Equestrian Ink

by yearoftherat

Rating: everyone
Tags: Random, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Original Character, Comedy
Length: 15783

Clip Cord and her friends band together in their love for tattoos, piercings, and weirdness.

Clip Cord and her friends are part of a growing industry in Equestria. Tattoos and piercings are still considered taboo by many ponies; but in the modern bustling heart of Applewood, the heroes of our story thrive. In Spectrum Tattoo and Piercing, five ponies learn lessons about friendship, magic, art, stabby things, donuts, and the lengths an apprentice will go to prove himself in a ruthless industry full of weirdos.

Author's Note: This is just something I wrote for fun, to blow off some steam and get a very pesky idea out of my head. For the moment, this chapter can stand as a fun stand alone, though I'm considering writing more. Please, for the love of Celestia, don't take this fic too seriously. :) Crappy doodle cover image to be replaced by something better when I have the time.

Published 2012-10-10 19:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-11-25 02:36:51 UTC

Welcome to Spectrum

In the world of Equestria, there lie a great many things to astound, amaze, and awe. From dazzling displays of magic, to feats of bravery, daredevil acts, and other such gasp-inducing performances. Ponies, after all, love their many varied ways in which to be entertained. This diversity of course breeds other, less mainstream forms of entertainment for adult ponies to elicit their thrills. Gaudy and sometimes ghoulish circus troupes, theater acts, music venues filled with mosh pits and hard cider, and many other such outlets for pony expression - not all of it was for every pony. Although in the vast, bustling city of Los Pegasus and the outlying Applewood, any pony could find just about any sort of entertainment or expression they desired.

This is a story about one such place. This isn't, unfortunately, a story about a pony who rides a flaming dirtbike, or a pony who swallows swords. It's not about a pony who defies death in an amazing magic act, or a pony who rocks the stage with a historical guitar solo. It's about a relatively simple pony; a pony who desires to make other ponies happy through their self expression. It may sound simple, but this pony and her friends are part of a small, yet growing, industry that is still considered taboo by a good number of Equestrians. This story is about Clip Cord, a tattoo artist that works at a cozy little shop in the bustling heart of Applewood.

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Clip Cord had learned a long time ago not to let the staring ponies bother her. She trotted along on her journey from her loft to the shop downtown, whistling a tune and pondering the day ahead of her. She was aware of the eyes on her - after all, tattooing was still more or less taboo to most ponies, and she didn't exactly just sport a couple. Not to mention the stretched ears with plugs, septum ring, and snakebites, which could have made her stand out all on their own. She was a small mare by average standards, suffering the brunt of her best friends' short jokes, and often mistaken for younger than her age. Her coat was a dusty off-white, her short-cropped mane and tail a pale, dusty blue that made her vivid, dark orange eyes stand out. Aside from these features, Clip Cord sported dozens of tattoos, tastefully composed over a good part of her body. Currently, quite a few were covered by her extra-large saddlebags, which were stuffed full of new canvasses, paintbrushes, and an assortment of other creative tools. Her bags also covered her cutie mark - a red heart pierced through vertically with a stylized dagger. She had earned it after ravenously learning about Ed Hoofy and Sailor Neighry, the grandfathers of modern Equestrian tattooing methods. Clip's cutie mark mimicked the famous 'traditional' art of the industry.

With a bounce in her step, Clip Cord grinned extra wide and winked at a passing stallion, who was staring at her quite hard. He blushed and hurried on, as the unicorn mare came to a stop in front of a familiar door, giggling. A quick glance at the dark interior led Clip Cord to smile and roll her eyes. First to the shop, as always! Lighting up her horn, she dug around her saddlebags for a moment or two, before fishing out a set of keys in an electric blue field of magic. Wrestling the correct key into the door of the shop, Clip Cord flipped over the sign to read 'Open', while reaching out with her magic at she walked through the door, flipping the lights on. One more flick and the neon sign in the window came to life, displaying the shop name to the outside world in a splash of bright rainbow - it read Spectrum Tattoo & Piercing, and it always made Clip Cord beam proudly.

After depositing her saddlebags on a hook at her station, Clip Cord tidied up the drawing room, stared into the mini fridge for a while, and finally wandered back into the main part of the shop. She chewed thoughtfully on a granola bar that she pilfered from the fridge, letting her eyes roam over the little paradise her and her friends had created with Spectrum. They had been established for a few years now, and were enjoying a small amount of success. No matter how taboo tattooing was to some Equestrians, there were still plenty who felt they had more to express about themselves than their cutie marks. Every pony came to Spectrum with different reasons - memorial cutie marks of Parents, Siblings, and loved ones were common. More artistic and bold tattoos were favored among the edgy new generation of artists, and even some beautiful models adored having flowing vines and elegant flowers, or phoenixes trailing up their slender legs. Even Royal Guards were sometimes known to get a tattoo in honor of their Princesses. The rare adult blank flank, and even a few ponies who wanted to 'add' to their cutie marks found their way here. All these things made Clip Cord happy to be in her strange little industry, with her strange little friends.

A jingle above the door snapped the pale unicorn out of her thoughts. Shaking her head, she put on a smile and prepared to greet a possible client. Her smile, however, quickly turned to a smirk when she saw who was coming through the door. A tall, slender unicorn mare, her coat a pristine snow white, with a long, flowing, wavy mane and tail that were deep wine red. Her pale, slate blue eyes almost glowed, surrounded by generous eyeliner and dark, smokey eyeshadow. Spiraling from her forehead was a long, majestic horn. Her cutie mark was a red heart much like Clip's, but with a hollow needle piercing it through horizontally. True to her cutie mark, Belle also sported her share of piercings - an industrial bar in both ears, half a dozen rings, and large plugs, plus a delicate septum ring, and a dermal anchor above and between her eyes, underneath her horn. With a dramatic sigh, Clip Cord rolled her eyes and tried to look as disappointed as possible.

"Oh," she said flatly as the other unicorn trotted into the shop, "It's just you."

"Why Clippy!" the other mare paused and put a hoof to her chest, pouting, "Here I thought my BEST FRIEND would always be a bundle of joy when I graced her with my presence!"

Clip Cord snorted, and grinned genuinely at her foalhood partner in crime. Barbelle was the resident piercer at Spectrum, and though Clip Cord hated to admit it, her lovely friend was a charmer with the clients. Personally, Clip Cord thought it was probably impossible NOT to completely adore Barbelle. Not only was she easy on the eyes - even covered as much as Clip with tattoos - but she was the sort of pony that could make anypony enjoy themselves, no matter the circumstances. Belle's natural talent for peace keeping and a keen sense of empathy made her the perfect contrast for Clip's sometimes overly analytical personality and short fuse.

The two mares embraced and giggled at the mutual teasing. Belle trotted over to her own station, hanging up a dainty set of sleek black saddlebags before turning to the wall and admiring herself carefully in the mirror. Belle was the sort of gifted mare who always, ALWAYS looked good. Clip had given up a long time ago about teasing her for her vanity, and tolerated her rockstarish ways. After all, Clip Cord herself was rather tomboyish, and appreciated the Goddess-like feminine presence that Belle brought to the shop. Belle finished examining herself in the mirror and turned to Clip Cord with a grin, tossing her luxurious mane over her shoulder.

"Well! Do we have anything on the books today, Clippy?" Belle chirped, making her way over to the front desk and peering into the appointment book. A frown crossed her delicate muzzle, as she shook her head sadly. "Oooh, WOE is me, I don't have any appointments today!" The tall, slender unicorn put a hoof to her forehead dramatically.

"Pffft," started Clip Cord, walking over to peer at the book herself, "You NEVER have appointments, Belle. You said yourself nopony ever shows up for a piercing appointment, it's practically all walk-ins." Pausing, Clip looked reflective for a moment, narrowing her eyes at her best friend. "Actually...didn't you insist it was some sort of weird 'Piercer's Curse' or whatever hooey you have in that lovely skull of yours?"

"Oh, Clippy....but it's true, I swear!" The snow-white unicorn leaned down, eyes wide and fixed on Clip Cord seriously, "Ask Day Dream - the ones that book never answer. Ask any piercer! They all know what I'm talking about." Nodding sagely, Belle seemed to consider the discussion over.

With a sigh, Clip Cord scanned the book again. She had one appointment herself later that afternoon, with her day otherwise free. The dusty white unicorn smiled to herself - maybe she could finally get back to that big painting today! She had spent all of last week considerably booked and busy. Before she had much more time to ponder over the painting though, the bell above the door jingled once again, snapping her attention to the pony walking in.

It turned out to be a pair of ponies, actually. Clip Cord grinned as her friend and fellow artist, Ink Cap, made his entrance. Ink Cap was a tall stallion, dun yellow in color, with a black mane and tail. His eyes were royal blue, though they were sometimes hard to notice with the way he kept his forelock long. Ink's cutie mark was a bottle of black drawing ink with the stopper out, complete with a couple of tear-drop shaped splotches of spilled ink. The rest of Ink Cap was practically covered with tattoos - far more than the girls. After all, he was the oldest of the group of misfits by a long shot, and sported work from some of the finest ponies in the industry. It was easy to lose Ink Cap's cutie mark in the sea of his work, something that he seemed to be pleased with when mentioned.

Following Ink Cap into the shop was their ever-jubilant shop manager - an earth pony mare named Day Dream. Clip Cord remembered being unsure of her at first; though not one to judge a book by it's cover, Clip couldn't help but wonder if a pony with a name like Day Dream should be responsible for her business. Ink Cap was a friend of hers though, and swore by her. So, when Clip was struggling to keep up with her art, her clients, and the needs of the shop in that first year as profits rose and time dwindled, she invited Day Dream for an interview. After her first few weeks, Clip found out that Day Dream was a pony with ideas. Really good ideas. Dream drummed up new marketing plans, re-arranged the shop inventory, prioritized the books, re-budgetted tightly enough to give each artist a ten percent raise, and integrated new health and safety practices to bring them up to snuff on a code that Clip Cord wasn't even so up to date with. The sweet, chipper, pink coated earth pony with blond mane and tail was priceless to Clip Cord, and they had become fast friends. Clip had done all her tattoo work, which the Earth pony insisted on keeping confined mostly to her front legs - Dream was fond of her cutie mark, which was a white cloud with a rainbow arching out of it, down to a pot of gold.

As the four ponies all exchanged morning greetings in a flurry of hellos, hugs, and hip-bumps, the bell rang again and all heads turned towards the door. All at once, the four ponies smirked. The bell jangled again, and the four smirks quivered with barely-contained mirth. A young pegasus colt had his rump pressed against the door, both wings extended to precariously balance a pink bakery box on one, and a cardboard drink holder with five cups of to-go coffee on the other. The colt appeared to be making a tremendous effort to open the door without having to fold his wings, but also without bumping them against the door frame. A formidable task, it seemed, as the bell above the door rang yet again, yet the colt remained outside growing more frustrated. He turned around and lifted up a front hoof carefully, before giving up as it offset the wing holding the box. With a defeated sigh, he stared into the shop and made eye contact with Clip Cord. The unicorn stared flatly back at the pegasus. With a quick glance to the left and right, and a look of utter defeat, the pegasus grimaced, then turned back to Clip Cord and pouted quite ungracefully.

With a chuckle, Clip Cord broke into a grin and trotted to the door. Lighting up her horn, she held it open for the colt with her magic, and watched with great amusement as he slithered carefully and awkwardly inside, managing to keep his precious cargo intact. As he slipped through the doorframe, a pale pink aura of magic enclosed around the bakery box, at the same time that a dark blue aura of magic snatched away the coffee. Free from his burdens, the young colt grinned, and gratefully fluffed his wings before folding them back against his sides. He was young - though technically an adult by pony standards, he was still the baby of the bunch, and Clip Cord's first apprentice. His coat was a light aqua, his scruffy mane and tail a dark turquoise that framed his vibrant, golden yellow eyes. The colt's cutie mark was really what convinced Clip to give him a shot - It was a 'traditional' heart much like her own, pierced through with a broken arrow.

Clip Cord turned him away religiously when he first started coming around, insisting that she couldn't teach the colt. Unicorns in the industry tended to favor the electric tattoo machine, while earth ponies and pegasi in the field tended to use traditional earth pony methods which consisted of custom needle groups attached to a short wooden pole that was positioned with one hoof and tapped with the other. Clip Cord didn't know these traditional methods as well as she did electric. But the clever little colt eventually convinced her with a tantalizing challenge; to apprentice the first non-unicorn in electric tattooing methods. They had a plan they were hatching to do so - but in the meantime, the colt was the shop's errand boy and Clip's personal slave.

"Oooooohhh, jelly filled!" Belle cooed as she opened the box from the bakery - revealing a dozen delicious looking donuts, and a few apple fritters. Spectrum's resident piercer wasted no time in digging in for a sugary breakfast.

"Mmmmmmm," Ink Cap's deep voice chimed in, his face awash in a content smile as a coffee floated in the dark blue aura of his magic, "Scrub, you know how I like my coffee. I'll give ya that, I don't care what Clip says about ya."

Grinning, the unicorn stallion levitated the rest of the coffee cups towards the other ponies present. Belle and Clip took theirs graciously with their magic, while Day Dream and the colt wrapped a front hoof around their own. All was silent in the shop as each pony tilted the wonderful, life giving liquid of the Goddesses into their mouths. After a content sigh from each, Clip Cord chuckled and shook her head. Another day in Spectrum was ahead of her. Now that everypony was here, it was time to get down to business.

"Scrub," the pale unicorn mare started, walking towards her apprentice, "Thanks for the coffee and donuts, kid," she flashed him a grin, which he returned, "But you're fifteen minutes late," she deadpanned, gesturing a hoof towards the wall clock, "and you know what that means."

With a dramatic sigh, Scrub set his coffee down on the front desk, then shuffled over to face Clip Cord. Slowly, he hung his head, ears drooping and golden eyes looking forlornly up towards the unicorn. Frowning, he swept his eyes across the other assembled ponies, looking for sympathy. Belle and Ink stood, grinning in anticipation as they sipped their coffee. Day Dream sat at her office chair behind the front desk, giggling behind her hoof. The pegasus swept his eyes back to Clip Cord, who raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on the corners of her mouth.

"Do I have to do this?" he pleaded up at Clip Cord. But the unicorn held no mercy, only a calm and expectant stare.

"The longer you wait, the longer it'll take for you to finish your morning chores," Clip Cord stated in a no-nonsense voice.

"Which one then?" the pegasus asked, hanging his head in defeat.

"Hmmmm..." Clip Cord pondered comically for a moment, stroking her chin with a hoof, "Goatye. Y'know...that one they keep over playing on the radio."

With a groan, the pegasus spread his wings, pushed himself to balance on his hind legs, and took a deep breath, before bursting forth into an awkward song and dance, the flapping of his wings supporting him as he flew through a strange routine.

"BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO CUUUUT ME OFF," his voice rang out, face contorting with 'sadness', hooves thrown out pleadingly, "MAKE IT LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED AND THAT WE WERE NOTHING," the colt curled his hooves back towards his chest, throwing his head back dramatically, "I DON'T EVEN NEEEED YOUR LOVE, BUT YOU TREAT ME LIKE A STRANGER AND IT FEELS SO ROUGH!"

The pegasus lifted all four feet off the ground, wings beating, continuing his dramatic performance a foot or so into the air, cracking voice belting out of tune, "NO YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO STOOOP SO LOW. HAVE YOUR FRIENDS COLLECT YOUR RECORDS AND THEN CHANGE YOUR NUMBER," a hoof thrown to his forehead in mock sorrow and anger, "GUESS THAT I DON'T NEEEED THAT THOUGH. NOW YOU'RE JUST SOMEPONY THAT I USED TO KNOW!"

Hoping that just a couple verses would suffice, Scrub landed again, folded his wings, and lowered his head meekly before the judgemental glare of Clip Cord. His sides were heaving somewhat as he caught his breath from all the dancing around, cheeks blushing. His blush deepened as Day Dream broke into a fit of laughter and clapping, followed shortly by Belle and Ink Cap. The pegasus grinned nervously, ears flat as he kept his eyes trained on his lord and master. With a snort, Clip Cord finally broke into a laugh, and knocked her hoof lightly against the colt's shoulder.

"Ah, Scrub!" the unicorn mare managed between giggles, shaking her head, "Kid, you are just too fun to have around. Good job. Get a start on your chores after you have your breakfast, then I have a special assignment for you today."

The pegasus colt broke into a more genuine grin, and nodded eagerly up at Clip Cord. Though the unicorn took every chance she had to pick on him, tease him, and 'punish' him in increasingly ridiculous ways, Scrub was utterly devoted to her and absorbed her every word like a sponge. Clip Cord secretly had very high hopes for him, even though she gave him such a hard time. Scrub had his share of frustration, of course - it was the nature of the game, and during the nine months he had put in so far, he had encountered plenty of worthy foes. Daunted by assignments he didn't think he was capable of, sometimes frustrated to tears after drawing something dozens of times, only to have Clip reject it just as many. The self doubt, long hours with no pay but tips and knowledge, menial labor, and endless rules, tricks and tips to memorize were all things Scrub bravely endured. Then there was the issue of the name.

At first, it had been a very sore spot with the colt, and Scrub had spent his first week in the shop looking overwhelmed, slightly uncomfortable, and a little bit desperate. He had grumbled to himself about 'pony decency' and 'self identity infringement' and had suggested many other names in as subtle a way as he could manage. For Scrub was no Scrub at all. His name, in fact, was Snap Shot. But it was customary for a master to give their apprentice a nickname during the duration of their studies, until they tattooed their first paying pony. After this milestone, an apprentice would choose their own 'stage' name, the handle that they would use in the industry. Clip Cord, Barbelle, and Ink Cap all had different names they were born with, although most ponies in the industry chose something that still somehow reflected their birth-given names. Thus Snap Shot became 'Scrub', which Clip Cord found doubly funny, in that it implied he was both a greenhorn, and the scrubber of her tools and station. Scrub hated it. Over the months, however, he had grown used to it and the strange sort of 'rules' from which the custom was born.

Clip Cord smiled at her young protege as he trotted off towards the back of the shop to fetch the broom, stuffing an entire donut in his mouth and chewing noisily on his way. The tomboyish unicorn strolled over to the front desk, where everypony was gathered round the donut box, still munching and sipping coffee. Clip retrieved her own coffee with an electric blue burst of magic, and managed to nudge the last apple fritter out of the box before Ink Cap could. She grinned victoriously at his smirk, and took a dainty bite. She savored the taste of the rich, buttery, flakey crust hugging the incredibly delectable cinnamon apple mixture of pure goodness inside. For a moment, all was completely right with the world. Then all too soon, Clip had gobbled up the ambrosia like fritter. She drowned her sorrow over the short-lived pastry in the rest of her coffee, then beamed at her co-horts.

"Well everypony, we're almost through our fourth year of business here in sunny Applewood," she started. As she spoke, she stepped over to her station, and lit her horn up, rummaging through her saddlebags, "It hasn't always been easy. We've had our ups and downs, but by the Sun and Moon, I think we've done pretty darn well for ourselves....aha!"

With a grin, she floated a magazine out of her saddlebags, flipping the pages rapidly. Finding the one she wanted, she floated the open magazine over to her friends so they could see it.

"Princess Celestia Speaks About Ink," Day Dream read aloud, "Huh," she added with a grin, winking at Ink Cap, "I didn't know you were such a topic of conversation with our benevolent leader, Inky!"

The magazine was snatched away by a dark blue flash of magic, the unicorn stallion bringing it's pages up close to hide his slight blush. His eyes scanned the article as Clip Cord chuckled and shook her head.

"Basically," the pale mare started with a smile, "It's an interview about Celestia's opinion on tattoos, and their steady rise in popularity. She's actually really positive about it, briefly talks about the history of it from the ancient times, and defends a pony's right to individual expression. She goes on to talk about the increases in health and safety awareness, improved technology, and spells to offset pain somewhat, and how they make the art more accessible."

"Oooh!" chimed in Belle, who was standing on one side of Ink, reading over his shoulder, "She even mentions her recent endorsement of Fakir Moose-Afar's vocational piercing school!" Belle giggled with delight, smiling fondly, "Fakir is such a sweet moose, and such an amazing piercer! You would never think it, but those hooves of his are simply magical."

"HEY!" an overly enthusiastic Day Dream, who was standing on Ink's other side, jabbed a hoof at the magazine, "It even says here that Celestia mentioned that Princess Luna got a tattoo upon returning to Equestria a few years ago! Who would'a thought that!" the earth pony giggled.

At that moment, Clip Cord was about to say something, but was cut off as several things happened at once. A burst of blue magic sent a curled magazine flying across the shop. The burst was accompanied by a shocked "WHAT!?" in the deep voice of Ink Cap, followed shortly by a loud yelp, as the rogue magazine collided unapologetically with Scrub's head. The broom clattered to the floor with the startled pegasus, as every jaw hung open for a moment. All eyes turned back to the source of the outburst. Ink Cap was standing with his jaw tight, eyes wide with shrunken pupils, staring back at his friends. A blush crept into his cheeks, and a strange silence fell over the shop as everypony puzzled over what had just happened.

Scrub was the first to break the silence, pushing himself to his hooves with a groan. Shaking out his mane, he trotted dazedly over to Clip Cord's side like a wounded puppy and shot Ink Cap a frown, though he seemed to otherwise accept his bizarre fate. Everypony still seemed at a loss for words, but after a moment Barbelle stepped forward, and waved a hoof in front of Ink's tense face.

"Yooo-hoooo," she teased, giggling nervously, "Equestria to Ink Cap. What the hay was that about, Inky? You almost took out Scrub!" the tall unicorn tilted her head to the side and smiled, "I thought you would be excited that one of our lovely Princesses has a tattoo. The article didn't even say what it was, or where she had it...but that's a good thing, isn't it?" She raised her eyebrows as Ink Cap seemed to break out of his trance, blinking at her.

"Oh, ah...uh.." he stammered, face still red. He tacked on a nervous smile and looked around at everypony, chuckling, "Ahh...I'm sorry about that guys. I was j-just, uh, shocked. That's all. Heh. Yeah, just, uh, y'know...k-kinda shocked. Uh, Princess and all. Seems, y'know, uh...different," he finished lamely, looking around at everypony. Eyebrows were raised, silence reined for a tense moment.

A dusty, off-white hoof slapped Ink's dun shoulder, the stallion finding Clip Cord smirking up at him teasingly.

"Guess you're just more old school than we thought, huh Inky? Maybe Princess Luna is just in tune with the edgy young generation of Equestria these days. Don't let it ruffle your mane too much," she giggled and gestured to Scrub, who had snuck back to the donut box to cram another treat in his muzzle, "and when I said we were gonna beat some smarts into that apprentice of mine, I didn't mean it literally buddy!"

All the ponies shared a laugh as the tension broke, even Scrub giggled around a mouthful of pastry. After a few more chuckles, every pony wandered to their respective stations, to take stock and figure out their day's activities. The pegasus went back to tidying up the shop, fluttering around efficiently as he polished and sterilized. Clip Cord set up her half-finished painting, and began levitating tubes of paint and brushes out of various drawers. Belle was leaning on the front desk, reading some other article with Day Dream as they both giggled quietly. Ink Cap had turned on the radio and was busying himself at his station, repairing one of his machines.

Clip Cord let all the sounds of the shop fade into the background of her mind as she focused on the painting before her. Soon she was lost in the brush strokes, bringing to life a vivid scene of a pony decked out in gothic-esque carrousel tack and tattoos. The unicorn hardly noticed when Scrub finished his chores, and came to stand silently behind her, watching her paint. Completely absorbed with bringing her creation to it's finale, she carried on blissfully for another twenty minutes, then finally stepped back to admire her work. Luckily, Scrub was well-practiced in what Clip jokingly called 'The Apprentice's Dance', which was basically a funny name for the way Scrub shadowed her, quickly and deftly timing his movements with her own as she moved during a tattoo, or shifted around while painting. Thus, Scrub was able to avoid being run into, and simultaneously stayed out of the way while breathing down Clip's neck at all hours.

Satisfied with her work for the moment, Clip Cord began cleaning up from her painting, levitating brushes over to the sink in the drawing room, followed by cups of water swirling with muddy paint. After washing her hooves and cleaning her brushes, she trotted back over to her station, where Scrub was staring quietly at the painting. Clip Cord smiled warmly to herself - she could tell by the way Scrub's eyes were moving over the painting that he wasn't just admiring her work - he was analyzing and breaking it apart, understanding how she put it together to achieve the results. Scrub's keen eye for detail was something Clip Cord silently admired about her apprentice. The pegasus had admitted to her that both his parents were die hard photographers, so it was little surprise that he was so well-suited to the nuances of art and the importance of a critical eye.

Clip Cord glanced up at the wall clock, then smiled as she trotted over to Scrub's side. Her apprentice smiled back at her and gestured at the painting.

"This looks great, Clip Cord! I really love the contrast of the red corset-saddle against the white pony, and all the little red rose accents," he rambled on enthusiastically, "Not to mention how the strands of pearl really stand out against her black mane. You've really outdone yourself again! You never cease to ama-"

The rambling colt was cut off as the unicorn tapped his nose lightly with a hoof. Clip Cord chuckled and shook her head.

"By Celestia, kid, you're such a suck-up," she admonished him with a warm smile, ruffling his mane. He grinned bashfully up at her, ears splaying. Lighting up her horn with electric blue magic, Clip Cord moved the painting and easel out of the way. She looked over her shoulder at the colt, "Could you set me up please, Scrub?" she asked, "My client should be here in fifteen minutes or so."

The pegasus saluted playfully, then zipped off towards the back room to gather the supplies he needed. Clip Cord was hesitant for a long time to let Scrub set up for her, concerned that he might have a hard time handling certain things that she easily accomplished with magic. The pegasus had impressed her though, and after a few trail and error runs, had perfected his own methods of setting up for what was normally a unicorn art. His wings had proven to be quite useful, and lent him a degree of dexterity that his hooves couldn't quite match. Clip Cord was astounded the first time he set up a machine for her, slowly and carefully, using his hooves to grip the frame of the machine as he deftly manipulated the tube and needle with his wings. He looked a little comical, hunched over in a squat, wings stretched around the front of him as he focused intently on the machine cradled between his hooves. Clip Cord couldn't help but marvel both at his dedication, and at the freaky deaky-ness of pegasi wing anatomy.

Satisfied with her painting, and assured of Scrub's setting up her station, Clip Cord trotted over to the front desk to see what everypony else was up to. Day Dream was flipping casually through two new catalogues, comparing the prices of supplies with their current distributor. Belle was still leaning on the front desk as well, re-reading the article from earlier with a small smile on her muzzle. Ink Cap had put away his machines and was casually standing next to Day Dream, eyeballing the various goods in the catalogues. The stallion looked up as Clip approached and smiled.

"Hey Clip, nice work on that painting." He said, "What's your client coming in for today?" he gestured at the appointment book.

Clip spared another quick glance at the book, then smiled, "It's for a young mare in the Equestrian Navy. I spoke to her on the phone yesterday after Day Dream set the appointment; she said she wanted a fouled anchor on her shoulder, to celebrate her promotion in the ranks."

Ink Cap grinned appreciatively and nodded. The fouled anchor was a very traditional tattoo for high-ranking Naval ponies, signifying the daily struggle of a commanding officer in the Navy. The stallion was always pleased to see the younger generations honoring their roots. Just then, the subject of their conversation came through the front door of the shop, setting the bell to jingle.

"Hiya Sea Foam!" chirped Day Dream cheerfully, waving a hoof at the pony entering, "Welcome to Spectrum!" the pink earth pony gestured towards Clip Cord, "Clip Cord here is the artist you spoke with yesterday."

Sea Foam smiled at the assembled ponies, then held out her hoof to Clip Cord, who bumped it politely with her own. Sea Foam was an aptly named unicorn mare with an off-white coat reminiscent of a sea-shell, and a lovely sea-green mane and tail that curled. Her cutie mark was a pink shell with a large golden pearl nestled in the middle. Clip Cord grinned as she realized that the mare had no tattoos yet - Clip always loved a first timer in her chair.

After introductions, Day Dream started the mare on paperwork while Clip Cord trotted over to check on Scrub's progress. The pegasus was just finishing up, and turned towards his mentor as he stripped the sanitary gloves off his front hooves, followed by the specialized 'gloves' that fit over the few feathers of his wings that he used for touching equipment. Luckily in the expanding industry, finding special gloves for Scrub wasn't too challenging; Clip Cord simply tracked down a pegasus oriented tattoo supply company, and had no trouble setting up her apprentice with the things he needed. What was more challenging, was the art of teaching Scrub not to set his front hooves on the floor with gloves on. They went through endless glove changes before Scrub finally understood how to take advantage of his gloved time to accomplish everything needed before setting hoof on the floor again.

Clip Cord looked over the set up, and nodded to Scrub with approval. The pegasus smiled widely, and watched as Clip Cord washed her hooves, hobbled awkwardly to her wheeled stool, and settled down on her rump. Although ponies normally reclined in more natural ways, it was not impossible for one to form the balance required for stranger sitting positions. Perched on her stool, Clip Cord dried her hooves with a simple spell, floated over a pair of gloves from her jar and pulled them over her front hooves. She also floated into her vision the stencil for the tattoo she was to do, a reference of the finished flash art she had created for it, and a roll of blue masking tape. She tore off a small bit of tape and secured the reference picture to the chair her client would soon be lounging in, taping it where it would be out of the way yet easy for her to see as she worked.

Sea Foam had finished her paperwork and handed it back over to Day Dream, who smiled as Scrub politely led the unicorn mare over to Clip Cord's station. The pegasus then dashed off for a moment, only to return with blinding speed, carrying a pillow and a bottle of fruit punch, both of which he set on the lounge chair for Sea Foam. After the unicorn mare brightly thanked the colt, Scrub retreated to his place of honor - looming carefully over Clip Cord's shoulder.

"So Sea Foam, I noticed you don't have any other tattoos. I just want to assure you that you're in excellent hooves and have nothing to worry about," Clip Cord smiled up at her client, who smiled back at her gratefully. It was hard to tell, as Sea Foam didn't seem outwardly nervous thanks to her Naval training, but Clip was an expert in all kinds of body language, and could tell that the mare didn't really know what to expect. The tattooed unicorn continued, as she applied the stencil to Sea Foam's shoulder, explaining to her the simple spell used to help dull the pain - it couldn't take it away completely, but Clip Cord assured her it certainly wasn't the worst thing in the world. After the stencil was applied, Clip directed her to take a look at it in one of the shop's big mirrors.

Clip Cord waited patiently, perched on her stool as she changed gloves and double-checked the tuning of her machine. After a moment, Sea Foam trotted back over and hopped into the lounge chair with an enthusiastic grin.

"I don't give a hooey if it hurts like hay, girl," she giggled, nervous but obviously excited to actually see the start of her tattoo on her shoulder, "It's going to look amazing, I just know it!"

Clip Cord couldn't help but beam enthusiastically as her client settled on her back in the chair, propping the pillow behind her head and cradling the fruit punch in her free hoof. The dusty unicorn mare took a moment to adjust her client's arm onto the armrest of the lounge chair, where it would be comfortable for Sea Foam to sit through the tattoo, and still give Clip Cord good access to work. With her client set up and ready, and her loyal apprentice's breath on her neck, Clip Cord lit up her horn, made sure her foot pedal was within good reach, and brought the machine close in the aura of her magic.

"Alright Sea Foam, a quick spell to help numb your skin a little," Clip Cord stated as a blue glow covered the other unicorn's limb for a moment. Sea Foam smiled, and watched with interest.

"Now if you're ready, we can do the first line, so you know what you're in for," Clip Cord chuckled, smiling confidently at her client as she nodded. With a tap of her hind hoof, Clip's machine came buzzing to life. She could feel the subtle vibrations in her horn, so sensitive that she could even feel the minute difference when the machine was dipped in ink. Locked and loaded, she leaned close to her client, stretching the skin as she deftly laid the first line.

Clip Cord and Scrub looked at Sea Foam expectantly, who stared back at them for a moment, before letting out a breath she was apparently holding. She laughed for a moment, then smiled bashfully.

"That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was gonna be," she admitted, "Kinda like an annoying cat scratch."

Clip Cord giggled, nodded, then turned back to her work. It was a standard response, one that Clip always wondered just how many times she would hear in her years tattooing.

"This is gonna be about a two hour long cat scratch, by my estimate. So just relax, and feel free to ask Scrub for anything you might need," the unicorn said as she worked. Scrub nodded helpfully behind her. Soon, Clip Cord was lost in the tattoo, focusing intently on those perfect lines and holding a light conversation with Sea Foam. Belle, Ink Cap, and Dream each wandered by to peek at the progress and nod in approval or make small comments.

****************************

Sea Foam winced slightly as Clip Cord put the final touches on her fouled anchor. Though the Naval unicorn was quite a trooper, no tattoo was truly painless no matter the spells, and Sea Foam couldn't wait to get up out of that chair by the time Clip was almost done. Finally, the unicorn set her machine down and let out a sigh, smiling at her work and blotting it gently with a paper towel trapped in the aura of her magic. Picking up a wrapped bottle of mild lavender soap mixed with sterilized water, she gave the tattoo a gentle misting, a final wipe, applied a thin layer of soothing salve, and then shed her gloves and stepped back.

"Whew!" exclaimed Sea Foam, "I did it!" Clip Cord chuckled at the other unicorn's personal victory. It was a moment that Clip always enjoyed witnessing; the conquering of a fear, the endurance of something unpleasant for something beautiful.

After getting Sea Foam's tattoo photographed, properly bandaged, giving her aftercare instructions, and sending her happily on her way, Clip Cord washed her hooves in the sink by her station, and watched Scrub as he broke her down. She knew she didn't have to watch him anymore, really. He had set up and broke down many times for her before. But she liked to assure herself that he didn't cut corners, and smiled proudly as she watched him thoroughly clean, sanitize, dispose of and put away everything perfectly. Scrub quickly washed his own hooves when he finished, then trotted over to Clip Cord.

"That was a really nice fouled anchor, Boss," he said, smiling. Clip Cord nodded and smiled in thanks. Scrub remained smiling up at her, seeming to shift his weight on his hooves like he was waiting for something. The unicorn raised an eyebrow at him.

"Scrub, is there something you need?" she asked flatly. His wide smile turned even wider, and a bit sheepish.

"Ahh, well...t-this morning you mentioned..." he trailed off, watching her face. She made no move to silence him, so he continued quickly, "uh, w-well, this morning you mentioned that you had a special assignment for me and well, I've been thinking about it all day and I thought maybe you could tell me what it is and why it's so special 'cus you've *never* said I had a *special* assignment before and, and," the pegasus had opened his wings at this point, obviously torn between being terrified of this 'special' assignment, or being overjoyed that Clip Cord had come up with something 'special' for him in the first place. Unfortunately the former won out with the imaginative young colt, and he blurted out in a rush, "and well you kind of scare me so I just want to know what this special assignment is and if it's going to destroy me?" He ended with a high squeak in his voice, his pale face beet red.

Speechless silence once again reined in the shop as all the ponies stared at Scrub. In a twist of irony, the Goatye song Scrub had sang earlier played on the radio, filling the void somewhat. All at once, the older ponies burst into laughter. Clip Cord laughed so hard she actually put a hoof against Scrub's shoulder, leaning on him for support as she cackled. The aqua pegasus managed to look confused, frightened, and embarrassed all at the same time, wrinkling his nose and blushing.

As the older ponies got over their fit of laughter, Clip Cord patted him on the shoulder and looked him in the eye.

"Are you really scared of me? That is just, geeze Scrub, it's priceless," she laughed, shaking her head, "I mean, really..." she paused, looking around at her friends with a grin, "..what is the worst thing you think I would make you do for a 'special' assignment anyway?"

Scrub seemed to consider this question for a moment, raising a hoof to his chin. Then, he looked over at his mentor, seeming to hide under his scruffy bangs as he rubbed one foreleg against the other.

"W-well," he stammered, not quite making eye contact, "W-what if you made me eat scorpions? O-or made me juggle flaming chainsaws? What if you wanted me to arm wrestle Ink Cap?!"

The unicorn stallion raised an eyebrow and managed to look confused.

Scrub stammered on in a rush, "What if you pit me in a battle against a super robot lobster?! What if you send me to some far off place to be a spy, and I get caught, and thrown into a dungeon!?" He gasped in horror, "What if you lock me in a basement and make me draw a thousand roses!? I don't think I could do any of that stuff!"

Clip Cord chuckled at her exasperated apprentice, shaking her head, "Look Scrub," she started, tossing an arm over his shoulders, "you're a pretty good kid, but I think you watch too many late night movie specials. Besides," she teased with a shrug, "all that stuff is way too much effort on my part. Do you know how expensive chainsaws are?"

This elicited another round of laughter from everypony, Scrub included. He tilted his head at Clip Cord as they all quieted down, and cleared his throat.

"So, uh," he started, "You're not gonna lock me in a basement and make me draw a thousand roses?"

Clip Cord raised an eyebrow, and shrugged, "Ya know, that's not a bad idea kid, but I'm sure there's a law against it somewhere," she sighed dramatically, then winked, "Labor laws aside, the assignment I have for you is a sort of, shall we say, milestone in your training." She paused for dramatic effect. Scrub leaned forward in anticipation.

"I want you to do five pages of flash, five designs each. You can draw whatever you want, but I want you to keep it traditional - remember everything you've learned about traditional. Don't be afraid to visit the tried and true - but I want to see your own version, your own twist." She paused again, lifting a hoof up casually as if to inspect it, then continued, "Ink Cap and I are almost done building your machine, and when you're done with the assignment, I want you to tattoo me."

Clip Cord glanced over at Scrub, waiting for his reaction. It was a green light he had been chomping at the bit for and hinting at for weeks. Mouth slightly agape, the young pegasus turned his wide golden eyes from Clip Cord to Ink Cap. The stallion chuckled, and nodded. Scrub turned his gaze towards Belle and Day Dream, who grinned at him enthusiastically. Finally, he looked back towards Clip Cord.

"Really?" he managed in a small voice.

Clip nodded.

Scrub looked down towards the floor, wings shivering, eyes hidden under his forelock, and made a strange sound. Without looking up, he mumbled, "Can I take my ten minute break now, Boss?"

Clip Cord laughed, slightly confused, but waved a hoof in dismissal.

"Sure kiddo, go take your break."

Without another word, Scrub trotted outside stiffly. Clip, Belle, Ink, and Dream crowded by the glass shop front to watch him curiously. The pegasus colt stood stock still for a moment, the warm sun radiating against his coat. Slowly, he unfurled his wings. He took a halting step forward.

Suddenly, he whooped loudly like a wild animal, and quite simply rocketed off the sidewalk and into the air with blistering speed. His victorious cry echoed as he disappeared into the sky, leaving behind a turquoise streak of color in his wake like a jet trail. The cry gained in volume as he plummeted in a tight corkscrew towards the ground again, opening his wings at the last moment to pull out of the dive.

A resounding yell of, "BUCK YEAH!" echoed through the streets as he took off again, whooping and hollering in an astounding display of coltish celebration. The older ponies watched from the window with awe and amusement. Ink Cap and Clip Cord shared a brief look.

Clip Cord sighed, eyes wandering back to Scrub, who was now moonwalking in mid-air past the shop window.

"It's gonna be a long week," she groaned.

The Luckiest Apprentice

Clip Cord stood in front of an empty canvas, mind as blank as the pristine white in her vision. She became aware of her intense focus on the canvas, and blinked slowly, swiveling her head. She was in a room, blank as the canvas itself. To her left, was nothing. To her right, she noticed the color of her own magic aura, sparkling faintly as it suspended about a half dozen paintbrushes loaded with paint. Clip Cord blinked again, feeling confused and detached, staring hard at the wet paint on the brushes - it was so vivid against the stark whiteness of the room, even against the glow of her magic.

With sudden purpose, Clip Cord turned back to the canvas. She floated the brushes closer, closer, tilting her head with concentration. Soon great swatches of color tore across the canvas; and to Clip Cord's amazement, across the room itself. Each brush stroke brought bursting to life the scene on the canvas - a rose garden in full bloom. Soon, the unicorn mare stood no longer in a small white room, but in a vast, wild rose garden surrounded by sun and birdsong. As she finished the final details of the painting, she dropped the brushes to the ground and backed away from the canvas in amazement.

Birds flittered past her in a burst of color and sound as she stood awestruck. After a few moments of standing still with the breeze in her mane, Clip Cord took off with a laugh, trotting through the rows and rows of roses. She let her eyes roam over each bush, admiring the many colors and petal formations. The pale unicorn paused for a moment and tilted her head back towards where she left the canvas; she could have sworn she heard something. Standing totally still, she listened intently for it again.

*beep beep beep*

Furrowing her brow, Clip Cord slowly turned back towards the canvas. It was unmoving, though the sound seemed to be centered on it, and was steadily growing louder. Clip looked around at the rose bushes again, and froze in shock.

*beep beEP BEEP*

The roses had all parted in the middle, revealing hundreds of eyeballs. Hundreds of eyeballs in all colors, all staring back at her. Clip Cord felt her blood run cold as the roses seemed to shake and shiver and reach towards her, eyes open impossibly wide. All the while the incessant beeping gained in volume, until Clip Cord covered her ears and gritted her teeth. It was impossibly loud now, drowning out every other thought. She frantically looked at the roses as they seemed to crowd menacingly around her, pulsating wildly in time with the horrible beeping. The unicorn collapsed to the ground, and opened her mouth to scream-

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

Clip Cord shot up in bed in a tangle of sheets, yelping and flailing. Her alarm was screaming on the nightstand next to her, angry for having been ignored for too long. She reached out blindly, smacked her hoof in the general area of the alarm clock a few times, before she finally made contact and silenced it. With a groan, she sank back into bed for a moment, heart pounding from her dream. After she felt like she had a moment to collect herself, she opened her eyes and rolled gracelessly out of bed, tripping on the sheets and cursing.

The unicorn mare untangled herself and yawned hugely, then cast her eyes around her flat. It wasn't exactly the most posh of places, though Clip Cord liked it that way. After all, she spent a huge amount of time in the shop, and not so much at home so there was no need for anything fancy. Clip Cord's bed resided in one corner of the flat, surrounded by discarded articles of clothing, a few socks, forgotten candy wrappers and a veritable army of tattoo magazines scattered everywhere. Tucked next to the bed was a nightstand with a clock and lamp, and a writing desk, which Clip really used for drawing. The desk was covered in notes, doodles, pens, pencils, and all kinds of art junk. There was a small kitchen area with a breakfast bar, stove, sink and cabinets, as well as a door next to the kitchen that lead to a small bathroom. In the part of the flat she considered the 'living room', Clip had a TV, a huge well worn couch, and a three level rat cage that housed her two rats.

As her eyes swept over the cage, Clip Cord smiled, and trotted over to greet her little friends. The unicorn was particularly fond of rats for some reason, and adored her clever little fuzzballs and their entertaining antics.

"Good morning Pin, good morning Pigment!" she cooed happily as she unlatched one of the doors on their cage and reached inside for their food bowl. The rats in question, sisters, were curled up on the topmost level of their home, staring at the unicorn with sleepy eyes as she measured out some kibble in their bowl and checked their water bottle. Clip Cord replaced their full bowl in it's spot, and reached to very gently stroke each rat's head before closing up the cage again. They were cutest in the morning, Clip thought, when they were still too sleepy to get up to much trouble. At night, though, was another story.

Giggling at her little friends, she turned and trotted into the kitchen to find something to eat. Spotting on apple on the counter, she shrugged, tossed the whole thing into her mouth and crunched her way noisily into the bathroom for a quick shower.

* * * * * * *

Twenty minutes later found Clip Cord on her way out the door, bright eyed and bushy tailed. She waved goodbye to Pin and Pigment, locked the door to her flat, and set off with a whistle towards the shop downtown. As she trotted, saddlebags bouncing against her flanks, she couldn't help but ponder over her dream. It was fascinating, and soon she found herself forgetting about the scarier parts, and daydreaming about creating reality with her art, like she created the rose garden. She amused herself by playing out various 'what if' scenarios in her head, and soon found she was almost to the shop already. As she turned the final corner, she raised an eyebrow in surprise; it seemed she wasn't the only one early today.

Scrub stood by the shop door, staring into the darkened interior. He seemed to be a million miles away, face blank and eyes distant. On his back balanced a familiar pink bakery box, no doubt full of donuts. The donuts were a sort of habit of his - a couple months after he began his apprenticeship, he started bringing donuts every morning. At first, everypony thought it was a lame ploy to garner affection, but soon realized that Scrub was simply a generous and happy pony that liked to share what he had. He admitted that he stopped by the bakery every morning and had a donut on his way to the shop, then started feeling guilty that he didn't bring any for anypony else. Thus, his generous donation of donuts every morning was born. Clip Cord had offered to pay for them herself after a while, but Scrub insisted that it was the 'least he could do' and always used his own bits from his part time job for them.

As Clip Cord approached the shop, Scrub perked his ear towards her, followed by swiveling his head around at the sound of hoofsteps. Clip Cord grinned at him, although his returned smile was a little less enthusiastic than hers. Taking no notice, Clip whistled impressively as she fished the key out of her bag to open the door.

"Well, well, well," she started, "Here I thought I was the only pony who ever got here early." She shook her head in mock amazement, grinning as the lock clicked open. "I guess there's no Scrub Song this morning, eh kiddo? I was starting to think that maybe you thought the shop opened later than it did or something; either that or you secretly love karaoke." She laughed as she stepped inside the shop, holding the door open for Scrub as she reached out with her magic to flip all the lights on.

Scrub laughed a little, though it was short lived and not very chipper, as he walked into the shop with ears drooping. Suddenly clueing into Scrub's unenthusiastic behavior, Clip Cord turned around and looked at him carefully. She levitated the donut box off his back and to the front desk, then went to stand in front of her apprentice, putting a hoof on his shoulder.

"Hey," she said gently, "Is everything alright, Scrub? You don't seem like yourself this morning. Are you sick?" She furrowed her brow, looking for a moment like a worried parent as she eyed him over, and even pressed her hoof against his forehead to check his temperature.

Scrub, for his credit, shook his head and blinked at Clip Cord, confused. He stared at her concerned face for a moment - something he admittedly wasn't used to seeing. He didn't even realize she cared for his personal well-being so much. Realizing she was waiting for an answer, Scrub blushed and cleared his throat, looking everywhere in the shop except for Clip Cord.

"Uhh, no, I'm fine," he started, "I mean, well....there's something wrong, but I'm not sick or anything. It's just, that....well..." he trailed off, scuffing a hoof against the floor. His brows knit in frustration.

Clip Cord nudged him lightly. "Well?" she demanded, sounding more like her no-nonsense self again, "Spit it out then, Scrub. I'm not gonna have you moping around all day, so you might as well just tell me what's bothering you."

The aqua pegasus sighed, then cast his eyes forlornly up at his mentor. He was afraid of this moment, had dreaded it all morning. She stared back at him expectantly. He sighed again, then dropped his gaze to his hooves.

"It's...my job," he said softly, "I stopped in there this morning for my paycheck, and my boss said that if I don't give them more hours they're going to hire someone else," he finished miserably, laying his ears back against his head. Oddly, Scrub wasn't so concerned with the fact that his part time job was at risk - after all, it was just simple newspaper delivery four days a week, early in the morning. It had worked out well for him, hours-wise, even though working and being at the shop left him with little free time. He was more concerned about Clip Cord's reaction to it, as she had made it clear that she expected him to maintain a part time job while he learned from her, while still spending at least twenty hours a week in the shop.

Clip Cord was silent for a moment, seeming to debate something with herself. She stared at Scrub with a tight little frown on her face, then turned away, standing with her back to her apprentice. Scrub winced inwardly, afraid that maybe she would say he wasn't cut out for this, or he was too much trouble and should just take more hours at his job and forget about being a tattoo artist. His insecurities danced mockingly in his mind's eye, giving him a creeping feeling of paranoia over Clip's response, making the seconds roll by in agony.

After a few silent moments, Clip Cord lit her horn and opened the donut box. She stared into it for another tense, silent moment, then turned back to Scrub. Her expression was hard to read, and Scrub found himself nervously adjusting his wings.

"Scrub, I don't think you need that job anymore," she started, then smiled softly at the pegasus' stunned expression. "You've been here for a while now, and you know the ropes." She walked over to him again as she continued talking, "You're a hard worker, and you're dedicated. You don't have to prove that to me anymore." She paused, looking at her apprentice thoughtfully. "Ultimately," she started again, "the decision is up to you. I was going to tell you today that I was giving you a raise on your weekly tip allowance. The shop has been busy, and you do a lot for me."

Scrub stared at her for a long moment, unblinking. "B-but..." he stammered, "even if you give me a raise, I won't be making very much." He winced, but it was the truth. "That job really is helpful..." he looked thoughtfully at the box of donuts, and smiled. "I wouldn't be able to buy us all donuts anymore."

Clip Cord laughed, and shook out her mane. She smiled warmly at Scrub, "Kid, you don't have to buy donuts. Look...you're an apprentice." She paused to put her hoof on his shoulder once more, "It's not your job to bring us all breakfast." She chuckled, then continued, pacing slowly as she talked, "Okay, look. You can quit that job if you want to. I'm giving you a raise either way, and it'll be a good raise I assure you. I'm also going to start paying for our donuts and coffee in the mornings. I want you to be here six days a week, just like the rest of us."

Clip Cord was about to go on, when the door bell chimed. Scrub and Clip both turned and grinned as their co-workers filed in the door. Belle was chatting excitedly with Day Dream about something, while Ink Cap followed a few paces behind the girls, levitating an art magazine in front of him as he walked. As morning greetings were exchanged and saddlebags hung, soon everypony made their way back to the front desk with eyes on the donut box.

As Ink Cap approached, however, he frowned and cast his eyes around the shop quickly. His frown became a desperate look of horror, and he turned to Scrub with wide eyes. Everypony else raised their eyebrows expectantly.

"W-where..." the stallion stammered, "w-where is the coffee? W-why isn't there any coffee?!" he cried out dramatically.

Scrub seemed to grow a shade paler as his pupils shrunk, and he gasped, "Ohmygosh I forgot the coffee!" The young pegasus was airborne and halfway to the door already when a strong jaw locked on his tail and he was forced to make an awkward landing. Scrub squeaked as he turned around, half expecting to confront a vengeful Ink Cap.

Instead, Clip Cord stood behind him. She sighed and rolled her eyes, then levitated a small bag of bits out of her saddlebags, which she handed to Scrub. The pegasus stared at it for a moment, until Clip raised an eyebrow at him and he quickly reached out with his wing to retrieve it.

"Scrub, go get us all coffee, extra large, before Ink Cap bursts a blood vessel." Clip grinned and winked at her apprentice.

With a bob of his head, Scrub made a hasty exit, zooming off down the street to their favorite coffee spot as quickly as his wings would carry him.

That settled, and with Scrub out of her mane for a moment, Clip Cord decided it was a good time to get some second opinions from her crew. Clearing her throat, she joined everypony else back by the front desk.

Day Dream was casually looking over the appointment book, while Ink Cap was staring listlessly at his hooves. Barbelle had sat down next to Ink Cap and was flipping through his discarded magazine. Belle looked up as Clip re-joined them, and got up to hip-bump her best friend.

"Ahh, Clippy darling, good morning!" She trilled cheerfully as Clip Cord returned her greeting with a quick hug. "I never knew our sweet Inky could be so grumpy-wumpy without hims' coffee, eh?" she teased, winking over at Ink Cap as he sullenly scowled at the mares.

"Yeah! Tell me about it," Day Dream chimed in, giggling, "I almost thought we broke him!"

Clip Cord giggled along with the girls as Ink Cap pouted. After a moment though, she raised her hoof and cleared her throat. Her friends all looked at her with perked ears, sensing an on-coming announcement.

"You know guys, all jokes aside, this is a really great time for me to point something out," she said, glancing out the glass storefront to make sure Scrub wasn't zooming back quite yet. "This morning is a great example of how we've all become too used to Scrub and his generosity." The unicorn paused, looking at the expressions of her friends.

Ink Cap, for his credit, looked suddenly ashamed, raising himself to all fours with a little frown. Even Day Dream and Belle shared a look, before all three looked back towards Clip Cord. The pale unicorn lifted the lid of the donut box again, eyes lingering on the succulent sugary treats within. She smiled softly, then looked back at her friends.

"Scrub is a good kid, I think all of us agree on that," Clip started.

"No doubt!" Day Dream chimed in immedietly, "He's so super helpful! Like, when you're busy and stuff Clip, he really helps out everypony else including me. He always helps me with inventory," here, the earth pony paused, and blushed, "Actually....he's particularly helpful at getting stuff off the really tall shelves for me so I don't have to get the ladder out."

"Oh, I agree completely!" Belle called out, nodding. She pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment, then smiled fondly, as if remembering something. "Why, I remember the time that I had that really nervous young pegasus mare for an industrial. She just wouldn't relax no matter what I tried. But when Scrub came over and talked to her, and held her hoof..." she trailed off, smiling at Clip, "Well, I couldn't have done it without him."

Ink Cap nodded slowly, a half-grin creeping onto his face as he added, "Yeah, the kid is tough as nails, too. Once when you weren't here, Clip, I made him pose for three solid hours with a front hoof up and both wings extended so I could reference it for a painting," the stallion paused, managing to look a little sheepish under Clip Cord's wide-eyed stare, "Okay, so, it wasn't really the nicest thing to do, I admit. I was kind of testing his character, and I gotta say I was impressed. Kid sat still the whole time without a peep." Ink Cap threw his hooves up defensively as Clip's jaw dropped with the revelation of this incident, "Woah, woah," the stallion added hastily, "I tipped him an extra fifty bits that day, as well as a bunch of art supplies. It may not have been nice, but it erased any doubt I had about Scrub's integrity."

Clip Cord scrunched her face at Ink Cap, looking like she was about to start yelling, but instead she sighed. Clip knew that Ink Cap probably endured a much rougher 'old school' apprenticeship than Scrub would ever have to, and although she found it slightly upsetting that Ink had tortured her apprentice just a little, she couldn't help but feel proud and impressed that he had bested the older stallion by complying flawlessly. Shaking her head, she gestured with a hoof as if to get back on topic.

"Alright, well...weird stallion initiation hazing aside, I'm glad we can all agree that Scrub is a good pony and a welcome addition to our little family," everypony nodded as Clip Cord continued, "Thing is, the kid told me this morning his part time job is putting the pressure on, and he has to decide what to do. I told him this morning that I'm giving him a raise on his tip allowance, but it's going to take more than that to make sure Scrub can stay here if he looses his job. I'm going to start paying for coffee and donuts every morn-"

"No!" Ink Cap interrupted Clip Cord with a stomp of his hoof. All eyes turned towards the bay stallion, "Er...what I mean is..." Ink Cap smiled sheepishly, "I would really like to pay for the coffee at least, Clip. Y'know, specially after this morning."

"Yeah!" Day Dream chimed in, clopping a hoof on the front counter and grinning, "Ohhh! And if Clip is paying for donuts, and Ink Cap is paying for coffee, I could offer to buy Scrub's lunch for him! He always went out and picked up MY lunch for me anytime I've asked him to, so it's the least I could do to help out!" Day Dream beamed, quite proud of herself.

Belle was nodding thoughtfully as the other ponies came up with solutions for taking some weight off of Scrub's wallet, the elegant piercer was hatching a plan of her own. Luckily, before all eyes could turn towards Barbelle for her input, the shop bell sang out as Scrub re-appeared with the familiar tray of coffee cups balanced between his wings. Smiles ignited along with horns, and soon the coffee was all distributed into waiting hooves and fields of grasping magic. A collective sigh passed through the misfit family of ponies as the first sips of the day were indulged in.

Clip Cord cleared her throat after a moment of silence, and gestured towards Scrub, who seemed to be lost in thought again as he stared listlessly at the coffee in his hooves. The young pegasus looked up as Clip Cord addressed him.

"Scrub," she started, "I told everypony else about your job dilemma, and I think you should know that we're all behind you, whatever you decide." Clip Cord paused, looking intensely into Scrub's eyes, "If you really want this, Scrub, we will help you make it work. It may be a little harder, and you may have less bits to spare, and I'm going to expect more from you. But ultimately, it's up to you. Do you want this?"

As Clip finished, she gestured her hoof around as if to encompass the other ponies, the shop, the art, even perhaps the very idea of the industry itself. Scrub looked at each pony in turn, and around the shop slowly, then back to Clip Cord. He nodded firmly, eyes shining and jaw set. Clip smiled at him, her expression softening somewhat.

"That's what I thought," she said, nodding. Then she turned back to the others, and grinned, "Well! Looks like Scrub is gonna be here six days a week now, like the rest of us. Ink Cap is now in charge of coffee funding, I'm in charge of donuts, and Day Dream has offered to get Scrub lunch from now on," the pale unicorn paused to chuckle at Scrub's wide eyes from this revelation.

"Oh, yes," chimed in Belle suddenly, horn lighting up to retrieve a donut as she spoke, "and I have some absolutely priceless advice for our dear apprentice as well, which we will speak of at length later." The tall, slender unicorn winked at Scrub, who looked a little confused.

Clip Cord shot Belle a curious glance, but inwardly grinned. She had a feeling what her best friend was up to, and it was admittedly a good idea. Scrub, for his credit, was looking both a little overwhelmed and enormously relieved, and seemed speechless for the moment. Clip Cord chuckled, and lit her horn, plucking a donut out of the box and floating it over to Scrub.

"I know it's a bit to take in, kid," chimed in Ink Cap, "But if you want to be here, and you've shown you do, then we want you here. You're family, Scrub, and we take care of our family."

Still speechless, Scrub smiled at everypony, sniffled, and took a tearful bite of his breakfast.

* * * * * * *

Besides the exciting morning everypony had with Scrub's new position in the shop, the rest of the day was a typical day in which nopony had much going on. Although Ink and Clip both stayed relatively booked, the stallion had no clients until much later that afternoon, and the mare had nothing on the books today. The early afternoon found Day Dream brainstorming some marketing plan or another, Belle taking painstakingly detailed inventory of her jewelry and needles, Scrub sitting alone in the drawing room with his new assignment, and Ink Cap and Clip Cord huddled over the stallions station, muttering to eachother as they worked on something amidst a pile of scrap machine parts, bolts, pins, and random bits of metal.

Golden yellow eyes swam, staring at the blank paper in their field of vision as if it would magically do some trick or other. Soon, they orbs shimmered with moisture, due to the intense focus, and their owner blinked, bringing two light aqua hooves up to rub at them until everything was darkness and swirling points of light and pattern. Scrub groaned as he blinked his eyes open again, ears drooping as he stared at the still blank paper before him. The young pegasus sighed, casting his eyes around the drawing room for the millionth time in the last hour, before returning to the paper.

"Five pages, five designs each, traditional," Scrub muttered to himself. This had become his mantra as he sat having a battle of wills with this awful blank paper. He knew what he had to do, but this was the first time Clip had given him such extensive creative license with an assignment. Before, it was always 'Scrub, draw an owl. Scrub, draw a pin-up pony. Scrub, draw an anchor. Scrub, do a realistic rose with a skull.' But now, the pegasus was lost in the possibility. Here, he could come up with something truly his own! At first, he was stoked as a fireplace to have the creative freedom while still remaining in the rules of traditional. But now, after an hour of fruitless brainstorming, he was starting to feel panicked.

With a groan, Scrub rested his forehead against the drawing table for a moment. He wanted to do something unique, something Clip would really be proud of. But everything he thought of seemed to be bland, boring, or missing some crucial element of interest. He had considered a page of skulls, then fretted over what he could do besides snakes, daggers, and roses to accent them. Hadn't that all been done before?

With a start, Scrub bolted back into a sitting position, suddenly inspired. That was just it! Clip Cord had told him NOT to be afraid of visiting the tried and true. He didn't have to come up with some mind-blowingly amazing design - there would be plenty of that in his future - he simply needed to make five sheets of correctly done traditional flash with his own personal flare. With renewed interest, Scrub reached for his drawing brace, and snapped it onto his right hoof.

Clip Cord and Scrub had come up with the drawing braces by basing their design off of traditional earth pony tattooing braces. The brace was made up of a lightweight, flat, metal 'bracelet' that was padded on the underside and fit snugly right behind the wrist bend of the hoof, secured by an adjustable buckle. On the left side of the brace was an vice, where a pencil, pen, or paintbrush could be fed between two pieces of metal with a half-circle out of each one, tightened on top with a wingnut so that the two pieces of metal would squeeze closer together, effectively trapping the tool within the vice. With the brace, Scrub could easily draw and paint with his hoof, and it gave him a fine sense of control that his mouth could not match. It was tough at first, learning how to draw with his hoof, but he had picked it up quickly after a few weeks of practice.

With new determination, Scrub double-checked the brace again, then got to sketching on the paper which so patiently awaited his artistic direction. Soon, the sounds from the front of the shop faded into a murky haze as Scrub concentrated on the creation pouring out beneath his hoof.

On the other side of the shop, Day Dream was on the phone. The plucky, enthusiastic mare had been on the phone for a couple of minutes already, and was seemingly answering a plethora of questions. Clip Cord had walked away from Ink Cap's station for a moment to stretch and give her eyes something else to look at besides their project. The pale shop owner found herself over by the front desk, curious as to whatever phone conversation was taking place.

"Yes ma'am," Day Dream was saying cheerfully, "you really do have to wash it a few times a day for the first few days." The pink mare paused as another question must have been rattled through the phone at her. Day Dream winked as Clip came up to the front desk, then playfully rolled her eyes while gesturing to the phone. "Oh, yes ma'am, that's right. The product we would like you to use during your healing process is printed right there on the aftercare sheet we gave you. I realize that you have used other ointments for cuts and scrapes before, but I assure you if you attempt using Neigh-O-Sporin on your tattoo the ink will draw out and it will heal patchy and incomplete."

Day Dream stifled a chuckle, and held the phone away from her ear for a moment as it erupted in a flurry of angry gibberish that Clip Cord couldn't quite make out. Calmy, the pink earth pony put the receiver back to her ear and grinned.

"Goodness, ma'am! By no means was I trying to say you had done anything wrong by using Neigh-O-Sporin in the past for your injuries. Indeed I use it myself for my scrapes and boo-boos! But when it comes to healing the tattoo, we here at Spectrum trust the product listed on your aftercare instruction. It's proven to effectively heal your tattoo safely and vibrantly." Day Dream paused again as the voice on the other end must have said something in response. Day Dream listened, then nodded to herself, "Yes ma'am, not a problem at all. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us again."

After saying goodbye, Day Dream hung up the phone and giggled at Clip's slightly disgusted expression. The pale unicorn shook her head, looking at the phone for a moment and then back up to Day Dream, who was beaming enthusiastically. Clip couldn't help but chuckle at her expression. Day Dream was really the perfect shop manager. Clip never could stand having conversations with ponies like the one Dream just had - she was nowhere near as patient or understanding with stupid questions.

"Dream," Clip started, smiling up at her, "I sure don't know what I would do without you. I can't stand answering phone calls like that. Did that pony really just argue with you about using Neigh-O-Sporin on her tattoo?"

"Oh, yes!" Day Dream giggled, and nodded at Clip Cord, "That's actually the third time she's called this week to ask about or argue about something," Day Dream giggled even more at Clip's wide eyes, "Oh, it's nothing to get worked up over! Some ponies are just, uhmmm..." the pink earth pony seemed to search for the word for a moment.

"Stupid?" Ink Cap suggested from his station, which was within earshot of the front desk.

Day Dream gasped and shot Ink Cap a glare that he didn't catch, since his back was turned, still hunched over his and Clip's project.

"Ink Cap!" Day Dream admonished. The stallion merely flicked his tail. "That's no way to talk about our clients," she continued, then grinned, "besides, it's so totally amusing! Ponies are all unique, after all, and Celestia knows we meet enough of them. It's no skin off my flank to sit here and answer silly questions."

Clip Cord chuckled, and nodded appreciatively at Day Dream, "Better you than me, Dream. I'm just glad you're so good with ponies."

Day Dream smiled at the compliment, and waved a hoof modestly. "Aw, Clippy, you know I'm so totally happy to be here with you guys. It's the least I can do!"

Clip Cord smiled at Day Dream again, and was about to say something else when a loud, groaning rumble split the air from behind the front desk. Day Dream blushed brightly, ears folding back as she grinned, "I do admit though, dealing with ponies sure does work up an appetite!"

* * * * * * *

After Scrub was sent out with a bag of bits to get everypony, and himself, some lunch, the Spectrum crew sat lounging in the reception area on couches and seats as they ate. Soon, with lunch devoured and drinks drained, everypony took a few minutes to merely sit and feel comfortable and content. Talk of after lunch coffee was mentioned as the sun dipped lower into the late afternoon. Everypony was reluctant to get back to their various projects, feeling the mutual tug of a lazy day with no clients. Even Ink Cap's client called to re-schedule. With nothing but menial tasks left to do for the day, nopony felt particularly inspired to move off of the comfortable couches and overstuffed chairs. Even Scrub lounged with a feeling of accomplishment, as he had managed to produce the rough drafts for two of his pages already, and felt confident he could finish the whole assignment within the week.

Day Dream yawned and stretched her front hooves out, sinking back into the armchair she was curled up in. Soon the yawn travelled all around the ponies, and everyone giggled at the strange phenomena of yawns. After a moment, Clip Cord looked towards the clock above her station, and grinned.

Sitting up straighter on the couch, she gestured to the clock with her hoof, "Alright ponies, now, you guys know I'm usually a stickler for stayin' in the shop until it's closing time," all ears and eyes turned towards Clip Cord, more alert than they had been a moment ago. "But it's pretty obvious that we don't have much going on today," she paused, to look at Scrub, "And I think in light of this morning, we should all go out and celebrate Scrub's proper welcome into the Spectrum family!"

Instantly, all faces lit up and suggestions were tossed out in rapid succession:

"YES!! Shop Bowling! Lazer tag! Pie eating contest!" called out Day Dream, hooves waving excitedly in front of her.

"Oh my, how exciting! Surely that means we'll be having Shop Karaoke Night at The Rainbow Room? First pitcher of cider is on me!" added Belle, eyes sparkling.

"Oooh, I hear that Deathcarriage for Cutie Marks is playing at the Iron Horse theater tonight, we could totally catch a show!" suggested Ink Cap, grinning from ear to ear.

Clip Cord and Scrub shared a look, before looking back at all the other ponies. Neither seemed to know what to say. Three sets of excited eyes stared back at them. Scrub looked to Clip Cord again, and the mare shrugged.

"Honestly, I was just gonna suggest we go back to my flat, order pizza and cider, and play Apples to Apples, maybe watch a movie or two," Clip Cord said, dumbfounded.

The other ponies all exchanged looks, murmuring this or that, before everypony broke out into smiles.

"Yeah!! Shop Pizza Night at Clip's!!" Ink Cap, Belle, and Day Dream all sang out at the same time. Scrub looked confused, as Clip Cord patted him on the back and chuckled.

"That's right, Scrub's never been to a Shop Pizza Night at my place yet. So it's agreed, then?"

All the ponies of Spectrum nodded, Scrub looking particularly excited about the prospect of seeing Clip's living space, thinking that it would be filled to the brim with amazing art and inspiring trinkets of his mentor's impeccable taste.

Clip Cord grinned wide, then lit up her horn to retrieve her saddlebags, as her magic simultaneously straightened her station up. Everypony else flew into action, straightening their own things and gathering bags, until the crew was assembled by the front desk and ready to go. Clip Cord nodded approvingly.

"This is a great night for a Pizza Night anyway, considering the shop is closed tomorrow," Clip Cord admitted. She couldn't help but feel excited - it had been months since they all got together at her place for pizza and cider. Everyone had just been so busy lately.

With everypony and everything gathered, the crew of Spectrum filed out the door in an excited cloud of chit chat, and Clip Cord locked the door behind them. In an unruly group, they all set off for Clip Cord's neighborhood, with the intention of stopping at the local market to pick up plenty of cider, sweets, and snacks.

* * * * * *

Roughly a couple hours later found the ponies of Spectrum crowded comfortably in Clip Cord's loft, munching happily on pizza and sipping cider as they watched a movie on Clip's TV. Clip Cord was actually pretty proud to own her little TV, as not many ponies had them or even cared for them throughout a lot of Equestria. But here in Applewood, the very heart of film-making and entertainment, more ponies were inclined to own one along with a few movies on tape. Currently, they were watching a horror film about fog, and Scrub seemed particularly terrified of the idea of sentient, evil fog, as it seemed to mostly prey on unsuspecting pegasi in the movie that tried to clear it away. The young aqua pegasus huddled on the couch between Clip Cord and Ink Cap, clinging to a bowl of popcorn in his lap as he watched the TV screen with wide eyes. Menacing music played as an innocent pegasus mare stumbled upon the fog on screen, as it twisted and boiled into a hideous shape behind her back. Scrub scrunched up his face and held his breath as the fog rolled closer to the pegasus on screen. Just then, something scurried over the back of the couch, brushing against the back of Scrub's neck.

A burst of light aqua feathers and a terrified scream of "FOOOOOGGGG!" took up the space that Scrub previously was, his shaking form having relocated to the ceiling, hovering as close to it as he could as he frantically scanned the couch from his elevated position.

Although his outburst startled the other ponies, everypony blinked in surprise as Clip Cord started laughing. Her laughs soon graduated into hysterics, as she rolled around on the floor pointing up at Scrub, tears streaming down her face while she cackled. After a moment, Clip Cord calmed down, and pushed herself up to her hooves again. Scrub slowly lowered himself to the ground, blushing, as the rest of the ponies chuckled.

Clip Cord wiped her eyes, then trotted over to the couch, and picked something up off the back of it. Hobbling back towards Scrub, she extended her hoof towards him. There, sitting on her hoof trying to look innocent, was a harmless little rat. Scrub blushed even more, suddenly understanding what the 'fog' was on the back of the couch. One of Clip's rats had gotten loose, and had decided to join them for the festivities.

"Oooh, Celestia, the look on your face was totally priceless, Scrubby!" giggled Day Dream, who reached out to pet the rodent culprit. "I didn't know you were such a scaredy pony!"

Scrub giggled sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof, "I didn't know I was either! That rat really snuck up on me."

Clip Cord put the rat back in the cage with her sister, and winked at Scrub. "No worries kid, you should have seen the look on Ink Cap's face when I first introduced him to Pigment and Pin."

Scrub looked over at Ink Cap, who did indeed look slightly uncomfortable, eyeing the rats with a small frown. Clip Cord bumped Scrub on the shoulder with her hoof playfully and nodded, "Yep, he looked about as scared as you did at first, although he seems to be more tolerant of them now."

Scrub turned to look back at the two rats, who were staring up at him with curious, bright eyes. He tilted his head, and gestured to the one that had scared him.

"Which one is that, Clip? The one that scared me. Is that Pigment, or Pin?"

Clip Cord smiled warmly at her little rat friends. "That was Pin. She's a troublemaker, and really has a mind of her own. That's actually how she got her name. I named her after Brass Pin," she shot a look at Scrub, "who is a pony that you really should know about already."

Scrub's eyes lit up, and he nodded, "Oh! Actually, I do! I read some newspaper articles and a book about Brass Pin before I met you, Clip Cord. I read that he was a staunch lobbyist in Canterlot for the tattoo industry in Equestria. He helped revolutionize our current laws and safety practices." Scrub paused, and looked thoughtful as he recalled what he had read, "The book mentioned that he was so stubborn, he attended Celestia's Day Court every single day for almost a year, each day presenting her with a new and valid reason that the tattoo industry needed her support in zoning lenience, and to be officially recognized as an art form. They say he used to be called 'Brass the Ass' and that nopony ever saw his cutie mark because of this jacket he always wore. There are even rumors that Brass the Ass was the one to do the tattoo on Princess Luna, when she came back from her exile on the moon, though nopony has been able to prove it, as nopony knows where Brass Pin has been for the past six or seven years, and he had already left Canterlot when the Princess Luna rumor started."

Clip Cord beamed proudly at her apprentice, and was about to congratulate him, when she noticed that Ink Cap had mysteriously vanished from the scene. She patted Scrub on the shoulder for knowing his history, then trotted into the kitchen area to see if Ink Cap was perhaps making more popcorn, since Scrub had pretty much sacrificed the first bowl.

Clip Cord found Ink Cap staring into the fridge with a blank expression on his face, eyes unmoving, just sort of pointed in no particular direction. Clip Cord raised an eyebrow, and gently nudged the stallion's shoulder. He blinked, then hurriedly slammed the fridge and spun to face Clip Cord.

"Sorry Clip! I didn't mean to just stand there with the door open. I know it's a waste of power and all," he stammered awkwardly. Clip raised the other eyebrow, more shocked at his quick apology than anything. She waved a hoof, however, and laughed it off.

"Lighten up, Inky! You've been working too hard lately. Let's make some popcorn and get back to that movie, eh? I thought that's what you came in here for anyway," the mare said.

"Oh, right....popcorn," Ink Cap muttered, then grinned wide and nodded, "Yep! Totally came in here to make popcorn, let's get to it and get back to our shop night."

* * * * * * *

A few hours later found Clip Cord's loft even messier than before. The ponies had played card games, board games, and trivia. They had watched movies, gorged on pizza, popcorn, snacks, and cider. They had enjoyed some quality time together, and now they were all ready to crash.

Day Dream, Ink Cap, and Belle had all bid goodnight to Scrub and Clip, and filed out the door and on their own ways home, leaving Clip and her faithful apprentice to straighten up. It didn't take long between the two, and soon Clip's flat was at least back to normal, if not sparkling clean.

Clip Cord flashed Scrub a tired, yet grateful smile. "Thanks for helping me clean up, Scrub, I really appreciate it."

The young pegasus smiled back at his mentor, "Hey, what are apprentices for, huh?"

The two shared a laugh, then a yawn. Clip Cord glanced around her flat again, then motioned to the door.

"Well, kiddo, you ready to go home? C'mon and I'll walk ya," Clip Cord offered, lighting up her horn to open the door.

The two stepped out, and were soon trotting towards Scrub's home.

After walking in silence for a few minutes, Scrub turned to Clip Cord curiously and ventured, "So...Clip Cord, what was your apprenticeship like?"

Clip Cord looked at her shiny eyed apprentice trotting next to her, curious and innocent. She looked back ahead of her, and pondered over his question for a moment, brows furrowed.

"It pretty much sucked flank," she said, then laughed, "You're lucky I'm so cool, Scrub." The pale mare winked at him, and Scrub smiled.

"I guess I'm pretty much the luckiest apprentice ever then," the pegasus said thoughtfully.

"You very well may be, kid," Clip Cord responded. The two ponies, master and student, walked the rest of the way in comfortable, thoughtful silence.

* * * * * * *

After dropping Scrub off, Clip Cord had practically cantered back home. The unicorn was looking forward to her comfortable bed, sleeping in the next morning, and the fun day that she and Belle had planned out. They spent their day off every week together, as had been their tradition for many years. When Clip Cord finally got back to her flat, locked her door, and collapsed in bed, she was one very happy pony.

After all, she had the best friends any pony could ask for, a wonderful shop where they could all use their talents, and a loyal apprentice that she knew would do great things. What more could a pony ask for?

Oh right, practical jokers for rats.

Yes, life was pretty good for Clip Cord.