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// 5 - New Fields 
// Story: Once Spiked, Now Barbed 
// by David Silver 
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Barb leaped free of the castle with her arms wide in a cheer to meet the new day. "Yeah!" She hit the ground and turned it to a firm fistpump. "It's time to get started!"

Twilight descended at a more sedate rate, her horn closing the door behind her. "What are you starting, Barb?"

Barb paused. She hadn't thought out her excitement that far. "Um... Well, I want to talk to ponies that are closer to my age." She lowered a hand from high up to closer to her eyes. "I've been hanging around ponies way older than me, uh, no offense. It's about time I fixed that."

Twilight smiled at that. "I love that idea. You're not wrong. You do spend a lot of time with adults, and you are not quite there. Did you have a particular pony in mind?" She inclined her head with a thought. "Did you want to start attending school?" She tossed her head in the school's direction and its foals. "I could talk to Cheerilee."

Barb considered that. "I already know most of what she's trying to teach. Having you as a big sis leads to that." She stuck out her tongue. "It's hard not to second hand learn a lot of stuff, hanging around you."

Twilight colored at that. "I'm not sure if that's a compliment... So what do you have in mind then?"


Barb fired finger guns at Twilight with a sudden laugh. "I ran into one of them just before. The crusaders are at the right age, they know me, and I just haven't been trying to hang out with them. Bonus, Apple Bloom already knows about it, so that's less explaining I have to go over again."

Twilight raised a dubious brow. "How has Pinkie not already thrown a party about this?"

"She's planning one, don't you worry." Barb wagged a finger at Twilight. "When are the crusaders expected next at the school?" She hiked a thumb at the school that Twilight was supposed to be going to. "That'd be an easy spot to talk to them."

"They're usually busy when they come to the school, that's why they go there..." Twilight turned instead to the apple orchard outside of town. "Why not visit them at their headquarters?"

"Wow, duh. That's a great idea." She clapped and started off. "Good luck with school!"

Twilight waved at the departing Barb. "See you later." She resumed her trek to start the day of education for eager young minds.

"Still alright?"

Barb jumped at the sudden new voice. Oh, it was Bon Bon, watching her. "I'm fine. Is this about the whole... discord thing? I'm fine, really!"

Bon Bon considered the small female dragon. "I'm glad to hear that... I'm just making sure. I want what's best for you, Barb." She smiled gently. "And that free candy offer is still open."

Barb clasped her hands together. "Well... Your treats are pretty good... I was going to go visit the crusaders though." Bon Bon did not qualify as being on Barb's maturity level, or age. "Got anything I can bring for them too?"

Bon Bon began walking towards her shop. "Come on, Barb. We'll pick out a little something for the group then." As they walked, she turned an ear on Barb. "So! Welcome... to the lady side. Don't miss being a fella?"

Barb colored a little at that. "Uh... I like it better here, like this." She patted her own sides down a little. "Nothing against stallions; just not for me. You feel the same way, right?"

Bon Bon considered that with a faint frown. "Hm, I guess that's true." She drew a rough breath. "You are too young for me to go into details on my thoughts on that. Twilight would bend me in half, and I'd deserve it."

Barb struggled to think of what Bon Bon could even potentially be implying. "I know about egg laying, if that's what you're worried about."

Bon Bon light up a bright red. "Egg laying?!" She looked over her shoulder at Barb. "That isn't... a thing, for mares..." Which Barb wasn't, she had to remind herself. "I... You lay eggs?"

"Not yet," sang out Barb. "But I will, eventually. Kinda nervous about that... Um, back on topic. Candies!"

"Yes, candies." Such a safer topic for all involved. "I know the crusaders' preference, so leave this in my hooves." She pushed open the door to the shop and vanished inside, though Barb was following right after her. "They agree on some flavors, and others they disagree with. She wielded a metal scoop to get bits of different candies into one larger bag. "And this is a sampler of candies I know they like seperately and together, so you can all enjoy it."

Barb accepted the bag of jingling chocolates and candies. "Thanks! What do I owe? This is more than a few." She shook the full and heavy bag.

Bon Bon poked Barb. "Thanks for looking out, but this one's on me. Consider it an apology for freaking out when I first saw you." She glanced away and back. "I was worried for you."

"Aw, Thanks." Barb hopped up, hugging Bon Bon around the neck. Using her newfound powers, she smooched Bon Bon on the cheek and slipped to the ground. "Gonna go share these!" She left the stunned Bon Bon behind.

She shook her head slowly, then alone in her store. "That was new..."





Barb raced up the steps that creaked with well-loved wood on each impact of her feet. "Anypony home?" She reached the door of their clubhouse and knocked firmly. "It's Barb. Got a moment?"

The door opened almost instantly, revealing Sweetie Belle. She gasped with wonder. "Wow! Apple Bloom wasn't... Um, sorry. Hi there, Barb." Her eyes fell to the bag Barb was carrying. "What's that?"

Barb thrust the bag forward with a big smile. "Some candy I brought to share. I know it's a little sudden and all... but I was hoping we could all hang out a little."

Sweetie sat back with surprise not hidden at all. "This is new..." A common thought of the day.

"Who is it?" Scootaloo poked her head out under Sweetie's  head in an adorably snuggly display. "Oh! Wow..."

"Told ya." Apple Bloom circled around both, nodding at Barb. "Hey! Nice to see ya again."

Barb offered a hand and it was met with a hoof in a firm hoofbump of greetings. "Hey. Brought some candy and a wish to hang out." Her tail wagged with excitement. "If that's alright?"

Apple Bloom shrugged. "Don't see no reason why not. We ain't got a client until late in the afternoon, right?"

Sweetie pulled out a notepad with her magic, checking quickly. "Yep! All free until then." She slipped the pad away. "Huh, well, come on in. We should meet, again."

Scootaloo popped back inside and got things in a hurried order, so there were four pillows in a circle that she claimed one of, hopping into place. "Welcome!"

Barb entered with a growing hope. "I know we've known each other for a while... but I never stopped to actually... get to know any of you."

Apple Bloom snorted at that. "Now yer bein' silly! Yer practically family!"

Sweetie clapped in agreement. "We see you all the time, Spi--Barb. Though this is a new... adventure for you."

"Welcome to the winning side." Scootaloo gave the best thumbs up a hoofed creature could manage. "But, yeah, we're way not strangers or anything."

"Strangers, no." Barb smiled at the three. "But we're, like... friends because we live in the same place, not like... because we do anything... I barely know you, and you, um, don't know me all that well..."

Apple Bloom tapped at her chin with her hoof. "Ah think ah getcha. So, alright! Let's know the real Barb!"

Sweetie burst into fresh giggles. "What's your favorite game?"

Scootaloo nudged against Sweetie. "Duh! She likes Ogres and Owls."

"Obliouttes," corrected Barb. "That is one of my favorite games, yeah... I play it weekly with Big Mac and Discord."

Sweetie fished around in her pockets and produced a 12 sided die that she let tumble to the ground. "Ta da! It's the only one of those I have."

Barb watched it tumble to a slow stop on an eight. "Nice, but you need a few more usually. Say, do you play?"

Apple Bloom shook her head. "I've heard of it."

"Nope." Scootaloo shrugged helplessly.

"A few times." Sweetie collected her missing die. "But the other girls don't play it, so it doesn't come up very often."

Apple Bloom started up. "Really?! Sweets?"

"Speaking of that." Barb tossed the bag down between them all. Candies spilled out into view as it hit the ground.

Scootaloo grabbed a big chocolate and stuffed it in her mouth. "Your sacrifice is accepted."

"And our anger is appeased, for now." Apple Bloom put a colorful hard candy into her own snout. "But really, Sweetie?"

"Why not?" she pouted at the idea. "It's a fun enough game... The boys like it, and I play it with them."

Barb leaned forward, grabbing a sour candy for herself. "Which boys?"

"Double on that question," joined Apple Bloom, chewing. "Didn't think you hung out with boys at all."

Sweetie colored as she was stared at. "It's nothing special! We just play O&O once in a rare while..."

Barb crossed her arms. "Well, now you have to say." The girls all looked to Barb. "What? She has to say what her character is. I'm dying to know!"

Sweetie went slack with relief. "Oh! Sure. I play a Guardian of Friendship."

Barb inclined her head. "Wow, that just came out. So you're playing the new edition? Neat! I'm doing 6th."

"Sixth?! Old." Sweetie burst into giggles. "Why don't you update?"

"Those books aren't cheap," squeaked out Barb. "The one I have was a gift from Twilight." She ruefully smiled. "She loves giving books as presents... It worked out especially well for me those times, when she got me an O&O book. I can't exactly be like 'Hey, wrong book!' at a gift. That'd be rude."

Apple Bloom looked between the two O&O players. "Huh... So you both play... Um, if Twilight is getting you books and not really payin' any mind on which ones she gets... Do they even all match up, or are ya gettin' all kindsa different books?"

Barb let out a defeated sigh at that. "I have some third and fourth mixed in there. Not even sure where she found them, but older books are even better in her eyes, so I bet she thought she was getting extra good books. Still... they're not worthless. They're full of inspiration."

Sweetie hopped forward, right over the candy. "So, you run the game? Neat."

Scootaloo inclined her head. "I have no idea what they're talking about."

"Applejack played it once." Apple Bloom nodded with certainty. "Fun enough, she said, but not really what she wanted to do all the time."

Sweetie twirled on her friends. "She runs it!" She waved a hoof back at Barb. "So if we ask real nice, I bet she'd run a game for us. Then I don't need any boys."

Barb blinked, realizing what was happening. "Oh, um... Do... they even want to play?" She looked between Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

Scootaloo cracked a smile. "Barb, you missed something."

"Huh, what?" Barb tried to reign in her excitement. What had she missed?!

Scootaloo threw an arm over Sweetie, drawing the other filly close. "She's obviously ready to get some filly time." Sweetie bobbed her head quickly. "And she wants you to run it."

Barb let that tumble around until it clicked into place. "Oh! Wow... That... Thanks!" She surged to her feet and grabbed Sweetie in a firm hug from the front. "That means a lot!" She was being accepted into a girl space, as a girl. No catches or hitches. She just had to do it right. "If you two want to play, then I'll run it."