It was a cool spring day in Bittsburgh. The sun shone brilliantly and the wind was warm. Ponies welcomed the warm weather as a healthy change of pace from the frigid Winter months.
A light tan Unicorn Stallion, trotted down the sidewalk. A microphone and cord adorned his flank, and a similar design decorated his saddlebag. His braided mane of white and blue moved with the breeze and his jade eyes gleamed. He sang as he walked.
“Hoof, hoof, steppin’ on the concrete. Click click clack, as I’m goin’ down the street. Passing greets to the ponies on the way. Oh my me, what a wondrous day. Here we are, whoah that was fast. Home sweet Home, I’m here at last.”
He stood before a small, two-story building near the street corner. The ground floor was a small shop, its windows and doors constructed from steel-reinforced glass. Painted on a window was “Tick Tock Teck,” the shop’s name. Surrounding the name was a small list of things sold by the shop: Clocks, Watches, Steam Engines, All manner of technological marvels. The door was painted with the store’s weekly hours and a sign that read “Come in, we’re Open.”
“Hey, B!” Shouted the stallion as he entered the store, his baritone voice resonating throughout the room. The walls were lined with clocks and shelves which held standing clocks. The counter was glass, and in it were displayed models of much larger steam engines and other power sources. Behind the counter was a steel door. “B! Where are you?”
A few seconds later, the door swung open to reveal Broken Heart, a slate gray Earth Stallion with a long, wavy black mane and tail to match. His hazel eyes were hidden by a pair of glasses with circular lenses, and he wore a rawhide leather coat that covered his back legs. On his left forehoof he wore a watch with a platinum band. “I’m here as always, Rhyme,” said he in a low tone. “What’ve you got for us today?”
The tan stallion’s horn began to glow green as a small cylindrical gemstone floated out of his saddlebag to the counter. “Straight from the Crystal Empire; power that old stallion’s clock for centuries.”
As if on cue, the bell rang as an orange Pegasus Stallion in a pressed pinstripe suit entered the store. His short gray mane was greased back and his face bore a small gray goatee. “Good day, Gentlecolts,” greeted he in a high, classy voice.
“Right on time, Moneybags,” said Rhyme. “We were just finishing up your order. B?”
Heart trotted through the steel door, and re-emerged moments later, pushing a large, wooden grandfather clock on a cart to the counter. He removed the back plate of the clock and placed the crystal into a terminal that held the the pendulum. The crystal started to glow as he closed the clock. The pendulum then began to move back and forth, bringing life to the mechanism.
“It’ll last for years or more, if taken care of, Sir,” stated he as he moved the clock toward the front door. “1250 Bits sounds like a fair deal.”
The Pegasus reached into his pocket and produced a pocketbook, quill, and ink can. He wrote the necessary information on a cheque, tore it away, and gave it to Heart. “There you are,” said he, “though I must know, what exactly was that stone you put into this clock to power it?”
“Magic crystal,” answered Heart. “Imported from The Empire. Their crystals emanate an energy similar to Unicorn’s magic. Scientists have discovered that it can be used as a power source for just about anything.”
“It’s a valuable commodity in the modern marketplace,” added Rhyme. “But we’re still the only shop in town who actively works with it.”
The Pegasus nodded. “Fascinating,” mused he. “I thank both of you gentlecolts sincerely. Say, can you assist me in getting this to my carriage?”
The ponies agreed and carted the clock outside and loaded it into Moneybags’ stagecoach. “Thank you, once again,” repeated he. “I’ll be in touch. I may consider franchising your little shop. Good Day!” He then boarded his carriage and his chauffers set off.
As they watched the carriage, the ponies idly conversed. “You think he was serious about wanting to franchise?” asked Rhyme.
Broken Heart shrugged. “Probably just wants us to be nice to him. You know, give him discounts and all that. I’ll be back; I gotta go cash this.” He then went to put the cheque in his pocket.
“Don’t worry about it.” Rhyme took the cheque and placed it in his own saddlebag. “I’ll take care of it. I’ll bring back some take-out.” As Heart nodded, the tan stallion trotted off down the sidewalk. “Goin’ to the bank in the nice Spring heat,” rapped he. “Gonna get some cash then get somethin’ to eat. Thinkin’ ‘bout what we’d like for lunch. Somethin’ quick, somethin’ good to munch.” His musical thoughts were then interrupted by a high, raspy voice behind him.
“There’s a sandwich shop a block from the bank; best egg salad hero I’ve had in my life.”
Startled, Rhyme turned to see a light emerald green Earth Mare with royal blue eyes, freckles, and a gray dew rag covering her short, rose pink mane. Her smile faded as she saw the stallion’s face. “Sorry,” apologised she, blushing, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Rhyme sighed, then smiled again. “No problem, My Friend. Gotta pay more attention to my surroundings, I guess.” The pair then began walking beside one another. On the mare’s flank was a steel rivet gun and a few rivets. “Got a name, Miss?”
“Rosy Rivet,” answered she. “I’ve seen that shop you hang out in front of before, but never had the nerve to go in. Who owns that place?”
Rhyme snickered. “Would you believe me if I said I own it with a friend?”
Rosy shrugged. “Can’t assume anything, so I’d believe it. What do you do?”
The stallion began to sing again. “I guess I’m the mascot of the store. That’s what I perform in front of it for. Bustin’ rhymes, it’s my favourite game. Makes sense ‘cause Rhyme Buster’s my name.”
The pair continued to converse as Rhyme cashed the cheque at the bank, and entered the sandwich shop Rosy recommended. “Order yours to go; we can eat at the shop,” said he. Carrying the three sandwiches on his back, the pair set for Tick Tock Teck.
“So,” began Rosy nervously, “since you own the place, are you, you know, the boss?”
Rhyme Buster shook his head. “I do more of the day-to-day stuff: sales, advertising, customer service. The real brains of the operation is my buddy, Broken Heart. He builds everything, allocates the cash, and more or less runs the place. He’d be the one to talk to. Why?”
“Well, umm, I’ve been seeking an apprenticeship. Yours is the best machine shop in the city, so I figured I’d try there first.”
Rhyme laughed. “Came to the right place; B is the best there is with technology. Goin’ straight for the gold, that’s good. Ambition, Rosy; that’s what you need to thrive in this modern economy.”
As the pair talked, they reached the shop and entered. “Hey, B!” called Rhyme. “Got some great news, B!”
Broken Heart emerged from the steel door behind the counter. “What is it, Rhyme?” As he saw the green mare, he felt his heart skip a beat. “Who is she?” demanded he.
“This is Rosy Rivet,” answered the tan Unicorn. “A young aspiring artificer. She wants to learn from the best, so I brought her here.”
Heart shook his head. “I don’t do students,” said he flatly.
Rosy’s mood dropped as she asked, “but, but why?”
“It’s nothing personal,” stated Heart. “I just don’t teach. Sorry to waste your time.”
“Sorry,” apologised Rosy in tears as she took her sandwich and left the shop, head hung low.