waits to cheer until the majority are cheering too, and they'll keep their lips sealed on injustice until it's a matter that effects them personally. It's certainly a stark contrast, like night and day, but it's a contrast I should have been anticipating. I have to be more mindful with my words if I'm going to continue to live here with Dusk, lest I make another pony uncomfortable like I already have. What's normal to ponies up in the mountains isn't necessarily normal to ponies down here in the plains, after all. But I’m getting ahead of myself. It’s been almost two weeks since I last wrote in you, my precious diary, and there’s a good reason for this. Life in Ponyville has been going smoothly since the ticket episode; Dusk has been doing his studies, I’ve been tidying up our new tree home, and Elusive still hasn't built up the nerve to have “the talk” with me yet. I haven't been able to drum up the confidence either so I don't blame him. The two of us are locked in a mental game of chicken in a way; we're both waiting for the other to blink and spill the beans first before willingly doing the same. I’ve been trying to become less emotionally invested in the callousness, and uncaring towards the implications, but it’s admittedly been difficult. If it weren't for my blossoming friendship with Sweepy Belle and Scooteroll, I imagine that I would be a lot less patient on Elusive's dodginess than I currently am. I feel that this lack of frustration stems from the two foals having had a remarkable impact on my long overdue healing. Ever since our first game of kickball opened my eyes to the benefits of acting my age, I’ve been making the effort to see the pair regularly whenever I can. The stress and anxiety I felt when I first started writing this book has lessened significantly thanks to their simple interactions, and the games they share with me. Though last entry I may have described the experience like I was forcefully turning off my brain, all for the sake of acting more like a kid, as of this writing it doesn't feel like that in the slightest. Now I don't have to pretend nearly as hard in order to achieve the same result, except for when I'm happily make-believing myself as a fair princess or wondermare. It just feels natural. Dusk Shine has thankfully been supportive of these playdates of mine... or at least he's not against the idea of them taking up my attention or the like. He's been granting me more time off as of late, which in itself is a good sign that he does approve in some small way; but I'm unsure whether such a change was due to him blessing my friendships or him discovering something about it's magic thanks to the act. Pondering on it now, I wonder if my increased vacation hours may actually be the result of guilt my charge developed when I stormed off in a huff during the last episode? Well, whatever the case may be, I'm not going to complain over some well earned free time. When Sweepy, Scooter, and I do get to form up we usually enjoy playing simple sports and imaginative games of pretend. Sometimes we like kicking back in the grass and enjoying the beautiful summer weather too, and when we do decide to relax we usually end up talking. At first our conversations were mostly centered around the differences between ponies and dragons, what Canterlot is like, what gems taste like, etc. Once these mini-interrogation questions were through, we swiftly switched to more broad and even topics like what our favorite books and comics are, what our home lives are like, and what we want to be when we grow up; to which I've yet to provide a satisfactory answer towards outside of "Dusk's assistant." Laugh all you want, but Sweepy and Scooter haven't been able to come up with answers yet of their own outside of "cutie marks," so at least I'm not alone in this struggle to decide on a future path to take. And that, right there, is the main reason why I've decided to become a friend to these two ponies; this feeling of not being alone on something for once. I'm a reincarnated human mother, a dragon, and a little girl in a mostly stallion-leaning town, but when I'm with these young colts I'm just another one of "the guys." At first I was afraid of unintentionally alienating these foals with my adult soul, and my sad baggage, but the both of them have equally proven to be much more mature and tactful on certain subjects than I would have dared to imagine prior. Scooter, for example, has parents that don't live with him because their jobs as explorers keep them in a state of constant travel. This causes the poor child to feel lonely on occasion, but it hasn't caused him to become an emotionally distant pony on top of this thanks to his uncles' influence. He knows that the two of them take good care of him when they can, and for that he's deeply grateful, so he hasn't felt the need to complain about his lot in life for any real reason yet. While I feel that such an experience has matured Scooter without him realizing it, I'm happy to say that his youth hasn't been robbed from him on top of this. At heart he's still just a kid with a love of speed, a secret scaredy-cat side for all things dark and foreboding, and idealistic eyes for his hero in all things awesome and cool-looking; Rainbow Dash. Sweepy, on the other claw, feels that he's living in Elusive's shadow. He undeniably loves his older brother, and he admires him deeply for his skills; but he also feels that his parents are being blinded by his success and, as a result, they aren't paying nearly as much attention to his own growth as they should be. Sweepy is smart and creative, as I will readily attest, but nothing is being done to help him capitalize on his untapped potential. Usually ponies like him are supposed to be examined and judged for free entry into Solaris' School for Gifted Unicorns, just like with what happened with Dusk on the day of my rebirth, but it seems like Sweepy's family currently has no plans to present him. That truly stinks. I understand that Elusive Belle wouldn't really have much of a say on such a decision, as in the eyes of Canterlot he's not the true head of House Belle yet, but I still wish he was speaking up more for his shy brother's desires. I now feel deeply sorry for my tiny unicorn friend and the whole bum hand he's been forced to deal with. We are kindred spirits, him and I; destiny's chew-toys one and all. The funny thing about Sweepy Belle’s situation, however, is that the colt is more worried for his parent's future then he is about his own. The idea of his mom and dad missing out on his successes, and them feeling guilty later in life for being obstacles in his way rather than the help they could have been, seems to be the main source of his dissatisfaction from what I've been able to gather. He recognizes that the sight of a child growing is an experience that few folks will ever get to appreciate during parenthood... ... which is way too wise and sophisticated of a feeling for a flipping eight year old like him to be expressing while, in the same breath, also explaining to me which Power Pony he thinks looks the coolest. My current theory is that this had to be a lesson that the more world-weary Elusive instilled in my little friend for reasons I can't possibly hope to comprehend. It's certainly a very Jason-esque thing to say, I suppose, and one I can clearly imagine him ranting and raving about regardless of his audience; but that's a detail I'm thankfully finding myself caring less and less about with each passing day. Overall the clawfull of hours I've manged to share with the two sweet colts, the ones I actually care about, have thus far been very entertaining and highly therapeutic. I've been laughing, grinning, and having more fun in general during these last two weeks than I've had in my last two years as Dusk's assistant. I've been having so much fun, in fact, that I actually debated on introducing the two colts to Apple Buck early just so they can form this world’s Cutie Mark Crusaders ahead of canon. It made sense in my head at the time; the rushed creation of the CMC would result in the quicker acquisition of my friends' cutie marks, the quicker forming of their deeper friendships, and the quicker rounding out of our play posse... ... but I quickly decided against forcing their meeting once I took the necessary step back and remembered that time is both a River and a Stone for a reason. Sometimes you have to let things flow naturally, even when you're having fun. I don't particularly like the idea of purposely leaving somepony out because it's whats written in a stupid script, but I suppose Solaris designed The Code specifically with such meddling in mind. I shouldn't be trying to go against the stream just because I can; I just hope that cute bow-tie wearing colt won't be too bored on his own until the day destiny comes knocking finally arrives. Now that I’ve mentioned Apple Buck though, and consequently the Apple Family, I can now segue this entry properly into the real reason for why I’ve decided to write at all this afternoon. I’ve got apples on the mind, you see, and it’s all thanks to Applejack and his stubbornness. Allow me to explain; about a week ago Red Gala hurt herself in a lederhosen accident. The circumstances behind such a scenario are too ludicrous for me to describe properly in the few hours I've been granted to write in today, so please take heart that I will be illustrating it another time. My only reason for pointing the incident out at all is that, with Red Gala out of commission, the task of harvesting the fields for the coming market season had fallen solely on Applejack's withers. All of his extended family had long since gone home after the Summer Sun Celebration fiasco had subsided, and his remaining family was either too young or old to be of any real help with bucking, so he was well and truly the only pony left for the job. At first everything seemed okay; the hearty stallion was not only stripping trees at blinding speeds, but he also found the time to prevent a major cattle stampede from damaging downtown Ponyville. Everypony was so grateful for the latter that the elements organized a town hall appreciation event to thank the hothead personally for all his hard work. It was at this gathering that we all came to realize that something was seriously wrong with our tired golden stallion. But this is not the story I wish to write about today. While everypony else was busy trying to convince Applejack to accept help and to not accidentally destroy the town with bunny stampedes, poison, and by deservingly launching Rainbow Dash into the heavens; I had instead made myself busy with another task entirely. I had made myself busy remembering how Sweepy Belle and Scooteroll weren’t the only friends I had made since I first arrived in Ponyville all those many days ago. ◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠ Knock knock knock “Ugh… Eeyup?” Translating and accepting the invitation to come in, I turn the knob of the door in front of me and enter the foyer proper. The home of the Apple Family looks about the same as when I last ventured here during the Nightterror’s ‘eternal’ night. It’s a very rustic, homely kind of place that makes me feel just a tiny bit jealous. Dusk and I should consider sprucing up the library sometime with picture frames and doilies too. The one thing we can’t truly duplicate is that antique couch though, nor can we duplicate its inhabitant. With bandages wrapped all around her frame, Red Gala looks as if she had just gone a few rounds with an alicorn prince and lost. She never should have taken that stupid bet with her brother! Dusk and I probably shouldn't have helped Applejack win said bet during Ticket Master either... but that's neither here nor there. It's disappointing to see that Red is being forced to recover all by her lonesome. I'm guessing that Apple Buck is outside somewhere enjoying his summer vacation just like my other friends are doing, I can hear Grandpa Smith snoring up a storm upstairs just like he did during my last visit, and considering that Applejack is being… well Applejack right now in the fields; by process of elimination, this must mean that the poor mare has been left to heal without a single creature else to keep her company... ... I'm super glad that I was inspired to stop by to see her now, because this looks like a job for Equestria's number one assistant! “Oh... Hi, Barb,” groans the full grown pony as she, with a bit of effort, rights herself up into a sitting position to better greet me. “What are you doin' here?” Upon setting the decent-sized, nondescript box I came with onto the living room table, I offer up to Red Gala a nice cocky grin. “Oohhh not much, Red," I snicker cheekily. "I just heard that somepony had gone and got herself hurt doing something stupid, soooo I thought that she would probably appreciate the sight of a friendly face... That’s all!” Thanks to my earlier interactions with this amaranth shaded pony, I think I'm now one of the few creatures on this planet capable of telling when she's blushing. “... E-eeyup.” the humbled earth pony confirms for me as her eyes dart downwards towards her bandages. That's enough teasing for today I feel. “Would you like some tea?” I offer up to her kindly as I gesture towards the kitchen. “I can spot where you keep the hoofstool for Apple Buck, so I can totally do it all by myself.” Red Gala grants me a tiny smile of her own thanks to this. “Eeyup, Barb. Thanks.” Nodding my head, I dash into the kitchen and start boiling a pot of water. “Cinnamon apple spice I take it?” I call back. “Eeyup.” “Do you need any honey with it?” “Nnope.” “Are the teacups kept in this far off cabinet?” “Eeyup.” “Got it… It’ll be about a minute then.” “Eeyup.” The teapot begins to warm. “...” “...” "... The pegasi are doing a fantastic job with the weather this season." "Eeyup." "I think there's only suppose to be one or two more rainfalls scheduled before our next demi-season change, is that right?" "Eeyup." "It's really cool how they've got the dryness to wetness ratio down so tightly here! Canterlot's weather is nowhere near as well set!" "Eeyup?" "Oh yeah. We would get announcements of sudden schedule changes all the flipping time! It was annoying to plan around, especially when I needed to go out grocery shopping. Ponyville is way better at it... though the whole 'summer snowfall', followed by a 'spring into fall', is a bit weird if I'm being honest." "Eeyup?" "Yeah. I mean, I get why Cloudsdale needs to make sure that their snow makers are working before starting a full season shift, and that's why we have demi-season changes some years, but I never really thought about how all that practice snow needed to go somewhere in the end." "Eeyup." "Dusk is excited to be part of the whole 'Winter Wrap Up' thing next month, and I'm happy to see him wanting to try new things, but I'm not too thrilled by the idea myself. I used to like snow, because it reminds me of Minnesot- reasons! Just... reasons... but 'cold' and 'dragons' don't really mix too well. Literal cold-bloodedness sucks sometimes, Red... Sigh. I'm really going to miss this summer once it's over and done wit-" The teapot begins to whine. “Ah! There we go.” With tray gripped firmly in my claws, I carefully carry the freshly brewed pot plus clean china over to the living room and set them down gently on the coffee table’s remaining space. I then place Gala's steaming cup in her upturned hoof, to which she responds by nodding her head in gratitude. She then slides over on the couch so as to make room for me, to which I respond by jumping up on the cushions beside her in acceptance. Reaching for my own teacup and lifting it tightly, the two of us take our first sips simultaneously, sigh contently, and together enjoy the tea's pleasantly nice warmth and aroma. Good drinks, good company, and a good atmosphere; can't get much better than this. Awwww~ this is nice. I really need more days like this in my life and less like everything else. I'm sure I'd be a whole lot more stable if I did. “... Do you want any treats with this?” I next offer, thinking how snacks sound like a great idea right about now. “Eh… nnope,” Gala responds simply, blushing as she gestures a hoof to her stomach. At first I blink confusedly... ... but then I giggle in realization. “You don’t have to worry about your waistline, Red.” I snicker. I then smack my generous baby fat to demonstrate that, “I sure don’t!” Red giggles now as well, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. “Hehe… Eeyup.” Moments later, after I had returned with a box of premade cookies for us to share, the big red mare gives me a searching look in between bites of her chocolate chip delight. “... You wanna know how Applejack is doing?” I question in response to her gaze, believing to be on the right track. “Er… Eeyup,” the concerned sister admits after a time. Honesty is the best policy for Red, so I make sure that my words are just that; honest. “Well," I start, wiping away crumbs. "He’s seen better days, that’s for sure.” I then relay to her everything I’m sure she was uninformed about; the town meeting, the accident with Rainbow’s latest trick that Applejack caused, how said stallion was slowly losing his marbles and making mistakes, the poisoning… “Hmm?” Red asks, staring at me more intently now than before. I visibly cringe as my mind wanders back in time. _______________________________ “... No… not baked goods… Baked bads!” groans out Bubble Berry from what very much seemed to be his death bed if he wasn’t Bubble Berry. “Give me a hangover any day instead…”   Dusk and I stand in awe at the entrance to a makeshift quarantine zone as pony after pony is being rushed inside for very similar afflictions. I hold one of the culprits for this outbreak in a single claw; an overcooked looking muffin with a worm in it. “Applejack,” glares Dusk, muttering to himself. It was pretty evident to all who was to blame for this horrific oversight. Even if he’s completely out of his gourd right now due to a lack of sleep, Applejack should have known better! He should have known that pony stomachs aren’t made to withstand such a thing! Dragon stomachs, maybe, but certainly not pony stomachs! … Munch munch munch… That’s a real shame too; these aren’t half bad! “Want one?” I offer to Dusk absentmindedly, instantly forgetting what I had just said about stomachs. Dusk's only reply is to give me a (probably) well deserved look of pure disgust and horror. Eh. Whatever. Somepony here must have never had the curiosity to try some of life's more exotic dishes before and it shows. Deep fried grasshoppers and mescal worm tacos were staples of county fairs where I come from, so this is nothing. Oh well. More for me. _______________________________ “Hehe… It’s a long, complicated story, Red. I’m sure that’s one you're gonna want to hear from your brother’s mouth instead of mine.” “Eeyup?” Gala asks again, tilting her head. “Trust me.” “... Eeyup," my friend relents at last, not prying further. “Hey, don’t worry,” I try to comfort, patting her hoof with my claw. “Dusk and his friends are aware that he’s going overboard, so they’re not going to stop until he finally breaks down and accepts their help. I promise.” Clearly appreciating the gesture, Gala takes a nice long swig of her tea and again exhales cheerily. “Eeyup.” I soon follow suit. The resulting silence, minus Gramp’s snoring from upstairs, is, again, nice. I should come by here more often. With Gleaming Shield so far away in Canterlot, Red Gala is really the only gal pal I have easy access to here in Ponyville. The boys are nice, sure, but it's also nice to be with someone I can relate more closely with on certain experiences... "..." “...” “...” “... Say… Barb?” I’m suddenly asked out of the blue. Surprised by the additional vocabulary, even if it was only one word, I turn back to face my big red friend. “Huh? Um… yes, Red?” The mare’s brow is now tightening into a look of pure concentration. This surprises me even further. “Can… c-can ah ask you somethin’... personal?” Blinking, it’s now my turn to tilt my head in confusion. “... Yes?” I strain to respond as I wrack my brain trying to think up what she could possibly want to ask me. With a nod to confirm, Red Gala turns away from me and stares into her remaining glass of tea. The silence between us returns, but now it doesn’t feel nearly as pleasant as it did before. What... what is this about? After a minute had passed, the pony sets her cup on the table as she at last speaks fully. “Do you remember the Summer Sun Celebration?” My blinking increases in speed. “... Yes,” I answer plainly as I now scramble to try to recall any important details I can gleam from that horrible night. So much happened during that extended 'day' that I'm having a hard time recalling anything specific about it. I place my own cup down too as I attempt to focus my mind. “And," Red goes on. "do you remember when we went to town hall together?” “Yes,” again I answer. Oh good, she's being specific. Now I should be able to mentally zoom in on that particular moment and- “Do you remember what you said to the Mayor, Barb?” ... … Huh? The... Mayor? Mustang? What I said to him… What... What did I say? I… think I can recall introducing myself to him, but what’s so unusual about th- And then it clicks. It clicks like the hammer of a loaded gun. Oh no. No no no no. “Barb,” Red Gala speaks slowly and deliberately, her voice radiating a pure and primal sense of animosity. As I fearfully turn to face her on the couch, I find myself unable to blame her for such a heated reaction. I now know what this is all about, and… “Why in the hay does a little filly like you have to go around and call yourself property for ponies?!” … it’s about an aspect of my life that I’ve been purposely not thinking about for years. I am Barbara The Dragoness; Assistant to Apprentice Dusk Shine, Squire to Prince Solaris... and Property of House Shine... Property of House Shine. It's right there in the title. It's been there since day one, and I don't foresee this detail changing anytime in the near future. “...” “... Barb… Please answer me.” "..." ... I turn away. “It’s… just a title, Red.” “Horsefeathers.” Though I can't see her face now, I still shrink down all the same under what I can only assume was a very disappointed looking glare. “Barb,” Red continues on, her voice growing ever louder. “That… t-that ain’t right. That ain’t pony!” “It’s… just a title,” I repeat as I place my claws on my head. “Barb.” “Just a title.” “Barbara!” “Just-” With a hoof landing softly on my shoulder, Red Gala gently rotates me until I’m facing her. Now placed in front of her once more, I discover that my assumption that she was glaring was false; she wasn’t doing anything of the sort. No... she was just looking worried. She still looks worried, just as she did when I finished talking to her about it at town hall. She was so concerned about saving her brother that she had allowed my excuses at the time to slide, but the concern must have never fully left her thoughts since then... “Barb,” she again tries to prod, looking at me expectantly. ... This time I don’t turn away. “It’s… i-it’s just a title,” I parrot, as I have done countless times before. Seeing that Red is about to respond, I quickly add, “B-but there’s a reason for it! It’s… not as bad as you think.” Red looks unswayed, but she still remains quiet as she encourages me to continue. “Red…” I begin. “Canterlot… C-canterlot is a very… old fashioned kind of city. Even more so than Ponyville.” Although she raises an eyebrow at this, Red Gala says nothing. Taking this as my cue to go on, I do just that. “The capital has been ruled over by the Prince and the descendants of the unicorns who used to raise the sun and moon for centuries! And, because of that, the city has become… er... I-I guess the best word would be... stagnant? “Ponies up there just aren’t as willing to accept change like the ponies here have! They’re so used to their little social bubbles and their ‘ironclad rules’ that anything that deviates from their ‘perfect’ vision is dangerous! It’s… not normal.” Red makes to say something. “B-but most know that’s wrong!” I cut her off before she can comment. “Prince Solaris knows, a-and I'm sure Dusk does too! There are ponies trying to change that image, and to allow more creatures to come and visit the city… but… it’s admittedly a really slow process, Red. A lot of older ponies were taught growing up to fear dragons like me. Some of them even still remember the stories they were told about the attacks on the capital hundreds of years ago. “So… s-so to make sure that everypony felt safe and sound, and to make sure that all their magic crafting stayed both worry and distraction free, Prince Solaris had to somehow promise his subjects that I wouldn’t be a bother to anypony while I was staying in Canterlot. “And marking me as 'Property of House Shine' was just how he decided to do it. It really is just a title, Red! Just a title...” "..." My friend continues to stare at me, clearly still unconvinced. “... Really?” she again demands to know, leaning ever closer to me. Shrinking further under the stink eye, I back up into a pillow. “R-really.” The stink eye intensifies in strength. I find myself unable to turn away. “W...w-w… w-well,” I crack at last, realizing that I’ll be unable to hide the nitty-gritty from her no matter how much I want to. “It… d-does give businesses the right to refuse me service if they want to... But that only happened to me once, haha! Most ponies are cool with me! And… a-and sure there’s a section of Canterlot I'm not allowed to visit because of the stupid Dragon Sneeze Trees unicorns created to ward off invaders, that I have no say in, b-but there’s nothing interesting going on over there anyways! I-I don’t need to see junk like the zoo or the theater or... o-or the museum or the park or... I… I-I…” Sniff “I-I have Dusk! I-I don’t need anything else!! I-I-I-I-” Glomp ... Despite her injuries, and despite her winces of pain, I swiftly find myself being held tightly in a careful bear hug courtesy of one Red Gala. "Shhhhhh," the large mare quietly coos to me. She runs a hoof through my spines as she does in a bid to calm my pathetic self down. "Shhhh..." An equally pathetic sounding hiccup escapes my lips as my cheeks begin to burn bright red with embarrassment. D-damn it, I can easily picture her having done something similar to this with her little brother Apple Buck before. I shouldn't be letting her treat me like this, like such a little kid too... but... b-but it's hard. Her fur is just so... so... ... so gosh darn soft~ “...Barb... Please listen to me." Gala whispers gently as she rocks me in place. "... Ah'm sorry for what ah'm about to tell you. If you ain't got anythin' nice to say you might as well not say anythin' at all... but... well... it's just..." With an exhaling of her breath, Red steels herself for her next words. "...Ah don’t particularly like that Dusk Shine fella of yours, little firelight... Reckon ah don't like him at all truthfully, eeyup." My eyes shoot open from within the embrace thanks to this. "Ah know that Applejack has taken a real shine to him," Red continues on. "and ah can tell that you care about him a great deal too..." Her rocking suddenly halts. "... but ah don't know if that love of yours is all in good health. Ah'm not even real convinced yet that it ain't a one way road, if you catch my drift." As my eyes begin to narrow, I make to argue this pointedly. "How dare yo-" "Shhhhhhh" the farmer interrupts me again, now carefully placing a hoof over my lips. "Ah'm so sorry for this, but ah only really feel like talkin' when it's serious. It's tough for me to build up the nerve, so please... please just let me finish my thought first before you go and start rightfully hatin' me for it..." I make a halfhearted attempt to resist my hold, one where I hover my fist over her injured stomach and debate whether to press the advantage or not... ... but ultimately I decide against it as I limply allow her to go on. "Ah know that Dusk Shine shouted up a mighty storm when that there Nightterror Nebula varmint took you away from him," Gala confesses as she strokes my spines. "Ah know he did, so ah also know that there's somethin' there between you two... but... well... way ah see it..." Red Gala's grip on me then tightens slightly as she ruminates, making me feel less like the mighty dragon I am and more like the stuffed teddy bear that I was being treated like all of a sudden. She's not hurting me, but I'm not really comfortable anymore either; neither physically or mentally, if I'm being honest. "It just don't add up," the concerned pony continues on upon taking a deep breath. "It don't add up one bit. "All ah've been able to think about ever since ah first heard you say those horrible words is about how if ah were in Dusk's horseshoes, and if somepony or dragon ah cared about was bein' forced to call herself property all honest like for others... well, firelight..." The mare's eyes then tighten darkly as her next words turn frigid cold. "There ain't a force in Equestria that would stop me from gettin' that sorta mess righted out all quick-like, cost be darned eeyup. If Dusk really cares for you like you act like he does, then it don't add up to me that you're still considered 'property'! It... i-it just ain't right! It just ain't pony neither..." Her grip around me noticeably lessens. "... Not in a very long time, at least..." To anyone else, these last few words would have fallen on deaf ears and gone on forgotten. Their dark implication was not lost on me though ◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠ To my potential human readers, as much as I don't enjoy bringing this up; Equestria does in fact have a short history with slavery. Granted the history is several hundred years removed from the current date, but that doesn't change that it happened. It's one of Prince Solaris' lesser known shames, just like Nightterror Nebula, and it's one I'm certain isn't being taught to common ponies. It took me five years to discover what the word for "slavery" even is in Ponish, so it stands to reason that the subject is rather taboo. Neither Mayor Mustang or his helpers seemed to grasp the weight of the title when I reflectively used it to introduce myself to them, and it didn't seem to spark rumors either, so even the idea of one person owning another must be incredibly difficult for current era ponies to grasp. Not even Dusk fully grasps the words and he researches everything under Solaris' sun. The sheer fact that Red Gala of all ponies understands my burden while Dusk and the Major do not is mindboggling... ... I don't want to suggest that the ancient Apple Family might have a few skeletons in their centuries long closet. I truly don't. I wouldn't want to sling such mud at my worst enemies... but I can't deny the evidence I've been given either. My digging into older, forgotten, and slightly forbidden texts revealed to me that slavery in Equestria stemmed mostly from underground cattle markets that rose up during what was considered the Gloomy Age; the era in which Prince Artemis "mysteriously" disappeared, and where Nightterror Nebula entered legends. Solaris was an inconsolable mess of a ruler on his throne during this age; while most written accounts tend to tiptoe around stating such outright, you can plainly see that the subtext is there. Sanctioned history books like to hype up the "one-and-only" prince's return to excellency, and the heralding of the current Golden Age we live in, as an overnight occurrence; but the misplaced journals left behind by those who actually lived during those hundreds of years paint a different picture for me entirely. They paint the picture of a Prince who was going through the motions, a kingdom slowly slipping into ruin, and ponies unabashedly exploiting the hard labor of the Cattle Folk to keep themselves afloat during the less than harmonious time. If you are unfamiliar with the race I just mentioned, please allow me the moment to explain. Cows, sheep, donkeys, and even pigs are part of a larger umbrella tribe known as the Cattle Folk. Each species contains sentient creatures that share much of the same rights and freedoms that ponies enjoy, but not all of their members have the ability to think or speak. Cows and donkeys tend to be the most adept at gaining such abilities over their kin due to their lower tolerance to Equestria's ambient magic. Looking at the details evenly as they are; the majority of unenchanted cattle folk aren't that much more intelligent then their Earth counterparts. Most usually end up living on farms like the Apple Family's where they can be shown love, affection, and given the space they need to live a happy and fulfilling life of grazing and breathing. That said, many who can talk sometimes choose to live on farms just like their brethren do. Such a thing is not considered strange in the slightest nowadays, but in the past the opposite was never offered. Since cattle folk are able to provide popular goods such as milk, wool, and truffles; those who choose to stay on farms get free housing to support them, all payed for via taxes collected by the Canterlot government and distributed through the United Farming Guild of Equestria. Farm dwelling cattle folk also receive a weekly paycheck for their rendered services, a discount on products manufactured with their efforts, and a free scholarship available to any and all of their offspring who decide to leave the program and pursue a different way of life instead. If that sounds like a lot to you, reader, trust me; it took everycow, everybull, everysheep, everydonkey, everymule, everyoxen, everyboar, and everygoat centuries of battles with both the Guild and the Canterlot Protected Creature Society to gain a fraction of the rights that most take for granted. They deserve every inch they fought for; for everycreature whose voice was silenced and for every family-tree left forgotten. While it's true that these events transpired well before either mine or Red Gala's time, I know that the scars left behind from that kind of massive injustice never truly fade away. The pain can only dull over generations as the future collectively strives to break the common molds that once ensnared us in the past. In understanding this; it's reassuring to see, at least in some small way, that the Apple Family has decided to pass down the knowledge of these old wrongs so that their descendants can learn and grow from it. I find this highly preferable to burying it in the past like how Prince Solaris has resorted to doing. His actions at times, especially in circumstances such as these, remind me not of the work of a great leader expertly manipulating events in his favor, but instead the work of a foal embarrassingly trying to hide soiled sheets from his parents. I don't care what Solaris' Seer Sight may or may not have advised him to do about the truth, I still feel that learning from the past is the only real way one can prevent old sins from rising up again in the modern time. Though I'm personally striving to strikeout and become a new person, all while slowly learning to let go of certain aspects of my deceased self, the mistakes I made up to this point are what ultimately made me who I am today. Without them I am nothing. Half the reason why I'm still writing this book is to make sure that the Barbara who writes this tale's final page is a wholly free Barbara who will never forget this undeniable truth for as long as she lives. The Poisoned Barb is, and shall always be, me. ◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠ "... All ah'm tryin' to say, Barb," Red Gala at last releases the hoof she had held against my mouth. "Is that ah'm your friend, not Dusk's, and as your friend ah just wanted to know that somepony, anypony in your life cared about you the same way a family is supposed to. That's all.” "T-that's really none of your business, Red Gala," I deflect rather poorly once I'm given back my ability to speak. "We're not that close of friends yet..." "Hehe, nice try," she laughs in response, seeing plainly through my attempt to weasel my way out of this talk. "You had mah back when ah wanted to storm the Everfree for Applejack, and you can't deny that ah would have had yours too. We were just a couple of ladies willin' to ride or die for our dumb brothers... If that don't make a pony and a dragon best friends that ah honestly don't know what does! Now... "... as your friend, little firelight," Red emphasizes forcefully as she now rubs her cheek against my forehead. "If you're hurtin' inside, than this right old mess is mah business now too. Ah won't take anymore arguin'." "..." ... My only response to this is to pout crossly. "I'm starting to see where Applejack learned some of his stubbornness from," I snap back in a huff. She laughs a second time thanks to this. "Eeyup..." Red Gala is then silent. She's waiting to hear my answer to her honest question... ... ... I don't reply back right away... ... My mind is too busy trying to process the answer for even myself to understand it fully. It bothers me a smidgen that said answer isn't coming to me as quickly as I want it to, and that I'm struggling to even come up with the words to describe my feelings. Prince Solaris is the one who drafted my ownership forms, Dusk's parent's are the ones who signed them... and Dusk is the one who never mentions them. Not even to his friends. Is this because he's afraid of Prince Solaris' disapproval if he tries to speak up about it? Is this because he feels that it's impossible to change? Maybe he feels that it doesn't need to change, and that I'm fine with this being the status quo? Is he afraid I'll leave him if I'm not bound to his House? Does he even know that I've been given permission from the Prince to leave at my discretion? Does he not know that I have this choice? Was he ever made aware of the path I chose for myself back when I was five? Does he know how much I care about him? Does he not care about me at all...? ... ... ... No. If there's one thing I will defend until my last breath on this world, it's this: “Dusk does care about me,” I state loudly in my one sided hug, one hundred percent confident in my answer. I'm confident because it's undeniably the truth; I have thousands of memories to back this claim up with. I have thousands of memories that remind me just how big the young stallion's heart actually is. _______________________________ "... Hello there, little one," the young colt cheers toothily. "Welcome to Equestria!" ... “... Ah,” the sleepy stallion responds after a time. “... Duly noted…” I then feel it through my scales as he lowers his head closer to mine and nuzzles me behind the green fins affectionately. “... Thanks, Barbara.” ... “That was a nasty fall,” Dusk points out plainly, gesturing his head towards the latter. “Just wanted to make sure my number one assistant hadn’t hurt herself.” ... “P-please don’t see me, Jason… Please don’t see what I’ve become…” “Who? Barb, you’re talking nonsense,” Dusk prods, running a hoof through my spines in a calming manner. “Come on, Barbara... Come on my little assistant.” ... Thankfully it doesn’t look like I'll need to strain myself at all in order to get my charge out of this mess. It seems that my mere presence by his side, along with the feeling of my reassuring claw against his leg and the mirrored look of fear in my own eyes, is just what the doctor ordered. Though our gazes meet for but a fraction of a flash, it’s clear to both of us now that this is no longer a burden we have to deal with alone. Together we are stronger, and together we'll break free. _______________________________ "... He does care for sure," I finish strongly for Red Gala. She doesn't know him like I do. Dusk is unconcerned about my position because I've never put in the effort to make him concerned about it. I've been in a constant mom-mode ever since we reunited, and this has only served to make my charge inattentive of my own struggles. I want him to be happy, as I came to realize during the last episode, but I've been purposely keeping my issues a secret from him to avoid him worrying. Maybe I was doing such because I didn't want to focus on the pain myself, or maybe I was afraid that I would let slip my true nature by mistake if I simply started ranting... ... whatever the case may be; while it's true that I don't know exactly what Dusk's view of my situation is, I shouldn't be afraid to talk to him about it once I'm ready to do so. If Red Gala, Sweepy, and Scooter are any indication; my friends only want me to be as free and happy as they're allowed to be every single day. When I'm ready to make that change, I know that Dusk will lend me his ear without fail. "... And so does Prince Solaris," I tack on to my earlier declaration after a pause, and as I work on through my lingering feelings. "In his own special way... Him and Dusk treat me like a person, not a thing... I'm their friend. It may have taken us all awhile to get to that point, but they were at least willing to make a change where they could..." My fist tightens in our hold. "... They don't always show it, and they often times get too distracted with their own lives to help make a bigger difference in mine... but I know, deep in my heart, that they do love me... I am loved," I unclench my fist. "I know I am. I mean, I wouldn't still be Dusk's assistant if I wasn't! Prince Solaris has granted me the right to leave his side if I ever wanted to... I..." Though I painfully strain my neck even attempting to do such a thing, I look directly up and stare purposefully into the earth pony's sap green eyes. "... I am not a slave, Red Gala," I state truthfully with unbroken eye contact. "I'm nopony's property but my own, to hay with whatever the document I have instead of a birth certificate says!" "..." ... Crimson fur inches closer to my face as Red Gala tightens her embrace. “Ah'm so relieved to hear that," my dear caring friend releases her held breath. "When ah first heard that ‘property’ bit way back when, and with you bein' so much more mature than Apple Buck who ain't that much older than you ah just… a-ah guess ah just assumed the worse!" she admits, and at last I hear a hitch in her voice as she struggles to express herself too. This must have been just as hard on her as it was on me. "Ah'm awfully sorry for puttin' you on the spot like that after you were so nice to come all the way to visit me today," Gala sniffles. "A-ah'll understand if you want to skedaddle yourself on home now and leave me be...” “...” “...” … I finally return the hug... ... Er, or I try to return the hug at least. My arms are so tiny that I barely make it halfway around her barrel, but it's the thought that counts. “I'm sorry for making you worry without realizing it," I reply back as I lean into her absentminded nuzzling. Pony affection can be weird at times, but it's not a bad weird by any stretch of the imagination. "I don't really like thinking about this kind of stuff... b-but it's always there waiting for me, even when I try to ignore it, right?” Gala nods in agreement, and sighs. "Eeyup. 'Fraid so, firelight. Ain't somethin' worth ignorin'..." she then leans in close and whispers something into my ear. "If anypony ever gives you a hard time about it, you run yourself over to Sweet Apple Acres and get either Applejack or ah to help you out, ya hear?" "Huh?" I tilt my head back inquisitively. "You... or Applejack? Why?" With a grin and a wink, Red states quite heartily for me that, "The Apple Family always protects their own, honorary members included." "..." ... I tighten the hug. "Thank you, Red." One satisfied grunt later, Red Gala at last releases our hold. “Anytime, Barb. Mah door's always open if you ever want to talk about it... Er... W-well, technically it's mah Gramp's door... but you get the idea.” "Heh... Eeyup," I jokingly reply back. Though we laugh briefly at our halfhearted attempts at jokes, an awkward calm still ends up falling between the two of us as we sit in place and wipe away our sudden bout of tears... ... ... I really need to stop crying so much when I stop by to visit this place. I'm two for two at this point... I swear I wasn't this much of an emotional time bomb back on Earth, folks! Honest! Stupid underdeveloped prepubescent body and it's inability to unhealthily bottle everything up for later usages like a normal adult's can... “...” “...” “... Hm?” Perking up at the sound, I turn back towards Gala and notice that she’s at last spotted the decently-sized box I had brought with me today. “Oh… you want to know what that is?” I question as I catch her staring at the item with a sense of curiosity. “Eeyup,” the mare responds with newfound interest. Happy for the change in subject, I blush as I bite down on my nerves and scootch the box over to my now close friend. “W-well,” I titter, this time in excitement. “Dusk got some care packages from Canterlot today. His parents sent him a few things like books and clothes..." A grin graces my lips as I tap the box's lid lovingly. "... but Gleaming Shield," I begin to explain with renewed vigor. "Dusk’s big sister, actually sent me something too!" Gleaming's package was actually what had initially triggered my desire to visit Red Gala today. Seeing it and it's contents had made me realize just how much I missed being able to see the love-struck guardmare whenever I wanted back in Canterlot. While Dusk Shine may have been my first friend on this planet, his sister was my first real one; the first one where I was treated as an equal and not as an other at the beginning of the relationship. I wasn't a squire or an assistant-in-the-making or even a baby dragon in her eyes, nor was I someone deserving of differential treatment simply because those with more privileges demanded it. No... to Gleaming Shield, I was just a lonely little girl in need of an unofficial big sister. With a sigh to set the pleasant thoughts aside for later, happy to see that she still felt the same way even while we're apart, I resume explaining my gift's origin. "Gleaming is always looking out for me, Red, even when she's busy with her job," my claws rap against the box's lid passively. "She's actually so busy with her job now, in fact, that her letter to me said that I would probably have more use for this then she would anytime soon." "Eeyup?" Red questions with eyes still glued to the box. "Oh yes," I answer her question. "She did. She gave this up to me because she thought I would have an easier time making friends of my own here in Ponyville if I had…" Dramatically lifting the lid off of the container, I reveal to Red Gala my latest prized possession. "... this with me!” Red looks down into the box. Her expression quickly changes to one filled with pure confusion. “... What’s...?" she begins to ask as her eyes squint in an attempt to read the title. Bringing the book out of the box and into the light, I hold it closer to the farmer so that she can see it better. Once she is able to, she tries again to ask her question. "What's... 'Ogres and Oubliettes', Barb?” the mare finishes skeptically... ... though I thankfully hear a tepid hum of intrigue now present in her voice. This gives me the confidence I need to push forward. “It’s a game Gleaming taught me awhile back! I never thought I’d be into something like it, but it’s all about using your imagination and pretending so it’s a perfect game for when you’re sitting back and recovering like you're doing now! I think my other friends might be a little too young for it still… Soooo what do you say?" I inquire hopefully with big round eyes. "Interested in giving it a try?” Red now stares at the box with a look of contemplation that rivals the one she donned when our sensitive conversation first started. Reaching into the vessel with a hoof, the earth pony gently removes one of the blank unicorn figures and admires it closely. "..." "..." ... After what felt like a long half hour... though in reality it was only, like, one minute... Red Gala at last grants me the wonderful single word answer I was hoping to hear. “Eeyup.” I can’t help myself from now unabashedly grinning ear to ear. “Great!” I cry out happily as I sweep clean the table and start making the preparations. “We’ll start with a basic session so you can get a feel for the rules, but while I set this up let me tell you about this Wizard character I made. I won't use her this time, as she's a little OP, but she's smart, cool under pressure, and Gleaming let me homebrew her a little bit so that she could gain this fifth level transmutation spell that’s usually reserved for Druids!” ◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠ Red Gala ended up having a blast with the game, which more importantly meant that I had successfully acquired a new O&O player to play with here in Ponyville. Now I would no longer have to worry about being lonely again once Sweepy Belle and Scooteroll have to go back to school in the fall. All in all I would say that my meeting with Red had resulted in one of the most successful tea parties I’ve ever been apart of. Joking aside, the facts and details that Red had managed to wrangle out of me were sadly completely true. My title is a lousy one, I can't deny, and one I will hopefully take greater strides towards rectifying before I'm a true adult once more, but I’ve adjusted to it by this point. Not the property bit, of course; I'll reject that fate until the day I die again. No, the part I've adjusted to is instead the part where life doesn’t always end up being this perfect little thing with a ribbon on top. Dusk's an oblivious stress-addict, I'm a workaholic mom-friend, and neither of us have the social skills necessary to change either description on our own but that's okay. Maybe a car crash wasn't the best way for me to learn such a valuable lesson... but whatever. The point is; things could have gone a lot worse for me if I didn’t have friends in this second life, and isn’t Friendship Magic? and for that I am eternally grateful. Anywho, the rest of the actual episode involving Applejack thankfully figured itself out with only a few shenanigan-full days to show for it. Despite Dusk’s best efforts to expedite the much needed lesson, and his attempts to avoid the headaches that cropped up along the way, the end result was that our not-so-little farm boy eventually broke down and admitted that he needed help all on his own. Happy to be done with the troubles, and more than willing to assist their friend, the rest of the elements offered to help where ever they could while I tagged along to provide the gang with much needed motivational support. I even brought pompoms for the occasion. Once the task was done, all seven of us ended the hard day's work with some well earned apple juice and a well humbled Applejack. Feeling a bit mischievous at the time, I brought with me some of the baked bads that Berry had thrown out from the incident and proceeded to gross everypony out by eating the tasty things right in front of them. Not the most mature thing I’ve ever done, sure, but hey; Solaris isn’t the only one who gets to be a troll to these boys, am I right? But I think that's enough for today. Farewell again, my diary.  I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I'm no longer afraid. The episodes have been going according to plan so far, give or take a few minor hiccups, and Ponyville itself is starting to feel like a real home for Dusk and I both. Tropes be damned, I feel fine now in writing that everything is going to turn out oka- ◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠ SLAM!!! An "Eep!" slips past my lips as I find my alone time suddenly and loudly interrupted by the sound of a door flying open. "W-what did I say about knocking first, Dusk?!" I squeak in fright as I lunge forward and try to hide The Poisoned Barb from prying eyes. Upon successfully burying the tome the best I can underneath my minuscule body, gaining a few ink stains for my trouble, I turn my head and try to glare at the rude pony who had just decided to barge in uninvited. I halt my glaring, however, when I quickly discover that my visitor isn't the stallion I thought it was going to be. With mane having been done up in a cute ponytail for the day, Rainbow Dash was the last pony I was expecting to be standing in the bedroom's doorway… let alone standing in the doorway while looking nervous. "S-sorry, Barb." apologizes the usually confident and easygoing pegasus. "I didn't mean to interrupt your… Er… fanfiction writing?" Seeing as the intruder isn't Dusk Shine, as I originally feared, I choose to ease up on my alertness by sliding my form off of my diary and onto the floor. "It's… ahem… a-a diary," I reply truthfully. Guess there's no real need to lie about such a thing to Rainbow Dash. "Just something I'm working on in my spare time... But that's not important! If you're looking for Dusk, Dash, he's reading books in the park again. You can probably catch him if you fly over now… "... but p-please don't tell him that I'm slacking on my chores!" I, in a single breath, switch to begging. "Please! It's so hard to find time to write in these days!" "Um… suuurrreee," Rainbow eventually agrees, all while making a zipper-closing motion with his hooves and mouth. Good. Secret secured. Maybe I can let him and Berry off the hook now for that silly prank that they pulled on me just the other da- "But, just so you know," Dash suddenly interrupts my thoughts, returning my mind to the present. "I wasn't actually looking for Dusk at all..." He then points a single hoof... ... at me. "... I was actually looking for you." the speedster declares cheerily, granting me a smile... Huh? Well… I can safely say that I didn't see this coming... ... … My eyes drift towards the last page I had just finished writing in The Poisoned Barb. You know... the one about not being afraid of the future...? ... … With the shake of my head, I disregard the freshly brewed paranoid thoughts and return my attention towards the visiting stallion. "Really?" I ask him, still just as confused as I was when he first entered the loft this afternoon. "Why?" "W... w-well," Dash starts with smile shrinking. He's building up strength for whatever it is he's about to say. "I… I-I need your help with something... Something only you can do for me!" ... ... Okay… ... now I'm even more lost than I was before! "And... what's that?" I question the stallion bluntly in an attempt to push through all his flustering. Little did I know, I had just unintentionally tripped some kind of mental switch in the feminine pony's mind. Where before he seemed jittery and afraid, now he was dashing forward and taking a single claw of mine in the grip of both of his outstretched wings. W-what the hell?! "Barb," the boy pleads to me on all four of his knees. He then gazes longingly into my frightened eyes. "Dusk told me a little bit about what he knew of your assistant training and... a-and so I…" He sucks in air. "I-I need you now, Barb…" What the actual hell... ... why are my cheeks blushing?! "Y-yes, Rainbow Dash?" I stutter back, now equally as flustered. O-oh my... "... P... P-Please..." With one last gulp of air to strengthen his resolve, Rainbow Dash finally spits out his dire request. His dire... ... and absolutely insane request. "Please please please teach me the way to become a lady for real! Please!!" A hush descends upon the empty library. "..." "..." "..." … Riiippp… "... Barb... why are you ripping a page out of your book?" "No reason." … Munchmunchmunch… "Why are you now eating the page you just ripped out, Barb?" "Mo meason." "... What?" Gulp… Ahhh… "No reason," I repeat for Rainbow with a content little sigh. Who knew that eating your own words could be such a delectable experience? ~In another time, in another place~ "... Roll for initiative!" commanded mighty dungeon master Spike. The drake standing upon the couch's cushions bounced in place as he used his abnormal vocabulary to describe an imaginary castle siege upon the mighty Fort Raramore. He wanted to make sure that his newbie adventurer friend's first session was a memorable one, and to achieve this he knew that he needed to pull out all the stops. Big Mac grunted happily in reply to the order, with grin displayed readily across his features, as he eagerly tossed his dice forth to determine the fate of his fledgling unicorn knight. The farmer had found himself thoroughly engrossed in his young companion's storytelling, full of twists and turns and teeth-clenching suspense... ... It was certainly not enough to completely erase the troublesome thoughts that still lingered within him thanks to the pair's earlier conversation, nor prevented him from scheming ways in which he could delicately approach the one known as Twilight Sparkle on the matter... ... but, for now, the stallion was content in doing whatever he could to just ensure that the little drake's smile never fell again in his presence. Apples always protect their own, after all.