Hearts and Hooves Day
Chapter 1: Pawnbroker
Equestrian Gem and Loan. The most successful and most popular pawn shop of all in Equestria, with a small sister store located in Ponyville. The store has been running for 20 years under the ownership of Mr. Gold Bar, along with his offsprings turned managers of the store Silver Dollar and Bronze Bracelet. In here, ponies of all kind can come in to sell or pawn their items for money, in either used and/or new condition. They can also come in to redeem loans and reclaim their items in the back of the warehouse of the store before an expiration date is given on their pawn slip. The store has a staff of 50 employees with their own assigned positions: 5 bodyguards, 5 supervisors, 2 managers, 1 owner, 12 warehouse workers, and 25 sales associates. Surprisingly, not only does Equestrian Gem and Loan employ ponies and have customers of all kinds entering in, but the store also employs a new type of species, with some of them coming into the store for the same that had been entering into Equestria for several years via the land's most magical and powerful rulers: humans. Humans have been living in Equestria along with the ponies for nearly twelve years though the only kind of humans living in this world of equines are only male, with a population of 141...plus me who just got in.
I stood in front of my register on a glass counter overlooking the huge show floor as I see several ponies standing in line in front of the Redeem and Loan windows while some stood in front of the checkout windows to complete their transactions. At the front door, three of Mr. Gold Bar's bodyguards, that are Earth Ponies, kept watch while two, that are humans, surveyed the show floor for any suspicion among the customers. I turned my head right and see Silver Dollar, a grey unicorn with a short, crew cut silver mane, two gold earrings on his left ear, wearing a blue and white striped shirt; and a cutie mark of a silver coin; across the showroom at his counter talking to an old orange mare interested in buying a watch for 50 bits. The door behind Silver Dollar opened from the inside and out comes four of my co-workers Travis, Lake, Harold, and Zack; who work in the warehouse area behind the store. Travis and Lake were carrying a wooden table while Zack and Harold carried chairs that go with it. The four guys took the furniture and placed it in the middle of the showroom right next to a bunch of sofas and all four of them head back to the warehouse. As they approached the door, it opened to reveal the 40-year-old stallion that runs this place: Mr. Gold Bar. He was a light orange Earth Pony carrying a gold necklace, sporting a white sweater, leather jacket, and golden earrings on both ears. He had a skullet like mane that was once black but turning grey due to aging, the same goes with his short mustache. To finish off, he has a cutie mark of three gold bars stacked on one another to represent his love for gold.
Mr. Gold Bar walked passed my co-workers after the four guys greeted him and stood in front of a different glass counter next to Silver Dollar that displays several different kinds of jewelery. Like the two human bodyguards patrolling the floors, the owner of the store was also checking the showfloor to see if any of his associates are doing their job and not being lazy. If he catches anyone, or anypony, slacking, he will send him or her home for the day. He really does mean business!
I stood in front of my register for another two minutes until I was approached by a couple holding hoofs together. It was an Ultramarine stallion with a cutie mark of a wrench along with a thistle colored mare with a cutie mark of clarinet. The stallion came up to my register with a smile on his face while holding a small golden ring with a small diamond in between his teeth. As for the mare, the expression on her face looks like she's not amused about something. What could it be?
"How you doing today, sir? I greeted extending my hand. "I'm Frank."
"Hello," The stallion spoke shaking my hand with his hoof. "I'm Handy Tool."
"What can I help you with?" I asked.
Handy Tool lowers his head near my counter and drops the ring in front of me. I thought it was gross the fact he carried his ring in his mouth but who am I to argue? Ponies don't have hands and according to store policy for all human employees, if an Earth Pony or Pegasus carries something in their mouth and/or teeth, I'm supposed to accept it.
"I would like to sell my ring, please?"
I took the ring and reached into my pocket to pull out a 45x Mini Jeweler's loupe to inspect the ring. I can see that it is gold, about 20 k at least, with no scratches and in perfect condition. The diamond, circular shaped, is made out of glass but the bad news is that it's not worth the money.
"So how much you want for this?" I asked Handy Tool.
"I want 50,000 bits for this." He replied.
I felt as though I heard a record scratch go off in my forehead. "Why so much?"
"Because a week ago," he spoke with sudden guilt. "I was renovating my marefriend's house while she was away on a business trip. As I was staying there, I was repairing a clogged pipe underneath her bathroom sink when I accidentally flooded the house by removing the faucet. So..."
"So you didn't call the water company and tell them to shut off the pipes of my home before you did that!" The mare exploded.
The mood of guilt from Handy Tool transitioned to an anger tone as he faces his marefriend with a disgruntled face. "HEY! I'M TALKING HERE! YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT AND STAND BEHIND ME!"
Did I just hear correctly and witness what I'm seeing? How can this dude damage his mare's home and yet disrespect her in front of me? If I were to bend the rules a bit I would've done something to prevent this guy from harming his girl.
Handy Tool looks back at me. "So do we have a deal?"
I looked at him and spoke in a honest way for him to understand. "With all fairness, the gold is nice...but the diamond is not profitable."
"What do you mean?" The Ultramarine said dumbfounded.
"The diamond is all glass and it's not worth a lot of money." I explained. "So you're not going to get 50,000 bits."
"So what's the lowest you can give me?"
I let out a deep sigh cause I was afraid to tell him on what I was going to offer him. However, I'm doing what is best for this store and negotiate a price.
"I can do 350 bits."
"350 BITS!" They both said in unison.
"Yes, 350 bits. Take it or leave it."
Handy Tool, who was once calm but being a jerk the next, finally snapped. "THAT'S RIDICULOUS! HOW CAN YOU GIVE ME 350 BITS THAN 50,000?"
"I told you: if the diamond was not glass and it cost more, I would've given you more than 350 but it's not going to be 50,000."
"Let's just forge..." The marefriend spoke to Handy Tool but was cut off by her outraged coltfriend.
"I SAID SHUT UP! THIS IS A STALLION TO MAN TALK! YOU WANT ME TO FIX YOUR HOME OR NOT?!"
"Yes, I want to get the money to fix my home bu..."
"THEN STOP TALKING!"
I can't believe this guy is doing this. Not only is he raising his voice in the store but some of the customers, Mr. Gold Bar, the associates, and Silver Dollar also heard the commotion. I was about to go off on this hothead pony if he continues this
"Dude...do you really have to talk to your girl like that?" I asked with a curious face.
"What do you mean?" He told me in an anger tone.
"You're being disrespectful and you're telling her to shut up after you flooded her home. Plus, you're causing a huge commotion in this store when I'm trying to help you out but since you are irresponsible and such a jerk, I'm not going to provide you with any service."
It was at this moment that Handy Tool's eyes flared up and his teeth went from normal to sharp. "Let me speak to a manager! I don't wanna deal with you! WHERE'S THE MANAGER AT?!"
Just then, Silver Dollar, who happened to be at my side, approached the disgruntled stallion. I can tell by the look on Silver Dollar's face that he's not very pleased on what he just witnessed for the past few minutes. Maybe he can tell this hot headed jerk on what the deal is.
"I'm Silver Dollar." The grey stallion spoke. "How can I help you?"
"I'm Handy Tool." The ultramarine stallion replied. "I came in here to sell this ring and your employee is getting into my business with my girl. He's being rude and he won't give me money."
"And?" Silver Dollar said not caring.
"AND I WANT YOU TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! I WANT MY MONEY AND THIS GUY TO BE FIRED FROM THIS STORE!"
The rich young stallion gave Handy Tool a cold stare and chuckled. "That's not going to happen. First of all: you came in here and became such a ignorant fool to your marefriend. Second: my employee told you that the diamond is not worth anything so he was right. Finally, WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHO I CAN FIRE IN THIS STORE WHEN MY EMPLOYEE DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG? My suggestion is that you leave this store and you don't come back again. YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
The couple had their jaws dropped from what Silver Dollar just said. Not only did he stood up for me, but he put this moron in his place. I looked at Handy Tool who walked up to the counter and takes the ring away with his teeth but still kept his expression of being irate for not getting any service. He slowly backs up and walks away with his marefriend in tow to the front door.
"Now what are you going to do?" the marefriend asked Handy Tool.
"Shush!" He angrily said as he opened the front door to leave. "I'm trying to think."
I happen to shook my head in disgust after this fiasco. How can a pretty mare like her have a coltfriend that is so irresponsible? If I was her boyfriend, I wouldn't be pushing her around in front of everypony and everyone in public.
"You okay, Frank?" Silver Dollar asked concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I answered. "I deal with morons everyday here in this pawn shop, but nothing like this that just happened a few minutes ago. I predict that mare is going to break up with that idiot sometime soon and find herself a better stallion...or a human."
"I know. I bet those two won't even go to the Hearts and Hooves Day Ball next week. Don't you think?
I cringed upon hearing those words from Silver Dollar's mouth. Oh, how much I hated that holiday and I just remembered it's coming up in seven days.
"...Yeah." I said while trying to hide the fact I'm not impressed.
"FRANK ARCHER!" a loud, old man's voice called out across the showfloor.
Silver Dollar and I turned our heads right to see who called my name. It was Silver Dollar's father, Mr. Gold Bar, standing near the doorway that leads to the office area near the checkout windows. He motions his head sideways to tell me to follow him and goes through the door. I look at Silver Dollar with a puzzled face but I decided to just go ahead and see what the millionaire stallion wants. As I left, the grey pony took over my register as I began my trek towards the office door. I wonder what Mr. Gold Bar has in store for me at this time.