Entry 4, End (The Ticket Master)
On this day, in 2014, I posted the first chapter of The Poisoned Barb...
... Thank you all for 5 wonderful years 
Though my dramatic exit may have seemed super intense and emotional from how I just finished describing it, I’ll freely admit that the act came off more like a temper tantrum than anything truly substantial or head turning. I was just a kid throwing a fit about her dress, that's all. The adult in me will admit that it was immature to behave as such, like a child, but hindsight now tells me a different tale; one where I was not completely in the wrong for my actions.
The honest reality was that I was undisputedly in a dark place at the time.
When the world does nothing but push against you, I believe that it's only natural for one to want to push back against it out of spite. I don't think anyone reading this can deny that I have plenty of "push back" to work with if I ever wanted to do just that, but I hadn't really considered until now how a good portion of this frustration stems from nowhere else but within my own mind.
You see; not only was I being ignored by ponies who I thought cared about me deeply, but I had also failed to remember what was quickly dawning on me to be an important episode of My Little Pony. My lack of readiness for the day had made me feel all sorts of useless, which in turn fed into the negative thoughts and feelings that are always on my mind in one form or another; thoughts and feelings concerning my role and place in this universe, for example.
Prince Solaris’ speech about time being both a River and a Stone kept replaying in my memories as the rain continued to fall and even after it stopped. I tried to convince myself that The Code meant that I shouldn’t be so upset over the inevitability of these events, and that my "happy" future was guaranteed so long as I stuck to the script, but my injured heart wasn’t having any of that baloney. It ached in ways I can’t properly articulate with words, written or otherwise. Elusive
As Applejack trotted past me with a wagon full of treats to bribe Dusk with, and as I silently watched as Butterscotch led a literal army of woodland creatures ahead of me towards the library, I found myself detached from the story and uncaring as to whatever was to happen next.
The act of not caring, however, is harder to follow through on when a surprise offer literally blindsides you at damn near terminal velocity.
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SMACK!!
“Ow.”
Okay... is it national hurt-a-baby-dragon day and nopony told me, or am I really just this unlucky?! Hopefully I won’t bruise from all this stupid abuse.
With sulky thoughts now swirling in my head... well, more than there was a minute ago at least... I rub my pained noggin with a claw as I pick myself up and then lift with me the latest cause of my discomfort.
A red rubber ball is now sitting comfortably in my two claws. It’s almost as big as my head.
“S-sorry about that, Barb!”
These words cause me to blink in surprise.
Wait… I recognize that voice crack!
Sure enough, upon lifting my head from the orb and scanning the slightly wet streets, I quickly spot the sight of two familiar looking colts.
“You really suck at this game, Sweepy,” snickers the cheeky pegasus I knew to be Scooteroll to his friend. “I wasn’t anywhere near there!”
The foal’s unicorn companion pouts adorably to this accusation. “The sun was in my eyes, that's all!” Sweepy Belle spits back crossly.
Oh, that's nice. It looks like the two of them finally found each other in the real world after the whole dreamscape incident originally brought them together. I discover my lips curling upwards thanks to their reunion and thanks to this cute little spat of theirs…
… only for said lips to change back to their original expression as my thoughts wander to Elusive, Sweepy’s older brother.
My mood returns to being sour.
“... It’s okay, boys,” I eventually manage to mutter. “Accidents happen.” I then underhand roll the ball back towards Sweepy and resume my slow march towards the library. I’m sure I’m supposed to meet back up with Dusk there so we can move forward to the ‘third act’. Let’s keep this plot train rolling, I guess. All aboard. Choo cho-
“Do you wanna play with us, Barb?”
With foot halting in mid-step, I find myself slowly turning back towards the pony who had just asked me this question.
Sweepy Belle smiles back innocently in response.
Scooteroll beats me to the punch by asking the well earned “Huh?” that his friend deserved for his sudden words. "Ummm, I think being Dusk’s assistant thingy is, like, her full time job or something, dude. You can't play games when your working.”
Before I can add in my own comment, Sweepy cheerfully counters his friend with, “I don’t see Mister Dusk Shine around anywhere though, do you? Maybe she has the day off?”
Again I try to speak.
Again I’m cut off.
“Bu-”
Sweepy then cuts off Scooteroll who was currently in the process of cutting me off. Wow; double teamed. “Come ooooon Scooter!” he pleads with the pegasus, his eyes growing even larger and more puppy dog-like than before. “Our folks said that we had to go outside and have fun, and three players will be way more fun than just two! It’s simple math!”
“... Huh?” the orange youth again questions. “What are you, an abacus?”
“It makes sense though, right?”
“I… I guess,” Scooteroll admits after a time. The foal then at last turns and addresses me directly. “Soooo... Are you in, Barb?”
“Uhhh,” I answer back quite intelligently. Huh... I’ve been caught completely off guard here.
If I'm remembering things right; Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were kinda main characters in their own right too, right? I think that's true... I don’t remember if they ever interacted with Spike in the show though, even though they were all around the same age give or take a year or two. He was never shown going to a school, I still remember that much at least. His interactions with the yet to be formed team must have been super minor then if that's how events originally went down.
For the sake of the timeline, I should probably steer clear of the whole darn group…
…
… But… this world's timeline is already kinda janked though, right? Eris’ statue has been moved, Solaris lost an eye, and I’ve interacted with these two colts already thanks to Nightterror Nebula’s dreamscape prison! Things are slightly different now in this Equestria thanks to my selfish influence... I don't know how things are supposed to go anymore...
…
“… N-no, I shouldn’t…” I eventually reply, taking a step back and resuming my walk towards the library. My mind is set.
I shouldn’t be entertaining thoughts that involve deviating from the show’s canon like I already have. Bad things happen whenever I try, just like with Dusk's book and just like during the Summer Sun Celebration. Sure it's true that I don’t know exactly what the original Spike did between leaving and rejoining Twilight’s side in this episode, but I still shouldn’t get distracted with, well… distractions like this! I have a job to do! I have responsibilities! I know what my next role for today is and it's simply being in Dusk's presence when he wants to write his letter to Solaris! That is more important than this. That will get Dusk and the other’s their damn tickets! This will amount in… nothing! Just me building up a sweat, getting dirty, and nothing else. For goodness sake, I’m a grown woman! I shouldn’t have to remind myself that Dusk needs me, just like he did at Sweet Apple Acres earlier today where…
… where I sat around and threw away apples all morning long…
...
… W-well he needed me by his side when his friends ganged up on him at least! Yeah! How else would he have... have...
...
... How else would he have told his friends off all by himself while I stood around and did nothing…
…
… I… I-I helped him find a restaurant to eat at!
But then I immediately laughed when his lunch was ruined and he was left miserable...
...
… I’m…
...
... I’ve not been all that helpful today, have I? And… I’m not destined to be helpful later today either. Not in a truly meaningful way at least...
...
... B-but writing that letter will be helpful! I’ll be helpful when that happens! Yeah... I will be… I really will be helpful then!
And… and then Elusive will finally...
Finally…
…
... Finally... what?
...
...
… All of a sudden... my purse is feeling… heavy…
Way too heavy.
…
… Gently, and with the utmost care, I make to lower my satchel into a nearby bush. Filled with The Poisoned Barb and three golden gala tickets, I make sure that the treasured item is properly camouflaged by a healthy collection of branches, twigs, and earthly bubs before letting go of it's strap all together. Once I'm confident that the bag will go both undisturbed and unnoticed by passersby, I proceed to take a nice, deep, and calming breath…
… before willingly letting it all go.
Shouting “I wanna play too!” while running back has the desired result I want, as Sweepy is now toothily grinning because of my change of heart. With one last nod of his head to confirm that I'm ready, the ball is kicked my way.
With the stretching of my foot, and the silencing of my head, I launch the toy over to Scooteroll without a second thought.
Just like that the game begins, and the streets of Ponyville are soon filled with the sound of children’s laughter and nothing more.
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It's funny; though I've lectured time and time again on the importance of not clinging to the past, and on the value of embracing the new you, I rarely follow through with what I preach. I still make adult decisions, and I still have adult thoughts and feelings, but I also still think that it's important for a Reincarnee, for a Lost One, to be able to connect with those in their world who closely match their new form. It was within the very pages of this book did I write the words, "Become a child's friend," yet I've become more attached to adults and young adults in this life than I ever did in my old.
Perhaps The Poisoned Barb is to blame for this discrepancy of mine.
Recalling and jotting down my thoughts on the past seems highly counterproductive in my pursuit to forget said past, but I can't bring myself to cease writing. My passion for the craft still lives on within me; I can't possibly dredge up the willpower necessary to forget such a thing. I've already written so many entries over these last few weeks as well. It would be such a shame to put an end to all of this while there's still plenty of mysteries left in this land to unravel.
I'll honestly state that the amount of clinging I do is unhealthy, but there are just too many aspects of my old self that refuse to die. My love of writing, my love of my original body's shape, my love for my husband and children... Perhaps this passion is toxic, but at least it proves to me that I'm a real dragon through and through now.
It's in a dragon's nature to be greedy, after all.
Someday I'll be free from the past in both mind and soul, but again I feel that baby dragon steps will be what sees me to this final destination in the end. Thankfully I found two colts today willing to show me which path I should be striding down.
The path towards a more fulfilling second childhood might not be as scary as I originally feared.
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“... So you never went to school?” Scooteroll asks me for the fourth time in a row. “Lucky.”
“Yeah, I wish I could skip all that too,” Sweepy adds in between heavy breaths.
“Psss, nuh-uh!” I shoot back with a snort as I lay tired and covered in mud on a nearby patch of grass. “You guys wouldn’t have liked it at all. The Bluebelles are totally evil! They made me learn shelving and taxes and all that boring junk.”
“Okay… yeah,” Scooteroll concedes as he collapses on the grass beside Sweepy and myself. “But you still got to live in a big old mansion though, right?”
“Hah!” I snicker. “You mean I got to clean a big old mansion daily! It was lame with a capital L.”
“Oh wow, what?" Scooteroll gasps. "Whoa... I might miss my parents, but at least my uncles don't make me clean their whole house when I stay over! That is lame, dude!"
"Yeah," Sweepy nods. "This kinda puts my own chores into a whole new perspective... That’s real rough what you went through, Barb.”
“I... T-thanks, you guys...”
The conversation ends shortly after this exchange as the three of us choose to relax in silence and listen to the pleasant sound of the wind blowing through town. The grass sways beside us as we collectively enjoy the summer’s wonderful warmth...
...
... I’m worn out.
I probably smell.
I’m covered in dirt, minor knee scrapes, and tree sap... somehow.
I look like a typical prepubescent little girl...
... but, despite this... I'm happy.
Undeniably happy.
...
... Why does this feel so foreign to me?
...
...
“... Dusk Shine is my bestest friend whoopie, whoopie~”
"Berry..."
Due to how close the three of us currently are physically, I can feel it as my two pony friends’ fuzzy ears perk up suddenly in response to the faintest sound of music playing in the distance. We glance at each other for a hot second before we rise to our feet and hooves respectively and try to figure out what's going on.
“Is that a Heartsong?” Sweepy name-drops the phenomenon as he shades himself with a hoof and tries to peer out.
Scooteroll replies, “I think so… Man, I can’t wait until we’re old enough to do that too! You know they say that cutie marks come in a little bit after your magic lungs do… Hey, Barb! What do you think your cutie mark would be if you were a pony like us?”
Ending my search for the singer, I giggle at the question. Goodness, I never thought about that before! If I were a pony, what would mine look like? A quill? Maybe a book! I would want something cool looking though, so maybe it would be a firebal-
“BEEEERRRRY!!”
My daydreaming comes to a screeching halt as a stallion’s voice angrily cries out, terminating the distant Heartsong. Turning my head towards the west, I spot the library, the place I was originally heading towards, now being assaulted by a horde of cheering equines. A speck of purple catches my eyes as it comes tumbling down into the crowd.
Oh… that’s right… the episode is still going on…
...
… For a second, one solid second... I'm not ashamed to admit that a tiny spark of hate may have ignited itself within my mind.
Hate that this newfound feeling of peace will be forced to come to an end soon.
Hate that I’ll need to get back to the library in time for Dusk’s breakdown and for his letter to Solaris.
Hate that I’ll finally, finally be needed then; that I’ll finally be useful for the first time today, if not for the first time ever.
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In that brief moment of time, and for the first time in a long time, I was starting to regard my duty to this "ridiculous" plot and to this "ridiculous" planet as the burden that it always was. I was starting to see this unasked for role of mine as the roadblock towards my own happiness that it was from the start.
In that moment, that one single instance, I contemplated on how bad it could possibly be of me to just.. sit down with those two boys, and just… do nothing? Maybe I would have continued to lay in the grass, maybe I would have taken Sweepy Belle up on his offer to go read comic books back at his home, or maybe I would have done something bold.
Maybe I would have torn those damn tickets into little pieces, made confetti out of their remains, and blown said remains into the eye-sockets of the next pony who asked me for them.
The only thing that stopped me from heading down that path, from abandoning my duty outright in the pursuit of more immediate bliss, was ironically my own two feet. Unbeknownst to even myself, my group had started making their way closer to the gathering in order to gain more details. Sweepy Belle and Scooteroll were obviously doing so out of a sense of curiosity, but I had followed too for reasons that weren't obvious to me at first.
Said reason became crystal clear once the moment of stupidity much needed introspection had passed in its entirety.
Dusk's panic, exhaustion, and misery were on full display for me to witness and soak in once I had approached closer... yet the sight didn't make me feel better at all. It didn't make my own pain feel lighter.
If anything, it made me feel worse.
This was because it wasn't an equivalent exchange, I knew. Not in the slightest. We were both being taken advantage of by Element Bearers, our words were both being ignored, and our own wants were both being trampled on by others yet it still wasn't the same.
At the end of the day; we may both be the chew toys of destiny, but only one of us had made the choice to follow a script instead of living their own life, and only one of us would receive Solaris' blessing if they ever decided to leave it all behind. Dusk isn't the one whose been granted such wonderful options.
Dusk is, in a sense, more trapped in his fate than even myself.
This is Dusk Shine's one and only life, and it's one in which he has no true say over where his future will lead him. He is Solaris' pawn, just like me; a game piece bond by rules and rigid movements that he can not possibly hope to comprehend or deviate from.
In understanding this, I also came to the realization that selfishly asking him to suffer the same way I had, for only my own benefit, would mark me as no better than how the rest of his ticket-starved friends were behaving today.
And I am better than that, dear reader.
I am better because I am Barbara The flipping Dragoness; number one assistant of all time, tied only with Spike himself.
The next course of action that I decided upon in that split-second, that I'm about to chronicle, should now come as obvious to all who have read and understood everything written thus far in this book. In the off-chance you are still confused, I will now fully reiterate my rationale for hopefully the final time upon these many pages. Feel free to say the words aloud along with me if you so desire, for I feel that you may know them already. You may choose the tone though, either glad or sad, for I am certain that my choice is not the one another in my scales would have made if given the opportunity.
Deep down in my heart of hearts; despite the moments of frustration, the allowance of slapstick abuse, and the rare times where I am treated more like his shadow than his assistant... I still love my Dusk Shine.
I still love the pony whose youthful innocence saved me from the darkness of my rebirth, whose quest for friendship has already given my new life deeper meaning, and who would be completely lost if not for my highly necessary secretarial assistance. I feel whole when I'm by his side and, though I'm certain he'll never admit it, I know he feels the same way about me. Though the road may get rocky at times, with dark days aplenty, I still believe that this love of ours exists and that it will remain in place for many more years to come. I will wait as long as it takes for him to become the magical young stallion that I know he can be will be someday.
Despite the never-ending hurdles that always permeate such a thing, I've always loved my family and that's an aspect of my former life that I'm more than willing to keep around forever.
Now that the record has been set straight once and for all, let us continue. At the point that I've just described, as the once dying flame of hope began to glow brightly once more within my chest; I quickly came to the epiphany that what was best for Dusk today wasn't going to be a ravenous mob, but instead a friend to simply stand by his side. My instincts told me that nopony from the chanting hoard of potential gala goers was going to step up to the plate in that task, so I ultimately decided that it might as well be me. The fact that Spike probably came to this same conclusion off-camera didn't mean a damn thing to me at the time.
Let it never be said that our relationships to our charges are not forged out of the goodness of our hearts and the stubbornness of our wills.
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Hurriedly turning back towards my two surprising new friends, having at last come to grips with my feelings, I beam one last time as I declare how, “Guys, it’s been fun, but I better help my other friend out of this jam he got himself in.”
Scooteroll looks a little disappointed at this, but he still nods his head in understanding all the same.
“O-okay,” he grumbles a bit to himself. It’s funny how he didn’t want me to join in the games initially, but now that it’s time for me to leave he doesn’t want me to go at all! He's a child through and through for sure... though I suppose I’m no longer in a position to criticize such things. “We’ll play again soon though, right?”
There's not a single hint of hesitation in my voice. “For sure, Scooter.”
We then claw/hoof bump one another before I turn to address Sweepy… whose not where I thought he was. Huh? Where did he g-
“Don forge dis, Bar.”
Startled, I turn and spy Sweepy Belle holding onto my purse with his mouth. Though he had clearly spoken around the item gripped in his teeth, upon seeing his stance and wagging tail the words became so much more clearer to me. “Don’t forget this, Barb.” Awwwww~! Such a little gentlecolt!
Boy could his older brother use a few lessons from him, haha.
Gratefully I thank the sweet little pony... well we’re technically about the same height but you know what I mean… by saying just as much. “Thank you, Sweepy.”
With purse, tickets, diary and bits all reclaimed and secured tightly to my side, I bid the two colts a heartfelt goodbye before running purposefully into the gathering and making my way back to Dusk’s side.
Back to where I'm always needed and where I know I'm always welcomed.
"Out of the way!" I yell, forcefully pushing myself between ponies. "Make room! Number one assistant coming through! G-get your flank out of my face you perv. Ohhh is that a real Fire Ruby- No! No distractions! I need to get to... Dusk!"
Breaching the storm of ponies and entering it's eye, I find Dusk curling into a fetal position right smack dab in the middle of the whole mess. This is bad. Though I possess more strength than the average child, I still lack the power necessary to forcefully extract him from this sticky situation all by myself.
Thankfully it doesn’t look like I'll need to strain myself at all in order to get my charge out of this mess. It seems that my mere presence by his side, along with the feeling of my reassuring claw against his leg and the mirrored look of fear in my own eyes, is just what the doctor ordered. Though our gazes meet for but a fraction of a flash, it’s clear to both of us now that this is no longer a burden we have to deal with alone. Together we are stronger, and together we'll break free.
With passion reignited and burning like the sun, Dusk and I charge forward and attempt to escape the growing masses. We aren’t able to make it all that far out of the eye; everywhere we turn a new pony is cropping up and trying to offer us more and more in exchange for our desired tickets. Flowers, carrots, first born foals; nothing seems to be off the table for these deranged ponies! Dusk was right all those nights ago!
Everypony in this town is crazy!
Perhaps in realizing that on foot I’ll only slow us down, my friend with the mulberry coat leans over and allows me to climb up onto his back. “What are we gonna do?!” I shout out, trying to be heard over the hubbub.
“We’re,” Dusk begins to scream back, his head darting every which way in the hope of finding an exit. “gonna...”
And then, from my seat upon my steed, I feel it in my scales as Dusk’s internal well of magic chooses now to loudly resonate in the air around us. Invisible, magical instruments start to chime one by one as my frightened little pony unwittingly primes a Heartsong. I… oh crap, I remember this bit! I remember it so clearly!
Who could ever forget Benny goshdarn Hill?!
“RRRRUUUUUNNN!!!” whinnies my steed as he jumps up over the herd and at last manages to escape. We’re going to be ridiculously easy to track down thanks to this appropriate background music, but darn it all if we’re not willing to try! To quote something I’m fairly certain Bubble Berry has never said, but probably will at some point because he's, well, Berry;
“I’ve always wanted to be part of a montage sequence!”
_______________________________
“WHAT WAS THAT PONY DOING IN THAT FOOD CART?! THAT'S SO UNSANITARY!!”
“I DON’T KNOW DUSK JUST KEEP RUNNING!!”
_______________________________
“... They actually fell for this one?”
“Yeah I’m surprised too.”
“Right? But, Dusk… wouldn’t it have made more sense for me to be the one in the stroller? I am smaller...”
Dusk spits out a pacifier as he pokes his head out of the tiny cart.
“Yeah… you’re probably righ-”
“THERE THEY ARE!”
“Oh horsefeathers CHEESE IT!”
_______________________________
“... Dusk, I’m going to be the first one to use the shower tonight and there’s nothing you can do or say to change my mind.”
“What? But, Barb, I’m so swea-”
“Eh!” I cut him off by placing a newly pond and algae-soaked claw against his lips. “I am invoking my ‘ladies first’ right again today and that’s final. Are we clear?”
“Bu-”
“Are, we, clear?”
“ … Yes ma’am…”
_______________________________
“... Dusk… They passed us by... Please take off the coconut bra now.”
“No… It makes me feel pretty.”
“... Fair enough… Can I have a turn with it nex-”
“No.”
“Hypocrite.”
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Thankfully the chase music started to die down right around the time the sunlight was starting to do the same. Dusk would later explain to me that this was due to his emotions becoming too erratic for his body to maintain the subconscious spell, or something of that effect. We should have been able to run away more easily once this happened, but fate saw fit to make our next right turn into a turn that involved a complete dead end.
I was beyond frustrated by this. With the buildings in this town being so unusually far apart from one another I hadn’t thought that there were dead ends in Ponyville at all. You learn something new everyday I guess.
As the practically rabid ponies drew closer in, still shouting maddening offers of eternal servitude and countless riches, Dusk’s horn began to glow out brightly with the light of a charging spell matrix. In his haste, in his complete and utter desperation to escape the clingy horde, Dusk had called upon his most dangerous spell.
From what I understand with the little magic knowledge I possess, teleportation is not an easy spell to utilize. There are countless formulas, runes, and factors to memorize for even one "jump" to be successful, so the average unicorn usually forgoes learning the incantation during their stay in caster school. Combine this fact with how strictly the royal government monitors the users of said spell, and how often said users have to appear in court to testify whenever somepony blames a robbery on it's usage and it’s plain to see why it’s such a rare skill among the pony populous. It’s also a skill that Dusk hasn’t completely mastered yet, so he’s not exactly licensed to use it outside of school yet either
Note to Self #3: Don’t write incriminating evidence inside The Poisoned Barb.
Note to Self #4: Review Note to Self #2 again.
In summation; Dusk shouldn't have been casting that spell today, but I believe that I have well established by this point that he was not quite in his normal headspace at the time. His hasty actions today should not come off as all that shocking in the grand scheme of things.
Not shocking, true, but to me it was still an unlucky turn of events.
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POP!!
Owowowowow! I hate teleportation so gosh darn much! Hothothot!! Why am I smoking?! Why am I- Oh no my purse! Pleasedon’tburnpleasedon’tburnplease… Phew! All safe and sound…
… Can’t say the same for me though.
“W-warn me next time you’re gonna do that,” I woozily sputter out as I try to reorient myself.
“I didn’t even know it was gonna happen!” Dusk wails back at me. OH SURE, TELL ME THAT YOU WINGED THE DELICATE TELEPORT SPELL! THAT WILL MAKE ME FEEL SSSSSOOOOO MUCH BETTER, YOU CLO- “Now quick, lock the doors!”
Returning to my senses, I quickly come to the realization that we’re inside the library and, thus, we have a slim chance at privacy once again! Following my orders, I aid Dusk in the task as fast as my legs can carry me. Doors are slammed, windows are closed, and every single enchanted candle is blown out. Eventually our reward reveals itself to be complete and utter darkness.
Never before have I been so glad to be thrust into utter darkness.
As the two of us collapse to the floor, having at last succumbed to our exhaustion, Dusk and I breathe a well earned sigh of relief. In the blackness of night, our eyes meet once again.
In each other's gaze do we at last find some semblance of peace and quiet...
…
… Do I even need to say that it doesn’t last long?
Electric lamps suddenly burst into blinding light as the library is once again illuminated fully. Now overlooking us from Dusk’s loft are five incredibly unwelcomed stallions/home invaders.
Dusk screams.
I debate joining in.
“I can’t decide! I just can’t decide!” Dusk sobs in anguish, consuming his metaphorical last straw. The other ponies present, for the first time all day long, at last look properly guilty as their supposed friend begins to rant and rave. “It’s important to all of you and I just can’t stand to disappoint any of you, and giving me gifts and doing me favors won’t make any difference, because you’re all my friends and I wanna make you all happy and I can’t! I just CAN’T!!”
Not a single pony present can bring themselves to speak as Dusk curls up into a tiny ball on the floor and lays there with his hooves over his face. A sniffle escapes his lips, completely breaking my heart.
Flapflapflap
In a move that at last proves to me that his own heart isn’t as cold and black as I was starting to fear, Rainbow Dash flutters himself over to Dusk’s side.
“Oh jeez,” Dash cringes, rubbing a foreleg behind his head in embarrassment. “Dusk, man, I-I didn’t mean to push you this hard. I just… I…” The pegasus then gently places a wing over his friend’s prone form. “I'm so sorry. Look, if it helps you out, I don’t want the stupid ticket anymore. Give it to somepony else for all I care. It’s your choice, dude. We cool?”
“I… I don’t want to go now either,” adds Butterscotch in a low rumble, drawing our attention and encouraging Dusk to stand up fully once again. “I didn’t mean to hurt anypony... I-I'd never want to hurt you guys...”
“Me too,” chimes Berry, bouncing in place as always. “It’s no fun upsetting your friends… besides! The seven of us can always get wasted right here in Ponyville instead!”
“Barb is still seven, BB.”
“What? Still?”
Elusive rolls his eyes before adding in his own commitment. “Dusk, it was ungentlecoltly of me to try to force you as I did. I hope you and Barbara can forgive me someday.”
I glance at Elusive for my inclusion in his apology.
The stallion replies to my gaze by deliberately turning away from it.
“Elus-” I start to ask, only to be cut off by a rather loud cry of
“Yaaaahhhooo!! Apple stand here we come!! Oooohhhh ah can taste the bits already...”
The six of us wordlessly turn towards our seventh.
Upon realizing that we’re all staring rather angrily at him, Applejack’s face visibly turns an awkward red. “... Y… Y-you know what?” the farmer then backpedals hard. “Ah’m pretty sure that Red Gala will be too busy with the chores to go to the, er, gala with me that day... and ah can’t rightfully bring Apple Buck or Gramps along with me instead... A-and it would be such a shame to not use all three of the tickets together…”
The room grows colder as our glares grow crosser.
Applejack gulps.
“W-what ah’m tryin’ to say is…” the earth pony at last bows his head in defeat. “Ah don’t need those tickets anymore neither.”
“Sorry we didn’t realize that we were being complete jerks to you, Dusk,” Rainbow steps in, intentionally diverting our gazes from Applejack to himself. “Everypony has this dream of going to the gala at one point in their lives, so when we were given the chance... I-I guess it drove us just the tiniest bit batty…” Reaching over, Dash extends his hoof in a show of peace. “Are we cool again, dude? Please say we’re cool, t-though I'd understand if we're not...”
Dusk looks down at the offered foreleg and stares at it...
“...”
… A moment later he bumps it with his own.
“Yeah… Yeah we’re cool again, dude," confirms Dusk with a smile.
Like a spell washing over us all, the tension in the room magically disappears as we release our collectively held breaths…
… Oh! I bet I know what happens next here! With the conflict out of the way and with bridges repaired, I bet I know exactly the next lines for sure this time.
Next, Dusk is going to say…
“Barb, take down a note.”
Ahhhhhh. Music to my weird-shaped ears~
With quill and parchment relinquished from my bag along with the three tickets, I stand by waiting to hear those three wonderful words.
Say it with me now, everycreature;
“Dear Prince Solaris…”
◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠◠
From there the rest is pretty self explanatory, my dear reader. As I detailed earlier on in this written entry, the final outcome of the day was that everyone in the room received their own ticket after the ones we had were returned and after the situation was explained fully to Solaris. Mine came in a rushed second burst of dragon fire, but that’s a detail that can be glanced over.
A detail that can’t be ignored though was that, as I left the library earlier tonight to join the others in a well earned dinner, I was first stopped by Applejack. He was having a laugh at my expense over my suspiciously two-faced excitement in receiving a ticket of my own, what with me having made fun of the event earlier and all. In reality I was actually just happy that the whole day was finally over with, but I decided that I wasn't going to correct him on this misunderstanding. Instead I chose to play it off like his assumption was actually correct the whole time, and that I actually did want to go to the party hosted by famous dragon hating unicorns!
Sometimes I forget how good of an actor I am.
Once this exchange was done though, I was again surprised when another pony stopped me in my tracks only a few scant steps after Applejack did.
Said pony was Elusive.
The unicorn didn’t so much as spare a single word for me. Though it appeared as though he wanted to say something, instead all he ended up doing was staring at me with a guilty expression before quickly departing for the diner. I still don’t know what that pony's deal is with me, or why he's since rescinded his offer for answers, but I hope one of us will find the courage to break the ice before this short summer ends.
For now though, I’m content with just living my best life here in crazy old Ponyville. Canterlot has got nothing on this place. I've heard rumors that applebuck season is almost upon us now too, which means that another episode isn't too far off. I have a strong feeling that I know what the event will entail, unlike I did with this one, but I'll still my quill on the matter until it transpires in earnest.
I've decided that I'll continue to play along with the script the best I can for now, but as Sweepy Belle and Scooteroll have taught me; I don't need to follow it as rigidly as I originally thought I did. There's still plenty of room for me to breathe and to re-grow up in. I must never forget again that this is my life too here, not just Dusk's, and that life is a beautifully unpredictable mess even with Seer powers. I deserve the same chance at prosperity that my charge is destined to receive.
I deserve the same chance to be happy.
That having all been said and sorted out;
Good Night, my precious diary.
May our journey forward continue to be both manageable and full of happy little surprises.
… A storeroom lies buried and forgotten within the corridors of a long standing castle.
...
… A storeroom untouched throughout countless ages and generations.
...
… A storeroom which now bares a new addition this eve; the petrified remains of a creature that should not be.
…
…
… In the peace of a harmonious night, a soft buzz of power suddenly rings out.
It is silent to all who matter, and booming to those who do not.
…
...
...
... A storeroom lies abandoned within a mighty castle.
The mirror within begins to ripple wildly under it's dusty cloth.
~In another time; in another place~
On a bright and sunny day in the little hamlet known as Ponyville, two pony foals found themselves engrossed in a youthful game of kickball.
One of the children was a unicorn filly, white in hue; the other was a pegasus whose mane was a mixture of pinks and purples. The two girls were friends, and thus they laughed and screamed as such as they chased their ball through the bustling market streets. They heeded not to the demands of older ponies telling them to slow down or to be more careful; summer vacation was in full effect, after all, and the pair didn't want to waste a single second of it.
For a brief moment though, the game found itself paused as the ball remained closely held in the unicorn filly's tired hug. Sweetie Belle hummed to herself happily as she considered what to do next with the simple toy…
… but, just then, the ball is all but forgotten as the girl's eyes catch sight of an unusual creature passing through.
A dragon was a rarity in Equestria, Sweetie knew; a baby drake even more so. The boy in the foal’s gaze was also melancholy in appearance, adding to his mystique. He was clearly distraught about something important, for he paid little attention to his surroundings as he carried himself through town with head held discerningly low and spirit seemingly broken. With these details combined, it is of little wonder why Sweetie Belle had stopped to stare.
The unicorn child took in the appearance of the boy for a moment, mentally noted on how sad he looked and how sad that made her feel…
… and then she proceeded to pass the ball back towards her friend Scootaloo. The two of them hastily resumed their game as they traveled in the opposite direction to the dragon's own path. The sight of the drake was certainly an oddity, of course… but it was nothing more than that; an oddity. Something to be considered briefly and to then be promptly ignored.
Sweetie Belle knew that she was acting like a good pony in walking away.
Good ponies listen to their parents.
Good ponies follow their rules.
Good ponies lend a hoof to those who are hurting, true...
... but a good pony never talks to strangers either.
Sweetie Belle was a good pony.
She knew that she was a good pony indeed.
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Very interesting ending there, I wonder what we're building up towards...
Oh, interesting. This mean that Spike didn't meet Sweetie in a dream like Barb did. Thus the timeline have already been diverted by no fault of her.
Interesting ending, both on Spike's part and on the possible Sunset's return.
Please let her stay a mare, the chaos would be right on Discord's alley.
I really liked Barbs thought process in this one. How childish impulse warred with adult reasons and both aligned in impotent frustration at an irrational situation beyond her control.
The bit at the end was a real gut punch. The realization that unlike barb, Spike is just a kid, and in many way's he's even more alone than Barb is. At least he still has big Mack.
9987260
Thy wish for chaos, of a sort, shall be delivered onto you early next year ;)
9987334
I believe that Spike deserves a little more credit for his actions during this episode than what he usually gets. He ran to Twilight's side when the mob started forming, just like Barb, but head canon-wise he did it faster than her. He was pretty much there the moment Twilight started cringing, while Barb arrived while Dusk was already assuming the fetal position. Barb had to sort her thoughts out first before deciding to remain loyal to Dusk, but Spike simply gunned it without hesitation and without emotional support.
He may be a kid, but he unquestionably loves Twilight without compromise. Now for whether this love is healthy, given the situation... well let's explore that in next week's chapter shall we? ^_^
👍
Thanks for not giving up on writing, Manlyderp. This chapter is great, simply put.
Oh my. Dosent this offer up some interesting thoughts for future episodes.
9987645
Writers are a funny sort; it's unpredictable as to what we need in order to regain motivation after losing it. You're certainly not the first person to ask me to continue writing, but you just so happened to be the one who reached out to me when I most needed to hear it.
And thank you again for giving me the kick I needed
So... again... thanks ^_^
9987497
Healthy?
In normal canon I would say yes, nowadays.
But in this canon? The canon where Spike's issues mirror Barb's? No. It probably isn't for Barb either.
At least Elusive looked regretful, but the sheer sudden callousness is still not good.
Good holidays for sure, what with all these updates.
Actress?
9988604
DID YOU JUST ASSUME HER GEND- Hehe, nah you're right. I guess actress could have worked there too. Unlike with the mistake I made earlier on with seamstress and tailors, I don't really see a need to correct this one. I'll still correct it if there's enough upvotes on this comment though, so just an fyi to all I who wants to see this changed!
See you next week!
-Derply
If Elusive truly DOES harbor Barb's husband, than chances are hes forgotten more than he remembers, Elusive has had to live longer than Barb has had to
Also way to be ominous and spooky at the end there!
9989974
Hehe; Dusk truly is Solaris' 'pretty' apprentice now isn't he? ^_^
... Also I think this is the first comment with a laugh in it I've received since I returned to writing this month! I know that a bit of this was very serious... but I was starting to think that I had lost my touch somewhere along the way
I know it's gonna be a while before we get there but, when EG happens will Barbara be 'human' again or am I being too optimistic?
Would they really say "man," even in this context? I dunno, seems subjective.
no apostrophe.
“... So you never went to school?”
Nothing wrong here, just wanted to use it as a jumping off point for saying that this seems like the first time this episode where Barb has any agency. It's weird, and it's like it's supposed to feel weird, knowing what will happen. This was the first time that seemed like she wasn't following some script or putting up an act. I dunno how to put it. I feel like this story must have some theme about agency and fate but I'm not smart enough to articulate it.
I'm also not sure how I feel about Sweetie Belle choosing not to call out to Spike at the end there... With how Spike's actions mirrored Barb's when he said he's not a slave or during the Nightmare Moon incident, I had assumed you were going to continue showing that even when acting on her own accord, her actions would still line up with Spike's across dimensions. Maybe suggesting to the idea that Spike was also a reincarnated human who perhaps saw a show following Dusk Shine and Barb and was making his own decisions based on that with his own conflicts. Maybe have Spike and Barb meet to find out they both know about the other from a story. I dunno. I hope you elaborate on this idea. Why did you choose to make what happened to Spike different here but not in the previous chapters where we saw him?
10100249
I can tell you why I had Sweepy and Scooter be this way, but then I'd have to kill you...
... Hehe, nah. The reason behind it is mostly because of this line:
Spike is a stranger to Sweetie, but Barb isn't to Sweepy thanks to Nightterror Nebula's dream prison back during the first episode. This ties in quite well with (at least one) of this story's major themes:
Rule 63 universes are SUPER unrealistic.
It's true. You can't go monkeying around with the past without setting off a MAJOR string of dominoes in the process. Sex, gender, birth, upbringing, societal pressures; our beings are tied to such an intricate series happenstances that changing just ONE, i.e. sex, collapses the whole darn stack of cards.
There are plenty of other themes at work in this story as well, but this one might be the easiest one to explain without getting into spoiler territory