To say Twilight was worried would be an understatement. After Barb had stormed off Twilight had sat down and talked with her friends and now saw why Barb was so mad at her. It was true that the Badlands were dangerous but pony kind had little to no knowledge on dragons. Barb had found a dragon willing to tell her what she had wanted to know and she flat out forbade Barb from going. The hurt in Barb's eyes was clear and now it was dark. Sure she and Barb had fights every now and again but she never stayed out this late before.

She did not know what she was going to do and so, being Twilight, she began to do what she does best, blow things out of proportion. Rarity and Fluttershy stayed with Twilight while the others left to take care of their jobs. Even doing their best to console and keep their friend calm she was slowly wearing a grove in the floor with her passing. Twilight was muttering to herself about what she could have done better or trying to figure out what Barb was doing.

Rarity and Fluttershy were sitting on cushions in the foyer of the castle were Twilight was passing because she refused to move till Barb came home. "Twilight darling you need to calm down. I'm sure Barb is fine and has not run off, she is a well mannered lady. Now please sit down and drink the tea Fluttershy made before it gets cold." Rarity took a sip of hers "I'm sure Bard will walk through that door any minute now."

"She's right Twilight Barb is a grown mare.....dragon now, she will be fine." Fluttershy said taking a drink of her tea.

Twilight turned to them and was about to say something when the doors began to open and in walked Barb. She didn't even make it a few feet before she was trapped in a hug by her sister. "Where were you Barb, I was so worried about you. I thought you might have ran off again. I'm so sorry Barb I should have thought about how you felt. I just wanted to keep you safe but I know you know that you need to do this to learn about yourself." She pulled back a bit to look Barb in the eye with tears in her own.

"I'm sorry too sis, we were both acting silly weren't we?"

"Yes we were." Twilight pulled Barb in for another hug.

Barb didn't notice the other two in the room but one of them noticed what she had. Rarity noticed that when Twilight hugged Barb and she returned it she quickly moved her hands and their contents behind Twilight's back. Like she was trying to hid them. In her hand was a very old tomb that Rarity had never seen. After helping the sisters reorganize the library in the castle more then once and coming to get books to read she knew she'd never seen that one. What really caught her eye was the beautifully crafted ring on Barb's left middle finger. It was a very ornate gold ring with a ruby in it. As she got closer to get a better look at it she saw the ruby had a dragon in it holding fire.

"You know Bard I could talk to Celestia and Luna, see if they could send some guards. That way you could go talk to that dragon you found." Twilight smiled at her as she pulled back from the hug.

Barb began to fidget and looked away from Twilight. "Thank you Twilight but I though about it and you were right it's just too dangerous." She quickly put her hands behind her back and spun around Twilight so she couldn't see the book or ring. "Thank you but I wouldn't want to be a bother and if somepony got hurt helping me I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. Well I'm going to bed been a long day." Slowly she backed down the hall doing her best to hid the book and ring.

Now she was sure Barb was trying to hide them from Twilight and she wanted to know why so she did the only thing she could think of. Rarity walked up behind Barb as she backed down the hall. "Barb darling why are you trying to hide those from Twilight?"

Barb jumped out of her skin at being snuck up on but what was worse was Rarity told Twilight she was hiding something from her. "It's nothing, nothing at all." She clutched the book to her breast and tore off down the hall going for her room.

Twilight quickly teleported in front of her sister to see Rarity was right. In Barb's hands was a book Twilight had never seen and on her finger was a very strange but beautiful ring that held great magic in it. "Barb what are those and why were you trying to hid them from me?"

"The book is a friends and the ring was a gift. I was hiding them because you wanted to stop me from getting the information I needed and now that I found a way I didn't want you to try again." She ran past Twilight heading for her door only to have her sister appear in front of her again.

"Where did you get those Barb? I know you couldn't have made it to the Badlands let alone make it back in the time you were gone it's just not possible. So where did you get a book on dragons?"

"Please Twilight just let this go. I know what I'm doing." She closed her eyes and started to cry.

"No Barb you went out into the Everfree Forest and came back with a book on dragons. Not only that but a ring that has powerful magic I've never seen before. What if who gave you those means you harm and is just trying to get to you."

"Venrus wouldn't hurt me! If he meant me harm he would have done it when he found me following him to where he lives or when we went into his home!" Barb's eyes shot open and a hand covered her mouth.

"Venrus, I don't know anypony by that name. I thought Zecora was the only one who lived in the forest? You are not going to see him again till I know its safe! Now give me those and tell me where I can find him right now!" She reached out to take the book and ring. She was mad to say the least, Barb, her sister, was hiding things from her. Now there was somepony she didn't know out in the Everfree that just happened to have information on dragons and very strong magic from what she could feel from the ring. It was too big a risk to take, she wanted to keep her sister safe.

"NO!" Barb could not believe this. Twilight was willing to let her go to the badlands to get the info she wanted but not from somepony new. She smacked Twilight's hand and ran for the door shoving Twilight to the side. Slamming the door shut and locking it as she went through, she threw herself to her bed and began to cry.

Twilight got up and made for the door only to be stopped by her friends. "Twilight please calm down. If you wouldn't mind that is?" Fluttershy had her around the waist.

"Twilight darling Barb is fine and doing this is not going to help. Obviously we need to find out who this Venrus is but yelling at her and taking what she was given is no way to go about it. I mean listen you made your sister cry Twilight." Rarity was in front of her, hands on her shoulders.

Rarity was right Barb could be heard crying through the door and she was the cause. "I'm sorry girls it's just this is too convenient. Barb goes off after a fight about getting information on dragons and goes into the Everfree forest. Finds somepony we don't know and just happens to have what she needs. He even gave her a ring that has very powerful magic in it I have never seen. I just worry you know, I just want to keep her safe." Twilight fell to her knees and broke down right there.

Fluttershy hugged her tightly "It's okay Twilight. We know you mean well. If you like we can stay with you and help with Barb in the morning. Only if you want that is?"

"Really?"

"Of course darling now come on lets get you cleaned up and off to bed it's late and has been a very trying day." Rarity held out her hands to help them off the floor.

"Thanks girls, what would I ever do without you?" Twilight smiled hugging them both.

After a quick shower the three of them soon drifted of to the land of dreams. What was to come the next morning weighing heavily on Twilight's and Barb's mind.

Author's Note

Again I own nothing but my oc's please support the official release and if you know who made the picture thank them for me. They are used without permission but I found them all on Bing.

This is the ring and the dragon in it.