It was an evening like any other in the bustling city of Manehatten. The sun had set a few minutes ago, the evening air was mild and the sky was bathed in glorious, but quickly vanishing golden light by the sun hanging low behind the horizon.
I took in a deep breath of the -by Manehatten's standards- fresh air as I stepped out onto the street. Most businesses were just about to close their doors, and the streets were filled with commuting ponies all trying to get home from their work as fast as possible.
I looked up, leaning my head back as I took in the busy evening atmosphere. Manehatten was in no way comparable to the small village I had grown up in, and I was sure that it would take some more time to get used to the sheer masses of ponies, the desert of concrete and the nearly constant noise.
But I was happy - I had moved here on my own accounts a few days ago. I wanted to start a new life; to leave the village I had known as my home all my life and try my luck in Equestria's biggest and busiest city by opening up my very own barber shop. There was, as I had been told, a lot of money to make in Manehatten, and why shouldn't some of that money be made by me?
Indeed, so far, having just closed down my shop for the night, I really couldn't complain. My first day in business had been successful - not overwhelmingly great, but for now there really wasn't much to complain about.
I turned my head to the side, looking at the other barber shop a few yards down the road. Surely, I had had my concerns about opening up my store this close to a competitor offering a nearly identical product, but it seemed like the ponies in Manehatten didn't care too much about customer loyalty and would simply go to the store with the best prices, which just so happened to be mine.
Besides, a little competition is always good for business, right?
Smiling as I thought about my future as a successful Manehatten coiffeur and pictured myself swimming in my very own Money Bin, I raised a hoof, looking at my watch: it was almost 8pm; time to lock the store up for today.
I turned around and walked back into my store, feeling a tingle of excitement as I remembered that it was almost time for my first cash check.
Humming a happy melody, I walked through the now empty salon, past the three empty hairdresser chairs -if business would remain as good as it had been today, I would have to employ some more ponies shortly- and up to the counter where the cash register was waiting for me.
At the push of a button, the cash box slid open, and the familiar 'ka-ching' filled the room, bringing an even brighter smile to my face as I looked down at the pile of bits laying ready for me. I could almost feel my mouth water.
Holding back an excited squeal, I rubbed my hooves in anticipation, but just as I wanted to dig into the pile of coins and start counting, I was interrupted by the little bell hung above the entrance door chiming and the door being opened.
"Oh." I said softly as I saw somepony come into my store. A short, gray mare, dressed in a fancy purple suit stepped into my salon, looking into my direction with her eyes half-hidden behind her long, dark gray mane.
"Why hello there, young lady." I greeted her with a friendly smile, "I'm afraid you're a little late to get a haircut - we're closed for the night."
The mare looked at me, but didn't reply. Instead, she closed the door behind herself and turned the open-closed-sign hanging in the shop window to 'CLOSED'.
"Uh, can I help you?" I asked again, noticeably confused as she turned around and came walking into my direction with her head hanging low, mane concealing her face completely. "Do you want to make an appointment?"
But she didn't reply, just silently walking towards me. I couldn't deny that I felt a shiver running through my body, feeling reminded to a horror movie I saw a few days ago, in which a similiar situation had ended with the shopkeeper's gruesome death.
Eventually, the mare arrived at the counter and stopped in front of me, her eyes resting on the ground in front of her hooves.
"H-hello?" I started another attempt, feeling my heart pound inside my chest and my voice trembling, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Finally, the mysterious mare raised her head and looked at me. Her mane slid back, revealing two big, beautiful purple eyes that matched her suit looking up at me.
"Yes, hello." she finally spoke up. Her voice sounded weak, soft, but at least moderately friendly. "I wanted to talk with you."
"Uh, certainly." I replied, feeling relieved now that she didn't seem so creepy after all, "Do you want to make an appointment? For a haircut?"
"No." the mare replied calmly. She arose to her rear hooves, resting her front hooves on the counter in front of me. "I just want to talk."
"Uh, okay." I replied curtly, my confusion increasing by the second, "What do you want to talk about?"
The mare turned to the side and her mane slid forward again, hiding half her face like a curtain of gray hair. "You see..." she began, and I could have sworn I saw the thinnest of smiles form on her lips, "My name is Pie. Marble Pie. I am a member of a group of ... legitimate businessponies." she paused, probably for effect, and turned her head back again to face me directly, "And I'm here because I would like to talk business." she announced with a sly, but heart-warmingly cute smile on her face.
"V-very well." I said, giving her a confused look, wondering if she was a member of a big coiffeur-corporation searching to buy up my store. "But I must inform you: this store is not for sale." I added precautionally, "I just opened up, and things have been running pretty darn smooth so far. I have no intentions of selling my store."
"Oh, I could tell." The smile on Marble Pie's face widened a little, and if I wouldn't have such great self-control I was sure I would have tried to jump over the counter and give her a hug by now. "You see, one of my group's valued customers is the hair salon down the road, run by a mare called Scissor Sister - a direct competitor to your salon." she explained calmly, soberly.
"Uh-huh." I replied cautiously, my mood changing abruptly as the real reason for this talk was starting to dawn on me.
"Yes." Marble confirmed with a light nod of her head, "Now, I'm sure I don't need to tell you that, as good and legitimate businessponies, we care about our clients. And as such..." she crossed her hooves, giving me a thin smile, "Me and my fellow businessponies have come to the agreement that we will give you two alternatives..."
I swallowed, my confusion now more and more turning into discomfort as I started to understand what she was on to.
"You can either pack your bags and be out of Manehatten by tomorrow morning..." Marble explained, her sweet voice not matching her sinister words at all, "Or you can ensure the long-term success of your business against that of Miss Sister by paying us a weekly fee of..." she looked up to the ceiling, seeming to reflect for a moment, "A hundred bits. How does that sound?"
I remained silent, looking at the mare with my mouth hanging open. Was I seeing things? Had this mare; this cute, little, adorable mare really just told me to pay her protection money?
I had heard about the infamous Manehatten Mafia, and had expected to come in contact with them sooner or later, but I had expected big, intimidating Mafia dons, fancy jewelry and a goon squad, not a cute, adorable young mare.
"Uhhh..." I muttered, my mind struggling to understand what was happening. Was she being serious? Did the Manehatten Mafia really send out cute mares to do their business deals?
No. No, this couldn't be. This had to be some sort of joke! Whatever reason this mare had to be here, there was no way she was an actual part of one of Equestria's most feared gangs.
...
But then, why else would she be here? Why the fancy suit and the even fancier talk about 'business'?
I shook my head in disbelief, trying to make sense of all this.
"Oh don't worry, you don't need to make your decision right now." Marble Pie added, interrupting my thoughts as she once again gave me a smile that was so sweet I was sure could cause heart attacks. "We will check back with you tomorrow morning, and if you should have decided to leave, we expect your store to be completely closed down by then. And if you're still there and should have decided against paying the fee..." again she paused, "Things might get a little ... uncomfortable for you." she closed her eyes, her smile widening as she asked, "Do we understand each other?"
"Umm..." Once again, my reply wasn't too expressive, but just as I was about to think of a response to at least say something productive, I once again heard the doorbell chime as somepony else came walking into my store.
"Marble! What's taking so long!?" I could feel myself giving an involuntary flinch as a second mare came storming into my salon, barking at the mare in front of me. Her coat was a bluish gray, and her mane a straight waterfall of lighter gray. Just like her predecessor, this mare was dressed in a fancy gray suit, even though the lime-colored shirt and bilious green necktie did make her outfit look a little less somber.
But really, that lack of somberness was more than made up for by her rough voice and general behavior.
"I told you, get this guy's bits, or tell him to clear off - no-holds-barred." The second mare growled at her colleague, "What's taking so long?"
Marble turned towards the gray mare, looking at her with a calm, confident glance. "It's okay Limestone, I have just told him about our offer and let him know about the deadline. He should have gotten it now."
That made the second mare -What was her name? Limestone?- silence and turn towards me, looking me over with a disparaging glance. After a few moments of silence, she shook her head. "Nah." she concluded with a shake of her head, then looked back at Marble, "I don't like the way he's looking at you. He won't get a deadline."
Instantly, I could feel myself blush, my heart rate skyrocketing. B-but I hadn't looked at her like ... I hadn't looked at her this way! Sure, she was cute, but I would never ... !
Turning back at me and giving me a triumphant smirk, Limestone gave an innocent shrug. "That's what you get for staring at my sister, pervert. Now..." she took a step towards me, resting her hooves on the counter like Marble had done it before, causing my look to go down to her hooves. I noticed the spiked metal wristband around her left hoof, and instantly felt cold sweat run across my forehead. Mother of Celestia, I didn't dare think about all the things she could do with that wristband.
Limestone knocked her hooves against the counter, making me look up into her surprisingly beautiful green eyes. Dang, I thought to myself, if these two mares really belonged to some sort of Mafia, that Mafia sure deserved the reward for the members with the most beautiful eyes.
However, despite being touched by the beauty of Limestone's eyes, I could feel a cold shudder run down my spine as I noticed the scars surrounding them. Deep, big scars running over her left eye and mouth; scars that must have been caused by a very sharp claw - possibly a griffon or even a manticore. I didn't dare picture what might have led to her face being scarred like this.
Glowering at me threateningly, seeming to enjoy the Goosebumps her appearance gave me, she said, "You've heard our offer. What's your decision?"
"I ... I don't..." I gasped, my mind reeling. So this was the infamous Manehatten Mafia? A pair of two cute -well, one cute and one ... cute-in-her-own-way- mares? I still had a hard time believing that a mare as cute and innocent as Marble Pie could be a part of such a cruel and ruthless organization. However, the appearance and behavior of her sister left no doubt about the legitimacy of their claims.
And now they were on to me? They expected me to pay them money, just to be allowed to continue doing my business? Really, was I seeing things? Should I have checked the expiry date of my dinner last night? "I ... I don't think I-"
"Seems like you don't think we're serious." Limestone said threateningly, her eyes slowly narrowing. "Marble..." she turned towards her sister who had already walked over to one of the sinks where I would wash customers' manes before cutting them. I saw her lips curl into a wicked grin as she said, "Show this pony how serious we are."
"Mm-hmm." Marble replied and an equally wicked, yet slightly smaller -and cuter- grin formed on her face.
"No." I gasped with disbelief as I watched her hoof reach for the faucet and realized what she was up to. "No, you wouldn't. You couldn't!"
But Marble just replied with a perky smile as her hoof touched the faucet and she turned up the water to the maximum, causing a constant torrent of water to fall from the faucet right into the drain.
"No!" I shouted in dismay, leaning over the counter to beg her to stop, "No, please! You're wasting perfectly good water!"
"And we're going to waste all of Manehatten's water reserves if we need to." Limestone replied coldly, "Now, have you thought about our offer?"
"B-But why!?" I squealed at the verge of tears, watching the water pour into the drain - ounce by ounce, pint by pint, gallon by gallon, all wasted. "Why would you do this!? What have I ever done to you!?"
"You've opened up your store here." Limestone replied soberly, "This is just our way to inform you that this is our territory." she lowered her head, glowering at me, "And you can either play by our rules, or leave."
Her look went back to her sister, and I could feel ice water running down my back as she spotted my grandfather's old record player standing in a corner, next to a pony-sized stack of equally old vinyl records. "Marble." she said, and the devilish grin on her face widened as she tilted her head into the direction of the device. "The record player."
"No! No, please! Not the record player! I got it from my grandpa! Please!" I yelled, feeling tears form in my eyes. How could anypony be so cruel? How could they just come into my store and cause such chaos!?
But my begging fell on deaf ears. With an anticipative smile on her face, the mare in the purple suit stopped next to the player and cast a questioning look at her sister standing in front of me.
Limestone just gave her a curt, confirming nod, and I was forced to watch helplessly as Marble Pie reached forward with her mouth, grabbed one of the lowest records in the pile, and pulled it out with a forceful tug, making the entire stack reel, then tilt to the side, and finally topple over, spreading the hundred or so records all over the floor.
"Nooo!" I screamed out in cold horror, "You ... you monsters! These were in alphabetical order! It's going to take me days to get them ordered again!"
"Sorry buddy." Limestone said with an excusing shrug, "But business is business. And we need to teach you somehow." she rubbed a hoof against her chest, baring her teeth in a wide grin,"Besides..."
"It's pretty fun." Marble finished her sister's sentence with an adorable smile on her face as she walked back up to the counter, stopping next to her.
I looked at the shorter mare with my eyes wide in disbelief. She was enjoying this? She thought it was fun wreaking havoc on other ponies' businesses!?
Shaking my head, I cast an unbelieving glance at her. "You ... you're the devil in disguise!" I gasped at Marble, "You're even worse than your sister!"
But my scolding didn't seem to affect the gray mare one bit. In fact, she seemed happy, flattered even, to hear me say these things. "Mm-hmm." she affirmed, nodding her head with a pleased smile on her face.
Before I could comment any further on the inconspicuous, but devilish mare, her sister gave an annoyed growl, making me turn my head towards her in an instant.
"I still don't think you're taking us seriously." She said threateningly, her eyes narrowing. I could feel another wave of horror hit me as her look went past me, and the corners of her mouth tilted upward as she spotted the big plastic bag of cut hair standing behind me. Her eyes rested on the bag for a second, then she looked back into mine with a knowing grin on her face.
"Marble." she said devilishly, pointing a hoof at the bag behind me, "I want you to get bag, tear it open, and spread the contents all over-"
"No!" I cut her off, my voice at the verge of breaking, "No, please! You ... you win! I'll accept your offer!" I begged with her, but was appalled to see that neither of them reacted. Marble, that anticipative smile never leaving her face, walked past her sister, behind the counter, then past me and picked up the bag with her mouth.
"I-I'm begging you! Please!" I squealed at Limestone, "It'll take me all night to get that mess cleaned up!"
"Well, that's too bad, isn't it?" Limestone said teasingly, "But that's what you get for messing with the Pie sisters. We own this city, and we want everypony to know what messing with us is going to get them."
"I'm not messing with you!" I shouted, watching helplessly as Marble carried the bag into the middle of my salon and opened it, "Please, don't do this!"
But Limestone ignored me. Turning her head towards her sister, she took a second to relish the moment, biting her tongue. "Marble." she then said, and another grin that revealed all of her teeth appeared on her face. Seeming to enjoy every word that left her mouth, she said, "Make a mess."
"No!" I yelled with all of my remaining power and, in the heat of the moment, came to a hard, but inevitable conclusion. "Here!" I shouted and opened up the cash register, pulling out the box carrying today's earnings and smashing it onto the counter in front of Limestone with a loud thud. "Here, you win!"
In an instant, Limestone threw a curt "Stop." at her sister and she dropped the hair-bag before it could spill any of its contents.
The mare in the gray suit turned to look at the pile of money laying ready for her on the counter, then raised her head to look at me with a pleased grin. "There we go." she said wickedly. "It's much easier when you cooperate, isn't it?"
Marble came walking from behind her and pulled a big jute sack from inside her suit's jacket, an equally pleased grin on her face. With both, relief and displeasure I watched as all the money I had earned today was poured into the two mares' bag, leaving nothing but an empty box behind.
As all the money was gone and Marble pulled out a piece of string to tie up the bag, Limestone gave a short, but devilish chuckle. "Pleasure doing business with you." she said tauntingly, imitating a polite bow. "We'll be back again in a week to collect the next bunch."
I didn't reply anything. I couldn't bring out a word. Heck, it took me all of my self-control to not break out in tears right there!
"Why?" it finally burst out of me, and I could feel tears running down my face. "Why are you doing this? Why to me, of all ponies? What have I ever done to you!? I wish nopony ill, I swear!"
"Oh don't worry about that." Limestone said casually, leaning against her sister, flinging a hoof around her shoulder and grinning at me, "It's just business, nothing personal."
"Mm-hmm." Marble affirmed, smiling coyly at me from behind her mane.
And with that, the two winked at me, then turned around and walked towards my store's entrance.
Limestone Pie opened the door, gave me the 'I'm watching you'-sign with her hooves, then stepped outside. Marble, carrying the money-bag and following her, cast another one of these heartwarming smiles into my direction and whispered a soft "See you next week, cutie." before following her sister and leaving the store.
The bell above the door chimed one last time, and the two Mafia-mares were gone, vanishing into the nightfall outside and taking all of my money with them.
