After having an experience in the park, Spike knew it was best to avoid further contact and go straight to his parent's house. His mind was still in conflict with what to do that day since he wasn't thinking straight at that morning.
"Mom, dad... I'm home." Spike said before opening the door, thinking about many things, but he wasn't expecting to find a barber chair in the middle of the main room, and his dad reading a newspaper and besides him, another chair whose was a big as a sofa capable for many ponies to even laid and sleep on it.
Spike's eyes went wide open as he felt the magic wrapping around him and levitate him over the barber chair.
"Hello son, I think it's time for us to have a mane cut..." His dad smile as he wrapped the dragon with a cape cloth.
"Dad... we stopped playing barbershop since I was a kid..." Spike looked annoyed by the simple fact he was being treated as a baby, but his father smiled at him.
"You may say that, but there is nopony more important to vent than a barberstallion." Night Light said as he used his magic to bring to his hooves a mane brush and a plastic scissor. "Well, how do you want your cut?"
Spike couldn't say no to his father. He then proceeded to adjust himself over the chair.
"Alright, the usual please, Light." Spike decided to accept to be part of his dad's play, as he felt the plastic tools over his scales.
"Mister Dragon." The voice of Night Light calling Spike as he proceeds to use the plastic scissor to fakely cut his scales from the head, made the dragon turn his head as his father brushed his scales. "I know I'm just a humble scissor jokey, but you've been coming into my shopping for almost 18 years. I can tell when you got something on your mind."
Spike noticing his scales was being brushed and the sound of the scissor over his scales, made him clearly imagine that he was in fact inside of a barbershop. And he clearly knew that his barber could see his reaction. Spike sighed and couldn't help but admit his thoughts.
"I think... I think what bugged me is..." Spike started to vent as he couldn't see his own father turning his head to his back and winking to his wife who was laying on the couch with a notebook in her hands. "All the mares I have a crush on in some way was or became lesbians and they have the same crush on Twilight. I don't know if that was an act of selfishness by me or some kind of entity playing a prank on me. During all the years I've done my best to be the best assistant Twilight could trust... "
Spike felt the clicks of the scissor became louder as he felt his father trying to not react to the thoughts of his own son.
"Oh yeah." The voice of Night Light sounding so indifferent but curious made sure Spike gives a lot of points for his father to not break his character of the barbershop.
"It's like, all the effort and all the help I did with Twilight was in vain, and in the end, I felt that I was backstabbed for the pony I trusted most. And the worst part is... I don't think I'm sad anymore, but I'm not happy, and surprisingly I cannot feel angry about it. And the ponies around always keep asking me why am I not angry when I should be." Spike moved his head down, as he heard the clicks of the scissor stopped.
"Hmm. Well kid, if you want my opinion, I say that you gotta a lot of problems not just inside of your mind, but in your heart as well. Actually, it doesn't surprise me the fact you are not creating rampage." The barber pony who said that, made Spike eye's went wide open. "Your emotions are actually frozen from what I can imagine."
"Really?" Spike asked as he tried to turn his head to his barber, but the hoof from his father moved the head of the dragon back in front as he came back to 'cut' his scales.
"Yep, it's because you are actually not feeling comfortable to be angry and that makes your feelings get uphold until you find somewhere that nopony may be and with most breakable objects around without nopony to watch you... Then next you would get into a rampage and destroy the entire place." The barber said making Spike raise his eyebrow.
"Seriously? Why?" Spike asked as he didn't imagine a kind of possible reaction, but looking at the scoff from his father, he didn't expect the answer at all.
"It's because one of those ponies I cut her mane was your mother, and kid you must have seen... She wrecked the entire house of her ex when he cheated on her. You must have seen it, she destroyed the entire house from inside out as me and my friends were laughing at the stupid stallion which angered her." Night Light said as his own son jumped in surprise.
"MOM WAS CHEATED?" Spike couldn't help but scream.
Night Light was going to reply but then he heard a cough behind him, which shrove his spine. And looked at the mare who seemed glaring at him but was hiding it from behind the magazine she was reading.
"Can you two speed up? I have a client in the next 30 minutes."As the mare said, Spike couldn't help but look at the couch and he didn't notice his mother was there and she was wearing a pony tail which means... Spike is her client... Spike gulp. But looking at his father who seemed so assured of himself, he then teleported his scissor and brought a plastic haircut machine.
"Oh, just wait for it ma'am, I will make this little kid a great haircut. Then Mr. Dragon, I will use the machine, which level do you want?" Hearing his father asking about the machine usually made Spike forget the problems over his mind and actually get inside of the paper he was given.
"Oh, well I want level 2 this time Night Light," Spike said as the clear magic from his horn made sure to play one of his father's old vinyl.
"Alright then." Night Light, made his little toy made vibrate as it was actually the haircut machine and passed through the scales around Spike's neck and his head. And sang the song which he remembered at the times he was a teenager as he worked in a barbershop.
Twilight Velvet lowered her magazine as she saw Spike feeling the beat as his father sang and looked so focused on the music, Velvet always loved her husband, and one of the greatest majors her husband did over the university they studied together is something nopony could believe. A barber pony with the skills of a psychologist, somepony who scored the full score over the final project making the ponies needing treatment actually think they were inside of a barbershop.
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30 years in the past:
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"Attention class, today is the day... Today as your final project we have patients needing psychological examination and with possible prescription over their problems. I want you to make sure all the volunteers over this project be treated well, it's your final grade. I hope you all have trained what you need to make you pass and receive your license of psychology." A brown stallion in his mid 60ths walked as he looked at the class who seemed attentive from their anxiety, the final project. "I hope you are all ready."
Twilight Velvet with 20 books around her, as she made notes about the possible outcomes of the test and new references.
"Wolfy, can you borrow me your book about infant psychology from Manhattan of 3 years ago?" The mare who had a ponytail looked at the little biped wolf beside her desk, surprising him.
"Oh, right. Here it is Velvet." The puppy took a book from his bag, whose felt the magic from Twilight Velvet smiled thankfully to her college friend. "Velvet, I'm kinda worried about you, I know you have been stressed out. But everypony here is anxious, and from what I looked around. Everypony has a great chance to pass. I know we can do it."
"Come on Wolf, I love you being optimistic, but this is a real deal, I know you want everypony over this classroom pass, but we cannot be sure, especially since we have slackers who sleep all day over the class. Like Night Light." Twilight Velvet scoffed as she pointed her head to the stallion who seemed to use a hat to close his eyes, and ignored all the problems over the class.
Every day, Twilight Velvet asked herself why somepony like Night Light who wanted to graduate in Astronomy want to major in psychology as well. They weren't of the same nature. But it seems the stallion thinks it wasn't worth his time going into class.
"Night Light. NIGHT LIGHT, WAKE UP YOU LAZY STALLION." The teacher approached with his clipboard and looked at the stallion sleeping over the desk. But as the teacher slammed his hooves over the desk, made Night Light open his eyes were surprised.
"Wha? What the heck teacher, I was having a great nice sleep, what was that for?" Night Light asked receiving a glare not from his teacher, but from some of his colleagues in class.
"Night Light, today is the finals, and you will be the first to know what is the psychological problem without making your patient being uncomfortable. If you do a single mistake I will make sure to take a lot of points from you." The teacher was loud and clear, but as some ponies were chuckling against one of the lazy students, Night Light didn't seem to mind at all.
"Okay, how much time do I have to prepare?" Night Light yawned as he looked at the teacher, which receives a humph sound from him.
"You have 10 minutes to prepare what you need." The teacher grumpily said, but looking at the stallion in front of him, he always hated the face of the stallion on his front, he looked like somepony so confident, even after sleeping most of the time of the class, nothing seemed to agitate him on the class.
"Okay." Night Light said as he used his horn to levitate a box under his desk, and looked at some sites that seemed not occupied. Casting levitation he brought until the front of the class and directed to make some lines over the front, as he opened his box, revealing what would be a cape and a uniform.
All the students looked at Night Light, who seemed didn't mind their whispers, and focused on the items inside of the box, he brought not just the needed clothing, but he brought old magazines and added over one of the chairs in the front of the class, and then he took a mirror inside from the box, and then he took out from the box, haircut tools which made everypony look at him in disbelief.
"Is that what I think what is?" Twilight Velvet said as she used her hooves to clear her eyes because she didn't believe the slacker over the class was actually dressing as a barber stallion.
Night Light, after fixing and made the position, he nodded to his teacher who seemed shocked, but then shook his head as he went to open the door, he made sure to give one more warning.
"Everypony I want you all to be in total silence and let this slacker work, I will not accept mistakes made by the others inside of this class, and if you fail. It will be your own fault. To be in silence. I'm watching Night Light." The teacher said as he went outside of the class and a few minutes later, he brought what would be a tired pony who seemed into a depression state.
The beard of the stallion was messy, as his mane showed the stallion didn't sleep any minute. Which made Night Light take a deep look at the stallion, and used his magic spun the chair, as the pony suddenly noticed something was strange...
The university said he was going to be part of the psychology test but why it feels like he was at a salon. As he shook his head and look around and he found he was in the middle of class like he was supposed to be. He then looked at the blue unicorn smile and his head nodding in the direction of the chair like it seemed the newcomer was supposed to sit on the chair.
The stallion raised his eyebrows but nodded to the stallion and sit over the chair.
"Morning, what it will be this time sir?" Night Light said as he used his cape to tie the neck of the stallion who sat on the chair. "Do you want to make a full service? Or the usual?"
"Err... wasn't supposed to this be a therapy session?" The stallion asked but looking at the relaxed smile from Night Light it seemed he was indeed inside of a barbershop test and not psychology.
"Alright, the full service then." Night Light said as he took his mane brush and a water spray, and proceed to spray over the mane of the stallion, and using his mane brush proceeded to start taking care of the mane of the stallion.
"Wait." The stallion tried to protest, but it seemed he was already being taken care of by Night Light. Not sure about what to do anymore he couldn't help but accept what the stallion will start to do. After a minute of passing the spray and brushing his mane, the stallion actually was feeling okay with that.
"Sir, I've been working at a barbershop since I was a foal of 6 years old. I've seen many stallions who had many kinds of problems not just on their manes, but inside their minds as well. I know when a stallion was with their minds in trouble." Night Light said as the stallion was more looking at the big mirror which some kind was being held by magic and looked at his barber stallion taking a scissor from the box, and cleaned up before starting to cut the mane. "My grandfather always said: There isn't any place better to tell your problems and your opinions than a barbershop. We are free to talk our minds. Did you know my uncle said Chancelour Pudding didn't do anything to help the earth ponies to receive nobility than just sat his flank into unicorn property?"
"WHAT?" The stallion shouted in disbelief, he would have been furious if he was an earth pony. But the other students shouted in disbelief and in anger, but Night Light ignored that.
"Yeah, that was indeed a polemic, but since the barbershop is free to place to tell your mind, it created an interesting debate of what happened. Did you know there were many other earth pony stallions who did the same thing years prior than Chancellor Pudding, and they were launched into Tartarus, and the only thing Chancellor pudding had at that time was publicity which takes care of that and using the opportunity to make an earth ponies movement." Night Light seemed to ignore his fellow classmates and made the stallion who was receiving a mane cut has his eyes wide open.
"Really?" The stallion asked surprised as Night Light nodded to him.
"Yep, that's why barbershops are so important. A small community to talk their minds and be free from all the opinions, that's why Princess Celestia had a good team of stallions to treat her mane when she wants most. That good mane needs to be treated by a full team." Night Light said as the eyes of the stallion looked shocked.
"Nooooo." The stallion said in disbelief but receiving a nod from Night Light, and bam. The stallion finally forgot he was inside of the class and was true of the barbershop.
"So sir, sorry didn't catch your name. And well, I should have to say my name first. Name's Night Light." Night Light said which seems fair since not even him had given his name.
"Oh, yes, sorry as well. My name is Fancy Pants." The stallion finally said his name, which made Night Light smile at him, and used his brush and made a good cut over the behind part of the mane.
"So Fancy Pants, your mane, and beard is looking a mess. I know for sure that you are not sleeping well since this mane doesn't look like it received a good waking up call." Night Light said as he finally started his therapy session.
"Oh well... To be honest, it's a long story." Fancy Pants looked uncomfortable to share his story to strangers.
"Oh, you don't need to worry, your secret will be fine by me. I'm a barber stallion and I know more secrets that would make Princess Celestia blush." Night Light said which made Fancy Pants look at him surprised.
"Really? Can you tell me some?" Fancy Pants looked curious, but Night Light used his hoof to zip himself.
"Sorry, secrets of a barber stallion. But if you want to hear the secrets, you just need to be in the barbershop. The secrets always were exposed there and ponies just move on." Night Light said as finally was fixing the front part of the mane, and the hair falling from the mane over the floor, was a good quantity, making the stallion close his eyes for not let hair goes inside his eyes.
"Well, I will resume. You see, my father is a noble inside the castle, and he made a great dispute between me and my brother dispute the role of the heir of our house, and we've been competing for months, but we have to convince all the nobles to talk good things about us. And my brother has using blackmail and sabotaging my name, he even made my company on Manehatten bankrupt... And that has been stressing me out. Our father is on his final days, and I didn't convince the nobles to be on my side, and I want to achieve the expectations of my father. And that has to make me feel stressed every day, I haven't desire to eat, and I couldn't sleep well." Fancy Pants said as he felt the mane been cut and it was difficult to say it.
"Hmm. Boy, this is a serious problem you have there. Well, interesting thing since my grandfather dealt with the same kind of situation." Night Light said as he took a blade and started to sharpening on the belt, and used his magic to pass soap over the beard of Fancy Pants. "Thankfully my grandfather said a great plan which made him turns the tables and not just save his lineage and made his family receive karma."
"Really? And what was the advice your grandfather gave to him?"Fancy Pants forgot completely he was inside of a class and looked at the mirror his beard was covered in soap and was difficult to talk to.
"Oh, it was so simple that nopony ever thought about it before... Make a good community festival charity, and uses Princess Celestia to sponsor the goodness over the community and make not just the community likes you but makes you into a good position with the Princess herself.
Fancy Pants' eyes went wide open and thought about it as he felt the blade cut off the beard calmly and with love as it was indeed a professional taking good use of the blade over his face.
"Of course it wasn't easy, the stallion had to invest a good amount of bits and be totally sincere of him wanting the best of the community. As the many nobles walk around the Canterlot, they always forget there were ponies needing help and be treated as equals as well. And Princess Celestia knows this, and she wants ponies to help her with that, trustful ponies..." Night Light said as he took off the cape and used the towel to clean the face of Fancy Pants, and at the moment he took off and used a little tiny broom to clean all the many over the body and clothes of Fancy Pants, what the little noble saw a different kind of pony. "And everything always starts with a really good looking with a good mane cut."
Fancy Pants looked himself in the mirror and was surprised by what he saw. The mane was well made and it looked like his mane was beyond many noble stallions he ever saw. And his beard, it didn't have any, he took all the beard but let it a tiny mustache on his face.
Fancy Pants was beyond disbelief, he never looked like that before, but for the first time, he could see the beauty of what a good barber could do.
"My grandfather always believed that one simple haircut and a good beard cut is what it needs to change the lives of the ponies. Make one humble stallion feels like he became a noble even if he didn't have any bit on his pocket. And a final advice Fancy Pants." Night Light said as he took his notebook from the desk and made the stallion realize he was in the middle of class and forgot the reason he was there. "In the days of my grandfather, a barber was a counselor, an advisor, a psychologist, a fashion expert, a style coach, a pimp, just general things the stallions looked around for a good looking day. But the problem is all the cast of these amazing things were dead, ponies over this day got no skill from our ancestors, no sense of history and then with a straight face got the nerve to be somepony, wants somepony to respect them, but it takes respect to be respected... Princess Celestia knows very well about this. So I hope you think well about your future decisions. The first cut is free. So you don't need to pay anything. I just wish the best for you Fancy. See you in the future someday."
Fancy Pants remained quiet as Night Light finally write on his notebook and then he looked at his teacher who seemed quiet, the entire classroom was quiet, and thinking about what he said.
"Here is your report teacher. Anxiety over pressure to surpass the expectations of his own father, depression over family rivalry, lack of auto-confidence due much stress... Further details inside of the notebook. " Night Light gave the notebook to the teacher who seemed surprised by his action. "Since I already did the test, I'm out of here. Have a nice year teacher."
Night Light looked again at the class who seemed with their heads down thinking about their actions, but everypony watched Night Light get out from the class...
Twilight Velvet and Wolf looked at what would be a barber stallion which some of the best psychological skills they have ever seen... Something so simple that made the pony with problems changes his point of view of himself. A simple mane cut and a beard cut.
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She smiled as she remembered what her husband said to her on the project of why he was questioned about being a psychologist and be a barber pony. It didn't matter how he ended up in the end, he did it because he wanted to enjoy helping ponies and enjoy his work.
"Talcum?" Night Light asked as he made Spike think a few seconds before shaking his head. "Well Spike, I gotta to confess... Your great grandfather would be proud of the decision you made. Even if you felt hurt and destroyed on the inside, you did it what many stallions wouldn't have balls to do... You were willing to ask for help even in the moments of weakness like that, you went to ask help to your parents, and to your friends... And things like that it takes a good courage to do that."
"Really dad?" Spike asked as he saw the barber smile at him.
"And trust me, your grand uncle would have cursed all the family of those mares who broke your heart, and would have made a scene that you would love to watch. But Spike, now I will tell you an advice by experience. Problems happen to everypony, and everypony makes stupid mistakes. What the mare did to you with Twilight was stupid, but teenagers make stupid mistakes, even you did or even will do. But that happens, and the mistakes are what make us grow with more experience and wiser than before. You aren't married, that would have made your life 10 times worse, and now you are free." Night Light said as he took the towel over Spike's body, as he brought the mirror in front of him. "With a new haircut, you can look at yourself in the mirror and say, Alright world, I'm back, and this time I will do what I want."
Spike's eyes went wide open as he could see clearly inside the mirror, the tiredness inside his eyes were gone, and by some way his scale looked more curved, and even polished. It looked higher than before, looking stylish, his father always had the skill to make somepony feel great with themselves just by giving a simple haircut.
"Thank you, Night Light. How much was?" Spike finally felt comfortable with himself to let it out a simple smile of gratitude for the first time.
"It will be 7 bits." Night Light said as he took the cape of the little dragon, who seemed to take from his imaginary pocket what would be a single bit made by air.
"Here, have a bit which value 10 bits." Spike raised to Night Light who raised his hooves.
"I cannot accept that." Night Light said, as Spike who smiled and approached above his father. "It's too much."
"Oh come on, I'm already going to add into your pocket." Spike said as he moved around his father who seemed to effortlessly try to not accept the imaginary coin.
"Please sir, I have dignity and I cannot. WOA." Night Light stumbled on his hooves, making both him and Spike fall at the floor. "HAHAHAHAHAHA."
Both Spike and Night Light laughed at the silliness they felt over the middle room, and Spike finally gave a hug on his father who seemed to pat on his back.
"Okay Spike, your haircut is ready, and now you are looking great for the section." Night Light said as he walked with his own son inside of the kitchen.
"I really have to do that dad?" Spike sighed as he looked at his own father who took of his uniform and closed the kitchen door.
"Well son, you know the rules, and the haircut will make her fall into your feet, trust me, I know the barber who made it." Night Light chuckled as his son punched slightly at the back of his father's head.
Both son and father waited 1 minute before Night Light knocked the door from inside of the kitchen.
"You can enter." The female voice made them open the door and reveal a mare siting into a big chair, as the couch was ready for the patients she had. A modern therapy room which showed a lot of diplomas, pictures of college. A photograph of a mare and a wolf and a barber dressed as graduated students. And the environment over the room looked cozy but serious at the same time.
"Spike the dragon? I was waiting for your visit." The mare who seemed a professional psychologist offered her hooves as she used both of them to take the little dragon from Night Light's back. "We have a great session in mind."
"Oh boy." Spike said as he finally sighed and finally accepted that the end will be long at the moment he stepped inside of the room...