Twilights Mane Passion

by Darkonshadows

27

The real next day, a few hours after the tapir's attack the night previous.

Tress slowly walked into the kitchen yawning up a storm, she really needed some food now.

“You wouldn’t believe the nightmare I had last night.” As she said this, Tress twitched her neck with a satisfying pop and then blinked in confusion at the sight before her.

On the table was a strange glass jar with a tiny elephant like creature in it. Tress looked at it for a moment then turned to Twilight who looked bedraggled with a worried Barb hugging her leg.

“I literally caught the cause of mine Tress.” Twilight really didn’t like the tapir that Zecora got out of her this morning. The thing in question has been cowering in fear ever since it had been put into a jar with an air hole or two. This was the first time she almost felt like resorting to a violent solution.

“A tapir is not a nice creature that is to be said; this one crawled right into poor Twilight’s head.” The tapir in question cowered at Zecora’s voice. “She’ll be fine with some hours to rest; giving her that time is a course that is best. I will deal with punishing this one; at its expense I’ll make sure to have some fun.”

“And here I was going to ask her if she had the sheep dream again, maybe the super models hair salon one or the one where she’s the only mare in all of Canterlot that could take care of Celestia’s mane for the day.” Ticking off each of Twilight’s usual culprits for the stuff she dreamed of, Tress watched her friends face get redder with each thing mentioned. “So what kind of nightmare did that thing give you?”

“I ended up cutting off most of Fluttershy’s mane at one point and had to watch all of Mane-iac’s hair fall out, ate some of it in the form of a sandwich no less. That’s plenty traumatizing enough without knowing I was under attack.” The fact that her friend hissed in sympathy made Twilight feel a bit better about how things went, it could have gone worse all things considered. She even felt a bit remorseful for her strong retaliation and then originally stuffing the tapir in a jar without air holes as soon as Zecora got him out of her ear. She added the air holes after the fact. “The tapir did try a plot where you had mind control serum and made all other ponies around you like the Mane-iac with the manes and everything.”

Twilight went on to explain the nightmare in detail and how she stopped it before it got off the ground. Smart and Zecora were smiling at the part where neither of them seemed to have been on the tapir’s radar.

“Okay, why didn’t you think this was a normal dream that turned into a nightmare naturally?” Tress was only vaguely interested in hearing what Twilight had to say about this. “Actually it sounds like something you’d be interested in. It is a dream where you’re taming the unruly manes of other mares in a heroic fashion.”

“I might have actually accepted that if the tapir didn’t make it too highly obvious that someone was manipulating my dreams. I noticed so many discrepancies from a normal nightmare I’d possibly have and what I was going through with him giving me the nightmares.” The unicorn sighed as she patted her daughter on the head and shoved her towards her own seat. Barb getting the message went with only a mild fuss. “Besides that, you’d never do something like a mind control serum. You may be crazy tress, but you wouldn’t go that far unless you were really too far gone. You probably would have made a body controlling body wash if you were to stick to the adorable hair themed villainy. It wouldn’t cause other ponies to have powers like yours and it would have been ridiculously easy to cure, maybe by something like just washing it out. ”

“Fair point, water was the cure to most of the things I came up with in my small amount of time as a villain. So what’s for breakfast?” Tress smiled cheerily if a bit forced, she wasn’t going to tell Twilight what she thought about her hair themed villainy being adorable. She was glad she couldn’t feel her cheeks burning.

Barb started getting some stuff out, the dragon actually had some cooking skills and at least when she failed to make something it didn’t immediately become a huge problem for anyone nearby.

After breakfast Tress had the whole day to herself to do whatever she wanted, Twilight just went back to bed to catch up on her lost sleep thanks to the now contained troublemaker. She wasn’t about to ask what Zecora was going to do with the tapir, she trusted the zebra to handle the tapir carefully and as in a pony manner as possible.

“Hey Barb, want to spend the day with me?” Tress suddenly had the dragon at her side as she made her way for the front door.

“Is mom going to be okay? She seemed rather upset.” Barb received a contemplative look from Tress as she slung on some saddle bags.

“Radiance will be fine munchkin, she’s just angry that she was mistaken as an idiot and that she reacted a bit violently to the mental intrusion. You’re mother really doesn’t like fighting, though she seems more okay with waging a mental war because she wouldn’t physically harm her opponent. I think she’s taking the realization of the psychological scarring she left on the tapir a bit hard though.” Tress felt like it was a good day to hang out with the eight year old dragon, since Twilight wasn’t going to be up and around for quite a while.

“Hey, I’m not short! I just haven’t had my growth spurt yet.” Barb walked along on two legs at Tress’s side. “So where are we going?”

“I thought I’d pop on over to introduce you to Rarity, I owe her some measurements at least.” Though Tress wondered what kind of colors would go with a pink coat and blue mane. “Maybe stop by Apple Acres and say hello to the family, scope out some couches at Quills and Sofas and then we’ll go see what Fluttershy has been getting up to lately.”

“I miss it you know, auntie Shy living with us and everything.” The dragon looked at the ground sadly until Tress leaned in and whispered the magic words that would cheer Barb up while nuzzling her cheek.

“Look I know you’re manipulating me into saying this, but maybe we can go get some ice cream later? Do want to ride on my back as well?” The dragon quickly scrambled up Tress’s back and she smiled at the dragon nodding.

“So I can talk you into getting me a rocky road, rubies and strawberry syrup banana split?” The big soulful look Barb was giving Tress was something she knew would ensure victory.

“Only if you’re a good dragon and don’t act out or cause problems Barb.” Wondering how she was once again roped into taking care of the dragon Tress made her way towards the Carousel Boutique. “Say, where’s Smart? She’s usually watching over you like a mother bear watches her cubs.”

“I think she’s trying to help mom to get some rest, though I think giving it a rest is a problem with my mother. She knows I’m with you, I don’t think she’s going to worry too much about my safety.” There were times when even Barb had to state it outright that her mother acting a bit overzealous.

“I truly doubt your safety is compromised when there is barely anything around here that can truly scratch your tough scales. Remember, best behavior or no ice cream.” Sometimes Tress felt like she had a daughter by taking Twilight’s out for a spin. She opened the door to the boutique and walked in. “It’s just me Rarity, no need for your spiel.”

“Welcome back, I’ll be right with you in a minute darling.” Rarity walked into Barb’s view as she got off of Tress’s back, the dragon froze and stared at Rarity’s mane.

“I think I know why mom has those mane magazines now, she’s beautiful.” If one were to look at Barb one would have sworn there was little hearts floating off of her alongside the look of adoration in her eyes. “Well her coat and tail are average, but I really like her mane. Her eyes are like sapphires and her cutie mark looks tasty.”

Tress slowly raised her left hoof towards her face and was about to plant it there, but she resisted the urge. She was not Twilight Sparkle, Tress ‘The Mane-iac’ Ravel does not face hoof! Instead she rolled her eyes, so Twilight’s little sparkle had an eye for the fashion designer in exactly the opposite manner of her mother. It looked like Barb was immediately forming a cute puppy like crush on Rarity; Tress wondered how Twilight would take the news if she ever found out. Speaking of news, Tress was glad that Twilight didn’t press her too hard about Fleur. Well Twilight hasn’t yet but her curiosity doesn’t seem easily satiable or would be distracted forever.

“My word what’s this? Who is this with you Ms. Ravel? She’s quite the cutie.” Rarity rubbed Barbs chin and she leaned into it with her wings flapping lightly.

“That’s Twilight’s little cutie Rarity, hatched her a little over eight years ago, it was before I met her. She’s still a baby dragon though, her name is Barb Sparkle. Also please just call me Tress.” It was cute that Barb was acting kind of shy around Rarity; usually it was hard to get her to stop talking like this. “Barb say hello to Rarity.”

“Uh, hello there Miss Rarity.” Barb was blushing and remembered to be on her best behavior by being polite. She rubbed her face against the velvety feeling curl of the mane in front of her, now she knew why her mother had the thing about hair. She just thought her mother was a bit weird, now she understood the attraction herself. Then Rarity turned her attention away from Barb causing her to whimper slightly.

“Can you please come over here darling? I’ll take your measurements. So how has Twilight managed with being a single mother for so long? How did she come across having such a charming little lady like Barb and at such a young age no less? Well that is unless she’s much older then she looks, I have got to know her secrets to how she looks so young then.” For once, Rarity didn’t seem all too grating to Tress.

After talking about Twilight’s early motherhood and getting her measurements taken Tress started talking to Rarity about colors for the one dress she was commissioning. Rarity immediately suggested something purple and black with some gold highlights, Tress blinked at that because it reminded her of the suit she wore as Mane-iac. Sweetie Belle and Barb met each other while they were busy and after a few minutes Barb finally had made a friend that was about her age. Barb only did what her mother always did, being sincerely nice unto others at least until they proved to be not so nice.

After they were done, they were heading towards Quills and Sofas next as it was the closest location. They were about to get there when a rainbow streak shot through the sky bucking clouds and then dived through one a little too fast and then came flying at Tress and Barb.

“Watch out!” Tress saw the streak that yelled coming for her and reacted before she knew what happened. She felt herself get pulled backwards seven feet out of the way of a huge blast of mud flying everywhere.

“Whoa that was a close one, since when were you capable of using you’re Mane-iac powers again Tress?” She may have heard Barb, but Tress was now focused on the green streak in her tail. It unwrapped from the tree and then returned to being her normal shade of blue.

“I…” Tress started to say, she didn’t know what had happened and how she managed to use her powers after so long without being able to use them. Well at least a small bit of them and not nearly as strong as it was supposed to be, but it was still there and a small bit of her tail hair had turned temporarily green. It felt like a strange tingle up her spine starting from her tail.

“Heh, sorry about that, it’s my first day on the job and I just moved into Ponyville and today is my birthday. I’m the awesome, super cool and totally radical Rainbow Dash!” After a moment Rainbow wondered why she was receiving a double glare from both the young thing that slightly resembled a pony and the prissy looking earth pony. Well maybe she understood the prissy ponies motives, since she almost got her covered in mud with another one of her crashes.

Author's Note:

The show goes on.

Comments

[mapu]

Yay! Nev chapter. Nice work.

[Xaldon Ajide]

... Rainbow Dash is soo going to get it. I can just see it now.

[John Tannius]

Poor Barb (Spike), the more things change, the more they stay the same.