//------------------------------//
// Welcome to the Family: Part 2 
// Story: Snips' Clips Barbershop 
// by AtomicMuffin 
//------------------------------//


~`~`~ Manehattan ~`~`~


After a long and uneventful train ride, Slick had finally returned home. The familiar smells of smoke and filth assaulted him as soon as he stepped off the train. Normally, he would breathe in a deep lungful and revel in the fact that he had returned to his beloved family, but this time the air wasn't so sweet. He had failed in his important mission, but at least the Don was a forgiving stallion. Slick opted to walk back to the manor instead of hailing a cab. He needed some time to think. 

Okay, the Gala was a complete failure. I only managed to get in good with Blueblood, however briefly. None of the other prominent families stood out enough for me to make a move. We'll have to be more discreet with the next one, and we may have to wait for a few years before we can get the ball rolling again. This will take some time to blow over.

He continued to mull over his rather lackluster performance, but sooner than he expected he stood before the massive gates of the Don's estate. Taking a deep breath, he passed through the gates, nodded to the burly guards, and entered the massive mansion. After a brief search, he located the Don reading in his study. 

"Welcome home, Slick. I hope you have some good news for me."

Slick stood in the doorway and bowed his head in shame. "I've failed you, sir. Prince Blueblood refused."

Don Cannoli shook his head partly in disappointment, but also partly in amusement. He gestured to a comfortable chair across from him. Slick hesitantly took the seat while the Don poured them both a strong drink. The dim lamps lighting the room cast the numerous bookshelves in shadow, as if they were eavesdroppers silently leaning in to listen to his story. It was eerie. 

The Don cleared his throat and laid his reading spectacles on the ornate end table next to his chair. He looked expectantly at Slick and asked, "What did he say? And I mean the whole story. We might be able to save this."

Slick spent the next hour telling the Don about his night in Canterlot and the proceeding day, but for some reason he didn't mention Fleur. He trusted the Don, and he loved him like a father, but he wanted his interaction with the beautiful mare to be on his own terms. More importantly, he didn't want her to be part of this deal. The Don's deals sometimes left some... collateral damage. 

The Don stood up and paced around the dim study, pondering the new information that Slick had given him. Some ponies feared the Family because of its wealth or its impressive array of musclebound lackeys, but its truly terrifying quality was the cold cunning of its leader. 

After a minute of pacing, the aging pegasus sighed and muttered, "I don't see any way around it. We gotta off old Blueblood."

Slick nearly fell out of his chair. He blurted, "No! You can't do that!"

The older stallion's glare was icy, but his voice remained level. "He knows our plan, has a lofty reputation, and knows both your name and mine. If we move on to another family, he'll blow the whistle on us. If we wait too long, then another family will grab the Canterlot market before us, so we can't just wait for the geezer to die. The grandson is a moron, but he's a moron that we could use. Now tell me, do you see another way out of this mess?"

Slick hesitated for a moment. He could tell the Don about Fleur. The prince's beloved great-niece could be an excellent bargaining chip. No, that would be a betrayal of both her and the prince. But he still didn't want to see the old stallion die.  

Slick shook his head and stared dejectedly at the floor. The Don noticed his hesitation. "Are you hiding something, Slick. You know I don't like being in the dark."

"No, sir," he muttered.

"Look at me," he softly demanded. Though his voice was soft, Slick could feel the venom of his words dripping down his spine. He glanced up to meet the Don's piercing gaze. "I don't like being lied to. If you have something to say, say it now. But if I find out that you weren't honest with me, there will be major consequences."

Slick nodded.

"I'm glad we understand each other. Now go rest up. We'll talk again in the morning."


~`~`~ The Barbershop ~`~`~


Snips stepped back to observe his work in progress. His canvas was coming along nicely, but there was still something missing from it. There was something that he was missing. He was so wrapped up in his own work and the story that he didn't even notice that Fancy Pants had stopped talking. 

Fancy Pants inquired, "Gold, dear boy, are you quite alright?"

Snips pulled his gaze away from his customer and instead looked at his assistant. The brown stallion looked a bit pale and his eyes kept losing their focus. He started at the question. "Oh! Sorry, I-I'm just a bit, uh, tired from the trip."

Snips said, "You can go home for the day. There will be plenty to do tomorrow."

Gold blushed and shuffled on his hooves. He murmured, "I don't really have a place to stay yet."

Snips was stumped. He didn't even stop to think that his apprentice hadn't settled into town yet. He pulled a key from one of his saddlebags and offered it to Gold. "You can take a nap in my apartment. We'll discuss it more after I close up and after you've gotten some sleep."

Gold's eyes widened, "R-really?! You'd trust me? Just like that?"

Snips laughed, "Let's call it an act of good faith. Now get out of here and get some rest."

"Y-yes, sir!"

Snips gave him directions to his home and watched as his new apprentice exited the shop.

"That was generous of you," Fancy Pants commented, "And I take it you trust him not to steal anything."

Snips laughed uproariously, "I don't own anything worth stealing! The only things I have of value are my tools."

Fancy Pants laughed along with him, then continued his story as Snips picked up his scissors once again...


~`~`~ Manehattan ~`~`~


A month had passed, but so far Don Cannoli hadn't mentioned anything about a hit on the prince. Slick faintly hoped that he would give up on the campaign altogether, but he wasn't holding his breath. What worried him more was that he still hadn't heard from Fleur. He yearned to see her again.

Today was just a normal routine day with an uneventful chore. The Don had instructed him to shake down a snitch within their ranks. Slick now sat across from said snitch, who was tied to a rather uncomfortable looking chair.

This time it was a squirrely youth by the name of Snake Eyes. He was a thin and wiry stallion with a wild and unkempt mane. He was famous within the gang for his sharp eyes which constantly darted around the room to take in every possible ounce of information that he could. 

Slick lit a cigarette and pulled a long drag from it. Blowing the noxious smoke into the youth's face, he said, "Do you know what happens to ponies who mess with the Don, Snake Eyes?"

The young stallion moaned, "I didn't do nothin! They set me up, I tell ya!"

Slick continued smoking. "That doesn't answer my question, Snake Eyes." 

Snake Eyes shuddered and whimpered, "They disappear."

Slick's gaze hardened as the young stallion started to openly weep before him. He was scared of something, but there was still a lot more that they could learn from him if he could be persuaded to share. 

Suddenly, a knock came from the door in the small wooden shed. A suited stallion opened it and poked his head in. "Hey, Slick. The Don wants'ta see ya. Leave the kid be for now."

Slick tossed away the butt of his cigarette and strolled through the doorway. Two guards stood on the other side. Speaking just loud enough for Snake Eyes to hear him, he said, "Boys, tonight Snake Eyes sleeps with the Fishes."

Snake Eyes broke down into tears and gut wrenching cries, but Slick strolled away with the suited stallion who had come for him.

Raw Deal had been a member of The Family almost as long as Slick had, and the two got along famously. Raw chuckled, "What do ya mean by 'sleepin' with the fishes' anyway? I hear'ya say it a lot, but I never figured out what you mean."

Slick laughed as they trotted leisurely across the dark pier. A carriage awaited them at the end. The pair climbed in and the driver set off back to the manor. "If you must know, it means that I'm making him share a room with the Fish brothers, Cat Fish and Red Fish. They don't bathe much." 

They continued to banter and laugh all the way back to the manor, but the closer they got, the more on-edge Raw seemed to be. His lip would twitch and he'd readjust himself constantly, as if he couldn't make himself comfortable. Slick was about to state his suspicion, but they had finally arrived back home. He pushed it out of his mind as they both entered the manor. 

The sight that greeted him froze him in place. In the middle of the parquet floor, bound and gagged, was Fleur. Don Cannoli hovered  just above her with his front hooves crossed over his chest. 

"Care to introduce us to your... friend, Slick?"

Slick knew that tone. The Don meant business. 

Without even a stutter or hesitation, he launched into a lie that would put his life on the line. He smirked, "She's my meal ticket. The broad is Blueblood's niece, and he loves her more than life itself. I was gonna cozy up to her and try to get in good with the old fool. Tartarus, maybe I'd even marry her!"

Don Cannoli tilted his head, intrigued by this unexpected change of events. "Oh, and why didn't you let me in on this little scheme?"

Slick brushed off the question. "I wanted to win your respect back by fixing the mistake I made."

He tried not to look at her. He tried to keep his gaze fixed on his patriarch, but he saw it. In her face was every heartbreaking emotion that he couldn't bear to see. Anger, sorrow, betray, disappointment, resentment, heartbreak, and dejection fought for dominance in a mighty storm hidden behind her stunning pale violet eyes. 

The older stallion seemed content with his answer. He alighted on the floor and smiled maliciously at the mare. "You are going to be our guest for quite some time, my dear. I hope you like your new home." He kissed her lightly on the forehead and Fleur writhed on the floor, eager to lash out at him if only she wasn't tied up. 

Don Cannoli laughed as a musclebound stallion emerged from the shadows, threw her onto his back, and took her deep into the bowels of the giant house. Slick tried his best to look indifferent, but the sight was killing him. He wanted nothing more than to free her and run, but this was the Don's home turf. Neither of them would survive.

"Now then, we have our bargaining chip. It's time to make the next move. And this time," he shot a glare at Slick, "I'll be the one calling the shots."

"Yes, sir," Slick muttered.

"Looks like I have a letter to write. Oh, and by the way, I forbid you from seeing or talking to that mare. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, sir." His heart dropped into his stomach.

The Don nodded and took to the air, leaving Slick alone in the magnificent room to ponder his thoughts.

The plan was simple. Don Cannoli would hold Fleur as a hostage to ensure the prince's cooperation in their little scheme. The Don sent a detailed letter to Prince Blueblood specifically outlining the details of her imprisonment and was very colorful in his description of the methods he would employ should diplomacy break down.

Slick read over the letter before it was sent. It was horrifying. Don Cannoli wasn't the easiest stallion to get along with, but this made him seem no more than a vicious thug, a monster. Slick thought about all the past schemes that he had done for the sake of The Family. All the cheating, lying, smuggling, forgery, con artistry. But through all that, he had never killed anypony. He just cheated them out of their money, and usually it was from ponies who had more than enough to spare. This was different. It was just wrong. 

The dull flicker of conscience that he had attempted to squash for years had reared its head once again. He couldn't go through with this, and he couldn't let the one mare he cared for be stuck in a cage forever. Thus he resolved to end this scheme, or die trying. So he sent a letter of his own in secret. 


~`~`~ The Watering Hole ~`~`~


The bar was discreet, with only a small sign hinting that it was even a business at all. Checking that he was not followed, Slick slipped through the door and scanned the room. Seated at the bar was exactly the stallion he wanted to see. Blueblood was hunched and tired, as if he had hadn't slept in days. Slick sidled up to the bar next to him, noting the tankard gripped in the old stallion's hoof. 

The bartender popped up from behind the bar and gruffly asked, "What'll it be?"

"We need to use your back room to conduct some... business."

The bartender scanned the empty room before replying, "You ain't in any trouble, are ya? 'Cause we don't need any here."

"No no," Slick assured him, and for good measure he dropped a large pouch of bits onto the counter. "We just need somewhere discreet to conduct our business."

Eyeing the bag of bits, the bartender slid a simple bronze keep over to Slick and slipped the coins under the bar. The pair entered the small room, leaving the bartender behind. 

The room itself was simple, with only a small table and a pair of chairs. They sat down, and Blueblood was the first to speak. 

"Why did you do it?" he rasped.

"I didn't do anything," Slick countered, "I have no idea how she found the manor, or even what possessed her to come over in the first place."

Blueblood pulled a single sheet of parchment from his saddlebag and pushed it in front of Slick, frowning angrily. It was a letter addressed to Fleur and signed by him, but he had never written such a letter. He read through the body and it was a sappy love letter pining over her and begging her to meet him at the Don's manor. 

Slick was floored. He gaped, "I-I didn't write this! I would never suggest something like that, knowing that it would put her in danger."

Blueblood was clearly unsatisfied with the answer. He asked, "So why did you need me to come to this dingy dive so urgently? To gloat? I've already done what the Don wants, so what more do you want?"

Slick stared the old stallion square in the eye, as if daring him to detect any trace of a lie. "I want to save you. Both of you."

Blueblood guffawed, "And why, pray tell, would you do that?"

This time Slick couldn't meet his gaze. For all his resolve, he had trouble admitting the way he felt about Fleur and her guardian. He blushed and said, "Nopony deserves to be in a cage."

Blueblood let that sit between them for a few seconds, pondering his next words. "You love her, don't you, boy?"

Slick dumbly nodded, "I-I think so."

Blueblood rose to his hooves so violently that his chair flew across the room. He pounded his front hooves on the table and glared viciously at Slick, who didn't even budge. The old stallion barked, "'I think' is not going to cut it! You have to be sure! If you aren't  one hundred percent invested in this, then there is no way I can trust you! Now answer me, do you love my niece?!"

His tirade stirred Slick's blood. He had only spent a brief time with Fleur, but it was the single most magical time of his life. He could see himself with nopony else. And if he had to lay down his own life for her freedom...

"I'd die for her! As long as she can be free to live without fear."

Blueblood visibly relaxed, but his voice was still gruff. "You wouldn't be doing her any favors like that. Slick, I'm not asking you to die for her. I want you to live for her. In my experience, that's much harder. I want you to grow old together, have foals, and be happy."

Slick was taken aback by the sudden change in attitude. He had never believed that Blueblood would trust him ever again. The whole point of this meeting was just to tell him that he would help Fleur escape and then be out of their lives for good. Now, the old stallion was talking about marriage and having foals! Is he senile?

As if reading his thoughts, Blueblood snapped, "No, I'm not senile." He sighed, then continued, "I am old. I've met many ponies over the years and have become an excellent judge of character. When you came to the mansion and had lunch with us, I saw a spark of decency in you. You are charming and intelligent; qualities that this family desperately needs. There was only one thing that I saw lacking. Integrity. You were willing to align yourself with a thug to save your own skin, despite the countless ponies that would come to harm because of your actions. But I see now that I was wrong. You may yet prove yourself. And if you do, then I ask that you take care of Fleur, with my blessing."

Slick continued to stare at the older stallion in dumbfounded silence. Eventually, he was able to make his mouth work again, and he stammered out the words, "Th-thank you."

Blueblood nodded and asked, "So what is this plan of yours?"


~`~`~Don Cannoli's Manor~`~`~


Slick half-smiled at the burly stallions guarding the door. He knew that beyond that door was his beloved Fleur; however, they both knew that he was not allowed to see her.

"Hey fellas, how's guard duty?"

"Beat it, Slick," one replied.

"Yeah, you're not supposed to be here," the other added.

"Don't worry guys, I just came by to catch up with you. I even brought you drinks." He produced three beers and passed one to each of them. He cracked open his own bottle and took a swig. Shrugging, the other two popped open their own and downed the dark liquid. Within seconds, the pair hit the ground snoring heavily.

Good thing they're stupid, Slick thought to himself as he found the key and proceeded to unlock the door. Inside was a lavishly decorated room fit for a princess, but he couldn't see Fleur anywhere. Cautiously, he closed the door and tip-hoofed to the veiled four-poster bed. He didn't want to alarm her if she was asleep. He gently pulled back the curtains to reveal... nothing. She wasn't on the bed. Then where in Equestria could she be?

Suddenly, Fleur rocketed from under the bed and tackled Slick to the ground. Lying on top of him, she slugged him hard in the face and spat on him. Noticing that he was not resisting, she hissed, "Why deed you do zis to me? I mees you zo much and zen you make me come here to be locked away! You are deespicable!"

Slick allowed the mare to keep him pinned to the ground. He didn't even bother to wipe her saliva off of his face. "I didn't write that letter, and I never got yours. Don Cannoli set us both up."

She raged at him, throwing more punches to punctuate every sentence, "You lie! You lie! You lie! You lie! You lie! Why else would you walk in here now? You don't care about me! You never deed!"

Slick caught her hooves and stopped her from hitting him again. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. He couldn't stand that. Still pinned under the mare, he reached up and kissed her. Her eyes widened in shock as she tried to pull away, but he wrapped her in his hooves and pulled her closer. He whispered gently into her ear. "You're wrong about that. I never stopped loving you. Not since we first danced together. And now I'm going to prove it. We're getting out of here."

Fleur nearly crushed him as she returned his embrace. She didn't know if he was lying, but she wanted to believe that he was being genuine. For her own sake, she needed it to be true.

Slick gently nudged her and the pair rose to their hooves. The sleeping potion that he had gotten from his black market contacts wouldn't last forever, and they needed to hurry. Slick locked the door from the inside and moved to the bedroom closet. He pushed around the contents until he found what he was looking for. A small knot protruded from the wooden panel. To the untrained eye, it was simply an imperfection in the timber, but to him it was the key to their escape. He punched the knot and the entire panel opened up on concealed hinges leading into a secret tunnel. 

Fleur gasped as Slick grasped her hoof and pulled her into the narrow space. It was so cramped that they had to crawl to get through, but luckily they both fit. Soon they saw the light coming from the other side. Light streamed in from the ceiling as Slick pushed upward. The trapdoor gave way, revealing the enormous kitchen of the Cannoli Estate. So far, so good. Slick had timed it perfectly, but he had to hurry before the cooks woke up to start working on breakfast. 

As soon as Fleur scrambled out of the hole, Slick shut the door and covered it with a crate full of potatoes. Reaching into a nearby cabinet, he pulled out a simple brown cloak and he handed it to Fleur. Without a word, she threw it on and followed him stealthily to the back door. Peeking through the keyhole, Slick scanned the grounds bathed in pale moonlight. There was nopony in sight.

Fleur sidled alongside him, and he whispered, "We need to make it through the gardens without being seen. There's a boathouse at the end by the river. If we can take one of the boats, then we're home free. Just stick close and follow my lead." She nodded her understanding.

Slick gently opened the door and stalked through the silent grounds like a shadow. Things were looking good. They had managed to make it halfway through... but nothing ever goes as planned.

"Leaving so soon? You didn't even thank me for my hospitality." Don Cannoli lounged on a balcony railing and absentmindedly sharpened a dangerous looking knife. He didn't even spare a glance at the pair as he continued, "I'm very offended by that. Kids, let's teach these jailbirds some manners."

A squadron of pegasi leaped into the air from behind the house. Don Cannoli slid off the rail and leisurely glided in pursuit of the pair backed by his loyal family. 

"Fleur, run!" Slick shouted. All stealth abandoned, they galloped for all they were worth directly to the boat house. Fortunately, the Don seemed to be in no rush to catch them. The pair bolted into the two-story-warehouse-like building, and Slick slammed the door shut. In the darkness, Slick could barely see the means of their salvation. A sleek speedboat was tied in place exactly where it was supposed to be. He dove behind the wheel and tried to start the engine. The engine whined for a moment, but then sputtered and died. 

Tartarus! That explains why he isn't in a hurry. He drained the fuel out of the boats!

Slick fought to keep down his panic as the pursuit force attempted to beat down the door. He could hear the wood splinter and he knew that their time was limited. Slick spotted a large stack of coiled rope piled on the side of the building. He grabbed Fleur by the shoulders and looked her square in the eye.

"Do you trust me?"

She blinked in confusion, "Oui, but why do you ask?"

"Because I am about to do something pretty crazy." Slick channeled energy into his horn. Magic wasn't really his specialty, but there were a few things that he could do. he conjured a tiny fireball and threw it into the mass of rope. Within seconds, the flames started to catch and spread rapidly. Smoke poured to the ceiling, and the pegasi stopped beating at the door. They decided that it was unwise to break into a burning building; however, there was one who disagreed. 

Slick called out to Fleur and they broke out in a run for the loft on the second story. By now, the fire was spreading incredibly fast and the ground floor was unbearably hot. The two of them climbed the stairs and emerged on the landing to see that the loft was a mostly empty storage area for nautical equipment. A large bay window looked out upon the river. 

"What ees your plan now?" Fleur asked frantically.

"Indeed, Slick! What's your plan now?"

Both ponies froze as Don Cannoli crashed through the window, wicked knife still in hoof. He laughed crazily as the flames below reflected in his eyes. "Did you think that I would just let you go? My dear, you are my last hope of conquering the Canterlot black market. I won't let anything stand between us! Much less you, my wayward son!"

He lunged at Slick, who managed to dodge at the last minute. The sharp knife grazed his shoulder and drew four fat drops of blood. Slick set his hooves and prepared for the next attack. It came faster than he expected.

Don Cannoli swung wildly with his knife, enraged by Slick's betrayal. His movements were erratic and he was bent on slicing Slick into tiny pieces. Slick had managed to dodge most of the assault until, with a ferocious cry, Don Cannoli rushed forward and hilted the knife into Slick's uninjured shoulder. Slick kicked him away, then fell to the ground and clutched his injured limb.

Don Cannoli grinned like a mad-stallion as he wiped a small trace of blood from his lip. He calmly stalked forward even as the inferno raged behind him. "This is what happens when you betray The Family. Nopony leaves us except in a casket. Though I think this time a pyre will do."

Then the Don was swept off of his hooves as a bolt shot at him and pinned his wing to the wall. Slick groaned as he turned his head to see Fleur standing amidst the nautical equipment with a speargun levitating in front of her. She immediately dropped it and ran to Slick's side. 

Slick was glad to see that she was unhurt, but the fire was starting to reach up to the second floor. Time was not on their side. He grunted, "The river. Get to the river."

The mare slid under his injured should to help support him. He groaned as she asked, "Do you trust me?"

Slick managed a wry smile and replied, "Sure, why?"

"I am about to do somezing crazy."

"I love you so much right now."

Together they jumped through the window and dove into the river two stories below. Don Cannoli cursed in rage and pain as his building burned around him. Within minutes, the building collapsed and he were seen again. 


~`~`~ Further Down the River ~`~`~


A cloaked figure navigated his small boat along the river with an old push poll. He heard a gasp as two ponies breached the surface of the water and sucked in greedy breaths. He whistled at them and the pair swam lethargically toward the rough little boat. The cloaked pony helped them both into the boat. One was a gorgeous mare and the other was a strapping young stallion with a knife protruding from his should. 

As soon as she had regained her breath, Fleur turned to their rescuer and begged, "Please, may I 'ave a piece of your cloak to patch up my friend? 'Ee is bleeding badly."

The cloaked pony lowered his hood to reveal the kind face of an old white coated stallion. "Anything for you, my dear."

Fleur gaped in surprise, "Uncle, eet is you?" She rushed to embrace him so suddenly that she nearly capsized the boat.

Slick moaned, "A pleasure as always, Your Highness."

Fleur immediately released her great-uncle and went to work patching up her coltfriend as the prince pushed them along the river and away from the past that burned behind them.


~`~`~ The Barbershop ~`~`~


"After that it was pretty straightforward. With the Don gone, the family fell into civil war to determine a new head. Prince Blueblood helped me reinvent myself as Fancy Pants, and Fleur and I eventually got married. When he died, Blueblood left a large sum of money to the both of us and we have been living as we have ever since." He chuckled half-heartedly and asked, "Do you know what the old stallion said to me on our wedding day?"

Snips shook his head in response. Fancy Pants continued, "He said 'welcome to the family.' Can you believe it? The same four words that sounded like a death sentence from Don Cannoli, but this time they were the words that set me free. Prince Blueblood put me back on the straight-and-narrow," He sighed tiredly, "I owe him so much."

Snips was flabbergasted. The story he had heard was so outlandish that he almost refused to believe it. Stuff like that only happened in action movies where the hero always gets the girl at the end. But something about the way Fancy Pants told the story made him believe every word of it.

"So are you about done, young Snips?" 

Snips jumped back to his senses at the mention of his name. With a few quick snips he removed the cape with a flourish and bowed to his customer.

"There you go. I hope you like it."

Fancy Pants was stunned as he looked in the mirror. Staring back at him was the young stallion that he had described in his story, and yet he was quite a different stallion entirely. His mane was slicked back like it was in the old days, and that same stray strand of hair refused to be swept into place. It made him look young and vibrant again, but his mustache reminded him of the stallion that he now was. Both worlds collided into one.

Snips hugged the floor as he muttered, "Please say you like it."

Fancy Pants replied dully, "No, Snips, I don't like it."

Snips felt his heart break as his hopes and dreams spiraled down the drain. But then Fancy Pants brightened and cried, "I love it!"
And just like that, his fortune was turned around. 

The pair laughed together and Snips didn't even hear the door open and a pair of white coated unicorns entered. They stopped as they heard the sound of something hitting the floor. Both stallions snapped to attention when they saw that Fleur-de-Lis had dropped her shopping bags onto the floor. She gaped at the stallion standing before her, then suddenly she pounced on him and locked lips with him right there on the chair. 

Rarity gasped, "My goodness!"

Snips just stood to the side and let the couple have their moment. It didn't take long for Fancy Pants to gently push his wife away and say, "Save it for later, dear. We're in public." 

Fleur blushed and set her hooves back on the ground, but not before flicking her tail in his face and teased playfully, "You just look zo young and 'andsome zat I could not rezeest."

Fancy Pants flashed a half smirk and she blushed even harder. He jumped off the chair and dug inside his cashmere sweater. He pulled out a massive bag of bits and dropped it onto the chair. It was easily the biggest bag of cash that Snips had ever seen. Something like that could keep his shop running for a year!

Snips gaped and finally said, "I can't take that! That's way too much!"

Fancy Pants merely chuckled and said, "My dear friend here has taught me quite a few things about generosity. Your gift is not something that should be hidden away. If there is anything I can do to help you grow and excel, don't hesitate to ask. Consider yourself my friend, dear Snips. And let me be the first to know if you ever open a shop in Canterlot."

He offered Snips a conspiratorial wink and left the shop flanked by the two mares. Feeling giddy, Snips decided to deposit his massive haul at the bank and close up the shop early. Little did he know that his life had been changed forever. Even less did he know what awaited him at home...