Fallen Eagle

Chapter 38: But was it worth it?

I'm updating at 3:00 am just for you guys! I feel bad about making you guys wait long again, but classes last week went until 6:00 instead of ending at 3:30, eliminating two and a half hours from my writing time. So I worked extra hard to get a few days ahead in class so I work on pumping out the next chapter.

There's a reason why I'm splitting up the last few scenes: Thursday the 15th is the one year anniversary that I've been writing this story. And I wanted to update the Las Pegasus finale on the 15th as a special treat; I have trivia about the story that I've never revealed to anyone and I thought you guys might want to hear more about it.

As for the Lucky 38 fans. I did my best and I used the Wiki as best as I could. I've never played New Vegas before, so I'm hoping you guys can understand that. I mean if I were reading a story by any of you and it involved NASCAR for instance, I'd let slide a few minor errors if you didn't really watch it as much as I do.

Another shoutout to Sassymouse for allowing me use of her OCs; writing Feather Duster was fun!

I'm going to save replying to reviews for the Las Pegasus finale because we're only ELEVEN short reviews away from cracking my goal of 400. And that's another reason why I want to update on the 15th. I would've done the whole trivia thing about the story if we reached 400 reviews which I think we can get by the end of this chapter.

Anyway, there are two episodes I want to briefly discuss. I also have a ratings system based of the RIAA's rating system.

Crap: The episode was utter garbage either by a storytelling standpoint or the characters were completely OOC and obnoxious. An episode that looks like the rough draft and was never revised. Little effort or it was intentionally bad. Example would be Rainbow Falls, Somepony to Watch over me or Over a Barrel.

Gold: Only one or two memorable scenes. Certain characters either over or underused. Songs placed in too weird of places or the episode didn't get anywhere. AKA a background noise episode. Certain characters do things that make you question their motives. Example: Canterlot Boutique, Swarm of the Century, Boast Busters, A Canterlot Wedding, Appleoosa's most wanted, Heart's and Hooves Day or the Season 4 Premiere

Platinum: At least 3/4 of the episode is watchable. Jokes are spot on and the moral isn't half assed if there is one. Certain characters don't get more screen time than needed and you feel complete when the episode is over. You WILL go back to watch the episode. Example: the Series opener and season 1 finale, The Ticket Master, Applebuck Season, Wonderbolt's Academy and For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils

Diamond: This episode left an IMPACT on you emotionally. EVERY single part of this episode is memorable in all the RIGHT ways. You either laughed all the way through or you cried at the end. Every joke is a bulls eye, every character is used to their full potential without dominating the episode, the moral (if there is one) hits you and is meaningful and not forced, and you're sad when the episode is over. Example: Amending Fences, Tanks for the Memories, Twilight's Kingdom, The Return of Harmony and The Equestria Games.

1) Rarity Investigates. When I was told by a fellow author what the general plot was for this episode, I was a tad skeptical. Rarity definitely wouldn't be my first choice to help me on an investigation. But I was also thinking she could really make the episode interesting since it also involved Rainbow Dash. As much as I didn't care for Canterlot Boutique, I did like the character Sassy Saddles mainly because I usually am intrigued about what new characters Hasbro can come up with. And that brings me to Wind Rider. I don't know what it was, but the first FRAME I saw him and the first line he spoke made me instantly think of Clint Eastwood, not sure why.

I got my Top Gun fix this episode when the Wonderbolts arrived on screen yet again. And Rainbow when she met Wind Rider reminded me when I got to meet my idol, Jeff Gordon, nine years ago in Las Vegas. That special moment when you meet your idol and then start spouting off all the facts you know about them in your head, yeah. I've never told any author this before, but I am a huge sucker for film noir. Any episode of a TV I like, if there's a 'Whodunit' episode, I'm watching with my eyes glued.

I just love trying to figure out who did it and why, just like one of my favorite movies, Clue. Having Rarity narrate the story from her perspective and even narrate out loud in front of Rainbow was not only funny, but well done. Kudos to Tabitha St. Germain! And no I'm NOT, repeat, NOT a clopper, but seeing Rarity not mildly flirt, but I mean SULTRY flirt was kind of risqué for the show IMO. I was half expecting her to lick one of the guards' ears at one point when she was interrogating them.

Spitfire's mom, Stormy Flare was a welcome site to see, especially since we've never seen a lot of character's parents, including the other Wonderbolts. And although I liked her, she killed Sassymouse's headcanon in Dashing and Soaring. I've had head canon's ruined before, but it sucks! Where was I? Oh yes, while I claim to like trying to figure out the 'Whodunit' part, I figured out it was Wind Rider from the beginning. Why? Because A) The plot is Rainbow gets accused of a crime she's innocent of, and B) Somepony mentioned that Rainbow was on the verge of breaking his record. WAY TO BE SUBTLE HASBRO! I'm not mad; they have to make it a little easier for kids to try and figure it out, but it was too easy for me.

I chat with other authors while watching new episodes and Wind Rider's motive crushed my theory. Okay, he wanted his record to stay intact, that was his motive. MY theory was this. I paid close attention to his fur color. You might be thinking, "Captain, why are you paying attention to fur color?" Well, if you pay attention to fur color you'll notice Starlight Glimmer in Amending Fences, but that's beside the point. What I was hoping Wind Rider would claim to be his motive was, "Yeah, I did it! I DID IT ALRIGHT! And do you want to know WHY? It's because YOU got my only daughter BOOTED from the Academy!"

Yes, I was predicting that Wind Rider was Lightning Dust's father and he was getting revenge on Rainbow for it. Of course, I kind of look like an idiot since that didn't happen, but I think it would've made for one hell of a twist. All in all, Rarity and Rainbow have a pretty good chemistry together to make a fun story. And this episode gets a Platinum Rating from me. I think it was just TOO obvious who the villain was. Remove the line about Wind Rider's record and at least it would've been less obvious.

2) Brotherhooves Social

When I found out this was not only an episode that took place directly during another episode, but that it was a Big Mac episode, I was ecstatic. I really want to see more of Big Mac, not in the way that he becomes a MANE character, but just to hear him talk more. When he said, "Eeyup" as goodbye in Somepony to Watch over me, I was pissed! But I digress.

I am an only child, so I don't know or understand when a younger sibling attaches themselves to a different sibling than you, but the writers pulled it off so perfectly with Big Mac just wanting to recapture some old memories with the old toy that I felt his joylessness. The scene where he throws food on his plate to make a funny face for Applebloom was adorable and sweet, just so he cheer her up.

As for the Social itself, I was expecting Big Mac to contend as Big Mac. It crossed my mind once that he may go in drag to at least be qualified to participate as a 'sister,' but I believed (since it was called BROTHERhooves Social) that he would just show up as himself. I guess you can say it was obvious what he was going to do, but when Orchard Blossom showed up, I admit I cracked a laugh, not because he was in a dress and wig and spoke in a falsetto voice, but because of the shock of seeing it at first.

Hearing Big Mac sing the song with Applebloom and then ending with his DEEEEEP voice was hilarious because of his facial expression at the end. Not to mention it was cool seeing Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo competing. The jump roping part where Big Mac is too big to jump up almost made me laugh like the crazed Hyena from the Lion King. And the two stallions who were like, "Is this a joke?" when he couldn't jump was the icing on the cake.

What I liked most about the social was that when Big Mac's disguise popped off of him, it was a refresher to hear someone say, "Oh, we knew all along. The social has always had loose terms when it comes to what qualifies as a sister." I would've rolled my eyes if someone had said, "OH MY CELESTIA IT WAS A GUY ALL ALONG!" It was also nice to not hear mocking Big Mac for what he did. They knew he had good intentions and while the victory was stripped from him and Applebloom, no one really punished him for that, another good thing.

But that ending, holy crap. I'm man enough to admit this: I Cried. Not just watery eyes or one or two tears down my cheeks. I full on cried at Big Mac's speech about wanting to be Applebloom's hero for just one more day. Let me tell you guys something, Brotherhooves Social should be the GUIDE on how to be a big brother. All Big Mac wanted was for Applebloom to be happy, and he would do anything to see her smile again. THAT'S a beautiful and uplifting message that doesn't stop there. This episode also teaches everyone how to open up. Big Mac was unhappy because he missed Applebloom, yet she had no clue because he rarely talks. I compare Big Mac to a locked door. No matter how hard we try, if that door doesn't open, we'll assume it's ALWAYS supposed to be locked and we'll resume our normal lives and think everything is fine when it's not. Big Mac couldn't be happy, and he couldn't make Applebloom happy until he opened up to her about WHY he was unhappy. Sometimes one has to be the rock in a river and disrupt the flow in order to be happy.

This episode gets the coveted Diamond rating from me and has replaced Tanks For the Memories as my favorite Season 5 episode. And while I have yet to make an actual list, Brotherhooves Social lands itself in my person Top 5 episodes.

Onto the story. Please read and review. The 400th reviewer will get something even better than a shoutout...

---

(With Rarity and Sweetie Belle)

"Your change, Ms. Rarity," an owner of a luxurious mall said cheerfully to Ponyville's best seamstress. The unicorn gladly accepted a hoof fuill of the golden coins, dropping them into her purse before levitating her new sun hat onto her head. "And thank you for shopping here," the unicorn owner added as Rarity checked herself out in a mirror one last time.

"And thank you for stocking my latest fashion line," Rarity replied, turning her gaze to the airman look that Cougar had helped her start back before the Summer Sun Celebration. Despite many other clothing chains accepting her numerous lines, Rarity was still rather excited about this one, having been the first pony to create an outfit for a human that spawned into her most profitable one yet.

"All the best celebrities wear it, even a few flight squadrons have taken a shine to its unique look," the owner whose name tag read Keen Eye and had a cutie mark on her flank of a pair of glasses and a scarf complemented. "Tell me, how do you manage to make so many new and original outfits out of your own home?" Keen Eye questioned, placing her elbows on the counter.

"It isn't easy, trust me," Rarity assured her, "but the simplicity of Ponyville coupled with how humble it is to run one's business in their own home gives me the time and space to keep creating," she explained, peeking her blue eyes out from her sunglasses. It was true, there were numerous times where Rarity felt that Ponyville simply was not enough and wanted to open a new boutique in Canterlot, but after thinking it over and realizing how she would have to pay for rent of a space and having to be away from her friends (more importantly Sweetie Belle and Spike) for sustained periods of time encouraged her to stay put.

"Most ponies would let success like this go to their head, but not you," Keen Eye complemented yet again.

"Having friends like mine to keep reminding me how much I'm helping my lovely community keeps that in check, I can assure you of that," the purple maned pony chuckled along with the owner. An exhausted grunt snapped the two mares out of their conversation. Sweetie Belle's knees felt as if they were going to burst right out of her fur as the weight of about twenty shopping bags filled with heavy clothing and accessories compressed her tiny body.

"I do believe you two could use a break, Ms. Rarity," the green owner advised. "There is an ice cream stand about six stores down that sells the most delicious frozen yogurt. Tell them Keen Eye sent you; they'll give you a thirty percent discount," she winked.

"Why thank you, and I'll be sure to give my clients a good word about your store. I bid you adieu," Rarity gracefully waved with her hoof, exiting the store as Sweetie Belle attempted to keep up. Once the two sisters exited the story and entered the corridor, Rarity sighed happily at what she considered a great morning. "Isn't Las Pegasus just marvelous, Sweetie Belle?" She asked, keeping her eyes peeled for the ice cream shop. Sweetie Belle could still see where she was going, but the heavy bags continuously tossed her weight to and fro, making it difficult to keep her balance enough to walk in a straight line.

"Yeah..." Sweetie groaned, "It's just...peachy," she grunted. Sweetie Belle loved spending time with her sister, even if she treated her more like a pack mule than a sister. Yet, the filly knew that Rarity still loved her very much and that she always knew when to call a shopping day quits before it would permanently injure Sweetie. The purple and pink maned filly tried her best to walk behind Rarity so as to not block the paths of other ponies. "Sorry!" she exclaimed when her shoulder bounced off the knee of another tourist.

"Do you want some ice cream, darling?" Rarity paused to turn around to her baby sister. She hadn't found the ice cream shop yet, but Rarity didn't want to put Sweetie Belle on the spot unprepared for when it was time to order.

"Cookies and cream please!" the green eyed filly sputtered, huffing and puffing. Rarity was about to move forward again, but a quick look towards her sister canceled those plans. The older unicorn felt a twinge of guilt seeing Sweetie Belle struggling to hold all of the shopping bags atop her tiny body. 'My shopping bags,' Rarity's inner voice said. She couldn't decide which was worse, shopping for only herself on their vacation or making Sweetie Belle carry the bags by herself, to which the filly didn't complain once. "Rarity, could we, ugh, please get going?"

"Hmm, what?" Rarity shook her head, just barely hearing what her sister had said.

"I don't mean to complain, but these bags are getting heavy," Sweetie Belle's knees buckled slightly. With a quick blink and an apologetic smile, Rarity's blue magic surrounded the shopping bags and lowered onto her back. "Hey, I can carry those!" Sweetie tried to plead, believing she had upset Rarity. However, Sweetie Belle found herself also engulfed with her sister's magic, pulling her closer into a hug

"Oh Sweetie Belle, this was supposed to be a vacation for us to bond even closer," Rarity said, squeezing the filly like a teddy bear, "and yet here I am, shopping only for me and making you carry all of my things. Mother and Father would be so disappointed." Surprised, Sweetie Belle trotted in front of her sister, blocking her path from moving any further.

"But we're getting to hang out," she explained, "that's really all I care about, Rarity. I like to spend time with you, no matter what we're doing," she put her green eyes on display in the puppy dog look.

"Yes, I understand that Sweetie Belle, but are you really having fun carrying all of my things?" Rarity questioned, moving over to a bench to allow Sweetie Belle to sit down. Pursing her lips, the smaller unicorn looked away, thinking of a response.

"Well, to be honest," she began, looking upwards to her big sister, "not really."

"You're my sister," Rarity lifted up Sweetie Belle's chin with her hoof so she could keep her eyes on Sweetie's. "my only sister, and here I am treating you like a pack mule or a bell hop at the hotel. I need to treat you much more fairly, especially since you're starting to notice colts more and more."

"Colts? But what does that have to do with spending time with me?" Sweetie shook her head so Rarity would let go of her chin. Rarity sighed, drooping her own head low.

"I'm going to get straight to the point, Sweetie Belle. You're getting older; pretty soon you'll be much more sociable with your friends and going on dates with colts or just little Pipsqueak of your class," Sweetie blushed at the mention of his name. "And while I can help you with that, you're not going to have much time to spend with me whilst I'll want to spend time with you."

"Rarity..."

"I've been such a fool, letting these precious opportunities slip through my hooves. Well, no more!" Rarity declared, startling a few passersby. "I promise you now, little sister, that after we get some ice cream, we'll return to our hotel to drop off the bags and then we'll do whatever you wish to do. And I'll be carrying my own shopping bags and camping gear from now on," she ruffled Sweetie's bi-colored mane.

Sweetie Belle felt multiple feelings at once. She was happy that Rarity was now going to try even harder to have more sisterly bonding time, surprised that she would (for the foreseeable future at least) not have to carry her shopping bags or camping gear anymore, and surprised that Rarity decided this course of action. But she snapped from her thinking by Rarity wrapping her leg around her tiny body again and squeezing her tightly.

"Now then, is there anything that you really wanted to do here?" Rarity lifted her off the bench, gently setting her down on all four hooves and resuming their trek to the ice cream shop.

"Uh, well, there's this hotel down the Strip that has a huge indoor amusement park," she sheepishly replied, thinking that Rarity would find it childish and immature. "Twilight was telling me all about it a few days ago," Sweetie Belle explained.

"An amusement park?" Rarity immediately began to think of all the screaming fillies and colts, the long lines, the pushing and shoving, and not to mention the possibility of being vomited upon by a stranger. She adored foals and other young ponies, but if they got into a screaming fit, she would avoid them like a disease if their parents completely ignored them.

"If you don't want to, I understand," Sweetie Belle trotted alongside Rarity albeit feeling like she already had an answer. Rarity, however, sensed the drop of tone in Sweetie Belle's voice and briskly saved herself.

"An amusement park sounds like a wonderful idea, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity gushed for her sister, "I'll go on whatever ride you wish."

"Really?!" the filly squeaked, grinning and practically hopping up and down. She realized what she was doing and blushed apologetically. "Ahem, I mean, that's cool, Rarity," she attempted to sound more like her 'proper' sister.

"Oh Sweetie," the fashion expert patted her little sisters mane, "like I said, you'll only be a filly a little while longer. Enjoy it while you can," she smiled. Sweetie took the opportunity to dance around and hug Rarity's leg, somehow managing not to trip her.

"This is gonna be the best final day of the year ever!" She exclaimed loudly, drawing the attention of other ponies. Rarity cooed, nuzzling her sister close before looking up and seeing where they had stopped.

"Now, you wanted cookies and cream ice cream, correct?" The duo found themselves right in front of the ice cream shop. Sweetie Belle released Rarity's leg, only to grab it again with her own leg, dragging her inside the tiny parlor. "Slow down Sweetie Belle!" Rarity giggled and exclaimed at the same time. "I'm positive neither the ice cream parlor nor the amusement park will be going anywhere anytime soon."

"Sorry, I'm just super excited!" Sweetie squeaked yet again. Levitating her bags in front of her so nopony could take anything, Rarity set them upon the ground in front of the counter where a mocha colored unicorn stallion was grinning.

"Welcome to the Whinnetian ice cream store! What can I get you lovely ladies?" He winked at Rarity, just playfully flirting with her. The mare was sensible enough to know that it was normal routine for ponies to practice a little harmless flirting with the opposite gender of customers to make them feel welcome; she didn't perceive him as a pervert or anything.

"Oh, you charmer," Rarity playfully flirted right back at him. "My sister will have a medium cookies and cream," she began.

"With whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, hot fudge and a cherry!" Sweetie Belle drooled over the numerous toppings at the ice cream bar. The stallion currently in charge of the parlor chuckled, looking back and forth between the sisters.

"Do you think you need all of that, Sweetie Belle? You sound like Pinkie Pie," Rarity questioned, placing a gentle hoof on her mane. Rarity's response was another puppy dog face from Sweetie Belle, instantly making her stomach wrench. "Oh fine, but no more sweets today," she ordered. Another stallion began to put Sweetie's ice cream order to ether while Rarity studied the menu.

"And for you, miss?" the cashier pony asked, levitating a pen and pad in the air. The mare looked away from her sister, studying the menu and calculating the amounts of calories in each flavor.

"Hmm, just a small, plain coffee ice cream if you please," Rarity batted her eyelashes. The stallion's magic scribbled her order on the notepad and then added up the totals of both ice creams whist scooping hers into a styrofoam bowl.

"Okay, that comes to five bits, please." Rarity opened up her saddlebag and emptied seven bits into the stallion's outstretched hoof.

"Keep the change," Rarity winked, trotting down to the end of the ice cream bar where her ice cream awaited her. "Careful," Rarity advised Sweetie Belle, "don't rush too fast; I won't buy you another one if you spill," she warned.

"You worry too much, sister," Sweetie Belle held the large bowl within her hoof. A faint aura of green magic from her horn surrounded the bowl as extra insurance should anything happen.

"And you can never be too certain," Rarity chuckled and sat down at the nearest table. She set her bowl on the table before whisking her shoppings bags under said table. The smaller unicorn slowly trotted to her seat, set the bowl down next to Rarity's and hopped onto the chair, sitting right across from her. The two began to eat their ice cream in two distinct ways. Rarity elegantly scooped up tiny portions and politely inserted the spoon into her mouth while Sweetie Belle dug in with her spoon like it was a shovel, slurping the chilled treat.

"Hey Rarity," Sweetie Belle burped, sloppily wiping her mouth, "there's somepony else wearing your new look," she pointed out, jamming the spoon back into her ice cream. Rolling her eyes at Sweetie Belle eating like a piggy, the elder Belle sister set her ice cream aside to see two mares enter the shop. One was an green Earth Pony with a white mane, tail, orange eyes and a musical note cutie mark in the form of a wave while the other mare was a dark red Pegasus with a jet black mane and orange eyes. The Earth Pony was the one Sweetie Belle pointed out.

"Hmm, it does look rather fetching on her," Rarity admitted, studying the two ponies.

"I don't know why you hate this outfit. I think it's rather attractive," the Earth Pony remarked to her friend. The red Pegasus rolled her eyes with a condescending scoff, slapping the mare in the shoulder with her wing. Her flank had a picture of an iron plated hoof with lightning raining out of the bottom.

"There's a couple of reasons why, Ballad," the red Pegasus rudely replied. "First, you are definitely not a leather friendly pony, second, that outfit was created by the Ponyville seamstress that's friends with that primate freak!" Rarity's spoon exploded, sending shards of plastic every which way. "You can't be in anyway associated with that disgusting animal."

"Excuse me!" Rarity exclaimed, gathering the attention of both mares. "Who do you think you are saying awful things about one of my friends?" She demanded, standing up from her seat. "Stay here, Sweetie Belle," she quickly ordered before Sweetie could join her.

"Oh my Celestia!" Ballad squealed, "I love your outfit so much!" She complemented before her friend shut her up. Rarity marched her way over to the red mare, not wishing to start anything, but to set the record straight with her. Stopping right next the red pony, Rarity had a frumpy look on her face.

"Yes, can we help you?" the red Pegasus asked coarsely.

"Forget my outfit, you do not say such awful things about a friend I am honored to know. Especially one as selfless and courageous as him," she defended Cougar. Rolling her eyes, the Pegasus turned away from her green friend.

"Last I checked, Princess Celestia granted us permission to say whatever we wanted as a basic right." Rarity bit her lip as blood rushed to her cheeks and her forehead wrinkled. She loathed ponies who pulled that card when talking rudely about somepony."But don't think I'm praising her or anything; she should've locked it, not him, it in the Canterlot zoo instead of letting it loose upon all of Equestria."

"Free speech or not, what is your problem with him? Are you a speciesist?" Rarity accused. The Pegasus chuckled, placing a hoof on Rarity's shoulder which the seamstress shook of immediately.

"Heavens no, I'm just an advocator for the purity of us ponies. Animals should not have the same privileges as ponies," she reiterated.

"Normal animals like cats, birds and dogs I agree, but Cougar is vastly different!" Rarity exclaimed. "He's capable of complex thoughts and feelings," she added.

"An animal is an animal, no matter how much you delude yourself," the Pegasus stood firm on her opinion. Both Ballad and Sweetie Belle stood their distance from the Pegasus and Rarity, not knowing where their bickering would lead.

"Well, perhaps you're unfamiliar with complex thought," Rarity insulted, "otherwise you'd consider retracting your statement," she rolled her eyes.

"I've heard he's in a relationship with some inbred farmer," the mare spat, "do you know how disgusting that is!?" Sweetie Belle took this as more of an offense than Rarity did. She galloped over and tapped rather hard on the mare's leg. "What do you want?" she demanded from Sweetie Belle.

"Hey! That's my best friend's sister you're talking about!" She declared, "And two of my friends as well!" She tried to stand as tall as she could, though she didn't intimidate the red mare any.

"Control your sister please," Sweetie Belle felt herself being scooted back over to Rarity who folded a protective leg around her torso. "We are in public after all." Rarity growled, again trying to bite her tongue.

"Don't you try and lecture me about manners; I'm not the one who decided to badmouth somepony in public without knowing all of the facts!" She responded, feeling proud for keeping her language tame. "Oh and that so called 'inbred farmer' happens to be one of my friends as well; you leave her out of this, especially since she's fallen for Cougar and he's fallen for her. Obviously it's a little shocking, but haven't you heard the phrase, 'Love knows-" Rarity tried to explain before she was interrupted.

"No bounds. Yes Ms. Rarity, I am well versed in the immortal words of Shakesmare." Rarity's jaw dropped, not expecting this mare to know of Shakesmare after so easily insulting her friends.

"Okay, so you have heard of Shakesmare before, so why are you so against this? I can understand disagreeing with it, but to go so far as to say he must be locked in a zoo?" Rarity closed her jaw.

"Etherea, I think you've made your point," Ballad tapped the red Pegasus's shoulder, only to have her hoof be slapped away with a wing.

"All I want is to keep the purity of ponykind intact as it has been for centuries. Is that so wrong?" Etherea questioned, starting do encircle Rarity and Sweetie Belle like a shark.

"Ponykind shan't be effected you hussy!" Rarity exclaimed. "Cougar is but one of his entire species who unfortunately cannot procreate, so just let him and my friend Applejack be so they can be happy!" she demanded, "Etherea," she added with a sneer, holding Sweetie Belle closer.

"Your friend is in a committed relationship with an ANIMAL!" Etherea screeched, making the entire shop grind to a stop. "That, my dear, is bestiality, disgusting and not to mention immoral! Something like this cannot stand in modern society!"

"What would you say if I were in a relationship with a dragon?!" Rarity didn't even give Etherea the chance to feel smug about her most recent explanation. Sweetie Belle's eyes bulged from her sockets, looking up at her sister.

"That's just as bad!" Etherea got right into Rarity's face. "How do you live with yourself you slut?"

"By the way my mother and father taught us and how the royal sisters expect us to act: With friendship, common decency and love you self centered, hateful, speciesist skank!" Rarity screamed, finally losing her temper. Her rage increased when Etherea did nothing but chuckle.

"Hmm, ironic. You're supposed to be the elegant and polite one of your group, yet here you are losing your temper and calling me names like a foal. Perhaps you're not fit to take care of your sister?" With a huff and an angry snort, Rarity whisked Sweetie Belle away, grabbing her shopping bags with her magic and stomping her way out of the store while Etherea and Ballad watched them. The former grinned and chuckled in victory.

Out in the walkway of the mall where hundreds of Las Pegasus guests were shopping, Rarity lowered the bags onto her back, stomping her way back in the direction of her and Sweetie Belle's hotel to drop off the bags. The older unicorn was angrily muttering to herself through a clenched jaw while snorting out of her nose, trying to quietly channel her anger out of her body. Sweetie Belle bit her lower lip, trotting alongside her sister, but was nervous of how short her sister's fuse was.

"Rarity?" Sweetie Belle tenderly asked, not liking how angry her sister was.

"Yes?" The seamstress grunted through clenched jaws.

"A-are you really dating Spike?" Sweetie Belle questioned, making Rarity slow her pace. Her dark blue eyes locked with her sister's light green ones, softening her emotions.

"No, I'm not," she replied. "That was just an example; please don't mention that to Spike or it'll break his fragile little heart," Rarity begged. Sweetie Belle may have just barely began to notice boys, but her mother has shown her so many sappy romance movies and told her the story of how she met their dad that she was rather astute about seeing other's feelings.

"Well, do you want be Spike's marefriend?" She pressed the issue forward. Rarity bit her lip, looking away from Sweetie Belle and continued trotting her way back to their hotel, albeit with a little less pep in her step.

---

(With Lyra and Bon Bon)

"Stay or hit?" A card dealing beige Earth Pony leaned forward at his blackjack table in the Maredalay Bay casino. He had just recently clocked in for his shift when a light brown Earth Pony and a mint colored unicorn approached his table; both were mares. Only the Earth Pony was playing cards as her apparent marefriend watched with her golden eyes. Bon Bon studied the three cards in her hooves, darting her eyes back and forth from her cards to the dealer. She currently had the eight of diamonds, the three of clubs and the seven of hearts, a pretty good set, but she wanted more.

"You have 18 already Bonnie," Lyra said, gently nudging her marefriend's shoulder. "I'd stay if it were me," she advised. Bon Bon's eyes shifted from her cards to he marefriend, analyzing her advice. She could stay and potentially win the game, or go for it and lose ten bits.

"Haha," a cigarette bobbed within the gambler's mouth, "18 is a good deal, but I think I'll go for it," she grinned, setting her cards onto the tabletop. Lyra smacked herself in the face, fearing that Bon Bon would lose another ten bits, making it thirty she'd lost so far. "Hit me, dude," the candy making pony took a drag of her cigarette, blowing toward the dealer in a ring.

"Hmm," he smirked, taking a card from the deck and smacking it down on top of Bon Bon's set.

"Buck me!" Bon Bon cursed, dropping her face onto the table. The cigarette loosely fell out of her mouth and onto a nearby ash tray as she picked herself up.

"Aww gee, four of spades. 22 loses!" he cackled, sweeping the cards back into the deck and reshuffling it. Lyra lovingly placed her cheek on Bon Bon's shoulder, nuzzling her marefriend. "Are you going to be giving me more money, ma'am?" the dealer chortled, finishing his shuffling. Bon Bon scowled at him and reached down into her saddle bag. Lyra, however, lightly touched her hoof to Bon Bon's, stopping her from reaching into the bag.

"Bonnie," Lyra lifted her cheek from Bon Bon's shoulder, "come on, you've had your fun at the tables and have lost three times. Why don't you just stop and we can go see a show or go visit the fish reef or something?" she pleaded. "Maybe go take a nap?" she winked. Her Earth Pony marefriend blinked a few times before continuing to reach into her saddle bag, producing another ten bit coin.

"Lyra, sweetie," Bon Bon replied, "I can't just leave after losing like that. If I leave on a loss, he's beaten me for good," she pointed to the dealer who was cracking an asshole smirk. "But if I can go out with a blackjack over this stallion, then I can possibly get my money back and have the satisfaction of winning a Las Pegasus card game over a snarky dealer."

"You're far too kind, miss," the stallion winked, creeping out Lyra a bit. "I get paid whether you win or lose, so take your pick," he leaned forward on the table again. The music loving unicorn shook her head free of the stallion's gaze and turned back to Bon Bon.

"Please," she begged, "it's not every day we get a free hotel room in one of the fanciest hotels in Las Pegasus. I want to do something other than watch you gamble, anything," she pleaded. She even stuck out her lower lip and put on her puppy dog eyes for Bon Bon, knowing that this trick usually worked. The light brown mare sighed before placing her ten bit coin onto the table.

"After this round, I promise we'll go do something Lyra," she swore, grabbing ahold of her hoof and bringing her in for a hug. Reluctantly, Lyra lazily patted Bon Bon's back, backing away to watch her marefriend try her luck again at blackjack. Though she was willing to bet she'd lose again. Lyra shuffled her front hooves on the carpet of the casino, trying to make time move faster just so she could spend the day with the mare she loved.

"Willing to try again, are we?" the dealing pony snickered, tossing some cards Bon Bon's way. "Place your bet, please," he requested. The blue and pink mane colored pony shoved her ten bit piece forward to the betting area on the table, ready to go one more round before a pair of pegasi joined the table. Lyra moved out of their way politely as they sat down, sliding their own bits near Bon Bon's coin. The mint unicorn couldn't quite place her hoof on it, but these mares seemed familiar.

"Count us in for this," the first Pegasus grinned. She was orange all around. Orange mane, orange tail and an orange coat. The only things that weren't orange about the mare was her blue eyes and her horseshoe cutie mark that had a bolt of lightning zapping through the middle. "Name's Blaze," she added, sticking out her hoof towards Bon Bon.

"Now I remember who you are!" Lyra squeaked. "You girls look totally unrecognizable without your Wonderbolt suits," she moved closer as the second Pegasus, High Winds, took a seat next to Blaze.

"Well, we do sometimes like to stay incognito and relax," High Winds replied, taking her cards that the casino stallion had dealt. "But we normally like to soak up attention and sign autographs. Oh, no thanks," the curly maned mare shook her hoof when Bon Bon offered her a cigarette. Bon Bon shrugged, stuffing the cigarette back into its box and put it back into her mane.

"Suit yourself. But this is pretty tight, playing blackjack with two Wonderbolts?!" She gave Blaze a cocky grin, as if saying, 'Bring it on.' In return, Blaze gave off her own cocky grin to the candy maker, but for different reasons. Known to pretty much every Wonderbolt fan and every Pegasus in Cloudsdale, both High Winds and Blaze 'played for the same team' and had been a couple ever since they were paired up at the Academy. Yet, the Wonderbolt was interrupted by her marefriend.

"And what would you know about tight, Blaze dear?" High Winds nudged her elbow. She was more polite half of the couple, but whenever High Winds saw an opportunity to publicly tease her marefriend, the purple eyed mare couldn't pass it up. Lyra snickered, covering up her mouth with her foreleg and looking away from her own blushing marefriend. Bon Bon's new cigarette fell right into the ash tray from her opened mouth while Blaze could only move her eyes. "Oh, you know you love it when I tease you," the midnight blue maned pony kissed Blaze's nose.

"N-normally I don't mind, but you just came out of left field with that, hun," the orange Pegasus shuddered, getting her train of thought back on its rails. Seeing all of this unfold, the casino employee cleared his throat and shuffled the cards again after Blaze and Bon Bon dropped theirs, mixing them up. After finally getting over the surprise of the joke, Lyra removed her foreleg and cuddled up against Bon Bon who received a new set of cards.

"Okay then," the employee said uncomfortably, "first to 21 or closest without going over wins," he cleared his throat. The three gambling mares then studied their cards, counting up what they had.

"Aren't you guys gonna practice your stunts with Rainbow Dash and Soarin?" Lyra asked High Winds who was holding a four and a five.

"Please," Blaze snorted, "we've been training our flanks off since May. When Soarin told us we could spend an entire day in Las Pegasus doing whatever we wanted, buck yeah we're going to take advantage of that. Hit me," she slapped the table top with her hoof.

"So, we just walked around the hotel a bit after finding our room and thought we'd play some cards before finding something to do," High Winds added, scratching at her chin. Blaze opened her mouth to crack a joke, but Bon Bon had other plans.

"Just so you know, I know what you're about to say, and I've said it Lyra plenty of times," Bon Bon peered over at Blaze, preventing her from getting revenge on High Winds for her earlier joke.

"Ladies, while this is a casino, could we please have more civil conversation?" the dealer asked, drumming his hooves atop the table to keep his mind occupied elsewhere. All four mares looked from each other to him. "Now, anypony happy with where they are?" He questioned, placing a hoof on top of the deck of cards.

"Hit me," High Winds tapped the table top. The dealer tossed her another card, letting it gently slide in front of her where she grouped it with her others. She now had a five, a four and a seven. "So, what are your plans for the day?" she looked over at Lyra who was looking pretty bored at the moment, even if she was still snuggling against Bon Bon.

"I have no idea; Bonnie wanted to hit the tables first thing after getting settled in. And we promised to take a nap first," she alluded, moving herself away from Bon Bon, "stupid blackjack." Despite focusing her attention on the game at hoof, Bon Bon was still hearing every word Lyra was saying, and it was making her feel guilty. But from another view, she did promise to do something with Lyra directly after this game, so the guilt wasn't really washing over her, more like trickling. The Earth Pony then tapped Lyra's side, motioning for her to come closer.

"Lyra, sweetie," she said into her ear and held her cards up, "this'll only take another 15 seconds with these puppies," she showed Lyra her three cards which consisted of a Queen of Hearts, five of spades and four of clubs. She then gave Lyra a good shock by quickly, yet tenderly giving her ear a little lick, knowing that was one of her biggest kinks.

"Ugh," the golden eyed mare shuddered, nearly losing her balance.

"Ahh, I know how you feel," High Winds cut in, setting her cards face down and turning her chair to the side. "Blaze is the same way. I love playing cards too, but what I was really hoping for was us ordering a bottle of champagne in our room and locking the door," her wing playfully smacked Blaze's back, making her blush a little. "You know, something romantic," she grinned.

"Well, Windy," Blaze used her marefriend's pet name, "we can't just dive right into bed. That would just waste the magic like eating a doughnut before you leave the bakery. I know I'm not a touchy-feely kind of mare, but I do want to make today special enough for you."

"Awww," Lyra gushed. Not to be outdone, Bon Bon set her cards down and spun to face Blaze and High Winds.

"Oh yeah, well I was going to order champagne, chocolates and rent a new phonograph to play Wayne Neighton records for our room!" She bragged, grabbing ahold of Lyra's shoulders and pulling her close.

"Ooh, now that's a romantic day, Blaze," High Winds said dreamily. Confused, the dealer cocked an eyebrow, unsure of how this went from a friendly game of blackjack to two pairs of lesbians trying to outdo one another romantically.

"Anypony need anymore cards?" He coughed, trying to get their attention.

"Not now!" All four mares shouted at the poor stallion. He shrugged, ducked below the table and pulled a cold Smarenoff beer from a blue cooler. Popping the top, he sipped the refreshing beverage and leaned in closer to hear the conversation better.

"I get paid no matter what; continue," he smirked, sipping more of his beer. Bon Bon, Lyra, High Winds and Blaze rolled their eyes at the stallion and set their cards aside.

"While I think both ideas are perfect for each couple, we shouldn't be trying to outdo one another," Lyra spoke, petting the back of Bon Bon's mane. "I came here to spend time with Bon Bon, and you came here to spend time with High Winds," she pointed to the orange Wonderbolt, "and vice versa for you two," Lyra added.

"I think I know where you're heading with this, Lyra," Blaze grinned with half-lidded eyes.

"Oh no, don't tell me you're thinking of that again, Blaze," High Winds pleaded. "I just got you off that idea a few weeks ago. Leave it to Las Pegasus to bring those thoughts roaring back," she slapped her own face.

"Thinking of what exactly?" Bon Bon snapped. If she was reading Blaze correctly, then she was hatching an idea that Bon Bon would absolutely refuse to partake in. Blaze kissed High Winds' cheek, trying to ease her worry about what was going on within her marefriend's head.

"Just hear me out, ladies," Blaze winked. "What if we combine our ideas together? You know," her voice lowered into a whisper, "the four of us, together. Two Pegasi, one Earth Pony and one unicorn in one bed..." she whispered lustfully. Lyra's mint green face turned completely scarlet as sweat formed at the edge of her mane line. High Winds groaned in frustration while Bon Bon was turning red as well, but for the opposite reason as her marefriend.

The Earth Pony grabbed Blaze by her ear, yanking her head down even with her mouth. "I...don't...share...Lyra. She's MINE bitch!" She growled into Blaze's ear. Blaze wriggled out of Bon Bon's grip, but didn't look too afraid or anything. Instead, she had a sly smirk on her face and propped her head up on her hoof.

"Come on, it's Las Pegasus Bon Bon. Anything can happen here; why not a little experiment? And it's not like it'll buck up our minds; we're all already on the same side here," Blaze reasoned. "And you getting jealous is kind of hot," she winked.

"I'm not jealous. Jealousy is aggression and the want for something you don't have that somepony does. I already have Lyra; I'm territorial of what's mine," she slammed her hoof on the table, leaning closer to Blaze.

"You do know I'm my own pony, right Bonnie?" Lyra questioned, still looking as red as a piece of licorice.

"Of course, Lyra, but you have to understand that I'm perfectly happy with us; I don't need to experiment with two other mares when you're all I need," she explained, moving away from Blaze.

"She's right, Blaze," High Winds concurred. "This stupid little fantasy will never happen, no matter how excited you get. Am I suddenly not good enough?" She demanded, pouting to add extra sympathy. Blaze's sultry look vanished, only to be replaced with worry.

"You've always been good enough for me, Windy. I just thought we could have a little fun and try out a fantasy that everypony that's ever existed has dreamt of."

"Not me!" Bon Bon exclaimed, standing up from her chair. "You're never going to persuade me to cheat on Lyra with one of you, no offense, but I'm a one mare, uh, mare," she stumbled at the end of her explanation. "Lyra, why aren't you siding with me and High Winds?" she cocked an eyebrow. Lyra shuffled her front hooves together before rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well, it's different, and it'd be one Tartarus of a memory to look back on," she gulped, knowing that disagreeing with Bon Bon on this certain issue wasn't the smartest idea. Yet the unicorn was a little optimistic. "And who knows, it could spice up our love life," she grinned. Grabbing one of the card dealer's beers, Bon Bon popped the top and drank half the bottle in one big gulp, burping loudly after swallowing.

"Our love life is fine, Lyra; I don't know how bucked up yours is," she motioned to Blaze and High Winds with the bottle, "to suggest that, but as I stated previously: I...DON'T...SHARE...LYRA, so drop it!"

"For your information," High Winds huffed, "I agree with you," she pointed out, rolling her eyes at the Earth Pony.

"Well, that's technically not true, Bonnie," Lyra took the beer away from her and set it on the card table.

"What? Lyra I've never even entertained the idea of sharing you with anypony," Bon Bon thought back to every moment she'd been with Lyra; not a moment like that could be four within her memories. Her marefriend, however, seemed to remember something as she cleared her throat.

"Remember back when we finally got to go to the Grand Galloping Gala?"

"Yeah, so what? We had a blast and rocked our house all night after that," the candy maker sighed happily at the memory.

"Uh, do you remember what you said to me afterwards?" Lyra questioned, stroking Bon Bon's leg. Blaze felt a little insulted that she was being completely ignored now by the two Ponyville mares, even after offering them something like that. It took some doing, but High Winds coerced her marefriend to be more calm as Lyra and Bon Bon worked things out.

"No, Lyra. I remember going to the Gala, coming home and sharing a bottle of wine with you and then, you know..." she blushed as what she believed to be the full memory returned to her.

"You told me that you were so grateful for Cougar getting us those tickets because we were his friends that you were willing-" Lyra explained before Bon Bon clamped her mouth shut with her hooves. Now the full memory was resurfacing in her brain. The entire pillow talk after they had made love. She assumed it was some weird dream she had after a night mixed with drinking and love making.

"NO! NO I DIDN'T!" Bon Bon suddenly shouted, making all three mares jump. "You're just upset that I've been gambling over spending time with you. And you're right; let's get up and go back to our room!" She tried to push Lyra away from the Wonderbolts, but Blaze wasn't ready to give up so easily.

"Hold on, what were you going to say, Lyra?" Blaze loved getting juice on couples, not to sell to tabloids or anything, she just wanted to be in the loop.

"She wasn't going to say anything you Spitfire clone, now move it so I can spend time with the mare I love," Bon Bon demanded, getting nervous about her secret getting out. But the Wonderbolt refused to move. Every time Bon Bon tried to push Lyra one way, Blaze would get in the way. No matter what she did, Bon Bon couldn't get away from the Pegasus, even with High Winds telling her to let Bon Bon and Lyra go.

"I just want to know. Your secret will be safe with us," Blaze swore, putting a hoof over her heart. Bon Bon realized that she wasn't going to get rid of this mare so easily; she had to come up with something that would distract her long enough to get away and get back to their room. What would be a good distraction though? Bon Bon thought long about this, looking from Blaze to Lyra back and forth several times before she took a long look at Lyra's horn. Suddenly, an idea flooded her mind, overtaking her mind momentarily as well as her basic motor functions.

"Oh Lyra?" the Earth Pony asked, grabbing ahold of Lyra's hoof.

"Bonnie, you know I'm not advanced enough in magic to teleport," Lyra rolled her eyes. "Otherwise I would've foal napped you back to our room a long time ago," she winked. Her marefriend chuckled, lightly licking her ear again.

"Not that, I promise," Bon Bon rubbed her hoof on Lyra's. Having not thought too much on doing this in the past, Bon Bon already set forth her plan and couldn't back away now. "Lyra Heartstrings," she continued, looking into those golden orbs she fell in love with.

"H-hold on," Lyra's breath started to shorten. "B-Bonnie..."

"Will you marry me?" Bon Bon asked, falling onto one hind leg. Blaze and High Winds' jaws dropped at the sudden proposal, not being able to move an inch. "Now, I know this is sudden, but you said you wanted something exciting to happen in Las Pegasus," Bon Bon grinned.

BRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGG

A sudden loud alarm snapped all four mares into reality. "What the buck is that?" Blaze asked, turning around. Seeing an opportunity, Bon Bon tightened her grip on Lyra's hoof, whisking her away from the Wonderbolts and hiding within a crowd of ponies gathering around a bank of slot machines. After ducking into a hallway of elevators, Bon Bon shoved Lyra inside one and quickly pressed the door close button.

"Whew, glad to get away from that psycho," Bon Bon wiped her forehead, breathing a sigh of relief. Leaning against the wall of the elevator, she looked over at her unicorn marefriend to see a puzzled look on her face. "You okay, Lyra?" She asked.

"B-Bon Bon? Did you really mean that proposal, or was that just to get us away from Blaze and High Winds?" She asked, feeling slightly hurt if the latter was the case. Reality smacked Bon Bon in the face. She now had a tough decision to make, one that could either make Lyra mad enough to take a break from their relationship, or one that could end up with them together forever.

"Well, you see..."

---

(With Rainbow Dash, Soarin and Scootaloo)

"Idiots," Soarin shook his head when he, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo witnessed hotel security carting off Lightning and Fire Streak after their brawl in the lobby. As the exhausted and bruised twins were escorted to the hotel's main security office, Scootaloo cocked an eyebrow, looking between her sister and Soarin. She was waiting for one of them to stop the security ponies and retake Lightning Streak and Fire Streak, but that never happened. Puzzled, the orange filly tapped Soarin's leg to get his attention. "What's up, squirt?" He asked with a big, goofy grin that replaced his upset frown.

"Hey, that's my nickname for her," Rainbow chuckled, punching his shoulder jokingly, "get your own," she added when Soarin rubbed where she had punched him.

"I thought 'Scoots' was," Soarin questioned, deciphering how many nicknames his marefriend had for her little sister

"I've got plenty of them, Soar," Rainbow waved her hoof. "Now, what'd you need little sis?" she bent down lower to Scootaloo's height. The tinier Pegasus rolled her eyes at the flirting between Soarin and Rainbow Dash, mainly having to put up with it just about every time she was around the two.

"Aren't you two going to get the Streak twins back?" She inquired, "You kinda need them for your show, don't you?" she added, turning from Rainbow Dash back to the Captain of the Wonderbolts.

"Meh, I'd rather hit the all you can eat buffet for some fresh apple pie," Soarin licked his lips. "Besides, I think they'll fine. They won't go to jail just for fighting in a hotel," he waved off the doubt.

"Soar, I think one or two of those security ponies had some bruises of their own. I think we should try and bail them out before they go to jail like Scoots says," Rainbow nudged Scootaloo's wing. The blue stallion's tongue retreated back into his mouth only to be replaced by a groan.

"Can't we get something to eat first?" He whined, snapping his head in the direction of the hotel's buffet. Rainbow glowered at her coltfriend, flaring some of the fur on the back of her neck and invading his face with hers. "Ugh, fine we'll bail them out, but we eat right afterwards!" he stepped away from the intimidating cyan mare. She grinned in triumph and patted Soarin's back for listening to her.

"Hey Rainbow, Soarin!" Feather Duster exclaimed, jumping from behind the couch with Cinder right behind her. "What a fight! Better than some of the regular fights Las Pegasus has to offer huh?"

"Don't you think you could be a little more sympathetic since it was our coltfriends that were fighting?" Cinder tried to raise her voice.

"Fire's tough as a rock and Lightning's thicker than one; they're gonna fine, Cinder," Feather Duster chuckled. The blue mare didn't know whether to be mad for the insult geared towards he coltfriend or laugh at how true it was sometimes.

"What's with the candy bowl on your head?" Scootaloo asked condescendingly. Realizing that it was indeed still sitting atop her mane, the lazy janitor whisked it off of her head and tossed it back near the table where she had gotten it. There was a loud crash promptly followed by hotel staff swearing after which the dust colored Pegasus innocently whistled.

"Ahem, what candy bowl you little, uh, scamp?" Feather Duster attempted to pat Scootaloo's purple mane, but the orange filly ducked out of the way, instead scooting closer to Rainbow Dash. The janitor shrugged it off, not really giving a crap about colts and fillies anyway.

"Dashie, Cinder, come with me so we get Fire and Lightning out of hotel jail," Soarin grumbled. "They're probably locked in a broom closet or something," Soarin started off.

"Hey, if they are locked in a broom closet, shouldn't I go with you since I'm a janitor?" Feather Duster cocked her head to the side. Soarin, Rainbow and Cinder stopped in their tracks before looking at each other and bursting out laughing. "What? What's so funny dammit!?" The Pegasus demanded, flaring her smaller than average wings. Rainbow Dash wiped a tear from her eye with her hoof, catching her breath.

"Do you know what color the floor is in your janitor closet at the Academy?" Rainbow asked. When Feather Duster replied with a blank face, Rainbow added, "I didn't think so. You'd be as much help as a match to a pony that's on fire."

"Woah, sis!" Scootaloo hopped in front of Rainbow's face to get her attention. "Can't I go with you guys?" She begged.

"Nah, you'd probably get bored out of your mind, kid," Soarin replied. "Besides, what were you planning on doing while Dashie and I are practicing?" He asked, scratching his ear.

"Watch you guys, duh," Scootaloo collapsed onto her flank.

"How much fun would that be, squirt?" Rainbow knelt down again to Scootaloo's height. "Trust me, if I had to just watch and not even be able to talk to a pair of practicing Wonderbolts, I'd totally lose my mind over how awesome it would be to get a private show!" She gushed. "Oh, wait, I wouldn't be able to even sit still. No, where was I going with this?" She shook her head after her train of thought hit a bump and derailed.

"I think what you mean is just sitting and watching the same thing over and over would get a little boring," Cinder corrected, lifting Scootaloo's chin with her hoof. "No offense to you guys, but practice isn't as exciting as the real thing."

"Eh, she's got us there, Dashie," Soarin agreed. "Why can't Feather Duster take care of you while we get the Streak twits out of hotel jail?" He suggested. Both Feather Duster and Scootaloo's eyes nearly burst from their skulls as they looked at each other and immediately looked away with a sneer.

"You were right, Rainbow. Soarin is a grade-A doof," Scootaloo folded her forelegs over her chest.

"Hey!" The captain replied with a stern yet hurt look.

"Yeah, kids and I don't mix well together," Feather Duster nodded. "Besides, she's how old, exactly?"

"Old enough to not need an incompetent foalsitter, that's for sure," Scootaloo said in a snarky tone. "Can't you just let me explore the hotel or something, Rainbow?" She begged, tugging at Rainbow's wing.

"Absolutely not! No sister of mine that's still in school is gonna wander Las freakin' Pegasus alone!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Feather Duster might be a lazy ass at her job, but she's not an idiot."

"Right, Dashie," Soarin nodded. "By the power vested in me by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, I herby pronounce you two foal and foalsitter," the pie loving stallion announced, shoving Feather Duster and Scootaloo together. "Live with it," he added with a sly smirk.

"We shouldn't be long. Just come back when you can and we'll go swimming, Scoots," Rainbow hugged her little sister who tried to cling to her leg. "Come on Scootaloo, you're way too old to pull this," the cyan mare shook her leg until Scootaloo let go, only to fly up and land on Feather Duster's back. "See, you're bonding already! Have fun!" And with that, Soarin, Rainbow Dash and Cinder trotted away to let their friends out of hotel jail.

"Great, now I'm stuck with you all day. My sister hates me," Scootaloo griped. She knew that Rainbow couldn't possibly hate her, but it sure felt like it for being paired with Feather Duster.

"Yeah? Well, my boss hates me!" Feather Duster whined. "And another thing, OFF!" she shook her body, jarring Scootaloo until she fell onto her butt on the floor. The filly stood up and rubbed her rump until the pressure from the hit wore off.

"Ya know, maybe if you actually did your job, Soarin would have more respect for you than just making you a one-day foalsitter," Scootaloo huffed. She turned to look where Rainbow Dash had trotted away, wishing she could've stuck by her and Soarin. The orange school pony sighed sadly before casting her gaze upon the door leading outside the hotel. The janitor scoffed, turning away from Scootaloo and held her nose in the air, sniffing at what the buffet had out.

"Whatever," Feather Duster rolled her eyes, checking a clock on the wall. "I'm getting hungry. Do you think you can sit still and keep quiet long enough to," Feather Duster turned back around, "...eat?!" she exclaimed when she discovered that Scootaloo was gone! "Scuttleloo?! No, wait, Scootaloo!" She yelled, making every other pony in the lobby freeze. "Come on you little heathen, this isn't funny," the dust colored mare started zooming around the lobby.

After pulling the plant out of a pot, turning over hotel furniture, snooping behind the front desk, checking the buffet and the bathroom, Feather Duster knew she was gone. "Oh crap, crap, crap! This is the worst thing that could happen to me!" she cried out dramatically, catching the attention of a few passing guests. "Excuse me," she slammed her hooves on Jitterbug's desk, "have you seen a little filly that's orange with teeny wings, a purple mane and tail, and is really annoying?" She questioned.

"No, maybe you should keep a better eye on your children, ma'am. I can put hotel staff on alert if they spot her," she offered. Feather Duster groaned yet agreed to the idea before an awful realization hit her.

"Never mind, I'll find her myself. Just forget I even asked!" She said, frustrated and galloped away from the front desk.

"Weirdo," Jitterbug rolled her eyes and helped the next guests in line.

"Damn it, I've got to think of something to find that filly before Soarin kicks me out of my napping spot, er, the Academy!" She exclaimed. Taking a seat on one of the couches she'd overturned, Feather Duster plopped her head on her hoof, trying to think of ways to save her flank. "Trail of candy? No, too many drunks would trip over the pieces," she pondered. "Super glue trap with a doughnut as bait? Nah, that stuff sticks to my hoof too easily," the mare drummed her hooves on either side of her body, hoping that inspiration would hit her soon enough. "Hmm, I know! I'll load a tranquilizer gun, shoot the kid from a roof, put her in a box, then put that box in another box, then mail the box to myself and then lock it up until Dash and Soarin get back. It can't go wrong!"

"Excuse us, we need to fix this couch so other guests can use it," a maintenance stallion tapped her on the shoulder.

"Go on ahead, but I'm still using it!" the dust colored pony sat up, moving out of the way so the furniture could be reoriented. Not caring at all, the maintenance stallion and his partner uprighted the couch just Feather Duster started to analyze her plan. "Eh, what tranquilizer store is open on New Year's? Plus the stupid postage fees are outrageous!"

"Okay, we're done here," the hotel worker trotted by Feather Duster to go upright other pieces of furniture. However, the Wonderbolt janitor spotted a piece of decoration on the wall and wasn't paying attention. Since the Maredalay Bay was an ocean themed hotel, some pieces of decoration included pictures of sailing ships and fishing while others included actual fishing nets. "Oh Feather Duster, you evil, cheap genius," she rubbed her hooves together evilly and yanked the net from the wall.

"STOP! That's Maredalay Bay property!" The second hotel worker shouted.

"Official Wonderbolt business! I'll bring this back if I remember!" She replied, galloping out of the hotel. As the stallions chased her, Feather Duster burst from the hotel and ducked behind one of the many outside decorations, barely eluding the ponies that stood still, waiting for any sign of her. Another guest shook their head at Feather Duster whilst trotting their way into the hotel, thankfully not giving away her position.

"Do you really think she's a Wonderbolt?"

"Did you see those wings? Tartarus no she's not a Wonderbolt. She probably couldn't even carry parchment with those puny things," the other maintenance worker joked. While it didn't make her sad or upset, Feather Duster loathed anypony that brought up her wing handicap. Having been teased about it all through school, she held a grudge against ponies that taunted her. Yet, she had to keep quiet or else they'd find her and possibly throw her in hotel jail with Fire and Lightning Streak, and possibly getting fired from the Academy.

"We'll just tell the cops; she can't hide forever, at least until the 'Bolts have to do their show tonight. Let security know too," the maintenance duo re-entered the hotel, making Feather breathe a sigh of relief. She rolled the net up into a ball, making it easier to carry, and peeked her eyes around the corner, making sure no hotel security was waiting for her. The sound of clopping hooves on the stone staircase nearly made her squeak in surprise, but she bit her lip and shrank back behind the pillar. As the hoof steps faded against the sound of the street traffic from taxi carriages, Feather Duster darted from her hiding spot and mixed in with the street crowd, blending in quite nicely.

Once she felt that nopony else was chasing her, Feather Duster wiped the sweat from her forehead and trotted along merrily on street, soaking in all of the sights that she had been wanting to see. "Now, where was I?" She asked herself, stopping in front of the Neigh York Neigh York hotel and casino. "Oh right, I've got a little brat to catch," she juggled the net within her hoof. "Okay, where to first?" She asked herself, looking at every possible shop and tourist attraction Scootaloo could've gone too. "If I were a kid, where would I go? SHUT UP MISTY FLY!" She suddenly shouted at a poor Unicorn that had the exact same color fur as Misty Fly.

"Umm, excuse me?" She asked fearfully from the outburst. Comprehending what she had done, Feather's dust colored face blushed as she waved off what she had said. The possibility of being fired from her cushy job where she rarely lifted a hoof to work was in the beginning stages of clouding her judgment. She laughed nervously, patting the Unicorn's horn politely, only to have her hoof nearly cut when the mare snapped her head away, again from fear.

"I'm sorry. I have a co-worker who keeps telling me that talking to myself will lead others to believe I'm crazy," Feather Duster twirled her hoof around the side of her head, "and normally I just tell her to shut up. You sort of remind me of her." The Unicorn rejected her explanation, groaning in annoyance and trotting away.

"Talking to yourself is crazy!" She retorted as the distance between the two grew.

"Hey, I didn't judge you!" Feather shouted back, "Fat flank," she added under her breath. Reorienting herself, the janitor spotted a possible location for where Scootaloo could have gone. "The largest candy store in Equestria?" She thought, checking out all of the fillies and colts amongst a crowd of older ponies. Sure, it would be a great place to start, but the place was four levels high; it would take her at least an hour to check every orange filly in the building. And Scootaloo could just leave if she spotted Feather Duster first. "Meh, too obvious anyway," she shrugged, turning her attention to other locations. It was hard though with the amount of tourists and business ponies trotting about.

"How much?" A gruff, stallion voice tapped Feather's shoulder.

"Are you talking to me?" She cocked her head to the side after turning it towards the source of the question.

"I've got fifty-three bits on me, is that enough for an hour?" He asked. His were darting up and down, checking her out. Disgusted, Feather Duster reared back and walloped the stallion in the jaw, sending him flying back into a nearby fountain.

"I don't need money when I've got Fire," she said proudly while the stallion picked himself up from the water. "Though I do need a new projector for my room," Feather Duster walked away from the fountain. "Maybe I can suck up to Surprise again and get some bits from her. Dammit, don't get distracted!" She berated herself, stomping her hoof on the ground. "In order to catch a kid, I need to think like a kid," she looked past the candy store and landed her eyes on one of the biggest tourist traps ever invented: The gift shop.

Naturally, Feather Duster couldn't just assume this gift shop would be the one Scootaloo could be exploring. Las Pegasus was a popular attraction in Equestria; it must have hundreds upon hundreds of stops for souvenirs. Even if all of them claimed to be the best one in the city. The mare was about to complain about how much work that sounded like when she got a vision of Rainbow kicking her flank for losing her only sister in Las Pegasus and promptly getting fired by Soarin. "Meh, I'll just go for it," she cricked her neck and trotted into the gift shop.

Trying to not get distracted by all of the flashy items and bargain discounts, the mare kept her eyes peeled for fillies that resembled Scootaloo in anyway, hoping that she could get lucky, bag the little nuisance, lock her in her hotel room and then order five hundred bits worth of room service. "Hahahahahahahah," she chuckled evilly at the thought locking up Scootaloo so she wouldn't get fired. "Hmm, this'd go great on the shelf in my room!" she picked up a tiny Welcome to Fantastic Las Pegasus, Neighvada sign from one of the displays. "Focus, Feather Duster!" She set the trinket back on its shelf. "T-Shirts!" She exclaimed, knowing how much fillies and colts loved getting T-shirts for souvenirs.

"Mommy, I want a T-Shirt!" A little colt exclaimed, yanking his mother over to the T-Shirt rack. Grinning proudly to herself, Feather Duster slinked her way secret agent style near the shirts, hiding just in case Scootaloo appeared.

"Hello? What exactly are you doing, miss?" the manager of the gift shop opened up the shirts that Feather Duster was hiding behind. Trying to think of a lie so she wouldn't be deemed crazy again, she pulled out a shirt from the back row, emerging from the wall.

"They always have my size in the back," she chuckled nervously, holding up a mare sized medium Las Pegasus shirt. "THIRTY BITS!" She screamed when the price tag dangled in front of her face. "I didn't know this was the gift shop for millionaires," the shirt was thrown back onto the floor. "What kind of racket are you running here, dude? What about us normal working ponies?"

"One of the finest in Las Pegasus," the manager sneered. "You better watch your tongue; I'm very proud of my merchandise and employees," he gave her the stinky eye and properly set the shirt back onto the rack before assisting another customer.

"Rip off artist," came a murmur from Feather Duster. She knew that Rainbow said she and Scootaloo could return to the hotel whenever, but if Scootaloo returned before Feather Duster, yikes. "Hmm, maybe the hoofball hats?" She zoomed over only to find nopony else in that section of the store. Growling, Feather was about to just buck her rear legs into a sunglasses display when she saw a flash of orange fur disappear into a dressing room. Grinning, the mare took the net out of its ball and held it open in her hooves.

'This is it,' she thought. She'd finally catch the brat, drag her back to the hotel kicking and screaming if it came down to that, and lock her in the closet of her hotel room until it was time to see Rainbow again. That way, at least nothing terrible happened to her. "Oh Scootaloo," Feather Duster sang evilly, "come on, your auntie Feather Duster just wants to see the Blue Stallion Group with you. Then we can grab a bite at Whinnihana, doesn't that sound like fun?" She peered her head low to see four orange legs behind the door. "GOTCHA!" She burst through the door, tackling the pony and wrapping the net around them.

"Let me go!" The pony demanded, kicking and thrashing about.

"Stop squirming you little runt. You're lucky that I'm nice and I won't tell your sister that you ran off on me," she tied up the net and flung it onto her back.

"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WITH MY SON!?" A mare's voice ripped through the gift shop.

"Son? No, no, no, ma'am. This is a little filly I'm looking after named Scootaloo. She decided to ditch me, so I'm bringing her back to the hotel."

"Help me, mommy!" A colt's voice emitted from the net. Feather Duster's eyes about popped from their sockets. Wanting to be sure, she tossed the net onto the floor and got a good look at who she had captured.

"Uh-oh," she nearly crapped herself when she discovered she bagged an orange colt around Scootaloo's age that had a red mane and tail instead of the filly in question. "Totally my bad, miss," she untied the net, allowing the frightened colt to run to its mother. "Look, I found the wrong kid-" she tried to explain.

"FOALNAPPER!" Another pony accused, pointing their hoof at Feather Duster.

"What? No, I just wanted to get back a filly that ran away from me!" She tried to reason.

"I'm calling the cops!" The manager got on a megaphone and shouted out the doorway.

"THERE SHE IS, GET HER!" Another store patron exclaimed. Feather Duster soon found herself playing hoofball with about twenty mares and stallions, with her playing the ball! Darting around, weaving in and out, and dodging to and fro, the dusty mare slid underneath several stallions out onto the street where she proceeded to run for her life from the angry mob.

"WHY ME?!" She cried out. "THIS IS THE WORST VACATION EVER! DAMN YOU SCOOTALOO!"

Back with Scootaloo, the conniving filly slurped a milkshake happily as she watched the first act of the popular musical Stone of Time at the Heavy Metal Hotel and Casino. "It's a good thing that half of the Academy are idiots." She figured that she would avoid the Maredalay Bay just to screw with Feather Duster.

---

(Back With Spike, Twilight and Fluttershy)

"I-I th-think we sh-should go!" Fluttershy squeaked whilst the three huddled together in the middle of the defunct casino. The yellow Pegasus grabbed both Twilight and Spike by their tails, trying to pull them toward the front door of the supposedly haunted building. Now, this didn't hurt either of them, but getting their tails pulled on wasn't exactly a back massage.

"Yowch, hold on there, Fluttershy," Spike yanked his tail back from Fluttershy, rubbing the base which was still vibrating from discomfort. Twilight successfully levitated Fluttershy's grip from her tail and spun around so it couldn't be grasped again.

"Spike's right, there's no need to freak out Fluttershy," Twilight coerced. "Sure, an abandoned casino is pretty unsettling, but so is Luna and Celestia's old castle; we go there all the time," she pointed out. That wasn't enough to stop the frightened shaking of the animal lover. Having been scared by the great white shark earlier was plenty of 'excitement' to last her a week.

"Y-yeah, b-but we go when it's daylight," she replied and cowered again when she heard a floorboard creak.

"Um, it's only 2:00 in the afternoon," Spike cocked an eyebrow. It's still plenty bright outside, right mom?"

"Yes, that's true," Twilight concurred.

"An-and the castle at least has holes in the ceiling to let light in!" Fluttershy countered yet again, still pawing her hooves at what she thought was the door. Chuckling and rolling his eyes, Spike inhaled deeply and exhaled a large green flame, illuminating a good area of the room. Twilight copied this, casting a spell that lit up her horn with her magic, hoping to find a light switch somewhere.

"And for all we know, Fluttershy," the purple alicorn scanned the wall with her eyes, "that moan we heard could have just been a decrepit air conditioner trying to run," she suggested. "Celestia knows how old this place is." Not wanting to take any chances, Fluttershy glued herself to Twilight's side, jumpy and nervous as ever. As the three looked around for another source of light, Fluttershy had the classic feel of being watched; her fur was standing straight up on her neck.

"Mom, have you read anything on the Lucky 38? At least I think that's what it's called," Spike ran his hands along the wall. "I mean, if you can trust a rug," he added. Still scouring the wall, Twilight thought all the way back to the last few days when she researched the history of Las Pegasus up to future attractions. The Lucky 38 definitely didn't ring a bell with the scholar.

"Not to my knowledge, Spike," she checked back behind her, "even on upcoming casino plans," Twilight added. "I knew I should've read a copy of the city plans," she seethed before remembering that she wasn't supposed to talk about planning.

"EEP!" Fluttershy squeaked when Twilight came to a stop. "Oh Twilight, you startled me," she took several deep breaths. Despite what little light Twilight was radiating from her horn, visibility was still pretty low. "Have we circled the entire casino?"

"I think that's gonna be a little hard to tell, unless you have night vision," Spike joked.

"Hmm, it's a shame Owlowicious couldn't come," Twilight grinned, though was uncertain if Fluttershy or Spike saw it. "But to answer your question, Fluttershy, I'm not sure myself," she added. "Oof!" Twilight exclaimed after bumping into an object. "Ow, who left this door open?" She questioned.

"M-maybe i-it was wh-whoever wants us out?!" Fluttershy began to chew her hoof. Poking her head into the open doorway, Twilight's magenta aura briefly illuminated a small maintenance room, complete with a breaker.

"Aha! Let there be LIGHT!" Twilight placed her hoof upon the lever, thrusting it upwards as bright light flooded the casino. Because the three were so used to the dark, the light was near blinding to them.

"No sunglasses, mom?" Spike picked up Twilight's wing and shielded his eyes while she did the same with her other wing. Fluttershy just hid behind her pink mane until all three gradually got accustomed to the new levels of light.

"Even I don't plan for sunglasses indoors, son," Twilight took her wing from Spike's grip whilst the three exited the maintenance closet. All three pairs of eyes widened and narrowed in less than a second. They all saw their hoof and footprints in the floor caked with layer upon layer of dust and dirt, indicating that nopony had been inside for quite possibly years.

"Are you sure that this had to be a future casino, Twilight?" Fluttershy looked across the huge room at the slot machines and card tables that too were coated in sheets of dust. "It looks like it was ready for a grand opening and then everypony just left, or vanished," she gulped.

"Maybe the editor of your history book forgot about it?" Spike considered, dragging a claw across one of the slot machines, knocking the dust to the floor.

"Impossible, Spike; I read three books on the founding of Las Pegasus. Not one mentioned this place," Twilight replied, feeling a little suspicious.

"Well, how could a city this big not notice a brand new building?" Spike questioned, flicking some remaining dust off his thumb and finger. Still looking at the slot machine, Spike grinned and produced a bit from a fanny pack he'd been wearing. "Since nopony's around," he said, inserting the coin into the gambling machine.

"I don't think so, mister!" Twilight's magic yanked Spike's hand away after he pulled the lever on the side.

"Oh, come on, mom. Just let me try this once," Spike begged. Twilight shook her head, pulling Spike further away from the slot machine.

"One, you're not old enough. Two, what we're doing could potentially be trespassing if we're caught. And three, that machine doesn't even work and you just wasted a vacation bit," she sighed, disappointed.

"Aww crap," Spike grumbled, glowering at the slot machine.

"Um, guys?" Fluttershy tried to garner their attention.

"It's okay, Spike. You just learned a lesson about how serious gambling can be," Twilight released Spike from her magic. "Just be thankful you didn't waste all of your vacation money at once," she chuckled.

"Hello? Guys?" Fluttershy asked again.

"I'm still trying out the 'anything can happen' angle, mom," Spike explained.

"GUYS!" Fluttershy yelled so loud that some card tables were blown clean of dust. Spike and Twilight froze in place as they proceeded to dig their finger or tip of their hoof in their ears. "S-sorry," the animal lover apologized.

"Uh, you wanted something, Fluttershy?" Twilight patted her ear softly. The yellow pony pointed a shaky hoof to the spot where the trio had crashed through earlier. "Yeah, what about it? So we disturbed the dust a little, nopony can prove it was actually us," the alicorn explained.

"I-I d-don't think those are our hoof prints!" Fluttershy exclaimed frightfully. Spike and Twilight followed where she was pointing to two trails of hoof prints in the dust covered floor leading towards what appeared to be an elevator. "There aren't even dragon tracks," she added. "Somepony else lives here!"

"Woah," Spike replied. "I say we check it out!" the dragon cracked his knuckles. Obviously, Fluttershy was against the idea, shaking her head violently and backing away slowly. Twilight on the other hoof was on the fence about the idea.

"Spike, are you sure that's smart? Suppose somepony does live here, and it's some sort of escaped criminal?" Twilight placed her hoof on his shoulder. "Or some psychopath that purposely shielded themselves from the outside world?"

"To be honest, I don't think it's anything to worry about. You two have that weird Rainbow power pops up whenever it feels like it, and I'm a dragon that hasn't even tested my new strength in defense mode," he retorted. "I think we'll be fine," he smiled.

"I vote we leave and go back to our hotel!" Fluttershy shouted when another loud groan sounded off within the room.

"What if it's somepony that lives here and they're in pain?" Spike added, "We can't just leave them here."

"That sounds like it's coming from somewhere upstairs," Twilight trotted over to the elevator and pressed a button. "Spike's right, Fluttershy," Twilight turned to her longtime friend, "as much as it frightens you, that could be somepony who needs medical attention."

"How about you two go check on whoever or whatever is up there and I'll stay down here where it's bright and there's a maintenance closet I can hide in?" Fluttershy asked. Getting a sly grin on his face, Spike turned away from his mom and laced an arm around Fluttershy's neck.

"Yeah, I think that'd work out, Fluttershy. Mom and I can go upstairs while you wait down here for bloodthirsty looters, ghosts or possibly changelings to show up," the dragon agreed with the Pegasus. Feeling confused, Twilight wanted to ask why Spike didn't want Fluttershy to go when the rusty elevator doors opened loudly. Following Spike with her eyes, the alicorn stayed in between her friend and son, unsure of what to do.

"So, are we doing this, or not?" Twilight questioned.

"I'm glad you agree Spike," Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. "You two go on ahead while I make sure things stay relatively normal down here," she smiled, pushing Twilight into the elevator. Spike grinned, pushing a button that made the doors close with a still puzzled alicorn standing beside him. Fluttershy sat down on her flank, watching the big pair of front doors about twenty feet in front of her. "Got the music in me," Fluttershy sang softly to herself. She thought the elevator was a rather silent one for one that hadn't been used in seemingly years.

"Ugggggghhhhhhhh," the same moan from before reverberated throughout the casino.

"Bl-bloodthirsty looters? Ghosts? Changelings?" The Pegasus realized what Spike had said and started pounding on the doors. "WAIT FOR ME PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE ALONE!" She pleaded.

"And that's how you get Fluttershy to go along, mom," Spike hit the DOOR OPENbutton, allowing Fluttershy to zoom in and cling to Twilight for dear life.

"Hmm, easy for you to say," Twilight replied, "you're not the one she's glued to." With a cocky smile, Spike hit the only other button that was glowing: The Penthouse. After a long elevator ride that made all three uneasy with how many times the machine jarred and slowed, the doors opened with a ding, revealing a lone door about five feet in front of them within a tiny room.

"What's this room for, mom?" Spike asked, slowly exiting the elevator.

"I'd have to say this is the waiting room in case the owner was throwing a party. Or it's for privacy," Twilight rubbed her chin. "I mean, how uncomfortable would you be if anypony could just willy-nilly use an elevator and have instant access to your house?"

"Probably as uncomfortable as Fluttershy right about now," Spiked joked. The yellow pony in question still hadn't moved from Twilight's side. Her foreleg was intertwined with Twilight's refusing to let go until they were back outside.

"UUUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!"

"Yep, the moaning is definitely coming from the penthouse," Twilight trotted up to the door, yet she was hesitant to knock.

"Okay, we diagnosed where it came from," Fluttershy said quickly, "now let's go home!" She unlatched her leg from Twilight and bolted for the elevator just as the doors were closing. Poor Fluttershy smacked right into them face first, falling onto her back with a crazed laugh.

"Come on, Fluttershy." Helping her to her hooves, Spike laced one of her forelegs over his back, supporting her as they walked towards Twilight.

"Shh," Twilight shushed them. "I hear, arguing..." she muttered, pressing an ear to the door. Spike did the same, just barely able to hear a muffled debate. They had concluded that somepony else was at least here, but who they were and why they were here was still unanswered. Without warning, the apparently unlocked door opened, causing all three to fall through a second door that day.

"INTRUDERS!" One familiar voice shouted.

"I'm too sick to care, Flam," a second voice said before the sound of vomiting overtook him.

"FLAM!?" Spike, Twilight and Fluttershy (who had gotten over hitting her head) exclaimed. Standing up, all three Ponyville residents slacked their jaws at a pair of ponies they never thought they'd see again.

"Oh, it's just the friends of the mare that bankrupted us," a mustachioed, yellow pony scoffed, rolling his eyes and tossed a bottle of antacids to his twin brother. "This is our property; we can have you arrested for trespassing you know," he twirled his facial hair.

"What brings you three- BLERRRRGGGH!" Flim tried to question before he vomited into a sink again. "Here?" he muttered a little dazed.

"Flim and Flam?" Twilight questioned, "What are you two doing in this defunct casino? I thought you'd be back wherever you came from, trying to come up with more get rich quick schemes."

"Sorry to burst your bubble princess," Flam cracked open a Coltweiser from a mini fridge, "but we need a little money if we're going to try a get rich quick scheme, and money is one thing we don't have anymore, thanks to that redneck friend of yours."

"Don't talk about my friend like that," Spike warned.

"What happened to you, kid? Did you drink an age advancing potion or something?" Flim had turned on the faucets of the sink to help drain his bile.

"No, he's grown up," Twilight replied, getting in between her son and the two con artists, "something that you two obviously haven't figured out yet."

"Look little missy," Flam ducked around and appeared behind Twilight, "we'll cut to the chase. We're just about flat broke, is there anything in this room that might interest you? Perhaps a T-shirt?" He offered a blue shirt with the words Take her for a spin!' imprinted on the front.

"Or quite possibly a deck of cards from the same day the Troticana opened up?" Flim held up a deck of cards, shuffling them around like a magician.

"Perhaps this spiffy orange tuxedo complete with a top hat and cane?" Flam pulled the tuxedo out from a wardrobe. "I think this'd look mighty handsome on that reptile son of yours," the smooth talker tossed it to Spike. Right before he could catch it, Spike had his hand slapped away by Twilight who caught the tuxedo within her magic and levitated it back into the wardrobe.

"Sorry boys, but we're not here to shop, just curious about how you two acquired this piece of property if you're broke as you say," Twilight explained, still staying in front of Spike.

"Ahem, I can answer that," a third, yet also familiar voice sounded off.

"Discord?!" Fluttershy exclaimed, surprised yet happy. A light fixture on the ceiling of the room turned into the draconequus as he teleported from the ceiling down in front of the trio.

"That's me!" He said proudly as a news studio backdrop with his name appeared behind him. "It's so good to see you all in Las Pegasus. Things were beginning to become quite a bore with these two numbskulls always bickering with each other," he turned into a large 2x4 before appearing with a tea party table in the middle of the room.

"Okay, did you make this casino appear, Discord?" Twilight asked, "Is that why it looks abandoned and the city hasn't noticed it?"

"Whereever would you get an idea like that?" Discord asked innocently, stirring up a pot of tea. "Come, join us won't you?" he offered to everypony and dragon. Giddily, Fluttershy galloped over to hug her friend while everyone else just stood there.

"You know we don't drink tea, Discord," Flam shook his beer can at the animal hodgepodge. Discord ceased stirring the teapot as the spoon turned back into his protruding fang and inserted itself back into his mouth.

"Well since it's one of the few things you can afford, why pass it up?" the draconequus questioned.

"We would be able to afford more if somepony hadn't spent the last of our money on a year's subscription to PLAYCOLT and beer!" Flim shook a hoof at Flam. Shrugging, the older twin tossed his beer can into a garbage basket.

"At least we have some entertainment, brother. Can't you at least be grateful?" Flam asked, putting on the hat he and Flim used to help con ponies with. Ignoring them, Discord snapped his eagle talons, making Twilight and Spike appear at the table.

"I bet you're wondering how these two got here," Discord began. "It all started a few months ago. Fluttershy was, as usual, showing me how great it was to offer her home to others when they didn't have one or if they were sick or injured. I was taking a nice Sunday stroll through Las Pegasus when I happened upon the Flunk Fail brothers trying to start up another con. Unfortunately, Las Pegasus ponies are so used to cons that they failed relatively quickly. So what did I do? Instead of just making them my entertainment puppets for the day, I offered them a place to stay until they got real jobs and got back on their hooves."

"And how long ago was this?" Spike asked, taking his own tea cup and slurping some of it.

"Two months starting tomorrow," Discord poured Fluttershy a fresh cup. "Two lumps, correct Fluttershy?" He questioned.

"Please," she smiled. "It's so kind of you to offer somepony a place to stay during their downtimes," she complemented her friend. Discord pulled out a ball peen hammer, smacked his head a few times until a pair of lumps formed and rolled off the side of his head into Fluttershy's tea.

"Even if the place is pretty creepy," Twilight agreed.

"How else do you think we're going to keep others from taking our stuff?" Flim demanded, still giving his twin the evil eye.

"Stuff?" Spike looked around to see only a pair of cots, a sink, a door leading to presumably a bathroom, a stack of magazines and the wastebasket full of empty beer cans. "I think you two could leave this place unlocked and it'd still look the same." Flim and Flam glared at the purple dragon.

"Anyway, what brings my friends to the Lucky 38?" Discord began to munch on his tea cup. "I conjured up a fake property plan so these two could live here, but I made it look haunted to keep the curious ones out. I guess I was no match for Twilight over here," he waved a Twilight pennant. Before one of the three could answer, Discord remembered something, "Oh, and before I forget. Send my congratulations to your 'Ivan' friend and Applejack for me," he pulled up a photo of the two kissing in Cougar's shack.

"How did you know about that?" Fluttershy asked, "I was going to send you a letter about it, but with the travel planning it slipped my mind," she blushed. Discord laughed, patting Fluttershy's mane kindly.

"Oh Fluttershy, I thought you knew me better than that." With another snap of his eagle talons, Discord appeared as a tiny fly on the end of Twilight's nose, almost drawing a sneeze from the pony. "It's amazing how little everypony notices you when you're a teeny little fly," he crawled up in between Twilight's eyes where the alicorn flicked him off with her hoof.

"You spied on them when they confessed? That's a huge invasion-" Discord's magic made Twilight's mouth zip up with a zipper.

"Well, I was bored. What do you expect me to do? Moon Cheeks and Sunny Butt were there too, so why am I the one being outed here?" Discord appeared in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs while Spike and Twilight were wearing blue police pony uniforms.

"Celestia and Luna helped them get together; they didn't watch just because they were bored," Spike spoke for Twilight as she unzipped her mouth.

"Oh, he was just curious," Fluttershy placed her hoof on Discord's lion paw. "Besides, as long as he didn't do anything to them..." Fluttershy gave Discord a stern look. A golden halo appeared above his horns along with an innocent smile. "Good boy," she smiled.

"Hold on here!" Flam cut in. "Did you say that your friend, who for all intents and purposes bankrupted us, is dating that human friend of yours?" he asked.

"Hmm, there's nothing blocking the ear canal," Discord stuck an otoscope into Flam's ear canal. "Perhaps you're slower than I thought. Now before this gets out of hoof and we're at each other's throats over the issue, how about I treat us to a late lunch at the Prance hotel?"

End Chapter 38

---

So, we find out that Discord's been bunking the Flim Flam brothers in the Lucky 38 until they get back on their hooves. Since they're con ponies, I don't think that'll happen overnight. And before anyone points out that they could just turn it into a real casino, they don't have the proper licenses to do that.

NEXT TIME: Lullaby faces Button Mash to determine who is the grand champion of Gallopa! Pinkie Pie and Surprise celebrate the latter's casino winnings by visiting Colta-Cola world, Ivan talks to Applejack about how Applebloom views him as a big brother and Wave Chill and Silver Lining have a drink with Rapidfire before the airshow.

PLUS: Here's a little sneak peek at one line of AJ dialog:

Applejack: Ivan, Ah am SORELY disappointed in ya. Ya KNOW better than ta do this.