Another morning. Snips had ensured that he was meticulously groomed and ready for another day of good business, but first he had to make a stop. Snips walked nervously into the market square. His eyes shot around frantically, searching for the one stall that he really wanted to find. Snips spotted it in its usual spot next to the bridge, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Sweet Roll wave at him from across the square.
Gulp. Alright Snips, it's too late to chicken out now. She's already seen you so just stallion up and go talk to her.
Snips sucked in a deep breath of morning air and took a few courageous steps forward, but then he hesitated. Maybe she was waving at somepony else. What if I make a foal out of myself?
He nervously glanced around, but there were only a few ponies up this early in the morning. No, she had meant that for him, and that bolstered his courage. Without any more hesitation, he walked up to her stall. Sweet Roll braced her forehooves on the counter and beamed down at Snips.
"G'morning, sugar. I was wondering if you were going to come see me this morning. Anything strike your fancy today?"
Snips averted his gaze to look at the racks behind her. As hard as he tried, he couldn't seem to focus on anything except the gorgeous mare smiling expectantly at him. With difficulty, he managed to stutter, "I- I- I'll take a... uh... a banana nut muffin, please."
Sweet Roll's eyes widened in surprise and her smile fell. Snips cringed and pulled his gaze immediately to the ground. He had no idea what he did wrong, but he immediately regretted whatever it was.
Then he heard a muffled giggle from across the counter. Lifting his eyes again, Snips saw Sweet Roll covering her muzzle with both hooves, trying to conceal the laughter that she wanted to pour out.
Forgetting his nervousness, Snips indignantly asked, "What's so funny?"
The mare got over her giggling fit and glanced at him with a charming smirk. She replied, "You come here all the time, but all you've ever done is point at what you wanted. It just makes me happy as butter on a skillet that you finally said something. I was starting to think you were scared of me or that you didn't like me."
"It- It's not like that at all," he sputtered.
Snips pondered her words. Was it possible that after all this time he had never once even spoken to her?
Her familiar smile returned and he blushed as she turned around to fetch his order. Luckily he managed to fight down the burn in his cheeks before she noticed. He fished the appropriate number of bits (plus a little extra) from his wallet and laid them on the counter.
When she appeared with the muffin wrapped in a paper bag, Snips caught it in his magic and stammered, "Th- thanks, Sweet Roll."
The mare flashed her dazzling smile and cheered happily, "Y'all come back now, ya hear!"
Snips trotted off at a carefully measured pace. He didn't want to seem like he was running away, but he also didn't want to look like he was forcing himself to walk slowly. The result was a choppy gait that left many of the groggy citizens of Ponyville very confused.
Sweet Roll sighed and turned back to her cart. Dejected, she pulled open the warming drawer and gazed at the pastry inside. Shaped like a heart, three different flavors of sweet breads were braided together. It was her family's most closely guarded secret, and she remembered the day that her mama taught her to make it.
~`~`~Flashback~`~`~
As a little filly, Sweet Roll had loved to spend time with her mama in the kitchen. Her mama made the best bread that anypony ever tasted, and everypony in their small village knew it.
Today was a special day. Her mama had finally let her help bake. Standing on a stool next to her mama she gently kneaded the dough just like she had been taught. Mama kneaded another pile of dough after she deftly finished kneading the previous one.
Ever curious, Sweet Roll asked, "Mama, why are we making three small piles of dough instead of one big one?"
She responded, "I am going to show you something very special today."
She grinned in excitement, and almost fell out of her chair when she started bouncing. Her mama steadied her and continued, "We have three kinds of dough here: pumpkin bread, cinnamon roll, and kahuna roll. Each of them is sweet on its own, but they can mix together to make the perfect roll."
As she spoke, she gently rolled each pile into a long, flat strip. Gracefully and with practiced ease, she started braiding the strips. The braid itself was a work of art. Each of the strips intertwined with the other, but they still remained separate and identifiable. It looked almost like she was weaving lace instead of baking. With a few deft twists, she closed the braid together and shaped it like a heart.
Mama stepped back and admired her work before gently placing it in the oven. She sat down on the stool next to her daughter and said, "This is a secret recipe that I learned from my mama and that she learned from hers. We call it the Sweetheart Roll."
Mama glanced around the room to make sure nopony was eavesdropping. She whispered, "I'll tell you a secret. If you pour enough love into making it, then whoever you give the roll to will love you in return."
Sweet Roll's eyes widened in awe. "Is that true?"
Mama winked. "That's how I nabbed your father."
"Ewwww!"
Mama just laughed at her filly's discomfort.
~`~`~The Present~`~`~
Sweet Roll glanced down at the roll in the tray. It was a bit lumpy at the top and in places the strips had completely fused together. It was a far cry from the perfect roll that her mother had made those years ago. She tried her best, sometimes even twice per day, but she could never get it right. A tear rolled down her cheek as she gripped the pastry and shredded it with her hooves. She flung the pieces into the river and watched as the fish devoured them.
I'll never be good enough for him. Who am I kidding, he could barely even stand to talk to me. I don't even know why I try anymore. But she knew that she would keep trying. Every day would bring new hope, that one day she and her roll would be ready.
~`~`~The Barbershop~`~`~
Snips opened the shop with a spring in his step. He whistled happily as he flicked on the pole with his tail, then he leaped into the chair and spun around a few times. Talking to Sweet Roll had been surprisingly easy.
But you still didn't ask her out, the little voice in his head chided.
Shut up, me! Don't ruin this! he argued back.
The bell above the door rang as a customer entered his shop. Snips slowly spun the chair around to face his next client. From their perspective he must have looked like a villain from a spy movie.
He fell flat on his face when he noticed what entered his shop. Glowing blue eyes, fangs, insectoid wings, a curved horn, and black chitinous carapace... a changeling.
Snips scrambled backward, tripping over the chair. He braced his forelegs against his cart and pulled himself up, then he noticed the tools of his trade arranged neatly on the small cart. He grabbed all of them in his magical aura. Five pairs of scissors, two razors, and his breakfast all floated menacingly in the air above his head. Well... maybe not the muffin, but the rest of them were menacing.
He advanced upon the changeling in a manner he hoped would be threatening. He crouched low and bared his teeth. His eyes furrowed and his lips pulled back in a feral snarl.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" the changeling cried in a surprisingly high pitched voice. He slammed his back against the door and shielded his face with his hooves. They probably wouldn't do much good considering they were riddled with holes. He slid down the door and curled up into a ball on the floor, shaking like a scared filly.
"Please, don't hurt me!" He cried in that same slightly shrill voice.
Even if it was a changeling, Snips just couldn't bring himself to harm something so inexcusably pathetic. He wasn't a fighter. He rolled his eyes and snarled, "What do you want, changeling?"
The changeling moved one hoof to peer through one of the holes. He watched as Snips gently placed his sharp instruments carefully on the cart, and then he took two steps forward. The changeling remained on his back, but lowered his hooves and gazed teary eyed at Snips. He looked like a neglected dog who wanted a belly rub.
Snips rolled his eyes and relaxed slightly. In a much calmer voice he said, "Get off the floor. You look ridiculous. I'm not going to hurt you."
The changeling cautiously got to his hooves, but kept his head low as if he expected to be struck at any moment. This guy is seriously skittish, Snips thought. He gestured toward the bench and watched as the changeling nervously scrambled onto it. Figuring that the fidgeting changeling was as comfortable as he was going to get, Snips eased himself into his big chair and turned to face his unexpected visitor.
"Now, why are you here?" He asked in the most soothing voice he could manage without losing his intimidating edge... what little he had anyway.
The changeling bowed his head and blurted out, "Iwanttobeyourapprentice!"
Snips blinked in confusion, "What?"
The changeling took a deep breath and repeated more slowly, "I want to be your apprentice."
Snips nearly fell out the chair for the second time that day. An apprentice? He didn't even know that his little shop had gained that much notoriety. Certainly he was qualified to take an apprentice, but a changeling!
"Why would a changeling want to be a barber? You don't even have hair." He sputtered, partly suspicious and partly shocked.
"I... I was a disguise coach in my hive. I was always fascinated with pony hair. There was just so much variety!" The awe was evident in his voice. The excited gleam dropped from his eyes and he continued soberly, "I left because there wasn't enough love to go around, and I couldn't let the helpless grubs starve because of me."
Tears streamed from his glowing orbs, and Snips felt his heart melt. His story was simple, but touching.
"Alright, changeling. Here's the deal. You can stick around today and observe. You'll sweep after every cut and do whatever I say. Got it?"
He nodded, but Snips gasped as a familiar sound grabbed his attention. Somepony was laughing outside of his store. He shot a frantic look at the changeling and hissed, "Change, now!"
With a short flash of green flames, a teenage pegasus mare sat on the bench in front of him. Her coat was paisley pink and her mane and tail both were a rich lavender. A single white stripe ran through her mane, which was tied back in a ponytail.
"Why did you turn into a mare?" Snips whispered harshly.
She rolled her brilliant ruby colored eyes and said, "Because I am female."
That explains the voice... and the cowering... and the cute puppy routine... and-
Cut it out; we still have a major problem! his voice of reason interrupted.
"Quick, you need to be a stallion. My business will suffer if the guys think a mare is my apprentice." He urgently whispered to the changeling. He didn't even know if they could disguise themselves as different genders, but it was worth a shot.
Sensing his urgency, the changeling complied without question. She shifted into a young brown unicorn with a slicked back gold and silver mane. With the square muzzle and the *cough* "necessary bits", she looked look any other stallion. Say what you want, but the girl is good at what she does.
The emerald flames had barely vanished before the bell jingled happily above the door. A posh white stallion in an expensive cashmere sweater sauntered gracefully through the door.
"Welcome to Snips' Clips, sir. How may I help you?" Snips asked cheerfully. Hopefully the customer wouldn't notice his nervous glances at his new companion.
The stallion smiled charmingly at the barber and replied, "I believe that you just may. A charming young drake by the name of Spike recommended this establishment, and I decided that I would like to see it for myself. Would you be young Master Snips?"
Confused, Snips nodded hesitantly, "Yes, that would be me."
"Delightful. My name is Fancy Pants, and may I inquire the name of your companion?" He smiled warmly at the disguised changeling.
Snips froze on the spot. Fancy Pants was just as Spike had described him. The stallion was charming and polite, but even the air around him started to smell like money. He wasn't just loaded, he was absolutely swimming in bits! Snips brain stopped working temporarily trying to contemplate the impossibility of having a celebrity in his humble shop.
Noticing Snips' impending meltdown, the changeling presented a hoof to Fancy Pants and said in a deep, gruff voice, "My name is Gold Rush, sir. I come from a mining town out West. My grandpappy figured the gold was going to run dry, so he sent me out to find steady work. Get a head start before the other miners come crying back, ya know? I was just asking if Mr. Snips could use a little help around here. Maybe even take me as an apprentice."
Fancy Pants continued to smile and he gently shook 'Gold Rush's' outstretch hoof, clearly delighted to meet a young stallion with such a uniquely rustic background. During their exchange of pleasantries, Snips was able to refocus and compose himself.
"Well, I do hope Young Master Snips will consider your proposal," Fancy Pants said with his polite smile, "but on to business. Master Snips, I would like for you to restyle my mane. Young Spike spoke highly of you in his letter and I would just love to see your work for myself."
Snips gaped in horror. "No way! Sorry, Fancy Pants, but the manecut you already have probably cost more than this entire shop. I can't compete with a fancy urban stylist. I'm just a small town barber."
Fancy Pants laughed, "I highly doubt that. Why, this humble mane-style couldn't cost more than that chair." He elegantly gestured to the barbers chair.
Snips deadpanned, "That chair cost me 500 bits."
"In that case, it only cost as much as the chair and the benches."
"You're screwing with me, right?" Fancy Pants shook his head, completely bemused.
Snips started to feel weak. The thought of working on somepony with that level of wealth and prestige scared him worse than... well worse than the Ursa Minor incident when he was a colt. His eyes were wide as dinner plates and he was starting to break into a cold sweat. Sensing his discomfort, Fancy Pants tried to calm him down.
"You shouldn't be nervous, my boy. After all, it's just hair. Even if you make me look like some kind of Hoofcraftian monster, it will grow back." He wrapped a hoof gently around Snip's shoulders and continued in a soft voice, "You can't let the fear of failure hold you down. You have to be strong to fill this world with joy and beauty. You are not just some backwoods barber. You are an artist, and today I am your canvas." He released Snips and climbed into the chair.
Snips let out a tense sigh. He really didn't want to do it, but he couldn't deny Fancy Pants' words. He was tired of being paralyzed by fear. It was time to get to work!
"Any particular style in mind, Fancy Pants?"
"I am your canvas, Moneigh," he chuckled.
I'm starting to like this guy.
Turning to address his new apprentice, Snips said, "Gold, fetch the large cape out of the closet." The stallion complied without hesitation. Turning back to his customer, Snips continued, "So what brings you to Ponyville, Fancy Pants?"
"I came with my wife to visit a friend of ours. Miss Rarity has long wanted us to see her boutique. She is a rather gifted artist herself, I must say. The two of them are being pampered at the spa, so I found myself with some extra time on my hooves. Recalling Spike's letter, I decided to call on your establishment."
Gold Rush returned with the appropriate cape and gently draped it around Fancy Pants. Snips gently corrected a few creases and seams with a slight tug of magic. Gold Rush positioned himself/herself (Celestia, Luna, and Flying-Spaghetti-Monster, that is going to be confusing) on the other side of the chair, watching intently as Snips gazed at his 'canvas.'
"Spike was in here a couple of days ago. He told me a little bit about meeting you and your wife. If you don't mind me asking, how did you two meet?"
His polite smile fell, and his somber faced showed the ravages of somepony who was much older than Fancy Pants. It was the look of somepony who had seen and done many things that he regrets. "Fleur and I have a long history together." He caught Snips' eye in the mirror. With a shy smile he said, "I have a secret for you, young Snips. A secret that nopony beside my wife knows."
He took a deep breath, then calmly released it and continued, "I wasn't always a rich socialite. At one time, I was so poor that I didn't have two bits to rub together. I was on the fast track to nowhere, and that train was derailing. I was desperate, and so I had to resort to desperate measures to stay alive. I stole from the wrong stallion, but instead of killing me, he offered me a future."
Snips' ears perked up as he listened. Fancy Pants had dropped his cultured Canterlot accent. Instead it sounded vaguely... Manehattanite? Maybe from one of the poorer districts. There was fear and pain in that voice, but there was also love, awe, determination, and vitality.
Fancy Pants continued, "I remember every word that old stallion said. 'You got two options. Number one, you work for me. You'll be part of this family and it will be a part of you. Number two, the boys here beat yous to a bloody pulp and leave you with nothin' but a mouthful of broken teeth.' He stood there with his hoof out, waiting for my answer. I walked up and embraced him. He kissed both of my cheeks and uttered four words that sealed my fate forever... 'welcome to the family.'"