//------------------------------// // Pinkie Visits a Detail Shop // Story: Not another One-Shot-Ober // by Admiral Biscuit //------------------------------// Pinkie Visits a Detail Shop Admiral Biscuit Pinkie was happily pronking through town when she suddenly saw a business she'd never seen before. She stopped, mid-air. Her mouth dropped open and her pupils shrank. A new store was . . . it wasn't quite the same as a new pony, you couldn't invite a new store to a surprise party and remember its birthday and bring it presents and cakes and the like . . . but you could bring the owners all those things, and that was nearly as good. She dropped lightly to the ground, and turned her head sideways, puzzling out the sign over the door. Ponyville Detail Shop, it said. Not really enough to go on. There were no displays in the window to give away what it was. No giant wavy-arm thing bringing in ponies. In fact, in some ways it was kind of . . . off. She turned her head the other way. The only fresh thing about the building was the sign. The trim could have used a coat of paint, and one of the shutters hung slightly askew. It could have used a bit of freshening up, and then no doubt ponies would be lined up around the block to visit. Maybe the owner doesn't have enough bits, she thought. Maybe she's waiting for a customer. With this new thought in mind, Pinkie re-examined the business. Now it just looked sad and forlorn, being on a back street as it was where not too many ponies went anyway. She straightened her head and squared her shoulders and rump, then marched up to the door. No jingling bell announced her arrival, and she had a moment to look around. The inside was clean. Worn, yes. The building had seen better days inside, too. The couch was threadbare, and the ficus next to the door could have used some good old-fashioned earth pony magic. Even the calendar on the wall was out of date, although to be fair last May had been a particularly good May and perhaps the owner of the shop just wanted to remember it. “Hello?” A moment later, there was a shuffling noise at the back, and moments later, a stallion emerged. He had a rather obsequious look to him, and a kinda oily mane, and his eyes glittered with just a spark of madness, and the lab coat he was wearing had stains on it. Pinkie shuddered for a moment, before regaining her equilibrium. “Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! You're new in Ponyville and so is your business I was just walking no trotting no really more hopping by and anyways I saw your sign and I thought that I'd never seen your sign before and that meant that—“ He held up a hoof to forstall her. “Yes, I am new. Please, pony speak too fast.” She flicked her ears. She couldn't quite place his accent. “What is it you do here?” She spoke slowly and carefully. She had run into the same problem with the Spa twins. “Is a detail shop.” “Yes.” Pinkie sighed. “I read the sign. What does that mean?” “Come in back. I show pony.” “Okie-dokie-loki!” Pinkie happily pronked into the back of the shop, following the strange stallion. *        *        * Five minutes later, she emerged, head down. In her mouth, she held a simple cloth bag, which contained the product of the shop: her own tail. Hopefully Aloe or Lotus could stick it back on. Oh well. I guess if they can't, I can play pin-the-tail-on-the-pony with myself. She began skipping down the road: Pinkie always looked on the bright side of things. Still, somepony is only going to get one cupcake for his birthday, that's for sure.