//------------------------------//
// Chapter II - Coping with Rejection. 
// Story: The Dragon's Rogue 
// by Mr101 
//------------------------------//

                                                             The Dragon’s Rogue
                                                  Chapter II - Coping with Rejection.






        The Gala was roaring with life. The large orchestra played a beautiful classical tune as the many dancers, wearing their finest outfits, slowly danced with their partners in time with the music. Prince Solaris and Artemis sat upon two splendid, regal thrones. Each one fashioned to suit their roles as ruler of the night and day.

        The Elements of Harmony sat around a specially reserved table, each one dressed in their own finest attire. Save for one of them.

“I must say, Barbara… you look simply stunning tonight.”

        “W-well thank you, Elusive…”

        Barbara blushed softly at the compliment as the young dragoness was gracefully twirled to the music by her date, Elusive, the Element of Generosity and her coltfriend. It had been one of the hardest things she had ever done in her life but the moment Elusive had agreed to be her date to the Gala, she felt as if nothing would ever go wrong in her life again.

        And why would it? She was in the company of one of Equestria’s finest and handsomest stallions.

        Stealing a glance over to the table where her friends say, she smiled as her adoptive older brother, Dusk Shine, waved to her, a proud smile on his face. Beside him sat Applejack who tipped his hat that he had insisted on wearing despite Elusive’s protests, Bubble Berry had the largest grin Barb had ever seen and swore it was threatening to rip his face in half. Butterscotch was blushing and hiding his face behind part of his mane and gave a small smile to Barb as Rainbow Blitz grinned at Barb. Although not as big as Bubble’s grin, it was still one that showed his approval.

        Barb was twirled once more by Elusive as the other dancers began to slow disperse, giving up more and more room for the dragoness and her stallion. The music slowly came to a stop and it was at that point that Barb realised it was just her and Elusive left on the dance floor.

        “What’s going on?” she asked Elusive.

        “Something I asked to happen, just for us…” he whispered softly.

        She blushed again as the orchestra began to start once more, only this time with a much slower song. Elusive smiled into her eyes as a soft blush formed on his white cheeks, causing Barb to stare deeply into Elusive’s sapphire eyes, his eyes twinkling as she felt her cheeks redden more by the second.

        He gently began to lead the dance, sending a delightful shiver down her back. Barb could feel the eyes of everypony watching, which only heightened her giddiness of being alone on the dancefloor with Elusive.

        She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat. The moment was just too perfect for her and she didn’t want anything at all to ruin this for her.

        “Barb…” Elusive whispered softly.

        Barb looked up to see him smiling down at her, her face threatening to become as red as a strawberry. Her eyes shimmered as Elusive slowly closed the gap between her face and his. As they came closer, she could feel his warm breath blowing over her face softly.

        “Oh… Elusive…” she whispered softly.

        “ERGH! ERGH! ERGH! ERGH! ERGH! ERGH! ERGH!”

        She snapped her head back in sudden shock as Elusive stared at her with wide eyes and head moving back and forth like a chickens, she blinked a few times as he continued to scream the same word over and over at her wondering what was going on. Then it hit her.

        “No… no no no no!” She cried as the world around her dissolved into darkness.




        Barb groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. She sat up as the sound of her alarm echoed in her bedroom and she slowly turned to give it a cold glare, raising a tightly fist in the air before crashing it down hard upon the poor innocent clock. The clock gave one final distorted cry before being effectively silenced. For good.

Snorting in satisfaction, she stretched her arms up high whilst arching her back and letting her forked tongue flop out with a yawn. With a swing of her legs she stood up and scratched her stomach before heading into the bathroom , bumping into Dusk on the way.

        “Oh, good morning, Barb,” Dusk greeted her cheerfully.

        “Bah! What’s so good about it?” Barb grumbled.

        Dusk blinked in confusion as Barb entered the bathroom and slammed the door shut. He sighed and shook his head as he made his way downstairs, adjusting his glasses and dusting the sleeves of his white shirt. Grumbling to herself about alarm clocks and their stupidity, Barb made her way to the mirror and glared at the reflection.

        With a heavy sigh, she opened the bathroom cabinet and pulled out her toothbrush along with the toothpaste and began to brush her fangs. After she had done that and washed her face, she had headed back to her room in order to change out of her pyjamas and into a pair of blue, knee length jean shorts and a black shirt that ended just above her belly button. Satisfied with her attire she then headed downstairs to join Dusk for breakfast.

        She found him eating a bowl of cereal with an open book levitating in front of him, eyes glued to the pages. Barb shook her head as she began to sort out her own breakfast.

        “Good book, Dusk?” she asked.

        Dusk grunted in reply as he turned a page and shoved another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

        “So, any plans for today?”

        Again, Dusk merely grunted as he focused more on his book, Barb felt a small smirk form on her face as she casually flicked her tail. She opened a cupboard and pulled out a large emerald that sparkled slightly.

        “I’m gunna eat this gem you said I wasn’t allowed until next week's party, okay?”

        This time however, she felt the emerald be pulled out of her hand suddenly by Dusk’s magic. He levitated it into his hand and placed it on the table, not once turning to look at her.

        “Oh you heard that!” Barb grumbled.

        Dusk snickered as he finished the last of his cereal. Barb huffed as she poured herself some cereal and took the eat opposite Dusk, giving him a scowl before she started to eat.

        “So why were you grouchy earlier?” Dusk asked.

        “Stupid alarm clock ruined the dream I was having,” she muttered.

        “What kind of dream was it?” He inquired.

        Barb twirled her spoon in the bowl and looked away from Dusk.

        “I… don’t want to talk about it…” she muttered, her mood changing drastically.

        “Oh… I see…” Dusk replied with a soft voice, “I know it’s only been a week but… do you want to talk it?”

        “No, I don’t. I want to pretend it never happened okay?”

        “Barb… it did happen, nothing can change that now. I’m just concerned about you that’s all..”
        “I said no, Dusk!” Barb snapped, “I… I’m sorry, I just don’t want to…”

        Dusk watched as Barb got up from the table and walked out of the room. He sighed as he heard the front door slam and pushed his glasses back up slightly. It had been a week since Barb had done what she had considered to be the bravest thing she had ever done. Ask the love of her life Elusive out.




        “Okay, Dusk, today’s the day!” Barb declared with a confident grin.

        Dusk chuckled as he shook his head. Barb had a grin that threatened to take up her whole face as she walked towards the front door, a couple of tickets in one hand and a beautiful sapphire in the other.

        “So, Miss confident, got everything you need?” He asked her.

        “Yup! Two tickets to that new film he wanted to go and see, a beautiful sapphire to match his gorgeous eyes…” Barb sighed happily as she pictured Elusive’s perfect blue eyes.

        “Hey, Equestria to Bar!” Duck laughed, “you’re drooling.”

        “W-what?! Oh no, I need to wash my face! I need to—”

        “Kidding! Sheesh, Barb you’re more nervous than Blitz when he got V.I.P. tickets to see the Wonderbolts,” Dusk smirked.

        “Well of course I'm nervous!” 

        “Okay, okay. No need to get yourself to overworked, Barb,” Dusk smiled, “just remember to play it cool and be yourself alright?”

        Barb nodded as she turned and headed out of the door. With a happy sigh, Dusk headed over to his desk and pulled out a scroll and began to write.




Barb walked through Ponyville with her hands firmly dug inside of her pockets. She kept her gaze on the ground and ignored the waves and greetings from the townsfolk and made her way to the town centre to try and take her mind of her thoughts, as she walked she didn’t pay attention to her surroundings and bumped into someone. Making her fall onto her ass.

        “Ah… sorry about that I wasn’t—”

Barb stopped as she looked up to see just who it was she had bumped into. Elusive. She stared at him as her eyes slowly getting wider with each passing second, time seeming to slow down for her.

        “Oh… Barb, hello,” Elusive said awkwardly.

        “Elusive…” Barb whispered.

        Elusive offered a hand to her but she declined it and got up herself, brushing herself down as she did. The two stood in an awkward silence. After a short while, Elusive was the one who broke the silence.

        “You okay, Barb?”

        “Fine.”

        “How’s every—”

        “Fine.”

        Elusive sighed as he rubbed his head and looked away.

        “Look… Barb, I never meant to hurt you… I was going to tell everypony but—”

        “It’s fine,” Barb interrupted, “I understood perfectly well. After all it’s like you said, I’m a dragon and you're a pony,” she continued, spitting out the words with venom.

        “Barb, I didn’t mean it like that. You're an immortal being and I’m… well I’m not and—”

        “I don’t want to hear it, Elusive!” Barb shouted, trying to hold back her tears, “I’m happy for you and Toffee…”

        A small crowd had gathered after hearing Barb shout, a few sharing looks of concern as Elusive looked around at them before looking back to Barb.

        “Barb…”

        “I-I gotta go…” she said, turning her back and running off, letting her tears flow down her face.

        Elusive stuck his arm out to grab her but was too late, he stood there looking after her with a pained expression on his face before curling his hand into a fist. He sighed and turned around and began to slowly head in the opposite direction.        




        Barb confidently made her way through Ponyville with her head held high. Ponies greeted her cheerfully and she was more than happy to return the waves she got, all the while her smile never leaving her face for a second. Walking right through the marketplace, she made her way to the only place she needed to be that day. The Carousel Boutique. 

        As she got to the door, she stopped to take a few moments to collect herself and to mentally psyche herself up before knocking on the door three times. Barb waited patiently as she heard the sounds of hoofsteps approaching, holding the tickets and sapphire behind her back. The door was opened but only partially as Elusive poked his head out slightly.

        “Yes? Oh hello there, Barb. What can I do for you dear?”

        “Good morning, Elusive. You’re looking as handsome as ever.”

        “Oh you’re such the flatter my dear girl, did you need something?” Elusive smiled.

        “Actually… I came to ask you something, I-If that’s okay with you,” Barb replied.

        “I see… is it urgent only…”

        “Oh I promise i-it won't take long!” Barb quickly said.

        Elusive bit his lip and looked back into the shop, a clear sign of concern on his face. He eventually sighed and opened the door fully allowing the young dragoness to enter. Barb smiled as she entered the building, taking great care to side step around Elusive so he wouldn’t see her gifts for him.

        She made her way into the workshop are of the boutique, failing to notice the other pony in the room with her as she giggled to herself. Barb waited patiently as Elusive soon followed in behind her.

        “So, Elusive… I got you this.”

        Elusive gasped softly as Barb extended the arm that held onto the sapphire. He levitated it over to his own hand and stared at its beauty.

        “Barb.. it’s so beautiful…”

        “A-and I got us these two tickets t-to go see that new f-film you wanted to go see!” Barb added, revealing the tickets.

        “Oh, Barb,” Elusive started, “this is so thoughtful… but.”

        “But what?” Barb asked, feeling her body grow slightly cold.

        “I was going to tell you, Barb… tell all of you. I’m so sorry you had to find out this way…”

        “Find o-out what?” Barb asked, trying hard to swallow the lump in her throat.

        “Hello, Barb…” a voice behind her said.

        Barb spun on the spot, slightly startled by the voice and gasped softly.

        “Toffee?” *





        Barb sniffled as she came to a stop by a large tree. Looking back over her shoulder at the town she wiped her eyes with her arm and carried on walking slowly into Whitetail woods, rubbing her arms tightly as if she was cold as her silent tears ran down her cheeks.

        Eventually, she came to a small clearing halfway into the woods with a small pond. The place she would go to when she needed to think. Kneeling down by the water, she looked down at her reflection and sniffed loudly.

        “Damnit Barb… why can’t you just move on?”

        She stared at her reflection as if she was waiting for it to reply to her.

        “You should be happy… he’s still your friend, right? You only want your friends to be happy…”

        Again, her reflection gave her no reply and she slowly clenched her fists. Her arms began to shake.

        “Why can’t I be happy for once? All I do is run around my friends making sure they’re happy, why can’t anypony do that for me?!”

        She suddenly lashed out at the water, bringing her fits up and slamming them down over and over into the water splashing it everywhere as she roared in anger. 

        “Why was I born a dragon?!”

        Barb suddenly choked up and began sobbing heavily into her hands. She fell to her side and curled up, her sobs slowly quieting to sniffling as she slowly let a sudden weariness overcame her, sending the dragoness into a deep sleep.




        “Elusive? What’s going on?” Barb asked, looking from Toffee back to Elusive.

        “I’m sorry, Barb but… I’ve been seeing Toffee for the past couple of weeks,” he replied.

        “T-two weeks? B-but how does nopony…”

        “Know about us?” Toffee asked. “Well… I wanted to take things slowly… see how it be before we decided to make it official. Please don’t be upset, Barb… we just didn’t want to tell anypony until the right moment.”

        Barb’s heart shattered and her whole body went ice cold. She stared at the two trying to process everything that had just happened, her heart beating slowly, the sound of it being the only thing she could hear. Her eyes struggled to let loose the tears she could feel building up.

        “O-oh…” Barb replied softly, “I… I’m happy for you…”

        “I’m sorry, Barb... I really am…” Elusive started, “I really do like you… but I just thought that with you being a dragon and myself a pony—”

“Wait… that’s why you never returned any affection? Because I’m a dragon?” Barb nearly growled.

        “No, I didn’t mean it like that, Barb, I meant—”

        “You know what,” Barb interrupted, “it’s fine, I’m happy for you both. You should go to the movies together, shame if these tickets went to waste right?”

        Toffee and Elusive watched as Barb placed the tickets down on a desk shakily before making her way to the front door.

        “Barb… I didn’t mean—”

        “I’m happy for you two… I really am,” Barb interrupted again, “I need to go anyway, Dusk’s got some chores I need to do.”

        Before Elusive could say anything else, Barb quickly rushed out the store and slammed the door shut. He was about to go after her when Toffee held his arm softly.

        “Let her go… she needs some time alone.”

        “But I need to apologise, I didn’t mean it like she thought… I just was worried about her longevity as a dragon and—”

        “I know dear… I know, and I’m sure she does too… just let her have some alone time.”

        Elusive sighed and went over to the sofa and sat down with his head in his hands as Toffee softly rubbed his back. Barb ran as fast as she could through the town, quickly reaching the library. She flung open the door and slammed it shut, ignoring Dusk entirely and ran straight to her room slamming the door before jumping into her bed, breaking down in heavy sobs into her pillow.





        Barb woke with a soft gasp. She murmured and rubbed her eyes and looked up to see the sky had a tint of red in it, the sun near the edge of the horizon.

        “Must have dozed off…” she muttered, “I suppose I should get home, Dusk might be worrying where I am…”

        She got up and dusted herself down, stretching her body. Just as Barb was about to leave she heard something like static above her and looked up to see a swirling green portal suddenly appear several feet above her. She watched in awe and alarm as a soft scream began to get louder and louder coming from the portal.

        Something shot out of the portal at and angle and collided with her head, knocking her to the ground. Barb cried out in pain as she slammed into the ground and groaned, hearing another sound and looking up to see the portal vanish without a trace.

        “By Solaris that hurt…” she winced.

        She rose from her back and rubbed her head. Looking around she saw a pony lying on the ground a few feet away from her and glared at it.

        “Hey you jerk! What was that for?” she growled.

        The pony groaned as it slowly got to its feet only to stumble towards her as it tried to control its balance. Barb watched in confusion as it waved its arms out to the sides and stabilized itself, she then noticed that the pony had no ears. Or tail.

        Her eyes widened as it turned around and looked at her, blinking in confusion at her. It was a head higher than her and was virtually hairless,  save for wavy, brown shoulder length hair with a moustache and chin strip beard. She stared into its eyes as it seemed to be trying to focus on her.

        “Huh… what’s a Draynor doing all the way out here?” it asked.

        “... A what now?” Barb replied.

        “You know, your race? Dragon folk? Scaly buggers who raise dragons?” it said.

        “... Are you alright?” Barb asked with a little concern.

        “Just peachy my dear… now… where the hell am I exactly?”

        “Well… you’re in Equestria and… look are you sure you’re alright, whatever it is you are?”

        “Are you serious? I’m a human you silly Draynor lass!” it chuckled.

        “Human?”

        “... By the gods, you’re being serious aren’t you?”

        “Look, I’m taking you to a hospital. Now.”

        “No, no I’m fine. Just a little tipsy that’s all. Now if you’d be so kind I have some things I need to be doing.”
        
        The human turned around and started to walk away from Barb, leaving the highly confused dragoness to stare after him trying to work out what the hell happened. He swayed slightly before starting to fall over.

        “Whoa, whoa hey!” Barb said rushing over to him, “that’s it, I’m taking you to the hospital.”

        Barb grunted as she wrapped his left arm around her shoulders and started to walk them back towards Ponyville. The human groaned in annoyance but reluctantly walked along with her, every now and again stumbling over his feet.

        “Dusk’s going to have a fit when he hears about this…” she muttered softly.