“Oh, what about this, Dusk? This would absolutely look radiant on a dress!”
Elusive flipped through the design book in Dusk’s library. Unlike the bemused purple colt, Elusive was enjoying himself immensely as he scanned through the book.
“Oh, and we could use this! She’ll love it!”
“Calm down, Elusive,” Dusk Shine said with a faint chuckle. “It sounds as if you’re the one who wants to wear these dresses.”
Elusive playfully stuck his nose towards the air. “Well, excuse me for having an appreciation for fashion. My client is a very beautiful critic. I can’t disappoint her!” Elusive grabbed Dusk’s chest and began to shake it. “Imagine what that could do to my career! It would be ruined! RUINED!”
“Listen, Ms. Fru-Fru already told you that the designs you make on all your clothing were good,” Dusk began, trying to avoid the whiplash from being shaken by Elusive. “All you have to do is what she likes, which is pretty much anything in your boutique.”
Elusive let go of Dusk Shine and tapped the bottom of his chin. “Touche.”
“That, and I don’t have much interest in fashion, honestly,” Dusk continued, flipping through his book. “I would rather have a simple suit than one of the extravagant ones you tend to make for us.”
“True.” Elusive poked out his lips. “You don’t tend to care about how you look in a suit that much, so I wouldn’t expect you to know much about dresses. No offense, of course.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it, Elusive. Dusk Shine isn’t that concerned about it.” A silky, dream like voice emerged into the room. A purple dragon walked into the room with a goofy grin on her face, holding two glasses of warm tea. She set one of them down on a cushion, blushing madly. “I made it just the way you like it. Two lumps of sugar with a lemon wedge in it. I hope that you like it.”
Elusive smiled at the dragon and lifted the tea towards his lips. After sipping, he gave a stoic face, causing the dragon to frown sadly.
“Do… do you not like it?” she asked shakily.
“No, Barb. I don’t like it.” The green dragon sighed and looked at the ground with disappointment, only to be surprised by a faint chuckle from Elusive. “I love it! You’ve fixed it up perfectly, Barby Warby!”
Barb’s blush intensified when Elusive pressed his hoof gently against her cheek. She squeaked with pleasure. “Ah, it’s nothing really. Just making tea for the greatest designer in Equestria!”
Elusive waved his hoof towards Barb. “Oh, Barb, you flatter me too much.”
Dusk Shine coughed and gagged at the sappy affection Barb was giving Elusive. “Excuse me, Barb, but didn’t you make both of us tea?”
“Yeah, yeah! I’ll get to you.” Barb picked up the cup and placed it on the table next to Dusk Shine. “You know, you could do with a little more patience.”
Dusk Shine grumbled to himself and sipped the tea. While still good, the tea was quite cold at that moment. It was obvious that Barb worked on his first and took her sweet time with Elusive’s.
“Oh, Barb, you’re just the dragon I need at the moment!” Elusive exclaimed, pulling Barb over towards him. He flipped the book he was flipping through to a page with a purple dress with shimmering diamonds. “I think something like this would look magnificent on Ms. Fru-Fru. Sure, I’ll put my own touches here and there to make it my own design, but still, this should be a really spectacular dress. What do you think, Barb? I could use your feminine intellect to help me figure this out.”
Barb’s face was flushed. The sweet compliments from Elusive were the norm, but each one made her feel warm inside. It made her feel special.
“I think it would look good on her. Maybe add a few gems on the white seams, and make it sparkle a bit, and you have a nice dress for her.”
Dusk Shine chuckled. “Since when did you care about anything fashion?” Dusk asked as he gave an implied wink to Barb.
“What do you mean, Dusk?” Barb said, feigning ignorance. “Fashion is my middle name. Barb Fashion Dragon.” Barb paused and blushed. “Okay, maybe that name isn’t that good, but you know what I mean!”
“Well, I for one think it’s a fitting name for you.”
Elusive’s flattery once again sent Barb’s heart ablaze. In her love filled gaze, she looked directly at the grinning stallion she admired so much. Everything about him was so perfect. His deep, purple eyes, his radiant short mane, the way he kept himself fit and perfect. He was everything she could want in a stallion, everything she longed for.
Elusive’s grin turned stoic, which made Barb concerned until he turned his attention towards the clock. “Oh dear! Is it that late already! I’m going to be up all night trying to finish this dress if I don't’ get back now! Dusk, you wouldn’t mind if I—”
“Go right ahead,” Dusk Shine interrupted. “You have more of a use for it than I do.”
Elusive ran up to Dusk and hugged him. “You’re a life saver, Dusk! I’ll bring it back first thing tomorrow!” Elusive picked up the book with him magic and headed towards the door. “See you two tomorrow!”
“Good luck with getting done with your projects, Elusive.” Dusk Shine waved at Elusive and returned his focus towards his books.
“Luck? I don’t need luck so long as I have inspiration. But thanks anyways. Thanks for the advice, Barb!”
“Yeah…” Barb was still entranced by Elusive’s body. Even his tail was perfect. Not a single flaw appeared in Barb’s personification of her king. She had the perfect view, watching Elusive leave.
Leaving. Barb shook her head and snapped out of her trance.
“Wait!” she yelled out without thinking, attracting both of the stallions attention. Elusive turned around and raised an eyebrow. There was no point in keeping it in now; after gaining the stallion’s attention, she gulped and asked him, “Can I… can I go with you?”
“Oh?” Elusive’s curiosity grew. “Why would you want to come with me? When I get home, I’m going to be extremely busy with these projects. I won’t have time to talk to you much, Barb.”
“I know that,” Barb said. “It’s just… well…” She tapped her claws together, trying to piece together her words in a way that didn’t make her sound too desperate. “Maybe we could discuss some more designs for your clients! I mean, not that you need my help or anything, but I could probably give you some good pointers. I am a girl after all, and who knows a girl better than another girl.”
Barb laughed awkwardly and scratched her head. The conversation sounded better in her head, but when it seeped out of her mouth, she realized how bad it was. She was expecting Elusive to just laugh at her, tell her no, and walk off. She wouldn’t blame him.
“That’s a wonderful idea, sweetie!”
Barb’s eyes shot open in shock. “Wait, wha?”
Elusive chuckled. “I don’t see a problem with it. We might strike some inspiration on the way back to the boutique. It would really help with the later projects! Why isn’t that just like you, Barb. Always thinking ahead.”
“Yeah, well, you know.” Barb smiled and rubbed her arm, blushing madly. Dusk Shine picked up on this and nudged Barb.
“Well, he doesn’t have all day, Barby Warby! You should get going. It’s getting late,” Dusk Shine ordered, receiving a slight look of disdain from Barb.
“You know I don’t like being pushed,” she snarled lightly. She quickly regained her composure and smiled as she skipped delightfully by Elusive. “Ready to go when you are.”
Elusive smiled and once again waved at Dusk. “I won’t keep her long. She’s just going to stop by my place for a brief moment and then that’s it.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Dusk said. “She knows when she needs to be back home, right Barb?”
The dragon sighed, sticking her forked tongue out at Dusk Shine. “Yes, Dad! I’ll be back before it gets too late.”
“Then have fun, you two!”
With the exchanges out of the way, Elusive and Barb left the library. Dusk Shine snickered to himself and returned his focus on his books.
“That Barb. Will she ever give up?”
***
Barb held the design book in her scaly hands, flipping to the pages that Elusive requested.
“And what about red velvet?” he asked. “I think it would look absolutely marvelous on him. Imagine the mares he could potentially wow!”
Barb was grinning from ear to ear. There she was, standing close to her crush while he asked her for suggestions. She couldn’t help but fawn over him. “You’ve already wowed me.”
“What was that, Barb?”
She nearly panicked after her statement. “I said… you’ve really wowed me with… um… how much insight you have on this kind of thing.”
Elusive looked down towards Barbara in confusion. “But, you’ve always know that I’ve been good with fashion, so how is this new?”
“Well… it’s not common for a male to know so much about this type of stuff.” Barb mentally face-palmed herself. “Not that that should matter. It doesn’t mean much… wait… I don’t mean you don’t mean much, it’s just… aaah!” She pushed the book against her face in frustration, listening to the faint chuckles of Elusive.
“I understand what you mean, Barb. And quite honestly, I’m flattered that you think that way.”
Barb slowly pushed the book from her face, revealing a tone as red as the velvet Elusive had pointed out.
“But like I was asking, Barb, what do you think about the velvet color?”
“Oh, right.” Barb analysed the design and internalized every detail. “Well, the color does fit with the colt’s scheme a bit. However, I think a little gold would help bring out the coloring.”
“You really think so?”
Barb nodded, resulting in a thought provoked hmm to escape from Elusive.
“I can see that. Not too much though, or it might overpower the suit.” Elusive smiled at Barb. “Nice suggestion. You’re really good at this.”
Barb giggled. “I’m not that good. I’m just doing what I can to help out.”
“And doing it quite well, I might add. You are really in tune with what looks good on mares, and even colts. I didn’t think you were that attentive to such detail! It’s really useful.”
Barb continued to blush. The barrage of compliments accompanied by who was giving them made it feel as if her heart was going to leap out of her chest.
“And the way you match certain mares with colors and outfits, it’s as if you had some kind of experience.” Elusive gave a coy grin towards Barb. “Are you some secret fashionista, and you just now wanted to tell me?”
Barb couldn’t contain her laughter. “Who, me? Dusk Shine will tell you any day that I don’t know a thing about fashion. At least, not as much as you. You’re practically the expert!”
“True, but you aren’t to fashion blind yourself. It’s as if you spent time actually studying these mares and designs, just to learn about them!”
Barb sighed. Her frown smile sank into a saddened frown. She turned her head to the side to avoid Elusive’s gaze. “You could say that.”
Elusive could feel some tension build up. Barb’s happy disposition was gone, and instead replaced with something short of depression.
“Something wrong, Barb?” Elusive asked.
“No, nothing’s wrong.” Barb turned towards Elusive and feigned a smile. “I’m just thinking a bit, that’s all.”
“Are you sure?”
Barb nodded. Elusive still wasn’t convinced, but for the sake of Barb, he decided to drop it and continue on.
“Hey, Elusive, we can still talk about the designs if you want. Is there anything else you need help with? I could give suggestions to future projects if you need it.”
Elusive shook his head. “It’s fine, Barb. You’ve already helped me with all the projects I needed. I appreciate it, Barb.”
Barb stayed silent, smiling at Elusive faintly. The rest of the walk to the boutique was a silent one. Both had exhausted their what they wanted to say to each other, and Barb herself started acting a little distant. Elusive became very concerned by this, but decided not to press Barb to talk to him about it.
In no time, the two reached the boutique. Elusive lit his horn and took the book from Barb’s grasp.
“Well, this is where I unfortunately have to say goodbye,” Elusive said, bringing a hoof to his forehead in a melodramatic way. “I have way too many projects to finish up tonight. I don’t know if I’ll manage to get any sleep! I might get bags under my eyes from all this. The horror!”
Barb giggled. “You? Baggy eyes? Only when pigs fly! You take care of yourself too much for that to happen!”
Elusive pressed his front hoof against his silky cheeks and smiled. “Well, you do have a point. I’d never let crows feet form on my face given the opportunity.”
“And even if you did, you’d still be the same handsome, radiant stallion you are right now.”
Barb blushed. Her words sounded too dreamlike and wistful. She was sure that Elusive would pick up on the affectionate tone. However, he instead chuckled warmly.
“Oh, stop! You’re just saying that.”
No, I really mean it. You’re amazingly gorgeous! Barb was thankful that her mouth didn’t translate what she was thinking, because she would have died of embarrassment. Instead, she just stood there and smiled softly, her red tinted face lightening.
“But alas, I’m a busy stallion, and this is where we part. You can take the book back to Dusk Shine. Sharing ideas with you was good enough to get my creative juices flowing.”
Barb grasped the book against her chest and smiled. “You really thought my opinion was valuable?”
“Of course! I probably would have been trotting around like a mindless colt trying to think up some more designs, but you really were a spark of inspiration. I give a lot of credit to you and your feminine touch.”
“Yeah. Feminine touch."
Elusive nodded and turned the knob on his door. “You should get home now, sweetie. You know how Dusk Shine can get when you’re out too late.”
“Yeah. I know,” Barb responded, chuckling awkwardly.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Barb,” Elusive said as he waved at her. “Ta-ta!”
“Ta-ta…” Barb gave an unenthusiastic wave. The light emitting from Elusive’s house began to dim when he closed the door, leaving only the light of Ponyville’s streets to light her way.
She walked down the path, continuously staring at the book. As she walked home, Barb skimmed through the pages and observed the female’s features. They were all perfect. They had smooth skin, makeup and long eyelash, elegant manes, and hooves and polished as sleek ice. Every feature, every frame was sleek perfection.
And then there was Barb. She wasn’t the perfect model in the book. She wasn’t the mare all the colts would swoon over. She was a dragon, a hideous, ugly dragon. Her claws were dirty and grimy, she didn’t have flawless, smooth skin, and she wasn’t slim like the others in the book. She was pudgy. Nopony would ever love her. Tears began to trickle down her face.
“Why can’t I be beautiful?” She tried to divert her attention from the book, but it kept taunting her, making her look at the pages as if to say ‘you wish you could be as well toned and lovely as we are’. And she did. She truly did. She longed to be something other than the ugly dragoness she was cursed to be.
Her wallows occupied most of her walk home. Before she knew it, she was standing right in front of Golden Oaks Library. She pushed the door open and walked in with her head hanging low.
Dusk Shine looked up to see if the person walking through the house was in fact Barb. He was satisfied to see her come home when she was supposed to, but the expression on the dragons face caused concern.
“Barb? Are you okay?”
Barb didn’t look up. She sniffled and dropped the book near Dusk Shine. “I’m fine. I’m just tired. I’m going to go to bed.” She immediately walked up the stairs, sobbing to herself and closing the door to the bedroom.
“What could be wrong with her?” Dusk Shine put down the book he was reading and trotted up the stairs after Barb. As he made his towards the bedroom, he heard her sobs grow louder and louder. When Dusk pushed the door open, he didn’t see Barb lying in her bed. The sound appeared to be coming from the bathroom. His curiosity and concern grew, and Dusk inched his way to the bathroom door to not startle Barb. Though, what he saw hurt him more than anything he could possibly think.
There Barb was, standing in front of the mirror with tears streaming down her face. She sniffled and sulked, her claws wiping the pool of salty liquids from her face. It was too much for Dusk to take, but it was made worse by what Barb was about to say.
“I’m hideous.”
Those words cut Dusk’s soul. He felt tears coming on as well.
“Why can’t I just be beautiful? Why can’t I be a pretty like the other mares? Instead, I’m this wretched beast.” She looked at her claw and sniffled once more. “No wonder nopony will ever love me.”
“Barb…”
She jolted and turned towards Dusk. Her eyes were bloodshot and moist. Her face was so pained and distraught. She just stood there, staring at the stallion that saw her in all of her misery.
“Barb, you should talk to me,” Dusk Shine said. “I didn’t know you were feeling—“
“It’s nothing, Dusk,” Barb lied. “I would rather not talk about it.” Barb left the bathroom and dragged herself towards her bed.
“But—“
“Dusk, please.”
His eyes were heavy. Barb ignored any advances from Dusk to try to weed out any information of her depression. The only thing Dusk had to go on was what he heard Barb said. But if he had to go on a hunch, the book she dropped on the floor had something to do with it. Barb continued to sob and whimper until her sadness lulled her to sleep. It was painful for Dusk to watch her act like that, writhing around in a depressed ball. Dusk sat on the bed next to her, observing her.
“Even in her sleep she looks depressed.” Dusk brushed his hooves over Barb’s face, causing her to squirm and whimper. “That book. I’m sure that’s the reason she feels that way.”
Barb had been looking at that book a lot more than she normally did. With every new day passing by, the book seemed to drain the joy of Barb and replace it with self-loathing. It was so obvious. He just wished he would have realized it sooner.
“How can I convince Barb that she isn’t hideous?” Dusk Shine tapped his skull to try to collect his thoughts. “She won’t listen to me if I told her she was beautiful. Heck, she barely listens to me period.”
After quickly contemplating, he came up with the solution he needed. “But she would listen to Elusive.” He got on his bed and put himself under the covers. He kept his eyes on Barb, but closed his eyes to allow sleep to take him.
“Tomorrow morning, I need to go talk to him. Maybe he can talk some sense into Barb.”
***
Elusive curled in his bed. He snored softly and smiled in his sleep. “Please, I would like some pancakes, with extra maple syrup. Hold off the cider. I don’t need any today.”
A big, goofy grin formed on his face. He was in absolute bliss and harmony.
“Oh, and serve them to me with the bells ringing… Bells?”
Elusive lifted up his eye mask and listened closely. Though his hearing was still fuzzy, he could definitely hear the doorbell being rang.
“Who in Equestria is here at this hour? The sign specifically says “Not Open Until 9. It is still seven!”
He grabbed his blue robe from the side of his bed and trotted down the stairs. “Listen, I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but the boutique isn’t open until later on this morning. Come back in a couple of hours, please!”
“Elusive, this isn’t a customer. I came here to ask you something.”
The voice caught Elusive off guard. “Dusk Shine?”
“I know it’s early, but I need to talk to you right now. It’s about Barb.”
“Barb? What about her?” Dusk’s voice sounded concerned and broken. Something wasn’t right. “Is she hurt?”
“No. Well, at least not physically,” Dusk Shine answered.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll explain everything momentarily. Could you please just let me in?”
“Why of course!” Elusive darted for the door. Very seldom did anypony come towards him for dire emergencies, especially not Dusk. Normally he could take care of the situation himself with no problem. So for him to show up with a situation about Barb worried Elusive immensely.
The stallion unlocked the door, inviting Dusk Shine to enter.
“What’s wrong, Dusk?” Elusive asked. “You look awful. As if you haven’t had any sleep!”
Dusk Shine sighed and reclined on Elusive’s couch, barely able to keep his eyes open. “Honestly, I couldn’t. Throughout the night, I kept waking up, checking to see if Barb was okay. One time, I saw her sitting on the balcony, gazing at the moon.”
Elusive listened carefully to every detail Dusk was sharing with him. It was certainly odd behavior for Barb, but he wanted to make sure if it was anything too demanding or just another one of Dusk’s misunderstandings.
“I wish I didn’t have to see her like that. She looked so lost and helpless. I wanted to help her, but she wouldn’t open up to me. She wouldn’t tell me anything.”
That certainly wasn’t like Barb. She would never withhold information from Dusk, especially if it was hurting her.
“So, do you know what is wrong with her?” Elusive asked.
Dusk Shine nodded. “I do.” Dusk sighed. Every self-inflicted word Barb muttered the previous night rang through his head. “She thinks she’s a horrifying creature.”
Elusive gasped and put his hoof over his mouth. “My word! What gave her that ludicrous idea?”
“The book you were skimming through yesterday.”
Elusive was slightly confused. How could the book have caused such emotional torment to the young dragon? Then, without much thought, it hit Elusive, though Dusk Shine decided to explain it anyways.
“The models in that book are helping make her feel less significant than she is. She’s comparing herself to the mares and projecting their idea of perfection onto herself.”
“Oh my. The poor thing. Still, it couldn’t have just been the book, could it?”
Dusk Shine pondered the question. “I’m not sure. If there is, she won’t tell me. She’s been pretty distant from me recently, which is why I came to you?”
Elusive’s eyes widened. “Well, I wholeheartedly understand the concept, Dusk. I truly do. But what makes you think she’s talk to me any easier than she will you?”
Well, there’s the fact that she’s practically heads over heels for you, Dusk thought, trying to think of a better way of saying that to keep Barb’s secret sacred. “Well, she’s more open to you than she is to me. If she has somepony to talk to, then maybe she could feel better.”
“I’m not sure.”
“Listen, I’m just trying to make sure she stays healthy and stable, and talking to you might be exactly what she needs. Who knows what happened to her to make her feel that she isn’t pretty.”
Elusive rubbed his chin. He could always talk to Barb and convince her otherwise, but talking would only get him so far. One thing he learned while doing his job is that you can’t sell by saying. You have to do. Suddenly, the gears in his head began to turn, and an idea struck him.
“Dusk, I’m quite positive that talking will do no good in the matter,” Elusive said, causing Dusk to sigh and hang his head low. “However, there is another method I’m willing to try, and I think it has a better chance at success.”
“And what is that?” Dusk asked.
Elusive didn’t answer the question. He instead browsed through his cabinets, pulling out utensils like brushes and makeup. Dusk was always curious why Elusive kept those products.
“Have Barb come by here in an hour,” Elusive ordered, sorting out the tools he needed. “I think I know what will help her.”
“Again, what is it?”
“No time to explain. I have to have it set up before she gets here. You just need to tell her to show up in the next hour, understood?”
Dusk Shine didn’t like having important information kept from him. If there was anything that he could know, he wanted to get all the information. However, this was for Barb’s sake, and any time he wasted at the boutique added onto Barb’s depression.
“Got it!” Dusk Shine darted towards the door, turning his head back towards Elusive. “Do you know if this is going to work?”
Elusive stopped what he was doing and smiled warmly at Dusk. “I honestly don’t have a clue. But it’s worth a shot for little Barby Warby, right?”
Dusk Shine nodded and left the boutique. There wasn’t much time to prepare Barb for whatever Elusive had planned for her, so he trotted back to the library with great haste. All the while, he prayed that Barb was still mentally sound, and that Elusive had a good idea of what he was supposed to do.
***
Barb sat on her bed, skimming through the book once again. She analyzed the hooves of each mare. She searched the picture for any wrinkle or chafe in the otherwise flawless skin of the mares. She couldn’t find any. Then she would look at her own imperfections, and sigh. Her claws still scaly and rough, as opposed to the smoothness of the ponies. Tears began to well in her eyes again. She cradled the book closer to her and began to sob. Her wish of becoming beautiful would go unnoticed once again.
“Barb?”
She jolted at the sound of the door creaking open. When she heard Dusk Shine’s voice, she tossed the book under the bed and quickly rested her head on the pillow.
“Barb, I saw you. There’s no need to pretend nothing is wrong.”
Barb groaned and rolled over. She looked at Dusk with wide, glistening eyes. “Dusk, I’m not in the mood to talk right now. Could you just please leave me alone?”
Dusk Shine nudged at Barb, forcing her out of her bed. She groaned and glared at Dusk.
“I asked to be left alone! I don’t want to be bothered!”
“Oh really? Well, that’s a shame because Elusive actually wanted you to come visit him.”
“Look, I really don’t care if you—” Barb stopped herself mid sentence, blushing lightly. “Wait. Elusive?”
Dusk Shine grinned. “Yep. He said that he wanted to meet up with you in about an hour. I don’t know what he wants, but it sounded reeeally important.”
Barb tapped her claws together and smiled sheepishly. “Elusive… want’s to see me?”
“Well, that doesn’t really matter now does it?” Dusk Shine continued, pulling the covers over Barb. “You obviously don’t want to be bothered, so I’m not going to make you go. In fact, I should go back over and tell him that you didn’t want to see him. Oh, he’ll be so disappointed.”
As Dusk Shine walked towards the door, he felt a strong grip against his back hooves. When he turned around, Barb was dangling on his leg with pleading eyes.
“You know what, I changed my mind! I am in the mood. In fact, I’m as chipper as Bubble Berry on brownie Tuesday!” She gave Dusk Shine a awkward grin, showing all rows of her sharp teeth.
“I figured that would get to you.” Dusk shook the back hoof to loosen Barb’s grasp. “You should get ready. You know how Elusive is about ponies being—”
Barb immediately ran into the bathroom. Almost instantaneously, he heard rushing water from the bathroom, and delighted hums from the dragoness.
“—late.” A small smirk appeared on the alicorns face. He looked under the bed and pulled out the book. Just as he had suspected, the source of all her insecurity was in that book. It was poisoning Barb, and it needed to end. Dusk Shine walked downstairs and levitated the book into the topmost shelf where Barb couldn’t reach.
“Here’s hoping that she doesn’t find this and start downing herself again,” Dusk said to himself. “I just wonder what Elusive is going to do.”
***
There she was. In front of the boutique, invited there by the stallion of her dreams. Normally, she was the one begging for the opportune moment to hang out with him, but this time, he called her there. It was thrilling, yet confusing and scary.
“What if I did something wrong?” Barb said to herself as she walked towards the door. “Maybe I gave him the wrong advice yesterday, and one of his clients came early and didn’t like it!” She shook the idea out of her head. “But if that was the case, Dusk would have said so. He isn’t that big of a jerk to let me go there with my hopes high if something was wrong. So, what could he want?”
With a heavy sigh, she walked to the door and knocked on it.
“Come in!”
The response didn’t take too long at all, and it was sweet and silky to boot. It sent shivers down Barb’s spine just hearing his deep, burly voice beckoning her into his home. She opened the door and walked in.
Despite the audible voice that appeared to come from downstairs, she didn’t see Elusive anywhere. She looked around downstairs, wondering where the voice could have possibly come from.
“Barb, is that you?”
There it was again, and it sounded like it was coming from above her.
“Y-yes,” she answered. “Are you upstairs?”
“That I am! Would you be a dear and come join me? We have a lot to discuss, and I do want to make sure we have time to get everything we need to on the table.”
What did Elusive mean? What was going on? Whatever it was, Elusive was waiting for her, and she didn’t want to keep him waiting for too long. Many questions bubbled in Barb’s mind, and the answers were potentially waiting for her upstairs.
She made her way towards Elusive’s room. From the outside, she could pick up the strong scent of powder and fragrance. Whatever Elusive was doing behind the doors was something fancy and hygienic, par from what she was. A saddened sigh escaped her as she opened the door.
She was greeted by Elusive with a wide smile. He stood behind a chair close to his cabinet. It was set up with many accessories such as mascara, lipgloss, eyeshadow, and all the works.
“Why, good morning, Barb!” Elusive said, patting the chair. “Nice to see you accepted my invitation!”
“Thanks.” Barb scratched her head and looked at the cabinet in confusion. “Um, did you want me for anything?”
“I did actually.” Elusive pulled out the seat and chuckled. “While we’re talking, I want to give someone a little makeover.”
And the dragons confusion only rose with that statement. “Well, who? There’s only us here, and I’m pretty sure you don’t use these on yourself.”
Elusive chuckled. “Well, then just take a wild guess, silly?”
Barb thought long and hard about who the lucky pony could be, straining to come up with even one possible name. “I got nothing.”
“Well, allow me to go ahead and point her out, then.” Elusive brought his hoof into the air and pointed towards Barb’s chest. A loud gasp escaped her.
“Me?”
Elusive nodded.
“B-but what could you possibly do for me?” Barb asked, blushing. “I’m just a dragon. A lowly, pathetic—”
Elusive pressed his hooves against her lips before she could finish her sentence. His smile shrank into a stoic expression that glanced Barb directly in the eyes. “Barb, I will not have you say such things about yourself here. Nopony or dragon is going to talk so low about themselves in my presence. Is that understood?”
Unable to speak audibly with Elusive’s hoof jammed in her face, she nodded and gave an affirmative muffle.
“As for what I could possibly do, you must not have faith in my skills!” Elusive patted his curled hair and presented himself haughtily. “I can make even the most hideous color schemes into near perfection. Surely someone who is already a charming young dragoness won’t be anything to spruce up.”
“Ch-charming?” Barb cradled her elbow and kicked at the ground. “I’m not that appealing.”
“Well, I beg to differ,” Elusive said, noticing the reddened face of Barb. “And when I’m done with you, you’re going to be absolutely gorgeous.”
Barb looked at the supplies at the counter. They were all sorted and ready to be applied to her. She frowned; there was no way Elusive could make her look as beautiful as the other mares in the book were. It just wasn’t possible. Still, she did trust Elusive with her life. Putting her faith in his beautician skills wasn’t too much to ask.
“Okay. If you want to try.”
Elusive smiled with delight and pulled out the chair. “Great! Now, just take your seat and relax. This shouldn’t take too long at all!”
Barb walked to the chair and sat down on the pillow that cushioned it. It was soft and cozy, even more so than the pillow she had to sleep on at home. It looked like Dusk Shine was going to have to listen to Barb complain about another part of the house again. The thought itself made Barb giggle.
“Something funny, Barb?” Elusive asked as he opened the small container of purple cosmetic powder.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Barb said. She sat still and silent as Elusive dusted the powder on her face. Some of the particles flew in front of her face and up her nasal cavity, causing her to sneeze. Small sparks of ember flew out of her mouth as a result.
“Barb, be careful, dear,” Elusive said. “I don’t want anything on the counter singed, okay?”
“Gotcha, Elusive. Sorry.” The powder once again invaded her nose, but she held her hand against her mouth to prevent the flames from extending to the mirror. When she removed her claws from her face, she noticed the something different. Her cheeks were a brighter shade of purple. All of the marks and blemishes seemed to have vanished. She brought her claw to her cheeks in disbelief.
“No touching yet, Barby Warby,” Elusive said in a giddy manner. “You don’t want it to come off just yet.”
“Yeah, sorry.” Barb giggled and looked at the mirror, allowing Elusive to finish his work. “Um, why do you have all of this anyway?”
“What, the makeup and everything?”
“Yeah! I mean, you never use it… do you?”
Elusive chuckled, switching from one side of Barb’s cheek to the other. “Oh goodness, no. I don’t apply these products on myself. I use them on customers when they need a quick fixing up. Sometimes, a mare has a hard day and rushes out without even preping herself up. I just provide a little hospitality so they get the most out of their product.”
“Wow, that’s really smart, Elusive,” Barb said.
“Ah, well, I know more than anypony how it feels to not be all there when it comes to looks.”
Barb’s eyes widened. Elusive could visibly see her surprise through the mirror, humoring him immensely.
“So wait, you don’t always wake up looking handso… um… neat and tidy.” Barb blushed and fiddled with her fingers. She almost let the word slip right out of her tongue.
Elusive chuckled and set the powder back on the counter. “No, Barb. I don’t always wake up looking handsome.”
Barb’s blush intensified. So much for keeping her feelings about him to herself.
“Actually, my mane is always unkempt when I wake up. It’s such a pain trying to straighten it, too. I have to go great lengths just to make sure that I don’t walk out of the house with wrinkles on my face. Also, could you please pass me the eye shadow?”
Barb looked on the cabinet, then looked back at Elusive in confusion.
“It’s the small, green bottle on the left.”
That’s all the information she needed. She grabbed the bottle and handed it to Elusive, who undid the lid with his magic. “I’m going to need you to close your eyes for a minute, Barb.”
She did what she was told. Her vision faded, and all she could feel was the cold powder brushing under her eyes. It made her shiver.
“This feels funny,” Barb said.
“It’s a tad cold, but you’ll get used to it,” Elusive replied. “Besides, you’ll be done in a minute.”
“Okay.” Barb kicked her legs, waiting for Elusive to give her the permission to open her eyes. Not wanting to sit in silence, she tried to conjure up a conversation. “So, you have to actually work to keep your appearance?”
“That is correct!” Elusive said. “Nopony starts out looking flawless. They have to keep at it. Believe it or not, it takes time and effort to make yourself look presentable.”
“Yeah.” Barb sighed. “Some more than others.”
“And exactly what is that supposed to mean?” Elusive asked in a condescending tone. Barb’s heart began to beat. He could have potentially taken that the wrong way.
“No! It’s nothing against you,” Barb said. “In fact, I wasn’t talking about you. I was referring to myself.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Elusive’s tone softened. He knew already what she was referring to since Dusk came and told him, but he wanted it straight from the dragons mouth. “And you can open your eyes now. I’d like it if you looked into the mirror.”
Barb slowly opened her eyes. It took her a few seconds to adjust to the light in the room, but once she did, her eyes began to waver a bit. The eye shadow brought out her eyes even more. The feral irises looked more soft and lovely due to the treatment. She looked, decent.
Still, she didn’t feel beautiful. There was only so much someone could do to beautify a monster. Tears began to trickle down her face.
“Barb?” Elusive turned the chair around to get a good look at her face, but she blocked it with her elbows. “Barb, I know what you’re doing. You can’t hide your feelings like that. It isn’t healthy, sweetie.”
Elusive gently lowered the arms of the dragon, getting a good look at her face. The tears bled through the powder on her cheeks, turning them into purple streaks.
“Why?” Barb murmured. “Why are you even trying with me? I’m just a dragon. I can’t be beautiful.”
Elusive frowned. He grabbed her claw with his front hooves and lifted a case of green nail polish with his magic. “And who says? A book?”
Barb’s face flushed. Mostly from the warm touch of Elusive, but also from the words he spoke. Elusive looked her sternly in the eyes, causing her face to heat up.
“Dusk Shine came over and told me how you were feeling, Barb. There’s no point in keeping it in. If you need to tell me something, now is the time to do it.”
Barb’s throat was dry. She couldn’t stop whimpering and her voice became weak as she tried to talk.
“It’s not just the book,” she began to explain. “It’s just... being here. There are nothing but ponies around me. Beautiful, well shaped, ponies. They take care of themselves. They have flawless features. They look, well, pretty.”
Elusive continued listening while applying the nail polish, fighting back the tears that dared try to escape him.
“And then theres me: a stupid, hideous dragon. I’m not pretty at all. I can’t be pretty to anypony. You can’t make a monster pretty.”
Elusive was at his limits. After finishing her first claw, he put the nail polish down and stood up.
“Now, stop that!” His towering voice startled Barb a bit, but it mainly confused her. “I don’t want to hear you say any of those nasty things about yourself anymore!”
“But… but it’s true.”
“No, it isn’t, Barb.” Elusive trotted closer to her, leaving very little personal space between them. “Just because you’re different from everypony doesn’t mean you’re a monster. You’re Barb, the dragon. That makes you unique and special. There is nopony out there like Barb.”
“But, that doesn’t make me pr—”
“And to Tartarus to what is considered beautiful in those books! That’s not what real beauty is.”
The dragon sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes, and some of the powder as well. “But, you use them as a reference all the time. They have to mean something if you use them for your customers.”
Elusive waved his hooves. “That’s only because the designs for the dress in those books are helpful inspirations for my works. And even then, that only accounts for the outer beauty.”
Barb seemed to have stopped crying. That made Elusive back off a bit and grin slightly. Still, there was some confusion and doubt apparent on Barb’s face.
“But, what other kind of beauty is there?” Barb asked.
“Well, there’s your inner beauty. The part we don’t see.”
She looked up at the stallion with a mixture of confusion and admiration, leaning more towards the former. Elusive once again cut the distance between them and smiled.
“Well, for starters you’re a very sweet girl. You always help, and never complain about it.”
Barb snickered. “Tell that to Dusk Shine and he would laugh at you for that!”
Elusive chuckled himself. “Well, you never complained around me. That’s what counts.” Elusive patted her scaly head, reddening her face even more. “You’re very patient and understanding, you make some of the most delightful snacks I’ve ever tasted, and above all, you’re selfless.”
A smile formed on Barb’s face. For once that day, it wasn’t a fake, forced smile she gave to make others think she was fine. It was genuine.
“But, even then I’m not really that pretty.”
Elusive stood back and grinned. “I don’t know about that, Barb. You look pretty fine to me.”
“W-what?” At that point, it was almost impossible to tell that she was a purple dragon. Her scales were nearly flushed red. “What do you mean by fine?”
Elusive coyly grinned and winked at her. Barb’s vision over-exaggerated the situation, forming sparkles and rose petals in the background. “What do you think I mean?” Even the voice was different. Barb felt as if she was going to pass out right then and there.
“Besides, even if that was true, everypony has imperfections.” Elusive cringed a little and sighed. “I’m going to show you one of mine, but I want you to promise me that you’ll never show anypony, okay?”.
Barb nodded. “You have my word, Elusive.” Her voice was more dreamy than she wanted, but she didn’t care anymore.
Elusive once again sighed and sat in front of her. “Okay, here goes.” Slowly, he gave a wider grin than he ever did. As a result, Barb saw his pearly whites…
… And the two that stuck out like a sore thumb. Barb tried to contain her laughter, and covered her mouth up so she wouldn’t insult Elusive. However he caught onto it and rolled his eyes.
“Yes, go on and laugh it up,” he groaned. “You saw that correctly. I have bucked teeth. I’ve been to the dentist multiple times to try to straighten them out, but it simply won’t work. It’s one of the reasons that I don’t smile as wide as others normally do.”
Barb was still giggling. “I’m sorry, Elusive,” she said, her voice cracked with giddiness. “But… those teeth!”
Well, she was definitely back to her old self again, and all it took was Elusive’s humiliation. It was a necessary sacrifice.
“Now, you did promise to not tell anypony about them, right?” Elusive questioned.
“Yes, Elusive! Dragon’s honor!” She giggled once more and saluted to Elusive.
“But you see, everypony has imperfections. Whether it be teeth, hooves, or eyes, nopony was made perfect. It’s our differences that set us apart. And even if you did consider yourself a hideous dragon, there’s one thing you’re not, and that’s a monster. You’re a kind, sweet, dragon who helps me out in a pinch, and I would prefer that over any beautiful mare anyday.”
Barb blushed and scratched her chin. “Even over Princess Bluebelle?”
Elusive stuck his tongue out in disgust. “Especially over that immature brat!”
Barb was sent into a fit of laughter. It was all thanks to Elusive, the stallion she admired. She felt foolish for making everypony worry over something as petty and simple as trying to look as beautiful as the others in the book. However, she still wanted to try, and since she was in the middle of it already, she might as well have it finished.
“Um, Elusive. You don’t mind if we—”
Elusive grabbed Barb’s other claw and the nail polish once again. “Barb, you don’t have to ask me twice.”
For the next few minutes, the two enjoyed leisurely conversations while Barb had her makeover. The air was lighter and more pleasant than it was before, and Barb felt happier than she had all week. It warmed Elusive’s heart to see his friend back in her old state.
Friend? While working on Barb, he pondered how much of a friend he was truly being to her. Normally, the customers who pay top dollar for his designs didn’t get the treatment Barb was getting. Yet there he was, giving the dragon the facelift she so desired. It was more like he was…
No, he was just overthinking it. He shook the idea out of his mind and continued on with the casual conversations with Barb.
The time flew by quickly, and the makeover was completely finished. Elusive had his hooves over Barb’s eyes so she wouldn’t see before he was ready.
“Oh come on, Elusive!” Barb whined. “I wanna see!”
“Not yet, sweetie,” Elusive said. “I want to see all of my work in full glory first, and soak it all in.”
“Okay, now you’re just teasing me.”
“Maybe, but I assure you you will love it.”
Elusive kept his hooves over Barb’s eyes for several seconds before releasing it. Barb noticed the force of his hooves lifted from her.
“Now can I open my eyes?” she asked.
“Well, I suppose you can, now,” Elusive said. With that, her eyes shot open, and her eyes widened. Small trickles of tears came once again, but out of pure joy.
Her scales looked smooth and perfect. Her eyelashes were dark and long, bringing out her eyes even more than the eyeshadow did. Her nails were polished and shiny, sparkling under the light. And to top it all off, she had a sapphire barrette shaped as a flower. Elusive stood next to Barb and smiled, buck tooth and all.
“Well, what do you think?”
Barb couldn’t contain her excitement. She leapt out of the chair and squeezed Elusives neck, squealing with joy.
“It’s perfect!” she shouted in enthusiasm. “Thank you thank you thank you!”
After the extent of her excitement wore off, she removed herself from Elusive and blushed madly. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s quite alright, Barb,” Elusive said. “It’s a rather enthusiastic thank you, yes, but one I prefer over sad little Barb anyday.”
“Heh, yeah.” Barb rubbed her, looking at the ground nervously. “Elusive?”
“Yes, Barb?”
Barb rocked back and forth, fighting herself mentally. Just tell him already. Tell him you love him. Just do it. Say it out loud. I… love… you.
“Elusive.” She took a deep breath and began to confess. “I love—”
Her mind interrupted her once again. She locked up and looked around for a way to back out of the confession.
“—your designs of your dresses!” she exclaimed awkwardly. “Maybe, you could make one for me one day.”
Elusive smiled. “Most certainly Barb.”
Outwardly Barb was giggling, but inwardly she was facepalming constantly. Another missed opportunity.
“Speaking of dresses… oh dear, what time is it?” Elusive looked at the clock for confirmation. “I still have some work to get done!” He turned towards Barb with a new hectic look on his face. “I’m sorry Barb, but I just remembered I have to finish a clients dress by the afternoon. I’m almost done and I don’t want to be too pressed for time. If you don’t mind—”
Barb held out her claws and smiled. “Say no more. I know my way back to the library. You don’t have to waste another minute on me.”
Elusive sighed in relief. “Thanks, Barb. You really are a good friend.”
“Yeah yeah. It comes with having inner beauty and junk.”
Elusive snickered. “And what about outer?”
“Never again will I use those books to determine how I should look,” Barb promised. “There might be mares prettier than me, but I’m special the way I am.”
“Glad you finally realized that.” Elusive trotted towards Barb and chuckled. “However, I don’t think you should be worrying about the other mares at all.”
Barb scratched her head and cocked it to the side. “Why do you say that?”
With one motion of Elusive, Barb’s irises shrank, her mouth fell open, and her body became stiff. At that moment, Elusive had kissed her on the forehead.
“Because, I always considered you cuter than most mares.” The words were the icing on the cake. Barb felt as if her heart had stopped. Nothing else could ruin that moment, not even if Equestria came to an end.
“I… I uh…”
Elusive chuckled and turned away from Barb. “Anyways, I should get back to work. See you later on, Barby Warby!”
“Y-y-yeah… you too…”
Barb was speechless. She couldn’t believe the stroke of luck she had just received. She turned towards the door, bearing a wide grin, and skipped out into the streets of Ponyville.
No longer would she consider herself the worthless underbelly of society. No longer would she consider herself uglier than all the other ponies. She was Barb, and she was perfect the way she was.
And even if she didn’t believe that herself, Elusive did, and gave her a kiss to boot.
“I can’t believe it,” she said to herself. “Elusive thinks I’m prettier than most mares.” She took the opportunity to swoon a little more. Soon afterwards, a devious grin formed on her face. “Time to rub this in Dusk Shine's face.”