• Published 12th Aug 2013
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Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship(Season 1) - Barrobroadcaster



The story of a man named Dan and all his friends in Equestria.

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Flashback: How Dan tried to cheer up Barro

A few months ago

"This is a bad idea. This is a VERY bad idea."

"You're the last one, Dan," Chrys said.

"Yeah, even I have to say this is kind-of a bad idea," Phoenix Wright added. He looked out the window again. (Was that how I looked when I was sad about Mia?) "He's still out there."

"He doesn't have anywhere else to be?! I thought he had a job," Dan said, also peering between the curtains.

"Maybe it's his day off," Phoenix offered.

Dan growled. "He's got friends, he's got places to be he's got... OTHER things to do than sit on the lawn and stare at the friggin' sky!" He looked over at the steampunk-looking console next to the door. "I could solve this problem with the flip of a switch..."

Chrys grabbed him by the shoulders. "We're not turning the security system on Barro," she said. She gently turned him around. "Look, just... go out and talk to him. He's feeling down about... losing his dad."

"I know that feeling," Phoenix said. "I've felt it, I've seen it in others. It's never easy."

Dan rolled his eyes. "I... guess. What do you want me to say? 'I'm sorry your dad died, please fuck off?"

"In NICER words... and he doesn't have to, well, leave. The library's open for everyone," Chrys said.

"Alright, fine. But you both owe me for this," he said as he walked out the door.

Chrys grinned. "Oh, don't worry; I intend to make it up to you enough for the both of us."

"Thanks for that."

"You're welcome to join in any time, Nick~"

"Well, I- wait, what?"

Outside, Barro had been sitting in the shade of the Golden Oaks Library for the past twenty minutes. He looked up at the clouds, watching as they slowly rolled through the blue of Equestria's sky. Weekends were usually assigned as maintenance days for Cloudsdale; the weather was left to form and flow wildly. Apart from a few patrols that monitored for rogue storms, the skies were clear aside from the occasional airship.

Barro let out a short sigh. "What do you want, Dan?"

"Heyyyy... homey. What's it hanging or... whatever. What are you doing here?"

Barro cast a slight glare at Dan. "What does it look like I'm doing, Dan? I'm not doing anything."

"That's, uhhh... that's great, great. Uhhh," he rubbed the back of his neck, "so would you mind maybe doing it elsewhere? Preferably where we didn't have to look at it?"

The stallion got up. "Fine, Dan. I won't bother you any more." He began walking away.

"Well, that was easy. Even I can surprise myself sometimes-" he started to turn back to the library, and saw the faces of Chrys and Phoenix Wright in the window. Both cast knowing looks at him. That, coupled with the feeling in his stomach, prompted him to do what he knew was right. He turned back to Barro.

"Hey, Barro, wait a minute." The white earth pony turned to Dan but said nothing. "So, uhh... okay. Um, you're sad about your dad, right?"

"Yes, Dan," Barro answered. "That's usually how people get when their loved ones die."

Dan stepped closer. "Well, umm..." he searched for the right thing to say. "I'm sorry. About your dad. I'm sorry you're uh... going through this stuff. Okay?"

Barro just looked back at him, nodded once. "Okay, Dan."

"I... I mean," Dan huffed. "I know it's hard. And I know everybody else has already talked to you. And they're right, uhh, mostly. I think. About the stuff they said. This shit just, you know, happens. We all go through it, you know? And we get over it. You can get over this, too, probably. I mean, uh..."

"You're not very good at this, are you?"

"Wooo, no, no I am not. But I'm trying, okay? So maybe you could go a little easy on me- at least I AM making the effort," Dan said, not hiding the frustration in his voice.

Barro sighed again, then nodded. "I... yeah, I understand. You are making an effort and I appreciate it. Thank you, Dan."

"Yeah, you're welcome," he said, not really sure what to think. Barro started to walk away again. And for some reason, Dan stopped him. "Hey, uhh..."

"Yes?"

"Why were you just staring up at the clouds? It's maintenance day for Cloudsdale, anyway."

"I know," Barro said. "Dad and I... we used to look up at the clouds. You know, see shapes and things in them and whatnot."

"Oh... yeah, yeah, I get it." Dan was getting somewhere and he knew it. "I used to do that with my alphabet soup. Or maybe that was Chris..."

"Dad and used to make out all sorts of shapes in the clouds. Characters from cartoons, video games, movies. Disney stuff like the old Goofy cartoons or Looney Toons. Super Mario, Yoshi... stuff we shared together," a single tear glistened in the corner of his eye. "I haven't been able to make out anything since he died."

Dan was quiet for a while. "You and your dad were close, huh?"

Barro nodded more firmly this time. "Very close."

"I never really had that with my parents. I mean, I wanted it. I guess I kind-of had that with my father but uh... not really like this," Dan said. "I don't know why... they never really had time for me. Either of them. Dad at least tried but mom, she was never there. Ever. Even when I needed it." He looked away.

"I know," Barro said. "I'm sorry about that."

"Yeah... thanks. Hey, you know, at least we've both got friends."

"Yeah, we do."

Dan shifted for a moment, rubbed his neck again. "And you know... you ever need to come by, or... just want to hang out or something. Well... you know where we are."

Barro smiled. "Thanks, Dan."

"Just don't do it on the lawn. It messes with the targeting array on the security system. Okay?"

"Yeah Dan, okay. See you later."

"Later." The two parted ways. Barro headed down the street and Dan back into the library.

Chrys and Phoenix were sitting on the couch when he walked back in.

"That was very nice what you did, Dan," Chrys said.

"Were you both listening in?"

"We didn't have to," Phoenix said. "You were gone for that long and you weren't yelling, so we figured things were working out."

"Ah. Uh huh. Well, you both still owe me."

Chrys hopped up from the couch. "Then let's get started on that right away. I'll be in the bedroom~"

Dan grinned. "I'll get the oven mitts."

"I'll let you two have fun," Phoenix said. (Reminder: get new oven mitts.)

Both Dan and Chrys whisked away to the bedroom where time in the Fun Cave awaited. They were in their for most of the day.


The next day, Barro had the day off again, but didn't really know how to spend it. He decided against going back to the library so early, however. Better to give Dan a day off, too.

"Hey, hey Barro!" Michael waved him over from their front door. "You gotta come see this!"

Curious and still waking up, Barro made his way to the doorway. "Look!" Michael said.

The sky above Ponyville was filled with shapes, figures and characters from cartoons, movies and games. A few from Star Wars, Super Mario, the classic Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons, every single cloud was specially made into a character. They stretched as far as the eye could see.

"What in the.... ohh... wow," Barro said, "Wow!!" He almost didn't want to blink. There were even pegasi that made some of the shapes move. A large Yoshi waved at them high above. It brought tears to Barro's eyes.

"This is something, huh? I wonder who arranged for all of this."

Barro nodded. "Probably just some jerk... some jerk trying to impress someone." Impressed he was.

Back at the Golden Oaks Library, Dan peered out the curtains up at the clouds. Satisfied that everything looked good, he nodded to himself and left the window. He returned to the couch, sat down and turned on the t.v.

Chrys was sitting next to him. "That was a mighty nice thing you did, Dan."

"Eeyup."

"So how much did Twilight pay you to set all that up?"

"Two-hundred and fifty bits," Dan said, smiling.

"Uh huh," Chrys nodded. "And you didn't take the money, did you?"

"No, I didn't," Dan admitted. "I took twenty bits for lunch and to tip the pegasi."

"Mmm-hmm," Chrys nodded again. "Mighty nice thing you did."

"Yeah, well... you tell anybody and I will deny every word of it."

"Oh, I'm not telling anybody- I'm telling everybody."

"Chrys," Dan raised his voice, "I'm serious."

"So am I," she grinned.

"Don't make me have you owe me again."

"Oh, that's alright," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Phoenix got new oven mitts." And he would end up getting yet another new pair of oven mitts later that day.

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